Tabula Smaragdina

Rosicrucian incense.

Pretty much what it says, very heavy on the rose. I like roses in the right dose and I esp. like them with resins, but the incense still turns into rose powder on me. Not really my thing.

2.5/5

Shrunken Heads

Leather tanned with the pulp of Amazon ferns and rainforest herbs.

Great leather scent, combined with greenery. Fairly strong, prob. a bit on the masculine side. I wouldn't wear enough to warrant a bottle, but it fits the image so perfectly.

4.5/5

Hand of Glory

Beeswax, dry leather, black pepper, saltpeter, nutmeg, Mysore sandalwood, and oak bark.

Oh, this is cool. I get mostly the beeswax, oak, nutmeg and leather, in that order. This is my first time trying a scent with beeswax as a note, and it really does smell like wax (and then more like honey as it dries). So, waxy sweet wood with nutmeg and a bit of leather. It's really unusual and a bit strong. I keep on going back and forth and whether to get a bottle. On one hand, it strong enough that it would take forever to use up. On the other hand, it's so unique and strangely compelling. Hmmm.

4.5/5

The Blasphemare Reliquary

Ethiopian myrrh, Damascus rose, boswellia, galbanum, and copal.

I love, love, love this scent. The rose is just sort of in the background tying it all together and there's tons of wonderful resins. I think it might be the galbanum that actually makes it smell a bit earthy/woody. It's a really nice touch for a roses and resins scent. Could be my favorite BPAL so far.

5/5

Inez

Golden amber, vanilla musk, myrrh, cedar, carnation, and red sandalwood.

Nice, but a little sweet for me to want a bottle. The woods are really soft, it's more about the vanilla musk and amber, although I do get a bit of carnation. It's kind of like a cross between Morocco and MLST.

3/5

Clemence

Patchouli, Kashmiri tea, cardamom, black pepper, carnation, and clove.

So I got this hoping that the clove wasn't too prominent, since I love all of the other notes. No such luck, but she's growing on me anyway. The clove does soften out after about an hour and the scent seems a bit creamier. At that point, I can pick out the carnation. But yeah, the first hour is a strong battle between the patchouli and the clove. Since patchouli and clove oils work well as insect repellants, I've been layering her over pure patchouli oil to soften the blow a bit. It really seems to work.

3/5

Aeronwen

Fig, dark myrrh, amber, redwood, nutmeg, tarragon, black musk, and sweet orange.

It's hard to describe this one, since all of the notes blend together so seemlessly. It starts out light and fruity, mostly fig and orange. As it dries, the musk and myrrh really seem to blossom on my skin and give it a mysterious depth. I can get hints of the tarragon in there, too. It's not like anything else I've ever smelled before, and I really love it. I'll have to get at least one bottle. I'd call it sort of fruity-resinous, gender-neutral, average throw, good wearlength.

5/5