BPAL: The Gifting

[gwydion]

The Frimps:
AMIABLE AND LOVELY CREATURES 2011 ((LE, Yule, Frankenstein): (Company says: Honey and rosewater with fig, patchouli, night-blooming jasmine, and white almond.)

In bottle: All elements distinct. I’d call it marginally rose water dominant with honey, fig and almond in a strong second tier. It is exactly what one would expect from the notes and fits the concept well. I am allergic yto fig and make rose smell terrible, so I;m not skin testing.

BEAUTIFUL AND ADORED 2011 ((LE, Yule, Frankenstein): (Company says: Beautiful and adored: rose musk, white gardenia, English pear, vanilla bean, red currant, and honey.)

In bottle: Wow, the rose/pear/gardenia combination is delicate and lovely. The red currant and musk provides a sensuous edge to what is otherwise a very virginal scent. The honey and vanilla tie the elements together beautifully. This is very much a young woman’s scent. (No skin test due to rose).

BLEEDING HEART (LE, unreleased):

In bottle: Richly and complexly floral. I don’t know the scent of bleeding hearts, so I can’t tell you how close this is, but it’s certainly unusual and lovely. If you like hyacinths and lilies, you very well might like this, as it has a similar feel, though is different than both. Wet: slightly less lush, and is now making me think a little of hibiscus, though it’s still more like the love child of hyacinths and lilies. I’m not big on florals on my skin, but I would love to have this in a window box and even my skin chemistry can’t ruin it, so I’m sure it would be glorious on someone with copecetic skin. Dry: Significantly less fun as it separates out, and I start picking up the underlying medium. It’s still interesting, but less naturalistic.

A BLOT UPON THE EARTH 2011 ((LE, Yule, Frankenstein): (Company says: black plum, Spanish moss, opoponax, davana, vetiver, and opium poppy.)

In bottle: Surprisingly sexy. The opium and vetiver are creating a vaguely sinister sexuality here. The opoponax adds to the sinister, the plum to the sensual. The moss gives it an earthy feel. I’m guessing the davana is giving it a hint of floral. The opoponax the hint of the lab. In my head I am picturing the scene from the Whale version of Frankenstein with the little girl and the daisies as I smell this. No skin test due to vetiver.

BREATHLESS HORROR 2011 ((LE, Yule, Frankenstein): (Company says: Breathless horror: icy white musk and thick olibanum with niaouli, carrot seed, white mint, and camphor.)

In bottle: Camphor is dominant and genuinely interesting with the mint, carrot and more delicate elements. It’s sweetly medicinal and certainly unusual. No skin test for mint.

CATHOUSE (BPTP,Atmosphere spray): (Company says: A nineteenth century Southern bordello: magnolia, jasmine, honey musk, tobacco, vanilla bean, bourbon vanilla, and Spanish moss.).

Very floral, but in a good way. Magnolia and jasmine go very well with the honey musk. The musk, tobacco, and vanillas combine to create a sensual decadence that complements the theme beautifully. The moss is soft compared to the dominant notes, but just assertive enough to give it edge. I’m not big on florals, but I will be happy to use this.

THE COLD HOUR OF DAWN 2011 (LE, Yule, Little Match Girl): (Company says: Esprit de eucalyptus, blue musk, davana, frosty iris, and tagetes.)

In bottle: The iris is dominant with musk well blended in support. The daisies and sunflowers are soft, but present. I’m also impressed, as this is the nicest use of eucalyptus I can remember. It’s beautifully understated and excellent support for the florals. I think the eucalyptus is functioning as a touch of frost here. No skin test for eucalyptus.

COLDER AND COLDER 2011 (LE, Yule, Little Match Girl): (Company says: Peppermint, spearmint, white musk, and elemi settling into a deepening darkness.)

In bottle: The mints are dominant and distinct. The elemi turns out to be the touch of pine, and the musk is nearly overwhelmed. If you like mints, this would be a good edition to your collection. Not skin tested for mints.

A COMPANION OF THE SAME NATURE 2011 (LE, Yule, Frankenstein): (Company says: A companion of the same nature: skin musk, red rose petals, mums, carnations, white linen, and sunlit amber on a bed of soft dry leaves.

