Penance

I tried this one because several people suggested it as a woodsy fragrance, but sadly this was a major crash and burn on me. First sniff: Vicks Vaporub! That usually means a ton of eucalyptus, which is fine by me because I love eucalyptus. I also love Vicks Vaporub, but that's another story for another time. Wet on skin: The eucalyptus is still predominating, but there's a growing citrus behind it. It's quickly starting to smell scarily like the cleaning solution that they used to clean the bathrooms in my elementary school with; like bleach and citrus and eye-watering fumes. This is going downhill fast. Dry down: Ugh, the citrus has really come out and now it smells like cleaning solution mixed with that orange scented hand degreaser. This is not good. Not good at all. I wanted something woodsy, but this is like Jabberwocky brand industrial strength cleanser and hand degreaser. Not a good thing. The bottom line: Maybe it was my skin chemistry screwing this up, but this was a train wreck on me. I'm glad I got a tiny bit of this as a freebie in a swap, because this just did not work at all.

First sniff: Cherry? I don't remember there being any cherry in the description. I guess it must be the dragon's blood I'm smelling, but it smells like cheap cherry bubblegum. At the moment, that's all that I can smell. Wet on skin: Still cherry. It reminds me of some sort of cheap gum I used to get on Halloween...the kind that was always so hard you'd chip a tooth on it. I'm sure someone else might enjoy this, but I'm not a big fan of cherry as a fragrance. It's a bit too cloying for me, personally, but I'll wait it out and see what comes of it. Dry down: There's some flowers starting to peek out, but that doesn't help matters much. The cherry bubblegum smell is still overlying everything and making me faintly sick, this is definitely not a scent for me, sad to say. I don't know why, but dragon's blood seems to be a hit or miss scent with me. Either it works beautifully or it turns into something horrendous and this seems to fall into the latter category. The bottom line: I wanted to like it, it sounded lovely, but I can't wear it so it's off to swaps with it. Hopefully someone else will get some use out of it.

Got an imp of this from Eoywin. First sniff: Deep woods...juniper and pine needles and a hint of loamy soil. It's a very clean, peaceful scent. It reminds me of the deepest reaches of hte woods: serene and untouched. It's not herbal the way I would have imagined it to be, but rather it's unequivocably woodsy. This is looking very promising. Wet on skin: It's very woodsy for the first few seconds and then starts turning green and slightly herbal. The woods are still there, but I feel like I'm sitting on the forest floor with the wild floor-dwelling plants rather than smelling the trees. This is pretty, but not nearly as piney as I'd like. Dry down: The herbal scent has remained, almost drowning out the woodsiness. It's still pretty and still reminds me of the forest, but it's more like I would have imagined something called Wolfsbane to smell like. I miss the intense woodsiness of the first couple of minutes, but this is still lovely. The bottom line: I'd prefer a more woodsy scent, but this is quite nice. It's not too herbal, but it has just enough greeness to it to fit the name. This is a really interesting scent that I can see myself wearing quite often.

Masabakes is a Cantabrian demoness that governs lustfulness and lechery. In order to tempt virgins to corruption she employs the aid of her lackey, the imp Tentirujo. Under the cover of magickal invisibility, the imp caresses maidens with mandrake root, instilling uncontrollable passion and wantonness in the unsuspecting girls. Thick black currant with the darkest, deepest myrrh, a drop of bitter mimosa and the slightest touch of mandrake dust. First sniff: Earthy and dirty and very slightly bitter. I can't pick out any individual notes, but the impression I'm getting is of a very dark cave with a dirt floor. I don't smell anything fruity in this at all, which is fine by me. Wet on skin: More bitter than in the bottle, but not at all unpleasant. It reminds me of something, but I can't put my finger on it. The notes in this are so well blended that none of them stand out to the point where I can identify them. The earthiness is fading, leaving a bitter, slightly woody scent behind. Dry down: This is, quite possibly, the most complex scent I've tried yet. It's almost impossible for me to describe, even in my mind. It's almost herbal, but brown instead of green, if that makes sense. It's not quite earthy, but I get the impression of earthiness. Very complex. The bottom line: Complicated and unusual. It's confusing, but in a good way. It's entirely different than any other scent I've tried. Definitely a keeper.

First sniff: Juniper. Very strong juniper. Very woodsy smelling. It reminds me a lot of Burial right out of the bottle, but without the earthy undertone. This smells like the deep woods to me, serene and untouched. I love this sort of scent. Wet on skin: The juniper is still predominating. This stuff is strong. I can also smell the patchouli a tiny bit now that it's on my wrists, but not enough for my taste. I love patchouli even more than I love juniper. This is nice, but it's not going to be able to replace Juniper or Loup Garou as my favorite woodsy scent, I can tell it already. Dry down: The juniper is still predominating, but there's a rising baby powder scent that I got very strongly in Black Forest, too. I'm thinking my chemistry is turning juniper to powder lately, there's just no other explanation for it. The bottom line: I really like this. A lot. But it won't be replacing my other favorites. Might have to try it out on the boy and see if it works on him.

