Queen Mab

black orchid, sandalwood, night-blooming jasmine, osmanthus, Somalian rose, and Chinese musk.

I wasn't sure what to anticipate with this one. It seems so floral, but I usually like orchid and jasmine. It's hard to describe what it is like on my skin. It's very light, but there's something in there that seems different enough to draw me to it. I think it might be the Chinese musk that gives it a different twist. So- light musky floral, but definitely not in a white musk sort of way.

Urd

Muscadine, black and red patchouli, cereus and nag champa.

I love patchouli and I love grape, so I figured this couldn't go wrong, and I was right. It's very heavy on the patchouli and nag champa. The grape sweetens it up a bit, but it's still very earthy. It blends right into my skin and I love it!

5/5

Loviatar

The slap of slick, hot leather punctuates the warm, sensual embrace of black amber, red musk and dark, lascivious myrrh.

I'm glad I ordered this before I knew much about the notes. I like leather, but amber and myrrh can get too sweet and red musk can take over everything. But none of that happens with this scent and I love it! I'm one of those that can have an imp I like for a year and still not use it up. This one, though, I used up in maybe a month or two. That 's pretty heavy usage for me. The leather note is prominent and sort of smoothed out and sweetened by the other notes. It strikes me as a feminine leather scent, which is awesome.

5/5

Osun

Her ofrenda is thick with honey and herbs of love, passion and desire.

This does smell like honey and herbs, but it never really settles into my skin. The honey and the herbs seem to be separate and not really blending. I wish I had a better nose and could tell what the herbs are. I don't think I like honey as the focus of a scent.

3/5

Texcatlipoca

Deep cocoa laced with patchouli, leather armor, ritual incense, and a touch of Xochiquetzal's flowers.

I love this one so much- it's going to be my first bottle purchase. At first, I wasn't even sure I liked it. I was pretty new to BPAL and the scent was difficult for my nose to decipher. After a few times wearing it, though, it really grew on me.

Wet, you can smell the cocoa. Even after it's dry, I get a bit of a cocoa scent, but it's not the least bit sweet or foody, which is great for me. The leather and patchouli blend in well, and don't dominate. The incense is in the background. The flowers are a bit stronger while it's wet, but fade back during dry down. I'm not a huge fan of most florals, but these don't bother me.

Somehow, this combination is just perfect and fierce.

5/5

Ogun

heavy and dark cigar tobacco, gin and juniper, melon, chili pepper and a touch of honey.

Wet, I can smell the melon, but once it hits my skin, that note fades into the background. It smells mostly of juniper and honey on me, which I like. It's not to often I come across a scent that's fresh and sweet. The tobacco is there, but doesn't take over. I like this one pretty well- it's masculine, but with some unique twists.

4/5

Himerus

juniper, sandalwood, rosewood, red musk, orchid, bergamot and lilac.

This one a a really nice, balanced blend. The lilac lightens the scent but doesn't become cloying. The juniper and bergamot add freshness. The woods and red musk add some depth. I don't like sandalwood that's too strong, but it's not a problem here. Also, if you don't usually get along with red musk, you may find that it has a surprisingly light touch here.

4/5

Peitho

Lusty myrtle and jasmine with red sandalwood, stargazer lily, and clove over an opulent, rich bed of warm musk and bourbon vanilla.

This is a very rich scent. The jasmine stands out at first, but begins to blend in really well with everything else. I have a hard time picking out specific notes. The sandalwood is certainly subdued. I like it, but for some reason really want to use it in a bath salt. That may just be my association with jasmine, since I use Lush's Godiva solid shampoo. I'd guess that jasmine, lily and vanilla are the notes that stand out the most.

3.5/5

Old Scratch

A lavender fougere with tonka, amber, rosewood and a whiff of diabolical patchouli.

Wet, it smells exactly like "unscented" OFF bug spray. As it dries, it really is perfect for awhile. I can detect the lavender and tonka, which blend together nicely. It doesn't last long though, and as it begins to fade, it takes on a sour smell.

I have lavender scents I like without the awkward stages, so this one's not a keeper. It was a close call for awhile- I think different chemistry would make this fantastic.

3.5/5

Mania

Screeching white musk collides with a howl of red musk, with sharp white grapefruit and pale strawberry leaf.

I liked this one okay, but it didn't last very long at all. I just get strawberry and red musk, then the strawberry fades away and just leaves the musk. Which I don't mind, but I like Maenad better as a strawberry scent.

3/5

Centzon Totochtin

Bittersweet Mexican cocoa with rum, red wine, and a scent redolent of sacrificial blood.

I was hoping for more cocoa out of this one. I think maybe the rum and blood combo turns into something sweet and chewy. And also a little creepy. The cocoa and wine never really come into their own, and those are the two notes that would have sold me. That blood scent is really off-putting for me.

2/5

Coyote

The warmth of doeskin, dry plains grasses and soft, dusty woods warmed by amber and a downy, gentle coat of deep musk.

This was the first BPAL scent I tried, and it made a great impression!

At first, the amber is the dominant note and it does seem perfumey.
Before too long, though, the musk gets stronger and levels the scent out.

Once it dries, it's a sweetened musk and I think I can detect the dry grasses coming through. It's a soft and warm scent, very comforting.

Also, for a lighter scent, it lasts surprisingly long on me, about 6-7 hours.
This has remained one of my favorites.

4.5/5

Excolo- Wishes

Aizen-Myoo
Anubis
Bastet
Gaueko
Hades
Hi-iaka
Kali
Lilith
Megaera
Nemesis
Ochosi
Odin
Oya
Shango
Skuld
Vechernyaya