Bewitching Brews
Antique Lace
many thanks to OriginalWacky for the imp - I'm so glad to be able to try this!
I see what all the rejoicing is about since it's been brought back - Antique Lace is simply beautiful. Warm, soft, sweet vanilla. I get a bit of musk but the vanilla predominates. I never knew I was a vanilla fan before I found BPAL. Yes, it is very similar to Morocco and Black Opal. For some reason it reminds me of powdered sugar or creamy vanilla frosting. Yum!
Aureus
This is beautiful! Tried it for the first time this morning - so far I've been wearing it for about 3 hrs and it's going strong. As the day goes on I may come back and add a bit more to this.
In the bottle, I smelled pure cedar and patchouli. Not much else. A very dry woody scent.
On the skin: Stayed pretty true to the initial sniff - very woody, dry, mainly cedar and patchouli. I do catch a whiff of salt - while I don't in Annie Bonnie - interesting. As it wears on and blends, I catch a bit of smoke - it does remind me of Diptyque's Essence of John Galliano Room Spray! Which I love and have 2 bottles of at home!
Overall impression - LOVE it.
I'm going to have to get a big big bottle of this - I can see using it for me and as a room scent. Good staying power, not sure about sillage/throw, but overall very warm, dry, and brings to mind a dark golden color.
Black Opal
*sparkle* Black Opal. *sparkle* I wish there was a way to make this all glittery. It should be.
This is a beautiful scent. Soft, sweet warm vanilla. When I first put it on, I get an odd, almost rubber smell. That's the only way I can describe it. Kinda like the what I remember of the initial blast of 10 Corso Como. I wonder if that's oud/agarwood or something similar? It adds a hard edge to a very soft, rounded scent. Underneath is the warm soft vanilla and musk. Over time, the rubber loses hold and the sweetness comes out. I can smell tonka, vanilla and musk. It goes slightly powdery but it's ok.
Overall, this is just beautiful. I don't know how she does it.
Blood Lotus
Thanks to the generosity of the Lab I got the opportunity to try Blood Lotus. From the idea (lotus) to first sniff I really wasn't sure I'd like this, I tend to steer away from florals.
But once I put it on I was pleasantly surprised - I really like this! It's a dark sweet floral resiny scent - I love sandalwood, myrrh and amber so I should have known that this scent would suit me. It has great sillage - most of BPALs that I've tried have stayed close - but not Blood Lotus (a good thing).
I never got any bubblegum scent - thank God! The floral doesn't last too long on me but instead melds to become this dark, sweet, resiny sexy scent wafting gently around me. Definitely a keeper.
Empyreal Mist
Thanks to the generosity of the Lab I got to try Empyreal Mist.
Initial Impression, in the Imp: Light, clean, pretty floral. Very sweet.
On the skin: Still a light, clean floral. Brings to mind white flowers.
I'm not good at distinguishing florals, but these are very, very sweet flowers. Stays sweet on the skin, a bit too sweet for my taste. There may be a sliver of wood grounding the scent - but it stays very very subdued and very soft. I get some melon that adds a bit of juicyness to the scent. It lasts a long time on me - even after doing the dishes and applying lotion I can still smell it.
Overall: too floral and a lot too sweet for my taste. I'm glad to have had the opportunity to it though. Still, it's going in the swap or gift pile.
Penny Dreadful
mmmmmm.
dirt. ginger. incense. yummm.
In the Imp: spicy dirt
On the Skin - wet: dirt and ginger. Yummy. I haven't smelled Burial in a while or ever smelled graveyard dirt, but this is a true dirt smell, plus the ginger that's so wonderful in Shub Niggurath. Slightly foody (gingersnaps).
On the Skin - dry: The dirt smell mellows out, as does the ginger, moving into the background to be a spicy, warm, mellow scent. Incense notes come out, as do MAYBE a touch of something floral way in the background.
Overall: I love it! It has the dirt smell that love about the K/Q of Club scents, plus the wonderful spicy ginger. An instant favorite.
Tushnamaty
Wow - this is just beautiful. I adore sandalwood. This is a very light creamy sandalwood - maybe with a touch of carnation to add a bit of spice and slight floral sweetness. It stays pretty true from initial application - the carnation comes out as it dries.
This is a very light close scent on me and disappears pretty quickly. It reminded me to Diptyque's Tam Dao when I first smelled it - they both have that creamy quality to the sandalwood. Overall, I love it and it's risen to the top of my list of bottles to get.
Velvet
Velvet is just beautiful! This is from a slightly aged imp, fyi (ordered in March).
In the Imp: rich, good quality, expensive cocoa powder. woods.
On the Skin: the cocoa smell is quite intense at first. The cocoa blast fades and sandalwood emerges - sweet, creamy sandalwood. It's incencsy and delectable. It's quite strong on me, just a little goes a long way. It has good staying power on me. It reminds me of a more gourmand version of Tushnamatay - it's the same sandalwood, but instead of carnation it's cocoa. Plus it's stronger.
Overall: I like it a lot. Don't know if I'd reach for it enough to warrant a bottle, but I'd like to have an imp on hand. But I have a feeling that this could become addictive. And maybe help curb the odd chocolate craving ... hmmmm, maybe I do need a bottle...?
Yggdrasil
at first, this was a very herbal, airy, fresh scent - really very interesting and nice. it smells totally open and airy and wafty to me. then pretty quickly it changes. no sandalwood or cedar (too bad as I love them) but instead this very strong musk with maybe some wood mixed in that turns into this very odd moldy disgusting chocolate smell. not good at all.
the opening is great but it ends very funky on me - it seems no matter what time of the month it is (I was thinking there might be a link there so I gave it another run). overall, I don't see it in my future for long.
many thanks to OriginalWacky for the imp - I'm so glad to be able to try this!
