Penance

Origin: I got an imp of this from QuantumSpice. Preconceived notions: I'll be the first to admit I don't care for roses but mention the words "limited edition" and I'll try damn near anything. First sniff: Rose Red's another contender (and most likely the winner) for the weirdest unexpected reaction/association award! Honest to God, I don't smell roses. I smell starfruit of all things! Slighly unripe starfruit to be exact. Anyone who's ever eaten it knows that it has a very unique smell to it and maybe my nose is busted, but I smell fresh-cut, not-quite-ripe starfruit instead of roses and it's wonderful! Wet on skin: I'm still mainly getting starfruit (weird, huh?) but it's mixed with that almost green scent you get when you smell unopened roses fresh out of the florist's fridge. This is nothing like the super floral powdery rose I normally hate. This is downright beautiful! Dry down: Now Rose Red is all unopened rosebuds and I have to admit it's gorgeous. I never thought I would say I even liked a rose scent, let alone loved one, but I stand corrected. This is so pristine and flawless and gorgeous that I'm absolutely amazed, completely and utterly. The bottom line: I never expected to like Rose Red and I don't...I love it and I'm ready to worship Beth as some sort of demi-goddess (as if I didn't already) for being the one person in the world who could make me love a rose scent. For some reason, it starts out smelling like starfruit (I know, I don't get it either) and ends up smelling like a tightly closed rosebud fresh out of cold storage. I've finally found a rose scent that I love the smell of!

Preconceived notions: I actually ordered an imp of Ulalume in my first order but swapped it without actually trying it because it smelled too aquatic and floral for me in bottle. But now I've got another imp and I'm going to give it a second chance...or a first chance, technically, since I never tried it on the first time. First sniff: Very aquatic smelling but with a slightly musty undertone that has to be the leaves and cypress. I love woodsy scents, but aquatics are hit or miss and tend to give me hives, so I don't know if this will work for me or not. Wet on skin: The cypress is stronger now that Ulalume is on me instead of in the imp and I can also smell the oak and leaves clearly now, too. The aquatic note is still lingering in the background, buit it's much more subtle now. I'm not quite sure if I like this or not, to tell the truth, but I'll make a decision once and for all once it's dry. Dry down: The lily is coming out in full-force now that Ulalume is dry. Unfortunately, I don't like lily (or florals in general for that matter). This is still quite strong on the cypress, but it's not enough to save this scent for me, I don't think. I'm also getting a pretty nasty case of hives where I applied the oil, so even if I did like this, I don't think it would get enough wear to warrant keeping it. The bottom line: Ulalume is a nice enough scent, but it's definitely not for me. I'll be getting rid of this one.

First sniff: Mmm, I like this! Eidolon is crisp and herbal but at the same time warm and woody and slightly citrusy. This is very clean smelling and I'm sure it would be lovely on a man, too. Wet on skin: I love how the notes in this all come to the surface one at a time and then move aside for the next note in line. I get disconnected snatches of cedar, sage and bergamot, but they never seem to all be present at the same time. This is very fresh and clean smelling but warm enough to be inviting at the same time. Dry down: Once Eidolon dries, the notes seem to finally merge and I get sage and bergamot and a hint of cedar. This smells like an herb garden complete with a cedar trellace and I really like it. This would smell equally good on a man as it would on a woman, I think. The bottom line: Light and clean and airy like an herb garden on a spring morning. It's a shame this is discontinued - I like it a lot.

First sniff: Well, I've worn Dragon's Bone many times and never reviewed it, so I don't think "first sniff" is technically accurate...it's more like "first breath after opening the vial" in this case. That being said: dragon's blood and a very light white sandalwood note. Dragon's Bone is both dry and dusty and rich and spicy right out of the imp and I love it. Wet on skin: Basically the same as in the imp. Dragon's Bone is a very stable scent on me; it doesn't deviate much from the "fresh out of the imp" smell. The dragon's blood is the most prominent note here, but the sandalwood dries it some and makes it thinner somehow. Dry down: Dragon's blood, white sandalwood and a hint of light wood in the background. Dragon's Bone is my favorite of all the Ars Draconis scents I've tried so far. It's got both the dragon's blood and sandalwood notes I love and the result is wonderfully spicy and dry at the same time. The bottom line: My favorite BPAL Dragon scent yet. I love the dragon's blood/sandalwood combination.

