FathomBelow

Hunger starts of with a bang - a vivid, juicy orange note. As it dries, the vanilla shows up to sweeten it, but quickly bows to black narcissus. Perfect for the description, but unfortunately, I just don't get along with the narcissus - it smells like sweet plastic to my nose. Ultimately, Hunger isn't for me, although anyone who likes black narcissus should give it a go.

As this dries, Hetairae smells like some deliciously tart fruit - pomegranate? - possibly from the ylang ylang. After a while, the honey and clove come out, adding depth and interest to the original scent and making it slightly sweeter. After that, the spices and the fruit war continually for dominance. Hetairae is beautiful and reminds me strongly of Persephone with spices instead of rose. Try it!

I get cinnamon and olive blossom with a touch of honey. These notes, which are all okay-to-wonderful individually, combine to smell like odd waxy-sweet cinnamon. Not bad per se, and even quite interesting to smell, but not what I want to smell like.

On me this is a cold, powdery, oddly stomach-turning green scent - maybe my skin making a mess of the myrtle? I don't get amber at all with Brisingamen. And I can't detect apple blossom or carnation either. All in all, this definitely didn't work out. Oh well, I'm glad I got to try it, and now I know to steer clear of myrtle!

In the bottle, Nocnitsa is a strangely, cloyingly sweet fir/pine that somehow still manages to be compelling. Syrupy is right. On my skin, however, the syrupy-ness mellows out, and this becomes merely a very sweet pine. Very straightforward and simple, not much of a morpher at all. A little less sweet and this would be the scent of a forest floor blanketed in coppery dried pine needles on a hot summer day. A tad sweeter, it would be the scent of a Christmas candle. As it is, it's perfectly balanced between the two. I like it quite a bit - it's almost a nostalgic scent, somehow. And although it does have that Christmas candle likeness at times (I think it depends on the interpretation of the sniffer), for me it's just dissimilar enough that it could be used year round.

In the bottle, I get leather and wood swirling around each other. And swirl is what they pretty much do the entire time on my skin as well. Tonka and incense don't show up at all (neither does parchment, but sometimes paper notes disappear on my skin). The woods really are beautifully soft, not harsh at all. To be precise about the whirling sensation: it's caused by the strength of the leather oscillating. Sometimes it's weaker, blending into the woods and making it smell peppery, almost like really soft cedar wood. When it's stronger, it's clearly distinguishable from the woods, and smells delicious - the soft, old, worn kind of leather, not the shiny, sharper PVC-and-leather in, say, Whip. The leather's changed several times thus far; I don't mind at all because I like both phases, and it adds a bit of interest. And in the meantime, the soft woods stand by to give the scent some stability. All in all, I adore Dee. It's unisex, not in the sense that you can't tell whether it's for a guy or a girl, but rather it could be really masculine or intriguingly feminine depending on who's wearing it. It could be devilishly attractive on the guy, but I think it works well on me too. At least I like it. All in all, one of my new favorites!

Got this bottle at Knows Perfume in Seattle! So happy that we can get BPAL in person over here. In the bottle: A thickly sweet and heavy alcohol note that I rather like, compared to the light, cold alcohol note in, say, Grand Guignol that I didn't take to. On my skin: As it dries, this gets sweeter and almost foody, like a really good dessert that's more booze then cake - almost like an old-fashioned pudding (NOT Christmas or plum, though, I would recognize those). Or a fruitcake or something. In summary, this manages to suggest all the good things in life, and makes me want to do something ridiculously hedonistic. I absolutely love it, but it's way too heavy for the weather right now; I predict it'll be great to perk me up during cold winter weather.

