Penance

Origin:

Bottle from the Trading Post.

Preconceived notions:

This sounds incredible, even for a very selective foody scent wearer like me. I love the smell of shortbread (I've kind of been hoping that BPAL would do a shortbread scent for quite a while) and white chocolate. I'm learning that the Lab's dark chocolate note smells really, really good on me lately, too. I love to eat dried cranberries and if the cranberry in this smells true to life, then that would be awesome. Candy cane is the only iffy thing here. I'm not a huge mint fan and I'm really no a fan of the Lab's candy cane scents (the Lick It series). But I think it could work well in combination with the other notes.

First sniff:

Right out of the bottle, this is all shortbread and chocolate to my nose. It's mainly buttery, crunchy, rich shortbread but with an overlay of rich chocolate (I smell dark more than white, but dark chocolate does tend to have a stronger note to my nose). This smells wonderful. It's foody but not cloying in the slightest. In fact, it's not that sweet. It's rich for sure, but not sugary, really.

On the skin:

I use the bath oils as moisturizers rather than in the bath (I'm a shower girl, plus it feels like a waste of delicious scented oil to me to mix it with water and let it go down the drain, so I can't comment on how this behaves or smells in the bath, sorry!).

First of all, this feels nice on my skin. It's not sticky or greasy. It sinks in really well (and I don't have super dry skin) and it has a really nice, strong but close to the skin smell. The scent on me is almost identical to the bottle. Dark chocolate and buttery shortbread with just a touch of white chocolate. I don't really smell cranberry here, but I think it's just blending with the chocolate and shortbread and making it darker and deeper without standing out and screaming "Look at me, I'm fruit!" The candy cane really doesn't make an appearance at any point for me (which I'm fine with and even happy about).

The bottom line:

This smells so good. If this were a perfume oil, I'd buy it in a heartbeat. I'll definitely get plenty of use of my bottle of bath oil, though, since it makes a nice, light moisturizer and smells incredibly good. I think I might need another bottle of this since I'm not sure how long it'll last with regular use (I'm new to the bath oils and only have one other, Tricksy) and I don't want to risk it not making a reappearance next Christmas.

Origin:

 

5mL from the Lab.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

I love myrrh (I love all resins and incenses, really, as long as there's no rose involved). And I like cinnamon. So Priala ought to be my kind of girl. I'm expecting smoke and spice, with some incense action.

 

First sniff:

 

Wow, that's myrrh? There's something in here that I would have assumed was vetiver if I didn't have the notes in front of me. It makes me think that there's a kind of myrrh that I've been mistaking for vetiver (a light version of it) for a long time. It smells similar to something that's in Tarot: Death (although I'm positive that Death also has vetiver in it). Smoky and gritty and dark. Earthy, even. There's cinnamon here, too, but the main impression is darkness and grit. It reminds me a bit of Umbra, in that earthiness meets a touch of spice way.

 

Wet on skin:

 

The "pseudo-vetiver" note amps up even more as soon as it hits my skin and for a few seconds, that's all I can smell. Luckily, I like that sort of scent. It's just not what I was anticipating from this, even though the ashy grittiness is appropriate for a human phoenix. After I give it a few seconds to calm down, I get a small hint of resins and a touch of cinnamon, but it's still predominately smoky.

 

Dry down:

 

Once Priala finally dries, the cinnamon really puts in an appearance. The resiny myrrh scent comes out, too, and I get a mix of smoke, resin and dark spice (this isn't friendly gingerbread man cinnamon, it's darker, deeper and smokier smelling...but that could just be the result of being combined with smoky notes). This is definitely a dark scent and I love dark scents.

 

The bottom line:

 

For some reason (in spite of the name), I wasn't expecting something quite so smoky, so Priala is a bit of a surprise. But I really like it. It's got a nice, dark spiciness to it that doesn't make me smell like I've been baking cookies and it's also got the resin and smoke that I love.

Origin:

 

5mL from the Lab.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

This sounds really good. The only thing I'm concerned about is the "wet" part of the tobacco. That's about the only thing here that could ruin this for me. Or maybe the dust. I've had back luck with BPAL dust scents and it's not because I don't like the smell of dust. They just sometimes smell funky on me for some reason. Fingers crossed that this one's a winner!

 

First sniff:

 

I smell a little bit of all the notes on first sniff. It has a pungent tobacco smell backed with dry, dustiness and a touch of something smoky.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Definitely wet tobacco. When I was little (for reasons I still don't understand), I found someone's half-smoked cigarette in the gutter outside our house after it had rained. Being the inquisitive child that I was (book smart, but with no common sense sometimes), I decided to suck on it. Bad idea. Parliament of Monsters smells like that cigarette-water tasted. Oddly enough, the smell isn't really bad (although the taste was horrible), although I wouldn't say it's really good either. Just kind of neutral. And unique. It's definitely tobacco and it's definitely wet. There's a dankness to it that's kind of hard to describe if you haven't smelled it before.

 

I do get a bit of the other notes, but mainly this is soggy tobacco.

