Penance

Origin: I got this as part of my prize for winning etherealchild's Blue Moon contest. First sniff: Hmm, interesting...I definitely smell strawberry...and vanilla and maybe cherry and a hint of amber. This one's a bit hard to pin down. The strawberry is the first thing I notice sniffing this. Combined with the vanilla, it reminds me very strongly of strawberry ice cream. There's definitely a black cherry vibe behind the ice cream smell, though, and a hint of something golden smelling that has to be the amber. Somehow, this is more of what I expected Jailbait would smell like than Jailbait itself was, but it definitely lives up to its description. Wet on skin: Strawberry ice cream again! It's a soft, creamy strawberry scent that screams innocence to me for some reason. I can also smell the amber quite strongly now, too, pushing up behind the strawberry and vanilla and making it slightly more grown-up smelling. The cherry seems to have disappeared now that it's on my skin, but I don't really miss it. Hollywood Babylon is lovely as it is! Dry down: Still strawberry ice cream, but lighter and softer. I wasn't sure I'd like this one when I smelled it in the imp, but this is lovely. It' not my usual style by any means, but somehow it still works on me. I'm not sure how often I'll wear it, but I like it. The bottom line: Very innocent smleling but at the same time grown up. Definitely not my usual kind of scent, but lovely in its own way.

The only ones I've tried that have had really strong throw are Hearth, Formula 54 and Yggdrasil. I know two are LE's, but they've been the absolute strongest. Yggdrasil was fantastic, though, I could smell myself all day long, especially when I moved.

I wish I'd gotten incense out of Mystery. On me, it was lemon dishsoap!

I know they've been mentioned, but Cathedral and Penitence are Anne Bonny's triplet sisters, they're extremely similar. Penitence is the sweetest, Cathedral is the middle one and Anne Bonny is the driest. I love all three of them! Aureus is also nice, but it's not as dry as Cathedral, Penitence and Anne Bonny.

Origin: I got an imp of this from Madame Nyx. First sniff: Oh, wow, this is dark smelling. I mean dark as in lack of light...to me, this smells like a swamp - like bayou country. This is what I would have imagined Bayou would smell like. I actually really like this a lot; I love dark, heavy scents and Medea is definitely in that category. I can't really pick out any individual notes other than the cypress, but it is very swampy smelling to me. Wet on skin: Very dark. This reminds me of a cross between Hurricane and Danse Macabre at this point. I don't get any florals from Medea, just dark, swampy wood and vegetation, like leaves trampled in the mud after the rain. It's not a bad smell at all - far from it in fact - it's just unexpected and amazingly dark smelling. I know I keep saying that, but I'm really wowed by it. None of the other BPAL scents I've tried have even come close. Dry down: Whoa, where did that come from?! All of a sudden Medea made a complete 180 and started smelling exactly like Meyer's Sparkling Cold Duck, a drink I've loved ever since I was little. This is the exact smell of a freshly opened bottle...sharp and sour and so intense that you can taste the smell of it on the back of your tongue, like little sour grape bubbles. This is so perfect a duplicate of that smell that it's scary and it literally came out of nowhere! I liked this before, but now I love it. I love the smell of that wondeful drink almost as much as the taste and while I don't normally do fruity or foody scents, this has my name written all over it. The bottom line: A real shapeshifter! Medea went from smelling like the bayou to smelling like sparkling sour grape juice in a matter of maybe 10-15 minutes. I love this! My only complaint is that it's making me crave Cold Duck.

Preconceived: I ordered this mainly for the description and the name. It sounded so beautiful I couldn't pass it up even though it has amber in it and amber normally hates my skin. I'm really hoping the sandalwood and musk come out and the amber behaves itself because I really want to love this one. First sniff: I smell sandalwood, violet and amber. I can tell there's more to this scent, hiding in the background, but every time I try and pin it down it edges away from before, hiding itself behind the dominant notes. So far I like this! I don't normally care for violet, but the sandalwood and amber balance it out nicely and keep it from being too sweet or powdery. Wet on skin: I don't smell any violet at all anymore. Instead I get all the notes I love (or at least like) - sandalwood, amber, musk, wood notes and vetiver. I was worried about this one being too floral, but, so far, this is a beautifully neutral smelling scent, like light incense and wood with a hint of musk. For some reason this is very light on me, but I love it all the same. Dry down: Sandalwood, musk, light wood notes of some sort and the tiniest hint of violet. This is mainly dry and musky smelling, but there's an underlying floral sweetness that keeps this from being one-dimensional. There's also some amber here, but it's behaving itself and not turning into sour milk on me for once. I really like the way this turned out. I would have preferred more sandalwood and less musk and violet, but this is lovely anyway. The bottom line: Deceptively light, both in feeling and in scent, and surprising given the inspiration for this blend. I like this a lot, but I don't see myself needing more than just this one imp.

