[MULTI] Reviews
And the reviews continue. :) I hope you're all enjoying them...
MALEDICTION:Evil incarnate. Revel in your dark side with this romantically cruel scent. Contains red patchouli and vetivert. (Gender neutral)
In Bottle: Woody and smoky.
On Skin: Whoa! The smokiness is overwhelming… I don’t like this one at all, sorry. I feel like I’ve been sitting in a campfire, it even makes my eyes water a bit. Very dark, of course, like the description says. It reminds me of Brimstone another one that just smoked me out. Wow, does this scent really work on people? I can't even imagine it!
HAMADRYAD:Nature spirits and protectors of the world’s groves and forests that appear as breathtakingly stunning women. Hamadryads are born into a tree that serves as both a home and an anchor for the creature’s soul. They are sometimes tricksters, sometimes seducers, sometimes helpful and benign, but they are always fierce and furious protectors of the natural world. Seven dry woods with mossy lichen and a gentle breeze of forest flowers. (Gender neutral)
In Bottle: Very green and floral
On Skin: Very floral and pretty. The woods give a nice base and the lichen gives it a very green note. The flowers are soft and seductive. A nice light spring smell, that has very distince color notes. Very striking, this one will get you attention and wake you up. A perfect scent for aromatherapy to stimulate your senses and give you a refresher. A little bright for my taste though, I like darker seductive scents.
VINLAND:The legendary site of the Viking colony in Newfoundland founded circa 985 BC. Crisp northern wind blowing over loganberry, wild roses, prairie crocus, iris versicolor Linné, mountain avens, yellow birch bark, mayflower and maple leaf. (Gender neutral)
In Bottle: Very floral and light.
On Skin: Kind of Lemon-Pledge like… Very tart and floral. Not a scent for me since it is so floral but pretty nonetheless. I can feel the "laying in a field of flowers in the sun" feeling from it for sure. I wouldn’t say it was masculine though, I could only imagine this on ladies. I don't smell the maple, unless the leaf note is just supposed to be green and not syrupy. A beautiful blend where the notes meld into each other perfectly.
LA BELLA DONNA DELLA MIA MENTE: Soft, lush myrtle and dry, sweet melilot with wild rose, pomegranate juice and peach blossom against a background of deep aquatic notes and a twirl of melancholy autumn breezes. (Gender neutral)
In Bottle: Rose and fruit.
On Skin: Yum! The peach is delicious and it mellows out the twang of the rose. I love how it's juicyness counteracts the rose's powder note, and the sweetness drwons out the roses tartness. Very interesting… the swirls of aquatic notes give it the most intriguing blend. Again, I don’t like rose, but the other scents help hide it. I almost smell something minty as well… This is one I’m saving for sure.
LOLITA:Bright, sweet and youthful, but swelling with a poisonous sexuality. Glittering heliotrope, honeysuckle, orange blossom and lemon verbena.
In Bottle: Very sweet and the lemon stands out.
On Skin: A bit Lemon Pledgy at first. I can smell the honeysuckle coming out. The orange blossom is blooming as well, very delicious and girly. I like it, but I got it on reviews that it smelled like Cotton Candy… and I’m not sensing that sadly… As it develops it becomes bubble-gum on me. To sickly sweet. It's the heliotripe, it always turns to bubble gum on me. It is a good sweet girly scent though and brings back memories of childhood and school playgrounds.
FAE:A brilliant, ethereal scent: white musk, bergamot, heliotrope, peach and oakmoss.
In Bottle: Yum! Peachy!!!
On Skin: The peach I smell first, then floral. It starts as juicy but is mellowing out to a bit more powdery. I don’t smell the oakmoss at all. Very delicious, I want to lick my wrist. I am craving peaches bigtime. This is a grown up sweet scent, not as girly as many I’ve tried, and it doesn’t give me a headache. I really like it and the fact the peach doesn't overwhelm me like it has in other blends.
SUGAR COOKIE Limited Edition Disc 2004:Affectionately nicknamed 'The Devil's Bake Sale'
In the Bottle: Sugar cookies, plain & simple.
On skin: A bit spicier, like nutmeg or cinnamon, with the obvious scent of sugar dough. I get hungry wearing this. It’s the only sugar cookie scent I’ve smelled that has those obvious spices in it, making it so much more real. I’m looking to see if I have crumbs on me. After a while, the cinnamon is strongest sadly, I don’t like how it overpowers the sweet sugar note. But still a scent I love. This version isn't boozy like the 2005 version ended up being on me.
THREE WITCHES Limited Edition Original Blend:Warm cinnamon, husky clove and white pepper.
In Bottle: Cinnamon and spicy.
On Skin: Cinnamon red hots. The sweet clove is also there, but in the background. It smells like my mothers kitchen after she’s been baking sweets. I’m thinking gingerbread, cookies, yum… but it’s not really a scent I’d wear. It would be perfect as an room spray during the holidays though. After an hour, the clove seems to be dominant and I finally smell the pepper. This scent is much to "kitchen-spicy" for me so it's off to the swaps.
And now, my 2 favorites (Snake Oil and O) that I cannot believe I haven’t reviewed yet…
SNAKE OIL:By far, our most popular scent! Magnetic, mysterious, and exceedingly sexual in nature. A blend of exotic Indonesian oils sugared with vanilla. (Gender neutral)
In Bottle: Sweet and almost cookie like.
On Skin: This scent just drips sexiness and the vanilla makes you just want to lick it off your skin. It goes so well with my body chemistry, I wear it all the time. It also fades to a powdery sweet spicy scent that makes you want to snuggle up and sniff it even closer. The spices are tame enough that they meld into my skin nicely and don't smell foody. The resin in it is also warm and melts like butter with my chemistry. This is my second favorite BPAL scent after “O”, I always get compliments on it.
O:The scent of sexual obsession, slavery to sensual pleasure, and the undercurrent of innocence defiled utterly. Amber and honey with a touch of vanilla.
In Bottle: Honey!!! Pure delicious honey!
On Skin: So sweet I can’t stop smelling myself. The honey is warm and beautiful. The vanilla gives it an even more comforting tasty edge, and the amber gives it a deep sexy kick. This is my signature scent, it is completely me and everyone that smells it on me has to make a comment on it perfectly defines me and that it must have been made for me. They also can't stop sniffing me and asking where they can get the scent. I swear I'm an "O" spokeswoman. “O” is my alltime favorite BPAL scent so far. I love layering it with a milk and honey lotion I have.
LOVE ME:A commanding, dominant oil that increases sexual magnetism, creates an intense and irresistible air of attraction, and amplifies potency.
In Bottle: Sweet and a bit cloying.
On skin: It smells like Play-dough. I don’t like it at all. I hoped it would change but after 2 hours it was still the same and my husband didn’t like it at all. It just has a plastic artificial scent that gives me a drastic headache. Ick, not sure what notes are in this but if I knew I would avoid them from now on. Sadly, no love there…
BLOOD ROSE:Sensual, robust, and silken: voluptuous red rose bursting with lascivious red wine and sultry dragon's blood resin.
In Bottle: Obvious Dragon’s blood resin. Yum.
On skin: The rose makes it very feminine. I also love the depth the wine gives it… I normally don’t like rose scents, but the dragon’s blood is the strongest note so the rose doesn’t bother me. The scent is sweet and a bit powdery. Very sexy. As far as a floral goes, I would wear this one for sure. Yes, write that down, I would wear a rose scent. LOL! This dragon's blood resin doesn't turn plasticy on me either which is another major bonus.
BLOOD AMBER:Slivers of warm, pulsating blood forever crystallized in golden amber resin. (Gender neutral)
In Bottle: The dragon’s blood is the strong note.
On Skin: MMM… I like it better than Blood Rose, because I love amber. I also like how I could picture this on a man as well. I’ll have to get my husband to try it out. Actually, I could wear Blood Rose and he could wear this and we’d be a perfect pair. The amber is gentle and calming. A beautiful yet comforting scent. *Edit* I got a bottle and love it even more. I've aged it for almost a year and the scent develops so beautifully.
ZEPHYR:A gentle white scent, breezes laced with the scent of springtime blooms and citrus. Lemon, lemon verbena, neroli, white musk, white florals, white sandalwood, China musk, bergamot and a drop of vanilla.
In Bottle: Floral, with a musk trail.
On Skin: I think I smell the neroli strongest. The white florals are 2nd in line… I’m not sensing any fruit or vanilla yet. The musks and sandalwood give a nice spicy depth. The description of a “white scent” is perfect. I could see wearing this while wearing a white linen outfit on the beach while sitting on a driftwood log and dipping my toes in the water. I think I smell of bit of the vanilla giving the scent a sweet tone… but still no fruit…
WHITE RABBIT:Strong black tea and milk with white pepper, ginger, honey and vanilla, spilled over the crisp scent of clean linen.
In Bottle: Tea and vanilla.
On Skin: Yum. Tea and milk extreme. The pepper and ginger give it a dark warm spice. The honey and vanilla make it drip with sweetness. Very unique, I’ve never smelled a scent like this. Very comforting. I’m not too fond of the tea note since I don’t like tea, but I love the rest of the notes so much I think I’d wear this. The throw is decent and after about an hour, the tea fades and it just melts into a sweet vanilla spice. A delicious scent I love to wear.
