Penance

Origin: Tester from a generous seller. Preconceived notions: I've wanted to try Voodoo Queen for a long time. Since it was released, really, although I've never been sure how well it would work on me. I've seen references to it being slightly floral and generic smelling, as well as references to it being spicy and incensey with dark fruit. The spicy, fruity incense sounds wonderful, but I don't generally do florals except in rare cases. I never expected to get a chance to try this, so it was a very pleasant surprise to find a tester in my package. First sniff: Spicy, incensey and fruity. I'm mainly getting spice and soft, but dark fruit with a backing of slightly powdery incense. It has some similarities to both Arachne of Lydia and Magic, Do as You Will, although it's definitely not a dupe of either. It's lovely, although it doesn't wow me as much as Storyville does. Wet on skin: The spiciness amps, which is unusual for me. I get cinnamon, maybe some clove, incense and black plum or some other sort of dark purple fruit. It's not really identifiable to my nose other than as a soft, deep purple fruitiness. Dry down: I really, really like this. It's not too spicy, not so incensey that it smells like a headshop (not that that would be a bad thing for me) and not blatantly fruity. Everything just whirls together into something that's strangely comforting. I was envisioning a sort of mysterious sexiness, but that's not what I get from Voodoo Queen at all. The bottom line: Voodoo Queen is really lovely. It's somewhat similar to other scents I own or have owned (Arachne of Lydia and Magic, Do as You Will are still topping the list), but that's never stopped me before when it came to adding new scents to my collection. It's definitely my second favorite of the Convergence XII scents (after Storyville and before Doc Buzzard and Pumpkin King).

Origin: 5mL bought on Etsy. Preconceived notions: I really like the released version of Grand Guignol but don't wear it very often because it's so intensely fruity. Everything about this prototype version sounds fantastic, though. I love red musk, patchouli and booze (except gin, absinthe, beer and wine) and I like plum. I've been lusting after this one for ages, so I was thrilled that the Lab put it up on Etsy when I requested it. First sniff: Love! This smells fairly similar to Lust v7 (which I absolutely love) in the bottle, but less smooth and rounded. This is intense red musk, with just a touch of patchouli. Wet on skin: Uh-oh...the red musk is doing the weird thing that it does in Krampus and CBBOB1 where it goes sharp rather than smooth and sexy. I'm not sure if it's a particular type of red musk that's the culprit or if it's just my skin chemistry doing weird things to red musk when it's in certain scents/combinations. Grand Guignol v4 is all red musk at this point. Drydown: Just when I was thinking that this was going to have to be one of those "smells amazing in the bottle, but not on me" scents that I have to wear in a locket, it calms down quite a bit. It's still sharper than I'd ideally like (and not as nice smelling as in the bottle), but it's quite nice. It's still mainly red musk (it reminds me more of the musk in Scherezade than Lust v7), but I'm getting the patchouli again and a hint of something vaguely boozy and fruity (which smells more like the apricot brandy in the released version than it does plum; to my nose, anyway). The bottom line: I wish that Grand Guignol v4 smelled as good on me as it does in the bottle, but I still really like the scent of it on me. I do think that I'm probably going to be wearing it in a locket more often than on my skin, though, if only because the wet stage is fairly harsh.

The scent of the wild, hauntingly beautiful Pine Barrens of New Jersey! Pitch pine with blackberry leaf, cranberry, cedar wood and tomato leaf. Origin: 5mL from the Lab. Preconceived notions: I had to get this one eventually. I'm fascinated by cryptozoology and while the Jersey devil may not be my favorite of the bunch, any scent named after a cryptid is off to a good start with me. As far as notes go, pine and I have a love/hate relationship. I love some kinds of pine (and other evergreens), but not others. It all hinges on how astringent or juniper-like it is. I have learned that I love the Lab's pine pitch note, though, so I've got high hopes here. The only thing that really has me concerned is the cranberry. I love to eat cranberries and I love the smell of them as food, but I'm not a big fan of berry perfumes. All the other notes are good ones for me (although, as much as I may like the scent of tomato leaf, I'm having trouble picturing it with berries, cedar and pine). First sniff: Strong pine pitch. It's the same pine note from The Illustrated Woman and Troll, at least to my nose. It's rich and slightly sappy smelling. I can see why someone could read this as a winter/Christmas scent. It definitely has a wintery vibe to it with the pine, wood and berry. Wet on skin: Just like in The Illustrated Woman and Troll, the pine pitch tones down pretty quickly. Within a few minutes, there's a noticeable decrease in the intensity. After a few minutes had passed and The Jersey Devil had toned down into a softer pine scent with hints of berries and wood (no blackberry or tomato leaf yet and the cedar just smells woody, not particularly cedar-like), I kept thinking that it was reminding me of something, but couldn't place it. I knew it smelled like something else I already owned and liked, but what was it? Dry down: Elf! It smells like a stronger, slightly more masculine version of Elf! That's good news, because I love Elf, but it disappears on me in no time flat. The Jersey Devil isn't identical to Elf, but it's damn close on me. The end result is a warm, cozy scent with rich, slightly tart red berry, soft pine, a little bit of wood and something almost amber-like (I have no clue where that's coming from; it has to be a combination of notes doing it, but I've got no idea which ones). The bottom line: I'm really happy I bought a bottle of this unsniffed. It may replace Elf in my second-string favorites box or they might cohabitate since I feel terrible kicking Elf out of the box even though they're so similar. Either way, this is a real beauty. It's definitely a bit on the wintery side, but I've never been one to worry about whether my perfume is seasonally appropriate, so I'll wear it all year.

