annemathematics

how did I not review this? I broke my "no backups" rule for this guy! maybe because although I do love it, it's hard for me to describe the scent. Ian has some sweetness and brightness--I'm guessing from the rum. it's not a scent that will make you smell like hard alcohol or a bar, despite the presence of rum. much like the character inspiring the scent, this is however very "drinkable." bright sweet and juicy at the top; dark rich and snuggly at its heart and core. very much a blend where the notes all contribute and nothing stands out. for about the first year or so, Ian was a modest scent, offering a feeling of coziness for few hours before disappearing into my skin. recently I broke out my bottle (this is one of my comfort scents; lately I've needed all the comforting crutches I can get!) and Ian has grown into a powerful beautiful beast with strong throw and now he's lingering on my skin until the morning after. so much for Ian and the OLLAs.

There is something bright and pretty about Bub, the paranorman scent. Bright soft grass and my favorite bpal musk. One review mentioned soap but that was far from my own experience. The cemetery scents from dark delicacies are beautiful florals too. Also pretty indulgent up in Canada has a few exclusives worth exploring, including a tulip-heavy floral that got high marks in the review thread.

Ambergris accord, white musk, tobacco absolute, opoponax, and bitter cacao. Reviewing this fresh from the mailbox. This was a blind bottle buy, as I'm addicted to bpal tobacco and like all of the other notes listed for this scent. Freshly applied, this feels like it could go a little perfume-y, a little cologne-y, and it does pleasantly for about twenty minutes before drying down with the tobacco being soft but the strongest note. visions of autumn vii was tobacco and opoponax with a spicy, woody edge, and this is a cousin, only here the scent is made slightly sweet with the cacao and the whole is lightened with the musk and ambergris. Essentially this is a nice treat for tobacco lovers. A non-foodie tobacco truffle. This is baby spanking new, and the throw is low. I wager based on previous bpal experience that this scent will grow stronger with a bit of time and that the ambergris and musk will come forward more, letting this develop into a scent that is more than the sum of its parts. Even if it stays exactly the same, I've no regrets as I like this sort of thing immensely.

Dark myrrh, black cypress, fir pitch, and a shuddering sliver of white mint. Puddin is such a wonderful tease, and this was one of Puddin's wonderful teases right before he unleashed the 2016 post yule scents. Violent fit of trembling is a bottle of beloved notes: I adore cypress, evergreen forests are magic to me, peppermint is a mood brightener and myrrh is a base note in many favorite bpals. wet this opens with the cypress and the fir. there is a cool brightness, but I wouldn't think to look for mint in this if I didn't see it listed. this dries down to a deep unisex cologne, more myrrh than fir. it feels a little gritty but not dry. it reminds me a little of german expressionist horror, which I love, for being dark with that touch of evergreen. violent fit is delicious.

a creamy floral, cousin to scents like radiance of an opium den and lily the prostitute. wisteria forward, well influenced by tuberose. I love oakmoss but only know it's in this because I read the scent notes. there are some light wafts of frankincense at the start, I think I'm detecting a bit of sandalwood after a few hours, but all the incense/resins hang out very much in the background. good throw and wear length. strong, creamy, feminine, pretty. can't wait for someone to ask me what I'm wearing, what smells so good

White juniper, Italian cypress, and yew bush brushed by a veil of white rose, oudh, armoise, lavender, and vanilla sandalwood. the invitation is a bright and pretty juniper blend. juniper is the the only note that sticks out on its own. everything else just swirls together perfectly. this reminds me of the bptp hg, sleeping at the feet of the snow queen, only this is is clean and bright, lacking the smokey tobacco from the other. it's not a scent that I think of as being sexy or seductive, but I can't deny as I huff my wrist that it is inviting. intriguing and beautiful.

dark rich herbal lavender with swirls of smokey oudh. beautiful. (this is not sweet like tko)

Palus nebularum is strange and pretty.

mostly shiny black leather with the occasional waft of lavender here and there. there's a clean elegance to this.

