wolfpangs | My loud guitar comes in...

BPAL reviews! I had so many to do that I'm going to split them in half. Here, obviously, is the first half--I've got appointments tomorrow [Saturday] morning and then a date in the afternoon so the second half will come on Sunday when I get back from my date.

[Lupercalia LE]: What a great freakin’ word. BPAL LOVES TEH SMUT! Three swarthy, smutty musks sweetened with sugar and woozy with dark booze notes.

In the bottle: Very strong musk with a faint hint of something sweet. I realized with Smut that what I'd been describing as a "perfume-y smell" is most likely musk.

Wet on skin: That strong musk pops up again, temporarily drowning out the other notes.

Drydown: The musk finally settles down and smells almost sweet. I swear I can almost smell a tobacco smell--a chewing tobacco smell. I definitely get the comparisons to Snake Oil but SO smells "brighter" to me, whereas Smut is darker and dirtier. Like your mom.

Overall: I like it and will probably wear it often, though it's not one of my OMG, BPAL! scents.

[Carnaval Noir LE]: A bombardment of edible carnival indulgences. Funnel cake, caramel apple, cotton candy, salt water taffy and sugar tart.

In the bottle: Smells like a suntan lotion--like an artificial buttery coconut scent.

Wet on skin: Just on, it's very buttery and salty with a bit of sweetness. There's still that artificial, plasticky scent, though.

Drydown: Mmmm, funnelcake. Lots of caramel, too.

Overall: As a confirmed foodie, I liked it as I thought I would. I just wish that on me, it would last longer and throw more.

[A Little Lunacy]: On the 14th day of the seventh month of the lunar calendar, the Gates of Hell burst open, and ghosts pour forth from the Nine Darknesses into the sunlit world. To placate the dead, Hell Money is burned, offerings are made, and paper boats and floating lanterns are set out to give comfort and direction to wayward spirits. Though many spirits simply seek out the comforts of their former homes and the company of their loved ones, rancorous spirits also roam the streets, seeking revenge on those who have wronged them, before and after their deaths. Offerings of ginger candy, sugar cane, smoky vanilla and rice wine mingle with a ghost’s perfume of white sandalwood, ho wood, ti, white grapefruit, crystalline musk and aloe. This scent is tapered by the presence of seven herbs, woods and resins used in the purification of the spirit and the purging of earthly concerns from the soul.

In the bottle: Wow, this is the most sunshine-y BPAl oil I've ever smelled. Very citrusy. Many oils I've had to actually wear to see if I'll like them but I loved this one from the opening of the bottle.

Wet on skin: The grapefruit and ginger fight for dominance as a strong musk lurks in the background. This kinda reminds me of Lolita's older sister. Lolita's older sister who's really into uppers, that is--this is a very "frantic" upon application.

Drydown: It becomes a sweet grapefruit-y musk.

Overall: I should have bought more bottles.

This was my first free imp with Hungry Ghost Moon.

[Voodoo Blends]: For use only by women. An extremely potent passion blend, used to great effect when you're converting feminine sexual energy into power.

In the bottle: I can't make out individual notes but it reminds me strongly of what I hated about #20 Love Oil.

Wet on skin: Wow, this reminds me so much of Jean Nate--a bright citrus. There's a faint herbal back--sage?

Drydown: As it settles, it gets sweeter--like baby powder with spice. I don't feel like a sex bomb wearing this. I feel like my six-year-old self after a bath--putting on Jean Nate splash and powder.

Overall: I'll use the rest of the imp but probably won't buy it again.

Karma [NOT a BPAL product--I'm referring to the fragrance by Lush]:

This smells like pressing your face into the Chief's soul. Or perhaps just his shirt.

I sprayed this on at the UWS Lush store and immediately had a flashback to the night before--giggling and cocktails and telling the rock star, "I bet that you look good on the dancefloor."

Like every night out, my perception of this scent changes every time I experience it.