Penance

Origin:

5mL bought on LJ.

Preconceived notions:

This one intrigues me, but it has the potential to go wrong on me. Leather is a hit or miss note for me (since I stopped wearing leather years ago, the smell of it can sometimes make me a little queasy) and metal is generally not so great on me. But labdanum is generally good (although I couldn't explain what it smells like) and myrrh is always good.

I'm more hopeful because of the reviews than I am because of the listed notes. I love patchouli and I like vetiver quite a bit, too, although I seem to be the only person I know who does, so I don't wear it as often as I'd like. It took me a while to track down Kroenen, but I had to get a bottle when the opportunity to get it cheap presented itself.

First sniff:

I smell vetiver very strongly here, but based on my experience with Priala, I'm thinking that it might just be the myrrh I'm smelling. There's apparently one kind of myrrh that smells very similar to vetiver to my nose. Kroenen is ashy, dark and slightly earthy right out of the bottle. It's right up my alley, but I can see my family being repelled by it at this point. Not that that would stop me from wearing it. It would just mean that I wouldn't wear it all the time or at family gatherings.

Wet on skin:

Strong vetiver/myrrh at first and then a metallic, almost chemical note creeps in. It's strange and oddly menacing smelling, although I can't pin down why it feels that way to me. Kroenen is truly weird at this point. It reminds me almost of Geek mixed with Bed of Nails with a dash of Tarot: Death thrown in for good measure.

Dry down:

Kroenen is a morpher. No doubt about it. As it dries, the leather slowly amps up until it's a dominant part of the scent. It's an unusual leather, too, almost oily or greasy smelling...motor oil or heavy black grease, but very faint. I also get that strange, almost chemical metal scent (I think it may be the metal combining with the leather that I'm smelling), but it's much fainter at this point. The myrrh (or vetiver) is still there, but it's hiding behind the leather, adding a strange smokiness.

The bottom line:

I like Kroenen a lot, but it's definitely a strange scent. It feels weirdly foreboding somehow, but in a good way. Very evocative, although not evocative of pleasant things (unless you're into weird, probably painful experiments and men in leather masks, which some people are). I love BPAL's offbeat, creepy scents and this definitely fits the bill. I don't think I'll be wearing Kroenen to any family gatherings, but it's earned a place in my collection for sure.

Origin:

Lagniappe from the Lab (which is awesome since it was on my list of scents to try).

Preconceived notions:

This one scares me a little. I love patchouli with a passion and I like musk (never tried indigo musk, but it sounds intriguing), plum and benzoin. The rose geranium and jasmine scare me, though. I hate florals and jasmine has been known to give me migraines. I'm really hoping this leans more toward the musk and benzoin end and away from the florals.

First sniff:

What a weird scent. I definitely smell musk, but it's not like any musk I can remember smelling before. It's soft, slightly powdery and kind of fuzzy (or maybe feathery, which would be appropriate). It's unique and I'm not sure how I feel about it just yet. I swear I'm also smelling pennyroyal (or mint; it's minty, but not like a true mint), even though it's not listed in the notes. I'm not really getting much of anything other than pennyroyal-ish musk.

Wet on skin:

Powdery, dusty, kind of fluffy musk (it really does smell kind of dark blue to me, but I think that's the power of suggestion) and even stronger pennyroyal/mint. I have no clue where that's coming from. I'm not sure what rose geranium smells like (roses?), so I guess that could be it. I don't get any rose like other people seem to be getting, which is a really good thing.

Dry down:

This was just okay during the wet and bottle stages but I really like it on the drydown. It takes a while, but The Night-Raven turns into a medium-dark musk scent with just a touch of patchouli. It's still a bit powdery, but maybe powdery isn't the right word. Fluffy, maybe? It reminds me of dusty feathers, actually, but that might be the power of suggestion.

The bottom line:

The Night-Raven is a really unique scent. I don't think I've ever smelled anything quite like it and I definitely don't own anything similar to it. I think this one might be one of those scents where skin chemistry plays a big part in how it smells, because I'm not getting the same sort of scent that other people are getting. And I'm glad about that, because rose soap would be made of fail.

Origin:

Imp from the Lab.

Preconceived notions:

I love patchouli, oakmoss and mushroom, but I'm not totally sure how I feel about fig. I'm thinking that it's one of those scents that I'm learning to love, but I've had some bad experiences with fig in the past, so I'm hoping that this isn't another fig-induced failure.

First sniff:

Definitely fig. It's a slightly earthy scent, but the main player is definitely fig. It's fruity but not fresh or juicy. It reminds me of dried figs and it actually smells really good. It's hard to tease out the oakmoss, patchouli and mushroom here since they're being overpowered by OMG FIG, but they're in there, lurking and adding a bit of depth.

Wet on skin:

This one's no morpher. I get the same deep and slightly earthy fig. It's a dark scent, very intense.

Dry down:

There's not really much to say that hasn't been said. This is exactly the same for me, from imp to drydown. And I really like it.

I think I actually may be coming to love the Lab's fig note (as long as it's combined with other notes that I like). I'm not much of a fruity scent fan, but fig really works for me. I guess it's time to stop being afraid of scents that include it.

The bottom line:

I really like this one. I was worried I was going to hate the fruitiness of the fig, but it turns out that this one's a real winner. I just ordered a bottle and I see it getting plenty of wear.

Origin:

5mL bought on LJ.

Preconceived notions:

I've been waffling on this one ever since I came back to the Land of BPAL (which is a magical place with patchouli-scented kittens and marshmallow unicorns; a lot of fun for the whole family, as long as the whole family is open-minded).

From the notes, this sounds like it could be one of those rare foody scents that I really love, although the berry cream has me worried (if it's raspberry or blackberry, I'll be happy, but something like strawberry would be bad). It's the reviews that have me the most concerned. I can't stand the smell of lemon, so if Left His Nurse is indeed heavy on the lemon, this is going to be an epic fail.

