Laurel the Woodfairy

I wanted the Count partly for the name, but mostly because my husband loves the spicy scents and this sounds like a winner for him. And he is going to LOVE this! Wow. It definitely smells masculine--I get the leather and patchouli base right away. But floating over it is this heavenly blend of chai-like spices; I say that because Brian just made a batch of chai recently and I recognize the ginger, clove, cinnamon...is there cardomom here too or am I imagining? Anyway, this is PERFECT for someone like Brian who wants to smell foodier than the average Blue Steel for Dudes cologne, but still smell sexy in a particularly masculine sort of way.

Creepy is a delicious caramel-apple scent on me--both notes perfectly balanced, and it got rave "oo, you smell good!" reviews from Brian. I also really like the crone on the bottle--she's all, "Double, double, toil and trouble. Smellin' sexy, cauldron bubble." In a sense, Creepy is initially not very "BPALish"--it layers perfectly with lots of fall goodies from sundry etailers, B&BW, etc. However, the drydown is more complex--it reminds me of Sugar Skull, some sort of brown-sugar base note. Thus, Creepy is a perfect balance of the distinction that sets BPAL apart *and* my desire to layer madly. Great stuff.

Coconut can go either way on me, but shea is lovely and I'm always curious about aquatics that have a little something else going on with them--so I'm happy to try Obatala. This is a *fascinating* scent! Unique among BPALers, it does not remind me of anything else I've tried here. To compare to another company with whom I often layer, I recognize the shea as being the lovely soft, sweet note from B&BW's Rice Flower & Shea, but crossed with their Creamy Coconut and a certain ineffable BPAL quality of depth! This is complex--sweet and creamy but *fresh*. It's going to Brian's box, because he likes this coconut better than Perversion. Definitely gender-neutral.

Othello is reason #5,000 why I need to read every single description--I skimmed right past him for years, thinking "Guy scent!" Then I noticed...roses and spice? Sign me up! Othello's rose is a soft tea-rose with spices underneath. It's very soft and romantic, a lot like Lucy's Kiss with musk, but I'm not truly loving the musk here--it takes over the rose on my skin. I *do* think a guy could wear it, but the musk is a tad too sharp for me.

I LOVE this! Sexy, spicy, and perfect for autumn. Opium and red musk are a great combination, but add the ginger-spice topnotes (I think I smell cinnamon, too), plus a touch of floral, and it's really divine. I'd wear this for day or evening. I'm so glad I have some! Scents in this family (I think of it as the Snake Oil family; musk + sweet) are hit or miss with me. Mum Moon is a big hit! I'd recommend it for someone who wears YSL Opium and wants to try BPAL. It has that rich, warm quality of the "oriental" family of perfumes, but in a fresh unexpected way. Divine!

Harvest Moon '06 opens with a bright apple topnote, and I can still smell apple on the drydown. Oddly, my nose registers sweet corn, which is certainly harvest-y but not what I expected. The base notes are sweet but fresh, definitely some greenery in there. I have to say that this is my least favorite of the Harvest Moon incarnations-- '04 and '05 are two of my most precioussss hoarded bottles. However, I was glad to have an imp of this to use in ritual tonight, as this is my favorite moon of the year!

Hey, a Love Potion that I haven't tried! On me, Casanova is all sharp lavender at first, with a touch of amber underneath. Once the lavender settles, I can detect the leather and something that reminds me of ambergris, though that isn't listed. I don't like it on me (too sharp, too "male"), but I have to try it on the resident Casanova, Brian, to really decide. He sniffed it on me and went "eh", though, so I doubt it's a keeper.

As always, I love Beth's interpretation of the theme--that she ignored the reputation Mary Magdalene has gotten over the centuries and stuck with her original story, that of a beautiful woman with a lot of courage and a lot of devotion. Plus, I just love roses! However, I must say that the orchid and other notes about drown the rose here--I smell wistful paper-whites and just a hint of rose. I don't think I need this one, considering how many rose blends I already have, but I'm glad I got to try it.

Bewitched probably should have been on my wishlist ages ago--woodland witchcraft? Oh yeah! However, I wasn't into berries for the longest time after Jester (too...happy), and only recently realized how much I love blackberry *and* green tea. Now I'm kicking myself for not trying this sooner--wet, I get the nummy berry note from Eat Me, but instead of foody, it's fresh and clean. The musk takes over pretty quickly, making it harder to detect the delicate green tea. I think that, while I may not need a bottle, this is a great fall scent and I will use up my imp.

