BPAL Update XV
Here's a much-belated batch of reviews from the Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab. First, we have the Four Horsemen set, then some assorted scents.
COME AND SEE
The Bow and Crown of Conquest, Lab description: "And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were, the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.
"And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.
"Nobility and haughtiness befitting the Antichrist: sage, carnation and cedar with lavender, vanilla, white musk and leather."
Sage and cedar front this in the bottle. There's leather off in the background, and musk.
On, whoa, the vanilla comes leaping out, with the carnation. Oh, wow. The sage and cedar retreat into the background. At the heart of this scent is the vanilla/musk/leather combination, which is truly different. It's white musk and vanilla, so it smells just a little like Dorian, but with a leather punch, and just a bit of greenery taking the place of the lemon in Dorian's blend. I'm not noticing the florals at all, which is a good thing. They're barely present.
This is a proud, austere scent. I can, indeed, picture a cold prince in all his finery, riding forth on a high-stepping white charger. On the horse's faceplate is a horn carved from human bone. This is the unicorn that never heals.
It's a beautiful smell. The vanilla and musk are very sensual and couth, but it's all tinged with the menace of leather. The cedar and sage are in the background, like high-pitched strings warning of danger. I'd say this is truly gender-neutral; the vanilla is a little feminine, but it's balanced by the other notes and isn't foody in the least. This is really a very dry and haughty scent that thinks a lot of itself, and rightfully so.
If you liked Dorian but wished it had a little more menace, you might try this.
The Great Sword of War, Lab description: "And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see.
"And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword."
"Mandarin, tonka, saffron, black tea, cocoa, tobacco leaf, sanguine red musk and five classical herbs of conflict."
This thick and viscous oil is the color of iodine in the glass, and on opening it, smells of orange and cocoa, with a flush of musk.
It goes on smooth, and the orange is like a flare of light. The cocoa dies back, replaced by tonka's warm, almost vanilla edge, and the sweet lick of saffron. The tea is here, and the tobacco, a kind of swirly stew of masculinity. The orange is the edge of the sword, it's really quite cutting. All of the scents in this are red or brown or darkly golden. With the name, it gives me a picture of an old bronze sword sheathed in well-used leather.
This is a civilized scent, much more civilized than I had expected. As it dries and mellows, it reminds me of some kind of orange/chocolate liqueur. It's not foody, because it's not sweet, so it smells sort of boozy. I don't know if it's the oil I used on my skin today, or the fact that I just had a shower, but the orange topnotes die fast, just like Severin did, and the residue it leaves behind is lingering, but rather soft and faint.
The Scales of Deprivation, Lab description: "And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.
Thin, dark, and shadowed. A scent that offers no sustenance, comfort or satiety: lemon peel, white sage, frankincense, lavender fougere, sandalwood, vetiver and labdanum."
This is a lemony incense scent, redolent of sandalwood, lemon/sage, and vetiver.
On, the incense warms up, frankincense and sandalwood. The sage note is delicious and herbal, and combines with the lemon to give it an astringent quality that takes the edge off the sandalwood's sweetness.
I've smelled labdanum before in Snake Charmer and Hades, but I don't think I know it well enough to pick it out. It's supposed to be a resin derived from rockroses. I suppose it may be what is responsible for the grainy, darkly sweet gummy note in this, almost like a really rich amber.
From the descriptions, I expected something more high-pitched and uncomfortable, but naturally, my body eats the greenery and lemons and just leaves the incense and the clean lavender fougere to play around with the vetiver. They're playing nice, though. This is a nice gender neutral scent that strikes me as a bit more sexy than incense smells usually do. I like it quite a bit.
Fans of cerebral, incense blends might enjoy this, as might fans of clean scents. I have a strong feeling this isn't doing what it's supposed to do on me, so I'm not sure of my ability to properly review this one.
Death on a Pale Horse, Lab description: "And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
"And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.
"The End of All Things: empty white musk and mint seeped with solemn lavender, doleful patchouli and vetiver, scythe-sharp yuzu and lime, with geranium, bourbon, white sandalwood and calla lily."
