dixiehellcat

I got this as a frimp too. Lovely spicy, creamy, slightly cakey scent.

Oh, this is srsly honey. I usually don't like that but this has some other notes that balance it out. Something lightly sharp--the hyssop maybe. Only thing is, I wish it lasted longer on me! I like it lots though.

Wet, the champagne note goes WHOA. Which is fine, because I like it & it likes me. But the opium note, as VioletChaos mentioned, is a rich smoky counterplay. I don't pick up any other notes either. On my skin the two blend beautifully. I'll wear this a lot!

Just came today! It is so unique. In the bottle I got woods and spice and...as Dark Alice said, soemthing feathery! On, it expands on the initial scents, and now I'm getting my beloved sandalwood too. I like this a lot!

Like lunchboxmonkey, this one was all cake in the bottle. Then I put it on, and somehow, it turned into roses! It played that note for a few minutes, then went sort of greens and honey. I don't get a specific cuke note; it's very nice though. Like it mucho.

I just got home from a trip & found this lovely waiting for me! In the bottle, I smell vanilla, leather and amber. Wet, I get a hint of something flowery, but not much. Now it's dry & I get mostly vanilla and leather. Overall, I love it! (how weird is it that I don't like foody scents as a general rule, but I really like vanilla in a lot of things?)

Okay, I'm reading the notes...reading them again...so how come this smells exactly like my beloved Caswell Massey sandalwood lotion on me? Me likee.

I just got frimped some of this & tried it. Wet, the sweet pea really jumps out. It reminds me of one of my fave GCs, Kitsune-Tsuki, in that. The fruits play credible backup. It throws fairly well, and lasts quite a while on me. Happily, I have finally found a Illyria I like, it seems!

In the bottle, this is slightly spicy, and warm, not spice warm but like the desert. Dry, odd as that sounds. On, pretty much the same. I get something like myrrh, I think, though I'm not good at notes. The only proto I own and I really like it.

I've had an imp of this in my swap box for ages, not sure I ever even tried it. But I'm reading Neil Gaiman's American Gods right now, and Czernobog is in it, so that made me go and dig this out & try it. In the imp, pine and something citrusy. On, still pine, but musk and spice start emerging. It really does have a hint of something that resembles my dear Golden Priapus, especially as it dries. Then I looked at the note list. EEEKVETIVEROHNOES!!! But I don't smell vetiver, not a bit. This is a keeper. Maybe going looking for another imp or 2 in the swaps. hehe! Thank you Neil.

Sniffed and tested, thanks to the totally awesome TwilightEyes! Wet, lots of clove, warm spicy, and sandalwood! Now, understand that I amp sandalwood in anything that contains it. For a while it was so the top note here that I thought 'jeez, this is nice, but I don't need it, I've got Anne Bonny.' As it dried down though, the spicy quality came back, along with the creaminess mentioned upthread. It really lasts forever; I dabbed a bit on to test about 8 pm and it's (checks clock) nearly half past midnight, still plain to my nose every time I move my hands typing or knitting. On the whole I too wish this would be released--I think I would buy a bottle. (til then, I'm wondering if I could get an approximation by layering Anne Bonny with Velvet Bandito...hm.)

I had very high hopes for this one! In the imp it smelled foody, and I don't usually go for foody, so my heart sank briefly. But it was the blended-with-other-stuff foody that I can go for. Wet, still foody, mostly the vanilla-molasses axis with a bit of currant. As it dried though, the patchouli and something earthy that must be the moss came out to play, and grounded the foody notes. Overall, this is the first new scent in a while that I have totally fallen in love with, and prolly will hoard. hehe.

Oooh, this is so nice. In the imp, it's very light. On, I first get the sandalwood, not surprising since I think I amp sandalwood. Light florals and something that really is smoke-like, but not heavy; the orris, maybe. My only regret is that it doesn't last long on me; maybe when my bottle arrives I can slather a little more & see what happens.

The label made me squee when I opened the bottle this afternoon. Oddly enough, while I get a hit of citrus right off, I also get a sorta sweet-and-sage vibe from it. In fact, after sniffing for a minute I realized it reminded me in the bottle of Dia de los Muertos. On, as it starts to dry the jasmine comes out, and I'm not sure if that's what's doing this or what, but it starts to develop a hint of something reminiscent of Chanel #5! Wish it lasted a little longer, but then, I didn't put much on for my first try. On the whole I really like it. Lovely, Beth!

I had to quote because this was exactly my thought process as I tried it.