I just adore the name of this. to be able to smell like a wicked old screw...fantastic! very heavy rich chewy cedar backed with a waft of pipeweed over a dark base (the bent twopence?). I like it, but something in it is a little too much for me to really pull off. I close my eyes and try to imagine who this scent would be perfect for and I picture...a dashing dapper lumberjack. this is the prefect gloss to rub through grizzled lumberjack hair and layer with a splash of sappy evergreen perfume. to be worn throwing darts in a pine-walled tavern drinking a pint after a long day out in the elements.

bpal's tea note often smells a touch anise-y to my nose, so to combine it with the licorice just amps the oomphy gloriousness of the licorice. the myrrh feels polished and the vanilla flutters about, swirling prettily with the licorice forming dreamy gothic scent-stripes. this is beautiful. an absolute stunner. bright and smooth and light and joyful. I wish it came in alllll the formats, so I could bath and gloss with it too. possibly my favorite black phoenix licorice-focused scent.

cheers and slathering schmears for dusky shroud. bright, clean, non-foodie vanilla laced with opium. the coffee quickly retreats to the background and plays more like a resin base note would vs acting as anything foodie. cooly glamorous, beautiful, feminine. feels like a classic perfume while being very unique. one of my favorites from the bptp yules.

my pink floof is kinda weird. in the jar, I can smell the rose...but stronger than the rose there's something just plain wrong...it reminds me of like bad movie theater popcorn's fake butter topping. I have no idea why I have rancid butter floof. admittedly my cotton candy experience is limited to summer fairs and festivals, but I've never had any that tasted or smelled like this. wacky stuff!

wet this was coffee and vetiver, dark and gritty and maybe on the foodie cusp. this lasts about fifteen minutes on me, before my caffeine-deprived skin completely consumes it. then it is GONE. just like real coffee in my presence.

When Lilith started becoming scared of monsters under the bed and shadows in the closet, wed talk. Id tell her that yes, there are monsters in the closet, but theyre there to watch over you. And yes, there are monsters under the bed, but theyre there to make sure youre safe while you sleep. The stories grew and expanded, and at night, wed say goodnight to the ghosts in the attic, the werewolves in the backyard, and the vampires in the basement. Sometimes, Id forget our zombie friends, and Lilith would take offense on their behalf. We say good night to the bats in the trees, and we say goodnight to the ghost rats in the walls, and we tell stories about what they do during the day when shes at school and Im at work. So, at night, shes snug in her bed, safe with all her monster friends. But then shed have nightmares about rattlesnakes or volcanoes, and while I try to comfort her when she calls out, I know that there will always be something hiding for her, for all of us in darkened corners. All we can do sometimes is reach out to one another and hold hands in the dark. Lilith, theres so much in the world thats gloomy and thick with shadows. I cant protect you from all of it, but the gods know I will try. I will do whatever I can to help you navigate the darkness, and I will be there holding whatever torches I can muster. You are brave and you are strong: you are the wolf, my werewolf, and I know with all my heart that you will always conquer your rattlesnakes. this opens in a fun musky/furry jumble and when it dries down I get a hint of...fruity lollipops? what? yes I do smell of candy now, underneath the nice dark complexity of whatever else is happening.. this reminds me of a lighter cousin to the 2013 yule krampuslaufen.

Mutable air: the essence of enthusiasm and versatility. This blend enhances your psychological and spiritual dexterity, and will assist you in spinning metaphorical plates so deftly and skillfully that none will fall and shatter. Dab a little on when you need a reminder of life’s unconventional joys and the thrill of the strange. White bergamot, mint, frankincense and elemi with a drop of bitter clove. this starts out as a beam of light citrus over a soft slice of resin. I'm guessing it's the frank, but it has a slightly sandalwood feel to me. as it dries down, the clove comes out more and the citrus and mint meld together and shine brightly. clove has not been historically kind to me, but whatever the lab has been doing/using for the past year works brilliantly on my chemistry. fans of Imperfect Enjoyment and Looming Spectre will find it playing similarly here. dries down to a unisex colognesque scent with a citrus edge. light in spirit, perfect in throw and still getting hints of it this morning. very glad my instincts pushed the "add to cart" button.

