Rat The Unloved

Initial Impressions: Rose and musk. On the Skin: Bitter roses and musk. Dry: The -most- authentic rose scent I've come across. It smells powdery, papery, bitter, somewhat spicy, and very rosey. Mature: Same as the dry scent. Slightly earthy as well. Several hours later: A muted, somewhat masculine rose with hints of rich, dark, vanilla. Evokes, for some reason, and in some fashion, the -very- different scent my ex used to wear. At once it's slightly disturbing and very alluring. Over all: I am not a fan of roses, and I am not a fan of the earlier notes of this fragrance, but it's mature bloom is beautiful. Buyability: I'm torn. Extremely torn.

Initial Impressions: Coconut and Oxalis/Shamrocks. On the Skin: Coconut, electrical tape, and Shamrocks. Dry: Coconut and Vanilla Mature: Coconut and Vanilla Several hours later: It smells EXACTLY like Suave Vanilla shampoo. Over all: The smell just doesn't do it for me, and it's rather strong. Buyability: Would not purchase it, as it is not my kinda fragrance.

Initial Impressions: Sweet, sugary, and floral. Simmilar to Budding Moon. On the Skin: Soapy, "fresh" and lightly floral. Dry: Same as initial scent. Simmilar to Budding Moon, but a bit more of a "fresh soapy" smell. Mature:The same general scent, but it has lightened considerably and contains very faint notes that remind me of vanilla, or some other sweet food product. Several hours later: FAST fade on this one. Over all: Lovely, but a bit stronger than Budding Moon initially, though both are quite comparable. Buyability: I believe this scent is discontinued, so buyability is kinda moot aside from swaps. This is not one I would, personally, swap for.

Old Books: Dee, Mr. Ibis. Woods: Thanatopsis, Lear, The Castle(discontinued). Earth: Mr. Jacquel (Patchouli therein, so any "patchouli" scent is going to give that fresh earth vibe). Something that smells like everything all together? Dee mixed with Thanatopsis would really do the trick.

Initial Impressions: Cedar. On the Skin: Cedar and tiny hits of floral, vague impressions of leather. Dry: Leather, BRIGHT, resinous, cedar. Bare, background, floral traces. Mature: Cedar. Grows faint quickly. Several hours later: Faded entirely by now. Over all: It's scent is so strong as to almost be single-note. It's Cedar and not a lot else. It would be excellent for layering. Buyability: Not one I would, personally, pick up.

Initial Impressions: High, sweet, slightly commercial. On the Skin: Pungent with the same sour notes as Mr. Jacquel. Hints of strange scents that remind me of ... Curry powder. One HELL of a throw. The florals come forward with a vengance. The Juniper, a strong note on my skin, balances the over-all juju. Dry: This scent is COLD. It feels chilly, and windswept. Honestly, and chillingly, it reminds me of attending my grandmother's funeral in December of 05. Even given the location (near the Gulfport Texas), even given the waving palms... there was a hunting chill to the air. This is that scent. Large bundles of lilies and frothy white roses... and the odd ornamental plant. Mature: Gentle florals backed by hints of chill and rich earth. Several hours later: Faded to muted tones of the earlier florals. Over all: A lovely, lovely scent. High florals are not generally my cuppa, but I did enjoy this one. Buyability: Sadly, this scent has been discontinued twice, so buyability is moot until such time as BPAL ever decides to ressurect it.

Initial Impressions: Sweet, piny, frail notes with dark Myrrh. On the Skin: A spicy, dark, myrrh-like scent with sharp angles of Juniper. Dry: Spicy, red, and pungent. A fairly masculine scent which has strong Juniper and Myrrh scents. To my nose this smells like a Myrrh fragrance oil that I used to simmer almost constantly. It stands as my favourite BPAL scent to date. Mature:The scent becomes softer, more mellow, and less pungent. The nose-tickling abilities of the Juniper fade into a sort of soft, papery, scent. Several hours later: This scent, once it begins to fade, fades quickly. A lingering, trace, amount of the scent will remain for days (if not scrubbed off), but it's barely there. A ghostly impression of evergreens and resin. To me this suits the "funerary" vibe perfectly. Over all: A beautiful, bewildering, scent. It's manly but it smells perfect on me. It's supposed to be Juniper and yet the main note I detect is Myrrh. It's funerary, but somehow joyful. It's dark, but crackly like fire. Buyability: As my favourite scent I plan on buying a full bottle of this as soon as finances allow.

