BSB: Beauty news, makeup swatches and pictures, nail polish articles, makeup tutorials, product reviews, and how-to's from a MAC-trained makeup artist.

Techie Barbie

 

Barbie got a new job, and it's in the tech world. YAY! I can't wait to read her blog. She's technically a computer engineer, a profession selected by fans during a recent "what's Barbie's next job?" search. Everyone who knows Barbie knows it's all about the accessories. In this case, a pink laptop,  smartphone, Bluetooth headset, and "binary code patterned tee." Can't wait to see her go toe-to-toe with Big Bang Theory's Sheldon.

PS: I wonder if she got her one of them there OPI nail polish Dell computer thingies? My bet's on Rosy Future...

"She calls me moon-pie because I'm nummy-nummy and she could eat me up!" - Sheldon

BPAL: Carnaval Diabolique expansion - Electricity is Life

 

BPAL

Carnaval Diabolique

Electricity is Life

OK, this one sounded cool. "Electricity is Life". Wow.

I expected ozone. (right?)

I expected maybe something sharp. Stinging.

Ya know what I didn't expect? To run to the sink to scrub this shit off. No, it's not a bad scent, at all. It's not that I don't think tons of people will love it!

I think I'm a victim of some sort of unpleasant scent memory, though. Some part of me thought "ah, interesting!" but the rest of me couldn't get away from it fast enough.

Frankly: a little like Irish Spring soap.  Maybe some mint, some ozone comes in after dry down begins (that's as far as I got).

These items were provided for review by
the good people of BPAL.This fact
did not influence my opinion at all.
Read my About tab for more info
about my review policies.

BPAL: Carnival Diabolique expansion - Black Widow Circus

I love that the name Lulu is behind the girl in that picture!

BPAL
Carnaval Diabolique
Black Widow Circus

Let's start out with saying apparently there are a lot of smokers at this circus. The first thing I smell (and it's overpowering enough to give me a headache) is tobacco and some non-tobacco smoke. I am really sensitive to the tobacco-style smoke note, though oddly I love incense-type scents and other woods (and some other smoke scents).

BPAL: Carnival Diabolique expansion - Deyanira, the Fakir

(with apologies for a pic w/ a man, as I assume Deyanira is female---but most fakirs weren't!)

BPAL

Carnaval Diabolique

Deyanira the Fakir

Oy vey. This scent is a doozy to describe for me.

Let's start with what I do know: fakirs are those Indian mystic-types who sit on beds of nails and perform other "magical" feats. Deyanira was Zeus' wife who inadvertently killed him with a poisoned cloak. Sweet.

BPAL: Carnaval Diabolique expansion - The Waxworks

Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab (BPAL)

Carnaval Diabolique

The Waxworks

So, I assume this is "waxworks" as in Madame Tussaud's figures? I guess so. Can you imagine what the figures are in this creep carnival? I shudder to think! You know, wax was used to make death masks for a long time in Rome, and the Egyptians put wax figures in the tombs. In the Middle Ages, wax was made into figures one would poke with pins (kinda like a voodoo doll). Hmmm...

BPAL: Carnival Diabolique expansion - Night Parade of 100 Demons

 

Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab
Night Parade of 100 Demons

This is a doozy of a scent. Rather than just coughing up a review, let's take the journey together...

Wet, I feel like yelling "Holy Shit, what have I gotten myself into!?". Strong, sharp vetiver (?) and something quite astringent. A  lot. Really a lot.

Ever wish you could bathe in your Snake Oil? (BPAL/BPTP + Villainess)

MORE sneak peeks?
You got it!

It seems we're your source for Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab
and Black Phoenix Trading Post previews.

PS: Welcome to Villainess fans!

I haven't tried anything from Villainess Soaps before, but was more than happy to dive into these lovely soaps that are the a collaboration between the cult fave brand and my sweet, diabolical Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab / Trading Post!

Look at the gorgeous packaging!

Snake Oil

I was really a bit worried about this one, since I can only take Snake Oil in small doses. Shouldn't have been at all concerned, because the delicate smell is amazing. The soap is soft, silky, and really, really great. I'm more of a liquids-in-the-shower kinda girl, but this has changed my mind! It also tempts me to explore other ways of using Snake Oil...

