Heretic

Wunnerful picture, dragoncharmer!

Lycanthrope posted one here, about midway down the page. Hard to see, but I think it's little Squee from the JTHM comics!

Shanghai. It smells like a cup of green tea with a tiny wedge of fresh lemon or ginger. It's incredibly light and clean and so perfect for hot weather.

In the vial: Vaguely almondine. On my wrist, wet: Sweet amber, warmed with a touch of cinnamon. After 20 minutes: Soft, warm and golden. I can't distinguish any particular notes here, just a blend of perfectly harmonized notes with a subtle muskiness. After an hour: The Lion is a beautiful, comforting scent, deep and golden. I do not get any powdery notes from the amber and the components all seem to blend together on me without any one taking precedent over another. A bottle for the next order.

In the vial: Sweet floral. On my wrist, wet: Sweet and musky-- grounded, smoky, and swarthy honeysuckle. After 20 minutes: The vetiver in this blend really puts a cap on the sweetness of the honeysuckle. There's also a somewhat spicy bottom note that keeps everything from becoming cloying. After an hour: Anathema is a surprise honeysuckle scent that ends up being more spicy and warm than white and cloying. I'll definitely use up my imp and see if it grows to bottle-worthy status.

In the vial: Sassafras. On my wrist, wet: Sassafras and something sharper-- cedar perhaps? After 20 minutes: A friend of mine used to live out in the state forest on the north edge of the county. Her land that was full of cypress, larch and sassafras trees and I would dig up roots of the latter to make tea. I get that woody, earthy, root beer smell in this blend. After an hour: I'm your huckleberry: Tombstone's all vanilla root beer on me. A unique and complex scent. I really like this one and will definitely use up the imp-- may even consider a bottle.

In the vial: Light, citrus. On my wrist, wet: Lemon. Not lemon furniture polish or lemon candy, but a fresh lemon that has just been cut in half. After 20 minutes: I expected to not like this at all, but it's quite beautiful. Crisp, bright, very clean. It's like a glass of ice water with lemon in it, or a weak glass of green tea with lemon and ginger. After an hour: Shanghai is a very elegant blend of delicate and graceful scents. This not what I consider "my type" of scent at all, but I may order a bottle because I think it will be perfect for sweltering summer days when something light and crisp is in order. This was a frimp and something I never would have picked out for myself, so thank you, Labbies! Shanghai's a keeper!

In the vial: Coffee grounds? On my wrist, wet: That coffee candy that comes in lozenge form and a subdued flower. As horrible as it sounds, it's actually lovely. After 20 minutes: The coffee is very pronounced on me.There's a sophisticated floral being kept respectfully controlled by the coffee note. Very unusual and intriguing. After an hour: Coffee gives over to the floral bouquet, which is rich and sweet, but not cloying. I'll definitely use up the imp and see how this grows on me. It's lovely.

In the vial: Beth's infamous dirt note, but somewhat subdued. On my wrist, wet: Dirt and...butter? After 20 minutes: Dirt, butter and something that wants to be spicy. Rolling up my sleeve, because I don't think I want this on my clothes. After an hour: Thankfully, the butter faded and I'm left with vaguely spicy dirt. Keen on the dirt, not so much on the spice. I have to day this is my least favorite of the dirt scents, but I'll try it one more time before giving the imp away.

In the vial: Sweet floral-- a white flower or two? On my wrist, wet: Sweet and floral but not cloying. There's something a little...twisted and green in there. After 20 minutes: Dark, green, floral. Perhaps a touch of honey? Not a lot of throw, not heavy. A very hushed and quiet scent. After an hour: This is lovely. House of Night leaves an impression of something that was once bright and vibrant, but from which all the light and joy is gone. This is a personal, introspective fragrance, not one that demands (or even wants) attention. Another bottle-worthy blend.

In the vial: Dry, slightly sweet, green. On my wrist, wet: Quite piney, slightly sweet. After 20 minutes: What a surprise! The pine has been supplanted by a slightly spicy violet and a delicate incense. After an hour: I didn't think I was going to like Wings of Azrael, as it started out a bit too piney for my tastes, but I love the violet incense of the drydown. A wonderful, morphing scent.

