TilHelvete

I've been meaning to review this since I picked it up at the Cobwebs event. It was one of three prototypes (I Fell in Love with a Floating Brain and Lamia being the other 2) that really stood out to me. In the bottle, it reminds me of Mme. Moriarty but sweeter, richer, and deeper. I've never smelled BPAL's mango note, but I can see how it might be a component. Whatever it is, it mixes really beautifully with the dark musks in here. I don't smell any coconut in here at all, though. For some reason it also smells deep purple.. maybe ylang ylang or plum? The best way I can describe this is as a Smut/Mme. Moriarty/Lampades lovechild. It's dark, sexy, and mysterious in a way that is different from other dark, sexy scents. The heavy, dark musk is lifted by sweet, juicy fruits. I'd never imagine that this combination would be this smoothe. ETA: Wore Mme. Moriarty today, and they are remarkable cousins.

This is what I have discovered on my quest to find the perfect BPAL equivalent to Lush's jasmine scents. Peitho is the most similar to Lush's jasmine note that I've found in BPAL. There are minor differences between Flying Fox, Godiva, and Youki-Hi but they all have that Peitho-y jasmine in them. I like to layer Peitho with a little bit of Kuang Shi, and it's a dead ringer for Godiva. Youki-Hi is jasmine with ylang ylang, cypress, and gardenia but I swear I smell some kind of cotton candy berries in it too. I remember reading in the reviews for Skuld (ylang ylang and honey) that it smelled grapey? Maybe it is the ylang ylang in Youki Hi that I'm smelling. Anyway, I bet anything that Peitho + Skuld = Youki-Hi

I know this is a long shot, but has anyone found anything similar to Lamia? GC, LE, other brand, I do not care I AM DESPERATE PEOPLE.

Have not sniffed the released version, but I have heard that this is less foody. I was extremely drawn to this one at the Cobwebs event because of how downright fizzy it smelled. It was like sniffing pop rocks. It reminds me of Fizzy Pop incense, but even brighter and fizzier. On the skin, it smells like La Fee Verte soda, I swear. Probably one of the weirdest BPAL's I've ever sniffed. Definitely has that "Floating Brain" quality to it as well. I can't for the life of me figure out why this wasn't the released version as it is so unique and fantastic. I feel guilty keeping the whole bottle as I know it is not something I will likely wear often (though among the "weird" scents I've tried this is one of the most wearable.) I hope more people get the chance to sniff this one, just because it's so unique.

Biggest turn around morpher I have ever tried. Smells completely different on the dry-down than it does in the imp. I highly recommend trying this even if you don't like the smell of it in the imp. In the imp it smells very green and foresty (though not like the lab's usual pine note which I think is a sweet smelling pine) with a minty, mentholated top note. Someone previously mentioned they smelled juniper, I hadn't thought of it but I think they're right. As it dries there is a warm, coconut smell that I can detect underneath the initial cold, wet stage of the smell. Within 30 minutes it is completely warm, honeyed vanilla coconut and very similar to the dry down of Death Cap. I love both stages of Yew-Trees, both wet and dry. Death Cap is one of my favorite BPAL blends, and the similarity here is remarkable. Seeing how I already have a big, much loved bottle of Death Cap I don't think I'll be getting a big bottle of Yew-Trees... but it is very pretty. I expected this to be a cold, berry scent but I do not smell any berries in the least. I remember reading that Beth said Skadi could be mimicked by layering lots of Talvikuu with a drop of Yew-Trees. I figured Yew-Trees would be the "frost-rimed winter berries" mentioned in Skadi, but having never sniffed Skadi I cannot speak as to how prominent the berry notes are. Yew-Trees is the biggest turn around morpher I have ever tried. Smells completely different on the dry-down than it does in the imp. I highly recommend trying this even if you don't like the smell of it in the imp. ETA: Holy crap this is a morpher. I can smell the berries now, they're very light on top of the warm, nutty coconut. Maybe they will become more noticeable as the hours pass.