 

Dry down:

 

As it dries, the wet tobacco note eases up somewhat, although it hangs on through the entire wear for me, and I get more of the dustiness. It's incense and it's smoke and it's dust. It's all of those things, but the overall impression is dust and desolation. Seediness, even. I can picture the "employees only" area behind a carnival freakshow. Where the carnies (and freaks) go to smoke cigarettes and complain about the weather, the gawkers and their lots in life. Everything's run down and beat up, including the people.

 

The bottom line:

 

This is a strange scent in a good way. I like it, although I'm no sure that it'll be something I reach for regularly. I'm definitely keeping my bottle, though.

Origin:

 

2 5mL's from the Lab.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

This sounds awesome. I'm a very selective foody scent fan, but gingerbread has always been a weakness of mine. I just love the way it smells. And gingerbread with vanilla and marshmallow cream? That sounds amazing. So I ordered two bottles, although I tend to order one to start out with these days (it was a good method to order multiples right off the bat when there was a months long TAT, but not necessary anymore).

 

I am worried, though, having read the reviews. Based on the scent description it sounds amazing. Based on the reviews? not so much. Ginger ale tastes good, but I don't want to smell like it.

 

First sniff:

 

Oh, this is not good. This is the lemony ginger that I don't like. I can definitely see the comparisons to ginger ale. It smells fizzy, almost, and it has a bite to it. I was envisioning gingerbread or gingersnaps (ginger the baking spice, basically), not this. But I'll give it a shot, because I've been surprised before by scents once I've got them on my skin.

 

Wet on skin:

 

A little better. Immediately the vanilla and marshmallow peek out from Momma's skirt. Only a little peek. Just enough to see that they're there. It's a little sweeter than in the bottle, a little more "baked goods," but still more gingerale than gingerbread.

 

Dry down:

 

About the same as when it was wet. The fresh, lemony ginger never goes away, unfortunately. I do get more of a gingerbread vibe once Mother Ginger dries, but it's like gingerbread dunked in ginger ale. It's fresh and light and zingy, rather than dense and chewy (yes, things can smell chewy...yes, because I said so) and spicy.

 

The bottom line:

 

I can see people really loving this. It's not a bad scent. It's just not what I envisioned. I think I'll keep one of mine, at least for a while and see if my feelings change (or if the scent changes with a little bit of aging), but one is definitely moving on to a new home.

Origin:

 

Partial 5mL bought on LiveJournal.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

Famine sounds like it could be really, really good, but I'm still a little worried. White musk can go wrong on me and I don't normally do florals. But lilac is an exception. I have the Blue Lilac single note and, while it's not something I reach for often, I do really like it and enjoy wearing it now and then. So I'm not as worried as I would be if it were a different sort of flower lurking in here.

 

I'm still hoping that Famine isn't overly floral, though. If it smells like all the other notes and goes light on the lilac and musk, this could be true love since I'm madly in love with black tea, tobacco and frankincense.

 

First sniff:

 

Oh my God. This is amazing! If I hadn't looked at the notes, I'd swear there was leather in here. It has to be the tobacco, because it's super rich, deep and dark and smells like the most amazing cigar shop ever, but it's so dark and so deep and rich that it's confusing my nose a bit. I think I'm a little thrown off by the fact that it reminds me just a bit of Hellfire and Hellfire has both leather and tobacco. This is a serious scent. Very sophisticated and masculine. I almost always lean towards gender neutral or masculine in my choice of scents, so that doesn't deter me in the slightest.

 

It's hard to pin down any other notes here because the tobacco is so strong and so attention-grabbing. I don't think I'd be able to tell you, by sniffing this blind, that it had frankincense, black tea or anything else in it, but, knowing the notes, I can see this being a cigar infused with rich black tea. The frankincense could be there, hiding in the background, as could the lilac and musk, but I'm not getting them.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Very little change from in the bottle. The florals don't come instantly charging to the surface, which I was a little apprehensive about. I have a tendency to amp florals (particularly rose, but I haven't tried many lilac scents, so I'm not sure if that's true of it as well), so there was a very real possibility of Famine going from OMGAMAZING tobacco to OMGHEADACHEINDUCING florals in the blink of an eye.

 

Dry down:

 

This so good. Like ridiculously good. Better than any other pipe tobacco scent I've ever tried from BPAL good (and that's saying something). I thought there was a good chance I'd like this, but I didn't anticipate falling so hard for it. I'm in love with Famine. Completely and utterly.

 

Dried down, I still get a rich, strong, dark tobacco, like a really expensive cigar steeped in black tea, but I wouldn't confuse it for leather anymore. Instead, it's still that amazing pipe tobacco/cigar store scent, mixed with just a little bit of musk. The lilac never does put in an appearance and the frankincense isn't making itself known, either, although I think it could be there somewhere, hiding under the tobacco and tea.

 

It smells like a sexy, confident man. But I'm evidence that it smells amazing on a woman, too (but, then, I think all scents are gender neutral if you want them to be and have the confidence and personality to pull them off). Famine screams confidence and sophistication on me. It smells like someone who commands respect. It makes me feel confident. And it's wearable. I don't feel like I'm wearing something that's incongruous with who I am, in spite of the fact that I'm normally anything but confident.

