Penance

Origin: 5mL swapped for on LJ. Preconceived notions: Everything about this one sounds wonderful. I'm a big fan of masculine, woodsy, resinous scents and I like leather, vetiver and essentially every other note listed in the previous reviews. I'm going to be very disappointed if this one doesn't work for me, although maybe I should be happy since it wasn't easy to track down a bottle to begin with and I'll need more if I love it. First sniff: Intense, astringent pine, maybe some juniper. It reminds me of Loup Garou, which isn't a good thing for me in spite of my love of woodsy scents. I used to really like Loup Garou, but my nose has decided that it's not a fan of sharp pine anymore. I get the impression that there are more things going on in here, but the pine and juniper are almost completely overwhelming to the point where I can't pick out anything else. Wet on skin: Getting better. Once Ranger hits my skin, I start to get some resins (hard to say what they are, but it has a distinct resinous vibe to it...more church than headshop), a bit of sweetness (could be vanilla, tonka or benzoin) and the lightest touch of leather. I still get distinct pine and juniper, but they're nowhere near as strong as in the bottle and they've stepped back to where I can smell the other notes. Dry down: Yum! The astringent evil has disappeared! Now I've got a complex unisex sort of scent that's really nice. I'm getting woods (think forest, not lumber), resins, slightly creamy sweetness (it's vanillic smelling, but I'm not convinced it's actually vanilla...I'm thinking it's more likely that it's benzoin) and an extremely light touch of leather. Maybe some musk (the kind that sticks close to the skin, although it doesn't seem to actually be skin musk). It's not as intensely masculine as you might expect, although it's on the masculine end of the gender neutral spectrum. Very smooth and well-blended. The bottom line: I really like the drydown on this. Luckily, the pine/juniper stage doesn't last long, because it would probably keep me from wearing Ranger very often if it lingered. I think this is definitely a candidate for inclusion in my favorites box. ETA: Skin chemistry is evidently going to play a big part in how this one smells. I say that because, even on me, it smells different when I apply it in different spots. The back of my hands result in a lot of benzoin and less woods, my forearms give me a super strong peppery note (which could be actual pepper, but I think it's more likely to be some type of wood since I got the same note from Vespers atmo spray) and pine and my wrists give me something in between the two (no pepper, but fairly strong woods and light benzoin). Skin chemistry is a funny thing!

I've now got 2 of the stronger red musk and the 1 medium musk plus the no musk, too. My medium musk one dries down to something much closer to the no musk version than the "super musk" version. There's red musk there for sure, but it's relatively light, especially compared to the other bottles. I don't get any cola, but that could be a skin chemistry thing. I'm guessing the "super musk" is the intended formula, but I'm just guessing that based on the fact that I have two of them and only one of the lighter musk (and so do you!). Very unscientific, but I'm sticking to it unless evidence points to the contrary or I hear otherwise from someone in the know. ETA: A bit late on this, but I've now got two of the lighter musk (just received another lighter musk a week or so ago), so I'm still not sure which one of the two red musk intensities was the intended formulation. I love all three, so it's all good, but it's confusing, to say the least.

Hellcat is pretty close to my nose.

Definitely Bliss if you like milk chocolate. It's very rich, sweet and chocolatey. Simple, too, so you can wear it alone or layer it with another scent for some variation. The Box of Chocolates and Sugared She-Goat limited editions are great, too. I'm not a huge chocolate fan, but my personal favorites are Dark Chocolate, Whiskey and Cognac Truffle and White Chocolate, Black Raspberry and Apricot Cordial Truffle. Calaveras is good, too if you like something a little more complex. It has a really nice dried chili note to it that makes it stand out from most other chocolate scents.

