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Wet: lemony cheesecake On skin: sparkly lemon, zippy with the grapefruit Half-hour later: a bit more creamy, still very sweet and foofy In conclusion: this is a sugary girly blend, which isn't what the name implies in my head (i.e. dark 'n' spooky). Not very long-lasting, flighty and fleeting. I'm glad I got to try it.

In bottle: sharp aquatic detergent On skin: sharp seaworthy driftwood, with a bit of leather and lime Half-hour later: dusty aquatic, fading fast with a peek of red musk In conclusion: this blend was hard to pin down for me; most aquatics end up too masculine or as sneezy laundry detergent, but this one has additional ingredients which I love like red musk and coconut palm. I really like this one, it's like a mini-cruise. What a great commerative blend for a Pirate Wedding!

In bottle: sweet red wine On skin: lovely sweet melange of red wine and cocoa Half-hour later: blooming red musk, slightly dusty from the amber. A mellow musk blend with a sweetened base In conclusion: every ingredient listed is faboo, and the resulting blend is sweetly dusky musky, like something illicit and naughty that you'll enjoy every minute. This will be another favorite bottle of mine

Lottsa stuffs! Beaver Moon -- wild cherry with vanilla cream accord, and a hint of strawberry. Boy howdy, this sounds a lot like MB: Bloody Mary. I like Bloody Mary but it seems to disappear quickly. Swan Maiden -- White gardenia, white iris, sandalwood, calla lily, French magnolia, muguet, jonquil, and orchid. Lots of white florals, not my thing. Scorpio 2007 -- Dark musk, wormwood, basil, dragon's blood resin, galangal, and opoponax. While I love the musky blends, I don't like wormwood. Midnight Kiss -- Eternal desire, unquenchable passion: red musk, cocoa absolute, Nepalese amber, red sandalwood, aged patchouli, nicotiana, and blood wine. Mmmm, every single ingredient sounds great. Vampire Tears -- Regret born from ceaseless longing: wisteria, white grapefruit, neroli, green tea, jasmine, white ginger, honeysuckle, iris, and tonka. This blend definitely has an Asian vibe, but doesn't sound great for me. Ile de la Tortue -- Damp air trapped in limestone caverns, heady greenery, hothouse orchids, nicotiana blossoms, bois de chandel, elemi, palm wine, garambullo, pega-pega, flame of the forest, and a swirl of Haitian vetiver. These ingredients sound really cool (pega-pega? flame of the forest?), but I'm afraid it will be too green and aquatic. Windward Passage -- Breezes blowing off of the waters of the Caribbean: marine accord, seaweed, and bladderwrack. Another aquatic, we'll wait and see on this one. Kill-Devil -- Sugar cane, molasses, oak wood, and honey. Oooh, I have yet to try a blend featuring molasses. Definitely want to read reviews. Plunder -- The scent of a pirate's bumboat, overflowing with stolen wares: tea leaf, cassia, cinnamon bark, clove, allspice, sandalwood, tobacco, peppercorn, and nutmeg. Cassia and cinnamon really amp on me and aren't a favorite. And a couple of forum-only blends! Pirate Moon -- Red musk, ambergris, coconut palm, red sandalwood, balsam, date, warm leather, tobacco, ebony, lingum vitae wood, pandanus grass, an' a touch o' lime. Two red musk blends in an update? I can't resist this one, it sounds bootylicious (yarr!). The Phoenix -- Sea air, gunpowder, lime, salt-crusted wood, a splash of blood, and a dribble of Snake Oil. Probably too masculine with the assorted manly ingredients. I do like when Snake Oil makes an appearance. In conclusion: I ordered Midnight Kiss and Pirate Moon!

In bottle: black cherry juice On skin: dark fruity cherry cough syrup, boozy and slightly medicinal, which I happen to enjoy Half-hour later: stronger, slightly powdery rose emerges, with the dark fruity base In conclusion: I read all the notes and knew I had to have a bottle of this blend. Dark fruit and the BPAL Rose are on my all-time favorite notes list, and this lives up to its potential. Another favorite!

