BPAL: Mostly Winter

[gwydion]

The Frimps:
BRUISED VIOLET COMPOUND (Doc Constantine's Pharmacopoeia): (Company says: Crushed violets, red currant, patchouli root, and Spanish moss.)

In bottle: Violet dominant with red currant a strong second. Moss and patchouli provide an earthy background. Wet: Lots and lots of violets. The red currant and patchouli blend beautifully and ground the violet well. The moss is understated, but sharp. It’s way too much violet for my skin chemistry. Dry: Dried medicinal herbs in affect. Mostly patchouli and moss with a hint of the others.

DAYA 2009 (LE, Will Call):

In Bottle: An unusual sort of fruity. I’m guessing one of the winter berries like holly and maybe plum as the dominant notes. Actually, the evergreen may be holly or a softer than average pine. This may be giving me the illusion of holly berry when combined with plum. It could be both or either. It’s got a smooth, resinous affect. Here is something I don’t like about the incense, but I can’t pin it down. Wet: It is now strongly incense dominant. The think I’m not liking is at its heart, but I like the rest of the incense blend. I do like the way the Indian temple incense works with the more western associations that were dominant in the bottle. As it warms, it balances rather. The effect is warm indoors during winter, which suits it’s concept and season. I like it better, the longer it wears. Dry: It continues the upward trend, smelling quite wonderful on the dry down. Whatever that note that wasn’t working for me was, it’s faded outnow, and it’s blossomed into a sweetly elevated incense blend with that hint of plum and holly in the background. It’s hard getting to this point, but worth it.

DELIRIUM (Bewitching Brews): (Company says: Contains apple, rose, and lemon.)

In bottle: This is beautifully blended. I’d consider it lemon dominant, but really, the lemon brings out the crispness of the apple; the sweetness of the apple compliments the rose; the rose softens the lemon. I am not skin testing as rose and lemon are terrible on me. Still, consider this a blend tat is more than the sum of its parts.

THE LION (Mad Tea Party): (Company says: The dry, glorious warmth of the Savannah. A golden, spiced amber, proud, regal and ferocious.)

In bottle: It really does make me think of lions. The amber in this is almost musk or civet accord. It is warm and spicy. It is like the good bits of the smell of lions without being as intense. Wet: It is faintly cinnamon though I can’t place the rest iof the spices. It’s still that warm, musky, civet like amber dominant. I do not like civet accord normally, but I love this amber. The spices are pleasantly sweet. I’m really liking this. Dry: Mmmm…softly spicy amber. This iteration of the amber smells more like itself, but in a good way. This was a surprise in how well it wears. Lovely, warm, sexy, a little dangerous.

NOSFERATU (Diabolus): (Company says: desiccated herbs and gritty earth brought to life with a swell of robust and sanguineous red wines.)

In bottle: Strong dirt dominant. The herbs give it an interesting grounding and complexity. I don’t normally like the wine note, but it really fits here with the dirt and herbs. It fits it’s concept beautifully as well. Wet: Still dirt dominant. The herbs now smell a bit like niter as well as medicinal herbs. I definitely gives the impression of the tomb. The wine note is pleasantly understated, more an accent to the other notes than standing on it’s own, so perfectly giving a sense of decadence and soft decay. This is the only wine note to ever work on my skin. Impressive! Dry: Herb cellar. No really. It’s mostly soft dried herbs, with a hint of dirt and wine. I can’t believe this scent works on me, but it really does.

SATURNALIA (Ars Amatoria): (Company says: Unrestrained revelry, unchained licentiousness! Violet deepened with vetiver.)

In bottle only: Gack! Lots and lots of vetiver, with the violet vaguely sweetening it. This is so impossible notewise that I couldn’t bear to sniff more than a few seconds and I don’rt want it anywhere near my skin.

SCHEREZADE (Bewitching Brews): (Company says: A master storyteller who possessed unfailing courage and compassion, a sharp, quick wit, and a true understanding of human nature. Saffron and Middle Eastern spices swirled through sensual red musk.)

In bottle: Lots and lots of red musk. The saffron is a strong second and it does smell like the spices in the air at my neighborhood greek restaurant/grocery store. The red musk is already too strong for me in the bottle, so no skin test. I find it a little cloying rather than sexy.

TROLL (Diabolus): (Company says: This is a gruesome blend of ghastly greens and blacks: vetiver, pine pitch, troll musk, black basil, clove smoke, and scorched cumin.)