First sniff:

Chocolate cake (and milk chocolate frosting) with just a hint of cream and fruit. I couldn't tell you what kind of berry this is. It's just...berry. It smells nice, whatever it is. I don't think it's strawberry, but it's so faint that it's hard to tell. I don't smell any tea yet. I could be getting some musk, but mainly it's chocolate cake and frosting.

Wet on skin:

Lemon!

Seriously, the second Left His Nurse touches my skin I get assaulted with a full-on onslaught of lemony evil. It's not lemon poundcake (which wouldn't be so bad; I can tolerate the smell of things like lemon poppyseed and orange cake). It's just lemon. Bright, tart lemon. And it's strong. I hate it when an unlisted note that I hate pops up and ruins an otherwise good scent.

I can still smell some of the chocolate cake and frosting underneath, but it's being overwhelmed unless I sniff right up against my skin (getting a noseful of citrus in the process). If you're a citrus fan, I'm sure you'd think this was lovely. I, however, am not a citrus fan.

Dry down:

The lemon has mostly calmed down now, but I can still smell it, mixing with the chocolate cake, frosting and (finally) a small bit of black tea. The berry disappeared, never to be heard from again after its appearance in the bottle. The musk, however, is here. But I only really notice it because I know it's there. It's low key and sticks close to my skin, making this scent just a touch less foody and more grown-up.

The bottom line:

I actually like Left His Nurse quite a bit once the lemon backs down, although I'd really prefer if there wasn't any lemon at all. I may end up wearing this in a scent locket, since I don't smell the lemon until it hits my skin. But then I'll be sacrificing the musk, since I don't smell it in the bottle, either. I'll probably end up wearing this both ways. On the skin for the musk and in the locket if I'm not feeling tolerant of the citrus of doom.

Edit: Typing fail.

Origin:

5mL from occurs.

Preconceived notions:

I love incense. Any kind of incense, but especially incense that makes me think of a church or a headshop. Cypress should be fine, too. The only thing that worries me here here is the blood. I'm not a fan of the scent of blood (or of the scent of metallics, for that matter, and blood has a coppery smell). Even if it were dragon's blood, it would be iffy, since I tend to think dragon's blood smells like a cross between flowers and cherry syrup. So I'm hoping for the best, but I'm prepared for Valentine of Rome to possibly go wrong on me.

First sniff:

Clove?! No...carnation. That's all I'm smelling here and it...is...strong. There's no clove or carnation listed in the notes on this, so either I'm misinterpreting something here or it's just one of those unlisted notes that come up in BPAL scents now and then. I see that voodoocatwoman also got clove, so I guess it's not just me, although I tend to think that this is carnation (and a very strong carnation at that), that I'm smelling. It reminds me of another BPAL scent, but I can't place it just yet.

Wet on skin:

Spicy carnation. Straight up. It reminds me a bit of Clemence and a bit of my experimental blend (which smells like pure spicy carnation to me and reminds me of Lush's Potion/Ruby Red Slippers). And it's not working for me at this point. Carnation is sometimes okay, but it tends to give me a headache.

Dry down:

I'm finally getting some dry incense here, but mostly I'm still getting super strong, spicy carnation. I don't get any cypress. I don't get any blood. I get spicy florals and a bit of incense. And a headache.

The bottom line:

I was hoping this would work, but expecting it to be wrong for me in some way, but not for it to go wrong like this. Maybe my nose is broken and there's no carnation (or clove) in this, but that's virtually all I can smell. I guess Valentine will be moving onto a new home since it's not working for me. And I'll continue my search for new resin/incense blends to add to my collection.

Origin:

1/2 5mL bought on Livejournal.

Preconceived notions:

I passed the Nutcracker by when making my Christmas order because of the fig. Fig is an iffy note for me (as are pretty much all fruit notes, if they're not outright dealbreakers), but I love all things resinous and incensey, so I caved when a half bottle came up for sale. I'm really hoping that the fig is either virtually unnoticeable in this or that it ends up blending so much with the incense notes that it doesn't smell like actual fruit. I do think that this one could be a real winner, if the fig behaves itself.

First sniff:

Mmm, incense! Church incense, to be exact. It's resinous, slightly dry and slightly sweet. It reminds a little bit of Cathedral, but without the cedar note that Cathedral has to it. It's also somewhat green smelling (the galbanum, I'm sure). Almost like very fresh sap or snapped green twigs. It's a beautiful scent. Deep and dark, but also somewhat fresh smelling. Incense lovers are going to like this one a lot, I think.

Wet on skin:

Lots of frankincense and a little galbanum. It's a very dry resin blend and not sweet at all on me. This stage reminds me less of Cathedral and more of Midnight Mass. It has a similar sap-like note to it, under the dry frankincense. I still don't get any fig at this point, which is fine by me.

Dry down:

This is really nice once it's dry. Still predominately incense, dry and ever-so-slightly peppery/spicy. I do get a bit of fig at this point...or at least what I think is the fig. It's very slightly sweet, but not really fruity. Instead I just get a dark, rich, sweetness that blends nicely with the frankincense and galbanum. This makes me think of the Tarot blends for some reason. It's not a Christmas-type scent to me, really. It's deep, dark and mysterious smelling with a nice smoothness from the fig. It still makes me think of churches, but also of dimly lit occult stores, velvet curtains and incene smoke.

The bottom line:

I'm really enjoying this one and I'll almost definitely buy another bottle or two. I'm glad I gave into my BPAL-related impulsiveness. For some reason the vast majority of the spur of the moment, "never appealed to me before now" scents I buy end up being winners. Evidently, my id knows more about my taste in scents than the conscious parts of my mind do.

Origin:

5mL from Scrappy.