 

The bottom line:

 

Famine went from "could be good, could be bad" to "this is incredible" in the time it took me to unscrew the cap and take a whiff. Hellfire used to be my favorite super strong, masculine tobacco scent, but Famine just stomped on Hellfire's back climbing over it to get to the top of the list. This is going to be a hoarded scent for me, without a doubt.

I can smell some coconut when I sniff my empty bottle, but mostly I get super strong ginger and chocolate. But if you're not a coconut fan, maybe it's best to stay away.

 

The Apothecary is definitely bright green and fresh. I don't remember getting a lot of ginger from it just bright, citrusy green tea, but it's been so long since I tried it (in spite of getting frimps of it twice recently) that I could be remembering wrong. I'd offer you one of my frimps, but they've already been passed on.

I haven't tried Origins Ginger, but I'll give this a shot...

 

Have you tried Milk Chocolate, Coconut, Cardamom, Rum and Ginger Truffle? It's got an extremely pungent, fresh ginger smell to me (definitely not baked goods; it smells like when I grate ginger root to cook with). Very strong. Of course, it's an LE and not currently available so that might not be much help, but it's the first thing that came to mind.

Origin:

 

Decant as lagniappe.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

Sounds similar to Centzon Totochtin to me. And maybe a bit like Calaveras, depending on what spices we're talking about (hot, spicy spices or something more like cinnamon instead...I'm not sure what spices are native to central Mexico). I'm really wondering about the maize note in this. That's a new one for me, I think. Could be good or bad...or neutral, really.

 

First sniff:

 

In the imp, it does, indeed, smell like a relative of Centzon Totochtin. Cocoa, fruit and spice. But I'm getting more spices in this. They're not hot, spicy spices. I'm not sure what they are, but they make me think of cinnamon and clove, pepper and allspice. They're baking spices, not cooking spices. I smell the wine here, too, but it's a bit fainter than in Centzon. It's almost berry-like and tart. I could be convinced that it's some sort of tart berry rather than wine at this point.

 

Wet on skin:

 

As soon as this hits my skin, the wine note instantly jumps to the top, although I still get chocolate and spice. It's indeed a very tart, berry-like wine, but definitely alcoholic (or fermented, take your pick) at this point. It's very similar to Centzon Totochtin at this point (and nothing like Calaveras, other than the shared cocoa note), but this is more tart. Wine notes are iffy at best on me most of the time, but this one seems to work, probably because of the tartness. It's almost like cranberry or unripe raspberries.

 

Dry down:

 

The wine note continues to dominate as The Feast For the Greatly Revered Ones dries, but the cocoa and spices still manage to make themselves known. Honestly, it's stronger on the wine than I'd really like, although I do like the sourness of it. It still smells like unripe berries or cranberry, but with that very unique "wine" smell to it that I find so hard to describe. The maize never does make an appearance here, which disappoints me a little. I was looking forward to smelling it in a perfume.

 

The bottom line:

 

I like this in the imp and it's nice enough on me, but not really my sort of scent. I'm not a big fan of the smell of wine (although I love most other boozy notes, with the exception of gin), so that kind of kills it for me. I do like the "Mexican hot chocolate" vibe I get from the rest of this, though. I'll most likely hold onto my decant, but I won't be needing a bottle of this.

That's strange. I don't find Cathedral and An Altar similar at all, other than the shared cedar (I'm positive they share a cedar note since it's the same slightly sweet, rich wood in both). I Cathedral (it's my go-to, default scent) and I like An Altar, but they're pretty different on me.

 

An Altar is sharp and almost astringent cedar (although I can smell that Cathedral cedar sweetness in the background), while Cathedral is resinous, dry and slightly sweet in comparison. Aged Cathedral is also much tamer in the cedar department, but I also have fresh and they still don't smell the same to me. I guess our noses are different.

Origin:

 

Partial 5mL from beachbabealways.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

I'm a big fan of heavy wood fragrances and I'm also one of those weirdos who likes things that smell like rotting wood and dirt, so this should be a winner, especially since I also love the smell of cognac and like the Lab's brimstone note.

 

First sniff:

 

Ooh, this one's not going to appeal to too many people, I don't think. But I really like it! Straight out of the bottle, I definitely get the mahogany and rot. It actually smells more like redwood to me than mahogany (I have a bottle of Redwood single note and they smell quite similar). If you took my beloved Redwood and let it decompose in a forest somewhere, it would smell quite a bit like The Forbidding Foyer.

 

Wet on skin:

 

At first, this is very, very heavy on the rot note (which I'm sure will put a lot of people off, but not me) and then it starts smelling more and more like a combination of very heavy, deep, decomposing wood and a hint of musk, even though there's none noted in the description. I don't get any brimstone here (nothing smells charrred or gritty) and no cognac, either, although that could just be because the decomposing wood scent is so strong.

