MaidenGenevive

Has No Hanna

Woah, waaay strong - yuck! Blah, this is really gross to me. Really really gross. I'm going to wash it off NOW.

[ 1 - Hate ]

Chuparosa

Hot hearts candy with floral undertones. This feels like Valentine's Day, chewing on candies while sniffing flowers from your sweetheart. I'm finding this pleasant. I'm picky with florals, but quite fond of spicy notes. I'm thinking this is a winning combination for me.

[ 4 - Really Like ]

Dove's Heart

Heavy floral. Old ladies. Lavender and soap. A bit powdery with a sharpness to it. There's a pungency in the background. Blah, this smells bad to me.

[ 2 - Dislike ]

Wolfsbane

Initially, sweet dirt with a splash of rubbing alcohol. The rubbing alcohol impression becomes astringent, reminiscent of juniper. It's flipping between the astringent and rubbing alcohol, all the while flirting with juniper and dirt. There's a bit of sweetness hiding in there, that resembles baby powder.

[ 2 - Dislike ] None of these notes are doing it for me.

Sundew

Tangy, spicy soap. Lemon rinds in a sweet dessert. Citrus air freshener in a bathroom with fragrant wooden walls. Bright, sweet, and zesty. This scent is bringing up many different thoughts. Overall, I think it's kind of weird and not really my thing.

[ 3 - Like ]

Sea of Glass

A perfumey floral that's aquatic and citric. Suddenly it's reminding me of linen perfume, and that's very much a bad thing. Yup, this is a no-go for me.

[ 2 - Dislike ]

Mandrake

My initial thoughts are, this smells like dirty crayons and mineral oil. This stays wet for an eternity, so I don't really have the patience to wait for this dry down. Basically, this is quiet and somewhat comforting. It's a bit hard to describe, but my initial thoughts seem to be what are sticking most with me.

[ 3 - Like ]

Thanatopsis

Sharp juniper slightly mellowed by the musk. The pine is warm and also helps mellow juniper's astringency. At times, I notice a quiet hint of dirt. This scent was chosen in my search for the perfect tree blend, which nothing can compare to Black Forest (I think my search is over).

[ 3 - Like ]

Whitechapel

First thought, yummy lime candies. I would love it if it stayed at this stage, but citrus fades really fast on me. As it wears, the floral becomes more noticeable, but does not dominate. The notes together weave into a very clean, fresh fragrance that's on the powdery side.

[ 3 - Like ] Like most citrus notes, the beginning is fantastic, but it fades and morphs into something entirely different.

Jester

Initially deliciously fruity, then it becomes something else - I think that's the neroli that's making it morph. Now it's a waxy artificial fruit candy. Or a weirdly flavored children's medicine. Something in this is making this smell simply strange to me, which is a pity, the first whiff was fantastic.

[ 2 - Dislike ]

Al-Shairan

Sweet, spicy, and sharp. That pretty much sums it up for me. Not a keeper, though, more or less because of what just happened to me - my first BPAL accident. I was looking at the vial thinking "is that a hair floating on the bottom?" (I got this as a swap) and as I was trying to figure out if it was in the oil or on the vial, it slipped out of my hands. Big globs of amber colored oil splashed on my white teeshirt, and into my apartment's carpet under my desk. This isn't a bad smell, but in these dosages, it's not so pleasant. Hopefully I got most of it out of the carpet, so I don't have to smell it every day.

[ 2 - Dislike ]

Blood Pearl

Ooh, this reminds me of the smell of an incense that I love, and haven't burned in quite a long time. I forget what it's called, but it's beautiful. This is a sweet and delicate floral that feels feminine, innocent, and fresh. I was worried that this would smell strongly of dragon's blood, but I'm rather happy to find it doesn't.

[ 3 - Like ]

Scarecrow

Sweet and soapy with a bit of a tang. It remotely reminds me of shaving cream, but not quite. It's warm and slightly sharp. This is almost pungent; it's not pleasant.

[ 2 - Dislike ] This doesn't fit the description at all for me.

