zankoku_zen

I agree with ZZ on this, and I would never have known had not a kind forumite sent me a sniffie of Voodoo Queen not too long before the Lupercalia was released. Oh good, so I'm not crazy, nor is it simply a matter about my skin chemistry acting this way.

I feel I should post here, since I am currently obsessed with Voodoo Queen. The Lupercalia LE, Sapphics, is like a base sketch for Voodoo Queen. It lacks some of the complexity of VQ, and the hint of rum, but it gives you a pretty good idea of what VQ smells like. That, and it's easier to find that VQ.

I get this odd mix of fir and jasmine. However, this jasmine is softer and not quite as sharp and as cat-pee-like as in other blends. It's a soft, pretty aquatic.

This one is a sweet cocoa/sandalwood scent with an almost candy like gleam to it. I can smell the spices in this, but this isn't as fabulous to me as the Purple label is. The original, white label, thirteen was a watery graham chocolate. This one the chocolate isn't really there, it's more of a ghostly kind of presence. Now I have to find the Pink and Orange ones...

The essence of nobility, brutality and true Will made flesh and propelled through the eons by an ever-burning hatred: black patchouli, neroli, tonka, cinnamon, bitter clove, leather, black musk, coffin wood and fiery ginger. I get predominantly clove and musk with a hint of leather. Nice, spicy, and it it wasn't so difficult, maybe I'd try to score a decant. I really wish this was True Will Made Flesh. It sounds like a great concept. This smell isn't quite so... nefarious. It's actually fairly laid back. I'd think nice guy before I thought of someone so... driven.

This one is a manly oceanic/ozoney sort of scent. It also ends up smelling like industrial bathroom cleaner on me. Citrus blast that ends up in soapy aquatic clean. Not for me.

I really liked how citrusy and parsley this was, and it almost has a cool melon hint to it. As it dries, it has become slightly more floral and yes I do detect a rosy edge to it... but it isn't overhwhelming. Nice.

Okay, here is where my obsession with Voodoo Queen is gonna come through... but a lot of the components here seem to act on my skin like the base of VQ smells like. I think it's the amber/myrrh resinous of it. Whereas VQ is spicy, this one seems to have a sweetness. VQ is more complex, and the Sapphics is more of a sketch. On the other hand, Sapphics can give you an idea of what VQ kinda smells like. And it's the closest dupe in BPAL that I've gotten to. Warm, sensual amber/myrrh resinous goodness. I prefer VQ, but Sapphics might do in a pinch.

Oh god, this is like honey powdery doom on me. It just doesn't work out. The honey is thick and sweet and cloying, and I have no idea what turned into baby powder on me, but it's really honey powder. If that's your thing, more for you then.

This one is such a golden and regal scent. I get a womanly perfume, on a base of sandalwood. It's like skin musk. It stays close to the skin, enveloping you. There's a teeny touch of honey that I could really smell when I put it on, but other than that, this is a scent that is more than it's components. Regal, sexual, sensual, commanding. This is indeed, fit for a queen.

This one is a dirty gin like scent on me. At the beginning, it kinda smelled like old spice... but as it dries, both the gin from the juniper berries and the bitterness of the oakmoss come to the forefront. I would classify this as a manly scent.

On me, this one was a sweet dragon's blood resin scent... DBR tends to be overwhelming on me, and it was spicy with just a touch of patchouli. Not my kind of blend.

Oh man, gardenia and leather --- which really just means wet wool and leather. This is the scent of a dashing young man, off doing horribly debauched things, like holding up people and wenching. Oh, but he's so dashing...

This one is some buttery rum. Rich butterscotch with just a hint of rum. Tasty.

Gah, this was such a dark and musky patchouli. And I think the muskiness might be civet. *sigh*

This one smelled like cedar... and pencil shavings. It's like the base of Ventriloquist Dummy... but without the caramel.

This one is odd - but I get a greenish kind of cologne - something kinda sharp, but green, and overall masculine. Crazy loonie bin it doesn't smell like. A little unhinged? Perhaps. But if a little crazy smells like this, I think I can cope with that!

Hmmm... this one is interesting. It wasn't what I thought it would be ---- at all. At the beginning, I thought it smelled like sweet tea. The tea part disappeared and now I have this sweet, almost fruity, smoky scent. But I know it's not. I don't know what it is. But I keep sniffing it!

When I first apply it, I get smoky bacon. In fact, for about the first hour, the bacon aspect has toned down quite a bit, but I still get the smoky, ashy part of the blend. This mean little elf really is just bacon goods.

You can definitely tell the similarities between Torture Queen and Bed of Nails --- it's almost the same thing, except Bed of Nails is softer, less floral and slightly more metallic. I feel like for those reasons that BoN is like the masculine version, and Beth brought it back this time around as a female in Torture Queen. On the other hand, if Torture Queen mellows out with age, it will be such a pretty scent. I love Torture Queen but it can be so aggressive.

This one is a soft perfume, with a nice dirt note... but after two hours, the perfume goes powdery and the dirt disappears. So it ends up being perfume and baby powder. Grrr...

This one is such a bitter incensey smell --- it's got the smoky edge, but also almost something... metallic among the resin. It's sort of ominous... like the end is near. Yup. Not my style at all. But huzzah, I have finished the Maelstrom scents. I think.

This one is indeed a nice somber, demure, sophisticated floral. It makes me think of funeral bouquets --- it's got plenty of white floral. Pretty. Somber. It's name is very appropriate. ADDED Feb. 4: There was a sharp bitter tinge to this blend on wet (very similar to the bitterness in Moon of Terrible). On the drydown it fades and I can smell more of the grapefruit and violet. It's a sharp, almost salty blend on me. I'm not sure I like violets, since so many BPAL blends with violets listed as a component smell sharp to me. Pass.

For me, this is really like smelling cocoa powder. The amber turns powdery, but mixed with the cocoa it just makes it cocoa powder... and maybe a hint of hazelnut. It actually makes me think of making hot chocolate. This scent is soooo bad for the waistline. Mmmm... hot chocolate!

This one, oddly enough, is a sweet jammy scent. Tasty, but not my cup of tea.