euterpe414

Frumious Bandersnatch reminds me a bit of Blood Countess since it starts out spicy (due to the carnation) plum. Its very nice although I prefer Blood Countess.

 

I second this. FB is extremely similar to Blood Countess on my skin, too. I also think that you might really enjoy Alice and Bathsheba.

This blend has a really dry and sunny feel to me. It smells of lemony herbs left out in the sun on a balmy day. There is also the tinge of frankincense that adds some lovely depth to it. Mmm. I am really liking this! It seems to be a bit on the masculine side, but is in no way a cologne-y type of smell. I would have no qualms about wearing this. I think also that it would make a lovely room scent since it has that warm, calm type of feel to it. I just love frankincense and herbs and this blend is a real winner for me.

This might be my favorite foresty blend ever! Wet it is very strongly pine, but a FRESH pine, one of holding needles the you just plucked in the palm of your hand and taking a deep whiff When it dries, it gets a bit more mellow and rounded- there is the scent of smoke that comes in. Now it smells more like a campsite in the morning- dewy forest and the ashes of last night's campfire. It s a very strong scent- I bet that too much would give one a pretty big headache.

 

I really like this one a lot, and will definitely order a bottle. This is a versatile scent even though it is of something so specific; I would wear this out but also use it as a room scent. Wonderful interpretation!

Whoo! Cherry tobacco. That is all that A Bold Bluff is for its entire wet stage on my skin. Then, magically, as it dries, the hops decide that they want to turn to cat pee. So basically, this one smelled like cherry tobacco + cat pee and a bit of creamy tonka on my skin. It's a pity, because I was really hoping this one would work.

From a male perspective....

 

I like almond a lot too, and Baron Samedi is one of my favorite GC blends. It replaced Demeter's Almond for me. It's a deep, dark, spicy almond scent that I love and it lasts for hours on me.

 

On the other hand, avoid it if you don't like bay rum.

 

 

Yes, yes. I keep forgetting to snag a bottle of Baron Samedi when I order. It is most definitely gender neutral imo. And delicious.

 

Asp Viper, to me, is really really big on the amaretto factor, too.

disclaimer: lotus notes do NOT go bubblegum on my skin, and I rather like them.

 

This is so GORGEOUS on me! The resins really help temper the sweet tendencies of the lotus, making the sweetness just the right amount that I like. The two elements (resin and sweet lotus) meld together so beautifully on my skin- definitely no mustiness with my chemistry (phew!). This is a very mysterious and womanly scent, imo. A scent for someone who is not afraid of their sensuality. I don't really feel the evil in this scent, just more of a dark shadowy beauty. I love this and will always want to have a bottle on hand!

 

On my skin I get a lot of neroli, a hint of vanilla and rose. The darker patchouli and musk seem to form a backdrop for the lighter notes. This is a very lovely, sophisticated scent that at some points in the drydown almost gives off a foody feel. There's not a lot of throw, and while this is a rich scent, it doesn't get cloying, which is good!

 

To my nose, after it has been on my skin a while, this blend reminds me strongly of The Haunted Palace. However it's a touch more heavy and brooding. I would definitely get a bottle, but I already have Haunted Palace for this type of scent. When I run out, however, a bottle of Desire will definitely be snagged

Eeps! This is not a scent for me. I can pick out the violet and gardenia but the vanilla is rather quiet. When it dries on my skin I am getting something akin to laundry detergent. No way, not for me. I had to wash it off. This one's going to a new home, stat!

Rose is very iffy on my skin, as those who have read my reviews before know. Narcissus, however, I really love. It is a heady floral, but has this certain rich quality to it that I love, and does not ever go sharp or wonky on me at all. So basically this blend had a 50% chance of working on me, lol. And guess what...it didn't. I can smell the narcissus that I love but the rose is going realllly sharp and acetone-like again. Funny because this is the kind of rose in Harlot (well, one of the kinds of roses) and Harlot does not go sharp on me. Anyway, it smells like Narcisses + acetone on me. Blech.

Despite the catastrophe, I will add that this does have the same feel in the imp to me as Black Dahlia, which I have heard others mention before. It's very fitting of the sin it represents and perfect for a proper, fancy woman (or a fancy date or what-have-you). So try this if you like sophisticated heavy florals, or if you simply like Moroccan rose (which I know now that I do not!)