DRACUL:Named in honor of Vlad III, Tepes, of the Order of the Dragon. Black musk, tobacco, fir, balsam of peru, cumin, bitter clove, crushed mint, and orange blossom.
In Bottle: Fir and balsam are most obvious.
On Skin: Again, the fir and balsam are strongest notes. I also smell the black musk. The mint may be in there as well. I don’t seem to notice the tobacco or orange blossom. I think the cumin and clove give it a spicy edge. After while, I am smelling the smokiness of the tobacco. A dark scent, more masculine then I like, and a bit too smoky for me. I also don't like the spices on my skin, it's not working with me at all. Another one off to the swaps.
BON VIVANT:An effervescent blend of crystalline champagne notes and sweet strawberry.
In Bottle: Strawberry champagne perfect.
On Skin: I feel like I’m drinking champagne with a strawberry in it. Sweet and you can smell the effervescence and *feel* it lightly hitting your face. Tart and sweet, delicious. I’d be afraid to wear it though because it does smell like I’ve been drinking champagne. But oh is it yummy! Maybe for a party? It does have that festive feel. Edit: I layered it with Pink Phoenix and the two work together so nicely.
INTRIGUE:A sultry, exotic scent that inspires devious plotting and clandestine affairs. It is a scent painted in artifice, veiled in deceit, and slithering with whispered secrets. Black palm, with cocoa, fig and shadowy wooded notes. (Gender neutral)
In Bottle: Woody and dark.
On Skin: I smell the cocoa and wood the strongest. I don’t smell the fig at all at first. It’s a much darker scent than I envisioned without reading the description. I can say that the smell really does intrigue me. It is a bit too incensey for my taste though. After about an hour the sweetness of the fig shines through. Yum! A complex blend that Beth has mixed masterfully.
MAGUS:An ancient blend, swollen with arcane power: galangal, high john essence, frankincense, cedar, and sandalwood. (Traditionally masculine)
In Bottle: Cedar and sandalwood.
On Skin: I couldn’t get my husband to try this because it was too cedary for him. He thought it smelled caustic in the bottle, but a lot of scents are that way till you try them on. On me, it is VERY masculine. Again the cedar and sandalwood are still strongest. The frankincense gives it a very incensey note, which I don’t like. It’s very woodsy and smoky.
DESIRE:The overwhelming agony of passion crystallized into a singularly dark and magnetic blend: bittersweet neroli, black patchouli and black musk, gilded by apple, bergamot, blood red rose, teak, and vanilla.
In Bottle: Fruity but very musky.
On skin: I love it!!!! Usually I HATE rose scents, but this one is very delicate and the fruit and musks give it much more depth. The vanilla sweetens the scent as a whole but is not overpowering. This scent is very pretty and feminine, but the musk and vanilla also make it sexy. I would wear this anytime I wanted to feel elegant and womanly. I love that all the notes are so well blended I'm having a real hard time picking them all out. The scent changes and morphs at a smooth rate, always perking my interest. I love it, but after about a half hour my biggest enemy, patchouli, peeks out. I can't get past him, he just sits there poking at my wrist. Sorry Desire, I wanted to love you.
TITANIA:A nocturnal bounty of fae dew-kissed petals and pale fruits: white grape, white peach, iced pear, musk rose, sweet pea, moonflower and snapdragon.
In Bottle: BEAUTIFUL. Plain and simple! Fruity and floral.
On skin: This is one of my favorites so far. Oh my… the peach and pear and the first notes I smell, and I adore them. The florals are mild which is good because I’m not a big fan of florals, and there's snapdragon!!!! My favorite flower!! This is the definition of a spring scent. I automatically think of gardens and fresh fruit. It’s a daytime picnic scent. And VERY feminine. As it settles it’s a bit earthy/dusty… the wetness of the fruit is fading… not sure if I like that.
Overall, a scent that fits it's name perfectly, a true graceful fairy.
DEPRAVED:A salacious, lecherous, leering scent - dirty and dark, slapped with a wet sweetness. Earthy black patchouli swelling with apricot.
In Bottle: Pure apricot.
On skin: I only had a drip left in the vile to test it, but I love it. The apricot is still very dominant, but the patchouli gives it some bite… almost earthy… like an apricot that has fallend to the ground. The apricot actually is a bit too overripe for me, wow. There are more levels to it then other apricot scents I’ve smelled. Not really a fragrance I’d wear, but one I’d love as a room scent or potporri.
KABUKI:Compelling, complex, and utterly enigmatic: a luxuriant, exotic blend of cherry, red musk, and star anise.
In Bottle: Cherry and musk, VERY sweet.
On Skin: The cherry is overwhelming, it smells almost like cough syrup. The musk does make it darker though which I like. I think it is a bit cloying and strong so apply lightly…
After about a half hour, I like it. It’s pretty and warm. But it's kind of one dimensional and I've enjoyed other BPAL cherry blends more.
MORGAUSE: Earth sorceress and mother of Mordred, she is, in essence, the harbinger of King Arthur's doom and the downfall of Camelot. She is a sister, or sister-self, to Morgan Le Fay. A bouquet of five night-blooming flowers deepened by dusky violet, purple fruits and the barest breath of medieval incenses.
In Bottle: Very floral and perfumey.
On Skin: Very, very pretty. This is a very femine perfume. The florals are dark and not “spring” like… I think of walking around a garden at night and the lingering smell of the violet and maybe something sweeter like honeysuckle? I don’t smell fruits sadly… The incenses are not showing themselves yet… they usually come out on me as the scent fades. I don’t see this as an evil scent, but rather as comforting. I don’t really wear florals, but if I were to wear one this might be it… but not to a club.
SOPHIA:The Gnostic goddess of Wisdom. A solemn, deeply profound draught of lavender, soft musks, star jasmine, black rose, delphinium, and gentle spice. (Gender neutral)
In Bottle: Soapy and rose scented.
On Skin: Pretty but a bit soapy for me. I also am not fond of rose scents… this reminds me of an older woman and the musk makes it a bit dusty like an attic. I like the spice because it makes it not as feminine as most rose scents…. I think it’s a scent I’d like on someone else, but not me. And I can't get past the "old ladiness" of it...
UNDERTOW:The Dark Side of Water: clean and purifying, yet menacing -- lotus and juniper with a hint of mint. A scent dragged up from the depths to the Stygian shore. (Gender neutral)
In Bottle: Sweet and piney.
On Skin: The pine must be the juniper. The lotus does sweeten it but the mint keeps it fresh and outdoorsy. It does smell very watery… like a lake in a forest. Very masculine… I can’t imagine this scent on a woman. The mint and juniper really clear the sinuses. A sharp and pungent scent, be ready to wake up when you smell this one.
SWANK:Simply cool, the essence of Lounge: the scent of a crisp pomegranate martini.
In Bottle: The Pomegranate is the strongest note. Very delicious.
On Skin: Again, very pomegranate. This reminds me of an Illuminations candle I have in the pomegranate scent. I personally love it on me… other people may think it’s strong and that it is too room fragrance like. It is very bold and bright. I think it’s a great spring scent, pure fruit... it makes me thirsty.
I’d love to order a bigger bottle of this and use it for candles, baths, and anything else I could. And now I need a bottle of Pom to drink and quench my cravings. :)
HOLLYWOOD BABYLON:The essence of innocence shattered: glittering Egyptian amber and heliotrope, infused with the sweetness of strawberry and vanilla - dragged into debauch by lusty red musk and a dribble of black cherry.
In Bottle: Kind of bubblegum with a sweet tang to it.
On Skin: Still very sweet but a bit inscencey. I love it, but can’t breathe in too deep or the sweetness gives me a headache. I smell the cherry for sure and I think the vanilla is adding to the sweetness. The musk gives it great warmth and depth. There is a floral note in the background which gives this scent it’s femininity. I like this scent quite a bit and will use my imp for sure. It's a little too girly like for me to get a bottle though...
BASTET:Bast, Ubasti, Ailuros, Ba-en-Aset. Represented as both a domestic cat and a fierce lioness, she truly evidences traits of both. She is the Mother of All Cats, Goddess of Sensuality, Fertility, and a guardian and protector of women. She is also one of the Eyes of Ra, and in that aspect is an Avenging Goddess, seeking retribution and punishing enemies of her people. Luxuriant amber, warm Egyptian musk, fierce saffron and soft myrrh, almond, cardamom and golden lotus. (Gender neutral)
In Bottle: Spicy cherry bubblegum Kind of like Hollywood babylon, but spicy.
On skin: The musk and amber are strongest. The almond sweetens the scent which is also where the “cherry” note I smell is coming from. The inscense smell is very strong after a few minutes which must be from all the beautiful spicy notes. I generally don’t like inscense scents, but this is so sweet and sexy… and very light. My skin drank it up and after 10 minutes it’s already fading… I hope it’ll have some staying power because I love this scent! Bastet is one of my goddesses so I had realllllllly hoped this scent would work for me and apart from fading, it has!
