Penance

I tried the old formulation of Jack. First sniff: Nutmeg and clove...there's no pumpkin to be found straight out of the vial. To me, this is almost burnt smelling it's so raw and dry. Somehow, in spite of not being able to smell any pumpkin in this, it reminds me of the smell of the inside of a jack 'o' lantern that's been left with a candle burning inside it for too long and that's not a bad thing at all. Wet on skin: There's the faintest hint of pumpkin to Jack now, but the clove and nutmeg are still dominating. This really reminds me of Halloween for some reason...I'm thinking maybe I'm associating the smell of this with a bonfire for some reason. It's not quite so dusty or scorched smelling now that it's on my skin, but it's a far cry from pumpkin pie. Dry down: I can really smell the pumpkin now. Now Jack is less harsh and more homey and Halloweeny smelling at the same time. I don't normally care for the smell of pumpkin, but I actually really like this, especially the longer it sits on my skin. The bottom line: The perfect fall scent. Jack starts off a little rough, but smells gorgeous once it dries.

The first of the year's Harvest Festivals. Lughnasadh represents a rest from toil and a time of reflection. Fertility magick is practised, as is agricultural magick used to ensure a bountiful Autumn harvest. The holy day is named after the Celtic deity Lugh, God of Skill in All Things, Patron of the Arts and Sciences. ... Got an imp of this from allamanda. First sniff: Almost almondy smelling but with a vaguely fruity undertone. Very odd, but I'm thinking maybe it's cherry I'm smelling instead of almond...I tend to confuse them sometimes and this doesn't appear to be making me sick, so it's probably cherry. Normally I avoid almond scents like the plague because they make me horribly sick, but on the off chance that this doesn't stay almondy (or on the off chance that it is cherry I'm smelling), I'll give it a shot. Wet on skin: Almond with a hint of cherry. I'm confused because I can smell both and I don't know if it's just cherry I'm smelling and I'm confusing it for both almond and cherry or if there really is almond in here. Right now, I'm erring on the side of caution and not breathing too deep. I don't want another replay of the Baron Samedi incident. There's also a somewhat grassy-smelling undertone to this, like dried hay. Very unusual. Dry down: No more almonds! It smells like some sort of grain to me now but creamy at the same time. It's not quite foody, more like fresh-chaffed wheat. I really don't know quite how to accurately describe it, but it's beautiful. The bottom line: I don't know what's in this, but once it gets past the almond/cherry stage, it's gorgeous. I'm glad I gave it a shot in spite of the initial almond scent.

Got an imp of this from cluna. First sniff: I don't get anything even remotely sweet from this. For me, it's sharp and almost animal smelling - must be the musk I'm smelling. There's also something almost powdery in the background that I can't place. I don't think I'm going to like this one very much, I'm having a pretty strong recoil reaction to it like I did with Deimos. Wet on skin: So sharp it almost burns my nose; I've never known musk to do that before...I'm guessing this has more musk in it than I'm used to or something. Haunted has a very animal feel to it and for some reason it smells almost sexual and not in a good way. Very odd. Dry down: Haunted isn't sharp anymore, just musky and slightly powdery. I have no idea what's causing the powdery note. Maybe it's the amber? I'm not getting the normal sour milk smell I typically get from amber, though, which is good. I'd rather smell like baby powder than sour milk. The bottom line: I really don't think this is for me. It's just not my type of scent, although I can see it working beautifully on someone else.

Got an imp of this as a gift from fallow deer. First sniff: Cocoa and fig are the most prominent notes in this for me. It reminds me of Nephilim, which must be the fig. I don't know what black palm smells like, but there's something that smells vaguely like a date in the background that's either another level of the fig or the palm. This is a dark scent; it's not sweet or fruity in spite of the cocoa and fig, it's dark and deep and sophisticated smelling. Wet on skin: I smell fig very strongly now that it's on my skin; it has the same feel and (inexplicably) somewhat the same scent as March Hare, which I absolutely adore. It's fruity without being juicy or feminine smelling (on me, anyway). It reminds me of dried figs dipped in cocoa powder. The cocoa is mainly lingering in the background, with the fig taking the dominant place at the front. Dry down: This scent is making me crave Fig Newton's something awful. It still reminds me of March Hare for some reason I can't put my finger on. I smell mainly dried fig and a light dusting of cocoa powder. I don't smell the "wooded notes" in this and I'm not sure what black palm smells like, but this is gorgeous just the way it is. The bottom line: I love this one! Fig works very well on me and the cocoa isn't overwhelmingly chocolatey the way I had feared it would be. This is definitely a very grown-up, beautiful scent.

