Lycanthrope

HUMANITAS No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted. - Aesop Carnation, black cherry, wild strawberry, helichrysum, and frankincense. Shea oil, olive oil, mineral oil, apricot kernel oil, fractionated coconut oil, rosehip seed, evening primrose oil, vitamin E, Helichrysum italicum, isopropyl myristate, glycereth-7-cocoate (derived from coconut), oleth 3, and Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab perfume blends. From the bottle, Humanitas is a very strong, fruity fragrance - so much dark, sweet, overpoweringly sweet cherry, and a hint of strawberry. Applied directly to the skin it is a powerful, super-strong cherry. Artificial smelling... at first! In the water (and also on the skin longer) - it appears to transition away from cherry as that note lightens, and the carnation and frankincense peek through. The oil continues to transition towards a much more 'Ysabel' like bath oil fragrance, sweet, bright resinous kissed carnation. The strawberry lends a small amount of cold juiciness and pulpiness to the blend and it smells quite nice. Overall, soft, gentle, definitely 'a kind act.' I like it.

What is this? It starts off very green and grassy, with a bit of a sharper leafiness (maybe the myrtle). Definitely more the plant honey myrtle as opposed to actual honey. Very weirdly, two hours in, and this is going very musky on me. Like, a relative of red musk but less rich, yet, all at the same time, not as work friendly as I thought. So, it started off fresh, leafy, and turns rich, lacquered faint woods, like... what I would imagine aspen tree wood would smell like, bright, golden, yellow-ish green, a morpher. It -is- very similar to Laughter of Loki, same green musk note, just stronger than I expected and differently sensual.

The spirit of the full moon is capricious, intense and passionate, yet still distant, aloof and cold. Luna herself governs glamours, bewitchments and dream-work, innocent wonder, transient pleasure and delight, the Moment, impulse, mystery and veils. The Blue Moon is one of her rarest manifestations, and this scent is formulated to encapsulate her most complex and profound nature: Mugwort, for psychic sensitivity... Calea Zacatechichi, yarrow, and mastic for divination through dreams... Frankincense and hyssop for complexity, wisdom and noscere... ... with a potent lunar-charged, oneirongenic blend of blue musk, exquisite woods, moonflower, evening stock, Madagascan ylang ylang, Florentine iris, Greek cypress, green tea absolute, palmarosa, cucumber, rose milkweed, Clary sage, lavender, lemon balm, and passion fruit. I have been looking for the elusive cucumber-tinged, original Blue Moon but haven't found it quite yet. That said this is very pretty. Starts of with a heavy cologne bite that scared me a touch, likely it was the blue musk and tea, clary sage, doing a little oddness. There are so many components and initially the blend is a touch sharp around the edges but then becomes a very indescribable, soft, hazy scent. I don't know, but Blue Moon hasn't ever been 'blue' in color to me in terms of scent association. Not terribly lemony. Misty. Reedy? And like... glowy. Beautiful, and I wish I'd ordered another one. But not moistly cucumber, which I was kind of hoping for.

I did a cross-country move back in... um, 200...9? I had an overnight in some place called Grand Lake, and even changed a Travelocity booking because I didn't trust the hotel, cuz, you know, BPAL. Everything still smells great, even my *cough* 2005 Snake Oil 10 mL It is even better because it stood up to those Nebraskan (theoretical) ruffians!

