Jenesis

Heh, I can't be the only person who lives at a great distance from the Lab who actually has dreams like that.... You're not! I live in hope that one day Lush will start carrying BPAL! Not that that'll help much as I'm in the middle of bloody nowhere, but never mind eh... Hang on, isn't Morrisons part of the Wal*Mart umbrella?

I have no idea what an actual Death Cap smells like, so this was an adventure for me! At first, this is indeed warm and soft, and somehow "muddy". It smells like a garden after it's been rained on for two days. After a few minutes it goes very sweet. As someone else said, I get a lot of vanilla out of this one. It's rather like Snake Oil but without so much incense. I don't think I'll wear this enough to get a bottle, but I'll definitely keep my imp!

All Souls (06 for me) is one of those like-but-not-enough-to-keep-the-bottle scents. It's much like the description - strong incense with a base of sweet cake. The scent itself is quite pleasant, but the association is what killed it for me; it reminded me way too much of a particularly horrible teacher I had when I was younger. The scent is almost identical to the one she used to wear. So it's not for me

Help, I think one of my bottles of Geek has gone bad! My first bottle I got with only an Imp's worth in it. It is a beautiful, rich scent and I love it, but it is sadly running out. I bought a full bottle to replace it. However, the full bottle smells very sharp, almost medicine-like, very aftershave-ish, with none of the mellow vibe or the sweet drydown that I love about my other bottle. Is this full bottle newer or older? (I have no idea, I got them both second-hand.) Do I need to "age" the full one? And what do I do if it has gone bad or was part of a radically different batch? Help :D

Edit: At first this smelt odd, then I realised I was developing a cold. Oops! So on to the real review: Wet: This is a sharp, clean, cold scent. Drydown: Still sharp, cold and clean, exactly like a frosty winter morning. Dry: Oh. My. God. This is love in a bottle. The sharp snow and earthy soil sweetened by myrrh and my favourite note ever, opopanax. A triumph, especially as it captures the artwork it is based on. Need a bottle of this now kplzthnxbai! PS: How on earth does Beth recreate the smell of snow so realistically?

Bottle: This is looking promising! Rather Geek-esque (yay!), but I can't pick out any individual notes. Wet: An odd blend of aftershave and leather. Drydown: It smells like a rugged, ranger (go on then, Aragorn) type man. His leather clothing is brushed with woods from his wanderings, spices from his travels to exotic places and flowers crushed under his boots. Dry: Repeat above description, only the flowers are rather more prominent now. My skin amps anything with petals. I hope this doesn't ruin it for me. Dry (10 mins): This is an incredible piece of scent mastery. The fragrance is complex and deep. However, I'm sorry to say, whatever champaca flower is it is turning this whole thing into Old Spice Shower Gel. ETA: I FINALLY, eventually, after much cajoling, got my boyfriend to try this one. HOT. DAMN. This smells stunning on a man. Rather leathery, but warm, smooth and incredibly sexy. And I mean sexy. Excuse me while I go and secretly apply this to his neck. And then jump him.

This is one of those scents which, to me, has no discernible single notes. The overall impression is very masculine and aftershave-ish. At first it is quite soft and warm, with the bark smoothing things out. Later, it becomes sharp and herbal. Later still, the woods return, and the whole thing goes back to a smooth, resiny, manly scent. A keeper, but not a top 10.

At first, this is a thick cranberry cocktail. Later, it turns into cranberry-flavoured shower gel. Damned lilies. And I was looking forward to this one so much...

Well, I'm not an expert, but I'd recommend Dorian as a musky vanilla, and I found Obatala to be an incredible coconut scent. As for earth and rose, I'm not into rose personally, but a browse of the site gives Zombi as an earthen rose. Good luck!