Preconceived notions:

This one was an impulse buy. I'd never really paid any attention to it before I saw it listed for sale and I'm more than a little worried that it's going to hate me. Everything but the star jasmine in here should (in theory, at least) work well on me, although I'm not entirely sure how much I like pink musk, since I've only tried one scent (Mlle. Lilith) with it as a note and I'm not entirely sure what it smells like. Jasmine, though, I know the smell of. And I don't like it. It's one of those headache-inducing florals I'm so averse to wearing. So I'm hoping the other notes in this overpower the jasmine, because I think Vasilissa really could be beautiful, even on a grown-up tomboy like me.

First sniff:

The very first time I sniffed this, it was straight out of a cold package and all I got was skin musk. Light, delicate, slightly powdery. And pretty. The second time I sniffed it, I'd let Vasilissa set a while to warm up and I get a lot of pink musk. I definitely recognize it from Mlle. Lilith, although I was under the impression that the fruitiness I was smelling in Mlle. Lilith was the actual fruit notes. Apparently I was wrong. This is pink musk and it's decidedly fruity. It's red musks much younger and more innocent sister.

Wet on skin:

Fruity musk. Almost bubblegum fruity, which is definitely not my style. Not at all. But I'm going to guess that it'll settle down once it dries, because red musk scents do something similar on me.

Dry down:

Much different and definitely better. I get a lot of slightly powdery skin musk and the lightest touch of amber and sandalwood, with something very, very slightly floral in the background. I don't think I'd even have pegged it as floral if I didn't know there was jasmine in this, to be honest. Vasilissa is innocent smelling, but not girlish. Instead it smells like an innocent young woman.

The bottom line:

Vasilissa is pretty, but it's not really a "me" kind of scent and I'm not sure if I'll end up wearing it much because it just somehow skews too far towards the feminine to really be something I'd wear often. I think I'll keep my bottle around for a while and see how I feel about it later. I may end up keeping it and I may not. Hard to say at this point.

I agree that Rose Red is the perfect realistic rose scent. I hate rose perfumes, but Rose Red is about as close as I could ever come to wearing one. It smells like fresh, unopened roses to me, complete with the stem.

Origin:

5mL bought on Livejournal.

Preconceived notions:

For reasons I don't quite understand, I'm a fan of milk and cream scents. And the idea of a goat's milk scent fascinates me, especially in combination with myrrh (which I love) and fig (which I'm neutral about). I think this could be really unique and really awesome. Or it could be an epic failure. It depends on just how goaty the goat's milk is, I think.

First sniff:

Mmm, I like this! It's most definitely not the standard BPAL milk or cream note. It's not sweet. It's very strong, slightly musky and a bit on the pungent side. It's also very realistic. Scents that remind me of farms are happy scents for me and Nonae Caprotina reminds me of a farm, only without the manure and other unpleasant smells. I don't get anything other than goat's milk, straight out of the bottle. No fig, no myrrh. Just milk.

Wet on skin:

Definitely a scent to apply with a light hand. I dabbed this on from the cap and that little dot was plenty strong. Wet on my skin, it's the same as the bottle. Rich, heavy goat's milk. It has a very unique smell to it that's a bit hard to describe if you've never smelled it before. The best I can do to describe it is to say that it's like milk with added butter that's starting to smell just a little bit sour, mixed with some musk. But in a good way.

Dry down:

I never do get anything but milk from this, which is just a little bit disappointing (I would have loved to have gotten some myrrh and even some fig from this), but in spite of that, I really like this and it works. It's one of the simplest BPAL scents I've come across but it's utterly unique. Definitely not something you're going to find from a mainstream perfume company.

Wearing this scent makes me feel like a freshly-scrubbed, freckle-cheeked farm girl out milking the goats (again, without the manure smell that tends to go along with that). It's a comforting scent, although not in the traditional sense.

The bottom line:

I think Nonae Caprotina may be one of those love it or hate it scents, because I can definitely see where my love could be someone else's hate. It's an intense scent and an unusual one, but it really works for me. I don't think I'll need more than one bottle because a little goes a long way, but I'll definitely be getting plenty of use out of it.

Origin:

2 5mL's bought on Livejournal (totally impulsive unsniffed scent purchase the first time and then "What if I love it and don't see another reasonably priced bottle?!" the second time...before even trying the first one).

Preconceived notions:

I have to admit that this didn't really sound that appealing to me until I read the reviews and, even having read them, I'm still unsure about whether The Elephantine Colossus will be a win or fail for me. I really, really like red musk but while I love to drink rootbeer, I don't really want to smell like it. I have no clue what pipeweed is, even after looking it up on teh interwebz (all I got was Lord of the Ring references). The "whiff of sweets" could be promising if it smells like Midway, which some reviews seem to suggest that it does.

First sniff:

Red musk. That's about it. I find that fresh red musk tends to overwhelm most other things for me, at least if it's a major component. If I sniff hard, I do get sweetness here, but I couldn't tell you what the sweetness is. Honestly, it smells kind of like The Soldier in the bottle (at least at this young age; I think that with some aging they'll smell vastly different.)

Wet on skin:

Interesting. At first EC is all red musk (kind of fruity, sweet and sensual but almost childish in some ways), but then I get hit with red musk, buttered popcorn with a touch of salt and something sweet that could be rootbeer. If I didn't know this had rootbeer in it, I doubt I'd be able to pin it down, though. It's just a sort of indefinable sweetness with just a touch of something vaguely spicy. I could do without the buttered popcorn (I really don't want to smell like a movie theater), but other than that, this is nice.

Dry down:

Still predominately red musk, but backed with a Midway-type mishmosh of carnival treats. It doesn't smell like any one carnival food in particular. More like if you took a walk down the concession stand line and smelled a little bit of everything. Popcorn, funnel cakes, rootbeer (the really good kind they serve at rootbeer stands, not the cheap, mass-produced stuff), cotton candy, maybe even caramel or candy apples (although I don't smell the apple part, just the sugary sweetness). I have no idea if I'm smelling any pipeweed, since I have no clue what it smells like, but I don't get anything smoky, tobacco-ish or plant-like, so I'm guessing I'm not smelling it. Unless it doesn't smell like any of those things.

