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Everything posted by yeahbutnobut
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51 In the imp: oh, this is so pretty. A soft fruity floral with white amber and fresh musks. It is quite ‘perfumey’. Wet on skin: fruity floral notes, sweet nectar, white musk and amber. Dry: this is gorgeous! It smells more perfumey than most of Beth’s stuff, but this is a little more delicate and refined, without any heady alcohol. The white amber is lovely and sweet, a cleaner, lighter variant of amber, and the freesia note is fantastic. Mandarin adds a touch of sharpness, guava and a little bit of melon add a delicious nectar like sweetness, and the musk notes bind everything together. I don’t smell the herbs or woods, but there may be a hint of ozone to this. This is so good, very fresh and light, and very much like one of the nicer ‘perfume counter’ scents-I haven’t smelt Alien (or Happy, for that matter) but this does smell like a designer perfume (in a good way). This also reminds me of a lighter, more floral Mantis. After a while: eventually the florals and fruit calm down a little bit, and I smell something woodsy, a nice solid wood base for all the lighter notes. I also smell more of the night air-I love Beth’s night air note-and it does have a slightly salty scent to it. It smells dry and cool, and I also smell something almost herbal to it…now I get that ‘glowing green’ feel to the scent. But the mass of glowing, iridescent floral-fruity amber never really leaves the scent, the freesia and white amber still apparent, though I smell more neroli now. The scent eventually becomes a wonderful, well blended and stylish scent of soft light musk and sweet flowers, with some amber, woodsy notes and a little hint of almost metallic, slightly salty ‘spaced out’ ozone to it. This smells like a bit more like Mantis now, but more ethereal. The notes really merge into each other over time, leaving a gorgeous musky-floral-amber drydown with an airy, floaty, glowing feel to it. It really is luminous and otherworldly, and I love it. Verdict: I think I've found a new favourite for summer. I never thought I'd really fall in love with a BPAL scent that's a little more 'designer perfume-y' than usual, but this is just stunning. Yes, it does remind me of something and expensive, but this is quality stuff. It's a beautiful, shimmering mix of flowers, fruit, amber (the white amber in here is delightful), light musks, a little bit of woods and herbs, and a hint of out-of-this-world ozone to it. This is what I hoped Intergalactic would be like…and thankfully this one is easy to acquire! It is sweet, fresh, light, cooling, complex but effortlessly blended. It works on two levels-as a scent which does seem to have an otherworldly feel to it-a very 'iridescent' scent, a glowing mass of gold, white, pink and green scents, and also as a classy and high-end scent which feels modern. It is a great everyday scent and a perfect BPAL to enable people with, especially if they are very used to the more commercial scents (alien associations aside, it has a very smart minimalist name, or number…also good for enabling newbies into the world of BPAL). I think I need a bottle of this fabulous scent asap. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Yes! This is a perfect summer scent-want bottle now! If you like this, try: Shoggoth, Mantis, Xanthe, Urania, Kindly Moon, Silence, Hungry Ghost Moon
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Habu In the imp: bamboo pulp and something reminiscent of melon. Sweet and fresh. Wet on skin: now I smell the rosewood-like ho wood, and a dry teak note, along with bamboo. Dry: this is very pretty! The dominant note is bamboo, and it smells amazingly like the real thing…fresh and green and a little wet, this smells like a bamboo shoot. I also smell something a little herbal-lemony reminiscent of geranium or palmarosa, the ho wood which smells a little medicinal and bittersweet, and very similar to rosewood. The teak adds a grey wooden scent to it all, and the bamboo note is almost sweet. It reminds me of aspects of Holiday Moon and Hungry Ghost Moon, a very Asian snake. Not very Snake Oily though, but pleasantly fresh and wet. After a while: the bamboo finally wins against the ho wood and teak and now is the star of the scent. Green and pulpy, this scent is incredibly cooling and refreshing, it’s like being in a forest of bamboo in the rain. I smell a hint of something darker and sweeter, probably the black musk, in the background, but for now it’s mainly bamboo. Over time, though the cool bamboo still remains, a darker sweetness rises up from the depths. Not sure if it’s black musk or Snake Oil or both, but it smells really good, dark and rich and a little bit spicy, and contrasts dramatically with the green, dewy bamboo. The teak has returned once more as well, adding a soft woody scent. Eventually it becomes a cool woodsy bamboo-teak with a hint of vanilla sweetness, a slight trace of warm, deep musk and Snake Oil under a covering of green coolness. After a few hours, the scent throw is different to the scent close to the wrist-I smell more of the wood and bamboo close to the skin, but the throw far from the wrist is the vanilla of Snake Oil! The end drydown of this scent is a cool vanilla scent, and oddly, I smell coconut. I know, it’s not listed but I smell fresh green coconut and coconut water with vanilla, as well as dry teak. Lovely! It’s like a lighter version of Death Adder, a chilled vanilla-coconut sweetness. I swear I even get some lovely amber after some time as well, don’t know where that comes from, but it’s beautiful. This scent is amazingly long lasting. I could still smell the vanilla and teak the next morning. Verdict: I am pleasantly surprised by this scent. I wasn't expecting to love this snake as much as I do, but this is really good. It starts off like a cool, wet, green Asian scent, like the Chinese lunacy series. The bamboo and ho wood are strongest, giving this scent a lovely freshness which is sweet and pulpy and cooling, and there's something almost melon-like to it. the scent sweetens beautifully over time as the musk and the vanilla of SO start gradually making their way into the green freshness of the ho wood and bamboo, darkening it a little but also adding depth. This is another one of those 'summer Snakes', (although the vanilla-musk is heavier in here) and it becomes even more so once a coconut-like note appears at drydown, making a scent almost like green coconuts with bamboo and Snake Oil. The most surprising thing was how long the scent lasted on me-it smells light, but the green woodsy vanilla sticks around for ages! I do prefer Green Tree Viper as my favourite of the lighter Snakes, but this is a scent I didn't expect to enjoy so much. And yet again, my wallet cries as I fall for another Snake Pit scent. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Yes, this scent is perfect for summer, and it’s really growing on me. If you like this, try: Holiday Moon, Hungry Ghost Moon, Lantern Ghost of Oiwa, Snake Oil, Death Adder
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Western Diamondback In the imp: ohh, it’s like Snake Oil meets Perversion. Leather coated in sweet spiced vanilla-tonka. Wet on skin: now I can smell the sage and sandalwood along with the sweetened leather. Dry: mmm, this is lovely! Another one of the Snakes where the Snake Oil is apparent, though this has a herbal aspect to it which makes it even more interesting. Soft warm sage, green and herbal, almost like a crushed plant, is now the dominant note, along with a hint of black leather (to me this is more like Loviatar than Quincy Morris for now), as well as a fantastic sandalwood and tonka background which mingles wonderfully with the Snake Oil. This is indeed SO with a Western feel. After a while: suddenly, the scent suddenly smells different. I don’t smell the initial Snake Oil scent I got before, but now I smell a soft, warm, honeyed amber sandalwood with sage, a hint of tonka sweetening it even more, and just the faintest touch of leather. It’s hard to describe what I’m smelling, it’s almost like warm skin, or rather, like the doeskin note in Coyote, or the musk in Buck Moon with a hint of sweetness. Indeed, this now reminds me of a warmer, sweeter Buck Moon, or a cousin of Coyote, a soft sweet herbal skin scent with dusty wood. I also smell something like honey or beeswax in here, which is odd since it isn’t listed…but this is very nice. It’s comforting and dry and warm. The scent then becomes woodier, with sandalwood really showing off (a very good thing, I think), in here it smells dry and dusty, like the woods in Coyote, with a balmy sage note adding a fuzzy, soothing quality. It reminds me of the Cup of Death, but not as bitter and harsh as the woods in there, in here the tonka sweetens it beautifully, and I can make out that rich leathery background which is very subtle (not like Loviatar or Quincy) and it even smells spicy and musky, probably from the Snake Oil. It reminds me of King of Clubs now, it’s a sexy mix of warm woodsy sweet leather with a hint of musk. And then it becomes a wonderfully soothing scent of herbal-woody Snake Oil with a little bit of smoky leather and something musky and skin-like, almost like clean sweat, and there’s even a hint of something like ambergris to this. Spiced sandalwood with herbs and a little vanilla and tonka. This is gorgeous, it’s comforting and unisex-though I bet if a man was wearing this, I’d shag him in an instant. The drydown is like the sage-wood-musk of Coyote with a hint of the ‘Dorian-esque’ drydown of the lighter Snake Pit scents, with a hint of something earthy, a little dirty. Mmm. Verdict: this really is the ‘cowboy Snake Oil’ scent, and damn, it’s fantastic stuff. First it is Snake Oil with black leather, sage and sandalwood, it stays herbal for a while before something amazing happens. I get a wonderful skin scent coming up, with a warm dry sandalwood and even a hint of honey and doeskin. It is quiet, not as leathery as before, but sublime. It reminds me of the likes of Buck Moon and Coyote (especially the latter), but with the exotic spice of Snake Oil warming it up beautifully. a gorgeous skin musk, warm and pulsing, with fragrant wood and a little sage too. The spicy wood then becomes stronger, and then the leather returns and then the tonka mixes with the vanilla-musk of SO…this is such a gorgeous scent, comforting yet sensual, it's lovely on me, but I can just imagine how shaggable it will be on a guy! I've had very good success with most of the Pit, and this is another one to get many bottles of. I can't wait to see how this ages as well. Another beautiful and sexy serpentine scent! Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Oh yes, this is so good. I love this sexy cowboy snake! If you like this, try: Coyote, Quincy Morris, Perversion, Loviatar, Cup of Death
