Penance

Here's a couple more comparisons: Has No Hanna (more soapy) - Eternal (no soap) Red Mysore Sandalwood single note - Anne Bonny (of course, it has red sandalwood in it, but the two are damn near identical)

Origin: Lagniappe from the Lab. Preconceived notions: I'm woefully inept at identifying floral notes apart from rose, lilac, honeysuckle and sometimes gardenia (I only know that one because my mom loves it), so all I can imagine for this scent is "flower shop." I'm not expecting to like this because I don't do floral notes, but the Lab has graced me with it and try it I will! First sniff: Yeah, that's flowers alright. See, I told you I was ridiculously unskilled in this area. This actually reminds me a lot of Has No Hanna. The two are practically identical, only Has No Hanna has a soapy note that Eternal is lacking. All I can say about this apart from the comparison to Has No Hanna is that this is a true "flower shop" kind of smell, not a garden or wildflower kind of smell...it's...white smelling and slightly sweet like honeysuckle, but there's definitely some heady florals in here, too, including my mom's beloved gardenia (which I can't stand for some reason). Wet on skin: Has No Hanna without the soap! I swear, that's what it smells like! I don't wear Has No Hanna for the scent (I actually apply it where I don't have to smell it on myself), so while I do wear it, it's not my kind of scent and neither is Eternal. This is a very feminine and soft-edged kind of scent and I'm sure other people would find it lovely, but florals really aren't my thing, personally. Dry down: No real change from when it was wet. This one's very stable. It's essentially the same from imp to dry down: a riot of flowers like a hundred wedding bouquets all thrown together. It's giving me a headache. Time to end this little experiment. The bottom line: Think Has No Hanna sans soap and you've got a good idea of what Eternal smells like. This is so not me that it's not even funny, but I'm sure someone with more feminine taste would find it lovely.

Origin: Lagniappe from the Lab! Preconceived notions: This one's intrigued me for quite a while, but I never got up the nerve to try it until the Lab chose to gift me with it. I love mint and I'm very curious about wormwood (no idea what it smells like, but it sounds fascinating) but I hate anise and lemon, so this is probably going to be a love it or hate it kind of scent. First sniff: Okay, so far so good! I smell mint, a hint of anise and something bitter smelling (is that the wormwood?). All in all, this is quite nice. The anise is very faint so it's alright for now and the mint is lovely. I'm interested in that bitter note, though...every time I try and pin it down it hides behind the other notes. Wet on skin: Very unusual. This one's a quick-change artist for sure. First I get mint, then anise, then lemon, then cardamom, then something floral and finally something slightly bitter and the lemon, all in a matter of seconds. My skin tends to amp up lemon, so right now I smell like Lemon Pledge and...something, which isn't good. Dry down: Lemon, lemon and more lemon. It's taken over the entire scent, drowning everything else out to the point where it's all I can smell, which makes me very sad. Absinthe just doesn't like me, apparently. The bottom line: Another scent ruined by lemon. It's quickly becoming one of those notes I resent because it has an unfortunate habit of ruining scents that are perfectly lovely otherwise.

Origin: I got LadyLatemar's 5mL! My impressions: The first thing that pops into my mind when I smell this is "Anne Bonny!" This is the gorgeous sandalwood note that's made Anne Bonny my alltime favorite BPAL scent. It's almost cedar-like and very strong. I love, love, love this! Just a word to those who want to try Red Mysore Sandalwood and can't get ahold of any: this is almost identical to Anne Bonny (or at least Anne Bonny once it's aged some), so if you can't get the single note, the lovely Ms. Bonny is a very good replacement.

Chaos Theory XX Origin: I was gifted with an imp of this by the ever wonderful Allamanda. First sniff: Mmm, Pam certainly knows me taste in perfume! This is right up my alley! This is rum, pure and simple, like I just opened a bottle of Captain Morgan's and took a big ol' whiff. I love, love, love the smell of rum. This is gorgeous! Wet on skin: I love how this Chaos Theory is labeled XX and it smells like booze. For some reason, that strikes me as really funny (no, I haven't been drinking, I swear!). On me, this is more like spiced rum than plain old dark rum like it was in the imp. This is almost exactly the same as taking a big old snoot of Captain Morgan's Private Stock...not that I've ever done that. Dry down: Softer and creamier than when it was wet, but still definitely rum. I think there's some sort of wood note in here, too, if I'm not mistaken, although I can't tell what it is...could be cedar or birch maybe. Whatever it is, it's lovely. Now it smells like the rum and the barrel it's aged in. I feel like a pirate wearing this. Yarr! The bottom line: I wish I'd been around for the Chaos Theories...every one I've tried has been utterly gorgeous in its own way and XX is no exception. It smells like rum and aged wood (oak, maybe?) and it might have been made especially for me, it's so perfectly suited to my tastes.