Xmulzencab

I suppose this is an all-together new scent, as I couldn't find it on BPAL/BPTP or Villainess. Apparently the Xmulzencab were Mayan bee deities. The scent isn't overtly honey, which is a touch disappointing to a honey-lover like myself! I am not terribly familiar with black laurel flower, and don't smell plumeria or South American ginger. In fact, what I smell is basically "herbal soap". It's still a lovely soap, and I love using it, but it mostly just smells... herbal soapy.

Disclaimer: This product was provided to me by the good people of BPAL/BPTP
for consideration only, a fact which did not impact my review in the slightest.
For more information on my review policy, please visit my "About" tab.

BPAL: Carnaval Diabolique- The Horror Coaster

Another scent from the eagerly anticipated extension of the Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab Carnaval Diabolique collection. 

I expected:

...wood, metal, maybe some blood.

What I smell instead:

...plus maybe some red musk.

About an hour after applying it, I get a touch of iron. Maybe.

Yesterday, I told you how my nose is better at picking out identified notes. Like, when someone says "this has iris and vanilla" I'm like: "Ahoy! I smell it!" but if you handed it to me without telling me, I might be able to pick some of the notes out, but a great many would escape me. It's kinda like looking at that boat on the horizon and the dude next to you just can't see it, but you know it's there. Once you point it out, he's like "Ahoy! I see it!" Ya know?

I didn't need anyone to point out the cinnamon in this one. QUITE Clear. Not overbearing, but very distinct.

If you're sensitive to cinnamon, I'd be careful with this one,
as it may irritate sensitive skin.

Surprising, spicy, sweet, and not too foody. Definitely a unique and fun scent!

Disclaimer: This product was provided to me by the good people of BPAL
for consideration only, a fact which did not impact my review in the slightest.
For more information on my review policy, please visit my "About" tab.

Obsessed with Alice in Wonderland? BPAL has a scent for that!

 

The frenzy around Alice in Wonderland grows and grows. The movie isn't even due out 'til March, but we're all going nuts for everything (ANYthing!?) Alice!

Didja know Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab (BPAL) was ahead of the curve with their Mad Tea Party scents? They're part of the standing collection (not an LE flash-in-the-pan),  but I'm sure they're currently selling like.... mad!

The Dodgson Collection.
Scents inspired by the madness of Alice's sojourns to Wonderland.

PERFUME OIL BLENDS
$15.00 per 5ml bottle.
Presented in an amber apothecary glass vial.

Alice

Curiouser and curiouser. Milk and honey with rose, carnation, and bergamot.

 

I got this scent over a year and a half ago, and... well, I have to be honest: I did not like it. Why? If you're a long-time reader here, you know I amp rose scents. It's really a bummer, too, because I adore BPAL's carnation note, and who hates milk and honey!? It sounds like a lovely blend, and lots of BPAL fans love it. What a shame I couldn't take advantage because of that darn rose, which overwhelmed everything, everywhere.

Alice: There is no use trying; one can't believe impossible things.

Queen: I dare say you haven't had much practice. When I was your age, I always did it for half an hour a day. Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.

Well, I guess I ought to have talked to the Queen before I judged.  The impossible has happened, and I now ADORE this scent!

A year and a half of aging resulted in a much more mellow rose.  It still comes on quickly, and as the first note I sniffed I was worried (again). All for naught. The aged Alice comes with the wisdom of balance. Soft rose layered with the slightest snap of carnation drifts in a bowl of honeyed milk. All mellow, all soft. The drydown is powdery rose.

I may need another bottle to tuck away for the future!

The Red Queen

Deep mahogany and rich, velvety woods lacquered with sweet, black-red cherries and currant.

Yes, yes. This scent description is a big "No! No!" for me. I do like "deep" and "rich" but haven't found a woods scent that works for me. And then there's the fruit. Oy, the fruit! Usually those take over and knock any other notes to the side with their pushiness.

But oh, The Red Queen... she's not the bitch you expect!

She's rich, she's sexy, and she's complex.

And then she's gone.

This perfume unfortunately fades into my skin quickly, and rather than snuggling there for awhile, simply disappears.

While she's there, she's awesome, but then she leaves a hole in my heart.

Get it? Heart.... Red Queen...

Whatever. Try to keep up.

This is a lab-fresh sample, received as a frimp with one of my Christmas presents. I'm hoping the mature Red Queen follows in the steps of Alice and gets better with age and gets over her commitment issues. 

Otherwise, she's pretty much a bust for me.

Have you tried any of the
Mad Tea Party scents?

Share with the class!

