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Fig, dark myrrh, amber, redwood, nutmeg, tarragon, black musk, and sweet orange. Thanks so much to Beth and the labbies for giving me the opportunity to be part of the demonic whores, and to Macha who decided I have a little bit of a slaughtering goddess in me to boot! If I could have had a custom made perfume made for me by Beth, this is just what it would've been, even if I wouldn't have known it based on the notes. At first, Aeronwen is quite green and figgy, but it is grounded with a resiny base that makes it less agressively GREEN than, say, Strangler Fig. As it dries, the fig becomes somewhat less pronounced and the amber, myrrh and musk come out more. It is a very close to the skin scent, which I adore, and the black musk in it absolutely behaves on me, which is a relief because in some blends the darker musks don't work on me. I can barely smell the tarragon and sweet orange in my skin, although I assume they're part of what I'm smelling when I smell the initial figgy goodness. This is a perfect everyday scent for someone like me, who doesn't like their perfume to enter the room before they do. It's sexy, warm, and mysterious - no one will quite be able to put their finger on what you smell like - and I think it will work for a lot of different scent lovers. It's fruity without being too sweet, resiny without being too spicy, ambery without being too powdery, and musky without being too animalistic - in short, it's my new signature perfume!
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Golden amber, vanilla musk, myrrh, cedar, carnation, and red sandalwood. Like the other Ladies of the Grindhouse, I'm really excited to be, in some small way, a part of Beth's Carnaval and her art. Thank you, Beth. I absolutely love that in an alternate universe I'm whoring it up with some of the finest women around. And Jenn's portrait is stunning---I only wish I looked that exotic and regal in real life (read: wow, look at that décolletage)! I was so excited when I saw the notes for Inez, because I am a complete amber fiend. I love the earthy sweetness and depth of it, and the way that it seems to ebb towards a skin scent over the day, until there's just a golden tracery of it around me and no way for me to tell where the smell of my own skin ends and the amber begins. BPAL blends that are amber-centric always fade like sunsets on me in the most lovely way. So I was hoping that Inez would be mostly amber with the other notes rounding it out and making it a little complicated and a little warm. And that's exactly what I get when I wear it. In the bottle, Inez is undeniably amber. To me, amber always smells a little like caramel and honey with something almost fruity on top and something rooty or earthy at the bottom. It's sweet without being foody, although it can be almost buttery. It smells golden and warm and rich. It's a dense note, and one that seems to envelop and encompass other notes when it's paired with them, rather than allowing them to sit above or below it in layers. I can smell the vanilla musk as well, which makes a lovely complement. And then there's the carnation, which always strikes me as a bit spicy for a floral. It gives Inez a subtle kick. On my skin, the bottom notes are more prominent. The myrrh, which I was most concerned about, is quite lovely here, beveling the edges of the blend with something pleasantly sharper. The cedar and red sandalwood anchor the blend from inside but do so almost invisibly---at times I catch wafts of the sandalwood, but it's not overpowering. Because Inez is at heart such a resiny blend, there is something incensey about her, something calm and meditative and slow and sexy. Sexy in a come-closer kind of way. Sexy in a slightly disheveled, not-trying-too-hard kind of way. Sexy like when women pull their hair up without using a mirror. Or like waking up after a long night out---to sunlight pouring in through the window and the smell of the perfume worn the night before suffused in the sheets, like goodness spent and scattered. She's just lovely, and I'll be wearing her often.
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White sandalwood, patchouli, white amber, orris, bourbon vanilla, champaca flower, and kush. In bottle/imp: Something dry but a little sharp, plus a hint of patchouli and a background of soft vanilla. Immediately on skin: This is the type of scent that I can feel in my nose more than I can smell. I see it wet on my skin but when I take a whiff all I smell is a light, sharp mix of sandalwood and patchouli with the violet-like orris wafting around a little. I feel something dry and a little sharp though. After a little while: The orris in this just blooms on my skin so nicely as this settles and dries. This becomes a soft, creamy violet/orris scent with a nice amount of warm white sandalwood. I can smell the white amber and bourbon vanilla lending a soft, warm creamy quality to this. It smells almost like a whipped violet confection. Far in the background is an earthiness, which really grounds this and makes it a little less poofy. Overall Impressions: This scent is feminine and lovely. It has a lot of things going on, but it’s complex enough that it’s very well balanced. The orris is the most identifiable, strongest note to me and to my nose always smells like a fainter violet scent. The orris blends with the amber and vanilla to create this solid, creamy violet fragrance that has a bit of sweetness, but not too much. The sandalwood is very evident, adding a perfume note to the violet/vanilla confection. The patchouli, which I was very worried about, barely comes out once this dries on me and adds a nice faint background note. There’s a lot going on here, but it comes together very beautifully. I think people who like violet scents and those who like sandalwood scents might enjoy this, but overall it’s just a nice complex girly fragrance.