THE LION:The dry, glorious warmth of the Savannah. A golden, spiced amber, proud, regal and ferocious. (Gender neutral)
In bottle: Tea, it smells like tea… iced tea maybe.
On skin: Still smells like tea, I don’t like the smell of tea but this one isn’t upsetting me. Golden is the perfect description… I see a beautiful yellow gold coming from this scent. I like this… but I am not sure if it is me. I am a Leo and was hoping The Lion would work for me since I’m half feline… but the “tea” note really doesn’t jive with me. It is awfully pretty though.
After a few more minutes, the tea scent has warmed up a bit and I’m smelling more amber…
INGENUE:A tawdry Hollywood tragedy, the essence of innocence lost amongst casting couch cushions. Wild clover and gentle melon interlaced with violet leaf, water lilies, smooth wooden notes, and blushing rose.
In bottle: Pure Violet.
On skin: Still very heavily violet scented. The most pure floral, feminine scent I’ve smelled. So dainty and pretty. The sweet clover note is starting to be noticed… I smell no melon and wish I did since it’s one of my favorite notes. There is a little tartness of rose…
The scent fades pretty quick on me, but I like it lighter since it’s so floral. I also notice, as its fading, the wood note makes itself known.
BAKU:Dream Formula II: Our Nightmarebane.
Named after the Baku, benevolent Japanese spirits that eat nightmares. In Japanese tradition, nightmares are gifts from malevolent spirits; when you wake up from one, you may call, "Baku, please eat my dreams!", and if you are virtuous and merciful in spirit, the Baku will devour the evil, transforming it into a blessing of good fortune. (Gender neutral)
In bottle: Pine? Not liking it at all… sorry…
On skin: The description of this scent made me want to love it… but oh my god. This is NOT for me. It smells like floor cleaner. Pinesol with a poisonous sweet note trying to hide that. After a few minutes it’s more like Windex… hmm… not liking where this is going.
There is a bit of a eucalyptus note… which I usually like, but this smells more toxic. There is also a bit of a lavender note hiding in back.
This is not a “fragrance” to me, I’m thinking since it was made for dreams, that’s the only time I should wear it. Lets see if it does ward off bad dreams, because if it does, it will be a lifesaver.
I’m thinking that making this into a linen spray for the bed would be the best idea.
STORM MOON: The Storm Moon marks the darkest portion of the year. A season of long, impenetrable nights and turbulent tempests. A raging, electric and wet scent: slashing rain notes, rolling thunder, and sharp, cold winds layered by a breath of softly wafting lunar incense, a hint of Luna’s blooms, and the brittle herbs of winter. (Gender neutral)
In bottle: Very clean almost soapy scent.
On skin: Still a bit soapy, I can smell the rain, but I'm think more of a clean April showers and sun kind of mood. Not dark and stormy. The ozone is the owerpowering note. I'm thinking I would like this more on a man since it has that Irish Spring kind of feel to it.
If my hubby doesn't want it, I'll probably put it up for sale or swap.
SPOOKY: from Limited Editions, Winter 2003: A maddeningly festive blend of warm, buttery rum, cocoa, coconut, vanilla and a jolt of peppermint. It’s a sweet, decadent, slightly silly scent, reminicent of rum-laced holiday cookies.
In bottle: Mint... yes... and chocolate. GirlScouts Thin Mints!!!!!! But do I want to smell like this all the time? People may try to bite me...
On skin: Now I smell the coconut so I'm thinking more Girl Scout Samoas... I'm starving wearing this scent!
Ok... mint scent is taking over again... now I smell like winter and X-mas! Oh my god! I know the scent exactly: Mint Tulip the Strawberry Shortcake doll!!!! Dress me up in a little Holland outfit, dye my hair yellow and I'm her! I'm loving this scent but am thinking my hubby won't be too fond of it since he hates scents that make him hungry. Maybe a good one for the holidays?
KALI: This perfume is a blend of the sacred blooms of cassia, hibiscus, musk rose, Himalayan wild tulip, lotus and osmanthus swirled with offertory dark chocolate, red wine, tobacco, balsam and honey.
In the bottle it smells very sweet, deep and floral. When I put it on, I can kind of smell the wine and honey, but mostly floral. After about an hour... it's ALL floral... alomost like honeysuckle. I don't know why, but if a perfume has a floral note in it, my chemistry seems to make it overwhelming. I smell no tobacco, balsam, honey, or chocolate until about 15 minutes into the drydown. Then it just turns vile on me. A mix of just too much. Just when it's gotten to the point where I think I need to rinse it off, it morphs into the most beautiful blend. WOW!! It smells amazing on me!!! How am I going to deal with the icky process every time I wear this just to get to this point? I'll have to make sure and put it on at least a half hour before I go anywhere. :)
After about 4 hours, I finally get more of the depth. It smells freaking good. Very sexy and the wine/berry scent mixes with the floral and I think the honey and tobacco make it more warm. I love it at this stage.
ALICE: Milk and honey with rose, carnation and bergamot.
I really wanted to love this one since Alice in Wonderland is one of my goddesses...
In the bottle it smells like floral with a bit of sweet undertones (the milk and honey).
After I put it on... all carnation and rose. I wanted the milk and honey to stand out since they're one of my favorite scent combinations... but sadly no... they vanish and it is carnation extreme.
All day... still just carnation. It's pretty and light, but not very Tina...
ZOMBIE: Dried roses, rose leaf, Spanish moss, oakmoss and deep brown earth.
I was excited for this since 2 of my friends say it's one of their favorites.
In the bottle it is very "dirt" scented. :)
I put it on and the first thing I thought was... it smells like a fishtank. This is not a bad thing, fishtanks don't smell like fish, they smell like very earthy water... maybe it's the algea in them. I'm thinking it is the moss notes that give this scent.
After an hour, it's smelling better. It's a sour Poison like smell (which I love) with the dirt scent still dominant... but it's also turning kind of powdery. I'd say it still smells a bit aquatic, but that's a good thing. I love this scent, it is like nothing I've ever smelled and I think it will catch people's attention.
SWEET PEA: Single Note
In Bottle: Girly floral
On Skin: Sweet Pea… the name fits it perfect. It is such a sweet innocent scent. I think this is the alltime most “girly” flower and embodies the feeling of a child. A very white/light pink scent. Vibrant, fresh and juicy. A little ozoney/watery which adds to the freshness. The throw on this is unlike any scent I’ve reviewed… as is the staying power, everyone will notice it. I love that Beth uses such great quality oils. This smells perfectly fresh, like it was just cut, nothing artificial about it. I am not the biggest fan of florals so it’s not a scent I’d wear on it’s own, but I’m thinking of layering it with other pink scents like Pink Phoenix or Pink Moon.
VANILLA BEAN: Single Note
In Bottle: Sweet vanilla
On Skin: This is vanilla in a syrup form. So delicious. It reminds me of my honeymoon in Tahiti where vanilla beans were everywhere and in everything. My favorite was leaving one in a sugar bowl so the sugar becomes vanilla flavored and that’s exactly what this smells like. I would LOVE a bottle of this… gallons of this!!! This and honey single note are the scents I really would love to bathe in and have my skin permanently smell like. It is very simple and pure, a scent that could be layered with almost anything. It isn’t overpowering and the staying power is decent. This is my husbands favorite scent on me…
OLD SYBARIS: The pinnacle of wealth, luxury, self-indulgent pleasure, voluptuousness and sensuality. Bright violet with sweet clove, Mediterranean spice notes and tonka bean.
In Bottle: Spicy violet
On Skin: An interesting mix of scents… The violet seems to dominate and is very powdery, while the clove and spices dance around it. The tonka bean provides an all over sweet note that keeps everything in harmony. This scent is very light, almost a ghost of a scent. Usually aged scents turn stronger… hmmm… I do like it, but it doesn’t feel sensual to me. Actually, I’m not sure what I get from this scent since it seems hard for me to describe. A spicy floral that fades quickly and doesn’t quite leave an impression with me… sorry… I’ve never had a BPAL scent leave me this befuddled.
BLOOD MOON: The feral scent of the heat of the chase, deep woods, undulating musks, brushed by forest herbs, crushed grains, and touched by blood-dimmed lunar oils.
In Bottle: Cinnamon and herbs
On Skin: The musks give this a beautiful base. The crushed grains have a sweet note, kind of like Dana O’Shee, and there has to be cinnamon in here because there is a fierce spicy note that burns my nose. The woods are like but add a masculine edge. I love that the herbs aren’t too medicinal. From the description and then smelling the scent, I do feel quite frenzied. It is feral and wild, very animalistic. When would I wear this? When I wanted to be be motivated beyond any measure, when I wanted to hunt something or somebody down, it just revs you up! The dry down softens it up a bit, maybe Dragon’s Blood coming forward? A very complex scent that is hard to put into words.
TOMBSTONE: A celebration of one of the first commercially produced perfumes of America's Old West. A rugged, warm blend of vanilla, balsam and sassafras layered over Virginia cedar.