Origin: Partial 5mL from a generous forumite. Preconceived notions: I've been thinking about trying this one for quite a while. I love all things piratical and most of the notes are ones that appeal to me (red musk, red sandalwood, tobacco, ebony and ambergris in particular), but there are some things here that have me worried. Balsam and leather can go either way on me and I don't think I've ever tried a scent with coconut palm, lignum vitae or pandanus grass before, although all of them sound like they could work for me. Dates aren't something I enjoy the smell of, but I doubt they'll be an issue combined with the other notes. Lime is the most worrying note here for me. I don't like citrus blends and lime in particular is a nemesis of mine. So we'll see how this goes. First sniff: Cologney and aquatic smelling, which is appropriate for a pirate scent, but strange since the notes don't list aquatics. It smells fairly fresh and somehow clean without being soapy in the slightest. Not loving it at this point, but it's not bad. Wet on skin: Basically the same as is in the bottle, but with the added addition of slight touches of red sandalwood (which always smells more than a bit like cedar to my nose) and red musk. Dry down: This one's a morpher, apparently. Just when I was resigning myself to Pirate Moon smelling like (nice) aquatic cologne, everything changes on the dry down. Once this dries, it actually reminds me a bit of my beloved Tarot: Judgement, which is both awesome and appropriate since Pirate Moon hitched a ride in a package with a bottle of Judgement. It also reminds me a bit of another favorite of mine, Anne Bonny (which shares red sandalwood as a note). At this point, I get an intense musky, resinous, woody, dry, warm scent. It seems to be a mix of red musk, red sandalwood, tobacco, leather, wood (I don't smell the balsam here; it's more of a dry, dark wood scent) and the very lightest touch of sweetness from the date and possibly the lignum vitae. No lime to be had, thankfully. The bottom line: I really like this once it has a chance to dry down. Just like Anne Bonny, it's a very "me" pirate-inspired scent. I don't particularly like aquatics, so things like Jolly Roger aren't my style, but a nice dry, woody/musky blend like this is always welcome in my collection. Definitely a winner, although I never would have guessed that I was going to love it based on the scent in the bottle.

This is the dead of winter, the year's dark hibernation, the crystalline silence of the depths of the world's darkness. It bears echoes of the time before time, of primordial gloom. This Moon harbors memories of man's life before fire. Preconceived notions: I'm fairly inept at identifying a lot of notes unless I have a description to guide me, so I don't know how helpful I'll be at reviewing Wolf Moon, but I'll do my best. First sniff: This smells aquatic to me, but like ice and snow rather than a pond. For some reason, it reminds me of the Yule blends...maybe like Skadi's much younger cousin, although the two aren't really all that similar. There's something soft and green in the background of this, too, just barely noticeable over the aquatic notes. I'm not sure what it is, but it's beautiful. Wet on skin: Wolf Moon is another quick-change artist, apparently. As soon as I put it on, the aquatic notes all but disappear and I get a soft woodsy scent instead. This smells like the woods right after the spring thaw, when everything's coming back into bloom and the ground is soft and loamy with melted snow. This is absolutely gorgeous and right up my alley! Dry down: Oh, I love this! I smell pine mainly...this smells like a pine forest in early spring to me and it's gorgeous. It's not overpoweringly masculine, either, the way some woodsy scents are. It's a soft pine forest scent and very subdued and tranquil smelling. Unfortunately, it seems to fade very quickly on me, but I don't mind reapplying. The bottom line: I'm really glad I got two of this because I'm in love! My impulsive buying is paying off, apparently.

Definitely Dancing Koi. I also really like Manilus Hurled From the Rock, although it smells very chemically in the bottle. Dark Chocolate, Fig and Tamarind is good, too, although I'm nowhere near as big a fan of it as I am of Dark Chocolate, Whiskey and Cognac Truffle and White Chocolate, Black Raspberry and Apricot Cordial Truffle. The Arbor wasn't bad, either, but it was slightly more floral than I would ideally like. It was close to being a real winner for me, but it fell just a little short.