In bottle: sweetened flowers On skin: musty dusty flowers. We recently drove to/from Ohio and I picture those big rolls of hay sitting in a flowery meadow Half-hour later: mellow wine has amped up slightly in the background, anchoring the dusty florals In conclusion: this is a beautiful fall scent, a slightly darker companion to Harvest Moon. Disappears pretty quickly, unfortunately, but worth reapplying. The label is one of my favorite Lunacies too.

In bottle: deliciously juicy dark fruit On skin: the rose blooms right away, mulling with the dark fruit juice Half-hour later: instead of staying sweet, it's turned darker with something dirty and gloomy In conclusion: at first this reminded me of one of my favorite LEs, Queen of Clubs. All watery roses with dark fruit juice. Then the patchouli and black pepper take this blend underground and it ends up quite different -- definitely dark, solemn and eerie. What an interesting blend!

Wowee, another big update. Work has been busy -- don’t they know that there was a huge BPAL update? GO AWAY, I’M BUSY READING ABOUT THESE NEW SMELLIES! This will be a quick run-through for me to remind myself what to watch for in reviews. Hunter Moon -- Dry leaves, autumn bonfires, blood red wine, feral, animalistic notes and the chill of approaching winter. Ah, the fabled Hunter Moon! I’m so glad this is back, it sounds great. Aeaea -- A dark ocean breeze, electric with adrenaline, magic, and fear, clashing with the thick scent of poisoned berries and spiny aloe, against a backdrop of snowdrop, cedar, and cypress. While the name is fun to say over and over again (Aeaeaeaeaeaeaeaea) I’m afraid this would be too floral and/or soapy. Libra 2007 -- Rose, black cherry, carnation, fig, honey, plum, and black currant. Rose and black cherry AND honey AND BLACK CURRANT? I got more and more excited reading the notes. Even with the carnation and fig, this was made just for me! All Souls 2007 -- An incense blend that invokes the higher qualities of mercy and compassion, mingled with the soft, sugared currant scent of offertory soul cakes. I was intrigued by this last year, as I love incense blends, but it sounds a bit too cakey-foody which isn’t my favorite. Bonfire Night -- Beer, woodsmoke, tar, and treacle. It’s funny, Villainess recently updated with Mosh, a beer soap. Is beer going to be the new hotness for fragrance? I’ve brewed several batches of beer and needless to say it doesn’t smell like a stinky biker bar when it’s fermenting in the vat, it’s sweet and yeasty. Wait for reviews. The Death of Autumn -- Dark amber, dead leaves, khus, saffron, bitter clove, chrysanthemum, camellia, galangal, and a drop of oud. This sounds very musty-dusty which I’ve enjoyed in Mum Moon. Wait for reviews Dia de los Muertos 2007 -- dry, crackling leaves, the incense smoke of altars honoring Death and the Dead, funeral bouquets, the candies, chocolates, foods and tobacco of the ofrenda, amaranth, sweet cactus blossom and desert cereus. I have Dia ’05 which is nice, but I don’t need more. Hexennacht 2007 -- German fir and forest lichen, incense and bonfire smoke, and the wet, glimmering scent of skin warmed by dance. How great that Hexennacht is back! I bought the original way back in March 2005 and I love it, smoky and sweet. Update: it looks like this was included by mistake. Too bad, it's a beautiful blend. October -- A rustle of red leaves, a touch of smoke and sap in the air. This sounds really interesting; sometimes a blend with the shortest, vaguest description turns out to be so beautiful. Wait for reviews. Samhain 2007 -- damp woods, fir needle, and black patchouli with the gentlest touches of warm pumpkin, clove, nutmeg, allspice, sweet red apple and mullein. The classic Halloween blend. I have bottles of ’04 and ’05, a truly unique fall scent. Samhainophobia 2007 -- Menacing Haitian vetiver, patchouli, and clove with a shock of bourbon geranium, grim oakmoss, and dread-inspiring balsams pierce the innocuous scent of autumn leaves. Another reappearance, but too woodsy for me. Sugar Skull 2007 -- Vibrant with the joy and sweetness of life in death! A blend of five sugars, lightly dusted with candied fruits. I have a 2005 bottle which I love, I get a strong booze note which keeps it from being too sweet. The Atrocious Attic -- The air of the room is dusty, laced with the scent of a child’s perfume and the remnants of a dried, crumbling bridal bouquet: tea rose, violet, white sandalwood, French lavender, and Calla lily. Cool description, like Havisham. I’m not much for ethereal florals, though. The Chilling Cellar -- Wine just turning to vinegar, crumbling mortar, red clay, and the coppery tang of old blood. I love wine, it’s one of my favorite notes, but I don’t want wine that’s “turned.” Wait for reviews. The Forbidding Foyer -- The faint scent of brimstone, ghostly breath laced with cognac, neglected mahogany panels, and rot. Smoke and rotting wood? Wait for reviews. The Ghastly