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The Twelve Days of Christmas, BPAL-style. Day 12 - WHOOP (a fragrance review)

Definition of WHOOP
1: to utter a whoop in expression of eagerness, enthusiasm, or enjoyment

 

WHOOP
“I don’t know what to do!” cried Scrooge, laughing and crying in the same breath; and making a perfect Laocoön of himself with his stockings. “I am as light as a feather, I am as happy as an angel, I am as merry as a schoolboy. I am as giddy as a drunken man. A merry Christmas to everybody! A happy New Year to all the world. Hallo here! Whoop! Hallo!”

He had frisked into the sitting-room, and was now standing there: perfectly winded.

“There’s the saucepan that the gruel was in!” cried Scrooge, starting off again, and going round the fireplace. “There’s the door, by which the Ghost of Jacob Marley entered! There’s the corner where the Ghost of Christmas Present, sat! There’s the window where I saw the wandering Spirits! It’s all right, it’s all true, it all happened. Ha ha ha!”

Really, for a man who had been out of practice for so many years, it was a splendid laugh, a most illustrious laugh. The father of a long, long line of brilliant laughs!

“I don’t know what day of the month it is!” said Scrooge. “I don’t know how long I’ve been among the Spirits. I don’t know anything. I’m quite a baby. Never mind. I don’t care. I’d rather be a baby. Hallo! Whoop! Hallo here!”

He was checked in his transports by the churches ringing out the lustiest peals he had ever heard. Clash, clang, hammer; ding, dong, bell. Bell, dong, ding; hammer, clang, clash! Oh, glorious, glorious!

Running to the window, he opened it, and put out his head. No fog, no mist; clear, bright, jovial, stirring, cold; cold, piping for the blood to dance to; Golden sunlight; Heavenly sky; sweet fresh air; merry bells. Oh, glorious! Glorious!

“What’s to-day!” cried Scrooge, calling downward to a boy in Sunday clothes, who perhaps had loitered in to look about him.

“Eh?” returned the boy, with all his might of wonder.

“What’s to-day, my fine fellow?” said Scrooge.

“To-day!” replied the boy. “Why, Christmas Day.”

Golden sunlight and sweet fresh air brightening a Heavenly sky on Christmas Day: crisp winter air, shimmering amber, sweet honey, with a touch of pumpkin pie, pine cone, cranberry, and bayberry.

 

Merry Christmas!

It's the happiest day of Scrooge's life, and hopefully a great one for you, too.

Today is the last of my Twelve Days of Christmas BPAL reviews, and it's ending on a high note.

Whoop is the perfect Christmas scent.

It has a definite gentle pine sap note throughout (not air freshener-like at all). A spoonful of sharp but warm honey dances through from time to time, and bayberry and cranberry give a lovely turn on the floor as well.

On me, I don't smell crisp winter air, though the whole scent progression is bright and cheerful (thankfully not blindingly so).

The drydown is a whisp of amber with the faintest trace of spice. It's soft, cozy and lovely but not heavy or even particularly warm.

It is a Whoop of happy delight. It's really, really good.

The Twelve Days of Christmas, BPAL-style. Day 11 - CHRISTMAS EVE IN THE COUNTING HOUSE (a fragrance review)

CHRISTMAS EVE IN THE COUNTING HOUSE

It was cold, bleak, biting weather: foggy withal: and he could hear the people in the court outside, go wheezing up and down, beating their hands upon their breasts, and stamping their feet upon the pavement stones to warm them. The city clocks had only just gone three, but it was quite dark already—it had not been light all day—and candles were flaring in the windows of the neighbouring offices, like ruddy smears upon the palpable brown air. The fog came pouring in at every chink and keyhole, and was so dense without, that although the court was of the narrowest, the houses opposite were mere phantoms. To see the dingy cloud come drooping down, obscuring everything, one might have thought that Nature lived hard by, and was brewing on a large scale.

Creaky wood, thick fog, and dying embers.

 

 I'm not sure what fog smells like.
That's the first thing l thought when I read inspiration and the notes for BPAL's Christmas Eve in the Counting House.

The second thing I thought was "What a bleak Christmas Eve. Who would want to wear a bleak and depressing scent for Christmas?" Of course, every scent has it's meaning and an occasion, and I know the holidays can be quite depressing for many a soul. I just fall in the camp of wanting to wear a cheery scent during tough times, to fight against the tide.

