inurbanus

The embodiment of Victorian funereal elegance. A delicate sugar-spun vanilla cream cotton, stained by tobacco and incense smoke, Indian musk, and drops of cognac. OMG! What to say about the famous Black Lace? How about that in the bottle, this is a very sweet cotton dribbled with vanilla musk. When I applied it, there was a strong tobacco note for about 20 minutes, before it settled down into a sweet smoky vanilla. I can't really smell the cognac, but that's okay. I was expecting this one to be stronger, but I'm going to try it in my scent locket and see what the difference is. (I'm guessing more tobacco.) This isn't a must-have BPAL, but I really like it and am glad that I now have a bottle. 4/5 ETA: Okay, last night I could not stop sniffing my wrist, and came to the conclusion that this is a 4.5/5.

I've been on the hunt for the perfect white floral for what feels like ages. I've tried Madeline, White Moon, White Phoenix, Asphodel, The Ghost, Languor, Prague, and many more that I can't remember right now. I think if I could mate the actual flowers in Languor with the freshness of Her Voice, I would have exactly what I'm looking for.

I tried this before, set it aside, and randomly decided to try it out again. I'm so glad I did! On me, Kabuki keeps changing. First I get the cherries and anise, then the red musk. It's a very sultry blend, but the cherries add a little playfulness. The musk in this one is nice and non-threatening. I wish Kabuki had more throw, but I can do things to amplify it. I think this one is worth the extra work. 4/5

Just some ones off the top of my head: Blood Lotus, Prague, Goneril, Honey Mone, Her Voice, To Helen, Athens, The Ghost, and Venice. Blood Lotus is a juicy lotus. It's very fun and fresh. Prague reminds me of Ulalume (which I also love), but it doesn't have the moss and woods that make Ulalume a "fall" scent. Also, see if you can find some Goneril, which was sadly discontinued. I remember thinking that it was "Ulalume lite". Honey Mone, Her Voice, and To Helen seem like florals you might be interested in. Athens reminds me of Kali, but it wasn't quiet as "intense", if that makes sense. The Ghost is a floral, but I remembered it smelling really aquatic. Venice is a very heavy, complex floral. In fact, it might be too heady for Spring. But I thought I would put it out there anyway.

How have I not reviewed Eden yet?! It's without a doubt my favorite GC scent ever. Eden is just so lush and decadent, not to mention pretty darn sexy. It's the perfect amount of sandalwood topped with creamy coconut and drizzled with almond. From time to time the fig will drift in and out. Mmm...this is pure paradise right here. I don't think it's the most sophisticated scent in the BPAL catalogue, but there's something so fulfilling about this one. It also has excellent throw. 5/5

Shub-Niggurath is gingery goodness. It's foodie, but not in a HEY, I SMELL LIKE A CUPCAKE kind of way. It's got more depth than most of the foodie scents I've tried. This one seems to me to be the General Catalogue equivalent of Gingerbread Poppet. I like it, but I don't know how often I'll wear this one. I'm just not a big gingerbread person. 4/5

The roses in Two, Five & Seven aren't as intense as I thought they would be. Instead, they're fruity, making this blend fun and bubbly. I think this one would be a great for getting more people into rose, as it's a little bit lighter in tone than most of the other rose blends. I like this one a lot -- it's possibly bottle material. 4/5

Asphodel is a soft, mournful little floral. It's very soapy, and the only note I can pick out are some lilies in the background. I wouldn't really describe this one as a white floral, but it's in the same family. Unfortunately it doesn't have that "crisp" quality that I love so much. This isn't exactly how I imagined the concept of Asphodel, either. For those of you who like White Phoenix, Asphodel is very similar, so you might be interested in hunting down some. 3/5

This smells like a flower garden warmed by the sun. It's surprisingly light on me, so I'll have to take measures to intensify this. I can't pick out any individual flowers, but together they are sweet with a little bit of green grass here and there. I can't wait to try this out in Spring, but until then this is a nice reminder of warm weather. I wear a lot of florals, and Poisson d'Avril isn't my absolute favorite of them, but it is quite lovely in its own right. 3.5/5

On me this is cinnamon and patchouli. It smells okay, but I'm not a big fan of patchouli, so I'm not really enjoying this one. If you like the Lab's other patchouli blends, such as Vixen, Goblin, Midnight Kiss, etc. -- I'm sure this would be an excellent one to try. 2.5/5