Initial Impressions: Increadibly sweet. Like honeysuckle nectar and cane sugar. On the Skin: Mellows to impressions of mellon, and lush, wet, tropical nectar. Dry: Spicy mellon and something like water lily. A very wet, lush, feminine scent. Mature: A slightly more peppery scent (something in a thistle or dandilion) comes forward in the watery fragrance. Several hours later: Mellowed to a mild, gentle, fragrance of flowers like the calm after a storm. Over all: Exactly what it says it is. And a lovely scent. Initially I did not like it, but I definately do now. Buyability: Not something I'd wear all that often (that is reserved for Thanatopsis), but I think it is most definately worth it for those who apreciate a more feminine scent.

Initial Impressions: Thanatopsis. It smells exactly like it. I love it already. On the Skin: Hints of muskier tones over the Thanatopsis-like-scent. Dry: The "Thanatopsisness" begins to fade. The Dragonsblood and moss come forward. The overall scent is exactly like the local occult store (Dragonsblood Incense and old spices). Barest hints of what I'd describe as "wet granite". I want to have it's babies. Mature: Dragonsblood and soft, crunching, moss. Light, airy, dusty, fragrances of forgotten abodes. Several hours later: Muted, earthy, mossy, loamy. Over all: I think I love it. Buyability:Since this is no longer available I cannot buy more... but I do love it dearly. Anyone wishing to try something simmilar might want to try Thanatopsis layered with a Dragonsblood-heavy scent.

Initial Impressions: Bitter, dirt-like scent. Reminds me of crushed rose stems. On the Skin: Fair, brassy, tones simmilar to a fine spice with small hints of florals. The florals are strikingly simmilar to ground clover (aka Henbit). NOTE: An unpleasant warming sensation accompanied application of this oil. It might contain something I'm allergic to. Dry: Spicier, almost masculine scents come forward. Small hints of sweetness. Mature: Dark, earthy, and spicy. Several hours later: Light, loamy and slightly floral. Over all: I actually really really like this one. Aside from the weird heat when I applied it it's alltogether a wonderful oil. Buyability:Might be prompted to pick up a vial or another imp in the future.

Impressions: Hot, bright, rose. Vicious and red. On the Skin: The rose softens, becomes pale and light. The scent is still strong, but not nearly as violent. Dry: Too much rose! Mature: It mellows signifigantly. The rose loses it's chemical quality and becomes velvetty. Several hours later: The scent is nearly gone. A soft, vague, impression of blisteringly white roses. Over all: Too strong for my tastes. Rose and I rarely get along, and in this case it was a furious battle not to scrub it off. Buyability: While I enjoy the strength and complexity of this scent as a remarkable work of art, I will not be picking up a full bottle.

Bottle Impressions: Too bright. Snowy. A tinge of cola. On the skin: GAK! Clove, rose, and Eucalyptus! Dry: Bitter roses. Sharp metallic twangs. Mature: A mellow, but overly rosey, scent. Several Hours Later: Almost gone, a faint hint of rose otto. Over All: Too strong, too rosey. Buyability: This is not one I would pick up for myself.

Initial Impressions: Bright, clear. Suggests "Watery tea". On the skin: Honest to gods... reminds me of an old floral soap my grandmother had. Dry: High, soapy, flowery. Cherry Blossom and orchids, I think. It disagrees with my skin entirely. Mature: Bah. Not liking it at all. Too high and floral for my nose. Several Hours Later: It became thin, and parchmenty. Overall: Incompatable with the way my skin works. Buyability: Would not purchase for myself.