Spicy golden warm-ness. Amber, clove, cardamom, cinnamon (but not cassia I don't think because I've noticed cassia is a little more craft store-ish while cinnamon is softer), vanilla, honey... This is everything I could have hoped for in a perfume, I actually can't imagine something that smells better than Lamia. It's the sexiest blend I've ever sniffed and it lasts a freakishly long time on me. This was one of the first scents to sell out at the trunk show, and I was only able to snag a bottle because Beth was insanely kind and let me buy the tester. As soon as I did several ears perked up behind me, "Lamia? Oh I want Lamia! There's more Lamia?" I hope that this gets released as a general catalogue or at least an LE because I'd love to use this more liberally and wear it everyday. ETA: Sniffed cassia and cinnamon EO side by side, and I am nearly positive this does not contain cassia. Cassia is much harsher, it smells like red hot candy... this is much more of a spicy wood (like cinnamon) I think people's skin must be reacting to the cardamom or cinnamon or maybe clove.

My bf and I both wanted to dip into Tombstone. I pulled it out of the bag, "mmmmm Tombstone!" and he said, "Hey I thought Tombstone was for me!" Haha... so we both tried it out. In the vial it smells very woody with some vanilla extract type top notes. On the skin, the vanilla warms up and softens the woods (which can sometimes smell sharp or astringent) The bf says it reminds him of Christmas and burning wood, and REAL pine and he can't smell the vanilla at all. It reminds him of Fenris Wolf (the highest compliment he can pay to any perfume, trust me). To me it smells how the Fun Dip vanilla sticks taste, but with some soft woods lurking beneath. I really think this is too soft to be a very masculine scent, but it is one of the few vanilla scents that I feel could actually be unisex. After awhile, all I can smell is the most perfect, pure vanilla. Not too sweet and perfectly grounded. He agrees. This is definitely one I have to purchase.

Szepasszony is definitely an aquatic with light florals. It's a much cleaner scent than what I'm used to wearing, (I usually hate clean, aquatic scents) but I looooove Szepasszony. I really can't figure out exactly which white florals are in it. To me, it smells very familiar but I can't place exactly where I've smelled it and what it reminds me of. It doesn't so much smell like a product I've used before, but a place I've been. It's very calming... and smells so real that it's almost eerie and makes my mind reel. It's not a perfume that's really "me" (I prefer darker, sexier, lustier scents)... but I can't deny that it is the most beautiful aquatic blend I've ever smelled in my life and would probably wear it anyway. I only wish it lasted a little longer, because it seemed to fade on me in 2 hours

Tried this on my boyfriend after he ran out of his imp of his beloved Fenris Wolf... And it was another HUGE success for him. He said he didn't like it quite as much as Fenris Wolf, but he did like it an awful lot. And what it did have on Fenris Wolf, was its incredible lasting power. Scents seem to fade a little faster on him, and last about 3 hours or so but Umbra lasted the entire day. I put it on him at noon and I could still smell it on his arm at midnight, and not just a whiff of it either. It was still very strong. Umbra is very masculine and woody and deep. I actually like it better than Fenris Wolf on him, because it is just such a feral, aggressive, sexual scent. The spiciness of the cinnamon is not very noticeable, and doesn't lend it a craft store vibe at all.. it's just enough to spice it up in the background. I think I will probably be getting a bottle of this for him as well.

Before this scent, my bf was very anti-BPAL... That is... until I got him a little vial of Fenris Wolf, and now he is in love and insisting I get a bottle for him. He ADORES this stuff. It smells very different on me than it does in the vial. On me, it smells just like woody incense. But on him... it smells like woody incense with some light citrusy top notes and an almost effervescent bubbliness that sits on top of the woody incense. It is amazing! I wish I had his skin chemistry sometimes Since I got into BPAL, he has been asking for something that smells like the sandalwood and opium incense he used to burn in his room (despite his previous BPAL objections), so I searched in the search engine for something with both of those, but he didn't seem to like the way they smelled. I noticed that Fenris Wolf is discussed as one of the more popular male scents, so I gave it a shot. Thank God I did since now he wants to go to the May Trunk Show at Dark Delicacies I cannot say enough good things about Fenris Wolf, and I know my SO feels the same way.

I blindly bought a bottle of Snake Oil with my first order because I read that it was the most popular, and I absolutely love vanilla, resins, and spices. The first time I tried it I didn't think it was anything special. It's been a couple months though and I think it is my favorite BPAL now. It lasts the longest.. seriously 12+ hours, and it smells like deep, sweet, vanilla incense. I don't get any of the spices though which people have mentioned. On me it is not spicy at all, just really smooth and deep and dark and sweet and resinous.