In bottle: Stunning! I wish I could wear this. The leaves are lovely with the unusual mums/carnation floral combination. It is sharply autumnal. The linen is understated and beautifully blended with leaves and flowers. The amber and musk serve to tie the other elements together, softly sexy and ubiquitous. The roses are very understated. This is stunning. No skin test rose.

THE COUNTRY OF ETERNAL LIGHT 2011 (LE, Yule, Frankenstein): (Company says: icy wind, depth hoar, and frost-limned lichen.)

In bottle: This is very minty and I suspect eucalyptus, which is a shame, as I love the lichen. Mint and ozone dominate. No skin test, mint.

DAYS AND NIGHTS IN VAULTS AND CHARNEL HOUSES 2011 (LE, Yule, Frankenstein): (Company says: grave soil, necrophagous insect chitins, moss, mold, dried blood, rot, dirt-smeared wool, and sweat-drenched citrus lilac aftershave.)

In bottle: This is so up my alley! The soil is rich and wet and dominent. The moss, mold, wool, and chitin give rich and complex support. The blood and aftershave are just present enough to give it an edge. Wet: Much as in the bottle, only the moss is stronger in the balance and the individual elements all pop more as the skin warms them. If anything, it’s even more interesting and beautiful on the skin. Dry: Less impressive, alas. It makes me think of niter and moss covered bones. Main survivors are moss, wool, and chitin, with the other notes fading into the background

THE DEEPEST MYSTERIES OF CREATION 2011 (LE, Yule, Frankenstein): (Company says: wild frankincense, rose otto, hyssop, and oude.)

In bottle: Classic 60’s or 70’s perfume in feel. The frankincense makes the florals a little more sensuous and edgy. The rose is dominant, followed by the frankincense with hyssop and oude in support. No skin testing, rose and frankincense.

A DENSE AND FRIGHTFUL DARKNESS 2011 (LE, Yule, Frankenstein): (Company says: A dense and frightful darkness: black musk, vetiver, myrrh, opoponax, hemp, crushed sage, oakmoss, and tobacco.)

In bottle: musk dominant with strong opoponax, tobacco, and myrrh. The musk/vetiver combination is darkly sexual, with the vetiver well blended. The myrrh, opoponax, and sage, create a dark incense effect, and the oakmoss/tobacco/hemp cabal puts up a civilized, masculine front under which all this darkness seethes. This is beautifully designed and blended. No skin test, vetiver.

A DREARY NIGHT OF NOVEMBER 2011 (LE, Yule, Frankenstein): (Company says: bone-white sandalwood, ink-black vetiver, Spanish moss, bitter clove, beeswax, and lotus root.)

In bottle: Fascinating. It really does give the impression of bone, vaguely floral bone. The sandalwood is dominant, forming a coalition with beeswax and lotus root. The moss is second strongest, sharp and hinting of graveyards. The clove is lovely here, soft, but pervasive. The vetiver is understated, loaning a hint of corruption to the whole. No skin test, vetiver.

HONEY GINGERBREAD 2011 (BPTP, LE, Stocking Full of Imps II):

In bottle: Yep, that’s the lab’s gingerbread note, smoothed and sweetened by honey. Exactly as expected. Wet; the spices really explode on the skin, with the ginger strongly dominant among the spices. Meanwhile the cake bits of the gingerbread form a faction with the honey, which also makes a surge to dominance as it warms. It’s lovely and because of the grouping, a distinct variation on the gingerbread theme. If this came in bottles, I’d be hunting one. Dry: Very honey, and specifically like the concentrated honey pollen one can buy at a lot of farmer’s markets. It’s a delicious and unusual honey effect. The remnants of the gingerbread get together and haunt the background. This is the most interesting of the honey blends in a catalog with a plethera of glorious and unusual honey blends. Seriously, if this came in a bottle, I’d be hunting one, and I only regret my test sample is so small. If you like honey blends, this is a note not to be missed.

THE HORRORS OF MY SECRET TOIL 2011 (LE, Yule, Frankenstein): (Company says: The horrors of my secret toil: vetiver and rose.)