Initial Impressions: Dry, sandy, leathery, spicy. On the Skin: Pungent, prickly, strong sour notes (probably the hyssop) tinges of typical cologne musk. Harsh. Sour note simmilar to that of "Cracked Bell" Dry: Mellows, strong sour note remains, though. Musk becomes gentle. A vanilla-like scent rises to the forefront. Overall reminders of "Dee" Mature: The Sour note fades completely. A spicy vanilla scent is left that evokes more of a Carribean feal than an Egyptian one. Bare hints of the masculine musky scent lingers. Several hours later: Vanilla and hints of spice. Over all: Very masculine, a little strong for my chemistry. Buyability: Having purchased a decant of this I did, indeed, like it. I do not know if it's one I'd wear a lot (maybe tempering it with another scent would help).

Initial Impressions: High, chemical, floral, soapy. Neutral-ish. On the Skin: Round notes of the aloe and flowers. Distinct tickles of Egyptian Musk. Barest impression of Parchment. Slightly feminine on my skin. Dry: Musk comes to the forefront as the floral scent fades. The fade on the floral is quick, resulting in a fairly gender-neutral, or even manly scent. Mature: Egyptian musk, papery florals, and extremely gentle spices. Letters and paper. Several hours later: Sweet, spicy, musky and dry. Over all: Definately what it claims to be... the scent of the Great Scribe himself. Buyability:Definately worth it, but just a little too sweet for me to want to wear it without tempering the scent with a darker oil.

Initial Impressions: I cannot stress how much I LOVE this fragrance. This was the first one I wanted to try on receiving my imps. Bottle Impressions: Harsh, Leathery, Soapy. Cologne. On the Skin: The Cologne notes are intensified briefly. The rosewood comes immediately to the front. Dry: A more mellow scent. Suggestions of occult incenses, perfumes, and smoke. The entire scent intially suggests hardcovered books resting on rosewood tables while incense burns, and soft, sweet, oils anoint the Priest. The hints of masculinity bring the idea of John Dee to this scene. Mature: The stronger scents fade into the background, revealing an absolutely intoxicating, strong, Tonka overtone. Tonka has a strong intoxicating and aphrodesiac effect on me, which sent my head into strange, sexy, places. This is the swoon of the Rite. Several hours later: All of the rush has gone from the scent. It's now soft, powdery, and resigned. It's still subtly masculine, but the scent of paper, soft wood ashes, and a faint musk come to the surface. Over all: This is the Essence of a Ritual. It starts out commanding, powerful, and potent. It swirls into heady, energetic, rush... and when it closes it is resigned, satisfied, and sweet. Buyability: It is a very masculine fragrance, but I would buy a full-sized bottle for myself for personal use. Not something I'd wear out much (in public the subtle notes are lost, and it smells a lot like aftershave), but it is personally very appealing.

First impressions: I sort of like this one, again. It's got a twang ("the metallic tang of blood") that disrupts the over-all scent to my nose. Bottle Impressions: High, bright, twangy, floral. Strong tones of Frankensence. Slightly soapy. Firey yellow (as the oil itself). On the skin: Immediately the scent mellows. It becomes powdery, floral, soft. Vaguely reminiscent of a cold, bleak, Christmas (Very much in line with it's description). Dry: Almost a commercial, floral, scent. Nice. VERY nice, but with a destinct mouth-feel. Yes. Mouth-feel. I can taste the higher notes of it. This one tastes like perfume. Not too fun for me. Mature: A "Granny" type scent comes forward. Intense, blooming, florals. Too much for my tastes. Literally. Several Hours Later: The scent has completely gone. Faded to powder, then nothing. Overall: High, floral, almost commercial. Not my personal tastes, but certainly interesting in it's own way. Buyability: Since this was a gifted Imp's ear I'll probably pass it along to someone else. It is not one that I would pick up again.