Penance

Origin:

Partial 5mL bought on LJ.

Preconceived notions:

I've been holding off on trying this one because it sounds like I could either love it or hate it and I've got no idea which way it's going to go. I love oak and I like the smell of actual rhubarb, but I've never smelled it in a perfume before and I'm not sure I want to smell like it. Fig leaf and blue chamomile are unknowns here, so they could go either way.

First sniff:

Oh, wow, I like this! Very unique. Lawful definitely has a wood base, but there's this bright, juicy pink-red note from the rhubarb and just a touch of dark green from the fig leaf.

Wet on skin:

I don't own anything like this. And that's saying something since I've got an enormous collection that spans a lot of different scent categories. The oak is still in the forefront of the scent (it reminds me of the wood note from Mary Celeste v4, but not as dry), but the slightly tart, bright rhubarb is right behind it and then the fig leaf and chamomile (which smells like "regular" chamomile to me...I'm not sure if the blue variety is supposed to smell different or not) bring up the rear.

Dry down:

I don't want to say this is a strange scent, but it's quirky. Definitely unique in a good way. It doesn't change much at all from bottle to drydown on me, which is a good thing, since I don't really like waiting out scent changes to get to the drydown. The rhubarb in this really does smell like the real thing, which amazes me. Tart, juicy and bright pinky red. The oak, fig leaf and chamomile give it a really nice woodsy backing without it smelling like a lumberjack.

The bottom line:

I'm so glad I decided to try this. I love it! It's one of the rare scents in my collection that's nothing like any of the others. Definitely a keeper.

Origin:

Lagniappe from the Lab.

Preconceived notions:

I wouldn't have picked this one on my own. I love patchouli and Spanish moss, but red currant is "meh" at best and I hate florals. But I always try the scents the Lab throws in with my other goodies, because you never know when something is going to be an unexpected winner.

First sniff:

Earthy, mossy and very slightly floral. It smells like violets against a backdrop of moss and dirt. I happen to love the smell of dirt and moss, so that's fine by me. The violet is definitely there, but it's not obnoxiously floral. In fact, it's barely floral at all. It smells more like violet candy than actual violets.

Wet on skin:

I have to admit...I like this. It's not my usual style, but it's working for now. I'm getting some patchouli action now that it's on me and it's gone from dirt to musty, earthy patchouli instead. The moss is still putting in a noticeable appearance. The violets are here, too, but they're slightly more subtle than in the bottle.

Dry down:

As this dries, the violets start getting more and more intense. I seem to amp florals (although I find it hard to say whether I'm genuinely amping them or if I'm just so sensitive to florals that I can pick out even small amounts), so that could be what's going on here. The end result is still surprisingly appealing to my nose, in spite of it being noticeably floral at this point. I think the key here is that violets are such a unique floral that they don't even really smell like flowers to me. Instead, they're powdery and sweet.

In the end, Bruised Violet Compound is decidedly feminine, but in a strange way. It makes me think of Victorian boudoirs and scented talcum powder (the violet), but also of a forest floor in late summer. It's got a sort of mossy earthiness lurking in the background that keeps the sweet, powdery violet from pulling this squarely into Victorian boudoir territory. It's oddly comforting and makes me think of motherly or grandmotherly love and affection, although it's not an "old lady perfume" scent.

The bottom line:

I like this. I don't love it, but I like it. It's a strange scent and definitely not my usual style, but it works. I don't know that I'll ever need a bottle of it (although I have been known to end up with bottles of any and all scents that I see myself wearing more than once in a blue moon), but I'll definitely be keeping my imp. I think my mom would really like this in spite of being a diehard anti-patchouli person. I'll have to let her try it out some time and see what she thinks.

Captain Cully is very leathery.

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

Anything similar to this?

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

Origin:

5mL from Pretty Indulgent.

Preconceived notions:

Almost everything about this sounds fantastic. The only things that have me concerned are the wildflowers (I hate florals) and possibly the sage, which tends to make me smell like Thanksgiving dinner. I'm wondering if this is going to be similar to Coyote (which I happen to love), but with woods added.

First sniff:

Soft, warm and herbal. I'm getting the sage, sweetgrass and some woods with a backing of musk in the bottle. It's bordering on cologney, which I don't care for, but I think that this is going to be one of those scents that smells better on me than in the bottle.