This one really made me sad because I love the scent, but lately it's turning into pure baby powder on me. First sniff: Resiny smelling but sweet, which must be the myrrh. There's also something vaguely fruity smelling like fig that I can't place at all. This scent is so gorgeous; it has three of my favorite notes in it: patchouli, myrrh and clove. Wet on skin: Spicy, sweet and resiny at the same time. There's someting naggingly familiar about this but I can't place it. I think it reminds me of something in Perversion although I have absolutely no idea what it is. The longer it's on my skin, the more powdery Malice becomes, which makes me very sad because I really dislike powdery scents. Dry down: Powdery, sweet, spicy and resiny. I'm getting the distinct impression of baby powder over top of everything else now that it's dry. It's still pretty in spite of the powder, but I just can't wear something powdery like this. The bottom line: I'm undecided about this one. I like it and it used to like me, but I don't know if I can tolerate the baby powder dry down that it's been giving me lately.

It's probably a good thing Bet's not taking custom scent orders right now. I'm a BPAL fiend and would love to have a custom scent for my wedding, but I need to spend more money like I need another hole in my head. Beth has inadvertently saved me from myself. <hijack> That reminds me...I need to decide what oil to wear for my wedding. I have Havisham, but I don't generally do floral scents. Unfortunately I don't think my usual tastes will work well with a fairytale princess type dress, so I'm kind of up in the air about what to wear. </hijack>

Got this as a freebie from the Lab in my last order. First sniff: Wow, this smells almost exactly like Thierry Mugler Angel, I had to get out my old bottle of Angel and compare them the resemblence was so strong. I never expected it to smell like Angel from the description since the notes are so different, but I was pleasantly surprised because I love Angel and even my love of BPAL hasn't been able to make me get rid of my bottles of it. Wet on skin: Now this smells even closer to Angel. I don't normally compare BPAL to other commercial perfumes, but this one was too close not to. I really can't pick out any of the notes in this, it all just blends together so well and so beautifully that I can't pu my finger on any note in particular. Dry down: Still an Angel dupe only better somehow (I should have expected that; it is BPAL after all). I really like this one; it's impossible for me not to. After all, it smells like my old staple perfume that I still haven't been able to throw away. The bottom line: I think I may finally be able to get rid of my bottles of Angel. Hurrah!

I have to confess I got this for the name without having even read the ingredients. Preconceived notions: I would expect something with a name like Wings of Azrael to be dark and brooding smelling, maybe with a whiff of incense smoke. First sniff: Floral, very floral with a hint of something resiny which must be the myrrh. I'm not good at picking out floral notes other than lilac and rose, so all I can say about tem is that I smell flowers. Wet on skin: Mmm, myrrh and a hint of floral notes. I would have expected a scent named after the angel of death to be darker and more somber but this is light and quite beautiful, even if it's not what I would have expected. Dry down: Myrrh with a floral background. I was worried about the floral notes in this, but this is absolutely gorgeous. It's rich and resiny and light and floral at the same time. This is what I imagined All Saints would have smelled like. The bottom line: I really like this one. It's a complex scent that manages to be both a resin scent and a floral scent at the same time without being heavy on either one. Definitely a keeper.

I keep meaning to review this and keep forgetting since I gave it to the boy, but I tried it last night and... First sniff: No clue how to describe it other than to say this smells like a generic department store's men's cologne. That's not a bad thing, just very surprising with it being BPAL and all. Wet on skin: It still smells like men's cologne...any men's cologne, they all smell more or less the same to me, other than Old Spice and this is definitely not Old Spice. If I concentrate, I can pick out the rosemary and sandalwood, but only because I know they're in there. Dry down: I smell like the men's cologne department of Marshall Field's, it's just that simple. It's a pleasant scent, no doubt about it, I just didn't expect it from a BPAL oil. I think I prefer Darkness on both the boy and myself, but this is okay. It'd be good for getting a guy with a love of mainstream perfumes to come over to the dark side, though. The bottom line: A little too generic for my tastes. I don't want to smell like a generic department store perfume and I'd rather my boy didn't either, so while this is a pleasant enough scent, it's definitely not one of my favorites.

