BPAL Reviews: Ladies of the Grindhouse
First things first: thank you a thousand times for your beautiful and supportive comments last night. You have no idea how much you helped me, and I was very moved by your words. I really am fortunate to have such wonderful friends. ~hugs flist~
For the record? After mulling it a bit, I got dressed up, did my hair, put on some BPAL and went to the concert anyway. It was fantastic. (Full write-up to come later.) Afterward, I stopped at a diner and had a cheeseburger, just because. And it was good. :D
Anyway, I did promise to post more BPAL reviews, and I'm very, very behind on that. To get a start on it, I'm posting what I have on the Ladies of the Grindhouse, from the Carnaval Diabolique. For those who are interested, the scents in question are Agrat-Bat-Mahlaht, Ashlultum, Cytherea, Gwyneth, Inez and Marcilla
Agrat-Bat-Mahlaht
Amber, cream accord, white honey, apple blossom, skin musk, caramel, and teak.
In the bottle: Caramel apple! It's a perfect, crisp and juicy apple note, just slightly floral, paired with the combination of caramel and cream accord, which smells like luscious caramel. Otherwise, this one is a bit difficult to pick apart at first-very smooth and well blended. It smells somehow both delicate and sexy. And delicious.
On, wet: Apple musk. Sweet, sexy apple musk and honey-but a light honey, not at all heavy or thick. The caramel is less overt now, just adding some richness, and the amber is beginning to warm up. The teak is barely detectable right now, but it's a nice, stable base for the fragrance. This is just sweet, golden, apple-y goodness.
On, dry: Creamy, honeyed apples. The honey is just right; it really enhances the floral character of the apple note, and it's surprisingly light and beautiful. The amber adds a touch of warmth, the caramel is very subtle but rich, and the teak just adds some darkness and weight-really nice balance with some of the lighter notes, and amazingly smooth. The skin musk just adds some glow and sexiness. This is relatively close to the skin (because of skin musk), but I'm still getting surprisingly good throw on it. Very, very nice, and not particularly foody now.
Later: Skin musk, teak and amber, with a whisper of honey and apple. Warm and very sensual, more woody-sweet. It's a skin scent now, and… uh. Yeah, did I mention the sexy? Because it's sexy.
Overall: This is so warm and pretty and sweet and yet naughty! Honey plus skin musk is always instant win, but everything else blends together so seamlessly here; even with all the strong elements, none of them dominates the others. There's creaminess, woodiness, muskiness, fruitiness, sweetness that somehow manages not to be total foodyness, and a great balance between light elements (apple blossom, white honey, cream) and dark elements (caramel, teak) that makes the whole thing sing. The teak is especially fantastic, because it's just mellow and deep and smooth, not at all dry or sharp.
Ashlultum
Babylonian musk, vanilla tea, tonka, tobacco, coconut, hyssop, and lilac.
In the bottle: Coconut! It's a more sugary coconut than I've smelled in other coconut blends, and it makes me think of delicious macaroons. Beyond that, I get distinct fresh lilac, some smooth vanilla tea mixed with the musk and just a nice, herbal twinge from the hyssop. Tonka and tobacco aren't apparent. It's a sweet, slightly foody floral, but that foody aspect is paired with some nice, light freshness from the lilacs and hyssop. Very pretty, smooth and very springy. It makes me think of blue skies and lilac bushes and tea with macaroons.
On, wet: Blooming lilacs and fresh, minty hyssop, sweetened with vanilla tea and smoothed with a touch of musk. The coconut has lightened up a lot, so it's just a light tinge now. I think I get a touch of tobacco, but nothing major, and the tonka isn't apparent. (Not worried about that. Tonka is always a latecomer on my skin.) Throw is gorgeous--mainly lilacs, vanilla tea and coconut, while it's more minty and herbal close to the skin.
On, dry: Lilacs, coconut vanilla tea and creamy tonka over the musk, with that perfect minty hyssop note making everything lighter, fresher and cooler. It's like… imagine this gorgeous old Victorian house with a veranda and a big old fashioned garden. Wearing this perfume, I feel like I'm sitting on that veranda, having delicious tea and cookies and smelling the clean, cool breeze scented with all the lilacs and herbs in the garden. It's feminine and graceful, straddling the line between foody and floral.
