LiberAmoris

Chokmah is like a lighter version of Haunted on me---all musky and sexy with a hint of what smells a touch like mint to me. As it dries down, it becomes more like Snake Oil, only brighter and paler somehow---like a blonde wearing Snake Oil instead of a brunette. It’s really wearable and sensual, while still remaining spiritual. Very nice.

Geburah is really hard for me to review because I’m trying to get past the scent memory of a guy I used to date---his leather jacket, which was imbued with his cologne and the smell of his cigarettes. Geburah smells just like it. Wow. It smells good.

Chesed is like an herbal cedar on me (I had the same reaction as Seamonkey above), like a cedar chest filled with savory leaves. It has a green and herbaceous side to it that’s really unusual. I think I would find it really appealing in the air around me, but on my skin it’s a little bit overwhelming. It really smells like plants and leaves---it’s almost bitter, the way leaves can smell.

Netzach is straight up resiny roses, as reverential as it gets. The rose is lovely here (like all BPAL roses) and with the resin and wood (it does smell like sandalwood, as others have noted) it’s just gorgeous. As an aside, this blend is very pretty, but for some reason, I keep wanting to call it 'Nutsack.'

Kether starts out all almonds and amber on me, smelling amazingly like the almond filling in Danish pastries my mother used to buy for us on special occasions when I was little. After a while, the almond burns off, and it’s an amber/resin blend that goes a bit powdery on my skin. The initial stages are lovely, though.

Tiphareth smells like Catholic mass incense to me, only much lighter and with a rosy or floral note that sweetens it a bit and takes down a bit of the ‘tang.’ It’s really relaxing and meditative. I agree that it smells a bit like Jacob’s Ladder---and I get that same note that borders on anise here. I would love this as a room scent, for meditation, or in a pomander by my bed.

Et Lux Fuit is like a golden spray of sunshine, like seeing a flurry of dust motes in the air because a cascade of light is coming through a window. It's the color of Giotto's halos. It's pale and yellow and glowing and hopeful. I feel like I can smell all of the notes if I concentrate, but overall it feels like amber with vanilla musk and sunflower. It has specific notes that are layered and distinct, and yet it's so well-blended that it also reaches me as a cohesive whole. It reminds me a bit of House of Mirrors, only much more complex. Like HoM, it uses amber in a really unusual and surprising way. The late drydown stage of this on me is really beautiful. It's like the colors from an old photograph, sepia and white and gold. It's burnished and classy. Lovely!

Hungry Ghost Moon really exceeded my expectations, which, admittedly, were kind of vague since the note list was so extensive! I tried to imagine what all those notes would smell like together, and just couldn't. Well, I now can say that they smell amazing together! First applied, I get loads of beautiful grapefruit tempered with ginger. The rice wine gives it a tart and slightly astringent twist, with effervescence. As it starts to dry down, I smell the wood and the aloe with light musks underpinning it. Then it sweetens up a bit and smells a bit like Japanese rice candy---those sweets wrapped in rice paper. It's an amazing scent progression and wearable and lovely at all stages. I wore it all day at work the other day and just loved it.

Chaos Theory III bottle CCXIII: Holy crap, this is a combination of Obatala and Samhain! It's got the creamy shea of Obatala and the spicy autumnal notes from Samhain. It's absolutely heavenly. This will be perfect in the fall when I want Samhain, only creamier and a little sweeter. Chaos Theory III bottle CCXII: Lovely light florals and the lightest touch of orange. A springtime blend, very fresh and warm. Different from other florals in my collection---it almost smells like blue flowers, blue and white. I really like it!

Hi Jane1me! This question would be best asked in this thread, which is specifically for questions about BPAL, rather than questions about the forum itself. As portalkat already mentioned, you have nothing to worry about. The Lab is currently shipping out orders from early June, so your June 27th order is still in process. Here’s the Click-n-Ship thread , where you can see which orders (and from what date ranges) the Lab is currently shipping. Hope this helps!

Litha was a real surprise to me, because I smell a lot of things in here, but I don't really smell honey mead, which I was expecting. It smells more like an infused or steeped liquor, something between dandelion wine and sunflower tea. It's golden and rich and herbal. I also love the ivy note here---it really tempers the sweetness and gives it such an outdoorsy and fresh feeling. There's something about Litha that seems like a harbinger to autumn. Maybe it's the ivy. Whatever it is, I really like it and I'm glad I got a bottle.

