Lethran

In bottle: This is not really much like the gingerbread of previous years. It's candy dominant with strong resin support. The gingerbread is second in strength and functions as a spicy bready canvass on which the candy sweetness is painted. Wet: Still candy dominant, but the ginger makes a bit of a comeback. The resins play well with both factions and stay a strong second. The ginger a strong third, with the spices giving the whole blend a yule appropriate edge. It definitely suits the idea of decorated gingerbread temples as the sort of gingerbread you build with isn't as strongly scented in the real world. Dry: Mostly sugar and spices.

In bottle: Richly floral in an unusual way. The orchids a daffodil make this really different. The jasmine rounds it out beautifully, while the plum supports an bolsters the dominant notes. The musk is soft and exquisite. Wet: The orchids and daffodils continue the work beutifully together. The jasmine and musk are more assertive, but still harmonious. The plum is more background and support and less individual. Dry: It grows a little shappoo on the dry down, but retains some of the individual nature of the particular florals. My skin chemistry is far from ideal and it may break down less on more hospitable skin.

In bottle: Strongly rose dominant with soft grass support. It’s a pretty and individual sort of rose, but roses are not so much to my taste.

Review: Leather dominant, but the Tobacco and patchouli give strong support. This is rich dark aged, patchouli, not eau des hippies, so is of the sort more to my taste. The bourbon vanilla is pervasive and softens the strongly masculine effect of the leather/tobacco/patchouli. The oakmoss is soft and doing lovely things with the heaviness of the furniture leather. It’s lovely.

In bottle: Weirdly appealing. The moss here is a sharper sort than normal and the silt and leather are lovely with it, forming and dissolving delightful temporary accords. The musk is subtle and perfect; the stone understated but oh so right. This is a complex dark green moss dominant sort of scent and very exciting. Definitely a keeper.

In bottle: Loam dominant with stone and moss in support. The incense and the acid/potions creep up on one a little, twining through the loam corrupting it with an herb and chemical mix that suits the conceopt well. The results are uncomfortable, but compelling. The moss seems to be bridging the loam/stone with the alchemical elements. I bet there’s mushrooms in the potions. There’s also this chalkiness that suggests bone. It'’ very well designed to convey it’s concept, but it’s not something I want my home to smell like.

In bottle: Banana dominant with some wood, nuts, yeast and barely (or beer) in support. After a while there’s something fabricky either cotton or wool that is good with the nuts and some other sort of fruit. Seriously this is about the bananas, though, which is weird. Is this inn in the tropics?

That would be my next guess.l Anyway, good luck.

Could it be an accidental accord made by say musk and frankincense together?

Sugar skull smells like syrup on me, so I'm no help there. Catalyst, if I knew more about your death note, i migt me able to pin it down. If it's a sharp darkly wrong insencey thing, I'd guess frankincense, whuile myrrh has a deeper register. If it's a powdery sort of wrong that's a common problem with amber when it mates with certain skin chemistries. If you smell unwashed/unlaundered, you are likely using one of the hevier musks with an already musky skin chemistry. (There is nothing wriong with natural musk and I have a lot of it myself. I can't use black musk at all and most red musks are too mouch, but I can carry some of the lighter ones). There are some common ways scents go wrong on bodies.

In bottle: It’s tough to pin down the order of strength as it’s very balanced and well blended. I’m going to call it black tea on top with linen, cognac, musk, and tobacco for support. I’m not a fan of linen, but it plays beautifully with others here. The sugar is subtle, but pervasive. The laudanum is a clever little accent. The incense is soft and blends well with the laudanum. This is just terribly subtle and clever in it’s design. Wet: The musk is stronger on my skin as I amp musk, but I think I can handle it. I’m suspecting patchouli as being in the incense blend. Either way, the incense is stronger and dancing with the musk. The tea and cognac are now about second in strength and the whole thing is both sweeter and more wickedly sexual. The leaves are now dancing with the linen. I have a bad history with autumn leaves, which are hit or miss, but this works to my pleased surprise. Dry: More linen on the dry down. It’s mostly musk with some linen and a touch of incense.

Nope. I am telling you to keep trying things that sound good to you. Some will work, some won't...even after you think you've figured out what your notes of doom are. And btw...the Swaps forum is your friend. Besides trhe swap forum, I suggest checking ebay for discount imp lots. My first year, I learned a whole lot buying up mixed lots at less than a dollar an imp. Seriously, keep some form of data base where you record scent name, notes, and how it works for you, as it really helps one figure out a list of bad notes and good notes for your tastes and chemistry.

I can't do aquatics any longer, but if you like leather Jolly Roger is good for ocean aquatics. Ryleh is more river delta but can be lovely if you have the skin chemistry for it. If you like cedar, I suggest Tombstone. For pine, you might want to see what's in the Yules. For oak, how about Antikythera Mechanism? For Mahogany there are Bloody Banister and forbidding Foyer among the Yules. I can dig around some more if you like.

