Penance

I got an imp of this from tempete.

 

First sniff:

 

Oh my God, this is gorgeous! It smells quite similar to the new formulation of Hellfire to my nose. I can smell the leather quite clearly and, if I didn't know better, I'd swear there was tobacco in this, too. I'm guessing it must be the combination of leather and myrrh I'm smelling and confusing with pipe tobacco, although it really does smell like the kind my grandpa used to smoke. This scent is sexy, no doubt about it.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Mmm, slightly sweet, spicy leather. This is so sexy! I was a bit worried about whether or not I'd like this blend, but I'm glad I tried it. I have a feeling this would make a great scent on a guy, as well. It's a strong, confident scent that demands that you be paid attention to, and I love it. For someone like me with low self-esteem, every little bit of confidence boosting helps.

 

Dry down:

 

Spicy leather. I love this scent. I'm going to have to try it on the boy next...if it smells half as good on him as it does on me, I'll be in heaven.

 

The bottom line:

 

Sexy, spicy leather with a hint of sweetness. Thankfully the amber doesn't ruin this one for me. This is an instant winner for me, definitely a confidence booster and one I'll most likely wear when I need to indulge in my dominatrix side.

I got an imp of this from Laurel_The_Woodfairy.

 

First sniff:

 

Cherry...it smells almost like almonds, which means it's not juicy fresh cherries, it's maraschino type cherries, vanilla and honey. This smells very sweet to me, almost like maraschino cherries drizzled in vanilla and honey. I was interested in trying this because of the comparisons people had made to Formula 54, which I absolutely adore, but (so far) I have to say that the two are vastly different to my nose. F54 smells like cognac - which, incidentally, smells a bit like cherries to my nose when it's wet - in the bottle, whereas Blood Kiss smells like maraschino cherries with that almost almond/amaretto smell to it. I'm not sure whether this will work for me, but I'll happily give it a shot to see what happens.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Fresh, juicy cherries and honey. The almond/cherry smell lightens as soon as it hits my skin and it turns into the smell of ripe, fresh cherries with vanilla and honey. I can also smell the faintest hint of cloves now that I'm wearing it. It's not overwhelmingly sweet anymore, either, which is wonderful since I hate super sweet scents.

 

Dry down:

 

Honey, vanilla and clove. The cherry has disappeared and the vetiver, poppy and red wine have yet to make an appearance. This is a huge departure from F54 in spite of the somewhat similar notes, but Blood Kiss is gorgeous in its own right. I actually really love this one, although it does make my skin burn a little and turn red.

 

The bottom line:

 

Gorgeous, especially once it dries and turns into a soft vanilla/honey/clove scent. I can deal with a slight allergic reaction for this one; it's too beautiful to pass up.

I got an imp of this from isyche.

 

First sniff:

 

The musk is most prominent to my nose and it's a huge departure from the nose-burning, cringe-inducing black musk of Haunted...this is musky musk, not sharp musk and I like it much better. I also smell oakmoss and a hint of patchouli in here. It reminds me of a perfume Avon used to make that I wore when I was in middle school, although I can't remember the name of it.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Musk, rose and oakmoss are most prominent now. For some reason, this reminds me of old-lady perfume. I think it's the white musk that I'm associating with someone in particular, but I can't put my finger on who it is...possibly my fiance's grandmother? It's certainly not unpleasant, the association is just odd.

 

Dry down:

 

Powdery musk and the faintest hint of patchouli. This makes me think of what an aging hippie would smell like: powdery and musky but still wearing the ubiquitous patchouli oil that they wore in their youth. It's actually quite pretty, it just reminds me of a few people I know.

 

The bottom line:

 

I like the notes in this one, but I don't think it's for me. Off to swaps with it; hopefully someone else can put it to some use.

First sniff:

 

Floral and earthy/resiny at the same time. I smell rose and sandalwood and lemongrass most strongly and if I inhale deeply enough, I get a hint of patchouli and cedar in the background.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Lemongrass is the most prominent note for me, followed by sandalwood and rose. It's not aggressively citrusy the way lemon normally is, but it's still more lemony than I generally care for. I love the sandalwood, patchouli and cedar notes, but the lemongrass and rose aren't quite my style.