Good lord, this one's a puzzler. In the bottle, it's pale, chill, and perfumey. Very clean, a feather-light citrus with a dry musk and just a hint of floral. It's so well blended that I cannot pick out individual notes.
This goes on very floral and classically perfumey; the geranium/lily is right out front, backed by the lime and vetiver. Ah, shit. There's the fucking lavender. Vetiver, too, though, like hewn grass. I'm not getting bourbon or patchouli, sadly. The sandalwood is a dryness way underneath.
At the risk of making a terrible pun, this is a very grave scent, austere but complicated, sober but very deep.
This is a really interesting smell, but sadly, the lavender and gardenia just won't shut up. Christ. Nothing ruins a blend like rancid flowers. After only a few minutes, when it should be at its most beautiful, all I'm getting is used makeup sponges.
Bugger this. I'm washing it off.
Overall, the entire Come and See set is a magnificent concept group with a couple of real standouts. I'm very glad they're in the general catalog, and aren't limited editions.
Seraglio, Lab description: "In long-ago Arabia, harem girls rubbed an herbal poultice formed from a blend of sensual, luxuriant herbs and oils onto their bodies to prepare themselves for the Sultan's pleasure. This lush, indulgent perfume is based on that ancient formula. Sweet almond and Mysor sandalwood enveloped by a heady veil of Bulgarian Rose, neroli, nutmeg, clove and orange peel."
This is the first oil I've wanted to eat out of the bottle. It smells like creamy almonds and orange peel, a smell like the cookies my husband and I make every year for the winter holidays. There's a bit of spice here, too, but it's so strongly almondy that it nearly smells like a chocolate-covered cherry (that's what almond flavoring smells like to a lot of people, self included -- cherries).
On, the cloves and rose come out, but the almond is still dominant. There's sandalwood present, which is really, really interesting under the almonds - the effect is very lush and very sexy. This is the scent of physical comfort, of mounded cushions, sweetmeats on silver trays, and naked bodys thinly veiled in silks and the scent of newborn roses.
The rose blooms more as it dries down, rose and spices, with a hint of citrus I'm not entirely sure about; it could be what is making this a little sour on my skin. It vanishes on the total drydown, and the scent becomes a dusty, sandalwoody smell rounded out with spiced roses. A beautiful perfume, just a hair high-pitched for me to really fall in love with it, and I'm coming to appreciate that I don't really care for sandalwood perfumes in general. They all seem to share a common note that just doesn't quite smell right on me, and I think that's the influence the sandalwood itself has on the other notes.
For someone who doesn't mind sandalwood, and who doesn't have a problem with the Lab's almond note, this would be an excellent choice. It's adult, sophisticated, beautiful, and alluringly vulnerable. This is utterly feminine and just a little bit smug. This is the scent of a woman who knows exactly how good she smells, and who is aware of exactly how to use what she's got. Actually, it reminds me a great deal of Inara.
Torture King, Lab Description: "The King of Pain, the Famed Fakir. Frankincense and sweet clove, mandarin and bourbon, lemon peel and leather, grasses and smoke, lime and vetiver, ambergris and deep musk."
This was part of the Carnaval Noir series of scents, and as such, it's no longer in production. Regrettable.
I smell citrus, grass, and the musk most strongly. It's very cool, deep, and masculine. Once I put it on, the smoke and bourbon and leather come out in a heady rush, and it gets downright hot. There's a little clove in here, but not too much. Just enough to spice it up without smelling like chai.
This is a very distinctive, very masculine scent. It would be almost painful to smell because of the strength of the citrus, but citrus dies fast on me and the frankincense, ambergris, and musk even it out. There's a smooth roundness to it underneath that is quite pleasant, and that comes to the fore more and more as the scent dries and ages. The clove and frankincense give this an exotic, almost otherworldly feel.
The smells I've tried I can best compare it to are Iago, Severin, and Hellfire. It's got the leather and grass of Iago, but with more subtlety and a veneer of highborn civility in the citruses that Iago lacks. It's a Severin with more character; though the citrus doesn't last any longer on me, there's more bottom to it. In comparison to Hellfire, this is a much more personal scent, not an ambient or room scent; remember I mentioned that Hellfire's a library or study? This is the scent of the man who spends much of his time in that study.
