Penance

Origin:

 

Lagniappe from the Lab.

 

First sniff:

 

I smell sweet florals, no herbal notes at all. I wouldn't swear on it, but I think I smell honeysuckle in here and maybe rose. Mainly, it's the soft, creamy, sweet floral I associate with honeysuckle. I actually really like honeysuckle in spite of my floral aversion, so I'm actually quite happy with the way this smells, but the most important thing is whether or not it works.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Now Come To Me smells like tea rose and not much else. It's the only kind of rose I can tolerate, so that's not such a bad thing. I'm curious what's actually in this blend, to tell the truth, since I'm not so sure I'm competent enough to really identify the floral notes I'm smelling.

 

Dry down:

 

Come To Me backfired on me, apparently.

 

Not only did it not bring my boy running to me, but it seems to have repelled him. He won't have anything to do with me today, sexually speaking, and that's really pretty upsetting since I don't normally have a hard time getting his attention at all. Come To Me smells nice enough, like light, sweet florals and tea rose, but it's really not working for me in the worst possible way. I think I'm actually afraid to try this one again, although I may have to just to see if it was a fluke or if this really is the culprit, as weird as that seems.

 

The bottom line:

 

It's nice to know Come To Me worked for other people, but for me it's Leave Me Be instead.

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.

I understand completely. Almonds make me horribly sick (i.e. I was throwing up for three days after sniffing Baron Samedi once because I didn't know there was almond in it). I've found that Beth and the other labbies are very helpful if you're wondering about a certain scent like I was with Snow White. Just ask and they'll most likely be happy to help you out.

Origin:

 

Lagniappe from the Lab!

 

This is actually the second time I've gotten this and I'm just now trying it.

 

First sniff:

 

To me, this smells like the hot mint tea I drank when I visited Morocco. It's subtle mint and a slightly sweet background that reminds me of sugarcane with a hint of something soapy lingering in the far, far back. Truth be told, I have no interest whatsoever in using this blend for voodoo purposes because I'm not the kind of person who would actually use this blend, at least not as anything other than a perfume, but I'm trying it anyway.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Mint tea, right on the money! I swear, this smells like freshly brewed mint tea with sugar and it's gorgeous.

 

Dry down:

 

What the...?! All of a sudden I get flowers with a tiny hint of the mint tea I loved in the imp. I'm horrible at picking out floral notes, but I know this, I just can't place it...rose, maybe? That doesn't sound right, but it's the closest I can come to identifying it right now. I really don't like the dry down on this one, unfortunately, but the wet stage was gorgeous.

 

The bottom line:

 

I can't say whether Black Cat works or not because I really don't want to try testing it's effectiveness, but I can say it's gorgeous in the imp and wet, but it loses me on the dry down.

Origin:

 

I got an imp of this from Andrabell quite some time ago and I'm just getting around to trying it now.

 

First sniff:

 

Juju smells very familiar to me, but I can't place it. It smells like some sort of resin but with a sweetish, powdery note...amber, maybe? It smells like an occult store to me for some reason and that's a good thing. I can say now I won't be able to say whether this blend works because I don't have any need for either a crossing or uncrossing blend right now, but I'll review the scent itself, anyway.

 

Wet on skin:

 

I think that is amber I'm smelling. I wouldn't swear to it, but I'm almost positive. It's golden and powery and semi-sweet all at the same time and it's also threatening to turn into sour milk, which is normally the hallmark of amber on my skin.

 

Dry down:

 

If there's no amber in this, then there's something else that turns to sour milk on me because I smell like an unplugged fridge. I know it's just my bad skin chemistry doing it, too, which is frustrating an more than a little disappointing.

 

The bottom line:

 

I can't vouch for the efficacy of this blend, but I can say I smell amber and maybe rose in it and not much else. This is getting swapped.

First sniff:

 

Hmm, that's either anise or fennel, I can't tell right at the moment. I really hate both of those notes, to be honest, but I'm not wearing this for the scent, so I'm going to have to try and deal with it.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Ugh, ugh, ugh...I think that's fennel, not anise, and it reeks. I just have an extreme intolerance to anise and fennel almost the same way I do to almonds except they don't make me sick, I just hate them. I don't know if I can tolerate wearing this blend, unfortunately. I only dabbed a tiny bit on my wrist, but I may as well have been swimming in it.

