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yeahbutnobut

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  1. yeahbutnobut

    Love-Lies-Bleeding

    Love Lies Bleeding In the imp: velvety chocolate with a hint of red flowers. This oil has a gorgeous blushed pinkish colour, maybe hinting at the presence of dragon’s blood. Wet on skin: chocolate-dipped cherries, a hint of booze, and flowers. Dry: chocolate cherries and a bunch of sweet red and white flowers, and a glass of wine. Whoever said this was the scent of Valentine’s Day is spot on. It reminds me ever so slightly of that oil ‘Sweet Patootie’ from AC, only this one has a spike of dragon’s blood running through it, and the flowers (lily? There’s something almost reminiscent of Black Lily here) are sharper, though with that hint of sweet nectar. And there’s chocolate dipped, liqueur soaked cherries here. After a while: there’s either honeysuckle, calla lily, or lily of the valley here, or maybe even jasmine, because one of the floral notes has gone very sharply green on me. It could be lilac and/or wisteria as well. Probably wisteria. The sweet fruitiness of the scent has become a little sickly sweet, a little overripe, but it’s not too distracting. The cocoa seems to still be there but it’s more muted now. I’m not as keen on this scent now as I was before. The scent becomes a sharp green soapy white-red floral scent with chocolate on top and dragon’s blood. Weird. Verdict: this has a romantic name and a romantic scent to match. This is bottled (or imped?) Valentine’s Day. A bunch of rich white lilies and fragrant red flowers, petals, nectar and stems. Chocolate covered cherries. Glasses of wine and boozier spirits for later. A sheen of passionate redness cast over the scent by dragon’s blood. It’s very gorgeous and evocative for the first 15-20 minutes but then it just goes weird on me. The chocolate cherry scent which I really like seems to conflict with a slightly aggressive, sharp green floral scent, one or more of the floral notes here goes very sharply green, and not in a nice way. It reminds me of what White Moon did-started out wonderfully, ended with screaming sharp flowers. This one’s sharpness is accentuated by dragon’s blood. It’s a shame because I loved the just-applied scent. Maybe this is one for a locket, or for swapping. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Maybe the imp, but I’m not sure. If you like this, try: Vice (I haven’t tried it but it is chocolate and cherry, like I get with this), Velvet, French Love, Black Lily, Red Queen
  2. yeahbutnobut

    Essence of Sunlight - What's the sunniest scent?

    Other scents I find 'sunny': Jacob's Ladder-I haven't tried the 06 version but the 05 version struck me as warm beams of sunlight playing on dust motes, or a subtle sunset. It's very ambery, like the Lion, but with other resins/incense notes. Cairo-this has a bright fruit-incense sunny dry sun scent but it's got a lemony aspect so may not be for you. Eclipse-starts off dark/almondy but the drydown is a wonderful vanilla-heliotrope-cinnamon which is warm and sunny. Hymn to Proserpine-another amber scent, this has red/purple fruit tones, another warm sunset/sunrise scent to me. I'm sure there are more but I highly recommend Hymn to Proserpine and Jacob's Ladder.
  3. yeahbutnobut

    Essence of Sunlight - What's the sunniest scent?

    Also, try Ozymandias. It's like desert sunlight, dusty and golden and with hints of amber, incense and musk, a hint of warm breezes too. Some find it a little perfumey though, but I find it dryly sunny and gorgeous. Lyonesse is golden and sunny, sweet vanilla musk with a hint of summery 'beach skin' to it-it's a very luminous, golden vanilla-amber-musk scent.
  4. yeahbutnobut

    Essence of Sunlight - What's the sunniest scent?

    The Lion is very sunny, golden spicy amber.
  5. yeahbutnobut

    Halôa

    Haloa In the bottle: cheesecake! Yes, it's just like Beaver Moon, but without the cinnamon-vanilla scent. This one strikes me as more golden. Wet on skin: once it hits skin, the cheesecake dies down, out comes the wine and frankincense/myrrh. Dry on skin: mmm, this is lovely! The wine is the strongest note-it smells much more like wine than grapes, and it's a blend of dry red and white wines-crisp, sharp, with the piercing scent of frankincense. The myrrh adds a rich resinous depth, and there are hints of buttercream lingering all around even though the cake note is much more subdued (it smells like cake soaked in wine). This is quite boozy as a scent-surprisingly so (smells like brandy/sherry and port at times), and there's something festive about it. There's even a hint of something reminiscent of mince pies here. The olive leaf adds a slight oily green tone without smelling like olives. After a while: this seems to turn to a lovely scent of aged, wine-macerated myrrh, which gives the scent a real 'ancient incense' scent. This smells like wine-soaked resins burnt and offered in an age old temple in a sacred ritual, with offerings of fortified wine on the side. It also reminds me of a loose incense blend I have-the myrrh resin really stands out here. However, at times, I detect a lighter, sugary scent over the wine and myrrh, almost like a dusting of icing sugar-it's powdery and pale, with a hint of fruit cake soaked in strong booze. Then I get the powdery incense ash with sugar-dusted fruit-stuffed cake scent from All Souls, but with a huge hit of red wine and with a fantastic myrrh backing which smells just like myrrh resin burning gently, but not charring. In fact, this powdery scent actually reminds me of the 'orange sherbet' I got in Treat #2, despite the lack of chocolate and orange in this scent. The drydown is indeed like grapes more than wine…but dried grapes. This smells like raisins! I know there was something here I recognised but didn't identify-now I know that it's raisins. Maybe even prunes, as a previous reviewer noted, but not in a bad way (poor prunes get such a bad rap, it seems…I like them!) and it smells like Christmas plum pudding. Verdict: this is such an interesting fragrance. I suppose a short description of this scent would be 'raisins and resins'! At first I thought it would be very foody, but it’s actually boozier than I expected. The wine is very strong here, especially at first when it is dominant, smelling of wine soaked cake and resins/raisins with buttercream, before settling down to wine-soaked myrrh resin with a dusting of icing sugar and fruitcake notes. It's unusual but I really like it…the wine-incense combination smells aged and ancient, sacred and ritualistic, but the cake/sugar scents here add a light hearted dimension. There's also something 'winter holidays' about it, almost comforting, almost like festive spicy-boozy baking, it's easy to smell why this is a Yule scent. As foody-incense scents go, I do prefer All Souls, but I adore the wine-myrrh note at the base of this scent-it's so intriguing. This is a scent that will grow on me with wear, I think. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? mmm, yes! If you like this, try: Athens, Delphi, All Souls, Cockaigne, Eat Me, Wanda, Death of Sardanapal, Beaver Moon
  6. yeahbutnobut