- 182 replies
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- The Snake Pit
- 2006
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(and 1 more)
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Oof In the imp: it's the oddly warm-cool medicinal eye-watering nose-clearing scent of eucalyptus! This also reminds me of Vicks. (I don't have a cold right now but my throat has been sore all day…maybe I'll be needing the Oof soon.) Wet on skin: still reminds me of Vicks, but more like natural eucalyptus. Dry on skin: powerful eucalyptus and menthol with a warm undertone. I think I smell juniper at the back, maybe some pine or fir-an evergreen note, for sure. It might be wintergreen, come to think of it. Now it smells a little less like Vicks and more like a healing blend of essential oils, the ultimate natural cold remedy. It does make my eyes a little tingly, but not as intensely as Vicks, and smells cooler and greener than Olbas (which is a little spicy). This would work wonders as a steam inhalation scent. After a while: the eucalyptus burns off very fast, leaving a faint hint of juniper, wintergreen, and something almost reminiscent of swimming pools-yes, I know, it's strange, but I rather like that faint chlorine scent, so it's not bad. Then I realise that I can also smell a hint of tea tree in here, that antiseptic and cooling scent which always reminds me of my teens, when I uses tea tree products to try to get rid of my acne. Like the other Relief oils, the scent fades very fast. Verdict: when I get colds, my sinuses don't usually feel the brunt of it, but my nose does. Thank goodness this scent is one which could be used for both-it smells decongestant and really feels like it is working. It's gentler than Vicks, but I think it is just as effective. Like the other Relief blends, this isn't one to simply sniff, this is one to apply on a tissue, around the nose and throat and chest, and to a bowl of steaming hot water or an oil burner. The scent is predominantly eucalyptus, with hints of wintergreen and evergreen and juniper underneath. The scent doesn't last but while it does, I can feel it working (even if I don't have a cold). These new Panaceas are very effective blends! I'm not getting a bottle of this until I run out of Olbas and Jabberwocky (my current cold-busting blend), and I'll have to retest this again when the need arises (hopefully not soon though!) to see if this really can help with that nasty clogged up nose I get when I'm ill. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? yup. I'm always catching the latest cold that goes round, so this one's definitely a keeper.
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Grr In the imp: pure peppermint, with a hint of greenness, and a hint of sweetness. This is a very clearing and cooling scent. My head is about to explode with all this study stress I have…good time to try this. Wet on skin: tingly-cool peppermint. I decided to dab this onto my forehead because that's where it hurts like mad. Dry on skin: wow! Peppermint blast! And there's a wonderful, wonderful tingly feeling on my forehead where I applied the oil, cool and fresh, it seems to be drawing away the pain. It feels like an ice pack on my head. The scent is an intense peppermint, with a herbal undertone which to me smells like basil, it reminds me of the Basil SN and also the herb itself. There could be some other herbs, maybe thyme or rosemary, as well as some eucalyptus? The scent is slightly reminiscent of Possets Snowflake in the Martini, but without the weird olive scent. I also noticed that the awful feeling I had earlier, of my head feeling like it would burst, beginning to fade away. After a while: alas, the effects and scent of this oil are short lived. The tingle does fizzle out-though the headache remains, it seems to have weakened. The mint is all gone, leaving a tiny hint of basil lingering faintly on my skin. Time to apply more! After a couple of applications (after the second application the cool feeling lasted much longer)…the headache has cleared! Wow! Although I think the painkillers might have helped…but no more pain now! (The scent has completely cleared after about 2 hours.) Verdict: this really does work amazingly well. This is one of those oils that best works when applied to the area of pain as opposed to just sniffing alone. The scent is a surge of fresh peppermint with a herbal background. I massaged it into my forehead and temples and a delightful cooling tingle just spread across my forehead, soothing the throbbing pain. I'm actually tempted to massage this into my scalp as well for the full headache treatment. It doesn't get rid of the worst headache at once, but it definitely alleviates it enough for me to not feel burdened by it. And the headache I had really did clear, although whether that was the Grr or the aspirin, I'm not sure. Maybe both. The coolness I get from the mint would also make for a wonderful heatwave relief oil, along with Lick It…today was crazy-hot (and it's April, I dread to think what August will be like) and this brought welcome freshness. I think this will be one to get a bottle of eventually-it's powerful stuff and really does help with those pesky headaches. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Yes! This stuff works wonders. I just have to keep reapplying for that lovely tingle, and the minty scent doesn't last. Good reason to save up for a bottle!
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Spider In the imp: green cut stems and sharp citrus. Lime and mandarin and bergamot with green notes. Wet on skin: green and citrus notes. Dry: this is a very nice, clean, fresh masculine scent. The citrus notes catch my attention first, followed by some wet green notes (Artemisia?), the sharp fresh cut scent of ginger, and warm nutmeg. This is a very pleasant scent but it does smell quite masculine, like an aftershave or man’s cologne scent, but with a natural cool wetness, like dewy leaves. After a while: now it smells very green but still tangy and tinged with a summery cologne scent. It reminds me of ivy or crushed stems, but with crushed ginger root. Very green and rather exotic, like thick green jungle foliage, it’s warm and damp, with vetiver adding a hint of earthiness to the green notes. But it’s still very masculine to me…it reminds me of a man’s perfume I smelt elsewhere (but a good quality one…maybe it was one of L’Occitane’s men’s perfumes?), it also brings to mind the green notes of Garden Path with Chickens. When the citrus notes fade completely, this then turns to a fresh green cologne with a woodsy, spicy undertone. The vetiver is dominant, but it’s not the heavy, dark variety, it’s a softer, slightly lemony, green-gold scent, the lighter vetiver which I prefer. It now reminds me of a CTIII scent I had which was the most ‘men’s perfume’ style BPAL I’ve encountered, but lighter and softer. The end drydown after a few hours is a green, woodsy-herbal vetiver cologne/aftershave, with a slightly sour bite to it. Verdict: this is one of those BPAL scents which is masculine-not unisex, but a true masculine scent. I'm certainly not man enough to wear this…but for a man's perfume, it's a very nice one. It's very green and bright, packed with sparkling citrus notes with some ginger and a very intriguing green background reminiscent of tropical plants, it is a wet yet warm scent of greenery with glints of gold. The spice notes add a little heat to this scent, and as the citrus notes fade the scent is very much a men's cologne sort of scent, with that unidentified verdant note dominating and smelling very fresh and a little woody, with a bit of vetiver. It's a little bit too sharp/sour at times and too manly for me to pull off, however, I'd love to smell this on a guy. It reminds me of a younger version of Les Anges Dechus-whilst that was more refined and sophisticated, also a little detached, this is a little more youthful and bright, and quite charming too, but still with that sleek, gentlemanly feel to it. I could imagine a handsome young man wearing this as an everyday scent, but right now I have no guy to test this on so it's been passed on to someone who'll love it more. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? No, it’s too much of a man's scent on my skin. If you like this, try: Winter of our Discontent, Garden Path with Chickens, Les Anges Dechus, Wilde, Severin, Casanova
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Ambergris SN In the imp: a slightly amber-resinous, salty, oily, perfumey scent. Wet on skin: oh yes, this is the ambergris I recognise from other scents. Slightly powdery but golden. It now smells a bit like black musk. Dry: mmm, I like this a lot. This is one of those complex single notes. It’s very different from amber scents yet has a very slight similarity, it is resinous and golden and a little sweet. It also smells quite powdery. It also reminds me strongly of black musk, but less dark, but with that same musky, oily-slick scent I get from the dark/black musk scents. It’s a little salty-tangy as well, and slightly spicy, and very exotic. It also smells quite ‘perfumey’, maybe leaning towards masculine. After a while: this smoothes out a lot, turning into an oily musk scent with a warm, almost spicy, resinous golden aspect to it. Somewhere between musk and amber but with a little cologne added. Still slightly salty, it’s a very recognisable note now, it reminds me of Ecstasy of Passion, Cathode and the Wild Men. It gets smoother and softer with time, and more golden, with a ‘beach skin’ scent. At times it reminds me very slightly of baby oil, and also of those dark musk and myrrh scents…and there are times when it smells like a less sweet version of amber, especially when smelt far from the wrist. This scent pulses and morphs softly, changing from musk to resin to amber to salty perfume every now and then, before ending with a sweet dark amber like scent which is almost like vanilla. Verdict: I’m pretty sure that Beth’s concoction smells much better than most whale puke does…though I’ve heard that aged, well matured, genuine beach-combed ambergris smells gorgeous, but I’d rather wear this non-animal version. And it is really wonderful. This is a very complex note and goes through a lot of changes. It smells amber like, there's a slightly resinous-oily scent to it, a little spicy at times, but also reminds me of salt and musk and above all, has a feel of very sophisticated perfume to it. sort of an expensive cologne scent, but with that clean salty sweat aspect and golden amber to it, and sometimes hints of powder come through. it's quite sexy at times, I think, and seems to change and morph smoothly, a scent with many facets. Whilst I still prefer Beth's Egyptian Amber, this is a gorgeous single note and I'm definitely keeping my imp of it. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Yup! This is a very interesting note.