Image credits:
Queen of hearts card
Alice's legs
Scene from Wonderland

Disclosure:
I received Alice as a sample from BPAL for consideration.
The Red Queen was a frimp with a gift.
Neither of these things impacted my review.
Please see my official disclosure policy for more information.

Lupercalia at Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab makes my heart pound!

Let's talk about love, baby...

You loved it last year, so clearly you're
waiting for me to tell you it's that time again:

It's Lupercalia time at
Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab (BPAL)!

Get it by clicking this link here.

Not familiar with Lupercalia?

It's thought to be the origins of Valentine's Day.

BPAL's version is more fun than a box of stale chocolates, though!

source

Here's what you can expect from this update:

• An ode to Ares
• The Miskatonic Valley is for Lovers!
• Metal Tiger
• The Lupercalia scents, of course
• Novel Ideas for Secret Amusement (Vol. 3)
• Black Lace, Black Heart and Black Death
• A collaboration with the Mutter Museum and Space 15 Twenty

And an update at Black Phoenix Trading Post is coming soon!

Spill! What are you hauling!?

BPAL: The District - Countess Willie (um... YUM!)

Ya'll... get this: I found a fragrance with plum in it that doesn't reek to high heavens when it comes in contact with skin!

What? That's just me?

Well, I'll tell you about it anyway, m'kay?

The District

Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab, in conjunction with Black Phoenix Trading Post (BPTP), and brilliant artist Molly Crabapple, has created a collection of scents based on the bawdy history of the Storyville section of New Orleans (also referred to as "The District", which is the name of the collection). Not familiar with Storyville? Read on...

Know what a red light district is? Well, Storyville was New Orleans' red light district at the end of the 1800's and into the 20th century. Visitors to the city could peruse the "blue books" that outline which houses provided which services and how much they would cost, even going so far as to describe the ladies in each house's employ. Not into prostitution? Jazz started nearby but took hold in the finer brothels of The District, where one could listen to the piano before partaking in what the residents had to offer. Storyville was named after the politician, Sidney Story, who made The District possible. The area became home to speakeasies and other delightful dens of iniquity even after Storyville had officially been shut down.

And so we find another concept ripe for the BPAL treatment!

BPAL's The District is created as another charitable collection, this time with all proceeds going to Habitat for Humanity in New Orleans.

Habitat for Humanity builds houses in partnership with sponsors, volunteers, communities, and homeowner families, whereby families are empowered to transform their own lives, and aids in eliminating poverty housing in the New Orleans area while serving as a catalyst to make decent shelter a matter of conscience and action.

In addition to the collection's perfume oils, Storyville products are also being sold on BPTP, where you can soon grab delectable Atmosphere Sprays and a District t-shirt illustrated by the illustrious Molly Crabapple. 

*Each Storyville scent is $25 and imps are not available.

Countess Willie

Let's get back to the issue here: a fragrance in which I am not overwhelmed with the sickly scent of plum.

Countess Willie is one of the scents from The District. Shocking, right, that I'd go into all of that explanation and then link it to the scent! Here's her description (a la the blue books):

Sophisticated, dramatic, well-traveled, glamorous, and worldly, Countess Willie V. Piazza, owner of the French Studio, was a trendsetter in style and fashion. Countess Willie was an educated woman, a patron of the arts, and possessed an impressive library of rare volumes. She featured many historic jazz musicians in her House, including Tony Jackson and Jelly Roll Morton. Unlike many of her counterparts, she was known for having a kind heart and a generous, loving nature. She was fiercely protective: when a patron of her establishment, the nephew of a prominent New Orleans cleric, committed a heinous act of sadism against one of her ladies, Countess Willie shot him dead.

 
I like her! Here's her scent description:

Chocolate plum musk, red musk, amaretto,
candied fruits, and red ginger.

OK, yes, most things are better when there's chocolate involved, but it's still worth noting that the plum isn't amping to the point of choking me. 

For me, she's a sexy scent with lotsa soft musk. The plum overwhelms the candy for me, but I can still get the slightest snap of ginger. The chocolate, for me, is noted at several points during wear, but subtly, and at no point would I describe this as "a chocolate perfume". At least, not on me.

It's worth noting that BPAL perfume oils change not only during wear, but also from wearer to wearer. While I get a lot of plummy red musk and a baby powder softness, other patrons of the Countess may smell a lot of candy or be knocked over by the ginger. Since I amp plum, and consider it only of moderate strength in this scent, it's possible others may hardly notice it. The "science" of scent is fascinating to me!