winter: my secret is outstanding delicious resiny goodness. sometimes when I wear it, the labdanum is more outspoken: brightly sweet, syrupy, crystalline, beautiful. other times the myrrh steps forward and is the star: cozy, rich and warm, dry and a little raspy. it seems to depend on where I anoint this: labdanum is louder at the wrists and inner elbows, myrrh gains confidence around my throat and sternum. the vanilla is not a star player, but its lovely presence is felt swirling gently about in the background. I love w:ms and have been reaching for it a lot lately. it's absolutely dreamy and cheering in the cold winter weather. even when they are classy and elegant like this, I also find resin scents to be soothing and kinda snuggly. moderate throw and wear length. and yes, I checked: it does layer well with the Contrast from 2016 lupers.

this may be the best dead leaves scent of hair gloss [for my nose] that I've tried. past years' post leaves have gone a little bit too bell pepper for me, but this holds as an elegant, refined, distinguished autumnal treasure of a scent. a devastating beauty!

gah, this is so good! I wanted an evergreen-y hair gloss and this is beautiful! the patch chypre is very light and smooth and lets the sweet, jammy fir note shine. I personally don't get any cold or ice or sassafras. compared to other winter bptp smells, this is comparatively snow-free on me. this is a feminine, joyous forest and not a dark, menacing wood full of sinister trees. a light, gentle fir, almost juicy. it reminds me very much of Geisha and Samurai HG in feel, but of course the actual notes and scents are different. very light, pretty, wearable. the fir also reminds me a little of the Midnight at Midwinter atmo spray, only here over that divine chypre. I sprayed this before going hiking among the california bay, oak and sequoia and the wafts I got from my hair were the perfect compliment to the scent of the trees in the park. I adore this one! thank you, Puddin!

initially there's identifiable coffee, sweetened by cacao and rendered more perfume-y and less foodie thanks to the oudh and patch. within a one-to-two hours, it dries down to the soft, beloved musk from faunalia, mr prenderghast, etc, with a hint of lingering lightly-smoky sweetness from the above notes. soft, gentle, very pretty. this stage lasts in my hair overnight. this might be my secret favorite (please don't tell raven black!) from a release chock full of gorgeous scents and glosses. there's just something about that musk that never fails to make me smile...

reading the notes--before I ever smelled this--I did wonder if it was more a "Creature from the black lagoon/swamp monster" scent. but having it in hand and in hair: nope, it's a freshly risen zombie, haven crawled up through moist earth and crushed grass and sticky, sappy dandelion leaves and stems. there is no such thing as too much moss or cypress for my nose, but both notes are here in extremely subtle amounts (for/to me). moist and fresh and green. with a little hint of darkness. from a fresh corpse (no rotting!) that hasn't yet enjoyed its first meal (no blood, etc!). I do really really love this, even though it isn't the type of scent I've been wearing a lot of. layers well with bpal's elmwood cemetery blend from darkdel.

mostly ambergris with tobacco. reminds me of Eyes made strong and grave with sleep minus the cacao and with a touch less sweetness. very beautiful and lovely and given my love of both bpal's tobacco and ambergis: extremely useful and wearable for me.

King Pursued is a soft creamy scent. there is only a hint of pine on my skin (I adore evergreen smells) and the pine fades quickly. the oak is gentle, subtle, the amber white and creamy. this reminds me of Aradia (haute macabre exclusive) but without the patchouli. very pretty. low throw and fades faster than I'd like, only because i want to huff this all day. I layered it with German Expressionist Horror and together they are high up among the best things I've ever smelled.

Flying kites reminds me of being outside on a gorgeous summer day, even suggesting clean laundry on a clothesline but without smelling (to me) soapy. All of the lab's scents with linen or cotton fabric notes that I can think of are smeared with smoke or vanilla or tattered and worn

The main new gc scent that I know of and love is qandisa. Musky honey saffron glamour. The dark crystal scents are great too.