Garden -- Overgrown oleander, marshy water hemlock, the sugared nectar of carnivorous blooms, putrefying wet greenery, oozing sap, crushed rosary peas, withered climbing roses, and nightshade berries. Lots of greenery, wait for reviews. The Lurid Library -- The incense-tinged scent of forbidden tomes and the musk-laden remnants of infernal servants. This one sounds awesome, incense and musk. The Perilous Parlor -- Faint echoes of laughter and the distorted music of a harp drift by, along with the scent of soft white pear and sweet vanilla. Maybe too soft and sweet? Wait for reviews. The Twisted Oak Tree -- Blackened, rotted oak wood blanketed in moss and choked by a cloak of grasping ivy. Probably too masculine with the wood and moss, wait for reviews. Pumpkin I -- Pumpkin with pear, white wine grapes, and jasmine-laced tea. I have to be careful with these pumpkin blends, as they sometimes come out way too foody and heavy, almost like baking bread. For this one with “white” notes, wait for reviews. Pumpkin II -- Pumpkin with tobacco, champaca flower, carnation, and tonka. This sounds a little better, as I really like the champaca flower blends. Wait for reviews. Pumpkin III -- Pumpkin with white chocolate, caramel, pomegranate, and cream. Probably too foody, wait for reviews. Pumpkin IV -- Pumpkin with cactus blossom, sage, and sweetgrass. Interesting florals, wait for reviews. Pumpkin V -- Pumpkin with benzoin, bourbon vanilla, lemon peel, neroli, blood orange, and red ginger. This sounds like Pumpkin Queen version 2, which I really enjoyed. Wait for reviews. A Murder of Crows -- Sleek iris and verbena, grey amber, benzoin, davana, and glossy herbs. Iris is one of those overpowering notes on me, so it’s good I won’t have to order the whole Patch to try this. Event Horizon -- Black opium, labdanum, opoponax, black orchid, and benzoin. Dark sophisticated floral, wait for reviews. Mary Read -- Salt air, ocean mist, aged patchouli, sarsaparilla, watered-down rum, leather-tinged musk, and a spray of gunpowder. I recently tried Olokun and was impressed that the ocean notes didn’t turn into laundry detergent on me. This sounds a bit more masculine but I’ll anxiously await reviews. Schrodinger’s Cat -- A paradoxical scent experiment! – tangerine, sugared lime, pink grapefruit, oakmoss, lavender, zdravetz, and chocolate peppermint. Flat-out citrus blends aren’t my favorite, as they don’t hang around long enough. Kubla Khan -- Through sunlit caves of ice, roses unfurl amidst dancing waves of serpentine opium smoke and amber tobacco, golden sandalwood, champaca, tea leaf, sugared lily, ginger, rich hay absolute, leather, dark vanilla, mandarin, peru balsam, and Moroccan jasmine. What a beautiful-sounding blend with a bunch of favorite notes. Anxiously await reviews. Epitaph -- Roses and funeral lilies perceived, faintly, through an indistinct, ghostly mist. Roses are Yay!, lilies not so much. The Phantom Wooer -- A lifeless love song: stargazer lily, bone dust, tomb mosses, buttonweed, moonflower, and honey myrtle. Lots of florals, nah. A Countenance Forboding Evil -- Patchouli, ylang ylang, blood orange, and vetiver. This may or may not be stinky on me, with the blood orange sweetening up the darkness. Goblin -- Black coconut, gnarly patchouli, and sweet benzoin. I am a sucker for coconut, even though I haven’t found my one true love yet. Wait for reviews. Incubus -- Spectral white musk and the heart-stopping chill of sheared mint, fanned by caramel-touched body heat, and the diabolical sensuality of black musk, nicotiana, and sage. Reminds me of Red Lantern, hopefully another smutty musk blend. Troll -- A lurching, hateful, bitter scent. This is a gruesome blend of ghastly greens and blacks: vetiver, pine pitch, troll musk, black basil, clove smoke, and scorched cumin. Probably too dark and masculine for me. Hairy Toad Lily -- Spotty, hairy, purple, sweet! I haven’t had much luck with the Rappaccini Florals. Havana -- Date palm, dried tobacco, snakeroot, and leather. Ooh, date palm! Sweet, but not too sweet. Wait for reviews. Hi’iaka -- mai’a, hibiscus, white ginger, akala, na'u, Hawaiian moon flower, yellow ilima, pink lokelani, jewel orchid, and fringed orchid. I was just thinking the other day that BPAL doesn’t have many Hawaiian floral blends. This sounds like a nice addition. Plus a Trading Post exclusive! Crypt Queen -- As sweet as death, as deep as the grave: pomegranate, raspberry, gardenia, plum, and rose with patchouli, black pepper, rose musk, and a hint of blood accord. Yum, how I love dark fruits like pomegranate and raspberry and plum. Trick or Treat blends -- Spiked Punch sounds the best, as I love the fruity boozy blends. All the other blends sound good though, except for the piney TP’d Trees which I know wouldn’t work on me. I might sign up for this next month. In conclusion: I ordered Hunter Moon and Libra 2007 as my normal monthly order, and Crypt Queen for my birthday present to myself.