 

Dry down:

 

Once The Forbidding Foyer finally dries down completely, the "rot" part subsides quite a bit and I'm left with a strong, almost earthy wood note (which still smells like my Redwood single note to my nose), musk (it reminds me a bit of The Lurid Library) and the tiniest hint of something that could be cognac in the very, very far background. This is a strong scent, too. I put on a very small dab to test and can still smell it after taking a shower.

 

The bottom line:

 

I really like this! I'm sure it's not for everyone and that my mom (if I were to ask her) would say that it smells dirty and musty (which aren't good things in her book), but that's what I like about it. I love all things dark, forgotten and woody smelling, so The Forbidding Foyer is definitely my sort of scent.

 

I may have to pick up another bottle, although I think my first will last a long time, considering the strength of the scent and the fact that it's not necessarily a scent I'd wear every day (I tend to wear more "other people friendly" scents a lot of days and reserve my "perfect for me, but not so great to other people" scents for times when I'm not going to be around a lot of other people who might not appreciate my taste in perfume).

Origin:

 

I originally got a decant of this from Tuesday and was intrigued enough to track down a bottle. So I have both a decant and a bottle now.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

I'm not sure what to expect from this one. It's such a strange combination of notes that I'm having a bit of a hard time wrapping my head around what they'll smell like, aside from expecting chocolate, dirt and...fire?

 

First sniff:

 

Definitely a unique scent. Straight out of the imp, I get cocoa, coconut and something woody and earthy. It's a strange combination, but I tend to like strange combinations, so that's not a bad thing.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Out of the imp: I have a really hard time applying this one from the imp. The cocoa separates from the rest of the oil and doesn't want to reincorporate totally. It looks blended in the vial, but when I try to apply it to my skin, the cocoa slides off the wand and all I'm left with is the other components. When I apply it this way, I get a dirty coconut scent. Like someone ground dried coconut flakes into the dirt, along with an unsmoked cigarette. I know that has to sound unappealing, but, as someone who loves the smell of dirt and tobacco, it's not.

 

Out of the bottle: I had a feeling that applying from the bottle would give me the full effect of PWDT and I was right. The cocoa mixes in just fine in the bottle and I get a very interesting scent. It's definitely cocoa (not like a chocolate bar, more like the cocoa powder you use in baking) mixed with charred-smelling dirt and coconut. I don't really smell the tobacco or resins at this point.

 

Dry down:

 

Out of the imp: Basically the same as the wet stage. It's a dirty coconut (more coconut than dirt, with a sweetness to it that's a bit strange) scent with just a touch of tobacco. I think it's interesting, but I also don't really think I'd wear this too much, mainly because of the strange sweetness (it's turning my stomach just a tiny bit), but also because it's just a really weird scent and, while I'm a fan of weird scents, I'm not sure how well it works for me as a perfume. I enjoy it on its own (for its strangeness and because I enjoy all the notes I'm smelling separately), but as a personal scent, I don't think it's working that well on me.

 

Out of the bottle:[/b] Much better. The key here is definitely to make sure that the cocoa is incorporated. When applied from the bottle (with a wand), I get dirty cocoa (like someone took some dry dirt and mixed it in with the cocoa powder), a hint of spanish moss (if you've never smelled spanish moss, it's a dry, dusty sort of green scent, not fresh and springy), a strong undercurrent of coconut (dried flakes, not fresh fruit) and just a hint of burnt wood. It's a sweet scent (bordering on cloying, but not sugary or foody) but dirty at the same time. The resins never do make an appearance as far as I can tell, but I don't think they'd really make that big a difference here even if they did, honestly.

 

The bottom line:

 

This is definitely a unique scent. Very much what I expect from BPAL. I really do like it and will definitely keep my bottle, though I don't think it's going to be a scent I reach for on a regular basis.

Origin:

 

5mL from the Lab.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

Leather can be a tricky note for me. Sometimes I love it and sometimes I hate it. And a lot of the time I'm indifferent. But I still had to try Shrunken Heads because it sounds like it could be pretty awesome.

 

First sniff:

 

Well, this isn't quite what I was expecting. I get very little leather from this, straight out of the bottle. Instead I get what has to be the jungle ferns. It's very green. Verdant and lush smelling. It reminds me, in some weird and indefinable way, of Mistletoe. Yeah, I don't get it, either.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Still very little leather. Mostly, this is really strong green plant life. And it's really nice! I don't know quite how to explain what the jungle ferns smell like other than to say that they're a very rich green. It's not a yellow-green and it's not a dark green. It's a bright, rich, emerald green sort of smell. It still reminds me of Mistletoe for some reason. Granted, Mistletoe has a piney sort of smell to it that Shrunken Heads is lacking, but if you took away the pine and snow notes from Mistletoe, it would smell an awful lot like the ferns in this. To me, anyway.

 

Dry down:

 

I finally get something that's probably the leather once Shrunken Heads dries down. It's similar to The Buggre Alle This Bible (again, to me, anyway) in that it has a similar, strange fruitiness to it. The ferns are still the dominant scent here, though. This one's very hard to describe. And very different than what I was anticipating. I'd call this gender neutral, but leaning strongly toward the masculine side. Luckily, I tend to prefer more masculine scents, so this works for me.