 

Dry down:

 

This is getting washed off. Immediately. I just can't tolerate the smell, as much as I want to find out if India Bouquet really works.

 

The bottom line:

 

Sadly, I can't say whether India Bouquet works because it's barely dry an I can't tolerate it anymore.

Origin:

 

I got an imp of this from the lovely Malanna.

 

My impressions:

 

This is dead on. It's not the watered-down juniper you get at BBW and the like, this is the strong, bracing, almost harsh juniper I've come to know and love in Burial and several other BPAL scents. A tiny bit of this goes a long way and it has great staying power.

 

I don't know that I would wear this on its own even though I love juniper because it's a little harsh for wearing alone, but I can definitely see myself layering this with my other BPAL and getting a lot of wear out of it.

 

I'm constantly surprised and thrilled by the quality of BPAL's single notes and Juniper Berry is no exception.

You're going to love the Sweet Clove single note, Luxuria. It's gorgeous!

 

I'd say Three Witches and Wrath are good choices. March Hare smells like apricot and not much else on me, but it is gorgeous, so you may want to give it a shot, too.

From reading this thread there are so many others to try! Penance, I think I'm going to have to try Penitence, Anne Bonny is already pretty sweet on me, but I'm curious about this one...!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Doooo it! Penitence is gorgeous!

 

It smells exactly like a Catholic church after mass. I can't get enough of it.

First sniff:

 

I smell ylang-ylang, honey and something vaguely resinous (the labdanum, I presume). This reminds me of Le Petit Mort with an added resin note and I'm not sure I'm going to like this since Le Petit Mort bordered between my liking it and feeling queasy when I smelled it.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Hmm, I can't even smell this on myself. That's a little weird. I imagine it'll come back in a moment, that happens sometimes. There...all I'm getting is ylang-ylang and a hint of honey now and none of the resin note I was hoping for. This is nice enough, but I would prefer if it were stronger in the resin department.

 

Dry down:

 

This is pretty much the same dry as it was wet. I think my skin chemistry may be wreaking havoc with Skuld, which is sad because I loved Urd and had high hopes for her sister.

 

The bottom line:

 

I'm pretty sure I can chalk this failure up to bad skin chemistry, but it's still disappointing.

First sniff:

 

I think my sense of smell is off today. The first thing I smell in Anubis is what smells like an orange or maybe a clementine right after it's been peeled but not sectioned. If I concentrate, I get myrrh and a bit of herbalness but mainly I get that strange, slightly bitter orangey sweet citrus kind of scent.

 

Wet on skin:

 

A lot more myrrh now and that's a very good thing. There's still that fruit note here, too, but Anubis is more resinous smelling now. The balsam is also quickly coming out, giving a very nice soft wood note to the blend. I think I expected something stronger, but Anubis still doesn't disappoint.

 

Dry down:

 

It's hard to pick out individual notes now. Anubis smells like wood and incense smoke to me with a slight deep herbal note in the background. These aren't light herbs, they're strong, richly fragrant dried herbs. I really like this a lot!

 

The bottom line:

 

Anubis is lighter than I'd anticipated, but beautiful regardless. On me, it's a wood/incense/rich herb scent that's beautiful without being overpowering. Definitely a winner.

Origin:

 

I was gifted with a 5mL of this by the lovely Sigh.

 

First sniff:

 

Very clean smelling; that's the first thing that pops into my mind when I sniff this. I smell musk (a very light, airy musk) and herbs right out of the bottle. This is definitely a gender neutral scent. I can see this being equally gorgeous on a man or a woman.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Light and fresh and clean smelling. This is gorgeous! The florals are starting to come out now, but they're very soft and subdued, like apple blossoms, definitely not like flower shop flowers. The herbs are still the most prominent note but the gorgeous barely there white musk is right behind it. This reminds me of a meadow in the summertime with the birds singing in the trees and the grass waving in the breeze. Gorgeous.

 

Dry down:

 

Oisin seems to be one of those scents that just blends in with my natural smell and that's a good thing! It's natural smelling and very clean and unoffensive (even to my mother, who's extremely sensitive to perfume). This would be a perfect scent for someone who doesn't normally wear perfume or cologne.

 

The bottom line:

 

This is gorgeous! I normally like dark, heavy scents, but Oisin is gorgeous even in my opinion. It's soft, subdued and clean smelling and I'm sure it'd be as gorgeous on a man as it is on me!

