Under the Harvest Moon - BPAL (a perfume review)

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UNDER THE HARVEST MOON
Under the harvest moon,
When the soft silver
Drips shimmering
Over the garden nights,
Death, the gray mocker,
Comes and whispers to you
As a beautiful friend
Who remembers.

Under the summer roses
When the flagrant crimson
Lurks in the dusk
Of the wild red leaves,
Love, with little hands,
Comes and touches you
With a thousand memories,
And asks you
Beautiful, unanswerable questions.

Blue and white musk, summer roses, wild crimson leaves, grey amber, carnation, lavender bud, and vanilla bean.




What a beautiful poem. And a suitably beautiful scent to pair with it! Under the Harvest Moon is another "vintage" perfume from Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab. Two years in the bottle have served it well, as the musks have mellowed and the carnation, lavender, and vanilla have melded into a sweet, soft, cozy blend.

I'm going to share a few things this scent is not:

• It is not a cold scent, as the moon reference might imply.
• It is not a spicy scent, as the "Harvest" reference might imply.
• It is not a synthetic and plastic musk scent. These musks are gentle and sweet.
• It is not a rose soliflore. The rose is soft and well- blended.
• It is not an animalic scent. The grey amber (ambergris) and musks are not "skanky". 
• It is not a spicy scent. The carnation is tamed.
• It is not an herbal or medicinal scent. The lavender is sweet, subtle, and pretty.
• It is not a gourmand. The vanilla softens and sweetens but does not smell "foody".

Under the Harvest Moon is peaceful and restful. It is a snuggle scent or a sleep scent or a scent to grab when you're looking for comfort. It is a pretty scent, appropriate for almost any occasion. It is beautiful.

It reminds me a little of the scent of my very favorite BPAL: Morocco. The lavender and rose in Under the Harvest Moon (UtHM) add a twist to the carnation and musks of Morocco. UtHM is the slightly sweeter and softer of the two, but they both evoke the same mood - and adoration!

It is also a limited edition from 2009. Maybe I should have undersold it? ;)

Bite Me. (Another Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab perfume oil review)

Bite Me.

As in:

Not as in:

From a vampire-themed Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab update in 2009.

The description:

Croquembouche with almond silk and a drizzle of caramel.

This is a croquemboche:

So this is what I expected Bite Me to smell like:

But this is what it does smell like:

Which makes me need:

And then I need to:




So I keep Bite Me in a drawer, unused.


image sources: bite me card; bite me mask; Croquembouche; cream puff; caramel; chocolate (it's actually a lamp!); cough syrup; aspirin; doctor scrubbing

Halloween is here! Sugar Skull (2010) by Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab (a perfume review)

Yesterday, we looked at Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab's Spooky - a suitable choice for a spooky day. Today, what choice do we have but to talk about Sugar Skull? It is the Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos), isn't it?

About Sugar Skulls
Sugar skulls are used in the celebrations of this holiday, Dia de los Muertos, in Mexico. They were originally representational, meant to resemble a deceased friend or family member, as a tribute to that person. Indeed, they may still be used that way today, but also have become a symbol for the holiday.

Mexican sugar skulls are colorful, as is the holiday itself. Handmade sugar skulls are ornate and time-consuming to make, though most are machine-made now. The pressed sugar is shaped like a skull and icing is used to decorate it.

Read more about The Day of the Dead on Simply Pretty.

Sugar Skull perfume oil
It's clear what the inspiration for this perfume is. But how is it carried off? Here's the BPAL description of the scent:

SUGAR SKULL
Vibrant with the joy and sweetness of life in death! A blend of five sugars, lightly dusted with candied fruits.

My fear, when I first sampled this scent last year, was that it was going to be a tooth-achingly sweet sugar bomb. How could it not be? I imagined Pink Sugar (Aquolina). I do not like Pink Sugar. In fact, Pink Sugar sets said teeth on edge like little else can. I do not "do" sugar scents well.

But I'm an avid Day of the Dead fan and Beth Barrial, the perfumer at BPAL, is a very talented woman (though she has made some scents too sugary for me before.). I boldly opened the vial. 