In bottle: Delightfully Ginger Dominant with strong coriander support. Nutmeg is a close third. Saffron is working well with the other spices. Fig is supporting ginger. The vanilla cream seams to be tying it together. I’m guessing limu amani is adding a touch of tartness. Wet: More figgy on the skin, and also more saffron. It’s still ginger and coriander dominant, but the coriander is more subtle. The vanilla cream comes out more as it warms until it’s second to the ginger. Dry: Ginger, saffron, vanilla and… I think angelica.

In bottle: Oh god, yes. Vanilla dominant with rum as excellent support. Clove gives it a spicy edge. The almond is understated and ties it all together. This is wonderful and everything I imagined. Wet: The vanilla balsam is softer and more ethereal than normal vanilla. It is a touch more balsamy than in the bottle. The rum is still lovely with the vanilla. The clove is softer but still present. The almond is very understated. Honestly, I liked it in the bottle better, but it’s still lovely. Dry: Mostly almond and vanilla with a touch of balsam.

Plum honey, passion fruit, pomegranate, benzoin, French lavender, blonde tobacco, black currant, vanilla bean, lemon balm, Tunisian opium, violet sugar, clove, and white grapefruit. In bottle: Vaguely combined grapefruit and pomegranate dominant with lavender and violet combining for a close second. The fruits generally side with pomegranate/grapefruit, with passion fruit next strongest. Vanilla and the other floral/edible notes support the violet/lavender with vanilla strongest. A weak third faction is formed by opium supported by tobacco. It is complicated, but works well together. I would classify it as strongly fruity. Wet: Still pomegranate dominant with it’s faction the strongest. The purple spicy non-fruit foody faction is softer, while the opium/tobacco faction is a bit stronger, 3which lets them balance. On the skin, they all play even better together, with the vanilla dancing in and out of all three factions. I was worried it would be to floral when I smelled it in the bottle, but on the skin it’s all a lovely setting for the pomegranate. Omnomnom. Dry: Mostly benzoin, currnt, and vanilla with a touch of clove.

Really, any excuse will do to recommend Crowley

That's a good idea! I'm mildly allergic to all flowers, so I haven't noticed anything odd about real lilies in particular, but maybe the concentrated perfume oil is messing with me? I've noticed a couple other blends giving me the same sort of reaction, so I'll definitely see if they have lilies (or anything else) in common. Thanks! Concentration matters. there's things i'm fine with in dilute form that in BPaL oils are simply too much.

Review: While the dead leaves accord does not work on my skin, it’s always been lovely and perfect in the bottle so a candle sounded like the perfect showcase for it. This is mostly about the leaves, but the wood, while understated works beautifully as support. Very autumnal. As it burns all the nuance of the leave accord comes out, and the wood notes get a touch more noticeable.

Review: Yep, that is red velvet cake with butter cream frosting. Cake and frosting dominant. White chocolate is a strong third, with the candy bark soft and mostly supporting the white chocolate. It’s exactly as you’d expect from the description and I have nothing clever to say.

AUTUMN CIDER: Apple cider dominant, but the mulling spices are strong and perfectly balanced. I love the citrus zing, the brown sugar sweetening, and the touch of butterscotch. Omnomnom. This would be the perfect hot cider if it were liquid and is delightful as a candy. BLUE PUMPKIN FLOSS: The pumpkin has some lovely mulling spice. It is more pumpkin pie than candy floss. The blackberry is softer, but delicious. These are nice, but I admit to loving the Autumn cider more. GHOULISH: Black cherry dominant, but the coconut Amaretto isn’t kidding. I think the almond is a close second to the cherry, with coconut third. The saffron is an interesting touch, understated, but a little bit wicked. Omnomnom.

Review: It’s strongly incense dominant, with sandalwood the strongest note in the incense. The richness of the pomegranate stands second, facing the incense. The champaca and oak are soft, but present, mostly dancing with the incense. The oak has staying power and will become a noticeable third as other things fade a bit.

Apple dominant with something that suggests sun and wood and a touch of turning to cider. Sweeter than expected. I like it. Really, it’s about the apples.

In bottle: Almond dominant, with strong mead and rum support. The butter cream is ubiquitous, tying it all together. The hazelnut is soft, but distinct. Wet: Much as in the imp, with dominant almond. The butter cream is stronger than in the bottle, if anything. Dry: Mostly honey meed and rum. Yummy.

Review: Deliciously autumnal. The evergreens give it a late fall Winter is coming outdoorsey feel, while the florals give a sweeter last gasp of summer sort of feel. It’s gorgeous and just right for the turning of the year. I am not familiar with all the notes, so I can not tell you which thing makes the bitter berry scent that is dancing with the dominant evergreens, but trust me, it’s perfect.