Origin:

 

Lagniappe from the Lab.

 

First sniff:

 

Civet is the first thing that jumps out at me when I open the imp. I've said it before and I'll say it again, I hate civet. It doesn't smell too bad in the bottle, but on me, it's pure cat pee, so I don't have high hopes for Debauchery, but I'll try it anyway, just in case.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Cat pee and opium. It's not Beth's fault that this one smells bad on me, civet is just my skin's natural enemy. If it weren't for the civet, I'd likely love this blend, but as it stands, I smell like an expensive Egyptian rug in an opium den that's just been peed on by a very angry tomcat and it's just not pleasant. At all.

 

Dry down:

 

The cat pee smell has gotten even stronger, totally overpowering everything else in this blend. This is getting washed off immediately. I keep telling myself I'll never let civet touch my skin again, but I had to try Debauchery just in case it was the exception to the "cat pee rule." Sadly, it's not.

 

The bottom line:

 

Civet is not my friend. At all. I really need to stop believing that there might be an exception to that rule.

Origin:

 

Lagniappe from the Lab!

 

First sniff:

 

I expected this to be much darker for some reason. I smell bergamot, apple and vanilla first and then teak, musk and a hint of patchouli. I don't think I'm going to like this, to tell the truth. Something about it (probably the neroli) isn't sitting right with me right now.

 

Wet on skin:

 

No change from the way it smelled in the imp. Desire is somewhat fruity, somewhat musky and instantaneously headache inducing. It's the neroli that's doing it, I know it is, but it still surprises me somewhat. I'm quickly learning to avoid neroli, but I keep hoping that it will work for me.

 

Dry down:

 

Oh wow, I'm apparently allergic to something in this because I'm breaking out in hives where I applied the oils. Before I was this off, this is what it smells like now: rose, neroli, bergamot and that strange powdery version of musk that my skin likes to create.

 

The bottom line:

 

It's a good thing I dislike Desire because I'm apparently allergic to it. This is getting swapped with a quickness.

Origin:

 

Lagniappe from the Lab!

 

Preconceived notions:

 

I can't even begin to describe how thrilled I was to find this thrown in with my last order. I love bats, but I've been waffling over ordering Chiroptera since I'm not a floral person, but I'm so happy I get to try this and finally make up my mind!

 

First sniff:

 

Ooh, I actually like this! It's a very light, unoffensive, slightly sweet floral with a soft herbal undertone that I love. This is just herbal enough to really appeal to me without being too herbal for most other people to tolerate, I think. I can easily see myself wearing this one, even though it's a floral blend.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Vaguely lemony, but mainly herbal and floral. These aren't in-your-face flowers, they're much more relaxed and subtle and don't induce the typical cringe that florals generally cause in me. I don't normally like lemon, either, but somehow this works.

 

Dry down:

 

The lemon is dying down now and I get a combination of herbal/astringent/sweet floral that somehow works even though it's somewhat bordering on "arthritis rub" from the astringent note (whatever that is). Come to think of it, that's exactly what this smells like on me: the arthritis rub my mom uses! I'm sure that doesn't sound good, but somehow it's actually quite nice.

 

The bottom line:

 

Much less heady floral than I expected. I really like this for reasons I can't quite put my finger on.

Origin:

 

Lagniappe from the Lab!

 

Preconceive notions:

 

Sadly, this one's not looking promising right from the start: lotus either turns into bubblegum or sour milk on me, amber almost always turns into sour milk and I don't normally like florals or citrus unless it's grapefruit or blood orange. I'll still give this the chance it deserves, though!

 

First sniff:

 

Wow, that's actually not bad, really. I'm not sure it's me, but it's not bad. I smell amber nad a sort of general citrus with a hint of soft flowers in the background. This is definitely innocent smelling, which may be why it's probably not for me.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Amber, as usual, leaps to the surface as soon as Forbidden Fruit hits my skin, but the citrus and lotus are right behind it. No sour milk, which is good, but so far Forbidden Fruit isn't really up my alley. It's almost bubblegum sweet (the lotus, no doubt) but with a heavy dose of amber and a burst of citrus, as well.

 

Dry down:

 

I smell like bubblegum. Bazooka Joe, to be exact, complete with that powder that's on it when you open the wrapper. I hate bubblegum, as anyone who knows about my hatred for Jailbait is aware of. This is definitely not me by any stretch of the imagination.