In the bottle, I get a heady whiff of almond and caramel-y toasted coconut. On wet, this is still principally coconut and almond, with a fruity light green note lurking in the background, quite distinctly the fig fruit with a bit of fig leaf. It's weird, because usually the lighter notes are in the forefront for me, with the heavier notes lurking in the background, but this is very clearly the other way around. As the oil dries, the fig gets more and more apparent as the coconut and almond disappear, finally leaving pure fig after the oil dries, almost exactly like the drydown of Tweedledum. I suppose fig must be one of the more enduring notes on me, like rose (yay!) and vetiver (...). Overall, I'm relieved I don't get the buttered popcorn vibe. I like Eden immensely, but I wish the coconut and almond had stayed with me, to give the fig SN drydown some complexity and interest.

On wet, Bengal smells uncannily like fresh cinnamon spice bran cookies. There's even the bread/yeast note of the bran! Yum! As the oil dries, that bread/yeast note disappears, leaving just cinnamon and spice, which in themselves don't morph at all from the original cookie smell. Everything is well mixed - I can smell the cinnamon, which is the lovely old powdered cooking cinnamon type, not the Hot Tamales type, but I can't smell any clove, ginger, honey, or pepper per se. This is absolutely delicious, definitely near the top of the list of my favorite BPALs. I really must try to break out of my recent gourmand scent buying preferences, but how can I when there are so many beautiful ones out there?? Oops, edited for spelling.

I'm not an especially big ginger fan, but this got so many good reviews I just had to give it a try! In the bottle, it's all very austere, monastic wood-incense, very similar to Cathedral. On wet, the ginger shows itself immediately, and the woods gradually give way to a bread-y smell that makes the scent as a whole smell overwhelmingly of gingersnaps. Then, it turns into a very strong, even rank, medicinal ginger. Like a Chinese herb shop. I hope this stage passes quickly... And when my back was turned, this became a stunningly gorgeous, sweet, light ginger, almost floral on me! Like ginger blossom with more oomph. This part would be an excellent work scent - it's youthful and energetic yet professional all at once. I LOVE it and I'm so glad I took a chance on it! On me, this will be great for summer and early fall.

I'll be honest, this one would have to turn out really horrible for me to give it up. I absolutely love Lovecraft stories and the descriptions and role of Miskatonic U in the stories. In the bottle: Strong, sweet hazelnut coffee. Yum! Wet on skin: Lost the coffee. Now it's just caramel-y hazelnut candy. Still yum! If it keeps going like this, I wouldn't mind a bit. As it dries: Pretty much the same. Dry: The coffee comes back, which together with the hazelnut candy are in the foreground. In the background is what I'm guessing to be the "dusty tomes." It's very light and airy but still has a definite presence, and doesn't seem to me so much dusty as papery. Overall, this is a very scholarly scent which I will definitely enjoy wearing to class this winter! I'm so glad it turned out well.

The Lion is all spice on me, and no amber. This is what I wish Plunder had smelled like, in terms of the cinnamon - in Plunder it was more like Hot Tamales candy, here it's old powdered cooking cinnamon, along with nutmeg, with a hint of the heady alcohol-like scent of real vanilla extract and the hint of sweetness in the smell of powdered sugar. Very much reminiscent of Morocco, less sweet and sadly with less depth. In fact, it's very faint indeed on my skin. Beautiful, but I think it could stand some layering to make it more satisfying.

On me, Dragon's Blood is a very pure, elegant white floral from start to finish. I'm pretty sure it's jasmine, but it could be honeysuckle. No cherry and no rose. Even though it's not exactly what I expected from the other reviews, I absolutely love it - a jasmine-y scent that isn't too cloying, heavy, or powdery. It's perfect! The effect is, indeed, very fortifying...blazing with strength indeed!

In the vial and wet on my skin, I only get a very faint, vaguely sweetish scent. It's warm and fresh at the same time, but it's not strong enough for me to clearly identify any components. As it dries, Black Opal goes through this really weird stage where it smells exactly like vaseline. After it dries, I can analyze this a bit more clearly, and I get vanilla and a tiny bit of sandalwood, lightened by iris. It's very similar to Morocco - a fresher, crisper version in contrast to Morocco's overwhelming warmth. I like it, especially the dry down, but the vaseline stage makes me hesitate in deciding to get a bottle. I'll use up the rest of the imp and see.