The bottom line:

I really like The Elephantine Colossus right now, but I think I'm going to really love it once it's aged and the red musk has had a chance to mature. If you like Snake Oil or Smut and Midway or CD023, then The Elephantine Colossus is almost definitely going to be a winner for you, too.

Origin:

5mL from paperrose.

Preconceived notions:

This is one of those blends that sounds custom made just for me. Every single note in this screams my name. I love incense. I love deep, dark woods like mahogany and ebony. And I love pipe smoke. On the other hand, I haven't had the best luck possible with the Dogs Playing Poker series for some reason. There seems to be something ever-so-slightly "off" in all the ones I've tried that keeps them from being phenomenal on me. I have extremely high hopes for Riding the Goat, though. Fingers crossed!

First sniff:

Okay, so I first opened this when it arrived in the mail and figured it needed to rest, because it didn't smell like I expected. Not at all, although it didn't smell bad. So I set it aside for a week or so to recover from its (no doubt traumatic) journey through the postal system. It helped, but not as much as I'd like. Instead of the rich, deep wood, incense and pipe smoke I expected, I get...powder. A lot of powder. It could be a particularly strong musk, because my nose interprets some musks that way, but there's no musk listed in the ingredients. But (as I've mentioned a million times) I don't give up on a scent just because it smells off in the bottle. Onto the skin it goes!

Wet on skin:

Slightly better, but I'm still getting predominately powder. A really strong powder. It's musky, too, but not animal musky...more like old lady's dusting powder musky. I don't smell any wood in here, no incense and no pipe smoke. And I'm so completely confused because apparently I'm the only one getting this sort of scent from Riding the Goat. Is my nose broken? Is my brain?

Dry down:

Again, a little better. I get the lightest touch of dark wood now, but still no incense and no pipe smoke. All I can think is that there's some sort of very strong musk in here that's not listed in the notes and that that's all I can smell. It's very powdery. This is seriously heartbreaking for me. I lusted after Riding the Goat to the point of madness and I love, love, love the artwork. But apparently we just weren't meant to be.

The bottom line:

I wanted to love this. Oh, how I wanted to love this. And I thought maybe it would turn out alright when it was new and I could almost convince myself that I liked it even though it wasn't what I was imagining. But it's not alright. My bottle found a new home with someone who can hopefully love it more than I did.

Origin:

5mL bought on LJ.

Preconceived notions:

This is one of those scents that's flown under my radar for...well, forever, practically. The artwork is awesome (and made me want it just for that) and all but one note (bitter clove) is absolutely perfect for me. Patchouli, musk and mahogany? Sign me up! But I'm afraid of the clove. To be more exact, I'm afraid of the fact that it says bitter clove. I love clove, but I hate anything bitter smelling. My only other experience with bitter clove (as far as I can remember), was with Dracul, which I liked except for the weird bitter undertone, which had to have been the clove.

So I'm hopeful, but not too hopeful about The Smiling Spider. It could be a dream come true or it could be a dream crusher, and it all hinges on the clove and just how bitter it is.

First sniff:

Why did I wait so long to try this?! It smells wonderful! Not bitter at all at this point. I get clove (it's definitely different than the Lab's sweet clove note, which I'm very familiar with since I own a bottle of the single note) and it's definitely not sweet, but it's not really bitter, either. Dry might be a better term for it. It smells dry the way dry incense does. Kind of hard to describe. Although the clove is by far the strongest note out of the gate, I do smell some deep, dark musky, musty wood (the patchouli and mahogany combining). If I didn't have the notes, I think I would say that this is clove (not sweet clove, though) with something deep and musty in the background.

It is fairly similar to clove cigarettes as others have noted, but not as dead on identical as Velvet Bandito is. The Smiling Spider lacks the sweetness and slight cinnamon scent I get from clove cigarettes.

Wet on skin:

True to the bottle scent for a few minutes and then it suddenly becomes noticeably bitter, but only if my nose is close to the oil. From further away, it still smells like it did in the bottle. This stage makes me nervous, but as long as it smells good at a normal smelling distance (my perfume doesn't generally get smelled from an inch away by anyone other than me, snuffling myself unashamedly).

Dry down:

Oh, so good! Once the wet stage passes, the bitterness goes with it and the mahogany, patchouli and musk finally make an appearance. At this point, it's still predominately spicy, but it's got a really nice, deep musky/woody mustiness to it. It's a dark, mysterious scent and it's delicious. This immediately jumped to the top of my "favorite Salon scents" list thanks to this gorgeous drydown.

The bottom line:

Love this! The wet stage is a little touch and go, but once it dries down, it's glorious. If you love dark and spicy, non-foody scents, then this is right up your alley.

As a side note, it also smells pretty similar to the Goblin of Yuletide Yet to Come atmo spray from a couple years back, even though the only note they share is clove. They both come off as a spicy, musky dark wood scent to my nose and, while they're not identical, they're close relatives. And that makes me super happy since I love Yuletide Yet to Come and always wish I could wear it as perfume when I'm spritzing my bedroom with it.

So....I may be crazy, but The Goblin of Yuletide Yet to Come and The Smiling Spider are similar to my nose. I couldn't figure out what The Smiling Spider reminded me of until I spritzed my bed with Yet to Come while wearing it. They're not identical, but they're similar.

That makes me happy. Very, very happy. Because I love Yet to Come and would love to wear it as a perfume. Now I can wear The Smiling Spider and be happy.

Strangely enough, the only note they have in common is clove. I guess the patchouli and mahogany in The Smiling Spider are mimicking the incense notes in TGOYYTC, or the other way around, I guess. Mainly, I get rich, woody clove from both.

Origin:

Decant from dangerinred.