Origin: I was gifted with an imp of this by SuperVillainess. Preconceived notions: I've been putting off truly testing Kali because it sounds so intimidating with its long, long list of notes, but I think I'm ready to really sit down with it and really test it now. What I remember from my cursory test of it when I got it is that it smelled very similar to Dia De Los Muertos, so I'm hoping that it's the same now because I love Dia. First sniff: Oh, yes, it still smells similar to Dia De Los Muertos! The chocolate is darker and there's less of the moist pipe tobacco vibe, but the two are quite similar. I smell the foody notes first and foremost - the chocolate, red wine and honey - followed by tobacco and a hint of balsam and some sort of floral notes. Wet on skin: Dark, dark chocolate like in Centzon Totochtin, wine and honey. Kali is bizarrely light on me, almost disappearing as soon as I put it on, but it's lovely. As it sets, the tobacco (a note I adore) begins creeping out and mingling with the chocolate, making it richer and deeper. The florals are also starting to bloom in earnest now, lightening Kali at the same time that the tobacco is deepening it. Kali feels (and smells) like a fight to me at this stage, with the light notes fighting the dark notes and neither one gaining any serious ground because of the other. Very unusual. Dry down: Suddenly Kali is all flowers on me and, honestly, I don't like it anymore. Flowers aren't my thing (at all) and Kali has turned into an absolute riot of blooms with just a hint of the chocolate and wine I smelled when it was wet. I really wanted to love Kali, especially since I love Dia De Los Meurtos so much, but it's just not working on me. The bottom line: Kali was lovely until it dried and then it was pure, screaming loud florals without more than a hint of the darkness and richness I loved in the bottle. It appears my treacherous body chemistry has struck again.

Preconceived notions: Cathode has been lying around in my "to try" box for a few months now because I've had so many other scents to try and it just got lost in the landslide of imps and bottles, but I'm very interested in seeing what this smells like. The moss and mints sound lovely, but ambergris is hit or miss with me. I'm really not sure what to expect from Cathode except lots of mint. First sniff: Minty but warm. I recognize one of the mints in here (or maybe more than one) from Ultraviolet, but this isn't cold smelling like Ultraviolet was...this is more like hot mint tea than the icy cold mint of UV. I don't smell the mosses or the ambergris distinctly; instead they combine to create a feeling of warmth behind the mint. So far, I really like this! Wet on skin: The mint is still prominent, but now I smell the ambergris, too. It's warm and musky and (to my amazement) smells wonderful with the mint! I'm also beginning to smell the oakmoss here, too. Cathode is simultaneously mossy, warm, musky, minty and fresh and, so far, I love it! Dry down: Cathode has lightened quite a bit now that it's dried. The mint has receded into the background, but it's still recognizeable, lightening the ambergris and moss and making it more approchable. Without the mint, Cathode might be like the deep forest - the smell of musk and moss and darkness - but with the mint it suddenly brightens enough to show the path leading back to civilization. The bottom line: I really like Cathode a lot. The ambergris is behaving itself and I love moss and mint (in moderation), So Cathode is right up my alley.

