BPAL: A Picnic in Arkham: calikali

calikali

Nov 30, 2006 18:47

Al-Azif (Springtime in Arkham), 13 January 2006
On first application, this is an odd combination of sugar and resin. It's sweet and syrupy, and darkly tinged. It doesn't blow my mind when I first try it on, but it's insidious. I keep wanting to sniff it, more and more.

As it dries, it becomes a little less sweet, but the overall balance of sugar and incense stays the same. I don't get any floral or wood notes on this at all. The throw is decent, and it lasts a respectable amount of time. I really like this, though I don't think I'll go through the heartbreak of trying to find a bottle. ;)

Arkham Revisited (Springtime in Arkham), 16 January 2006
This is sweet and fresh on first application, a forest garnished with fruity notes. As it dries, I start to get light floral notes, bright and delicate. This is beautiful!

Truth be told, however, the florals made me sneeze on first appearance. I really like this scent, but sinuses don't. =(

Cthulhu (Springtime in Arkham), 13 November 2005
This is green and aquatic in a completely different way than Dunwich, though I'm having a hard time thinking of different adjectives. This is a little more masculine, I think, and more like an ocean than a lake. There's a sweet note, but it's not floral, it's simply verdant.

Over time, this becomes less green and more ocean--like a cool rain over the ocean, even. I like it, but it's not something I would wear.

The High Priest Not To Be Described, 09 November 2006
Oooh. This will sound weird, but this blend first reminds me of what it's like to walk into a craft store. It's the dry spice of it, I think--very reminiscent of crackling, decorative wreaths and dusty photo albums. The chamomile pretty much dominates this blend, with my chemistry. As it dries, I get a bit more of the pepper, as well as a hint of sweetness from somewhere. If I concentrate, I can pinpoint the leather, which is surprising--I usually amp leather. This is a fascinating scent, completely contrary to my expectations.

Miskatonic University (Springtime in Arkham), 07 January 2006
In the bottle, this is an intoxicating blend, coffee and liquor and sugary cream. On application, however, it's a cup of coffee that's been sitting out for a bit, and the crumbs of a doughnut. This isn't a bad thing, however. There's something in this blend that reminds me of my own library--it's not as venerable as the titular institution, of course, but there's still the barest hint of paper and wood behind the coffee, books upon books, shelves upon shelves. Fascinating.

Unfortunately, this blend fades to the barest hint of coffee on my skin. It's beautiful, but barely noticeable.

The Music of Erich Zahn, 15 October 2006
On first sniff, the vetiver is obvious on this, mixing with the musk to create a dark and thick cloud. It's sweet and earthy and almost overwhelming. After a while, the murk clears a little, allowing the sweeter notes to sing. There's an incense note to this, but it's more smoke than resin. There's a bit of spice as well, but it's never a lot, and it's overshadowed by an odd papery note. I wasn't sure what to expect of this blend, but I like it.

Night-Gaunt, 12 November 2006
Hello, kumquat! This is sweet and tart in first application, very fresh and spiked with grapefruit. This doesn't morph on me at all--it stays perfectly juicy, perfectly fresh. Yum!

Nyarlahotep, 23 August 2006
Yow! Ozone and citrus definitely, but there's something darker underneath it. An odd spicy sweetness, and something intriguingly musky...that is morphing into a bleachy overtone even as I type. Augh! Well, before the blend went weird on me, it was quite refreshing, dark with spikes of brightness to it. Too bad about the morphing. Sigh.

R'lyeh, 04 September 2006
Dark, ozoney. Bottomless ocean and...grapefruit? Pink grapefruit, even, which seems odd with the other notes, but works surprisingly well. The aquatic notes murk up the citrus, emphasize how light and elusive it is, while the grapefruit keeps the darker notes from being too overwhelming. Over time, the grapefruit actually gets stronger on me, but it stays cool.

Shoggoth, 11 November 2006
Mmm. Citrus, clean and very sweet. A hint of flowers behind it, but mostly citrus. There's an aura of warmth around it, and a bit of musk, which bloom over time. The sweetness fades, but only a little. This is pretty, though I keep wanting to compare it to bath gel.

Shub-Niggurath (Springtime in Arkham), 09 October 2005
This is a pretty color. The palest pumpkin orange. On first application, this is very ginger, with the slightest bit of sweetness. I want to compare it to gingerbread, but it's not that--it's spicier, more raw, and the herbs come out quickly.

The sweetness fades over time, until it's purely herbs and raw ginger. Hmmmm. A nice scent, but not one I'd wear regularly. It lasted even past a few washings, and became a nice gingerbread smell again. I do not, however, give my scents that much advance thought. *g*

Y'ha-Nthlei, 13 October 2006
This is a clean scent, soap and the ocean, but warm. The aquatic notes have a sweet tinge to them, making this an overall bright scent. It doesn't morph on me, but it mellows to a pleasant clean murk over time. I like it.

Updated 29 December 2006.