donnatron

Bottle: Dank patchouli. Wet: A... bar? Like... not necessarily a beer smell but sort of a whiskey bar kind of smell? High end whiskey bar? Jim Morrison has never written a song about this whiskey bar. But, uh, yeah. Smells like whiskey. At a bar. Or a gentlemen's social club but not in the stripper sort of sense. Possibly a gentlemen's social club in the mafiosi sort of sense. Dry: This dries down to a nice spicy, smoky patchouli with a bit of a citrus kick. It's very dark and odd but certainly the type of scent I can see myself being in the mood for every once in a while. Other than the mandarin it's pretty full of phenomenal agers. Throw: Decent. Overall: I like it. My bottle is still pretty full but maybe now that I've finally gotten around to writing a review I'll remember I have it and break it out every once in a while? I can hope that, anyway.

Bottle: Weird, stanky fruit. Wet: The cassia goes crazy and so does the smoke. This smells a lot like burning incense. Just a general incense smell. Dry: Tanin'iver takes a while to become beautiful. It dries down to a soft, smoky patchouli tinged with blood musk, cassia and pomegranate. It's gorgeous. Very sultry and sexy. Maybe a bit heavy for the current weather but prime for this weekend's expected cold snap. It's fruity but very dense and complex. Throw: Good. Overall: I like Tanin'iver. It reminds me of a kind of pared down, darker Mme. Moriarty. It's certainly not a replacement but it's definitely one to give a little squee for because it's GC.

Bottle: Spicy ginger, red musk and a touch of... blood musk? Smells similar to Allison Gross and High Priest Not to Be Described. Wet: There's the honeysuckle. Honeysuckle always goes very warm and gooey on my skin and this is kind of odd. There's a very feral, dark, terrifying scent in here but it's kind of tempered by a bit of a baked goods smell. The dischordant notes are... weird. Dry: Honeysuckle dominates! This winds up smelling kind of like... extremely dirty, naughty and wrong, and yet covered by a veil of sweetness. I don't think it necessarily smells like it's supposed to on my skin, but it smells really damn sexy. Like I'm head of the PTA by day and selling nuclear arms and executing enemies by night. Very sultry. A little foody and sweet from the honeysuckle but ultimatley a throw down sexy sort of spicy musk. Throw: Moderate. Overall: Hot damn. War is pretty seductive, eh?

Bottle: Sweet amber, a bit of peach and gardenia. Wet: Lots of gardenia. An odd, sweet, strong green smell under a bright, warm peach. The vanilla amber, cream and honey are there but not really acclimated to my skin. Dry: This is pretty. Still a strong peach and green smell but the amber, cream and honey sort of smoothe it out and make it more subtle and skin close. There's a lovely sugary quality to this. Throw: Close to the skin. Overall: I like it. Fresh, The Gaoler's Daughter was a little too green and gardenia for my taste but time seems to be smoothing that issue over. I can't wait to smell this next summer. If it lasts that long, that is.

Imp: Vetiver and pine sap. Wet: Pine! It's sappy but not sweet. Pine usually goes sweet on me so this is kind of awesome. Dry: A soft woodsy cedar with pine needles and maybe some vetiver remaining? It's a grassy vetiver rather than a more smoldering smoky one. It's very simple, very evocative of just being out of doors. Very little sweetness to this but it does feel like a heavier scent. Throw: Soft. Overall: It's nice. Definitely a good scent if you like realistic, evocative nature scents or your a fan of evergreen scents. I have more than enough pine/fir/evergreen scents so I'll stick with the imp but think it will be very nice come the fall months.

Imp: Peppery patchouli. Wet: There's something under the patchouli. Like a creamy lemon scent. Maybe a bit of verbena? This has a really interesting drydown. It really morphs on the skin. I'm thinking there's a hint of civet in this--it definitely reminds me of other civet containing scents. Dry: Okay, this is a little crazy--this is like Snake Oil! It smells almost exactly like Snake Oil without the vanilla! It's a bit dry and woody and there is something in this that doesn't quite[/b] agree with me, but it's also just... wow. Snake Oil! Throw: Mild. Overall: It's pretty and not as scary as I some of the reviews made it out to be. Personally I like my Snake Oil with vanilla so this really isn't a priority for me. Will use up the imp and see if it calls to me after its gone. Or will consider a bottle if I wind up with suitors lined up and down the block.

