[Multi] Reviews of my top 10 favourite scents
I decided to kick off my reviews with a top ten list. Yeah, I like themes. Hehe.
1. Snake Charmer
Sensual, sibilant, sexual and hypnotic: Arabian musk and exotic spices slinking through Egyptian amber, enticing vanilla, and a serpentine blend of black plum, labdanum, ambrette, benzoin and black coconut.
This scent is by far my favourite. It's a rich amber, vanilla scent in the bottle. It's very sexy and I love to open the bottle and sniff every so often. On my skin it's like Snake Oil light. It's just as vanilla as Snake Oil, but it's not nearly as heavy. It's got a lightness to it that works wonderfully on my skin. It works in my hair, it works on my skin, it has a long staying power and a medium throw. All in all, it is just the perfect scent for me.
2. Snake Oil
By far, our most popular scent! Magnetic, mysterious, and exceedingly sexual in nature. A blend of exotic Indonesian oils sugared with vanilla.
Snake Oil is heavier than Snake Charmer owing to the Indonesian oils, I'm suspecting. It turns slightly powdery on my skin, but it's a powder that I love. It's a heavy scent so the light powder undertone helps keep it from becoming cloyingly sweet. And the longer it sits and ages, the better it smells. Again, it works on my skin, in my hair, has a long staying power and a medium throw. I'm very happy to know that when I run out of my bottles of Snake Charmer Snake Oil will still be around to keep me happy.
3. 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.
If you look at my top three, you'll see a consistency in favourite notes: amber and vanilla. However, O doesn't smell anything like the other two. I get musk from O that gives it a bit of a deeper scent. It's not as sweet at all and has very little throw. O is a scent to wear when I want to smell myself or I want the boy to smell me. Oddly enough, it's my mother's favourite scent as well and none of the notes in O are notes she wants anything to do with most of the time. On her it smells very sharp and even a bit sour, but it's a scent that makes her seem very powerful. She gets more of a throw than I do and I can always tell when she's wearing it because of how she holds herself. Sadly, my bottle of O is empty, empty, empty. I have to wait (im)patiently until my 10ml shows up from the lab.
4. Hearth '04
Sweet pipe tobacco, cherry wood, the warm, worn leather of an easy chair and a pleasant, subtle waft of fireplace smoke.
I *adore* Hearth '04 and practically cried when I found out it was being so thoroughly revisted for this year. And I was right to be upset. '05 is waaay too sugary on me and I can't wear it. Hearth '04 is cherry and tobacco on me with just a hint of spices and smoke. This is the only scent with leather that really works with my skin and I love the slightly bitter note that it adds to the warm notes of the cherry and tobacco. It lasts for hours and I can wear it on skin or hair. The throw on it is strong. People smell it after I'm gone and constantly ask what I'm wearing. I'm hoarding this stuff because this year's really worked so badly on my skin. I have 2 bottles and 1 on the way. Hopefully it will last awhile.
5. Miskatonic University
A venerable New England university, whose vast library holds many rare, diabolical and obscure arcane works, including one of the few surviving legitimate copies of the Necronomicon. Home to innumerable scholars of the esoteric and the occult, and the notorious Dr. Herbert West.
The scent of Irish coffee, dusty tomes and polished oakwood halls.
I'm a coffee addict and a fan of the smell of books so I went out of my way to get ahold of Misk U. And then I couldn't stop getting my hands on it. I have three bottles now, one that's almost empty and I would still buy more if I can find more. Unfortunately it doesn't show up very often and when it does it gets snagged fast. On my skin it's Irish coffee, sweet and bitter at the same time with a hint of caramel. It fades into a soft, dusty scent of coffee and books with a hint of wood. It lasts for a long time and has decent throw. It's also an incredibly good room scent.
6. Beaver Moon
Traditionally, Beaver Moon is named thus for a very obvious reason: during this time of year, beavers are hard at work building their dams and preparing for the onset of winter. Because it was too hard to resist, BPAL’s Beaver Moon is sillier, sleazier, and full of camp. This scent is of cheesecake and cupcakes, more in line with it’s cheekier connotations, and really hasn’t a damn thing to do with Luna at all!
This scent is foody heaven! It's velvet spice cake with cream cheese icing. I want to eat my arm when I have this on. Since it is so incredibly foody, I usually end up mixing it with something like Bengal or Al-Shairan to give it an added spice that it doesn't have alone. Alone though, it's absolutely wonderful. Who knew a scent of cheesecake and cupcakes would be so incredibly sexy and comforting! I love to put this in my hair because it holds the scent for so long and when you least expect it, a waft of spice cake and cream cheese comes out of nowhere and then I have to go get a snack. Hmm...maybe that's not a good thing. ;)
7. Djinn
An ancient, free-willed race created from the essence of Fire, much as man was created from Earth. They prowled the land at night, vanishing with the first rays of dawn. Myths surrounding the Djinn paint them as many things: benevolent champions of mankind and slaves to mad sorcerers, malicious incubi / succubi and energy vampires, or malevolent harbingers of madness and disease. The Djinn are ruled by Iblis, the Prince of Darkness, who bears unspeakable contempt for man. The scent of black smoke, of crackling flames, and smoldering ashes.