 

The bottom line:

 

Forbidden Fruit and I are not destined to be friends. On me, it turns into pure, powdery bubblegum, which makes me very sad and somewhat queasy.

First sniff:

 

This is gorgeous! I love spicy scents and Three Witches is everything I ever wanted in that sort of scent. This smells like opening a spice cabinet and breathing in as deeply as you can. It's comforting and warm and very inviting smelling. I love this already!

 

Wet on skin:

 

This reminds me of Wrath, quite a bit, with the strong cinnamon note and the pepper in the background, but this is even more gorgeous than Wrath is. The cinnamon is the most prominent when I first put Three Witches on, but almost immediately the clove starts coming to the surface and making Three Witches deeper and more multi-dimensional. This smells like a cross between cinnamon sticks and Constant Comment tea, which happens to be my favorite.

 

Dry down:

 

Three Witches is still more like Two Witches on me. I get very strong cinnamon and clove but only the faintest hint of pepper. That's fine by me, though, because it seems the smell of white pepper isn't as easy to pull off as clove and cinnamon are, even though I love it. I love this!

 

The bottom line:

 

The perfect spice scent. It's strong, it's warm an it's comforting smelling. I'm seriously considering getting a bottle of this.

Here's a couple more comparisons:

 

Has No Hanna (more soapy) - Eternal (no soap)

 

Red Mysore Sandalwood single note - Anne Bonny (of course, it has red sandalwood in it, but the two are damn near identical)

Origin:

 

Lagniappe from the Lab.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

I'm woefully inept at identifying floral notes apart from rose, lilac, honeysuckle and sometimes gardenia (I only know that one because my mom loves it), so all I can imagine for this scent is "flower shop." I'm not expecting to like this because I don't do floral notes, but the Lab has graced me with it and try it I will!

 

First sniff:

 

Yeah, that's flowers alright. See, I told you I was ridiculously unskilled in this area.

 

This actually reminds me a lot of Has No Hanna. The two are practically identical, only Has No Hanna has a soapy note that Eternal is lacking. All I can say about this apart from the comparison to Has No Hanna is that this is a true "flower shop" kind of smell, not a garden or wildflower kind of smell...it's...white smelling and slightly sweet like honeysuckle, but there's definitely some heady florals in here, too, including my mom's beloved gardenia (which I can't stand for some reason).

 

Wet on skin:

 

Has No Hanna without the soap! I swear, that's what it smells like! I don't wear Has No Hanna for the scent (I actually apply it where I don't have to smell it on myself), so while I do wear it, it's not my kind of scent and neither is Eternal. This is a very feminine and soft-edged kind of scent and I'm sure other people would find it lovely, but florals really aren't my thing, personally.

 

Dry down:

 

No real change from when it was wet. This one's very stable. It's essentially the same from imp to dry down: a riot of flowers like a hundred wedding bouquets all thrown together. It's giving me a headache. Time to end this little experiment.

 

The bottom line:

 

Think Has No Hanna sans soap and you've got a good idea of what Eternal smells like. This is so not me that it's not even funny, but I'm sure someone with more feminine taste would find it lovely.

Origin:

 

Lagniappe from the Lab!

 

Preconceived notions:

 

This one's intrigued me for quite a while, but I never got up the nerve to try it until the Lab chose to gift me with it. I love mint and I'm very curious about wormwood (no idea what it smells like, but it sounds fascinating) but I hate anise and lemon, so this is probably going to be a love it or hate it kind of scent.

 

First sniff:

 

Okay, so far so good! I smell mint, a hint of anise and something bitter smelling (is that the wormwood?). All in all, this is quite nice. The anise is very faint so it's alright for now and the mint is lovely. I'm interested in that bitter note, though...every time I try and pin it down it hides behind the other notes.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Very unusual. This one's a quick-change artist for sure. First I get mint, then anise, then lemon, then cardamom, then something floral and finally something slightly bitter and the lemon, all in a matter of seconds. My skin tends to amp up lemon, so right now I smell like Lemon Pledge and...something, which isn't good.

 

Dry down:

 

Lemon, lemon and more lemon. It's taken over the entire scent, drowning everything else out to the point where it's all I can smell, which makes me very sad. Absinthe just doesn't like me, apparently.

 

The bottom line:

 

Another scent ruined by lemon. It's quickly becoming one of those notes I resent because it has an unfortunate habit of ruining scents that are perfectly lovely otherwise.