In the vial: Dry, very faint, vaguely floral. On my wrist, wet: Orange blossom and green. After 20 minutes: Polished wood and the air freshener that my stepfather used to spray in his funeral home. I don't smell any of the components as they are listed. Rose? Lily? Any floral in Hymn is very faint on me and definitely doesn't smell like rose or lily of the valley. This is not a sweet smell. I find it very unsettling. After an hour: I have too many bizarre associations with this scent to ever be able to wear it. It makes me very uncomfortable. What I smell is definitely not what other people are smelling in Hymn. There is nothing wrong with the blend itself, but rather with my personal experiences with this scent make it extremely unpleasant for me.

In the vial: Lily of the Valley On my wrist, wet: Cold, slick, aquatic lily with something vaguely grapefruity in the background. This reminds me of a rounder version of Dunwich. After 20 minutes: This smells almost exactly like Dunwich on me. Perhaps a little saltier. This is not at all a bad thing. After an hour: Sea of Glass really didn't change much over the course of an hour. It lost a little sweetness which was replaced by a slightly salty tang, but it ended up smelling so much like Dunwich on me that I doubt if I'll buy a bottle of this. Don't get me wrong-- this is a gorgeous scent. If you don't have Dunwich, then avail yourself of Sea of Glass. As I tried this before reading the description, I was hoping for an olfactory interpretation of the other reference to the Sea of Glass in Revelation: "And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire, and them that had overcome the beast, and his image, and the number of his name, standing on the sea of glass, having the harps of God..."

In the vial: What I like to call "the generic BPAL smell." Sweetly floral and slightly musky. This is a good thing. On my wrist, wet: Pez. But in a really good way (this must be the plum). Quickly turns into a fizzing spicy, floral. After 20 minutes: Musk and carnation. And it's that lovely, delicate musk that I love so much. Beautiful. After an hour: So nice. Soft carnation and that gorgeous Arabian musk.This is Maiden's exotic, more experienced cousin. I don't get much plum from this at all, but that's OK. The feminine floral/musk combination is enough to warrant a bottle.

In the vial: Light and musky. On my wrist, wet: Musky and softly floral. This is not a heavy, animalistic musk. Very light and feminine. After 20 minutes: Well hello, Jasmine. What happened to all your companion notes? Jasmine behaves very badly on me. She is loud and boisterous and throws herself all over the room. All those delicate feminine notes packed up and went home. After an hour: This is such a pretty scent. Alas, jasmine and I don't get along, much as I would like for us to. I may actually hold onto this imp to try with something else or put into a lotion.

In the bottle: Faint green and patchouli. On my wrist, wet: Patchouli amps right away, but it's lovely and sweet with beeswax and oakmoss taking the hard, woody edge off. After 20 minutes: Down and dirty patchouli indeed. This is such a warm, earthy scent. So simple, yet complex. There is the hint of pencil shavings, but it is tamed by oakmoss and the other green scents. A nice, strong throw but not overpowering. After an hour: Luperci keeps getting better the longer I wear it. The components work together so well that they seem to melt into one soft, single earthy note. To me, this is the smell of the forest: woody and green, a little dark and ominous but comfortable at the same time. Of all the descriptions of the Lupercalia scents, Luperci was the one that originally jumped out at me. It smells exactly as I imagined it would. I'm glad I ordered two bottles.

In the vial: Boozy vanilla and something...odd. On my wrist, wet: Caramel-coated balloon. Not getting the Snake Oil comparison at all. After 20 minutes: Ugh. Almost all balloon smell. What is that? I'm not getting any vanillas or musk, just a rancid, sugary latex smell. After an hour: I really wondered if I could wear this for an entire hour. Smut eventually evolved into Stank on me: the smell of an old pair of Chuck Taylors with some sort of candied fragrance sprayed into them to cover up the dirty foot smell, and a hint of ...burned rubber (?). Not exactly what I was after when I ordered two bottles based on the fabulous reviews. Hella throw, though. Sometimes I think my chemistry is simply toxic.

In the vial: Floral, not sharp, slightly sweet. On my wrist, wet: Yes! This is one of Beth's earthy, dirty florals that I love so well. I smell rose and something green blossoming in there. After 20 minutes: This is fine and wonderful. I can pick out rose and dirt, as in my beloved Zombi, plus soft, mossy and incense notes that round out the fragrance. I'm thinking there is a more complex floral note than just plain rose (lily, perhaps?), but Beth's roses and I are so in love, it's what I smell first and foremost. After an hour: I have yet to smell the jasmine that everyone is talking about, and jasmine is anathema for me-- it amps like mad on my skin and then it stinks. Crossroads smells like roses, and lilies, and magnolias behaving nicely in mossy dirt with a bit of incense wafting around. Very much like a less dirty Zombi. Deeelightful and bottle-worthy.