Djinn is not a pretty scent at all. There's nothing even remotely sweet or foody to it. It's ashes and smoke and just the hint of lemons. I love the scent, but I have to be very careful not to wear too much because the lemon scent that my skin hates gets amped up. It's oddly comforting and for some reason I really like smelling the ash and smoke. It's dark and harsh and it's not a perfume scent, but it's one that I love. I don't wear it very often, but when I do I appreciate it even more.
8. Jack
The scent of warm, glowing jack o'lanterns on a warm autumn night: true Halloween pumpkin, spiced with nutmeg, glowing peach and murky clove.
Jack is one of the first scents I ever tried and I still love it. I'm waiting (im)patiently for my 10ml to show up so I can smell like pumpkin and clove all I want. It reminds me of pumpkin bread and caramel with a hint of spice. It's very buttery and foody. I love it as a room scent as well as a skin/hair scent. It's especially good mixed with something less sweet like Al-Shairan. It's got great throw, great staying power, and just makes me happy.
9. Samhain
Revisited! Truly the scent of autumn itself -- damp woods, fir needle, and black patchouli with the gentlest touches of warm pumpkin, clove, nutmeg, allspice, sweet red apple and mullein.
Samhain is my happy, apple cider and pumpkin scent. It's the perfect fall scent for me with a very subtle patchouli note that never overpowers the pumpkin and apples. It goes slightly powdery on me, but like the powder in Snake Oil, it just enhances the scent. It doesn't last as long as I would like, but I'm hoping aging it will help with that. It's lovely as a room scent as well, very fall.
10. Quietude
Peace, serenity, tranquility, silence.
I didn't pick Quietude for the scent. I have insomnia issues and I'm trying so hard not to use medication to sleep. Most nights I can get away with just some Quietude on my nose and lavendar oil on my arms, but it's not full-proof. Quietude smells strongly of lavendar and citrus - maybe grapefruit? It's not oranges or lemons at all. And it's a subtle citrus. But the lavendar is really the key note in this blend. I'm inordinately fond of this blend. I use it every single night, just a drop on the tip of my nose and a bit on the stuffed animal I sleep with. I can't recommend Quietude enough.
1. Snake Charmer
Sensual, sibilant, sexual and hypnotic: Arabian musk and exotic spices slinking through Egyptian amber, enticing vanilla, and a serpentine blend of black plum, labdanum, ambrette, benzoin and black coconut.
This scent is by far my favourite. It's a rich amber, vanilla scent in the bottle. It's very sexy and I love to open the bottle and sniff every so often. On my skin it's like Snake Oil light. It's just as vanilla as Snake Oil, but it's not nearly as heavy. It's got a lightness to it that works wonderfully on my skin. It works in my hair, it works on my skin, it has a long staying power and a medium throw. All in all, it is just the perfect scent for me.
2. Snake Oil
By far, our most popular scent! Magnetic, mysterious, and exceedingly sexual in nature. A blend of exotic Indonesian oils sugared with vanilla.
Snake Oil is heavier than Snake Charmer owing to the Indonesian oils, I'm suspecting. It turns slightly powdery on my skin, but it's a powder that I love. It's a heavy scent so the light powder undertone helps keep it from becoming cloyingly sweet. And the longer it sits and ages, the better it smells. Again, it works on my skin, in my hair, has a long staying power and a medium throw. I'm very happy to know that when I run out of my bottles of Snake Charmer Snake Oil will still be around to keep me happy.
3. 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.
If you look at my top three, you'll see a consistency in favourite notes: amber and vanilla. However, O doesn't smell anything like the other two. I get musk from O that gives it a bit of a deeper scent. It's not as sweet at all and has very little throw. O is a scent to wear when I want to smell myself or I want the boy to smell me. Oddly enough, it's my mother's favourite scent as well and none of the notes in O are notes she wants anything to do with most of the time. On her it smells very sharp and even a bit sour, but it's a scent that makes her seem very powerful. She gets more of a throw than I do and I can always tell when she's wearing it because of how she holds herself. Sadly, my bottle of O is empty, empty, empty. I have to wait (im)patiently until my 10ml shows up from the lab.
4. Hearth '04
Sweet pipe tobacco, cherry wood, the warm, worn leather of an easy chair and a pleasant, subtle waft of fireplace smoke.