Origin: 5mL bought on LJ. Preconceived notions: I'm not sure if I was on my BPAL hiatus when this came out or if I was just an idiot and didn't buy it. I can't imagine that I would have passed it up, though, so I must not have been around (especially since I don't have bottles of any of the other scents from the line, either). So anyway...when I finally read the notes in Quincy Morris, I had to have it. I love tobacco, cedar, musk and the Lab's pear note (although I don't particularly love pear-scented things in general) and I like everything else. I've got high hopes for this one, although it's one of those scents I almost hope that I hate because it was so hard to track down even this one bottle and Quincy is expensive. First sniff: Soft, smooth leather, a touch of vanilla and pear. The combination is unusual to say the least. I never would have thought to put those three things together (the vanilla and pear, sure...maybe even the vanilla and leather), but they work. For me, it's a gender neutral scent. Most of it's leaning towards the masculine side, but the vanilla and pear soften it up. I like this! Wet on skin: Leather, vanilla, tobacco and pear with a bit of musk. I'm not smelling cedar here (although I would have welcomed it because it's one of my favorite notes), but it could be mixing with the leather. Dry down: Gorgeous. Seriously, this is amazing. As Quincy dries, the leather settles into the background and I get smooth tobacco, soft vanilla and juicy pear with an overlay of musk (not quite skin musk and definitely not one of the super manly, intense musks either...somewhat like Ivanushka, but not quite). It's a softer scent than you might think from the notes. Not light exactly, but worn-in smelling and comfortable. The combination really works. It's unusual, but there's nothing that seems out of place here, either. The bottom line: I love Quincy Morris. There's nothing here that I would change. Everything melds together as the oil dries and the end result is more than the sum of its parts. It's musky and leathery, but it also has a soft sweetness from the vanilla and pear. Definitely the sort of scent I would wear every day. I wish I had a few more bottles since I'm a slatherer and this is an instant favorite.

Origin: 5mL from Dark Alice. Preconceived notions: This is one of those scents that flew under my radar and then suddenly jumped out at me as "OMG, why haven't you tried this?!". I missed its release during my hiatus, otherwise I probably would have ordered it when it came out instead of waiting so long to discover it. Pretty much everything here sounds awesome. I love resins, I love patchouli, I'm turning into a big musk fan and I really like the chili in Calaveras, so it should work here, too. Nutmeg should be fine, too, although I haven't had much experience with it in perfume, other than in foody blends. I'm expecting something dark and smooth and slightly sinister. First sniff: Lots of musk (dark and deep), a slightly bitter resinous scent from the myrrh and just a touch of patchouli. I'm not really getting the other notes, but the vanilla and benzoin are probably adding a slight sweetness to the musk. Wet on skin: Still predominately musk (it makes me think of fur rather than feathers), with a background of patchouli and soft, smoky resins. There's a hint of sweetness here from the vanilla and benzoin. Not getting any chili yet. So far I'm really liking this. Dry down: So good! Raven Moon is one of those scents that keeps developing long after the oil has dried. At first, it's very similar to the wet stage and then, a couple hours later, it turns into something utterly beautiful. Soft, dark, almost creamy musk, smoky vanilla, smooth resins, a light touch of patchouli and the barest hint of spiciness from the chili. The bottom line: My second favorite Lunacy blend, after Panther Moon. Gorgeous and dark, but somehow soft and smooth. Beautiful.

Origin: 5mL from Alicia_Stardust Preconceived notions: I'm completely fascinated by the idea of this one. I love masculine and gender neutral scents. And I'm very attracted to dirty, dark scents. I'm not the kind of girl who does feminine, delicate scents (or at least not 98% of the time), so something like Rivet.Goth is screaming my name. I'm especially intrigued by the idea of rust and oil in a perfume. I can't say that I've ever tried a scent with either of those notes before, but they sound potentially awesome. But the thing is...leather is hit or miss with me. Sometimes it turns my stomach, sometimes it doesn't. It really seems to depend on the type of leather scent (worn-in, soft leather scents are generally okay, but "new" leather often makes me queasy). I have been doing well with the Lab's leather scents lately, though, so I'm hopeful that Rivet.Goth won't break the pattern. First sniff: Honestly, this smells exactly like you would think from the notes. In the bottle, Rivet.Goth is leather (soft and black), a touch of tobacco and oil. This is the kind of scent that's either going to intrigue you or repulse you, without much in between, I think. I'm in the intrigued camp, personally. Wet on skin: If you took a hot mechanic, who's been working on cars all day long except for a couple of quick cigarettes, took away the BO, and put him in a leather jacket, you'd have Rivet.Goth. The Lab does atmospheric scents very well, and this is no exception. If a scent can paint a picture, this one's painting it in hyperrealistic style. Even if you don't want to smell like Rivet.Goth (or even enjoy the scent in the bottle), you have to appreciate the uncanny realism of the scent. Dry down: Sexy. And I mean sexy in a down and dirty way. This smells like a hot, grimy, sweaty guy (minus the BO) in the best possible way. Rivet.Goth settles down quite a bit as it dries and the end result is a fairly soft scent that sort of melds with my skin rather than wafting around me. I like it that way, though. I get soft black leather (not old and cracked, but broken in...it reminds me a bit of what I remember Dead Man's Hand smelling like, but where DMH smelled brown, Rivet.Goth smells black), musk and oil with just the tiniest touch of tobacco. The bottom line: I really like this. I've never come across another scent quite like it, which I'm sure is because of the oil. It adds a griminess to the scent (in a good way) and makes it more than "just another leather scent." I love atmospheric scents and this one's another winner to add to my collection, although I find it more everyday wear-appropriate than several of the others I own.