In Bottle: Vanilla smoke
On Skin: I thought I’d like this, but there seems to be a smokey note not agreeing with me. Maybe the cedar? The vanilla is sweet, warm and gentle and tones the scent. The balsam is light, not overly piney or anything. The sassafras gives a light root-beer note that adds to the sweetness. I do picture the Old West, how interesting. I feel like I just walked into a bar in Deadwood. The smell of wood and dust… very interesting. A unique blend that is very masculine. The throw factor is low thow and the scent itself fades on me in about 10 minutes.
GOLDEN PRIAPUS: Insatiable lust, unending vigor! A truly carnal, energetic men's blend: vanilla and amber with juniper, rosewood and white pine.
In Bottle: Sweet pine
On Skin: I love amber and vanilla so I thought this scent would be a hit for sure. But sadly, woody blends are just not my cup of tea lately. The juniper and pine jump forward and lead the scent. The sandalwood offers a softer lighter buffer, and the vanilla and amber offer a nice sweet warm base. This is a man’s scent for sure, very rugged. I don’t feel the carnal lusty description though. For some reason, the woods are screaming construction site at me, like freshly sawed wood and sawdust. It even has a little of a medicinal note that reminds me of Carmex lip ointment. Still a nice scent, just not for me or my husband.
MAD HATTER: A gentlemen's lavender-citron cologne unhinged by the feral pungence of black musk and a paroxysm of pennyroyal.
In Bottle: Dark mint
On Skin: Pungent is right! Wow, this reminds of something… My 6th grade teacher used to smell like this mixed with cigarettes… Not so good… LOL! There is an overall minty scent. The pennyroyal gives a sharp and bitter tone while the lavender also pierces through. The citron note seems to be lemon or something bright. The black musk encases it all in a dark blanket that is actually a bit scary. I could truly identify this as being a Mad Hatter scent, Beth is amazing!
COYOTE: The Native American Creator / Trickster God of Chaos and Change. The warmth of doeskin, dry plains grasses and soft, dusty woods warmed by amber and a downy, gentle coat of deep musk.
In Bottle: Musk and patchouli
On Skin: I smell patchouli, or something with that earthy dirt smell. The amber is very light, sadly… I was hoping for it to be a dominant note. The musk is a bit feral which does give a “doeskin” feeling. I also imagine burying my face in a coyote’s fur after he’s been napping in the sun and getting that animal sleepy smell (my dogs get it). The woods and grasses smell like a field in fall, not quite fresh but not dead either… just dry and earthy. The patchouli note has faded (yay!) and the amber surfaces a bit more sweetening the blend. This scent is very light, not much throw. It’s also calm and peaceful which is a bit of a contradiction to the “Chaos” description. After about 20 minutes it fades into my skin.
RED QUEEN: Deep mahogany and rich, velvety woods lacquered with sweet, black-red cherries and currant.
In Bottle: Holy cherry Batman!
On Skin: These are some sweet cherries! Ludens cough drops… The mahogany has such warm depth and coupled with the wood note brings about a much more interesting cherry scent then some of the other BPAL cherry blends I’ve sampled. Dark and a little earthy, this kind of reminds me of the drink Cherry-Pom. Very tasty but not really a “perfume” scent. It also reminds me in a slight way of Hearth 04… that cherry pipe tobacco feel… comforting and warm.
THE COILED SERPENT: A potent yogic oil that stimulates the kundalini, provokes spiritual awakening, and releases the energy seated in your root chakra.
In Bottle: Patchouli
On Skin: First off, this is the first and only imp I’ve ever spilled on myself. Of course, I hate patchouli… great!!! This is pure patchouli… that dirt and powder note. I hope it works for it’s intended purpose… maybe help my depression? I don’t know much about chakras… :) It smells very incensey and dark so I’m thinking Black Patchouli? It’s not really my kind of scent but if you like patchouli, go for it!
THE LIVING FLAME: A luminescent red scent: breathless with passion, flickering with desire, and glowing with ardent and reverential love.
In Bottle: Sweet floral
On Skin: What is this? It’s beautiful!!!! I thought for sure it would have cinnamon, but it doesn’t seem to have any extreme spice to it. Maybe a light musk, and something a little clean and soapy. The floral in it is soft, nothing overwhelming or sickly sweet. This smells perfumey, very pretty and womanly. It reminds me of Venom a little, which also reminds me of a soft mild Dior Poison. I love that it is blended so well that it’s hard for em to even pick out individual notes. The name puzzles me because I get more of a golden feell, nothing red or fiery. I want a bottle of this!!!
LOUP GAROU: The wild, untamed essence of lycanthropy. Primeval in its raw power and insatiable hunger: juniper, cypress and galangal with the barest touch of eucalyptus.
In Bottle: Menthol
On Skin: The eucalyptus screams out at me. Coupled with the juniper and cypress there is an extreme medicinal astringent note. The galangal offers a resin note that is overpowered by the other strong notes. This is very raw, and a bit feral. A scent that will pry your eyes open and keep them open. I was getting ready for bed before I tested this and all of a sudden I am completely awake. Great for stimulation, but not a scent I’d wear as a perfume or want my husband to wear either.
CHAOS THEORY II The Butterfly Effect CCXXV: No description
In Bottle: Spicy soap
On Skin: Instantly I get a bit of an ozone note and also something slightly spicy. Cinnamon? The warmness of the cinnamon and the coolness of the ozone is a very interesting pairing. The ozone gives it a more masculine feel at first. I searched the Forum reviews and couldn’t find a review of this one. Was it mislabeled? Not sure… Anyway, after about 15 minutes is starts sweetening up a bit and there is something I can’t quite place my finger on… I wish there were more reviews of it so I could compare with others. I’m thinking there is a slight floral, nothing overwhelming, but a bit aquatic and that’s what’s causing the ozone note. Very pretty.
DELIRIUM: Non compos mentis, indeed! A contrary, conflicted scent, bubbling with merry madness. Contains apple, rose, and lemon.
In Bottle: Lemon
On Skin: Bright lemon sweetened by a juicy apple. The rose is also tart, but is such a nice partner to the lemon. I would have never thought of a combination like this and it is quite interesting. First off, this is a GREAT “wake-me-up” scent. It literally zings! The fruits are so wet and juicy I want to drink my wrist. It smells like drinking an apple-lemonade on the porch with beautiful roses blooming all around you. A wonderful spring or summer scent.
TAL: MANTLE OF VENUS: Brings immense success in love and money.
In Bottle: Fruit leather
On Skin: When I first smelled this I smelled fruit leather. Remember that all natural much better for you than “Fruit Roll Ups” fruit snack? Not as sweet as a Fruit Roll Up since I don’t think they’re sweetened. Well, one minute later and it’s Holy Clove Batman! There is also a very light and sweet floral, I’m thinking violet? It’s a pretty scent but the cloves overwhelm me. I will keep it on and see if I actually encounter any luck in the love or money catagories. I’m happily married so I don’t need any luck there, but I’m broke so come on money luck!
PELE: This perfume embodies her gentler, benign aspect as the capricious Goddess of Dance: muguet and Hawaiian white ginger enveloped by warm, damp tropical blooms.
In Bottle: Clean linen
On Skin: I have heard the best things about Pele, so I was dying to try this scent. It is so beautiful and clean!!! It’s a warm clean, not stark. It reminds me of clean cotton sheets straight from the dryer. It makes me yearn for the 2 weeks we spent on our honeymoon in Tahiti. I can smell the sweet flowers, fresh air and general excitement and electricity. This is such a soft, comforting scent… a light ozone I can appreciate and that doesn’t turn to extreme. I would love to wear this as well as use it as a room spray. I do wish the throw was a bit stronger because it does fade pretty quickly. I’m getting a bottle for sure.
KHEPHRA: Stations of the Sun: The Midnight Sun: Hail unto thee who art Khephra in Thy hiding, even unto Thee who art Khephra in Thy silence, who travellest over the heavens in Thy bark at the Midnight Hour of the Sun.
Tahuti standeth in His splendour at the prow, and Ra-Hoor abideth at the helm.
Hail unto Thee from the Abodes of Evening.
In Bottle: Patchouli
On Skin: Eeek! Something sharp. At first I thought it was patchouli, but now it seems to herby. This is pungent to an extreme. It kind of reminds me of Somnus. I don’t like it, sorry. It just turns my stomach instantly. It has a heavy incense in it, frankincese I think, and also spices, maybe clove? After the drydown it does sweeten up a bit due to a resin note, maybe myrrh? That makes it more easy to bear. I don’t mind it once it sweetens up and mellows out, but it’s not a fragrance I’d wear. It might be nice as an incense blend to burn.
WHIP: Agony and ecstasy: black leather and damp red rose.
In Bottle: Floral
On Skin: This is pretty darn straightforward: leather and rose. It’s a little… ok a lot tart. The rose screams in this which is not for me. While it is pretty, I can’t get past the rose. It still has that old lady note to me. The leather helps “naughty it up”, but still not a scent I like to much. Too bad, because I love almost every one of Beth’s leather blends. After dry down the rose is super powdery and the leather note has turned a little musty. It smells like someone a little sweaty at a club in their leather jacket and they’re wearing a rose oil to cover it up.