Overwhelming lovely, this scent is an immediate stash fave! And bonus: I have gotten compliments from strangers every single time I've taken Countess Willie out with me.

Which is nice, so I don't have to shoot anyone dead.

The photos are by New Orleans photographer E.J. Bellocq,
who secretively took photos of the denizens of Storyville,
unbeknownst to his wealthy family and friends.

Learn more about BPAL here. Read all of our BPAL posts by clicking here (or clicking the heart on the right sidebar. ----->)

Have you gone to The District? Share your experiences!

The product reviewed herein was provided by
the company for consideration for review.
The fact that I loved it has nothing to do with
the above sentence. Please view my official
disclaimer for more information.

The Mystery Polish Round-up (all of the new BPTP Claw Polishes in one little old post)

Here they are all in one convenient location!

1. Bordello
2. Malediction
3. Smokestack
4. Croquet
5. Sed Non Satiata
6. Robotic Scarab
7. Full collection pics here and here.

And here there are all for your purchasing pleasure. :)

Enjoy!

These products were sent to the author for consideration for review.

The Last "Mystery Polish" - BPTP's Robotic Scarab

The Ninja saved the best for last with the Mystery Polishes! Take a look at Black Phoenix Trading Post's (BPTP) Robotic Scarab!

Robotic Scarab

Oil-rubbed bronze (metallic pearl formula)

Amazingly gorgeous and molten goodness. Bronze with copper-gold pearl.

From the BPAL oil of the same name.

Robotic Scarab

Pinpoints of red light beaming from its eyes scan the room,
and in a flutter of leather wings, it scuttles across the wooden floorboards.

Polished metallic notes, glossy leather, frankincense, star anise, and thin lubricating oils.

 

This product was sent by BPTP to the author for consideration for review.

"Mystery Polish #6" AKA BPAL's Sed Non Satiata

We're rounding the end of the new Black Phoenix Trading Post Claw Polishes, also known here on The Nail Ninja as "The Mystery Polishes". The Ninja had quite a few pictures of this polish, but most of them looked terrible! Not sure what happened there, but the color was hard to capture. These are pretty accurate:

Sed Non Satiata

Lust captured: pulsating deep burgundy. (gloss / creme formula)

This is a very pretty color, which surprised The Ninja. She thought it would be a dark rose, but it really is a bit more on the burgundy side of things. Very smooth application, nice wear... all together another great BPTP polish! Again, only 2 coats were needed.

The fragrance of the same name:

Sed Non Satiata

Strange goddess, brown as evening to the sight,
Whose scent is half of musk, half of havanah,
Work of some obi, Faust of the Savanah,
Ebony witch, and daughter of the night.

By far preferred to troth, or opium, or sleep,
Love vaunts the red elixir of your mouth.
My caravan of longings seeks in drouth
Your eyes, the wells at which my cares drink deep.

Through those black eyes, by which your soul respires,
Pitiless demon! pour less scorching fires.
I am no Styx nine times with flame to wed.

Nor can I turn myself to Proserpine
To break your spell, Megera libertine!
Within the dark inferno of your bed.

A pounding heartbeat coalesced into scent: demonic passion and brutal sexuality manifested through myrrh, red patchouli, cognac, honey, and tuberose and geranium in a breathy, panting veil over the darkest body musk.

This product was sent by BPTP to the author for consideration for review.

Mystery Polish #4 - BPTP's Croquet

'Get to your places!' shouted the Queen in a voice of thunder, and people began running about in all directions, tumbling up against each other; however, they got settled down in a minute or two, and the game began. Alice thought she had never seen such a curious croquet-ground in her life; it was all ridges and furrows; the balls were live hedgehogs, the mallets live flamingoes, and the soldiers had to double themselves up and to stand on their hands and feet, to make the arches.

The chief difficulty Alice found at first was in managing her flamingo: she succeeded in getting its body tucked away, comfortably enough, under her arm, with its legs hanging down, but generally, just as she had got its neck nicely straightened out, and was going to give the hedgehog a blow with its head, it would twist itself round and look up in her face, with such a puzzled expression that she could not help bursting out laughing: and when she had got its head down, and was going to begin again, it was very provoking to find that the hedgehog had unrolled itself, and was in the act of crawling away: besides all this, there was generally a ridge or furrow in the way wherever she wanted to send the hedgehog to, and, as the doubled-up soldiers were always getting up and walking off to other parts of the ground, Alice soon came to the conclusion that it was a very difficult game indeed.

