I wrote this about a month (AND SOME) ago and posted it on another site, but I'd like to showcase it here since this perfumery is ABSOLUTE GOLD.
The other day, I got an AMAZING Christmas parcel in the mail from Jo containing small vials of erotic and exotic scents/essential oils from the Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab (BPAL) thus finally popping my proverbial cherry on this matter! Oh man, everything smells even better than I thought it would and I am SO CRAZY EXCITED ABOUT IT/DYING OF HAPPINESS.
I first heard about BPAL from Jo of course, WHO IS THEIR AMBASSADOR TO THE EAST, but I wasn't exactly sure what was going on or why it was so magical. Visiting the website for the first time left me even more confused about what all the hubbub was about as well. I've had other hand mixed essential oils before (from local head-shops and whatnot) but the quality and overall mystique of the BPAL-made-fragrances reigns far superior than what I've had before and I can see why they have the almost cultist fan base that they do.
The rest of this entry is going to be a review of the 10 IMP'S I've received! Long story short, Jo is the romantic and enigmatic boyfriend I've never had!
"Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab specializes in formulating intriguing, compelling body and household blends with a dark, romantic, and sexual tone. Our scents run the aesthetic gamut of romance era, Renaissance, Medieval and Victorian formulas, pagan and mythological blends, and horror / Gothic-themed scents. By utilizing our knowledge of homeopathy and aromatherapy, the conceptual theories of hermetic alchemy, and the aesthetic artistry of perfumery, we have mastered the art of encapsulating allegorical ideas into singular olfactory experiences.
Inspired by a vast range of influences, from the passion and decadence of the Fin de Siècle movement to the ghastliest of Lovecraftian monstrosities, we specialize in eliciting emotional responses through perfume and creating unique, masterfully molded scent environments that capture legends and folklore, poetry, and the stuff of dreams and nightmares.
Though we are at times campy, and sometimes very tongue-in-cheek, we never lose sight of our one true goal: moving the soul and spirit through the unbridled artistry of scent, and remaining unbound by conventional fashion."
Snake Oil
By far, our most popular scent! Magnetic, mysterious, and exceedingly sexual in nature. A blend of exotic Indonesian oils sugared with vanilla.
First Sniff: Oh my God is this ever nice and right up my alley. I can definitely smell the vanilla, and while I usually stay away from scents that feature it in some shape or form, there's something about this that actually wants me to stick the entire vial up my snoz.
Wearing it: It's such a sweet and sexy smell. There's a particular scent coming through that I can't really identify, but it's nice and warm. Like most fragrances, it has taken a slightly masculine, bold twist on my skin, but it's still incredibly nice and powerful.
Voodoo
A midnight scent, evoking images of flickering golden firelight reflecting off the sheen of glistening skin and the jerking shadows of bodies suffused with spiritual ecstasy. A deep, powerful, resonant blend of myrrh, patchouli, vetiver, lime, vanilla, pine, almond and clove.
First Sniff: The first impressions of this one is that it's overpowering and almost reminds me of a household cleanser mixed with Grandpa's stash of really old liquor. It's a familiar scent in a way, but kind of off putting.
Wearing it: I really didn't want to put this on my flesh, but I am glad I did because this is the first scent to ever surprise me in a very good way. On my skin, it mellowed down substantially and smells very vaguely of a sweet patchouli with stronger notes of clove. It reminds me off that old clove gum you used to be able to get once in a while and I'm loving that.
Black Forest
This is the captured scent of a cold, moonless night, lost deep within the darkest wood. Haunting and desolate, this scent evokes images of fairy tale tragedy and half-remembered nightmares. Thick, viscous pine with ambergris, black musk, juniper and cypress.
First Sniff: Definitely pine-y, which is great because I love the super sexy scent of pine trees. I can't smell anything else other than the pine, however.
Wearing it: Yep, there's the ambergris. This one is smelling very manly on my skin and the pine has completely dissipated. Very, very musky and reminiscent of an old perfume. I don't think my body's chemistry is going to let this one smell good on me in any shape or form.
Depraved
A salacious, lecherous, leering scent - dirty and dark, slapped with a wet sweetness. Earthy black patchouli swelling with apricot.
First Sniff: I can actually smell both the patchouli and apricot in this. It's interesting because there's no sweet notes coming off of the apricot at all and like the description says, smells a lot like wet, dark dirt.
Wearing it: It keeps the same characteristics on my skin as it does wet and in bottle. More of the apricot comes through as well as the strong dirt smell. It reminds me of a summer afternoon after a rainstorm and I'm adoring that notion.