Surprisingly, Sugar Skull is not a cavity-creator. How can 5 sugars (five!) be blended with fruit and come out without smelling sickeningly sweet? I don't have any idea. Ask Beth. 

On me, Sugar Skull is a warm sugar. Soft, maybe toasted or perhaps melted like the sugar on top of a creme brulee. I thought maybe it smelled of brown sugar, but after sticking my nose in my counter canisters, I can't say it resembles any sugar I have. See the research I do for these reviews? On me, this sugar isn't plastic-y or chemical-y.

There's a soft but not shrill fruit here, too. I am thinking maybe plum? It's round and full, but not overt. Hard to distinguish what it is.

Whatever the combination of sugars and fruits, this is a warming and reassuring scent that is not overly sweet or sticky. On me, neither element, fruit or sugar, is plastic-y or chemical-y.  I really, really love it. I wear it often when I'm cold, depressed, or just feeling alone. 

From what I understand, the 2010 version of Sugar Skull  (the one I own) may be a little less sweet than earlier versions. If you can give input on that, let me know in the comments! All I know is I won't hesitate to purchase Sugar Skull again when it comes back. 

This year, The Lab didn't release Sugar Skull. Instead, these are their 2011 Day of the Dead-inspired perfume oils:

LA CALAVERA CATRINA
The Lady of the Graveyard! Autumn leaves, wild roses, bourbon vanilla, dry chamomile, and a bouquet of bright chrysanthemums and Mexican marigolds.

MICTECACIHUATL 2011
Known as the Mistress of Bones and the Lady of the Dead, she is the Queen of Mictlan, the Aztec Underworld, who still presides over today's Day of the Dead rituals. Sometimes known now as La Huesuda, she brings peace and joy to the spirits of the deceased, and blesses the living who do honor to those who have passed before them.
Copal, precious woods, South American spices, agave nectar, cigar tobacco, and roses. 

BPAL: Summer's Last Will and Testament (a perfume review)

Golden Field Farmall - Cheri Simmons

SUMMER'S LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT

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What pleasure always lasts? No joy endures:
Summer I was, I am not as I was;
Harvest and age have whitened my green head;
On Autumn now and Winter must I lean.
Needs must he fall, whom none but foes uphold.
Thus must the happiest man have his black day:
Omnibus una manet nox, & calcanda semel via lethi.
This month have I lain languishing abed, ...
Looking each hour to yield my life and throne;
And died I had indeed unto the earth,
But that Eliza, England's beauteous Queen,
On whom all seasons prosperously attend,
Forbad the execution of my fate,
Until her joyful progress was expired.
For her doth Summer live, and linger here,
And wisheth long to live to her content;
But wishes are not had when they wish well.
I must depart, my death-day is set down; ...
To these two must I leave my wheaten crown.
So unto unthrifts rich men leave their lands,
Who in an hour consume long labor's gains.

Doomed summer, supported on the shoulders of winter and autumn: citrus-infused Baltic amber, red valerian, marigold, blood orange, and sunflower subdued by somber myrrh and dry geranium alongside the leaves of autumn and a breath of winter wind.




Summer has ended. (In fact, at this point, the harvest season is pretty much over.) But we can still celebrate this transition of "doomed Summer". Or, we can at least celebrate this perfume!

Summer's Last Will and Testament, by Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab, was an "Summer's End" offering in 2009.

It starts with a lot of citrus, but it's not too much. It's not synthetic or shrill. It's not eye-watering, either. There are moments where it's tottering on the edge of "furniture polish", though.

After a bit, a floral aspect comes into play - but I'd describe it as a dried flower type of smell. This makes sense for the story. I can't discern any specific flowers - I know marigold and I'm just not picking it up here. I do pick up a tinge of geranium.

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For much of the time this is on my skin, it evokes an herbal soap - or maybe one of those shops that sells pretty, handmade goat's milk soaps and dried flower arrangements? Summer's Last Will and Testament is not "soapy", though, rather it's the blend of florals and citrus that make me envision this shop.