Origin: 5mL from the Lab. That 5mL was bought when Mouse's LAST was released, so it's extremely aged by this point (over 5 years old and counting). Apparently I never wrote a review one, which I find hard to believe. Preconceived notions: I'm going on memory here, since I've owned and worn Mouse's LAST for years now, but based on the notes (and the fact that I love mice almost as much as I love rats), it was an immediate bottle purchase (like most scents that I expect to like), although I was worried about the sweet pea. I love sandalwood and I like amber and vanilla, but florals are almost never appealing to my nose. First sniff: This smells so pretty. It's a soft, sweet, cozy smelling amber and vanilla scent in the bottle. I don't get any sweet pea from Mouse at this point in its life, although there is a very faint lightness to the scent that just skirts around the edges. I like this in the bottle, but it doesn't bowl me over. It's a nice, sweet amber blend but not amazing. I do have some fresher bottles which have a more noticeable floral note (it's not obnoxiously floral, but there are definitely flowers lurking inside), although the sweet pea still takes a back stage to the amber and vanilla. I don't remember whether I found Mouse's LAST overly floral when I got my first bottle, but I must not have since I kept it and actually wore it. The fresher bottles are also much lighter than my aged bottle. I would review the skin wear of the fresh bottles, but I'm trying to leave them untouched so that they can age with as little disturbance as possible. Wet on skin: I like this in the bottle (especially my super aged bottle), but it doesn't appeal to me as much as my heavier amber/resin blends like, say, Sin. But on my skin, it's more appealing. The lightness from the bottle starts to fade away and the sweetness of the amber and vanilla start to really bloom. Dry down: This is one of those scents that gets better as it settles down and makes itself comfortable on my skin. It's sweet without being foody and resinous without smelling like a church or a headshop. It's the olfactory equivalent of a lightweight but warm blanket. All snuggly and cozy. I never really get the sandalwood from Mouse, which isn't as disappointing as I would have expected when I originally bought it. Instead, I really love the sweet vanilla/amber goodness. I almost think the dryness of the Lab's white sandalwood note might have felt a little out of place, as beautiful as it is in other blends and on its own. The bottom line: If you're a floral hater like me, but think Mouse's LAST sounds good otherwise and don't mind being patient, it's definitely worth keeping around for aging purposes. I promise it's worth the wait. I don't know when the turning point for my bottle was, unfortunately, but I can say that my aged bottle (soon to be bottles since I have a 10mL coming) is significantly more awesome than my fresh(ish) bottles. Fresh Mouse's LAST would stay in my collection and get worn now and then, but aged Mouse's LAST has a snug little home inside my favorites box.