First sniff: Cedar and something leafy and almost fruity smelling which mut be the raspberry leaf. For some reason, this scent reminds me of a Greek grocery store...or, more specifically, the pictures of grape leaves I've always seen hanging in the windows of Greek grocery stores. I don't know why, but somehow the mental image and the scent just go together. Wet on skin: Slightly more fruity than in the vial. I get a distinct impression of cedar covered in damp raspberry leaves. I still can't quite shake the mental impression of grape leaves, there's just something about them that distinctly reminds me of what Alecto smells like. I don't normally like fruity scents but the cedar and green notes seem to balance out the fruitiness and makes me think of a trellis made of cedar with raspberry stalks growing through it. Dry down: The cedar seems to have disappeared, leaving a faint impression of raspberry and leaves that, for some reason, reminds me of an Italian restaurant - the kind with checkered tablecloths and wooden tables and wine bottles in raffia wrappers. The bottom line: I really like this one. I wish it had a stronger cedar component, but I like it anyway. I can easily see myself wearing this one all year round.

Got this as a freebie from the Lab in my last order. First sniff: I know this is a floral blend, but I smell something almost fruity smelling which must be the osmanthus. I don't know how to decribe this scent other than to say that it smells...purple. I don't normally describe scents by color, but this one stands out as purple in my mind's eye. Wet on skin: Floral, sweet and fruity all at the same time. It almost smells like plums for some reason. So far, I actually really like this one, which comes as a surprise since I don't generally care for floral scents or fruit. Dry down: Queen Mab has settled down into a vaguely fruity floral/green scent that reminds me somewhat of King of Spades for some reason, I think because this smells vaguely like purple berries to me. It's almost more of a similar feel than a similar smell. The bottom line: Another surprise winner from the Lab. I'm always amazed by the oils the Lab gifts me with that end up being wonderful in spite of the fact that I never would have picked them out myself.

I got an imp of this as a present of ChupaChup and have since ended up with a few others...I think it's a sign. First sniff: I smell pine and vanilla. It reminds me of Snake Oil made with pine instead of spices for some reason. I love pine and I like vanilla when it's done well (Beth always does vanilla well) so this is looking very promising. I'm a little leary of the amber because of the dreaded "sour milk effect," but this smells too good to pass up. Wet on skin: Mmm, sweet pine wood. I can't smell the vanilla distinctly...it's more like pine drizzled with aged vanilla oil. I can smell the amber beginning to make an appearance, too, which is wonderful as long as it doesn't turn into sour milk like it has a tendency to do on me. I love amber but amber doesn't love me back. Dry down: The amber is coming out strongly and mingling with the vanilla. The pine's retreated to the background now, which makes me sad since I love pine so much. But the good news is that so far I don't smell like an unplugged fridge, which makes me very happy. The bottom line: This is nice. I wish the pine were more prominent on me, but just the fact that I don't smell like a bottle of milk that's been left out on the counter for a week more than makes up for it.

Malediction is almost pure patchouli on me and I love it. The Coiled Serpent is also good; on me it smells like pure black patchouli, but I'm pretty sure there's some frankincense or myrrh or something in there, too. Anne Bonny wasn't patchouli-like at all on me, it was pure sandalwood, but it's still gorgeous.

Got an imp of this from ladymeshel. First sniff: Wow, this is the first BPAL scent I've tried that I can't even begin to describe. I have absolutely no idea what's in this, to tell the truth. It smells...green to me, although I can't tell if it's green in an herbal way or in a woodsy way straight out of the bottle. It smells nagginly familiar in some way, but I just can't put my finger on it. Wet on skin: This reminds me of something...another BPAL scent, but I can't remember what it is. Hemlock, maybe? It's almost an herbal smell but somewhat soapy. Short of going through my entire imp collection, I don't know exactly what this reminds me of, but it's so familiar! Dry down: Almost woodsy smelling now and simultaneously herbal and almost musky smelling. I'd really love to know what's in this one because I really have no clue whatsoever. Whatever it is, I like it. A lot. The bottom line: Somewhere between woodsy and herbal and a complete mystery to me. It's familiar, but I can't place it. Maybe if I'd smelled more single notes I could narrow it down, but as it is I really have no clue what's in this blend. Whatever is in it, I really like it and it likes me. ETA: I finally think I figured out what Peace smells like to me...lavender! I'm getting better and better at identifying lavender and that's what this smells like to me now.

All I can say is one word: Somnus. For me, it's eliminated all the old tossing and turning and crazy dreams and made me feel rested when I wake up (something I have a huge problem with). I'm not only the spokesperson, I'm a customer.