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Appalling that they seem to watch me as I sketch, even through eyes sewn shut. Leather tanned with the pulp of Amazon ferns and rainforest herbs. Excerpt from Sir Mallory McTavit's expedition journals: March 11, 1903. Our travels into the Amazon basin have been quite a success thus far, despite a few setbacks. Linders was bitten by some sort of large beetle yesterday, whereupon he promptly turned purple and died. I feel certain, however, that he would be happy to know that we caught the beastly thing and, as its a completely new species, will name it after him. The other slight problem is that many of the guides are refusing to go deeper into the forests with us. They claim that if we continue we will lose our tsantsa. Well, I don't know what that is but I can't very well go back to the Linnean Society and say "sorry chaps, I would have explored more but I was scared I would misplace my tsantsa." I'd be laughed out of the club, I daresay. There are drums in the distance, though...not unpleasant, but the guides seem to be quite anxious. Oh well, off to bed. March 14, 1903 Well I say! The guides have gone missing! Damned buggers up and went in the middle of the night without so much as a by-your-leave! Most inconvenient. I think the drumming in the distance has been bothering them a bit, and to be fair one or two of them may have somehow disappeared as we've been making our way further into the jungle. Still, it's a terrible bother. March 16, 1903 The Shuar Tribe--at least I think that's their name--have finally shown themselves. They're the blighters who've been percussioning for the past week. I must say, I don't see what all the fuss is about. They certainly don't look dangerous, although some of their jewelery and decoration is...interesting. I'm not sure but I think they're the skulls of some kind of little animals... There is a break in the handwriting here, then later on the page: My god! Gods in heaven! They're human! They're HUMAN SKULLS! We must escape, escape tonight. Damn their eyes, they'll not get my noggin! March 18, 1903 The drums...the drums...won't stop. They never stop. Night and day, they go on. We can't escape--they've drawn some kind of curse around this camp we cannot break through. The Shuar have presented us with tsantsa, so we have finally learned its meaning. The tsantsa are the grotesque shrunken heads of their enemies. I recognize some of them as our hapless forest guides. The scent...the scent of the shrunken heads follows me...haunts me...the camp is laden with it. Funnily enough, despite being something horrific in actuality, the scent is not unpleasant. When the process first begins, in the wet stages I smell the smoke of the campfire mixed with soft, tanned leather. Whatever herbs they use to preserve their monstrous creations smell ever-so-slightly medicinal and green, very fresh. One would expect it to be too strong to fathom, but the scent is actually quite light...light, green, and smoky. There's nothing sweet about it, just a genuine scent of the forest. As the heads begin to dry, the smoky scent of the leather takes over, though I still smell the herbs and greenery underneath. I try to focus on the lingering, sharp herbal scent to take my mind off of the horrors that surround me. Whatever shall become of me? Oh no--they're just outside my hut...and the drums, the drums have started again... ...Here the journal ends. You will be pleased to know, dear reader, that the very scent Sir Mallory described is now available to you from Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab--and without all the ghastly muss, I might add. If you are a fan of The Bow and the Crown of Conquest or Allison Gross (the underlying herbal smell is reminiscent of this) or are looking for a leather/smoky scent that's not overpowering but not sweet either, then perhaps you will enjoy this lovely creation. The tropical forestry is certainly evident in it, as are the herbs and leathers. Delightful! And think of poor Sir Mallory when you wear it.
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Honeysuckle, orris, moss, musk, benzoin, oakmoss, and star jasmine. Wow...the scent is so true to the artwork this could be a salon blend! The mosses and honeysuckle give Parthenope a gorgeous green quality - the scent of early spring, when plants are young and sweet. And the jasmine makes the scent aquatic, just like the green-tinged portrait of Parthenope on the label. The trading card that comes with her says, "It is always by way of pain one arrives at pleasure." Parthenope is one of the sirens who tempts sailors to their doom - in the Lab's interpretation, I think she'd tangle a sailor in river reeds and suffocate him with algae. I don't own any of the Lab's grass scents, so I could be wrong, but I think this would appeal to grass fans, if the jasmine isn't a turnoff. Here, it makes the blend aquatic without actually stealing the stage for itself. It's unlike a lot of the aggressive green scents of the past year, like Allison Gross and the Singing Moon - there are no herbs in this, just the moss, which is a strong, almost masculine green scent and honeysuckle and benzoin, which are sweeter without bringing any trace of foodiness.
