coulrophobe

Scent: Huh... this is one of the few rose-based scents I can wear! There's a minty note that dies down pretty quickly on my skin, and something that I was interpreting as amber, but looks to be red musk, from the other reviews... um, I'm just going to stick my fingers in my ears and shout "LA LA LA LA LA CAN'T HEAR YOU" to that, because if I know there's red musk in a blend, my nose will inevitably start smelling that dirty peanut butter smell. Anyway, I wore it out to my local pub (wow, that sounds like a brilliant idea, no?), and one of my guy friends said I smelled like "really good incense." Effectiveness: Well, yes, I did end up bringing one of the usual suspects home (every single girl should have usual suspects!). Not sure how much of that had to do with BGofL, as he's a fairly frequent chew-toy... that just means I need to do more research on this blend!

In the imp: Without even checking the description, I could tell there was neroli in there - to my nose, neroli is a sharp, earthy floral. On: Like a lot of folks, I get lemon. Actually more of a lemon-candy scent, very similar to what I get from glitter - the common note is lotus (which isn't lemony on me in other blends), so I'm betting there might be unlisted ingredients coming in to play. The lavender doesn't really come in to play, and for me, that's a positive thing (especially in combination with lotus - Paris was not very kind to me). During drydown, it gets a bit powdery/dusty and less noticeably lemon - I find this one quite pleasant and pretty.

In the imp: How odd... I can't really decide what this smells like. A bit floral, but also almost woody. Like a flower bed with a fresh layer of that bark stuff they put on flower beds. Or something. I'm rambling and confused. On: Floral with a bit of a soapy/watery tinge to it - reminds me of lily of the valley. Maybe narcissus. Very light and pretty.

In the imp: sharp herbal/floral, maybe with some resins? On: Turns a bit powdery on my skin (a lot of things do). The sharpness reminds me of neroli, but I'm not quite sure if that's what it is - I can't quite place it. It's a bit perfumey, but the herbal-ish notes - whatever they are - keep it from being too sweet. On me, this dries down to something that's sort of like sun-warmed dried herbs. To me it has the same "feel" as The Sun from the Tarot blends, but without the citrus. It smells like late August.

In the imp: Perfumey, light and clean. On: A very light, slightly powdery rose scent. I'm not big on roses, but it's not bad; most rose blends smell fake and plasticky on me (and are very strong), while this one stays relatively light, and while not "real rose" to my senses, isn't as overtly fakey as most blends. Not my cup of tea, but not bad either.

To my nose this was a woody/earthy/herbal dark green scent... with a whopping dose of LIME. Both in the bottle and on my skin, the strongest note for me was lime. The C12 scents have really made me wonder whether my nose is completely out of whack - my reactions to these have been totally different from the other reviewers!

Evidently I had an unusual reaction - to me, this is the same musk as Smut and Sed Non Satiata. And while I'm a fan of musk, there's one I really can't wear (I think it may be a red musk, though some other red musk blends have been OK on me) - to my nose, it smells like funk, and not the good kind. Like peanut butter and dirty sheets. I'm mystified as to why I got a similarity to Smut and no one else did... and other people found Storyville similar to Smut and I smelled no similarity whatsoever! My nose is weird. ETA: Breaking News! I must have been having a "weird chemistry day" when I tried this before, because I tried it again and just had to spring for a whole bottle! The musk isn't my absolute favorite - I'm more of a white musk kind of girl - but I managed to escape the peanut butter curse and instead I'm getting a deep, spicy/earthy musk - maybe a touch of clove and patchouli? Much better this time around.

Wet, this reminds me a bit of the cocoa in blends like Freak Show and Cerberus (but without the citrusy bits of those particular scents); it's a dry, nutty cocoa and not too sweet. As it dries down, warm spices and a hint of musk start to emerge, and possibly hints of tobacco and honey? Not a super-sweet cloying honey, but a light, dry one. I'm not a fan of foody scents, but once the cocoa settles down a bit and the spices amp up, this really works for me. There is definitely a bit of musk - but my opinion is it's NOT the same musk as Smut (which was horribly stinky on me). I got much more of a Smut-like scent from Voodoo Queen, but no similarity to Storyville (thankfully!).

Uranus smells so spicy! *snickers* I'm in the minority evidently - I get loads of clove, not cinnamon. Regardless, it is the spicy goodness.