In the vial: Vetiver. On my wrist, wet: Vetiver and...vetiver (fortunately I like vetiver). After 20 minutes: Vetiver and red patchouli. I'm a little put off by red patchouli because, to put it bluntly, it tends to stink on me. It works well in this blend, though. This is much warmer, softer, and more pleasant now than it was straight from the vial. After an hour: I love vetiver, but I think I'm just going to have to accept the fact that red patchouli does not play well with my chemistry. Malediction was developing nicely into a dark, sultry blend and it suddenly turned to dark, sultry Vap-o-Rub that fell rather flat, just as Anne Bonny turned to dark, spicy Vap-o-Rub. Sorry, Malediction. I wanted to love you.

In the vial: Sharp, dark. On my wrist, wet: A heavy, hard scent, with dark green and wood. I 'm fairly sure I can smell vetiver in here. Not unpleasant but something that slightly repels. My nose does not want to linger here. After 20 minutes: What a transfiguration. Now I smell the soft notes of something newly green and soft. A powdery note rests beneath. After an hour: Death smells nothing like it did an hour ago. All the sharpness and heaviness is gone, and I'm left with a clean, soft, green scent with a bottom note that is musky, warm, and alive. This is gorgeous and I must have a bottle.

In the vial: Sweet, floral, vaguely fruity. On my wrist, wet: Very sweet. Is that a nut of some sort in there? A bit of spice. After 20 minutes: Hmmm. This has a killer throw. Unfortunately, it's throwing fig and nuts and cinnamon at me. Rather fruitcake-ish. This is very sweet and my sinuses are not enjoying it. I find I'm breathing through my mouth to avoid smelling this oil. Not a good sign. After an hour: No. This just did not work on me at all. It turned to pure stank, but I can see how it would be stunning on the right person. Sacred Whore of Babylon is a rich and full-bodied (much like the lady herself), but unfortunately, it is comprised of notes that do not play well with my chemistry or my nose. Off to the swaps with ye.

In the vial: Powdery, floral. On my wrist, wet: Powdery, musky floral, and I mean that in the nicest possible way. Like so many other BPAL blends, this reminds me of something that I once loved and had forgotten about. After 20 minutes: Wow. This is beautiful. A soft, powdery musk that I envision as a warm, deep golden red color. The throw is great and not at all overbearing. It has a very "come hither" feel. After an hour: I'm really impressed with Scherezade. It keeps getting better and better as it dries down, and it was good to begin with. The powdery note has disappeared and I'm left with a rich, clean musk and a delicate spike of saffron. Another one for the 5 ml bottle list.

In the vial: Slightly fruity floral. On my wrist, wet: A floral with a bit of spice. The floral note reminds me of roses with a bit of an edge. The spiciness keeps this from becoming too sweet. After 20 minutes: The violet has really bloomed and although I detest foody/fruity smells, I'm becoming rather fond of BPALs plum notes like the one I believe is accompanying the violet here. The scent is just a touch sweet, right now, but I keep sniffing my wrist to catch the whisper of incense underneath all the dark, purply goodness on the surface. After an hour: Once the sweetness dissipates, Morgause matures into a regal, subdued violet with a deep purple incense. This is a gorgeous, sophisticated fragrance. It is undeniably feminine, but it also conveys strength and experience. This is a scent for a woman who is in control of her destiny and is full of confidence without arrogance. It is noticeable without being gaudy, colorful without being garish. It's a scent to wear with a feminine power suit and it goes on my list of 5 ml bottles to order.

In the vial: Crisp, clean floral. On my wrist: wet: Bright floral, slightly soapy, but not in a bad way. Vague scent of something grapefruity in there, too. After 20 minutes: Nice top note of slightly spicy carnation. This is very light and innocent, but not over-the-top. The carnation keeps thing from being too delicate. After an hour: The carnation has faded away, leaving a soft, powdery scent. Perhaps this is the tea. Not much of a throw, but it will be a nice summer fragrance. I'll hang onto this imp.

In the vial: Lemons. On my wrist: wet: Lemon furniture polish. After 20 minutes: Lemon wet-nap (see the pattern here?). After an hour: And the winner is...wait for it...lemons! Thanks for playing. You win a free trip to the swap pile.