    Whitechapel

    Whitechapel In the imp: lemon, lime and lilac! Citrus fresh and bright. Wet on skin: lime, lemon and lilac. At this point the lemon note actually smells like verbena. Dry: citrus and lilac. I really like the lilac in here, smells like the real thing, and the lime note is lovely and strong. Like sipping a margarita under a blooming lilac tree. I smell lemon verbena here as well (or is it lemongrass? It smells more like a herbal lemon than a fruity one). I can’t smell the musk yet. After a while: the citrus does tone down as expected, and the scent remaining on my skin is a very pretty lilac and white musk fragrance. Very light, still slightly lemon-tangy, not very strong, but very pretty. At times it smells almost like pure lilac, especially because the musk here is so subtle. And at the end, it’s all lilac, soft dried lilac blooms, with the faintest trace of musk. It’s pretty, but hasn’t got as much throw as it did when it was full of citrus. Verdict: this is a very nice citrus musk-very citrusy and tangy at first when the lime is very powerful. This sharpness does tone down (unfortunately, that’s the way with most citrus) making way for a gorgeous and genuine lilac note. The musk is barely there but the lilac is so nice, it doesn’t go wonky on my skin. The problem with this scent is that it’s not got much throw, it hasn’t got the presence and complexity I like, and it doesn’t last long either. Not sure whether to keep it-it’s a very pretty scent but I’m not sure I’ll wear it much. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Not sure. It’s nice but doesn’t stick around much on me. If you like this, try: Villain, Cordelia, F5, Jonathan Harker
  7. yeahbutnobut

    Lightning

    Lightning In the imp: tangy ozone, salty, rainy, and almost grapefruit like. Wet on skin: this smells like an aquatic, fresh, sporty cologne now. Dry: once dry, this gains the ‘static-covered dryer sheets with photocopier air’ scent I got in Tempest now, only with a citrus-like spritz of fresh cologne to it, like those unisex citrus-aquatic sporty scents you get at department stores. It’s fresh and zingy, electric. It’s not too bad, it’s not as dry and ‘office ozone’ like on me as Tempest though, there’s definitely more rain and sea-spray to this, and it is cooler. After a while: eventually this turns to pure dryer sheet and static electricity on me, with that whiff of photocopier. The sporty perfume lingers as well, but it’s less ‘wet’ now, it now resembles Tempest more, but with an added ‘mainstream perfume’ aspect. It’s not very nice now. It gets more and more like Tempest’s ozone over time, losing the citrus-cologne edge. And I really don’t like Tempest’s ozone. the electric, gritty, grey scent this has just becomes more and more grating at drydown. Verdict: I knew I wouldn’t like this-hate thunderstorms, stormy ozone usually hates my skin. And guess what? It turned to the ‘electrified laundry by the photocopier’ scent I get from other stormy scents, only this time with a little hint of sporty eau de cologne added for a fresh zingy effect. That fresh cologne was nice when it lasted, despite it’s mainstream scent, but this faded to leave the nasty storm ozone on my skin. Oh well, I’m not disappointed, I knew this wouldn’t work. Bye bye Lightning, you weren’t striking enough for me (ha ha). Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? No. If you like this, try: Thunderbird, Lightning, Tempest, Pool of Tears, Sea of Glass
  8. yeahbutnobut

    Destroying Angel

    Destroying Angel In the imp: earthy, gritty cologne, very much like the Rat King or the sharp parchment of Clio, but with more greenery and soil. Wet on skin: much more dirty and earthy, the soil note is stronger now. Dry: damp, dirty parchment. This is indeed papery and pale, but also very earthy and with lots of wet soil. There’s some greenness as well, like sharp green herbs, and also something almost cologne like, which is almost masculine…it smells like neroli or even petitgrain. It’s an unusual scent. After a while: very masculine and sharp citrus-cologne-green scent. The fresh wet earth has vanished but the scent does have a fresh, almost wet feel to it, but it’s like men’s perfume here. There might be a patchouli note here adding darkness to this scent. There’s also a scent like citrus peel mixed with tree bark and parchment, and a less floral variant of orange blossom, possibly also a pale sandalwood or cedar note, maybe a hint of moss. This scent becomes much too sharp over time, there’s a sourness to it that reminds me of aftershave at best, and at worst, it smells a little bit like…vomit. Not good. The scent becomes very bitter and bile-like at the end. Verdict: at first this is very much like a damper Rat King, like decomposing paper thrown on rain soaked soil with a hint of green, fresh cologne. It wasn’t too bad, a little manly, but not offensive, and I really liked the wet soil note. It seemed like the masculine mushroom scent in RG, whilst Death Cap seems more feminine to me. But once this soil scent faded, the fragrance gradually started to disagree with my skin. It became too masculine smelling at first (like RK but greener) but then started to develop a sharp bitter-sour scent which smelt sickly, it smelt like vomit on my skin, I’m afraid to say. This scent is certainly not for me, but I’m not too worried because there are many other earth scents which I love more than this. One for the swap pile. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? No. Death Cap is my ‘mushroom’ scent of choice. If you like this, try: Clio, the Rat King, Death Cap, Penny Dreadful, Zombi
  9. yeahbutnobut