Bottle: Warm resins, a bit of citrus and straight up ginger oil. Wet: The aformentioned evil gingerbread scent. This is a warm, almost foody ginger blend and under the warmth and sweetness, there is something dark, dusty and a little evil. Dry: Evil gingerbread. Not surprising, I guess. Throw: Strong. Overall: I love wearing this one on cold days. Shub is warm and comforting and a bit maternal. I think it's sexy but more in that nuturing earth goddess sort of way than the ravenous sex goddess vibe. Sweet and cozy. So happy this is GC.

Bottle: Dark, woodsy patchouli and some sweet beeswax. The patchouli is backed by a lot of the other warm woods making this very earthy and dark. Wet: The patchouli and the beeswax are going to be the dominant notes on me. I can smell some of the musk starting to develop but despite the long list of ingredients this is winding up to be pretty simple on my skin. Dry: Now it's beeswax and patchouli! A sweet, golden, almost honeyed smell over this deep, luscious, lascivious patchouli. Maybe a hint of juniper and definitely a nice dollop of warm musk. This is sexy! Very feral and animalistic without an overtly dirty musk. Throw: Excellent. Overall: I love this! It's gorgeous blend of ingredients and reading the reviews, I'm interested to see how mine will age and how the 2008 vintage will hold up to any future versions.

Bottle: Odd. A bit chemical. Hints of dragons blood and rose. Maybe a bit of black musk? Eensiest idle bit o' patchouli. Wet: I actually do like ylang ylang but it has kind of a weird drydown on my skin. Glasya gets very thick and sticky and... molasses-y for the first little while. I can smell the red and black musk sort of struggling underneath the ylang ylang and this smells like a weird, thick candied version of Lust. Dry: Oh baby. The ylang ylang wrangled, this sinks into a dark, sultry, head turning floral. The rose is lush and damp, the ylang ylang backs it perfectly. The red and black musks mingle with the patchouli to create one hell of a base note. The civet is very minimal but it adds just a hint of something feral. This is glorious. It's a perfect scent for a dangerous woman. Throw: Although I would classify this is fairly strong with good wearlength it's more of a skin hugging scent. Overall: I love it. I will treasure this bottle and hope to see Glasya pop up as a resurrected scent sometime again.

Bottle: Warm patchouli and vanilla. Red musk. Plum. Pomegranate! Basically everything listed in this scent is easily identifiable. The whole scent has an overall smoky quality. Wet: A bit warmer than the bottle scent but pretty true to the bottle. Dry: Mme. Moriarty just... blooms on the skin. She's fabulous in the bottle but she's intoxicating on the skin. The red musk and patchouli blend together into a gorgeous, sensual woody base and then the vanilla twines overtop in a smoky trail. The fruits are just beautiful and give this a needed boost of higher pitched notes. The whole thing comes together into something that despite all the top notch ingredients still manages to be much, much more than the sum of its parts. Throw: For miles and miles. Overall: What more can I say? Mme. Moriarty is amazing. She deserves all the hype she gets and one most post on a thirteen page thread probably isn't going to change anyone's mind. That said: try it. Mme. Moriarty is AMAZING.

Bottle: Predominantly sandalwood and rosewood. A touch of peach. Wet: The peach is the star of the show for awhile and I can smell the vanilla starting to creep out from underneath the woods. There's a soft hint of floral. Must be the osmanthus although I must admit I don't really know what osmanthus smells like. Dry: I love this blend. A gorgeous medley of sandalwood and rosewood with a delicious golden, juicy peach. The vanilla is the sort of warm, sticky sweet vanilla I associate with Snake Charmer. The longer this sits on the skin the more beautiful it becomes. The vanilla warms through the entire scent and really pulls it together. Throw: Good. Overall: I love this one and I'm so glad it's part of the GC. It's so unique and pretty and feminine and seems to transition seemlessly from winter into summer. Although I have vague scent associations with it it seems so unique and self contained that I can't actually think of another scent in either the GC or LE that even comes close to Belle Vinu. This is such a beautiful personal power scent.