I know it's a little late, but I second Port-Au-Prince. It kind of reminds me of potpurri to begin with and it's nice and spicy. ~ Penance

TO the Lab? They make it there. Now I'm confused. ~ Penance

I think it means it's been pulled from the Lab's stock. It generally doesn't mean it's really been shipped. But that's just how I understand it, I could be wrong. ~ Penance

First sniff: Wow, very masculine! It puts me in mind of the covers of those harlequin romance novels where the pirate's holding up the swooning young woman in the artfully torn dress with the wind blowing in his hair. Now, I've never read those things (honest to God, I really haven't) but it's the immediate mental image I get when I smell this. I smell salt predominately and behind it I can pick up a hint of leather and maybe the lightest touch of rum. I like it and so does my mom, who almost didn't give me the imp back after I let her smell it. Wet on skin: Salt air. I can almost feel my nose burning from the salt and that's a very good thing. There's also a hint of leather and something spicy which must be the rum. This is the most masculine BPAL scent I've smelled yet and it's gorgeous. Dry down: All the scents have merged together perfectly, none of them overpowering the others. It's manly and rugged and sexy as hell. At the same time, I can see myself wearing this. A lot. The bottom line: Sexy. Rugged. Masculine. Perfect for my inner pirate!

First sniff: Almonds? No one said there would be almonds in here... Please tell me my nose is playing tricks on me. I'm going to give it a shot, though. I've been wanting to try this, no sense giving up now. Wet on skin: Yep, that's almonds all right. Call me stupid, but I'm going to stick it out and hope it goes away like it does in Snake Oil. Hope springs eternal, I guess... Dry down: No more almonds! It actually reminds me of newly minted money now, kind of papery and dry with a green, earthy undertone. I have no idea what it is that I'm smelling that's provoking that association, but it's unshakeable. There's also a faint powderiness to this, although I'm not sure if it's my chemistry creating it or if it's part of the blend. The bottom line: Once I get past the wet stage, I really like this one. It's not something I'd wear every day, but I can definitely see myself wearing it every now and then.

Got an imp of this from Witch's Dagger. First sniff: Incense with a soft floral undertone. I was a little bit leary of this one because of the floral notes (I don't like floral perfumes), but it's lovely! It smells like Penitence with a floral background to me. Wet on skin: The flowers really pick up once it hits my skin, drowning out the incense and putting me in mind of Easter Mass in a sunlit cathedral, the incense smoke wafting in the air almost overpowered by the Easter flowers decorating the altar. Where Penitence and Cathedral are dark and contemplative, Kostnice is light and full of hope. It reminds me of the celebration of life that always comes in an Easter Mass and I really enjoy the association. Dry down: The incense has returned, fighting for dominance with the flowers. The result is quite like that of The Caterpillar only more pious. It's light and hopeful and full of the promise of life even in the face of death. It's lovely. The bottom line: While Penitence is dry and calming in the manner of a clean soul after confession, Kostnice is light and airy and full of hope and, by extension, peace. The two are cousins, in my mind, each with their own atmosphere and implications and each lovely in its own way. While I still prefer Cathedral and Penitence, Kostnice is a definite keeper.

Just in case anyone who wished me well on the midterm is interested, I got a 98%! ~ Penance

First sniff: Woody and earthy and incensey at the same time. Very dark and oppressive smelling. Just my type of scent! Wet on skin: I smell patchouli and something that smells like incense in the most general way. This is a very dark scent, I feel like someone is sitting on my chest when I wear it. It's not an unpleasant sensation necessarily, just unusual for a perfume. I like this, though, it's got all the things I love in a perfume. Dry down: It's settled down into a cross between spice and incense with a hint of dirt. It's spicy and resiny and earthy all at once, but it's also fading very quickly on me. I wore this on the inside of my elbows and I can barely smell it now after having had it on for less than an hour. The bottom line: Beautiful and very dark but I wish it lasted longer. I'll be sad to see this one go, but it won't be as big a loss as my beloved Capricorn.