MALEDICTION:Evil incarnate. Revel in your dark side with this romantically cruel scent. Contains red patchouli and vetivert. (Gender neutral)
In Bottle: Woody and smoky.
On Skin: Whoa! The smokiness is overwhelming… I don’t like this one at all, sorry. I feel like I’ve been sitting in a campfire, it even makes my eyes water a bit. Very dark, of course, like the description says. It reminds me of Brimstone another one that just smoked me out. Wow, does this scent really work on people? I can't even imagine it!
HAMADRYAD:Nature spirits and protectors of the world’s groves and forests that appear as breathtakingly stunning women. Hamadryads are born into a tree that serves as both a home and an anchor for the creature’s soul. They are sometimes tricksters, sometimes seducers, sometimes helpful and benign, but they are always fierce and furious protectors of the natural world. Seven dry woods with mossy lichen and a gentle breeze of forest flowers. (Gender neutral)
In Bottle: Very green and floral
On Skin: Very floral and pretty. The woods give a nice base and the lichen gives it a very green note. The flowers are soft and seductive. A nice light spring smell, that has very distince color notes. Very striking, this one will get you attention and wake you up. A perfect scent for aromatherapy to stimulate your senses and give you a refresher. A little bright for my taste though, I like darker seductive scents.
VINLAND:The legendary site of the Viking colony in Newfoundland founded circa 985 BC. Crisp northern wind blowing over loganberry, wild roses, prairie crocus, iris versicolor Linné, mountain avens, yellow birch bark, mayflower and maple leaf. (Gender neutral)
In Bottle: Very floral and light.
On Skin: Kind of Lemon-Pledge like… Very tart and floral. Not a scent for me since it is so floral but pretty nonetheless. I can feel the "laying in a field of flowers in the sun" feeling from it for sure. I wouldn’t say it was masculine though, I could only imagine this on ladies. I don't smell the maple, unless the leaf note is just supposed to be green and not syrupy. A beautiful blend where the notes meld into each other perfectly.
LA BELLA DONNA DELLA MIA MENTE: Soft, lush myrtle and dry, sweet melilot with wild rose, pomegranate juice and peach blossom against a background of deep aquatic notes and a twirl of melancholy autumn breezes. (Gender neutral)
In Bottle: Rose and fruit.
On Skin: Yum! The peach is delicious and it mellows out the twang of the rose. I love how it's juicyness counteracts the rose's powder note, and the sweetness drwons out the roses tartness. Very interesting… the swirls of aquatic notes give it the most intriguing blend. Again, I don’t like rose, but the other scents help hide it. I almost smell something minty as well… This is one I’m saving for sure.
LOLITA:Bright, sweet and youthful, but swelling with a poisonous sexuality. Glittering heliotrope, honeysuckle, orange blossom and lemon verbena.
In Bottle: Very sweet and the lemon stands out.
On Skin: A bit Lemon Pledgy at first. I can smell the honeysuckle coming out. The orange blossom is blooming as well, very delicious and girly. I like it, but I got it on reviews that it smelled like Cotton Candy… and I’m not sensing that sadly… As it develops it becomes bubble-gum on me. To sickly sweet. It's the heliotripe, it always turns to bubble gum on me. It is a good sweet girly scent though and brings back memories of childhood and school playgrounds.
FAE:A brilliant, ethereal scent: white musk, bergamot, heliotrope, peach and oakmoss.
In Bottle: Yum! Peachy!!!
On Skin: The peach I smell first, then floral. It starts as juicy but is mellowing out to a bit more powdery. I don’t smell the oakmoss at all. Very delicious, I want to lick my wrist. I am craving peaches bigtime. This is a grown up sweet scent, not as girly as many I’ve tried, and it doesn’t give me a headache. I really like it and the fact the peach doesn't overwhelm me like it has in other blends.
SUGAR COOKIE Limited Edition Disc 2004:Affectionately nicknamed 'The Devil's Bake Sale'
In the Bottle: Sugar cookies, plain & simple.
On skin: A bit spicier, like nutmeg or cinnamon, with the obvious scent of sugar dough. I get hungry wearing this. It’s the only sugar cookie scent I’ve smelled that has those obvious spices in it, making it so much more real. I’m looking to see if I have crumbs on me. After a while, the cinnamon is strongest sadly, I don’t like how it overpowers the sweet sugar note. But still a scent I love. This version isn't boozy like the 2005 version ended up being on me.
THREE WITCHES Limited Edition Original Blend:Warm cinnamon, husky clove and white pepper.
In Bottle: Cinnamon and spicy.
On Skin: Cinnamon red hots. The sweet clove is also there, but in the background. It smells like my mothers kitchen after she’s been baking sweets. I’m thinking gingerbread, cookies, yum… but it’s not really a scent I’d wear. It would be perfect as an room spray during the holidays though. After an hour, the clove seems to be dominant and I finally smell the pepper. This scent is much to "kitchen-spicy" for me so it's off to the swaps.
And now, my 2 favorites (Snake Oil and O) that I cannot believe I haven’t reviewed yet…
SNAKE OIL:By far, our most popular scent! Magnetic, mysterious, and exceedingly sexual in nature. A blend of exotic Indonesian oils sugared with vanilla. (Gender neutral)
In Bottle: Sweet and almost cookie like.
On Skin: This scent just drips sexiness and the vanilla makes you just want to lick it off your skin. It goes so well with my body chemistry, I wear it all the time. It also fades to a powdery sweet spicy scent that makes you want to snuggle up and sniff it even closer. The spices are tame enough that they meld into my skin nicely and don't smell foody. The resin in it is also warm and melts like butter with my chemistry. This is my second favorite BPAL scent after “O”, I always get compliments on it.
O:The scent of sexual obsession, slavery to sensual pleasure, and the undercurrent of innocence defiled utterly. Amber and honey with a touch of vanilla.
In Bottle: Honey!!! Pure delicious honey!
On Skin: So sweet I can’t stop smelling myself. The honey is warm and beautiful. The vanilla gives it an even more comforting tasty edge, and the amber gives it a deep sexy kick. This is my signature scent, it is completely me and everyone that smells it on me has to make a comment on it perfectly defines me and that it must have been made for me. They also can't stop sniffing me and asking where they can get the scent. I swear I'm an "O" spokeswoman. “O” is my alltime favorite BPAL scent so far. I love layering it with a milk and honey lotion I have.
LOVE ME:A commanding, dominant oil that increases sexual magnetism, creates an intense and irresistible air of attraction, and amplifies potency.
In Bottle: Sweet and a bit cloying.
On skin: It smells like Play-dough. I don’t like it at all. I hoped it would change but after 2 hours it was still the same and my husband didn’t like it at all. It just has a plastic artificial scent that gives me a drastic headache. Ick, not sure what notes are in this but if I knew I would avoid them from now on. Sadly, no love there…
BLOOD ROSE:Sensual, robust, and silken: voluptuous red rose bursting with lascivious red wine and sultry dragon's blood resin.
In Bottle: Obvious Dragon’s blood resin. Yum.
On skin: The rose makes it very feminine. I also love the depth the wine gives it… I normally don’t like rose scents, but the dragon’s blood is the strongest note so the rose doesn’t bother me. The scent is sweet and a bit powdery. Very sexy. As far as a floral goes, I would wear this one for sure. Yes, write that down, I would wear a rose scent. LOL! This dragon's blood resin doesn't turn plasticy on me either which is another major bonus.
BLOOD AMBER:Slivers of warm, pulsating blood forever crystallized in golden amber resin. (Gender neutral)
In Bottle: The dragon’s blood is the strong note.
On Skin: MMM… I like it better than Blood Rose, because I love amber. I also like how I could picture this on a man as well. I’ll have to get my husband to try it out. Actually, I could wear Blood Rose and he could wear this and we’d be a perfect pair. The amber is gentle and calming. A beautiful yet comforting scent. *Edit* I got a bottle and love it even more. I've aged it for almost a year and the scent develops so beautifully.
ZEPHYR:A gentle white scent, breezes laced with the scent of springtime blooms and citrus. Lemon, lemon verbena, neroli, white musk, white florals, white sandalwood, China musk, bergamot and a drop of vanilla.
In Bottle: Floral, with a musk trail.
On Skin: I think I smell the neroli strongest. The white florals are 2nd in line… I’m not sensing any fruit or vanilla yet. The musks and sandalwood give a nice spicy depth. The description of a “white scent” is perfect. I could see wearing this while wearing a white linen outfit on the beach while sitting on a driftwood log and dipping my toes in the water. I think I smell of bit of the vanilla giving the scent a sweet tone… but still no fruit…
WHITE RABBIT:Strong black tea and milk with white pepper, ginger, honey and vanilla, spilled over the crisp scent of clean linen.
In Bottle: Tea and vanilla.
On Skin: Yum. Tea and milk extreme. The pepper and ginger give it a dark warm spice. The honey and vanilla make it drip with sweetness. Very unique, I’ve never smelled a scent like this. Very comforting. I’m not too fond of the tea note since I don’t like tea, but I love the rest of the notes so much I think I’d wear this. The throw is decent and after about an hour, the tea fades and it just melts into a sweet vanilla spice. A delicious scent I love to wear.