 

Dry down:

 

I smell lemongrass and sandalwood now. It reminds me of a Thai restaurant, not necessarily in a bad way, but in a way that puts me off. I can easily see this being a good meditation or yoga blend, but it's not my style at all. I would prefer the incense/wood notes to be more prominent and the lemongrass/floral notes to be much lighter.

 

The bottom line:

 

Not a bad scent, but not for me. I prefer heavier, more resiny/woodsy scents; this is just too bright for me.

I got an imp of this from Red_Hot_Mama.

 

First sniff:

 

My first impression is something along the lines of: "Whoa, this smells like Formula 54!" Something about this blend - most likely the red wine - reminds me of the cognac note in F54 which smells like cherries in the bottle. The two aren't identical by any stretch of the imagination, but Black Widow reminds me very strongly of what F54 smells like in the bottle at first.

 

The more I smell it, the less strong the resemblance becomes as my nose starts picking up the attar of rose and jasmine and losing the red wine note. Once my nose adjusts, Black Widow begins to smell like a combination of rose, sandalwood and jasmine and less wine-like. While I actually prefer my first impression, the second impression is lovely, too.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Once again, my first impression is that this smells similar to F54, but that fades quickly as the sandalwood, rose and patchouli make a reappearance. This isn't an earthy or resiny blend in spite of the notes involved, it's more of a powdery rose scent with a hint of dry earthiness in the background. If I inhale deeply enough, I can smell the red wine in the background, but it's very faint.

 

Dry down:

 

Powdery rose and jasmine with a hint of sandalwood and red wine. I don't particularly care for how powdery Black Widow is on me, but it's still quite lovely. For some reason, it reminds me of my grandmother who died right after my second birthday. I used to play with her old clothes that my mom stored in our basement after her death and Black Widow smells like the scent of her left on her clothing.

 

The bottom line:

 

Not my usual type of scent, but it has too many good memories attached to it not to like it.

I've had some reactions to oils myself, lately.

 

For some reason, aquatics and musk are making my nose burn something awful and Black Dahlia made me sneeze like crazy. I have no idea what was in it that I'm allergic to, but it wasn't pleasant.

 

I don't know what it is about musk that's making my nose burn. It never used to do that and then all of a sudden, starting with Haunted, every blend I've tried with musk as a major component has made my nose burn like a cut burns when you swab alcohol on it.

I got an imp of the prototype of this from cluna.

 

First sniff:

 

Green and slightly aquatic with a hint of rose. It smells like a walk in the forest early in the morning when the dew is still clinging to the leaves. This isn't your typical woodsy scent, it's much lighter and more feminine smelling, not aggressive the way most forest scents are.

 

Wet on skin:

 

This smells almost like Bayou with less floral notes, it's green and aquatic and has the barest hint of rose in the background. This smells exactly that I imagine Ireland would smell like. I wish I had more than just an imp of the prototype version of this, it's gorgeous.

 

Dry down:

 

The rose seems to have disappeared, leaving the faint scent of green leaves and early morning dew. This is a very light scent on me and while I wish it was stronger, I love it enough to not mind having to reapply it every couple of hours. I really love this one, it's beautiful and not too feminine for me to be turned away by it.

 

The bottom line:

 

Gorgeous; woodsy and dewy and ever so slightly floral. I wish I had more of the prototype version of this; it's beautiful.

I got an imp of this from allamanda!

First sniff:

Something about this blend reminds me of Queen Mab...it must be the orchid. In the foreground, I smell grapefruit and mandarin orange the strongest although I wouldn't call this blend citrusy for some reason. I associate citrus with being cool and sharp and this is warm and soft, at least to my nose. I was worried about Queen of Diamonds being too citrusy, but it's not at all. I actually don't get the impression of cold from this; to me it's actually very warm and inviting smelling, like an orchard in summer.