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Patchouli, Kashmiri tea, cardamom, black pepper, carnation, and clove. Initial Impression: Earthy patchouli spiked with cardamom and black pepper. After Wearing It: First applied, Clémence is a lotta patchouli. Not the sweet and smooth kind that I typically favor, but the really dirty kind that reminds me of head shops, sweat and raw hide. There was also a harsh shot of black pepper that runs through the blend like sharp slap across the face of the fragrance. It was very appropo given the imagery created for the blend and the painting's historical source of inspiration, Theresa Berkley. It was very raw and aggressive, to the point of being disconcerting, and one could very easily imagine a hot back room of an 19th century brothel smelling like this. The raw, almost leathery quality of the patchouli note was like the rub of a worn pair of leather cuffs, the pepper like the sting of the whip. The initial stage of the scent, while wildly evocative and very appropriate for the theme of the set and the painting, wasn't very me. So I was very happy and a little relieved when Cleménce started to mellow out about twenty minutes after the first application. Slowly, the cardamom, carnation and clove started to come to the forefront, sweetening the blend and smoothing out all of its rough edges. The patchouli took on a more honeyed quality that I loved while retaining its earthiness, and Clémence evolved from a scent of harsh pleasures into something much more comforting. It became enticingly spicy and slightly sweet, but grounded in a rich earthiness. The tea note built slowly after the first hour as the patchouli grew softer, and by the end of hour two, the blend smelled like a really good cup of chai. Not too strong or foody, but warm and soothing with just the right balance of sugar and spice. The scent envelopes you like a fuzzy blanket. It's like the imbodiment of a rainy Saturday spent lazying around indoors. I love it! Final Thoughts: Love it and am proud to be its cover girl! It had a nice balance of sensations: pain and pleasure, stress and comfort. I'll be keeping this one for a long time and will likely get a back up. It'll be interesting to see how the patchouli note ages.
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Back out on the Midway, a huge, leather-clad man leans against a post. He smiles at you, guilelessly, baring a mouthful of sharpened teeth as he hammers huge rusted nails into his skull. Rusted metal, leather, and a pop of pink bubblegum. The Blockhead - Where's the rusted metal? Where's the leather? In the bottle and on my skin, this smells like sweet, pink bubblegum and nothing else. I love it! It's so sweet and reminds me of the Big League Bubble Gum I chewed when I was a kid. It's a scent I probably wouldn't wear often, but it's so sweet and nummy that I know there will be times when nothing else will do but a super sweet, pink bubblegum scent.
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FAEU BOULANGER I thought this was an effect of bioluminescence, but it seems there is no source. Could it truly be a soul trapped within this glass dome? Impossible. Mushroom gases, swamp mist, green mint, and bog violet. I'm so glad I went with my instinct on this one! I just knew mushroom gases would not be like the mushroom country smell back at home, but most likely a soft earth scent. In it's first stage I get an earthy violet note pierced by mint notes. The dry down is simply gorgeous. The mint fades into the background, supporting the earthy aquatic notes that mix beautifully with light violet notes. I'm not a floral person, as they tend to be amplified to ridiculous degrees when on my skin. The violet in this not overpowering and just melds so beautifully with all of the other notes.
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BEZOAR Much smoother in texture than I had thought it would be. How does one employ it? Copaiba balsam, Tolu balsam, hay absolute, cardamom, and hiba wood. Interesting... I am covered in scents right now so I am likely going to come back and edit later... but this scent is definitely interesting. (And I'm starving for any info on the other new carnivals right now, so thought I would contribute what I can.) There is almost a rotting citrusy mint smell about this in the bottle, that really grows stronger, yet fresher on the skin. I'm liking it more and more as it warms up... its like the Antikytheric mechanism's grandfather. The Lion definitely is a family relation as well. After 5 minutes, the hay is really coming out, along with a fresher wood note and the cardamom... lets see how long this lasts. The hay seems to be crescendoing at the moment, as well as the cardamom. The throw isn't too strong on me... and the whifts seem to be a fresher version of what I get smelling it close up. Very close to the skin, very unisex. It smells like one of the earlier stages of the Lion's dry down. Well... a lion eating licorice instead of cake.
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Honey, ambergris, neroli, white peach, patchouli, and cocoa absolute. Just before I begin, I want to say thank you to Beth and Brian for inviting me to be a small part of this amazing collection, and thank you Jenn for creating such an amazing painting of "me" to go along with it! It is such an honour, I am perpetually bowled over when I think about it. Okay, now let's get down to it: Eisheth Zenunim is one of four Qabalist angels of prostitution, sister to Lilith and fellow Grindhouse temptress Agrat Bat Mahlat. Conceptually, it tickles me that she and Agrat have hitched their wagons to the Carnaval train. They are often referred to as succubi, so working the Grindhouse is an absolutely appropriate way for these two oft-forgotten angels to continue getting their groove on with humanity! Eisheth in perfume form is complex and beautiful. Opening the bottle, I can immediately pick out the peach and the cocoa dancing softly together. I often find that these two notes individually can be too sweet and overpowering, but here they are in perfect balance with their darker counterparts, the ambergris and patchouli. The latter pair prevent the peach and cocoa from leaping out and taking over, and they in turn pull the dark notes up and temper their edges. To my nose, no one note is permitted to dominate this blend. As it develops on my skin, the honey, patchouli, and ambergris come more to the fore, folding the cocoa into their ranks and slowly mingling to become a sweet, spicy, sensual base so cohesive that is difficult to pull individual notes back out of. That mix stays really close to the skin. The peach and neroli begin to flit past the senses and become prominent as I move my wrist away from my nose, and are enthusiastically reported to be the first notes to greet those who enter my personal space. Overall, I have to say that I am completely and totally in love with this scent, and I hope that everyone who is afraid of one note or another gives it a try anyway, because I think it will surprise a lot of people! It seems to be very different on different people, as you'll see in the reviews below. Thank you, again, to the Lab!!!