The BPAL scent of the same name: We have some trouble managing our flamingos, too. Pink lime, pink grapefruit, white nectarine, wild rose, sage, woody patchouli, bergamot, and ornery hedgehog musk.

Croquet

Flamboyant flamingo pink. (Gloss formula)

Into each life, some rain must fall. Thus spaketh Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, and a truer word has never been said. The Ninja is not a glass-half-empty gal, but she does believe the silver lining of life needs to be balanced by some cloud, or we wouldn't appreciate the silver lining.

This Black Phoenix Trading Post lacquer, while a pretty blue-pink worth of any Barbie girl, is not The Ninja's favorite. It's nice, yes: a solid color. Not terribly unique in the world of polishes, but a good pink for Spring (or hell - Fall '09!). But The thing is this: the formula was a bit gloppy and persnickety. It also needed 3 coats to be what you see here, which is still a bit spotty in places.

Certainly not The Ninja's fave in the collection, but by no means to worst polish or formula she's ever used! No, this one is "doable", just not The Ninja's preference.

This product is a press sample.

Another "Mystery Polish" (#3): BPAL Smokestack

Smokestack

Sooty, gunmetal-tinged billows of opaque, near-black shimmer.(metallic pearl)

Guys, Smokestack is a surprising polish. Black Phoenix Trading Post is amazing!

This is what The Ninja wanted Jessica's Frost at all Costs to be, but that one was a bit too dark for her. She could hardly recognize that as blue except in certain lights. This one, though, is clearly a dark and smokey blue. GORGEOUS. 

It's opaque in two coats but still looks blue-grey rather than black. The "tipwear" you see in the pictures is actually a bit of shrinkage from putting my quick-dry topcoat on because The Ninja didn't wrap the nail like she usually does. Bad Ninja!

Look at the glowing soft silver pearl!

The BPAL scent of the same name:

Smokestack
Grey-brown flue gasses belch from colossal steel and concrete monoliths,
forming bloated clouds in the dusk-dark sky.
Creosote, coal, and industrial waste.

The picture above is blurry, but shows the blue aspect...

This product was a press sample.

The Mystery Polishes have been identified! DRAT.

That was fast, due to the quick eye of amazing Nail Ninja reader hepkittenatplay, who also taunted The Ninja with her guess on Twitter!

The Mystery "collection" was shown in bottle form here, which is what gave it away. Keen eyes on our BPAL/BPTP fan kitten recognized the bottle as Black Phoenix Trading Post's Claw Polish. They just released a handful of new polishes, now known to The Ninja and her readers as "The Mystery Polishes".

So let's recap...

The Bottles, as seen on this post:

Mystery Polish #1 (as first seen here)

Bordello

The bright raspberry of Dance Hall flocked wallpaper. Perfect for any Painted Lady. (metallic flake pearl formula)

The BPAL scent of the same name:

Bordello
A decadent, deep perfume, lusty an luxuriant. The scent evokes
images of velvet-lined Old West cathouses, tightly laced corsets,
rustling petticoats and coquettish snarls of pleasure.
Bowdy plum with amaretto, burgundy wine and black currant.

Mystery Polish #2 (seen here first)

Malediction

Abyssmal Black (gloss formula)

The BPAL scent of the same name:

Malediction
Evil incarnate. Revel in your dark side with this romantically cruel scent.
Contains red patchouli and vetivert.

And here's what you can expect in the next few days:

These products are press samples.

What's that I spy with my little eye? Is it BPAL?

Let's zoom a little closer...

Closer...

 

OH MY!!!!

Stay tuned. :)

BPAL of the Week | Random newness abounds

There is much newness at BPAL (that's "Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab" to those of you who haven't been to the blog before!). Rather than pick one BPAL of the week, I'll talk about a few new collections and review TWO scents. Because I rock that way.

1. VAMPIRES TAROT!!! Neil Gaiman, BPAL's golden-boy writer, wrote a short story called "15 Painted Cards from a Vampire Tarot". Did you think it was possible for BPAL to pass on the opportunity to make scents based on that? Hells to the no!

The details:

You get a perfume inspired by the story, a corresponding tarot card (created by Madam Talbot). A new set will be added each month until the deck is complete (15 months) and you can t-shirts that coordinate with each set at Black Phoenix Trading Post. LOVE!