Pale, elegant lily blossoms gilded with snow and lightly brushed with sugarcane. Because I'm weird. I ordered this because I love lily, but only the stargazer type. Not knowing which type was a risk, I suppose. Smelling from the spray top (see above), I definitely get Beth's frosty, slushy snow note (a la Cloister Graveyard in the Snow, Dust of Snow, etc). I spritzed a bit of this into my palm and spread it to smell it. Initially it's a very sappy, petally, clear, very white lily petal, and I'm definitely getting more of a Stargazer / oriental lily vibe versus muguet/of the valley. The sharpness almost has a boughy, evergreen like quality to it but that may be the snow note playing tricks on me. As it has a bit of time to calm down on my skin, which is in moments (like 3-5 minutes) the sharpness is gone and it rises to the surface as an ethereal, ripply fabric-like cold lily, and most definitely the cold, slushy snow note I love in many blends. There's almost a trickle of water in this. It reminds me partially of Sea of Glass without being as frankly rose-y. Which, OMG. Why did I make that comparison, now I need it forever. On distant drydown there's a little sugar, but it's by no means caramelized like Sugar Skull (that type of sugar goes really wrong on me long term). So, scent wise, this is a beautiful, not overtly floral but still extremely charming winter lily, which could be worn in winter for sure but may also make for a ravishing summer, iced flower scent.

IN THE DARKNESS THEY MURMURED AND MINGLED And they laughed, changing hands in the measure, And they mixed and made peace after strife; Pain melted in tears, and was pleasure; Death tingled with blood, and was life. Like lovers they melted and tingled, In the dusk of thine innermost fane; In the darkness they murmured and mingled, Our Lady of Pain. Labdanum, black plum, black currant, violet, and champaca flower. Burns great, and has great throw cold, too. Smells like a brown-golden resin, and juicy, dark berries and plum. The violet is quite apparent and is adding a subtle powdery velvet scent. If I sniff hard enough, the champaca adds an incensy element to the entire thing. On fire, this is resin/fruit dominant, but you can still tell the violet is there. I love this! MOAR! ETA: My candle appears to be tunneling real bad - I did burn it out the first time, but maybe it's dense perfume oils? It has a good rim of 1 cm of wax all around and the wick is drowning / shrinking independently. Hrm.

It smells like... the dirt component of Down the Rabbit Hole atmosphere spray, including the grassiness. There is a subtle background like Coyote, but not that strong. It's very nice! I love DtRH spray, so this is perfect for light wear. I am glad I got two bottles.

This is rich and velvety. I get a very nice, smooth vanilla sandalwood mostly, with the roundness of musk. The lotus is just a tiny kiss. By the name I was expecting something very luminescent, bright, citrussy, floral, but this is like... what ivory would smell like, very bright ivory, with a hint of the green spark. It's very nice. I like.

AUTUMN GROVE Black oak bark and fallen acorns on a bed of dry leaves. Definitely a very leafy scent, with a fresh wet leafy green sappiness. The scent is similar to the dry twigs and a faint dirt scent like in Down the Rabbit Hole, but definitely strong on the musty crackling leaves. In my car, I smell like I have a leaf pile sitting next to me, all like 'how you doin'?' It's very authentic, and not a traditional perfume! Quite organic.

WHEN THY WILL STUNG THE WORLD INTO STRIFE Dost thou dream, in a respite of slumber, In a lull of the fires of thy life, Of the days without name, without number, When thy will stung the world into strife; When, a goddess, the pulse of thy passion Smote kings as they revelled in Rome; And they hailed thee re-risen, O Thalassian, Foam-white, from the foam? Dragon's blood resin, red ginger, bourbon geranium, thorny rosemary, red sandalwood, pink pepper, and green coffee bean. Herbal, spicy, dry. I forgot that this has geranium in it - which is an amping note. The geranium and rosemary together make this into a more 'therapeutic' smelling herbal blend. After it is on the skin for a little while, the pepper and ginger lend it a cool but spicy heat, which is a hint sweet. This does not have much 'coffee' note, nor is it a very strong dragon's blood. I think the sandalwood is grounding a few otherwise flighty, airy notes. I would say this is a scent that represents a 'sting' beautifully! I'm going to have to try it a few more times.

On my skin at least, this starts off a bit sage-y (chaparral), and then veers right into a very pretty Hetairae variant. It turns into a lightly spiced carnation fig in the drydown, hints of the reddish Spanish Carnation note keep wafting up to me. It's very good, and at least for me this is a very 'fall' type of fragrance. Surprisingly, I am not amping honey or caramel (both of which can be problems). The honey is light, and not at all overpowering. I will nab a backup or two.

