Penance

Origin: 1/2 decant frimped to me. Preconceived notions: Most of the notes here are favorites of mine, but there are some questionable ones. I adore patchouli (but honey is iffy), red musk, red sandalwood, cedar and smoky vanilla. I usually like balsam, ginger, pepper and leather. Bitter clove I'm not sure if I've encountered before. I have a bottle of The Smiling Spider coming, but I can't think of any other BPAL blend with bitter clove that I've tried. The florals are the most likely to trip me up, but I'm hoping that the rest of the notes here will overwhelm them...or maybe not since this was just discontinued and I'll have a very hard time finding a reasonably priced bottle if I end up loving this. First sniff: What the hell? Almond? Seriously? There's no almond listed here! I don't think it actually is almond, because I'm not feeling nauseous yet. Maybe it's the bitter clove? That's the only thing in here that I can think of that I'm not sure what it smells like (well, other than the florals, but I assume they smell like flowers). Either it's the clove or it's some combo of the other notes masquerading as almond. I'm really hoping it's not the clove because that means that The Smiling Spider will most likely be an epic fail on me, too, and I really want to love it for the other notes and for the awesome label. But anyway, back to VILF... I get a vague impression of wood and honey behind the (pseudo?) almond, but they're faint at best. Wet on skin: Almond. Still almond. I wish I knew where it was coming from, because I don't like the smell of almond, even ignoring its gag-inducing effect on me. Dry down: I feel like a broken record. As it starts to dry, VILF smells like almond on me. VILF smells like almond to me. Granted, I despise that nutty evil so much that anything that smells even a little like it gets my hackles up, so I may just be responding to that. I don't feel like I'm even smelling the same scent that everyone else is. Once it's had a chance to dry for a longer amount of time, I start to get wood (cedar more than pine, but not really "pencil shavings" cedar, more like old, dusty cedar planks), a bit of muskiness and earthiness and some sweetness. Now that the (faux) almondy evil has died down, it smells more like what I anticipated. Oddly enough, I'm still not loving it, in spite of the notes I'm smelling being good ones for me. It's not bad, it's just not OMG amazing. The bottom line: The drydown on this is nice enough (I definitely like it once it's finally dried and lost that weird almond scent), but it's not a scent that I have to have more of, which is good because I don't need any more discontinued scents on my "must have" list.

Origin: 5mL from the Lab. I had a decant of the original LE version of this a long time ago, but apparently I never reviewed it and I've got no idea what happened to it, so I'll be reviewing based on my GC bottle. Preconceived notions: This is going to be based on my thoughts before I'd tried the LE version, since my expectations for my GC bottle are based on my experiences with the LE Misk U. I think that's the most accurate way to do this. First off, I need to say that I hate coffee. I can't stand the smell of it and I don't like the taste, either. I generally avoid coffee scents like the plague, but I'd tried every other scent from the Springtime in Arkham line and wanted to complete the set, so I tracked down a decant. While I hate the smell of coffee, I do like the smell of Irish cream (I assumed, at the time, that this would be that sort of Irish coffee, rather than the type made with whiskey) and I love wood and old books. So I had some faint glimmer of hope that it would work. First sniff: (Based on the GC version) This is just like I remember the LE version being. Strong, sweet, almost caramel-like Irish cream (I can see where someone might get caramel corn from this, but it would have to be the heavy, almost butter toffee kind of caramel corn). That's it. No coffee, no books, no wood. Just Irish cream. And strong Irish cream at that. Wet on skin: Wet on my skin, Misk U smells almost like butterscotch on me. It has a strong, buttery, caramelly scent to it that really puts me more in mind of butterscotch flavored coffee creamer than Irish cream. It's very strong and too sweet for my tastes at this point. Dry down: As Misk U dries, the butterscotch note slowly disappears and I'm left with a rich Irish cream scent. If you've smelled Bailey's, then you know what this smells like. It's creamy and very slightly caramel-like. I don't really get coffee so much as I get something kind of like coffee flavored ice cream mixed with Bailey's. I don't really get much, if any, wood and no old books (I think they're being drowned out by the Irish cream), which is a bit disappointing since I would really love this if they made an appearance. The bottom line: I like Miskatonic University. It's definitely not my usual sort of scent and not something I would wear every day but I'm glad I have a bottle and it'll be a good choice for chilly days when I feel like wearing something cozy smelling. I think I would genuinely love this if I got the wood and old books, but I'm happy enough with Misk U as is.

