slave1

TYPHON resurrected

In Bottle: Patchouli and vetiver

On Skin: The original version of this scent actually worked on me even with patchouli and vetiver being pretty much my worst enemies. This resurrected blend is much more smoky and not working on me. I thought with Schwarzer Mond and Mme Moriarty patchoulis working on me, I might have a chance but nope… not this time. This scent is super dark and very very earthy and smoky. The patchouli and vetiver are the strongest notes by far. The black musk adds to the dark feel and the scent is very powdery. The sandalwood adds another earthy woody note. All in all, much too heavy for me. It echos Schwarzer Mond, but SM worked on me because it had the super sweet resins in front with the patchouli in the background. This scent seems quite more masculine than the origianl. It’s for people who love dark earthy and smoky scents. Strong throw and long wearlength.

INTERGALACTIC

In Bottle: Sweet musky florals and fruit

On Skin: At first I smell a light skin musk, soft and velvety. There is a bright fruity note, melon I think and maybe a twist of citrus. Overall the feeling of the scent is beautiful sweetness. Nothing ooey gooey sweet, more fruity and musky. Maybe a bit of shea which I remember from Obatala. I also get a hint of the vanilla-like lily in Black Lily. So maybe if Obatala, Yemaya and Black Lily had a baby and let it play in a lightly musky velvety bed? All scents and notes I love… why do I only have a half imp?? Very pretty, very feminine and damn I wish I had a bottle!!! Absolutely gorgeous!!! It has a light to medium throw and short to average wearlength.

CHAOS THEORY MCC:

In Bottle: Honey and grapes

On Skin: This is number 1200. This is a beautiful scent. I get BPAL honey right away and also a bit of grapes or wine. Very sweet, very feminine. It reminds me a bit of O mixed with grapes. After the drydown, it gets a little powdery and fake smelling, but I still enjoy it. It has a super light throw and fades completely in about 20 minutes sadly.

CHAOS THEORY MXIII: Strange Attractors

In Bottle: Floral and spices

On Skin: I’m really at a loss on this one. I think this is the first fragrance that has really stummped me. I smell a light floral… but dark in tone, I smell spice, but not sweet spice, more like pepper. Also, something earthy, a light clean touch of aquatic earthy. Makes no sense I’m sure, but that’s what I’m getting from this scent. It is not like anything BPAL I have ever smelled. This is a dark scent, somewhat brooding but still pleasant. To my fellow BPAler that I reviewed this for, I’m sorry I wasn’t much help. Beth really stumped me here! Light throw and average wearlength.

PSYCHE

In Bottle: Sour rose

On Skin: This scent is almost violently sour on me. The rose is severely sharp, especially combined with the lavender which always turns super sharp and sour on me. The white musk provides a pretty soapy and clean background note. The orchid is very soft, just a nice floral compliment. The franincense saves the scent, it gives a great sweet and smoky depth that helps cut through the other sharp notes. Still, this scent is heavily rose and lavender on me, two notes I really dislike so I think it’s off to the swaps. To me this scent isn’t true love, it actually reminds me of old women and super strong perfume that makes your eyes water… sorry it just isn’t working on me. Very strong throw but it fades although it does have quite a long wearlength.

FENRIS WOLF

In Bottle: Red musk, resin and woods

On Skin: For anyone that likes feral, musky, dark, resinous scents, here is your best friend. Fenris Wolf is all those to an extreme. Quite beautiful and sexy. I have Jacob’s Ladder on one wrist and Fenris Wolf on the other and Fenris is like Jacob’s naughty, darker cousin. While Jacob’s Ladder is warm and golden, Fenris wolf is even warmer and dark red. Very lusty, abit woody and animalistic but still that gorgeous resinous, slightly powdery seductive feel. The rosewood in FW is a bit stronger than the rockrose in JL so it does have a slightly sharper tone as well. I also think FW is just a tad more masculine than JL… but a woman could still wear it for sure. All in all, a lovely scent I’m going to love wearing. Strong throw and long wearlength.

