riddel

A vampiric good time. Sexy and suckable: black cherry brandy and a whisper of red wine. 2014 Version This is all sweet, juicy cherries when wet; red candy smoothness when dry. I can't pick out any brandy or wine but there's a warmth underneath that might be their contribution. Yes, it's a little cough syrup-y at first, but that fades with time. Poor cherries, to forever be associated with cough syrup (and, in turn, illness). But yeah, this is exactly what I wanted it to be: a sweet, lush "red" scent that I can wear alone or use for layering (mostly layering as I love sweet redness and I must sweeten and redden ALL THE THINGS). I have visions of this mixed with Blood Popsicle and Hollywood Babylon. I like those visions. The vampire imagery doesn't hurt, either. Vaaaaaaaaampires.

This is fresher and greener than I was expecting. The ivy, she is strong in this one. When wet, the dirt smells rich and damp. It dries down to a clean, earthy scent with a lot of herbal leafiness and a slight undertone of figgy richness. I like it! It's not what I was expecting -- I was hoping for graveyard chic, whereas this is more gardening chic -- but it does feel like early fall to me.

OMFG. I can't with this scent, guys and gals. I CAN'T. It is just that friggin' good. It's Cathedral made sweeter with gingerbread spices. Simple, yes, but gorgeous all the same.

I love me some Sin. It's such a rich, warm, don't-eff-with-me scent. Yet, despite its attitude and swagger, it's not a strong scent, at least not on me. It always dries down quite light and very much becomes a second-skin scent, which is right up my alley. Gingerbread Sin is no exception. It has the same light drydown, which makes me happy. BPAL's gingerbread note is always a bit strong and bread-y at first, but it always dries down to gingerbread spices. So this ends up being Sin + faint gingerbread spices. I'm more than okay with that. It's Sin made festive and spicier. Gingerbread goes great with so many BPALs. Gingerbread all the things, Beth. Gingerbread all the things.

Oh, dear. This one is not for me. I smell the black tea, patchouli, and something that smells like black licorice, but they're combining in a way that smells... asceptic. Like a hospital. Or rubbery, like bandaids. I don't know how or why, but I work in a hospital and I often come home smelling similar to this. But take my review with a grain of salt. Others are obviously smelling something different. I think, too, that I just don't get along well with tea + vanilla-type scents. I don't like Dorian or White Rabbit, either, and both of those are quite beloved.

Oh, there's BPAL's beautiful frankincense note. This is like a thicker, richer Midnight Mass on me. There's a dark, molasses-like quality to it. A little sweetly-sour, even. Somebody above said "syrup-y," which I can see. Not food-y, though. No, no. I do prefer the lighter, smoother Midnight Mass; but I can definitely see myself reaching for this in certain moods. It's lovely. I miss the Salons. I'm glad they are back, if only in a limited, traveling form.

Fiiiiiiiiig. I, too, tried this without reading the notes first. I could have sworn there was some tobacco in this but I guess not. I didn't pick up on any patchouli, which I lurve, but it being in here does make sense. I get strong, tobacco-y fig with a warm fuzziness that reminds me of mushrooms, as opposed to smelling exactly like mushrooms. It's yum. Really yum. The Nutcracker is the only BPAL I have backup bottles of and this reminds me of a heavier, earthier version of The Nutcracker. I may just need a bottle for my dirtier fig moods. Also, I love pigs.

The vanilla is strong on me and quite food-y. The smoky wax is there, as well. The spices remind me of gingerbread. The sandalwood smells like the sandalwood in Anne Bonny. I'm down with that. It does have a slightly sour undertone on me that I'm not A+ on. I won't be getting rid of it anytime soon, though. It intrigues the heck out of me. I can tell that I'll be sniffing and applying it rather frequently, if only to get a better handle on it. I can see myself wanting to wear it in certain moods. It's not quite like anything else in my collection. Man, overall, the Liliths and the Weenies have been big winners for me this year.

Oh, this is gorgeous! It's like a lighter, citrus-y A Moment in Time with a touch of resins. Seeing as how A Moment in Time is my favorite Lilith scent -- and, quite truthfully, it's in my top three BPAL scents of all-time -- I'm more than happy to have something else in my collection that reminds me of it. Insert lots of hearts here.

I'm not fond of ambergris. I didn't realize that until today. It has this salty-foam-y-skin-musk thing that is not for me. If ambergris is your thing, however, this scent will make you very happy. It's warm and fuzzy and very much a second-skin scent. The pop of currant is a nice touch. For sweater days, I'll reach for Sonnet d'Automne.