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A cluster of wooden wagons stands off to the side of the Midway, removed from the bustle of the dirt-caked makeshift street. A bonfire burns in the center of the lot, shining its light on a tattoo-covered woman. The images embedded in her skin writhe like living things, and the sigils that mark her glow faintly. She is filing her nails and smoking a cheroot while chatting idly with an impassive naked blonde who has been hoisted into the air by thick, gleaming meathooks. The blonde is pinioned; the blackened metal cables that bind her hang tightly from the branches of a massive grey oak. Her skin seems strangely translucent, and her veins and arteries are boldly visible. Two painted signs are propped, sideways, against the side of the tree: THE ILLUSTRATED WOMAN THE TORTURE QUEEN The tattoo'd woman winks at you as you pass by. "Break time, honey," she growls, as she blows a smoke ring in your direction. THE TORTURE QUEEN White amber, vanilla musk, white tea, ambergris, gardenia, and chrome. In the bottle, it has a very mild astringent green teaish smell. On, at first it has a very light white tea smell to it 5 minutes in, gardenia mixed with white tea, maybe a hint of resin. 7-8 min... wow... the chrome is starting to make and appearance, its like a light shell over the 5 minute scent, taking down the floral's intensity a bit. Now its just playing around, making appearances and disappearances. It makes the tea feel shiny and lends it a perfume vibe. Doesn't seem to have a lot of throw. Very fresh and light. I'm going to have to wear this one for a walk later and edit my post, it seems like a very lovely summer scent. Edit: much more throw than I previously gave her credit for. With time the chrome dominates, making it a bit more perfumy than fresh... but I still love her and need at least another bottle. I tried it again today... this time I got the amber and light floral mixed with chrome perfume... She is really growing on me. I guess I am acquiring a 'torture fetish'. I really don't smell the torture though. Medium throw, So-So wearing length on the skin... great where it got on my shirt.
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Moroccan jasmine, chrysanthemum, tea leaf, white musk, and acai berry. (9:54:31 PM) Karyn: Go review yer parfum (9:54:44 PM) Sarah: It's hard! (9:54:57 PM) Karyn: Dammit woman just get napa* to write it (9:55:00 PM) Karyn: "I love sarah" (9:55:04 PM) Karyn: "<3 <3 <3 <3 <3" *the boyfriend, who approves of Daiyu The inspiration behind Jenn's painting of Daiyu was Madam Ching Shih, a woman who began her life as a prostitute in one of the brothels in Guangzhou in the late Ching Dynasty, only to become one of the most powerful women pirates in history, commanding a fleet of over 18,000 boats at the height of her power. She and her crew received full amnesty from the Chinese government, and at 35, retired from piracy. She owned and operated a gambling house until her death at age 69. Contrary to the inspiration behind the painting, Daiyu is a very bright and happy scent. Some of my favorite perfumes include Dorian, Kitsune-Tsuki, Antique Lace, and Persephone. Anything with plum or pomegrante usually works well with my skin chemistry. Being a tea lover, I also mentioned to Beth that I loved the scent of jasmine tea as well as chrysanthemum (often sweetened with rock sugar or goji berries), and that it would be cool to be the "AzN" version of Dorian. That being said, Daiyu does not disappoint. It's like Kitsune-Tsuki seduced Dorian and this is their beautiful, illegitimate offspring. In the bottle, the acai is the dominant scent that I smell, but the musk and tea leaf are balanced well enough that the berry note isn't too sweet/cloying. Applied wet, you get the floral notes--kind of light and airy and not in a dirty diaper way (LOL), and I can smell more of the tea leaf. A few hours after application, it gets sweet and musky, like the drydown you'd get with Dorian but more tart. The staying power is about 4-5 hours on me, and the throw is not very strong, but it won't offend if you slather, which is usually my experience with Asian florals. Note: if your skin chemistry amps up berry notes, apply sparingly. It's one of those blends that makes me think of "it's gonna be a bright sunshine-y day". Strange enough, it fits my personality well, as I tend to be one of those happy-go-lucky types*. This is a beautiful, refreshing scent that is great for warmer months. Thank you, Lab, for the opportunity to become a whore *with a potty mouth
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Amber, cream accord, white honey, apple blossom, skin musk, caramel, and teak. I feel like Mario from the Super Mario Brothers video games series reviewing this lol. "It's-a me! Belladonnastrap!" Anyway I'm so so thankful to Beth and the Lab for letting me take part in this amazing series. I love you guys! I'm not worthy! First Sniff Like Red Lantern and O got together and did nasty, dirty, NAUGHTY things in the backroom of a honey hive. I keep reading that this smells like one of the Shunga scents (which I never smelled so I can't attest to that) but I suppose it makes sense considering in the picture a guy has been killed right after coitus. My skin chemistry rarely amps caramel until much much later but I do get the lovely skin musk note in O that makes me go "Oooooooooh." I can't smell any apple