Wet on skin:

I can't shake the feeling that this reminds me of another BPAL scent, but I can't put my finger on it apart from saying the orchid reminds me of Queen Mab, but there's something else there that's nagging at me. Every time I get close to figuring it out it slips away again. The grapefruit and the mandarin are still the most prominent with the orchid following on their heels. To me, this smells like a sophisticated garden party guest, carefully coiffed but dressed for springtime.

Dry down:

The grapefruit, mandarin and orchid have melded into one warm, slightly citrusy floral note now that the Queen is dry. The garden party guest has kicked off her high-heeled shoes and is letting her hair down, getting into the spirit of springtime. I don't get anything even remotely cold from this blend; to me the Queen is a warm spring sunrise, not a glittering icicle.

The bottom line:

Surprisingly warm and inviting smelling. The Queen isn't a haughty ice queen, she's a warm sunrise coloring a garden in the first throes of spring's bloom. I really love this one; I'm going to make my imp last as long as possible.

Heh, at least I'm not the only one who thinks it's a dead-on dupe of Angel. I was beginning to think I was crazy.

Got an imp of this as a gift from fallow deer.

 

First sniff:

 

Strong, dry cedar. This is a scent with attitude, much like my beloved Anne Bonny; it's very confident and powerful smelling, somehow. In the vial, all I can pick up is cedar and the faintest hint of bay leaf. This is a pretty masculine scent, but, at the same time, it's right up my alley. I love cedar, especially when it's combined with other dry scents. This is absolutely gorgeous.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Whoa, that's cedar, alright! I don't get anything but dry cedar from this when it's wet on my skin and that's more than alright by me. This is exactly what I've been looking for in a cedar scent, this is absolutely perfect for me.

 

Dry down:

 

Gorgeous, dry cedar and a hint of bay leaf and sage. The bay leaf and sage are just barely hinted at, but they give the cedar a depth that it didn't have on its own. This is a gorgeous, dry scent that's very calming but very powerful smelling at the same time. I love, love, love this scent.

 

The bottom line:

 

A new favorite, no question about it. I'm definitely getting a 10mL of this as soon as I can.

Got an imp of this from allamanda.

 

First sniff:

 

Wine and something very animal smelling; it's sharp like Haunted was for me, but softened somewhat by the wine. I don't remember musk being sharp, but everything I've smelled with musk in it lately has smelled very sharp to my nose. I don't know if my sense of smell is off or what, but it's a little odd.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Almost sour (must be the wine) and sharply musky. This reminds me a lot of Haunted because of the sharp, nose-burning animalistic note, but this reminds me more of autumn in the woods than Haunted's unsettling sexual vibe.

 

Dry down:

 

The musk has mellowed out now that it's dried and I'm left with an almost sour wine smell and a faint hint of leaves. This is a very unusual scent and one I'm not sure whether I'll end up keeping or not. Someting about this one just feels wrong on me and I'm sure it's my chemistry that's to blame.

 

The bottom line:

 

I'm undecided on this one; I don't know if I'll end up keeping it or not. It should have worked beautifully, but my chemistry's throwing it all out of whack.

I tried the old formulation of Jack.

 

First sniff:

 

Nutmeg and clove...there's no pumpkin to be found straight out of the vial. To me, this is almost burnt smelling it's so raw and dry. Somehow, in spite of not being able to smell any pumpkin in this, it reminds me of the smell of the inside of a jack 'o' lantern that's been left with a candle burning inside it for too long and that's not a bad thing at all.

 

Wet on skin:

 

There's the faintest hint of pumpkin to Jack now, but the clove and nutmeg are still dominating. This really reminds me of Halloween for some reason...I'm thinking maybe I'm associating the smell of this with a bonfire for some reason. It's not quite so dusty or scorched smelling now that it's on my skin, but it's a far cry from pumpkin pie.

 

Dry down:

 

I can really smell the pumpkin now. Now Jack is less harsh and more homey and Halloweeny smelling at the same time. I don't normally care for the smell of pumpkin, but I actually really like this, especially the longer it sits on my skin.

 

The bottom line:

 

The perfect fall scent. Jack starts off a little rough, but smells gorgeous once it dries.

Got an imp of this from allamanda.