Origin: Lagniappe from the Lab. First sniff: Dragon's blood and lilac. Lilac is one of the few flowers I love the smell of and I adore dragon's blood, so this may work for me even though I generally avoid floral perfumes. Ths is vaguely spicy but with the unmistakeable sent of lilacs underneath it....it's an unmistakeable combination to be sure, but I'm not quite sure if I'm going to love this or hate it. Wet on skin: The dragon's blood is much more prominent now that Dragon's Eye is on my skin. The lilac is still there in the background, but it's much less prominent than it was in the bottle. I really prefer this to the way Dragon's Eye smelled in the imp. Even though I love lilac, I didn't really really care for strong lilac and strong dragon's blood together. One or the other would be fine, but not both. Dry down: The lily of the valley is coming out now and competing with the lilac for dominance, with the dragon's blood in the background. I really don't care for lily of the valley, unfortunately. For some reason, it's always smelled matronly to me and I don't really care for smelling like someone's grandmother. I have a feeling it's my body chemistry amping up the flowers in this blend, which makes me sad since I wanted to love it. The bottom line: Too floral for me although the wet stage is nice. I'm just not a floral kind of girl, unfortunately. Off to swaps with it!

Origin: Lagniappe from the Lab. Preconceived: Ooh, another zombie scent! I'm somewhat amused by how vastly different this one sounds than Zombi. I don't imagine zombies as smelling like fruit, but then I've never met any Chinese zombies, so I could be entirely wrong. First sniff: Wow...I'm not sure how to describe this one. I smell mango and musk mainly, but there's some orange and sandalwood here, too. It's orange and fruity but dry and musky at the same time. I initially didn't think I would like this, but it's growing on me. Wet on skin: Mango! Lots of mango...it's downright pulpy smelling and, while I don't like eating mango, I have to admit it smells damn good on me. The orange is also coming out now, too, and the sandalwood and musk are lurking in the background in true zombie fashion. I don't think I'd wear this every day, but I like it! Dry down: Mango, orange and sandalwood. I know it's weird, but I feel like a Hare Krishna in this! I think it's the orangeness of the smell combining with the sandalwood, but I feel like I ought to be handing out flowers in an airport and wearing a saffron robe. It's not a bad thing at all, it just hit me so strongly and made me laugh. I really do like Kuang Shi. A lot! The bottom line: Bright, sunny orange in feeling and scent. Kuang Shi is a fresh-cut mango and mandarin orange slices next to a burning stick of sandalwood incense. This is a real "cheer me up" kind of scent if I ever smelled one.

Devilish temptation, as sweet as sin: blood orange, neroli, and raspberry. Origin: Lagniappe from the Lab. First sniff: Odd, this smells nothing like what I imagined it would. I expected something sweet and fruity, but Akuma is almost harsh smelling. It's unmistakeably the neroli that's doing it (neroli and my nose don't get along) but it still surprises me because I expected this to smell more like juicy orange and raspberry. I don't think Akuma is going to like me. Wet on skin: Neroli, neroli and more neroli! I only get the tiniest hint of raspberry and none of my beloved blood orange form this. It's mainly just...neroli. This is the same note that ruined Vixen for me; something about it just grates on my sense of smell. As much as I hate to say it, I can't seem to wear neroli scents without having to hold my breath. Something about it just really disagrees with my nose and it appears Akuma is going to be its latest victim. Dry down: Now that Akuma has dried, the blood orange is coming out nicely and fighting for dominance with the neroli. I also smell a bit of raspberry in the background now. This is definitely an improvement over the way Akuma smelled before, but I don't think it can save this scent for me. I just can't see myself wearing something that I have to wait for half an hour to smell good to me. Neroli is just one of those notes that I can't tolerate for some reason. The bottom line: Neroli is quickly becoming a no-no for me and Akuma is its latest victim. As much as I love blood orange, even it can't save Akuma from its neroli component. This is going up for swap. Afterthoughts: How odd...it appears I'm the only one who didn't get fruitiness out of Akuma. Maybe my nose is busted.

A brilliant, ethereal scent: white musk, bergamot, heliotrope, peach and oakmoss. Origin: Lagniappe from the Lab. First sniff: Wow, this is beautiful! I never would have picked this on my own since it's not the kind of scent I normally wear, but this smells beautiful in the vial. Ethereal is the right word for this...it's light and ephemeral smelling. I smell peach, musk, bergamot and a hint of oakmoss right now. This is a light, innocent smelling scent and, while it's vastly different than my normal perfume choices, it's gorgeous. Wet on skin: Peach is the most prominent note here. It's fresh and light and sunny smelling but with a tiny hint of tartness. I can only smell a hint of bergamot now and none of the oakmoss, but the musk is skirting around in the background behind the peach, peeking out now and then. This would make a wonderful summer scent! Dry down: Fae isn't juicy anymore; it's settled into a light musk with a hint of peach and heliotrope in the background. This is, unfortunately, much too light for me now that it's dry. I need something a little bolder and, while Fae is gorgeous, it's not for me. The bottom line: A scent fit for a fairy! Unfortunately, I'm not the fairy type...more of an eclectic mix of hippie, goth and pirate and I need something a little bolder. Fae is gorgeous; it's just not for me, personally.