Origin: Partial 5mL bought on LiveJournal. Preconceived notions: I love boozy scents (with the exception of wine and gin-based ones), although I'm not really much of a drinker. I honestly didn't know what whiskey smelled like when I bought this, but it turns out that I should be familiar with the scent, since bourbon is a type of whiskey (I thought that that was the case, but wasn't sure if there was a distinct difference in scent between the two) and I'm very fond of bourbon scents. I have to admit that I'm a little intimidated by Mad Sweeney, though, based on the reviews. It's making me a little nervous about the first sniff (and worried about whether even tracking this one down was a bad idea). First sniff: Definitely boozy, but I don't get the "singe your nosehairs" effect that other people seem to be getting. Either my nose isn't as sensitive to booze notes (which is possible) or my bottle has aged a bit and lost some of its harshness? I don't know how old mine is, so that's just conjecture. Opening the cap is a bit like opening a bottle of liquor. You get that whoosh of alcohol scent and then it settles down just a bit. What I'm getting here is a fairly smooth, but definitely alcoholic, booze scent with just a bit of wood underneath. Weirdly enough, it makes me think "pirate ship," even though I normally associate rum with pirates, rather than whiskey. Wet on skin: Basically the same as in the bottle. It smells like I spilled someone's drink (neat whiskey, evidently, since this is strong and not at all watered down) on myself, but with a touch of wood added in. I like this, but I think I'm going to like it better on the drydown, because that's the way it generally goes with booze scents (for me). Dry down: Oh, this smells good! Liquor scents do this on me. They smell somewhat harsh and very alcoholic when they first hit my skin and then they settle down into something smoother and richer. At least they do most of the time, and Mad Sweeney's not an exception. Once it dries, I get a super smooth, slightly smoky, vaguely sweet and spicy booze scent with a background of aged wood. It's a very grown-up scent. Yes, liquor scents should smell "grown up," but there are liquor scents that smell mature (even sophisticated) and then there are ones that smell like a frat party. This is the mature variety. No keg stands involved. Honestly, I don't think that I would believe a person wearing Mad Sweeney had been drinking. It smells more like a room where people have been drinking, rather than the liquor itself (or the drinkers themselves). At least to me. The bottom line: I really, really like Mad Sweeney. A lot. This is another good winter-time, "curl up in front of the fire" scent for me, although it's not really a seasonal scent. I'm going to have to get another bottle or two (since I am the BPAL backup bottle queen.) ETA: Looks like I have similar skin chemistry to ellebelle's boyfriend. It's definitely a "sexy, smoky sweet scent" on me.

I doubt anyone can answer this, but on the off chance that anyone has input, I'd love to hear it. I'm apparently either allergic or sensitive to something in Miskatonic University v3. The area where I applied it is red and the blotch is the exact size and shape of the dab of oil I applied. It's not puffy or itchy. It's not hives. It's just red. Cinnamon would be the obvious answer, I know, but I wear cinnamon scents pretty regularly without a reaction (Three Witches is fine, for example) although I do have sensitive skin. It can't be any of the notes it shares with the released version of Misk U, because that one doesn't cause any reaction at all. So there has to be something in the proto version that's not in the released version (other than cinnamon) that's causing a reaction. I'm just curious what it is that I'm reacting to, because it would be good information to have in the future. It's not going to stop me from wearing Misk U v3 since I love the scent and it's not causing me any discomfort (I don't think it's going to progress into something nastier with further exposure, but if it does, I'll have to wear it in a scent locket), but I'd still like to have some idea so I could tuck it away for future reference. Maybe I should email the Lab and see if they have any input, but I wanted to ask here first since I know they have to be swamped with Christmas orders and I don't want to add to their workload if I don't need to. ETA: And I know that there aren't any notes listed for protos, so it's going to be that much harder to pin down, if not impossible without the Lab's help, but I wanted to give it a shot here before I asked them in case anyone has any idea.

Origin: Partial 5mL from gothicangel18. Preconceived notions: I hate coffee. Hate the smell of it. Hate the taste of it. But I happen to like the released version of Misk U (which was a shock when I first tried it since I was expecting it to be an instant "OMG get it away from me!" scent. Plus, the idea of a cinnamon toast scented perfume appeals to the selective foody lover in me, so I had to give this a shot. Honestly, I'm expecting this to not work if the coffee note is noticeable (I can't really smell cofee in the released version, just Irish cream and a bit of wood). First sniff: Yay for happy surprises! I smell cinnamon sugar toast with just a bit of rich coffee bean backing it up (it's not brewed coffee to my nose, it's more like whole coffee beans). What's strange is that while I know this is coffee, it doesn't really announce itself that way to my nose. Instead I get more of an impression of a deep brown scent lurking in the background. It's hard to describe, but really, really pretty and cozy smelling. Wet on skin: Still predominately cinnamon sugar toast. The "not-quite-coffee" scent is even less noticeable on me than it was in the bottle, which is welcome, although I would have loved it even if it hadn't toned down. This smells so good! Dry down: The coffee comes back out again as the oil dries and I'm left with a really warm and cozy coffee (rich and dark and not bitter at all) and cinnamon toast scent. It's a little sweet and nicely spicy. I love this. I have to be allergic (or at least sensitive) to something in this because the area where I applied the oil is red (it's not hives and I'm not itchy, it's just red and in the perfect shape of the little smear of oil I applied). I don't think it's the cinnamon because I wear a lot of cinnamon scents without a problem. And it can't be any notes that it shares with the released version, because I don't get the same reaction from it. I have no idea what it is. Truthfully, though, it's not enough to stop me from wearing this because it's not painful or uncomfortable. No harm, no foul. The bottom line: Even though I'm apparently allergic to Misk U v3, I'm definitely keeping my bottle. It smells fantastic and I'm willing to put up with some redness if it means smelling this good. I'll just have to remember not to apply it to my neck (I don't mind my wrists being blotchy red, but I don't really want to go around with my neck that way, too).

That's really entertaining to me - I have the exact opposite experience. For me, Cathedral is a very sharp cedar while Altar, funnily enough, is almost all frankincense on me and is milder, sweeter, and spicier. Honestly, if I had gotten both from the same person instead of one off the forum and one off the Lab, I would have said I'd had my labels switched on my based on their descriptions. Skin chemistry is a funny thing! Weird! Skin chemistry is definitely a funny thing. It's amazing how different things smell on people.