Regardless, this scent is far from depressing or dreary. It's basically bright, clear woods. Cheerful? Maybe not, but not sad or solemn, either. It's neutral, perhaps. Wood being wood, it's not really an upper or a downer; it just is.

I'm not familiar enough with woods notes to say which woods these are, though perhaps there's a sandlewood present (there's a note I recognize from my favorite Chanel, Bois des Iles).

As for the embers, it's possible a tiny molecule of incense showed up, but that could be wishful thinking.

This is going to be a great oil to layer under other scents that are missing that certain something.

I still don't know what fog smells like.

The Twelve Days of Christmas, BPAL-style. Day 10 - THE FIRST OF THE THREE SPIRITS (a fragrance review)

First, the excerpt...

THE FIRST OF THE THREE SPIRITS

It was a strange figure—like a child: yet not so like a child as like an old man, viewed through some supernatural medium, which gave him the appearance of having receded from the view, and being diminished to a child’s proportions. Its hair, which hung about its neck and down its back, was white as if with age; and yet the face had not a wrinkle in it, and the tenderest bloom was on the skin. The arms were very long and muscular; the hands the same, as if its hold were of uncommon strength. Its legs and feet, most delicately formed, were, like those upper members, bare. It wore a tunic of the purest white; and round its waist was bound a lustrous belt, the sheen of which was beautiful. It held a branch of fresh green holly in its hand; and, in singular contradiction of that wintry emblem, had its dress trimmed with summer flowers. But the strangest thing about it was, that from the crown of its head there sprung a bright clear jet of light, by which all this was visible; and which was doubtless the occasion of its using, in its duller moments, a great extinguisher for a cap, which it now held under its arm.

Even this, though, when Scrooge looked at it with increasing steadiness, was not its strangest quality. For as its belt sparkled and glittered now in one part and now in another, and what was light one instant, at another time was dark, so the figure itself fluctuated in its distinctness: being now a thing with one arm, now with one leg, now with twenty legs, now a pair of legs without a head, now a head without a body: of which dissolving parts, no outline would be visible in the dense gloom wherein they melted away. And in the very wonder of this, it would be itself again; distinct and clear as ever.

“Are you the Spirit, sir, whose coming was foretold to me?” asked Scrooge.

“I am!”

The voice was soft and gentle. Singularly low, as if instead of being so close beside him, it were at a distance.

“Who, and what are you?” Scrooge demanded.

“I am the Ghost of Christmas Past.”

“Long Past?” inquired Scrooge: observant of its dwarfish stature.

“No. Your past.”

 

I can't tell you how well I think The First of the Three Spirits nails the imagery evoked by that passsge! Another win for BPAL.

After reading the description of The Spirit of Christmas Past, I expected a radiant golden scent with an ethereal quality balanced by a grounding look at humanity. Oh, and Summer flowers.

That's exactly what this scent is.

The opening is an astringent shock, probably akin to the surprise Scrooge felt when encountering this ghost! As that blast of sharpness relaxes (or am I just getting used to it?) the florals surge forward in a gentle but firm push. Is that sharp edge the zdravetz (geranium macrorhizum)?

The drydown is the best part (I always think that!). A pure and pretty amber is balanced by a "nice" white musk - not dirty or animalic. It lasts on the skin for eons, but does fade from time to time, then bounce back, like The Spirit's appearance morphs.

Lovely. I may buy a back-up.

The Twelve Days of Christmas, BPAL-style. Day 9 - A GAME CALLED YES & NO (a fragrance review)

“Here is a new game,” said Scrooge. “One half hour, Spirit, only one!”

It was a Game called Yes and No, where Scrooge’s nephew had to think of something, and the rest must find out what; he only answering to their questions yes or no, as the case was. The brisk fire of questioning to which he was exposed, elicited from him that he was thinking of an animal, a live animal, rather a disagreeable animal, a savage animal, an animal that growled and grunted sometimes, and talked sometimes, and lived in London, and walked about the streets, and wasn’t made a show of, and wasn’t led by anybody, and didn’t live in a menagerie, and was never killed in a market, and was not a horse, or an ass, or a cow, or a bull, or a tiger, or a dog, or a pig, or a cat, or a bear. At every fresh question that was put to him, this nephew burst into a fresh roar of laughter; and was so inexpressibly tickled, that he was obliged to get up off the sofa and stamp. At last the plump sister, falling into a similar state, cried out:

“I have found it out! I know what it is, Fred! I know what it is!”