DRACUL:Named in honor of Vlad III, Tepes, of the Order of the Dragon. Black musk, tobacco, fir, balsam of peru, cumin, bitter clove, crushed mint, and orange blossom.
In Bottle: Fir and balsam are most obvious.
On Skin: Again, the fir and balsam are strongest notes. I also smell the black musk. The mint may be in there as well. I don’t seem to notice the tobacco or orange blossom. I think the cumin and clove give it a spicy edge. After while, I am smelling the smokiness of the tobacco. A dark scent, more masculine then I like, and a bit too smoky for me. I also don't like the spices on my skin, it's not working with me at all. Another one off to the swaps.
BON VIVANT:An effervescent blend of crystalline champagne notes and sweet strawberry.
In Bottle: Strawberry champagne perfect.
On Skin: I feel like I’m drinking champagne with a strawberry in it. Sweet and you can smell the effervescence and *feel* it lightly hitting your face. Tart and sweet, delicious. I’d be afraid to wear it though because it does smell like I’ve been drinking champagne. But oh is it yummy! Maybe for a party? It does have that festive feel. Edit: I layered it with Pink Phoenix and the two work together so nicely.
INTRIGUE:A sultry, exotic scent that inspires devious plotting and clandestine affairs. It is a scent painted in artifice, veiled in deceit, and slithering with whispered secrets. Black palm, with cocoa, fig and shadowy wooded notes. (Gender neutral)
In Bottle: Woody and dark.
On Skin: I smell the cocoa and wood the strongest. I don’t smell the fig at all at first. It’s a much darker scent than I envisioned without reading the description. I can say that the smell really does intrigue me. It is a bit too incensey for my taste though. After about an hour the sweetness of the fig shines through. Yum! A complex blend that Beth has mixed masterfully.
MAGUS:An ancient blend, swollen with arcane power: galangal, high john essence, frankincense, cedar, and sandalwood. (Traditionally masculine)
In Bottle: Cedar and sandalwood.
On Skin: I couldn’t get my husband to try this because it was too cedary for him. He thought it smelled caustic in the bottle, but a lot of scents are that way till you try them on. On me, it is VERY masculine. Again the cedar and sandalwood are still strongest. The frankincense gives it a very incensey note, which I don’t like. It’s very woodsy and smoky.
DESIRE:The overwhelming agony of passion crystallized into a singularly dark and magnetic blend: bittersweet neroli, black patchouli and black musk, gilded by apple, bergamot, blood red rose, teak, and vanilla.
In Bottle: Fruity but very musky.
On skin: I love it!!!! Usually I HATE rose scents, but this one is very delicate and the fruit and musks give it much more depth. The vanilla sweetens the scent as a whole but is not overpowering. This scent is very pretty and feminine, but the musk and vanilla also make it sexy. I would wear this anytime I wanted to feel elegant and womanly. I love that all the notes are so well blended I'm having a real hard time picking them all out. The scent changes and morphs at a smooth rate, always perking my interest. I love it, but after about a half hour my biggest enemy, patchouli, peeks out. I can't get past him, he just sits there poking at my wrist. Sorry Desire, I wanted to love you.
TITANIA:A nocturnal bounty of fae dew-kissed petals and pale fruits: white grape, white peach, iced pear, musk rose, sweet pea, moonflower and snapdragon.
In Bottle: BEAUTIFUL. Plain and simple! Fruity and floral.
On skin: This is one of my favorites so far. Oh my… the peach and pear and the first notes I smell, and I adore them. The florals are mild which is good because I’m not a big fan of florals, and there's snapdragon!!!! My favorite flower!! This is the definition of a spring scent. I automatically think of gardens and fresh fruit. It’s a daytime picnic scent. And VERY feminine. As it settles it’s a bit earthy/dusty… the wetness of the fruit is fading… not sure if I like that.
Overall, a scent that fits it's name perfectly, a true graceful fairy.
DEPRAVED:A salacious, lecherous, leering scent - dirty and dark, slapped with a wet sweetness. Earthy black patchouli swelling with apricot.
In Bottle: Pure apricot.
On skin: I only had a drip left in the vile to test it, but I love it. The apricot is still very dominant, but the patchouli gives it some bite… almost earthy… like an apricot that has fallend to the ground. The apricot actually is a bit too overripe for me, wow. There are more levels to it then other apricot scents I’ve smelled. Not really a fragrance I’d wear, but one I’d love as a room scent or potporri.
KABUKI:Compelling, complex, and utterly enigmatic: a luxuriant, exotic blend of cherry, red musk, and star anise.
In Bottle: Cherry and musk, VERY sweet.
On Skin: The cherry is overwhelming, it smells almost like cough syrup. The musk does make it darker though which I like. I think it is a bit cloying and strong so apply lightly…
After about a half hour, I like it. It’s pretty and warm. But it's kind of one dimensional and I've enjoyed other BPAL cherry blends more.
MORGAUSE: Earth sorceress and mother of Mordred, she is, in essence, the harbinger of King Arthur's doom and the downfall of Camelot. She is a sister, or sister-self, to Morgan Le Fay. A bouquet of five night-blooming flowers deepened by dusky violet, purple fruits and the barest breath of medieval incenses.
In Bottle: Very floral and perfumey.
On Skin: Very, very pretty. This is a very femine perfume. The florals are dark and not “spring” like… I think of walking around a garden at night and the lingering smell of the violet and maybe something sweeter like honeysuckle? I don’t smell fruits sadly… The incenses are not showing themselves yet… they usually come out on me as the scent fades. I don’t see this as an evil scent, but rather as comforting. I don’t really wear florals, but if I were to wear one this might be it… but not to a club.
SOPHIA:The Gnostic goddess of Wisdom. A solemn, deeply profound draught of lavender, soft musks, star jasmine, black rose, delphinium, and gentle spice. (Gender neutral)
In Bottle: Soapy and rose scented.
On Skin: Pretty but a bit soapy for me. I also am not fond of rose scents… this reminds me of an older woman and the musk makes it a bit dusty like an attic. I like the spice because it makes it not as feminine as most rose scents…. I think it’s a scent I’d like on someone else, but not me. And I can't get past the "old ladiness" of it...
UNDERTOW:The Dark Side of Water: clean and purifying, yet menacing -- lotus and juniper with a hint of mint. A scent dragged up from the depths to the Stygian shore. (Gender neutral)
In Bottle: Sweet and piney.
On Skin: The pine must be the juniper. The lotus does sweeten it but the mint keeps it fresh and outdoorsy. It does smell very watery… like a lake in a forest. Very masculine… I can’t imagine this scent on a woman. The mint and juniper really clear the sinuses. A sharp and pungent scent, be ready to wake up when you smell this one.
SWANK:Simply cool, the essence of Lounge: the scent of a crisp pomegranate martini.
In Bottle: The Pomegranate is the strongest note. Very delicious.
On Skin: Again, very pomegranate. This reminds me of an Illuminations candle I have in the pomegranate scent. I personally love it on me… other people may think it’s strong and that it is too room fragrance like. It is very bold and bright. I think it’s a great spring scent, pure fruit... it makes me thirsty.
I’d love to order a bigger bottle of this and use it for candles, baths, and anything else I could. And now I need a bottle of Pom to drink and quench my cravings. :)
HOLLYWOOD BABYLON:The essence of innocence shattered: glittering Egyptian amber and heliotrope, infused with the sweetness of strawberry and vanilla - dragged into debauch by lusty red musk and a dribble of black cherry.
In Bottle: Kind of bubblegum with a sweet tang to it.
On Skin: Still very sweet but a bit inscencey. I love it, but can’t breathe in too deep or the sweetness gives me a headache. I smell the cherry for sure and I think the vanilla is adding to the sweetness. The musk gives it great warmth and depth. There is a floral note in the background which gives this scent it’s femininity. I like this scent quite a bit and will use my imp for sure. It's a little too girly like for me to get a bottle though...
BASTET:Bast, Ubasti, Ailuros, Ba-en-Aset. Represented as both a domestic cat and a fierce lioness, she truly evidences traits of both. She is the Mother of All Cats, Goddess of Sensuality, Fertility, and a guardian and protector of women. She is also one of the Eyes of Ra, and in that aspect is an Avenging Goddess, seeking retribution and punishing enemies of her people. Luxuriant amber, warm Egyptian musk, fierce saffron and soft myrrh, almond, cardamom and golden lotus. (Gender neutral)
In Bottle: Spicy cherry bubblegum Kind of like Hollywood babylon, but spicy.
On skin: The musk and amber are strongest. The almond sweetens the scent which is also where the “cherry” note I smell is coming from. The inscense smell is very strong after a few minutes which must be from all the beautiful spicy notes. I generally don’t like inscense scents, but this is so sweet and sexy… and very light. My skin drank it up and after 10 minutes it’s already fading… I hope it’ll have some staying power because I love this scent! Bastet is one of my goddesses so I had realllllllly hoped this scent would work for me and apart from fading, it has!