Ethereal musk, blonde woods, and dusty Bible accord. Bottle: Aaack. Alcoholic cologne. Wet: Still alcoholic cologne. Drydown: Weird, dusty, woody cologne. Dry (10 mins): Slightly more interesting. I can smell cedar, sandalwood (I think) and other light, as it says, blonde woods. No "dust" as yet. I think the "cologne" scent must be the musk. Dry (20 mins): Glad I left this, it's lovely now! Sweet, light musks and bright woods. Very sophisticated and fitting of the character. If I ever have a spare $25 I'll grab a bottle of this! Verdict: Leave this to mellow! Smart, sophisticated and uplifting. Sit there with your gold-rimmed spectacles and browse your old books. Rating: 4.5/5 Review

Bottle: Aaack. Alcoholic cologne. Wet: Still alcoholic cologne. Drydown: Weird, dusty, woody cologne. Dry (10 mins): Slightly more interesting. I can smell cedar, sandalwood (I think) and other light, as it says, blonde woods. No "dust" as yet. I think the "cologne" scent must be the musk. Dry (20 mins): Glad I left this, it's lovely now! Sweet, light musks and bright woods. Very sophisticated and fitting of the character. If I ever have a spare $25 I'll grab a bottle of this! Verdict: Leave this to mellow! Smart, sophisticated and uplifting. Sit there with your gold-rimmed spectacles and browse your old books. Rating: 4.5/5

Infernal musk, red patchouli, lilac cologne, mahogany, lemon rind, oakmoss, leather, and vanilla husk. Imp: Sharp-ish, musky cologne. Wet: Patchouli. Loooots of patchouli. Drydown: Oh no! Sharp, alcoholic cologne, the kind that made you gag when it came in clouds out of the boys' locker room at High School. Dry (First): Phew! Still cologne, but much creamier. Still very, very manly though. Dry (10 mins): Crowley just screams manliness from every pore. Not something that warrants big bottle attention, but nice nonetheless. Verdict: Don your sunglasses and drive your burning Bentley screaming through the black night. Rating: 4/5. Would have gotten 5 if it was a little less testosterone-fuelled. Review

Imp: Sharp-ish, musky cologne. Wet: Patchouli. Loooots of patchouli. Drydown: Oh no! Sharp, alcoholic cologne, the kind that made you gag when it came in clouds out of the boys' locker room at High School. Dry (First): Phew! Still cologne, but much creamier. Still very, very manly though. Dry (10 mins): Crowley just screams manliness from every pore. Not something that warrants big bottle attention, but nice nonetheless. Verdict: Don your sunglasses and drive your burning Bentley screaming through the black night. Rating: 4/5. Would have gotten 5 if it was a little less testosterone-fuelled.

Three white cakes, vanilla, and red and black currants. Bottle: Nothing in particular, quite strong. Wet: Fruity, tart berries. Dry & Drydown: Smells similar - warm, sweet cake with slightly bitter undertones of berry. Sorry I can't be more specific - this is one of those mellow, all-purpose, warm, comforting scents, and on my chemistry, it smells divine! Throw: Everyone I asked "Do you like this smell?" loved it. It lasted about 8 hours before vanishing. Verdict: Warm, sweet and foody. A 6-part chord of notes rather than an octave. Rating: A delectable 5/5! Review

Bottle: Nothing in particular, quite strong. Wet: Fruity, tart berries. Dry & Drydown: Smells similar - warm, sweet cake with slightly bitter undertones of berry. Sorry I can't be more specific - this is one of those mellow, all-purpose, warm, comforting scents, and on my chemistry, it smells divine! Throw: Everyone I asked "Do you like this smell?" loved it. It lasted about 8 hours before vanishing. Verdict: Warm, sweet and foody. A 6-part chord of notes rather than an octave. Rating: A delectable 5/5!

A base of cocoa absolute and white chocolate with thirteen baneful and beneficial bits including vanilla bean, white ginger, orchid, golden peach, massoia bark, clove, honey, and starfruit. Wet: Strangely, I can smell no chocolate at all. Although it is making my stomach rumble. May be subconscious? Drydown: This smells very "department store perfume". Dry: Yum! I smell edible! (I love foodies...) The chocolate has come out, but it's thankfully not overpowering (a la Candy Butcher) like I thought it would. The whole scent is rich and smooth - sweet cocoa over the rich fruit and vanilla. The scent reminds me of those special edition hot chocolate flavours that Cadburys released a few months back. Dry (10 mins): It is official: My skin eats white chocolate. This reminds me quite a bit of Xanthe, with the bright fruits and slight "perfumey" tang. Perhaps a slightly less liberal application is called for. 13 isn't a top three scent for me, but it is a top ten! (Seeing as I only have thirteen bottles...) Verdict: Slightly "perfumey", but a nice smooth fruit blend with something rich and creamy underneath. Rating: 4/5 Review

