Scentsational!

Bad puns aside, I got a package through the door on Monday, and it was 8 little ‘imps’ of Black Phoenix Alchemical Laboratory (BPAL) perfumes and one full bottle of the like. Courtesy of Snakey who was selling his stash to finance a trip to the USA.

I’ve heard so much about BPAL, and the names of the perfumes are so evocative, and the descriptions even more so, that I decided to ask for a sort of introductory set.  I didn’t know what I was getting (never tried anything from them before), which made it all very exciting.

What arrived (in a lovely little black bag – thank you Snakey!) was

1. Bottle of “Chaos Theory V: Recursive Self Similarity v.3. The Penitence Series.”
(See what I mean about the names?!)

Imps (little tester vials) of

DRAGON’S HIDE: Flame kissed, warm, smooth, and highly protective. Dragon’s blood, leather and a hint of smoke.

Smelled to me of: Roses, bubblegum, pear drops and a hint of cinnamon.  Probably the girliest of the scents.

The Ghost: A thin, sinuous, creeping chill, the scent of glee-filled undeath: white iris, osmanthus, Calla lily, tomb-crawling ivy and a coffin spray of gladiolus, lisianthus and delphinium.

Smelled to me of: In the bottle, Jasmine and lemon.  On me, it suddenly (like the ghost) went undetectable and I couldn’t tell it was there.

The Owen’s Tomb: Marble and dust surrounded by burdock, knotweed, dandelions, daffodils, and long-dead calla lilies.

Smelled to me of: strong pipe tobacco. Actually very nice, but made me want to wear corduroys and a tweed jacket, and possibly take up archaeology.

Hastur: Smoky-sour labdanum, black patchouli, wet tobacco, and brimstone.

Smelled to me amazingly enough exactly like it says – a nice smoky, musky sort of smell with patchouli for sweetness.  This is probably close to the scent Jasper wears in The Wages of Sin.

Mandrake

La Belle Au Bois Dormant

Miss Lupescu

Aeronwen (Ladies of the Grindhouse)

I haven’t yet tried these on yet, but they all smell good in the bottle.

The real stand out success so far has (thankfully) been the bottle of Chaos Theory.  This is fantastic!  It comes out of the bottle going ‘ooh, I’m minty!  Really really spearminty.  Maybe also with some talc.’  But within about ten minutes of applying it does this amazing alchemical shift, and suddenly becomes chocolate covered Turkish Delight, and mint tea and grass.  And it’s gorgeous!  I really don’t mind smelling like chocolate covered Turkish delight all day long.

But the way it changes when it’s on is almost miraculous.  I end up waiting for it and when it starts I have to stop dead and just breathe.  It’s like the world is being turned inside out, in a nasal sort of way.  An almost awesome experience.  I think I’m hooked 🙂

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