Wet on skin:

This does seem to be a cousin to Coyote. They share a similar base of soft, warm doeskin leather, musk and sweetgrass, but Hochelaga isn't a dupe. In addition to the notes they share, I'm also getting sage and a touch of woods (mostly hickory but also a bit of evergreen from the balsam). The florals haven't shown up yet, which makes me happy, but there's still plenty of time for them to put in an appearance.

Dry down:

I know this is a scent inspired by Quebec, but it smells like a cowboy to me.

Seriously, this is essentially what I wanted Sacrifice to be. Warm but clean musk, soft leather and a backing of sweetgrass and sage. It's not an intense, uber-masculine cowboy scent. Instead, it's comforting, unisex and soft. Thankfully the sage doesn't make me smell like turkey stuffing (it's leaning slightly in that direction, but sage always does on me, it's just a question of how much) and the florals stay invisible.

It's still fairly similar to Coyote on me, but with a few extra "old west" accouterments thrown in for good measure.

The bottom line:

I like this a lot. I think it would smell awesome on a guy, too. If I could get my husband to wear it, I'd try it out on him, but he doesn't like to wear any sort of fragrance, BPAL or otherwise. But, hey, more for me that way.

Origin:

#139 5mL bought on LJ.

Preconceived notions:

This was described to me as boozy vanilla with a touch of musk, which sounds awesome. I asked what kind of booze, and was told it wasn't wine, gin or absinthe (which are about the only alcohol notes I don't like). I've got high hopes for this one.

First sniff:

Ooh, pretty! It's definitely a boozy vanilla. Not as boozy as XCDL13, but boozy all the same. There could be a touch of musk here (some kind of light musk...white, probably), or it could just be the combination of soft, fluffy vanilla and booze. It's not foody, but the vanilla is quite strong.

Wet on skin:

Stays the same as the bottle scent for about 2 minutes and then I start getting the dreaded wine note mixed with a very faint hint of spice. So it's mulled wine or wassail, I guess. I can't smell anything resembling wine in the bottle (so I don't blame the person I got this from for saying she didn't smell any; it's even possible it doesn't come out on her if she skin-tested it), but I apparently amp wine to the high heavens, so it's probably a very minor note that's just getting blown out of proportion. I was hoping this would smell the same on me as in the bottle.

Dry down:

Yay! I thought I was going to have to relegate this to the "only in a locket" collection, but the wine note disappears as mysteriously as it came on. It takes a couple hours to get to that point, but since I don't hate it in the in-between stages, I don't think I'm going to be forced to wear this in a locket.

On the drydown, it's beautiful. I get a gorgeous soft, fluffy, slightly powdery vanilla (not foody at all) with just a faint touch of booze of some sort. It's sweet (but not in a foody way) and comforting.

It seems to be a relative of several scents...Elf v4 (similar but slightly sweeter), XCDL13 (doesn't have the amber note and it isn't anywhere near as boozy), Antique Lace (no linen or florals, but pretty similar otherwise), Phyllocrania Paradoxa v1 (no sassafras and it's sweeter). I'd say it's closest to Elf v4, which makes me very happy.

The bottom line:

I thought this was going to be another "nice but not amazing" CT as most are, but the drydown on this is fantastic. It's similar to several other scents that I like or love, so it's definitely found its forever home with me. I'll just have to tolerate the middle drydown "wine of doom" stage. It's worth it to get to the later drydown, which I find prettier than the bottle scent, otherwise I'd just wear it in a locket.

Origin:

Imp bought on the forum? Or possibly lagniappe from someone I bought from (not the Lab). I don't remember where this one came from.

Preconceived notions:

I love sandalwood. Love it. Dragon's blood and I have a turbulent history. There have been times when I loved it and other times when it was too sweet or floral. At the moment, I'm on a dragon's blood kick (especially with the Ars Draconis scents), so I'm expecting to really like Dragon's Claw.

First sniff:

If I didn't have the description to tell me that there was sandalwood (and more than one kind at that) in this, I'd probably miss it altogether. That tends to be true of a lot of the Ars Draconis scents, though. The dragon's blood can overwhelm everything else when you sniff them in the bottle.