I've been a fan of BPAL since 2004. When I first smelled Samhain I was astounded at how gosh darned evocative it was. It was just way too strong for me. Mofo had some throw. (Now, all of these years later, I can happily enjoy Samhain in candle form. And I do. Oh, I do. BPAL, you're all growed ups. Sniffle.) But this... this the perfect autumn scent for me to actually wear. It's so artistic, the way it cycles: green leaves; minty snow; autumnal fruitiness (currant or pomegranate would be my guess); dead leaves; then finally some of the woodsier, smokier elements from Samhain and Samhainphobia, only not as strong. Lovely.

This is almost a dead ringer for Hawaiian Punch when wet. It has the same sheer, fruity, slightly powder-y smell that Hawaiian Punch has. I think I smell some dragon's blood as it dries. This is a fun, properly campy scent but I'm not sure I'm going to keep my bottle. I can't really see myself wearing this on its own and for layering purposes I'm much more likely to reach for the richer, smoother Suck It, which is also a simple "red" scent.

Hallo thar, rose. You're so bee-yoo-tee-full. This is such a warm, sophisticated rose scent. It smells dark and expensive. I love the pop of tart pomegranate and the light hint of patchouli. This is a scent fit for Persephone Herself. It reminds me of both Spellbound and Mme. Moriarty, Misfortune Teller without smelling exactly like either of them.

Believe you me when I tell you that I waffled on buying a bottle of Very Pink Surprise Cake. "But you're not a food-y person!" said my brain. "But pink cake was your birthday cake of choice growing up!" said my heart. "But you've tried cake scents before and they did not go well," said my brain. "BUT PINK CAKE MEMORIES I DON'T CARE UNF!" screamed my heart. Thankfully, I listened to my (admittedly loud) heart and bought myself a bottle because, guys and gals? THIS. This is IT. It's THAT scent. That scent I smelled almost every June 18th until I left home. It's the smell of that pink cake that my mother (and sometimes my grandmother) made from a box and slathered with pink frosting from a jar. A special pink cake for my special day. This scent and Pralines and Powdered Sugar have made me rethink my anti-food-y-perfume stance just a bit. I won't be going over to the Food-y Dark Side any time soon (even if they do have cookies), but I'll definitely be a bit more open to certain kinds of food-y blends from now on. P.S. Pink cake from a box with pink frosting from a jar is still my favoritest cake in the whole wide world and I am not ashamed. I want to die with a forkful of pink frosted cake in my mouth.

Okay, so I love me some vampires. LOVE. Not sparkly vampires, no. I like predatory vampires; monstrous vampires; vampires that revel in blood. I can't help but think of Buffy the Vampire Slayer's Spike calling humans "Happy Meals with legs." That's what I want from my vampires: I want vampires that see human beings as dinner. I'm not sure if the vampires in Only Lovers Left Alive are of that mindset, as I haven't seen the movie, but I do know that I have no self-control when it comes to scents that are inspired by blood (or scents that evoke "redness" and/or blood to me, like Bordello and Hollywood Babylon). I guess I'm like a perfume vampire in that regard. My appetite for bloody smellies, it is large. This scent is exactly what I wanted it to be. When wet, it has this odd, unsettling overtone to it: kind of salty and metallic and vetiver-y all at once. As it dries, that overtone becomes an undertone and the scent itself becomes more musky (red musk?) and faintly fruity with a touch of spice. Am I the only one reminded of Tintagel when smelling this? Something in this, when dry, smells like the best part of Tintagel to me: the "red," mulled wine part of Tintagel. Picture a muskier Tintagel, no pine-like greenery, with an undertone of salty metallic-ness. I can't complain about that.

Gardenia is one of my favorite notes. In fact, I went through a period a few years back where I wore nothing BUT gardenia: gardenia lotion, gardenia perfume. Sadly, I didn't reach for BPAL during that time. BPAL's gardenia note has never worked on me. It has always smelled a bit too thick and bubblegum-sweet. Alas. I don't know if this blend features that same gardenia note, but oh my gosh, if it's the same note, it works in this blend. It really, really works. It smells fresh and tropical and a tiny bit... water-y. Not aquatic, mind you, but there's a clearness to it that evokes water to me, if that makes sense. Maybe the jasmine tea is blending with the gardenia to create that effect? I'm not sure, all I'm sure of is that the gardenia is the clearest note on me and I'm a-okay with that. As this blend dries, the tuberose comes forward, lending a bit of grounding creaminess to the previous freshness. Yeeeeeees. I can detect the bergamot, as well. It adds an element of faint, spicy sweetness. As for the jasmine in the jasmine tea, jasmine-phobes, do not be afraid of this. Jas is behaving her normally outgoing self. I like you, Jas, I do, but you don't always have to be the star of the show, you hot-headed little diva, you. Really, this scent screams love to me. It smells so carefree and happy. I did not have that kind of relationship with my own father and I feel blessed to experience it in some small way through this and the other scents in the Lilith: Fatherhood series. I've liked all of the ones I've tried so far -- even the ones that ultimately weren't for me -- but this is one of my top two favorites. Backup bottle, please.