THE LION:The dry, glorious warmth of the Savannah. A golden, spiced amber, proud, regal and ferocious. (Gender neutral)
In bottle: Tea, it smells like tea… iced tea maybe.
On skin: Still smells like tea, I don’t like the smell of tea but this one isn’t upsetting me. Golden is the perfect description… I see a beautiful yellow gold coming from this scent. I like this… but I am not sure if it is me. I am a Leo and was hoping The Lion would work for me since I’m half feline… but the “tea” note really doesn’t jive with me. It is awfully pretty though.
After a few more minutes, the tea scent has warmed up a bit and I’m smelling more amber…
INGENUE:A tawdry Hollywood tragedy, the essence of innocence lost amongst casting couch cushions. Wild clover and gentle melon interlaced with violet leaf, water lilies, smooth wooden notes, and blushing rose.
In bottle: Pure Violet.
On skin: Still very heavily violet scented. The most pure floral, feminine scent I’ve smelled. So dainty and pretty. The sweet clover note is starting to be noticed… I smell no melon and wish I did since it’s one of my favorite notes. There is a little tartness of rose…
The scent fades pretty quick on me, but I like it lighter since it’s so floral. I also notice, as its fading, the wood note makes itself known.
BAKU:Dream Formula II: Our Nightmarebane.
Named after the Baku, benevolent Japanese spirits that eat nightmares. In Japanese tradition, nightmares are gifts from malevolent spirits; when you wake up from one, you may call, "Baku, please eat my dreams!", and if you are virtuous and merciful in spirit, the Baku will devour the evil, transforming it into a blessing of good fortune. (Gender neutral)
In bottle: Pine? Not liking it at all… sorry…
On skin: The description of this scent made me want to love it… but oh my god. This is NOT for me. It smells like floor cleaner. Pinesol with a poisonous sweet note trying to hide that. After a few minutes it’s more like Windex… hmm… not liking where this is going.
There is a bit of a eucalyptus note… which I usually like, but this smells more toxic. There is also a bit of a lavender note hiding in back.
This is not a “fragrance” to me, I’m thinking since it was made for dreams, that’s the only time I should wear it. Lets see if it does ward off bad dreams, because if it does, it will be a lifesaver.
I’m thinking that making this into a linen spray for the bed would be the best idea.
STORM MOON: The Storm Moon marks the darkest portion of the year. A season of long, impenetrable nights and turbulent tempests. A raging, electric and wet scent: slashing rain notes, rolling thunder, and sharp, cold winds layered by a breath of softly wafting lunar incense, a hint of Luna’s blooms, and the brittle herbs of winter. (Gender neutral)
In bottle: Very clean almost soapy scent.
On skin: Still a bit soapy, I can smell the rain, but I'm think more of a clean April showers and sun kind of mood. Not dark and stormy. The ozone is the owerpowering note. I'm thinking I would like this more on a man since it has that Irish Spring kind of feel to it.
If my hubby doesn't want it, I'll probably put it up for sale or swap.
SPOOKY: from Limited Editions, Winter 2003: A maddeningly festive blend of warm, buttery rum, cocoa, coconut, vanilla and a jolt of peppermint. It’s a sweet, decadent, slightly silly scent, reminicent of rum-laced holiday cookies.
In bottle: Mint... yes... and chocolate. GirlScouts Thin Mints!!!!!! But do I want to smell like this all the time? People may try to bite me...
On skin: Now I smell the coconut so I'm thinking more Girl Scout Samoas... I'm starving wearing this scent!
Ok... mint scent is taking over again... now I smell like winter and X-mas! Oh my god! I know the scent exactly: Mint Tulip the Strawberry Shortcake doll!!!! Dress me up in a little Holland outfit, dye my hair yellow and I'm her! I'm loving this scent but am thinking my hubby won't be too fond of it since he hates scents that make him hungry. Maybe a good one for the holidays?
KALI: This perfume is a blend of the sacred blooms of cassia, hibiscus, musk rose, Himalayan wild tulip, lotus and osmanthus swirled with offertory dark chocolate, red wine, tobacco, balsam and honey.
In the bottle it smells very sweet, deep and floral. When I put it on, I can kind of smell the wine and honey, but mostly floral. After about an hour... it's ALL floral... alomost like honeysuckle. I don't know why, but if a perfume has a floral note in it, my chemistry seems to make it overwhelming. I smell no tobacco, balsam, honey, or chocolate until about 15 minutes into the drydown. Then it just turns vile on me. A mix of just too much. Just when it's gotten to the point where I think I need to rinse it off, it morphs into the most beautiful blend. WOW!! It smells amazing on me!!! How am I going to deal with the icky process every time I wear this just to get to this point? I'll have to make sure and put it on at least a half hour before I go anywhere. :)
After about 4 hours, I finally get more of the depth. It smells freaking good. Very sexy and the wine/berry scent mixes with the floral and I think the honey and tobacco make it more warm. I love it at this stage.
ALICE: Milk and honey with rose, carnation and bergamot.
I really wanted to love this one since Alice in Wonderland is one of my goddesses...
In the bottle it smells like floral with a bit of sweet undertones (the milk and honey).
After I put it on... all carnation and rose. I wanted the milk and honey to stand out since they're one of my favorite scent combinations... but sadly no... they vanish and it is carnation extreme.
All day... still just carnation. It's pretty and light, but not very Tina...
ZOMBIE: Dried roses, rose leaf, Spanish moss, oakmoss and deep brown earth.
I was excited for this since 2 of my friends say it's one of their favorites.
In the bottle it is very "dirt" scented. :)
I put it on and the first thing I thought was... it smells like a fishtank. This is not a bad thing, fishtanks don't smell like fish, they smell like very earthy water... maybe it's the algea in them. I'm thinking it is the moss notes that give this scent.
After an hour, it's smelling better. It's a sour Poison like smell (which I love) with the dirt scent still dominant... but it's also turning kind of powdery. I'd say it still smells a bit aquatic, but that's a good thing. I love this scent, it is like nothing I've ever smelled and I think it will catch people's attention.
SWEET PEA: Single Note
In Bottle: Girly floral
On Skin: Sweet Pea… the name fits it perfect. It is such a sweet innocent scent. I think this is the alltime most “girly” flower and embodies the feeling of a child. A very white/light pink scent. Vibrant, fresh and juicy. A little ozoney/watery which adds to the freshness. The throw on this is unlike any scent I’ve reviewed… as is the staying power, everyone will notice it. I love that Beth uses such great quality oils. This smells perfectly fresh, like it was just cut, nothing artificial about it. I am not the biggest fan of florals so it’s not a scent I’d wear on it’s own, but I’m thinking of layering it with other pink scents like Pink Phoenix or Pink Moon.
VANILLA BEAN: Single Note
In Bottle: Sweet vanilla
On Skin: This is vanilla in a syrup form. So delicious. It reminds me of my honeymoon in Tahiti where vanilla beans were everywhere and in everything. My favorite was leaving one in a sugar bowl so the sugar becomes vanilla flavored and that’s exactly what this smells like. I would LOVE a bottle of this… gallons of this!!! This and honey single note are the scents I really would love to bathe in and have my skin permanently smell like. It is very simple and pure, a scent that could be layered with almost anything. It isn’t overpowering and the staying power is decent. This is my husbands favorite scent on me…
OLD SYBARIS: The pinnacle of wealth, luxury, self-indulgent pleasure, voluptuousness and sensuality. Bright violet with sweet clove, Mediterranean spice notes and tonka bean.
In Bottle: Spicy violet
On Skin: An interesting mix of scents… The violet seems to dominate and is very powdery, while the clove and spices dance around it. The tonka bean provides an all over sweet note that keeps everything in harmony. This scent is very light, almost a ghost of a scent. Usually aged scents turn stronger… hmmm… I do like it, but it doesn’t feel sensual to me. Actually, I’m not sure what I get from this scent since it seems hard for me to describe. A spicy floral that fades quickly and doesn’t quite leave an impression with me… sorry… I’ve never had a BPAL scent leave me this befuddled.
BLOOD MOON: The feral scent of the heat of the chase, deep woods, undulating musks, brushed by forest herbs, crushed grains, and touched by blood-dimmed lunar oils.
In Bottle: Cinnamon and herbs
On Skin: The musks give this a beautiful base. The crushed grains have a sweet note, kind of like Dana O’Shee, and there has to be cinnamon in here because there is a fierce spicy note that burns my nose. The woods are like but add a masculine edge. I love that the herbs aren’t too medicinal. From the description and then smelling the scent, I do feel quite frenzied. It is feral and wild, very animalistic. When would I wear this? When I wanted to be be motivated beyond any measure, when I wanted to hunt something or somebody down, it just revs you up! The dry down softens it up a bit, maybe Dragon’s Blood coming forward? A very complex scent that is hard to put into words.
TOMBSTONE: A celebration of one of the first commercially produced perfumes of America's Old West. A rugged, warm blend of vanilla, balsam and sassafras layered over Virginia cedar.