    I Died For Beauty

    I Died for Beauty In the imp: mmm, gorgeous frankincense with a hint of herbs (hyssop?) and flowers. Wet on skin: the flowers of ylang and violet come out more and mix with the frankincense. Dry: this is so pretty! The floral notes are soft, gentle and powdery, almost dusty in this scent, with the violet smelling slightly like iris at times. But the frankincense is gorgeous-in here it smells quite spicy, and I think the hyssop just enhances that spicy-herbal scent, and it contrasts nicely with the powdered floral scent. I also get hints of the grave loam, which in here does smell mossier than expected. It also seems like there’s white musk here but that could be just the pale flowery-mossy scent. After a while: the powdery scent really increases but the herbal-mossy frankincense still remains underneath. the violet smells like it’s been dusted on my skin as a fine, pale powder, a traditional, old fashioned scent but thankfully not too ‘granny-ish’, this one is ethereal and ghostly. There’s an oakmoss note here, it seems, which enhances the powdery scent. This powdery, mossy scent gets stronger over time, but I love the warmth the frankincense offers here. The scent ends on pure pale powdery violet and light moss, with an almost orris like feel. Verdict: this is powder, but powder done well. Though this does have a more traditional and mature feel to it than most scents I like, I think this is quite a beautiful scent. It reminds me of a dusting powder at times, like something added to old fashioned silky gloves. Elegant and refined. Yet this scent also has a dusty, aged, faded and wispy feel to it, pale and dry. However, there’s a beautiful, almost spicy, frankincense note which adds another dimension, warm and golden, to the scent, this is especially strong during the first hour of wear. The loam is actually more like moss (like the poem says) than the dirt/soil note I expected, but it’s also lovely. It’s not something I’d get a bottle of but I’m keeping the imp of this exquisite, gentle and grown up fragrance. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Just the imp. If you like this, try: Carfax Abbey, Ephemera, Faustus, Veil, Resurrection of the Flesh
  10. yeahbutnobut

    Spice me, baby! The spiciest BPAL blends

    Give Great Cry in Egypt a try. It's very similar to Scherezade with it's saffron and red musk, but with added woods and resins. I second Hollywood Babylon if you'd like a sweeter red musk. I also second Sin which, though not listed, smells like there's red musk in it. And maybe Bastet, which is spicy amber-musk with almonds, less spicy than Schez though.
  11. yeahbutnobut

    The Sephiroth and Qlipoth blends - Recs and Discussion

    My favourites: Nahemoth is my favourite of the lot, it smells like Snake Charmer to me, or like SC without vanilla. Same sort of plum-musk-amber-incense vibe. Thagirion is a lovely and springy, reminiscent of the likes of Sundew and Empyreal Mist but with a creamy drydown. Sathariel is like Al Azif with dragon's blood and possibly a cinnamon or chocolate note to it. Gamaliel is unusual, it has all sorts of aspects to it-lemony, peppery-spicy, woodsy, musky, incensey, mossy at the drydown. Ghagiel smells like carnation musk with spices and something heliotrope-ish, and with a drydown very similar to Morocco.
  12. yeahbutnobut

    All Saints'

    All Saints 06 In the imp: rose! lots of rose…like dried rose petals. This doesn't have the resinous background of 05, yet. The rose here reminds me of London. Wet on skin: now the frankincense comes out and mixed with the rose. Dry on skin: crisp, tart, blood red rose petals with a hint of resin. This is much, much heavier on the rose than last year's, which had definite frankincense and myrrh tones to it. The frank 'n myrrh are here too but not as obvious. This actually reminds me of Hymn, as I get a little hint of lily of the valley too. But the rose is actually like London's rose, or the rose in Pride or the Peacock Queen, a dry, traditional rose scent, but there's a hint of cool freshness-the chill autumn wind, maybe? After a while: rose is still predominant, and I get a hint of something almost moss like, as well as smoke. But there's an undertone to this which I'm not keen, it's almost like (don't take my word on this!) civet, but of course that might be my skin screwing with this scent. it's a cold, almost muddy scent, with a hint of rose and moss. It reminds me of a lighter Zombi, in fact. After this brief 'weird' phase, I start to smell more of the resins under the scent of dry rose petals. It smells a little like Rose Cross or Thanatos now. The scent moves between pure dried rose to rosy resins to earthy mossy rose all the time…can't make up it's mind what it wants to be right now. Verdict: this is the scent of the roses that bloom in the autumn…they didn't manage to bloom in the height of summer so they bloom at a cooler time of year and the cold gets them and they soon die. A scent of roses covered in hints of cold rain, dried rose petals mingled with autumn leaves and wet, mossy soil. This is a darker, less resinous, more earthy version of All Saints, much more rose-dominated and even a little decayed on me. Unfortunately it lacks the really resinous-incense scent I got in 05, which was a well balanced mix of rose and resins on me, this one has a stage to it which smells really weird on me. It also reminds me of other rose scent which I prefer. I might keep the decant but I don't think I need a bottle. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Maybe, but I have many other similar rose scents. If you like this, try: Rose Cross, London, Lucy's Kiss, Thanatos, Zombi, Hymn
  13. yeahbutnobut