This is very light, but very atmospheric, and I think probably more true to the idea of Autumn than any other scent I have run across. It is predominantly a slightly dry, woodsy maple leaf, with maybe a hint of frost (so, not frankly mint, although there is some coolness, maybe a mist note like in Leanan Sidhe but not as aquatic, a very slight brush of smoke, but not so much as to be dominant like bonfire). I don't know how else to phrase it, but it has the idea of October and November without being In-Your-Face-Leaf-Pile like October, and much much less snow/slush than November. It really does bridge multiple components of the end of the year. Similarly to Wanderbyy, this is one of the softest throws I have ever experienced with BPAL - I have to work to find it even after five large swaths over both wrists, neck, sternal notch. And it is pretty much gone and needing refreshment in an hour. Like it, but will use only intermittently.

So, interestingly, this strikes me as a less resinous, more reedy La Lugubre Gondola, probably because of the strong golden amber note. This has a sweet, nice and spicy drydown but is less rich, and more leafy (pepper, bay and cedar?). That being said, I definitely think of leaves and cold air when I wear this. I will get a single backup probably.

So, I have had this for a few days and I wore it to work today. I smell very strongly of that cherry-pink cake at this moment. However, since I am an old person and have been wearing BPAL for a long time I definitely get a strong nostalgia link to 'I Fell in Love with a Floating Brain' from Dark Delicacies... um, 2008? There are some differences but the basic idea is very similar and I think it is because of the 'cake' and 'strawberry' together. Very Pink Surprise Cake has the same strong berry fruit note, but it is not quite as spicy floral (minus carnation) and I definitely don't get the rindy grapefruit I get from IFILWAFB. That being said, this is nice, but for me, not hoardworthy as I may have a few brains in my closet already. If you liked IFILWAFB or missed it, this is definitely a nice supporting player.

To me this reads really smooth foodie, like an iris cookie covered with vanilla buttercream. It is very exquisite. I have two of these atmos, probably won't need more but one extra may make its way in to my cart...

THE SNACK HUT Hot popcorn covered in a glowing golden liquid substance, fried things, and artificially flavored cherry frozen carbonated beverages, extra-loaded with high-fructose corn syrup. Wet, in bottle: Smells a bit like soft butter, with a syrupy soda fruit aroma. On, it's cherry lip balm on my skin, which gradually evens out and loses the waxy aroma and turns more into... cherry cola! Yay! There's maybe a hint of crusty foodiness, but it's not overwhelming at all. A touch of popcorn-like savory foodiness, but not at all like Shill. Drying down, again, mostly slightly fizzy cherries, a hint of sugar, with a bit of corny cornification. Over time, the cherry morphs into this very sharp, slightly... fruit leathery... berry thing. Oh, not for me.

I see that this is sold out on the page as of my review. I am on the fence about this one. It definitely is a 'more acceptable' patchouli, in that I can tell there is patchouli in this but it's not a very potent, or pungent form. That's mostly what I smell with this wet on my skin. Throw is moderate, less than I expected. It goes sweet and towards an inobtrusive vanilla over several minutes. There's a touch of spiciness but it's not like a huge amount of pepper as in like a black pepper EO. It's truly a bit more dry, subtle. I don't get nearly as much champaca as Khajuraho (which is like, my favorite thing ever), but near very distant drydown this reads more like a deeper, vanilla-champaca. Still quite light. I would say this is... comparable to Laughter of Loki, although LoL is a bit more leafy and to me more smooth. There's a little disconnect in the dark elements and light elements to me here, in that the scent is bouncing between the two for me. Mostly I get the vanilla-champaca a bit further away from my wrist, more even patchouli when closer. Strange. Although I may want to pick up a spare bottle, this would be a great cold weather or autumn scent.