A base of cocoa absolute and white chocolate with thirteen baneful and beneficial bits including vanilla bean, white ginger, orchid, golden peach, massoia bark, clove, honey, and starfruit. Wet: Strangely, I can smell no chocolate at all. Although it is making my stomach rumble. May be subconscious? Drydown: This smells very "department store perfume". Dry: Yum! I smell edible! (I love foodies...) The chocolate has come out, but it's thankfully not overpowering (a la Candy Butcher) like I thought it would. The whole scent is rich and smooth - sweet cocoa over the rich fruit and vanilla. The scent reminds me of those special edition hot chocolate flavours that Cadburys released a few months back. Dry (10 mins): It is official: My skin eats white chocolate. This reminds me quite a bit of Xanthe, with the bright fruits and slight "perfumey" tang. Perhaps a slightly less liberal application is called for. 13 isn't a top three scent for me, but it is a top ten! (Seeing as I only have thirteen bottles...)

My 13 order has arrived! Ordered: 13th July CnS: 31st July Arrived: 4th August 5ml 13 5ml Eat Me Frimpies of King of Hearts, Incantation, Erato and Harlot. I swear Harlot is following me about. Incantation sounds interesting though! I'm quite impressed that this order got here so fast, due to the stupid postal strikes in the UK. I'm waiting on two swap/decant packages as well, both mailed before or around the time of my CnS, so here's to hoping RM don't eat my decants...

I've found that "masculine" scents smell dead sexy on me! I remember going through the Avon catalogue (with its "rub wrist and sniff" pages) when I was about 12 and thinking that the mens' colognes were much nicer than the perfumes My favourite scent, Geek, is very much a manly scent to me. It reminds me a lot of cologne (expensive, not cheap!) and the cedar and leather are both traditionally masculine notes. Some of my other favourites, such as Dorian, are also in the masculine or gender-neutral band. I think that may be the vanilla/tea combination.

Snake Oil with vetiver, black coconut, vanilla, and opoponax. Bottle: Snake Oil with a whole coconut dumped in. Wet: An odd, dark, slightly bitter coconut. Coconut amps to ungodly proportions on me so we'll see how that pans out! Drydown (first): It reminds me quite a bit of Brown Jenkins, with the coconut bittered by other notes. I can just about smell the vanilla struggling to get out, but it's mainly slightly bitter coconut. Drydown (later): Wow, what a morpher! This has gone very sweet now, with what I think (and hope!) is the murky opopanax in the background. Dry: The scent has balanced. On me it's a murky, slightly dark vanilla blend with a dollop of slightly bitter coconut balancing on the top. There is a little dark opopanax underneath. I can't detect any amber or spices (in other words, no Snake Oil) or vetiver in this at all. Dry (later): It hasn't changed much from the earlier drydown. It's murky and sexy while still being sweet - very "me" in other words A clear winner here, Beth! This has replaced Saw-Scaled Viper in my Top 10, because it doesn't blow my sinuses inside out for the first five minutes of wear.

Bottle: Snake Oil with a whole coconut dumped in. Wet: An odd, dark, slightly bitter coconut. Coconut amps to ungodly proportions on me so we'll see how that pans out! Drydown (first): It reminds me quite a bit of Brown Jenkins, with the coconut bittered by other notes. I can just about smell the vanilla struggling to get out, but it's mainly slightly bitter coconut. Drydown (later): Wow, what a morpher! This has gone very sweet now, with what I think (and hope!) is the murky opopanax in the background. Dry: The scent has balanced. On me it's a murky, slightly dark vanilla blend with a dollop of slightly bitter coconut balancing on the top. There is a little dark opopanax underneath. I can't detect any amber or spices (in other words, no Snake Oil) in this at all. Dry (later): It hasn't changed much from the earlier drydown. It's murky and sexy while still being sweet - very "me" in other words A clear winner here, Beth!