Bottle: Light florals and a bit of that general "lunar oil" smell. Maybe something a bit sage-y? Wet: Seven Up. Or Sprite. A sort of weird lemon lime soft drink thing going on here. It's very peppy and refreshing, just totally not what I expected. Dry: That's more like it. I really like the lunar oils in this one. I don't know if they vary widely from moon to moon but these are very light and refreshing and remind me of the lunar oils in Blue Moon 07 and Long Night Moon. I get a hint of cold, white florals and a nice zing from the eucalyptus. The snow note is there but not very prominent. I really like this--so chilled and suited for the warm months. Throw: Decent. Overall: Now is the time of year to break out the icy cold scents and this one is gorgeous. It balances all the ingredients nicely and none of them seem to dominate the other. Very chilly and interesting.

Bottle: Light. I can smell a very faint vanilla. Wet: Holy mackerel! This smells like rocks! Like those soft, crumbly (slate?) rocks you often encounter when hiking in the backwoods. Combined with vanilla! This is so weird. Dry On the drydown this acquires a soft, buttery quality. Maybe a musk of some sort? I definitely still smell that crumbly, dry rock note but it's more integrated into the overall vanilla quality of the scent. Throw: Minimal. I have to slather to get a skin scent out of this one. Overall: I like it. It's a very quiet, still sort of scent and very evocative without being overpowering. Will probably have to turn it into body lotion or oil for any real throw but that's not exactly the worst thing that could happen. Definitely try it if you're into light, interesting but unobtrusive vanillas.

Bottle: Alfalfa sprouts? Wet: The musks really come out and dominate the scent. Red and black musk are both pretty strong on my skin and the drydown is a bit of a struggle between them for dominance. I can smell the mango underneath but none of the rooibos. Dry: Wow. The red musk and black musk sort of blend together in this perfect, slightly sultry union and the mango and rooibos keep this from getting too overbearing. It's very warm, skin close and very, very sexy. The musks are amazing and black musk has learned to behave itself. Very simple, interesting ingredients but they work together perfectly. Throw: Close to the skin. Overall: I really like this. I think it's a bit too much for the current summer season but I can't wait to see what it will smell like after a few months of aging. Plus the lable art is super cute.

Bottle: Chinese musk. hyacinth and maybe a bit of the galangal? Definitely getting a ginger/spicy vibe from this one. I sort of smell the red musk but it's very subdued. This reminds me a lot of The Great Sword of War when it's still fresh. Wet: So mild and warm. A swirl of florals and berries over warming musks. I do get a sort of citrus scent from this and think it's either the cubeb or cactus flower? I feel a little out of my depth--I'm so unfamiliar with so many of these ingredients. Dry: The sarsaparilla comes out in full force once Fire Phoenix dries down and gives it a needed grounding. The musks have started to dominate and even though this is very light, it's very good at evoking a smoldering fire. The red musk gives it a bit of interesting smokiness and the Chinese musk more of a sensual quality. Throw: Mild. Overall: I like it. I think it's one that's perfectly decent and serviceable right now but by the time the lab's anniversary rolls around next year it is going to be absolutely to die for.

Bottle: Pineapple. Is there pineapple in this? There is? Good. Wet: Right off the bat I start to smell the jasmine. Luckily I love jasmine so this is shaping up well. I also smell the peony and the tea and I'm a little nervous because they united forces in The Dormouse to make me smell repulsive. I wonder if the pomegranate accord has changed since this blend--it's so light in this blend. Dry: Jasmine with peony and tea over a swirl of light tropical fruits. I think the musk is really grounding this and giving it a bit more staying power than it normally would. The pink pepper adds a nice kick. Throw: Mild. Overall: I like it. It's actually not as drop dead gorgeous as I was anticipating, but I had exorbitantly high expectations for this one. As it is, it's a really nice warm weather scent and I'm going to enjoy it over the summer. Love the jasmine in this one.