Origin: Half decant frimped to me on LJ. Preconceived notions: This could be one of the rare foody scents that really, really works on me. Or it could be utter failure. Sugary scents always walk that fine line for me. I do love the smell of sassafras (although I don't always enjoy smelling like[ it) and love clove. Brown sugar is wonderful as long as it doesn't turn to caramel. Plum is hit or miss. Sometimes I really, really love it and sometimes it smells like fruit punch. We'll see how this one turns out. First sniff: Spicy brown sugar! I agree that this smells like cookies. Specifically like a mix of oatmeal cookies, molasses cookies and snickerdoodles (to me, anyway). It's sweet and spicy and smells like a bakery, but it's not cloying. It is a bit "holiday candle"-like, too, I have to agree. But somehow it works and I like it. Wet on skin: No change from in the imp. I smell like cookies. Spicebush Swallowtail has a strong throw, even by my standards (I like scents that I can smell without holding my wrists under my nose). I dabbed a little on from my decant and I can smell it on my arm as I'm typing, which is pretty unusual considering that I only put on a thin layer over a small patch of skin. The clove is definitely the Lab's sweet clove note (I have the single note, so I recognize it immediately). The brown sugar is sweet and sugary and just a little bit molasses-like. Definitely not caramel. Not by a long shot. This smells like oatmeal cookies on me at this point. Normally, I'm not crazy about smelling like cookies, but I think I like this. Dry down: Brown sugar and clove (the clove sort of ebbs and flows as the drydown goes on; it never disappears and is always noticeable, but sometimes it seems to spike) with just a bit of sassafras (I smell a bit like rootbeer and oatmeal cookies now). The plum never does show up at all, which is perfectly fine by me. Definitely a sweet scent, but it's not really cloying. It's bordering on the too sweet range for me (much less sweet than something like, say, Sugar Skull, but it's still quite sugary in that unique brown sugar way), but doesn't go over the edge. The bottom line: I don't see myself wearing this all that often, but I do like it. I ended up getting a bottle when one came up cheap and I'm happy with that decision. I probably won't put a serious dent in it and may not keep it super long term (years), but it'll get some wear and it'll be nice to have when I'm in the mood for something spicy and cookie-like. This is definitely a winter/fall scent. Normally I don't wear scents according to the season, other than reaching for my autumnal scents more often than usual in autumn, just because it's my favorite season and I like celebrating it, but this doesn't feel like a spring or summer scent. I think it would be too much to wear in the heat. It smells more like a snuggle up in a warm blanket scent to me.

Origin: 5mL from Dark Delicacies. Preconceived notions: Everything in here with the exception of the mandarin is great for me. I'm a huge fan of dark scents. I love patchouli and frankincense and I like vetiver, musk, tonka and opium, especially opium smoke. I'm expecting something dark and brooding and probably smoky. First sniff: This has a certain sharpness to it in the bottle, that I'm guessing is the opium tar. I can also smell the vetiver and musk loud and clear. This is, indeed, a dark scent. It's mysterious and not at all nice smelling (and by that I don't mean that it stinks; I mean it has that sinister air about it that some BPAL scents have). This is probably going to be a winner as long as the sharpness disappears on my skin. Wet on skin: Initially, this is all vetiver, musk and opium tar. It's a smoky, deep purple/charcoal/black scent. It makes me think of dusty, dark velvet curtains and mysterious figures in black. I really like that mental image. Although I'm not a dark person (I'm actually very cheerful most of the time), I tend to love dark scents, stories, locations...you get the idea. I like this, although it's definitely a commanding scent and not something that would be appealing to everyone at this point. Dry down: This is a surprising scent. It goes from very heavy and musky to something similar in feel, but different in smell. As Silas Ruthyn dries, I get more and more opium smoke (which smells incredible, by the way, smoky and slightly sweet), frankincense, a bit of earthy mustiness from the patchouli and a haze of sweet, almost vanilla from the tonka. This smells like an old Victorian mansion to me. But not the dried flower arrangements and tea in the parlor type of Victorian mansion. This is a dark, dusty, not quite abandoned one (lived in by a seldom seen but often smelled opium smoker, who probably has a penchant for velvet smoking jackets) with heavy velvet drapes, crumbling tapestries and an air of not-quite-rightness about it. The bottom line: It's a very rich, evocative, dark scent but not as heavy as a lot of similar scents are. This is actually what I envisioned from Romanti.Goth, but while Romanti.Goth was a complete failure for me (powder, powder and more powder), Silas Ruthyn is a winner. It's gender neutral to my nose, but I can see it being pegged as being on the feminine side of gender neutral on the drydown (in spite of it being named after a man). Personally, I think it would smell wonderful on a man.

Origin: Bottle from the Trading Post. Preconceived notions: I've wanted to try this one since I first laid eyes on the description. I like or love every note listed here. I'm especially crazy for patchouli, mahogany, teak, cigar smoke and Spanish moss. But bourbon vanilla, tonka and cardamom are more than welcome in my scents any day. This is one of my most coveted atmo sprays, so I'm really hoping this lives up to the hype (both mine and other people's). I mean, who wouldn't want their house to smell like a high class whorehouse? Sniffing from the bottle: Sweet! I wasn't expecting quite so much vanilla on first sniff. I'm also getting some tonka. The woods and cigar smoke are definitely here, lending a dark, sophisticated background to the sweetness. I don't get any moss at this point. I like the smell of Mahogany Hall in the bottle, but I'm hoping the wood and cigar smoke come out more once I actually spray this, since I don't love it at this point. Spritzed: That's more like it. I still get plenty of rich bourbon vanilla (it's not candy vanilla, it's rich and sensual and entirely appropriate to the scent), but the deep, dark wood comes through loud and clear now. It's smooth, well-worn wood; very dark. It lends a nice depth and darkness to the vanilla. I also get a touch of aromatic cigar smoke, but it's light. I wouldn't call this a smoky scent by any means. The cigar smoke adds more of a tobacco smell to it, like a cigar shop (not at all like an ashtray). The bottom line: I really like this. It's definitely lived up to my expectations, although I was expecting a little less sweetness. This is a perfect bedroom scent. Rich and sensual. If this were a perfume, I'd slather myself in it and feel sexy (and not at all prostitute-like).

