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Well.. this is the strangest thing! All I'm getting here is soap.. like a rich and heady version of baby shampoo smell. No smoke, no wood! Where's the soap coming from? I really don't know.. but somehow these notes are combining on my skin to produce something that smells a little like sweet tree sap. Sweet tree sap that smells like baby shampoo, that is.

 

Sadly, not a keeper for me, it's not unpleasant or anything - it's just... soap

Every now and then a rose blend comes along where the rose doesn't amp on my skin, or smell like an old lady's wardrobe, cheap potpourri or handwash. And when that happens, I rejoice. REJOICE.

Illuminati Cotillion is one of those blends! YAY very much!! At the start, this seems spicy and dark but it lightens up a little when the pipe tobacco starts to warm in. The incense isn't any specific 'incense' type, more just a general incense-y feel.. dark and resinous, mysterious and moody.

Even though I keep reading it as shittin wood instead of shittim wood.. this is a note I'd love to see more of - it's a lovely soft smell with a warm, foggy fragrance that adds a touch of sweetness here - a perfect partner for the incense. And 'temple roses' - well, I don't remember seeing those in a BPAL before but this is a well-behaved rose that isn't amping or overriding everything else.. it does come out more strongly at about the 30-minute mark but it never spoils the lovely incense smells.

If you like dark resinous blends, you should definitely give this a try. Whilst it has elements in common with other incense-y BPALs (in particular, it reminds me a little of Lucy, Kissed), the combination of notes in this one is quite unique.

 

 

This started off quite nicely, however it ultimately ended up being nothing but rose on my skin.

 

Where's the orange water? Not there! BOO! Where's the benzoin? Not there! BOO! And musk? What musk? BOO! All I can smell is rose! It's a pretty rose and all, but.. rose!

 

This is the story of rose and I. We cannot be friends.

 

This is one of those fluffy, silly, poofy, sugary things that Beth does so well.. but this one has the lemongrass as a point of difference, as in, this isn't a typical 'white' or 'pink' sugar/fluff thing. The lemongrass is very strong though, it's not a soft and gentle lemon, it's a POW kind of lemon. So actually, it's not really very fluffy, silly or poofy at all.

 

There is a slight chemical overtone to it, unfortunately for me it's becoming a bit nail-polish remover-ish on my skin. Ah yes, that would be the white musk and/or white amber. 'White' anything is generally not my friend.

 

If you were looking for a lemon-y version of Marshmallow Poof, Velvet Unicorn, Chewing Little Bits of String etc.. this isn't it. For me, it's sharp rather than sweet, and just not my thing - but I think that it would be lovely on the right skin, that being one which can handle the 'white' elements and the sharp chemical tang.

 

Ick.. I knew this one wouldn't work for me, and I was right. Too much going on - the muguet is particularly strong and the orris is also very present, and the white sandalwood is just confusing everything. The dusty vanilla is of a sweet variety, which is quite nice, but it's lost amongst all the other things.

 

The end result for me is a smell not unlike walking into someone's bathroom after they've just filled the air with a huge amount of cheap hairspray and spray-on deodorant. Maybe a bit of fly spray, too. Oh yeah - Nomie got it - this is very much like Lush's American Cream (which also smells like fly spray on me).

 

 

 

 

I love this.

I hate this.

This smells awesome.

This stinks really bad.

I love this.

 

Pesky superintelligent shapeshifters - they're always such a pain in the ass. Reptoid Dominion won't stay still long enough for me to decide whether I like it. The musk is really feral and animalistic, but it also has a slithery smooth side to it and there's definitely something green in here. Not like grass, and not like forest, more like the kind of fresh green you'd find in green disinfectant liquid. Which, strangely enough, smells pretty good in this.

 

Can't say I'm really picking up any vetiver (which usually announces itself most adamantly on my skin by turning into either poopy dirt or death stench). Oh wait.. maybe it *is* there, it's just lurking quietly. If it's not vetiver, then it's black musk or patchouli or.. you know.. someone from the black/brown family of notes. There's also something almost-minty-but-not-really-minty in here, when I take a big whiff, it's almost got a menthol vibe to it, but not quite. It's really sweetening up more as it dries - the musk isn't quite as dirty any more, and the green is also sweetening up.