First sniff: Uh-oh, I think I detect amber in this one. That doesn't bode well for poor Ahathoor (anyone else notice the name discrepancy between the site and the labels?) since amber hates my skin and turns into spoiled milk on me. I also smell something that smells almost exactly like sassafrass, although I can't imagine why that would be in this blend. I think there may be some frankincense in this, too, but I could be wrong. Wet on skin: I swear I still smell sassafrass! I smell like flat rootbeer! That's really bizarre. If there's no sassafrass in here, I'd love to know what's causing the rootbeer note. Strangely enough, but of the Stations I've tried (Tum and Ahathoor) have smelled like pop on me...I'm wondering if one of the others will smell like cherry cola right about now. I'm almost positive there's frankincense in here, too, or something that smells very similar. If there's amber in here, it's behaving itself for once, though. To me, Ahathoor smells sweet and rootbeerish with a hint of something resiny that I'd swear was frankincense in the background. Dry down: There's still a faint sassafrass vibe here in the background, but I'm getting mainly something sweet and resiny. Regardless of what's actually in here, I smell sassafrass and frankincense and possibly amber of some sort. Normally I'd love this kind of scent, but, for some reason this is disagreeing with me and giving me a bit of a stomach-ache. The bottom line: Interesting, but I don't think Ahathoor likes me very much.

Origin: I got an imp of this from Lucretia. Preconceived: I'm learning that I absolutely adore leather scents lately, so De Sade is really one that's had my attention as of late (plus I love the name), so I'm really hoping it works for me or, even better, for me and the boy. First sniff: Mmm, this is the leather note I loved in Hellfire. I really like this smell; there's something both sexual and sexy about it in a way that really pushes my buttons. I have a tendency to associate leather and sex, so De Sade is a very sexy scent for me. I have a feeling this would smell amazing on a guy, too. Wet on skin: I have no idea how anyone could trap the scent of sweaty leather in a perfume, but De Sade is the proof that it can be done. Initially, De Sade goes on very strong and almost chemical-smelling, but it mellows immediately into a delicious well-worn leather scent that's as reassuring as it is sexy for me. I associate the smell of leather with bondage and bondage is, for me, about the reassurance that comes with knowing that you can't fight and don't need to make any decisions and, for someone like me, that's a wonderful feeling indeed. De Sade evokes all those feelings in me and I feel...content wearing this as well as finding it incredibly sexy. Dry down: De Sade is probably the first perfume I've ever worn, BPAL or otherwise, that becomes a natural part of the way I smell rather than a veneer over top of it. I love this. It's sexy, bold and unflinching but at the same time comforting, natural and, on me, anyway, submissive smelling. I have a feeling this is one that adapts to the wearer and has a chameleon-like ability to be all things on all people. The bottom line: The perfect leather scent. Sexy but comforting, bold but chameleon-like. I'm in love.

Origin: I actually ordered this one from the Lab right before the single notes were discontinued because I love a good earthy/woodsy/tree-smelling kind of scent. My impressions: Oh my...this is so perfect for me! I went to college at The University of California Santa Cruz, which is smack dab in the middle of a redwood forest and this is what I smelled every day walking to class. This makes me horribly homesick and so happy I could cry at the same time. JJ's right, this is the scent of a fallen redwood tree that's slowing becoming a part of the earth. I know this scent wouldn't be right for everyone, but for me this is the scent of what I'll always consider my true home. I'm treasuring this little bottle for as long as I can make it last.