In bottle only: I really love the pine, basil, clove, and cumin, which make an unusual and interesting spice combination. I’d call it pine dominant. The musk and vetiver are too heavy for me and weigh the whole thing down. I could love it if it weren’t for that heaviness. Instead it breaks my heart with the almost.

Atmosphere Spray:
OKIYA (BPTP, Atmospheric Spray) : (Company says: Cherry blossom, green tea, and sake.)

Green tea dominent. The sake makes it smell a little fermented. The cherry blossom is pleasant and very understated. Really, this is all about the green tea and I’m calling it a win.

Ordered:
BOO v.3 2011 (Clearing Out the Cobwebs 6: Dark Delicacies Trunk Show, LE, prototype):

In bottle: Buttery popcorn mostly with something sweet. Maybe caramel or that kettle corn sugar. Wet: still buttery popcorn, but the sweet note resolves back into that lovely whipped cream note I associate with boo. Yummy and distinct from the final release. Dry: Mostly the vanilla whipped cream note common in boo, but with a touch more butter.

ECSTATIC REVELRY 2012 (LE, Novel Ideas for Secret Amusements V): (Company says: Blackened amber, cardamom, cumin, labdanum, tobacco tar, patchouli, and raw honey.).

In bottle: Intense and unusual. Cumin dominant with strong blackened amber. I’d put labdanum and tar a very strong third. Patchouli a week forth The cardamom and honey are soft and work to glue all these strong personalities together. Wet: Smoother on the skin. Still cumin dominant with amber second. Patchouli is now third., with the other elements forming a backdrop. The elements play together better on the skin than in the imp. It’s certainly unusual. You really have to love cumin to wear this. Dry: Still cumin dominant, but now it smells like the boardwalk just after a summer shower. I think it’s the tar and amber, mostly. The honey is still hovering in the background. The other elements fade to the lightest kiss.

EGG NOG 2007 (LE, Yule ): (Company says: Sweet brandy, dark rum, heavy cream, sugar, and a dash of nutmeg.)

In bottle: Mmmmm….Egg nog. Very boozey egg nog. It’s pretty much exactly as you’d expect from the notes. Wet: Brandy dominant with strong rum and sweet cream. The touch of nutmeg makes it perfect. If anything, it’s richer and more distinct on the skin. Dry: My skin loves hard liquors and this scent is no different. The booze softens as it wears, so you end up with a gentler but still rich boozey cream with a touch of spice. Omnomnom.

2011 version: more creamy egg nog, with a lot less booze. I suspect it’s an aging thing.

ENTANGLED 2012 (LE, Novel Ideas for Secret Amusements V): (Company says:
Kudzu vine, raw honey, ginger cream, and gingergrass.)

In bottle: Wow! Turns out I don’t like kudzu. This sure has a lot of kudzu in it. Did I mention the kudzu? So chalky, charred, vine dominant. I’d call the honey a weak seconed, sweetening the vine a tad. There is a touch of grass, and you can barely pick up the ginger. Wet: Kudzu, kudzu, kudzu. The ginger cream is making it’s move into second though, growing more distinct as it warms, with the honey now supporting it. The grass is stronger too and actually does play nicely with the other notes, even the kudzu. It’s sort of like they are burning a kudzu tangle next to a pastry shop and started a grass fire by accident. Interesting, but not quite there, if you see what I mean. I think I would like this on someone else, but on me it’s unsettling and a little off. Dry: Sharply pleasant outdoorsy, with the gingergrass strongest. The kudzu calms down and blends well with the other notes. It’s quite pretty.

In bottle: Soft, very herbal in a chalky sort of way. I’m guessing that thing that smells like green wood is the hiba wood as it’s unfamiliar but logical. Let’s call it hiba dominant, with ginseng and mushrooms blending with and supporting it. The ginger and hay are present and make a pleasant background, with the ginger giving it a little edge. Wet: A lot more mushrooms on the skin. It’s less chalky, as the mushrooms warm up. The ginger root comes out a little slower, but wow, is it doing gorgeous things with the mushrooms, hiba wood, ginseng, and hay. I’d call the ginger root strongest, but honestly, this is very balanced, with the ginger a bit stronger and the ginseng a bit weaker. Dry: not as unusual, but still lovely. Ginseng fades least, and ginger second least, with the rest mostly fading to background.

LEATHER PHOENIX 2011 (LE, BPAL Anniversary): (Company says: matcha tea, wild frankincense, champaca, petitgrain, star anise, aged oudh, rose taifi, narcissus, Himalayan cedar, 11-year aged patchouli, and black Leather accord.)