In bottle: Rose dominant. Vetiver provides a very understated hint of corruption. As this is all death notes to me, I’m not skin testing.

IN BRIGHTNESS AND IN JOY 2011 (LE, Yule, Little Match Girl): (Company says: sweet winter berry, orange blossom, frankincense, golden sandalwood, angel's trumpet, and red rose.

In bottle: The berry is strong, dominant, lovely, and unusual. The florals are complex and make a lovely frame for the berries. The incense is soft and well blended with the florals. Really, this is all about the berries. No skin test, rose.

INEXTINGUISHABLE HATRED 2011 (LE, Yule, Frankenstein): (Company says: red ginger and black opoponax with black pepper, stinging neroli, myrrh, and tobacco absolute.)

In bottle: Delicious! The ginger is glorious with the incense. It’s more baked goods than not, but the incense elevates it, the pepper gives it edge, and the tobacco sounds like it wouldn’t work, but it really ties it all together. Wet: opoponax and neroli is more obvious on the skin, making the whole thing sharper and edgier than foodie. It’s utterly beautiful still. The ginger’s wonderful support for the incense now. The whole thing is charmingly quirky and interesting. Dry: I’m not generally an opoponax fan, but this is a lovely usage. As the edges blur between the ginger, opoponax, neroli, and tobacco, the effect is pleasant and softly sweet incense. Exquisite and unusual.

INSUPPORTABLE MISERY 2011 (LE, Yule, Frankenstein): (Company says: violet leaf, saffron, gunpowder tea, bruised lilac, and despairing lavender.)

In bottle: Very purple. The violet leaf is wonderfully sharp, yet blends beautifully with the lilac and lavender. The saffron gives it body. The gunpowder tea is understated but ubiquitous. Wet: Less fun on the skin. My chemistry curdles the violet leaf, turning it artificial and nasty. The flowers are still lovely and blend with the tea in interesting ways, while the saffron is a touch more assertive. I’m heartbroken by the way my skin reacted with the violet leaf as this is otherwise lovely and unusual. Dry: The gunpowder tea really comes out. The florals soften and blend well with the tea. The violet leaf is still problematic with my skin chemistry, but improved.

THE LAST EVENING OF THE YEAR 2011 (LE, Yule, Little Match Girl): (Company says: Snow settling on cold skin, tea rose petals, and dusty, threadbare linen.)

In bottle: Linen and rose mostly, with a particularly rambunctious snow formulation and a really interesting dust note. This is an unusual and quirky rose dominant scent, unlike anything I can think of in the catalog. No skin test, rose.

LIBERTARIAN 2008 (Forum Only: Election Day):

In bottle: Yummy in a very masculine, piney cologne sort of way. Wet: Still pine dominant, with a touch of citrus, clove, and I’m guessing a bit of musk. I’m betting the citrus is something like orange rind as it’s tart and not amping the way an ordinary orange note would. It’s either that or one of the less common tart citrus family members. It is ridiculously sexy on me, despite a hint of something a little peculiar, incensey, and mavericky compared to the dominant notes, possibly myrrh, perfect for the concept. There is a hint of something sweet, ginger maybe? I can’t tell. With wear, what I thought was pine is more like cedar, and the whole blend warms, softens, and smoothes out. Dry: Musky men’s cologne. High quality musky men’s cologne. Not as stunning as in the earlier stages, but still excellent.

MOCKING THE INVISIBLE WORLD WITH ITS OWN SHADOWS 2011 (LE, Yule, Frankenstein): (Company says: olibanum and murky ambergris accord with verbena, white sandalwood, and wisteria.)

In bottle: Olibanum dominant with wisteria a strong second. Ambergris and verbena are a lovely frame for the dominant notes. The sandalwood is soft and ties the other elements together. The chemical tang of the verbena and olibanum is clearly science doing the mocking, while the more ethereal elements represent the spirit world. Wet: The Verbena makes its move and becomes dominant, mingling strongly with the wisteria and subsuming the olibanum. The other elements fade into the background haunting the more powerful notes. Dry: The Olibanum comes back, still twined with the olibanum and ambergris. The wisteria and sandalwood are still present, but soft, like a pale ghost.