A fascinating blend, and one of the most complex blends I've tried yet. It's good on me, but on spacezombie it's great.
Dead Man's Hand, Lab description: "Now widely considered a portent of doom, the Dead Man’s Hand is a term used in five-card poker when you have "aces over eights" or "aces backed with eights" - the hand allegedly held by Wild Bill Hickock when he was gunned down from behind by Jack McCall in Saloon No. 10, Deadwood. According to the saloon’s proprietor, Hickock was holding all black cards, aces and eights, and it is believed that he was about to draw at the time of his murder. Our Dead Man’s Hand is the quintessential western scent: dusty rawhide and oiled leather."
Oh my god.
This is the leather-store leather smell. For real. Wet in the bottle, this smells like the suede tables at Tandy Leather.
It goes on velvety and smooth, warming up from its initial coolness to a soft, hot saddle leather scent. Very simple, very clear, and unmistakeable.
It has an almost chlorine/aquatic smell to it while it's wet, which is just . . . weird, but the suede leather scent is quite true. It stays pretty steady, and has an almost old-bookish smell to it at the end that's quite nostalgic.
Overall, it's not pure sex the way the De Sade leather note is pure sex, but it is the real leather smell I love.
It's a shame this was a limited edition and is now quite hard to find. I wish I had a full bottle of this so I could play with it and layer it with some other stuff, because I think as an individual note mixed with, say, vanilla, amber, and/or an incense, it might be even better. Or tea - green tea - and white musk with a dash of tonka.
For those seeking a similar scent, Bombshell Bath carries Gáe Assail in its line of Celtic scents, and it's a very, very close match.
That's all for now. I promise to do these more often in the future, it's just sort of a pain to format it all. I'm way, way behind, though, so I have to keep posting the reviews I've written.
Tiny scent icons are courtesy of me, and also of Penance's BPAL Icons and Storme's BPAL icons.
COME AND SEE
The Bow and Crown of Conquest, Lab description: "And I saw when the Lamb opened one of the seals, and I heard, as it were, the noise of thunder, one of the four beasts saying, Come and see.
"And I saw, and behold a white horse: and he that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer.
"Nobility and haughtiness befitting the Antichrist: sage, carnation and cedar with lavender, vanilla, white musk and leather."
Sage and cedar front this in the bottle. There's leather off in the background, and musk.
On, whoa, the vanilla comes leaping out, with the carnation. Oh, wow. The sage and cedar retreat into the background. At the heart of this scent is the vanilla/musk/leather combination, which is truly different. It's white musk and vanilla, so it smells just a little like Dorian, but with a leather punch, and just a bit of greenery taking the place of the lemon in Dorian's blend. I'm not noticing the florals at all, which is a good thing. They're barely present.
This is a proud, austere scent. I can, indeed, picture a cold prince in all his finery, riding forth on a high-stepping white charger. On the horse's faceplate is a horn carved from human bone. This is the unicorn that never heals.
It's a beautiful smell. The vanilla and musk are very sensual and couth, but it's all tinged with the menace of leather. The cedar and sage are in the background, like high-pitched strings warning of danger. I'd say this is truly gender-neutral; the vanilla is a little feminine, but it's balanced by the other notes and isn't foody in the least. This is really a very dry and haughty scent that thinks a lot of itself, and rightfully so.
If you liked Dorian but wished it had a little more menace, you might try this.
The Great Sword of War, Lab description: "And when he had opened the second seal, I heard the second beast say, Come and see.
"And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth, and that they should kill one another: and there was given unto him a great sword."
"Mandarin, tonka, saffron, black tea, cocoa, tobacco leaf, sanguine red musk and five classical herbs of conflict."
This thick and viscous oil is the color of iodine in the glass, and on opening it, smells of orange and cocoa, with a flush of musk.
It goes on smooth, and the orange is like a flare of light. The cocoa dies back, replaced by tonka's warm, almost vanilla edge, and the sweet lick of saffron. The tea is here, and the tobacco, a kind of swirly stew of masculinity. The orange is the edge of the sword, it's really quite cutting. All of the scents in this are red or brown or darkly golden. With the name, it gives me a picture of an old bronze sword sheathed in well-used leather.
