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Showing results for tags 'Halloween 2015'.
Found 94 results
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Leave it to Beth to make a hyper-realistic dead leaf note. Wet this is a super strong blast of dead, crunchy with a under-layer of wet and desiccated leaves. As it dries the myrrh and vanilla come out and the leaves move to the back. Dry this is a soft myrrh vanilla with just a hint of crunchy dead leaves scattered around.
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Appalachian black apple with sweet tobacco and patchouli, orange blossom, vanilla champaca, lavender, and white honey. I couldn't stand to wait for this bottle to settle from shipping, so I gave it a test last night and I'm wearing it again now. The apple and tobacco are the stars of this show, and lavender and vanilla champaca are kind of peeking out from behind them, looking for some of the spotlight. Last night it was a little more stereotypically "masculine" than I expected, probably thanks to the tobacco, patchouli, and maybe the lavender, but it didn't put me off because I dig some masculine scents now and then. Now that it's settled overnight, it's smelling more mellow and unisex. I can detect more of the lavender today, but it's still mostly apple and tobacco. I don't notice any orange blossom or white honey for now. My 2011 bottle of Samhain is an apple pie wafting from the back of a flatbed truck on a hayride on the outskirts of a forest. Apple III is the walk to the truck on that brisk October afternoon to get to the hayride. This does remind me of the Appalachian mountains in early autumn, as I hoped it would do. I think it's a little more of a daytime scent that would be okay for work because it's not heady. It's almost a skin scent. People who are afraid of the patch shouldn't be concerned, I think.
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Bottle: very piney on first sniff On my skin is has a wonderful transformation from wet to dry that smells like the stages of a wildfire. First I get a forest scent, but then the smoke emerges with a warmth behind it. Finally I'm left with a smoldering cedar fire scent.
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Frans Francken II Burgundy and champaca resin with immortelle, leather accord, wine-soaked red fruits, rose geranium petals, red patchouli, guttering candles, and smoke. This is definitely heavy on the wine and I barely smell the patchouli. The immortelle and rose geranium make it a little soapy... I was hoping more for Lady Macbeth with some champa, but this ends up smelling more white-flower-y on me. Potentially off to swaps with ye!
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Jan de Bisschop Blackened tonka, patchouli, dragon's blood resin, and scorched oak. This is absolutely beautiful. The light sweet powdery of tonka calms the patchouli of the dragon and the oak just rounds it out beautifully. This scent is so well blended that I can't believe the notes listed. I just adore it! So, so glad I bought it.
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John William Waterhouse Vanilla-infused frankincense and clary sage with 7-year aged patchouli, jasmine sambac, honey myrtle, and oudh. I love Waterhouse's art, and The Magic Circle has long been a favorite, so I knew I needed this one! I have to say, vanilla-infused frankincense is delicious. The vanilla really softens the sharp edge that frankincense can sometimes have on my skin, yet it still retains that solemn incensey vibe that I love. The clary sage is very distinctive, as always, but is prevented from being too masculine for me by the sweetness of the jasmine sambac. I don't get a lot of my beloved aged patchouli, it seems to be laying low with the honey myrtle and oude to create a nice base. It may become more prominent with age, too. This is gorgeous. I think I need all the Pickman Hecate blends. Oy!
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Jean van der Velde II An evocation incense of frankincense, styrax, lavender buds, mastic, and white sandalwood mingled with moonflower, violet absolute, tuberose, and dark musk. I was wary of the lavender, because that notes doesn't always work well for me. It does indeed open up with a big blast of lavender, which put me a little off. After some drying down, however, the lavender subsides, and I'm getting a lot of the violet instead, overlaying the resins and the musk. Those are in the background and not too prominent. The tuberose is sweet in the background, too, but I'm not sure I'm getting any moonflower. Overall, it is a nice dark floral scent, but I will have to let it settle a bit more (this is straight out of the mail) before deciding whether I will hold onto the bottle, since the lavender is a bit too much in the beginning.
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James Gillray Wig powder, amber-perfumed leather gloves, and rose petals with a sliver of oak bark and cauldron smoke. This is a curious beast. I am definitely getting something powdery, and the way it evokes wig powder is uncanny. I can just imagine a gentleman wearing a powdered wig with this one! The leather is not sharp, but the well-worn kind, and I am only getting a very little bit of rose, so if you're worried about that note, you don't have to be. It is hard to tell whether what I'm getting is simply the powder, or the smoke as well. I don't find it too smoky at all, though. It is a very mysterious scent, and somewhat masculine, although the right kind of woman could also pull it off. I quite like it, but I'm not sure I will keep my bottle, as I wouldn't know when to wear this sort of scent.