Definitely TKO. It is my favorite room scent for bedtime or when I want to relax. Water of Notre Dame is my second favorite scent for these purposes as well. I also love Santa Eularia des Riu . It's a really relaxing herbal/citrus. The florals in it are not heavy when it is used in the oil burner.

Bah...I thought this would be great on me but I am getting...the dreaded hotel soap smell.

 

I don't what is doing it, perhaps the combo of freesia (which is iffy on me anyway) and ozone/aquatics. At least I didn't buy a bottle unsniffed like I wanted to...

I didn't order this one right away when it came out b/c I was scared of the 'dust' note. That note is what really ruined Krampus for me, so I was a bit biased. However in this blend I am not getting very much dustiness at all. I get a rich, warm incense with hints of tobacco and opium. Really hazy, thick and sweet. This is definitely a 'lazy' scent- it's making me feel very comfortable and relaxed- but most incense scents tend to do that for me. This is a pretty unique incense blend for BPAL, in m opinion. To make a comparison (I know it's annoying, but I can't help it!) it seems the most similar to King Cobra but without the Snake Oil aspect. However that is a pretty vague comparison. Oh and, PoM, to me, is the epitome of a unisex scent.

 

My only complaint about this one is that it does not last very long on my skin. Maybe that is b/c it is hot out today and I am bit sweaty, but after about two hours there is not much left of it. I will surely reapply, but this fact does make me a little bit sad.

 

All in all, this is a great incense blend to have in 'the collection'. I am going to see if aging makes it last a bit longer, sometimes that works with resins. If not, I will slather. My only caution about this one is- if you do not like opium, you most likely will not enjoy this. However if you do...

At first this one smells strongly of cologne (both on the bottle and in my skin), but once it begins the drydown that wonderful spicy wood smell begins to come out. The leather, sea and musk sort of make a mishmash in the background- this is mostly a wood scent on my skin. (kind of like smelling the wood on a ship- you are inadvertently smelling the sea air and surroundings, too) I wore this one on a walk by the water and it was so lovely to smell wafting around me. Very appropriate

 

This is not an everyday kind of scent for me, it seems more like a novelty, but I will keep it anyway since I do love pirates and I can see times when I will want to wear this.

This is a coconut lover's dream! It definitely smells like the entirety of a coconut- brown husks and creamy insides. Never at any stage do i get that 'suntan lotion' coconut smell. After a while on my skin it turns ever more creamy and the sandalwood begins to creep in. This is when I see the comparison to a more incense heavy blend, but on my skin it really retains the coconut first and foremost. Although it does not have a lot of throw (on me), it lasts a very long time and seems to just get better as the time passes. I am definitely getting a bottle of this in my next order, no question!!

 

On me this is an incredibly true apple scent- no fake sweetness at all, just crisp juiciness, with a tiny hint of opium to make it poisonous . This doesn't last incredibly long on my skin, but I don't mind reapplying. It is rare for me to find fresh apple scents that don't go weird (Delirium, I mean you) and acrid on me, so I am definitely going to snag a bottle of this soon. It's lovely and fresh and perfect for any time of year. What a great addition to the GC!!

This is a light, flowy herbal peach scent to my nose. I detect the lavendar and myrtle (not sure what yarrow smells like but I am probably getting it, too) floating on top of a very ripe, creamy peach. The sandalwood provides a base for all of this lovely activity, but is not specifically present. This scent lasts a fairly long time and doesn't have a lot of throw. It's more of a scent for personal enjoyment.

 

I really enjoy herbal/fruity scents in the springtime and summertime and will most likely pick up a bottle of this one to wear. Lovely and very fitting of the artwork (as always! Beth is so great at this...)

