theseagrows

this starts off with amber and vanilla cream, the cognac and saffron peeking out moments later. i do get something that smells like tobacco next, as previous reviewers have mentioned. i'm wondering if it's the "golden" oudh. i've tried bpal's black, red and white oudhs, but i don't recall trying a scent with golden oudh, so maybe that's it. overall it's a beautiful, warm golden scent, and i think it will really shine in the fall/winter seasons.

i got a frimp of this in a swap. it's a heavy musk with hints of herbal/greenery. nice in a way, but a bit too potent for this cat.

first off i get sweet patchouli, almond and a hint of pine. after a few minutes i get the fig and the vanilla, sweetening the scent up. something in this gets slightly rubbery, probably the fig. it's not too bad though. after about 15-20 minutes it gets so pretty. i'm not sure what notes are standing out now, but it seems like patchouli, almond and pine and i am liking it. i think this will be especially great in winter.

i experience this scent as strong, yet comforting, like a strong mother or crone archetype woman. sweetness and strength. i smell rose, beeswax and coconut the most. the other scents are background players. i would love to try this in an oil burner, as i think it would create a comforting and strengthening, supportive atmosphere.

i tried this tonight while doing yoga. i felt very very calm and grounded-it was much easier to silence my mind and with my yoga practice there is a part to imagine oneself as a tree with roots. this scent definitely made me feel deeply rooted, and it was much easier to do so. the scent seems a little bit powdery and earthy, but i am not sure of the notes. i think this really helped deepen my yoga practice, and i could see using this regularly for yoga and meditation.

i received a frimp of this, it was not something i would likely try myself because of the aquatic notes. still i like trying BPAL's so here goes. it starts off with a slighty salty aquatic note. it's a nice scent at this point, very spa-like. after about 5-10 minutes, the saltiness gives way and it's just aquatics and maybe some woods. i don't seem to get spices, leather or musk at this point. the salt seems to come and go-it's just all woodsy salty aquatics on me.

this is super churchy and smoky. i get rose oudh and incense mostly, i think, with the myrrh backing it up. after about 20 minutes, the myrrh calms down a bit and it's a rosy incense. i'm really liking it a lot now, rosy and churchy...brings to mind saints with thorny rose crowns. love it.

i must be amping the cardamom in this...it smells like an indian dessert or kind of like authentic chai tea. it's got indian spices going on too. i don't seem to get any carnation, just a strong cardamom with hints of milk. after about 30-45 minutes i get some carnation and this gets less foody, but it's still there. i think the honey is balancing things out. however, i'm just not sure this one is for me.

starting off, it's a thick, rich honey with a hint of soft florals. after about 5 minutes i seem to get another note i can't place. then that fades and i get just honey...honey single note, and it remains that way for the drydown. very pretty, especially if you like honey.

this is surprisingly subtle-i get cassis and khus at first. after about 5 minutes i get some amber, with no leather to speak of. 20 minutes in i get a hint of leather. this scent is nice but it's *so* subtle, i can hardly smell it at all. i believe it's mostly khus and pepper on me during the drydown.

i was hoping for the cedar to be subtle, but of course i amp it to 11 and it's all pencil shavings with a hint of rose. daaamnit. it almost works, if that cedar wasn't so prevalent.

i'm not a huge lover of coffee scents, but this one sounded amazing! right off i get a rich coffee with cardamom. i love that it's green/spicy and not too sweet. after more time on the skin, i believe i'm getting hints of black pepper and nutmeg. at that point i really liked the scent, but after another half hour or so, the coffee gets super bitter and is a little stomach churning...this has happened often with me and coffee scents, maybe i just amp the note too much? off to swaps with this one.

i get mostly vetiver and vegetal musk at first. it smells like a murky, slightly spicy irish spring soap. it's very traditionally masculine at this point, and i am hoping it doesn't stay this way. after a few minutes i get some coriander and a hint of leather, which gets stronger over time. to me this is irish spring and leather, not really aligning with my tastes, sadly.

whoo boy, this is one of those strong, indolic jasmines...along with the oudh, it's quite intense at first. after about 20 minutes, i get some tuberose and oppoponax which tones down the jasmine a bit and warms up the scent, however this jasmine stays strong, so i think i will swap this one.