YGGDRASIL

In Bottle: Minty herbs

On Skin: This is a super herbal scent, it clears the sinuses right away. I smell herbs, fresh cut… like when you break a sprig off and it bleeds on your finger tips a bit. Very sharp and fresh. This has an obvious green tone. As with most herbal scents, I get a medicinal feel… kind of cough drops meets toothpaste. There is also a darker woody undertone that keeps it from being too bright and sharp. It’s an interesting scent, but not for me. Fairly strong throw and long wearlength.

JACOB'S LADDER 2006

In Bottle: Lovely golden resin

On Skin: I smell the amber and benzoin right away. This is almost exactly like last years version which is one of my favorite Yule scents ever. Beautiful resins… melting perfectly together. Sweet tonka with a light feminine rockrose just slightly peeking through. This scent to me is dropdead sexy and puts me in a good mood whenever I wear it. It is very warm and golden in feel. If you like resinous sexy scents, you must get a bottle of Jacob’s Ladder. This is a scent I could wear everyday, it’s not strictly a holiday scent. An ace in my book!! Good moderate throw and long wearlength.

SOL INVICTUS

In Bottle: Orange blossom and incense

On Skin: The orange blossom comes out in full force in this blend. Wow, it’s usually a light note on me but here it’s in command. Maybe because it has the other citrus notes amping it and the florals amping it’s sweetness... it reamins a velvety soft scent, not ripe, sour or extreme citrus at all though. I smell the super sweet heliotrope, and the soft spice of the saffron. The amber adds to the golden orange feel of this scents and really warms it up and gives it a nice resinous base… a perfect compliment to the frankincense. This scent evokes a warm and comforting feeling with a slight powder feel to it. It has a light throw and short to average wearlength.

YULE

In Bottle: Wood cleaner

On Skin: I get a very chemical feel from this at first. It seems whenever a lemon note and woods are mixed, I smell Lemon Pledge. But this scent quickly develops into something better. Yes the verbena is the strongest note, it LOVES to amp on me for some reason. The next doninant notes in line are the woody evergreen and juniper, very pungent and sharp especially when combined with the herbal thyme. The berries provide a nice sweet and red contrast that is needed and the myrrh and frankincense soften the whole scent with their smoky sweetness. It is a pretty scent but not really for me. It has a strong throw and average to long wearlength.

THE DARKLING THRUSH

In Bottle: Violet aquatic

On Skin: This scent has a strong ozone/aquatic feel. Very bright and light blue in feel. I can feel a cold chill wind blowing through the pine trees carrying a light pine scent with them. This reminds me of Skadi right away. Very pretty but slightly dark. The violet in this scent is actually not innocent like it always seems to feel on me. I get a sinister scary lost in the dark feel from this scent. During the drydown the amber warms up the scent a bit, not a lot, just enough to give it a bit more depth. All in all I like this scent. It’s very clean with the aquatic note, and the violet is tame enough that I wouldn’t call this a floral and the amber gives it a soft warmth. I love this as a unisex fragrance and also as a room scent. I think I need a bottle.

BITTER MOON

In Bottle: Sour and herbal

On Skin: I smell rose right away, very sour... I also get a slight citrus note even though it isn't listed. Then the herbs come out and combined with the lavendar they are very sharp. The vetiver is quite tame and only adds a light earthy feel far in the background. I was pretty sure this blend wouldn’t work on me because I only like 2 of the notes in it… lotus root and tonka. While I like blackberry it seems to almost always have a bit of a “cat-pee” tone on me. Here it does as well… I recognize it right away from MonsterBait Closet. So sadly, this scent is pretty much sour, sharp and cat pee on me with a very bitter undertone. It has a light to medium throw and average to long wearlength. Actually, after a few hours the lotus and tonka come out and sweeten the scent and I don’t mind it at all. Not sure if I can wait that long though every time I wear the scent.