Preconceived notions: I've tried Scherezade before, but only as a spot test to make sure I wouldn't suffer a nasty allergic reaction from it (I'm allergic to saffron in food, but apparently not in perfume, strangely enough) and I remember this smelling like Morocco (the place, not the scent) and really liking it from what I could smell of it, so I'm hoping it still works for me. First sniff: Mmm, this is just how I remember it being - musky but with a definite undertone of saffron and spices. This conjures up memories of my trip tp Spain and Morocco and that's a very good thing, in spite of the memories of the nasty surprise of being allergic to saffron in food. Wet on skin: The spices come out more once Scherezade is on my skin, but the musk still dominates. It's a very sensual, musky musk, not a sharp musk...very sexual and alluring without being too animalistic. The saffron gives Scherezade a nice strong yellow background note and lightens the blend a little. This feels very Mediterranean to me, for some reason. Dry down: All the notes in Scherezade have merged together and it's much softer and more subdued now. It still has wonderful throw, so it doesn't fade into the background by any means. Dry, Scherezade is all soft gold and cranberry red with a decidedly languid, harem girl kind of feel to it. I really like this. The bottom line: Sexy and alluring and very Mediterranean feeling for me. I love this one!

Preconceived notions: I had to try this one if only for the name even though floral blends generally end up being disasters for me, plus it has pepper in it, which I'm learnign that I really like. First sniff: Oh, this is much more promising than I'd imagined it would be. I don't get any florals right out of the imp, just dry, dusty wood, pepper and a bit of musk with a faint touch of mandarin to sweeten it slightly. If this stays like this, I'm going to love Grandmother of Ghosts. Wet on skin: Still no florals (hurrah!), just soft wood notes, pepper and a hint of mandarin. I really like this one. It's spicy and dry and very slightly fruity all at the same time and it really appeals to me. It's definitely unisex an it's perfect for a girl like me who prefers gender neutral or masculine scents, but at the same time it's definitely feminine enough for a girlier girl. Dry down: I'm definitely getting a bottle of this, no question about it. I never dreamed I'd like this enough to even finish the imp, but it's turned out that I love it. The main note on me now that it's dry is pepper with some wood and musk and a tiny hint of mandarin. The bottom line: The main question now is whether a 5mL will last me or whether I should get a 10mL. I love Grandmother of Ghosts. It's absolutely perfect for me!

Origin: I got an imp of this from Malanna. First sniff: Dissipation is another complicated scent, at least for me. On the first sniff, I get ivy, something bitter that I'm assuming is the wormwood and a hint of sassafras, which happens to be my one foody smell weakness. So far I like this a lot! Wet on skin: Ivy is the most prominent note here, but I also smell a little bit of poppy and sassafras. Mainly it's a soft green, slightly soapy scent that brings to mind images of creeping ivy and scratching the waxy coating off the leaves with my thumbnails. I expected this to smell a lot more like my beloved sassafras, but Dissipation still isn't a dissapointment. Dry down: Soapy green ivy and a hint of what I'm guessing must be wormwood. I really like this a lot. It's green and slightly herbal and a little bitter. This is somehow a very clean smelling scent for me in the same way that Neo-Tokyo is clean: in a green, unoffensive kind of way. The bottom line: Dissipation isn't quite what I expected, but I really like it anyway. I'm glad I got to try this one.

Preconceived notions: I had to try this even though amber normally hates my skin the majority of the time because it just sounded so gorgeous and I love Alice in Wonderland, plus I just had a great experience with Coyote in spite of the amber, so I'm somewhat hopeful The Lion will love me. First sniff: Amber and dried grass with a hint of cinnamon. This is somewhat similar to Coyote for me, but the two are definitely different. Coyote is dry and parched smelling while The Lion is warm and sun-baked smelling. The difference is subtle, but they're definitely two different creatures. I'm hoping that since Coyote worked for me, The Lion might, too, but I don't want to get my hopes up yet. Wet on skin: Soft amber and a hint of spice. So far, this is lovely, but most amber scents are until my skin chemistry gets a good hold on them. This is somehow almost creamy smelling and I actually really like it. As long as the amber behaves itself, I can see myself loving this one. Dry down: Another amber-related miracle! No sour milk response and The Lion is positively gorgoeus. It's a very soft, creamy amber on me with the tiniest hint of cinnamon lingering in the background. This is extremely faint on me when it first starts to try, but then it gathers strength and comes back shortly afterward. I have no idea why, but, on me, The Lion could be an extremely close relative of Snow White's. I'm not kidding when I say this is creamy on me and I have no idea why that is. The bottom line: I'm so glad I tried this in spite of my bad track record with amber. I'm definitely going to be needing more of this in the very near future.