I see what all the rejoicing is about since it's been brought back - Antique Lace is simply beautiful. Warm, soft, sweet vanilla. I get a bit of musk but the vanilla predominates. I never knew I was a vanilla fan before I found BPAL. Yes, it is very similar to Morocco and Black Opal. For some reason it reminds me of powdered sugar or creamy vanilla frosting. Yum!
Aureus
This is beautiful! Tried it for the first time this morning - so far I've been wearing it for about 3 hrs and it's going strong. As the day goes on I may come back and add a bit more to this.
In the bottle, I smelled pure cedar and patchouli. Not much else. A very dry woody scent.
On the skin: Stayed pretty true to the initial sniff - very woody, dry, mainly cedar and patchouli. I do catch a whiff of salt - while I don't in Annie Bonnie - interesting. As it wears on and blends, I catch a bit of smoke - it does remind me of Diptyque's Essence of John Galliano Room Spray! Which I love and have 2 bottles of at home!
Overall impression - LOVE it.
I'm going to have to get a big big bottle of this - I can see using it for me and as a room scent. Good staying power, not sure about sillage/throw, but overall very warm, dry, and brings to mind a dark golden color.
Black Opal
*sparkle* Black Opal. *sparkle* I wish there was a way to make this all glittery. It should be.
This is a beautiful scent. Soft, sweet warm vanilla. When I first put it on, I get an odd, almost rubber smell. That's the only way I can describe it. Kinda like the what I remember of the initial blast of 10 Corso Como. I wonder if that's oud/agarwood or something similar? It adds a hard edge to a very soft, rounded scent. Underneath is the warm soft vanilla and musk. Over time, the rubber loses hold and the sweetness comes out. I can smell tonka, vanilla and musk. It goes slightly powdery but it's ok.
Overall, this is just beautiful. I don't know how she does it.
Blood Lotus
Thanks to the generosity of the Lab I got the opportunity to try Blood Lotus. From the idea (lotus) to first sniff I really wasn't sure I'd like this, I tend to steer away from florals.
But once I put it on I was pleasantly surprised - I really like this! It's a dark sweet floral resiny scent - I love sandalwood, myrrh and amber so I should have known that this scent would suit me. It has great sillage - most of BPALs that I've tried have stayed close - but not Blood Lotus (a good thing).
I never got any bubblegum scent - thank God! The floral doesn't last too long on me but instead melds to become this dark, sweet, resiny sexy scent wafting gently around me. Definitely a keeper.
Empyreal Mist
Thanks to the generosity of the Lab I got to try Empyreal Mist.
Initial Impression, in the Imp: Light, clean, pretty floral. Very sweet.
On the skin: Still a light, clean floral. Brings to mind white flowers.
I'm not good at distinguishing florals, but these are very, very sweet flowers. Stays sweet on the skin, a bit too sweet for my taste. There may be a sliver of wood grounding the scent - but it stays very very subdued and very soft. I get some melon that adds a bit of juicyness to the scent. It lasts a long time on me - even after doing the dishes and applying lotion I can still smell it.
Overall: too floral and a lot too sweet for my taste. I'm glad to have had the opportunity to it though. Still, it's going in the swap or gift pile.
Penny Dreadful
mmmmmm.
dirt. ginger. incense. yummm.
In the Imp: spicy dirt
On the Skin - wet: dirt and ginger. Yummy. I haven't smelled Burial in a while or ever smelled graveyard dirt, but this is a true dirt smell, plus the ginger that's so wonderful in Shub Niggurath. Slightly foody (gingersnaps).
On the Skin - dry: The dirt smell mellows out, as does the ginger, moving into the background to be a spicy, warm, mellow scent. Incense notes come out, as do MAYBE a touch of something floral way in the background.
Overall: I love it! It has the dirt smell that love about the K/Q of Club scents, plus the wonderful spicy ginger. An instant favorite.
Tushnamaty
Wow - this is just beautiful. I adore sandalwood. This is a very light creamy sandalwood - maybe with a touch of carnation to add a bit of spice and slight floral sweetness. It stays pretty true from initial application - the carnation comes out as it dries.
This is a very light close scent on me and disappears pretty quickly. It reminded me to Diptyque's Tam Dao when I first smelled it - they both have that creamy quality to the sandalwood. Overall, I love it and it's risen to the top of my list of bottles to get.
Velvet
Velvet is just beautiful! This is from a slightly aged imp, fyi (ordered in March).
In the Imp: rich, good quality, expensive cocoa powder. woods.
On the Skin: the cocoa smell is quite intense at first. The cocoa blast fades and sandalwood emerges - sweet, creamy sandalwood. It's incencsy and delectable. It's quite strong on me, just a little goes a long way. It has good staying power on me. It reminds me of a more gourmand version of Tushnamatay - it's the same sandalwood, but instead of carnation it's cocoa. Plus it's stronger.
Overall: I like it a lot. Don't know if I'd reach for it enough to warrant a bottle, but I'd like to have an imp on hand. But I have a feeling that this could become addictive. And maybe help curb the odd chocolate craving ... hmmmm, maybe I do need a bottle...?
Yggdrasil
at first, this was a very herbal, airy, fresh scent - really very interesting and nice. it smells totally open and airy and wafty to me. then pretty quickly it changes. no sandalwood or cedar (too bad as I love them) but instead this very strong musk with maybe some wood mixed in that turns into this very odd moldy disgusting chocolate smell. not good at all.
the opening is great but it ends very funky on me - it seems no matter what time of the month it is (I was thinking there might be a link there so I gave it another run). overall, I don't see it in my future for long.