THE MOON GAZED ON MY MIDNIGHT LABOURS 2011 (LE, Yule, Frankenstein): (Company says: Moroccan musk, black opium poppy, clove, and orris root.)

In bottle: Poppy dominant with a strong musk and orris presence. The clove gives it a spicy warmth. This is heady, a sexy sort of floral This is a lot of musk, so if you are naturally musky, this might be a bad match, but otherwise should be fine. No skin test, orris.

THE MOST MAGNIFICENT CHRISTMAS TREE 2011 (LE, Yule, Little Match Girl): (Company says: Spruce pine with hints of silver birch and warm, dark woods.)

In bottle: It’s a lovely evergreen forest scent, spruce dominant, with a complexity of woods framing the spruce. I love how warm this smells and the way the birch complements the pine. Wet: Even warmer on the skin. The individual woods really pop as the skin warms it. It’s like you can smell the individual needles, leaves, bark, and sap. Lovely an a paragon of it’s type. Dry: Sweeter in the dry down, with the elements more balanced in relation to each other and more blended, less distinct. Still the eidos of Northern forets, still warm and wonderful.

ÖNDURDIS 2011 (LE, Yule): (Company says: The Ski Lady, jötunn goddess of winter, bowhunting, mountains, and skiing. The scent of winter wind blowing over snow-capped mountains.)

In bottle: It’s the snow note I do well with, ozoney and sharp with a sweet undertone. There is a lot of pine in this. Lovely and well suited to its concept. Wt; more complex. The snow and pine is still there, but there is a hint of maybe cinnamon or nutmeg and incense. It opens up to vistas of landscapes and worship. Utterly lovely and very Wintry. Elegant and lovely. Dry: Powdered sugar for snow over fait winter forest, and soft, sexy incense. This is lovely and perfect.

PALE STUDENT OF UNHALLOWED ARTS 2011 (LE, Yule, Frankenstein): (Company says: A pale student of unhallowed arts: fading Georgian cologne and split O3 molecules.)

In bottle: strongly ozone and carbonated smelling, with the barest hint of cologne. This is the ozone note I tend to do badly with, so take my impressions with a grain of salt. Wet: Lovely as it warms and the cologne comes out a bit. The cologne reminds me a bit of Olisbos, only without the leather. There is a feel of snowy mountain trees under the still dominant ozone. I’m still having trouble with this ozone note, but everything under it is brilliant and complex. It really does fit it’s concept and context beautifully, and I could almost wear this even with the ozone. Alas, my skin chemistry can’t quite pull it off. Dry: Fast fading, with hints of cologne all that’s left.

PRIDE OF WISDOM 2011 (LE, Yule, Frankenstein): (Company says: Roman chamomile, rosehips, ginseng, and fig.)

In bottle: Lots and lots of rose hips. I’d put chamomile second, with result being very herbal tea. I’d put the fig at distant third, and ginseng present, but mostly serving as an accent, rather than a distinct component. Wet: More interesting on the skin. Somehow, the chamomile and rosehips work very well together to an unusual effect. The other elements provide good support. My skin does nasty things with both rose and chamomile, but this very nearly works. I skin tested by accident, but it turned out worthwhile. Dry: Softer and paler, mostly rose.

PUMPKIN MASALA ROOIBOS 2011 (LE, Yule): (Company says: Rooibos tea with red ginger, green cardamom, fennel, peppercorns, almond, and licorice, sweetened with coconut sugar and jaggery.)

In bottle: Almond dominant with coconut sugar next. The other elements are distinct and lovely. It’s beautifully blended. Wet: It is lovely, and still almond and coconut sugar dominant. As the skin warms, each spice steps forward in turn, with the fennel and peppercorn particularly noticeable. With time, the sweeter elements like the sugar and almond softer and it becomes fennel and pepper dominent. The effect is fascinating and not expected. Dry: Fennel, fennel, fennel.