At first, this is all amber and vanilla, and incredibly sweet. I like incredibly sweet scents, so that's no problem. As it dries, I get occasional flashes of a pleasantly sharpish floral scent from the sweet pea. The sweet pea makes all the difference, giving this that unique edge that I love about BPAL. As time passes, the crispness of the sweet pea steadies out, making this a truly lovely, delicate, scent with the sweet pea perfectly balancing and contrasting with the smooth, warm amber and vanilla. Beautiful all the way through, with a unique edge. Light yet languorous. Definitely a bottle purchase!

In the bottle: Oddly, this is all Christmas spices with sharp scent of pine boughs. Wet on skin: Same, and definitely not what I was expecting. As it dries: The sharp scent mellows, and I can now recognize what I am smelling as the cleanness of cotton combined with the tang of tobacco, the sharpness of cognac, and a teeny bit of the wood of the incense. A sugary sweetness from the vanilla is detectable in the very background, providing enough warmth to make this inviting. Overall, though, much cleaner and lighter than I thought – this wouldn’t be bad for summer. After it dries: The scent becomes a bit sweeter, but without losing its overal coolness. Final opinion: This is giving me the weirdest and clearest picture of a luxurious hotel lobby made of cream-colored marble, in a hot, humid location but vigorously air conditioned. Perhaps I’ve been to a hotel that smelled like Black Lace? Whatever the reason, I will reach for this when I need something refreshing and stimulating. This smells of anticipation.

This is a beautiful, haunting scent. In the bottle and wet on my skin: it's pretty much pure opium. This is my first experience of BPAL opium, and I'll describe it as dusty and ever so slightly sweet; it manages to convey both a "dry" and a "wet" feeling at the same time. It smells exactly like the my aunt's house: shadowy and opulent, full of mysterious old paintings, delicate antiques, lace, and sculpted glass. As it dries, it sweetens even more, going through a honeylike stage that somehow reminds me of dirty diapers (I've heard honey does that on some peoples' skins but this is the first time it's happened to me). Fortunately, this stage passes quickly. Once dry: the rose becomes much more distinct, blending beautifully with the opium. This is warm and seductive yet a little sinister and truly gothic, imo. I've never tried any of the Lucy Westenra scents, but to me, this is what vampire Lucy would smell like, coming back to her tomb with the kidnapped child the night Van Helsing and the others kill her. All in all, a wonderful scent that I rejoice in possessing! I probably will save it for winter, though, as it might be too heavy for summer.

This was all the way through a fruity floral kind of scent, in the same vein as Titania. You truly can't pick out any of the individual components, but they all blend together to create this rich and complex yet not too heavy, sweet but not too sweet, thoroughly pleasing scent. Delicate yet robust is the perfect way to describe it. Unfortunately, unlike Titania, on me this develops a distinct waxy note similar to what appeared on me in The Unicorn. It will most likely be swapped away, but I'm glad I got to try it!

The last and one of the best of the "men" scents I'm testing (the others being Villain, Vicomte de Valmont, and Calico Jack). In the imp and on my skin, wet: A really acrid, sharp, sap-like herbal smell that turned my stomach a little. I wonder what it could be coming from - the leather? Fortunately, it quickly settles down... On my skin, dry: This is much better. The leather (very soft and nice, now), anise, and lavender seem to be most prominent on my skin, with the bergamot and lemon peel faint but lightening everything up, and the tonka and amber making it ever so slightly sweet. The patchouli isn't even detectable. Very much a cologne, but in a good way. Final opinion: If I thought Vicomte de Valmont was a father-figure type scent, Casanova is that times one hundred. But that's because this smells like L'Occitane's 4 Voleurs, which my own dad is fond of wearing. Therefore, this makes me feel safe and at home, but it definitely does not scream "sexy librarian." In fact, Dad + sexy librarian = threat of head exploding.

