aine

There have been some great responses in this thread, but my brain is too tired to think in long sentences so I'll keep my response to three general points - * Not everything natural is good for you. * Not everything synthetic is bad for you. * Let's not kid ourselves that we have any right to expect that the presence of synthetics in BPAL oils is confirmed or denied by the Lab. If you have serious health issues that you are concerned may be exacerbated by BPAL oils - don't wear the perfume.

Oh no. Too sweet. Killer vanilla beans. Smackdown musks. I should have listened to the reviews that mentioned Lilith Victoria, Dorian and TKO. I had hoped that this blend would follow more closely the theme of late summer and be drier, more leafy, more herbal lavender. But it is big and round, sweet and thick. It's just too much. I have a ridiculous compulsion where I talk myself into believing that lavender blends just might-maybe-perhaps work on me despite all evidence to the contrary. I really should have known better. Colour me surprised that this isn't more popular though.

Excellent point! The scents that most effectively make me want to get out and work in the dirt are Garden Path with Chickens, Worm Moon, Deep in Earth. The 'true rose' scents like Peacock Queen and Rose Red inspire me to tend my roses so I can have some beautiful fragrant blooms to bring inside.

I never tried it because geranium and musk are the only two notes in there that I like...:\ Is the cinnamon detectable? And how dry does the rosewood go? Whatever makes cinnamon 'Ceylon' I think also makes it significantly less harsh, less hot, less foody, and more golden somehow. When your post brought Longing to mind, it wasn't until I tracked down the notes that I even recalled it had cinnamon in it. And I wouldn't describe it as dry at all. It's a big scent, lots of throw and there is no mistaking the rose geranium. It's the star of the show.

I'm a geranium fan too! I think one of the big showcase rose geranium scents was Longing from last years Lupercalias (rose geranium, frankincense, Ceylon cinnamon, golden musk, bay rum, and bois du rose). I get a real 'warm sunlit geranium' waft, and it does a brilliant job of lifting my mood.

My bottle looks like it says LXVIX but that makes no sense?? Truthfully, I don't give a rat's arse what it is called - I adore it! I almost don't want to review it because I will only do it an injustice by mangling its beauty with awkward guesses at its notes. Since my mind runs quickly to Luperci, Midnight Mass and Parlement of Foules I am guessing it is resiny incense with beeswax and a touch of white rose. Deeply sexual beeswax and sweet smoky resins. My husband's eyes rolled back in his head when he smelled my wrist. I've got to admit I feel the same way. Even sixteen hours after I put it on the dark and dirty beeswax was smoldering away. The only way anyone else will get their hands on it will be by prising it out of my cold, dead fingers.

Unexpectedly a soft breath of a scent. Primarily orris with a little oakmoss and almost just an impression of ambergris, honey and black moss. My initial impression was that 'velvety' summed it up perfectly but now that I have worn it a couple of times, and know it better, it brings to mind a fine mohair rug - soft and light but snuggly. Gentle, but present.

Mole is a gorgeous moss scent - soft, warm, brown - much like Mole himself I imagine .

When I first sniffed Clemence in the bottle I was drawn into the dark, spicy depths. I was ready and willing to dive in headfirst. The only small cause for trepidation was a worry that the clove might pull that sharp, burnt note that it occasionally does on my skin. On my skin, Clemence is primarily spiced tea. Strong and delicious, and the truest hot tea note I've encountered. After about an hour it does the something extra special. It takes a step back. Calms. Steadies. And blooms. Soft and warm and gorgeous. Gentle, rich spices and carnation tea rounded out by the background patchouli. Clemence goes straight to my heart and my Top Ten LEs.

