Athenae

In the bottle, I thought ... oh, boy, I should have ordered a gallon of this. Opoponax is my one true love, and I can smell the sweet myrrh and amber with something lighter behind them. Then, on, it went straight to horrible men's aftershave. The balsam and cypress take over completely. I smell like a disgusting old man, and it has throw like whoa. Stupid skin chemistry. I may wait a couple of weeks, and try this again, see if it smells less like Boozy Inappropriate Uncle and more like the heaven it smells like in the bottle. A.

I see where people are getting wintergreen, because that's what it is, wet, but then it turns rich vanilla on me, rich and spicy and deep and true. I've never had a BPAL cream note not go sour on me before. Milk Moon and Candy Butcher both went straight to rot on my skin. This is like slathering myself in vanilla buttercream frosting. It's got the throw of Underpants on me without that sickly-sweet sugar undertone, and I'm desperately, hopelessly, utterly in love with Love's Philosophy. A.

The patch went dark and dirty on me which it usually doesn't do. This reminds me of Madame Moriarty, but without the sweetness of the plum. It turns sticky-cherry after a while, which is nicer than the "dirt" scent, but overall, not for me. Glad I got to sniff it, though! A.

This is as close to Skadi as anything's gotten. There's an initial blast of pine, which I love (OMG CHRISTMAS!) and then something sweet comes out, berry-like and chilly. The aquatic note I usually get in BPAL's "snow" scents is kept in line by the forest-y sweetness. This is not only love on me but it's going to be divine in a burner for holiday parties. A.

My skin has an aversion to ozone, but I try the winter ones anyway, and this does what Talvikkuu does on me: Straight, soapy, headache-inducing powdery death. I was hoping for the ice. Oh well, off to the swap pile because I'm sure it'll love someone more than it loves me. A.

At first it's all sticky vanilla, but on the drydown the nutmeg-y goodness comes out and it's just the tastiest treat ever. Mmmm. Love. So glad I ordered. A.

I'd have to second or third the masculine characterization. It's very "smells like the boyfriend's sweater you borrow," but I like that kind of scent. Part of my frustration with perfume before BPAL lay in not being able to find women's scents that were as complex, as deep, as spicy and wonderful as most men's colognes were. October needs to be worn on a colder day, with my red velvet jacket and my long scarf and my boots, crunching through the leaves on my way to work. I get a cool, almost salty scent from this, overlaying musk and woods. It's just what I'd like to smell like on the first really honestly chilly day of autumn. Winner in my book. A.

I get honey from this, sweet thick sticky honey. Mmmm. It must be the peach and amber mixing. All in all, lurrrrve this one. A.

It came as a frimp in my latest order, and on me the fruit goes a bit plasticky, and there's not a lot of boozy scent. A Strawberry Shortcake doll, that's what this reminds me of, that kind of plastic-fruit combo. Which, bummer, because I do love a fresh apricot and I love Beth's booze notes. Stupid body chemistry. A.

Why do I get orange from this? Bitter orange peel smell when it first goes on, whereas it's lovely and caramelly in the bottle. The citrus dries down and then it's all walnutty goodness, but very faint. It might be the chamomile, which ruined Arcana's Anodyne for me, messing with my chemistry. Scent locket, this one, I think, because I luuuurve the smell in the bottle. A.

Oh, lovely and rich. The frankincense goes a little powdery and sharp, but the snake oil and vanilla underneath keep it from being too bitter. I adore this one and will slather it. A.

Sweet holy baby Jesus in a peanut butter pretzel. Mmmm. In the bottle, a sweet incense. On me, a sweet, dark, mysterious incense, less sweet than Schwarzer Mond, but no less lovely. Damn, why does it have to be so rare? A.

This went through a soapy phase that had me TERRIFIED, but once it dries, it's all warm red floral, with none of the dragon's blood I was hoping for. The soap and citrus wears off fast, but I'm not sure the floral is me exactly. I may keep an imp and swap the rest of the bottle. A.

In the imp: VERY floral. On me: Oh, it's all swoony woozy cider, and I love it! This was a frimp in my Red Moon order, and I may have to swap for a full bottle. Yum. A.

At first, this is all pepper. Black spices, indeed: sharp black pepper and something dirty, gritty, beneath. As it dries the ginger comes out and the musks to soften the pepper/patchouli and the honeysuckle is there in the background. She's a lovely one, but I don't think she's for me. A.

Scent: Headache-inducing thick floral; rose definitely, and maybe lilac? Flowers, though, and a lot of them. Effectiveness: Used this the other night before a party. I wore a bit in a scent locket and applied some while concentrating on my appeal and focusing on becoming more attractive to people. Result? Negligible. My husband was no more affectionate, boys did not flirt, girls did not gather round, and I felt like a dog's dinner the whole day anyway. Plus it gave me a shrieking migraine. Either I wore too much, used it wrong, or it's simply not for me. Boo. Guess I'll stick with French Creole, which works wonders. A.

Wet, it's all sticky cherry like a Cherry Sweet Tart, but on, the cream comes out and the sugar's just perfectly powdery, and it's sensual. Mr. A thought Centzon Totochtin smelled like cough syrup on me; when I shoved my Bloody Mary-slathered wrist under his nose and asked him if this one was like that, he got this glazed look on his face and said, "Oooh, not at all!" She's a winner. A.

I ordered for brown sugar and hazelnuts. I ended up with pencil shavings. I like woody scents, but I have two bottles of Drosselmeyer already, and this just isn't sweet enough for me. Bummer. Off to swaps it goes. A.

Scent: sharp and bitter, like saffron and greens. "Ugh," was my husband's reaction, and he likes pretty much everything I wear. I think this and Gluttony are the only two things he hasn't liked me to smell like. Efficacy: He's gonna have to get over it, because this stuff is magic. I wore it as instructed, on chakra points, and I walked into a possible interview, really a low-key "pick up the application" kind of appointment, and walked out with A JOB. That never happens. It's on the big bottle order list, which will be placed with the money earned at the job it helped me get! A.

Very aquatic, which I cannot wear. It turns overpoweringly powdery and artificial on me. I was hoping for something a little more masculine than Port Royal, which I adore but sometimes find too girly. Oh, well. A.

I was hoping for myrrh, but got sticky plasticky fruit instead. It smelled like those fruit sodas you could buy by the flat when I was little, all artificial grape and cherry. Off to swap it goes! A.

It's a sweeter Scherezade, wet, and dry it's a little more powdery but still red musk-y and sweet. Love. Adore. Want more of. Please to be buying big bottle now. A.

I can see where people are saying Underpants, but unfortunately this goes plasticky on me, like Gluttony's been doing lately, where all I smell is slightly sticky butter. Too bad: In the imp, it was marvelous. A.

This went straight to baby powder on me. It was so lovely, warm and spicy, in the imp, but alas, nothing but powder on my skin. Off to the swap pile it goes. A.

Oh, damn it to hell. It's pulling a Monsterbait: Underbed on me. Plasticky cinnamony yuck. I was so hoping for chocolate, and cherries. I've been in such a foody mood, too. Phooey. Stupid skin chemistry. A.