Silvertree

These long-dead scents are back for a limited time in a slightly tweaked form! The Finnish Goddess of Agony, Torment and the joy found in inflicting pain on others. The Mistress of Torture, she has transformed in the modern era into the patron Goddess of Dominatrixes. The slap of slick, hot leather punctuates the warm, sensual embrace of black amber, red musk and dark, lascivious myrrh. The Bitch is back, and we're gonna be in trouble.... Out of all the Resurrected blends, I was most excited for Loviatar. And this most certainly does not disappoint. Loviatar 2.0 is very, very close to OG Loviatar, although of course it's tough to compare a fresh-from-the-mailbox blend with one that's been aging in a cool, dark box since...2005? But I'll try. Loviatar 2.0 gives off that same radiant warmth of amber, musk, and myrrh, wrapped up in the sexy, smoky embrace of leather. Loviatar is confident, sensual, even elegant. But that doesn't mean it's soft. This is elegance with an edge. It's the scent of that seductive, prowling strut you can achieve only when you feel completely comfortable in your own skin--and those thigh-high leather boots don't hurt, either. This is sexy with a hint of sweetness, powerful, and perfect. My only complaint is that it's not longer available in 10mL form!

A few months ago, while we were prepping the return of the OLLAs, I butchered a massive bottle of Eve. I was stressed out and distracted, and accidentally replaced the rose component with an in-house sage combo of ours that contains Clary sage and Dalmatian sage. Basically, a whole lotta sage and zero rose. Anyway, it smells amazing, so imma sell it. I even gave it a really classy and poetic name because I'm a classy and poetic guy. I may be about to commit BPAL heresy--actually, let's go with BPAL blasphemy, for the alliteration--but I may like Eve With Sage Fuck Up even more than OG Eve. Eve, it's not you, it's me--rose is a tough note for me to wear. So minus the rose, plus sage, Eve WSFU has suddenly become a very wearable scent for me. In the bottle, and wet on my skin, Eve WSFU is soft mossy greenery and a hint of honeyed incense. It's green and warm and glowing, just a tiny bit "perfumey". The sage is fresh and herbal, and doesn't have that bone-dry quality it sometimes gives off. It's a beautifully earthy yet sophisticated blend, and I wish all my fuck-ups were this good.

Fresh out of the mailbox! I usually wait at least a day to test, but I couldn't resist smelling the Smooch. This is Dragon's Milk older sister. A little soft, honeyed sweetness; some rich, burnished patchouli. It's a very smooth scent, and falls into the category I think of as "glowing". I'm so glad I got a chance to try it!

Dark 3-year aged patchouli and vintage amber, smoky cardamom, gilded juniper leaf, and a drop of golden vetiver. Velvety-soft, with a sinfully deep, rich patchouli, Belonging to the Darkness wafts delicious tendrils of gently spiced smokiness from its shadowy depths. I get a bit of the vetiver's woodsiness blending with the cardamom, and a pulse of golden, liquid amber adds a glimmering contrast to this earthy, mysterious scent.

Tendrils of frankincense and myrrh curling around polished woods, sugared honey, and bourbon vanilla. Smooth and sweet, Petite Planchette falls into the realm of scents I think of as "glowing". It's warm and gently radiant, the slightly gooey honey and rich vanilla balanced by the deep woods and fragrant incense notes of the frankincense and myrrh. It's a little resinous, a little gourmand, and utterly beautiful.

Clove, tobacco, sweet red patchouli, and chocolate. A Wild and Naughty Girl reminds me of a Vosges truffle: smooth, exotic, and luxurious. This is deep, dark chocolate with warm clove and earthy-sweet tobacco and patchouli. As the blend dries, the chocolate takes a back seat to the other notes. It's like lounging in front of the fireplace while a snowstorm rages outside your cozy cabin and your best friend makes hot chocolate (probably spiked) in a little cast iron cooking pot over the flames.

There have been two lunacies--Crow Moon and Raven Moon--as well as: Fuck You, Said the Raven (American Gods) The Night-Raven (Marchen) And from the BPTP Snow Queen update: Caw-Caw hair gloss Court Crows hair gloss The Language of Crows perfume The Wolves Howled, The Ravens Screamed perfume

This is one of the times when it is absolutely appropriate to contact the Lab, and is not bothering them. When in doubt, better safe than sorry.

An oil of wisdom and guidance; a lantern in dark times. White sage and goldenseal, white sandalwood, hops, Atlas cedar, red benzoin, Somalian myrrh, lavender, cypress, champaca flower, and olive. Botanical fragments may be present in this oil. Athena and owls both are significant to me, and I wanted to contribute to Athena's Army; I am very glad to have been able to do so. On me, Owl's Wing is a soft, comforting, resin-forward blend. I get primarily the cedar, sandalwood, and myrrh, with maybe a touch of earthiness from the sage. The lavender and champaca flower lend some lightness and sweetness, but this is not an in-your-face lavender (or floral) fragrance. It's snuggly without being meek; soothing, but with a protective, sheltering quality--like a strong shield that's lined with the softest, downiest feathers.

Funny how much better Lilith looks in my clothes than I do! This is the scent of generations of children raiding their parents closets: my grandmother and mothers Chanel No. 5, my father and grandfathers Lilac Vegetal, my Snake Oil, and Liliths lavender blossoms. I ordered Closet Raid because I love the notes, and also because I remember how I used to love trying on my mom's clothes, and watching her get ready to go out. She's more of a Chanel No. 19 aficionado; I can still remember how special it felt when she dabbed the tiniest amount of scent on my wrists and behind my ears. In the bottle, Closet Raid is a smooth, elegant, heady fragrance. I get little wafts of soft florals, like sachets fastened to hangers releasing their sweet scent, and a slight touch of something soapy-clean, like an old-fashioned aftershave. Wet, I get mostly a sweet and powdery aroma. I'm not a huge fan of this stage of the drydown, but it's very short-lived. Which is great, because... Dry, Closet Raid is glorious. It's one of those classic huff-your-wrist scents, a rich Snake-Oil-and-purple-flowers blend with resins and florals melding together to form a glowing, sophisticated whole. It reads as "warm" to me, but it's polished, not earthy. There's a little hint of the aftershave/cologne; I tend not to classify scents as "masculine" vs. "feminine," but if it's helpful I would call Closet Raid unisex. I could see putting this on as a going-out scent, and putting the smallest drop of scent on the inside of my daughter's wrist while I'm getting ready. Closet Raid holds a special place both in my collection and my heart.

Most of the perfume oils should be gently rolled/swirled, not shaken (unlike the hair glosses, which benefit from a bit of energetic agitation). One or two blends are globbier (technical term), so you could use a clean straw or coffee stirrer to try to break up any bits that don't want to mix.

It could be both, especially if you got one (or both) from another BPAL fan vs. the Lab. I'd keep whichever one works better on you.

Per Failmingo's announcement:

I never have.

Golden amber and mahogany with frankincense, ho wood, and frothed white honey. The Gift is a warm, radiant scent. It glows softly but surely--a burnished golden fragrance that is strong but not overwhelming. I was worried that the honey might be too sweet or gooey, but the wood notes keep both the honey and amber from getting too sticky or powdery. It's the olfactory equivalent of sitting in front of a gently crackling fireplace on a chilly night (without any of the bonfire/burning scent associations, if that makes sense). Or maybe snuggling up under the covers with someone you love--waves of comforting, cozy body heat. Truly lovely.