In bottle: Much softer than I expected. It’s patchouli and leather dominant. The patchouli is the smoother, aged sort, but still at the edge of what I can handle. It’s edges blend into the black leather note. The cedar is a pleasant second, well blended with the dominant notes. The florals are a soft third, with the rose elements mostly subsumed for once. The matcha blends well with the florals, smoothing and supporting. The frankincense gives a spiky edge, but is pleasantly understated. On paper, this shouldn’t work at all to my way of thinking, but it does. Wet: A little weird on my skin. The matcha is stronger, and my skin chemistry tends to turn green tea lemony. The result is a peculiar lemon and leather dominant blend with a strong patchouli element. I’d put the cedar a weak third and the rest just barely sniffable. It’s weirdly clean and dirty at the same time. I can’t tell whether I love it or hate it. I’m convinced this is not what it’s meant to smell like at all. Skin chemistry is a mystery sometimes. Dry: Interesting and very different. Cedar dominant with leather a close second. The incense and florals mostly fade out, though the incense stay a touch more noticeable than the florals. I think I kind of like it, but there are other leathers I love better. I expect this would be better for someone with drastically different skin chemistry.

MEDICAL PROCEDURE 2012 (LE, Novel Ideas for Secret Amusements V): (Company says: Linen, tobacco flower, white sandalwood, and dragon's blood resin.).

In bottle: Pretty! The tobacco flower is dominant, but the other elements provide beautiful support. Seriously, this is a very clever blending, with linen, sandalwood, and dragon’s blood each supporting a different aspect of the flower. Wet: still tobacco flower dominent, and really, it’s all about showcasing that flower. The linen is stronger on my skin, and is now more distinct, while the other elements are still bulstering and adding nuance to the flower note. It’s lovely. Not me at all, but wonderful to smell. Dry: Fast fading into sandalwood with a bit of linen. So sad.


MY SWEEETEST LESBIA 2012 (LE, Lupercalia: Love Poems): (Company says: Osmanthus, hay absolute, ambergris accord, catnip, and Egyptian musk.)

In bottle: Lovely and unusual. Osmanthus dominant. It’s an unusual floral as a result. The other elements are strongly present, well balanced, and an excellent support to the flower. I think this would be unusual and sexy. Wet: Still Osmanthus dominant, but the hay absolute comes into its own as it warms. The ambergris and musk amp up the sexy. The catnip is very soft, but present. Still lovely, but less unusual on my skin. Dry: Still interesting on the dry down. The ambergris and musk are strongest, but the hay, catnip, and what’s left of the flowers are still present, just in different proportions.

OAK MOON 2011 (LE, Lunacy): (Company says: Eternally evolving, blooming in power and grace: acorns, oak leaves, oak bark, and oak sap rising through a mist of traditional lunar oils.)

In bottle: Oooo! The acorns are lovely. The acorns are a gorgeous centerpiece wreathed by the leaves, bark, and sap. It’s really well balanced and blended. It smells like hugging and oak only more so. Wet: Still acorn dominant. Strength in order from second to last: leaves, sap, bark. The lunar oils are gently supportive. I love this, it’s perfect for it’s concept and unique. I would also call it androgynous and I can imagine it opening up in all sorts of interesting ways depending on the wearer’s scent profile. Dry: Very soft and delicate. Mostly lunar oils with a woody feel. It makes me think of amber, herbs, and delicate florals. Its very pretty, but nothing like than the wet version.

AN OMEN OF GOOD FORTUNE 2012 (LE, Novel Ideas for Secret Amusements V): (Company says: Black tea, mango blossom, wolfberry, oakmoss, and star anise.

In bottle: Oooo! The mango blossom is unusual and lovely. It is also quite strong. The black tea and wolfberry make an excellent and interesting support for the dominant mango note. The oakmoss and anise are understated and more accents that scents in their own right. This is all about the mango. Wet: Warmth brings out the oakmoss, though the mango stays dominant. Similarly, the wolfberry grows more distinct. The result is more wild and outdoorsy than foody. The black tea really ties the whole thing together beautifully, and the anise remains an accent. I’m loving this. I can think of nothing like it in the catalog, though it reminds me a little of march hare in spirit more than specific notes, if that makes sense. Dry: Not quite as special, though still lovely. The mango and oakmoss are still strongest, with the wolfberry holding it’s own. The black tea mostly fades out and the anise was never strong.