Later: Gently musky, vanilla-ed florals mixed with warm tonka. It's really well blended now, just a nice balance of the sweet vanilla and creamy tonka with the lilacs. A little bit like Antique Lace. It's just… mmm. Heavenly! Can't stop sniffing myself.
Overall: I've been looking for a lilac scent to love, and I think this is the real thing. The best part is that this isn't all lilac, all the time-not even close-and yet the lilacs never completely fade, they just soften and sweeten and add that touch of floral to the other richer elements, like the creamy tonka and vanilla tea and coconut. All the notes that I was hoping for here come through, and they blend beautifully together in a sweet, elegant, smooth way. (The tobacco is a no-show for me, but I wasn't hoping for it here; I have other tobacco scents.) For all that I love the lilacs and coconut and vanilla tea and tonka (and wow, I do), I actually think that it's the hyssop note that was the most amazing surprise, adding just the right amount of herbiness and mint to keep this fresh and light, instead of heavy or overly sweet. This is one of those perfumes where I just have to sit back and appreciate the perfumer's art, because I never would have thought to combine these things, and yet they're wonderful together.
Inez
Golden amber, vanilla musk, myrrh, cedar, carnation, and red sandalwood.
In the bottle: Warm, sweet, golden, musky-spicy-delicious, and a touch exotic. It's very smooth and incense-y, and I think I can actually smell all the notes making some contribution here-some dark depth from the cedar, spice and resin from the myrrh and carnation and sandalwood and soft, musky sweetness from the vanilla musk. None of them dominates, but the amber is the heart of the scent, very warm and sweet and resinous.
On, wet: Beautiful myrrh and carnation, layered over the dark cedar and sweeter sandalwood. The golden, musky sweetness of the amber and musk are much more subdued, making this a darker, woody-spicy perfume, but the carnation and cedar combo is fantastic, and the red sandalwood adds that sensual vibe that it often has. I seriously think I'm in love with this myrrh, too. Sometimes I can take it or leave it, but this is lovely.
On, dry: The vanilla musk really came out on the dry down, and it's blending with the carnation and cedar to make this a sort of dark, sweet, spicy, sexy and musky vanilla. This isn't quite as warm and golden as it was in the bottle, and it isn't a foody vanilla at all, but it is sweet and intoxicating-voluptuous, even.
Later: Vanilla musk, amber, cedar, sandalwood. Darker, drier and woody-sweet. Musky and feminine in a very sensual way.
Overall: Darkly beautiful and effortlessly sexy, a real head-turner. It's golden and glowing, especially in the early stages. The amber and vanilla musk bring all the sweet warmth you could want, but it's the way the dark wood and myrrh work here that I think makes it special. She's a little heavy for hot weather, but perfect for autumn and winter.
Marcilla
Blue lilac, lily of the valley, golden musk, beeswax, white ginger, bergamot, green tea, and nectarine.
In the bottle: Very, very unusual and complex. Sweet, but not entirely-there's something nose-tingling, almost herbal, here that holds it back. I think it's the ginger. I get warm, sweet golden musk and beeswax at the heart of this, kind of like a honeycomb, but the ginger and green tea and nectarine provide kind of a juicy balance to keep it in check. No bergamot. A light, graceful whiff of the lilacs and lily of the valley over the top, almost an after-note. Extremely interesting.
On, wet: Fresh lilacs (not especially sweet) and lily of the valley, over a base of golden musk and beeswax, with tart nectarine and a tingly bite of ginger. The green tea isn't strong, but it's making this read as very light and clean to me, despite the golden musk and florals. It's not especially fruity, not entirely floral… just refreshing and well-balanced and not all that sweet. The lilacs are really interesting, because they aren't at all like the sweet, pinky-purple lilacs in Viola or Ashultum; they really do come across as cool and blue.
On, dry: Sweeter and more fruity now, with the nectarine and bergamot blending nicely with the lily of the valley. The golden musk is still the base, but the lilacs have really stepped back; they're just adding a touch of floral to the fruity/musky/tea combination. Very clean and sheer and cool, if not as complex as it was. For some reason, it evokes the image of fresh linen curtains blowing in a summer breeze.