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Zarita In the imp: treacle/brown sugar/maple syrup with a hint of floral. Wet on skin: bittersweet orange blossom rises from the heavy treacle. Dry: mmm, this is intriguing. I smell traditional garden blooms here with greenery, almost like ivy, but covered in brown sugar. It sounds crazy, but my skin is turning this into a sugared version of Garden Path with Chickens. Greenish floral notes surrounded by heavy caramel, like GPWC meets Sugar Skull. I smell some orange blossom, and also some carnation, but mainly sugary flower stems and ivy. After a while: the notes are more balanced now. The sugared cream note isn’t that creamy, it’s more like the caramelised crust of a crème brulee with brown sugar and maple syrup. But now I can smell the spicy scent of carnation making an appearance, along with a slightly tangy orange blossom note and some iris. It still has a slightly green aspect but it’s not as strong now. It also reminds me of Arrival at the Sabbath, thanks to the combination of caramel, carnation and iris. Eventually the caramelised scent seems to melt into the floral notes, and soon it smells less like heavy treacle, and more like flower petals dusted with brown sugar. The carnation is strong here, very warm and spicy, with a slightly greenish aspect like crushed ivy, and a slightly bitter orange blossom note. The scent then changes to a gorgeous creamy sugared carnation, but with a spike of green and a hint of burnt sugar. Sweetness with a slightly sinister bite. A slightly burnt, almost celery like scent starts to come out over time-it’s not distracting though, but it reminds me of the ‘light myrrh’ single note or of one of the woody notes. It’s unusual, this spike of bitter, burnt scent surrounded by sugary cream. Verdict: this is a very strange, contradictory scent! This is a sweet little doll of a scent but she really does have a dark side. The sugar in here is dark, for starters-not the sweet fluffy creamy sugar I expected but heavy treacle caramel, very much like Sugar Skull. think melted and burnt brown sugar mixed with maple syrup and thick molasses. But this is contradicted by a green floral note. In fact, I'm surprised at how freshly green this smells at time, a real garden scent of leaves and ivy mixed with bittersweet floral notes and thick sugar. It's a very odd combination. The scent moves into phases of syrupy flowers, soft crème caramel with flower petals, burnt treacle and there are even moments of smouldering smoke with sharp greenness cutting through like a knife. And now someone else mentioned it, there may even be a hint of doll head plastic to this (how fitting!) but it's mainly overwhelming caramel with a strange spiky floral feel to it. It's an unusual scent which certainly fits this sinister little lady, but it's not a favourite-it's a little too conflicting for me and the sugar does have the potential to go cloying. I prefer Pink Moon for creamy sugary carnations. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Maybe the imp, but I don’t think I’ll get a bottle. If you like this, try: Sugar Skull, Garden Path with Chickens, Pink Moon 07, Arrival at the Sabbath, Tiresias, Red Lantern, Alice
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Cottonmouth In the imp: a gorgeous rich sugared floral with soft vanilla. Wet on skin: a soft springtime blossom scent with a hint of green, and creamy vanilla. Dry: now it’s very green and tangy, almost fruity, I think that’s the passion flower (it reminds me of the fruit, very vaguely), but underneath I smell beautiful creamy spring blossoms with vanilla, reminiscent of the golden vanilla backgrounds of Banded Sea Snake and Green Tree Viper mixed with the springy floral notes of Al Araaf/Leanan Sidhe. The tangy scent is very strong now, almost like a citrus note with crushed stems, it’s almost piercing. But the promise of vanilla coated blooms waits underneath. Maybe this sharpness will recede a little. After a while: the intense sharpness does go away, and the scent left behind is so pretty. It’s a floral-fruity version of Banded Sea Snake, on me, but without the slight aquatic feel that had. I smell linden and just a hint of narcissus too. There’s also a slightly fruitier note here which reminds me of plum blossom, and a sharper citrus note, like orange blossom. But the golden, slightly oily (in a good way) vanilla scent underneath it all is really lovely. It reminds me of Leanan Sidhe with Snake Oil now. It gets smoother over time, but the bright, citrus-like sharpness that I get in here is very much like orange blossom. The calla lily doesn’t turn to soap (yay!) and the linden note is so pretty. And it gets even nicer with time…the scent smoothes even more, the creamy, slippery vanilla note comes out and mingles beautifully with the pale blossoms which have lost their sharpness, whilst a hint of gentle musk turns up. The scent is now like the Unicorn, thanks to the linden, with a vanilla-musk undertone reminiscent of Dorian. It also reminds me of the Enraged Bunny, but with a little less greenery, and a little more musk. And it gets even nicer after a few hours when all the floral and the musky/vanilla notes merge beautifully. Verdict: it’s springtime Snake Oil! This blend of floral notes with Snake Oil is so much nicer than I expected, there's nothing soapy or 'screaming florals' to this. This does a similar thing to Green Tree Viper and Banded Sea Snake in that the Snake Oil turns a little bit Dorian-esque at the presence of lighter notes, and I love this. At first there's a sharpish note to it, almost like citrus or cologne, but the mix of gentle blooms with a sublime vanilla-musk base is delicious, and gets even more so as the scent dries down. at first it's a crisp tart white floral scent but then it smoothes even more as the sweeter base mingles with the flowers beautifully. The best thing about this blend is that the calla lily doesn't turn soapy, painfully sharp or waxy like it can do, which is quite remarkable. The scent also has that 'cottony floral musk' feel that the Enraged (and aged) Bunny Musk has to it, though distinctly different. I really like this scent, it's made for warmer weather and smells very pretty and feminine but not in a stereotypical way. I do prefer other SP scents but this is gorgeous enough to buy at least two bottles of. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Yes! I do prefer some other Snakes in the Pit but this is a lovely spring scent. If you like this, try: Snake Oil, Al Araaf, The Unicorn, Leanan Sidhe, Enraged Bunny Musk, Banded Sea Snake, Green Tree Viper, Dorian
- 132 replies
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- The Snake Pit
- 2006
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(and 1 more)
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The Ecstasy of Passion In the imp: wonderful golden amber with vanilla-musk! Think Jacob's Ladder meets Snake Oil! Wet on skin: a sharper, slightly perfumey note surfaces, but this is a good perfumey scent. Dry on skin: mmm, wow! Now I can smell petitgrain in here…for those who don't know, petitgrain is very similar in scent to neroli, but a little less floral (it comes from the orange too, not sure if it's the leaf or what) and I smell lots of that here. I also smell something very similar to Jacob's Ladder, a kind of golden piercing scent, probably the galbanum and amber, a lot of ambergris too, as well as deep dark vanilla, gorgeous creamy cloves, and musk. This is divine! It is a little cologne like thanks to the orange blossom like petitgrain, but in a very good way. It smells unisex, I could see this as being downright shaggable on a guy! After a while: creamy cloves! After a while the clove note really, really comes out. Usually cloves in BPAL don't show off very much but this one does, and I love it. It reminds me of another clove scent-maybe Port au Prince? It smells of cloves and vanilla, a very creamy spicy scent, surrounded by ambergris perfume and sweeter amber and rich musk. Damn, this stuff is sexy. The scent is a nice balance of rich brown vanilla, cloves and musk, with a golden, sparkling scent of amber cologne, almost bordering on masculine but not quite. It's a very decadent scent, it brings to mind gold jewellery against velvety dresses and dark silk. It brings to mind expensive indulgence. The notes merge together so nicely, and I get a pleasant, yet unexpected, golden hay or reed like note appearing in this scent. I also smell something like myrrh to this, a smoky incense scent winding through. It's still very much a golden-spicy vanilla-clove perfume, but now it smells a little bit more like Jacob's Ladder, but without as much dusty dryness as JL, and the ambergris note is very strong now, too. The smokiness progresses over time, becoming almost tobacco-like. Eventually it becomes a gorgeous, golden-smoky-clovey ambergris with a vanilla-musk base. And at the very end, it gains a golden-dusty-amber incense scent very similar to the likes of Jacob's Ladder, Mr Jacquel and Great Cry in Egypt. A beautiful soft golden spicy warm amber-musk scent. I swear I smell frankincense and sandalwood now even though they aren't listed. Verdict: I knew that I would love Passion. And it's the most coveted of the Agony or Ecstasy scents…and I adore this! It reminds me of Jacob's Ladder (which I love) but with added musk, clove, and sensual vanilla! The petitgrain, an orange blossom like note, along with the ambergris, gives the scent a posh perfume/cologne like tang at the start, but this is a very pleasant scent, not one of those masculine cologne notes. Underneath the sharp, golden glittering top notes is a dark vanilla-musk base warmed beautifully by a sweet creamy clove note. This is gloriously decadent, it is sexy, I agree, but in a sophisticated, stylish way. The scent goes through phases of cloves and ambergris before settling into a beautiful scent of golden amber surrounded by soft smoky incense and warm spice, warm and dry and glowing, with a pulse of musk underneath. Rich and delectable, seductive and tempting, this is a fabulous combination of dark vanilla-musk-incense (which Beth does so well) merged with a glistening amber perfume. I love this so much…and I know it will be hard to track down! But I want more of this, much more…Passion sure is worth the hype! Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Definitely! I want mooooore (without paying a fortune)!