    Devil's Night

    Devil's Night 06 In the imp: mmm, the same gorgeous gingery spice scent I got in DN 05. In fact, this verges on almost Shubby ginger, it has a slight lemony tang. Wet on skin: yup, it's ginger and booze, like 05. Dry on skin: it's so similar to last year's, only this one has a sharper, lemony aspect to it which isn't there in 05 (may be an aging factor). There's a ginger scent to this reminiscent of Shub, fresh cut ginger root, with a hint of sugar, booze and smoke, and that same fresh, airy musk scent I got last year. After a while: after about 10 mins, the ginger's bite reduces and the scent is now a gorgeous, sweet, spicy, smoky and surprisingly creamy light musk. It's similar to last year's but the smoky note isn't as strong, but there's a scent to this almost like pepper, which is lovely. Eventually this mellows into a wonderful velvety musk scent, fringed with hints of smoke and spice. It's not as smoky as 05, in fact the musk here is like Buck Moon's musk! Mmm! It also smells quite foody-sweet at times, almost like coconut or almonds (not bitter cherry-almond, more like sugared almonds served at weddings) with spices. It reminds me of the foody scent in Death Cap mixed with Bastet's spiced musk with peppery smoke on top. It's not a thuggish musk at all, in fact, it's beautiful…I smell a hint of wood underneath, like smouldering sandalwood. It definitely smells like incense. Verdict: this is almost identical to 05's version, which is a good thing because I adore DN 05…I think I love DN 06 more though! I think this has more ginger, to begin with. This tones down to reveal a sweet and spiced smoky creamy core. It also has less smoke (although the smoke did strengthen with age in 05), and the smoke is like bonfires on the breeze with exotic incense. And, best of all, it also has a fabulous musk note which is much softer, more rounded and warmer than 05's which verged on masculine (but didn't smell too manly for me). This makes for a velvety and sublime autumn skin scent with spices and smoke, a warm and approachable fragrance that's perfect for those bracing autumn nights. I don't find this version of DN to be devilish at all, in fact, it's heavenly. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Yes, I have a bottle on the way! and I'm tempted to get another… If you like this, try: Samhain, Death Cap, Bastet, Djinn, All Souls, Port Royal (I swear the gingery note in there is like DN)
  14. ...my cat passed away because of a tumour. I know some might find it odd still mourning the death of a pet long after it happened, but to me animals are just as important as people to have as company, my cat was like a sister to me, a warm, fuzzy, purring companion, and cats don't have the emotional complexes that humans have. It was also the closest experience I've had with death for a very long time. I can't really remember when my grandfather and aunt passed away as I must have been five at the time, but my kitty's passing is so vivid. That last stilted purr she gave me at the animal hospital was such a sorrowful sound, the way she looked so pained and couldn't move made me cry, and will haunt me forever. My mind still sometimes thinks she's not 'dead', but she's just moved on to a place that's inaccessible to me, but where she'll be happier. I'm still not clear cut on my ideas of what happens after death but when she passed away, that came to mind almost intuitively, that she's in a place that's intangible to the living, but still there, in a way. I also believe she's still visiting me in spirit, in dreams, in some of those dreams she actually protects me from anything malevolent. And one thing's for sure, the memories will stay alive for a very long time.
  15. yeahbutnobut

    Sugar Skull

    Sugar Skull 06 In the imp: like last year’s treacle like scent, but sweeter, softer, less boozy. Wet on skin: a fruitier version of last year’s. Dry: mmm, this is nice! Whilst last year’s had a big shot of rum to it and now smells very boozy indeed and very heavy, this is a lot gentler, and I can smell the fruits better. It still smells like the darkest brown sugar, caramel and treacle, but it also smells like Christmas cake! It smells very similar to the fruit cake mixture my mum makes every Xmas, which is soaked in rum. There’s a definite ‘rum and raisin’ scent to this, and I smell dried apricots, prunes and maybe some glace cherries too. After a while: this stays pretty much the same, its caramelised dry fruits with a hint of rum. It now smells a little more ‘cooked’, the sugar notes are deeper and darker, much more like treacle or maple syrup now. Eventually this develops the treacle pudding scent I got from last year’s when it was fresh, but despite it being less overwhelmingly boozy, I smell rum soaked raisins here-only with more raisins than rum. Maybe a hint of port wine. Yes, this is home made Xmas cake alright. It even smells spicy. This lasts for ages. I still smell caramel and fruit lingering on my wrist the next morning. Verdict: this bears the brown sugar and rum similarities of last year’s, but this SS has much more a fruity feel to it. Overall this scent reminds me of home made Xmas cake, soaked in rum and port (but not smelling too heavily of it), made with an assortment of dried fruit and with the darkest, richest brown muscovado sugar, along with a dollop of thick dark treacle-or a serving of treacle pudding on the side. It seems that the 05 version has become a little too overwhelmingly boozy for my tastes, and therefore I prefer this-yes it smells like rum as well, but much more complex and with spiced fruit nuances to it. It’s perfect for winter, wonderfully reminiscent of festive baking, and I’d love to get more, though I’ll have to compare it with 05 to see if I need more-Sugar Skull is too heavy for everyday, but it’s perfect as a winter baking scent with it’s cosy, boozy sweet warmth. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? I might get a bottle once I compare it with 05 and if I prefer this. If you like this, try: DdlM (any year), Creepy, Cockaigne, Gluttony, Drink Me
  16. yeahbutnobut