Preconceived notions:

I've tried the released version of MB: Underbed and thought it was nice enough but not amazing. Closet stole the show there. Underbed just doesn't wow me. But when I saw it mentioned that the proto version smells like coffee cake (or snickerdoodles), I had to have it. Even when I'd never get within 10 feet of a foody scent, I loved the smell of a very select few foody smells and coffee cake was one of them. God, I love the smell of it...it's making me hungry just thinking about it...

Anyway, back to what I was saying. If Underbed v1 really does smell like coffee cake, it'll be a show stopper, I'm sure of it. Snickerdoodles are good, too, but I could take them or leave them when it comes to smelling like them. And I know, there's not a lot of difference between the two, but to me it makes all the difference in the world. Strange as that is.

First sniff:

Coffee cake! The kind with lots of cinnamon brown sugar crumbly topping on it. Which is the only kind of coffee cake I like. This smells soooo good. It's similar in some ways to Bedbug, but where Bedbug is more of a cookie scent, MB: Underbed is clearly a dense coffee cake/pastry scent to my nose. Plus, Bedbug has a bit of a citrusy zing to it from the ginger that's lacking here.

I don't remember the released version of Underbed smelling anything like this, so it would seem that there were some significant changes between v1 and the release. I could be wrong, though, because the last time I tried it was around the time they came out and that was years ago.

Wet on skin:

I get a big blast of cinnamon and other baking spices as soon as this hits my skin and it starts smelling more like snickerdoodles. It's a very spicy scent when it's wet on my skin. In fact, it's almost all spice, with just a little (vanilla) cake or cookie in the background (it's hard to say, considering the fact that the spices are doing everything in their power to completely overwhelm it). I still like it at this point, but I'm hoping that the coffee cake scent comes back.

Dry down:

And...it's back! This smells like a combination of those little cinnamon crumb cakes that you get in vending machines combined with cinnamon struesel coffee cake. In fact, it makes me think that Aunt Jemima and Little Debbie somehow managed to get together and have a (delicious, delicious) baby in spite of their both being female (and inanimate and therefore unable to bear cinnamon-scented children, at least not without the miracles of modern science and/or a new, and probably pretty strange, ad campaign). It's just a little buttery, nice and spicy cinnamony sugary and cakey, all at the same time. And it smells awesome.

The bottom line:

I don't wear foody scents every day. Not even close. But when I do feel like wearing one, this is the kind of foody scent that I want to wear. Anything that makes me want to eat my own arm wins my foody stamp of approval.

Now if this weren't so hard to track down, I'd be in self-cannibalism-inducing foody scent heaven.

ETA: I don't get any cocoa at all from this, so I'm not sure if it's just my nose or a skin chemistry thing. Pure coffee cake, baby, no chocolate in sight!

I tend to think that redness without little welts or itching is a sensitivity and not a full blown allergy but of course, I have absolutely no medical training There are a couple of other spices in addition to cinnamon that can make me a little red - cassia, cardamom and pepper notes are the ones that come to mind (Alone and Red Phoenix both gave me a little bit of that redness w/o itchiness or welts and I think they both have cardamom). I've also gotten that redness sometimes if I'm testing something too soon after a shower or if I inadvertently get more active than I thought I'd be. So a lot of the time I avoid my spicier scents in warmer weather just because of that. It could also be the variety of cinnamon vs. the variety in the oils that you haven't reacted to. So many fun factors to consider

 

If you decide to skin-test it again, try the back of your hand where the skin is less sensitive than the inner arms (if you didn't the first time) and apply some unscented lotion beforehand, too. Sometimes it seems like my dry winter skin is more sensitive & soaks stuff up if I don't stay on top of keeping it moisturized.

 

(What's funny is, I have a gorgeous Trading Post locket and I have found that I hardly ever wear it. When I have the experience of something not working on me even though it's beautiful in the bottle, or making my skin irritated, I tell myself "Oh! Scent locket!" But I have so much stuff that doesn't have those issues - and I think that I enjoy applying and wearing my BPAL so much that those high-maintenance blends end up falling by the wayside.)

Thanks for the input!

I figured it's just a sensitivity since it's not more severe. Hopefully it doesn't progress into something worse with repeated exposures, but I doubt it will. I'm not sensitive to cassia, cardamom or pepper AFAIK since I have scents with all of them that don't bother me. It's very strange. And I tested on the back of my hand the first time around. I guess it's just going to be a mystery. Not that big of a deal since it's only a minor annoyance.

I'm exactly the same way with my scent lockets! I could have made that post!

Origin:

Testable empty from paperrose.

Preconceived notions:

I never really thought to try this one before paperrose so generously offered me her (not quite) empty. It sounds interesting and if it weren't for the "prostitute's perfume," I'd probably have sought this one out a while ago. I've got nothing against prostitute's, it's the perfume part that worries me. Anything described as perfumey or cologney is generally bad for me. But the rest of it sounds good. I love anything that makes me think of pirates.

First sniff:

Whoa, perfume! It's hard to describe exactly what Port Royal smells like in the bottle, other than "perfumey." I'm definitely getting the salt air and a bit of wood, too, but the main scent here is sharp, heady and floral smelling. I don't judge a BPAL scent based on its smell in the bottle, though. I've learned that you miss some really great scents that way (and get your heart broken by some that turn out not so hot on you, too, but that's not the point).

Wet on skin:

Port Royal goes through a stage lasting about...oh, ten seconds, where it smells amazingly similar to Anne Bonny (it smells very much like red sandalwood, which in turn smells a lot like cedar to me) and makes me happy before taking a turn towards salt air and perfume again. This one seems to change in waves, which is appropriate, I suppose.

Dry down:

This is actually pretty nice, although there's still a floral, perfumey undertone that's keeping me from really getting into this. I smell the wood, I smell some aquatics (the salty, oceanic variety), I smell a bit of spice and sweetness from the spiced rum (although the rum itself is pretty subtle) and then there's the perfume. It blends in very well with the rest of the scent, but I can tell it's there, especially since it's giving me a little bit of a headache (like a lot of florals and perfumey scents do).