Origin: A very aged old school "inkwell" 5mL bought on eBay. Preconceived notions: Honestly, I would never have bought this for the intended purpose of the oil, because I'm not a vengeful sort of person. But, I love the name and I love the old inkwell bottles. Plus, the reviews of the scent as perfume sound somewhat promising (I love dragon's blood and I like lilac, but the other florals have me worried), so maybe it'll be nice to look at and nice to smell. First sniff: Definitely dragon's blood. It has the rich, slightly lilac-like floral-resin vibe of dragon's blood. But there's also something almost musky here in a vaguely animalistic way. And maybe a touch of some sort of floral. Wet on skin: Dragon's blood and some sort of very faint herbs, maybe. I am getting a little bit of a floral scent (it's a bit like lilac and a bit like jasmine), but that could just be the dragon's blood. Dry down: In the end, it dries down into a decidedly feminine dragon's blood and lilac scent with some spice (cinnamon or clove, I think) and muskiness backing it up. There could be some myrrh in here, too, but it's faint. This like a less floral version of Dragon's Eye with faint spice, resins and musk added. I also get patchouli on the very late drydown (probably around 8 hours after application). I don't smell it at all until that point, but it comes out at full force on me then, which is great for a patchouli lover like me. The bottom line: I have to admit, Bat's Blood is a surprise winner. I mainly bought this bottle for aesthetic reasons (and it wouldn't have upset me in the slightest if it had smelled horrible), but the scent is actually very pretty! I know these weren't intended to be worn as perfume, but I don't know that I'm going to be able to resist wearing this one. ETA: I read through the other reviews again and noticed that Beth mentioned that this could be worn as perfume and that the effect would be akin to that of High John the Conqueror. I'm okay with that. I can always use something that'll help me feel more confident and if Bat's Blood helps people think more highly of me, then that's fine by me.

Origin: 5mL from the Lab. Preconceived notions: Most of the notes here sound awesome. The opium poppy is a little worrisome since I don't like florals (although I love opium tar and smoke) and the castoreum gives me a bit of pause because I'm worried it was what made Minamoto No Yorimitsu go super cologney. The lime is my biggest worry, though. I hate lime (and citrus in general). I bought this hoping and praying that the lime would be very subtle. First sniff: Lime over "traditional" perfume. This isn't a good sign. I hate all things perfumey. But I'm hoping that this is one of those blends that will blossom on my skin. It's happened before and I don't give up hope on a scent until it's dry on my skin and still smells bad. Wet on skin: A little better. It's not perfumey anymore (which is very good news), but the lime is still stronger than I'd like. I'm getting the plum, amber, resins and clove underneath the lime and they smell great. But the lime is giving it an almost fizzy citrusy vibe that I don't care for. Dry down: Perseverance pays off! Hurray! It takes a while, but the lime fades until I can't smell it at all. In the end, I'm left with a scent that has a similar feel to Queen of Spades (they don't really smell alike, aside from some superficial similarities in the notes). Plum, amber, clove, muskiness from the castoreum and a very faint floral air from the poppy. This is really pretty now! The bottom line: I'm glad I gave Purple Spotted Swallowtail a chance. It's not my style at all in the bottle, just "meh" when it's wet, but turns into something genuinely beautiful when its dry. And the time it takes to get there is short enough that I don't mind the wait.

You're welcome, lilium!

Got my Metamorphosis scents in today. Mourning Cloak is labeled Mourning Shroud.

You're welcome! I'm so in love with the female Rogue label.

For those who have asked for the RPG scents that aren't pictured on the site, here's a handful. Female Fighter, female Half-Elf, male Halfling and female Paladin: And male Ranger (I forgot to put it in the first picture): ETA: And the female Rogue label. I had a hard time getting a shot of this one. It's a little more vibrant than this picture shows.

Origin: 5mL from the Lab. Preconceived notions: I know I tried Bloodlust years ago when I was first getting into BPAL and that I thought it was okay at the time (although I don't remember exactly what about it didn't quite work), but I can't imagine how I wouldn't have loved it, based on the notes. I think I was pretty "meh" about it because I wasn't a big musk fan at the time and was so-so about dragon's blood. But both of those are notes I love now (plus I love patchouli and I like cinnamon and vetiver), so I figured it was time for a second chance and I may as well just get a bottle because I never use my imps. First sniff: Hello, vetiver! My nose is apparently pretty sensitive to vetiver because it smells super strong in most anything it's in, no matter how much or how little is actually in the blend. Once I get past the smokiness of the vetiver, I smell dragon's blood, cinnamon and a particularly dark red musk. This is a no-nonsense blend. Not for the faint of heart or lovers of light scents. I can tell you that right now. Wet on skin: At first, Bloodlust is very heavy on the vetiver, but the cinnamon comes rushing out almost immediately (which is unusual since I don't typically amp cinnamon) and I'm left with a sort of charred cinnamon sticks scent. I'm sure that doesn't sound good, but it's actually strangely appealing. I already love Umbra which also has cinnamon and vetiver, so I'm not really surprised that I like this. Dry down: Bloodlust goes through several stages on the drydown. At first, it's OMGCINNAMON with a touch of vetiver and dragon's blood. Then it's a spicy, cinnamony dragon's blood scent with hints of musk and vetiver in the background. And then comes my favorite part. On the late drydown, it turns into a gorgeous patchouli scent with just a touch of spicy sweetness from the cinnamon and dragon's blood. For a while I couldn't figure out why I was smelling patchouli, since I'm wearing Elf as my main scent today and it doesn't have any patchouli at all and, as far as I knew, the patchouli in Bloodlust wasn't putting in an appearance at all. Then I happened to sniff the spot where I put my tester dab of Bloodlust and there it was. Patchouli heaven. The bottom line: I'm so glad I gave Bloodlust another try (and that I went for a bottle rather than an imp). I love this. I'm a huge fan of resin blends and patchouli and I like the cinnamon and vetiver, so every stage of this morpher is appealing to me.