I still say Bee-Pal and refer to it as The Lab online. I don't know why, but I feel weird saying Bee-Pal even though it's the only thing I really refer to The Lab as when I'm actually talking about it...it just sounds awkward to me and I have no idea why. I'm finding myself referring to just Beth half the time just because it's easier.

Origin: Lagniappe from the Lab. First sniff: I smell sweet florals, no herbal notes at all. I wouldn't swear on it, but I think I smell honeysuckle in here and maybe rose. Mainly, it's the soft, creamy, sweet floral I associate with honeysuckle. I actually really like honeysuckle in spite of my floral aversion, so I'm actually quite happy with the way this smells, but the most important thing is whether or not it works. Wet on skin: Now Come To Me smells like tea rose and not much else. It's the only kind of rose I can tolerate, so that's not such a bad thing. I'm curious what's actually in this blend, to tell the truth, since I'm not so sure I'm competent enough to really identify the floral notes I'm smelling. Dry down: Come To Me backfired on me, apparently. Not only did it not bring my boy running to me, but it seems to have repelled him. He won't have anything to do with me today, sexually speaking, and that's really pretty upsetting since I don't normally have a hard time getting his attention at all. Come To Me smells nice enough, like light, sweet florals and tea rose, but it's really not working for me in the worst possible way. I think I'm actually afraid to try this one again, although I may have to just to see if it was a fluke or if this really is the culprit, as weird as that seems. The bottom line: It's nice to know Come To Me worked for other people, but for me it's Leave Me Be instead.

I understand completely. Almonds make me horribly sick (i.e. I was throwing up for three days after sniffing Baron Samedi once because I didn't know there was almond in it). I've found that Beth and the other labbies are very helpful if you're wondering about a certain scent like I was with Snow White. Just ask and they'll most likely be happy to help you out.

Origin: Lagniappe from the Lab! This is actually the second time I've gotten this and I'm just now trying it. First sniff: To me, this smells like the hot mint tea I drank when I visited Morocco. It's subtle mint and a slightly sweet background that reminds me of sugarcane with a hint of something soapy lingering in the far, far back. Truth be told, I have no interest whatsoever in using this blend for voodoo purposes because I'm not the kind of person who would actually use this blend, at least not as anything other than a perfume, but I'm trying it anyway. Wet on skin: Mint tea, right on the money! I swear, this smells like freshly brewed mint tea with sugar and it's gorgeous. Dry down: What the...?! All of a sudden I get flowers with a tiny hint of the mint tea I loved in the imp. I'm horrible at picking out floral notes, but I know this, I just can't place it...rose, maybe? That doesn't sound right, but it's the closest I can come to identifying it right now. I really don't like the dry down on this one, unfortunately, but the wet stage was gorgeous. The bottom line: I can't say whether Black Cat works or not because I really don't want to try testing it's effectiveness, but I can say it's gorgeous in the imp and wet, but it loses me on the dry down.

Origin: I got an imp of this from Andrabell quite some time ago and I'm just getting around to trying it now. First sniff: Juju smells very familiar to me, but I can't place it. It smells like some sort of resin but with a sweetish, powdery note...amber, maybe? It smells like an occult store to me for some reason and that's a good thing. I can say now I won't be able to say whether this blend works because I don't have any need for either a crossing or uncrossing blend right now, but I'll review the scent itself, anyway. Wet on skin: I think that is amber I'm smelling. I wouldn't swear to it, but I'm almost positive. It's golden and powery and semi-sweet all at the same time and it's also threatening to turn into sour milk, which is normally the hallmark of amber on my skin. Dry down: If there's no amber in this, then there's something else that turns to sour milk on me because I smell like an unplugged fridge. I know it's just my bad skin chemistry doing it, too, which is frustrating an more than a little disappointing. The bottom line: I can't vouch for the efficacy of this blend, but I can say I smell amber and maybe rose in it and not much else. This is getting swapped.

First sniff: Hmm, that's either anise or fennel, I can't tell right at the moment. I really hate both of those notes, to be honest, but I'm not wearing this for the scent, so I'm going to have to try and deal with it. Wet on skin: Ugh, ugh, ugh...I think that's fennel, not anise, and it reeks. I just have an extreme intolerance to anise and fennel almost the same way I do to almonds except they don't make me sick, I just hate them. I don't know if I can tolerate wearing this blend, unfortunately. I only dabbed a tiny bit on my wrist, but I may as well have been swimming in it. Dry down: This is getting washed off. Immediately. I just can't tolerate the smell, as much as I want to find out if India Bouquet really works. The bottom line: Sadly, I can't say whether India Bouquet works because it's barely dry an I can't tolerate it anymore.