“What is it?” cried Fred.

“It’s your Uncle Scro-o-o-o-oge!”

Which it certainly was. Admiration was the universal sentiment, though some objected that the reply to “Is it a bear?” ought to have been “Yes;” inasmuch as an answer in the negative was sufficient to have diverted their thoughts from Mr. Scrooge, supposing they had ever had any tendency that way.

“He has given us plenty of merriment, I am sure,” said Fred, “and it would be ungrateful not to drink his health. Here is a glass of mulled wine ready to our hand at the moment; and I say, ‘Uncle Scrooge!’ ”

“Well! Uncle Scrooge!” they cried.

“A Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year to the old man, whatever he is!” said Scrooge’s nephew. “He wouldn’t take it from me, but may he have it, nevertheless. Uncle Scrooge!”

Mulled wine and marzipan.

 

You know what I like about this one, folks? It's a morpher. Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab makes some unpredictable scents. No, I'm not talking about the fact that sometimes they surprise you with an oddball concept like Embalming Fluid or Jailbait, though that too!

I mean they sometimes make perfumes that behave in an unpredictable manner. A Game Called Yes & No is one of those, at least when paired with my skin chemistry.

The first time I tried AGCY&N, I got tons of almond, a hint of rose, a little musky something or another that was hard to define.

The second time I wore it, it started off a bit like grape juice then turned into a spice rack.

This time, either I finally "get it" or I'm just lucky. Wine was the word at the opening, then a whiff of almond streaked through, carrying a bouquet of sugared roses (marzipan!). Pulling up the rear were the most delectable mulling spices that are lingering nicely.

I can't wait to see what happens next time (though I'm so pleased with it today I hope it always behaves the same from now on!).

 

The Twelve Days of Christmas, BPAL-style. Day 8 - SUGAR PLUM FAIRY (a fragrance review)

Are there perfume notes that you don't like? Mine are tobacco and really fruity scents like peach, apple, and plum. Hint: this doesn't bode well for BPAL's Sugar Plum Fairy, which has a plum note (duh) and apricot, too. Sigh...

Despite that, and the description of a "watermelon Jolly Rancher" scent on the BPAL.org forum, I actually like this one! Trust me, no one is more shocked than I am.

 
The opening is wet and lush and doesn't smell a whit like Jolly Ranchers or candy to me (praise be!). It smells like an apricot and a plum had a little perfume baby.

Once that burst dies back, sweet and sugary vanilla lies over the plum, snuggling it sweetly. Tiare flower is present, too, giving a slight hint of creamy flowers.

My favorite part, though, is the bit that lingers... Yummy vanilla hangs around long enough to meld with a lovely amber with a hint of cocoa. I love musky, chocolatey amber!

The throw is moderate; you're not going to knock people over. The undulating base (the plum pops in and out of the cocoa-amber yumminess from time to time, then ducks back out) last for ages.

This is like a grown up version of a Bath & Body Works scent. That's not an insult to B&BW, who make great, saleable products (ask the gazillion people in lines there this month!), nor to BPAL, who clearly are not aiming for "mainstream". Sugar Plum Fairy is bound to have mass appeal but with that tell tale BPAL twist that I adore!

The Twelve Days of Christmas, BPAL-style. Day 7 - SNOW WHITE (a fragrance review)

A chilly, bright perfume: flurries of virgin snow, crisp winter wind and the faintest breath of night-blooming flowers.

Here's the thing: I am completely and utterly confused about this scent.

I have the 2008 version, which smells the same  as this one, to my nose.

This means I've been confused for two years and counting...

I expect ozone and flowers. Maybe that's what I'm getting? If so, I apparently don't know what ozone smells like. I have no idea what flowers bloom at night, but this isn't what I would have guessed.

I don't smell "plastic" or lily (which I don't believe bloom at night), or play doh or - and this is wishful thinking - coconut or vanilla.

Actually, typing this I finally had an epiphany! I know what this smells like: ice on a metal railing.

Er... I'm still confused. I can't stop sniffing it. Well-played, BPAL. Well-played.