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O brothers mine, take care! Take care! The great white witch rides out to-night. Trust not your prowess nor your strength, Your only safety lies in flight; For in her glance there is a snare, And in her smile there is a blight. The great white witch you have not seen? Then, younger brothers mine, forsooth, Like nursery children you have looked For ancient hag and snaggle-tooth; But no, not so; the witch appears In all the glowing charms of youth. Her lips are like carnations, red, Her face like new-born lilies, fair, Her eyes like ocean waters, blue, She moves with subtle grace and air, And all about her head there floats The golden glory of her hair. But though she always thus appears In form of youth and mood of mirth, Unnumbered centuries are hers, The infant planets saw her birth; The child of throbbing Life is she, Twin sister to the greedy earth. And back behind those smiling lips, And down within those laughing eyes, And underneath the soft caress Of hand and voice and purring sighs, The shadow of the panther lurks, The spirit of the vampire lies. For I have seen the great white witch, And she has led me to her lair, And I have kissed her red, red lips And cruel face so white and fair; Around me she has twined her arms, And bound me with her yellow hair. I felt those red lips burn and sear My body like a living coal; Obeyed the power of those eyes As the needle trembles to the pole; And did not care although I felt The strength go ebbing from my soul. Oh! she has seen your strong young limbs, And heard your laughter loud and gay, And in your voices she has caught The echo of a far-off day, When man was closer to the earth; And she has marked you for her prey. She feels the old Antaean strength In you, the great dynamic beat Of primal passions, and she sees In you the last besieged retreat Of love relentless, lusty, fierce, Love pain-ecstatic, cruel-sweet. O, brothers mine, take care! Take care! The great white witch rides out to-night. O, younger brothers mine, beware! Look not upon her beauty bright; For in her glance there is a snare, And in her smile there is a blight. Love pain-ecstatic, cruel-sweet: gold-flecked honey amber pulsating with red musk, patchouli coeur, bourbon vanilla, inky vetiver, pomegranate rind, myrrh, blackened violet leaf, and blood red rose petals. This is such beautiful (and unexpected for me) scent! I was not initally drawn to this scent (violet leaf and vetiver are typically enough for me to run far away). But, at will call I threw caution to the wind and tried it. A little while later, I found myself searching my notes to figure out which beautiful scent was wafting off of my left wrist. This is a dark, ripe rose, but it does not smell like rose alone. I get a dark, rich, sweet scent wafting off, yet closer to my wrists the rose becomes more noticeable. The violet is not noticeable at all, and the vetiver is only a minor player which keeps the scent from getting too sweet. On me, the red musk, honeyed amber and rose are dominant. Other notes provide depth and a darker, sexy vibe. On me, this feels like a darker sister to Eldritch Dark. They do not smell the same at all, but give me a similar, rich vibe. This is not a newly blossomed rose, but a deep red fully bloomed rose that beckons you closer.
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I am getting a soft, creamy floral from this - not sure what flower/flowers....jasmine? lily? Can't wait to see other reviews of this one.
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Michał Elwiro Andriolli Brown leather, bay leaf, tobacco leaf, lavender, and oudh. The lavender definitely jumps out at me... I think because the bay and oudh are also kind of sharp and support it? Luckily I enjoy lavender. This scent is a little different than I imagined it, more green and thicket-y and less fuzzy and brown. Despite this, I quite like it! (As a side note, apparently I have very different tastes in 'weenies than everyone else? I don't think I've ever been first before. Lots of pressure. )
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Agostino Veneziano White sandalwood, opoponax, shriveled black plum, and vetiver. Eep! I never (well, almost never) post reviews, because I'm not terribly good about picking out notes, but I feel the need to review this one! I blind bought a bottle of this, and it's turned out so much more lovely than anticipated. In the bottle it was pure sandalwood, but on my skin I feel as though all of the notes are working together to create a single and unique thing of loveliness. I can't compare this to anything else in the BPAL universe, except to say that the plum note, which is the last note standing as the scent fades (and it takes awhile--this on has moderate throw but excellent staying power on my skin) is the plum from Snake Charmer and Tarantula Fascinator. If this collection of notes works well for you I recommend you pick some up!
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Apple with white coconut, fig, and tiare. This a nice tropical Apple scent. The scent is primarily red apple, lightly sweetened with coconut and ripe fig lingering in the background. Fresh, green and sweet!
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An unfortunate electrical storm: lightning striking the tops of venerable oaks, Alpine moss tucked into dark mountain crevices, rain-drenched German chamomile and tulip, and a handful of wet, shy violets. Whoa. Like, this was totally unexpected for a Halloween update. I was thinking, beaches, pumpkins, blood, musk, yeah, Weenies! This instead is like a sprayable spring storm in the mountains. It seems light but there's a lot of complexity. Right off the bat from the nozzle it reminds me a touch of something piney, tree-like, resinous. In a way it's like Fae Forest but not nearly as lush, it's more the snap of lightning and rain spray over pine needles. The oak is not overpowering but it lends a very true forest-y feel to the spray. Moss is detectable as a roughness around the stormy rain. There's an element like Danube or Amsterdam in the moist aquatic tones. The violet is present, but it's not a violet-forward scent. They peek around, and with the moss and oak, really lend this a wild feel. I let it sit around in my bedroom for about half an hour, and it remains a complicated, airy, but extremely evocative outdoors scent. It lingers in the air like mist after tumultuous weather. Good god. I just bought four more. I haven't done that since Snow Bunny. If you love Fae Forest, Arkham, lighter versions of Black Forest, etc... you owe yourself this spray!