Origin: I got an imp of this from the lovely Malanna. My impressions: This is dead on. It's not the watered-down juniper you get at BBW and the like, this is the strong, bracing, almost harsh juniper I've come to know and love in Burial and several other BPAL scents. A tiny bit of this goes a long way and it has great staying power. I don't know that I would wear this on its own even though I love juniper because it's a little harsh for wearing alone, but I can definitely see myself layering this with my other BPAL and getting a lot of wear out of it. I'm constantly surprised and thrilled by the quality of BPAL's single notes and Juniper Berry is no exception.

You're going to love the Sweet Clove single note, Luxuria. It's gorgeous! I'd say Three Witches and Wrath are good choices. March Hare smells like apricot and not much else on me, but it is gorgeous, so you may want to give it a shot, too.

Doooo it! Penitence is gorgeous! It smells exactly like a Catholic church after mass. I can't get enough of it.

First sniff: I smell ylang-ylang, honey and something vaguely resinous (the labdanum, I presume). This reminds me of Le Petit Mort with an added resin note and I'm not sure I'm going to like this since Le Petit Mort bordered between my liking it and feeling queasy when I smelled it. Wet on skin: Hmm, I can't even smell this on myself. That's a little weird. I imagine it'll come back in a moment, that happens sometimes. There...all I'm getting is ylang-ylang and a hint of honey now and none of the resin note I was hoping for. This is nice enough, but I would prefer if it were stronger in the resin department. Dry down: This is pretty much the same dry as it was wet. I think my skin chemistry may be wreaking havoc with Skuld, which is sad because I loved Urd and had high hopes for her sister. The bottom line: I'm pretty sure I can chalk this failure up to bad skin chemistry, but it's still disappointing.

First sniff: I think my sense of smell is off today. The first thing I smell in Anubis is what smells like an orange or maybe a clementine right after it's been peeled but not sectioned. If I concentrate, I get myrrh and a bit of herbalness but mainly I get that strange, slightly bitter orangey sweet citrus kind of scent. Wet on skin: A lot more myrrh now and that's a very good thing. There's still that fruit note here, too, but Anubis is more resinous smelling now. The balsam is also quickly coming out, giving a very nice soft wood note to the blend. I think I expected something stronger, but Anubis still doesn't disappoint. Dry down: It's hard to pick out individual notes now. Anubis smells like wood and incense smoke to me with a slight deep herbal note in the background. These aren't light herbs, they're strong, richly fragrant dried herbs. I really like this a lot! The bottom line: Anubis is lighter than I'd anticipated, but beautiful regardless. On me, it's a wood/incense/rich herb scent that's beautiful without being overpowering. Definitely a winner.

Origin: I was gifted with a 5mL of this by the lovely Sigh. First sniff: Very clean smelling; that's the first thing that pops into my mind when I sniff this. I smell musk (a very light, airy musk) and herbs right out of the bottle. This is definitely a gender neutral scent. I can see this being equally gorgeous on a man or a woman. Wet on skin: Light and fresh and clean smelling. This is gorgeous! The florals are starting to come out now, but they're very soft and subdued, like apple blossoms, definitely not like flower shop flowers. The herbs are still the most prominent note but the gorgeous barely there white musk is right behind it. This reminds me of a meadow in the summertime with the birds singing in the trees and the grass waving in the breeze. Gorgeous. Dry down: Oisin seems to be one of those scents that just blends in with my natural smell and that's a good thing! It's natural smelling and very clean and unoffensive (even to my mother, who's extremely sensitive to perfume). This would be a perfect scent for someone who doesn't normally wear perfume or cologne. The bottom line: This is gorgeous! I normally like dark, heavy scents, but Oisin is gorgeous even in my opinion. It's soft, subdued and clean smelling and I'm sure it'd be as gorgeous on a man as it is on me!

Origin: Lagniappe from the Lab. First sniff: Civet is the first thing that jumps out at me when I open the imp. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I hate civet. It doesn't smell too bad in the bottle, but on me, it's pure cat pee, so I don't have high hopes for Debauchery, but I'll try it anyway, just in case. Wet on skin: Cat pee and opium. It's not Beth's fault that this one smells bad on me, civet is just my skin's natural enemy. If it weren't for the civet, I'd likely love this blend, but as it stands, I smell like an expensive Egyptian rug in an opium den that's just been peed on by a very angry tomcat and it's just not pleasant. At all. Dry down: The cat pee smell has gotten even stronger, totally overpowering everything else in this blend. This is getting washed off immediately. I keep telling myself I'll never let civet touch my skin again, but I had to try Debauchery just in case it was the exception to the "cat pee rule." Sadly, it's not. The bottom line: Civet is not my friend. At all. I really need to stop believing that there might be an exception to that rule.