Origin: Frimps from the Lab. Preconceived notions: I've had my eye on this one since I returned from my BPAL hiatus. It sounded good, but vetiver tends to take over scents for me and I've already got plenty of vetiver scents in my collection, so I put aside the frimps (I've gotten 4 of them from the Lab!) aside to test later. In theory most everything in here should work for me. Pine and cumin are the only potentially iffy notes. Pine because I hate it when it's the astrigent, juniper-like pine that's in Loup Garou but really like it when it's the woodsier, deeper kind that's in things like Hexennacht, and cumin because I don't have much experience with it, so I'm not sure how well it's going to play out for me in new scents. First sniff: This smells like what I think of as "old school BPAL." It has that woodsy, dark, sinister smell to it that I always associate with the scents that were already in the catalog when I found the Lab back in 2004. Hard to explain, but that's my instant reaction. I like this. It's woodsy, a little smoky and a little musky. I don't really smell vetiver here, exactly, just a subtle smokiness that could come from it or the clove smoke or cumin. Wet on skin: Yum. Troll is apparently one of those scents that smells better on me than in the bottle. Not that it smelled bad in the imp, but it didn't smell as good as this does. On me, the pine pitch is pretty strong, but it's got a deep, dark, slightly resinous smell to it that's worlds away from the astringent pine in Loup Garou and the like. I also get musk (not animalistic musk and definitely not red musk, just...musk, fairly heavy and not at all powdery) and a little touch of spice from the clove smoke. Dry down: I seriously can't stop sniffing myself. This smells amazing on the drydown. The pine pitch is still dominating (I may have to find more scents with pine pitch now that I know I love it), but the musk is putting in a strong appearance and the clove smoke (which gives both a touch of spice and a soft smokiness) and blac basil are here, too. I still don't get vetiver specifically, but I think it's combining with everything else to give a dark, menacing background to the notes that are coming through loud and clear. The bottom line: This smells so good on me. Dark and beautiful. I thought I would like it when I first sniffed it (but probably wouldn't wear it often), but it really works with my skin chemistry and blooms into something amazing on me. I can see from reading reviews that Troll's not a popular scent, but that doesn't surprise me. I tend to like scents that aren't crowd pleasers (although I do enjoy a fair number of the mainstream favorites), but I think that there also might be some skin chemistry variables at work here, because Troll smells noticeably different on me than it does in the bottle.

