inurbanus

I wasn't sure what to expect from this one, because of the diversity of the notes, but let me say: THIS IS GORGEOUS. I can clearly smell the gardenia, but it's enhanced by a deep, fruity scent. The color this one evokes in my mind is deep purple, which puts it in the company of Bordello and Shadow Witch Orchid. It's sensual, but in a sophisticated, luxuriant kind of way. 4/5

Hecate is one of those blends that I don't think about very often, but when I wear it, I love it. It's a smoky almond scent with a hint of resin. It reminds me a lot of Lucretia, from The Salon -- both are warm, complex scents with vintage vibes. The almond note in Hecate is very similar to the one in Eclipse, instead of the cloyingly sweet one in Dana O'Shee. This is almond, all grown up. 4/5

Go to the Roswell WF--they have better selection, an actual display, more testers, AND they'll give you a forum discount if you talk to Lisa (AND she's XOMom on here, and is a delightful fellow BPALer to meet ). I think she can hold stuff, might even be able to order it in time. You might try PMing her directly. And the Duluth WF is my local one, but they ALWAYS annoy me when it comes to BPAL. There's always stuff stacked in front of the display, several scents no longer have testers and the testers have not been replaced. I've been thinking about Lucifer, but I'm waiting until I can get back to the Roswell WF to buy it . As I recall, they had all the retail Salons, plus some of the valentine scents (they might be gone now), and Bordello, Cheshire Cat, Dorian, Dragon's Milk, Alice, Embalming Fluid, Snake Oil, Shub, Deep In Earth, Defutata, Fascinum...drawing a blank on the others, but I think they're listed on the BPAL WF thread on the forum. It's really fun to go! Wow! That sounds awesome. I can't wait!

I *think* that the Poes were a "GC until they're gone, and then that's it" kind of thing. Anyway, I was wondering about the BPAL set up at Whole Foods. We're going to Atlanta in a couple weeks, and once I realized that there were Salons to be had, we decided to make a stop. Are there testers or should I go in knowing what I want ahead of time? And if I do know what I want to pick up, if I call in, could they hold things for me? Also, what GCs are available? The idea of BPAL being sold *in a store* is blowing my mind!

Oh, what a surprise! Who'd a thought, a patchouli blend that I can actually wear. Now, this isn't very good for the first half-hour, which is patchouli clouded with heavy musk, but then the opium comes out and takes over the blend. This is incredibly beautiful, but in a forlorn way -- it's delicate and wispy. I've been looking for a scent like this for a long time; the closest I'd come was Languor, but the floral component wasn't quite what I'd wanted. Check this one out if you're a fan of Arachne. 4/5

This is super manly out of the imp, but it settles down into a suave woody blend with just a hint of vanilla. The tobacco was a nice surprise -- it usually smells bad on me, but in this case it was tame. Surprisingly, my skin eats this, and since I'm not getting as much of the vanilla stage as I would like, I'm trying to decide how often I would wear this one. It's definitely in the same scent category as Black Lace, but they're cousins instead of siblings, if that makes any sense. I think this one deserves further investigation. 3.5/5

Granted I'm still a little stuffed-up from a prolonged cold, I'm having a really hard time smelling this one. What I can smell is hazy ozone. I think there's something floral in the background, but it's so light that I might be imagining it. It's sweeter than Tempest and Lightning, but not as fruity as Thunderbird. This is a good summer scent, light and clean, but if you're looking for something more intricate, I would suggest skipping this one. 3/5

I was a little bit worried about Blood Amber, because dragon's blood always turns to plastic on my skin, but I love amber, so I figured I had to try it. The good news is that the dragon's blood in this did not turn to plastic; the bad news is that I don't actually like the scent of it anyway. Still, this was an interesting (in a good way!) blend to try. It's very decadent and reminds me a lot of red musk -- in fact, when I first put this one on, I thought it was Scheherezade! I'm sure this is fabulous on those with dynamite chemistry, but unfortunately I'm not one of them. 3/5 ETA: This has a really great end, where it morphs into cherry incense, so I'm bumping up my grade to 4/5

As Scherezade seems to be a popular scent, I was really looking forward to trying this one. My first impression was that it smells a lot like Kabuki without the anise, which means that red musk is the dominant note. I think I like Kabuki more, but this is still good. Oddly enough, it's clean and does the weird soapy thing that most musk does on me (I'm thinking of Bastet), but it's definitely what I would call "warm." I can see how it would be really sexy on some people, but I am not one of them. Still, I'm going to keep my imp of this; maybe aging will improve it. 3.5/5

I worried about this one, because it smells like plastic in the imp, but luckily Shadow Witch Orchid blossomed on my skin. It's a deep, almost fruity scent, and if it were a color, it would be this. It's very classic and sophisticated smelling -- I can't point out any specific notes, besides the orchid, because of how well-blended this is. I really like SWC, maybe even enough to get a bottle. 4/5

Pine usually turns rank on me, so Hexennacht was a big risk, but I think it turned out well. Yes, the most obvious note is pine, but there are so many different things going on in this one that it's hard to focus just on that. I absolutely love the amber infused with incense that's the base of the scent, and don't even get me started on the faint trace of smoke -- it really ties the whole thing together. All these notes make for a very...heavy sensory experience, but I think Hex is perfect for a special occasion that calls for a more decadent perfume. 4/5