I'm going to miss this one so much...it's so gorgeously earthy! Goodbye, Typhon, may you rest in peace. First sniff: Earthy...very earthy. I smell patchouli and vetiver very strongly. It reminds me a lot of Capricorn only with the addition of sandalwood. It reminds me of a Buddhist temple in the middle of the deep forest. I love this sort of scent! Wet on skin: The earthiness really picks up once it hits my skin, but the sandalwood is becoming more prominent, too, lightening the scent and making it not quite so stifling. In the bottle, it was like being buried alive...dark and heavy and loamy, on the skin it's lighter, like the forest after the rain. The impression of a Buddhist temple also increases with the amplification of the sandalwood. This is just the sort of thing I love in a perfume. Dry down: Slowly the earthiness fades away, leaving a light sandalwood. The whole process takes several hours, but all the stages in between are absolutely lovely. I'm an avid fan of earthy scents and Typhon didn't disappoint. This went from a very earthy scent (something I adore) to a light incense type scent (something I also adore). The bottom line: I'm so sad to see this one going away. It's the perfect incense/earth combination for me. I'll cherish my imp and my 10mL while they last.

Okay, my precious Damnation is gone (may it rest in peace) and I need a close replacement. So far the only things I can come up with (that aren't also discontinued) are falling short in one way or another: 1) Cathedral - No cedar or vetiver (that I know of) and no sandalwood either, but it is incensey and that counts for something. 2) Old Kathmandu - No frankincense or vetiver. It smells cedary, though, which is very good. 3) Tushnamatay - No frankincense or vetiver again. It smells like cedar and sandalwood to me, though, so it's half right. Anyone have any suggestions? I could list everything I've tried, but it'd take forever to go through the list, so any suggestions would be welcome. ~ Penance

I think it was the carnation that did it, now that I think about it. There's something vaguely nauseating about carnation, too. Carnations are starting to make me kind of queasy these days, too. Not as bad as almonds, but still enough to make me want to avoid them. Heh, I've got a list a mile long of scents that don't work for me... ~ Penance

Got an imp of this from ChupaChup... First sniff: Cedar and something sweet, like creme soda spilled on sawdust. I know that doesn't sound appealing, but I really like the combination! Wet on skin: Both the cedar and the sweetness have increased in intensity, and it's a very interesting combination. I love cedar with a passion, so this is a very good thing. The "something sweet" I smelled seems to be turning into...root beer? That'd be the sassafras, which I also adore. This is a really interesting combination, not one I would have thought would work, but the result is beautiful! It's reminding me of the old Indian General Store in my home town where I used to buy wintergreen candies, root beer and mocassins. It has that same sweetness and wood combination that I loved when I was little. Dry down: Cedar and root beer! This is a really happy, carefree kind of scent for me. I love the combination, it's woody without being too dry and it's sweet without being cloying. The two balance each other out perfectly and the result is beautiful. The bottom line: Oh, yes, this is a winner. I tend to shy away from sweet scents, but the cedar in this has tempered it so that it's a lovely combination of...well, sawdust and root beer. I know that doesn't sound appetizing, but it's really a beautiful combination and one that hold a lot of good memories for me.

I came by a 5mL of this lovely scent quite unexpectedly in a swap, so I'm quite excited. It didn't have a reducer cap and I ended up dousing my hand, but that just let me smell it a little better, or something... First sniff: Flowers and something that smells like a cross between incense and sweet pipe smoke. This is exactly what I would imagine The Caterpillar's abode to smell like! On a side note, my mom says it smells like "outdoors," which, for her, translates to flowers and grass and fresh air. Wet on skin: The incense smell picks up as soon as it hits my skin, overlaying the flowers and turning them into the backdrop rather than the foreground. While I liked this in the bottle, this is infinitely better for me because I adore incense and don't generally care for floral scents. It's a very soft incense, though, like a brasier lit in a meadow rather than the strong, dry, resiny smell of something like Cathedral. This puts me in mind of nature rather than a church. Dry down: This has settled down into a very light, comforting incense smell that's perfectly entwined with the floral notes lurking under the surface. It reminds me of the jasmine-sandalwood incense I used to burn in high school - very light and airy and calming. This is the perfect olfactory accompaniment to the mental image I have of The Caterpillar smoking his hookah pipe in the middle of the forest. The bottom line: I was worried about the flowers in the description, but this is gorgeous. It's incensey without being overpowering or musty as some blends are and it's floral without being distractingly flowery, ass odd as that sounds. This is a very happy scent for me, I'm so happy I got a 5mL of this instead of an imp!