Each oil + tarot card set is $30 and each t-shirt is $45.

First scent up is the first card in a Tarot deck, natch!

The Fool.

He had stepped over the precipice. There was no going back. In his imagination, he could already feel the prick of needle-sharp fangs in his neck, a sharp prelude to eternal life.

The sound began. It was low and sad, like the rushing of an underground river. It took him several long seconds to recognize it as laughter.

“This is not life,” said the voice.

It said nothing more, and after a while the young man knew he was alone in the graveyard.

The Fool's perfume: apple blossom, peppermint, allspice, and yellow sandalwood speckled with grave loam and clods of grave dirt.

The Review:

I got a chance to try The Fool (which, by the way, is my favorite Tarot card!). It's a fun card, because it symbolizes the beginning of a journey, a fresh start, self-discovery and optimism. I haven't read the Gaiman story (yet) so I'm not sure how it's different there, mind you!

In the bottle, it smells predominantly of a mint, but like a peppermint plant's crushed leaves, not of a holiday peppermint candy.

On my skin, the fragrance oil starts out with the soft bite of apple. Unfortunately, that pretty much overtakes all of the other scents to me at first. I personally never notice the peppermint, and my experience with grave loam is minimal, so whether I can smell that or not I'm just not sure. I've mentioned before that apple and I aren't friends, but the apple blossom in this is less tart than in some scents and once it dies down I quite like this oil. Unfortunately, it's gone on me within an hour - completely not detectable at all!

As a disclaimer, every other review I've read says the mint is the main note on the skin. Apple isn't mentioned by anyone else but one person, though some other reviewers mention "a faint fruity smell."

Here are some pics of the Tarot card for The Fool:

Above - front of card; below - back of card

2. Hellboy! You've seen the movie... maybe read the comics? Now smell the story. Naturally, there's cat involved!

art by katie cook

The details:

HELLBOY
Aftershave, candy wrappers, brimstone, and cat.

TREVOR BRUTTENHELM
A classic men's cologne mixed with the scent of old, yellowed books, a splash of bay rum, and summoning incense.

KROENEN
Shining black leather, gleaming metal, labdanum, and myrrh.

LIZ
A light, feminine vanilla floral perfume and a swirl of smoke and leather.

PLAGUE OF FROGS
Rubbery, wet, and warty.

ABE SAPIEN
A soft aquatic musk with kelp and juniper.

Each scent in the Hellboy series is $25.

Here are two pictures (front and back) of the Hellboy postcard I got from BPAL:

3. The Literary Vampire!! How happy am I that there's a vamp series!?

++ THE LITERARY VAMPIRE

A cypress-bough, and a rose-wreath sweet
A wedding-robe, and a winding-sheet,
A bridal-bed and a bier.
Thine be the kisses, maid,
And smiling Love's alarms;
And thou, pale youth, be laid
In the grave's cold arms.
Each in his own charms,
Death and Hymen both are here;
So up with scythe and torch,
And to the old church porch,
While all the bells ring clear:
And rosy, rosy the bed shall bloom,
And earthy, earthy heap up the tomb.

Now tremble dimples on your cheek,
Sweet be your lips to taste and speak,
For he who kisses is near:
By her the bridegod fair,
In youthful power and force;
By him the grizard bare,
Pale knight on a pale horse,
To woo him to a corpse.
Death and Hymen both are here;
So up with scythe and torch,
And to the old church porch,
While all the bells ring clear:
And rosy, rosy the bed shall bloom,
And earthy, earthy heap up the tomb.

-- Songs from "Death's Jest-Book", Athulf's Death Song, Thomas Lovell Beddoes

The Scents:

MIRCALLA, COUNTESS KARNSTEIN

(Carmilla, Sheridan LeFanu)
Sometimes after an hour of apathy, my strange and beautiful companion would take my hand and hold it with a fond pressure, renewed again and again; blushing softly, gazing in my face with languid and burning eyes, and breathing so fast that her dress rose and fell with the tumultuous respiration. It was like the ardor of a lover; it embarrassed me; it was hateful and yet over-powering; and with gloating eyes she drew me to her, and her hot lips traveled along my cheek in kisses; and she would whisper, almost in sobs, "You are mine, you shall be mine, you and I are one for ever." Then she had thrown herself back in her chair, with her small hands over her eyes, leaving me trembling.