 

 

The Twelve Days of Christmas, BPAL-style. Day 6 - WOODS IN WINTER (a fragrance review)

Have you ever taken a walk in the woods in the Winter?

When you hike in Winter, it's totally a different experience from a walk in another season. The ground crunches slightly underfoot. Birds flit from barren branch to woody thicket. The air is cold and sharp until you exhale it in warm puffs.

The woods in Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab's (BPAL) Woods in Winter are full of barren trees, icy streams, and juniper drooping from the weight of snow.

This is a fairly masculine scent, if you need a label, though the soft juniper (think: gin) scent is a great seasonal choice for anyone who wants to "go there" but without smelling like a G&T or the cardboard pinetree hanging from the rearview.

I really like Woods in Winter, even though it's not at all what I was expecting (I was thinking "cold, white, icy" but got "still, grey, barren").

I'll definitely be wearing this one on cold days when I want to sink into the mood (rather than trying to fight it with a warm cozy scent).

 

WOODS IN WINTER

When winter winds are piercing chill,
And through the hawthorn blows the gale,
With solemn feet I tread the hill,
That overbrows the lonely vale.

O'er the bare upland, and away
Through the long reach of desert woods,
The embracing sunbeams chastely play,
And gladden these deep solitudes.

Where, twisted round the barren oak,
The summer vine in beauty clung,
And summer winds the stillness broke,
The crystal icicle is hung.

Where, from their frozen urns, mute springs
Pour out the river's gradual tide,
Shrilly the skater's iron rings,
And voices fill the woodland side.

Alas! how changed from the fair scene,
When birds sang out their mellow lay,
And winds were soft, and woods were green,
And the song ceased not with the day!

But still wild music is abroad,
Pale, desert woods! within your crowd;
And gathering winds, in hoarse accord,
Amid the vocal reeds pipe loud.

Chill airs and wintry winds! my ear
Has grown familiar with your song;
I hear it in the opening year,
I listen, and it cheers me long.

Wild hemlock and juniper berries scattered in the snow beneath leafless trees bedecked with glittering icicles.

The Twelve Days of Christmas, BPAL-style. Day 5 - THE SOLDIER (a fragrance review)

I always get confused with the whole toy soldier, nutcracker thing. Maybe because so many nutcrackers are soldiers?

This review is for Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab's (BPAL) Yule scent, The Soldier, from their collection of Nutcracker-inspired scents.

They are trying to confuse me...

THE SOLDIER
Red musk, vanilla cream, black tea, black pepper, leather and pie.

The first time I tried The Soldier, I was amazed and amused by a burst of rootbeer! It was followed fairly quickly by red musk and leather.

The second time I tried The Soldier, it went straight to red musk and leather. There was a momentary whiff of something like licorice, but it was gone so fast I may have imagined it. I was disappointed.

The third and fourth times I tried The Soldier were like the second. I was disappointed.

At no time did I pick-up vanilla cream, tea (black or otherwise), black pepper, or pie. I was disappointed.

Still, as musky leathers go, this is a great one. A little rough, bad, and dead sexy. I may try layering it under my beloved Bandit (Piguet) for extra oomph!

ps: love the label art!

 

The Twelve Days of Christmas, BPAL-style. Day 4 - ROSE RED (a fragrance review)

A rose by any other name...

For awhile there, I worked as a sales gal at a florist shop. I loved being surounded by the gorgeous flowers (of course), loved hearing lovers' messages as they sent their special someone a bouquet, and found it a privilege to help people in their time of sorrow when selecting funeral or memorial arrangements.

One of the tasks we got assigned during slow times was to trim roses and other flowers for the premade wrapped bouquets displayed in the front of the shop. I got plenty of thorn scratches, but learned a lot about how different flowers looked and smelled when paired together.

One of my favorite flowers to clean were a certain variety of huge, dark red roses. They were so fragrant. So pungent! I was violently allergic to them, but still grabbed them every chance I got!

Stick your nose into your wrist after applying Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab's (BPAL) Rose Red - it's exactly like sticking your nose in those roses I love! Big, fat, freshly picked, deep red rose.

Earlier variations of Rose Red (also produced in 2003-2005, 2007, and 2008) are sometimes described as "green", meaning, I assume, leafy and stemmy. I also see "wet" come up in reviews for earlier versions. This year's is neither, at least on me. It's a pure blast of gorgeous rose that dries down to a closer-to-the skin rose with a bit of sparkle.