The dry down is still, somehow, citrus-heavy. That's bizarre to me, since I'm used to the citrus notes burning up quickly, like a flame on a match. It does take on an ambery lean, though, but this is not a true amber scent in my opinion.

The whole experience of Summer's Last Will and Testament does create an impression of gold and amber.

I enjoy this scent, probably more than one could tell by the still-full bottle. I just don't seem to pick it up often. Maybe the next time I go shopping for goat's milk soap?

Halloween is here! Spooky by Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab (a perfume review)

This delightfully SPOOKY image is courtesy of
Danille Tunstall, a horror photographer.
She's featured on my other blog today - so be sure to come on over and it out!

I love Halloween. Do you?

I love the crisp air of Fall. The leaves crunching underfoot. The sounds of kids laughing. The excitement over choosing a costume - and then executing it perfectly. If we're lucky, the smells of fireplaces burning and, of course, of candy.

So... why not celebrate this week with a series. The first series on This Blog Really Stinks! And no one does Halloween better than Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab (BPAL), so that's where we'll start and that's where we'll stay. A week of Halloween. A week of BPAL!



All of my BPAL Halloweenies are "vintage" because I just couldn't swing a purchase this Fall - and that's majorly disappointing because I love Love LOVE BPAL Halloween. Sigh...

Anyway, vintage is good, too. And The Lab often re-releases scents of the same name so you can collect various vintages - like wine!

Today, there's no better place to start than SPOOKY (a spooky scent for a spooky day!). This is BPAL fan fave -a scent that many clamor for when it's released. But does it live up to the hype?

From what I can gather, Spooky was originally released in 2003. It went over well for many - love at first sniff! BPAL fans waited for a reappearance... They got one in 2005, then again in 2009 when the scent was "resurrected" for BPAL's anniversary celebration. I am reviewing the 2009 version today and can't speak to the difference between it and the earlier version - if there is one.

Spooky
A maddeningly festive blend of warm, buttery rum,cocoa, coconut, vanilla and a jolt of peppermint. It’s a sweet, decadent, slightly silly scent, reminiscent of rum-laced holiday cookies.

OK. I have to admit: that sounds weird. "Slightly silly". Yup. But it's also delightful, and my choice for today.

I never recommend sniffing straight from the bottle when dealing with --- well, with any scent, but especially BPAL. The genius of the scents usually needs skin to help it unfold. This bottle is all peppermint. A good start, but it doesn't really tell the whole story.

While peppermint is the first thing you smell when this oil hits your skin, it's not sharp or sweet. It's quite herbal, actually, like crushing the leaf of a peppermint plant between your fingers.

Then, moments later, a beautiful sweet and boozy smell swirls around, as if you were sucking on a butter rum candy when sniffing that peppermint plant. It sounds strange. It is. But it's also really, really beautiful. These odd combinations swirl and become a surprising melange of yum. Yes, you may quote me on that - and feel free to borrow that phrase. Let's make it a new thing, mkay?

Shortly, the coconut comes into play. The result, on my skin at least, is a strange cilantro-like smell! I happen to love cilantro, so this is great. The perfume actually wavers a bit, like a flame in a slow breeze. It changes softly from this cilantro feeling to fleshy coconut to a light peppermint, then back again to cilantro. After the initial few minutes, for me the butter rum is gone. I enjoyed it greatly while it was there, but don't miss it. The flickering candle flame is enough for me.

From the reviews I've read, most folks seem to concur with my description - well, maybe not the cilantro thing, but the peppermint-coconut description. Some people associate a little more strongly with Thin Mints (of Girl Scout cookie fame). What I noticed most clearly, though, is that this is one of those scents that must seems to be highly influenced by skin chemistry. It seems to be a love it or hate it scent with some complaining of the smell of plastic or suntan lotion gone bad. The rest are swooning.

I, for one, love Spooky.
I love Halloween. Do you?


What are you wearing for Halloween? Do you like cilantro? Which are your favorite Girl Scout cookies? Are you dressing up for Halloween? Are you hyped up on sugar? Let me know in the comments! 

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.