Origin: Tester from Scrappy. Preconceived notions: I've had an imp of Antique Lace (frimp from the Lab) for ages. I rarely wear it, but I do think it's pretty. So comparisons between XCDL13 and Antique Lace got my attention. I like vanilla quite a bit if it's not cloying. The berry that people are mentioning has me a little concerned, though. Berries are very hit or miss on me. I adore black raspberry and I like blackberry (in moderation and not all the time), but things like strawberry and blueberry are death notes for me. I love to eat them but don't want to smell like them. I wasn't really anticipating getting to try this one since it's one of the harder to find protos, but Scrappy was kind enough to send me a generous tester when I bought a bottle from her on LJ, so I'm glad I get to see for myself what all the fuss is about. First sniff: I can definitely see where the comparisons to vanilla extract are coming from. Seriously, this smells like sticking your nose in a bottle of the stuff. It's got a strong, intense alcoholic smell to it (more like the alcohol you would find in vanilla extract than a drinking alcohol like bourbon or vodka), but it's also distinctly vanilla. I wasn't anticipating it being so sharp. Wet on skin: Somewhere between vanilla extract and vanilla flavored booze (the type is unidentifiable; it could just as easily be vodka or scotch or any other kind, except probably gin because I don't smell juniper...it just smells like alcohol). It's still fairly sharp and almost eye-wateringly alcoholic (strange since there's no actual alcohol in BPAL scents and I never get this reaction from the bourbon, whiskey and rum scents in my collection), but less so than in the imp. I like it alright at this stage. If it smelled more like drinking alcohol (like, say, whiskey and vanilla), I would be thrilled, but it reminds me quite a bit of pure vanilla extract. Dry down: Oh, now I see why people love this. The strange alcohol note disappears as XCDL13 dries and I'm left with something really lovely. Soft, lovely vanilla (similar to Antique Lace, I agree, but without the very faint florals and linen in AL) and a touch of what smells like amber to my nose. It's sort of creamy and soft and lovely but also kind of warm and golden. I don't get any berries at all from this (which is fine by me) and the booziness disappeared somewhere along the way. Strangely enough, I find XCDL13 to be fairly soft, unlike other people who are reporting it being an intense "little dab will do you" kind of scent. It doesn't have much throw on me and it's not a strong scent, but it definitely lingers for a long time. A swipe on my wrists has lasted about 12 hours at this point and it's stayed at about the same strength the whole time that it's been dry (it's stronger when its wet). The bottom line: Soft, lovely, gentle and feminine. I tend to gravitate toward gender neutral or masculine scents (and typically the stronger, more assertive ones at that...which is strange because I'm quiet and fairly shy) but I do enjoy a feminine scent if it manages to fit with my personality. Too many feminine scents just don't jive with my own brand of not-so-feminine femaleness. XCDL13 succeeds where so many feminine scents have failed and has earned a place in the elite and tiny club of Super Awesome, Made-of-Win Ninja Girly Scents in my collection. It's delicate and girly, but it somehow doesn't clash with...well...me. Well played, XCDL13. Well played.

Origin: 5mL bought on LJ. Preconceived notions: I'm not entirely sure what to expect from this one. It's such a strange combination of notes. Based on the reviews, though, I'm expecting something dark and mysterious. Maybe a little "occult" smelling. I'm hoping for something that makes me think of a voodoo shop, with herbs and powders, but still wearable and not overly herbal. The only things here that are truly worrying me are the bay rum (which is fine as long as it's not Baron Samedi's bay rum, which smells strongly of almonds and makes me sick as a dog just smelling it), life everlasting (florals aren't my favorites, although I don't know if it smells more floral or more green/plant-like) and brimstone (I like the smell of campfires and smoky things, but they can easily take over a blend). I love the idea of this scent and I'll probably keep it even if it doesn't work for me, but I'm really hoping that I can enjoy it on more than a conceptual level. Fingers crossed! First sniff: Strong. Very strong. Straight out of the bottle, this isn't looking too promising. It has a very strong herbal cola smell to it (I get a somewhat cola note from a couple other blends, namely Schwarzer Mond and Fenris Wolf v2, but they don't have the herbal edge to them that this does). It's intense and kind of medicinal smelling. Definitely evocative, but not really very appealing. Wet on skin: Pretty close to the scent in the bottle, but with some vanilla now. It makes me think of a old, scarred wooden table, covered in oils and herbs and tinctures. With a bottle of vanilla cola sitting on it. Strange, but that's what it smells like. It's quirky and I don't hate it, but I don't love it, either. Dry down: So much better. Like every other blend with the mysterious cola note, it disappears as the oil dries. Once Hellhound is dry, I get a scent that's very unique. Definitely not quite like anything else I own. The vanilla really makes itself known, but it's not a foody vanilla. It's soft and smooth, but not particularly sweet (not like candy, more like vanilla beans). I also get tobacco, a little bit of bay rum (thankfully not the kind that's in Baron Samedi...or at without the almond note in Baron Samedi) and something just a little bit smoky. The bottom line: I actually really like Hellhound once it has a chance to dry. Luckily, the dry stage comes pretty quickly, so I'm not forced to deal with the weird wet stage for very long before the payout comes.

You're welcome!

Check out this thread! It's got a spreadsheet you can download as well as other ideas.