Origin: 5mL from the Lab. Preconceived notions: I love myrrh (I love all resins and incenses, really, as long as there's no rose involved). And I like cinnamon. So Priala ought to be my kind of girl. I'm expecting smoke and spice, with some incense action. First sniff: Wow, that's myrrh? There's something in here that I would have assumed was vetiver if I didn't have the notes in front of me. It makes me think that there's a kind of myrrh that I've been mistaking for vetiver (a light version of it) for a long time. It smells similar to something that's in Tarot: Death (although I'm positive that Death also has vetiver in it). Smoky and gritty and dark. Earthy, even. There's cinnamon here, too, but the main impression is darkness and grit. It reminds me a bit of Umbra, in that earthiness meets a touch of spice way. Wet on skin: The "pseudo-vetiver" note amps up even more as soon as it hits my skin and for a few seconds, that's all I can smell. Luckily, I like that sort of scent. It's just not what I was anticipating from this, even though the ashy grittiness is appropriate for a human phoenix. After I give it a few seconds to calm down, I get a small hint of resins and a touch of cinnamon, but it's still predominately smoky. Dry down: Once Priala finally dries, the cinnamon really puts in an appearance. The resiny myrrh scent comes out, too, and I get a mix of smoke, resin and dark spice (this isn't friendly gingerbread man cinnamon, it's darker, deeper and smokier smelling...but that could just be the result of being combined with smoky notes). This is definitely a dark scent and I love dark scents. The bottom line: For some reason (in spite of the name), I wasn't expecting something quite so smoky, so Priala is a bit of a surprise. But I really like it. It's got a nice, dark spiciness to it that doesn't make me smell like I've been baking cookies and it's also got the resin and smoke that I love.

Origin: 5mL from the Lab. Preconceived notions: This sounds really good. The only thing I'm concerned about is the "wet" part of the tobacco. That's about the only thing here that could ruin this for me. Or maybe the dust. I've had back luck with BPAL dust scents and it's not because I don't like the smell of dust. They just sometimes smell funky on me for some reason. Fingers crossed that this one's a winner! First sniff: I smell a little bit of all the notes on first sniff. It has a pungent tobacco smell backed with dry, dustiness and a touch of something smoky. Wet on skin: Definitely wet tobacco. When I was little (for reasons I still don't understand), I found someone's half-smoked cigarette in the gutter outside our house after it had rained. Being the inquisitive child that I was (book smart, but with no common sense sometimes), I decided to suck on it. Bad idea. Parliament of Monsters smells like that cigarette-water tasted. Oddly enough, the smell isn't really bad (although the taste was horrible), although I wouldn't say it's really good either. Just kind of neutral. And unique. It's definitely tobacco and it's definitely wet. There's a dankness to it that's kind of hard to describe if you haven't smelled it before. I do get a bit of the other notes, but mainly this is soggy tobacco. Dry down: As it dries, the wet tobacco note eases up somewhat, although it hangs on through the entire wear for me, and I get more of the dustiness. It's incense and it's smoke and it's dust. It's all of those things, but the overall impression is dust and desolation. Seediness, even. I can picture the "employees only" area behind a carnival freakshow. Where the carnies (and freaks) go to smoke cigarettes and complain about the weather, the gawkers and their lots in life. Everything's run down and beat up, including the people. The bottom line: This is a strange scent in a good way. I like it, although I'm no sure that it'll be something I reach for regularly. I'm definitely keeping my bottle, though.

Origin: 2 5mL's from the Lab. Preconceived notions: This sounds awesome. I'm a very selective foody scent fan, but gingerbread has always been a weakness of mine. I just love the way it smells. And gingerbread with vanilla and marshmallow cream? That sounds amazing. So I ordered two bottles, although I tend to order one to start out with these days (it was a good method to order multiples right off the bat when there was a months long TAT, but not necessary anymore). I am worried, though, having read the reviews. Based on the scent description it sounds amazing. Based on the reviews? not so much. Ginger ale tastes good, but I don't want to smell like it. First sniff: Oh, this is not good. This is the lemony ginger that I don't like. I can definitely see the comparisons to ginger ale. It smells fizzy, almost, and it has a bite to it. I was envisioning gingerbread or gingersnaps (ginger the baking spice, basically), not this. But I'll give it a shot, because I've been surprised before by scents once I've got them on my skin. Wet on skin: A little better. Immediately the vanilla and marshmallow peek out from Momma's skirt. Only a little peek. Just enough to see that they're there. It's a little sweeter than in the bottle, a little more "baked goods," but still more gingerale than gingerbread. Dry down: About the same as when it was wet. The fresh, lemony ginger never goes away, unfortunately. I do get more of a gingerbread vibe once Mother Ginger dries, but it's like gingerbread dunked in ginger ale. It's fresh and light and zingy, rather than dense and chewy (yes, things can smell chewy...yes, because I said so) and spicy. The bottom line: I can see people really loving this. It's not a bad scent. It's just not what I envisioned. I think I'll keep one of mine, at least for a while and see if my feelings change (or if the scent changes with a little bit of aging), but one is definitely moving on to a new home.