In bottle: slightly sweet incense On skin: musk with sweet incense hanging about Half-hour later: still sweet musky incense, not much morph In conclusion: I really liked the musky incense vibe. I generously received from filigree_shadow a sniffie of Storyville (an empty pipette) and from what I could test this is in close proximity to that elusive LE. A really beautiful blend.

In bottle: root beer with a chemical twist On skin: dusty resins with medicinal cough syrup Half-hour later: sweetened dusty resins In conclusion: the first time I tried this, it reminded me a lot of an Experimental Blend I got in a swap a couple of years ago, lots of medicinal dusty resins. Later I tried it and got more of the root beer/sassafrass that others did, sweeter and lighter. I like that this is heavy on the resins; it seems to be a powerful, no-nonsense blend.

13 has been reformulated yet again; by my count this is version #4: A base of cocoa absolute and white chocolate with thirteen baneful and beneficial bits including vanilla bean, white ginger, orchid, golden peach, massoia bark, clove, honey, and starfruit. I see vanilla bean and honey and my eyes roll back in my head, all ...must order... but Beth made a comment that this version is very chocolate-heavy, so I think I'll pass. I have the October 2006 version (which I'm wearing today, natch!) and I'm really enjoying it. It's a little bit less foody and more sophisticated than the original, which I tried and ended up swapping away. I'll wait for the next update!

In bottle: orange flower water On skin: orange juice concentrate, tart and peppy Half-hour later: the red musk really blooms in the forefront with sweet orange and flowers hanging out nearby In conclusion: I sniffed the previous Red Moon at a Meet-n-Sniff a while ago and was so pleased to see this return with the red musk added. It's like Glasya and Litha are hanging out together drinking orangetinis. A new favorite!

