columbus

Let it be said right now that I am not a floral girl. Overly strong floral scents give me headaches and sore throats and I generally do not like them! With that said, Black Dahlia’s not too bad! This is another one of those scents that stays pretty true to the bottle as it’s worn and dried, with just little changes. Magnolia and orchid are right up there in the front, with just the slightest hint of rose that becomes a little more apparent as time goes by. This smells distressingly like something else I’ve smelled (not distressing in that it smells bad, but distressing in that I can’t recall what this reminds me of!) When it’s completely dry I do get a little bit of soapiness, but it’s a nice clean soapy, so it’s not that bad. Overall, I do enjoy this scent! It’ll be good if I’m ever in a floral mood. ; ) I'll just have try not to think of the perfume's namesake when I do. Because that story always creeps me out...

In the bottle this reminds me quite exactly of this house I used to visit occasionally... I always seemed to go at night, and it always smelled like cigars and rum. This one stays pretty true to it’s “bottle scent” when I wear it... as far as I can tell, Perversion has my favourite tobacco note so far. I don’t get any leather from this (which is odd, because my skin vamps leather in every other blend that has it) or tonka, but that’s fine by me. As it dries it becomes more and more tobacco, and that’s how it ends up. Practically a single note. : )

When I first read the notes for Ogun, I really liked the concept of it. I ordered an imp, but as I’ve become a better BPALer, I admit I was a little dubious of the combination of scents that are at play here... but I already had the imp, so I might as well give it a try, right!? Good thing, too. In the bottle this smells... well, complicated at first. It took me a bit to catch anything at all, but when I did, I eventually got the melon (what a lovely melon, too! Just like cantelope for me.), honey, and gin. When I put it on, these notes did seem to hang around in front, but as it dried the tobacco and gin seemed to be the strongest scents I got from it. It’s a great dark scent, and I will most certainly be using this for NaNoWriMo this November, because I have a character in mind who I've always imagined smelling just like Ogun.

In the bottle this smells SO strongly of vetiver, which is probably why I didn’t try it for the longest time. Fortunately, this isn’t the strongest note when I wear it! When I first put it on I could smell the violet right away (huzzah!), and as it dried it became muskier and more subtle. Sadly, my skin eats it right up and the scent is all gone within half an hour. Arrr, to the swaps with ye!

In the bottle this is very boozy, to the point that I’d be afraid to wear if when driving! Wouldn’t want to get pulled over smelling so strongly of wine. Once it’s on, though, the boozy note does get downplaid, although there is still the essense of wine. While it’s still wet, this is a very fruity blend, with the “wild berries” showing strongly. After it dries all of the notes really blend quite nicely, with the thyme balancing the sweetness of the berries. Dry, this resembles a”redder” Titania on me, which is just fine!

In the bottle: sharp and white, like a papercut. On the skin, though, it definitely transforms to more of a fungal, earthy smell. You still have the essense of lightweight white, but it definitely has the scent of mushroom gills and freshly turned dirt. Which might not sound like the best combination for a perfume, but it’s actually quite delicate and lovely.

Oh man, I can't believe I didn't grab a bottle of this when it first came out (although, in my defense, at the time I had never tried a foody perfume, and didn't realize how wonderful they are!), 'cause it's damn wonderful. When I first got my bottle, as soon as I opened the package I was afraid it had leaked, 'cause I could smell CAKE right away. Further unwrapping and investigation proved this not to be the case: it's just a strong little guy. In the bottle: Cake batter. Straight up. When I smell this in the bottle I can even see the cake batter, in that stage right before you mix it up all the way so there are still little lumps. Hooray for lumpy cake batter! Wet on the skin: Still cake-a-licious, but now there's a buttery, creamy note. No blackberry, but it's still oh-so-wonderful. Drying/dry: As the oil begins its drydown, the blackberries start to come out, and get stronger the longer it dries. It's last stage is the perfect combination of all the notes, and it really does smell just like a big ol' piece of velvet cake, complete with icing and fresh, juicy blackberries. Overall: There's not a thing about this that I don't love. Every stage is wonderful, the throw is just right, and it last and lasts. I'm probably going to have to look for some more bottles to hoard. 10/10

I found this on eBay, during a casual search: So pretty! Is this what all LE's used to look like? Or is it just Spooky? Are these the "round corked bottles" that people were talking about at the beginning of this thread? (And therefore, is it the 1/8 ounce?) Sorry for all the questions, but I've never seen one of those before, and I'm curious!