on me which is odd because next to skin musk and amber, apple is the one note that you can smell on me miles away. It's somewhat foody but yet not. I'm a big fan of gourmand scents that don't leave one smelling like a bakery and this delivers. It's a very sensual smell. Go me! Wet Ah-HA! There is the caramel and apple. Pretty much the same as first sniff but wet the more subtle nuances come out. Make no mistake this IS somewhat foody but it's upscale. The apple prevents the whole scent from becoming just O or Red Lantern 2.0 by giving it a bit of tart and tang to it. No cream accord yet but if it's anything like Loves Philosophy it'll take a couple of hours for the cream to kick in on me. I do want to talk about the honey note though. It doesn't smell like any honey I'm accustomed to. It is honey, make no mistake about that but it's a light almost fruity honey. Drydown BRB HUMPING ARM. No seriously, this is delicious. All the elements mellow into this rich, heady scent that is pretty subtle until you get close and then BAM! All the elements smack you in the face with deliciousness. The cream really comes out to play on the drydown of this , you'd think it would bump it over to ZOMGSWEET catagory but really it enhances everything else. Up to this point I got no teak whatsoever. Zilch, nada. Now I get the teak and wow, it completely elevates the perfume into something else. It's a dark gourmand scent. I suppose I'm a bit biased but I think the perfume perfectly captures the scene and mood of the painting. There's that deep decadent er...sexual aspect of it but there's a definite tang to it. The staying power is pretty darn long, I put it on around 8:00am before I left for work and I (and my co-workers, this ish has some major throw whoa!) could smell it around 2:00pm. It was even remarked that around my desk it smelled like sex, so a word of caution with that Aftermath PLS BE TO BUYING ME KTHXBYE. Let me stop, no this is an amazing scent. I'm thrilled that I was able to be a part of this and I'm ecstatic that I smell so GOOD. Beth always amazes me with her creations but I think with the Carnaval she has completely and utterly outdone herself. If you're a fan of O, Red Lantern and to a lesser degree Honey Moon & Loves Philosophy do give this scent a try. I proudly give this my stamp of approval...which is good since I'm the cover girl
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Recoiling, you back away from the dicing. A large tent striped in many shades of green grabs your attention, and you walk towards it. You peer inside the open tent flap and see a room crowded with people in various stages of profound intoxication. Tables are littered with glasses filled with thick, cloudy emerald liquid, and candlelight glints on discarded silver spoons. The scent of spilled absinthe, opium smoke, lilac blossoms, and rose water permeates the stifling air of the tent. As you close the tent flap and turn to leave, you see a scantily clad server bend close to a rugged laborer that is sitting slumped in a sagging chair. A low velvety voice voice asks, "Another drink for you, Monsieur Lanfray?" Spilled absinthe, scorched sugar cubes, opium smoke, lilac blossoms, and rose water. L'Heure Verte - I was expecting a scent similar to Absinthe or La Fee Verte, but this one is really different. The absinthe note and the sugar note are distinct from one another and the absinthe is definitely not sweet, but does remind me of the scent of real absinthe. The sugar sweetens it up a lot. The rose water adds a subtle hint of floral to the scent and I don't smell the other notes listed in the scent description. On my skin, this is very subtle and doesn't have much throw, but the staying power is quite strong. It loses its sweetness the longer it's on my skin and after a few hours, it's mostly a faintly floral absinthe scent. It's great and I'm really, really looking forward to my CD Act IV & Act V scents to arrive at my door!
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Wild plum, pomegranate, raspberry, Siamese benzoin, plum blossom, patchouli, frankincense, and mahogany. First, I feel so unbelievably honored to have been included as one of the Ladies of the Grindhouse. And I feel even more honored that Beth inquired as to my favorite notes so she could include some of them in the blend bearing my likeness. And now even MORE honored to get to try "my" blend a little bit before everyone else! Beth! I'm so not worthy! Dionysia is perfection! I have loved every plum BPAL blend (check my favorites) and Dionysia is no exception. It's a wonderful combination of plum, raspberry, pomegranate, patchouli and wood. The patchouli, frankincense and mahogany keep the scent grounded and keeps it from getting hyper fruity. If I had to compare Dionysia to existing BPAL blends, I would say that it reminds me of the lovechild of Hellion and Bordello (but without the amaretto). A multi bottle purchase for sure! (I'll come back and edit this if I think of anything else, but I wanted to get a preliminary review on here for those reviewers "on the fence" about ordering Dionysia. ) ETA: While wet, I detect an herbal/leafiness that I'm guessing is the plum blossom. On drydown, I smell vanilla in the background, with a light resiny incense. After doing a little research, I see that benzoin has a sweet, warm, vanilla-like aroma! Lovely! If this scent were a color, it'd be a rich, deep, plummy maroon.
