kscha2017

I was a little apprehensive about this due to the opium tar and wormwood, thinking it may induce a migraine. Now I kinda wish I had ordered 2 bottles right away. I like this. It's ozone and incense, both dark and disturbing. The atmosphere and emotion stand out, equally a feeling as much as a scent. I can tell it's related to Midnight on the Midway, one of my favorites, and I'm eager to try this paired with the Post's Crack of Thunder Hair Gloss.

I was eagerly awaiting this one for the lilac, lily of the valley, beeswax, bergamot, and nectarine. Wet or dry, I expected to love this. However, I'm only getting an odd, unpleasant coconut-like musk. Perhaps that's the golden musk? It's giving me a headache and I hate coconut. Very light scent, I expected there to be alot of throw but no. I bought two bottles because of the lilac and lily, so I will put them aside for awhile and see how they, or my chemistry, change. Lilac and lily, please come out!

I will never stop being amused by BPAL's ability to make scents that evoke a sense of something such as "gravelly". Fresh out of my decant and wet on my skin, this is gravel. And more than that, it's a "fuck you" kinda gravel. Strong, bold, unforgiving, leave you bleeding on the shoulder of the highway in the middle of nowhere. Not overtly masculine, however; a tad bit perfumy. I had a headache when I tested it and for a moment was afraid I was inducing a migraine. But then the scent dried down and tamed a bit, morphing into a softer, almost distant asphalt with, I swear, some warm, dusty, black-purple feathers mixed in. A pretty scent now, but ever so often, the "fuck you" gravel peeks out again. I would wear this when dumping someone or quitting a hateful job. I think it would be put to good use in some ritual work too.

It's glorious! Pure, sharp, cold, fresh, juicy lime. I could smell it immediately upon opening the shipping box. I need all the bottles!

He is named Búri: he was fair of feature, great and mighty. He begat a son called Borr, who wedded the woman named Bestla, daughter of Bölthorn the giant; and they had three sons: one was Odin, the second Vili, the third Vé. And this is my belief, that he, Odin, with his brothers, must be ruler of heaven and earth; we hold that he must be so called; so is that man called whom we know to be mightiest and most worthy of honor, and ye do well to let him be so called. The bloodline of the first gods: golden mead, white sage, and mugwort. Very sweet, almost reminds me of the Beltane oatcakes I make topped with lingonberries, oddly enough. A bit too foodie for me, but I am fond of both Odin and mead, so ...

A branch of holly on a cold, clear Christmas morning. Fresh. Green. Holly. Chilly and vibrant. This will be beautiful in summer too as doesn't seem to convey "snow" and, of course, isn't a "Christmas tree" pine or spruce scent. I will probably dab this on as a perfume too. Update: happy to note it is long-lasting on me and is still there after a couple washings.

This is lovely. Straight out of the bottle and onto my skin, it's a sweet pine and dry grasses scent with a hint of fresh air. I will need more.

I think this is the most beautiful BPAL creation so far. If a starry sky could have a scent, this would be it. Fresh, cool night with diamond stars overhead. Just you and your Self, marveling at the immensity of the Universe. Breathtaking. I immediately ordered another bottle. Will likely order a few more.

On me, this smells like ... well ... nothing. But a nothing with potential. It brought a strong image of the blackness of space with the tiniest pinpoint of silver starlight just barely beginning to become visible, perhaps more like a feeling rather than actual seeing. Rather ineffable. Very unlike anything I've encountered before. Brilliant!

My first bottle from the Post. This is a dark reddish-plum with very fine same-color sparklies (2 coats applied). I don't get any other colors shifting in and out. This polish feels so different from any other I've tried - it's rich, creamy and thick but dries quickly. Edit: Ahhhh! Perhaps it needed a moment more. I am now getting a color shift, from the reddish-plum to bronze to bronzy-green to black-with-red-sparklies to plum-with-red-sparklies. Nice.

Green, indeed. Swampy, amphibian, oozing green. Creepy green. Reminds me alot of the Plagues' scent from awhile back "Smite All Thy Borders with Frogges", which is a favorite of mine. They pair well. Love it.

Patchouli and wildflowers. *swoon* Wildflowers trampled into thick, black mud by unicorn hooves. I swear, I can smell the hooves. I smell daisies in particular. I'm getting a tad bit of crushed greens too (leaves and stems). And the woman's gown ... a slight whiff of fabric. The wildflowers are there but don't overpower the bold patchouli. If you like patchouli, you probably already ordered this. If not, do so. If you -don't- like patchouli, pass on by. It's strong. Wild, like it's name. I love-love-love patchouli. I thought East African Black Patchouli and Ask the Nearest Hippie were my patchouli Holy Grail scents. I was wrong. This is my patchouli Holy Grail scent.