PURPLE PHOENIX

In Bottle: Grapes and violets

On Skin: I have dying to try this scent. From the description and fact that it is PURPLE Phoenix, I figured it would become my signature scent. Purple is my favorite color… I almost always have purple hair and purple everything… I ordered 3 bottles right away. I’ve been wearing it throughout the day giving it a much more detailed review than normal. First off, the scent is the definition of purple, it screams violets and grapes… two very purple things. It’s also a very mellow scent, not sharp or strong. It smells like purple velvet feels. While it is regal, it’s the kind hearted mothering queen, not the bitter tyrant. To me this is like the sweet version of Queen of Spades… Queen of Spades is much more in your face and demanding. I think I would wear this when I was feeling happy and content and wear Queen of Spades when I’m going somewhere I want to stand out or feel confident. As for the other notes, they’re just supporting players in this court. The myrrh is soft and adds to the velvet feel. The plum blossom is innocent and compliments the violets perfectly as does the lilac and wisteria. The other notes tame them and keep them from being too floral. The plum, fig and cognac add a beautiful fruity/boozy darker purple depth and add another chapter to this scent. I love this scent, it is freaking gorgeous. I do wish the throw and wearlength were stronger and longer though. The throw is light to moderate and I do have to reapply this scent about 4 times throughout the day to keep it at the potency I like. I’m going to make a lotion and spray with one of the bottles I purchased so at least I can layer and get better throw.

ALL SAINTS 06

In Bottle: Smoky rose

On Skin: This seems quite similar to the last version of this scent as well. It is heavily rose with a nice incense that floats throughout the blend. The rose is actually quite sharp and begins to turn on me after about 10 minutes. It’s a sour rose I can’t stand sadly. The frankincense and myrrh offer soft resinous notes but they don’t sweeten up the rose enough for me. The other florals also seem to be drowned out by my rose nemesis. I liked this at first but the rose just kills it for me… It has a strong throw and long wearlength.

SAMHAINOPHOBIA

In Bottle: Smoky darkness

On Skin: I am overwhelmed by the scent of smoke and patchouli. The vetiver is super earthy and the clove is slightly metallic but very spicy. Those 3 notes are 3 of my least favorite notes ever, so this scent doesn’t seem to be working for me so far. The balsam is in the background but really makes itself known with a sharp masculine punch. This is a very earthy, dark and feral scent. It isn’t something I’d wear but I’d like to smell it on a man. Moderate throw and short to average wearlength.

SUGAR SKULL 06

In Bottle: Boozy Spicy Candy

On Skin: I’ve been excited for this blend! I love Sugar Skull, especially the 04 version, so I was waiting to see if this years was more like 04 or 05 before I ordered a full bottle. It does seem less boozy on my skin than in the bottle whereas 05 was almost all booze on me. It has the wonderful sweetness of both past years, but seems to be much lighter sadly. I love the gooey sweetness of 04! This year it seems to have more brown sugar, it also has quite a bit of spice. Whereas the past 2 years have been more candy like, this one seems slightly more foody and bakery like. But still, it IS Sugar Skull without a doubt, I know it when I smell it! I still have one bottle from 04 and 2 bottles from 05 so I think I’m set for now but I’ll keep my imp for sure just to smell the differences. Moderate throw but short to average wearlength.

SAMHAIN 06

In Bottle: Spicy outdoors

On Skin: This smells very similar to the last version of Samhain. It has the dominant spices followed by the fir. It’s like you’ve been walking in the woods and have just come inside and entered the warm kitchen full of baking. You still have the smell of ourdoors on you (the damp wood and fir) but you mostly smell the yumminess in front of you! Pumpkin pie in the oven complete with nutmeg, and a cup of hot cider with clove, allspice and apples just waiting for you. This scent is very warm and comforting, a perect fall scent, especially if you want to make people think you’ve been baking. Light to medium throw, average to long wearlength.

DIA DE LOS MUERTOS

In Bottle: More sweet yum!

On Skin: This scent seems less floral than last years. I get a more sweet foody feel from this scent. Last years was very much floral and decaying leaves. This years seems like candy, smoke, and sweet honeyed florals. I can’t really smell the chocolate… I love the festiveness of it and how colorful it feels. Very fall-like and very Day of the Dead. A gorgeous blend!! Low throw and short to average wearlength.

PUNKIE NIGHT

In Bottle: Apple!

On Skin: This is a beautiful fall scent. I expected overwhelming pumpkin for some reason, but it’s not even listed as a note. I smell apples in all forms… fresh and crisp, then warm pie, then cider… how exciting!! The cranberries add to the festive feel and make it even brighter. The mulling spices in the cider bring wrmth and just a touch of spice. This is the perfect fall room scent. I wish I had had a bottle earlier this year. We’re moving into winter now so I want to use my winter room scents, but this would be perfect for next fall. I love the mood and feel it evokes… instantly inviting. It has a medium throw and long wearlength.