This is surprisingly clean smelling for something that's supposed to smell like dirt, but I like it. For some reason, my skin is registering this as fresh cotton with a heavy floral undertone. I don't get any of the fruit mentioned in the description, but as Worm Moon is very complex and layered, I can smell something ripe under all the other notes. While it wasn't what I was expecting, this is a great Spring scent -- it's perfect for a beautiful day like today. 4/5

I've smelled this before! This smells like Red Lantern without the tobacco, or a strange mixture of Gluttony and Grog. It's one of the few foodie scents that doesn't immediately go plasticky on me, which is a plus, but it's not what I was expecting. In a perfect world, Upa Upa would be creamy coconut (think Eden) and juicy pineapple, but this is not the case. In fact, this one isn't even that fruity out of the bottle. If you're a rum fan, this one should be right up your alley. If not, it would be better to seek elsewhere. 3/5

The first thing I smelled when I put The Passionate Shepherd on was dewy rose. After about fifteen minutes, the scent broadened into a whole field of wet greenery. The rose never goes away, and mingles with the other notes beautifully to produce a fresh blend that's perfect for Spring. This reminds me a lot of Her Voice, and I have to admit that I like Her Voice better, but I know I'm still going to enjoy wearing The Passionate Shepherd. It is the embodiment of Spring for me. 4/5

Earth Rat = sweet, sugary melon. I love this scent in the bottle, but it smells different on me. Although it's still sweet, it's deeper and less candy-like. I wouldn't recommend this one if you don't like tooth-achingly sweet BPAL like Midwinter's Eve, Titania, and Ladon. 4/5

Frederic was a risk that didn't work out. On me, it was a deep, weirdly dry patchouli mixed with cigarette ash. I wouldn't have minded if this smelled like aftershave or cologne, but even that didn't happen. I started to get a headache after about 30 minutes of wearing Frederic, which is very rare for me, so I think there was just something in this that did not agree with me. 2.5/5

Hmm...I can't make my mind up about this one. There's some lovely amber hidden in the background of this, but it's covered up with something musty and smoky. This is one of the more aggressively sexual blends I've tried, and I think I would enjoy something subtler. Still, this has potential. It's similar in feel to Smut, Midnight Kiss, and (strangely enough) Black Lace for me. 3.5/5

October is fresh, sweet, and surprisingly green. It captures the mood of walking outside on an autumn day perfectly, and while I can see how it's a bit cologne-y, I don't think it's especially masculine. I'm not getting a lot of smoke out of this one, but I don't mind. I like how mellow and laid-back this is. 4/5

On me, Mort de Cesar is something sweet with faint spices. I was expecting this one to be stronger, but there's nothing offensive to my nose in this, which is good. There is a resiny quality that I really like at the beginning, but it goes away after fifteen minutes. It reminds me a lot of Gingerbread Poppet and Shub Niggurath. This isn't a must-have, but it's not a failure either. 3.5/5 ETA: This is unbelievably fabulous now. It's stronger, and the resins remain for the duration of the blend. I think this is now one of the best BPAL spice blends I've ever smelled. I'm sorry I doubted you, Mort de Cesar!

I have the 2007 version of this. For the first 15 minutes, All Souls is terribly salty on me, but luckily that fades and a soft, powdery incense emerges. All Souls is sweeter than Cathedral, but not nearly as deep as Penitence. It's very light and fades quickly. I don't get any cake out of this one. Even though I love resins, I'm having a hard time justifying keeping this one around. 3/5

This is very interesting, and I mean that in a good way. On me, it's tart berries and dry woods. I think the label art really captures the spirit of the blend -- Sugar Moon is bawdy and playfully sexy. It teases you, and then makes you come back for another whiff. Strangely, I'm not getting any sugar out of this, but I don't really miss it because I like the blend I have so much. I predict that this one is going to be very sought after, but I'm going to keep this one and enjoy it. 4.5/5

Catherine is a great rosemary blend. I like it because it smells like an Aveda store. I also agree with those recommending Arcana.

Sundew lives up to its namesake by being so luxuriously sticky and golden. It's a very deep scent, but there's a fruity undertone that keeps it appropriate for warm weather. To be honest, I'm not quite sure what this one's notes are, because it's so well blended, but for me it's the perfect embodiment of a sunny summer day. It reminds me a lot of Elizabeth Arden's Sunflowers perfume, not because they smell identical, but that they have the same warm, langorous feel. 4.5/5

Titania = sweet pea and sugary fruits. This is the most ethereal BPAL I've ever tried. If it were a color, it would be cotton candy pink sprinkled with glitter -- there's a shimmering quality to this one that's very interesting. I always feel pretty when I feel Titania. It's very girlish, and I know I would have been head over heels with this one when I was a little girl. This one also seems really accessible for those who are just getting into BPAL. If I didn't know that Titania was from BPAL, I would assume it was a Bath & Body Works scent. It's my favorite perfume for Spring, and as soon as it warms up, I'll be wearing this all the time. 5/5

I feel like I've smelled this before. Maybe Prague? It's definitely something with lilies, because that's all I'm getting out of Sapphics: soft, sweet lilies with just a little bit of spice, probably from the myrrh. It's pretty and innocent, but I wish that there was something more going on. 3/5