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DEFUTUTA

In Bottle: Sweet floral

On Skin: I smell the jasmine right away. Followed by the beautiful and sweet honey (my favorite note). The olive blossom is deep and gives this scent a very strong punch. I should have gotten a bottle of this straight off, but the cinnamon scared me. Now smelling it, I smell almost no cinnamon, just a very, very light spice that along with the smoky vanilla sweetens the scent and makes it nice and velvety. The sandalwood blends in perfectly adding to the soft feel. The champaca flower is sweet as well and offers it’s own floral, fruity spice. I reallllly love this scent, it is my favorite so far of the newest general catalog scents. If you are a fan of sweet, honeyed florals, you MUST try this one! And I love the visuals the description gives. 2 thumbs up!! Medium throw, average to long wearlength.

L'ECOLES DES FILLES

In Bottle: Bright and sweet

On Skin: This scent has a very bright and clean feel to it. It wakes me up nicely this morning, and is a perfect pick me up. It’s not a very sexual scent to me, from the description, but it is sweet and has a darker side as the scent develops. The orange blossom is the strongest note, followed by the sharp florals. The lemon balm is on the light side luckily (my skin tends to amp anything lemon). The benzoin is sweet and blankets the scent in a soft and innocent way, like trying to cover any of the darkness, but not so much that you can’t find that exciting part of the scent. An earthy floral, not too perfumey. The throw is pretty light and it has a short to average wearlength on me.

LOVE'S TORMENTS

In Bottle: Vetiver

On Skin: The vetiver screams out at me. Earthy, dark green and slightly feral. The neroli is also planty with a citrus edge. The sandalwood is soft and doesn’t come forward much, it’s more of a woody base. The vetiver really controls this scent. The planty notes are quite sharp and a bit minty. This scent is pretty harsh on me and gives a feeling of pain and isolation. It’s not really something I’d wear, but the scent does fit the description very well. This blend has a decent throw and the wearlength is quite long on me.

BONFIRE NIGHT

In Bottle: Dark, thick smoke

On Skin: Yeah, this pretty much fits the title. I feel like I’m at an old highschool Halloween party, sitting around drinking in front of a huge fire pit. The smoke is thick, it burns my eyes. The beer is pungent, not liking it at all. I feel like I’m covered in soot. It’s great as a novelty scent, to remember back to some crazy days, but it’s nothing I’d ever wear as a perfume. It really does sting my eyes. The throw is crazy strong. I’m going to wash it off, so unsure of the wearlength.

DIA DE LOS MUERTOS 07

In Bottle: Floral and smoke

On Skin: This blend changes quite a bit each year. This years version is very, very floral. Almost all cactus blossom, sweet and prickly. I smell a light minty note and also the smoke from the incense. This time around I get none of the foodiness of the candy or chocolate. This is much fresher and vibrant. It is also quite perfumey. While I do love the blend, it doesn’t evoke the holiday as much as previous blends have. Still, it is gorgeous and I’ll wear it for sure. It has a medium to strong throw and long wearlength.

ALL SOULS 07

In Bottle: Cake and berries

On Skin: the cake is the strongest note to me. There is a light berry note as well, very sweet. I get almost a cedar feel from this scent as well, that sweet and woody tone. The scent is very powdery and dry and within minutes the incense comes out quite strong. Like a cedar incense combined with the cake note. Foody incense. Dark, festive and a nice mood evoker for a fall night. It is very similar to last years version as well. The main difference I see is this one lasts a little longer on me. But throw is still pretty light.

THE CHILLING CELLAR

In Bottle: Sweet and fruity

On Skin: This smells quite good, the description actually scared me. The wine is sweet, not really sour to me... The clay is very dominant, I actually feel like I smell modeling clay, that very memorable scent from childhood. And a dragon’s blood resin, sweet and red in tone. The scent has a dry powdery feel and does remind of cellar, dark and wasting away. This scent is very interesting and also quite light. After a while it does have a bit of a plastic note on me, which sweet scents sometimes morph to. But it’s not bad. I’ll keep my imp but probably don’t need a bottle. Light throw and short to average wearlength.

THE FORBIDDING FOYER

In Bottle: Brimstone and wood

On Skin: The brimstone bowls me over in this blend and it doesn’t like me. One of my least favorite BPAL blends of all times is Djinn and that’s what I smell here, only with sweet woods and a bit boozy. The brimstone is heavily smokey… I think if I walked into a house smelling like this, I’d be worried it was on fire somewhere. It smells like being in a old den or office and leaning in and taking a deep whiff of the fireplace. In the background are the elegant ancient wood walls and the crystal decanter where the cognac resides. It is very masculine and very overwhelming. A nice mood evoker, but not a scent I’d wear. Strong throw and long wearlength.