Wet on skin:

Still mainly dragon's blood. A little bit sweet, a tiny bit fruity and floral and a little bit resinous. There's a touch of dry incense coming from the sandalwood, but the main even is the dragon's blood.

Dry down:

The sandalwood finally starts to put in a real appearance now, although it's still a supporting player rather than the lead note. It's mainly sweet, resinous dragon's blood, but with gentle, almost airy sandalwood floating around in the background. It's like incense smoke without being smoky, if that makes sense.

The bottom line:

I really like Dragon's Claw. It's headshop-like in a very subtle way, so it's more wearable for people who are put off by heavier, more intense "hippie incense" blends. My mom actually really likes this one (as well as several of the other Ars Draconis blends) and she hates incense, so it's worth a shot even if resins aren't your thing.

Honestly, several of the Ars Draconis blends are so similar (Dragon's Claw is one of the smell-alikes) that I don't really need more than a couple of them, but I'll be getting a bottle of this one since I've never been one to shy away from blends that are very similar to ones I already own. It's one of the reasons my collection is so enormous.

Origin:

5mL from Bloody Sore.

Preconceived notions:

This was somewhat of an impulse buy, although not entirely. I do love amber, musk and black tea and I like cinnamon and cardamom, but I generally hate citrus and I don't do florals. But my brain keeps suggesting that I could like tangerine, tea and spices together because I love the smell of Constant Comment tea, which is black tea with orange and spice. So I'm giving the Monster Kitty a chance.

First sniff:

My bottle leaked in transit and as soon as I opened the envelope, this cloud of delicious amber and musk came wafting out. I don't know what Bakeneko smelled like when it was fresh (this is my first time trying it, some 4 years after it was released), but it smells amazing now. I get a little bit of spice, but mainly it's just a delicious, resinous, golden musky cloud. It's comfortable and comforting smelling, but somehow kind of sexy.

Wet on skin:

Still getting mostly the amber musk and a hint of spice. There's a touch of tea here, but I wouldn't have picked it out if I hadn't known it was there. The cherry blossom is nowhere to be found, thankfully. The tangerine might be putting in a subtle appearance, but it's hard to tell for sure since everything is blended so well. This is a feel-good scent for me. It has a similar "feel" as The Lion, although they're only similar in that they've both got amber in them.

Dry down:

I'm definitely going to have to slather this one because it either doesn't last long (period) or my skin eats it up. Granted, it was extremely hot today, so maybe the heat made it disappear faster than it would have otherwise, but Bakeneko was all but gone within an hour of my putting it on. About 10 hours later, I get the tiniest hint of musk and spice, but it's essentially gone.

The bottom line:

While it lasts, iBakeneko is gorgeous. I wasn't expecting to love this one, but it's an instant favorite, no doubt about it. I'll put up with a short wear-time if it means smelling so wonderfully warm and cozy.

Origin:

Lagniappe from the Lab.

Preconceived notions:

I probably wouldn't have picked this one on my own, although it sounds interesting. I don't generally have great luck with the Rappacini's Garden scents, since they're mainly florals and I don't care for florals. I'm also not a big fan of fruit blends, so while most of Bohun Upas sounds good, the fruits have me worried.

First sniff:

I'm not really sure what I was expecting from this, but I don't think this is it. Bohun Upas, in the imp, is a dark, crumbly wood (it smells like redwood to me, actually) scent with just a hint of dark fruits. They're not really identifiable. It's more of an impression of dark purple-redness than an identifiable fruitiness.

Wet on skin:

Still dark, crumbly wood and deep purple-red fruits. It almost smells like there's a tiny touch of opium tar in this somewhere. It's got a sort of faintly sweet, resinous thing going on that reminds me of opium tar. I don't get any leaves from this. This tree's got no greenness. It's all trunk and (faint, unidentifiable) fruits.

Dry down:

No change from the wet stage. As fun as it can be to wear a scent that's a morpher, I actually prefer stability in my scents, so that's not a bad thing.

The bottom line:

I wasn't expecting to love this one, but it's actually really nice. It might even be my favorite of the Rappacini's Garden blends (my other favorites being Destroying Angel and Deathcap). I'll probably end up getting a bottle of this one.

Origin:

Lagniappe. I forget who sent it to me.