 

The bottom line:

 

Unique. Definitely unique. Very green. I like this.

Origin:

 

5mL bought on LiveJournal.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

Looks like this isn't a very popular scent, probably because of the vetiver. I'll never understand why people are afraid of (or hate) vetiver. Seriously. It smells good! Unfortunately, I have to limit the times I wear vetiver-heavy scents since even my family doesn't care for it. But anyway, I'm thinking this one will be a winner for me since I'm one of the elite few who love the evilness that it vetiver.

 

I also love red sandalwood (one of my favorite notes) and I like coconut, tonka and black currant. Oude is a new one for me, I think. So we'll have to see about that.

 

First sniff:

 

Vetiver! Lots of it, too. I'm not surprised by that at all, since I already read the reviews and the description does mention it. This, like all vetiver-heavy blends, strikes me as a distant cousin of Tarot: Death. They share the same aggressively dark, ashy scent, but Fuwu (or Fuwa; that's what my bottle says, too) has some smooth, almost creamy coconut in the background as well as just a touch of tonka's sweetness.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Mainly vetiver, but with a bit of sweet coconut. I don't really get any red sandalwood (which makes me sad), but it could be that it's meshing with the vetiver. I don't get any black currant here and I'm not sure if I smell the oude or not since I don't remember ever coming across it before (so I have nothing to compare this to on that front).

 

Dry down:

 

As Fuwu/Fuwa dries, I get a lot more coconut. It reminds me a bit of Brown Jenkins in that regard, but with vetiver substituted for the incense. The vetiver is still making its presence known, but this is one of the tamer vetiver blends I've come across. The coconut and tonka make for a sweet, slightly creamy foreground with the ashy, gritty vetiver lurking behind it. It sounds like an odd combination but I like it! I think I could potentially wear this one around my family without them thinking I stink, although I doubt they'd actually like it much.

 

The bottom line:

 

If you hate vetiver, you'd probably be wise to avoid this one. But if you're on the fence, it might be worth a shot. And, of course, if you love it like I do, then definitely indulge. This one's unique. I don't think I've ever smelled another scent quite like it.

 

ETA: My typo. Let me fix it.

Origin:

 

Partial 5mL bought on eBay.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

Storyville is my white whale. I've been searching for it since it was first released (a little over four and a half years) and had almost given up hope on ever finding so much as a tester. So I'm equal parts thrilled and terrified to try this. It has the potential to either be my greatest BPAL moment ever or to break my heart into a million tiny little pieces.

 

Scent-wise, I'm expecting something musky rich with vanilla, spice, maybe some chocolate and booze. And I'm expecting that scent combination to be amazing.

 

First sniff:

 

This smells like BPAL. I mean that in the sense that it smells like what I would imagine the Lab to smell like. It has that indefinable musky, spicy, slightly sweet, slightly earthy smell that just screams "BPAL!" to me. I can't pick out any particular notes in here, but I can say that this smells amazing.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Vanilla musk and ever-so-slightly spicy cocoa (not a lot) with something boozy in the background (can't say for sure what kind of booze it is...could be bourbon or cognac, maybe). This smells exactly like I'd hoped it would based on the reviews (and my fevered imagination's epic imaginings). There's maybe a little bit of tobacco here, too, but it's so hard to say.

 

Everything just swirls together and it's incredibly hard to pick out any of the notes. I just get an impression of spiciness, booziness, muskiness, deep vanilla and a dusting of rich cocoa overtop. This isn't a foody scent to me, exactly. It's a sensual, deep, rich, grown-up scent that grabs me by the subconscious and yanks me in.

 

Dry down:

 

I could cry tears of joy right now. I'm so, so in love with Storyville. It really is everything I ever wanted it to be.

 

As it dries, the spicy chocolatey boozy musk scent stays but it gets deeper and even more blended smelling. I still get the impression of some very rich, cured tobacco in here, too. I have to say that I think this would smell amazing on a man, too. It's so rich and sensual smelling. I'd slather this on my husband if I weren't so rabidly possessive of my precious partial bottle.

 

The bottom line:

 

Everything I ever wanted and more. If Storyville were ever to make a comeback (which I gather is impossible), I'd buy a dozen bottles. It's that good. This was worth every penny I paid for it and more.

 

ETA: Amending my review to be more thorough. Playing BPAL note detective!

 

I've been trying out various amounts of Storyville, trying to pin down the notes a little more, now that I've had plenty of time to let it rest and get to know it a little more, ahem, intimately and I agree with most of the notes that other people have picked out.