 

Actually, I think I might love this - it's slinky and smart and scary, all at the same time. It's like how David Duchovny was hot in the X-Files, but much more so in Californication. Reptoid Dominion is something Hank Moody would wear.

Hmm.. what a funny little blend this one is!

 

When wet, the mint is lovely and soft - I'd say it's spearmint, rather than peppermint or 'regular' mint. There's also something softly sweet behind there which has a wood feel to it.. I'm picking teakwood, because I can definitely see the comparison with Glowing Vulva. Actually, at this early stage I'm finding PX79 reminds me very much of Glowing Vulva but with a soft mint instead of the cream and lotus.

 

As it dries, the mint softens up more and fades nicely so that it's not strong at all. A musky/resinous thing starts to appear - frankincense, maybe? At this point, it's turning a little 'green' - fresh and foresty.

 

In the end, I'm left with a beautiful soft and icy spearmint with a slight sweetness. I do think there's a wood note in here, perhaps it's cedar rather than teak.. not sure. And the powdery softness is definitely something like frankincense or sandalwood or amber. I'm really not picking up any leather in here - it may be there, but it's not something that's jumping out at me so I probably wouldn't have considered it had I not read the other reviews. This is really quite lovely - quite feminine and very refreshing, one of those scents that stays close to the skin but it does have a decent throw.

 

 

Wow - this is something a bit different from BPAL land! It's a lovely cool, refreshing blend.. I think it would be fantastic for anyone who has sinus or allergy issues, or headaches, as it has a very soothing and 'cleaning' quality to it.. like taking in a huge breath of clean fresh air in the middle of a snow-capped forest. The mint and eucalyptus aren't sharp at all - together they're very cool and soft, like BPAL's snow notes but with a herbal edge.

 

I had to look up elemi (a resin typically used in varnish and inks) and ravintsara (a camphoraceous oil used for headache/sinus relief) - now that I know what they are, then yep.. I can pick them out in here. I guess it's the ravintsara (combined with eucalyptus and mint) that made me think of this as a nose clearer! And apparently elemi can have a sharp, medicinal smell, but I'm not getting anything like that from Volt.

 

Oh.. and the lime! It's there, and it's lovely. It's not sweet (like the recent Dark Choc & Lime Truffle kind of lime), it's more a genuine lime with a little bit of tartness to it. The leather? What leather?!? I really am not picking up very much leather at all in here as a smell, but there is a sort of leathery softness to the overall effect on my skin so for me it's more a texture than a smell.

 

I think this will surprise a lot of people, it really is quite lovely and not at all the sharp/medicinal thing that I was half-expecting (due to the eucalyptus and mint). I can imagine slathering this on a hot summer's day, it's wonderfully refreshing and airy. And as I mentioned earlier, anyone who has headache/sinus/allergy problems should definitely give this one a try!

 

 

 

This really is an interesting blend, it changes quite a bit in its first 10 minutes on my skin.

 

At first, it's all peach - soft and sweet, and very pretty. A split second later, the coconut kicks in - this is the creamy sort of coconut that announces itself quite loudly at first and then settles down and takes a background role. The blackcurrant is very faint - present, but faint. So for the first few minutes, I get a peach/coconut soft sweetness with a slight hint of black currant.

 

Then the orchid appears, and some of the darkness from the vetiver and oude starts to come out and it goes a little smoky. On my skin, these darker notes do not take over from the softness of the peach and coconut - they just balance it out a bit, smoothing down some of the sweetness. I think I can pick up the amber and myrrh, but if they weren't actually listed notes then I possibly wouldn't have recognised them. I'm not finding any champaca at all.

 

20 minutes later, I can't be sure whether the vanilla ever arrived - the coconut is overriding everything else, to the point where really all I'm getting here is coconut. The peach is still there, but it's behind the coconut. As usual, my skin is making the black currant note smell a bit like cat pee but I only notice it if I take a really big whiff up close to my skin. An hour later, it's quite faint - mostly just coconut now, with a hint of peach.

 

There's a lot going on in here, but my final verdict is that whilst this is very nice.. the dominance of the coconut is a bit too much. Had that not been the case I think this would have been a lovely blend so BOO to you, coconut!

 

This one reminds me of Boo, but with marshmallow instead of cotton.. it seems to have the same lovely cream note. The vanilla is sweet and sugary, with a slight fizzy feel but the sarsparilla isn't ginger-y like it is in things like Stimulating Sassafras.. mostly, this is all marshmallowy vanilla sweetness with just a hint of fizz.