Chaos Theory LXXXVIII Origin: I got an imp of this from cluna. First sniff: Oh, God...butterscotch! This is like Grog's predecessor right out of the imp. It's pure, rich, gorgeous butterscotch and nothing else. I'm sure there must be something else in here or else it wouldn't be a random combination...unless it's a random combination of butterscotch and more butterscotch. Wet on skin: Whew, this stuff is potent! I only put on a tiny dab, but I smell like I'm slathered in butterscotch syrup. This is still pure, rich butterscotch and it reminds me quite a bit of Grog in its wet stage...this is Grog mixed with English toffee ice cream syrup and in spite of my aversion to sweet scents, I'm in love. Dry down: The longer this is on, the sweeter and richer it gets. It's changed from butterscotch to English toffee syrup now and it just so happens that that's my one sweets weakness apart from white chocolate. This really appeals to the side of me that wants to be more frivolous and less earthy. The bottom line: This is definitely a keeper! I wish I had the whole bottle instead of just an imp! Previously reviewed by astrid.

Hearth is clear and smells like maraschino cherries in the bottle. EDIT: I see I'm too late, but what else is new?

Origin: I originally got an imp of this as lagniappe from the Lab in my very first order and swapped it. But then people started comparing it to Mistletoe and I had to try it again, so I got another imp from ivyandpeony. First sniff: Very green and I don't just mean the color of the oil. Hemlock smells as green as it looks. I smell pine and possibly eucalyptus, but there's also something harshly herbal about Hemlock that prickles my nose and makes me feel like I'm about to sneeze. I'm not sure whether this is going to work for me or not. Wet on skin: This has a very medicinal edge to it that reminds me of Vicks Vaporub and not in a good way. I normally love that kind of smell (and the real deal, too), but somehow Hemlock isn't sitting well with me. I don't know what it is about it (I should love this blend) but somehow it's not only failing to captivate me much the same way it did the first time I tried it, but it's actually off-putting and I'm not sure why. Dry down: This still has that weird herbal poultice smell that's been making me uneasy since I opened the imp and it's showing no signs of improvement, sadly. I wanted to love this, I really did, but it's just not to be, apparently. The bottom line: I tried it, I swapped it, I tried it again, and I'll be swapping it again. Hemlock and I just aren't meant for one another, apparently.

Our olfactory tribute to the film genre: a dark, moody, brooding scent that embodies moral ambiguity, alienation, and soul-wrenching cynicism. A complex, seamy blend of Lily of the Valley, opoponax, myrrh, black rose and plum with a slithering twist of clove, deep plum and star jasmine. Origin: I got a shortie of this from the ever wonderful SilverAngel. First sniff: This smells almost exactly like a scented talc my mom used to wear when I was little! It's one of my more vivid memories of my early childhood: the way she smelled in the mornings when she put her talcum powder on. I definitely smell the rose here...it's a very powdery rose that smells very much like baby powder, but there's also somethin else here...the clove and myrrh, I think. It's hard to tell over the rose, but that's what it seems to be. Wet on skin: The powder is less prominent now and I can really smell the myrrh and clove now that it's receded somewhat. This still smells almost exactly like that childhood scent memory of my mother...it's so close it's almost uncanny! This smells sophisticated but approcheable to me, like a wealthy older woman who's known hardship and never lost touch with her roots, if that makes sense at all. Dry down: Noir has dried into a lovely scented talc kind of scent that's lovely even if it is miles away from my normal scent choices. I can definitely see this being a special occassion scent for me. This definitely isn't an everyday scent; at least not for me. The bottom line: Sophisticated but not snooty. This definitely isn't an everyday scent, but it's lovely all the same.