Origin:

 

I got LadyLatemar's 5mL!

 

My impressions:

 

The first thing that pops into my mind when I smell this is "Anne Bonny!" This is the gorgeous sandalwood note that's made Anne Bonny my alltime favorite BPAL scent. It's almost cedar-like and very strong. I love, love, love this!

 

Just a word to those who want to try Red Mysore Sandalwood and can't get ahold of any: this is almost identical to Anne Bonny (or at least Anne Bonny once it's aged some), so if you can't get the single note, the lovely Ms. Bonny is a very good replacement.

Chaos Theory XX

 

Origin:

 

I was gifted with an imp of this by the ever wonderful Allamanda.

 

First sniff:

 

Mmm, Pam certainly knows me taste in perfume! This is right up my alley! This is rum, pure and simple, like I just opened a bottle of Captain Morgan's and took a big ol' whiff. I love, love, love the smell of rum. This is gorgeous!

 

Wet on skin:

 

I love how this Chaos Theory is labeled XX and it smells like booze. For some reason, that strikes me as really funny (no, I haven't been drinking, I swear!).

 

On me, this is more like spiced rum than plain old dark rum like it was in the imp. This is almost exactly the same as taking a big old snoot of Captain Morgan's Private Stock...not that I've ever done that.

 

Dry down:

 

Softer and creamier than when it was wet, but still definitely rum. I think there's some sort of wood note in here, too, if I'm not mistaken, although I can't tell what it is...could be cedar or birch maybe. Whatever it is, it's lovely. Now it smells like the rum and the barrel it's aged in. I feel like a pirate wearing this. Yarr!

 

The bottom line:

 

I wish I'd been around for the Chaos Theories...every one I've tried has been utterly gorgeous in its own way and XX is no exception. It smells like rum and aged wood (oak, maybe?) and it might have been made especially for me, it's so perfectly suited to my tastes.

Chaos Theory LXXXVIII

 

Origin:

 

I got an imp of this from cluna.

 

First sniff:

 

Oh, God...butterscotch! This is like Grog's predecessor right out of the imp. It's pure, rich, gorgeous butterscotch and nothing else. I'm sure there must be something else in here or else it wouldn't be a random combination...unless it's a random combination of butterscotch and more butterscotch.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Whew, this stuff is potent! I only put on a tiny dab, but I smell like I'm slathered in butterscotch syrup. This is still pure, rich butterscotch and it reminds me quite a bit of Grog in its wet stage...this is Grog mixed with English toffee ice cream syrup and in spite of my aversion to sweet scents, I'm in love.

 

Dry down:

 

The longer this is on, the sweeter and richer it gets. It's changed from butterscotch to English toffee syrup now and it just so happens that that's my one sweets weakness apart from white chocolate. This really appeals to the side of me that wants to be more frivolous and less earthy.

 

The bottom line:

 

This is definitely a keeper! I wish I had the whole bottle instead of just an imp!

 

Previously reviewed by astrid.

Hearth is clear and smells like maraschino cherries in the bottle.

 

EDIT: I see I'm too late, but what else is new?

Origin:

 

I originally got an imp of this as lagniappe from the Lab in my very first order and swapped it. But then people started comparing it to Mistletoe and I had to try it again, so I got another imp from ivyandpeony.

 

First sniff:

 

Very green and I don't just mean the color of the oil. Hemlock smells as green as it looks. I smell pine and possibly eucalyptus, but there's also something harshly herbal about Hemlock that prickles my nose and makes me feel like I'm about to sneeze. I'm not sure whether this is going to work for me or not.

 

Wet on skin:

 

This has a very medicinal edge to it that reminds me of Vicks Vaporub and not in a good way. I normally love that kind of smell (and the real deal, too), but somehow Hemlock isn't sitting well with me. I don't know what it is about it (I should love this blend) but somehow it's not only failing to captivate me much the same way it did the first time I tried it, but it's actually off-putting and I'm not sure why.

 

Dry down:

 

This still has that weird herbal poultice smell that's been making me uneasy since I opened the imp and it's showing no signs of improvement, sadly. I wanted to love this, I really did, but it's just not to be, apparently.

 

The bottom line:

 

I tried it, I swapped it, I tried it again, and I'll be swapping it again. Hemlock and I just aren't meant for one another, apparently.