First sniff:

Almost almondy smelling but with a vaguely fruity undertone. Very odd, but I'm thinking maybe it's cherry I'm smelling instead of almond...I tend to confuse them sometimes and this doesn't appear to be making me sick, so it's probably cherry. Normally I avoid almond scents like the plague because they make me horribly sick, but on the off chance that this doesn't stay almondy (or on the off chance that it is cherry I'm smelling), I'll give it a shot.

Wet on skin:

Almond with a hint of cherry. I'm confused because I can smell both and I don't know if it's just cherry I'm smelling and I'm confusing it for both almond and cherry or if there really is almond in here. Right now, I'm erring on the side of caution and not breathing too deep. I don't want another replay of the Baron Samedi incident. There's also a somewhat grassy-smelling undertone to this, like dried hay. Very unusual.

Dry down:

No more almonds! It smells like some sort of grain to me now but creamy at the same time. It's not quite foody, more like fresh-chaffed wheat. I really don't know quite how to accurately describe it, but it's beautiful.

The bottom line:

I don't know what's in this, but once it gets past the almond/cherry stage, it's gorgeous. I'm glad I gave it a shot in spite of the initial almond scent.

Got an imp of this from cluna.

 

First sniff:

 

I don't get anything even remotely sweet from this. For me, it's sharp and almost animal smelling - must be the musk I'm smelling. There's also something almost powdery in the background that I can't place. I don't think I'm going to like this one very much, I'm having a pretty strong recoil reaction to it like I did with Deimos.

 

Wet on skin:

 

So sharp it almost burns my nose; I've never known musk to do that before...I'm guessing this has more musk in it than I'm used to or something. Haunted has a very animal feel to it and for some reason it smells almost sexual and not in a good way. Very odd.

 

Dry down:

 

Haunted isn't sharp anymore, just musky and slightly powdery. I have no idea what's causing the powdery note. Maybe it's the amber? I'm not getting the normal sour milk smell I typically get from amber, though, which is good. I'd rather smell like baby powder than sour milk.

 

The bottom line:

 

I really don't think this is for me. It's just not my type of scent, although I can see it working beautifully on someone else.

Got an imp of this as a gift from fallow deer.

 

First sniff:

 

Cocoa and fig are the most prominent notes in this for me. It reminds me of Nephilim, which must be the fig. I don't know what black palm smells like, but there's something that smells vaguely like a date in the background that's either another level of the fig or the palm. This is a dark scent; it's not sweet or fruity in spite of the cocoa and fig, it's dark and deep and sophisticated smelling.

 

Wet on skin:

 

I smell fig very strongly now that it's on my skin; it has the same feel and (inexplicably) somewhat the same scent as March Hare, which I absolutely adore. It's fruity without being juicy or feminine smelling (on me, anyway). It reminds me of dried figs dipped in cocoa powder. The cocoa is mainly lingering in the background, with the fig taking the dominant place at the front.

 

Dry down:

 

This scent is making me crave Fig Newton's something awful.

 

It still reminds me of March Hare for some reason I can't put my finger on. I smell mainly dried fig and a light dusting of cocoa powder. I don't smell the "wooded notes" in this and I'm not sure what black palm smells like, but this is gorgeous just the way it is.

 

The bottom line:

 

I love this one! Fig works very well on me and the cocoa isn't overwhelmingly chocolatey the way I had feared it would be. This is definitely a very grown-up, beautiful scent.

This one really made me sad because I love the scent, but lately it's turning into pure baby powder on me.

 

First sniff:

 

Resiny smelling but sweet, which must be the myrrh. There's also something vaguely fruity smelling like fig that I can't place at all. This scent is so gorgeous; it has three of my favorite notes in it: patchouli, myrrh and clove.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Spicy, sweet and resiny at the same time. There's someting naggingly familiar about this but I can't place it. I think it reminds me of something in Perversion although I have absolutely no idea what it is. The longer it's on my skin, the more powdery Malice becomes, which makes me very sad because I really dislike powdery scents.

 

Dry down:

 

Powdery, sweet, spicy and resiny. I'm getting the distinct impression of baby powder over top of everything else now that it's dry. It's still pretty in spite of the powder, but I just can't wear something powdery like this.