In the imp: Nothin but lemongrass. This must be the "Pine Sol" scent I've heard so much about. Dry: There is a lemony top note, but it's not as bright as when it started. It smells very herbal too. There's a spice pantry kind of smell to it. Sage? It's not listed but I'd swear I smell it. Overall: It's nice, but not for me. I think this would definitely be good for meditation. However, I don't think it's a scent I would wear.

In the imp: bright lemon and sharp lavender. Drying: I can still smell the bright lemon and sharp lavender but the abrasiveness of both is being mellowed out by something that is making it smoother and more velvety. Must be the amber. Dry: Hoooooooly shit. My favorite mannish blend so far besides Kumari Kandam. I do smell aftershave, pine and moss now. I think the amber and carnations is what is making it smell velvety and smooth. If it were a fabric it'd be brocade. The pine and aftershave are the top notes right now, I don't smell any lemon at all anymore. This is a really comforting scent, I will definitely be trying it out on my boyfriend. Hopefully he won't suck this one up like he does with the rest of 'em. Overall: This is a very alluring, seductive, and yet gentle scent. It is pretty light though and doesn't have much staying power so it'll probably be a slatherer for a lot of people.

In the imp: Sweet woody smell. Honeyed myrrh. Dry: This smells absolutely infuckingcredible. It reminds me of the bath & body works scent, "Creamy Nutmeg" though obviously this is much, much better. This is more complex, and somehow smells stickier if that makes sense. It smells more real. There is a woodiness under all of it and I imagine that has to be the myrrh which makes the sweet spicy creamy smell much more complex and smooth. There is a nuttiness to it as well that I also smell in Lush's Porridge soap (I love that soap!), though I don't know where it's coming from. Maybe the myrrh with the honeysuckle? I've never smelled honeysuckle single note before, but I can't detect any floral in here at all. Had I not known better I would have guessed honey was an actual note in here. This is a much richer, sweeter, foodier, creamier blend than any BPAL blend I've tried so far... It's how I had hoped Dana O Shee would smell, but with some extra spiciness. This is also the first BPAL blend I've received a compliment on. I was getting something out of the fridge and one of my flatmates said, "I don't know who it is, but someone in here smells GOOOOOD!" She was about 10 feet away too so I imagine this one has some throw. Overall: Already have a big bottle sitting here. Besides Dorian, it was the only one I knew I needed a bigger bottle of right away. As soon as it dried I audibly "MMM!"-ed to myself. The only downside is I wish it would last a little longer. As it is, it only lasts about 2-4 hours depending on what I'm doing and how much I put on.

Bandersnatch musk, redolent of spicy carnations, wild plums and chrysanthemum. In the imp/wet: Straight up, juicy, candied plums. Dry: I can see why people have mentioned this being craft store-like, because of the spicy fruit kind of smell it has... but this is not at all generic smelling! I think Silk Road and The Dodo are much more craft store-esque. This is just so much richer, more complex, juicier, lusher. It smells expensive, really! If it is a candle smell, I can only imagine it being a high end candle like Votivo... It has a really feminine, deep juiciness to it, and the spicy carnations are just downright sexy. Had I not known it was carnation I would have guessed there was maybe a little cassia or cinnamon in it. This is a really full, sexy, scent. It's not really an innocent smell (at least not on me). And the plum note in here is obviously excellent like it is in all of the plum blends I've tried so far from BPAL.... but it's far from the only thing I smell. Overall: Almost definitely a big bottle. I just can't get enough of this stuff.

In the imp/wet: God, this smells so familiar, but I can't put my finger on it! I know it's some kind of candy or flavored lip gloss. I read some people mention Bubblicious or Juicy Fruit. It is very juicy smelling, very tropical, girly and flirty... though not necessarily in the sexy, mature way I like it. More like the cheerleader from American Beauty, than Elvira. Dry: There is something under this that gives it a certain headiness and muskiness. I want to say jasmine or nag champa. There is still that sweet, tropical top note but it's been matured by the floral, which is more of a head shop floral than an old lady floral. If it is jasmine, it's a really beautiful jasmine. I *love* jasmine but I've been unsuccessful with BPAL's jasmine blends so far (Mata Hari, Suspiro, Rapture..) but this one is really nice. It's a very sweet, bright jasminey smell. Overall: I really didn't think I'd like it all that much from what I smelled in the imp, but dry this is very, very pretty. It *could* be a big bottle but I don't know that it is necessarily dark enough to warrant an every day scent for me. Still an amazing blend.

