darkling

At first, Chango smelled like sweet mango. I didn't sense any banana or any other tropical fruits. Very quickly, the mango began to fade and Chango became powdery. There was still a hint of sweetness but any scents other than powder completely dissipated. There was nothing left one my skin within a few minutes of applying the scent. I was disappointed because I was expecting to love this one

Decadence strikes me as the heavier version of Bon Vivant. It is rich and red and fruity with a touch of alcohol (perhaps a light red wine or champagne). The fruits are difficult to identify but they are definitely red: cherries, strawberries, raspberries, maybe even passion fruit underneath. The fruits are ripe and juicy and very sweet. This is a decadent and sexy scent. I adore Decadence and hope that it makes its way into the regular collection so I can buy a bottle.

Old Madrid has been one of my favorite scents since my BPAL beginnings. It is a rich, full scent mingling red wine with cloves. The mimosa adds an extra bit of sweetness. I adore this scent because it is simultaneously delicious, comforting, and sexy. This scent remains the same in the bottle, on my skin, and upon drydown. It also has enough staying power to get me through most of a workday without requiring reapplication.

Wet: All Saints' is an intermingling of buttery and spicy elements periodically interposed with something sharp and flowery/herbal. Dry: There is still a slight edge of some buttery food but the scent is not predominantly resinous. It reminds me a bit of Cathedral but it is much lighter and more delicate. This is an interesting scent but I can't see myself wearing it regularly and it is fading very quickly.

Lughnasadh is rich dark fruits with a bit of red wine simmering beneath. There is definitely cherry with a hint of plum and cranberry. This scent is delicious and it lasts almost all day without needing a reapplication. Yum!

In the bottle: Arachne is very light and green. Wet: It maintains its green edge but also a background of sweet floral notes. Dry: Arachne smells like bubblegum although slightly more natural. Over time: The bubblegum scent fades and leaves a pale, lingering berry scent that is extremely light and sweet. However, it is very natural and authentic as well as calming.

Wet: Kumiho was lemon tea. It was light and sweet. Dry: This is definitely white tea and I sense a faint undertone of white musk. The lemon is still present although it is a bit muted. Kumiho is a very light scent; it could almost float away. I recall a hint of ginger the first time I tried this scent but I could not detect any this time. Kumiho vanished quickly. It was gone within half an hour. This is a lovely, light scent but it doesn't last on my skin.

Oddly enough, Phantom Queen is very gentle and sleepy on my skin. I swear that I can smell chamomile although it is not listed as an ingredient. The chamomile is joined by the soft scent of flowers with an herbal edge to them. There is a lovely hint of apple in the background and I wish that it was stronger because this is the first BPAL apple that smells natural on my skin. Phantom Queen is a lovely scent but I can't see myself wearing it often, especially since it is very short-lasting. It needed reapplication after an hour.

Sadly, all I got out of Eos both wet and dry was honeysuckle. It was a very sweet and bright honeysuckle but I am looking for more than just one note from these blends. This is the second time that the honeysuckle note has overpowered everything in a scent; the first was Chiroptera. I will have to be more wary of this note in the future.

Wet: Hymn consist of pure rose deepened by the frankincense and myrrh. Dry: The rose takes on a soapy quality although it still smells bright. The soapiness made this scent unpleasant for me although the soap smell was not as strong as with some other scents.

At first, Verdani is light herbs paired with ripe apple. As it dries, the apple scent becomes artificial and loses all of its natural sweetness. The herbs combine exquisitely with the black amber, linking into a bright and slughly musky forest. I have a history of fruity scents smelling strongly artificial on my skin. Sadly, apple is one of the main culprits and ruined this beautiful scent for me.

Cold Moon is definitely my favorite winter scent thus far. It is the essence of ice and snow as it smells cold and blustery. There is a faint floral edge as though the winds were carrying the scent of flowers from far away. This is a very delicate scent but it is long-lasting.

Belle Epoque was very light and floral. The image that it brought to mind was that of faded fabric kept in a closet with a saucer of popourri. It was very faint. As such, I could not identify any particular notes; they all seemed to blend together. This scent was very short-lasting. It had no throw and faded from my wrist completely in the course of an hour.