I'm just looking for some Tush...namatay. C'mon, someone had to say it! On me, Tush is like a cross between Regan and Antique Lace, which I really was not expecting. Vanilla and floral--much softer than either of those blends, though. It's not *bad*, but I associate meditation blends with incense--this doesn't put me in that frame of mind.

Ditto. High John is many people's "job inteview" scent (it worked for me!), but Water of Notre Dame is the one I grab when I'm truly freaking the f*ck out.

A spreadsheet is smart--I have one now, but for the first two years or so it was pure trial and error--and reading reviews, since I was pretty ignorant about notes. So, for example, I knew Glitter had "a floral note that hates me"; reading reviews helped me understand that that's heliotrope. Not terribly scientific, but after enough sniffing, the patterns do begin to emerge for you! Have fun getting to know your chemistry--that's an aspect of myself I'd never given a second thought before I found BPAL.

Out of all the CD scents, this one elicited the most mixed reaction from me *prior* to sniffing--chocolate and cream sounds divine; the word "butcher" makes me go, "eww, I don't want to see that written on a bottle". However, I do not have mixed feelings at all about the scent, which is all kinds of yum! This is a lot more complex than just cocoa and cream, although I can smell both--there's an undertone of vanilla-floral-musk. (Flowers and chocolates? This one would be at home in the V-Day update!). As demented as it sounds, "chocolate-covered Snow White" is a darn good description. I doubt I'd use up a bottle, but I'll use my imp to layer with my Dark Chocolate Solstice bubble bath and lotion from Tickled Pink.

Did someone say the magic words "red rose"? Sign me up for this Carnaval ride! Although this one has the most cumbersome name of the lot, I must say; quite the mouthful there. I may just refer to it as "The Deranged Poppets", which sounds way creepier anyway. Said poppets' oil is a rich red-brown color in the vial, rather like Vamp nail polish (love!). Although I can see the resemblance to Parlement of Foules, I do believe this is unique among BPALs--sort of like Rose Red crossed with Cathedral, though the resin and wood undertones create a warmth and depth reminiscent of Hearth. It evokes a rich, dark mahogany antique table with a vase of fresh roses sitting on it. This would not be at all too feminine for a guy. In fact, despite the rose, I think it's not quite feminine *enough* for me. With a zillion rose scents already, I can pass on this, but I'm glad to have tried it.

It's an understatement to say jasmine is no friend of mine, but I just have to try all the CD scents...especially as I sometimes fancy myself a Professor of Chaos (well...a chaotic professor, anyway). I must say, the dark violet quality of Melisande is a nice twist--reminds me a little of The Raven--a touch of sugared-violet candy. However...there is jasmine. Need I say more? Off to swap!

Doc and his beautiful friend Storyville showed up in my mailbox as a wonderful gift! I knew Story was the girl for me but didn't know what to expect from Doc. You know what? I love him. Very warm and resinous, with rich, comforting spices woven throughout and a gentle, foresty drydown. Perfect for men who *think* they like Old Spice only because they haven't discovered BPAL. This scent makes me really sad that my grandfather, whom I called "Grandpa Doc," has passed away--it reminds me of him: a kindly, gentlemanly scent, although girls can wear it--even girly-girls like me! ETA: the pine comes out much more clearly on my husband, but I like it on him. Doc will likely live with his boy-imps.

A wonderful Forum friend has sent me some Storyville as a surprise! And there was a great squee in Egypt...er, the Carolinas... Oh wow. I can see why people would place obscene bids for this one. This is FANTASTIC! Definitely ginger and other spices, on top of a rich vanilla-musk that isn't the least bit cloying or overkill. This is a subtle blend--not in terms of throw, which is strong, but in the sense of the notes blending perfectly in a more *refined* way than, say, Smut, which knocked me on my ass with musky-musk-muskington, or the gooey-sweet of some of the Monsterbaits. I adore Snake Oil, but I'd have to say Storyville is what Snake Oil wants to be when it grows up. Drop-dead sexy, spicy as a Poppet but not too foody...just gorgeous. I will be hoarding this little bottle, but tonight we're celebrating my sister's birthday with a fancy night out, so I think I'm justified in a slather. ETA: this has rocketed to the top of my Favorites list; it's divine! My sister asked me to describe it, so I said, "a spicy pudding. And sex."