Origin: Partial 5mL bought on LiveJournal. Preconceived notions: Famine sounds like it could be really, really good, but I'm still a little worried. White musk can go wrong on me and I don't normally do florals. But lilac is an exception. I have the Blue Lilac single note and, while it's not something I reach for often, I do really like it and enjoy wearing it now and then. So I'm not as worried as I would be if it were a different sort of flower lurking in here. I'm still hoping that Famine isn't overly floral, though. If it smells like all the other notes and goes light on the lilac and musk, this could be true love since I'm madly in love with black tea, tobacco and frankincense. First sniff: Oh my God. This is amazing! If I hadn't looked at the notes, I'd swear there was leather in here. It has to be the tobacco, because it's super rich, deep and dark and smells like the most amazing cigar shop ever, but it's so dark and so deep and rich that it's confusing my nose a bit. I think I'm a little thrown off by the fact that it reminds me just a bit of Hellfire and Hellfire has both leather and tobacco. This is a serious scent. Very sophisticated and masculine. I almost always lean towards gender neutral or masculine in my choice of scents, so that doesn't deter me in the slightest. It's hard to pin down any other notes here because the tobacco is so strong and so attention-grabbing. I don't think I'd be able to tell you, by sniffing this blind, that it had frankincense, black tea or anything else in it, but, knowing the notes, I can see this being a cigar infused with rich black tea. The frankincense could be there, hiding in the background, as could the lilac and musk, but I'm not getting them. Wet on skin: Very little change from in the bottle. The florals don't come instantly charging to the surface, which I was a little apprehensive about. I have a tendency to amp florals (particularly rose, but I haven't tried many lilac scents, so I'm not sure if that's true of it as well), so there was a very real possibility of Famine going from OMGAMAZING tobacco to OMGHEADACHEINDUCING florals in the blink of an eye. Dry down: This so good. Like ridiculously good. Better than any other pipe tobacco scent I've ever tried from BPAL good (and that's saying something). I thought there was a good chance I'd like this, but I didn't anticipate falling so hard for it. I'm in love with Famine. Completely and utterly. Dried down, I still get a rich, strong, dark tobacco, like a really expensive cigar steeped in black tea, but I wouldn't confuse it for leather anymore. Instead, it's still that amazing pipe tobacco/cigar store scent, mixed with just a little bit of musk. The lilac never does put in an appearance and the frankincense isn't making itself known, either, although I think it could be there somewhere, hiding under the tobacco and tea. It smells like a sexy, confident man. But I'm evidence that it smells amazing on a woman, too (but, then, I think all scents are gender neutral if you want them to be and have the confidence and personality to pull them off). Famine screams confidence and sophistication on me. It smells like someone who commands respect. It makes me feel confident. And it's wearable. I don't feel like I'm wearing something that's incongruous with who I am, in spite of the fact that I'm normally anything but confident. The bottom line: Famine went from "could be good, could be bad" to "this is incredible" in the time it took me to unscrew the cap and take a whiff. Hellfire used to be my favorite super strong, masculine tobacco scent, but Famine just stomped on Hellfire's back climbing over it to get to the top of the list. This is going to be a hoarded scent for me, without a doubt.

I can smell some coconut when I sniff my empty bottle, but mostly I get super strong ginger and chocolate. But if you're not a coconut fan, maybe it's best to stay away. The Apothecary is definitely bright green and fresh. I don't remember getting a lot of ginger from it just bright, citrusy green tea, but it's been so long since I tried it (in spite of getting frimps of it twice recently) that I could be remembering wrong. I'd offer you one of my frimps, but they've already been passed on.

I haven't tried Origins Ginger, but I'll give this a shot... Have you tried Milk Chocolate, Coconut, Cardamom, Rum and Ginger Truffle? It's got an extremely pungent, fresh ginger smell to me (definitely not baked goods; it smells like when I grate ginger root to cook with). Very strong. Of course, it's an LE and not currently available so that might not be much help, but it's the first thing that came to mind.

Origin: Decant as lagniappe. Preconceived notions: Sounds similar to Centzon Totochtin to me. And maybe a bit like Calaveras, depending on what spices we're talking about (hot, spicy spices or something more like cinnamon instead...I'm not sure what spices are native to central Mexico). I'm really wondering about the maize note in this. That's a new one for me, I think. Could be good or bad...or neutral, really. First sniff: In the imp, it does, indeed, smell like a relative of Centzon Totochtin. Cocoa, fruit and spice. But I'm getting more spices in this. They're not hot, spicy spices. I'm not sure what they are, but they make me think of cinnamon and clove, pepper and allspice. They're baking spices, not cooking spices. I smell the wine here, too, but it's a bit fainter than in Centzon. It's almost berry-like and tart. I could be convinced that it's some sort of tart berry rather than wine at this point. Wet on skin: As soon as this hits my skin, the wine note instantly jumps to the top, although I still get chocolate and spice. It's indeed a very tart, berry-like wine, but definitely alcoholic (or fermented, take your pick) at this point. It's very similar to Centzon Totochtin at this point (and nothing like Calaveras, other than the shared cocoa note), but this is more tart. Wine notes are iffy at best on me most of the time, but this one seems to work, probably because of the tartness. It's almost like cranberry or unripe raspberries. Dry down: The wine note continues to dominate as The Feast For the Greatly Revered Ones dries, but the cocoa and spices still manage to make themselves known. Honestly, it's stronger on the wine than I'd really like, although I do like the sourness of it. It still smells like unripe berries or cranberry, but with that very unique "wine" smell to it that I find so hard to describe. The maize never does make an appearance here, which disappoints me a little. I was looking forward to smelling it in a perfume. The bottom line: I like this in the imp and it's nice enough on me, but not really my sort of scent. I'm not a big fan of the smell of wine (although I love most other boozy notes, with the exception of gin), so that kind of kills it for me. I do like the "Mexican hot chocolate" vibe I get from the rest of this, though. I'll most likely hold onto my decant, but I won't be needing a bottle of this.