Preconceived notions:

I wouldn't have picked this one on my own because of the florals. I'm also not a huge apple fan, but I do enjoy it in some scents, so it wouldn't have put me off. But the florals...well, it's almost unheard of for me to enjoy the smell of flowers in my perfume. In fact, they can ruin an entire scent for me even when they're barely there. But I'm open to giving this a try.

First sniff:

Oh, so pretty! Dragon's blood and fresh, juicy apple. It smells like a macintosh apple to me, not a yellow/golden apple. I get just the faintest hint of florals here. It's mainly apple with dragon's blood.

Wet on skin:

Juicy apple with a touch of dragon's blood. It smells like summer and autumn to me. I'm not usually much of a fan of apple blends, but this is actually very nice.

Dry down:

Just when I was thinking that this was possibly bottle-worthy, the apple disappeared on me and the florals took over. In the space of a few minutes, Ladon went from juicy apple and dragon's blood to soft, gentle florals and a touch of dragon's blood. The florals are quite pretty as far as these things go (they're not the heady, headache-inducing florals that I can't stand to be around; instead, they're soft, delicate and almost creamy). It's still a nice scent, but it's decidedly "not me" at this point.

The bottom line:

I'll be keeping my imp, but I won't be needing a bottle. If the scent had stayed true to the bottle or wet scent, I would probably have bought a bottle at some point, but there's just too many flowers cropping up in the drydown.

Origin:

Lagniappe. I forget who it came from since it's been a while.

Preconceived notions:

Somehow Aperotos Eros wasn't even on my radar when I got my frimp of it. Looking at the description it looks fairly promising, although fir (like every other evergreen note in existence) is hit or miss on me and I'm not a big fan of bergamot. I don't think I've ever smelled Indian musk, so I'm not sure what that's going to smell like, but I've become a fairly big fan of musk blends in the last year or so, so chances are that it'll work.

First sniff:

Musk. Lots and lots of musk. It's almost animalistic, but not quite. It's got a very intense scent to it and the throw is ridiculous. I could smell the opened imp when I held it at arm's length, that's how strong it is.

Wet on skin:

Still predominately musk, but the resins are coming out now, too. At this point, it's an intense, dark, musky incense blend with just a touch of pine sap. It makes me think of occult/pagan/new age stores, although it doesn't really smell quite like any one I've ever been into.

Dry down:

This has to be one of the most aggressively scented BPAL blends I've tried. I don't mean that it smells threatening. I mean that the oil itself almost reaches out and grabs you by the nose. It's assertive and strong. The musk calms down a bit as it dries and stops teetering on the edge of smelling like cat pee (that's how my nose reads animalistic musks). In the end, it's a dark, sultry musk with a backing of resins. This is very much my style.

The bottom line:

A little dab will do you. Seriously, less is more with this one. The throw on Aperotos Eros is unreal and it's easy to overdo it, especially considering the intensity of the musk in this. But it's a beautiful scent if you're into heavy musks and resins. I'm definitely going to be getting a bottle (which will last me forever since there's no way I'll be slathering it).

Edit: Spelling fail.

Origin:

5mL from angelicruin.

Preconceived notions:

Since I've only seen angelicruin's review of this one, I'm going by her review, so I'm expecting grass, earth and leather, which sounds good to me. I'm a little concerned about the sharpness (I don't like sharp scents), but I've got a good feeling about PP v3.

First sniff:

Ooh, I like this! I don't find it sharp at all, personally. I get soft, worn-in brown leather and green grass.

Wet on skin:

The leather disappears and I get springy green grass and a touch of dirt. Luckily, I love both those notes but I wish the leather would come back.

Dry down:

Aaaaaand it's back. The drydown on this is so nice. Maybe not incredibly unique, but very nice all the same. In the end, Phyllocrania Paradoxa v3 dries down into a soft, worn brown leather scent with a touch of freshly mown grass.

The bottom line:

Very, very different than v1. This seems much more appropriate, scent-wise, for something named after the ghost mantis. It's a brown and green scent, outdoorsy but not woodsy. I really love this.

Origin:

5mL from the Lab.

Preconceived notions:

When I came back from my BPAL hiatus and discovered Death Adder, I knew I had to try it. I love snakes and the notes sounded awesome. Vetiver and I have a turbulent relationship at times, thanks to its ability to completely take over a blend and stomp all over the other notes like Godzilla flattening Tokyo, but I do like it. I also like everything else listed here, so I was hopeful that this one would be a winner.