A deceptively sweet orchid vanille with a faint trace of stephanotis. Regan is a soft, sweet floral that's very wispy and delicate. For some reason, it smelled very bridal to me. I would have liked this one a lot if it had been stronger. There is also a weird plastic undertone to it that prevents Regan from becoming a favorite of mine. I would have loved this one when I was younger, and I think it would be very appropriate for a little girl to wear. I'm glad I tried this one, I might have to test it again later and see if it gets better. For some reason, Regan draws me in, even though it's not really good on me. 3/5

I have been looking for a BPAL reminiscent of a florist's shop, and I think I've finally found it. Her Voice is absolutely beautiful. It reminds me exactly of a bouquet misted with water. The beeswax and vanilla amber add a nice depth without making Her Voice too sweet -- this one is wonderfully spicy. The hyacinths, roses, and carnations are definitely the most prominent flowers, but I can smell the lilies in the background as well. I can't recommend this one enough to those who like florals. Seriously, you won't want to miss this one. 5/5

Night Thoughts is odd. In the bottle, it smells like cigarettes, which isn't too appealing. Then, on my skin, I can smell the lilac and cedar clashing. They don't seem to blend well together. Finally, they go away and leave behind a floral, soapy smell that's tolerable, but not really interesting. I'm disappointed; I was hoping this one would turn out to be ethereal and as airy as the night sky itself. I think I'll try this in a scent locket, and if that doesn't work, Night Thoughts will go the sale pile. 2.5/5

I love the story of Cupid and Psyche, so I was really looking forward to trying this one. Unfortunately, it didn't work out very well. The first fifteen minutes of Psyche were burning plastic on my skin. After that (thankfully) went away, I'm stuck with lavender. I don't get any rose or frankincense. If you like lavender, I would suggest trying this one over one of the Somnium blends, as this one seems gentler. However, this one was a no-go for me. 2/5

I don't think I would have ever tried Swank on my own, but I got it as a freebie in a swap, so I decided to try it out. I'm so glad I did! This is delicious, and smells exactly like Sweetarts on me. Granted, there is a little too much alcohol (which reminds me of dryer sheets), but I can deal with it since the pomegranate is so tart and refreshing. This is definitely an excellent BPAL for warm weather. I also think it would really be accessible for those new to BPAL; it smells like something from Bath & Body Works. Mmm...I think I'm going to have to get more of this. I can't stop sniffing my wrist. 4/5

Foody things usually don't last long on my skin, so I wasn't surprised that Teenage Cannibal faded fast. I think I'm definitely going to try this one in a scent locket; it's one that I want to hang around. At first I was worried; in the bottle this one has the same weird salty undertone as Vampire Tears. Luckily on my skin it soon developed into a smoky lemon sprinkled with sugar. Yummy! If I had to describe this one, I would say it's cute, flirty, and innocent. This is a real pick me up. As soon as I can figure out how to make it last longer, I know I'll be wearing Cannibal a lot. 4/5

I used to love Cathedral when I was beginning to get into BPAL, then I stopped wearing it for a while, and now I like it again. Compared to the other resin scents, Cathedral seems more scattered and hazy. It's wonderfully evocative of an old church, and every time I wear it I think of the cathedrals I've visited and smile. While I wouldn't describe this one as especially comforting, it's a very warm scent, perfect for cold weather. Cathedral doesn't have a very strong throw, so in order to get the full effect, I have to douse myself in it. I think it would smell really good on a guy. 4/5

Penitence is like Cathedral's younger sister. While they both smell like smoky resin, Penitence is lighter and more alluring. I've tried this one before and wasn't very impressed, but after wearing it a second time, I really like it and am considering getting a bottle. It's very perfume-y, but sometimes a little opulence is nice. I will say that this one seems like it can go to powder at any moment, so if you have a chemistry problem with resins, you might want to avoid this one. This is also very similar to Dance of Death, so if you like that one, you should check Penitence out. 4/5

The only bottle I have where the oil is not at the shoulder is 13, and that's because I used to use the cotton swabs on q-tips to apply my BPAL. Now that I cut q-tips in half and use the plain end, which wastes a lot less oil, I think it would take me a couple years to get through a single bottle. I like that though; I want my LEs to last as long as possible, since I never hoard. Hypothetically, though, if I were to go all extravagant and slather myself every day, I would go through several bottles of Leo or Eden.