RASPBERRY THUMBPRINT COOKIE 2011 (BPTP, LE, Stocking Full of Imps II):

In bottle: Very boozy raspberry over the particular sugar in icing note that doesn’t work well on me. Wet: The raspberry accord settles down on the skin and isn’t boozy at all. The sugar note that is problematic resolves into a soft cookie undercoat, that works surprisingly well on me. Dry: I actually like this best on the dry down as the balance shifts to turn the raspberry into a fruity accent on a gentle, but heavenly cookie canvas.

THE REAPER AND THE FLOWERS (Ars Moriendi): (Company says: A funereal bouquet laid on cemetery grass: longiflorum lilies, white rose, chrysanthemum, and carnation.)

In bottle: I will not skin test given how my skin responds to rose. This is a very fresh smelling white rose dominant blend. The lily is second strongest, but all elements are distinct, yet play together well. It’s a lovely white flower blend, well designed.

THE REWARD OF MY BENEVOLENCE 2011 (LE, Yule, Frankenstein): (Company says: boneflower, olive blossom, white sandalwood, clary sage, Himalayan cedar, and oakmoss)

In bottle: Boneflower turns out to be utterly lovely and an unusual floral, simultaneously heady and delicate. The other soft elements beautifully wreath the boneflower, like lesser gems in setting designed to show off a costly jewel. The oakmoss stands a little separate, giving the scent an edge. Wet: The boneflower is less pure on my skin, though still strong and gorgeous. The sage begins to shine. A little more time and the woods come out. Still the bone flower shines, lovely and unique. Dry: Boneflower and a touch of olive blossom and oakmoss, but really boneflower.

SNOWY RUM BALL 2011 (BPTP, LE, Stocking Full of Imps II):

In bottle: Coconut rum with a lovely soft baked goods thing going on underneath. I usually don’t do so well with the coconut note, but I do love the rum note and the rum note loves my skin, so I’m fascinated to see how this works out. Wet: Still coconut rum dominant, but now the baked goods part makes it move, along with something that does suggest snow. The coconut goes a little tonka bean. There is also a hint of something I suspect of being pineapple, but I couldn’t swear to it in court. The result is sort of like a Jamacian beach themed party in dead of winter if that makes sense. I like it, but as the other elements move into the spotlight, the rum gets a little overwhelmed. It’s still there, but not as powerfully as I would like, but that’s okay. It is certainly interesting and thisis the best coconut has ever smelled on me by yards. Dry: And now there is spice, likely clove with cinnamon and/or nutmeg. The coconut is still going strong. The rum is present, but still not showing to best effect. This is still the best coconut has ever worked on me.


SOLITARY AND ABHORRED 2011 (LE, Yule, Frankenstein): (Company says: Solitary and abhorred: carrot seed, East Indian patchouli, white tea, and peru balsam.)

In bottle: Patchouli and balsam form a dominant partnership, with carrot seed as strong support. The white tea, being delicate, is soft, but in this case pervasive. This is likely too much patchouli for me, but I am intrigued. Wet: The carrot turns out to be an unusual and pleasant complement to patchouli. It is still a touch too much patchouli for me, but I am coming to love it anyway. It smells like vegetable garden during planting, of mud and seeds squishing between fingers and toes. Meanwhile, the balsam and the tea make their own little coalition, and though I am not a balsam fan, it’s absolutely gorgeous with the tea. The effect is of a solitary woman swathed in white, aloof and untouchable. Somehow, these too distinct impressions work together to make a mesmerizing whole, not really like anything in the catalog I can think of. Dry: Mostly patchouli, with a hint of balsam and carrot seed.

SORROWFUL AFFECTION 2011 (LE, Yule, Frankenstein): (Company says: lily of the valley, tuberose, pink carnation, green tea absolute, orange zest, bourbon geranium, and blue musk.)

In bottle: Strongly floral, with the rose and lily dominant. The tea buoys and supports the flowers, tying it all together. The zest gives a vibrant tang to the florals, the musk a touch of sensuality. This is well blended and a good, vivacious floral/tea combination, but not as special as say, Reward of my Benevolence.

THOUSANDS OF LIGHTS 2011 (LE, Yule, Little Match Girl): (Company says: Indian ambrette seed, beeswax, champaca flower, saffron, Italian bergamot, frankincense, oak bark, and vanilla orchid.)