This is a civilized scent, much more civilized than I had expected. As it dries and mellows, it reminds me of some kind of orange/chocolate liqueur. It's not foody, because it's not sweet, so it smells sort of boozy. I don't know if it's the oil I used on my skin today, or the fact that I just had a shower, but the orange topnotes die fast, just like Severin did, and the residue it leaves behind is lingering, but rather soft and faint.
The Scales of Deprivation, Lab description: "And when he had opened the third seal, I heard the third beast say, Come and see. And I beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had a pair of balances in his hand.
Thin, dark, and shadowed. A scent that offers no sustenance, comfort or satiety: lemon peel, white sage, frankincense, lavender fougere, sandalwood, vetiver and labdanum."
This is a lemony incense scent, redolent of sandalwood, lemon/sage, and vetiver.
On, the incense warms up, frankincense and sandalwood. The sage note is delicious and herbal, and combines with the lemon to give it an astringent quality that takes the edge off the sandalwood's sweetness.
I've smelled labdanum before in Snake Charmer and Hades, but I don't think I know it well enough to pick it out. It's supposed to be a resin derived from rockroses. I suppose it may be what is responsible for the grainy, darkly sweet gummy note in this, almost like a really rich amber.
From the descriptions, I expected something more high-pitched and uncomfortable, but naturally, my body eats the greenery and lemons and just leaves the incense and the clean lavender fougere to play around with the vetiver. They're playing nice, though. This is a nice gender neutral scent that strikes me as a bit more sexy than incense smells usually do. I like it quite a bit.
Fans of cerebral, incense blends might enjoy this, as might fans of clean scents. I have a strong feeling this isn't doing what it's supposed to do on me, so I'm not sure of my ability to properly review this one.
Death on a Pale Horse, Lab description: "And when he had opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth beast say, Come and see.
"And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him. And power was given unto them over the fourth part of the earth, to kill with sword, and with hunger, and with death, and with the beasts of the earth.
"The End of All Things: empty white musk and mint seeped with solemn lavender, doleful patchouli and vetiver, scythe-sharp yuzu and lime, with geranium, bourbon, white sandalwood and calla lily."
Good lord, this one's a puzzler. In the bottle, it's pale, chill, and perfumey. Very clean, a feather-light citrus with a dry musk and just a hint of floral. It's so well blended that I cannot pick out individual notes.
This goes on very floral and classically perfumey; the geranium/lily is right out front, backed by the lime and vetiver. Ah, shit. There's the fucking lavender. Vetiver, too, though, like hewn grass. I'm not getting bourbon or patchouli, sadly. The sandalwood is a dryness way underneath.
At the risk of making a terrible pun, this is a very grave scent, austere but complicated, sober but very deep.
This is a really interesting smell, but sadly, the lavender and gardenia just won't shut up. Christ. Nothing ruins a blend like rancid flowers. After only a few minutes, when it should be at its most beautiful, all I'm getting is used makeup sponges.
Bugger this. I'm washing it off.
Overall, the entire Come and See set is a magnificent concept group with a couple of real standouts. I'm very glad they're in the general catalog, and aren't limited editions.
Seraglio, Lab description: "In long-ago Arabia, harem girls rubbed an herbal poultice formed from a blend of sensual, luxuriant herbs and oils onto their bodies to prepare themselves for the Sultan's pleasure. This lush, indulgent perfume is based on that ancient formula. Sweet almond and Mysor sandalwood enveloped by a heady veil of Bulgarian Rose, neroli, nutmeg, clove and orange peel."
This is the first oil I've wanted to eat out of the bottle. It smells like creamy almonds and orange peel, a smell like the cookies my husband and I make every year for the winter holidays. There's a bit of spice here, too, but it's so strongly almondy that it nearly smells like a chocolate-covered cherry (that's what almond flavoring smells like to a lot of people, self included -- cherries).
On, the cloves and rose come out, but the almond is still dominant. There's sandalwood present, which is really, really interesting under the almonds - the effect is very lush and very sexy. This is the scent of physical comfort, of mounded cushions, sweetmeats on silver trays, and naked bodys thinly veiled in silks and the scent of newborn roses.