I was frimped this by the awesomeness of shelldoo in my Death Adder order. Woohoo! Quoted verbatim from the review thread: Attendees at the June 30, 2007 Thunder Moon Will Calls on the East and West coasts were offered "an extra-speshul themed package" if they donated an item of clothing at the door to help women in local shelters. To match the "Privilege and Pruno" theme of the events, the package was a plastic baggie with standard prison-issue toothbrush, comb, plastic razor, soap (samples of Macha's new line of Silk Road Trading Company soaps to be exact) and an imp of Delousing Powder! There was no description - only a frosty glare from the warden as she confiscated your clothes. - Numenon Like others, I got a very strong lemon/citrus vibe out of this. Usually, lemon sends me running for the hills and smells like dishwasher soap. Not so with Delousing Powder! It does smell a little like Fairy Citrus, but it has a lovely sweet sherbert vibe about it too. It smells more like one of those frothy, citrusy, sweet cocktails you get on mainland Europe in August than soap. It also reminds me of lemon Callippos (ice lollies). All in all, a pleasant scent, perfect for hot summer days - which means I won't be wearing it any time soon *looks out gloomily at the rainy and flooded country*

I was frimped this by the awesomeness of shelldoo! Like others, I got a very strong lemon/citrus vibe out of this. Usually, lemon sends me running for the hills and smells like dishwasher soap. Not so with Delousing Powder! It does smell a little like Fairy Citrus, but it has a lovely sweet sherbert vibe about it too. It smells more like one of those frothy, citrusy, sweet cocktails you get on mainland Europe in August than soap. It also reminds me of lemon Callippos (ice lollies). All in all, a pleasant scent, perfect for hot summer days - which means I won't be wearing it any time soon *looks out gloomily at the rainy and flooded country*

The left hand of God, or shelldoo as everyone else knows her, responded to my ISO! A bottle of the Adder will be winging its way to me tomorrow. I'm very excited about this one actually. I didn't like Snake Oil when I first tried it, because it was just so bland on me. It was slightly sour vanilla, not unpleasant, but very bland, and too strong - I got a headache from sniffing my wrist too hard! (But then I get scent headaches very easily.) Lately, after finding that I actually quite like vanilla (helloooo, Dorian!), I have considered giving the Snake another try. However, I'm (obviously) not willing to make a Lab order for one Imp, and I don't want to buy a bottle, have to wait a month, pay $13 shipping and find it doesn't work. Same logic for the Swaps forum, I know how awkward it can get when people only buy single Imps! I also forgot to add an Imp of SO to my 13 order. D'oh... My solution? After trying and (mostly) liking Saw-Scaled Viper, I started investigating the Snake Pit more closely. You know how when you first get into BPAL and have tried your first few scents you go through the catalogue and think "That will never work on me"? I did that with the Snake Pit at first. I thought that since SO was bland, any scent based on it would too. Thankfully, I got SSV as a frimp in a swap because it was late (aww!), and found a new love for the vanilla of SO! So I looked through the Pit and checked out the notes. I'm terrified of florals as 99% of floral blends turn to rank old-lady-soap on me, but the one that got my attention was Death Adder: Snake Oil with vetiver, black coconut, vanilla, and opoponax. The key attention-grabbing note there was opopanax. I LOVE opopanax. Before I got into BPAL I wore Dior Poison, in which the base note was opopanar, and my favourite BPAL ever is Geek, which has opopanax listed as a main note. I love the sultry, sexy, musky smell of it, and it smells faaaaaaabulous on moi! The fact that the Adder has vanilla and coconut only (literally) sweetened the deal. I was a little worried about the vetiver, which is a rather finicky note on me; it can be lovely and tangily refreshing, or it can smell like fag ash, but then it occurred to me that without it, the blend would be so sweet that even I wouldn't be able to wear it. And I have a sweet tooth the size of China. I really hope that after all that I like it!

As I said in my Sale Post, I'm selling off one of my bottles of Saw-Scaled Viper. I do love it, but the first ten minutes of wearing it is almost unbearable - my sinuses practically turn inside out. So while I love the drydown and dry stages (and the vanilla underneath at the end), I won't be wearing it enough to warrant having two bottles. So I'm selling one of them. The deal? You can decide which one I sell! I have a full one, brand new from the Lab two weeks ago, which I haven't even opened, and I have my older one which is full to just above the label. See my Sale thread for prices so I don't seem like I'm trying to sell outside the Swaps forum (this is an FYI post!). The older one is cheaper, but the new one is obviously fuller and unused, and thus a little higher in price. I personally don't mind which one I sell, as there is no difference in smell that I can detect. Take your pick, ladies!