I ordered a number of velvet decants...this was not one of them. Never in a million years occurred to me that it would appeal in the slightest. Way too male, I figured. Almost didn't even open the decant that I got as a frimp in a swap. Then I did. Oh my. Spices and wood, and a faint hint of something that must be tobacco. I cannot figure out why, but on me, it is a wee bit reminiscent of my beloved Hellhound. It's delish, and not mannish at all on me.

In the bottle, light and floral, not much fruit action. On, though, the fruit and sweet-sugary notes come on. Not overwhelming though, thankfully! Altogether, the blend is really nice. Kind of like this board, where all kinds of people mix and mingle to create a wonderful harmonious (okay, usually. hehe) whole. Well done Beth!

In the bottle I get mostly orchid. Wet on the arm, the other florals start to come out, and the orchid fades. I don't get incense or vanilla for a looong while, & then (as in right now, some 20-30 minutes after I put it on) I get a whiff of vanilla bledning in. Overall this is very nice! Glad I took the chance. I'll wear it when I'm feeling particularly girly.

Never had the slightest bit of interest in Beaver Moon--foody scents are not my thing. But with the return I thought I'd spring for a decant just for giggles. In the imp, sweet and foody, very nice, but not for wearing, said I. On, pretty much the same, although more pleasant to my nose than many other foodys. As it dries though, the sweet cream cake-and-frosting smell fades, and is replaced by spicy, fruity and vanilla elements. Much less identifiably foody, and a delight to smell! Good throw, and lasts for a long time. I must have more!

I got lots of almond too, with whiffs of amber, spice, and a breath of musk that reminded me of Ivanushka. Very nice! I ordered 3 GYB decants, with this one the one I suspected I wouldn't like...and it was the only one I DID like. lol.

At last it arrived in my mailbox! In the decant my first impression was a vanilla note somewhat like my beloved Antikythera Mechanism, yet different somehow. On, it's still there, but with an herbal companion that makes a marvelous blend. After drydown, spicy and whiskey notes took over. I don't get any tobacco note at all till everything else is gone & then only a hint you have to get right next to my arm to smell. I was afraid it might be too guy for me, but I love it. (that said, I hope to gift a guy with a decant as well--it's really androgynous!) ETA to illustrate how different BPALs can be on different people, my cousin just called and informed me when she opened hers (same bottle, same decant circle) that lemon and mint hit her first, of all things. lol. She loves it too though.

Ok, y'all may slap me for this, but this is the first BPAL I've tried that reminds me of a commercial perfume. Fortunately, it's YSL Opium, which I adore. This has a similar dark, deep, yummy smell. But don't get me wrong, it's not just like it, only reminisccent. Must have more.

The keeper of secrets: opoponax, Tunisian black amber, night musk, antique patchouli, zdravetz, terebinth, myrrh, and Pimenta racemosa. I begged around & got a sample to test before I sprang for a bottle of the resurrected SM...oh my. I see what the fuss is about. IN the imp, nice and dark. On, still nice and dark. Amber, but not powdery, with the patchouli (which I love) and myrrh notes suporting it. Just delish. I'm so glad I didn't get any of this before, cuz I would have been mourning and selling off stuff to get some. (heads off to buy a bottle or 3)

An irrelevant, disturbing, and surreal scent: red currant, green tea, red musk, Hawaiian ginger, benzoin, vanilla, coriander, squash blossom, and blueberry. Wow, this is one hilarious and semi-schizophrenic scent! In the bottle, I get the blueberry. Wet, it turns into licorice. And after drydown...wtf? Cherry pipe tobacco?? I think the journey may have been hard on it...gonna let it sit a few days and try it again. If nothing else, it's entertaining as heck! And it provided my mom with a first hand understanding of Beth's genius. She can't imagine how somebody could be smart enough to mix something that morphs like this. hehe!

CCXCV See, I told y'all, I can't identify a single note in this. I can however say that it is very green smelling, lasts well, has pretty fair throw, and that it seems to like me. My first CT experience=WIN. ETA--ok, just so I don't feel quite so made of teh stoopid...I knew from the first sniff that this was reminding me of another green-noted BPAL, & in the middle of the night it hit me--I got up, rifled thru my bottle holder and found it. Noche Buena! My CT smells exactly like the green in NB, which is one of my faves. There's something else to it, spice or smoke-ish, not the slight sweetness of NB. So they are diff enough that I love them both. And now I feel a trifle more competent.