Origin: Got a 5mL of this from Diana. Preconceived notions: I'll be the first to admit I was curious about Yuletide because it's supposed to smell like holly berries and my name is Holly, but when people started saying they got spices and pine from it, too, that clinched it. I'm really hoping this one loves me. First sniff: Beautiful! I was a bit worried about the berries since they're normally hit or miss with me, but this is downright gorgeous. The first thing I actually smell is cinnamon and then faint berries. Honestly, this smells like potpurri, but in a good way. It's slightly tart and wonderfully spicy and perfectly Christmasy smelling. Wet on skin: Sharp berries and spice. Other than the spice, this is exactly what I would have expected from reading the description. Yuletide feels warm to me and deliciously cozy, like sitting in front of a roaring fire drinking mulled cider. This is a wonderful scent for a day like this when there's six inches of snow on the ground and icicles on the gutters. The perfect remedy to winter chills. Dry down: All I get is cinnamon now. This is real cinnamon, too, not cinnamon red hots. It's like sticking my nose in a bowl full of cinnamon sticks. I really love the way this one turned out although I'm curious if I'm the only one who didn't get any berries in the dry-down. The bottom line: Gorgeous! Warm and cozy like sitting in front of a roaring fire. Spicy and Christmasy and just beautiful.

Origin: Lagniappe from the Lab. Preconceived notions: If this didn't have lemon in it, I'm sure I would have tried it already, but Nero does have lemon in it and I'm worried. Lemon and I don't get along. First sniff: So far, so good! I don't smell the lemon in this right out of the imp; instead I get rosemary and pine and a hint of bay. This is very herbal smelling. Not green herbal the way Hemlock was for me, just...herbal. It's hard to explain, but it has more of a "dried herbs" feel to it than a "green herbs" feel if that makes sense. Wet on skin: Still no lemon! Now the rosemary and bay are strong. It's like sticking my nose in a spice rack in the best possible way. The pine is also picking up now that it's on my skin, creating a woodsy backdrop for the dried herbs. Strangely, something in this also smells vaguely like cinnamon to me and while I can't place it, it's beautiful and goes nicely with the other notes. Dry down: I still smell cinnamon and rosemary...I have no idea what the spicy cinnamon note is coming from, but I like it. A lot. The lemon still hasn't made an appearance and that makes me a very happy girl. I really like this belnd a lot! I never thought I'd like this because of the lemon, but I guess I didn't need to worry. The bottom line: Surprisingly reminiscent of a spice rack with not even a hint of lemon. I really like Nero. A lot.

Origin: Lagniappe from the Lab. Preconceived notions: I really don't know what to expect from this one. I'll be the first to admit that I have no clue what spikenard or hyssop or galangal are, let alone what they smell like, so I'm going into this blind, but I love the name and the story behind this scent, so I'm hoping for the best. First sniff: Something in this is reminding of me of King of Spades and I have absolutely no idea what it is. I smell something vaguely fruity in here for sure...since I have no idea what the majority of the notes in this smell like, I have no idea what it is. It could be the olive I'm smelling, but I don't think of olive as smelling fruity normally. I can smell a bit of frankincense in the background, but, apart from that, fruitiness is all I can pick out. Wet on skin: Now I smell the olive and I know it's olive, there's also something vaguely floral smelling here, too, and frankincense in the far, far background. This is really very unusual smelling and I'm not sure if I love it or hate it. It's also hard for me to pin down; on one sniff I smell olive, on another, frankincense, and on another something herbal and almost metallic. I wish I knew what the "mystery notes," that I've never heard of outside of BPAL were because I have a feeling it would clear up a lot of my confusion. Dry down: Ugh, olive and nothing else. I smell like I ought to be dipped in a martini. Unfortunately, I hate olives, so this is an unfortunate turn for this one. I was up in the air about it until it dried, but now I'm sure this isn't for me. Me + olives = The bottom line: As much as I wanted to like this, the olive is just too strong for me, so the Tzadikim Nistarim will be moving on. Afterthoughts: I got curious and looked up the "mystery notes" and, apparently, none of them will explain what I was smelling, so it must have been the olives after all. Very strange...very, very strange.

Huh, the only imps of Hemlock I've seen have been green. Either yours was an odd batch or it was mislabeled, methinks.