 

Here's what I'm thinking the notes list would include:

 

• 
  Definitely:
  
• Vanilla (definitely)
  
• Musk (not sure what kind, but it doesn't seem to be white because it's not clean and powdery)
  
• Cocoa
  
• Whiskey (I'm basing this on the fact that the booziness in Storyville smells a lot like the whiskey in Mad Sweeney on me - rich, sweet, a little musky and oh-so-sexy)
  
• Cinnamon (just a little bit)
   
  Probably:
  
• Coffee (I don't smell coffee explicitly, but it does have some similarities to the coffee note in some other blends, like The Arabian Dance and Misk U v3...sort of a rich, dark brown scent rather than screaming fresh-brewed coffee beans)
   
  Maybe:
  
• Honey (could just be the sweetness of the vanilla and whiskey)
  
• Tobacco (could be the whiskey again since Mad Sweeney reminds me a little bit of cured tobacco in some ways, too)
  

Origin:

 

5mL from the Lab.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

I waffled a lot on whether I should order The Soldier or not. Red musk and black tea are good, vanilla cream is good in principle (but it can go bad, like it did in Love's Philosophy) and black pepper and leather are often good. The pie is what threw me. What kind of pie is it? Something like apple pie would be good, but lemon chiffon or strawberry rhubarb or cherry would be bad.

 

But I caved and got a bottle anyway, because I had to know if it would work for me since it sounds wonderful.

 

First sniff:

 

Hello, red musk! I get a huge waft of fruity red musk when I open the bottle. When I first got this in the mail, that was all I could smell, but now that The Soldier's had some time to sit and recover from its journey through the mail system, I also smell a little bit of vanilla cream (which smells different from Love's Philosophy; more like heavy cream with vanilla added in than vanilla ice cream) and a tiny touch of pepper.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Red musk and cream. I'm not a huge fan of fresh red musk, so I'm not totally in love with The Soldier at this point, but I'm positive that this is going to age into something truly gorgeous if I just give it time.

 

Dry down:

 

Still very strong, fruity red musk with a soft layer of cream underneath and a tiny pinch of pepper. It's a very distant relative of White Rabbit (only minus the ginger and with red musk added) on me, but the family resemblance is slight at best. I don't smell the leather and I still have no idea what kind of pie is supposed to be lurking in here (I can't smell it, so it could be any kind in theory).

 

The bottom line:

 

I like The Soldier now, but I think I'm going to flat out love this once it's matured. Red musk is always, always better with some age to it, IMO. I'm almost definitely going to be getting a backup bottle or two in anticipation of the goodness to come.

 

ETA: Now that The Soldier has had a few weeks to mature, I'm smelling the leather on the drydown! In the bottle, it's still creamy red musk (far more creamy than it was before), but the drydown has definitely changed. It's slightly peppery leather and creamy red musk. Still no pie that I can smell. The red musk is already aging nicely.

Origin:

5mL from Mamacat.

Preconceived notions:

I love the smell of old books and incense. Musk is hit or miss but generally good, as long as it isn't powdery or pungent/animalistic. I'm hoping this is a winner because it sounds awesome.

First sniff:

I was about to write this off based on my first sniff when it first arrived in the mail. It was very, very powdery. In fact, that's almost all I could smell was powder. There was maybe just a slight touch of "old book" underneath, but it was completely drowned out by the powder of doom. But, since The Lurid Library had a long journey from Canada to the US, I figured it might need some time to recover and set it aside for a while (two or three weeks, I think, maybe a little longer).

Opened it again yesterday and talk about a turnaround. Gone is the powder and instead I get a fairly realistic "old paper" smell, combined with just a hint of musk and some very, very light incense.

Wet on skin:

Mmmm, this smells good! This seriously smells like old books (a good used bookstore specializing in antique editions, maybe), even more so than The Buggre Alle This Bible, probably because The Lurid Library doesn't have the fruity leather note that Buggre has. At first I get nothing but that old paper smell, but then within a few seconds I start to smell some very faint, sweet incense.

Dry down:

As this dries, the smells start to mesh more and more and I'm left with the smell of something that reminds me of a combination of an antique book dealer's store and a church. Maybe an antique bookstore specializing in the religious and esoteric. Old, dry paper infused with light, sweet incense smoke. The musk is very understated. It's very much a "skin musk" sort of scent on me, which is excellent, because that's my favorite type.

This is less intense than The Buggre Alle This Bible, which is good. I love a strong, intense scent, but there are a lot of days when I want to wear something that's a little more understated. The Lurid Library will fit that niche nicely.

The bottom line:

I really love this. Although I also have (and love) The Buggre Alle This Bible (and Aziraphale on the way), The Lurid Library is definitely staying in my collection (and in my favorites box). I think this might be my favorite "old book" scent yet. Definitely a scent I'd get a backup bottle (or two) of.

Origin:

 

Partial bottle from ivyandpeony.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

Anyone who knows me knows I love the smell of dirt and really don't like florals. I've been waffling on trying this one since the flowers scare me, but since I've got my hot little hands on it now, I'm definitely trying it and hoping for the best!

 

First sniff:

 

Dirt and flowers. More dirt than flowers, though. This isn't quite the heavy loam note of Graveyard Dirt and it isn't quite the red clay smell of Penny Dreadful. It's somewhere in between. Kind of like Zombi, if I had to compare it to something. The florals are sweet and wild smelling, not tamed and heady like a flower shop. I think if I'm going to do florals, this is the sort that it will be.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Lots of wonderful, dirty dirt with a low, sweet undercurrent of flowers. It's more like Graveyard Dirt now, but with a little bit of red clay thrown in. It still reminds me a bit of Zombi, but much dirtier and sweeter, with wildflowers instead of rose.