I always said I wasn't interested in rose scents. I was wrong.

 

The Twelve Days of Christmas, BPAL-style. Day 3 - MOTHER GINGER (a fragrance review)

Are you a fan of The Nutcracker?

I'm embarrassed to admit I've only seen it once and was bored to tears. A lot of people, though, make a tradition of going to see it performed during the holidays.

Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab has some Nutcracker-themed oils in their Yule collection this year. This is a review for Mother Ginger...

From beneath her skirts emerge eight gingerbread children: gingerbread, French vanilla, sugar, nutmeg, cinnamon, and marshmallow cream.

So... those are also the notes to the perfume. Having smelled Gingerbread Poppet in years past, I sort of expected this to be a similar, if candied, version.

Nope.

I smell a vague whoff of ginger tea with the merest splash of lemon.
Later: the same.
Still later: nothing. It's gone.

Slathered, it's more noticeable, but on me still a soft and effervescent ginger tea. Nice, but not spectacular.

Meanwhile, here's a cool clip showing dancer Alex Kalinin transformed into Mother Ginger!

The Twelve Days of Christmas, BPAL-style. Day 2 - LICK IT VIGOROUSLY (a fragrance review)

I never gave it much thought before today, but I wonder what Christmas elves smell like?

A little sawdust, a whiff of glue, and a soft breath of snow?

Whatever else, I imagine Santa's helpers smell like a healthy handful of fresh candy canes!

If you'd like to play elf this season, get your head in the game by first splashing on a dose of Lick It Vigorously, Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab's lovely sugared peppermint brew.

It's not edible, but I bet in addition to enhancing your inner elf, it also would work well as a mood-booster (unless you hate peppermint, that is!). Try a slow sniff when you have a headache or a tummy ache - peppermint is thought to be a potent aromatherapy aide for those issues.

I may just drop a bit of Lick It Vigorously in an oil burner on Christmas Eve to settle any rattled and frayed nerves and really set that mood (and make Santa and the elves feel right at home when they stop by!).

 

The Twelve Days of Christmas, BPAL-style. Day 1 - GROßVATER TANZ (a fragrance review)

What are your favorite holiday memories and traditions?

If something foody -a meal, a treat, a smell- was on your list, you're in good company. Most of us relish The Three F's of the holidays: family, friends, and food!

One of the (many) things Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab (BPAL) does exceedingly well is foody scents. They're not usually my cup of tea (rimshot!) but every now and again there's one that grabs me and forces me to pay attention.

 

 

 

 

 

 

GROßVATER TANZ The Nutcracker: 2010

I often read the fragrance notes for a scent prior to sampling it, since I have (had?) such a poor ability to pick up notes. Today, I'm glad I did things a bit differently.

When freshly applied, GROßVATER TANZ smells of milky Fruit Loops. Lots of them. I always think of freesia when I smell this sort of fruity blend, as to me that flower smells just like those fruity O's!

The fruit scent slowly softens (about 5 minutes in, maybe a bit longer) and gains the softest bit of nuts and gentle spices. It smells maybe like you're sitting near someone eating a slice of warm gingerbread with thick and sweet icing and candied fruits on top. Meanwhile, you're still holding a vase of freesia.

And that's pretty much where the scent stays on me for about a half an hour or so until it gently fades away, like a good indulgence should.

For me, this is a fabulous pick-me-up that I'll likely use often. Perfect for a hit of cheer any time, like during moments of stress or even right before bed... which would surely result in visions of sugarplums...

Official Description:
GROßVATER TANZ
The evening’s celebration winds down with a traditional German folk song: rice porridge, candied fruits, heavy cream, powdered clove, and Lebkuchen. $20

BPALers (or the BPAL-curious): Enter my "Show Me Your Stash Contest" and win Halloweenies!

Are you a Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab fan? Or are you curious about The Lab? Well, I'm running a little contest in which I'm asking people to show me how they store their cosmetics, makeup, nail polishes... and now BPAL.

Send me pictures of how you store your BPAL or your other fragrances. Email them to jen[@]beautyschoolblog[.]net. This is a separate prize, so even if you've entered the other contest, it's still ok to enter this one...but with different pictures!