First sniff: Pure nostalgia in a bottle. This is the scent of summer days playing in the backyard with clean sheets drying on the clothesline. It's the scent of running through those sheets and inhaling their smell. I've always loved the smell of sun-dried clean cotton and Dirty is that smell trapped in a tiny little bottle. Wet on skin: Dirty is more proof that simple is sometimes best when it comes to perfume. This scent is pure simplicity: the smell of clean white sheets baking dry in the sun. It's the smell of detergent and fabric softener and sun warmed cotton. Dry down: I don't know how Beth does it, but this is dead on. I've smelled a lot of "clean cotton" scents and none of them compare to Dirty. This is pure perfection...it's beautiful and safe smelling. To me, this smells like home and everything I associate with it. The bottom line: Dirty is exactly what it's supposed to be: sun-dried clean cotton sheet. This is so beautiful. I love this. I'm glad I've got a 5mL coming!

First sniff: This smells like Snow White to me, right out of the bottle for some reason. It's very creamy and soft and white smelling but with a hint of vanilla and honey. If I inhale shallowly, I can smell the linen (it's easy to pick out since I just spent 10 minutes sniffing Dirty) and a bit of ginger. So far, there's no tea to my nose, just creamy milk and honey and ginger...this reminds me more than anything of being put to bed at night when I was small: the smell of clean bedsheets and what I imagine warm milk with honey might smell like. It's a comforting scent, but strange because I expected a strong tea note in White Rabbit and don't detect any tea at all. Wet on skin: There's the tea! I knew it was hiding in there somewhere. I also smell lemon for some reason even though there's none listed in the description. I'm wondering if BPAL's ginger note is making my nose think "Lemon!" because the same thing happened with Kumiho. The lemon note (whatever it is) fades quickly on me, though, leaving behind a soft, creamy tea scent with a hint of spice. This is very light on me right at the moment, but it's gorgeous so far. Dry down: Gorgeous, absolutely gorgeous! Milk, ginger, honey and vanilla with a soft black tea note in the background. For me, this is like Snow White meets Lipton's black tea and I love it! This is a very soft, innocent smelling scent, very creamy and subdued. I really love this one! The bottom line: I'm so glad I got a 5mL of this instead of the imp I was originally planning on getting. White Rabbit is gorgeous and so innocent and understated smelling. It smells like a little girl's tea party in the best possible way.

Origin: I got an imp of this from Lucretia First sniff: This smells very similar to both Capricorn and Malediction to me...it doesn't smell grey really...it's more earthy...brown and dark green. I'm almost positive there's vetiver in this and possibly red patchouli even though the description says nothing of the sort. I like this, but it's not what I was expecting. I assumed Brimstone would be similar to Djinn, but the two couldn't be more different. Wet on skin: If I didn't know better, I'd swear this was Capricorn! I happen to absolutely love Capricorn, so that's a very good thing, just unexpected given the description for this scent. This still smells like red patchouli and vetiver with maybe a hint of cedar or redwood. Dry down: I actually found myself double-checking the label on this because Brimstone smells exactly like Capricorn on me. There's only the slightest hint of ashiness here; mainly Brimstone is very earthy smelling with a dark green tinge that normally means vetiver for me. So unexpected, but I love this! The bottom line: I love this! I do believe I've found a very good replacement for my beloved Capricorn.

Origin: I was gifted with an imp of this by Red_Hot_Mama. First sniff: This is the same sweet aquatic note I pick up in all of Beth's aquatic scents and while aquatics are generally hit or miss with me, I really like Sea of Glass so far. It reminds me of a placid pond in the same way Water of Notre Dame does, but this is more of a crystal clear scent than a pale green one the way Water of Notre Dame was. Crystalline is a good word to describe Sea of Glass...it almost sparkles. Wet on skin: Saltier than in the imp now that it's hit my skin. This reminds me quite a bit of Tears now...this is definitely a sea and not a pond the way it was in the imp. There's also something vaguely soapy about this, but in a good way. I feel pristine wearing this. It's the exact opposite of the dirtiness of the earthy scents I normally wear, but I love it! Dry down: A sweet, salty, simple aquatic on me. There's no frills here and Sea of Glass is beautiful in its simplicity. I'm getting a bit of redness where I applied the oil, but that's typical for me when it comes to aquatics and nothing I can't deal with. The bottom line: This is my second favorite BPAL aquatic scent yet, the first being Water of Notre Dame. I love Sea of Glass. It's simple, subdued and beautiful.