THE LURID LIBRARY

In Bottle: Woody incense

On Skin: A soft velvety incense with a slightly powdery sour paper tone. The incense is spicy and has a light sweetness to it. The paper is dry and the powdery feel of it also has a sharp edge that just peeks through. Much more refined and not foody like Misk U. I smell dried flowers turning into dust, light shining through the window and highlighting the little specks of dust floating around. This is a library that has been hiding and only just now discovered again. It’s warm, quiet and inviting. A very petty and delicate scent, like a “Incense–Lite” scent. Very light throw and average wearlength.

THE TWISTED OAK TREE

In Bottle: Sweet woods and dirt

On Skin: The woods in this do seem old, dry and sweet… like they’ve been breaking down for years… mixing into the soil. It’s an odd scent, interesting for sure, but nothing I would ever wear as a perfume. In the background there is a perfumey note (the ivy I think) which starts to make me reconsider the scent. It’s quite pretty that note, and as it comes forward, the dirt and woods compliment it and the blend becomes quite distinctive. A woody and earthy perfume, very unique. It has a decent throw and average wearlength on me.

THE PERILOUS PARLOR

In Bottle: Sweet pears and creme

On Skin: This is so pretty and light… a sweet cloud that sits close to the skin. It begs you to come in closer and rewards with a delicious treat. The pear is not fresh, it’s more syrupy. The crème is soft… not whipped but more of a light version. The scent is so innocent and makes me feel content at once. I went ahead and bought a bottle and now realize I should have gotten 2 since my friends love it on me too and want some of their own! It does fade very quickly though and leaves behind just a hint of vanilla. Light throw and short wearlength.

SAGITTARIUS

In Bottle: Spicy herbal

On Skin: This is the original formula, not the reissue. This scent opens my sinuses right after I apply it, full of menthol and herbal notes. I get a sweetness too… woody… maybe cedar? Yes, cedar for sure… it reminds me of a sauna my friends had made of cedar wood. Soft, warm and slightly medicinal. There is a bit of spice here too… how interesting. Chilly with the herbal note and warm with the cedar and spice. A nice contrast. It’s not a scent I would wear, but I enjoyed reviewing it. It has an average throw and fairly long wearlength.

MADAME TRACY

In Bottle: Rose

On Skin: Yep, the rose amps full force on me in this blend, rose tends to do that on me. Of course it’s one of my least favorite notes. This scent is very sour and sharp and causes my eyes to water. I don’t smell any of the other notes at all… I was hoping the violet would sweeten the scent but the tea rose really does drown it on me. I’m going to have to wash it off, because rose is just not me, sorry! Very strong throw and not sure of wearlength.

POLLUTION

In Bottle: Green and planty cologne

On Skin: The davana is the dominant note here, very herbal and plantlike. Bursting with a green tone. Alive and vibrant, this scent wakes me up right away. I wish pollution smelled this clean and nice! It is very sharp and a bit soapy. The amber helps soften it and gives the green tone a bit more cloudiness… creating a nice visual for “pollution”. The musk is velvety and very pretty. The scent overall feels very masculine to me. It is more commercial smelling than most of Beths blends… I could see this scent being pretty popular amongst the general population. The throw is about average and the wearlength is medium to long on me.

HALOES

In Bottle: Vanilla and woods

On Skin: This is so light and pretty! Like a very faint and innocent Monster Bait Underpants or a close cousin to Antique Lace. Very white in feel and so clean and soft. The sandalwood is right out of Underpants and the vanilla is the same as Antique Lace… creamy melted ice cream. The ginger offers just the slightest spice to keep this scent from being plain, and the amber gives it a nice powdery feel. The apricot is very, very subtle, just a sweet golden background and not really fruity and the lily offers a very faint floral that makes the scent a tad more on the feminine side. I really like this scent but am sad it is so light, it starts to fade super quick on me. The scent fits it’s title well, a golden glowing innocence. I would love to have a bottle of this for sure. If you are a fan of Underpants or Antique Lace, put this on your must have list. Light throw and short wearlength.

LIGUR

In Bottle: Dark, wet dirt

On Skin: This scent has to be one of the darkest scents I have ever smelled. It feels black, very black. The olibanum is the culprit… resinous and very deep. The moss and khus are very earthy and dirt like. The opoponax is a perfect resinous compliment and begins to sweeten the scent with it’s trademark sticky quality. I also get a bit of a BBQ sauce feel from this, I kid you not. Smoky and sweet… a little off putting. Lol! It’s not my kind of scent, but very interesting without a doubt. Very strong throw and extremely long wearlength.

FAMINE

In Bottle: Tea and lilac

On Skin: The tea note is dominant on me at first, but then the lilac comes out in a very elegant stride. It reminds me of His Station and Four Aces. Very masculine and sexy… I was so upset I didn’t get a bottle of HSAFA so now I can order this and get something similar for my husband! Yay! The musk is clean and gives a slightly soapy quality to the scent. The tobacco leaf is also clean but has a deep element to it as well. The frankincense is beautiful and lends a resinous smoky background note. I really like this scent and hope to order a bottle. It is light in throw and has a short wearlength.