 

The bottom line:

 

I'm undecided about this one. I like it and it used to like me, but I don't know if I can tolerate the baby powder dry down that it's been giving me lately.

It's probably a good thing Bet's not taking custom scent orders right now. I'm a BPAL fiend and would love to have a custom scent for my wedding, but I need to spend more money like I need another hole in my head. Beth has inadvertently saved me from myself.

 

<hijack> That reminds me...I need to decide what oil to wear for my wedding. I have Havisham, but I don't generally do floral scents. Unfortunately I don't think my usual tastes will work well with a fairytale princess type dress, so I'm kind of up in the air about what to wear. </hijack>

Got this as a freebie from the Lab in my last order.

 

First sniff:

 

Wow, this smells almost exactly like Thierry Mugler Angel, I had to get out my old bottle of Angel and compare them the resemblence was so strong. I never expected it to smell like Angel from the description since the notes are so different, but I was pleasantly surprised because I love Angel and even my love of BPAL hasn't been able to make me get rid of my bottles of it.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Now this smells even closer to Angel. I don't normally compare BPAL to other commercial perfumes, but this one was too close not to. I really can't pick out any of the notes in this, it all just blends together so well and so beautifully that I can't pu my finger on any note in particular.

 

Dry down:

 

Still an Angel dupe only better somehow (I should have expected that; it is BPAL after all). I really like this one; it's impossible for me not to. After all, it smells like my old staple perfume that I still haven't been able to throw away.

 

The bottom line:

 

I think I may finally be able to get rid of my bottles of Angel. Hurrah!

I have to confess I got this for the name without having even read the ingredients.

 

Preconceived notions:

 

I would expect something with a name like Wings of Azrael to be dark and brooding smelling, maybe with a whiff of incense smoke.

 

First sniff:

 

Floral, very floral with a hint of something resiny which must be the myrrh. I'm not good at picking out floral notes other than lilac and rose, so all I can say about tem is that I smell flowers.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Mmm, myrrh and a hint of floral notes. I would have expected a scent named after the angel of death to be darker and more somber but this is light and quite beautiful, even if it's not what I would have expected.

 

Dry down:

 

Myrrh with a floral background. I was worried about the floral notes in this, but this is absolutely gorgeous. It's rich and resiny and light and floral at the same time. This is what I imagined All Saints would have smelled like.

 

The bottom line:

 

I really like this one. It's a complex scent that manages to be both a resin scent and a floral scent at the same time without being heavy on either one. Definitely a keeper.

I keep meaning to review this and keep forgetting since I gave it to the boy, but I tried it last night and...

 

First sniff:

 

No clue how to describe it other than to say this smells like a generic department store's men's cologne. That's not a bad thing, just very surprising with it being BPAL and all.

 

Wet on skin:

 

It still smells like men's cologne...any men's cologne, they all smell more or less the same to me, other than Old Spice and this is definitely not Old Spice. If I concentrate, I can pick out the rosemary and sandalwood, but only because I know they're in there.

 

Dry down:

 

I smell like the men's cologne department of Marshall Field's, it's just that simple. It's a pleasant scent, no doubt about it, I just didn't expect it from a BPAL oil. I think I prefer Darkness on both the boy and myself, but this is okay. It'd be good for getting a guy with a love of mainstream perfumes to come over to the dark side, though.

 

The bottom line:

 

A little too generic for my tastes. I don't want to smell like a generic department store perfume and I'd rather my boy didn't either, so while this is a pleasant enough scent, it's definitely not one of my favorites.

First sniff:

 

Cedar and something leafy and almost fruity smelling which mut be the raspberry leaf. For some reason, this scent reminds me of a Greek grocery store...or, more specifically, the pictures of grape leaves I've always seen hanging in the windows of Greek grocery stores. I don't know why, but somehow the mental image and the scent just go together.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Slightly more fruity than in the vial. I get a distinct impression of cedar covered in damp raspberry leaves. I still can't quite shake the mental impression of grape leaves, there's just something about them that distinctly reminds me of what Alecto smells like. I don't normally like fruity scents but the cedar and green notes seem to balance out the fruitiness and makes me think of a trellis made of cedar with raspberry stalks growing through it.