That's strange. I don't find Cathedral and An Altar similar at all, other than the shared cedar (I'm positive they share a cedar note since it's the same slightly sweet, rich wood in both). I Cathedral (it's my go-to, default scent) and I like An Altar, but they're pretty different on me. An Altar is sharp and almost astringent cedar (although I can smell that Cathedral cedar sweetness in the background), while Cathedral is resinous, dry and slightly sweet in comparison. Aged Cathedral is also much tamer in the cedar department, but I also have fresh and they still don't smell the same to me. I guess our noses are different.

Origin: Partial 5mL from beachbabealways. Preconceived notions: I'm a big fan of heavy wood fragrances and I'm also one of those weirdos who likes things that smell like rotting wood and dirt, so this should be a winner, especially since I also love the smell of cognac and like the Lab's brimstone note. First sniff: Ooh, this one's not going to appeal to too many people, I don't think. But I really like it! Straight out of the bottle, I definitely get the mahogany and rot. It actually smells more like redwood to me than mahogany (I have a bottle of Redwood single note and they smell quite similar). If you took my beloved Redwood and let it decompose in a forest somewhere, it would smell quite a bit like The Forbidding Foyer. Wet on skin: At first, this is very, very heavy on the rot note (which I'm sure will put a lot of people off, but not me) and then it starts smelling more and more like a combination of very heavy, deep, decomposing wood and a hint of musk, even though there's none noted in the description. I don't get any brimstone here (nothing smells charrred or gritty) and no cognac, either, although that could just be because the decomposing wood scent is so strong. Dry down: Once The Forbidding Foyer finally dries down completely, the "rot" part subsides quite a bit and I'm left with a strong, almost earthy wood note (which still smells like my Redwood single note to my nose), musk (it reminds me a bit of The Lurid Library) and the tiniest hint of something that could be cognac in the very, very far background. This is a strong scent, too. I put on a very small dab to test and can still smell it after taking a shower. The bottom line: I really like this! I'm sure it's not for everyone and that my mom (if I were to ask her) would say that it smells dirty and musty (which aren't good things in her book), but that's what I like about it. I love all things dark, forgotten and woody smelling, so The Forbidding Foyer is definitely my sort of scent. I may have to pick up another bottle, although I think my first will last a long time, considering the strength of the scent and the fact that it's not necessarily a scent I'd wear every day (I tend to wear more "other people friendly" scents a lot of days and reserve my "perfect for me, but not so great to other people" scents for times when I'm not going to be around a lot of other people who might not appreciate my taste in perfume).

Origin: I originally got a decant of this from Tuesday and was intrigued enough to track down a bottle. So I have both a decant and a bottle now. Preconceived notions: I'm not sure what to expect from this one. It's such a strange combination of notes that I'm having a bit of a hard time wrapping my head around what they'll smell like, aside from expecting chocolate, dirt and...fire? First sniff: Definitely a unique scent. Straight out of the imp, I get cocoa, coconut and something woody and earthy. It's a strange combination, but I tend to like strange combinations, so that's not a bad thing. Wet on skin: Out of the imp: I have a really hard time applying this one from the imp. The cocoa separates from the rest of the oil and doesn't want to reincorporate totally. It looks blended in the vial, but when I try to apply it to my skin, the cocoa slides off the wand and all I'm left with is the other components. When I apply it this way, I get a dirty coconut scent. Like someone ground dried coconut flakes into the dirt, along with an unsmoked cigarette. I know that has to sound unappealing, but, as someone who loves the smell of dirt and tobacco, it's not. Out of the bottle: I had a feeling that applying from the bottle would give me the full effect of PWDT and I was right. The cocoa mixes in just fine in the bottle and I get a very interesting scent. It's definitely cocoa (not like a chocolate bar, more like the cocoa powder you use in baking) mixed with charred-smelling dirt and coconut. I don't really smell the tobacco or resins at this point. Dry down: Out of the imp: Basically the same as the wet stage. It's a dirty coconut (more coconut than dirt, with a sweetness to it that's a bit strange) scent with just a touch of tobacco. I think it's interesting, but I also don't really think I'd wear this too much, mainly because of the strange sweetness (it's turning my stomach just a tiny bit), but also because it's just a really weird scent and, while I'm a fan of weird scents, I'm not sure how well it works for me as a perfume. I enjoy it on its own (for its strangeness and because I enjoy all the notes I'm smelling separately), but as a personal scent, I don't think it's working that well on me. Out of the bottle:[/b] Much better. The key here is definitely to make sure that the cocoa is incorporated. When applied from the bottle (with a wand), I get dirty cocoa (like someone took some dry dirt and mixed it in with the cocoa powder), a hint of spanish moss (if you've never smelled spanish moss, it's a dry, dusty sort of green scent, not fresh and springy), a strong undercurrent of coconut (dried flakes, not fresh fruit) and just a hint of burnt wood. It's a sweet scent (bordering on cloying, but not sugary or foody) but dirty at the same time. The resins never do make an appearance as far as I can tell, but I don't think they'd really make that big a difference here even if they did, honestly. The bottom line: This is definitely a unique scent. Very much what I expect from BPAL. I really do like it and will definitely keep my bottle, though I don't think it's going to be a scent I reach for on a regular basis.