Antonino sounds like a winner for my hubby--he's fond of coconut, et. al. But I must say, I kinda like what Antonino does for me, too. The wonderful fresh verbena topnote is similar to Phantom Calliope. On the drydown, the warm fruits start to show up, especially the fig and plum. This is a bright, happy scent--if Antonino himself is as cheery as this, he could probably talk me into visiting the carny tent.

Whew, this one is strong! To no one's surprise, Mr. Theo, after a quick flash of musk and vanilla, becomes nothing but jasmine on my skin. On Brian, who does not share my lifelong enmity with jasmine, it's all musk. Neither of us got Earl Grey, so it seems this one is just not compatible with our collective household chemistry! Good thing we have Dorian, Theo's jasmine-free cousin.

The description of the Organ Grinder reminds me of Tombstone, which makes me think Brian might just love it! It's bright orange in color. Ah, this is wonderful and unique! Almond and pine...what an unlikely combination. But it just seems like a rich, warm, slightly foody scent with a masculine edge to it. It's going straight to Brian's box! Much more to his taste than Doc C. was.

This sounds like a very masculine scent, so I'm reviewing with my DH in mind (who just happens to have the same first name as the Doc!). At first sniff, Doc Constantine is oddly sharp, almost medicinal, and I could swear I smell ambergris-bouquet, but that isn't listed; it seems to be the way the amber and leather combine. Smells like an old apothecary's shop, or possibly like Haunted for boys. On Brian, the medicinal topnote was more alcoholic--"like gin," quoth the boy. Too acidic for his taste, even on the drydown, so off to swap!

Whoa, Carnaval Diabolique happens all at once, like being thrown straight into the middle of the midway with your senses bombarded from all sides! Lemon and coconut and vanilla...what this really brings to mind is a gourmet version of the pie-toss (trying to hit Xanthe, maybe? ): coconut cream pie, lemon meringe pie, apricot tart and vanilla pudding all co-existing in yummy goodness! I was really wary of the heliotrope, but other than a general sense of a warm bouquet of flowers, I can't tell it's there. This is a fabulously lush gourmand / oriental scent, and Brian really likes it on me. ETA: the heliotrope eventually does show up on the drydown, and that's just never a good thing for me. Well, it was fun while it lasted, but I'm ready to get off the ride now!

I am predisposed to love Gennivre, not only for the notes (which sound lovely) but also because I have the trading card! This is a strong herbal tea blend--it smells just like a fresh pot is brewing. There's a light touch of honey peeking out from underneath, and it smells specifically like wildflower honey (similar to a note in Litha). Gennivre is delicate and elegant; I would say she belongs in the same general category with Embalming Fluid and also the LEs Berenice and Honey Moon (quite different scents, but similar "mood"). A little more distant and reserved than I expected, but very pretty. This one will get lots of wear in the winter and early spring--perfect for fresh, clear days; it suggests the colors pale green and white to me. I may need to go order more of this; the longer I wear it, the more I love it.

*eyes the decant set* Ok, time to try "the freaky clown scent"! Not overly confident about the notes, but trying all the CD scents is so much fun! On me, Xanthe smells like a cocktail in an "edgy" bar, a tropical twist on an appletini with a garnish of citrus peel and a shake of pepper (I'm surprised how distinct the pepper note is). I could almost mistake the fruit for pomegranate--maybe because Xanthe reminds me of Swank; sparkling and fruity. I like this a lot better than I expected, but it's probably not one I would wear much. I'll debate whether to keep it or not.

Mme. Moriarty, even more than Snake Oil, will always be "the Beth scent" in my mind. I notice that she is indeed the color of Snake Oil in the vial. On me, though, I get a cross between Snake Charmer and Smut--that heavy smut-musk that's a little sharp for me, but with a hint of the vanilla that I love in Charmer. Definitely a smoky, mysterious scent. But to be honest, Snake Charmer loves my skin a lot more than Mme. M. does. Now I'm torn--I kind of just want an empty bottle for the artwork.