The bottom line:

I can see why someone else who likes florals and/or perfumey scents would really like this, though. It's unique for sure and it's evocative. It's also not for me.

Origin:

1/2 decant frimped to me.

Preconceived notions:

Most of the notes here are favorites of mine, but there are some questionable ones. I adore patchouli (but honey is iffy), red musk, red sandalwood, cedar and smoky vanilla. I usually like balsam, ginger, pepper and leather. Bitter clove I'm not sure if I've encountered before. I have a bottle of The Smiling Spider coming, but I can't think of any other BPAL blend with bitter clove that I've tried. The florals are the most likely to trip me up, but I'm hoping that the rest of the notes here will overwhelm them...or maybe not since this was just discontinued and I'll have a very hard time finding a reasonably priced bottle if I end up loving this.

First sniff:

What the hell? Almond? Seriously? There's no almond listed here! I don't think it actually is almond, because I'm not feeling nauseous yet. Maybe it's the bitter clove? That's the only thing in here that I can think of that I'm not sure what it smells like (well, other than the florals, but I assume they smell like flowers). Either it's the clove or it's some combo of the other notes masquerading as almond. I'm really hoping it's not the clove because that means that The Smiling Spider will most likely be an epic fail on me, too, and I really want to love it for the other notes and for the awesome label. But anyway, back to VILF...

I get a vague impression of wood and honey behind the (pseudo?) almond, but they're faint at best.

Wet on skin:

Almond. Still almond. I wish I knew where it was coming from, because I don't like the smell of almond, even ignoring its gag-inducing effect on me.

Dry down:

I feel like a broken record. As it starts to dry, VILF smells like almond on me. VILF smells like almond to me. Granted, I despise that nutty evil so much that anything that smells even a little like it gets my hackles up, so I may just be responding to that. I don't feel like I'm even smelling the same scent that everyone else is.

Once it's had a chance to dry for a longer amount of time, I start to get wood (cedar more than pine, but not really "pencil shavings" cedar, more like old, dusty cedar planks), a bit of muskiness and earthiness and some sweetness. Now that the (faux) almondy evil has died down, it smells more like what I anticipated. Oddly enough, I'm still not loving it, in spite of the notes I'm smelling being good ones for me. It's not bad, it's just not OMG amazing.

The bottom line:

The drydown on this is nice enough (I definitely like it once it's finally dried and lost that weird almond scent), but it's not a scent that I have to have more of, which is good because I don't need any more discontinued scents on my "must have" list.

Origin:

5mL from the Lab. I had a decant of the original LE version of this a long time ago, but apparently I never reviewed it and I've got no idea what happened to it, so I'll be reviewing based on my GC bottle.

Preconceived notions:

This is going to be based on my thoughts before I'd tried the LE version, since my expectations for my GC bottle are based on my experiences with the LE Misk U. I think that's the most accurate way to do this.

First off, I need to say that I hate coffee. I can't stand the smell of it and I don't like the taste, either. I generally avoid coffee scents like the plague, but I'd tried every other scent from the Springtime in Arkham line and wanted to complete the set, so I tracked down a decant. While I hate the smell of coffee, I do like the smell of Irish cream (I assumed, at the time, that this would be that sort of Irish coffee, rather than the type made with whiskey) and I love wood and old books. So I had some faint glimmer of hope that it would work.

First sniff:

(Based on the GC version)

This is just like I remember the LE version being. Strong, sweet, almost caramel-like Irish cream (I can see where someone might get caramel corn from this, but it would have to be the heavy, almost butter toffee kind of caramel corn). That's it. No coffee, no books, no wood. Just Irish cream. And strong Irish cream at that.

Wet on skin:

Wet on my skin, Misk U smells almost like butterscotch on me. It has a strong, buttery, caramelly scent to it that really puts me more in mind of butterscotch flavored coffee creamer than Irish cream. It's very strong and too sweet for my tastes at this point.

Dry down:

As Misk U dries, the butterscotch note slowly disappears and I'm left with a rich Irish cream scent. If you've smelled Bailey's, then you know what this smells like. It's creamy and very slightly caramel-like. I don't really get coffee so much as I get something kind of like coffee flavored ice cream mixed with Bailey's. I don't really get much, if any, wood and no old books (I think they're being drowned out by the Irish cream), which is a bit disappointing since I would really love this if they made an appearance.

The bottom line:

I like Miskatonic University. It's definitely not my usual sort of scent and not something I would wear every day but I'm glad I have a bottle and it'll be a good choice for chilly days when I feel like wearing something cozy smelling. I think I would genuinely love this if I got the wood and old books, but I'm happy enough with Misk U as is.

Origin:

Partial 5mL bought on LiveJournal.

Preconceived notions:

I love boozy scents (with the exception of wine and gin-based ones), although I'm not really much of a drinker. I honestly didn't know what whiskey smelled like when I bought this, but it turns out that I should be familiar with the scent, since bourbon is a type of whiskey (I thought that that was the case, but wasn't sure if there was a distinct difference in scent between the two) and I'm very fond of bourbon scents.

I have to admit that I'm a little intimidated by Mad Sweeney, though, based on the reviews. It's making me a little nervous about the first sniff (and worried about whether even tracking this one down was a bad idea).

First sniff:

Definitely boozy, but I don't get the "singe your nosehairs" effect that other people seem to be getting. Either my nose isn't as sensitive to booze notes (which is possible) or my bottle has aged a bit and lost some of its harshness? I don't know how old mine is, so that's just conjecture. Opening the cap is a bit like opening a bottle of liquor. You get that whoosh of alcohol scent and then it settles down just a bit.