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From: http://www.paulsadowski.org/BirthDay.asp 5 April 1985 Your date of conception was on or about 13 July 1984 which was a Friday. You were born on a Friday under the astrological sign Aries. Your Life path number is 5. Life Path Compatibility: You are most compatible with those with the Life Path numbers 1, 5 & 7. You should get along well with those with the Life Path numbers 3 & 9. You may or may not get along well with those with the Life Path number 8. You are least compatible with those with the Life Path numbers 2, 4, 6, 11 & 22. The Julian calendar date of your birth is 2446160.5. The golden number for 1985 is 10. The epact number for 1985 is 8. The year 1985 was not a leap year. Your birthday falls into the Chinese year beginning 2/20/1985 and ending 2/8/1986. You were born in the Chinese year of the Ox. Your Native American Zodiac sign is Hawk; your plant is Dandelion. You were born in the Egyptian month of Paony, the second month of the season of Shomu (Harvest). Your date of birth on the Hebrew calendar is 14 Nisan 5745. Or if you were born after sundown then the date is 15 Nisan 5745. The Mayan Calendar long count date of your birthday is 12.18.11.15.16 which is 12 baktun 18 katun 11 tun 15 uinal 16 kin The Hijra (Islamic Calendar) date of your birth is Friday, 14 Rajab 1405 (1405-7-14). The date of Easter on your birth year was Sunday, 7 April 1985. The date of Orthodox Easter on your birth year was Sunday, 14 April 1985. The date of Ash Wednesday (the first day of Lent) on your birth year was Wednesday 20 February 1985. The date of Whitsun (Pentecost Sunday) in the year of your birth was Sunday 26 May 1985. The date of Whisuntide in the year of your birth was Sunday 2 June 1985. The date of Rosh Hashanah in the year of your birth was Monday, 16 September 1985. The date of Passover in the year of your birth was Saturday, 6 April 1985. The date of Mardi Gras on your birth year was Tuesday 19 February 1985. As of 4/5/2007 7:03:40 AM EDT You are 22 years old. You are 264 months old. You are 1,148 weeks old. You are 8,035 days old. You are 192,847 hours old. You are 11,570,823 minutes old. You are 694,249,420 seconds old. Celebrities who share your birthday: Agnetha F„ltskog (1950) Colin Powell (1937) Frank Gorshin (1934) Roger Corman (1926) Gale Storm (1921) Gregory Peck (1916) Bette Davis (1908) Spencer Tracy (1900) Booker T. Washington (1856) Top songs of 1985 Say You, Say Me by Lionel Richie We Are The World by USA for Africa Careless Whisper by Wham! Can't Fight This Feeling by REO Speedwagon Money for Nothing by Dire Straits Shout by Tears for Fears Broken Wings by Mr. Mister I Want to Know What Love Is by Foreigner The Power of Love by Huey Lewis & the News Everybody Wants to Rule the World by Tears for Fears Your age is the equivalent of a dog that is 3.14481409001957 years old. (Life's just a big chewy bone for you!) There are 366 days till your next birthday on which your cake will have 23 candles. Those 23 candles produce 23 BTUs, or 5,796 calories of heat (that's only 5.7960 food Calories!) . You can boil 2.63 US ounces of water with that many candles. In 1985 there were approximately 3.7 million births in the US. In 1985 the US population was approximately 226,545,805 people, 64.0 persons per square mile. In 1985 in the US there were 2,425,000 marriages (10.2%) and 1,187,000 divorces (5%) In 1985 in the US there were approximately 1,990,000 deaths (8.8 per 1000) In the US a new person is born approximately every 8 seconds. In the US one person dies approximately every 12 seconds. In 1985 the population of Australia was approximately 15,900,566. In 1985 there were approximately 247,348 births in Australia. In 1985 in Australia there were approximately 115,493 marriages and 39,830 divorces. In 1985 in Australia there were approximately 118,808 deaths. Your birthstone is Diamond The Mystical properties of Diamond Diamonds are said to increase personal clarity to help one see things clearly as well as be straight-forward and honest. Supposedly, the higher quality the diamond, the better it is supports these qualities. Some lists consider these stones to be your birthstone. (Birthstone lists come from Jewelers, Tibet, Ayurvedic Indian medicine, and other sources) Opal, Quartz, White Sapphire Your birth tree is Rowan, the Sensitivity Full of charm, cheerful, gifted, without egoism, likes to draw attention, loves life, motion, unrest and even complications, is both dependent and independent, good taste, artistic, passionate, emotional, good company, does not forgive. There are 264 days till Christmas 2007! There are 277 days till Orthodox Christmas! The moon's phase on the day you were born was full.