I might be allergic to something (or multiple things, I suppose, since I've never tried most of the listed notes) in Elf. I put some on a couple of days ago and today I've got a rash (a more or less circular patch of pimple-like red spots) on my arm where I was testing it. I'm hoping that it was a fluke, or that the skin there is just extra sensitive...or that it was something else entirely that caused the reaction. Because I need to know if Elf is the culprit, I'm wearing it again today and I'm making extra sure this time of whether it's Elf that I'm allergic to by slathering on more than usual. If I am allergic to it, I want to be sure that I know it. I'll have to deal with a worse rash if it is the culprit, but there won't be any doubt about what caused it. Fingers crossed that it was just a fluke or a combination of things and not just Elf causing it. I guess I should know within a couple of days whether it's going to happen again. I'm really, really hoping it's not Elf because I really like the way it smells on me. In fact, I like it enough that I bought a second bottle today after seeing the rash on my arm and realizing that I might not be able to wear it on my skin. I'll keep my bottles no matter what, but I'll have to wear it in a scent locket if it happens again and that makes me sad. As much as I love the aesthetics of the scent lockets, I much prefer to wear my perfume on my skin. I seem to be having skin reactions to surprising things lately, but this is the first time I've had it happen with perfume. I'm allergic to something in the rubberized grip on my toothbrush and the steering wheel in my mom's car and have to wear gloves when I brush my teeth or drive her car (I'm guessing it might be latex that I'm allergic to in a mild way, because I get the same thing to a lesser degree from some bandaids). I get a nasty, blistered contact dermatitis every time I touch either one bare-handed. ETA: Good news, everyone! I'm apparently not allergic to Elf. Or I'm only allergic to it when it combines with something else (what, I have no idea, but not any other perfume, since I was only wearing Elf that day). At any rate, no rash this time in spite of slathering. But the rash was in exactly the same spot and the same shape as the area where I'd applied Elf and it went away with a couple of applications of strong hydrocortisone cream, so it was clearly an allergic reaction and it was linked somehow to Elf. I'm guessing it must have been a bad combination between Elf and something else I touched with that part of my arm during the course of the day when I wore it the first time. It'll probably end up being one of those mysteries of life unless it happens again and I can pin it down. Now the sad part is that my skin eats Elf alive. It has a really short lifespan on me, which is breaking my heart. But it's gorgeous, so I'll slather and reapply if need be.

Elf + Rogue - Rogue is the dominant scent here. This is predominately a leather and hemp scent, but with a touch of leaves and berries. It's like a woodsier version of Rogue alone. The verdict - Next time I'm going to try this at a 2:1 or 3:1 ratio instead of a 1:1. Elf is a soft scent on me and it's getting overpowered by the intensity of Rogue, but it's still a really nice combination anyway. I can definitely see myself wearing these two together. Elf + Ranger - Once again Elf is getting shoved aside even though I applied this in about a 2:1 ratio. Elf is there, lending a softer, more feminine woodsiness to the scent, but this is mainly the pine woods of Ranger. The verdict - I'm going to have to go a little lighter still on Ranger next time, but this smells really good. Elf tones Ranger down a bit and makes it less aggressive smelling. This is my favorite RPG combo yet, even though I need to work on the balance. ETA: I think I've figured out the issue with Elf being overpowered. My skin swallows Elf up in no time flat, but leaves the other RPG's to live out long, happy lives. So Elf disappears almost as soon as the drydown is complete and leaves just a tiny hint of itself to mix with whatever other scent I've layered with it. So slathering more Elf on won't help in the long run, but at least I'll smell really good for a little while.