I have to admit that I got this one for the name, but it was a wise choice apparently. First sniff: Lilac and some other floral I don't recognize. Lilac is one fo the few flowers I love the smell of and this is really quite beautiful even though it's not my usual kind of scent. It reminds me of climbing our lilac trees when I was little and spying on people from behind the clumps of flowers. Wet on skin: The violet is coming out now that it's hit my skin and it's competing with the lilac. It smells very familiar to me for some reason. I don't know what tuberose smells like, but maybe that's what's reminding me of something I can't quite put my finger on. I feel like I know this scent from somewhere. I'm mainly getting soft lilac and powdery violet. This blend smells almost like violet pastilles dipped in lilac. Dry down: As Nocturne dries, the violet becomes more prominent, drowning out the lilac, which makes me sad because I actually really like the smell of lilac. I don't normally wear it, but I do love the smell of it. I can also smell something almost rosey smelling int he background which must be the tuberose. The bottom line: I'll be keeping this blend for when I feel particularly girly. I don't normally wear florals, but this is nice.

First sniff: Warm and spicy and very inviting smelling, oddly enough. I smell dragon's blood and cinnamon most prominently followed by a peppery undertone that reminds me of Three Witches and makes my nose tingle like I'm about to sneeze. This is beautiful! Wet on skin: This reminds me almost exactly of a clove candle I have that's never quite smelled like pure cloves, more like cinnamon and ground cloves with a hint of sweetness. This is a very warm smelling scent and, in spite of the name, it feels very welcoming to me, like a kitchen where someone's grandmother (certainly not mine; she doesn't know how to cook) is baking some sort of cinnamon pastries. Dry down: The dragon's blood is coming out strongly now, followed closely by the cinnamon...real cinnamon, not cinnamon red-hots. The peppery smell is still there in the background if I concentrate hard enough and it adds even more depth and spice to an already deep and spicy blend. The bottom line: I love this one. I feel very warm and content wearing this blend for some reason. I'm going to be seriously considering ordering a bottle of this one. It's the perfect spicy scent for me.

Got a 5mL of this from lorajc. First sniff: This is very clean smelling and aquatic in a way that doesn't bother me the way most aquatic scents do. I'd liken it to a pond rather than the ocean. It's very green smelling and quite beautiful, even to me, hater of almost all aquatic scents. I recognize something in here, but I can't put my finger on it. It smells very green and reminds me of something I smelled in Bayou although I don't know what it is. Wet on skin: No change from in the bottle, it's a lovely, calm green aquatic scent that reminds me of a tranquil pond with willow boughs trailing across the surface. I already feel calmer wearing this. Placid would be a good word for my current emotional state. While I don't normally wear this kind of scent, I can easily see this being one of my favorites. I didn't get it for the way it smelled, but rather for its effects, but the smell is beautiful! Dry down: Slightly more herbal than when it was wet, but still mainly a green aquatic scent. I feel much calmer wearing this than I did when I got up this morning. I've been having a lot of panic attacks lately and was feeling very stressed out by the amount of schoolwork I have waiting to be finished and desperately needed a destressor and Water of Notre Dame seems to have been the perfect choice. The bottom line: Wonderful, absolutely wonderful. I feel calm and tranquil wearing this and I smell good to boot. A definite winner.

Got an imp of this from Omly. First sniff: Berry wine and something slightly astringent smelling that I can't place. It's fruity without being overly sweet; more rich and deep like good wine. There's also an underlying woodsiness about this blend that I love. Wet on skin: I smell blackberries and ivy and a hint of apple cider. This is so gorgeous. It just screams autumn to me. I don't normally do fruity scents and especially not berry scents, but this is gorgeous. The image it brings to mind is sipping a glass of wine in the middle of the forest. Lovely. Dry down: It's settled down into a soft, light berry and apple cider scent that I just love. I actually found myself thinking "What smells so good?" every time I moved today and I don't normally do that, even when I'm wearing someting I really love. This one's really won me over in spite of my reservations. The bottom line: Gorgeous, no question about it. This, to me, is the perfect fall/winter scent. It's rich and dark and beautiful and makes me feel warm and content.

First sniff: Peach and amber and a hint of patchouli. It's simultaneously sweet and fruity, rich and golden and earthy. I really like this, but I don't know if I'll be able to wear it since amber tends to turn into sour milk on me. Wet on skin: Whoa, that's odd. When I put this on, it turns into Sin! This (on me, anyway) could be Sin's long-lost twin in spite of the differing notes. That's really odd, but I'm not complaining because I love it...mainly because I love Sin, but, regardless of te reason, I love this blend. Dry down: Imp still smells exactly like Sin, but the amber doesn't seem to be turning into sour milk with this one. Either my losing streak with amber has ended or I just got lucky with this one. Either way, I'm a happy camper, this is gorgeous. The bottom line: I love this even if I am mystified as to how it managed to turn from the peach/amber/patchouli combination in the vial into Sin's doppelganger. Very odd to say the least, but it makes me very happy.

