OctoberGwen

This is a great scent on me: not too sweet and not too incensey, though I can definitely smell the cake and the incense. The beer gives it a perfect, grainy grounding. Very nice! ETA: I also love the label art on this bottle.

When I first applied this, it didn't smell like much. I thought, "meh." Then as my skin warmed it up, it began to bloom... Ahhhhhhh. Soft, alluring, and delicious. Sweet and spicy. I have no idea what the notes are, and I don't care.

Normally I do not like cinnamon at all, but the "just a drop" here is perfect. It lends a beautiful warmth to this scent, which on me is a lovely blend of the vanilla, frankincense and heliotrope with a whisper of almond. Really wonderful. I'd bet money on my husband liking it, too. We'll see.

In my short time being a BPAL fan, I have learned that one should never, ever judge an oil without applying it to the skin. Only rarely does a scent smell the way it does in the imp once you've put it on; I find that frequently there is no resemblance at all between the two. Case in point: Obsidian Widow. Huffing the imp, all I got was sour wine. Once on my wrist, though, it bloomed into a gorgeous, deeply seductive and slightly sinister beauty. Normally jasmine and rose tend to be VERY strong on me, but this blends together seamlessly. (I'm actually kind of shocked that there is jasmine here.) The myrrh lends a lovely incensey quality to the whole thing without overpowering the other elements. I do wish it lasted a bit longer, so I may hunt down a bottle for slathering's sake. Well, more properly: for reapplying...this scent is very strong while it lasts so slathering may result in discomfort for those in proximity! Overall, the Widow is a sophisticated blend with wonderful depth, and I'm very happy that it works with my chemistry.

I love this; a soft purple floral, very sophisticated. The frank and amber give it just the perfect bit of roundness.

Oh my freaking God. This smells AMAZING. That is all.

This oil is delightful, and its energy is perfect for my home. It does precisely what is says it will, and I think it works even better if you have a cat in the house, as we do. I use yellow, orange, and red votives in clear glass cups, always annointed and grouped in three's in different rooms. The atmosphere created is just wonderful, and the smell of Bastet's Laughter makes me happy and content. Another big win for the TALs.

As usual with me, because this is a TAL, I will review its efficacy first and foremost. This oil is AMAZING. It works. I've used it several times when I am feeling especially weighed down, and the effects are immediate. I start by grounding & centering, then I anoint my chakras and pulse points while chanting something affirming. Next I bring my wrists to my nose and inhale deeply, picturing a pure white light coming in with the scent. Any tightness in my solar plexus area (where I carry tension) immediately vanishes and I have a profound sense of wellbeing that stays with me. I love, love, love Anthelion and plan to never be without it. As an afternote, the scent is just gorgeous, too; both soothing and stimulating and perfect for what it is meant to accomplish. It smells like my spiritual 'home'. It works on all levels and I recommend it very highly.

As this is a TAL blend, I'm going to discuss its efficacy, although I must say that I find the scent very...magical. Sharp, yes, and somehow just right. I annointed a white candle (I didn't have any green ones on hand) that I'd simply inscribed with my name. I also annointed a dollar bill, which I placed under the candle. It burned for much of the day, and I had to put it out because we were leaving the house. Upon our return I checked my email and I had offers for several things I was selling on another forum, totalling about $250. The following day, I annointed a fresh candle and also annointed some coins and dropped them into a dish while doing the old Gypsy(?) "Trinka Five" chant. By the day after that, I had over $700 in my PayPal account. This stuff works, my friends. ETA: A few days later, and the money was still coming in. We received $300 from my husband's uncle for providing him some storage space (this was after the issue had been discussed and we'd refused to charge him anything), and I sold another rare Tarot deck. Thank you, Universe!

I dislike most aquatic scents and this is too "wet" for me - must be the lotus. It makes me a little bit nauseous, truth be told. Sadly, this lovely Goddess's scent must go off to swaps.

I love this; it's a soft, comforting fragrance, especially in the drydown. Beautifully blended. I'm a big fan of all the components, so there you go.