    Dia de los Muertos

    Dia De Los Muertos 06 In the imp: sweet, chocolatey, sugary gardenia like florals. Wet on skin: a sharp, dry tobacco note comes out, along with dry autumn leaves. Dry: mmm, not bad. This seems to have a gardenia like note to it, I get the same sharpness that I get from some ‘evil G’ scents but this is mellowed out and camouflaged somewhat by the tobacco and autumn leaves. I get lots of sugar, syrupy and sweet, I don’t get as much chocolate but I do smell sugary bread like scents, like lightly spiced, sugar coated bread rolls. And I smell the flowers and smoke as well, and something almost alcoholic like rum. So far, this is more autumnal than last year’s After a while: the sharpness fades away and now I get a pretty, soft, floral scent wrapped in the smoke from tobacco and burning leaves. It actually reminds me of another autumnal floral, but I can’t remember which one. This certainly doesn’t have the heady floral punch from last year. In fact I find it a little faint… After about 2-3 hours…what the? Where’s it gone? The scent has faded away pretty much, leaving only a trace of smoke lingering where it once was. After 3-4 hours…all gone. Poof. Disappeared into thin air. Verdict: this was such a disappointment. I’ve heard loads of wonderful things about 04’s version, and I liked the 05 version despite it’s almost overpowering floral moments. This on the other hand has hardly any staying power on me whatsoever. The scent to start with is an odd one, a sharp, almost acrid gardenia like floral with syrupy breads and tobacco and burning leaves, eventually the gardenia fades to leave a pretty ‘sweet autumn flower’ scent, a pale nectary floral with a waft of smoke over it. and then it disappears completely within about 3 hours. It’s a shame this scent didn’t last, or develop and hang around like last years. It just vanished in a puff of smoke, literally. I’ll probably swap this version. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Not sure, I prefer last year’s… If you like this, try: Sugar Skull, Devil’s Night, Samhainophobia, Ulalume
  17. yeahbutnobut

    Samhain

    Samhain ‘06 In the imp: has the same honeyed spicy apple scent as previous Samhains, but with a much more buttery pumpkin note. Wet on skin: the pumpkin’s buttery scent settles a little and the scent becomes sweeter. Dry: mmm, this is lovely. A lot less earthy and pine-y than last year’s, this one is heavier on the apple and the pumpkin, it’s also a little spicier. This is a much lighter Samhain, without the sweet darkness of ’05, this has a crisp sharp apple cider note to it as well as prominent pumpkin nuances. It smells a little like Pumpkin Patch #1 meets Punkie Night’s apple mixed with Samhain. It’s lovely. After a while: this sweetens and lightens a great deal, this smells like various autumnal delicacies-pumpkin pie and spiced baked apples, caramel apples and mulled cider. The patchouli, soil and woods are there but not as strong as 05. This smells so pretty after about an hour or two-like sweet baked apples and pumpkin with spices, but it’s not as strong as 05 was, doesn’t have as much depth and it’s a little faint. But what little scent I have now is really delicious. It also lasts longer than expected considering it’s slight faintness. I really love the brown sugar coated spicy pumpkin apple scent that lingers at the end, along with a softly woody base note, it’s a lighter Samhain with an almost Harvest Moon 05 feel to it now. Verdict: this does smell similar to last year’s but it also has it’s differences. This is a lot sweeter, foodier, more buttery, fruitier and more ‘baked’ in scent whilst last years had a deep, earthy scent, a hint of pine and a definite autumn breeze note to it-last year’s Samhain was outdoorsy, this scent is much more like an indoors celebration with lots of lovely baked apples and pumpkin pie, lashings of spices and brown sugar-it’s more light hearted and less intense than last year’s version, and I love it. it doesn’t have the same throw as 05 but that might improve with age. I love this version and I’m glad I ordered a bottle. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Yes, I have a bottle on the way which I will keep. I like collecting ‘vintage’ Samhains. If you like this, try: Pumpkin Queen, Jack, Pumpkin Patch scents, Punkie Night, Samhainophobia
  18. yeahbutnobut

    Katharina

    Katharina A strong, willful blend with a soft, utterly lovely soul: white musk with a trickle of bright, sharp apricot and orange blossom. In the imp: apricot! So pretty, it smells like sweet apricots in sugar syrup. Wet on skin: apricot and the barest hint of orange blossom. Dry: this is to apricot what Fae is to peach. A pretty, dainty apricot note surrounded by a frilly scent of white musk. The orange blossom adds a slightly bitter bite but doesn’t detract from the gorgeous delicate scent of apricots and white musk. Sweet and juicy yet smooth, almost powdery, and clean. After a while: this smells so similar to Fae now, and also resembles Aglaea. It’s not as complex though as those two, this is a nice uncomplicated white musk and apricot scent (however I do agree with many other reviews/remarks that the apricot smells peachy here). The white musk note is lovely but there’s an odd bitterness/sharpness to it which I’m sure is orange blossom. The white musk gets stronger over time, and the apricot note gains an effervescent, airy feel. Verdict: I like this dainty, delicate and pretty fragrance, a nice balance of apricot and white musk. Usually apricot is very sweet and though this starts off as sweet and apricot dominated, over time it starts to smell like peach, a lot more tart and tangy and light. The scent ends very nicely on a white musky apricot with more musk than before. The orange blossom isn’t too noticeable but does add something slightly bittersweet to the scent. However, it is so similar to Fae to my nose, but without all the other notes that made Fae a little more complex, and though I like this, I prefer Fae. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Might swap the imp off. If you like this, try: Fae, Yerevan, Aglaea, Imp, Tamora, Thaleia, Depraved
  19. yeahbutnobut

