Perfume Review: Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab (BPAL) - Morocco

Let me start off this review with a quick note:
How cute is that little pad of moss that I used as a prop to photograph my Morocco bottle?! Living in the woods has some good points (though there are distinct downsides).

On to Morocco...

Despite the obvious foreign reference, I specifically chose this scent today because it is made by a very underrated American perfumer: Elizabeth Barrial. She's the nose for -and founder of- Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab, purveyor of hand-blended oil perfumes.

Almost everything from The Lab is vegan (barring honey-based scents), none of it is tested on animals, and all of it is well-crafted and well-made.The catalog of scents at BPAL is expansive, to say the least. I say everyone can find something there that they love --- at least one thing.

I don't know if it's the large number of scents BPAL has, or the perceived speed of release (or maybe the gothic tone of the site is offputting?) but a lot of Important Fragrance Fans seem to discount the line. That's a mistake, in my opinion. Yes, taking a wander through the website is time-consuming, but put on your glass-half-full hat and take it as an exercise in relaxation, learning, and wonderment! It's quite the experience...

My favorite scent from BPAL is Morocco. I have others, but this one is in my Top 10 of all Favorite Perfumes with a DSH, a Hermes and a Chanel. In fact, it's in my Top 5!

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The intoxicating perfume of exotic incenses wafting on warm desert breezes. Arabian spices wind through a blend of warm musk, carnation, red sandalwood and cassia.

Reading that description, one might expect a dry, dusty sort of scent, kind of how I perceive Andy Tauer's L'Air du Desert Marocain. That one is a spicy melange that feels warm and arid. I love it, but aside from the name and the spice, the two perfumes are quite different.

BPAL's Morocco is velvet. A musky breeze of subtle spice. It's soothing. Cozy. I swear there's rose in there, though it's never listed as a note. The sandalwood is creamy, not sharp or dry. The carnation and cassia lend the warmth, a counterpoint to the musk. Morocco is, at times, almost vanillic and gourmand. Other moments are more sultry.

Morocco wears close to the skin, which is partially because it's a perfume oil. I do revel in a slight sillage - this is one I love smelling when I cross my own path!

I haven't found a time when this scent doesn't work, which is unusual. It's never too heavy or warm. Even on a hot day, it doesn't overwhelm, though it's especially comforting in cooler weather. The musk is soft, cuddly. If you're not a musk fan, don't run! You may still enjoy this perfume.

I get hours and hours of wear out of Morocco, which is good. It's one of the few scents I wear that doesn't eventually lead to the itch to change it. I have decanted some into a massage oil (unscented) that I put on after my showers sometimes. Divine!

This is the closest I've come to a signature scent in recent years. I hope never to be without it (I'm on my 4th bottle!).  And at $17.50 a pop (5ml), why should I have to be?!

I think of Morocco as sensual but comforting, sexy but not dirty. It's kinda like this:

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And I love it!

Morocco can be found on BPAL's website by accessing the "Wanderlust" section (use the menu on the left) and scrolling down. The scents are in alphabetical order on that page. A sample (BPAL calls them Imps) can be had for $4 - order through the Imp's Ears section of the site.