forspecial_plate

Darn.....on one hand, I really wanted to like this, and I'm disappointed that I don't like it. On the other hand, that's one less bottle that I have to pursue! At first all I smell is the dirt from Graveyard Dirt, which I have decided I don't like to wear. It reminds me of moldy, dirty mushrooms. I can understand how people would like it, but it's just not for me. After a while, the other notes in Badger start to emerge a little bit, but never enough to overpower the dirt, dirt, dirt. This isn't as bad as Shattered Pumpkin, which I hated, but still, this isn't something I would want to wear. For the record, I do like Burial, Premature Burial, Penny Dreadful, and Zombi. But my decant of Badger will probably eventually find new digs.

This goes through some morphing, as you might expect from the description. At first it's somewhat traditional, soft and a little spicy, definitely towards the masculine end of the spectrum. After a while, it becomes very animalic, or animalistic, whatever the word is. That is some musky musk! I would almost swear there is civet in this, it reminds me quite a bit of some of the older scents where Beth was using civet a bit more often (Satyr for example). Except, this is a bit softer and lighter. After an even longer while, the musk settles down a bit, and like Gwydion's review before me, I was reminded of leather. Kind of a quieter relative of Iago (the scent), but still slightly menacing. So, do I like it? I'm not sure! Civet has always been rather worriesome to me. It's just a little too animalistic and realistically musky for my taste. But that is a smaller part of this scent as a whole, and I only catch the civet-y musk when I sniff up close. The throw is more pleasant. This scent shifts around a lot, and I may have to wear it a couple more times to really decide if I like it. It's definitely unusual.....I don't remember very many other bpal scents like it. It didn't grab me as an 'instant love', but it may very well grow on me with some time.

Midnight Mass 2008.... I'm reviewing this newer incarnation even though it smells exactly like the older one to me. The reason for the new review is that my tastes have changed a little. Over the last 2+ years, I have finally accepted that I just don't like frankincense as much as I thought I did. I like the way it smells at first, but basically, it ends up smelling like bologna on me. Weird, right? I do like this more than Valentine Of Rome or The Magi. This is a little softer on the frankincense, and it does have a nice burning incense smell. It's peaceful. I will definitely always keep a decant (or two) of Midnight Mass, because I know it's a scent that I get in the mood for every once in a while. Maybe I amp frankincense, because that particular note lasts and lasts on my skin, and kind of takes over the whole scent (not just in M.M., but in other blends as well). In its favor, this scent smells very much like the highest quality frank & myrrh incense that I've burned in my apt. (from Fred Soll), but that incense ends up smelling like bologna too, or roasted meat, or something. : ( So it's really my nose's fault (or my brain's?), not the scent itself.

Oooh, the Midnight Mass bottle is really pretty...I love those green candle flames.

Kabuki Kabuki Kabuki

Well, I certainly agree....this definitely smells like 'burning', at least at first! Very ashy and almost has a searing quality to the nose. Later on, it mellows down to a woody-peppery-patchouli scent. I never would have guessed there was tonka or nutmeg in here. Some types of patchouli already smell woody and peppery on their own, so I'm not sure exactly which notes I'm smelling in this blend. So, do I like it? I'm not sure! It's not quite as harsh and menacing as Troll. But somehow it's not grabbing me. I have nothing against firey scents, believe me. I think this is worth holding onto, as others mentioned, to age a little and see if some of the softer notes emerge. As with most patchouli-heavy scents, I'll be curious to see if it softens or sweetens just a little with some age. And this is coming from someone who normally doesn't like much sweetness in a scent.

DCXIX FINALLY.....the Chaos Theory I've been waiting for.....thanks supremegoddessofall!! By the way, here's her description: "Smells like cinnamony-incense with a lot of something earthy but also somehow clean-smelling." Breif and to the point, just enough to get me interested w/out giving away the details! My impression of this scent.....well, it's an odd one. It has a toasty-warm element (I don't smell any cinnamon), but also a minty/frost/snowy element. The closest comparison I can think of is Jolasveinar (which I love), but it's really not like that scent. These are completely different notes. I just don't know....I almost think of warm cocoa, but it's not chocolatey at all. There is something like oakmoss or ambergris, something 'cologney', that I love, and just a smidge of foodiness (maybe a little cake in there?). Add the frosty snowy touch and we have a winner. I will cherish this scent! Oh, and did I mention.......A CHAOS THEORY IV WITHOUT FRUIT!! Okay, there might be a hint of berry, somewhere in the mix. But overall, this is like a warm winter coat smelled from the inside, worn by a sexy man with really nice cologne. I just love it! This is just the kind of odd-smelling blend that I look for in the Chaos Theory's. I just wish I could describe it better! Edit to add: This would be right at home in the Dogs Playing Poker scents.