    High John the Conqueror

    High John the Conqueror In the imp: an oddly sweet, oddly, dry, slightly grassy-woody scent, very unusual. Wet on skin: a strange and slightly chemical sweet scent with a hint of bitter almond and dry reeds. Dry: this is such a bizarre scent! there’s something bitter to it which reminds me of a bitter almond perfume I tried once which had an almond note with a bitterly medicinal undertone. There’s also an odd pink sweetness, and a note reminiscent of dragon’s blood (clear, red, metallic and piercing) and there’s also a scent to it reminiscent of dry reeds (it reminds me of some oils which have a reedy/marshy/’aquatic plants’ note to them from other brands) or maybe dried medicinal roots in a dusty cupboard. But the overall bitter scent is very medicinal, but it also reminds me of a component in some TALs. I think this might be in Catalyst, and Clarity as well. After a while: now this smells soapy. As in, bad soapy. I don’t like this smell now…it reminds me of antiseptic soap, the kind you get in hospitals and public toilets, with a hint of root-based herbal tinctures and dragon’s blood. It becomes a dry, harsh chemical soap scent over time. Verdict: there’s an odd scent to a lot of TAL/magickal BPAL oils I’ve tried, and I had no idea what it was until now. Assuming this is either single note High John or a HJ accord, I think that the mystery component in some of Beth’s ritual oils is High John. It definitely has a medicinal smell to it, and it certainly doesn’t have the feel of a perfume, this is more ritualistic to me-it reminds me of dragon’s blood at times (which also smells like a magickal component more than a perfume, when on it’s own). It smells oddly soapy, bitter, and with aspects of dry roots, almost like a tincture of dry roots used in herbal remedies (afaik, HJ is a root). It also solves the mystery of the ‘dragon’s blood’ like scent I get in some scents which aren’t red coloured. It definitely isn’t something I’d wear as perfume. I’ll see if this works regarding purpose, but I have other magickal/TAL oils which fulfil a similar purpose to this which I prefer. I never got anything like grapes or wine from here at all, which is a shame. Not for me. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? I don’t like the smell much, but if it works for effect I might keep the imp.
  20. yeahbutnobut

    Samhainophobia

    Samhainophobia In the imp: vetiver! there’s moss here and autumn leaves, but mainly Teh Vet. Wet on skin: mossy vetiver with damp soil, a hint of geranium and patchouli. Dry: mmm, I quite like this…in fact, this smells like a damp autumn night. The moss note is much more mossy than I expected (more like the Spanish variety than oak moss) but it really evokes wet soil, along with the patch and autumn leaves. The vetiver adds it’s distinctive touch of earth and ash, there’s a hint of fir, and there’s also some sweet clove here too, with the richness of geranium just detectable. But it’s mainly a rainy October scent, wet mushed up leaves trodden into soil with the remains of bonfires. It has that same ‘honeyed cider’ scent as Samhain as well. After a while: this now smells very similar to Samhain 05, actually, but with mossy vetiver added, and pumpkin taken away! It’s surprisingly sweet and almost sugary now, almost honeyed or like mulled cider, but still with that damp autumnal, smoky background. The moss and vetiver gives a very agitated, fearful feel to the scent, a bit like Black Annis without that scaaaaary civet and anise… The vetiver gets stronger at the end, surrounded by a sweet, almost sugared apple-like scent and damp leaves and patchouli with a covering of moss. This vetiver is powerful, powerful stuff. Verdict: this really is the sinister side of Samhain. Think Samhain’s warm sweet patchouli and clove and something like the apple cider note it has, and add vetiver and moss…whilst Samhain 06 is cheerful and light hearted with food and warmth and mischief, this is the dark side. For starters, I’m amazed at how much, initially, it smells like a damp October night. Wet soil and leaves with moss and the gritty ashen scent of vetiver, it’s like a typical rainy autumn evening. Then the sweetness appears, but it’s thickly cloaked with a growing vetiver which is indeed menacing as the description says. Along with the strong moss note, I get a dissonant effect, clashing with the smoothness of the sweet clove-patchouli, it brings to mind my nerves being on edge, being scared of the dark, frightened of what lurks in the shadows. This scent is very aptly named, there’s definitely a feel of ‘phobia’ to it, as well as the direct resemblance to Samhain. I love the spooky atmosphere this scent evokes but it’s not something I’d wear much as perfume, but Beth has captured the fear of Halloween and the smell of autumn perfectly here. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? I’ll keep the imp, it’s so evocative of autumn, but I prefer Samhain as perfume. I have a feeling my mum will love this. If you like this, try: Samhain, Saturnalia, Hurricane, RM Renfield, Black Annis
  21. yeahbutnobut

    Lilium Inter Spinas

    Lilium Inter Spinas In the imp: crisp green apple…in here the blossom smells like the fruit, and it’s gorgeous. Wet on skin: crisp apple blossom over lily of the valley and green fig skin. Dry: this is so pretty! It is a little soapy but this is one of the few soapy scents I like-it’s clean and dewy and fresh. I smell the dry, pale, almost green scent of white sandalwood, soft apple blossom, a tart fig note and lily of the valley. I’m not familiar with hibiscus so I’m not sure if I smell it here. But this is an innocent, white and green springtime blossom scent. I picture a young maiden running through fields in spring, a shy girl with child-like features, and curious, doe-like eyes. After a while: sometimes I have problems with lily of the valley turning to all-out green soap on me but not here. This is a very pretty smooth floral scent which has a cleanness to it, a purity. The sandalwood provides a nice pale soft base for the flowers to rest and the fig isn’t as sharp as I expected. It’s very delicate and gentle but it has amazing throw. The LotV and sandalwood get stronger at times but I also get another floral note which may be hibiscus. I don’t smell the fig as much now. What I really like about this scent is that it doesn’t turn sharply acrid green or wilted like some white lily/LotV/white floral scents can-it fades away gracefully, a soft rounded white flower and greenish sandalwood scent lingering and staying true on my skin until the end. Verdict: normally I don’t like soapy scents, and lily of the valley is hit and miss-but this is surprisingly beautiful on me. It has a soapiness that I quite enjoy, it’s clean and pure and gentle. And the floral notes in here are so well blended that nothing seems to go off or funny on my skin. It starts off with apple blossom, moves into fig and then lily and sandalwood, I think the hibiscus holds it all together and makes the scent more rounded. There’s a lovely innocent feel to this scent, almost vulnerable, like a fresh spring flower, dewy and fragile, or a blushing young girl surrounded by blossoms, the scent is very tender and moving, I think. It is such a springtime scent and as such, I wear this scent much more by then. But it’s probably one of my favourite LotV scents so far. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? I’ll keep the imp for spring. If you like this, try: The Penitent Magdalene, Endymion, Phantom Queen, Eden, Empyreal Mist
  22. yeahbutnobut