Origin: 5mL from Dark Delicacies. Preconceived notions: I'm not much of a fan of the Lace scents. Antique Lace is pretty and I'm glad I've got a bottle, but it's not something I would wear every day or even most days. Black Lace and Red Lace just weren't all that appealing to me. But I had to get Tattered Lace because it sounds so promising. I like vanilla and I love tea, cognac, moss, frankincense and opium tar. The silk has me curious (linen isn't a very good note for me, but silk somehow sounds like it would smell good) and the coconut bark could go either way. First sniff: I had to double check the label because this smells identical to White Rabbit in the bottle (although it was sitting in a hot mailbox for an hour or so, so I'll update my review if that change). Even after I double checked it, I wasn't sure that this hadn't been mislabeled. I'm not getting the dry vanilla scent other people are getting. Instead I'm getting strong lemon or ginger and faint tea and linen (which is exactly what I get from White Rabbit). Wet on skin: White Rabbit Tattered Lace is still all lemon or ginger (where that's coming from, I've got no idea) and sharp, clean linen (maybe silk smells like linen, otherwise I've got no idea where it's coming from, either). Some of the sharpness could be coming from the cognac, but I doubt it since I've never gotten that from a cognac scent before. So far this isn't going well. Dry down: Just when I was about to start asking around to make sure that I really didn't get a mislabeled bottle, the scent started to change and once it started, it went quickly. Now that Tattered Lace is dry, I'm not getting anything even remotely similar to the bottle/wet stage. Instead, it's turned into something very pretty and much closer to what I was envisioning. Dry, this is slightly powdery (in the way that Antique Lace and Elf v4 are a bit powdery; not in a baby powder sense) bourbon vanilla with a touch of black tea, the faintest touch of frankincense and a soft, velvety darkness from the opium lurking in the background. No cognac that I can smell (which is a little disappointing), no woodmoss (which I'm neutral about) and no coconut bark (which is fine by me). If there's silk here, it smells nothing like linen (no sharp cleanness) and that's all I can say. I'm thinking that this might be one of those scents that improves with age. The bottom line: This is definitely a very Victorian smelling perfume. In some ways, it could be the feminine counterpart of Silas Ruthyn (which I love and find gender neutral to slightly feminine in a dark, mysterious sort of way). They're not similar scents exactly, but they have the same sort of evocativeness that makes me think of decrepit Victorian mansions falling into ruin. I like Tattered Lace, but I'm not in love with it. I'll be keeping my bottle, but (at this point, anyway) I don't think a backup is necessary.

Origin: Lagniappe from the Lab. Many times over. Preconceived notions: The Lab apparently really wants me to try Defututa. They've sent me 6 frimps of it within the last couple of months. It's not the sort of scent I'd choose for myself (because of the olive blossom and jasmine), but I always make an effort to try all the frimps that come my way, unless I know I'm allergic to something in them. First sniff: If I didn't have the notes in front of me, I'd have a hard time explaining what this smells like or picking out notes. It reminds me of a very distant relative of Jezebel for some reason. I'm mainly getting honey and a clean, almost soapy floral (which must be the olive blossom) with a hint of smoky vanilla in the background. It doesn't smell bad, but it doesn't smell like something I'm going to really enjoy, either. Wet on skin: Sweeter than in the imp, but still mainly a mix of honey and clean, soapyish florals. There's an almost tangy sweetness to it, which I'm sure is the honey, because I get a somewhat similar vibe from Half Elf v5's honey. Dry down: This isn't really my style of scent, but it's not bad at this point. The soapiness of the olive blossom goes away as it dries and I'm left with a sweet, slightly spicy scent with hints of florals in the background. It's feminine and somewhat mature smelling for some reason. It's not an old lady scent, but it's not a youthful, girlish scent, either. The bottom line: Not my style, but Defututa is pretty. There's not much point in keeping my frimps since it's not a scent I'd wear, but I hate to get rid of them when I've got enough to make almost an entire bottle if they were combined. Maybe I'll offer them to my mom and see if the scent's more her style.