I agree that Scherezade seems to be like Old Morocco without the carnation. They aren't exactly the same, but they're close cousins in my opinion. ~ Penance

I think it's official that I can add Alice to the list of ones that I can't stand. I know there's no almond in it, but god dammit, it smelled almondy! I'm beginning to think carnations are something else I need to really steer clear of for whatever reason. For some reason everything I've tried with carnations in it has caused a bad reaction for me lately. So, let's see...now I can't stand almond, anise or carnation. And I just plain don't like citrus unless it's grapefruit. I'm a mess. ~ Penance

Preconceived notions: Earthy: wet dirt, flowers and maybe grass? First sniff: Juniper? And maybe a hint of pine? It reminds me quite a bit of Loup Garou straight out of the bottle; loamy and piney (or is it junipery?) at the same time. It's oddly refreshing for a scent with a name like Burial. It's also very woodsy instead of earthy as I would have expected. This is looking very promising! Wet on skin: This, just like Loup Garou, is pure heaven for me. I could sit here and smell my wrists all day it's so good. It's woodsy and feral smelling like the deep forest, untouched and wild. I can close my eyes and imagine myself deep in a pine forest, hundreds of miles from civilization. This is absolutely wonderful. I'm in love! Dry down: It's settled down into a true woodsy scent. Rich, loamy diry underlying towering pine trees with a wash of juniper berries. This is gorgeous! Like Loup Garou, this is everything I could possibly want in a perfume and more. The bottom line: Gorgeous. Woodsy. Calming. I'm getting a 10mL bottle of this in my next order!

A scent that captures a meeting of the serenity and elegance of ancient Japan, the vibrant, shining, neon-lit and ultra-modern splendor of today's Tokyo and the fantastic electric fantasyland of post-modern manga fantasy. Urban metallics and an ozone-tinged breath of electric light mingled with reedy bamboo, crisp mountain air, cherry blossoms, delicate orchid and a splash of playful, wet fruits. First sniff: Very clean. It smells like bamboo and...something metallic? I can't quite put my finger on it, but it's very fresh smelling. Wet on skin: The bamboo is very strong. It smells very clean and unobtrusively green and somehow reminds me of raw sugar cane without the sweetness. The scent combination reminds me of what the Garden Botanika store in our local mall used to smell like. It's looking very promising so far! Dry down: Still getting mostly bamboo, which is wonderful. It reminds me of fresh cut green wood, very clean and fresh and natural smelling if that makes sense. There's also a light floral beginning to peek out, but since I don't know daffodils from snapdragon's, I couldn't even begin to try and identify it. I'm thinking it's likely the orchid the description mentions. Whatever it is, it's not at all offputting like florals usually are for me. The bottom line: I tried this on a whim (and apparently I was meant to as I've gotten two more freebie imps of it with some recent swaps) and I really like it! I feel like I'm not even wearing perfume with this on, more like I'm fresh out of the shower and standing outside in the spring air. It's floral, but in a very understated way. It's green without being masculine. It's light and airy and, above all, fresh. A surprise winner!

Preconceived notions: Herbs, sharp smelling, slightly bitter like chewing grass. First sniff: Herbal and very green. Woodsy in a first leaves of spring kind of way. It's actually very pretty and not nearly as herbal as I had imagined it would be, more softly woodsy. Wet on skin: The green leaf smell picks up and it's naggingly familiar. I'm sure it's something I came into contact with a lot as a child because I'm getting the distinct impression that it's something I was very familiar with when I was younger. It's so familiar, it's...walnut leaves! We had a black walnut tree in our front yard when I was growing up and Belladonna's wet stage has the same smell as its leaves - green and slightly bitter smelling, a very unique scent that I can't quite put into words but that I know very well. I really like this for all the happy memories it brings back. Dry down: Belladonna has shapeshifted on me again. The walnut leaves are gone, replaced by a soft, vaguely sweet green smell that once again reminds me of the first leaves of spring, tender and fragile and bursting with new life. It's quite pretty although I prefer a more wood-based woodsy scent. I'll definitely be finishing the imp, although I probably won't buy more.

I was afraid to try this for fear of almond-induced nausea, but I tried it on a whim (mainly because, apparently, I'm a glutton for punishment) and (holy hell, how did this happen?!) I love it! First sniff: Sweet and spicy and cozy smelling. It reminds me of Christmas for some reason. I can't put my finger on the individual notes, but it's beautiful! Wet on Skin: Cinnamon sticks! It reminds me of hot apple cider with rum and a cinnamon stick stirrer, even though I don't smell anything resembling apples in here. I can almost taste it on my tongue. It's spicy and comforting, but almost potpurri-like somehow. That's not a bad thing, necessarily, but it is unexpected. Dry down: It's settled down into a combination of cinnamon cookies and cinnamon stick potpurri. I can also smell the rum more strongly now that it's dried. This would make a really nice room fragrance, especially since a little goes a very long way with this oil. The bottom line: Unusual, spicy and warm smelling. It puts me in mind of winter and Christmas cookies. This would make a great winter fragrance. I probably won't buy anymore, but I will finish the imp.

Tintagel didn't work out on me, it went all wonky and fruity the second it touched my skin, but I haven't tried Kweku Anansi yet, might have to check that one out. Thanks for the heads up! ~ Penance