Origin: Monet sent me a shortie of this as a consolation prize in her "Pay It Forward" contest. My impressions: I've pumped myself full of allergy medications just to try this one, so my nose is nice and clear for the first time in maybe a week. Oh my, this is gorgeous! It's not too tart and not too sweet and smells exactly like a freshly halved pink grapefruit dusted with sugar. I've always loved the smell of grapefruit and this more than lives up to my high expectations. There's nothing artificial at all about this, although for some reason it reminds me of Sour Patch grapefruit slices. Beautiful, just beautiful. I'll be requiring more of this one!

I've got an imp of Fire of Love at home that I haven't gotten around to trying yet, so I'll have to move it up the list. :D And on the scent similarity topic: Capricorn, Brimstone and Malediction are all very similar to my nose and they're all gorgeous.

Cathedral's like a crumbling stone cathedral, not very libraryish to me, but it does smell "old" in at least one way.

Origin: I got this as part of my prize for winning etherealchild's Blue Moon contest. First sniff: I'm not sure exactly what I'm smelling here. It's familiar, but I can't put my finger on it. It's citrusy...kind of like orange slices with the pith still on them, but it's also somewhat sweet (is that vanilla, maybe?) and almost resiny smelling (maybe amber?). I haven't read anyone's reviews for this one, so I can't use anyone else's impressions as guidelines. Guess I'll have to puzzle this one out myself. Wet on skin: I swear there's amber in this because it immediately morphs into sour milk on my skin and there's only a few notes that do that on me (amber being one of them, and the only one I know of that smells similar to something in Van Van). The strange citrus note is still there, too, but it's drowned out by the evil sour milk smell. I don't think I'm going to be able to test the voodoo properties of this one because I just can't tolerate my skin's response to it. Dry down: Underneath the sour milk smell (which is lightening somewhat), I get a tiny hint of what amber normally smells like on other people and a lot of powder. I'm thinking there might be sweetgrass or something similar in this, too. I'm not sure exactly what's in Van Van for sure and certain, but my body chemistry is wreaking havoc with something in this. I would have loved to have really tested this one, but it's not to be, apparently. I've been striking out a lot with oils lately and Van Van was particularly disappointing to me because I really wanted to try it out. The bottom line: My skin apparently hates Van Van for some reason. I'm not sure if there's amber in this or not, but my skin is behaving as if there were. I'm going to be passing this one on to someone else in the spirit that it was given to me. Hopefully someone else can put it to good use.

Origin: I got this as part of my prize for winning etherealchild's Blue Moon contest. First sniff: This isn't as floral as I expected somehow. It's not a bouquet of roses, is what I mean...or what I think I mean, anyhow. I smell a little bit of all of the notes in this, but somehow it doesn't smell like a floral floral to me if that makes any sense at all. It's almost a spicy/musky vaguely traditional floral scent. I'm guessing it must be the jasmine throwing me off. I like this a lot more than I thought I would based on the description alone. Wet on skin: Yep, that's definitely jasmine I'm smelling. I know what it reminds me of now: the jasmine tea my RA in college was always drinking and the way her room smelled. she was Indian and her room always smelled like a little slice of India to me. The rose is also fairly prominent here now, but it's not bothering me the way most rose scents do. It's not quite me, but it's not making my nose itch, which is good. Dry down: Mainly powdery rose now. I can't really tolerate powdery rose scents for some reason, so unfortunately, this one's not quite up my alley, but I'm glad I got to try it all the same. The bottom line: I'll be passing this one on in the spirit that it was given to me. Hopefully someone else can give it the love I can't.

Hmm, Shollin said Kweku Anansi reminded her of an old library. I don't know if that's any help at all, but it's the first thing that came to mind when I thought about where I'd read someone saying that. I'm still looking for you, though; if I come up with anything else I'll let you know.

Purely, I'd ask a mod if you were safe to post a new topic if you're worried about it. I know there've been plenty of threads around here about people seeking non-incense blends. The only one that immediately comes to mind has been merged with several others, but the first few pages are pretty relevant. Here ya go: Try this! I'm sure there're others, but they're slipping my mind right now. But like I said, the first few pages of that merged thread are relevant and it might be a good place to start.