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TAL Scent Recommendations/Comparing TAL Scents to BPAL
yeahbutnobut replied to mrsveteran's topic in Recommendations
Oddly, I think Sybaris smells a bit like Anthelion, with violet instead of lavender. I think there's clove in both scents, maybe tonka too? I've yet to find a BPAL that smells like Lionheart. That is such a beautiful scent. Radiance of Ra, obviously, smells very much like Ra (the Excolo), but with a little Ahathoor. Queen of the Nile reminds me of Black Lotus with added musk. Temple Egyptian also reminds me strongly of Black Lotus. I think that Wicked, Phantom and La Petite Mort remind me of Arabian Nights. Amor smells like #20 Love Oil without the spices, or a fruitier Seraglio. I think I got a slight Hymn to Pan scent (without the lavender) from Beltane 06, but I may be wrong... Also, I adore the scent of Caliph's Beloved. Can't find anything with that same cinnamon-amber-musk-incense scent to it (despite a few passing similarities in some oils). But I can never wear CB as an actual perfume because of it's incredibly sexual properties, unless I want some of that -
The Dodo In the imp: mmm, cassia! I generally love cassia and don't get burnt by it. This smells like fizzy cassia and lemon, and reminds me of spicy Coca-Cola. Wet on skin: lemon, cassia and gorgeous ripe mango! Dry on skin: I like this a lot! It is spicy Corazon/Tweedledum, as I expected. There's a little hint of lemon to it which is light but adds a nice bright tartness. The cassia and mango are the strongest notes, and there's a nice dry woodsy backing to the scent. It reminds me of Taniniver and Al Shairan a little as well, this cassia isn't as foody as Monster Bait Underbed, but more like a dry cinnamon. The mango adds a welcome feeling of juiciness though, sweetened with sugar cane. After a while: the lemon is gone and the cassia has toned down, and now the mango rules the scent. Sweet and soft and sunny, very juicy, with that extra sweetness provided by the sugar cane. I still smell the woodsy, dry background as well, almost like dry woodsy incense. I don't smell as much of the red musk as I hoped, but it does seem to be there, adding it's depth to the scent, and it does enhance the spice, woods and mixes nicely with the mango (just like in Corazon). It does remind me of Al Shairan with mango instead of peach-there's that 'dry, arid cinnamon scent with a juicy sweet fruit note and something incense like at the back' thing going on. The scent becomes a redder, drier, spicy version of Kuang Shi over time, a smooth musky mango with a hint of cassia and woods at the back. The end drydown of this scent is a lovely dry mango incense scent…like mango and woods burning in an incense stick. Verdict: this is a very unusual but nice scent. the contradiction between fruity fresh sweetness and dry spicy woods is pleasant and fun. At first it is all about cassia and mango, a spiced mango scent. it did remind me slightly of Corazon but without as much musky depth. The musk in here is a little fainter than I hoped. The cassia is a dry, dusty one like in Tanin'iver, it's not as nice as the one in Saw Scaled Viper or Underbed. Eventually the spice merges with the woods and the scent is juicy golden mango on top of dry exotic woods. This is very similar to Al Shairan in fact, but I prefer AS because of it's other spices and incense. For some reason, this isn't grabbing me as much as I hoped. In theory, I adore all the notes here but the scent isn't wowing me as much as I expected. I'm not saying that it is mediocre as this is a fun scent, light hearted but with a dry incense scent to it. But it doesn't have the depth and layers I was expecting and I don't think that mango and cassia sit right together in here. And I wanted more red musk…it's not bad though but I'm not in love. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? I like it but prefer other similar scents. If you like this, try: Tweedledum, Tanin'iver, Kuang Shi, Al Shairan, Monster Bait Underbed
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Aries 07 In the bottle: savoury spices of pepper and ginger. But this ginger smells suspiciously red, like the red ginger note that often turns to rubber on me… Wet on skin: phew, no rubbery ginger. Now the dragon's blood comes up and mingles with the spices. Dry on skin: whoa, the pepper really has strengthened! It now smells dry, crackling and fiery, it's the olfactory version of sparks flying from flames. Very hot and red, this smells like fierce pepper and ginger with the red clarity of dragon's blood. I don't smell honeysuckle yet but the dragon's blood has a slight floral aspect to it that contrasts with the firestorm of spices whirling through the scent. It's a very powerful fragrance-it really is the scent of cardinal fire. After a while: is that gardenia? I smell a harsh, gritty floral scent that strongly reminds me of celery and burning sawdust. This isn't honeysuckle. It could be a reaction of the dragon's blood…it reminds me of Pluto, oddly enough, but it still smells of ginger, pepper and dragon's blood. I don't smell the opoponax here, the note I was most looking forward to. It gets harsher, drier and more biting over time. There's a very dry, celery like floral-woody note similar to gardenia here-I this honeysuckle reacting with dragon's blood? The pepper still lingers and at times I get the barest, barest, almost undetectable scent of something sweet, hoping that it's the opoponax, but it never materialises. Verdict: I was hoping this one would be much better on me than it was, as it's my sign, dammit! and I have Mercury and Venus in Aries as well! But whilst it wasn't a disastrous scent, it just doesn't compare with the original Aries, which had frankincense instead of dragon's blood, honeysuckle and opoponax…and I adored that spicy resinous scent. This one is a lot harsher. The spices are more potent, the dragon's blood is very strong, and they dominate this punchy, fiery fragrance, very hot and incredibly red in tone. I like the peppery-ginger start of the scent but the dragon's blood really amps after this and there's an odd, harsh floral tone to it. I'm a little disappointed, but not too much. I have a feeling I could use this ritually, it has that confident, upfront feel to it which fits the sign. It reminds me of Brass Balls, and I think I could use it in a similar way, as a confidence and self-esteem booster, a scent that could be used in the manner of a TAL oil. However, scent-wise I don’t love it as much as the original Aries, which suited me so much better. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Yes, I'll keep the bottle (awesome label!) I have but might sell off the other bottle I have coming. If you like this, try: Mars, Dragon's Blood, Telltale Heart
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Bien Loin D'Ici In the imp: incense! It does smell slightly headshoppy and also herbal…almost along the lines of nag champa. Very exotic though. Wet on skin: herbal and rich and a little spicy, with a hint of musk…and it reminds me of jasmine tea! Dry on skin: wow, this is really intriguing. I don't smell any of the caramel (which is unusual as usually that note really takes over!) or the honey, I do smell a bit of musk but I do get some amazing, mysterious herbal, smoky, spicy notes here, like incense burning. I take it that those are the Moroccan unguents. There is the slightest hint of something almost like cannabis to this, (I'd never smoke it, but I love the smell!) I also smell something to this that strongly reminds me of Chinese jasmine tea-not jasmine flowers at all but like an infusion of dry jasmine petals and tea. I also smell deep woodsy incense, herbs, teas, and patchouli, with bitter, dry smouldering myrrh (like the light myrrh SN). It's not as sweet as I expected but really intriguing…it does make me think of new age shops at times though (in the best way possible). After a while: this is one of those scents that smells different when smelt far from the wrist. The throw is much sweeter than the close-to-wrist scent, which still has that dark, unusual scent of dark green herbs, incense and a hint of tea. I still smell the myrrh in here-it reminds me of the myrrh in Black Lotus but not as strong, as there are other smoky and spicy mysterious notes swirling over it. I swear I even smell some tobacco or even hookah smoke! (and yes, I still smell a hint of pot to this…). The myrrh note then increases and eventually the scent smells like ancient incense burning. There's also something woodsy at the back, it's a very dry scent. There's a passing resemblance to Cairo with this myrrh incense base, but without the fruity sticky sweetness. The honey is like the subtle, dry honey-dust notes I get in Luperci and Great Cry in Egypt, more like beeswax than runny honey. Still no caramel. A slight amber-like sweetness lingers far from the wrist though, and the barest pulse of musk can be detected…though this is certainly not Smut-like on me. After a few hours, it is still smoky and dark and herbal-spicy with myrrh, but I smell a little hint of sweetness and musk peeking out. The drydown becomes smokier and smokier, like herbal incense mixed with resins, it smells remarkably like loose incense burning, and I really like that. Then the scent loses it's dark greenness, and instead becomes a gorgeous, dusty-golden, honeyed sandalwood with incense and musk, very similar to Great Cry in Egypt/Scherezade now, and one of the Lupercalia scents as well-either Chintamani Dhupa or Svad…but with that dry smoky myrrh base. Verdict: the scent's name, translated as 'very far from here' is appropriate, as this smells like a scent from a distant, exotic desert marketplace…a very faraway scent. I smell very little of the honey, benzoin, and caramel…bare hints of musk. This is all about those mysterious unguents, which in here smell like a deep, green incense mix, like thick, dark green smoke. The most dominant note is a dry, smouldering myrrh note, but I also smell some healing herbs, spices, earthy notes and smoky notes reminiscent of patchouli and tobacco, as well as something strikingly reminiscent of jasmine tea. And something else…one thing's for sure, on me, this scent is NSFW! Why? Because there's a note to this that smells suspiciously like hash! (Shelldoo was right, it seems…) I'm actually very surprised at how low-key the caramel is in here, it's almost non-existent. I really like the drydown though when the scent becomes dusty and golden, very exotic and almost Scherezade like with a hint of beeswax. It's so different from anything I've smelt from BPAL despite very slight similarities to a few other scents-very unique, and such an intriguing scent…it hypnotises and lures me closer. I really like this scent a great deal, but I was hoping for more of the sweeter notes to come through, they were pretty much blocked out by the hippy-ish unguents. That said, I like it, I'm keeping the imp…but I'm not wearing this one to job interviews or in the office, that's for sure! Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? I'll keep the imp as it is such an intriguing scent. If you like this, try: Black Lotus, Luperci, Cairo, the Caterpillar, And There Was a Great Cry in Egypt, Scherezade, Red Lantern
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Florentine Iris In the imp: a sweeter version of violet. It smells like sugary violet, like Faith, but different…it also smells like orris. Wet on skin: very soft, orris-like, powdery and sweet. Dry: this is very faint on my skin (the imp I have of this is practically empty so I just scraped a tiny amount of oil on my skin) but what I do smell is a very pretty, soft iris scent. Very similar to orris and sweetly sugared violets. This is the iris in Black Pearl. It is powdery and pale, but much fresher, and even a little greener, a little wetter than iris. It’s actually quite creamy, even a little bit of a skin scent. But I do get a vague ‘Parma Violets’ sweet scent here-maybe there’s some of this in Faith? However I don’t get the sometimes fruity purple floral scent I usually get with iris. After a while: this becomes smoother, a little sweeter and creamier over time. it doesn’t change too much, but this is a very pretty scent. There’s a scent behind it which is almost buttery but not quite, it’s more like a vegetable oil scent…but it’s so faint and doesn’t distract me from the rest of the scent’s delicate powdery softness. It gets very faint very fast though. Verdict: like Lobban, I only got a sniffy with a scraping of oil, so this smelt quite faint on me. what I did smell was very pretty-a lovely mix of iris, orris and violet. The scent is just like Black Pearl, that cool creamy violet-like iris scent, but isn’t as fruity as the iris in Florence (this could be because I applied so little). It does smell almost like a sugary violet, like Faith, or Parma Violet sweets. It becomes paler, softer, a little creamy, a little powdery, after an hour or so. And then it fades fast. Oh well. It’s a very pleasant scent though and I’m glad I tried it. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? I think so-even though I’ve run out of wearable oil in the imp!