Later: Lily of the valley, golden musk and nectarine. Pale, crisp floral with a hint of fruit and a definite musky undertone. Very pretty, pale and elegant.
Overall: A definite morpher, but luckily for me, she's charming at just about every stage. Admittedly, she comes on a little bit strange in the bottle, with all the musk and the GINGER and lilacs and lilies and nectarines competing with each other, but she settles down on the skin and turns into a sheer, fresh, clean summer floral with a nice bit of juicy fruit. In fact, she's a great floral for really hot weather, with surprisingly good throw for the lightness. It has to be one of the prettiest lily of the valley scents that I've tried, probably because the sweet, clean lilies blend so well with the other elements, which keeps it interesting and not too sweet or heady.
Gwyneth
Rose otto, tonka, orchid, Calla lily, skin musk, coconut, and Spanish sage.
In the bottle: Pale, sweet coconut roses, with a fresh, silvery tinge of sage and a slightly dewy character from the orchid. Very pretty and fresh feeling, with the coconut and sage keeping this from being a straightforward floral. The rose note is particularly beautiful-a lush, "wet" rose, not at all dry or powdery or old fashioned.
On, wet: Fat, dewy pink roses, with much lighter touches of clean orchid and musky lily. There's still a tinge of sage, adding some welcome greenness. The creamy-sweet coconut-tonka combination isn't so evident directly on the skin, but it comes out in the throw, adding richness and sweetness. It's a nice combination of fresh, lightly aquatic floral with some sweeter, semi-foody components.
On, dry: About 15 minutes after I put this on, it goes from nice to stunning. Graceful rose and lily, overlaid with sweet but not overpowering coconut and tonka. The orchid is very, very subtle here, and I think that it's mostly only adding that dewy, light-aquatic quality, helped along by the sage. Skin musk isn't as prominent as it sometimes can be, so there's no lemon or anything. The throw is really quite good. Very, very feminine and young and pretty, a perfect rose-centric perfume for spring and summer.
Later: Warm tonka and coconut, with soft rose and a touch of skin musk.
Overall: Entirely beautiful, and one I'll wear often. This rose and orchid are so juicy and lush, and the tonka and coconut add this sweet, rich aura. It's elegant and sophisticated, and it rakes in a lot of compliments, so I think it's a keeper. ;-)
Cytherea
White sandalwood, patchouli, white amber, orris, bourbon vanilla, champaca flower, and kush.
In the bottle: Cool, white and sweet. The orris really stands out, very smooth and silky, along with the white amber, but I can smell the dry sandalwood and subtle patchouli beneath. Really pretty and sort of delicate-not especially floral, but rather a little bit incensey/head shoppy in a way that I love. It makes me think of Cytherea's gauzy, see-through tunic in the art, because the scent has a similarly sheer feel.
On, wet: Even more woody and incensey. The sandalwood is stronger here than white sandalwood normally is on me, which is a pleasant surprise, and the patchouli is much more prominent. It's the woody, very dry sort of patchouli, so it blends nicely with the sandalwood. The orris has retreated to the background, but some champaca flower is peeking through, too. The kush… I have no freaking idea what kush is, aside from a type of pot, but I do know that I loved the only other scent that I tried with it (Manhattan). Wherever it is, it certainly isn't offensive.
On, dry: Softer, smoother, sweeter, but still with a decidedly woody, incense-like character from the sandalwood. The orris, vanilla and amber seem to have blended together, which sounds like it should be heavy, but it isn't at all-it's very pale, light and silky, sweet but not cloying. The patchouli is still hanging out; it's extremely subtle, just adding a touch of darker woodiness and depth. Really pretty, restrained and surprisingly elegant. The throw isn't massive, but I keep getting lovely whiffs of it.
Later: Orris, vanilla, amber and champaca. Sweet and smooth and slightly floral, without the dry, woody vibe of the earlier stages.
Overall: This is a surprise hit for me, although now that I'm really looking at the notes, I wonder why I'm surprised. Anyway, the orris and amber make this a very pale, smooth, sweet perfume (with a subtle assist from the vanilla and champaca), but the sandalwood and particularly the patchouli balance out that silkiness with a distinctly dry, woody character and some grounding depth. It has a gauzy, diaphanous feel, a light but complicated sort of perfume-a little bit floral, a little bit incense-y, a little bit creamy, a lot woody. Really very lovely, even if it makes me feel kind of hippie-ish.