Reminds me a little of Fruit Stripe gum we had as kids, but chewed while drinking warm 7-Up on a hot summer night. Totally fun, carefree, and sweet.

What can be said but that it's the perfect olfactory interpretation of the artwork. On me, the musk, grass, and apple blossom stand out, all equal in strength, with just a hint of mint and pine in the background. It's as if I were sitting right there at the water's edge. It's gentle yet mysterious and otherworldly. Perfection.

Surprise, it smells like Guatemalan coffee. I opened the bottle and a big plume of spiciness burned my nose with a brewed coffee note peeking through. I opened the bottle again a few hours later, and this time there was the expected spicey-chocolate-floral-coffee blend. I haven't tried it on the skin yet, but if this has any throw and staying power, I'm gonna have a hard time resisting a 3rd pot of the brew on the days I wear it.

A frimp in my recent order. Very similar to Anaesthesia which is towards the top of my Favorites list and a frequent go-to scent. Pain is not quite as strong, I would say, and I think Anaesthesia lasts longer, but if I couldn't get Anaesthesia anymore, this would be a perfectly acceptable substitute. It will be added to my Wish List.

Received this as a frimp in my last order. Holy moley, this totally evokes the idea of dragon's milk even though I never thought of the concept before smelling this. It's rich, thick, warm, spicey and delicious. I imagine the fat content is off the charts.

My nose's opinion on this is opposite of VioletChaos. I'm used to a "rounder", sweeter sandalwood. This type, on me, has a bit of a sharp, almost bitter current running through it. It also strikes me as a slightly "cooler" note than the Indian I typically go for. I was daydreaming about what I could pair it with as I awaited its arrival, but upon sniffing and slathering, I've decided the boldness deserves center stage: it will be worn alone. It also hangs on quite a long time: I applied the way I usually do at around 2:00pm and I can still pick up the scent now at 10:30pm. Another awesome thing: when I chew on eco-friendly, unpainted pencils or tinfoil, I get that deep ache in my molars. Know what I mean? The moment I opened the bottle and sniffed, I got that same ache in my back teeth. LOL. Powerful stuff. Very glad I decided to order 2 bottles right away. I shudder to remember that I almost decided not to order at all, thinking to save my $$ for something else. If you like sandalwood, don't hesitate to buy this. I'm imagining it's going to age splendidly if it's this remarkable on Day 1.

One of my favorites, my go-to "purple" scent. A very sweet, dark, warm plum is prominent. Behind it lies a hint of exotic spiciness which reminds me of Snake Oil. I get no hint of grapefruit, bergamot, or amber but perhaps their combination with orris is what my nose is translating as SO-ish spice. This is rich, deep, regal and powerful. A bold and long-lasting scent.

Is it Theotokos? http://www.bpal.org/topic/76515-theotokos/

I received this as a frimp in my last order and I'm grateful because somehow I never noticed this one in the catalogue. It's a perfect "me" scent and is quite a bit like my most favorite BPAL scent, Malediction. It has that same bold, dark, eye-watering bitterness that reminds me so much of the forest behind my old house, yet Qandisa is just a touch brighter due to, I think, the lemon. The honey (which I picture dark and opaque with pollen) is for me an afterthought in the background upon drydown, but does lend a touch of sweetness that's not apparent when wet. I immediately ordered a bottle.

2016 Being a rose fan, I slathered a goodly amount of this on. Whereas Faith blooms large and lasts without fading, Hope is much more shy on my skin. I was expecting just the opposite (bold rose, shy violet). Hope blooms and rapidly fades to almost nothing, being detectable only if I press my nose right on the spot. It seems less sugary/musky than Faith as well, although when sniffing from the bottles they are equal.

2016 Whereas Hope blooms on my skin and fades rapidly, Faith blooms big and warm with almost a cocoa butter undertone, and lasts without fading. It actually feels warm on the skin as well.

(2016) Very pretty, and does an excellent job of evoking sorrow. It smells both wet and dry, like tears and dust. I'm certain I can pick out the river reeds and palm fronds. In my old children's Bible there is a picture of baby Moses being found sleeping in his basket amongst the reeds of the Nile. This smells like that.

In the bottle, overwhelmingly beautiful floral - mostly linden and lily. After application, I got a big *boom* of the florals before it toned down. The Snake Oil peeked out after it dried and went a little "off". The scent rapidly faded and after an hour I can only smell very faint linden if I press my nose against my wrist and inhale deeply.