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Ashlultum~ Babylonian musk, vanilla tea, tonka, tobacco, coconut, hyssop, and lilac. The scent has completely captured the character depicted in the story/artwork while simultaneously being one of the most "me" perfumes I have ever had the pleasure of wearing. Beth's abilities never cease to amaze. In the bottle~a hit of herbaceous hyssop followed by sweet lilac, rich coconut and warm tonka. Love at first sniff! On my skin~I never imagined that coconut and lilac could smell this fabulous together, truly sublime. The sweet and fresh qualities of both scents play off each other and complement each other very well. Tonka and tobacco are two of my favorite notes of all time, so warm and rich, very present in this scent. Drying down~ The lilac starts to yield to Babylonian musk, which totally smacks of my most coveted musk of all time, Egyptian. Wafting up from my skin is a perfect sexy cocktail of tonka, vanilla tea, deep tobacco, sensual musk and coconut. To my delight, the lilac never completely disappears, lending a soft, floral depth to the whole experience. All the notes play so well together, one never overwhelming another. I am feel honored to be a small part of this unique and amazing collection. I'm definitely going to have to hoard "my" scent.
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A cluster of wooden wagons stands off to the side of the Midway, removed from the bustle of the dirt-caked makeshift street. A bonfire burns in the center of the lot, shining its light on a tattoo-covered woman. The images embedded in her skin writhe like living things, and the sigils that mark her glow faintly. She is filing her nails and smoking a cheroot while chatting idly with an impassive naked blonde who has been hoisted into the air by thick, gleaming meathooks. The blonde is pinioned; the blackened metal cables that bind her hang tightly from the branches of a massive grey oak. Her skin seems strangely translucent, and her veins and arteries are boldly visible. Two painted signs are propped, sideways, against the side of the tree: THE ILLUSTRATED WOMAN THE TORTURE QUEEN The tattoo'd woman winks at you as you pass by. "Break time, honey," she growls, as she blows a smoke ring in your direction. THE ILLUSTRATED WOMAN Skin musk, smoky vanilla, pine pitch, patchouli, Indian resins, golden honey, and tobacco. In Bottle: Exotic pine On Skin: This scent is quite light… I thought it would be stronger. But damn, it’s beautiful. The skin musk is the definite base. The pine gives a perfect woody tone while the vanilla and honey sweeten it perfectly. This is not heavy honey, just a light trickle. The resins are dark and slightly spicy giving an exotic quality. The patchouli is also light to my relief… just enough to give it some depth and dirty it up a bit. The tobacco is smoky and adds to the seediness. A drop dead sexy, but very feminine scent. This is for a strong woman who isn’t afraid to show her girly side as well. Light throw and short to average wearlength.
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In your smoke-addled confusion, the Midway seems strangely empty and devoid of life. The tents that line the path appear distorted, out of proportion, and cartoonish, their angles arching menacingly. For a moment, the only sound you hear is the soft squelch of your boots on the damp ground. As your eyes adjust, the tents right themselves, the sounds of the Midway swirl around you, and you feel the press of the crowd against your body. The Calliope's eerie drone lilts above the swelling chatter. Wine-colored storm clouds are gathering, and the scent of incense and ozone is thick in the wet air. Thunder-charged ozone, plum-colored incense smoke, opium tar, and wormwood. A first review? Me? No way. Someone else is probably going to post at the same exact time. In the bottle this smells exactly like rain to me, or the smell of the air outside right before a storm breaks, and the air is already heavy with it. On my skin the ozone isn't too strong, but its detectable. It goes very nicely with the incense smoke and what I think is the slightly sour opium. I don't know what wormwood smells like so I can't pick it out. Overall, I really like this. It is reminiscent of Midnight on the Midway, but heavier and darker (maybe that's the wormwood?) and the scent stays closer to my skin. Smokier too. The damp rain smell hangs on too. Its one of those notes that's pure genius on Beth's part. I can't quite describe it...wet but certainly not aquatic. I like this and I'm glad to have a bottle! I'd definitely recommend this blend if you liked Midnight on the Midway. (If the ozone in this blend is scaring you away, don't be worried. It doesn't overpower!) edit: Over time the incense and opium smoke really amp for me and that's what I get in terms of throw. I didn't care for the opium in Parliament of Monsters but combined here with the incense its very good in an unusual way. I can see this being a unisex blend as well.