In the imp: Ack! This smells a bit almondy to me, or maybe cherry. On: The cherry/almond note is still there - I can just barely smell the plum, but the other notes are too heavy for me to enjoy it. As it dries down and the almond-like scent fades a bit, I can smell a bit of... florals, maybe? This blend is bizarrely indistinct on me once the initial phase passes. I can smell it, but the smell itself doesn't leave much of an impression on my senses. Vaguely fruity, vaguely floral... with my chemistry, Oya just doesn't assert herself, which seems odd, given the description.

In the imp: As others have said, definitely a yellow floral scent; reminds me of daffodils and dandelions. On: Lush yellow flowers and greenery. On me it's not overly sweet (as far as florals go), but there is a sense of "stickiness" that's definitely appropriate for a carnivorous plant! In the background, there's something that smells a lot like Empyreal Mist to me. An unusual golden floral, very pretty.

In the imp: Poppies and smoke! On: It's a dark, smokey floral - heavily sweet and lazy smelling. It's completely and utterly soporific to my nose; just taking a whiff makes my eyelids heavy. I think I'll try using it as a sleep blend!

I agree with Sarada that this is very much like Rat King. Unfortunately, Rat King got the "Aaaiiieeee, get it off me!" reaction! To me, Destroying Angel has a bit of a sourness to it when in the imp; on my skin, it just smells like pure, dry soil. It's not a scent that goes very well with my chemistry or my sense of aesthetics, so not for me - but soil-scent enthusiasts may really enjoy it.

In the imp: Am I even smelling the same oil as everyone else? To me, this smells overwhelmingly alcohol/chemically. It's very strange. On: Well, yes, evidently it *is* the same oil, because one it hits my skin, I can smell dirt, resin, and a little spice. That was one of the oddest BPAL imp-to-skin morphs I've encountered. Now, I don't do well with dirt. But here, there's only a hint of actual soil lurking in the background; it's more of a warm, earthy, lightly spicy scent. A pleasant surprise, ultimately - though I'm still weirded out by how it smells in the imp!

In the imp: I can definitely smell the fig lurking beneath the surface - but mainly, I smell bark and green leaves. On: Very much like my impressions of the oil in the imp. The fig note I know and love is still there, but this is a sharper, greener, earthier fig blend than the others I've tried. It mellows as it dries, but still retains the more natural smell, rather than smelling like a fig candle. Fully dry, I find this to be delicious, earthy fig. The "green" stage is a little unsettling for me - this is definitely a Rappaccini's Garden scent, because it smells dark and a bit deadly. This would be a great one for people who find the foody fig blends too sweet, and would probably smell lovely on the fellas, too.

In the imp: OK, the first time I took a whiff it seriously smelled like grape bubblegum - luckily, I sniffed more deeply, and my nose was able to detect something besides the artificial candy-smell. On: I'm getting a lot of spice - but it's more of a cinnamon/cassia smell on my skin, rather than carnation. And there's definitely fruit - the plum isn't too sweet, but a nice, tart, juicy note. I love spicy-fruit smells like QofS, Malkuth, Carnal... but there's always the chance I'll end up smelling like a candle. And I *do* smell like a candle wearing Frumious Bandersnatch, but it's a damn good candle. And how could I not approve of a perfume named Frumious Bandersnatch?

In the imp: Sweet and foody, but with a hint of either sweet herbs or light florals. It smelled familiar to me, so I compared it to some of the lunar oils - while I thought it would be closest to Honey Moon, it actually smells more like Pink Moon to my nose. On: It doesn't really smell like honey on my skin, but it does have kind of a milky/foody feel mixed with herbs/florals. It's light and sweet, but also has kind of an indulgent, luxurious feel to it - like bathing in heavy cream (not that I've done that... but, well, you get the idea). Final Verdict: While not really "me," Osun is quite pleasant, and I think the scent matches the concept extremely well.

Preconceived notions: Most of the notes sound great, but roses? Gah! And honey? Iffy. We'll see. In the bottle: Surprisingly woody. Dry woods are often quite nice on me, once my chemistry sweetens them up, so that's a promising sign. On: Sandalwood! It's almost "commercial perfumey" to my nose - but that dissipates quickly. As it dries down, it grows almost fruity on me - I have no idea what that could be, looking at the notes. It settles down into a lovely blend - part fruity, part floral, part woody, part incensey - very unusual. I really like this one, and I'm so relieved the rose stays in the background. Yum. My biggest surprise out of the Lupercalia collection.