Pale golden musk, honeycomb, amber, parma violet, hawthorne bark, aspen leaf, forest lily, life everlasting, white moss, and a hint of wild berry. Origin: 5mL from the Lab. Preconceived notions: According to the quiz posted in the RPG thread, I would be an Elf. But I passed this up when the RPG scents were released because I don't usually do florals and I'm not much of a berry fan (with some exceptions). It sounds like a pretty scent, but I'm not sure it's going to be "me." First sniff: I can see the comparisons to Skadi. Elf isn't a Skadi dupe by a long shot, but they've both got a sort of rich evergreen (I've read through the description several times and can't figure out where that's coming from) and berry thing going on. In the bottle, Elf is mainly piney wood/leaves with a hint of berry. There are some other things lurking in the background, but it's hard to pick them out. Wet on skin: Still mainly evergreen of some sort, but the berry suddenly launches a sneak attack as soon as it hits my skin. It's very assertive. These berries are attention seekers. Dry down: Thankfully, Elf calms down a lot on the drydown. It goes from being screaming berry and evergreen to a lovely, soft berry (hard to say what kind, but it smells red to me), musk and amber scent with moss and very faint florals lurking around in the background. It's very pretty and nowhere near being the flower-bomb scent that I was afraid of. I'm surprised that I'm enjoying the berry as much as I am, too. The bottom line: Not the kind of scent I typically wear, but I do believe I like this. Which shouldn't surprise me since the RPG scents in general are made of win for me, with only a couple of exceptions. I'm going to have to try layering Elf because I think it could smell all kinds of awesome with some of the other RPG scents (Rogue and Ranger come to mind immediately). ETA: This scent is gorgeous (I like it more every time I wear it), but my skin eats it up. It goes from the wet scent to drydown very quickly and smells amazing once it gets there, but it's gone without a trace in maybe an hour, tops. I keep trying it again and again in different spots on my arms, hoping I'll find some place where it'll last longer, but no such luck. Figures that I would end up falling for this but have to reapply and slather like a madwoman just to keep the scent going for even a short period of time. But it's so pretty that I got a backup anyway. The only thing keeping it out of my favorites box at this point is the ridiculously short lifespan (which is kind of ironic for an Elf scent, I might add ).

Origin: 5mL from the Lab. Preconceived notions: Half-Elf didn't sound very appealing to me when the RPG scents were released. I'm not much of a fan of the Lab's beeswax note or white tea and "sophisticated urban musk" sounded like it would be perfumey/cologney, but the reviews sounded great (I love woodsy/sandalwood scents), so I ordered a bottle hoping that that's what I would get. Fingers crossed! First sniff: Hallelujah, the other reviewers are right! This isn't the sweet perfumey scent I was afraid of. All I'm getting here is musky sandalwood. It's a dry, woody scent with a nice backing of what smells like some sort of light musk, maybe skin musk. It's subtle rather than heavy like most scents I wear, but I like it. Wet on skin: Same as in the bottle. Musky sandalwood. Dry down: I absolutely love this. For serious. It's super simple but really nice. To me, this is the sort of scent a hippie would wear if they got a job in the corporate sector. That probably doesn't sound that appealing, but I swear it is. It's still a nice sandalwood scent, but the musk makes it more sophisticated and lightens it up. The bottom line: I'm glad I read the reviews on this one before writing it off completely. A surprise winner! I'm definitely going to need a backup bottle or two.

Origin: Lagniappe from a LJ seller. Preconceived notions: I've wanted to try this one since it came out, but kept putting it off because of the fruits. I adore resins/incenses and I do really like some fruits (all of them are purple, actually), but I'm really not a fan of fruity blends. So I've been reading reviews and hoping a frimp would come my way before I committed to a bottle, especially considering how expensive the Last Unicorn line is. So now that I've got a decant, I'm really hoping to love this because I don't mind paying the price if it's a scent I love. Fingers crossed! First sniff: I definitely agree that this smells like a heavily incensed church. I'm not really getting any fruit here. Instead, the fruit is adding a dark purple feel in the background, rather than an actual fruitiness. It's along the lines of the fruit in Mme. Moriarty. It adds color, depth and texture more than it does actual fruit scent (for me, anyway). Wet on skin: I love this. It's definitely a resin-heavy blend and it's on the churchy side, rather than the headshop side. It's a dry resin blend, but not so dry that it's unpleasant. It has a certain sweetness to it that makes me think of Penitence, but it's drier than Penitence is and more complex. Dry down: Now I'm starting to get a very faint touch of fruit. Something dark and slightly heavy smelling. Mulberry actually comes the closest to what I'm getting here. It's more of a dark sweetness than an actual fruitiness (which is what real mulberries smell--and taste--like to me). It's still mainly a church resin scent. I really like this now, but I think it's going to get even better with age. The bottom line: I'm glad I got the chance to try this one. I've already got a bottle coming my way now that I've tried my frimp and I can't wait to get it. Fans of churchy incense blends (Cathedral, Penitence, etc.) are going to love this one.