Port Royal

I expected not to like this, so I put off trying it. But it's not like what I expected. This is predominately a pleasant spice that's a bit earthen. As it wears, it also has a mild metallic tang to it.

[ 3 - Like ]

Bloodlust

In no time, I can immediately detect dragon's blood, musk, and patchouli. Dragon's blood is the strongest note in this. This is certainly unique, but I'm not really liking how the notes work together.

[ 2 - Dislike ] I have mixed feelings about dragon's blood, and in this, it takes charge. It's kind of weird (to me) with patchouli and musk.

Verdandi

This reminds me of Yankee Candle (which is a good thing). It's a complex apple that feels like Autumn. These initial stages are gorgeous. The Lab's apple, on me, is wonderful but fades extraordinarily quickly.

As it wears, the apple becomes less apple and more perfume-y. It's a fresh and bright perfume that's warm and herbal.

[ 3 - Like ] Too bad the apple doesn't stick around.

Death on a Pale Horse

The first thing I notice is patchouli and musk. It quickly warms. There's a sharpness and a coolness that is strange against the warmth. Floral notes weave amongst the background. This is complex, not easily describable. After some wear, it eventually becomes patchouli baby powder.

[ 2 - Dislike ] The first stage was okay, but not for me. The second stage is not so great.

The Red Queen

Maraschino cherries! Teamed with something else fruity, it has to be the currant. It smells rich and smooth and compliments the cherry perfectly. That could be part mahogany doing that. There's a slight bit of greenness, too. The cherries are no longer maraschino, they've more thoroughly mixed with the other notes taking on a deeper quality.

Suddenly this seems to be morphing into something mildly astringent, which is disappointing. I no longer can detect cherry or currant. This is mildly sweet and woodsy, slightly herbal. After some wear, it's reduced to being quietly astringent and a bit waxy.

[ 3 - Like ] I loved the first stage, but I'm not too happy with it's transformation.

Alecto

Initially, very woody. Woody with some quiet dirt notes. It's slightly musky and a tiny bit sweet. Dry, it's evergreen with mild astringency and a hint of sweetness. Something about this reminds me of a (clean) stable.

[ 3 - Like ]

Loup Garou

This comes off very astringent at first, which is no surprise considering the notes involved. As it dries, the astringency mellows out and what's left is the pleasant aroma of evergreen trees.

[ 3 - Like ] I adore tree scents, but not too fond of the astringent stage. Black Forest does it best.

Shoggoth

Overall, this is a heavy floral with a sweet-tart layer that feels candy-like and waxy.

[ 3 - Like ]

Tanin'iver

Cassia immediately takes center stage, which is fine by me, cassia and I are good friends. Dragon's blood tends to be really dominate on my skin, but here it's one with the other notes. All the other notes are in the background to cassia. This is spicy, sexy, and sassy.

[ 4 - Really Like ]

Dragon's Tears

This smells exactly like Dragon's Blood to me, yet there's something slightly different. I'm not sure what it is, or if it's just my imagination. I think I need to actually compare this to Dragon's Blood to recognize the difference. Okay, so they are exactly the same thing, except this one is salty - just as described. The difference is quite subtle.

[ 3 - Like ]

Cheshire Cat

In vial, sweet-tart grapefruit candy. On skin, bright, fresh; salivating. I was worried that lavender would drown out the others, but so far it's behaving. A sweet-tart floral that's layered and flirty. As it wears, the grapefruit mellows, the sweet-tartness becomes a smooth warm comfort. This is no longer flirty, it's more sensual. The Chesire Cat character is never what you expect. This is a fun string of notes to convey him.

[ 5 - Love ] Mad Tea Party has really impressed me, with Cheshire Cat, March Hare, The Dodo, and even The Caterpillar. I didn't care for White Rabbit or Drink Me, but they certainly weren't terrible. In all, it's been a fun little category full of win.

Robin Goodfellow

First impression, this is masculine. Men's deodorant. Sweet and powdery with an herbal, green feel. Quiet and warm.

[ 3 - Like ] Nice, but I don't think my husband would care about it, and it's too masculine for me.