Origin: Lagniappe from the Lab! First sniff: I expected this to be much darker for some reason. I smell bergamot, apple and vanilla first and then teak, musk and a hint of patchouli. I don't think I'm going to like this, to tell the truth. Something about it (probably the neroli) isn't sitting right with me right now. Wet on skin: No change from the way it smelled in the imp. Desire is somewhat fruity, somewhat musky and instantaneously headache inducing. It's the neroli that's doing it, I know it is, but it still surprises me somewhat. I'm quickly learning to avoid neroli, but I keep hoping that it will work for me. Dry down: Oh wow, I'm apparently allergic to something in this because I'm breaking out in hives where I applied the oils. Before I was this off, this is what it smells like now: rose, neroli, bergamot and that strange powdery version of musk that my skin likes to create. The bottom line: It's a good thing I dislike Desire because I'm apparently allergic to it. This is getting swapped with a quickness.

Origin: Lagniappe from the Lab! Preconceived notions: I can't even begin to describe how thrilled I was to find this thrown in with my last order. I love bats, but I've been waffling over ordering Chiroptera since I'm not a floral person, but I'm so happy I get to try this and finally make up my mind! First sniff: Ooh, I actually like this! It's a very light, unoffensive, slightly sweet floral with a soft herbal undertone that I love. This is just herbal enough to really appeal to me without being too herbal for most other people to tolerate, I think. I can easily see myself wearing this one, even though it's a floral blend. Wet on skin: Vaguely lemony, but mainly herbal and floral. These aren't in-your-face flowers, they're much more relaxed and subtle and don't induce the typical cringe that florals generally cause in me. I don't normally like lemon, either, but somehow this works. Dry down: The lemon is dying down now and I get a combination of herbal/astringent/sweet floral that somehow works even though it's somewhat bordering on "arthritis rub" from the astringent note (whatever that is). Come to think of it, that's exactly what this smells like on me: the arthritis rub my mom uses! I'm sure that doesn't sound good, but somehow it's actually quite nice. The bottom line: Much less heady floral than I expected. I really like this for reasons I can't quite put my finger on.

Origin: Lagniappe from the Lab! Preconceive notions: Sadly, this one's not looking promising right from the start: lotus either turns into bubblegum or sour milk on me, amber almost always turns into sour milk and I don't normally like florals or citrus unless it's grapefruit or blood orange. I'll still give this the chance it deserves, though! First sniff: Wow, that's actually not bad, really. I'm not sure it's me, but it's not bad. I smell amber nad a sort of general citrus with a hint of soft flowers in the background. This is definitely innocent smelling, which may be why it's probably not for me. Wet on skin: Amber, as usual, leaps to the surface as soon as Forbidden Fruit hits my skin, but the citrus and lotus are right behind it. No sour milk, which is good, but so far Forbidden Fruit isn't really up my alley. It's almost bubblegum sweet (the lotus, no doubt) but with a heavy dose of amber and a burst of citrus, as well. Dry down: I smell like bubblegum. Bazooka Joe, to be exact, complete with that powder that's on it when you open the wrapper. I hate bubblegum, as anyone who knows about my hatred for Jailbait is aware of. This is definitely not me by any stretch of the imagination. The bottom line: Forbidden Fruit and I are not destined to be friends. On me, it turns into pure, powdery bubblegum, which makes me very sad and somewhat queasy.

First sniff: This is gorgeous! I love spicy scents and Three Witches is everything I ever wanted in that sort of scent. This smells like opening a spice cabinet and breathing in as deeply as you can. It's comforting and warm and very inviting smelling. I love this already! Wet on skin: This reminds me of Wrath, quite a bit, with the strong cinnamon note and the pepper in the background, but this is even more gorgeous than Wrath is. The cinnamon is the most prominent when I first put Three Witches on, but almost immediately the clove starts coming to the surface and making Three Witches deeper and more multi-dimensional. This smells like a cross between cinnamon sticks and Constant Comment tea, which happens to be my favorite. Dry down: Three Witches is still more like Two Witches on me. I get very strong cinnamon and clove but only the faintest hint of pepper. That's fine by me, though, because it seems the smell of white pepper isn't as easy to pull off as clove and cinnamon are, even though I love it. I love this! The bottom line: The perfect spice scent. It's strong, it's warm an it's comforting smelling. I'm seriously considering getting a bottle of this.