right off i think i smell olive blossom the strongest, with a hint of leather. after a few more seconds, i get the clove, and the leather is getting stronger. it ends up mostly leather with clove and something sour, but the sourness fades on the drydown, thankfully. this one is alright but not amazing on my skin, so it's off to swaps.

i believe i get the mushroom musk with some hints of rooibos leaf. the oakmoss is supporting in the background. this smells leafy/earthy and a bit cologne-y as others have mentioned. this evokes beams of light shooting through the tall redwoods of a forest. not heavy or dark, it's lighter yet still shaded. it's mildly aquatic, which is the cologne aspect. i get something more woody after being on the skin about 10 minutes, and the familiar mushroom note is coming through more. after being on my skin 30+ minutes, i reach the point where i enjoy it the most. the green/watery aspect has calmed down and it's more of a tea scent. pretty, but i'm just not sure how often i would wear it.

i think i get mostly fig, it's fruity and a bit sweet...turning plasticky on me. other than that i think i get vanilla and a hint of incense. this is one of those fruity scents that smells like a scented doll on me. instant memory trip to childhood and strawberry shortcake and her friends. i was hoping for one of those greener figs but this is a ripe fruity one, which sadly doesn't work with my skin chemistry.

in the opening i get the sugared red musk, tobacco, vanilla and pink pepper. after about 5 minutes, i get some tobacco, and maybe sandalwood and a hint of leather. still, the red musk, tobacco and pink pepper seem to be the strongest notes. this is a very warm, red, tobacco-y sugary scent. it's very warm and inviting, but i think i need to give it another try before the final verdict.

at first i get all incense and balsam. it definitely smells musty and dark, like an old cobweb-strewn cellar with vampires at rest. after about 10 minutes i get tons of powdery myrrh and some rose. this is giving a similar feel to vamp goth, i believe, and i like it a lot!

first off i smell patchouli, saffron and juniper. after awhile on the skin i get the vanilla sandalwood. i don't smell any oudh or leather. this seems patchouli dominant on me. it's warm, resiny and golden, a pretty scent!

this smells like vanilla baby powder with a hint of something almost chocolaty. i'm not getting any brimstone. this reminds me of lush scents a bit, though it's very subtle on the skin.

a frimp from the lab! i tend to avoid the lab's dragon's blood. it's not terrible or anything, just not my cup of tea. however, sniffed the imp of this and i think it could be promising. when first applied i smell the familiar cherry/lilac dragon's blood thing with a hint of musk, though the dragon's blood is most prominent. after awhile the musks balance out with the dragon's blood and i am quite liking this! this is the first ars draconis scent that i have liked on me. definitely a keeper.

i tested this at drag con because it smelled of leather in the bottle, and i love a leather scent. however, i do not love ozone, but i was pleasantly surprised by this-i liked it better than i thought i would. at first it's pure black leather with nary another note. after walking around the con awhile, and re-sniffing, i do smell the ozone, but it's not as overwhelming as some ozones i've experienced. the ozone seemed like it almost had a bit of a citrussy sweetness to it, which i liked. it's balanced well, and while i did like the scent, it's not something i would wear often, so i passed on purchasing, but if you're a leather lover, you may like this.

i sampled this at drag con, so forgive me if my memory is a bit hazy. it starts off with neroli and champaca, i believe. i remember thinking it was citrussy but there was an underlying warmth to it. after walking around the con for a bit it got deeper, more vanilla and amber cream-very pretty, kind of a warm scent with a bit of crispness.

received as a frimp from the lab!

it starts of green and spicy. i'm trying to tell what this green scent is. it's not pine or fir, it's more leafy/forest-y but not in a pine way. it's more wet/rainforest than coniferous, i think. it has a bit of a camphor-like zing to the green as well. i am wondering if the spiciness is black pepper and ginger? this is definitely fresh & spicy. after a few minutes on the skin, i think i get a hint of cedar and something citrussy, perhaps grapefruit or lemon, but i really don't know! i'd say this scent is fairly unisex. i'm not the greatest at deciphering notes, but it's a fresh green scent with spices and hints of woods and a hint of sweetness that i can't place. could be yuzu? i dunno