In bottle: beautifully blended. I’m not a frankincense fan, but it’s used to excellent purpose here. The ambrette and bergamot provide it excellent support, with a frame of more delicate elements like orchid, champaca, saffron and beeswax. The oak bark is very soft, but gives a rougher counterpoint to what is primarily an incense/floral blend. There is a touch of high end bath product about it, unfortunately. Wet: not much throw, and elements less distinct on the skin. The vanilla Orchid moves to the dominant position and is quite lovely here. I love the way the ambrette, bergamot, and saffron work with the orchid. To be honest, most of the other elements are so soft as to no longer be distinct, though I can tell the beeswax is doing a lovely job of tying things together. This is the frankincense blend for folks who don’t like frankincense. Dry: Strongly sexy. I’m thinking it must be the ambrette. Most of the rest of what’s left is oak, vanilla orchid, and a touch of beeswax.

TILL DEATH 2011 (LE, Yule, Frankenstein): (Company says: white rose, black locust blossom, French magnolia, globe amaranth, iris root, and honeysuckle.)

In bottle: Lots of white rose, well blended with magnolia and iris root, with the other flowers all contributing to an unusual and complex floral blend. It’s lovely, and different as floral blends go, pale and white with a hint of decadence. No skin test for rose.

A TORRENT OF LIGHT 2011 (LE, Yule, Frankenstein): (Company says: A torrent of light: eucalyptus petals, white mint, white amber, and ozone.)

In bottle: Mint dominant with strong eucalyptus and ozone support. Amber extremely understated. This is so full of notes that don’t work for me that it’s hard to be impartial. It is very cold, pale green, and dental. No skin test for everything but amber.

WINTER HEAVENS 2011 (LE, Yule): (Company says: Black midnight winter skies glittering with points of light: chill air, champaca flower, white musk, fir needle, papyrus reeds, and grey amber.)

In bottle: Surprisingly floral and purple. I’m not sure why champaca, amber, and papyrus make purple. The pine and “chill air” are delicate pinpricks of winter sharpness. To be clear, it’s predominantly and interestingly floral. Wet: Less purple on the skin. Still champaca dominant with the lovely amber/papyrus support. The musk is more obvious on the skin and turns out to have been part of the support for champaca. The pine and chill are even more understated. Lots of throw. Dry: Still very purple, even though I know champaca flowers are white/yelloww/orange. It’s a mystery. Anyway, the champaca, amber, and musk have a lot of staying power. The result is womanly and sexy.

A WONDERFUL LIGHT 2011 (LE, Yule, Little Match Girl): (Company says: Three radiant ambers with honey, linden blossom, bourbon vanilla, and orange zest.)

In bottle: Mostly orange zest and vanilla. It’s a creamsicle with a smooth amber and honey undercoat and a touch of linden blossom. If creamcicle is your thing, this is clearly the way to go. As I amp orange like mad, there is no point in skin testing.

WORKSHOP OF FILTHY CREATION 2011 (LE, Yule, Frankenstein): (Company says: electricity-scarred cypress beams, ancient stone slabs, damp metal, the coppery tang of coagulating blood, and ozone.

In bottle: Yum! This very much captures its concept. Cypress dominant, with stone, metal, and ozone competing for second. The blood is more a piquant hint, as makes sense, haunting the blend with darker mysteries. I beautiful evocation of place. Wet: still cypress dominant, but the metal moves into a close second. The stone is distant third. The ozone winds through the elements, tying them together, with that hint of blood still pricking the edges. As it warms, the metal dominates, switching places with the cypress. This is rather a shame, as I have other metal blends in my collection, but nothing else with that gorgeous cypress note. I still love this, but I wish it smelled more like in the bottle. Dry: Settles down to a beautiful cypress/metal blend with hints of the other elements haunting it. Lovely!



Winners: The Magnificant Christmas Tree, Öndurdis
Runners Up: Snowy Rum Ball, Charnel Houses, Libertarian, Honey Gingerbread. Inextinguishable Hatred, Filthy creation


You can see why it took three nights, can't you?