Right, so this is not 'the weirdest' BPAL that I have ever tried (I think that belongs to Licwiglunga (sp?)), but is certainly super strange. So super fruity. But mostly yuzu rind. I do get a high pitched touch of thyme, and it has a rosemary-like top note, that veers towards... sharp, high pitched woods. Then the mandarin comes out and it's like CITRUUUUS (rind), even with the touch of bitterness when you bite into the wrong part of a grapefruit. Since I amp citrus, this runs away into the lime-orange-yuzu field. I vaguely remember ordering this but am not sure why, since I know what citrus oils do on me. I think I was hoping I would get more 'red' or 'purple' but the overarching color I get from this is 'light yellow' or 'orange yellow.' /doge So sunny, so fruity, much citrus.

I was very excited about Little Metalmark, and overall it's not a wow on me. I was particularly interested in Nagarmotha (Cypriol), which is described as vetiver-like, woodsy. In the bottle and wet this smells sweet, so I can detect the 'sweet musk.' It reminds me a little bit of smoke, sweetgrass incense smoke. On my skin, the musk pops for maybe about five minutes before being gobbled up completely by a vetiver-like, very smoky woodsiness. The wood is dry feeling, crackly, like a smoother cedar, but without the sharp shavings-like aroma (no pencils!) The smoke continues to amp, so this gets more gritty over time. It does kind of dry down to a slightly sweet, rounded, complicated dry wood, not terribly powdery, and not as deep or thrummy as sandalwood... but similar. I don't think I will need more than this bottle, since throw and longevity is quite good. I would say if you like Cathedral, anything of Beth's that is woodsy or atmospheric, or a more natural scent, you should try Little Metalmark. I am, however, curious now about getting some pure Nagarmotha EO.

HERODOTUS’ PHOENIX They have also another sacred bird called the phoenix which I myself have never seen, except in pictures. Indeed it is a great rarity, even in Egypt, only coming there (according to the accounts of the people of Heliopolis) once in five hundred years, when the old phoenix dies. Its size and appearance, if it is like the pictures, are as follow:- The plumage is partly red, partly golden, while the general make and size are almost exactly that of the eagle. They tell a story of what this bird does, which does not seem to me to be credible: that he comes all the way from Arabia, and brings the parent bird, all plastered over with myrrh, to the temple of the Sun, and there buries the body. In order to bring him, they say, he first forms a ball of myrrh as big as he finds that he can carry; then he hollows out the ball, and puts his parent inside, after which he covers over the opening with fresh myrrh, and the ball is then of exactly the same weight as at first; so he brings it to Egypt, plastered over as I have said, and deposits it in the temple of the Sun. Such is the story they tell of the doings of this bird. - Herodotus, Histories A fragrant shroud: myrrh from Yemen, Oman, and West Africa with a touch of copal and frankincense. These came in record time. Phoenixes in my mailbox! Wet, this is a sweet, rich and complicated myrrh. Almost like the SN Myrrh topnote. Immediately on the skin, it does not disappoint as a swirl of deep, chewy, brown-singed sweet sticky myrrh heading more on the side of smoky rather than sweet or pungent, arises from the tiniest drop on the back of my hand. Over time, it starts to lighten just a touch but is not really heavy on the copal or frankincense. I think both of these sweeter resins give a touch of levity and an even, slightly bright high resin note to what would be a murky, mysterious, excessively but wonderfully dark swirl of myrrh. It's magnificently striking and I like this more then Penitence. All things considered, however, I would probably not need more than one bottle of this, as a tiny spot has refrickudiculous throw! This is a touch more complex than the myrrh SN but any and all myrrh lovers must try this!