Origin: Partial 5mL bought on LJ. Preconceived notions: I've been holding off on trying this one because it sounds like I could either love it or hate it and I've got no idea which way it's going to go. I love oak and I like the smell of actual rhubarb, but I've never smelled it in a perfume before and I'm not sure I want to smell like it. Fig leaf and blue chamomile are unknowns here, so they could go either way. First sniff: Oh, wow, I like this! Very unique. Lawful definitely has a wood base, but there's this bright, juicy pink-red note from the rhubarb and just a touch of dark green from the fig leaf. Wet on skin: I don't own anything like this. And that's saying something since I've got an enormous collection that spans a lot of different scent categories. The oak is still in the forefront of the scent (it reminds me of the wood note from Mary Celeste v4, but not as dry), but the slightly tart, bright rhubarb is right behind it and then the fig leaf and chamomile (which smells like "regular" chamomile to me...I'm not sure if the blue variety is supposed to smell different or not) bring up the rear. Dry down: I don't want to say this is a strange scent, but it's quirky. Definitely unique in a good way. It doesn't change much at all from bottle to drydown on me, which is a good thing, since I don't really like waiting out scent changes to get to the drydown. The rhubarb in this really does smell like the real thing, which amazes me. Tart, juicy and bright pinky red. The oak, fig leaf and chamomile give it a really nice woodsy backing without it smelling like a lumberjack. The bottom line: I'm so glad I decided to try this. I love it! It's one of the rare scents in my collection that's nothing like any of the others. Definitely a keeper.

Origin: Lagniappe from the Lab. Preconceived notions: I wouldn't have picked this one on my own. I love patchouli and Spanish moss, but red currant is "meh" at best and I hate florals. But I always try the scents the Lab throws in with my other goodies, because you never know when something is going to be an unexpected winner. First sniff: Earthy, mossy and very slightly floral. It smells like violets against a backdrop of moss and dirt. I happen to love the smell of dirt and moss, so that's fine by me. The violet is definitely there, but it's not obnoxiously floral. In fact, it's barely floral at all. It smells more like violet candy than actual violets. Wet on skin: I have to admit...I like this. It's not my usual style, but it's working for now. I'm getting some patchouli action now that it's on me and it's gone from dirt to musty, earthy patchouli instead. The moss is still putting in a noticeable appearance. The violets are here, too, but they're slightly more subtle than in the bottle. Dry down: As this dries, the violets start getting more and more intense. I seem to amp florals (although I find it hard to say whether I'm genuinely amping them or if I'm just so sensitive to florals that I can pick out even small amounts), so that could be what's going on here. The end result is still surprisingly appealing to my nose, in spite of it being noticeably floral at this point. I think the key here is that violets are such a unique floral that they don't even really smell like flowers to me. Instead, they're powdery and sweet. In the end, Bruised Violet Compound is decidedly feminine, but in a strange way. It makes me think of Victorian boudoirs and scented talcum powder (the violet), but also of a forest floor in late summer. It's got a sort of mossy earthiness lurking in the background that keeps the sweet, powdery violet from pulling this squarely into Victorian boudoir territory. It's oddly comforting and makes me think of motherly or grandmotherly love and affection, although it's not an "old lady perfume" scent. The bottom line: I like this. I don't love it, but I like it. It's a strange scent and definitely not my usual style, but it works. I don't know that I'll ever need a bottle of it (although I have been known to end up with bottles of any and all scents that I see myself wearing more than once in a blue moon), but I'll definitely be keeping my imp. I think my mom would really like this in spite of being a diehard anti-patchouli person. I'll have to let her try it out some time and see what she thinks.

Wow, I actually don't get much leather from Captain Cully. The main player is the porter, then the musk, then the leather. The only point where the leather is even remotely strong is when it's wet on my skin. Funny how different noses read scents differently.

The first thing that comes to mind for me is Queen Mab since they share quite a few notes, but it's discontinued, so that's not much help. Still, it might be worth tracking down an imp and seeing if it works for you.

Origin: 5mL from Pretty Indulgent. Preconceived notions: Almost everything about this sounds fantastic. The only things that have me concerned are the wildflowers (I hate florals) and possibly the sage, which tends to make me smell like Thanksgiving dinner. I'm wondering if this is going to be similar to Coyote (which I happen to love), but with woods added. First sniff: Soft, warm and herbal. I'm getting the sage, sweetgrass and some woods with a backing of musk in the bottle. It's bordering on cologney, which I don't care for, but I think that this is going to be one of those scents that smells better on me than in the bottle. Wet on skin: This does seem to be a cousin to Coyote. They share a similar base of soft, warm doeskin leather, musk and sweetgrass, but Hochelaga isn't a dupe. In addition to the notes they share, I'm also getting sage and a touch of woods (mostly hickory but also a bit of evergreen from the balsam). The florals haven't shown up yet, which makes me happy, but there's still plenty of time for them to put in an appearance. Dry down: I know this is a scent inspired by Quebec, but it smells like a cowboy to me. Seriously, this is essentially what I wanted Sacrifice to be. Warm but clean musk, soft leather and a backing of sweetgrass and sage. It's not an intense, uber-masculine cowboy scent. Instead, it's comforting, unisex and soft. Thankfully the sage doesn't make me smell like turkey stuffing (it's leaning slightly in that direction, but sage always does on me, it's just a question of how much) and the florals stay invisible. It's still fairly similar to Coyote on me, but with a few extra "old west" accouterments thrown in for good measure. The bottom line: I like this a lot. I think it would smell awesome on a guy, too. If I could get my husband to wear it, I'd try it out on him, but he doesn't like to wear any sort of fragrance, BPAL or otherwise. But, hey, more for me that way.