Bottle: A touch of ginger and booze. Also something sort of... flat. Like flat gingerale. Wet: On thge skin this starts to smell like a pared down Saimhain. A lot of smokiness and a sharp, almost acrid smoke scent tempered by some warm booze and sugar. It's like a warmer, more playful Saimhain. This is from 05 and I have bottles of Saimhain 05 and Hexennacht 05 with very similar overlapping characteristics. Dry: This dries down to a warm, slightly juicy sugar scent tempered by fire and musk. Warm and foody, very appropriate for the colder months and a little smoky and mischevous as well. It's not exactly suited to a treatise on its scent but it's warm, enveloping and I can see wearing this on a cold fall night with a big sweater and a mug of tea. Throw: Good. Overall: I love how witchy this smells and how it so perfectly evokes a fall bonfire. There's a nice hint of whimsy and magic to this blend and I am very glad to have it. May have to cellar it until September, however.

Imp: Peach. Very sweet, warm peach. I can't catch a hint of any of the other scents. Wet: This really does not like my skin chemistry. The peach wine note amps up and I smell like that peach drink you get out of fountain machines. Dry: Yet more peach. It smells sickly sweet, chemical and unnatural. Unfortunately this is really not a winner on my chemistry. I think I smell a faint hint of the blood orange but this is just not working on me. Peach wine = not paperrose friendly. Throw: Mild. Overall: Usually I'm pretty good at sitting down and picking a scent apart and trying to identify all the different components. This one was just straight up peach wine from start to finish. It's probably very pretty on someone else's chemistry. It's just not for me.

Imp: Orris predominates in the imp with a sliver of white sandalwood and patchouli in the background. Wet: Cytherea goes on very dark and woodsy and I for one really like that. The sandalwood and patchouli become the dominant scents and the orris adds a powdery quality. Dry: Although I love and usualy amp vanilla and nag champa, I really don't get a good sense of them here. The orris is really strong and predominant and gives the scent an overall really dry, powdery vibe. I feel like I'm sifting through a trunk full of fine silks and cotton brought back from India during the height of the British Empire. The orris is very classical, I'm getting a faint sense of the sandalwood and then the rest of the notes blend together into this exotic and sensual incense. Throw: Very skin close. Overall: I like this one. It has a great evocative quality and a sort of quiet sense of mystery and intrigue. Definitely hanging onto the imp and will see where that takes me.

Imp: Light and misty. A bit like watery violets. Also a hint of something a bit more earthy; almost dirty. Wet: Is there ozone in this? Like a very, very light touch of it? I get a bit of an ozone haze and then some light violet and a bit of mint. It really evokes that misty quality. Very great and smells more damp than humid. Dry: Ozone, violet and mint. It's okay. It dried down a lot different than I was actually expecting it would. It's not particularly complex on my skin and it kind of reminds me of a toned down Nuclear Winter of all scents. It's very watery and very damp--really reminds me of winters on Vancouver Island or similar. Throw: Mild. Overall: It's okay. It reminds me of quite a few other scents in the BPAL ouevre and I think that's just because a lot of the notes are ones that are okay on my skin but not necessarily superstars. I'll probably pass the imp along because I can't really see a desire to wear this in the future.

Imp: Warm, rich apple with a little of my beloved opium. Wet: The apple and opium don't morph much on the skin but this also acquires a sharp green scent that I think is the hemlock. It's not unpleasant but I hope it dries down fainter. Dry: Alas, the hemlock becomes the major note and this is just not working on my skin. The opium is sort of buried at the bottom of all this even though it seems to be the note cooperating most with my skin. The apple is a little sickly sweet and I think it seems that way due to the contrast with the hemlock. Throw: Moderate. Overall: It's not unpleasant but it's also not one that I'll ever really be hankering for more of. Will probably hang onto the imp because it's an interesting drydown and sort of a bit of a scent journey but really not something I'll be wanting to wear as perfume on a regular basis.