The resurrected version says "resurrected" on a red banner across the top of the label and has green writing. It also says "Cures for what ails ya. Accept no substitutes." along the bottom. The original says "Carnaval Noir" with green-yellow writing. ETA: Pictures (thanks to Miss Twilight and her awesome catalog of bottle pictures) to be doubly clear. Original Resurrected

Origin: 5mL's from the Lab. Preconceived notions: I was really looking forward to Celeste when the Will Call reviews of the prototype started coming in. I'm not a huge fan of super sugary scents, but something about cotton candy musk sounded wonderful. I took a gamble on three bottles (breaking my relatively new rule of only getting one of new LE's if I'll have time to try them and order more, unless they sound 100% amazing and perfect) when it went live at the Trading Post, in spite of the notes sounding somewhat iffy (I'm not a floral fan, although I do love the smell of Lush's Celestial moisturizer, which has vanilla and orchid in it). I've been reading that Celeste's final incarnation smells like Love's Philosophy (which is bad, since LP doesn't like me) but also that it smells like vanilla cotton candy, which would be good, so I don't know what to expect from it at this point. First sniff: Sweet! I mean that. This is sugary. Sugar and vanilla. Vanilla cotton candy with extra sugar. I don't get any florals or any saffron sniffing this from the bottle; it's pure sweetness. I'm liking it at this point, even though I'm not the biggest fan of sugary scents (things like Sugar Skull, for example, can get to be cloying very quickly, although I like them now and then). Wet on skin: More vanilla and less "Look at me, I'm sugar! SUGAR!" than it was in the bottle. That's a good thing, although I'm enjoying the smell of cotton candy these days. I think the slightly less intense sugariness that I get on my skin makes Celeste more wearable for me. There is a passing resemblance between Lush's Celestial moisturizer and Celeste, but it's just that, passing. Celestial smells (to me) like slightly less sweet melted vanilla ice cream (Ben & Jerry's smooth vanilla to be exact) while Celeste smells like smooth, sweet vanilla, sugar (white sugar or cotton candy) and just the lightest touch of saffron, which gives it a very slightly musky, leathery smell (strange since saffron doesn't normally smell like that to my nose). Dry down: Lovely. The sugar/cotton candy continues to calm down as Celeste dries, although it never goes away, and I'm left with a rich vanilla with touches of sugar and saffron. Saffron is really hard to describe, scent-wise, unless you've smelled it, so I'm not going to have much luck describing it here except to say that this is going the more traditional saffron scent route as it dries, although I can still see where people are getting musk and/or leather. The bottom line: Definitely not like Love's Philosophy, at least not for me. I definitely get creamy vanilla, cotton candy or sugar and saffron. It's like a more grown up version of Aquolina's Pink Sugar, mixed with melted vanilla ice cream (the expensive kind, not the cheap kind) and a touch of saffron. Pretty close to the original impression I had in my head after reading the Will Call reviews, although I was anticipating a muskiness that's not quite there in the final version. Definitely not a let down, just a little different.

Origin: 5mL (2010 version) bought on LJ Preconceived notions: I like Snake Oil quite a bit and consider it a favorite of mine, although I don't reach for it as often as I do a lot of other scents. Honey, on the other hand, is hit or miss. In the past, it's been a miss most of the time, but recently it's been hitting the mark more and more often, so I'm looking forward to trying Womb Furie. First sniff: Definitely Snake Oil and something golden-smelling. I'm not sure that I would immediately peg it as honey because it's blending with the Snake Oil and just gives the impression of golden sweetness. It's not cloying by any means, but it's definitely a sweeter version of Snake Oil. Wet on skin: The honey comes out more once it hits my skin. I haven't tried O in years since I absolutely hated it the two times I tested it (it turned into a weird amalgam of sour vomit and cloying sweetness), but I think I can see where the comparisons between Womb Furie and a mixture of Snake Oil and O are coming from. I can definitely see that being exactly what this is, although I'm not getting the same revolting smell that I get from O out of this. Not at all. It's Snake Oil (with some age to it, since my bottle is about a year old at this point, although I just received it) and honey. Not the citrusy honey from Crib Girls and not the rich, almost tangy honey from The Infernal Lover. It's a golden, sweet, mild honey scent combined with the musky vanilla and spice of Snake Oil. Dry down: Womb Furie seesaws back and forth as it dries. Some minutes it's more Snake Oil, and others it's almost pure honey (and it is pretty similar to what I remember O smelling like, although it's still not transforming into anything vile on me, which could be because it's not exactly the same as the honey in O or because my skin chemistry has changed since the last time I tried it). Once it fully dries, though, it's strongly on the side of honey with a backing of Snake Oil. The end result is a sweet, heady, golden honey scent with a touch of musk and vanilla. It's teetering on the brink of being cloying, but it somehow manages not to go over the edge. While I don't think it's as sexy as The Infernal Lover (either the red musk or batch variant non musk version), it's still a very feminine, sultry scent. The bottom line: I like Womb Furie. I don't think I would wear it every day (it's a little too intensely honey sweet for me to wear it that often), but I do like it. It's a nice twist on Snake Oil, although it's pretty two-dimensional and not as exciting and complex as many BPAL scents are. I do like that the Snake Oil base is still identifiable, which isn't always the case in the Snake Pit blends, but it's also lacking their complexity. I'm wondering if I might like this year's version a bit better since it's supposed to be lighter on the honey, but I don't think I need to track a bottle of the 2011 incarnation down. This one bottle of 2010's vintage will be plenty for me.