In the bottle: Mmm, spicy, cinnamony goodness! "A dribble," you say? No way! Wet on the skin: Still spicy, but now you can smell the florals. It's quite a super combination; I'm not usually a huge fan of roses (actually, of rose scents, real roses I adore), but this is certainly an exception! Drying/dry: Wait! Hold on! Come back, cinnamon! I didn't mean I liked the roses more! I love you both! *Pines.* Unforunately, on me, the spicy goes *Poof!* Fortunately, what remains is a really good rose scent. I'm glad, 'cause Two, Five, and Seven went gicky on me, and I really haven't found a scent that smells like roses like I remember 'em. This one does just that! Superfantastic! And as for the... uh... side effect? ;p No sexy dreams for me, but I did have some very vivid disturbing dreams. Teach me to eat chocolate before bed, eh? Overall, a great floral scent. Nothing sinister or spicy when I wear it, but I'm not complaining! And Harlot lasts, too. So happy!

Hm, considering how much I like grapefruit and citrus in general, I thought this one would be fabulous on me... I guess I was wrong. Then again, it's yuzu, not grapefruit. In the bottle, this has a strange, bittersweet smell, that is far from pleasant. Unfortunately, this doesn't change once it's on or dry. This seems to be one of those scents that's either wonderful and loved, or terrible and despised, and I fall into the latter category. I just can't get the idea of rotted vegetation out of my head when I wear it. I wish it was the vibrant, fruity scent that so many people seem to enjoy, but sadly, it is not so. I'm glad that other people like it, though!

In the bottle: Fresh, light, and natural. Airy and floral! Wet: This has the tang of ozone, but it's not a weather ozone (like Tempest), it's atmospheric. It is a very soft scent, and very nice. Dry: A white, fresh scent that's got a bit of a cool aquatic note going on, over the slight hint of wildflowers. Unfortunately, I've got to stick my nose right up against my wrist to smell this one; on me, it has very little throw, and doesn't last for very long. Overall: A nice spring evening scent, it's a shame that it doesn't hang around for longer!

In the bottle: Strong, spicy, and musky. It's a very in-your-face sort of scent, nothing subtle about this one at all. Wet on the skin: Pretty much the same as in the imp, and man, is it strong. Just the tiniest dab on a wrist and people can smell it at twenty paces. Is that civet I can smell? I think so. Drydown: The raw scent in the bottle breaks down a little, and you get get hints of different notes. There's a spicy/cinnamon sort of smell, as well as musk... It's still quite strong and... er... wild? I guess that's a good word for it. And then there's the livestock note. There is something about this blend that reminds me of a petting zoo... Dry: Okay, defintely more petting zoo. I can defintely see the Satyr connection right now. And there's just a tiniest speck of something that reminds me of Loviatar. I can't quite place it, but I think it might be leather. Overall: Defintely not for me. I could see that this would smell quite good on a guy, but even then the guy would have to wear juuuuust the smallest amount. I got a rather nasty headache from Satyr, that's how strong it was on me. Glad to have tried it, even more glad that it was a frimp.

In the bottle: Citrusy and bright! The grapefruit is a delight. Wet on the skin: Woah-man. This is the perfect fruity citrus. The grapefruit is not too sweet, but it's not too sour or dry either, thanks to the red currant, if I'm not mistaken. It's a sunny smell that makes me want to take a bite out of my wrist! Drydown: The cat mellows out rather quickly. You can still catch the citrus, but the musk and lavender become more noticible. Still a pleasant smell, but much more subtle. Overall: I am in love with the way this smells fresh out of the bottle... if only that lasted a bit longer! Also, as many other people have noted, the throw on this seems to be lacking, which makes me sad. If slathering rather than dabbing can get this scent to stay around longer, this guy might make it to my top ten! 9.5/10

In the bottle, this one smells strongly of violet, and little else! Fortunately, I like violet (and violet likes me!), so I wasn't afraid to give this one a try. While it was still wet, the two florals are really the stars of this blend. The gardenia plays nicely with the violet, so neither are too strong (which violet can be, little drama queen that he is). Once it begins to dry, the vanilla comes out, and the whole thing turns into a lovely concoction. The creamy vanilla balances so well with the two floral notes. It's much softer, but still has that very subtle darkness that puts and edge to the scent. Very glad I got to try this one, and I'll definitely keep it on hand!