 

Dry down:

 

Pungent, loamy dirt and red clay mixed with wildflower petals. I'm actually really enjoying this. It has more depth to it than Graveyard Dirt (which I love) and it's probably a little more interesting and appealing to those who don't normally do dirt scents.

 

The bottom line:

 

I'm not going to suddenly become a floral convert, but I can wear this without the flowers ruining it for me. A great scent for dirt fans like me, especially dirt fans who also like florals.

Origin:

 

Frimp in a LJ purchase.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

I've been wanting to try this one after reading the reviews. I'm expecting spicy fruit (apple or pear, maybe apple cider), fir/pine/evergreen and maybe some smoke. It sounds like the perfect Christmas scent.

 

First sniff:

 

Yay, Christmas in a bottle! As much as I love the smell of things like Mistletoe (which is a fantastic almost-pine scent), when I think Christmas scents, I think of blends that have everything all rolled into one. The smell of the Christmas tree, some hot spiced apple cider, a roaring fireplace, baking spices, the whole shebang. And that's what Quick Grope Under the Mistletoe smells like in the imp.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Spiced apple cider with just a touch of smoke. It reminds me quite a bit of Fearful Pleasure, but somehow more wintery and less autumnal. I don't know if it's just the name that's causing my brain to associate this with winter instead of fall, but they definitely "feel" different to me and conjure up different mental images.

 

Dry down:

 

This one's a morpher on me. As soon as the oil starts drying, a new scent comes out. Quick Grope has gone from spicy apple cider to spicy Christmas tree and it's beautiful. I also get a touch of smoke here and it reminds me of a Christmas tree, decked out with cinnamon ornaments (the kind I made when I was little from ground cinnamon and, I think, applesauce...it's been a long time, but we've still got one in our box of decorations and it has a strong cinnamon scent to it even now), next to a crackling fireplace.

 

The bottom line:

 

This is an awesome Christmas scent. I'm definitely going to need to get ahold of a bottle of this soon.

Origin:

 

Lagniappe from the lovely DangerInRed.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

I love the smell of gingerbread and gingersnap cookies, do this one is almost definitely going to be a winner for me.

 

First sniff:

 

Gingersnaps, made with a touch of molasses, and...lemon? I'm getting something very faint and slightly citrusy here. It reminds me a bit of gingersnaps with a very thin layer of lemon royal icing on top. Normally, I'm not a lemon (or citrus in general) fan, but I like the little bit of zing that I'm getting from Bedbug!

 

Wet on skin:

 

Same as in the imp. Deliciously spicy. This isn't just the smell of a combination of spices that would go into a gingersnap cookie. It's definitely the smell of the cookie itself.

 

Dry down:

 

Once Bedbug dries, I'm left with mouthwatering, chewy gingersnap molasses cookies and fresh, grated ginger, rather than lemon. That makes me think that Bedbug is another scent where my nose temporarily confuses the smell of fresh ginger with lemon, like it does with White Rabbit. It only seems to happen when there's a very strong, fresh ginger note in a scent rather than a dried, crystallized or "spicy" ginger note.

 

The bottom line:

 

I really like this! I'd definitely buy a bottle if it were available in bottle form. I'll be savoring my little imp (and laughing at the name and label art) until it's used up.

Origin:

 

5mL from the Lab.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

I love clove and I like blackcurrant, so I'm expecting Arachne of Lydia to be a winner. I'm thinking that since the clove is described as being "dusty" that this is going to be something other than a truly foody/fruity scent and something a little more unclassifiable.

 

First sniff:

 

This may sound like an unflattering comparison to some people (and like high praise to others, I imagine), but this smells a lot like Witches Brew (I think WB started out as a Yankee Candle scent and then spread through the etailers' world like wildfire). I believe WB is supposed to be a mixture of patchouli and cinnamon, but it's always smelled just the slightest bit fruity to me, too.

 

I'm not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing yet, since I got burned out on Witches Brew ages ago after really liking it for a long time.

 

Wet on skin:

 

No real change from in the bottle. It smells just a little bit more like BPAL's Sweet Clove single note, now, though. I'm not really getting fruit from this. It's a definite spice scent for me, with something soft and velvety purple-black in the background. It's a bit hard to describe, but I'm liking it.

 

Dry down:

 

This still smells a bit like Witches Brew to me. They're not identical, but they're definite scent relatives. Cousins maybe, or step-siblings. It's a soft, spicy, dry scent. I don't really get any identifiable fruit from this. Just dusty clove, maybe some cinnamon (although it's not noted in the description, so it could be that I'm being influenced by the WB comparison) and something that I can only describe as soft and deep purple. Like a deep purple, once ornate and beautiful, now faded (and edging towards threadbare) dress that's been hidden away in a trunk in someone's attic, packed away with clove pomanders to keep pests away.

 

The bottom line:

 

I really like this. It's definitely not a fruity scent, so if you're looking for juicy fruit, look elsewhere. But if you love BPAL's sweet clove note and are looking for something soft and spicy and evocative, this is a real winner.