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THE BLOOD GARDEN Vast open tents have been erected further down the lane. Ornately carved wooden poles support swaths of drooping black lace and blood-crusted burgundy velvet. Grapevines and ivy creep over the beams in the tent and curl like cocoons around bodies that hang upside-down in the caliginous gloom of the tents. Within the shadows, pale figures recline on divans covered in moldering, frayed fabric. As you pass, a feral, white-haired man hoists a tall-stemmed crystal glass of deep red liquid in a toast to you. Blood accord, bitter clove, English ivy, Tempranillo grape, red currant, oak, leather, blackberry leaf, and ginger lily. This is my first review. Hope this thread doesn't already exist somewhere..? In the bottle: Rating (1-5): 5 Notes: blood accord, Tempranillo grape, red currants Comment: It's slightly metallic and very fruity, which I absolutely love. I like it when I smell edible! Everything else is underneath those. I'm very partial to the sweet notes which is probably why I notice those first. Wet on skin: After 5-10 minutes. Rating (1-5): 5 Notes: Bitter clove, oak, leather Comment: The clove is now noticeable, but somewhat faint which is unusual for me. The other more masculine notes (oak, leather, etc.) have now balanced out the strong sweeter notes. Dry on skin: After 1 Hr. Rating (1-5): 4 Notes: Tempranillo grape, ginger lily, blackberry leaf Scent Intensity: 2 Comment: Smell has faded considerably. I really wish the intensity of the first 30 minutes would last longer like others do because it's a really fantastic scent. You can only notice it if your nose is directly on my skin. Because it doesn't last as long as others I've tried, I may have to get a backup bottle for this so I know I'll have enough to last a while! Misc: Duration: 2-3 Hrs. Keyword(s): Gourmand; metallic fruit Color: Maroon Smells like: Coagulated blood wine.
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Rose, rose geranium, myrrh, ylang ylang, French gardenia, tuberose, red sandalwood, and palmarosa. In the bottle: Rose! Sweet, fruity rose ALA Peacock Queen or Rose Red. There's a depth here, however, through the myrrh and ylang ylang. I can also sense a bit of gardenia underneath all the ROSE. Wet: Rose, like in the bottle, sweet and fruity, with a bit of smooth, powdery ylang ylang. Gardenia is underneath the rose. This is definitely floral, but it's not "knock you over" floral. After a bit, the ylang ylang becomes dominant over the rose. Don't misunderstand, however - this is still a heavily rose blend. Dry: This dries down to a gentle rose/ylang ylang blend, very soft and sweet with just a hint of powder. I hate powdery scents, so it should tell you something that I actually like this. The powder is very faint.
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THE GRINDHOUSE Throaty laughter captures your attention. Across the lane you see a buxom Venetian woman standing before a huge black and red striped tent. Her head is inclined towards a dapper, leering man, and they appear to be sharing a private joke. He reaches into his waistcoat and produces a gold coin. The woman plucks it from his fingers. He bows, and walks into the tent with a swagger. A sign flashes above the tent flap in letters that seem to be aflame: The Grindhouse, Dead or Live Girls. The Madam turns towards you and smiles. As she approaches, someone within the tent strikes a few keys on a tuneless piano, and begins to play Jelly Roll Morton's 'the Crave'. The light within the tent illuminates the interior, shining behind the silhouettes of naked women gyrating lewdly upon raised stages, writhing in time with the music. In the distance, behind the tent, you hear a whip crack, and a man's scream. Tittering laughter follows, and the screams continue. "Voulez-vous un morceau de la boîte de bonbon?" she asks, gesturing gracefully towards the tent. The Madam's perfume envelops you. Florentine iris, red musk, mimosa, magnolia, Damascus rose, clove, and vanilla bean. In the Bottle: I smell red musk and mimosa! it's a clear, clean scent to me, which is unexpected - I was thinking this would be thick and sexy - like a very 'couture' version of Smut and a floral bouquet squished inside for good measure. On my Skin, Wet: MUSK!! overpoweringly so! ::moves wrists away from face:: ah - better. From a forearm's length away, I can smell the red musk but now the iris blooms and seems purple green. so at this stage, it's red musk and Florentine Iris. Mimosa seems to have taken a hiatus. On my Skin, Dry: Still predominantly red musk - and while I keep expecting it to be sexy, it's very clear - almost like 'sexy after a refreshing shower' kind of feel to it, which I assume must be some other ingredient tempering it and "lightening" the effect. I wonder if it's the magnolia doing that? I do not smell any rose, though the green feeling I got in the wet stage could be the rose, since RR'07 smells much more green than I was expecteing....similar rose note perhaps. There is no clove nor is there any vanilla bean for me right now, which is a surprise since I tend to amp vanilla like crazy. While it's surprising that neither of these notes are detectable, it's a nice change to be different from expectations! Verdict: A scent that defies ideas about a "grindhouse madame"! on me this is a very clear, clean scent that has hints of debauch hiding in the shadows. It's an interesting play of notes and one of the most complex scents I have come across in quite a while - I am very pleased! 7 of 10 Ranking! Synopsis: Bottle: Red Musk & Mimosa Wet: Red Musk & Florentine Iris Dry: Red Musk, Magnolia, Floral (Blend between Florentine Iris and Damascus Rose) Total: Red Musk fans - this one is worthy of attention ^_~