The rose blooms more as it dries down, rose and spices, with a hint of citrus I'm not entirely sure about; it could be what is making this a little sour on my skin. It vanishes on the total drydown, and the scent becomes a dusty, sandalwoody smell rounded out with spiced roses. A beautiful perfume, just a hair high-pitched for me to really fall in love with it, and I'm coming to appreciate that I don't really care for sandalwood perfumes in general. They all seem to share a common note that just doesn't quite smell right on me, and I think that's the influence the sandalwood itself has on the other notes.
For someone who doesn't mind sandalwood, and who doesn't have a problem with the Lab's almond note, this would be an excellent choice. It's adult, sophisticated, beautiful, and alluringly vulnerable. This is utterly feminine and just a little bit smug. This is the scent of a woman who knows exactly how good she smells, and who is aware of exactly how to use what she's got. Actually, it reminds me a great deal of Inara.
Torture King, Lab Description: "The King of Pain, the Famed Fakir. Frankincense and sweet clove, mandarin and bourbon, lemon peel and leather, grasses and smoke, lime and vetiver, ambergris and deep musk."
This was part of the Carnaval Noir series of scents, and as such, it's no longer in production. Regrettable.
I smell citrus, grass, and the musk most strongly. It's very cool, deep, and masculine. Once I put it on, the smoke and bourbon and leather come out in a heady rush, and it gets downright hot. There's a little clove in here, but not too much. Just enough to spice it up without smelling like chai.
This is a very distinctive, very masculine scent. It would be almost painful to smell because of the strength of the citrus, but citrus dies fast on me and the frankincense, ambergris, and musk even it out. There's a smooth roundness to it underneath that is quite pleasant, and that comes to the fore more and more as the scent dries and ages. The clove and frankincense give this an exotic, almost otherworldly feel.
The smells I've tried I can best compare it to are Iago, Severin, and Hellfire. It's got the leather and grass of Iago, but with more subtlety and a veneer of highborn civility in the citruses that Iago lacks. It's a Severin with more character; though the citrus doesn't last any longer on me, there's more bottom to it. In comparison to Hellfire, this is a much more personal scent, not an ambient or room scent; remember I mentioned that Hellfire's a library or study? This is the scent of the man who spends much of his time in that study.
A fascinating blend, and one of the most complex blends I've tried yet. It's good on me, but on spacezombie it's great.
Dead Man's Hand, Lab description: "Now widely considered a portent of doom, the Dead Man’s Hand is a term used in five-card poker when you have "aces over eights" or "aces backed with eights" - the hand allegedly held by Wild Bill Hickock when he was gunned down from behind by Jack McCall in Saloon No. 10, Deadwood. According to the saloon’s proprietor, Hickock was holding all black cards, aces and eights, and it is believed that he was about to draw at the time of his murder. Our Dead Man’s Hand is the quintessential western scent: dusty rawhide and oiled leather."
Oh my god.
This is the leather-store leather smell. For real. Wet in the bottle, this smells like the suede tables at Tandy Leather.
It goes on velvety and smooth, warming up from its initial coolness to a soft, hot saddle leather scent. Very simple, very clear, and unmistakeable.
It has an almost chlorine/aquatic smell to it while it's wet, which is just . . . weird, but the suede leather scent is quite true. It stays pretty steady, and has an almost old-bookish smell to it at the end that's quite nostalgic.
Overall, it's not pure sex the way the De Sade leather note is pure sex, but it is the real leather smell I love.
It's a shame this was a limited edition and is now quite hard to find. I wish I had a full bottle of this so I could play with it and layer it with some other stuff, because I think as an individual note mixed with, say, vanilla, amber, and/or an incense, it might be even better. Or tea - green tea - and white musk with a dash of tonka.
For those seeking a similar scent, Bombshell Bath carries Gáe Assail in its line of Celtic scents, and it's a very, very close match.
That's all for now. I promise to do these more often in the future, it's just sort of a pain to format it all. I'm way, way behind, though, so I have to keep posting the reviews I've written.
Tiny scent icons are courtesy of me, and also of Penance's BPAL Icons and Storme's BPAL icons.