Origin: 5mL from the Lab. Preconceived notions: Leather can be a tricky note for me. Sometimes I love it and sometimes I hate it. And a lot of the time I'm indifferent. But I still had to try Shrunken Heads because it sounds like it could be pretty awesome. First sniff: Well, this isn't quite what I was expecting. I get very little leather from this, straight out of the bottle. Instead I get what has to be the jungle ferns. It's very green. Verdant and lush smelling. It reminds me, in some weird and indefinable way, of Mistletoe. Yeah, I don't get it, either. Wet on skin: Still very little leather. Mostly, this is really strong green plant life. And it's really nice! I don't know quite how to explain what the jungle ferns smell like other than to say that they're a very rich green. It's not a yellow-green and it's not a dark green. It's a bright, rich, emerald green sort of smell. It still reminds me of Mistletoe for some reason. Granted, Mistletoe has a piney sort of smell to it that Shrunken Heads is lacking, but if you took away the pine and snow notes from Mistletoe, it would smell an awful lot like the ferns in this. To me, anyway. Dry down: I finally get something that's probably the leather once Shrunken Heads dries down. It's similar to The Buggre Alle This Bible (again, to me, anyway) in that it has a similar, strange fruitiness to it. The ferns are still the dominant scent here, though. This one's very hard to describe. And very different than what I was anticipating. I'd call this gender neutral, but leaning strongly toward the masculine side. Luckily, I tend to prefer more masculine scents, so this works for me. The bottom line: Unique. Definitely unique. Very green. I like this.

Origin: 5mL bought on LiveJournal. Preconceived notions: Looks like this isn't a very popular scent, probably because of the vetiver. I'll never understand why people are afraid of (or hate) vetiver. Seriously. It smells good! Unfortunately, I have to limit the times I wear vetiver-heavy scents since even my family doesn't care for it. But anyway, I'm thinking this one will be a winner for me since I'm one of the elite few who love the evilness that it vetiver. I also love red sandalwood (one of my favorite notes) and I like coconut, tonka and black currant. Oude is a new one for me, I think. So we'll have to see about that. First sniff: Vetiver! Lots of it, too. I'm not surprised by that at all, since I already read the reviews and the description does mention it. This, like all vetiver-heavy blends, strikes me as a distant cousin of Tarot: Death. They share the same aggressively dark, ashy scent, but Fuwu (or Fuwa; that's what my bottle says, too) has some smooth, almost creamy coconut in the background as well as just a touch of tonka's sweetness. Wet on skin: Mainly vetiver, but with a bit of sweet coconut. I don't really get any red sandalwood (which makes me sad), but it could be that it's meshing with the vetiver. I don't get any black currant here and I'm not sure if I smell the oude or not since I don't remember ever coming across it before (so I have nothing to compare this to on that front). Dry down: As Fuwu/Fuwa dries, I get a lot more coconut. It reminds me a bit of Brown Jenkins in that regard, but with vetiver substituted for the incense. The vetiver is still making its presence known, but this is one of the tamer vetiver blends I've come across. The coconut and tonka make for a sweet, slightly creamy foreground with the ashy, gritty vetiver lurking behind it. It sounds like an odd combination but I like it! I think I could potentially wear this one around my family without them thinking I stink, although I doubt they'd actually like it much. The bottom line: If you hate vetiver, you'd probably be wise to avoid this one. But if you're on the fence, it might be worth a shot. And, of course, if you love it like I do, then definitely indulge. This one's unique. I don't think I've ever smelled another scent quite like it. ETA: My typo. Let me fix it.

Origin: Partial 5mL bought on eBay. Preconceived notions: Storyville is my white whale. I've been searching for it since it was first released (a little over four and a half years) and had almost given up hope on ever finding so much as a tester. So I'm equal parts thrilled and terrified to try this. It has the potential to either be my greatest BPAL moment ever or to break my heart into a million tiny little pieces. Scent-wise, I'm expecting something musky rich with vanilla, spice, maybe some chocolate and booze. And I'm expecting that scent combination to be amazing. First sniff: This smells like BPAL. I mean that in the sense that it smells like what I would imagine the Lab to smell like. It has that indefinable musky, spicy, slightly sweet, slightly earthy smell that just screams "BPAL!" to me. I can't pick out any particular notes in here, but I can say that this smells amazing. Wet on skin: Vanilla musk and ever-so-slightly spicy cocoa (not a lot) with something boozy in the background (can't say for sure what kind of booze it is...could be bourbon or cognac, maybe). This smells exactly like I'd hoped it would based on the reviews (and my fevered imagination's epic imaginings). There's maybe a little bit of tobacco here, too, but it's so hard to say. Everything just swirls together and it's incredibly hard to pick out any of the notes. I just get an impression of spiciness, booziness, muskiness, deep vanilla and a dusting of rich cocoa overtop. This isn't a foody scent to me, exactly. It's a sensual, deep, rich, grown-up scent that grabs me by the subconscious and yanks me in. Dry down: I could cry tears of joy right now. I'm so, so in love with Storyville. It really is everything I ever wanted it to be. As it dries, the spicy chocolatey boozy musk scent stays but it gets deeper and even more blended smelling. I still get the impression of some very rich, cured tobacco in here, too. I have to say that I think this would smell amazing on a man, too. It's so rich and sensual smelling. I'd slather this on my husband if I weren't so rabidly possessive of my precious partial bottle. The bottom line: Everything I ever wanted and more. If Storyville were ever to make a comeback (which I gather is impossible), I'd buy a dozen bottles. It's that good. This was worth every penny I paid for it and more. ETA: Amending my review to be more thorough. Playing BPAL note detective! I've been trying out various amounts of Storyville, trying to pin down the notes a little more, now that I've had plenty of time to let it rest and get to know it a little more, ahem, intimately and I agree with most of the notes that other people have picked out. Here's what I'm thinking the notes list would include: Definitely: Vanilla (definitely) Musk (not sure what kind, but it doesn't seem to be white because it's not clean and powdery) Cocoa Whiskey (I'm basing this on the fact that the booziness in Storyville smells a lot like the whiskey in Mad Sweeney on me - rich, sweet, a little musky and oh-so-sexy) Cinnamon (just a little bit) Probably: Coffee (I don't smell coffee explicitly, but it does have some similarities to the coffee note in some other blends, like The Arabian Dance and Misk U v3...sort of a rich, dark brown scent rather than screaming fresh-brewed coffee beans) Maybe: Honey (could just be the sweetness of the vanilla and whiskey) Tobacco (could be the whiskey again since Mad Sweeney reminds me a little bit of cured tobacco in some ways, too)