First sniff: Interesting...definitely not what I was expecting. Incantation is very light smelling and all I can pick up right out of the imp is sandalwood, a tiny bit of vetiver and a very light touch of lemon. I've been a bit ambivalent about trying this one since it has lemon rind in it and I don't like lemon, but this isn't half bad. Wet on skin: The lemon is much more prominent now, drowning out almost everything else but a bit of the sandalwood that sneaks through. This isn't dark and somber like I imagined it would be, it's actually light and cheerful smelling, strangely enough. It's a nice scent, but definitely not for me since I normally refuse to wear lemon scents and like something darker. Dry down: The lemon has faded a little and, honestly, Incantation smells like light sandalwood mixed with that weak lemonade they sell at fairs, the kind they make by shaking up half a lemon with a cup of sugar water. It's a nice scent as far as lemon scents go, but it's not something I want to smell like, particularly. Lemon and I just clash personality-wise, unfortunately. The bottom line: Soft lemon over a background of light sandalwood. Very subdued smelling but cheerful and, alas, definitely not me by any strech of the imagination.

First sniff: Oh my...this is it! This is the ozone scent I've been searching for! I've tried just about every ozone scent BPAL makes and was always turned off by the citrus tones to them, but Thunderbird...oh, yes, this is it. This is pure ozone on me. Crisp and metallic, like licking a penny (don't tell me you've never done that)...I think I'm in love. Wet on skin: Very light and clean smelling, like the air right before a major thunderstorm. This is exactly what I've been searching for in a "storm" scent. This practically screams thunder and lightning and I'm a thunderstorm addict...I love everything about them, the sound, the smell, the rain on my face...and Thunderbird is that experience trapped in a tiny bottle. Dry down: This one's a very stable blend. It doesn't change at all on me from bottle to dry down and that's fine by me. This is without a doubt one of my favorite BPAL scents and it's everything I ever wanted in a storm scent. Wearing this, I can close my eyes and pretend I'm standing in the middle of a field with the lightning crackling overhead and the clouds getting ready to open up. The bottom line: Thunderbird is gorgeous beyond words. I'll definitely be needing more of this one.

Sarada are you stealing my thoughts again? ::Puts on her tinfoil hat:: Seriously, I have a serious weakness for LE's...I'll buy them in abnormally large numbers just because they're LE's. I've learned most of my favorites are LE's and I don't ever want to run out. Beth is an evil marketing genius, I swear.

::Sigh:: I wish I got incense from All Saints...all I got was butteriness. It was kind of weird...nice, but not what I wanted. I envy everyone who got some serious church incense out of it.

Okay, I retract my last statement about Dublin. The last time I tried it I tried the prototype, which is apparently vastly different than the currently available formulation. The new one smells (honest to God) so close to Skadi that I almost can't tell them apart on my skin.

Origin: Lagniappe from the Lab. Preconceived notions: I love trying up-and-coming's and I've been pretty keen to try Val Sans Retour for a while since someone said it smelled like fresh-cut grass (a scent I love), so I'm hoping it's the grassy goodness I've been pining after. First sniff: This is very green smelling. It really does have that slightly bitter, green fresh-cut grass scent to it although I also smell what appears to be citrus of some sort under it. This reminds me of long afternoons spent lazing around in my neighbor's field growing up, chewing on grass blades and watching the clouds. Wet on skin: This is extremely light on me, but absolutely gorgeous! This smells the way dandelion stems taste...it's the only way I can think of to describe it and the resemblance is spot on. It's a slightly bitter, very green scent that puts me in mind of rolling meadows and making bracelets out of dandelion stems. This is a very happy scent for me...I love this so much more than I ever could have hoped for! Dry down: Green, green, green! I swear I'm smelling dandelion stems...just the stems. I suppose it's an aquired taste, but I just love the way they smell and they bring back so many happy memories. Just a moment ago, I put my nose to my wrist and had the clearest flash of a memory of my uncle who died 7 years ago. Somehow the smell of green grass and fresh air has always reminded me of him and, for once, I'm crying tears of happiness instead of grief and anger. It's still hard to think of him without feeling the pain of him not being in my life, but I'm starting to learn that I can remember the good times without feeling guilty and Val Sans Retour just triggered the strongest flash of that sort of feeling I've had since we lost him. The bottom line: I can't even begin to describe how happy this scent makes me or how healing it is for me. Thank you, Beth!