This is so much different from any other aquatic I've ever sniffed! It's amazing. It is an incensey aquatic like the description says, but it's not at all heavy or dusty. However it's not a very clean dryer sheet kind of aquatic.. it's really unique. I think there is some kind of citrus note in here too which makes it lighter. I read someone compare it to the Yankee candle "Storm Watch" and I have to agree the two are similar, but this is much much better. This scent is absolutely unisex for sure, it's not cologne-y and it's not a really feminine fruity floral sweet blend either.

Mmmm... leather and cologne. This smells more like fancy, rich, suede leather to me than roughed up biker jacket but I love it nonetheless. It is a little too masculine for me to wear by itself but layering it with Sin warms it up and makes it smell more feminine and sexy.

In the vial, it smells very sweet and foody. The second it touches my skin it goes sour, sharp and strong. The spices start to come out immediately, too. As it dries, I can smell the same spices I smelled in Silk Road. Must be cardamom, cinnamon, and nutmeg. The sourness is still there, though it is dissipating. I can smell the soft peachiness underneath starting to come through. Sadly, this does not improve Shame because I loooove pumpkin pie too.

Damn, I can see why this is so many people's favorite! In the bottle I was worried because it smells a lot like my bottle of Snake Oil, but on it morphs into everything I loved about all of my favorite BPAL scents, and then some. It has a light sweetness to it like in Lilith and Dorian, and the beautiful vanilla I smell in Snake Oil when it's in my favorite stage. I can smell the purple fruit in it, I'm not sure which one I'm smelling.. the plum or the pomegranate but it's adding a richness to it that is amazing. It is a mature, sexy, dark scent. Dark without smelling like dirt and patchouli, mature without smelling old lady-ish, and sexy without smelling too much like an animalistic musk. It is just the perfect blend of everything. I'm glad I have a big bottle of it, because I can see myself wearing this absolutely every day.

In the vial, Lilith smells like sticky, fermented grapes. It must be the wine, it doesn't smell boozy at all though in fact it reminds me of the candied raisins from Kalustyan's, or cola. Neat. On me, it morphs into something my boyfriend describes as cotton candy. I know many of you will probably disagree with me, but it reminds me of a darker, sexier version of Dorian for some reason. It has the same kind of sweetness to it on my skin. I absolutely looooooooove it, I will be getting a 5 mL. I could see this perhaps being my signature scent. I did not expect to like this so much because of the rose (I hate rose!) but I could hardly smell it. I didn't smell it in the vial and I didn't smell it on my skin. I don't know what attar of rose is, but they either put very little of it in there, or it's some part of the rose that doesn't smell like rose o_O

Eugh, I thought I loved jasmine. This was not the sweeter brighter jasmine I love in Lush's Godiva shampoo. This is the awful, bitter scent of jasmine that I smelled at an occult shop in New Hope which nearly ruined me for jasmine. I really don't smell anything else in here, and it doesn't morph on me much either. Though something in it did remind me of Debauchery, which I also hated. I can see why everyone on the forum here seems to be so averse to the jasmine note now that I've tried Mata Hari.

If anything smells like Love Spell please tell me so I can stay far, far, far away from it! The only thing I've tried so far that reminds me of Love Spell was Bordello.

While not my personal favorite (like Dorian and Lilith) this one was the boyfriend's favorite, by far. To me, it smells good, but not really sexy. Maybe it's because all I can think of is "head shop" when I wear it, but it does merit a reaction from the man, so I can attest to that. Also, this scent seems to have more throw than other scents I've tried, a little bit goes an even longer way with Lust.

Smells AMAZING! Out of the 18 imps I received this one is my absolute favorite. It smells like a lot of things. My Dad asked what smelled like Pez, my boyfriend thinks it smells like cotton candy, but it doesn't smell like either of those things in my opinion. It is an innocent smell, like sugared Victorian candies over a white bouquet of flowers. But it does not smell childish, or unsophisticated at all. It is a really girly scent, I can't imagine this smelling right on a man.