 

ASL doesn't have the depth and richness of Antique Lace and XCDL13, but it's definitely in the same family of scents. Anyone who loves their vanilla straight-up sweet is going to love this one

 

 

Yes, sharp and boozy at first - almost to the point where it seemed to be clashing with itself, the laudanum and tobacco are bright and raw.

 

So about 20 minutes passed, and I smell it again. A total change! Now it's developed a lovely warm sweetness that does remind of of warm skin after body contact. Like the way someone's nape of the neck smells when you snuggle up to them while they're sleeping.

 

It is fading quickly - staying very close to my skin, but getting softer. The booze note stays sweet without ever developing a 'booze' type smell, and the tobacco has mellowed out beautifully. This is the sort of scent that would be lovely in a bath oil or soap, it's so warm and soft and evocative.

Thank you to Invidiana for sending me a teensy bit of this to try!

 

I'm not really getting the salt, but I definitely do get the wet/green aspect. I think this might be what an old abandoned island may smell like - fresh air, green undergrowth and dappled sunlight, and a hint of damp mystery. I think there's also something 'gold' in here - it's not a powdery or dusty gold, but a bright shiny gold like a bright yellow flower. Not really picking up anything dirt-like.

 

The fresh green is strong at first, but it softens up quickly on the drydown. About 20 minutes in, and it's really clean and fresh and organic smelling.

 

What a lovely blend, I don't recall smelling any other BPALs like this before. It's classy and understated, but alive and vibrant.

 

 

 

Holy moly - the black monster isn't on the umbrella - it's in this bottle, and his name is vetiver. Actually, that's Mr. Vetiver to you. Mr. Stinky Dark Black Evil Vetiver, to be precise.

 

At first I was worried I might have popped a sniffer vessel from the shock of VETIVER blasting off my skin. For about 10 minutes, that's all I could smell.. but it did get less and less overwhelming as each minute went by. Finally, at around 15 minutes, I can start to smell some other things in there. Hey, hello coconut! Blackcurrant, nice of you to show up. Tonka bean, my dear friend, come out.. it's safe. Alright - now we're getting somewhere.. this is turning into something interesting.

 

Fiiiiiinally.. it's safe to sniff my arm again. Err.. WOW.. this is gorgeous. It's gone all creamy soft and sexy, the mix of tonka bean and coconut is sublime - sweet without being sickly, tropical without being tanning lotion. The vetiver's still there, lurking around, but it's not offensive now - it's all smoky and subdued, which may be due to the sandalwood in the mix. Can't say I'm really noticing the blackcurrant.. actually, there's something almost lime-like coming through - lime? Yeah, lime. And the exotic velvety oud has stepped out from behind the curtain - this is such a gorgeous note, I'd love to see it in more BPALs.

 

I'm very glad I only put a teensy dab on for testing, cos this stuff is potent, loads of throw and once that first drydown stage is complete, it doesn't fade much.

 

 

PS yewberry - mine says "FUWA" too

 

 

 

BIG to ifinena for sending me a tester of this rare beauty! I see she's been generous to many others in this thread, what a lovely fairy she is

 

Wow.. just.. wow. I wish I had been around back in the day when this came out, because it really is drop-dead gorgeous and I would have bought several bottles of it. It has a deep, incense-y feel to it, very mysterious and sexy. The dark musk is the most prominent note for me, it's above all the others with the black rose just flirting around behind it. The clove isn't very strong - it's there, but it's more a sweet clove than the usual hot/spicy type we get in our BPALs. And the cognac.. well.. as expected, it's smutting up the place with its gorgeous warm velvet touch.

 

This is such a perfect combination of notes, everything is beautifully blended and the end result is just gorgeous. I shall treasure these few drops that I have!

First up.. huge to the lovely ifinena who gifted a tester of this to me!

 

I've been wanting to try this for ages, but I didn't really think it was going to be something I'd like - the mention of metallics, mountain air, ozone and electric light had me thinking it would be one of those strange metallic/ozone blends that my skin turns into a stinky mess. However.. those notes are very much a background to the gorgeous cherry blossom and orchid - I could swear there's grapefruit in here, but not the sour kind - a lovely sweet pink kind. The bamboo comes out more when it's fully dry, and together with the fruits and florals it creates a lovely dry and airy mix.