Imp: Clean aquatic and a touch of dragon's blood. Wet: More dragon's blood. Oh blodo scents, why are you so... hard to pin down? Blood accord, blood musk, dragon's blood... all seem to be listed simply as "blood" at some point and it's starting to mess with my fragile little mind. Luckily I like pretty much any note that has "blood" as a descriptor so it works out but this is totally not what I was expecting. This winds up being a cool aquatic (the same one from Pirate Moon!!!) with a sort of evolving dragon's blood scent. Dry: A lovely, fresh aquatic with a sweetening, resinous dragon's blood. The aquatic note adds a nice contrast. It's a simple but interesting scent. Very sweet and skin warm. Throw: Average. Overall: I expected this scent to smell like... uh... Jaws. Instead it is a really pretty dragon's blood with a bit of an aquatic edge. Not necessarily a favourite but I think it's something that will definitely grow on me with time.

Imp: [singsongy voice] Rosewood, rosewood, rosey, rosey, rosewood... I love you my friend rosewood! Oh, and there's some roooooose!!!! Wet: I don't know what actual hazel is but the scent that comes out in the wet phase is closer to witch hazel than hazelnut. The rose sort of overtakes the rosewood but I can still my note obsession of the moment languishing as a base note. Dry: A bouquet of blue (I'm not actually sure what colour the roses would be, but this registers as a very blue scent in my head) on a polished rosewood table. The hazel adds a needed note of astringency to keep this from getting too powdery. This is a pretty, lush sort of rose. Throw: Decent. Overall: I think this has pretty. It has potential to grow into a bottle purchase but falls into a scent family with a few other Victorian spirtualism/occult themed scents and I think I'll have to have a battle of the imps to see which one is truly worthy of being upgraded to a bottle.

Imp: Sticky vanilla with a little touch of floral and a faint aquatic. Wet: Amped up vanilla and lily. The aquatics disappear for the time being. Dry: The vanilla is the primary note with a faint hint of floral support. The aquatic notes and the oakmoss kind of add a really interesting... interestingness. The more I smell it the more I think I like it. At first it's really dischordant and the contrast is a little weird. Then it sort of melds together and the aquatics and oakmoss give it a sort of commercial perfume feeling. The final drydown is a really beautiful sweet vanilla tempered by a clean, oceanic floral. I can't reallhy discern the different notes but this just melds together into a beautiful blend. Throw: Moderate. Overall: I've always thought this is a weird combination of notes but it really comes together into an incredbly beautiful and elegant scent. Lyonesse is a perfect, non-foody, unusual vanilla and I'm definitely excited to see how this imp will fair.

Bottle: Strong, peppy mint. MINT! MIIIIIIIINT! And a hint of... uh... lemongrass, maybe? A mix of something a bit grassy and a bit citrus-y. Wet: Before I tell you what the 2008 vintage smells like wet, I'd like to tell you what it smelled like fresh out of the mailbox: Cod liver oil. I mean, it was cod liver oil with mint and everything but it was pretty... amazing. In a non-complimentary way. Anyway. I've aged that out of it now and now wet on the skin I get a strong mint with a mild lemongrass/lemon/general citrus thing and then something smells like... a field. Brown, crispy grass in the middle of fall. IT IS SO WEIRD!!! Dry: So I amp the sweetness in everything and Nuclear Winter is no exception. This dries down to a sweet, borderline sugary pine with a soaring citrus/mint which really cuts back on some of the sweetness. It's a lot more feminine on my skin than I thought it would be but I'm okay with that. Throw: Strong. Overall: I like the drydown on this because it's like an exercise in skin chemistry. I've smelled this on a few different people and it is totally weird and different on each one of them. If nothing else, try it just to experience the drydown.