Vetiver fans might know what I mean when I say, this is the smoother 'brown' variety of vetiver, rather than the rooty/earthy 'green' kind. And vetiver is mostly what I'm getting from this scent. There is also something minty in here, I would swear to it. In fact, it mostly reminds me of Wulric The Wolfman, without the cocoa (although the vetiver does smell a bit like dry, unsweetened chocolate). That mint note is elusive...I just can't pin it down, but I also keep thinking of the pennyroyal in Mad Hatter. Anyway, this is a good scent with the focus on vetiver. It seems after smelling it in so many scents, the big v. just isn't as exciting to me as it once was. I still like it, don't get me wrong. But I won't be needing a full bottle of this scent, with so many other scents competing for my attention. However....I would suggest, if you liked Wulric, but were turned off by the cocoa, definitely give the Fork a try!

I recommend Mr. Jacquel and Blood Moon (the older one, from 2005 I think?), but both might be harder to find decants of. From the general catalogue, maybe Sin, Blood, Blood Amber, or even The Lion. Amber has a spicy kick sometimes that reminds me of cinnamon, especially in The Lion. And the lab's dragon's blood note has been described as slightly spicy but also floral to some people, so that one may vary.

^ CoopieCat...that is a tough one....those are some unique scents. I'll think about it and post here if I come up with anything. I do have to mention that Kumari Kandam smells very, very similar to Ice Queen. I'm surprised it hasn't been mentioned here already! I'm sure there are subtle differences, and I haven't tested them side-by-side. But wow....I'm not sure I could tell the difference in a blind 'sniff test'.

And There Was A Great Cry in Egypt is gorgeous! It gets better and better with age, too. (the notes are dark myrrh, white sandalwood, amber, hyssop, frankincense, honey, cypress, red musk, cardamom and saffron.) ........ I have to agree on this one.....it is so wonderful! Honey is often a deal-breaker for me, but it doesn't ruin Great Cry In Egypt. It does come out a little strong in the dry-down but I still love wearing this stuff. Honestly, I want a bigger bottle, but I can't decide between this and Carceri d'Invenzione, and I think they smell a little too much alike to get both. [same with Cloister Graveyard and Death Of The Grave Digger] So, I continue to be undecided. : ( And I end up collecting decants instead. : D But yeah, back on topic......the red musk in Great Cry In Egypt is definitely there, but it doesn't bully the other notes like it can do in some blends. It's just enough of a spicy musk presence to add warmth and sultry-ness to the scent as a whole.

I thought this scent had an interesting list of notes, so I wanted to try it. I used to have some China Musk from Scentiment's, and I loved it, but I don't know what happened to it. I can't really pick out the same scent in Zephyr. I would kill for a chance to try a China Musk single note from bpal, if there is one. Anyway....I really like Zephyr! Perhaps not enough to get a whole bottle, because I would have to be in a certain mood to wear it. But it's light and fresh, like a sweet breeze, not very much a citrus scent, which surprised me. The combination of notes reminds me of a marshmallow sweetness, and I kept thinking of Midnight On The Midway, except Zephyr is definitely more of a daytime scent. I really can't pick out individual notes, it's just all blended together in a slightly sweet, white scent. But it's not powdery or overbearingly sweet on me. I would call this gender neutral, veering towards feminine, but I could definitely wear it. In fact when I wore it, I couldn't stop sniffing my wrist.

Thanks, ivyandpeony! I guess a lot of times sandalwood is a subtle backing note. I did try Sin today, and I do like it! For some reason it reminds me of red musk single note, though. I guess the sandalwood there is more spicy and or woody. I do like Great Cry In Egypt a lot, and just got another decant of it. When it comes down to a larger bottle purchase I would choose Carceri d'Invenzione, just because I can smell the honey in Great Cry....although it's one of the few honey blends I actually enjoy! I like Tamamo-No-Mae a lot....might be more on the feminine side, but I love the soft sandalwood aspect. I guess what I'm really drooling over is the sandalwood essential oil on naturesgift.com, but at $70 for 5ml, it's a little steep.....maybe some day I'll splurge and treat myself to that, and hopefully that would last a long time. I have a small sniffie of it and really like it, and I think it would be great to layer with some bpal scents to emphasize the sandalwood a little more. I like Monsterbait Underpants, even though it's a little on the sweet side. I totally forgot that Zephyr and The Ifrit had sandalwood, I've been wanting to try the latter for a while, and I might have an imp of Zephyr hanging around somewhere....I'll look for it when I get home!

Bumping this topic because I've been in the mood for a nice sandalwood lately. I did a search on the Lab's site and it brought up 146 results! It's in so many blends that I often sort of skip over it when I read the descriptions. For example, I forgot that The Black Tower and Dr. John Seward both have sandalwood. Anyway, I've been digging Carceri d'Invenzione a lot. I think I like red sandalwood better than the white variety.