First sniff:

Interesting. It has the sweet resinousness of Snake Oil plus the vanilla and opoponax, but there's also a noticeable vetiver note and creamy coconut. It's sort of a strange combination, but I like it. I think that this is one of those blends that will improve with age, though, because at this point it feels like the notes haven't completely melded yet.

Wet on skin:

Tropical Snake Oil (the coconut is giving this a sort of beachy vibe) + smoky, slightly ashy, dark green vetiver. It's an interesting combination. Again, I think that Death Adder will be more cohesive once it's had time to mature, but I like it at this point.

Dry down:

Same as the wet stage. I can smell every one of the listed notes in this. I've been finding that's the case when the Snake Pit blends are fresh, though. As they age, they tend to blend together and meld. I think that once Death Adder has some age to it, it's going to turn into a delicious, dark vetiver blend with a backing of thick vanillic resins and a touch of coconut.

The bottom line:

The Snake Oil is definitely putting in a noticeable appearance in Death Adder, unlike in some of the Snake Pit blends. I wouldn't have thought to combine vetiver and coconut, myself, but the end result is surprisingly nice. I'd lay money on this being one of those scents that vastly improve with age, although it's nice right out of the gate.

Origin:

A generous frimp from Mellifluous.

Preconceived notions:

Everything about this sounds made of win except for the almond. I despise almond. And the feeling is mutual. Almond makes me physically ill. But because I'm a masochist and an idiot, I had to try this one anyway, just on the off chance that it would work. Fingers crossed, but I'm expecting the scent to be nice but my reaction to be...not so nice.

First sniff:

Well, good news right off the bat. I don't smell almond in this. And if i don't smell the almond, it doesn't make me sick. Huzzah!

What I do smell is...honey? Seriously, this smells like the honey filled plastic tubes I used to love to eat when I was little. I think they were made with wildflower honey. They had a sort of herbal tang to them that was pretty unique and that's what I smell here. I'm thinking it's a combination of the vanilla-infused sandalwood, lavender and amber. It's a pretty scent, although not what I was expecting. I was anticipating something dark, resinous and sensual.

Wet on skin:

This smells even more like honey on me now. In spite of it not being what I was anticipating, I actually like this. The almond is still nowhere to be seen. Instead, Tombeur is a sort of grown up, naughty, gourmet honey scent. It's not just sweet. There's a very distinct herbalness from the lavender and a sort of resinous vibe from the sandalwood and amber. The patchouli's probably making an appearance here, too, but it's blending so well with everything else that it doesn't stand out to me, even as a lover of all things patchouli.

Dry down:

There's not much change in Tombeur on me. It smells essentially the same on me from wet stage to drydown. This has to be one of the most well-blended BPAL scents I've tried. Everything just melds together to where I can't pick apart the scent except to extrapolate from the listed notes and say "Aha, that faint herbal edge is the lavender!" or "There's no honey listed in the notes, so it must be the vanilla sandalwood and amber combining...maybe the Snake Oil, too." The almond, thankfully, gets lost in the mix, along with virtually everything else. That's a a good thing and my stomach is very thankful for the reprieve.

The bottom line:

I would definitely say this is a sexy scent, but for my sexifying needs, I prefer The Infernal Lover. I like Tombeur, but I don't think that I'll be needing a bottle of it. I'll definitely be keeping my decant, though.

I find castile soap (I use Dr. Bronner's unscented liquid soap) works well for removing stubborn oils. I also find that using a bath poof seems to help, rather than just lathering with my hands.

It might take a few tries with some scents, but it's the best way I've found to get rid of scents that don't want to wash off. YMMV, of course, but it works for me.

Wow, that makes me glad that all of my bottles of CD023 are the same (gourmand) scent. And it makes me nervous when I think about tracking down another bottle. What if it's the "other" one?

And I'm glad the decant I sold you worked out, mxtine!

Origin:

Partial 5mL bought on LJ.

Preconceived notions:

I passed on this one at first because of all the florals. I really don't like floral scents. But the reviews sounded fairly promising, so I bought a partial of Kusunoki on impulse. Hopefully it works!