I get the same thing, Sarada. I think it's just a matter of being so close to it constantly that we can't smell it...kind of like you don't really notice your clothes once you have them of for a while. I know there's a word for it, but I can't remember what it is...habituation? Yeah, habituation.

I'm sure you'll love Blood Countess, it's purple fruit at its finest.

Well, I've tried Queen of Spades, Medea and Blood Countess, but I don't think I'm the person to ask because on me, Medea, smelled like sparkling sour grape juice () and Blood Countess smelled like plums and was an almost exact duplicate of the Queen. So...Queen of Spades is the long-lost twin of Blood Countess and Medea is more like a distant cousin. At least in my opinion. The only similarities I found between Medea and Queen of Spades or Medea and Blood Countess is that they smelled like different kinds of purple fruit. Oh, and Cathode vs. Ice Queen? No dice for me. Cathode's entirely different, although it shares a vague minty connection to Frost Moon. Cathode is more like Ultraviolet without the violets than anything.

Origin: I got this as a freebie in a swap on MUA some time ago. Preconceived notions: I've been putting off reviewing Jailbait because, frankly, it makes me sick to smell it. I can't tolerate bubblegum scents for some reason, but it's been nagging me from my swap pile to review it, so review it I shall. ::Puts on a brave front:: First sniff: Bubblegum...nothing but bubblegum. It smells like a cross between Bazooka Joe, Bubblicious and that kind that comes in sticks and is sugar free...pink packaging, kind of sergeant stripes at the top, they make peppermint, too? Anyone know what I'm talking about? Anyway, it smells like bubblegum. Lots and lots of bubblegum, like I've got a hunk of it stuck in my hair that I can't get out. Wet on skin: I applied this as sparingly as possible because it wafts all the way across the room just out of the imp. This is bubblegum gone berzerk! It's so dead-on it's freaky, but, unfortunately, that's a bad thing for me. Bubblegum is not a good scent for me. I associate it with antibiotic liquid from when I was little and dental medium from when I had my braces and they took cast after cast of my mouth. There's also a bit of cherry Twizzler going on in the background, which just makes me even more sick to my stomach. I don't mind Twizzlers, but I don't want to smell like them, especially not in combination with the bubbglegum. Dry down: More Twizzlers than bubblegum now, but definitely tooth-rottingly sweet. It practically screams 10-year-old to me. I don't find any of the "womanly perfume," only the little girl smells of candy and innocence. Unfortunately, I can't tolerate those innocent smells because they bring back bad memories (including ones I haven't mentioned that I'd rather not get into). This isn't as bad as Bon Vivant was for me in terms of memories, but it's still pretty bad. On top of that, I don't like sweet scents. They tend to make me sick, so Jailbait and I are definitely not destined to love one another. It's a fantastic perfume in that Beth is dead-on in capturing childhood innocence ina bottle, but unfortunately it just doesn't work for me. The bottom line: Jailbait is just what it aims to be, but it's definitely not for me. Even a tiny dab of this made me sick, so this is being swapped as soon as possible.

Origin: I got this as part of my prize for winning etherealchild's Blue Moon contest. First sniff: Very light smelling. This is on par with Pele for lightness, which is to say it's so light I can barely smell it. What I can smell of it is light lemon and apple, but only very faintly. I'm not sure if my allergies are making my nose dull or if this is really this light. Wet on skin: Still very light. I have to have my nose right against my wrist before I can smell it. Delirium is very fresh and cheerful smelling...I guess this is a joyful, manic kind of insanity, which is the best kind of all. The rose is starting to come out now, too, but only very subtly. Somehow this defies categorization in either the fruity or floral categories...it's more just...clean. Dry down: Rose and lemon are all I smell now that Delirium is dry and I can only smell those when I put my nose right up against my wrists. Unfortunately, I don't really care for rose or lemon and I normally wear heavier scents, so I don't think Delirium and I are going to be suited to one another. The bottom line: Delirium and I are just not meant for one another. I'll be passing this one on in the spirit that it was given to me. Hopefully someone else will enjoy it more than I can.