For the record? After mulling it a bit, I got dressed up, did my hair, put on some BPAL and went to the concert anyway. It was fantastic. (Full write-up to come later.) Afterward, I stopped at a diner and had a cheeseburger, just because. And it was good. :D
Anyway, I did promise to post more BPAL reviews, and I'm very, very behind on that. To get a start on it, I'm posting what I have on the Ladies of the Grindhouse, from the Carnaval Diabolique. For those who are interested, the scents in question are Agrat-Bat-Mahlaht, Ashlultum, Cytherea, Gwyneth, Inez and Marcilla
Agrat-Bat-Mahlaht
Amber, cream accord, white honey, apple blossom, skin musk, caramel, and teak.
In the bottle: Caramel apple! It's a perfect, crisp and juicy apple note, just slightly floral, paired with the combination of caramel and cream accord, which smells like luscious caramel. Otherwise, this one is a bit difficult to pick apart at first-very smooth and well blended. It smells somehow both delicate and sexy. And delicious.
On, wet: Apple musk. Sweet, sexy apple musk and honey-but a light honey, not at all heavy or thick. The caramel is less overt now, just adding some richness, and the amber is beginning to warm up. The teak is barely detectable right now, but it's a nice, stable base for the fragrance. This is just sweet, golden, apple-y goodness.
On, dry: Creamy, honeyed apples. The honey is just right; it really enhances the floral character of the apple note, and it's surprisingly light and beautiful. The amber adds a touch of warmth, the caramel is very subtle but rich, and the teak just adds some darkness and weight-really nice balance with some of the lighter notes, and amazingly smooth. The skin musk just adds some glow and sexiness. This is relatively close to the skin (because of skin musk), but I'm still getting surprisingly good throw on it. Very, very nice, and not particularly foody now.
Later: Skin musk, teak and amber, with a whisper of honey and apple. Warm and very sensual, more woody-sweet. It's a skin scent now, and… uh. Yeah, did I mention the sexy? Because it's sexy.
Overall: This is so warm and pretty and sweet and yet naughty! Honey plus skin musk is always instant win, but everything else blends together so seamlessly here; even with all the strong elements, none of them dominates the others. There's creaminess, woodiness, muskiness, fruitiness, sweetness that somehow manages not to be total foodyness, and a great balance between light elements (apple blossom, white honey, cream) and dark elements (caramel, teak) that makes the whole thing sing. The teak is especially fantastic, because it's just mellow and deep and smooth, not at all dry or sharp.
Ashlultum
Babylonian musk, vanilla tea, tonka, tobacco, coconut, hyssop, and lilac.
In the bottle: Coconut! It's a more sugary coconut than I've smelled in other coconut blends, and it makes me think of delicious macaroons. Beyond that, I get distinct fresh lilac, some smooth vanilla tea mixed with the musk and just a nice, herbal twinge from the hyssop. Tonka and tobacco aren't apparent. It's a sweet, slightly foody floral, but that foody aspect is paired with some nice, light freshness from the lilacs and hyssop. Very pretty, smooth and very springy. It makes me think of blue skies and lilac bushes and tea with macaroons.
On, wet: Blooming lilacs and fresh, minty hyssop, sweetened with vanilla tea and smoothed with a touch of musk. The coconut has lightened up a lot, so it's just a light tinge now. I think I get a touch of tobacco, but nothing major, and the tonka isn't apparent. (Not worried about that. Tonka is always a latecomer on my skin.) Throw is gorgeous--mainly lilacs, vanilla tea and coconut, while it's more minty and herbal close to the skin.
On, dry: Lilacs, coconut vanilla tea and creamy tonka over the musk, with that perfect minty hyssop note making everything lighter, fresher and cooler. It's like… imagine this gorgeous old Victorian house with a veranda and a big old fashioned garden. Wearing this perfume, I feel like I'm sitting on that veranda, having delicious tea and cookies and smelling the clean, cool breeze scented with all the lilacs and herbs in the garden. It's feminine and graceful, straddling the line between foody and floral.