Preconceived notions: All the notes sounded perfect to me - except the caramel. Foody scents have a tendency to make me a bit queasy. In the bottle: I can smell a red-berryish scent - must be the currant. And unfortunately... lots of caramel. On: The caramel is definitely threatening to wreck this blend for me - but the non-foody notes aren't quite ready to give up the fight. I can catch whiffs of amber and tobacco if I inhale deeply. And finally, the coconut peeks out - the good kind of coconut, not the one that goes all plasticky on my skin. What I end up with is a scent that's definitely sweeter than my usual tastes - but intriguing, and not bad at all for a foody blend. Maybe more of a cozy autumn scent.

In the bottle: This reminds me of Titania quite a bit - or Fee, as mentioned already by Ms. Belladonnastrap. On: Yes, like Titania, but a bit more floral than fruity. It's light, fresh, green - and softens to a gorgeous pale musk as it dries down. It stays pretty close to the skin and fades a bit faster than I'd like - but those are my only criticisms. It's a lovely blend, and one I was sure I'd like. Great for springtime (or if you're longing for an end to the rain and cold, like I am). Very pretty and uplifting.

In the bottle: Very jasminey... maybe a tiny hint of something tart, perhaps the apple peel poking through. On: Jasmine. And that's how it stays. It may as well be single note jasmine, to my nose. That said, it's nicer on me than a lot of jasmine blends. This one stays fresh and very "white" smelling, and never reaches the "hint of decay" stage I get with some jasmine blends. So... despite being relentlessly jasminey, it's a pleasant surprise. It's a comforting scent, maybe nice for lazy weekends reading in bed. Or as a cool, clean scent on hot days.

Preconceived notions: I adore musks. And I love the word smut, just like everyone else here. So I'm thinking I'll like this one quite a bit. In the bottle: Oh no! The weird "sexy peanut butter" note from Sed Non Satiata, but with a heavy, feral sex-funk. On: This is KILLING me. Peanut butter and stained sheets. And a cloyingly sweet booze note - rum, maybe? I'm really glad I seem to be the only one the Smut treats this way! Drydown: Thankfully, it *does* get better. It mellows into a milder, less funky scent after about 30 minutes, and is a lot more enjoyable. But that first stage is really difficult for me to get through. I'll keep a bottle to see how it ages, or see if I'm having some random chemisty disruption today - but I have a feeling I'll be unloading my second bottle that I ordered at the last minute, unsniffed. I'm sure it'll make someone else much more happy!

In the bottle: Very green and pungently herbal... I'm a little worried! On: Ah, no need to worry - the pungency tones down almost immediately on my skin. At first it's a very fresh, clean pale green scent, herbally in the same way some of the lunar blends are. Then there's a hint of anise, but not too much - just the tiniest suggestion of licoricey absinthe (I don't care for absinthe because of the licorice taste, so I'm glad I can't smell it strongly). Then there's something naggingly familiar that I just can't place for a few minutes, before the blend settles down into... MUSK! A really light, sweet musk, at that. I was really more excited about Hellion, but La Fée Verte turns out to be even more to my liking.

In the bottle: patchouli with an almost boozy tone. On: This is spicier than I anticipated - at first, it's a dark fruity-spice scent on me, quite similar to Malkuth. I tend to have color associations with scents, and Hellion definitely strikes me as a dark red or a plum. I tend to wear scents out of season, so even though this strikes me as rather autumn/winter with all it's warmth and spicy goodness, you'll probably find me wearing it more during summer.

I think it's really going to depend on your nose and your chemistry. Things that smell super-strong to me: Any of the scents that are predominantly mint, cinnamon, patchouli, rose, lemon, pine/fir, or civet. These are the ones that make me say "whew!" when I open the bottle, whether it's a note I like or not. If you're talking more about longevity on skin rather than pure strength, again, responses will differ wildly. The longest lasting blends on me have been Snow White, Antique Lace, and Morocco - all musks (and I believe all white musks, though none of the descriptions list it specifically) As for dark and sensual elements - my ideas of dark and sensual might not be the same as yours, so this might be totally worthless. Generally, I think of the spice, musk, leather, and incense categories as dark and sensual. I second the recommendation of Loviatar. I also like Depraved for going out on the prowl, but apricot/patchouli is definitely not for everyone! Sin is a spicy scent that's pretty popular; I also like Scherezade for incense, and I've already mentioned Morocco for musk (not particularly dark, but oh-so-sexy in my opinion). It's very sad that Spanked was so limited, because it definitely belongs on my list of all-time sexy scents - to me it's like a spicier Loviatar.