I *adore* Hearth '04 and practically cried when I found out it was being so thoroughly revisted for this year. And I was right to be upset. '05 is waaay too sugary on me and I can't wear it. Hearth '04 is cherry and tobacco on me with just a hint of spices and smoke. This is the only scent with leather that really works with my skin and I love the slightly bitter note that it adds to the warm notes of the cherry and tobacco. It lasts for hours and I can wear it on skin or hair. The throw on it is strong. People smell it after I'm gone and constantly ask what I'm wearing. I'm hoarding this stuff because this year's really worked so badly on my skin. I have 2 bottles and 1 on the way. Hopefully it will last awhile.
5. Miskatonic University
A venerable New England university, whose vast library holds many rare, diabolical and obscure arcane works, including one of the few surviving legitimate copies of the Necronomicon. Home to innumerable scholars of the esoteric and the occult, and the notorious Dr. Herbert West.
The scent of Irish coffee, dusty tomes and polished oakwood halls.
I'm a coffee addict and a fan of the smell of books so I went out of my way to get ahold of Misk U. And then I couldn't stop getting my hands on it. I have three bottles now, one that's almost empty and I would still buy more if I can find more. Unfortunately it doesn't show up very often and when it does it gets snagged fast. On my skin it's Irish coffee, sweet and bitter at the same time with a hint of caramel. It fades into a soft, dusty scent of coffee and books with a hint of wood. It lasts for a long time and has decent throw. It's also an incredibly good room scent.
6. Beaver Moon
Traditionally, Beaver Moon is named thus for a very obvious reason: during this time of year, beavers are hard at work building their dams and preparing for the onset of winter. Because it was too hard to resist, BPAL’s Beaver Moon is sillier, sleazier, and full of camp. This scent is of cheesecake and cupcakes, more in line with it’s cheekier connotations, and really hasn’t a damn thing to do with Luna at all!
This scent is foody heaven! It's velvet spice cake with cream cheese icing. I want to eat my arm when I have this on. Since it is so incredibly foody, I usually end up mixing it with something like Bengal or Al-Shairan to give it an added spice that it doesn't have alone. Alone though, it's absolutely wonderful. Who knew a scent of cheesecake and cupcakes would be so incredibly sexy and comforting! I love to put this in my hair because it holds the scent for so long and when you least expect it, a waft of spice cake and cream cheese comes out of nowhere and then I have to go get a snack. Hmm...maybe that's not a good thing. ;)
7. Djinn
An ancient, free-willed race created from the essence of Fire, much as man was created from Earth. They prowled the land at night, vanishing with the first rays of dawn. Myths surrounding the Djinn paint them as many things: benevolent champions of mankind and slaves to mad sorcerers, malicious incubi / succubi and energy vampires, or malevolent harbingers of madness and disease. The Djinn are ruled by Iblis, the Prince of Darkness, who bears unspeakable contempt for man. The scent of black smoke, of crackling flames, and smoldering ashes.
Djinn is not a pretty scent at all. There's nothing even remotely sweet or foody to it. It's ashes and smoke and just the hint of lemons. I love the scent, but I have to be very careful not to wear too much because the lemon scent that my skin hates gets amped up. It's oddly comforting and for some reason I really like smelling the ash and smoke. It's dark and harsh and it's not a perfume scent, but it's one that I love. I don't wear it very often, but when I do I appreciate it even more.
8. Jack
The scent of warm, glowing jack o'lanterns on a warm autumn night: true Halloween pumpkin, spiced with nutmeg, glowing peach and murky clove.
Jack is one of the first scents I ever tried and I still love it. I'm waiting (im)patiently for my 10ml to show up so I can smell like pumpkin and clove all I want. It reminds me of pumpkin bread and caramel with a hint of spice. It's very buttery and foody. I love it as a room scent as well as a skin/hair scent. It's especially good mixed with something less sweet like Al-Shairan. It's got great throw, great staying power, and just makes me happy.
9. Samhain
Revisited! Truly the scent of autumn itself -- damp woods, fir needle, and black patchouli with the gentlest touches of warm pumpkin, clove, nutmeg, allspice, sweet red apple and mullein.
Samhain is my happy, apple cider and pumpkin scent. It's the perfect fall scent for me with a very subtle patchouli note that never overpowers the pumpkin and apples. It goes slightly powdery on me, but like the powder in Snake Oil, it just enhances the scent. It doesn't last as long as I would like, but I'm hoping aging it will help with that. It's lovely as a room scent as well, very fall.
10. Quietude
Peace, serenity, tranquility, silence.
I didn't pick Quietude for the scent. I have insomnia issues and I'm trying so hard not to use medication to sleep. Most nights I can get away with just some Quietude on my nose and lavendar oil on my arms, but it's not full-proof. Quietude smells strongly of lavendar and citrus - maybe grapefruit? It's not oranges or lemons at all. And it's a subtle citrus. But the lavendar is really the key note in this blend. I'm inordinately fond of this blend. I use it every single night, just a drop on the tip of my nose and a bit on the stuffed animal I sleep with. I can't recommend Quietude enough.