Aw man, I feel for you guys. We New Englanders had a hell of a week last week, but it seems to be cooling off now! Whew! When it was really bad, though, the first thing I would do in the morning is walk around my house to find where it was the coolest (we don't have AC, but the ceiling fans work nicely!), and that's where I'd put my Box o' BPAL. This daily ritual was usually followed up by my mother finding the box and asking why the hell it was in with the ironing board / on top of the washing machine / on a makeshift table directly under one of the fans. Although, with temps in the low 80's for the rest of this week, I figure my smellies should be okay for a while, and can return to their rightful place on my dresser.

CCLIX (259) In the bottle: A spicy, very familiar incense smell... It reminds me of the incense that my church would use on Christmas. The slightest hint of something sweeter in the background... a sweet citrus? Almost reminiscent of those chocolate oranges that break open when you hit them. Wet on the skin: The incense is even more familiar now. I can't quite put my finger on it... I had my mom smell it, and she agrees that she's smelled it somewhere, but can't quite recall where. The sweet note is no more, and it's a little more spicy (cinnamon spicy; I know it's not cinnamon, but something very similar). I was slightly concerned at this stage, because my wrist burned a bit where I put it on, but that went away after a couple of minutes. Dry on the skin: Still that same incense smell. It's a very green, woodsy smell, and could almost double for a sweet balsam or pine. Overall: I smelled it in the bottle again once it had dried on my wrist, and, after comparing the scents, realized that it's much more complex in the bottle then it is on my skin. It's not that it's a bad scent ('cause it's not!), just that it reminds me too much of the church that I went to when I was little (not the fondest of memories!). I don't think I'll be keeping this one.

A bawdy, gleefully wicked and unruly scent: Kentucky Bourbon, sugar and a sprig of mint. In the bottle, this was definitely booze, which concerned me, because I have an aversion to strong alcoholic smells. Once I put it on, though, the mint came through a little bit more, and it was very cool and refreshing! Definitely not too strong for my tastes. The strange part, though? After the drydown, this stuff smells like frosting. Like really good frosting, that's not too sweet, so you can eat all that's on a piece of cake without getting sick. A little minty, too. Creamy and delicious. So, from booze to frosting. Who knew? This was a splendid little frimp that I'm glad I got a chance to try!

Delicious, juicy fruit with a complimentary floral base. A lovely, vibrant scent! In the bottle: I'd say that peach is the strongest note; you get a hint of the grape and sweet pea, and a definite sense of ripeness. Wet on the skin: the fruit scents really come alive! Beth's magic transforms this from a fruit perfume to the essense of fruit itself: it's the smell, but also the sensation, the roundness of the fruit, the way it feels to take a bite. Simply mah-velous. Drying/dry: As this scent dries, the floral becomes a bit stronger. It's here that I get the smallest hint of bubblegum: not traditional bubblegum flavour, but a fruity gum. Like Fruitstripes gum. Anyone remember that one? The floral and fruit balance so well: if it were just the fruit, I think it would be just a little bit too sweet, but the florals (especially the moonflower and snapdragon, I think?) mellows it out well. Overall: This scent definitely presents the image it describes: ripe fruit in the moonlight, enhanced by flower petals strewn about Titian's bower. I love this scent. Definitely going to get a big bottle.