First sniff:

This is...not good. This smells incredibly strong and perfumey. Very perfumey. And sharp. This is like everything I hate in commercial perfume rolled into one.

Wet on skin:

Never let it be said that I don't give scents a fair chance to prove themselves. In spite of hating the smell of Kosunoki in the bottle, I gamely dabbed some on. And it's still intense, sharp and perfumey. It has to be the combination of blue musk (which I'm not sure if I've smelled before...I know I've tried, and liked, indigo musk) and florals.

Dry down:

No change at all. This one's all perfume all the time. It sounded promising from the reviews, but I guess my nose is just interpreting it differently than other people's.

The bottom line:

It's rare for me to genuinely dislike, let alone hate, a BPAL blend. Unfortunately this is one of those rare scents. Thankfully I only bought a low level partial rather than a whole bottle.

Origin:

5mL bought on LJ.

Preconceived notions:

I tend to like masculine scents, so the "butchest, manliest" musk doesn't worry me and the leather should be fine, too, since I'm having really good luck with leather at the moment. I have a feeling this could be a favorite if it works out as well as I think it's going to.

First sniff:

Oh, that's good. Smooth musk and well-worn leather. Simple but beautiful. I wouldn't call this masculine, really. It's gender neutral to my nose.

Wet on skin:

Same as in the bottle. The musk is almost fuzzy and it has a hint of spice to it. It reminds me a bit of Ivanushka plus leather. This isn't a tough-guy scent. No, this is a guy who looks like a badass with his leather jacket and don't fuck with me stare but fosters orphaned bunnies in his spare time.

Dry down:

I love this. I really, really love this. The only difference between the drydown and the bottle scent on me is that the leather comes out just a little bit more on the drydown. It's still a snuggle, fuzzy, slightly spicy musk and well-worn leather.

The bottom line:

This is going in my favorites box. I almost wish I didn't love this so I could avoid the hassle of trying to track down more (I tend to slather my scents, so a stockpile is a necessity), but it's worth the effort.

Origin:

5mL bought on LJ.

Preconceived notions:

This was one of those impulse buys. The reviews don't sound bad, but they don't sound amazing to me, either. Honestly, Hexahedraon v3 sounds like one of those scents that could be perfectly nice but just not for me. But I'm pretty open-minded as long as scents aren't too wildly far from my tastes, so I'm going into this hoping for the best, but not really expecting it to work.

First sniff:

Buttery pie crust, something dark, sweet and fruity in the way that dried figs, dates and raisins are fruity...sort of a sweet, sticky scent. I also get a tiny hint of citrus here, like there's some citrus zest of some sort here.

Wet on skin:

No real change from in the bottle except that the citrus gets even fainter.

Dry down:

I was trying to think of what this reminded me of and I realized after puzzling over it for a good half an hour that it's two things, not one. This reminds me of The Knave of Hearts without the rose or The Crumpet Rebellion without the tart citrus. It's got a very similar feel to both on my skin. Unfortunately, neither one is really a scent that I love. They're both okay, but not my style (in spite of my really wanting to love Crumpet), and that's the case here, too. Hexahedraon v3 is fine, just not for me.

The bottom line:

I've never smelled mincemeat pie or figgy pudding, so I can't say how similar this is to either. To me, it's a sort of dense, dried dark fruit pie sort of scent. It's not my style, so it's moved onto a new home where hopefully someone will enjoy it.

Origin:

5mL bought on LJ.

Preconceived notions:

Based on the listed notes, this sounds pretty good. The only iffy thing here is the blood, which I'm not a fan of. But, based on the reviews, I have to admit that I'm nervous. I hate anything that's cologney or perfumey. It's an instant deal breaker for me. But I'm stubborn and had to try this for myself when a bottle came up at a price that I considered reasonable.

First sniff:

Uh-oh, I should have listened to the reviews. This is definitely cologney. Big time. I wouldn't pick out any of the listed notes in this, really. It just smells like a generically masculine cologne to my nose.

Wet on skin:

I was really hoping that there would be some instant improvement when this hit my skin, but no such luck. It's still (high-ish end) department store cologne.

Dry down:

And still no luck with the cologne. I was hoping things would settle and the leather would finally come out (and maybe bring its friends) once Sacrifice dried, but no. It smells exactly the same from beginning to end for me.