The sun turns black, earth sinks in the sea: black amber and shimmering moonflower blackened by opoponax, khus attar, smoked oudh, and myrrh and all swallowed by the fathomless depths of a lightless ocean. So, this is a very interesting, drippingly thick scent. It's almost pitch black and thick as a mofo when decanting. The immediate feel is R'Lyeh, that similar murky citrus salt scent with a hint of seaweed and decay, except that this is a little more sweet, less citrussy, and it is feeling much more complex. The amber is not the same as the ones in like, La Lugubre, but it is definitely a sweet resin. I get the multiple smokey components as a thrill of incense smoke running over the predominantly sweet-ish environmental oceanic, and while I get a touch of bitter from the khus it is not terribly overpowering. The moonflower is probably in there somewhere, making sure this doesn't get too muddy, but I honestly can't find it as a dominant note. I would get this if you like R'Lyeh, and other deep oceanics, and want to try an artistic variation. I have to retest this one maybe in the dark of night.

The scent of utter desolation: three long white winters ushering in the end of the world. Endless rolling landscapes of snow and ice, bereft of bud, flower, or seed. These long, white winters, are very lemony, fresh, and cleansing! Wet, on the skin, it's a very potent lemon top note. Not so much lemongrass, more lemon balm, over a hint of a eucalyptoid mint. Maybe a form of eucalyptus that is minty? Throw is very light, but so very fresh. It's not super snowy, so I don't get much of Beth's sweet, soft powder. This reminds me of a very gentle, environmental scent. Maybe there's just a hint of dirt in the background, to get the earthiness and lack of other touches. No sweetness here. I would say this is kind of like... slushy dirty snowballs, made of lemon ice. Intriguing. Not what I expected, and not usually my type of ozonic snow, so I can pass on bottling up, I think.

Black leather accord with olibanum, black pepper, white sandalwood, luminous Asian blossoms, and sheer elemi. Wet in the bottle this smells ashy, dry, brown, gritty. Earthy. On the skin it definitely throws a very potent, dirty leather note. This is not the clean leather note of Brom Bones, this is deep and snappy, and worn well. This, however, is not a masculine dirty leather, the blossoms and white sandalwood are detectable immediately and give this a lightness that is both softening yet really pulls this into contrast. This reminds me of a much more complex The White Rider, in that there is that heavenly sandalwood present. The black pepper is not terribly apparent but this is a scent that smolders. I wonder if there is a little white ginger lily and ylang in this, since it veers towards exotic. Over time this mellows into a sweet, smooth, gently leather, mostly floral resin note, with a hint of carnality and naughty civet-like musky sweetness. I don't know why but this reminds me of a really beautiful, slick-black leather designer purse. Even though I don't own one. I put this on my skin and behind me is this woman in a beautiful perfect black dress, holding one of those 1940s cigarette extenders, tilting her head and asking me in a disinterested tone "well, sir, why don't you just buy it if it's so good," as she gets out a compact from said purse and adjusts her kohl. ETA: Holy cow! The drydown on this is amazing, it reminds me of some high end perfume I once had, I think the woodsy part of the drydown of Bond No. 9's Andy Warhol Silver Factory. I must continue to test this!

Holy fargle! This is so spicy! And it reminds me of... (showing my age)... Three Witches. It's sweet-ish, and a bit more musky, but has a beautiful dry, spicy scent. It's in the family of Wrath without being so sweet, and is a husky, very raw aroma. It's not pretty, but it is spicy, and it is made of cocks! Ok, talking about cocks distracted me from describing the scent further. Rich, red, kind of... red-orange in color, smells peppery (pimento?), and the ginger and cubeb I would say are much more potent than the resin amber. I don't get much floral at all from this. Clove is really pretty. Skin scent, but spicy enough that I could probably NOT get away with this at work. I think I need to buy... TWENTY SEVEN COCKS.

What an interesting scent. High resins and deep sparkly pepper are in the forefront. Drying, it goes both ways - the sweetness of the tuberose but the sharp downturn and lushness of lily petal. Black pepper continues to provide a bit of a dry, scruffy base at the bottom of the whole fragrance. Melds together into something that reads to me as 'gold-orange.' The petals remain fairly strong so drydown leads me towards spicy stargazer lily. Very interesting. Keeping my bottle.