There's a bit of soapiness to this when it's in the bottle, but the entire scent is so subtle that it's hard to pick anything out until it's actually on the skin. And what then? Forgive my BPAL nose in training, but here goes. Overall there's definitely an aquatic nature to this scent (of course!), with floral and citrus notes. I think I've pinned down the floral as lotus, but the citrus could really go either way. I'm not entirely sure. The two together create a tang that's almost sour. Once it dries, the sharp, tanginess of the citrus and salt is a little subdued, and there's a hint of smoothness, perhaps a powder or even something a little sweet? Over all, I can't say I'm a big fan. It actually smells almost identical to a non-BPAL essential oil I have called Pisces (although *that* oil is far too strong and is actually quite icky), which gives me headaches just thinking about it (the only reason I keep it is because the bottle is almost the same size as a 5mL, so I use it for measuring storage devices. ;p). This scent is just a little too sour on me for me to enjoy, but I'm sure that there are plently of aquatic-loving people out there who would smell lovely while wearing this.

Ah, the signature scent! I couldn't wait to try this one, and actually, I specifically didn't read any reviews, 'cause I wanted to be surprised about this one! In the bottle, I was psyched: it smells like a wonderful almond or cherry liquor! (To this day, I have a hard time distinguishing between cherries and almonds, unless I'm eating them. ;p). As soon as I sniffed it (which was early one morning, I had just gotten the package in time to do a little sniffing, and then it was off to class!) I decided to wear it! Yay! Not really. I guess the lesson here is: don't try a new scent before going to a three hour lecture, even if it smells great in the bottle. Within minutes, the Black Phoenix lost its cherry goodness and degraded into a very strong baby powder. So I spent three hours smelling like that. And believe me when I say it was strong! Now I really wished there was a note list for this scent, because I really need to find out what notes go to baby powder on me. There's a few of them, I think, because I suffer from this plague quite often. So later on, I let my roommate try it, and she really liked it, so I was glad that it was only my body chemistry that made it go wonky. Some time later, when I decided to try my hand at perfume making, I came back to this imp. I didn't want to use an oil that I liked, in case I messed up, and I didn't want to use an oil that I hadn't tried yet, so I went with Black Phoenix, and hoped that maybe it had been stress that powederfied this scent, or maybe the vast amounts of alcohol would somehow alter the oil so it wouldn't do that any more. To no avail. So now I have a room spray instead of a body perfume! I just have to be super careful not to get any on my skin. In the air, it's a great cherry, but its a little spicy: I swear its cinnamon. Yummy! I'm glad I can still use this great scent, even if I can't wear it as a perfume. 7/10

Yum yum yum. I became a BPAL addict about three and a half days after this left the site forever, so I hadn't heard of it. Once I joined the forums, I heard about Red and Pink Phoenix, thought they were cute, but never looked it up. But THEN! The lab threw two bottles up on eBay, I read the description, and HAD to have a bottle. No, I'm not enabled! In the bottle: Melted strawberry candy. Mm. I want to drink this bottle like a shot (something I want to do more and more often, 'cause of all the foody scents I'm buying!), but refrain, because: 1) I just spent good money on this! I'm not gonna waste the whole thing so I's can drink it 2) Hospital visits are expensive. Anyway. Time to try it on! Wet on the skin: Even more delicious. This is not a subtle strawberry. This is the four-year-old daughter of subtle strawberries, a daughter that has just have FIVE popsicles. I actually giggle when I wear this. Remember Gummi Bears, that old cartoon? Where they had the special juice and when they drank it they bounced all over the place? Yeah, that's what this is. Beth secretly got her start making Gummi Juice, and decided to sell it as perfume. This is the silliest, pinkest smell EVAR. Drying/Dry: Once Pink Phoenix's got enough time to dry down, the honeycomb gets a little stronger (at least I think it's the honey... definitely not pear or vanilla bean!), but it's still lovely and sweet. Lasts a good long time, too, and can be pretty strong if'n you wear too much. Overall: I am so glad I nabbed a bottle of this off of eBay! This is such a great scent to wear when you're feeling goofy, or feeling moping and wanting to be cheered up! Oh, and as a warning, I don't know if this is just me, but every time I wear this I get a wicked craving for cake. 8.5/10