LUCIFER

In Bottle: Dark smoky resin

On Skin: Wow, this is dark! It fits it’s name very well, forboding and evil… very nice. The amber is the dominant note on me, sweet and powdery. After a few minutes the patchouli comes out and reminds me of the patchouli in Schwarzer Mond, a sweeter, sticky blend. The vetiver actually stays in check (yay!) and offers a slightly feral background note that plays well with the nice deep outdoorsy woods. The fig is also sweet and dark, a gorgeous decadent fruit that is strong enough to play with the “big boy” notes. The scent is so thick in feel almost like a syrup, with a dark red, almost black tone. It reminds me of Schwarzer Mond but not as sweet. I really like it and feel it is a bit more masculine in tone. I do like this scent, but maybe as a spray to thin it out a bit. Very strong throw and long wearlength.

PEACOCKS

In Bottle: Floral and fruity

On Skin: I smell the bamboo pulp right away. I also smell something lemon like. I don’t smell the plum sadly, one of my favorite notes… but the pear does start to come through about 5 minutes into wearing it. The violet is a soft purple, complimented by the jasmine. This scent is actually very subtle… I expected it to be a bit more… *loud* I guess, just because peacocks are very flamboyant. But it is very pretty. Overall an Asian scent in feel, with light blues and greens in tone. Sweet, fun and playful while still being a gorgeous scent. Light throw and short to medium wearlength on me.

ROZPUSTNICA

In Bottle: Lemon musk

On Skin: Lemon verbena jumps out of course since it always is an extreme amper on me. To me this scents smells like lemon soap… or more actually like that lemon cuticle crème Burt’s Bees has. Very sharp, very sour and very bright. The florals are blended well, but I can smell the rose amping with the verbena which deepens the sourness. The magnolia is creamy and helps thicken the scent. The lychee is sweet but get hidden in the overwhelming sour tone of the scent. The musks are clean and soft in texture, but the white outweighs the blue and gives the scent it’s soapy note. Overall a very clean and bright scent, just not something for me. Strong throw and very long wearlength.

LA VAGUE

In Bottle: Peaches and cream

On Skin: Bottle worthy from first sniff. YUM! This is so warm and pretty… oh my god. I am in absolute love with it. The florals are all very much mellow and kept in check and blend like a pretty bouquet next to a table of warm peaches with a dallop of cream. The white wine grape is also sweet, like a nice sauce over the peaches. It also kind of reminds me of Welches White grape and peach juice, one of my favorites. The peaches have a little tartness to them (maybe from the tangerine), they are not sickly sweet or over-ripe. Sadly it has a super light throw on me and a short wearlength. I will have to slather and layer for sure.

JULIA AND HOLOFERNES

In Bottle: Dry, sweet and woody

On Skin: The patchouli jumps out right away on me… I’m a little sad since it does seem to amp on me so much and is not my friend. The sandalwood is very dry and woody, giving the scent a powdery feel. The honey is so pretty, and it helps sweeten the other notes, but still is in the background. The skin musk is very light, just a velvet blanket the other notes are resting on. The carnation is a light spicy note and the magnolia is surprisingly light as well, sweet and a just a floral tint. As the scent develops, the honey and skin musk become more pronounced. Absolutely gorgeous… It reminds me of Sed Non Satiata. Yes… completely! And although I hate Judith in the beginning, what she morphs into is drop dead gorgeous and totally bottle worthy. Luckily the morph is pretty quick. Her throw is pretty low though, and her wearlength is short to average. I’d love to make a spray with this and layer it.

PARSIFAL

In Bottle: Light white floral

On Skin: This is a beautiful clean white floral. If you are a fan of scents that are very clearly defined “perfumes” you should love this one. It is perfumey, very white in tone. Totally floral and totally feminine. It has a gorgeous soft feel, nothing glaring or too bright. While it does have a clean ozone note, it isn’t soapy or sharp at all. The narcissus is so pretty, and the other notes are in perfect harmony with it. No contrasts or obviously different levels here, it is even and very well blended. If you like florals but nothing overwhelming, this is a great scent for you. Very spring like and alive. Medium throw and wearlength.

HASTUR

In Bottle: Smokey resin

On Skin: This one scared me from the description, but luckily it doesn’t hate me. Labdanum seems to love me so it helped save the scent on me, nice sticky sweet resin. It’s a very, very dark blend, one of the darkest around. Dark, smoky, dry… a cloud left from incense. Slightly more masculine. The tobacco is wet… in a way… I get a very slight aquatic note hiding in the background. It’s a nice scent, and I’d love to smell it on a man… it’s just not for me. It has a medium throw and long wearlength.

In Bottle: Musky cat pee

On Skin: Yargh!!! Blackberry and black currant have an odd tendency to go to cat pee on me. Here that is the case sadly. The honey and vanilla are sweet and yummy, but I can’t get past the blackberry. Very bitter and pungent on me. Why does it do this? Just to be mean? Damn, because without it this would be a gorgeous scent on me. Alas, I have to wash it off. So not sure of wearlength but throw is about medium.