Origin:

 

Imp bought on LiveJournal. Was going to wait and see if I got this as lagniappe from the Lab or an extra in a swap, but I was buying a few other things from the seller and it was cheap, so I grabbed it, too.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

Anyone who knows me and my scent preferences knows that I despise roses. They're truly a note of doom for me. Only one rose scent has ever worked for me (and by "worked" I mean I could tolerate being around it for an extended period of time, not that I could wear it) and that was Rose Red. The only reason Rose Red worked was the sheer amount of greenery involved.

 

So, that being said, I'm hoping that the roses in The Knave of Hearts are drowned out by the blackcurrant tarts. Honestly, I have (highly unlikely) fantasies of a blackcurrant version of March Hare. I know it's not going to happen, but that's my little BPAL fantasy du jour.

 

First sniff:

 

Not bad. I can smell some rose here, but it's mostly buttery pastry and black fruit. It actually smells more like blackberry to me than blackcurrant.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Same as in the bottle. The roses come out just a little bit more (unsurprising, since my skin apparently loves rose as much as I hate it), but not so much that this becomes a floral blend. It's mostly a soft fruit and pastry scent with soft florals floating in the background. I'm imagining a kitchen in summer, the windows opened to let out the heat from the oven, with blackcurrant (or blackberry) tarts cooling on the counter. There's a soft breeze blowing and it's wafting the scent of newly bloomed roses in through the window.

 

I have to admit, it's pretty. If it stays like this, I think I may have found a rose scent I might potentially be able to wear. Time will tell with this one, I think, unless it goes bad during the drydown (which has been known to happen).

 

Dry down:

 

The rose does indeed come out more as this dries, but they're still pretty understated. I don't know that I would call this scent foody or floral. It's both and neither, at the same time. If I take a shallow breath, I get buttery jam-filled tarts, which is wonderful. If I breathe deeper, I get a very realistic, slightly powdery rose with a thin layer of blackberry jam on top. That's prettier than it sounds, I swear.

 

The bottom line:

 

I'm honestly not sure yet how I feel about this. I think I like it, but I don't love it (the roses see to that). I also think I need more time to wrap my head around it and feel out this whole rose thing. I'm positive it'll never be a bottle purchase for me (if I liked roses, though, it would be because it's a pretty scent), but I'm probably going to keep my imp around.

Origin:

 

5mL from bombus.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

I love the smell of fresh-cut grass, but florals are my arch-nemeses, so I'm hoping this is heavy on the grass and light on the flowers. But, if it's not, dandelions are one of the few florals I can sometimes enjoy the smell of, so it might not be a deal breaker.

 

First sniff:

 

Super strong fresh-cut grass with just the faintest hint of sweet dandelion in the background. This smells like sitting on our front porch when I was little while my dad mowed the lawn, breathing in that green, dewy smell under the warm summer sun. It's summer in a bottle.

 

Wet on skin:

 

This starts out as pure, green grass and then, within a few seconds, starts developing an extremely strong, extremely bitter note that has to be dandelion sap. It smells exactly like the inside of a dandelion stem tastes (if you've never tasted it, they're extremely bitter and the taste seems to cling to your tongue). I'm guessing it must be a skin chemistry thing, since it doesn't seem to be something that other reviewers have experienced, but I'm confused by that since I can wear Roadhouse (which also has dandelion), without experiencing this bitteriness. Maybe the Lab uses more than one kind of dandelion note?

 

Dry down:

 

One to Tie fades pretty quickly (within an hour it's all but gone), but the bitterness does ease up toward the last third of its lifespan on my skin and I end up with a soft dandelion blossom scent with a background of green grass. I'm not normally a floral fan, but I actually really like the smell of the dandelion in this. It smells soft, feathery and slightly sweet, just like a dandelion in full bloom.

 

The bottom line:

 

I think this one's destined for wear in my scent locket only because I just can't tolerate the ultra bitter stage, especially since the lifespan is so short on my skin. It makes me a bit sad to miss out on the unexpectedly pretty dandelion blossom last stage drydown, but I'm going to have to compromise here. It's either miss that stage or not wear it at all since I know I won't be willing to suffer through the dandelion sap stage.

 

I do really like One to Tie, Two to Win, though. It's one of those BPAL scents that perfectly captures a nostalgic memory for me. It's childhood happiness in a bottle and, for that, I'm willing to overlook the fact that I'm only going to be able to wear it in a locket.

Cathedral. I couldn't decide what to wear, so I just reached into my "favorites" box and blindly pulled one out. Probably would have rather worn Flesh-Eating Reindeer, now that I'm thinking about it again. Oh well.

 

EDIT: Washed off Cathedral (at least off my wrists; I washed my neck as well as I could without getting my shirt wet) and I'm wearing Flesh-Eating Reindeer now. Normally I'd wear Cathedral any day (quite happily), but today feels more like a gingerbread sort of day.

Aww, that's cute! Somehow, I was expecting something darker/meaner looking.

Can't see your picture, lamenteuse.