 

Dry down:

 

The cedar seems to have disappeared, leaving a faint impression of raspberry and leaves that, for some reason, reminds me of an Italian restaurant - the kind with checkered tablecloths and wooden tables and wine bottles in raffia wrappers.

 

The bottom line:

 

I really like this one. I wish it had a stronger cedar component, but I like it anyway. I can easily see myself wearing this one all year round.

Got this as a freebie from the Lab in my last order.

 

First sniff:

 

I know this is a floral blend, but I smell something almost fruity smelling which must be the osmanthus. I don't know how to decribe this scent other than to say that it smells...purple. I don't normally describe scents by color, but this one stands out as purple in my mind's eye.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Floral, sweet and fruity all at the same time. It almost smells like plums for some reason. So far, I actually really like this one, which comes as a surprise since I don't generally care for floral scents or fruit.

 

Dry down:

 

Queen Mab has settled down into a vaguely fruity floral/green scent that reminds me somewhat of King of Spades for some reason, I think because this smells vaguely like purple berries to me. It's almost more of a similar feel than a similar smell.

 

The bottom line:

 

Another surprise winner from the Lab. I'm always amazed by the oils the Lab gifts me with that end up being wonderful in spite of the fact that I never would have picked them out myself.

I got an imp of this as a present of ChupaChup and have since ended up with a few others...I think it's a sign.

 

First sniff:

 

I smell pine and vanilla. It reminds me of Snake Oil made with pine instead of spices for some reason. I love pine and I like vanilla when it's done well (Beth always does vanilla well) so this is looking very promising. I'm a little leary of the amber because of the dreaded "sour milk effect," but this smells too good to pass up.

 

Wet on skin:

 

Mmm, sweet pine wood. I can't smell the vanilla distinctly...it's more like pine drizzled with aged vanilla oil. I can smell the amber beginning to make an appearance, too, which is wonderful as long as it doesn't turn into sour milk like it has a tendency to do on me. I love amber but amber doesn't love me back.

 

Dry down:

 

The amber is coming out strongly and mingling with the vanilla. The pine's retreated to the background now, which makes me sad since I love pine so much. But the good news is that so far I don't smell like an unplugged fridge, which makes me very happy.

 

The bottom line:

 

This is nice. I wish the pine were more prominent on me, but just the fact that I don't smell like a bottle of milk that's been left out on the counter for a week more than makes up for it.

Malediction is almost pure patchouli on me and I love it.

 

The Coiled Serpent is also good; on me it smells like pure black patchouli, but I'm pretty sure there's some frankincense or myrrh or something in there, too.

 

Anne Bonny wasn't patchouli-like at all on me, it was pure sandalwood, but it's still gorgeous.

Got an imp of this from ladymeshel.

 

First sniff:

 

Wow, this is the first BPAL scent I've tried that I can't even begin to describe. I have absolutely no idea what's in this, to tell the truth.

 

It smells...green to me, although I can't tell if it's green in an herbal way or in a woodsy way straight out of the bottle. It smells nagginly familiar in some way, but I just can't put my finger on it.

 

Wet on skin:

 

This reminds me of something...another BPAL scent, but I can't remember what it is. Hemlock, maybe? It's almost an herbal smell but somewhat soapy. Short of going through my entire imp collection, I don't know exactly what this reminds me of, but it's so familiar!

 

Dry down:

 

Almost woodsy smelling now and simultaneously herbal and almost musky smelling. I'd really love to know what's in this one because I really have no clue whatsoever. Whatever it is, I like it. A lot.

 

The bottom line:

 

Somewhere between woodsy and herbal and a complete mystery to me. It's familiar, but I can't place it. Maybe if I'd smelled more single notes I could narrow it down, but as it is I really have no clue what's in this blend. Whatever is in it, I really like it and it likes me.

 

ETA: I finally think I figured out what Peace smells like to me...lavender! I'm getting better and better at identifying lavender and that's what this smells like to me now.