I can't believe that I haven't reviewed 13 yet. This is the only BPAL with a cocoa note that I can wear, and boy is this one good. It's chocolate and herbs, so you get that delectable chocolate scent paired with something unexpectedly green, resulting in a very unique blend. I wear 13 when I need to concentrate, as it helps me focus. I wouldn't call it a really "dressed up" blend, but I wouldn't be afraid to wear it to class or work -- it's pretty subdued. The chocolate in this one gets better as time goes on, so in this case, older = better. 4/5 ETA: Okay, I've started a massive sniff-through of all my bottles, and I started with 13. Anyway, since I paid close attention to everything going on in the blend, I wanted to add more to my review. This is a second opinion, not a re-write. For a scent that's associated with chocolate, I don't smell a great deal of cocoa in 13. It's there in the beginning, which I have to say is my favorite stage of this, but after the dry-down, it takes a backseat to the herbs. I can smell its warmth and sweetness, but it's not blatant, and I have to say, I like the subtleness of it. I know that I say foodie blends don't work on me, and the majority of the time they don't, but what's great about 13 is that it's more of an intellectual take on foodie -- it's what I would classify as gourmand. I don't know if there's any other scent that I'm as divided on as 13. I love it when it's out of the bottle, and I love the scent it finally matures into, but I don't really care for the middle stage that connects these two points. The reaction that I usually have while wearing this is "I smell odd." Not good, but odd. But in a strange way, I've conditioned myself to like this. 13 was one of the first Limited Edition bottles I bought, before I knew what works and what doesn't, and I never allowed myself to say that I didn't like it. Because I do -- but I'm not sure if that's a natural reaction, or my own will to keep this one. I mean, it's not offensive, but it doesn't have that instantly recognizable "this is so ME" feeling that my favorites do. What's a girl to do? I don't know if I'll ever truly love 13, but I'm culling the herd right now, and I'm scared to get rid of this one. What if I need chocolaty herbs after all? While I sit and sniff my wrist, I can smell the smoothness of the rice flower, the sweetness of the chamomile, and just a little bit of spice. This scent is actually very soft -- when I put this on, I was surprised by how light it actually is. It's soothing, like I said above. I don't think this is something to wear out on the town -- it just seems like it needs to be worn at home, in flannel pajamas, in front of a fire.

Is it okay to keep suggesting things? If so, I would recommend Sundew. It's so bright and golden that it never fails to make me happy. I would second the Mag Mell rec, as Mag Mell needs more love.

Hi'iaka is one of those scents that I'd always wanted to try, but never got around to it until the lab sent me a frimp of it. I'm glad I got the opportunity, because it's a lovely lush floral. I'm not sure how to describe this, but Hi'iaka expands once it's on my wrist -- this has terrific throw. In evaluating what kind of floral category it belongs to, it's definitely tropical, with a little bit of ginger to make things more interesting. I get some fruit (bananas?) as well. What surprises me is that the floral is kind of "green" smelling, which I love. It's perfect for summer, but it's going to be hard work saving my imp of this until then. 4/5

Athens = grape, honey, and incense. I like it because it's fruity, but at the same time it has a little more depth than a lot of the other fruity BPALs I wear -- it feels more "dressed up".

Zombi is a very simple, straightforward BPAL (it's just rose and moss), but it's incredibly beautiful and haunting. The emotions it conjures are not always happy, but for some reason when I wear Zombi I feel nostalgic, which I think testifies to how poignant the scent is. The roses are not lush -- they smell a little withered, and the moss is dry, but the way they smell together is surprisingly full-bodied and almost lush. I would recommend Zombi to anyone who isn't a fan of roses -- I tried this one when I was going through an anti-rose stage and instantly fell in love with it. It's just not your typical floral. If you like Ulalume, check this one out -- they both have the same "feel". 5/5

Out of all the BPAL berry scents, this one is my favorite. After months of aging, I think Bloody Mary is at its peak: it's juicy berries and thick cream. Yum! I love this one because not only do I smell like a strawberry shortcake, but I feel cute and kinda flirty when I wear this. If you like Beaver Moon 2007, I think you would do well to hunt down a bottle of Bloody Mary. This is a BPAL that wold be best worn in the summer, but it's also good for cold winter days when you need a little comfort. 4.5/5