 

I've never been to Tokyo, but this blend does bring to mind the flashy neon and chaotic vibe of that city - it's bright and shiny whilst somehow still managing to be soft, quiet and fresh. Very, very nice.

 

 

I ignored this one completely, until I started reading reviews and thought I should give it a try. And I'm just so glad I did!

 

It's pretty rare that I get a new BPAL and swoon.. but that's exactly what I did with this one. Sweet, sexy sandalwood and vanilla with a slight citrus-y undertone and the beautiful softness of amber. This is one of those wistful skin scents that still packs a punch despite its delicate touch. There is a slight baby shampoo/soap aspect when sniffed up close, as others have mentioned, but that isn't noticeable at arm's length. Unfortunately it dries down into a subdued version of itself - it goes a little powdery, the sandalwood becomes quite dominant and the vanilla disappears, which is a shame because all the notes together were so beautifully rich and full when freshly applied.

 

I'm not sure I will wear this a lot though.. as lovely as it is, it's just not "me". But it really is quite a gorgeous fragrance.

Good grief, this stuff is unreal. I've been stealthily working my way through all of BPAL's leather blends, and I've found a few nice ones along the way, but nothing yet had presented me with the hearty OMG sexypants leather that I was looking for.

 

Then Crowley came along, and it's just perfect. The leather is stunning - not dusty or dusky, it's warm and rich and hearty. The musk + patchouli combo is very deep and alluring in the same way that it is in blends like Mme. Moriarty, but here it's mixed beautifully with the warmth of the leather. The vanilla adds just a touch of sweetness, but not too much - it really is well blended in there with all the darkness of the musk/patch/leather and sits nicely in the background all the way through. Can't say I'm really noticing the lilac cologne, mahogany, lemon rind or oakmoss (although there is sometimes a waft of something sharp, which could be the mahogany) - I don't really care though, I'm sure they are all in there somewhere but for me Crowley is all about the musky leather. Annnnnnnd.. he sticks around beautifully - I could still smell this on my skin and in my hair 24 hours later.. standing in the shower this morning and I'm thinking WOW what's that amazing smell then I realise it's the Crowley I slathered on my neck yesterday morning. I love those "what's that awesome smell?" .. "oh wait, it's meeee!!" moments

 

My holy grail for a BPAL leather is Spanked, but it's very likely I shall live my life without ever getting a bottle of that one. But Crowley is *almost* as good, almost

 

 

ETA: I should mention that the bottle I'm using for this review is well over two years old, so I'm not sure how it compares with a 'fresh' Crowley.

First up, I am envious of you going on such an adventure to live on a big chunk of land like that in such a lovely place!!

 

Secondly.. I think you should send all your BPALs over to me, I'll look after 'em. Promise

 

I think the idea of putting your bottles inside one of the vehicles that will be travelling over (the truck or the camper) is an excellent solution. If you packed the bottles up super safe, and locked them in the glove compartment or some other hiding spot like a cupboard in the camper, I really think they'd be quite happy in there. Temperature changes might be an issue, but you could always pack them inside a foam box or something so they're well insulated.

 

And I'm guessing carrying them on the plane with you, in your hand luggage, is not an option? I'm not sure of the restrictions that apply for that kind of thing nowadays in your part of the world, but maybe you could talk to the airline about getting permission to carry them with you if you explained that it was a valuable collection?

Ooh! Definitely Raven Moon.. I don't have much luck with the Lunacy blends in general, but Raven Moon was an absolute winner and going by those other BPALs you mentioned I'd say it has a good chance of being the same for you!!

 

Thank you to the lovely cfrancesca for passing a tester of this to me!

 

Hmmm.. I'm also getting the dark, earthy fruits that others have mentioned. My guess is plum, but not the sweet variety - this is an evil, dark and smokey plum. If not plum, then possibly blackberry, it's hard to tell - the almost-cherry-like top end of the fruit in the wet and early dry stages suggests plum, but when it dries down the fruit turns a little sharper like blackberry. I guess I'll just have to wait and see when it gets released and we know what the notes are!