First off: I got a raise today! Yeehaw! Here’s a quick run-through of the HUGE update: Red Moon. Our blend for this Moon mixes traditional lunar oils with the warmth of amber, red musk, and heliotrope, the russet haze of dragon's blood resin, sunflower, and crushed orange peel, with a dusting of summertime herbs: chamomile, rue, elder flower and marigold. I sniffed the previous incarnation at a Meet-n-Sniff which was beautiful, and this looks to have red musk and sunflower added which sounds even better. I’m so glad this is back! I had no inkling this would return. Allison Gross. Witch-herbs, crushed golden flowers, and a man-made-dragon’s surly musk lightened by the scent of the blossoms and unearthly incense that clings to the Faerie Queen’s hair. Dragon’s blood musk, ambergris, sunflower, chrysanthemum, muguet, and rue, with gingered lily, moonflower, bluebell, peony, nightwort, and white rose. I’m not sure about what may end up being “bubblegum musk.” The unusual flowers (sunflower, gingered lily, bluebell) may make it interesting. Leo. Egyptian amber, walnut bark, chamomile, frankincense, and saffron. this sounds like a sneezing fit between the amber, bark and chamomile. Sportive Sun. Heliotrope, amber, almond flower, frangipani, cedar, and calamus. Sounds nice except for the cedar. Gibbous Moon. Moonflower, Madonna lily, orris, white ginger, cucumber, hyacinth, and Irish moss. Too much floral in this one. Agnes Nutter. Gunpowder, charred wood, smoke, and rusty nails. When we go to estate sales, many times in the “old man garage” there are saved coffee cans of old nails and nuts and bolts, along with hunting rifles and ammo. So all I’m imagining is this smelling like old man garage. Azriphale. Ethereal musk, blonde woods, and dusty Bible accord. I want to try this to see what “dusty Bible accord” smells like. Crowley. Infernal musk, red patchouli, lilac cologne, mahogany, lemon rind, oakmoss, leather, and vanilla husk. This sounds a bit too masculine with the lilac cologne, mahogany and leather. Shadwell. Roll-ups, mildewed raincoat, sweet tea, and condensed milk. What are roll-ups, other than the pressed-fruit snack I ate as a kid? Old pants? Ew. War. Red ginger, black spices, patchouli, honeysuckle, and three blood-soaked red musks. This sounds like a winner, like my beloved Glasya. Fairy Market. Otherworldy golden incense, blooming wind-flowers, everlasting lavender, bluebell, a faint whiff of exotic sugared candies, and fae mist upon wet green grass. I don’t do lavender, so “everlasting lavender” sounds even worse. Everything else sounds cool. Tristran. Dust on your trousers, mud on your boots, and stars in your eyes: redwood, tonka bean, white sandalwood, lemon peel, patchouli, rosewood, coriander, and crushed mint. Redwood would probably be too strong on me; another masculine one. Victoria. Graceful vanilla musk, tea rose, and stargazer lily. Vanilla musk and tea rose sounds lovely. Witch Queen. Wild plum, red musk, tuberose, calla lily, heliotrope, pimento, ylang ylang and beeswax beneath a dark haze of sinister purple-hued incense smoke. Dang, wild plum and red musk right off the bat, like a one-two punch of favorites. Yvaine. The high, crystalline scent of a star-filled night with blue lavender and lush magnolia. Lavender again, nah. Also, more soaps! I recently tried Snake Oil and Shub soaps (Shub is finishing up in the shower). I knew that quite a bit of oil goes into the batches, but I was disappointed personally that the fragrance didn’t last on my skin without the backup boost of oil applied later. I was really hoping for a nice overpowering blast of scent; bowl me over! I don’t care! Alas, I get dressed and can smell the detergent from my clothes more than my nice soap. However, Bordello and Perversion are two of my absolute favorites and I will probably order those eventually. In conclusion: since I already ordered the 2 Sephiroth bottles, I’m going for Red Moon only.