Later: Gently musky, vanilla-ed florals mixed with warm tonka. It's really well blended now, just a nice balance of the sweet vanilla and creamy tonka with the lilacs. A little bit like Antique Lace. It's just… mmm. Heavenly! Can't stop sniffing myself.
Overall: I've been looking for a lilac scent to love, and I think this is the real thing. The best part is that this isn't all lilac, all the time-not even close-and yet the lilacs never completely fade, they just soften and sweeten and add that touch of floral to the other richer elements, like the creamy tonka and vanilla tea and coconut. All the notes that I was hoping for here come through, and they blend beautifully together in a sweet, elegant, smooth way. (The tobacco is a no-show for me, but I wasn't hoping for it here; I have other tobacco scents.) For all that I love the lilacs and coconut and vanilla tea and tonka (and wow, I do), I actually think that it's the hyssop note that was the most amazing surprise, adding just the right amount of herbiness and mint to keep this fresh and light, instead of heavy or overly sweet. This is one of those perfumes where I just have to sit back and appreciate the perfumer's art, because I never would have thought to combine these things, and yet they're wonderful together.
Inez
Golden amber, vanilla musk, myrrh, cedar, carnation, and red sandalwood.
In the bottle: Warm, sweet, golden, musky-spicy-delicious, and a touch exotic. It's very smooth and incense-y, and I think I can actually smell all the notes making some contribution here-some dark depth from the cedar, spice and resin from the myrrh and carnation and sandalwood and soft, musky sweetness from the vanilla musk. None of them dominates, but the amber is the heart of the scent, very warm and sweet and resinous.
On, wet: Beautiful myrrh and carnation, layered over the dark cedar and sweeter sandalwood. The golden, musky sweetness of the amber and musk are much more subdued, making this a darker, woody-spicy perfume, but the carnation and cedar combo is fantastic, and the red sandalwood adds that sensual vibe that it often has. I seriously think I'm in love with this myrrh, too. Sometimes I can take it or leave it, but this is lovely.
On, dry: The vanilla musk really came out on the dry down, and it's blending with the carnation and cedar to make this a sort of dark, sweet, spicy, sexy and musky vanilla. This isn't quite as warm and golden as it was in the bottle, and it isn't a foody vanilla at all, but it is sweet and intoxicating-voluptuous, even.
Later: Vanilla musk, amber, cedar, sandalwood. Darker, drier and woody-sweet. Musky and feminine in a very sensual way.
Overall: Darkly beautiful and effortlessly sexy, a real head-turner. It's golden and glowing, especially in the early stages. The amber and vanilla musk bring all the sweet warmth you could want, but it's the way the dark wood and myrrh work here that I think makes it special. She's a little heavy for hot weather, but perfect for autumn and winter.
Marcilla
Blue lilac, lily of the valley, golden musk, beeswax, white ginger, bergamot, green tea, and nectarine.
In the bottle: Very, very unusual and complex. Sweet, but not entirely-there's something nose-tingling, almost herbal, here that holds it back. I think it's the ginger. I get warm, sweet golden musk and beeswax at the heart of this, kind of like a honeycomb, but the ginger and green tea and nectarine provide kind of a juicy balance to keep it in check. No bergamot. A light, graceful whiff of the lilacs and lily of the valley over the top, almost an after-note. Extremely interesting.
On, wet: Fresh lilacs (not especially sweet) and lily of the valley, over a base of golden musk and beeswax, with tart nectarine and a tingly bite of ginger. The green tea isn't strong, but it's making this read as very light and clean to me, despite the golden musk and florals. It's not especially fruity, not entirely floral… just refreshing and well-balanced and not all that sweet. The lilacs are really interesting, because they aren't at all like the sweet, pinky-purple lilacs in Viola or Ashultum; they really do come across as cool and blue.
On, dry: Sweeter and more fruity now, with the nectarine and bergamot blending nicely with the lily of the valley. The golden musk is still the base, but the lilacs have really stepped back; they're just adding a touch of floral to the fruity/musky/tea combination. Very clean and sheer and cool, if not as complex as it was. For some reason, it evokes the image of fresh linen curtains blowing in a summer breeze.
Later: Lily of the valley, golden musk and nectarine. Pale, crisp floral with a hint of fruit and a definite musky undertone. Very pretty, pale and elegant.