Soporose and lenitive: opium-laced golden lotus with rich amber, pine resin, and rose otto. I am no fan of lotus, but when I saw the other notes in Lotus Moon, I had to take a chance and I'm so glad I did. The lotus is strong at first on me, but it quickly mellows and the rose/amber/pine resin come forward to balance it perfectly. The result is a blend that feels golden on me, with no one note sticking out. It's very pretty, and also very relaxing and centering. This doesn't last very long on me, but it's ok. Some BPAL blends inspire activities that last about as long as the scent---this one will be perfect for a yoga session.

Thaleia is orange-apricot-honey-gardenia on me. It's a heady, lush blend and seems tropical and summery. I can see the connection to laughter, as it's bubbly and almost giddy. I'm using my imp in my oil burner because I love this best as a room scent. I find it makes me feel cheerful and energized!

Gha'agsheblah is a resiny rose on me, with other flowers clustered around. I love rose, so it's an easy sell. As this dries down, it only gets more lovely. It never turns soapy and the rose only gets deeper. Lovely.

Thaumiel is flowery and diffuse---it has a lot of throw and it smells like a breeze coming off a meadow of wildflowers. Another very pretty floral that smells clean and light. There's a note in here that reminds me of Mock Orange, and that makes me happy.

Sathariel is incensey and warm, like the feeling in the chest after taking a shot of straight liquor. Like reviewers above, I pick up on a spicy dragon's blood base with something sweet and almost honeyed. Whatever it is, it's good. The drydown is like a tryst between Sepent's Kiss and Venom. This strikes me as a blend that would be great in the fall, perhaps because of the yummy spices.

Thagiron is clean and fresh, like sparkling dandelion wine! It smells like a bright spring day. After a bit, it goes a bit soapy on my skin, but even when it does so, it's like the freshest, fanciest soap smell---nice in its own way.

Seriously, this whole series is just amazing. But I am particularly enamored with Samael, which does indeed bear resemblance to La Fee Verte. It's just the most delcious honey musk, and it lasts and lasts. Another one to consider in a larger format.

Ghagiel is like a huge bouquet of white flowers. It's absolutely pretty. There is definitely something 'spicy' to the florals that gives them a little edge. Almost like carnation. I really love this one.

Gamaliel started out kind of tart on me, with a dill-like note. But that quickly changed as it transitioned into a fruity/floral take on Perversion. I love me some Perv, so this was a good thing. It's pretty and sultry at once, and would be great later on in the year when the temperature starts to drop.

Like other reviewers above, Golachab strikes me as incensey and smoky with something fruity---maybe grape? I also get some florals but they are complicated and transformed by the smoke. Very nice.

Mmmm, A'arab Zaraq is a sweet musky skin scent, subtle but smoldering. It's dark and light at the same time, like a drink I had once at a college party: mead and coke (coca-cola). This goes on the short list!

Nahemoth is the closest thing I've found in the general catalog to my beloved Snake Charmer. It's got the same dark, musky, fruity, sexy tones, and is an absolute stunner. Nahemoth smells a little juicier to me, and has a note that reminds me a bit of a cordial. But for those people who liked Snake Charmer but weren't so hot on the coconut, you might want to give this a try, as I don't smell any coconut here. I this. It's perfectly composed for for its namesake. Beauty and Pleasure, indeed.

Orpheus is herbal, green, and very relaxing. No one note stands out to me; it's more like a chord of things working together, almost inseparable. The 'crushed green stems' capture most fully the way this smells and feels to me, but it's more composed than that---the musk blurs and softens the edges of the florals and makes the overall effect softer, like flowers and herbs and greenery wrapped in muslin or something. Some combination of the notes comes across as a bit like aloe to my nose, and that adds to the verdant quality. Orpheus's song could soothe wild beasts and tame their hearts, which is why I think he's featured with animals of all kinds listening raptly in the painting. That flamingo does kind of look like the traditional flamingo lawn ornament, though. Maybe he can also soothe lawn ornaments! I'm really glad I bought a bottle of this. Not to draw a parallel between myself and lawn ornaments, but I do find it very soothing. I think this would be a great oil to wear at work, when I'm feeling stressed, or when I'm getting ready to go to sleep. This has the same 'feel' to me as Ides of March, which is one of my absolute faves. I'm happy to find something with the same vibe in the general catalog.

Candy-sweet orange and mint? Strangely enough, at first I get a citrus-mint rather than a citrus-fig from this. Then it starts to dry down and that most mouth-watering fig note arrives. With the mandarin, it's almost like candied fig. Yummy. This has the same 'feel' to me as Hunger, Siren, and Sin. It's straightforward but powerful and signature. I'll definitely use up the imp!