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Lobban In the imp: soft lilacs with a hint of resin. Wet on skin: frankincense and lilac, I think. Reminds me of Bruja. Dry: mmm, pretty! This smells like lilacs and frankincense, with a hint of rose, and possibly a little heliotrope as well. It reminds me of Bruja but with the myrrh replaced by frankincense, and a bit less sweet. The lilac doesn’t smell as fresh as the one in Melancholia (the lilac-iest of the lilac scents) but it’s very nice, softened by a gentle warm powdery scent and a little resin. After a while: it then turns to pure lilacs. Dry lilacs, slightly wilted but still powerfully fragrant. I think I smell a hint of rose behind them too. there’s still the slightest hint of a smooth powdery background but the lilac is the strongest scent here. And then, after a couple of hours, the lilac moves back and the frankincense comes out even more. A warm resinous scent, golden and soft, surrounding dry flowers. The frankincense-heliotrope scent then starts to gradually remind me of Lionheart mixed with Arcana, there may be some amber in here too. Verdict: I can’t really give this one a proper review as I only scraped a tiny amount of a sniffy imp with hardly any oil on my arm. It’s a very pleasant scent though-very much dominated by lilac. Some lilacs smell odd on me but this one is really nice. And the lilac is mixed with a wonderful, warm frankincense note, and the scent reminds me of Bruja, but with less amber sweetness. It’s a lovely mix of golden resin and lilacs, and at drydown I get a slight hint of the drydowns of Lionheart and Crucible of Courage-that warm, soft heliotrope with rose and a little bit of resin. Very pretty. I haven’t tried it for purpose yet but the scent of this oil is one of the nicer, more wearable voodoo oils for me. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? I haven’t got much at all, but I think it will be a keeper.
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Frankincense SN In the imp: ohhh, this is the most beautiful frankincense ever! A golden, soft, warm, bright resin. Wet on skin: it sharpens a little on the skin, and I see what people mean when they say that it smells like pickles but I don’t get anything really pickled here at all, just a little savoury, but still golden resin. Dry: and now it gets all beautifully smoky! Its frankincense, but what a complex note this is! It’s golden, dry, bright and warm-a very solar scent-with a piercing sharpness reminiscent of pine sap. I also smell a hint of soft smoke rising from the resin, but it’s not burnt all, it’s like when I burn frankincense resin and it bubbles, releasing fragrant smoke. I think Beth uses different frank notes in her scents, and this single note is a particularly soft frank, and has a slight candle wax like scent at the base, like in King Cobra. It also reminds me of Ahathoor and the old version of Aries, and the ‘church incense’ scents. After a while: this smoothes out even more, gaining a balmy, soothing scent, and it also is a little bit spicy, almost peppery, at times. It tends to fade away fast though, which is a shame because this scent is so lovely. As it fades it leaves a lightly spiced golden scent behind, radiating warmth. At one point it even becomes a little sweet, like amber, and I love that. Verdict: this is such a beautiful single note. It’s warm, balsamic aroma is golden and both smooth and sharp, both resinous and smoky, and it glows. It is a very meditative scent for sure, calming and soothing, contemplative, very church/temple like as well. It also smells a little smokier with time, like the scent of frankincense lingering after it has been burnt. Remarkably multifaceted for a single note, this is a stunning fragrance which is wonderful worn alone and I bet it would be beautiful if layered. Another one of my favourite single notes…I want more of this! Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Definitely! Another one that makes me want to see the SNs released again! Shame I only have a tiny droplet…
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Parliament of Monsters In the imp: mmm, gorgeous frankincense, very similar to the Pit and the Pendulum. Wet on skin: now a sweeter note, an airy white musk, and some opium appear. Now I get a hint of Stardust mixing with the incense. Dry: oh, this is gorgeous! It smells like Stardust meets Midnight Mass! I know, it’s crazy, but I swear I get the same ‘champagne and white musk’ scent from here as I do in Stardust. There’s definitely a similar opium and tobacco scent, though the tobacco in here is more like tobacco flower for now. But I smell champagne, or white wine, in here too. There’s a beautiful layer of frankincense at the bottom, maybe some myrrh too, a hint of something dusty, but mainly the Stardust-like opium and tobacco with resinous incense. I love this. After a while: hmm, this has turned a little odd now. I now smell olive oil in here, which is weird. It’s not too bad but it reminds me of the olive scent that I got in Yule and Alecto. I still smell opium, and Stardust, tobacco and resinous incense as well…but the olive is a little off putting. However, this does sometimes make the scent smell like a martini, with that ‘champagne’ note I got before morphing every now and then into gin (maybe there’s juniper in here?). A very strange reaction I certainly didn’t expect in this scent. The oddly white musky scent with champagne does move in and out of the scent, as does the strange olive scent, with the gorgeous deep resins and opium still lingering. I’m really torn about this scent…I love the ‘Stardust with incense’ fragrance this has, but that olive note is distracting. Eventually after about three hours, the olive note goes completely. Now the scent is a white musk, white wine and opium scent with smoky, tobacco touched incense underneath-two distinct layers in the scent. It’s very unusual. The scent ends up as a thin, ethereal, dusty smoky white musk with poppy…it reminds me of a less floral and dustier version of Euterpe now. Verdict: this one has me torn. I adore incense scents so much, and the first hour or so of this scent is wonderful. Oddly, this does smell like the lovechild of Stardust and Midnight Mass! There’s opium here but I also smell that same white musk and champagne from Stardust as well…but with an undertone of resins. And then a smell of martinis comes out. (These monsters seem to be partying down in their freak show tent with the booze flowing and the smoke and opium readily available…do the monster mash!) I smell gin here but there’s one note that’s preventing me from enjoying this…a weird salty olive note. I have no idea what this is but it smells like those briny olives or olive oil (not like the nice olive leaf note in other BPALs) and it’s really odd. The scent moves through stages of opium and booze and incense but still keeps that strangely Stardust-y scent. I didn’t smell as much resin/incense in this scent as I hoped. I think I’ll swap this one, if it wasn’t for the olive note, I’d probably love this a lot more. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? I’m not sure. I normally adore incense scents but the olive note here gives me pause. If you like this, try: Pit and the Pendulum, Stardust, Euterpe, Midnight Mass, Opium Poppy, Darkness, Penitence, Carceri D’Invenzione
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Mr Nancy In the imp: a buttery lime cookie scent (think Sugar Cookie 05) with a hint of something fizzy! Wet on skin: now the tobacco comes out, and the bay rum isn’t turning to soap … Dry: this is such an intriguing scent! There’s a wonderful cookie like note at the base, reminiscent of buttery shortbread biscuits sprinkled with sugar (though the butter isn’t as strong now), and I adore shortbread. Bright, vivacious lime is sprinkled over the cookies, with a masculine scent of bay rum and warm, dry, almost spicy tobacco. This is so good. Very unusual, being a mix of delicious gourmand shortbread and manly perfume, but I think the cookie note makes this scent very unisex. After a while: eventually the sugar cookie note (which is fantastic, and doesn’t turn to plastic…yay for spontaneous poetry!) merges with the lime and bay rum and tobacco to become a wonderfully smooth, warm, sweet and comforting, even quite sexy scent. Very suave and laid back, with an approachable sweetness. The cookies now smell like they are dusted with white sugar and a little cinnamon, and at this point I get a resemblance to Sugar Cookie 04, but without as much spice, and the tobacco and rum notes cooperate wonderfully. Indeed, the tobacco enhances the warm ‘baked’ aroma and the bay rum helps the lime to stick around for longer than usual, adding a fresh tang. This wonderful fragrance of sugary lime shortbread wrapped in tobacco and fresh bay rum is so addictive. Over time I smell something almost like coconut surfacing from the cookie note, and the scent starts to resemble a less caramelised version of Elegba. And then the rum starts to smell like rum and Coke! So now it smells like a yummy mix of lightly spiced shortbread with rum and Coke! Mmm!! And just before it fades, the scent goes into another morph…it turns to sweet gently caramelised incense, almost like Red Lantern! Maybe my nose is wonky but the scent of ‘cookie incense’ I get at this point really rocks my socks. Verdict: I never thought that cookies and masculine perfume (aftershave and tobacco) would go together so well-once again Beth proves me wrong with another unique and delightful scent. There’s nothing overpowering or cloying about this cookie note, it isn’t laden with heavy caramel or treacle like some foody scents can be, nor does it turn dusty or plastic-y. In fact, it reminds me of ‘Christmas shortbread’ I got last year, it was cinnamon shortbread with sugar, so good! And this cookie note is so realistic. I adore this…sugared spicy butter shortbread and lime with an undertone of dry, crisp tobacco and a little rum as well. Sometimes bay rum turns to soap or man’s perfume, but I really like the bay rum here, it even smells like rum and Coke at times. The foody and smoky notes cooperate so nicely in here, and the drydown even smells like cookie incense! I haven’t tried cookie incense but that’s what it reminds me of…almost along the line of Red Lantern, but lighter. I’m now hungry for biscuits…and this time I want to dunk them in rum, not tea! This is a wonderfully moreish scent, so much so that I want a bottle asap! Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Definitely! These Carousel scents are so good! This is a potential bottle scent. If you like this, try: Sugar Cookie 05 and 04, Eat Me, Santo Domingo, Isaac, Perversion, Elegba, Red Lantern