LOL, Ok, apparently this is what others thought of it:
--"Something about this fragrances makes the word "pedophile" pop up in my head. Maybe because apricots and peaches make me think of innocence and little girls, but apricot with a strong line of patchouli sullies that image. Like lessons learned too early. That kind of shock you get when you're at the mall and you see all the 10 and 11 year olds whored up, or when you see middle aged men drooling over porn featuring "barely legal" stars. It's a sweet and fruity yet dirty scent. You want to warn your baby sisters away from it. So I guess it's a pretty good image for depraved."--
...*SMELLS HAND ERRATICALLY*
Perversion
The perfect scent to wear to your next bondage ball, dungeon adventure or sojourn to your favorite pleasure dome. Smoky rum and black tobacco with a whisper of steamy leather with a splash of crystalline chardonnay, layered over a sensual, sweet, and deceptively magnetic base of tonka.
First Sniff: Ignoring the fact that I thought the above said "pleasure donkey", this is incredibly nice. It doesn't exactly smell like devious sexual acts to me though, but more like warm drinks and deserts and other classy endeavours.
Wearing it: Seriously, this is such a delicious, warm, and comforting smell. It reminds me of dressing up and going somewhere fancy and inviting - LIKE A BONDAGE BALL I GUESS! I love how the scent has intensified on my skin and I kind of want to eat it.
Absinthe
Fall under the spell of our Green Fairy! An intoxicating blend containing wormwood essence, light mints, cardamom, anise, hyssop, and the barest hint of lemon.
First Sniff: This is pretty strong yet exactly what I thought Absinthe was going to smell like. I like anise in baking, but I can't stand it in anything else, really.
Wearing it: It has mellowed out on my skin and the mint has come out, but so has the smell of black licorice. It also smells strangely like a blue iris flower, which is kind of interesting! Sadly, the licorice/anise is too much for me and especially K as he gets incredibly nauseated by the smell so this one is out.
Zombi
Dried roses, rose leaf, Spanish moss, oakmoss and deep brown earth.
First Sniff: Very earthy and mossy and wet. I wanted to add something else to this description, but that's basically it!
Wearing it: Slightly floral, very dirty. I'm really enjoying these earthy scents. Strangely, I can smell a hint of something citrus thrown into this which gives it a very fresh and outdoorsy smell. Grassy!
Spellbound
Perfectly enchanting! An irresistibly sexual, utterly rapturous blend of three roses, radiant amber, and sensual red musk.
First Sniff: Overwhelmingly musky. I have yet to smell any other notes among this, so onto my skin it goes.
Wearing it: Luckily, the roses comes through amongst the musk but I don't find it overly complimenting. I'm getting a weird "wet dog" smell right now which makes me laugh because that's what the other reviewer stated. This one just isn't for me.
Yew Trees
Piercingly sweet berries over evergreen boughs, deepened by the tree’s sacred wood.
First Sniff: Very nice pine and berry smell! Not overly sweet or overbearing. I like how fresh the pine smells!
Wearing it: The berries come out on my skin more than the pine, but both notes are there and they really compliment each other. It's a very "cool" smell and while I am usually not into any berry fragrance ANYTHING, I would wear this again.
Rogue
Soft, well-worn black leather, hemp, and rosin.
First Sniff: I waited until last to post about this one because it was the one I was most excited about! It smells sweet and foresty and MYSTERIOUS.
Wearing it: The hemp comes out on the skin along with the rosin. It's a really nice mixture and there's also some smoky notes to it. It's actually very feminine on me which is not what I was expecting at all and almost flirty. Strange!
Putting it on a boy: It's incredibly fresh and leafy on K and I can smell the leather. It smells very rugged and foresty on him, which is really nice, but I think I prefer it on me! He says that it smells like a chai tea latte...
This was actually very fun to put together, and my 3 favourites in order are Depraved, Voodoo, and Perversion. I'm going to wear these three a few more times before I decide which one I'm going to buy a full sized bottle of though. So thank you Jo! You have nonchalantly inducted me into this smell laden club which I plan to throw bunches of money at forevermore! I LOOOVE YOU!
Edit – After rubbing my body with these a few more times, I put in my first order over the weekend for Rogue. I still love the other three that I ~favourited, but I literally can't put this one down. I also decided to blindly WING IT and purchased a full sized bottle of Coyote since I have heard nothing but good things and I have a really good feeling about it. I doubt it will disappoint!
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