I agree with yeahbutnobut. The first thing that I thought when I smelled this scent on me was: . This is a really headshoppy scent, and I mean that in the best way, since I LOVE headshoppy scents (I am burning some headshop-py smelling incense as I write this, lol). The primary notes that I get in this are honey first and foremost, spice and caramel. There is something in the background that is making it quite smoky, too. This is super sensual and exotic. Definitely not for wear in a 'professional' environment. However, that's OK cause I am not a professional kinda gal and I will be wearing this one an awful lot! My only caution would be that it is very potent, so be careful not to apply too much- I sorta did when I tested it and now I feel a bit overwhelmed. Anyways, to sum it up:

 

I had to order a bottle of this unsniffed cause I am a little nutty about the mad tea party scents...although I was a bit worried about how this one would turn out on me. From the get go, Queen Alice is mainly carnation and hard cider. It is a very odd combination, if you ask me, but it works really really well! I do agree, this is a nose attached to wrist kind of scent. It's so unique and intriguing that I can't get enough. The only scent I can somewhat compare it to, although it smell absolutely nothing like it is Litha. Q.A. has the same summery wine feel to it, but with completely different notes. Yum!

ahh..HennaFairy...the icon...

 

Anyhow, this is pretty much equal parts cucumber and grass on my skin. There's something about it that's a bit humid, too. I really like this and it will be great for warm weather. All these grassy scents as of late have really been making me happy!

Initially on my skin this is an herbal citrus. I swear that I smell some lavendar in here...guess I'm not alone in that. Anyway, it smells very clean and refreshing for the first half hour and then the jasmine begins to muck things up for me...right on cue. Jasmine proceeds to give this blend a weird musty edge that I am not fond of at all. Drat.

 

I'm going to use the rest of my imp as a room scent, that way jasmine can't ruin the goodness of this blend like it can on my skin.

 

If jasmine doesn't go awry on you, this is a wonderful herbal citrus blend to try.

Yum yum. Aries is my sun sign, so I just had to order this one (also, my obsessive collecting habit says 'gotta have them all' soo...). Aries does not morph on me at all! It smells of pepper, ginger and dragon's blood in the bottle, and when it goes on my skin it smells of these same things and stays that way. Odd, since many others have reported a lot of morphing with this one. Anyhow, I really enjoy the hot, dry spice that is in this blend. I am not getting any honeysuckle and perhaps a bit of oppoponax but I cant really tell. Aries is a unique BPAL scent and I am glad to have a bottle of it

I have had very good luck with The Dodo I get mainly cassia and mango, and actually have a hard time detecting the lemon, musk and sugar. The mango adds a nice depth and sweetness the the dry cassia. This reminds me most of a dried fruit salad that I make occasionally that is seasoned with lots of dry spices. I really enjoy wearing The Dodo. It definitely lifts my spirits and manages to be springy without being a light and airy scent. It has a medium amount of throw and wears well for around three hours or so. It even withstood me going to the gym for one of those hours, which is a good test, I think.

 

If you like spicy, woodsy + fruit, then you will most likely enjoy The Dodo. It's not my favorite of the Tea Party (it's hard to compete with Alice, The Lion and Eat Me...) but it's a great scent nonetheless.

Mania is basically a strawberry musk scent on my skin. It does start off a little "screeching" at first- the berry and grapefruit are really bright, but then fades to a more musky smell. I really like this one, but it literally lasts for 10 minutes on my skin. After that, I need to really press my nose up against my wrist to smell it. Granted, what I smell is good, but I am not sure if I want to invest in a bottle of this since I would likely burn through it.

OK this one went horribly awry on me. I wanted to smell what other people are smelling but I am getting something on my skin that resembles a musty shower stall. This is one of the only BPALs that I have felt the urge to wash off after a few minutes. Ick. At least I know the imp will easily go to a good home.

 

Love. I am in love with this.

 

I was really afraid that the rose was going to do something very bad on my skin, but it stays surprisingly normal and rose smelling (not acetone nail polish remover smelling like it normally does on me). That being said, Knave of Hearts smells just like a juicy berry tart (the kind that I always order at the pastry shop across the street, hehe) with a hint of floral. Just enough to add to the juiciness of the berry and keep the scent from being a buttery gourmand. This is indeed a bit similar to Eat Me (a major love of mine) although it is a bit less heavy than that (due to the floral element, I think). Smelling this I can honestly picture the tarts from the movie Alice (the lovely Czech film, my favorite Alice film incarnation); this is such a dead on interpretation of the concept, and I could not be happier.

 

So yeah, I love this one, a lot. Oh how I wish there were still 10mls available...