    Horreur Sympathique

    Horreur Sympathique In the imp: thick honeyed wine, very similar to Athens, but darker. Wet on skin: honey-wine but now other, sweeter notes come out… Dry: this is really good! It’s predominantly champagne and wine and lots of sharp honey, this is like drunken O, initially. But underneath I smell a hint of the delicate plum blossom and tobacco flower, attempting to lift the scent and make it pretty, and I think the sweet resins, the tonka and musk are there too, adding depth and broadness to the sweetness, whilst carnation adds a light spicy touch. This is honeyed wine but with complexity behind it. After a while: the sharpness of the champagne tones down a little and the wine note smells more like sweet grapes, the plum blossom and sugar cane enhance the sugary fruitiness of this scent. It now smells like pale sugar plums and grapes drizzled in honey with hints of wine, resins and tonka. This scent is decadent and sweet. Mmm. But I’m surprised at how strong the plum blossom is here-gives the scent a lighter side. Eventually the sharpness of the wine returns, along with the honey…there’s an oddly salty scent to it now, reminiscent of the almost salty honey I got in O. but it’s not bad. The salty stage doesn’t last, thankfully, and soon it becomes a scent of crystallised honey with fruit syrup, which is really nice. I don’t get as much musk or opoponax as I hoped… Verdict: I really like this fruity, full, sweet honeyed wine scent. It’s mainly honey and sweet wine and grapes, very fruity and dark. It is rich and deep and there are times when it smells really complex, and other times when it’s a very pretty sugary fruit and honey scent. It seems perfect for autumn and winter, I think, a warm, boozy and indulgently sweet fragrance. Surprisingly for the scent’s theme it’s also got an unusually light, playful side to it from the floral/fruit notes, I was hoping for more resins and musk and I certainly wasn’t expecting sugar plums to appear with the wine and honey-an unexpected but very pleasant reaction. However it’s not the ‘wow!’ scent I was expecting but I’m definitely keeping the imp I have of this scent. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Yes, the imp, for now. If you like this, try: Athens, Madrid, The Masque, Skuld, Sed Non Satiata, Tum, O, Death of Sardapanal
  23. yeahbutnobut

    Trick #1

    Trick #1 In the imp: a gorgeous 'sparkling' musk with a darker undertone, probably leather and patchouli. Wet on skin: the ginger comes out adding a lovely spicy warmth, as do black leather and red musk. Dry on skin: mmm! This is lovely stuff. It's an amazing mixture of spicy, floral, musky, earthy, honeyed and leathery. I smell a huge hit of honeycomb, a note which here smells like beeswax candles (which I love) smeared in runny honey, with breezy hints of the floral notes, and the ginger note which in here is almost peppery-smoky. I smell the musk notes-light skin musk and darker, sexy red-and the base of gritty patchouli and spiced leather. I definitely get the 'starry' and 'airy' quality of the musk-maybe it's the skin musk and the floral notes mixed? It's almost perfume like and contrasts nicely with the smoky, spicy, dark leather base. After a while: smoky treacle? This smells like the sort of smoky caramel scent I get in foody BPALs, along with leather, honey, light musk, and now a stronger magnolia note comes forth. It's feminine yet darkened and sexed up. The magnolia note is surprisingly strong, I must say. The scent eventually becomes a very intriguing smoky floral, but it doesn't have the gingery patchouli-red musk it had before. The words 'roasting flowers' comes to mind when I smell this, but it doesn't smell like the floral notes are burnt-more that there's a smouldering background behind the floral-skin musk scent. The scent after a few hours is similar to Black Dahlia, but smokier. Verdict: this is a gorgeous fragrance-especially at the start, when a fantastic blend of many complex notes-mainly the sweet musks, leather, ginger, and an amazing honeycomb note could be smelt. It was dark, sexy, entrancing, a little dirty (in the best way) and cheeky! The drydown is a lot more floral, like fragrant magnolia blooms strewn on black leather with a waft of smoke over it all, like sweet wood-smoke, sparkling floral musk over a night-black background. Very womanly, sexual and glamorous in feel, but veiled in shadows, concealing dark secrets. However, I was hoping for more 'oomph' from the red musk and vanilla, I hoped for something like Mme Moriarty, but the red musk fizzled away and was nudged out by magnolia, and the vanilla was faint. I wanted that amazing beeswax-honey scent to last longer as well. It's a gorgeous fragrance but I actually don't love it as much as I hoped I would…I'll keep the decant though, this seems like a very good scent for decadent nights out. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? mmm, yes! Will cherish my decant, but I'm not desperate for more. If you like this, try: Black Dahlia, Loviatar, Trick #2, Count Dracula, Perversion, Hell's Belle
  24. yeahbutnobut