In Bottle: Vanilla smoke
On Skin: I thought I’d like this, but there seems to be a smokey note not agreeing with me. Maybe the cedar? The vanilla is sweet, warm and gentle and tones the scent. The balsam is light, not overly piney or anything. The sassafras gives a light root-beer note that adds to the sweetness. I do picture the Old West, how interesting. I feel like I just walked into a bar in Deadwood. The smell of wood and dust… very interesting. A unique blend that is very masculine. The throw factor is low thow and the scent itself fades on me in about 10 minutes.
GOLDEN PRIAPUS: Insatiable lust, unending vigor! A truly carnal, energetic men's blend: vanilla and amber with juniper, rosewood and white pine.
In Bottle: Sweet pine
On Skin: I love amber and vanilla so I thought this scent would be a hit for sure. But sadly, woody blends are just not my cup of tea lately. The juniper and pine jump forward and lead the scent. The sandalwood offers a softer lighter buffer, and the vanilla and amber offer a nice sweet warm base. This is a man’s scent for sure, very rugged. I don’t feel the carnal lusty description though. For some reason, the woods are screaming construction site at me, like freshly sawed wood and sawdust. It even has a little of a medicinal note that reminds me of Carmex lip ointment. Still a nice scent, just not for me or my husband.
MAD HATTER: A gentlemen's lavender-citron cologne unhinged by the feral pungence of black musk and a paroxysm of pennyroyal.
In Bottle: Dark mint
On Skin: Pungent is right! Wow, this reminds of something… My 6th grade teacher used to smell like this mixed with cigarettes… Not so good… LOL! There is an overall minty scent. The pennyroyal gives a sharp and bitter tone while the lavender also pierces through. The citron note seems to be lemon or something bright. The black musk encases it all in a dark blanket that is actually a bit scary. I could truly identify this as being a Mad Hatter scent, Beth is amazing!
COYOTE: The Native American Creator / Trickster God of Chaos and Change. The warmth of doeskin, dry plains grasses and soft, dusty woods warmed by amber and a downy, gentle coat of deep musk.
In Bottle: Musk and patchouli
On Skin: I smell patchouli, or something with that earthy dirt smell. The amber is very light, sadly… I was hoping for it to be a dominant note. The musk is a bit feral which does give a “doeskin” feeling. I also imagine burying my face in a coyote’s fur after he’s been napping in the sun and getting that animal sleepy smell (my dogs get it). The woods and grasses smell like a field in fall, not quite fresh but not dead either… just dry and earthy. The patchouli note has faded (yay!) and the amber surfaces a bit more sweetening the blend. This scent is very light, not much throw. It’s also calm and peaceful which is a bit of a contradiction to the “Chaos” description. After about 20 minutes it fades into my skin.
RED QUEEN: Deep mahogany and rich, velvety woods lacquered with sweet, black-red cherries and currant.
In Bottle: Holy cherry Batman!
On Skin: These are some sweet cherries! Ludens cough drops… The mahogany has such warm depth and coupled with the wood note brings about a much more interesting cherry scent then some of the other BPAL cherry blends I’ve sampled. Dark and a little earthy, this kind of reminds me of the drink Cherry-Pom. Very tasty but not really a “perfume” scent. It also reminds me in a slight way of Hearth 04… that cherry pipe tobacco feel… comforting and warm.
THE COILED SERPENT: A potent yogic oil that stimulates the kundalini, provokes spiritual awakening, and releases the energy seated in your root chakra.
In Bottle: Patchouli
On Skin: First off, this is the first and only imp I’ve ever spilled on myself. Of course, I hate patchouli… great!!! This is pure patchouli… that dirt and powder note. I hope it works for it’s intended purpose… maybe help my depression? I don’t know much about chakras… :) It smells very incensey and dark so I’m thinking Black Patchouli? It’s not really my kind of scent but if you like patchouli, go for it!
THE LIVING FLAME: A luminescent red scent: breathless with passion, flickering with desire, and glowing with ardent and reverential love.
In Bottle: Sweet floral
On Skin: What is this? It’s beautiful!!!! I thought for sure it would have cinnamon, but it doesn’t seem to have any extreme spice to it. Maybe a light musk, and something a little clean and soapy. The floral in it is soft, nothing overwhelming or sickly sweet. This smells perfumey, very pretty and womanly. It reminds me of Venom a little, which also reminds me of a soft mild Dior Poison. I love that it is blended so well that it’s hard for em to even pick out individual notes. The name puzzles me because I get more of a golden feell, nothing red or fiery. I want a bottle of this!!!
LOUP GAROU: The wild, untamed essence of lycanthropy. Primeval in its raw power and insatiable hunger: juniper, cypress and galangal with the barest touch of eucalyptus.
In Bottle: Menthol
On Skin: The eucalyptus screams out at me. Coupled with the juniper and cypress there is an extreme medicinal astringent note. The galangal offers a resin note that is overpowered by the other strong notes. This is very raw, and a bit feral. A scent that will pry your eyes open and keep them open. I was getting ready for bed before I tested this and all of a sudden I am completely awake. Great for stimulation, but not a scent I’d wear as a perfume or want my husband to wear either.
CHAOS THEORY II The Butterfly Effect CCXXV: No description
In Bottle: Spicy soap
On Skin: Instantly I get a bit of an ozone note and also something slightly spicy. Cinnamon? The warmness of the cinnamon and the coolness of the ozone is a very interesting pairing. The ozone gives it a more masculine feel at first. I searched the Forum reviews and couldn’t find a review of this one. Was it mislabeled? Not sure… Anyway, after about 15 minutes is starts sweetening up a bit and there is something I can’t quite place my finger on… I wish there were more reviews of it so I could compare with others. I’m thinking there is a slight floral, nothing overwhelming, but a bit aquatic and that’s what’s causing the ozone note. Very pretty.
DELIRIUM: Non compos mentis, indeed! A contrary, conflicted scent, bubbling with merry madness. Contains apple, rose, and lemon.
In Bottle: Lemon
On Skin: Bright lemon sweetened by a juicy apple. The rose is also tart, but is such a nice partner to the lemon. I would have never thought of a combination like this and it is quite interesting. First off, this is a GREAT “wake-me-up” scent. It literally zings! The fruits are so wet and juicy I want to drink my wrist. It smells like drinking an apple-lemonade on the porch with beautiful roses blooming all around you. A wonderful spring or summer scent.
TAL: MANTLE OF VENUS: Brings immense success in love and money.
In Bottle: Fruit leather
On Skin: When I first smelled this I smelled fruit leather. Remember that all natural much better for you than “Fruit Roll Ups” fruit snack? Not as sweet as a Fruit Roll Up since I don’t think they’re sweetened. Well, one minute later and it’s Holy Clove Batman! There is also a very light and sweet floral, I’m thinking violet? It’s a pretty scent but the cloves overwhelm me. I will keep it on and see if I actually encounter any luck in the love or money catagories. I’m happily married so I don’t need any luck there, but I’m broke so come on money luck!
PELE: This perfume embodies her gentler, benign aspect as the capricious Goddess of Dance: muguet and Hawaiian white ginger enveloped by warm, damp tropical blooms.
In Bottle: Clean linen
On Skin: I have heard the best things about Pele, so I was dying to try this scent. It is so beautiful and clean!!! It’s a warm clean, not stark. It reminds me of clean cotton sheets straight from the dryer. It makes me yearn for the 2 weeks we spent on our honeymoon in Tahiti. I can smell the sweet flowers, fresh air and general excitement and electricity. This is such a soft, comforting scent… a light ozone I can appreciate and that doesn’t turn to extreme. I would love to wear this as well as use it as a room spray. I do wish the throw was a bit stronger because it does fade pretty quickly. I’m getting a bottle for sure.
KHEPHRA: Stations of the Sun: The Midnight Sun: Hail unto thee who art Khephra in Thy hiding, even unto Thee who art Khephra in Thy silence, who travellest over the heavens in Thy bark at the Midnight Hour of the Sun.
Tahuti standeth in His splendour at the prow, and Ra-Hoor abideth at the helm.
Hail unto Thee from the Abodes of Evening.
In Bottle: Patchouli
On Skin: Eeek! Something sharp. At first I thought it was patchouli, but now it seems to herby. This is pungent to an extreme. It kind of reminds me of Somnus. I don’t like it, sorry. It just turns my stomach instantly. It has a heavy incense in it, frankincese I think, and also spices, maybe clove? After the drydown it does sweeten up a bit due to a resin note, maybe myrrh? That makes it more easy to bear. I don’t mind it once it sweetens up and mellows out, but it’s not a fragrance I’d wear. It might be nice as an incense blend to burn.
WHIP: Agony and ecstasy: black leather and damp red rose.
In Bottle: Floral
On Skin: This is pretty darn straightforward: leather and rose. It’s a little… ok a lot tart. The rose screams in this which is not for me. While it is pretty, I can’t get past the rose. It still has that old lady note to me. The leather helps “naughty it up”, but still not a scent I like to much. Too bad, because I love almost every one of Beth’s leather blends. After dry down the rose is super powdery and the leather note has turned a little musty. It smells like someone a little sweaty at a club in their leather jacket and they’re wearing a rose oil to cover it up.