Oh pirates, yes they rob I... What can I say. This is a great scent. In the bottle, you really get the culmination of all the notes. The rum's there in the forefront, but you can just notice the leather in the back, and a subtle hint of saltiness. Not bad, not bad at all. Wet on the skin: *Now* you're at sea. There was a review a while back that said this, but I will reiterate: This doesn't smell like the ocean. It smells like being out on the ocean. There's a mobility to this scent, you can feel the wind and the rock of the boat in the waves. Blue skies and bluer waters, that's what this smells like. Dry: I'm not sure how many of you sail, but if you do, you'll know what I'm talking about. When you've been out on the bay all day, and it's been windy and sunny and nice, and you're on your way back in, your hair is tangled and sticky with seasalt, and your skin has the patina of the ocean, and you're just a little bit sunburned, that's what this is like. I find myself licking my lips when I wear this, because I used to do that after sailing, to taste the salt. Of course, it was on my wrist, not my lips, but the scent was accurate enough for the pavlovian response. Every time I try a new scent, Beth amazes me even more. Overall: Great scent when your day needs a little bit of adventure. 9/10

I'm pretty much going to be echoing what others have already said: Pennyroyal works wonderfully, so Mad Hatter's great for all sorts of buzzing, flying insects. I've heard that strong alcohol works well also, but I don't know if it's the smell or the actual alcohol content. If it's the smell, I'd suggest Juke Joint! Also, if anyone's trying to get rid of ants, tea and pepper are good ant repellants, and wait! White Rabbit has both of those! The apartment I lived in last semester had a wicked ant problem for the last month of the year (ew!) and I put some White Rabbit on cotton balls and let them in the cupboards, and it seemed to work really well.

In the bottle: I really didn't like this one in the bottle. There was this sharp, corrupt sort of smell to it, like lettuce that you've left in the crisper for too long. It was a frimp, though, so no harm no foul. However, one day, I reread the description and thought, "Really? Strawberries and orange blossoms? Am I thinking of the same oil?" So I pulled out the imp and smelled it again, and got the same rancid lettuce smell. Yuck. Back into my box it went! However, as I continued various work on my computer, I started to smell something sweet. Further investigation proved that my hand smelled quite nice! I must have gotten a little bit of Maenad on my hand when I closed the imp. So, I put some on and decided to try it out. Wet on the skin: Still sharp and a bit icky, I'll be honest. Decided to wait it out, though. Drying: Man, it doesn't take long for that "corrupt" smell to fade! I was totally stoked. The sweetness of the strawberry came through almost immediately. Dry: Still strawberry, very reminiscent (for me) of Pink Phoenix, only it's not completely sweet: there's a little spiciness hanging out in the background... It must be the carnation? A much more subdued smell than Pink Phoenix (which is a bouncing, giggling sort of strawberry). And something (I can't put my finger on what, and it's bothering me!) reminds me of Christmas. ;p Who knows. ;p Overall: Glad that I tried it! A nice fruity scent, not too strong, and not too sweet. I guess I'll just have to hold my nose while I'm putting it on! 7/10

In the bottle: "Hey," I thought to myself, "this isn't complex, this is CHERRIES!" Strong sweet cherry smell, and little else. Rather delish, if I do say so. Wet on the skin: Still very cherry (yum!) but now a spicy cherry, which is the anise coming through. I'm not the biggest fan of anise (I'm a red liquorice girl, the regular kind is yucky ), so I was glad that it was subtle and spicy, not like the candy at all. Drying/dry: The musk comes out, and the anise does lose a bit of its spiciness. Towards the end of the drydown, the whole combination did smell more like candy, like black and red liquorice twisted together and melted down. It's not too sweet, though, so I can wear a lot and not worry. Hours later: The scent lasts! Woo! There's nothing like a good scent that keeps going and going. Kabuki mellows out, though, in its final hours. On me there's a touch of powder (although, I should note that an uncanny number of scents do go powdery on me after a long while), but it's still sweet and musky. Over all: A great scent! I probably wouldn't have chosen it for myself ( 'cause of the star anise), but I'm quite glad that I got this guy as a random imp! This is definitely going on my "I'll probably get a big bottle of this once student loan checks come in, 'cause who needs text books when you have smellies" list. 9/10