    Yule

    Yule In the bottle: this smells very much like Lush's Fox in the Flowers or Green Day-the smell of mushed up grass and herbs and a hint of something which I think is hemp. Very much a 'Green Man' scent. Wet on skin: a green grass-leaf pulp mixed with lemon verbena, evergreen, a hint of frankincense, juniper and green wood. Dry on skin: lemon and pine and a wonderful green wood scent. This is like fresh wood that's still full of life, freshly chopped and green and moist, with a scent like chopped grass pulp, like the stuff that comes out of the lawnmower, but less summery. There's something here which I'm sure is hemp since it reminds me of a hemp hand cream I once had. This scent is the most intense dark green but with sparkles of vivid gold in it. it's surprisingly lemony for now but hopefully the verbena will die down. But this is such a natural scent, like outdoor winter vegetation…it also reminds me of Litha, but it's the winter equivalent, with the sunny spiced herbal mead replaced by the shadowy green of the darkest time of year. After a while: this smells festive without smelling like a Christmas tree. This may have pine like notes to it but this is no trimmed pine tree in a cosy house…this is much more natural. I love the way this smells so pagan! A very natural yet celebratory scent, which now has lost it's lemon bite and now smells like sweeter citrus, like the lovely citrus-frankincense sweetness from Litha, but with that wonderful leaf-mulch scent, pine needles, a hint of mistletoe and green tree timber. Like a golden shimmer over dark green-one could say it's like tinsel over a holly wreath but that doesn't do this justice, it's more like flickering flames or winter sunlight reflected on glossy holly leaves. There are times here when it takes on a strange olive like scent like what happened with Talvikuu and the Carpathian Mountains, but it's not too bad. There's now a scent here of soil, earth, and tree moss, a scent which almost smells like decaying plants, but with still with that lively greenness to it. there's also a sweetness creeping up reminiscent of the sweet soil in Death of the Gravedigger. And then the hemp scent returns, along with a hint of frankincense, under the mushy oily leaves. I never got rose. Verdict: another amazingly evocative sabbat oil from Beth. As I suspected, this is the opposite of Litha-the scents share similarities with their lemony herbs but they also contrast. This is the winter solstice in scent, a time of darkness but also of rebirth, exemplified by the vivid dark greenness of this scent, a mix of evergreens and crushed leaves and green, wet woods still full of life in the dead of winter. It's strongly reminsicent of Lush's 'green and grassy' themed products (Fox in the Flowers, Soap Sod, Green Day etc) but much more complex than those are. It isn't commercial or stereotypical festive-ness at all. This takes the winter holiday straight to it's roots. This starts out so nicely but the drydown is a little odd on me, however, this is much better than Yuletide (which smelt a little fake and candle like for me), and another incredibly well blended representation of a pagan festival in scent, but not my favourite-but I'm keeping the bottle. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Just one bottle for now. If you like this, try: Litha, Yew Trees, Black Forest, Hemlock, Mistletoe, Yuletide
  25. yeahbutnobut

    Sol Invictus

    Sol Invictus In the bottle: bright sunny citrus with orange blossom. Reminds me of a younger version of Ra. Wet on skin: this sweetens and softens beautifully once it hits my skin, almost like sugared citrus, which I love. Dry on skin: now I smell spicy notes of saffron and frankincense come out-this is beautiful! This is reminiscent of two of the Stations of the Sun, Ra and Ahathoor, mixed together and softened with droplets of Et Lux Fuit and Litha! It smells of sharp yet lightly sugared citrus fruits and flowers with a resinous coating of piercing frankincense, a sprinkling of hot, spicy saffron and a gentle, almost innocent undertone of soft heliotrope, and hints of a more exotic floral scent, either frangipani or hibiscus. Like Ra, there's a sweet fruit scent like apricot, but I think that's amber with heliotrope and orange mixed together. This is a stunning and ever-so-sunny scent, brlliantly bright, filled with a youthful energy but with a hint of golden magnificence. After a while: little Sol has grown up. Gone is the citrus buzz, now I get an almost incense like scent which reminds me of Delight's drydown, no doubt the frangipani. The desert-like dry heat of saffron and smoky frankincense still lingers but is mixed with petals of tropical blooms now. This now smells quite exotic, with rich floral notes mingling with fruity golden amber, saffron and incense. The amber is amazing now, really strong, almost sugared. It seems the sun has moved from it's young, happy, bouncy state to something more regal and sophisticated, a king on a golden throne. Eventually I'm left with floral amber with just a smidge of spice and citrus. So pretty and full of light. Verdict: I think I might have a new favourite among the solar oils! I adore this glowing, luminous, warm, gorgeous mix of citrus, floral, spice and resins, it's a scent which brings to mind vivid yellows, gold and orange with tinges of sunrise/set colours thrown in. This brings to mind the divine solar child born at the winter solstice, with the promise of summer's warmth in his eyes. It seems a celebration of many worldly and cultural aspects of the sun-from the sunny vitality it brings, to faraway kingdoms of spice and mystery touched by it's intense heat, to the incenses and offerings offered to solar deities, all mingled with a scent of smiling youth and brilliant light. It's very much like another aspect of Ra or Sol, much nicer and bolder than Et Lux Fuit (which I like better now it's aged, but this one is a little more my thing), and another fantastic rendition of the sun in scent by Beth. It's a fantastic fragrance that could be used ritually, or just as a general pick-me-up, if I ever feel the seasonal-affective thing come on during those dark winter days-or any time my life feels dull and grey, I'll be sniffing this. This really is distilled sunshine in a bottle, and I might need another bottle or two of this! Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Yes! One for multiple bottles! If you like this, try: Ra, Ahathoor (in fact, all of the Stations of the Sun range!), The Sun, Litha, Et Lux Fuit, The Sun, Sol
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