Origin: 5mL from the Lab. Preconceived notions: I waffled a lot on whether I should order The Soldier or not. Red musk and black tea are good, vanilla cream is good in principle (but it can go bad, like it did in Love's Philosophy) and black pepper and leather are often good. The pie is what threw me. What kind of pie is it? Something like apple pie would be good, but lemon chiffon or strawberry rhubarb or cherry would be bad. But I caved and got a bottle anyway, because I had to know if it would work for me since it sounds wonderful. First sniff: Hello, red musk! I get a huge waft of fruity red musk when I open the bottle. When I first got this in the mail, that was all I could smell, but now that The Soldier's had some time to sit and recover from its journey through the mail system, I also smell a little bit of vanilla cream (which smells different from Love's Philosophy; more like heavy cream with vanilla added in than vanilla ice cream) and a tiny touch of pepper. Wet on skin: Red musk and cream. I'm not a huge fan of fresh red musk, so I'm not totally in love with The Soldier at this point, but I'm positive that this is going to age into something truly gorgeous if I just give it time. Dry down: Still very strong, fruity red musk with a soft layer of cream underneath and a tiny pinch of pepper. It's a very distant relative of White Rabbit (only minus the ginger and with red musk added) on me, but the family resemblance is slight at best. I don't smell the leather and I still have no idea what kind of pie is supposed to be lurking in here (I can't smell it, so it could be any kind in theory). The bottom line: I like The Soldier now, but I think I'm going to flat out love this once it's matured. Red musk is always, always better with some age to it, IMO. I'm almost definitely going to be getting a backup bottle or two in anticipation of the goodness to come. ETA: Now that The Soldier has had a few weeks to mature, I'm smelling the leather on the drydown! In the bottle, it's still creamy red musk (far more creamy than it was before), but the drydown has definitely changed. It's slightly peppery leather and creamy red musk. Still no pie that I can smell. The red musk is already aging nicely.

The incense-tinged scent of forbidden tomes and the musk-laden remnants of infernal servants. Origin: 5mL from Mamacat. Preconceived notions: I love the smell of old books and incense. Musk is hit or miss but generally good, as long as it isn't powdery or pungent/animalistic. I'm hoping this is a winner because it sounds awesome. First sniff: I was about to write this off based on my first sniff when it first arrived in the mail. It was very, very powdery. In fact, that's almost all I could smell was powder. There was maybe just a slight touch of "old book" underneath, but it was completely drowned out by the powder of doom. But, since The Lurid Library had a long journey from Canada to the US, I figured it might need some time to recover and set it aside for a while (two or three weeks, I think, maybe a little longer). Opened it again yesterday and talk about a turnaround. Gone is the powder and instead I get a fairly realistic "old paper" smell, combined with just a hint of musk and some very, very light incense. Wet on skin: Mmmm, this smells good! This seriously smells like old books (a good used bookstore specializing in antique editions, maybe), even more so than The Buggre Alle This Bible, probably because The Lurid Library doesn't have the fruity leather note that Buggre has. At first I get nothing but that old paper smell, but then within a few seconds I start to smell some very faint, sweet incense. Dry down: As this dries, the smells start to mesh more and more and I'm left with the smell of something that reminds me of a combination of an antique book dealer's store and a church. Maybe an antique bookstore specializing in the religious and esoteric. Old, dry paper infused with light, sweet incense smoke. The musk is very understated. It's very much a "skin musk" sort of scent on me, which is excellent, because that's my favorite type. This is less intense than The Buggre Alle This Bible, which is good. I love a strong, intense scent, but there are a lot of days when I want to wear something that's a little more understated. The Lurid Library will fit that niche nicely. The bottom line: I really love this. Although I also have (and love) The Buggre Alle This Bible (and Aziraphale on the way), The Lurid Library is definitely staying in my collection (and in my favorites box). I think this might be my favorite "old book" scent yet. Definitely a scent I'd get a backup bottle (or two) of.

Origin: Partial bottle from ivyandpeony. Preconceived notions: Anyone who knows me knows I love the smell of dirt and really don't like florals. I've been waffling on trying this one since the flowers scare me, but since I've got my hot little hands on it now, I'm definitely trying it and hoping for the best! First sniff: Dirt and flowers. More dirt than flowers, though. This isn't quite the heavy loam note of Graveyard Dirt and it isn't quite the red clay smell of Penny Dreadful. It's somewhere in between. Kind of like Zombi, if I had to compare it to something. The florals are sweet and wild smelling, not tamed and heady like a flower shop. I think if I'm going to do florals, this is the sort that it will be. Wet on skin: Lots of wonderful, dirty dirt with a low, sweet undercurrent of flowers. It's more like Graveyard Dirt now, but with a little bit of red clay thrown in. It still reminds me a bit of Zombi, but much dirtier and sweeter, with wildflowers instead of rose. Dry down: Pungent, loamy dirt and red clay mixed with wildflower petals. I'm actually really enjoying this. It has more depth to it than Graveyard Dirt (which I love) and it's probably a little more interesting and appealing to those who don't normally do dirt scents. The bottom line: I'm not going to suddenly become a floral convert, but I can wear this without the flowers ruining it for me. A great scent for dirt fans like me, especially dirt fans who also like florals.