What I'm getting here is a fairly smooth, but definitely alcoholic, booze scent with just a bit of wood underneath. Weirdly enough, it makes me think "pirate ship," even though I normally associate rum with pirates, rather than whiskey.

Wet on skin:

Basically the same as in the bottle. It smells like I spilled someone's drink (neat whiskey, evidently, since this is strong and not at all watered down) on myself, but with a touch of wood added in. I like this, but I think I'm going to like it better on the drydown, because that's the way it generally goes with booze scents (for me).

Dry down:

Oh, this smells good! Liquor scents do this on me. They smell somewhat harsh and very alcoholic when they first hit my skin and then they settle down into something smoother and richer. At least they do most of the time, and Mad Sweeney's not an exception. Once it dries, I get a super smooth, slightly smoky, vaguely sweet and spicy booze scent with a background of aged wood. It's a very grown-up scent. Yes, liquor scents should smell "grown up," but there are liquor scents that smell mature (even sophisticated) and then there are ones that smell like a frat party. This is the mature variety. No keg stands involved.

Honestly, I don't think that I would believe a person wearing Mad Sweeney had been drinking. It smells more like a room where people have been drinking, rather than the liquor itself (or the drinkers themselves). At least to me.

The bottom line:

I really, really like Mad Sweeney. A lot. This is another good winter-time, "curl up in front of the fire" scent for me, although it's not really a seasonal scent. I'm going to have to get another bottle or two (since I am the BPAL backup bottle queen.)

ETA: Looks like I have similar skin chemistry to ellebelle's boyfriend. It's definitely a "sexy, smoky sweet scent" on me.

I doubt anyone can answer this, but on the off chance that anyone has input, I'd love to hear it.

I'm apparently either allergic or sensitive to something in Miskatonic University v3. The area where I applied it is red and the blotch is the exact size and shape of the dab of oil I applied. It's not puffy or itchy. It's not hives. It's just red.

Cinnamon would be the obvious answer, I know, but I wear cinnamon scents pretty regularly without a reaction (Three Witches is fine, for example) although I do have sensitive skin.

It can't be any of the notes it shares with the released version of Misk U, because that one doesn't cause any reaction at all. So there has to be something in the proto version that's not in the released version (other than cinnamon) that's causing a reaction.

I'm just curious what it is that I'm reacting to, because it would be good information to have in the future. It's not going to stop me from wearing Misk U v3 since I love the scent and it's not causing me any discomfort (I don't think it's going to progress into something nastier with further exposure, but if it does, I'll have to wear it in a scent locket), but I'd still like to have some idea so I could tuck it away for future reference.

Maybe I should email the Lab and see if they have any input, but I wanted to ask here first since I know they have to be swamped with Christmas orders and I don't want to add to their workload if I don't need to.

ETA: And I know that there aren't any notes listed for protos, so it's going to be that much harder to pin down, if not impossible without the Lab's help, but I wanted to give it a shot here before I asked them in case anyone has any idea.

Origin:

Partial 5mL from gothicangel18.

Preconceived notions:

I hate coffee. Hate the smell of it. Hate the taste of it. But I happen to like the released version of Misk U (which was a shock when I first tried it since I was expecting it to be an instant "OMG get it away from me!" scent. Plus, the idea of a cinnamon toast scented perfume appeals to the selective foody lover in me, so I had to give this a shot. Honestly, I'm expecting this to not work if the coffee note is noticeable (I can't really smell cofee in the released version, just Irish cream and a bit of wood).

First sniff:

Yay for happy surprises! I smell cinnamon sugar toast with just a bit of rich coffee bean backing it up (it's not brewed coffee to my nose, it's more like whole coffee beans). What's strange is that while I know this is coffee, it doesn't really announce itself that way to my nose. Instead I get more of an impression of a deep brown scent lurking in the background. It's hard to describe, but really, really pretty and cozy smelling.

Wet on skin:

Still predominately cinnamon sugar toast. The "not-quite-coffee" scent is even less noticeable on me than it was in the bottle, which is welcome, although I would have loved it even if it hadn't toned down. This smells so good!

Dry down:

The coffee comes back out again as the oil dries and I'm left with a really warm and cozy coffee (rich and dark and not bitter at all) and cinnamon toast scent. It's a little sweet and nicely spicy. I love this.

I have to be allergic (or at least sensitive) to something in this because the area where I applied the oil is red (it's not hives and I'm not itchy, it's just red and in the perfect shape of the little smear of oil I applied). I don't think it's the cinnamon because I wear a lot of cinnamon scents without a problem. And it can't be any notes that it shares with the released version, because I don't get the same reaction from it. I have no idea what it is. Truthfully, though, it's not enough to stop me from wearing this because it's not painful or uncomfortable. No harm, no foul.

The bottom line:

Even though I'm apparently allergic to Misk U v3, I'm definitely keeping my bottle. It smells fantastic and I'm willing to put up with some redness if it means smelling this good. I'll just have to remember not to apply it to my neck (I don't mind my wrists being blotchy red, but I don't really want to go around with my neck that way, too).

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

 

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

That's really entertaining to me - I have the exact opposite experience. For me, Cathedral is a very sharp cedar while Altar, funnily enough, is almost all frankincense on me and is milder, sweeter, and spicier. Honestly, if I had gotten both from the same person instead of one off the forum and one off the Lab, I would have said I'd had my labels switched on my based on their descriptions. Skin chemistry is a funny thing!

Weird! Skin chemistry is definitely a funny thing. It's amazing how different things smell on people.

Origin:

Half decant frimped to me on LJ.

Preconceived notions:

This could be one of the rare foody scents that really, really works on me. Or it could be utter failure. Sugary scents always walk that fine line for me. I do love the smell of sassafras (although I don't always enjoy smelling like[ it) and love clove. Brown sugar is wonderful as long as it doesn't turn to caramel. Plum is hit or miss. Sometimes I really, really love it and sometimes it smells like fruit punch. We'll see how this one turns out.