Gah, just managed to spill half the imp on my wrist. Wet on skin: Let's see...I can smell the mint and a bit of the rosemary, as well as some unknown components...the Spanish moss, perhaps? It smells clean and manly, which eliminates Valmont from bottle-worthy status for one of my rather feminine tastes. But I would enjoy smelling this on someone else - it projects strength and confidence. Oddly, this doesn't smell romantically appealing as others have noted...it's more of a father-figure scent, to me. As it dries: Gets deeper and muskier - the ambergris and white musk coming out to play, maybe. The rosemary and (maybe) Spanish moss are as strong as ever, although the mint is diminishing. Thankfully, the white musk has not yet turned nasty as it does sometimes with Whitechapel on me. I like it and may just keep it around although I won't use it. It's a pity I don't know any guys who are into scent.

I adore Dorian, and Villain has that lavender fougere in common. I also quite like lime. However, lilac is a note of death on me. Then I put this on and thought, hot damn, this is good! On wet, it's lavender with a hint of lime, which cools the scent down rather than exerting any particular character of its own. After it dries, however, it does turn into straight up baby wipes. Currently I'm undecided about getting rid of the imp or not. If it just stayed like it was when wet...!

Unfortunately, this is extremely off-putting in the imp - heavy, thick, and overbearing. As a floral lover, this would represent the worst side of florals. As it dries, fortunately, it mellows somewhat, although it never loses that first heaviness that can only be described as, well, matronly. I'm at a loss as to know what's causing it - I usually love rose and myrrh on me. Maybe it's the jasmine, although it doesn't smell like my previous experiences (non-BPAL, admittedly) of jasmine. Hmmm. There's also a note coming through that reminds me of...wine?!? (The real deal, not BPAL wine, which smells good but not really like wine at all on my skin.) Yeah, this goes crazy on me. Ultimately it becomes this thick blend of florals which smells not really bad, but off to me somehow. On the plus side, the description is spot on to what I'm smelling. However, I'm afraid it'll be a giveaway.

I love this one! Wet on skin: Dominated by the same wood note in Jolly Roger, although in this, something is tempering it, making it softer somehow. As it dries: Leather (the good kind - subtle and soft, not astringent or new-car-ish at all) becomes apparent - maybe it was this that was tempering the woods note earlier. After it dries: Leather and woods in equal proportions. Mmm, this makes me want to lean in and breathe in more! The overall impression, on me, is of warmth - smelling it makes you (or rather, me) think of being hugged by a guy friend you admire and like and miss because you haven't seen him in a while. It's not an obviously "romantic" scent. It's soft and friendly and inviting. Definitely unisex.

No. 93 Engine Wet on skin: I have no idea what most of the listed components smell like, so I can only describe this as an aromatic, spicy, woody scent – maybe from the balsam of peru? Smells like cedar on hormones. Quite masculine. As it dries: Gets fractionally sweeter – I hope that’s the beeswax and/or benzoin coming out, because right now this is just too much for me. A little later on, I can detect the lemon balm, very high up in the nose. After it dries: Stays pretty much the same until it fades into a sweetish/spicy scent. Final opinion: I guess the Steamworks line and me were just not meant to be - appropriate really, as I've never been a machinery sort of person. There is something about both this and Ether which makes my stomach churn. This will be going to my giveaway pile.

Hecate In the bottle: Almond, heady and strong. I like it! Wet on skin: Still that delicious almond. Here's hoping it stays this way... As it dries: The myrrh reveals itself, giving this some complexity and depth. I LOVE this right now. After it dries: Drat. This becomes pure myrrh. I do like myrrh very much - it's just that if I want this scent I could war Penitence just as easily. Final opinion: I like it, but not as much as I did when wet. Still, I'll keep the imp.