Overall: A definite morpher, but luckily for me, she's charming at just about every stage. Admittedly, she comes on a little bit strange in the bottle, with all the musk and the GINGER and lilacs and lilies and nectarines competing with each other, but she settles down on the skin and turns into a sheer, fresh, clean summer floral with a nice bit of juicy fruit. In fact, she's a great floral for really hot weather, with surprisingly good throw for the lightness. It has to be one of the prettiest lily of the valley scents that I've tried, probably because the sweet, clean lilies blend so well with the other elements, which keeps it interesting and not too sweet or heady.
Gwyneth
Rose otto, tonka, orchid, Calla lily, skin musk, coconut, and Spanish sage.
In the bottle: Pale, sweet coconut roses, with a fresh, silvery tinge of sage and a slightly dewy character from the orchid. Very pretty and fresh feeling, with the coconut and sage keeping this from being a straightforward floral. The rose note is particularly beautiful-a lush, "wet" rose, not at all dry or powdery or old fashioned.
On, wet: Fat, dewy pink roses, with much lighter touches of clean orchid and musky lily. There's still a tinge of sage, adding some welcome greenness. The creamy-sweet coconut-tonka combination isn't so evident directly on the skin, but it comes out in the throw, adding richness and sweetness. It's a nice combination of fresh, lightly aquatic floral with some sweeter, semi-foody components.
On, dry: About 15 minutes after I put this on, it goes from nice to stunning. Graceful rose and lily, overlaid with sweet but not overpowering coconut and tonka. The orchid is very, very subtle here, and I think that it's mostly only adding that dewy, light-aquatic quality, helped along by the sage. Skin musk isn't as prominent as it sometimes can be, so there's no lemon or anything. The throw is really quite good. Very, very feminine and young and pretty, a perfect rose-centric perfume for spring and summer.
Later: Warm tonka and coconut, with soft rose and a touch of skin musk.
Overall: Entirely beautiful, and one I'll wear often. This rose and orchid are so juicy and lush, and the tonka and coconut add this sweet, rich aura. It's elegant and sophisticated, and it rakes in a lot of compliments, so I think it's a keeper. ;-)
Cytherea
White sandalwood, patchouli, white amber, orris, bourbon vanilla, champaca flower, and kush.
In the bottle: Cool, white and sweet. The orris really stands out, very smooth and silky, along with the white amber, but I can smell the dry sandalwood and subtle patchouli beneath. Really pretty and sort of delicate-not especially floral, but rather a little bit incensey/head shoppy in a way that I love. It makes me think of Cytherea's gauzy, see-through tunic in the art, because the scent has a similarly sheer feel.
On, wet: Even more woody and incensey. The sandalwood is stronger here than white sandalwood normally is on me, which is a pleasant surprise, and the patchouli is much more prominent. It's the woody, very dry sort of patchouli, so it blends nicely with the sandalwood. The orris has retreated to the background, but some champaca flower is peeking through, too. The kush… I have no freaking idea what kush is, aside from a type of pot, but I do know that I loved the only other scent that I tried with it (Manhattan). Wherever it is, it certainly isn't offensive.
On, dry: Softer, smoother, sweeter, but still with a decidedly woody, incense-like character from the sandalwood. The orris, vanilla and amber seem to have blended together, which sounds like it should be heavy, but it isn't at all-it's very pale, light and silky, sweet but not cloying. The patchouli is still hanging out; it's extremely subtle, just adding a touch of darker woodiness and depth. Really pretty, restrained and surprisingly elegant. The throw isn't massive, but I keep getting lovely whiffs of it.
Later: Orris, vanilla, amber and champaca. Sweet and smooth and slightly floral, without the dry, woody vibe of the earlier stages.
Overall: This is a surprise hit for me, although now that I'm really looking at the notes, I wonder why I'm surprised. Anyway, the orris and amber make this a very pale, smooth, sweet perfume (with a subtle assist from the vanilla and champaca), but the sandalwood and particularly the patchouli balance out that silkiness with a distinctly dry, woody character and some grounding depth. It has a gauzy, diaphanous feel, a light but complicated sort of perfume-a little bit floral, a little bit incense-y, a little bit creamy, a lot woody. Really very lovely, even if it makes me feel kind of hippie-ish.