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Saltspray on moonlit fur with a hint of palm, white fig, and lime. Salty aquatic. I get a little blast of lime in the beginning, but it burns off quickly. The sharp saltiness mellows out as it wear on. I'm not getting a fur note, but I do like this scent for sure!
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Green apple with pink pepper, Himalayan cedar, juniper berries, and lemon rind. Although this combination seemed the least appealing of the Apple series, it's fabulous! It reminded me of the Green Apple Hair Gloss--green, sweet, and tart. Very complex, and fruity without being too foody. Very fresh and just a tad citrusy.
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Paul Mathey A debonair lavender fougere cloaked in smoky red musk, red mandarin, and oakmoss. In Bottle: Smells sharp, and mostly like musk. On Wet: Mostly smoke. It's still fairly sharp and herbal, like maybe Lavendar and Oakmoss are smouldering on a fire. It actually reminds me of Goblin Rider. On Dry: It's morphed a little. Now the Oakmoss is definitely more prominent, and the Lavendar is less apparent. The smoke is still strong with this one. And it really is similar to Goblin Rider, just more smokey, and maybe a little less woodsy.
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Henry Fuseli Mandrake root, apple blossom, dusty brown sandalwood, coconut milk, woodmusk, and soft leather. This is a contemplative scent, soft and dusty in a pleasant way. The first things I smell in the wet stage are the sandalwood and coconut milk. I love the uniqueness of this sandalwood note, which really sets itself apart form the too-dry sandalwoods and the sexy sandalwoods that often appear in Ars Amatoria and the Lupers. This one is unexpectedly comforting, like a furry blanket you've just discovered in the attic and now can't let go. There is an additional, earthier woodiness behind it, which I believe is the mandrake root, and a hint of very well-worn brown leather. The creamy coconut milk and gently floral apple blossom also wrap themselves around you like that furry blanket. It's something I would want to be wearing during a long rainy day, curled up on the sofa, oblivious to everything else except the book I'm reading.
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The only way you will be disappointed in this pencil is if you hoped it didn't actually smell like a pencil! The cedar comes through clearly, and I swear I smell the rubber eraser as well. My skin chemistry doesn't change those notes one bit. Single note simplicity here!
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A peculiar point of contention: you either love it or hate it, and however you feel, it's passionate. My source for testing was a decant. I expected this to be too boozy but I had to try it because I love pumpkin. This is pumpkin with slightly yeasty beer. It is what you would expect and doesn't morph. Yeasty notes are similar to the beer notes in Feeding the Dead but no cake or incense, just pumpkin flesh to pair with the beer. No butter or spices. I actually quite like this as it's a true to life pumpkin, raw gourd. The beer or yeasty bit reminds me somewhat of Dana OShee. Straight up pumpkin beer, yeasty, and only a bit sweet with pumpkin meat. A surprise hit.
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The spirits are done with your shenanigans and wish to depart: a poof of frankincense, myrrh, Tolu balsam, and rose. A dusty, incensy rose that is not very overpowering. It smells like a spirtualist's shop. I imagine that it is the balsam that really brings these scents together. Don't be afraid of this one if you don't like roses. I'd say this is floraly but mostly incense.
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The spirits concur: misty bourbon vanilla and lemon sugar. I was so excited that the goblins picked this one for me! The lemon is super juicy, the whole of it is nice and light. Yes, being always the right answer... I thought it would remind me of Lemon Scented Sticky Bat, but it's fresher and juicier, less candy like.
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A spectral denial you must not disregard: Burmese heartwood teak, coffee beans, black patchouli, green cognac, and white musk. Thanks to TwilightEyes for making this possible! In The Bottle: Smoky black patchouli, a bit of dark wood (not the teak from Glowing Vulva- this is blackened, rich.) and a touch of cognac. Wet On Skin: The cognac sweetens up a bit- this is the same cognac note from Black Lace and it does a lot to smooth out the rough edges of the heady, dark scent. Dry Down: Wow. This is pretty special. It's like a combination of Black Lace, deep, dark patchouli and fresh-brewed coffee as smelled whilst walking through the French Quarter. It's not sinister, but it *is* serious. In All: Medium throw with a nice, rich undertone that makes this perfect for all genders. I have a feeling this is going to get even better with age!
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Of the three dead leaf hair glosses I ordered (patchouli/honey/warm musk; white musk/vanilla), the dead leaves are most prominent in this blend, wrapped in a haze of the warmth and furry/fuzziness that I associate with red musk. The neroli gives the blend a bright, spicy bite.
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This blend has less of the dead leaf note, though it's there in the background. Copal is the strongest note with frankincense backing it up. It has that scent of like ... beach shops. It's what I remember the shops along Hilton Head, SC smelling like. Which I assume is the copal. Very woody and dry.