I second Hellcat....I thought of it right away when I saw the topic of the title. You probably have to like almond too, though. : )

My Coral Snake is nearly 2 years old, and I barely smell the Snake Oil part of it. On the other hand, I wore Habu yesterday (same vintage), and it's very very much like Snake Oil, with some juicy bamboo and woods/musk.

I want to like this, I really do. I want all the beautiful things some other people got from this scent. But it just doesn't quite appeal to me. I find it very rich, almost buttery, when I first apply. Then the drier woods take hold, and balance it a little. Still, something about it is just a little off for me. It's rich and dry at the same time, if that's possible, reminding me of some amber accords that I've tried (Eden Botanicals, I think), without really smelling like amber. I do like vanilla, but I have to be careful because sometimes it's too sweet or rich (Love's Philosophy). There is almost a hint of plastic in the early wet stage of this perfume. Overall, it's worth holding onto the imp to try again in a few weeks or months, but I just wasn't drawn to it in a big way. I can definitely understand how it's just "Wow" for other people, though.

It took a couple different tries over a period of weeks to even get a grasp on this one, and I still can barely describe it. Mostly I smell kind of a sweet, honeyed floral scent, veering dangerously towards hairspray (I still have no idea which note does this, but I've noticed it in other scents too...maybe it's the sugared lily). It reminds me a little of the Faces of the Heroines LE series from a while back. I can't recognize a single note, to tell the truth. What I smell is basically the smell of all these notes blended together, so balanced and nuanced that nothing stands out clearly. For a while there was a hint of effervescent citrus, but that didn't really play out, it just sort of danced around for a while then faded back into the mix. The overall effect is not something I would really wear, but I couldn't stop sniffing my wrist just because the scent was so interesting.

I'm really enjoying Carceri D'Invenzione lately, not that I ever stopped liking it, but I did sort of rediscover it. There's something about this scent that seems cozy and snuggly with the chill in the air and falling leaves. Warm, soft woods, sweet and spicy.

It took a few tries, but I've decided I like this scent. The problem is that it's so faint I can barely smell it, unless I sniff up close. But that's not always a bad thing. Here and there I get just the lightest wafts, teasing and tantalizing, but dark. The first time I tried it, I thought of Pit And The Pendulum right away, but much softer. I still smell the woods and incense, but this is actually different from Pit And Pendulum, and most other incensey oils. I think what I'm smelling is the same opoponax that's in Ligur, underneath sophisticated woods. It's kind of a classy scent, and makes me think of formal occasions. One thing is for sure....if I decide that I really like it, I'm going to need more than just a decant. Like I said, it's extremely faint on my skin, so I have to decide if it would be worth it. It's a little stronger than Heavenly Love And Earthly Love (which, although beautiful, was so faint there's no point in me even wearing it), but not by much. Edit: I forgot to mention that 'chill air'. It's definitely there, but I don't think of ozone. If so, it's so masterfully blended that it's nearly undectable.....just enough to lend a swirl of chilly air. This scent is elegant and dark.

This scent is superbly blended, and none of the notes really stands out, but there are hints of everything listed. Somehow when I wear this, I'm reminded strongly of Djinn, although the Scarab is more polished and less smokey/firey. It's kind of glossy and shiny. It took me a few tries to accept this scent, but once I did, there was no turning back. I like it!

Totally not what I expected. This scent is bright green and fresh, with just a little 'bite' that makes me think of a hint of frost on leaves. The woods are very elusive. I do understand the soap and cologne comparisons. Overall, I really like this, although usually the viney green scents are not that exciting to me. I feel like I want more than a decant, except the scent vanishes from my skin in about 3 or 4 hours. Still no sandalwood to be found, I guess it's there and I'm just not picking up on it. I may want some more of this....at least another decant. edit to add, this has become a big favorite. It does last a long time, and over time more of the complexity comes out. I think I can even detect the burnt wood note. In the earlier stages there seems to be a slight touch of mint or snow. Overall, a really great scent that turned me back on to green viney blends.

Decants/imps would be perfect, even if they're not completely full. And There Was A Great Cry In Egypt The Chapel Isaac, The Living Skeleton Knucklebones Three Gorgons

This is one of my favorites of all the Pumpkin patch's that I've tried. It reminds me of the others, but I really like the supporting notes in this. Aside from the familiar buttery pumpkin note, I smell mostly woods and tonka, and just a hint of leather. Somehow the woods smell earthy, and in fact, this is close to what I wanted Shattered Pumpkin to smell like. This is a winner!

I'm afraid I made the wrong choice in going straight for 5ml of this. It just doesn't work for my nose. I really thought I was all about darker scents, but this is just too rooty. I smell a big galbanum component, which isn't listed, but it really stands out and smells a lot like galbanum essential oil. It's a rooty, dark brown and green kind of scent that lasts and lasts, and doesn't seem to lose much strength, until I'm just not interested in wearing it any more. I do get the comparisons to Death Of Autumn, but I far prefer that blend. This one will most likely have to find a new home!