Not trying to add to the craziness that is The Infernal Lover, but I've got an interesting (to me, anyway) situation. I have three bottles, two of which are the "correct" (red musk) version. The thing is that they're noticeably different (in the bottle and on my skin) in terms of red musk strength. I don't know what the "normal" red musk level smells like since I only have these two (plus one of the no musk bottles), but... One is super heavy on the red musk (virtually a single note with just a touch of honey) and the other is almost smack in the middle of what I'm calling the "super musk" one and the no musk one. I thought that aging could explain some difference between them, but I just don't believe that there was a big enough time lag between the release and end of TIF to account for it, plus the difference is awfully big. It's like one either got an extra big helping of musk or the other got a partial portion. Luckily, I love all three bottles, although I have to wonder which of the two red musk bottles is "normal" for TIF. My brain hurts.

Origin: RAOK from a generous forumite. Preconceived notions: I'm drooling over the description of this one. I love the smell of cigars and I'm a musk fan. Leather is hit or miss, but combined with these notes, it should play nicely here. First sniff: Much softer than I would expect from a scent with this list of notes. Yes, it says "soft musk," but I wasn't expecting the whole scent to be so soft and gentle smelling. I was anticipating more of a strong "gentlemen's den" type smell, but A Bachelor's Dog is much lighter than that. It's mainly musk at first sniff and reminds me a bit of Ivanushka, but with some very light tobacco added. Wet on skin: Similar to the scent in the imp, but I swear I smell coconut now. I have no idea where that's coming from, but I'm getting a definite coconut vibe. Looking at the other reviews, it looks like I'm not the only one, so at least I'm not crazy. This is a clean musk scent on me, with creamy coconut and very soft tobacco. No leather to be seen just yet. Dry down: The leather has come out a bit now, but it's still a very soft, light scent. It's in the same extended family as Ivanushka, but they're definitely not dupes of one another. A Bachelor's Dog has a noticeable tobacco note (although it's much less intense than the one in, say, Herr Drosselmeyer or Hellfire), some leather and that inexplicable coconut note that Ivanushka is lacking, plus the musk is slightly cleaner smelling. I wasn't expecting the sort of scent that A Bachelor's Dog turned out to be (which has happened with several of the Dogs Playing Poker scents, but I really like it anyway. The bottom line: Surprisingly light for such a heavy sounding scent. Lovely and soft but gender neutral to masculine. I wish I knew where the coconut was coming from. The Brazilian cigar tobacco, maybe? It's not my favorite part of the scent, but I don't mind it, either.

But my oil is almost completely clear! There are some tiny specks of the cocoa (really hard to distribute, as in my bottle of CD Wulric), but not enough to show on my skin. And I was not ever quite sure the scent was dark chocolate - usually that's pretty overwhelming, while this oil was...subtle. Unexpected! So I just wondered if it's the diff between proto and released, or if something else is going on. Anyone? Mine is also clear with small specks of cocoa. It smells like chocolate, but the tamarind and fig are pretty strong in it.