This smells gorgeous, like an exotic Middle Eastern boudoir. I get mostly a resinous musk smell with a bit of sage. I don't want my skin to smell like this, but in my oil burner it's to die for.

A potent, enticing love formula, favored among Louisiana courtesans. I like this; it's not necessarily my usual style but I find it intriguing and very unusual. Nothing else smells like #20 Love, so wearing it makes me feel special and mysterious. It starts off quite herbal, which puts me in mind of magic. The sharp herbs soften back and provide a nice counterpart to the creamy rose that emerges after several minutes. It's a very pleasing scent to my nose.

This is absolutely delicious and smells exactly like it ought to. I want it in an Atmo spray, please! The scent of mulled wine and juniper first, then all the other notes swirl into this amazing blend...close your eyes and breathe deeply, you really are in the great hall. Another brilliant win from Beth and the Lab.

I adore this! A gorgeous, musky/sweet/powdery cherry almond yum scent. The bottle I purchased from a fellow forumite has some age to it (it's cobalt), and I only wish it stayed stronger, longer. But I plan to slather and use in the scent locket for some staying power. I get no cinnamon from this, thankfully. I do smell dragon's blood, but for once it's not overwhelming - just blended beautifully with the almond muskiness. I'm so happy that the Lab's signature scent works on me.

When first applied, this is all patchouli and vetiver on me - and vetiver is so not my thing. It spikes my nose and makes me feel like I've got a giant sneeze brewing that refuses to manifest itself. After a bit, I clearly smelled cinnamon - but only on my left wrist, and not my right. How bizarre. The final drydown is a very beautiful cedar smell, with a hint of patchouli. Very nice, but this is not a scent for me. I think it would smell beautiful on a man.

I've always found Lucy the most compelling part of Dracula, so I was very disappointed to learn that I'd become a BPALer long after this series came out. Sometimes I am truly thankful for eBay. Anyway, to me, Lucy Westenra (the scent) perfectly captures the character as depicted in the Coppola film version, "Bram Stoker's Dracula." It's a sweet floral on top with just enough of a resinous undertone to make it interesting. The quality of the floral aspect is youthful but not girlish; nor is it stuffy or Victorian...it's lush and heady with a very faint whiff of something that teeters on corruption. I imagine this is precisely the scent that wafted behind Lucy as she ran through the hedge maze towards her doom in the film. Perfect.

Whips can be fun, but I don't want to smell like one.

I've always loved the artwork that inspired this scent...so creepy and disturbing. The perfume, though, is absolutely lovely: a swirl of lavender and vanilla with enough opium to give it a perfectly sinister undertone. Very happy that I bought a partial bottle off eBay!

I dislike wearing forest scents, but I loooove them in an oil diffuser - and my house will be smelling of Nocnitsa this winter! Probably one of the more beautiful forest blends I've ever smelled, with the strong, bracing evergreen offset by a subtle sweetness. The "night air" opening is just fabulous and holds an underlying menace that I adore. Drydown is slow and very nice, like you've come indoors with the scent of the forest still on your coat.

Ugh, tobacco leaf and I are not friends - my skin amps the shit out of it and that's all I can smell here, along with a strong, perfumey undertone. Must scrub.

Wowza, this is a fascinating scent! Honey is hit or miss on me, but this works - and it's not sweet at all. There's a tart, sharp something or other that is perfectly in balance with the honey. Wow....just...really interesting. I like it very much, and I'm quite sure I've never smelled anything like this.

Rock on, Tiki Bar. Every single one of these has been a winner for me, and Red Tide is no exception. This one is lusciously red, crisp, with a slight hint of booze. Another 'go to' summer oil for me!

Two years later I had to edit this review, as my BPAL tastes have changed greatly! Trying O now, I find it far too sweet for me. The honey is a particularly cloying one, and the vanilla gives this an almost plastic edge that I do not care for at all. We are no longer friends, O and I.

Ye Gods, how I love orange blossom, and rosemary is one of my favorite herbs. This blend is fabulous, and the above two keep the rose nicely in check. Lovely, I will reach for this during the warm months when I want an interesting floral to wear. This smells like my backyard, growing up. Love.