(Of course there are many more - but this is where I will keep the aftermath of an exploded Top Ten list. And a different day or a different mood would probably garner a different list, but for today these are my loves.) Resiny Woody Incensy Goodness Minotaur Schwarzer Mond Cathedral Midnight Mass Greed Priala the Human Phoenix Tabula Smaragdina The Lurid Library Riding the Goat Valentine of Rome Resurrection of the Flesh Anne Bonny Mr Jacquel Urd Snuggle in a Little Closer Baby Baghdad Spider Hunter Moon 07 Luperci Dracul Doc Constantine Tristran Dee Hand of Glory A Bachelor's Dog Bien Loin D'ici Coyote The Lion Sheol Love and Pain Frederic Aziraphale Casanova I Enjoy Being a Girl... His Station and Four Aces Garden Path with Chickens Love in the Asylum The Peacock Queen Pepper Singing Moon Rose Moon Parlement of Foules Sitting Up With a Sick Friend Beltane 08 Ostara Longing Maiden Glowing Vulva at Ryogoku Bridge Nemesis Lucy's Kiss Orpheus Mama-Ji Lune Noir Florence Les Infortunes De La Vertu Whip The Great Outdoors The Twisted Oak Tree Ahathoor Deep in Earth Stranger in Camp The Clod and the Pebble The Winter of Our Discontent Worm Moon Black Forest Wolf Moon 06 Oborot Hexennacht 08 October Death of a Gravedigger The Phoenix The House Lurking in the Shadows Clemence Plunder Umbra Cathode Meskhenet the Vulture Maiden Scents to Fall Asleep To Old Scratch Sleepy Moon Kephra The King of Hearts Death Cap Special Kinda Clean Krampus Cytherea Omen Melpomene Sylph Dance of Death Les Anges Dechus Ides of March Special Kinda Dirty Loviatar Nanny Ashtoreth Geek Shrunken Heads Two Monsters Dream of a Fisherman's Wife Crowley Czernobog Frooty Patootey Aeronwen Lurid Tenochtitlan Twenty-One Kumiho

In my head, Batman most definitely smells like the Dark Delicacies exclusive C Auguste Dupin, a refined leather.

With every BPAL order, whether direct from the Lab or decants, I try to include one 'outsider' oil. One that I know probably won't work, but contains notes or a concept that sparks my interest nonetheless. For these new Carnaval acts Cytherea was the 'outsider' oil. I'm not even sure I remember my reasoning behind including it, but I'm immensely pleased that I did. It's completely different from anything I'd usually wear and quieter and faster-fading than I'd usually tolerate. But it so beautiful that I tend to forgive its shortcomings and reach for it anyway. Cytherea is the scent of the captivating woman that you meet at an awards dinner and you know her ritual in the hours preceding the event has involved languishing in an impossibly deep bathtub. Wafts of the softest scent of luxurious bubbles. I understand the comparisons to Skinny Dip shower gel but I think Cytherea is far more elegant and understated. Not a hint of brashness, just soft, creamy, bubbly beauty.

Mmmm, this is my favourite combo at the moment too! Not my usual fare, but fabulous...

Luperci (patchouli, Gurjam balsam, and essence of Sampson Root sweetened with the heightened sexuality of beeswax, virile juniper, oakmoss, ambrette seed over honey and East African musk) sounds perfect! And even though it is LE it is available now. Such a gorgeous scent - and sums up "sweet and sensual, earthy and sophisticated" for me.

For enabling men, I'd choose - Dee - warm and scholarly The Bow and Crown of Conquest - manly but soft at the same time Golden Priapus - nice vanilla blend Fenris Wolf - something a little animalistic Dracul - just gorgeous, interesting notes Tezcatlipoca - a little cocoa Iago - for when he's been a bad boy.... Calico Jack - aquatic Casanova - kind of traditional and yet not at all Lear - different feel, bay rum Vicomte de Valmont - amber, non-challenging Villian - beautiful fougere For women - Anne Bonny - a very accessible wood blend Lurid - something completely different Velvet - safe introduction to foodier scents Maiden - a softer, wearable floral Whip - rose and leather, mmmmm Morocco - reminiscent of vanilla icecream to me, nice introductory scent Tenochtitlan - something alive and fun Death Cap - warm and earthy Jezebel - womanly Snake Oil - vanilla spice, classic Szepasszony - ethereal floral Loviatar - sexy, sexy, sexy