My work here is done.

Oh, that makes sense! Thanks!

I caved today and ordered bottles of Chokmah and Nahemoth, unsniffed and completely swayed by reviews and recommendations of other forumites. Especially filigree_shadow, darn her encouragement! With the collective references to Snake Charmer, Hellion, Snake Oil, Smut and Bordello, I had to give these a whirl. My only worry is that the update on Friday will be glorious with lots of LEs I will want to purchase. We'll see!

... His ofrenda is the scent of the lightless deep: the glorious, unknowable gloom of the ocean floor. Wet: sneezy detergent On skin: light fruit, like green melon Half-hour later: salty seawater with green sweetness In conclusion: I was afraid Olokun would end up like most aquatics on me, like laundry detergent. However, maybe because it's the cusp of summer and I'm jonesing for a beachy vacation, I'm getting a real summery saltwater scent that's very evocative of surf and sand. I'm really enjoying this one and will definitely consider getting a bottle.

Wet: sweet smoke On skin: very smoky dark incense Half-hour later: sweetens up a bit, but still lots of incense In conclusion: this reminded me very much of both Midnight Mass and Pit and the Pendulum, that heady thick incense. Midnight Mass mostly. It ends a bit sweeter though, like the philosopher pondered the ecclesiastical and has moved on to other deep thoughts.

Wet: dusty musk On skin: light citrus and flowers, no individual notes standing out Half-hour later: still very dusty and vague, which must be the amber and chrysanthemum In conclusion: all the ingredients sounded great, but like others' reviews this blend just didn't want to assert itself on my skin. I wish it were more confident like the lady in the painting!

Wet: clean fruit On skin: nice blast of pear, then some clean salty sea air Half-hour later: still very aquatic, but balanced with pear and freesia In conclusion: I don't get on well with most aquatics, they end up like detergent on me. But this blend has the extra pear and freesia -- I have an imp of the Freesia SN and it's a very breezy clean floral which goes well with the sea air in this blend. This one's very refreshing.

Wet: sweet flowers On skin: cherry right away, then a nice jumble of soft florals Half-hour later: still lots of breathy airy flowers, nothing is dominating In conclusion: this ends up a tad dusty on me, which I think is the lavender and white sandalwood. This makes it interesting instead of just another twee floral. Pretty!

Wet: plummy fruit On skin: fruity detergent, almost making me sneeze Half-hour later: hasn't morphed much at all, clean & sneezy laundry detergent with some sweet dark fruit In conclusion: I predicted how "salty ocean spray" would turn out from experience with a bottle of Storm Moon, like laundry detergent. But this is nicer than I thought with the plum and plum blossom, like sweetened laundry detergent. This reminds me of an amped-up Swank, like if the alcohol note was turned up to 11. This was a surprise!

Wet: alcohol-y rose On skin: yum, rose blooming in all its glory Half-hour later: if there are other florals present, I can't tell -- I just get creamy roses In conclusion: I'm an unabashed fan of the BPAL Rose blends and this is another stellar example. Much like Parlement of Foules with a touch of cream instead of dusty resins. I was concerned about the violet, gardenia or calla lily amping on me, but if there here in this blend they're only to bow down in service to the rose. Beautiful!

In bottle: clean & aquatic On skin: sparkly light floral Half-hour later: a bit sweeter with tea and cucumber, but still lots of clean white florals In conclusion: I have a sniffie of the original Blue Moon, which to me was a much stronger "perfumed cucumber" that was unique and refreshing. Testing side by side, this newer incarnation seems to disappear fairly quickly while the original is still going strong. If I had to choose between the two I would opt for the original, but I'm very pleased that this reappeared and I got to try it.

Wet: clove-flavored cough syrup On skin: clove + wood wood wood Half-hour later: syrupy-sweetened up with some black musk and a bit of spice. The wood receded, thank goodness In conclusion: this is a sticky concoction. The wood was too sharp at the beginning, but I really liked the end result.