I received this as a freebie in a swap. I could swear that Lust smelled like dragon's blood as it reminded me strongly of Blood Lotus and Blood. It was a little heavier. I was shocked to find out that patchouli, musk, and ylang-ylang are in this scent as I dislike all three of these notes. However, I did not detect a hint of patchouli in Lust nor anything reminiscent of ylang-ylang. I am guessing that the red musk is the note that led me to think of this scent as heavy. I did not find anything particularly sexual or compelling about Lust.

Black Phoenix was bright, sweet, candied cherries and almond. It was intensely sweet and rich. I slathered it on and basked in its delcious scent. And then . . it was gone. There was nothing left once it dried except for a vague powdery scent. I tried it again a week later in case this was a one-time effect. No such luck. My skin eats up Black Phoenix.

I was immediatelty struck by a dissonant note in Ahathoor: the strange green burning incense that I disliked in Delphi. However, it was immediately tempered by a sickly sweet clove. While neither of these scents were appealing as notes, they blended together in an appealing way. The harshness of the incense was balanced by the sweetness of the clove. And the intensity of the bright green aspect was met with the mellowness of the clove. This is too odd a scent for me but I found it strangely compelling.

In the bottle, Ra smelled sharp and green and bright. On my skin, Ra vanished completely. There was no scent. I slathered on more but all I could sniff was a vague, spicy warmth with no distinct notes. I could only sense it when my nose was directly on top of my wrist. Whatever notes were in Ra were devoured by my skin.

Khephra smelled rather dull and watery on me although it was very sweet. I think of Khephra as a muted version of Ahathoor. It had the same sweet clove incense smell but it was not at all intense. Kephra faded very quickly and left nothing behind.

At first, Rome was all rose. The chamomile then began making itself known with a faint undertone. These two did not blend well together on me. It may have been the cypress as well but the rose took on a heavy, wooden quality. Rome was too heavy on the flowers for my taste. The chamomile was soothing but there are other blends that I prefer for sleep. I tend to enjoy scents with juniper but I could not pick up this note from Rome.

Eternal was a lab freebie in my last order. It is exactly as described in terms of being a strong flower scent. The rose was dominant on me but I could definitely pick up some of the lighter flowers in the blend. If you love roses and flower-based scents, check out Eternal.

I am extraordinarily grateful to tempete for swapping me her imp of The Star. This scent is phenomenal. It has a perfect fusion between gentle coconut and a hint of mellow lemon. It smells like light and life. This blend places the image of a star in my mind, glowing with white fire. It has admirable lasting power for a fruity scent so that I could continue to feel uplifted and energized by The Star throughout the day. I love it!

Bathsheba was warm with musk, carnation, and a hint of spice. I did not scent any plum (to my great disappointment). This blend was more flowery than I had anticpated and quickly faded into a bland musky warmth without any distinguishing notes.

At first, Ice Queen was deep spruce with a hint of mint. It was overwhemlingly strong. The queen then morphed into a musky scent. The spruce and mint both disappeared although there was a faint green presence behind the musk. I am not a fan of musk so I was very unhappy at this point. When the scent faded, Ice Queen was a faint breath of winter flowers underscored by light musk. This scent is interesting but not to my tastes.

Horn of Plenty was a freebie with my last order and I hope it works because I desperately need some money. This is the most bizarre BPAL scent that I have ever encountered. I had a great deal of trouble dredging up any words to describe what I am smelling. My mind compares Horn of Plenty to a bubblegum scented plastic doll that lies in a smoker's house. I can pick up a hint of vanilla that others have mentioned and the same smokiness. I believe there must be honey in this scent to give it an edge of plastic and clay. In terms of scent, this is definitely not up my alley. But if my financial situation shifts, I will be hanging on to this imp for a while.

At first, I thought I would like Frost Moon because of its gentle mint. Sadly, the eucalyptus devoured the other scents and then faded into aquatic slush. After a while, this scent was vaguely watery with a green edge of eucalyptus. Frost Moon definitely didn't agree with me but I am sure it will find a good home elsewhere.