My top five are: 1. Veil 2. A Moment in Time 3. Lacus Solitudinis 4. The Nutcracker 5. Pele I'm always looking for suggestions!

If anyone here is a fan of Annick Goutal's Petite Cherie (like I am), Katharina is similar. It's not an exact match, mind you, but it's definitely close to my nose.

Oh, this smells a bit like Alice! Like Alice wearing a purple dress and a light dusting of powder. Emphasis on the word "light." Not baby powder, thank goodness, but elegant powder. It has a fruity, candied undertone to it, as well. I'm thinking that's the mandarin mixing with the honey. This is very pretty, not to mention comforting. It feels... enveloping. I'm glad I have a bottle. P.S. If you're honey-phobic, like me, don't let the honeyed dusting powder in this scare you. It's a light, girly honey; not a lusty, sweaty honey. This isn't O.

I received a frimp of this in my latest Lab order and I can't for the life of me understand why this wasn't even on my list of things to try. The imagery of the scent alone should have secured a spot on that list (Death! Lady Death!), and both orris and patchouli make me a happy girl. Maybe the black musk and the myrrh scared me a bit. Black musk has a tendency to go baby powder on me, and while I like powder-y scents, I don't like when they smell exactly like a baby's bottom. But this? This is lovely. It's soft and powder-y in a grown-up, vintage way and it smells very purple/black to me. But again, I'm proudly Team Floral/Team Powder, so the things I love about it may be the very things that turn others off. I'll have to test it a few more times, but if all goes well, this could be a new favorite. Thank goodness for frimps!

A Howl in the Darkness I'm a sucker for forest scents and "green" scents. The Black Forest, Belladonna... you know the drill. I was hoping this would be darker, like Black Forest without the heavy, powder-y drydown. But it's light. Really light. A light, slightly lemon-y musk with a touch of mint and greenery. There's a stage in the beginning that smells like Zest soap (the ozone, perhaps?). I'm not a fan of that stage. But I am intrigued by the scent as a whole, even if it's not what I was expecting. I'll play around with this one a bit more, I think.

Halloween: Brooklyn Ooo, pretty. This reminds me of early Vinland, before it broke my heart and got all wintergreen-y in later batches. It's fresh, green, floral, and sweet all at once. Problem is, it fades. Fast. I'm usually all about the lighter scents (I prefer my perfume to smell like me, only better), and I'm all over anything that smells like greenery and flowers and the fresh outdoors, but try as I might, I can't smell a thing after about 30 minutes. Sad.

I'm thinking I'll probably wear Snake Oil, maybe a bit of Water of Notre Dame dabbed on top of my hands. I'm totally looking to be comforted.

Yep, Phantom Queen's the first thing that came to mind for me, too. I also recommend Rosalind. She's a beauty, she is. Glasgow reminds me of a meadow, though it might be a bit too heavy on the blackberry. Too bad Vinland was discontinued. Early batches were absolutely gorgeous and smelled very much like a sweet, cool meadow high on a mountaintop. (Later batches of Vinland weren't quite the same -- they had a strong wintergreen bite.) Now *I* want to smell like a meadow.

I, too, love Elixir of Love #1. While none of the scents I'm going to suggest are a direct match, they all have a bit of the same "feel" to them (to my nose, at least). I love each and every one of them, I do. Peitho - "Lusty myrtle and jasmine with red sandalwood, stargazer lily, and clove over an opulent, rich bed of warm musk and bourbon vanilla." Queen Mab - "Black orchid, sandalwood, night-blooming jasmine, osmanthus, Somalian rose, and Chinese musk." Suspiro - "Ylang ylang with white plum, white orchid, jasmine, calla lily and lily of the valley." A bit lighter than my other suggestions, but the jasmine pairs so beautifully with the white plum that I can't resist listing it here. Veil - My absolute favorite! "White sandalwood, lilac, gardenia, violet, orris, lavender and ylang ylang." Good luck!