Languid, melancholy fire: red musk, purple orchid, frankincense, smoky vanilla, Styrian herbs, peru balsam, tonka, Zanzibar clove, and patchouli.

The Review:

I fell in love with this scent, as I do with many BPAL scents containing red musk! I can't speak for the purple orchid, but the other notes listed above are surely present. The blend is excellent, of course, so nothing really overwhelms anything else, even the bitter bite of clove! Wet, I mostly get red musk, but as the scent dries all of the other notes take their turns. Once the fragrance settles down it hugs close to the skin and the tonka, vanilla, musk and patchouli linger deliciously! This is a keeper for sure. It's up there with Morocco as one of my favorites, and I consider them to be in the same "family" of scents (it's probably that special musk that makes me link them in my head).  I may need another bottle!

PS: In case you were wondering (I was!), "Styrian" refers to a region of Austria.

The rest of the Literary Vampire series (as always, please go to the BPAL page to read the prose - or else face the consequences!)

ARIADNE BRUNNELL | Poppy flowers, peat, sphagnum moss, gardenia, and white water lily.


CLARIMONDE | Pallid skin musk, white roses, and a languorous vapor of Oriental perfume.


CRISTINA | Chestnut trees, juniper berries, violet leaf, labdanum, dazzling, moonlit white musk, and night-blooming summer flowers.

COUNTESS DOLINGEN OF GRATZ | Hailstone-pounded cypress boughs, olibanum, and an ozone blast of lightning.


THE GIRL | A seductive, serpentine white scent, elusive, crystalline, and spellbinding: white amber, silver birch, immortelle, davana, pale musk, star jasmine, and ylang ylang.


LORD RUTHVEN | The father of all dandy aristocrat vampires: Aqua Admirabilis with polished boot leather and blood.


SARAH |  Unholy mist congealing into soft, white flesh, with black marble, remnants of liturgical incense, wolf's fur, and black flecks of froth.


JULIA STONE | Rotting once-white fabric, spotted with mold.


PERLE VON MAUREN | Heliotrope, grave soil, and blood.



All of our current LE's are $17.50 each. The Vampire scents will be live (undead) until November 5, 2009.

The Literary Vampire series is available here on the Black Phoenix site.

BPAL of the Week! (actually three) | Celebrate Halloween early with BPAL

 

Have I mentioned I love Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab?

Today, three offerings for our first BPAL of the Week.

I present:

   

Check those out, peeps. Those are three of the multitude of Halloweenies offered at BPAL this season! This is my favorite time of the year, and the fact that BPAL rocks the Halloween spirit just tops it off. I don't know what is the most favored holiday collection in BPAL Land, but I'm betting it's this one.

Bite Me | Croquembouche with an almond silk and a drizzle of caramel

This one makes me happy: a vamp-inspired (by name) dessert perfume. Really? What could be better!? It smells like a whole lot of delicious. Really.  I have no other words. Croquembouche is made with almond, caramel, little cream puffs... made into a tower. A tower of tasty! That what this smells like on me, and I love it. Some people report a floral rose smell, but I only get a flash of that. It would make sense, since croquembouche is often decorated with ribbons and flowers.

Lambs-Wool | A popular holy day beverage in 18th century Ireland: roasted apples mashed into warmed milk and ale, with nutmeg, sugar, ginger, and clove

Really, this didn't sound like something I'd like, mostly because I don't like the smell of apples (though the rest of it sounded amazing). And in fact, it starts strong with a blast of apples, but that slowly mellows out and becomes a delectable confection that reminds me of a well-done apple crumble with a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

Suck It | Sexy and suckable: black cherry brandy

Allright. I admit it - I love the names! Meanwhile, this is not my favorite scent. But let me explain: it's a well-done perfume oil, but these berry scents just don't work with my skin chemistry. They all smell the same on me (like Robitussin), which is a drag because they don't smell the same in the bottle. Solution? AHA! I'm going to wear it on a cotton ball in my bra. If you have a scent locket, that would be classier, no? But I don't, so I'll stuff my bra!

I'm now giving Dia de los Muertos 2009, Boo, and Pumpkin Patch I the eye.

Go see the rest of the Halloweenies at BPAL, then place your order! You won't regret it!The collection  will be available 'til some time in November.

Keep reading for the complete list of Halloween scents (but don't forget to go to the BPAL site for the full poetic display!):