The bottom line:

Don't get me wrong. Sacrifice doesn't smell bad. In fact, it's a perfectly pleasant scent if you like the smell of traditional cologne. Unfortunately, I don't.

I was hoping for a rugged, leathery scent (I tend to gravitate towards gender neutral to masculine blends most of the time and I'm not one to shy away from a manly leather blend). This isn't it.

Origin:

Lagniappe from the Lab.

Preconceived notions:

I didn't think to try Event Horizon for a long time thanks to the orchid. The other notes are good ones for me, but I don't like florals. I suppose that orchid is one of the less off-putting florals out there (along with lilac and honeysuckle), but it's still not a scent that I enjoy the smell of. But I saw Event Horizon described as a headshop/occult store kind of scent and immediately had to try it. Thankfully, the Lab is psychic and included a frimp of it in an order I received a few days later.

First sniff:

In the imp, this isn't doing much for me. I can smell the orchid, although I wouldn't necessarily identify it as orchid. It's just a perfumey, heady floral to my nose. The other notes are here, but they're mingling with the florals and getting lost in the jumble.

Wet on skin:

Even more floral than in the imp, but I seem to amp florals, so that might just be me. It's a heady, intense floral. I wouldn't say it smells dark. In fact, it smells more like some sort of white flower to my nose. Luckily, the resins and opium are putting in a stronger appearance, too. At this point, this doesn't smell like a headshop or occult store to me. It smells like an expensive, very well-blended classic perfume. Very womanly and lush.

I like Event Horizon at this point, but I don't love it and I'm not sure that I'd wear it more than once in a blue moon.

Dry down:

Now this is what I was hoping for. Evidently, Event Horizon just needs some time to settle down when it's on my skin. The florals slowly die away and about half an hour after I apply it, I'm left with a sweet, resinous swirling opium and incense blend. It's like a cross between a high-end occult store and what I imagine an opium den must smell like.

The bottom line:

This is so pretty. It's gender neutral once it dries, but it somehow still feels womanly to me. It's got the same sort of mysterious seductiveness that aged Mme. Moriarty has. I love that this is a sort of more seductive, elegant version of the scents that I typically wear. I'd wear Event Horizon with a t-shirt and jeans, but it wouldn't be out of place with a sexy black dress and stilettos.

Origin:

5mL from the Lab.

Preconceived notions:

I thought I'd reviewed this one already, but evidently I haven't. I had to try Elli's Song as soon as I read the description. I'm a big fan of this sort of scent, although vetiver and I have a sometimes touch and go relationship thanks to the fact that it sometimes takes over scents and completely overpowers everything else. I do love patchouli, moss and resins, though, so I've got high hopes for this one.

First sniff:

This is definitely a dry, grey-green-brown scent. It's not as desolate as I'd expected, but it's certainly not a bright, cheerful scent, either. I get mainly the mosses with a hint of patchouli and ash in the background.

Wet on skin:

The same as in the bottle. Dry moss and faint, earthy patchouli and ash. If you took Mole (which I find to be a well-worn, faded, weirdly cuddly sort of scent) and took all the soft snuggliness out of it, then singed it a little, you would end up with something like this. That probably makes no sense to anyone but me, but I tend to have distinct visuals of BPAL scents and that's what I get from Elli's Song.

Dry down:

Still mainly dry moss. It's vaguely woodsy, but more like the forest floor than the trees themselves. I love this sort of a scent, so it really works for me. Thankfully, the vetiver behaves itself. In fact, I can barely smell it in here. It's not overwhelmingly ashy or scorched smelling. Instead, there's just a faint ashiness in the background, lurking behind the mosses.

The bottom line:

I really like Elli's Song. It's definitely not the sort of scent that's going to please the masses, but it works for me. This one's definitely a winner to my nose.

Starting to try out my newest acquisitions (Dwarf, Halfling and Chaotic) and decided to start out with...

Halfling + Chaotic: This sounded like a strange combination (oatmeal cookies + fruity musk?), but I was curious. At first it was definitely strange. The berry-like scent of the rooibos in Chaotic worked fine with the oatmeal cookie smell of Halfling (although it wasn't really a combination that I would get much wear out of), but the musk wasn't really working with the spicy cookies. Once they dried, though, everything melded and the combination turned into a sweeter, spicier version of Chaotic on its own.