Origin: #139 5mL bought on LJ. Preconceived notions: This was described to me as boozy vanilla with a touch of musk, which sounds awesome. I asked what kind of booze, and was told it wasn't wine, gin or absinthe (which are about the only alcohol notes I don't like). I've got high hopes for this one. First sniff: Ooh, pretty! It's definitely a boozy vanilla. Not as boozy as XCDL13, but boozy all the same. There could be a touch of musk here (some kind of light musk...white, probably), or it could just be the combination of soft, fluffy vanilla and booze. It's not foody, but the vanilla is quite strong. Wet on skin: Stays the same as the bottle scent for about 2 minutes and then I start getting the dreaded wine note mixed with a very faint hint of spice. So it's mulled wine or wassail, I guess. I can't smell anything resembling wine in the bottle (so I don't blame the person I got this from for saying she didn't smell any; it's even possible it doesn't come out on her if she skin-tested it), but I apparently amp wine to the high heavens, so it's probably a very minor note that's just getting blown out of proportion. I was hoping this would smell the same on me as in the bottle. Dry down: Yay! I thought I was going to have to relegate this to the "only in a locket" collection, but the wine note disappears as mysteriously as it came on. It takes a couple hours to get to that point, but since I don't hate it in the in-between stages, I don't think I'm going to be forced to wear this in a locket. On the drydown, it's beautiful. I get a gorgeous soft, fluffy, slightly powdery vanilla (not foody at all) with just a faint touch of booze of some sort. It's sweet (but not in a foody way) and comforting. It seems to be a relative of several scents...Elf v4 (similar but slightly sweeter), XCDL13 (doesn't have the amber note and it isn't anywhere near as boozy), Antique Lace (no linen or florals, but pretty similar otherwise), Phyllocrania Paradoxa v1 (no sassafras and it's sweeter). I'd say it's closest to Elf v4, which makes me very happy. The bottom line: I thought this was going to be another "nice but not amazing" CT as most are, but the drydown on this is fantastic. It's similar to several other scents that I like or love, so it's definitely found its forever home with me. I'll just have to tolerate the middle drydown "wine of doom" stage. It's worth it to get to the later drydown, which I find prettier than the bottle scent, otherwise I'd just wear it in a locket.

Origin: Imp bought on the forum? Or possibly lagniappe from someone I bought from (not the Lab). I don't remember where this one came from. Preconceived notions: I love sandalwood. Love it. Dragon's blood and I have a turbulent history. There have been times when I loved it and other times when it was too sweet or floral. At the moment, I'm on a dragon's blood kick (especially with the Ars Draconis scents), so I'm expecting to really like Dragon's Claw. First sniff: If I didn't have the description to tell me that there was sandalwood (and more than one kind at that) in this, I'd probably miss it altogether. That tends to be true of a lot of the Ars Draconis scents, though. The dragon's blood can overwhelm everything else when you sniff them in the bottle. Wet on skin: Still mainly dragon's blood. A little bit sweet, a tiny bit fruity and floral and a little bit resinous. There's a touch of dry incense coming from the sandalwood, but the main even is the dragon's blood. Dry down: The sandalwood finally starts to put in a real appearance now, although it's still a supporting player rather than the lead note. It's mainly sweet, resinous dragon's blood, but with gentle, almost airy sandalwood floating around in the background. It's like incense smoke without being smoky, if that makes sense. The bottom line: I really like Dragon's Claw. It's headshop-like in a very subtle way, so it's more wearable for people who are put off by heavier, more intense "hippie incense" blends. My mom actually really likes this one (as well as several of the other Ars Draconis blends) and she hates incense, so it's worth a shot even if resins aren't your thing. Honestly, several of the Ars Draconis blends are so similar (Dragon's Claw is one of the smell-alikes) that I don't really need more than a couple of them, but I'll be getting a bottle of this one since I've never been one to shy away from blends that are very similar to ones I already own. It's one of the reasons my collection is so enormous.