Not tea olive in particular, but there are some with olive blossom. Not sure how different they would be since I'm not a floral scent fan, but here they are, just in case. LE's: Angeronalia - Olive blossom, white nectarine, vibrant blood orange, honey absolute, lemongrass, elemi, sensual patchouli, and the quiet purity of gardenia. The Emathides - Black amber, black orchid, black currant, olive blossom, wood violet, lavender, blue musk, rose attar, and cedar. Liberty - Frankincense, beeswax, olive blossom, chamomile, sampaguita, magnolia, apple blossom, gunpowder, and smoke. Okayaki - Olive blossom, cardamom pod, amber, morning star lily, bergamot, and a well-aimed snowball. Tabella - Olive blossom, frankincense, tobacco flower, benzoin, Little John, bergamot, galangal, angelica, fig, sage, and ginger. Valentine of Rome - Cypress, olive blossom, frankincense, myrrh, and blood accord. Others: Dawn: Maiden - Tea roses, honeysuckle, heliotrope, olive blossom, milk, and honey. Defututa - Olive blossom, honey, smoky vanilla, cinnamon, jasmine, sandalwood, and champaca flower.

Origin: 5mL from the Lab. Preconceived notions: This and Dancing Koi were the two Lupers I was most looking forward to when I made my order. I'm so excited to see some non-girly Luper scents make it into the rotation because I tend to favor gender-neutral/masculine scents. I love or like everything in here (although leather can be hit or miss, and so can nutmeg), except violet leaf. It's an unknown since I don't think I've ever tried a blend with it as a note before. If it smells leafy, it'll be fine, but if it smells like violet blossoms, it'll be a bad thing. I do not like violet flowers in my perfume. First sniff: Phew! I sniffed Manilus and set it aside (with a lot of sadness) as a scent that probably wasn't going to work if the smell in the bottle was any indication. In the bottle, I get a strong blast of very chemical-like leather. Not at all pleasant and it overpowers everything else in here. It's so intensely artificial smelling that I can't smell anything else around it. Wet on skin: Wow, that's a pretty big change. This is why I don't give up on blends before skin testing them. Once Manilus hits my skin, the chemical tone of the leather goes away entirely and it's replaced my a rather Dead Man's Hand-like leather combined with cedar, sandalwood and a bit of nutmeg. It's definitely on the masculine side and reminds me a bit of Pete Lala's Cafe atmo spray, which I happen to really like. Dry down: So much better than the smell in the bottle. Everything really unfolds once Manilus dries and I get leather (still reminds me of Dead Man's Hand and Pete Lala's Cafe), the resins (sandalwood and frankincense), cedar and a bit of spice. I don't think I'm smelling any violet leaf here because nothing jumps out at me as green or violet-like. Instead, this is a very brown scent. Rugged smelling but sexy. The bottom line: Stinky in the bottle, but very nice on my skin. Definitely an example of why you shouldn't write a blend off without actually trying it on. I've been wishing for a perfume that was in the same vein as Pete Lala's Cafe and I've found it. They're not identical, but they've got a similar rugged, masculine feel to them with the leather and wood and spice. Definitely a keeper.

Origin: 5mL from the Lab. Preconceived notions: I'm really looking forward to this one. I like vetiver, the wood notes, musk, rum and labdanum and saffron is generally okay in small amounts. I'm hoping for something deep and woody/earthy with some rum in the background. First sniff: Whoa, Grog! I wasn't expecting that. Straight out of the bottle, I get a strong snootfull of that butterscotch rum scent that made me finally get rid of my bottles of Grog. I'm not a fan of butterscotch as a scent, unfortunately. There's definitely some vetiver and woods here, too, but they're almost completely overpowered by the butterscotch, which makes me sad. I was hoping that the rum in this wouldn't be the buttery, sweet variety. This one's not off to a good start. Wet on skin: Still strong on the butterscotch/rum and light on everything else, but I do get some woods and some ashy vetiver. It's an interesting combination with the sweet and the woodsy/burnt notes. Not really what I was anticipating, though. Dry down: The butterscotch lets up a bit as Wrestlers dries, but it still puts in a strong appearance on the drydown. I'm not a big fan of sweet foody notes in otherwise non-foody scents and this, unfortunately, falls into that category. I would really like this one if it was the other (non-sweet/buttery) kind of BPAL rum, but I just can't get past the cloying sweetness of it as is. The bottom line: Not for me, unfortunately. I had high hopes, but it wasn't meant to be.

Banshee Beat is identical to Angel on me, too, only longer lasting.