The verdict: These smell pretty good together once they've had a chance to mesh together, but I'm not sure if I'll be wearing them as a combo. I like Chaotic well enough on its own that it doesn't need the extra sweetness and spice from Halfling. I feel a bit like Halfling just gets lost in the mix, although it might not if I didn't do a 50/50 mix.

Origin:

5mL from the Lab.

Preconceived notions:

I've got no idea what to expect here. I ordered this as much for the concept as the notes, although there are notes in here that I enjoy or that should work on me. I love resins and most of the other notes should be fine. The only thing here that's got me a little worried is the grape vines. If they're viney rather than grapey, it'll be fine, but if they're more than subtly fruity, this could go all wrong. I love to eat grapes, but I don't like the smell of them in perfume.

First sniff:

I didn't know what I was expecting, but it evidently wasn't this, because I'm surprised. This is a surprisingly sharp, tart scent straight out of the bottle. I think some of the sharpness is coming from the grape vines and the tartness is most likely from the wine.

Wet on skin:

I'm not sure how I feel about this. I get the grape vines (they smell like a combination of the Lab's ivy and wild, slightly sour grapes to me), the wine and the olive leaf. But there's a strange sharp plant-like scent going on here that's a bit unsettling. It doesn't smell bad. It just doesn't smell...right, somehow. I don't know quite how to describe it. I suppose it could be the costus, since I've seen it compared to the smell of wet dog, but this doesn't smell like a wet dog. It just smells strange.

Dry down:

I actually really like this once it finishes drying. The weirdness of the wet stage passes and I end up with a scent that's heavy on the grape vines (with an emphasis on the vines, rather than the grapes, although they're here) with hints of wine, saffron and smoke. It's not fruity. Instead it's a sort of green-brown scent that makes me think of tangled vines in a vineyard during the dormant season.

The bottom line:

I wasn't sure Moon of Horses was going to work at first, but I like the drydown. It's unique. The closest I've come to something similar has been the Lab's ivy-heavy scents, but even they're not that close to the scent of this. I think this is one of those scents you're going to need to actually smell for yourself to know if you're going to like it.

Origin:

5mL from the Lab.

Preconceived notions:

Honestly, I'm not sure what to expect from this one. The wasabi and rooibos are throwing me, since I don't think I've ever tried a perfume with either one before. Heliotrope also has the potential to go all wrong on me since I hate florals. But the musks and mastic sound good and I was too curious not to order a bottle in my second round of RPG scents.

I've tried a tester of the unreleased prototype version of Chaotic (as well as the proto, v3) and liked it. It's definitely a multi-colored musk blend with some fruitiness to it, so I'm hoping that this version might be somewhat similar.

First sniff:

Interesting. This does smell fairly similar to the unreleased prototype (to my nose, anyway, based on my little tester). It's fruity in a berry-like way (which has to be the rooibos), but the main players are the musks. I definitely smell something similar to the musk in The Night-Raven, so indigo musk is probably in here. There could be some red musk, but it's hard to say with the berry/rooibos adding a fruity redness to the scent. Other than that, I couldn't say what kinds of musk are in here, but they're soft and almost velvety smelling somehow. Like a soft, swirling cloud of fog that's so dense it's almost solid.

Wet on skin:

Now I'm getting something that's almost like a combination of the unreleased prototype (berry and musks) and the v3 prototype (anise, musk and mint). It has an odd note to it that makes me think of anise, but evidently it's something else, because there's none listed here. I don't know if it's my skin chemistry bringing it out (or creating it), because it's not listed, or if it's just one of the unlisted notes that are sometimes in BPAL blends.

Dry down:

I really, really like this. It's totally unique and unlike anything else in my collection. It's gone back to something similar to the bottle scent, but with more musk and the addition of beautiful, resinous mastic. It's incensey in some ways, but also slightly fruity and musky in a very unique way. There's nothing perfumey about this on me. This isn't your standard musk blend. It's multi-layered and, yes, swirling.

The bottom line:

I think this smells beautiful on its own, so I'll definitely be wearing it that way, but I can also see this working well for layering with some of the other RPG blends. I'll have to experiment with this one.