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Mad Sweeney In the imp: WHOA! *recoils* that’s some mighty strong whisky! It smells just like the real thing, so boozy it’s scary. Makes me wonder if my decant contains real whisky as opposed to a perfume oil. Wet on skin: still strong whisky, but now I smell the oak and barrel woods. Dry: whisky and woods! This is unnervingly realistic-it smells like real Scotch whisky, strong and incredibly alcoholic, I agree with most reviewers in that this isn’t a scent to wear for a driving test! But it’s surprisingly pleasant-under the piercing, almost nose-stinging scent of pure booze is a gorgeous wooden undertone, reminiscent of wood-smoke, aged barrels, and even an outdoorsy scent of oak, a scent which always makes me think of autumn at the park, and freshly cut oak furniture. This woodsy scent is very nice, almost comforting-but the booze is really overwhelming. After a while: holy moly, the throw this has is crazy! It broadcasts it’s intensely boozy scent very far from the skin it was applied to. It does smell a little woodier now though, and loses it’s initial alcoholic hit to become a scent which strongly reminds me of old furniture and wooden floorboards. It reminds me of an old room, it smells aged and dusty and worn, but oddly familiar. I think it is reminding me of one of those old rooms in a stately home somewhere that I visited when I was younger. Brings to mind a whisky cellar in a past era, maybe in the 16th or 17th century, under a grand mansion. The smell of historical abandoned cellars and attics, and fragrant wardrobes and dusty cupboards becomes the dominant scent as the whisky burns off and the wood is left behind. It’s a wonderfully aged wood scent and feels almost cosy. I also smell some bonfire woods coming through over time, the scent moves from worn wooden floors and furniture to autumnal burnt wood, a strong scent of smouldering oak barrels, but it’s not too smoky. At the end though, the scent smoothes very nicely, with a creamy sweet scent coming out. I now smell a little bit of Baileys in here! And I do love me some Baileys. The aged oak and fragrant ancient woods scent is still there, but softened with the smoothness and sweetness of Irish cream. It turns a little buttery as it leaves, almost like a butter rum scent. Verdict: woozy and woodsy, I’m impressed by the fact that Beth has really nailed the scent of whisky in this scent, it’s so authentic. At first, the whisky really bowls me over. It really does smell so boozy, I agree with all the ‘not suitable for driving with’ comments. And not only is it highly alcoholic, it is LOUD. This stuff wafts madly. However, underneath all that whisky is a strangely nostalgic, pleasant and rich wood, probably the barrels and oak, it becomes dominant when the whisky burns off, and something about it brings back a memory from childhood-I’m sure it was one of those old palaces or stately homes where they show how life was back in the old days in Tudor times or something, and I’m sure there was a room or two that had this smell. Not sure if it was the floorboards or the furniture…this is a dusty, aged, incredibly old scent, it’s almost like the wood holds memories from centuries ago. I really like this stage, can’t stop sniffing it. it does sweeten a little at the end as well. A scent both fascinating and fun, I’m glad I tried this out, but I don’t think I’d wear it much. I do like the ancient oaks scent I get at the end but the whisky is too overwhelming for me. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? No, the whisky is too much for me despite a pleasant woody drydown. Kudos to Beth for having captured whisky perfectly though! If you like this, try: Isaac, Tavern of Hell, Miskatonic University, Hellcat, Grog
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Death Adder In the imp: sweetened vetiver. Very heavy vetiver…but with a hint of creamy vanilla. Wet on skin: mmm, this is actually not the evil Malediction vetiver, but a nutty, sweet variety, improved by vanilla (not Snake Oil yet) and made nuttier by coconut. Dry: oh wow. This scent reminds me of Reunion Island! Vetiver and vanilla, with a hint of tropical coconut, bring back pleasant memories of holidays there. This is a strong vetiver but I really like it-it smells gritty and nutty and dark, but the vanilla and coconut prevent it from smelling too moody. There’s even that lemony tinge that vetiver sometimes has…but this reminds me of some table mats that my mum brought back from Reunion made from vetiver grass, with Bourbon vanilla pods and coconut sweets. After a while: hey, what’s happened to the vetiver? it’s now gone…and what I’m left with is a wonderful sweet and dry yet creamy vanilla-coconut. Hints of opoponax, maybe a little of the Snake Oil too, add a lovely depth and darkness to what would otherwise be a sweet, light, almost fluffy scent, but it’s mainly a summery vanilla-coconut scent. I love this. It becomes even sweeter and creamier, like a delicious coconut sweet, but the vetiver adds grit and a down to earth base to what could easily be an almost innocent candied coconut scent. Snake Oil slithers underneath it all with its musky rich depth. It still reminds me of Reunion though. Then, after a few hours the vetiver really does make a comeback at the very end of the scent. dark and a little bit metallic, this slightly sinister note smells slightly tar-like at this point as well, but fringed with the sweetness of Snaky vanilla. No longer the pleasant coconut on a tropical island scent I got before, now the vetiver is starting to show off. It’s not as evil as some vetiver notes can be though, but I think this one will stick around for a day or two… Verdict: this was a lovely surprise. I was a little worried when I saw that many reviews mentioned heavy vetiver, and yes the vetiver in here is strong stuff that lingers for ages, but I really like this one. What I love most about this Snake is the happy thoughts it brings up of my beloved Reunion Island, where I have spent many wonderful holidays as a child…vanilla and vetiver are scents associated with the island, and they are dominant here, and with the addition of tropical coconut, it just smells even more like an exotic island holiday. It is actually surprisingly light for the first few hours of wear-a cheerful, summery and fluffy vanilla-coconut with just bare hints of vetiver to ground it all…surely too sweet and innocent to deserve a name like Death Adder? Not so. Eventually it’s darker undertones rise up and the vetiver once again is in charge. It’s one of the nicer strong vetiver notes, but there is something a little bit tar-like to it, which I’m not sure about…though the Snake Oil does show up as well at this point. I do love this scent a lot more than I expected to though so I will definitely get a bottle or two of this scent. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Yes! Usually vetiver is too much but this evokes good memories and I love it. If you like this, try: Van Van, The Music of Erich Zahn, Great He Goat, Blood Kiss, Czernobog, Snake Oil
- 195 replies
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- The Snake Pit
- 2006