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'Abuiro' has been burned into the leather straps. My, they took such care in crafting these horrible instruments. Coppery dried blood, metal, vetiver, and bonfire smoke. I was just thinking...that I need more vetiver blends. For all the time I spend championing the great cause of vetiver, I really need more bottles that represent my love of that most dark and earth, gritty, sweetly scorched scent. If you love vetiver, and I know there are others like me out there...or you love smoke, you need a good poking of the heretic's fork! It's not entirely like the other burny smoky woody ones out there though it bears some resemblance to them. Malediction in the GC, or perhaps Agnes Nutter from the Good Omens collection, can give you an idea of the sort of burnt wood smell that lies beneath this, but there is also a cold glittering slightly rusted note that I take to be the metal and dried blood. It comes out more as it's drying, and really lifts the scent out of the realm of the purely burnt and smoking. If you wear it around the right people they might just say "Pardon, but is that the smell of blood drying on a rusted metal fork of some sort amidst the charred remains of a heretic's bonfire?" To which you may answer, well, whatever seems appropriate for the situation. I'm getting some of the more glistening vetiver notes as this dries, as I always think of it as a smooth and polished woody surface blackened by age and soot. Mmmm.
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This was a gift with the purchase of the full Wunderkammer set. No scent description is available. Screaming Mandragora - What a great scent! It seemed fruity and slightly earthy on me, and when asked what was in it, Beth's passed along the word that it's a "rooty fruit." I really couldn't describe it better than that. The earthiness of this scent is not a dirt type of earthiness, but definitely a rootiness. I have no clue what the fruit scent is - something sweet, a little dark, and perhaps some type of red fruit, but I really can't identify it for the life of me. After being on my skin for 30 minutes or so, the earthiness fades and what's left is the sweet, deep fruit scent. I wish I could identify it - plum, perhaps? I have no idea. Anyway, It's been three hours since I applied it and I can still smell it. It's lovely and I'm sooo bummed this isn't more widely available.
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The Night of the Witches. In the Teutonic calendar, April 30, not October 31, was the night that the witches congregated to celebrate their Work through ecstatic dance, wild music and revelry. The witches fêted with spirits, fairies, and a bevy of otherworldy creatures atop Brockenberg peak in the Harz region of Germany, where they lit an enormous bonfire and cavorted naked until midnight... at which point they donned their robes, boarded their brooms, flying rams and sacred goats, scooped up their cat familiars, and sped off into the night. In later days, it was believed that on this night the witches conjured the devil, who would then select one of them for his bride. This perfume is the scent of the witches' revel: German fir and forest herbs, incense and bonfire smoke, infernal flora, glowing amber, and the wet, glimmering scent of skin warmed by dance. (Okay, based on the Beltane thread last night, I'm making a new thread for this one because the Lab description has changed slightly. If it should actually be part of the old Hexennacht thread, sorry!) In the bottle: hello fir trees! And incense! The incense smells like the part of Sleepy Moon that's not the opium and not the lavender to me. Yummy! On me, wet: the fir is much more mellow than expected, though it is still holding its own. The incense note is only getting more beautiful. I'm also getting a really gorgeous but gentle amber note along with a little musk. And is that... yes, it is! A little bonfire smoke! Aside from the infernal flora and forest herbs, which my nose may be lumping in with the incense, the gang is all here! On me, dry: same as wet, except a little more herbal. Throw and duration: throw's a bit above average. ETA: it's been almost five hours and this is still going strong. Yay! Overall: You should know that I've never smelled the old Hexennacht, so I can't draw any comparisons. That said, Hex '08 rocks my socks. What's amazing about this blend, at least as it plays out on my skin, is how gentle all of these often strong notes are in it. They really work together instead of one of them rising up and stomping all the others down. It's not a fir scent, it's not an incense scent, it's not an amber scent, and it's not a musk scent... it's a really gorgeous combination thereof. I'm super happy I picked up a bottle of it, and will definitely be hanging on to this puppy.
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Blue lilac, lily of the valley, golden musk, beeswax, white ginger, bergamot, green tea, and nectarine. Oh bergamot, how I love you. Marcilla is quite light and significantly less floral than I anticipated. I get bergamot and green tea straightaway, with a hint of ginger. The flowers are there as an interesting base. Usually I amp the heck out of florals, especially lily of the valley. I can't distinguish the lilac from the lily, and I don't get any beeswax, but I like this blend just the same. To me, Marcilla is a muskier, warmer version of Tweedledee, which I adore.
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