ON THE DEATH OF HIS MISTRESS 2012 (LE, Lupercalia: Love Poems): (Company says: Plum musk, ambergris accord, matcha tea, oakmoss, patchouli, violet leaf, and cypress.)

In bottle: The plum musk and matcha team up to rule the blend. I really like the way the oakmoss, violet, and cypress work together with the patchouli to give an outdoor feel. The ambergris brings the sexy and does lovely things with the matcha. Wet: matcha and ambergris to the front with the plum hanging back. Everything else as in the bottle, but the plum being softer really changes the affect. I really like this, but green tea goes lemony on me and I can smell it ramping up by the minute, which is a shame and a heartbreaking skin chemistry, not in anyway a fault of the scent. I can still almost wear this. Dry: Flattens out to mostly green tea.

WHOOP 2010 (LE, Yule, Christmas Carol): (Company says: Golden sunlight and sweet fresh air brightening a Heavenly sky on Christmas Day: crisp winter air, shimmering amber, sweet honey, with a touch of pumpkin pie, pine cone, cranberry, and bayberry.)

In bottle: This really does smell as you’d expect from the description. I’d say bayberry, pine, and amber are strongest in no particular order. The honey is lovely support for the amber; the cranberry does the same for bayberry. The pumpkin is understated, but definitely adds to the richness of the scent. Wet: The bayberry is now supporting the cranberry, and together, they are dominant, with pine a close second. The amber, honey, and pie are forming a sweet foody background to the more powerful notes. It definitely has a Christmas morning feel to it. Dry: The cranberry and bayberry are nowe about coequal with the amber and honey. Together they are quite lovely and more delicate than when fresh. The pine is quite soft, but present. The pumpkin pie is stronger and shows off its nuance. I am saying this as someone that the pumpkin note generally doesn’t work for. It’s really quite beautiful and special in each incarnation.

YULE 2011 (LE, BPTP): (Company says: This oil includes fir needle essential oil, steam-distilled North African myrrh, Austrian pine needle essential oil, wild crafted steam-distilled bay leaves, Ceylon cinnamon, steam-distilled black spruce, bayberry, apple leaf, Roman chamomile, and C02 extract of hazel bark.)

In bottle: It’s got a dark of the year sort of feel to it. All those woods, sharp and deep, the chamomile and bay giving a sharper, more viscous feel to the warmer trees and plants. The bay berry adds a touch of fruit, the apple leaf is very understated and the touch of softness to what is otherwise a very masculine sort of scent. I don’t normally like chamomile in fragrances, but here, it’s working so beautifully with the rest of the blend that I have hopes. Wet: Evergreen dominant. The herbs stand out more on the skin than in the bottle. This has lots of throw. Very woody and still hinting of late December nights. Dry: Still evergreen dominant. The rest is a gentle background, nuanced and soft.




Winners: Egg Nog
Runners Up: Lion, Oak Moon, An Omen of good Fortune, Yule

Comments

[tibicina]

Two things:
1 - your review for Gathering Wild Mushrooms didn't seem to get copied over.
2 - You should note that the Yule you're reviewing is the Twilight Alchemy Lab Yule and not the BPAL Yule. (I know it's confusing. But they both have Yules which are different.) Or at least if it's the bottle I sent you, then it's the TAL Yule.

Also, remind me next time I'm sending you stuff to decant an imp of Hot Buttered Rum for you. (And maybe one of Blackbear Moon.)

[tibicina]

which means the proper description for Yule is: Twilight Alchemy Lab’s Yule Oil contains essential oils, absolutes, and CO2 extracts that are organically-grown and pesticide-free, and many of the oils’ components are first distillations from small farms. This oil includes fir needle essential oil, steam-distilled North African myrrh, Austrian pine needle essential oil, wild crafted steam-distilled bay leaves, Ceylon cinnamon, steam-distilled black spruce, bayberry, apple leaf, Roman chamomile, and C02 extract of hazel bark. This oil was charged under tremendously auspicious circumstances during a complete lunar cycle, and was created utilizing the specific astrological aspects that will be active at Midwinter 2011.

[gwydion]

Thank you for the heads up. I likely won't do corrections until tomorrowish, as it involves firing up the main computer, and I'm really not well all of a sudden.

[gwydion]

It turns out Wild Mushrooms got misfiled instead of testing, so you've been a huge help. I've fixed this entry, but will fold them into the next review set, as likely you're the only one will see the revisions and at least two other people read these regularly.