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Boomslang In the imp: whoa, dark, deep, rich chocolate. Pure cocoa. Slightly sweet and a little bit like chocolate cake too! The oil is the colour of dark chocolate, and is a little grainy. Wet on skin: looks like I’ve put iodine on my wrist…but thankfully this doesn’t smell like iodine, but chocolate Snake Oil! Yum! Dry: chocolate Snake Oil! Now it smells very, very Snake Oily, but with a covering of rich dark chocolate. This is so delicious. So far, the most Snake Oily scents in the Pit have been the Asp, the Saw Scaled Viper, and this. It is rich and deep and mixes the beautiful vanilla-musk-spice with a sexy, dark, and very realistic cocoa scent. After a while: the cocoa takes a back seat as the Snake Oil comes out even more. There’s still a gentle fringe of chocolate, this still is cocoa-covered, but now the Snake Oil is really showing itself. It smells like the aged stuff I have, with the richer spicier notes and a mature vanilla and musk, they really get on very nicely and work well with the chocolate. I don’t smell teak or rice milk. The drydown becomes even more and more identical to just Snake Oil, which is a good thing, especially since this smells like aged SO, even though it is fresher than my year old imp! I just wish the cocoa stuck around for a little longer…I still smell traces of it but it seems to have merged into the SO as to become almost indistinguishable. But then when I think the chocolate is gone, the cocoa returns once more! Dark and rich yet sweet and cake-like, now I smell like delicious Snake Oil brownies. Which in theory sounds like a delicious recipe but I wouldn’t recommend consuming Snake Oil in any food! This is better than Lump of Coal. The cocoa actually ends up as the strongest note once more as the scent fades after a few hours, with a little bit of amber coming out as well. Verdict: yet another hit from the Pit! Remember the Candy Butcher’s chocolate covered snakes? One of them must have slithered into the tent of freaks and joined the rest of Faiza’s friends. This smells just like the most wonderful fusion of cocoa and Snake Oil ever. Like chocolate covered Snake Oil, or this oil makes me want to nibble my wrist. The cocoa note really shines at the start and finish of this scent-at first it is like fine dark chocolate with a Snake Oil centre, and then the cocoa temporarily leaves and the scent is almost all SO, the aged variety, but I was worried that this would be just Snake Oil, nothing more, which I can get as a GC. But then after an hour or two, chocolate makes a comeback. And what a comeback…it smells like Snake Oil flavoured brownies! This really blows Lump of Coal out of the water. The beautiful dark cocoa mixes so nicely with the deep, rich, sweet vanilla and exotic spices of Snake Oil, this is a perfect match. A wonderful, indulgent scent, this is now my new favourite chocolate scent, and one to get lots of bottles of. The only downside is that it stains, but that isn’t getting in the way of me smelling like SNAKE OIL BROWNIES! *insert Homer Simpson drool here* Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Definitely. Now I want Snake Oil flavoured brownies…I don’t think Snake Oil tastes good or will do you any good if eaten, even if it smells gorgeous! If you like this, try: Snake Oil, Snake Charmer, Asp Viper, Saw Scaled Viper, Wulric, Velvet, Bliss
- 348 replies
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- The Snake Pit
- 2006
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Mama Ji In the imp: mmm, gorgeous spicy rose and sandalwood. This reminds me of good quality Indian incense. Wet on skin: sweet flowers and spices and dry incense notes. Dry: mmm, this is gorgeous! Sweet heady blooms-not sure what but I’m sure there’s rose and maybe some of the flowers from the GC Kali in here…definitely rose, as I get a slight sharp tea rose/dry rose scent to this. All of these flowers are cloaked in a dry, warm, mysterious layer of spices and something sweet that reminds me of amber. I think there’s sandalwood in here. This smells like the lingering smoke of floral incense, the spices are warm and dry, but aren’t as spicy as I expected-I can’t actually pick out the cardamom or nutmeg here-but they smell like they are being burnt in a joss stick as an offering at a shrine decked with fragrant blooms. It also reminds me of cloth-specifically, saris in colours of red, pink, muted dusky magenta and crimson-which have absorbed the scents of flowers and spicy incense. This is so beautiful and complex! I definitely see the Mum Moon comparisons but this is so much nicer than Mum Moon, because it doesn’t have the sour, ‘grannyish’ note I got there. And the rose is wonderful! After a while: a softer, whiter floral note starts to peek out of the thick layers of spicy incense and rose petals. It could be tuberose, or maybe a jasmine or frangipani note, or possibly event lotus…yes, I think it could either be frangipani and/or lotus. There’s a slight resemblance to the flowers in Kali, those rich and heady floral notes, but this smells more passionate and sultry. I also smell the nutmeg at this point, a strong, fiery spice which is almost savoury, but in a good way. A little bit of cardamom also peeks out and the rose, although fainter, is still there, but evenly spread out amongst the rest of the spicy creamy floral notes. With the sandalwood incense, it seems to me like a feminine version of Chintamani Dhupa. It becomes even nicer with time-it was already beautiful before but the scent is becoming a lot more balanced, a lovely rounded mix of dry spice, incense, flowers and sandalwood, with a little sweetness. There are even times when it smells like an unburnt loose incense mix of dry flower petals, spices and fragrant woods. At the end it develops a slightly musky, almost dirty-earthy feel and reminds me somewhat of Voodoo Queen with creamy white lotus-like flowers. It actually reminds me slightly of the drydown of Chintamani, and also of Bastet without the amber. There may be vetiver or saffron here. and then it ends as a soft white flower fringed with earthy incense…at this point it reminds me of Faiza. Verdict: this is a wonderful, stunning, complex and fascinating scent-no wonder Beth has it as a favourite, this is destined to be a classic. It is floral, spicy, incense like, dry, sweet, smooth and earthy all at once. It starts off by smelling strongly of rose, but this is a rose sprinkled with spices on an altar where sandalwood-scented Indian incense wafts, draped with coloured silks, surrounded by other fragrant blooms. This is a rich and womanly scent which is extremely exotic, a warm and empowering fragrance. it has a similar ‘cloth which has absorbed incense smoke’ scent to it as Mum Moon, but with roses and heady white flowers replacing the chrysanthemum note. the scent becomes even smoother and creamier over time, and changes from smelling spicy to smelling of flowers and incense and even has slight earthy and maybe musky tones to it. Very multifaceted but very balanced too. I think this may be my new favourite Indian-themed scent. I want more of this magnificent mama! Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Yes! I want a bottle now!! If you like this, try: Kali, Chrysanthemum Moon, Chintamani Dhupa, Khajuraho, Kanishta, Delight, Faiza, Silk Road
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Roux-ga-Roux In the bottle: this is surprisingly nice. No evil moss monster yet, just a lovely dark herbal-floral scent. Beautifully blended. Wet on skin: a warm, green, slightly herbal powdery floral scent. It smells almost like there's lavender here even though it's not listed… Dry on skin: oh, this is gorgeous! It is mossy, but not in the overwhelming, almost scrubby way that Spanish moss usually is-this is actually more like the soft green powder I get from oak moss. I smell a gentle aquatic note to this as well, not what you'd expect from bog water, this is more like a cool stream. I smell floral notes but can't really tell what they are, and the wisteria note is being surprisingly nice. I also smell the soft woodsy green of cypress, and even something spicy. It actually reminds me of House of Night, very slightly, and it seems that there's a white musk like note to this. It isn't even as humid and muggy as I expected. After a while: the moss gets a little stronger but doesn't become as strong as the moss in the Wild Men of Jezirat Al Tennyn or RM Renfield, or even Bayou. This is a lovely soft green moss, almost velvety, with that soft balmy purple floral note and a hint of what might be hickory smoke. There are also hints of reedy notes in here as well. I find this a very calming scent, actually-and it's so well blended. Eventually, soft hints of aquatic notes come out to smooth out the scent, along with the cypress, herbal floral notes and soft moss. This is very different to Bayou, and I really like the way that the watery note isn't turning to soap (but usually freshwater aquatics are good on me anyway) or smelling like stagnant water like I feared. It really is a soft, almost delicate and incredibly well mixed scent of watery florals and mossy woods and a hint of spice…I can't pick any of the notes out at this point except to say that this is a lovely night time scent of green and purple. Verdict: wow. Just wow. I'm really glad I got a bottle of this despite it containing two notes that can be dodgy-Spanish moss and wisteria, and bog water. I was worried this would make me smell like a scary swamp monster. But this is actually the softest, loveliest mossy-floral-woody-aquatic scent I've come across. Marvellously blended, I can't pick out individual notes here except for this wonderful scent of green and purple velvet, calm and soft, a little sultry but certainly not as oppressive and stuffy as I was expecting-this is a night in the bayou, but with a cool breeze. The Spanish moss really surprised me by smelling not like that unnerving 'lichen of doom' scent I usually get, but more like oak moss, a much gentler, fuzzy moss scent which smoothes out even more to a powdery finish which is almost like a light musk. The wisteria didn't turn harsh on me either-it just merged with the other floral notes to give the scent a delightful floral aspect, whilst cypress adds a nice, deep green woody backing. There's even something smoky and spicy to it, and also a hint of reeds…and the bog water is actually a very agreeable freshwater aquatic, fresh and damp but clean, bringing everything together. I never thought I'd like a swampy scent but I can't help but love this scent, probably my favourite of the Southern scents so far. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? yes! This is quite beautiful, I think. If you like this, try: Bayou, House of Night, Wild Men of Jezirat Al Tennyn, New Orleans, Dunwich