Got this as a freebie from the Lab in my last order. First sniff: An almost soapy smelling floral. I'm no good at picking out flower notes, so that's all I can really say about what exactly it is I'm smelling. Occasionally I get a whiff of am almost smoky smelling floral, which I'm guessing must be the rose. Wet on skin: The soapy smell has disappeared and I'm left with something that smells almost like lilacs now. It's a very pretty soft floral scent that I actually quite like in spite of my dislike of floral perfumes. For some reason, this makes me feel like a little girl playing dress up in her mommy's clothes. Dry down: Now Black Dahlia reminds me of Has No Hanna for some reason. I'm thinking there's some common notes between the two. I can smell florals and something else that I can't place that smells almost like myrrh. It's also become smokier now that it's dried down and it feels much more grown up. Unfortunately, it's also making my nose burn and itch. I think I'm allergic to something in this blend. The bottom line: Pretty, to be sure, but it doesn't look like I can wear it witout having my nose burn from smelling it. Off to swaps with it.

I got an imp of this as a gift from Red_Hot Mama. First sniff: It smells very clean, like cucumber and melon and some sort of light forals. I think I can also smell some aloe in here. I don't know what most of the notes in this smell like on their own, but the result is very light and fresh and clean smelling. It smells like springtime to me. Wet on skin: Cucumber and aloe are the most prominent when this blend is wet. It reminds me of cutting fresh cucumbers in the summertime and although it's not something I have much experience with, I feel like it's bringing back happy memories of childhood regardless of whether or not it really happened. There's just that feeling of calm and contentment that you get when you've got absolutely nothing else you need to be doing and nowhere else you need to be. Dry down: Cucumber is still the most prominent note, but there's something vaguely fruity behind it...maybe it's the orchid? I tend to think of orchid as fruity smelling for some reason. There's also a light background of florals that are so well blended with the cucumber and aloe that they don't really stand out as being flowers. This is a really happy smelling scent for me, even though it doesn't have a direct link to any specific happy memories for me. I just feel good wearing it. The bottom line: I was worried about whether I would like this one with all the floral notes in it, but it's gorgeous - clean and light and fresh smelling. It makes me feel like I'm remembering something wonderful that happened in my past even though I'm not if that makes sense...

First sniff: Berries. Sweet red berries and not much else. I really don't think this is going to work on me, but I'll give it a shot since sometimes there's a huge change from imp to skin. Wet on skin: Berries, berries and more berries. This reminds me of those "mixed berry" candies you sometimes get, the ones with raspberry and blueberry and strawberry and all that. This is definitely not my thing, but I can see it working beautifully on someone else. Berries just aren't my thing. Dry down: Pretty much the same as when it was wet. This one's basically the same through all its stages from imp to wet on the skin to the dry down. It's a sweet berry scent that, while lovely in its own way, is definitely not for me. The bottom line: Definitely not for me. It'll be going up for swap.

Preconceived notions: I would imagine this scent to be woodsy with a hint of apples. Not overhwhelmingly fruity, more like walking through a forest eating a fresh picked apple. First sniff: Very strong apple but with a hint of something I can't place...it smells almost dusty in a way. Maybe it's the oak bark? Other than that, I have no idea what it could be. Wet on skin: Oh my God, this is gorgeous! I don't normally do fruity scents, but this is fantastic! It smells like a fresh cut Golden Delicious apple with the slightest hint of bark and leaves behind it. This is a complete surprise for me and I love it. Dry down: Pure juicy Golden Delicious apple. This is nothing like I expected but absolutely amazingly gorgeous. I can see this being a perfect year-round scent. I know I would wear it all year-round. I feel happy wearing this scent. The bottom line: An almost total surprise but absolutely gorgeous, even for a non-fruit perfume lover like me. Definitely a keeper.

I get horribly sick if I wear (or even smell) anything with almonds in it and carnation is starting to do the same thing. Luckily I have yet to break out in a rash from any BPAL oil, I just have to avoid anything with almond or carnation in it or anything that smells like almonds, regardless of whether there's actually almond oil in it or not.