DR. JOHN SEWARD

In Bottle: Foody yum

On Skin: This is a very sweet scent! I smell something kind of like cakes at first… quite foody. But then I smell a light fruity floral. I can smell the sweet tonka and ginger and the poppy smoke offers great depth without being “smoky”. I get a nice resinous base with a sandalwood undertone. This is quite a unique scent! I don’t think it’s really masculine or feminine… The white pepper is kept in check as well, just a bit of spice. I do like this scent and the feeling it evokes. It has a fairly light to medium throw and a short to average wearlength.

LUCY WESTENRA

In Bottle: Soapy floral

On Skin: I smell the rose right away, slightly sour. The white musk adds a clean soapy note. The florals are the strongest notes by far, a big beautiful bouquet. The blood orange is sour and fruity and almost not noticable around all these bold florals. The frankincense offers a soft incesne that helps cut through the extreme florals. I’m actually shocked when the scent starts to fade right away. A blend that started fo floral and strong has faded into a soft and very subtle floral blend. It’s pretty but much to subtle for me, I like stronger fragrances. Very feminine and to me it doesn’t really fit it’s description. I don’t find it corrupt or seductive, to me it’s more innocent and plainly pretty. Overall it has a light throw and very short wearlength.

QUINCEY MORRIS

In Bottle: Sweet and smoky leather

On Skin: I smell leather right away and it is sweetened by the vanilla and pear beautifully. I love how they meld together… it isn’t sickly sweet or fruity or pure leather, it’s all of them combined to make a gorgeous scent. I also love that the leather is not dry or dusty, it’s well oiled, well taken care of leather. It reminds me of my husbands newest leather coat that he babies. The tobacco gives a smoky rugged background while the musk and cedar offer a deep, dark base. This is super masculine, but soft and comforting. I would love to snuggle with my husband wearing this blend. It has a pretty light throw as far as the notes it has in it, but the wearlength seems to be about average.

THE CARPATHIAN MOUNTAINS

In Bottle: Strong menthol

On Skin: Wow! One breath of this cleared my sinuses right up! I get a major menthol with a waxy raspberry flavor that screams at me. I’ve got it: Vicks Vapor Rub meets cherry/strawberry/berry flavored chapstick. This smells very medicinal on me, I can’t imaging wearing this as a fragrance. So… I tried it in my oil burner. It smells much better as a room fragrance, not half as medicinal. It’s very minty and forest like with sweet fruity and floral undertones. It has a fairly strong throw and long wearlength.

COUNT DRACULA

In Bottle: Dark smoky cloves

On Skin: This is a scent I instantly don’t like. Sorry Beth!! It goes all wonky on my skin… and I just can’t bare to smell it. The clove is strongest followed by the ginger. Usually I like ginger but this ginger is pungent and is not my friend. The other notes in the background are beautiful, most obviously the leather and black musk, two notes I love. I think I would love this scent if it didn’t have the ginger and clove, but it does so I can not love it. Sorry. It has a strong throw and I’m note sure of the wearlength because I had to wash it off.

CARFAX ABBEY

In Bottle: Dry woods

On Skin: This is a very woody scent, dry and powdery in feel. Just smelling it makes me feel like I need to apply lotion or something because my skin feels like sandpaper. The smoky incense is heavy but pretty. I smell sawdust and dried out flowers. The scent is also quite sour and sharp, not sweet at all. It reminds me of old things… old and forgotten. Personally it is not a scent I would wear, but it’s pretty and someone who likes dry woods and dry florals may like this. It has a light throw and short to average wearlength.

WILHELMINA MURRAY

In Bottle: Soft resins

On Skin: This has to be one of the most delicate scents I’ve ever smelled. Very sweet and girly. The Daemonorops resin and myrrh are strongest, sweet and sticky followed by the deep dark musk. For such a delicate scent the dark notes seem odd but they really are tame in this scent. The tea rose is usually very sour on me but here the other notes really sweeten it. The blossoms are soft too and I think I smell a little heliotrope in there. The blackcurrant seems to be the faintest note, I don’t really get a fruity or berry note from this blend at all… just a hint of pinkness. The throw is very, very light and it fades after about a half hour on me.