First sniff:

Spicy brown sugar! I agree that this smells like cookies. Specifically like a mix of oatmeal cookies, molasses cookies and snickerdoodles (to me, anyway). It's sweet and spicy and smells like a bakery, but it's not cloying. It is a bit "holiday candle"-like, too, I have to agree. But somehow it works and I like it.

Wet on skin:

No change from in the imp. I smell like cookies. Spicebush Swallowtail has a strong throw, even by my standards (I like scents that I can smell without holding my wrists under my nose). I dabbed a little on from my decant and I can smell it on my arm as I'm typing, which is pretty unusual considering that I only put on a thin layer over a small patch of skin.

The clove is definitely the Lab's sweet clove note (I have the single note, so I recognize it immediately). The brown sugar is sweet and sugary and just a little bit molasses-like. Definitely not caramel. Not by a long shot. This smells like oatmeal cookies on me at this point. Normally, I'm not crazy about smelling like cookies, but I think I like this.

Dry down:

Brown sugar and clove (the clove sort of ebbs and flows as the drydown goes on; it never disappears and is always noticeable, but sometimes it seems to spike) with just a bit of sassafras (I smell a bit like rootbeer and oatmeal cookies now). The plum never does show up at all, which is perfectly fine by me. Definitely a sweet scent, but it's not really cloying. It's bordering on the too sweet range for me (much less sweet than something like, say, Sugar Skull, but it's still quite sugary in that unique brown sugar way), but doesn't go over the edge.

The bottom line:

I don't see myself wearing this all that often, but I do like it. I ended up getting a bottle when one came up cheap and I'm happy with that decision. I probably won't put a serious dent in it and may not keep it super long term (years), but it'll get some wear and it'll be nice to have when I'm in the mood for something spicy and cookie-like.

This is definitely a winter/fall scent. Normally I don't wear scents according to the season, other than reaching for my autumnal scents more often than usual in autumn, just because it's my favorite season and I like celebrating it, but this doesn't feel like a spring or summer scent. I think it would be too much to wear in the heat. It smells more like a snuggle up in a warm blanket scent to me.

Origin:

5mL from Dark Delicacies.

Preconceived notions:

Everything in here with the exception of the mandarin is great for me. I'm a huge fan of dark scents. I love patchouli and frankincense and I like vetiver, musk, tonka and opium, especially opium smoke. I'm expecting something dark and brooding and probably smoky.

First sniff:

This has a certain sharpness to it in the bottle, that I'm guessing is the opium tar. I can also smell the vetiver and musk loud and clear. This is, indeed, a dark scent. It's mysterious and not at all nice smelling (and by that I don't mean that it stinks; I mean it has that sinister air about it that some BPAL scents have). This is probably going to be a winner as long as the sharpness disappears on my skin.

Wet on skin:

Initially, this is all vetiver, musk and opium tar. It's a smoky, deep purple/charcoal/black scent. It makes me think of dusty, dark velvet curtains and mysterious figures in black. I really like that mental image. Although I'm not a dark person (I'm actually very cheerful most of the time), I tend to love dark scents, stories, locations...you get the idea. I like this, although it's definitely a commanding scent and not something that would be appealing to everyone at this point.

Dry down:

This is a surprising scent. It goes from very heavy and musky to something similar in feel, but different in smell. As Silas Ruthyn dries, I get more and more opium smoke (which smells incredible, by the way, smoky and slightly sweet), frankincense, a bit of earthy mustiness from the patchouli and a haze of sweet, almost vanilla from the tonka. This smells like an old Victorian mansion to me. But not the dried flower arrangements and tea in the parlor type of Victorian mansion. This is a dark, dusty, not quite abandoned one (lived in by a seldom seen but often smelled opium smoker, who probably has a penchant for velvet smoking jackets) with heavy velvet drapes, crumbling tapestries and an air of not-quite-rightness about it.

The bottom line:

It's a very rich, evocative, dark scent but not as heavy as a lot of similar scents are. This is actually what I envisioned from Romanti.Goth, but while Romanti.Goth was a complete failure for me (powder, powder and more powder), Silas Ruthyn is a winner. It's gender neutral to my nose, but I can see it being pegged as being on the feminine side of gender neutral on the drydown (in spite of it being named after a man). Personally, I think it would smell wonderful on a man.

Origin:

Bottle from the Trading Post.

Preconceived notions:

I've wanted to try this one since I first laid eyes on the description. I like or love every note listed here. I'm especially crazy for patchouli, mahogany, teak, cigar smoke and Spanish moss. But bourbon vanilla, tonka and cardamom are more than welcome in my scents any day. This is one of my most coveted atmo sprays, so I'm really hoping this lives up to the hype (both mine and other people's). I mean, who wouldn't want their house to smell like a high class whorehouse?

Sniffing from the bottle:

Sweet! I wasn't expecting quite so much vanilla on first sniff. I'm also getting some tonka. The woods and cigar smoke are definitely here, lending a dark, sophisticated background to the sweetness. I don't get any moss at this point. I like the smell of Mahogany Hall in the bottle, but I'm hoping the wood and cigar smoke come out more once I actually spray this, since I don't love it at this point.

Spritzed:

That's more like it. I still get plenty of rich bourbon vanilla (it's not candy vanilla, it's rich and sensual and entirely appropriate to the scent), but the deep, dark wood comes through loud and clear now. It's smooth, well-worn wood; very dark. It lends a nice depth and darkness to the vanilla. I also get a touch of aromatic cigar smoke, but it's light. I wouldn't call this a smoky scent by any means. The cigar smoke adds more of a tobacco smell to it, like a cigar shop (not at all like an ashtray).

The bottom line:

I really like this. It's definitely lived up to my expectations, although I was expecting a little less sweetness. This is a perfect bedroom scent. Rich and sensual. If this were a perfume, I'd slather myself in it and feel sexy (and not at all prostitute-like).