 

I definitely detect an undercurrent of mint - it adds a cool touch to everything, without being overly minty, but the mint didn't stick around long past the dry-down. Apple? Maybe - and patchouli? Possibly - but there's a dustiness and slight spice here that I don't normally get from patchouli. Perhaps a teensy touch of wood, not sure on that one - there's definitely something dark and solid underneath the dark fruit. Overall this is a red/purple kind of blend, I wouldn't put it in the 'candy' category because it's not really going sweet on my skin - it's keeping a lovely dark smokiness. This kind of reminds me a little of Countess Willie with her musk + plum combination, but there's no chocolate in here.

 

I bet this one's going to be insanely popular - it's quite intriguing and mysteriously alluring, much like the black widow herself

 

Wowsers, this is a freaky blend - it keeps changing its mind about what it wants to smell like!

 

When it first goes on.. bubblegum, pink fruity bubblegum. Then it does a spicy orange turn that reminds me of Knick Knack and Olisbos. Then a cakey kinda thing starts up, and the orange changes to a brighter citrus - more lemon-y. Oh, did I mention that all happened in the first five minutes? So really..

 

In the end, it finally settles back into that orange spiciness that appeared earlier, and I do detect something dark and green in there but it's very peripheral. Ultimately, I'm left with a spicy orangey fruity bubblegum

I just received my back-up Womb Furie bottle from the lab, and decided to sniff it before putting it away, to my surprise it's whoa on the O! I took out the other bottle to compare (which I ordered from when it was released) and it's definitely more Snake Oil in that one. I'm not complaining at all because I LOVE O and Snake Oil, I'm just happily surprised with this batch variation.

 

Hmm.. that's very interesting, because my WF bottle was about 99.9999% O-like honey with the Snake Oil cowering sadly miles away in the background, and sadly it just wasn't what I was hoping for. My bottle was ordered soon after its release too.. hmm..

 

My bottle of Boomslang is OPAQUE. Smells fabulous, but looks like used motor oil..... and stains my skin just like you said, like I tried spray on tan, in that one area.

HA! Me too.. my oldest bottle of Boomslang smells amazing but it's so thick and sludgy that it's like putting fudge on my skin. Seriously, if your Boomslang doesn't stain yer skin.. it ain't old enough yet

PS ltrittipoe - I put mine on my scalp, behind my ears right at the hairline. It wafts chocolatey yumminess around me all day and nobody will ever know I have big brown Boomslang splotches all over my head.

You mean, like this?!?!?

 

HAHA portalkat - yes! Except.. err.. I have hair But I think you're on to something.. they should rename that show from Alien Nation to Boomslang Nation.

 

 

My bottle of Boomslang is OPAQUE. Smells fabulous, but looks like used motor oil..... and stains my skin just like you said, like I tried spray on tan, in that one area.

 

HA! Me too.. my oldest bottle of Boomslang smells amazing but it's so thick and sludgy that it's like putting fudge on my skin. Seriously, if your Boomslang doesn't stain yer skin.. it ain't old enough yet

 

PS ltrittipoe - I put mine on my scalp, behind my ears right at the hairline. It wafts chocolatey yumminess around me all day and nobody will ever know I have big brown Boomslang splotches all over my head.

 

NGG023 starts off with a slightly sour fruit tone when it first goes on, but it dries on the skin pretty quickly and that initial sourness warms down nicely. For me, leather is the dominant note here - but it's not a strong or sharp leather at all, it's that same soft tactile kind of leather in Sacrifice. A little dusty and musky - I suspect some very light sandalwood or musk in here. There's also a *slight* hint of sweetness, but it's not vanilla or tonka or anything like that - perhaps it's that fruit that I picked up at the beginning. Dunno.. that one's hard to pick, because it keeps fleeting in and out so I'm not sure whether it's really there at all.

 

I think this was at its best after about 30 minutes on my skin - at that point, the leather was soft and warm, it's like putting your face inside your well-worn leather jacket and having a good huff. What? Oh come on now.. you do that, I know you do

 

After an hour, it has faded quite a lot but the leather is still there - this really is quite nice, but just sooooooo similar to Sacrifice that I have to agree with fairnymph and say that this could well be the proto for that blend. I'm going to send some to a forum buddy who I know has Sacrifice, and see what she thinks!

 

Anyways, all comparisons aside.. NGG023 is really very lovely, and a definite must-try for anyone who enjoys their leather soft and cuddly.