PS: Just as with the other contest, if you post about this contest on Twitter (#BSBBPAL) or Facebook or your blog (for the later, leave me a comment below) you get a second entry!

PPS: One winner gets all three bottles.

PPPS: It's ok if your "stash" consists of one bottle of Britney Spears' perfume. I won't judge you. :D

SUGAR SKULL 2010
Vibrant with the joy and sweetness of life in death! A blend of five sugars, lightly dusted with candied fruits.

PUMPKIN LATTE
Espresso, pumpkin syrup, smoky vanilla bean, milk, raw sugar, and a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg.

BLUE PUMPKIN FLOSS
Puffy clouds of pumpkin candyfloss with a trickle of blackberry juice.

BPAL: Vampires Don't Sleep Alone - the look back

I've just finished reviewing the final scent in the recent release from  Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab (BPAL): Vampires Don't Sleep Alone. Now I'm kind of sad it's over. I need more BPAL!

The series is based on the book "Vampires Don't Sleep Alone"*, a vampire dating how-to written by  BPAL founder Elizabeth Barrial and  D.H. Altair (of Dark Delicacies). If you're not familiar with BPAL, you may find this post helpful. Other BSB reviews of BPAL perfume oils can be found here, and if you feel like losing yourself in myriad reviews, take a look at BPAL.org, a the BPAL fan forum.

On a whole, this is a great collection of perfume oils. I enjoyed testing them all, as usual, and there were no overt "fails" for me here. On each review, I've taken pictures of each bottle so you can see the beautiful artwork done by Julie Dillon.

You can order from this page, though at this point you'll have to scroll down quite a bit to find them (so many new releases!).

The scents are as follows (click the scent name to see the review):

CICUTA
Dry, dusty rose petals, candle smoke, frankincense, and saffron.

INTERFECTOR
Ruthless, unfeeling, and inhumanly violent: tobacco, sharp woods, frankincense, and bunn.

TOMBEUR
Deadly and seductive: vanilla-infused sandalwood, blood musk, antique patchouli, vetiver, lavender, bitter almond, amber, and a trickle of Snake Oil.

SILENTI
Grave beauty: Spanish moss, lilac, wisteria, myrrh, and olibanum.

TRANSEO
GA cologne that (almost) blends well into human society: benzoin, orange blossom, cumin, King mandarin, gaiac wood, juniper berry, Calabrian bergamot, Ceylon cinnamon, and blood camouflaged by wine.

MISERICORDIA
Eons of grief and unending hunger: magnolia, black currant, castoreum accord, lavender, labdanum, amber, rose otto, and opoponax.

PHILOLOGUS
Ancient books, crackled parchment, faded incense, and candle wax.

VESPILLO
A grounded, earthy scent, evocative of the soul’s finer qualities: patchouli, clove, neroli, night-blooming jasmine, sage, and iris.

SANCTUS
Diabolically otherworldly: golden osmanthus, lily of the valley, celestial musk, and frankincense.

VILF
Because isn’t that what this book is really about? Vampire smut: patchouli-infused honey, red musk, red sandalwood, red ginger, pink pepper, Peru balsam, dark Eastern florals, Himalayan cedar, smoky vanilla, bitter clove, and leather.

________

Did you find any lemmings here? Have you already tried some of these? If so, what were your thoughts? And does anyone else have the urge to re-watch all of the True Bloods with me?

BPAL: Vampires Don't Sleep Alone - VILF

Yes, kids, it's the one you've been waiting for!

VILF
Vampire smut: patchouli-infused honey, red musk, red sandalwood, red ginger, pink pepper, Peru balsam, dark Eastern florals, Himalayan cedar, smoky vanilla, bitter clove, and leather.

Keep reading for the review...

Buy Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab (BPAL) perfume oils here.

BPAL: Vampires Don't Sleep Alone - Sanctus

The Sanctus are considered by some pious vampires to be the saints of their kind, and from what we have gleaned, they are very likely the stuff of myth.

SANCTUS
Diabolically otherworldly: golden osmanthus, lily of the valley, celestial musk, and frankincense.

Keep reading for the review...

Buy Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab (BPAL) perfume oils here.

BPAL: Vampires Don't Sleep Alone - Philogus

The Philologi are scholars and philosophers that have dedicated themselves to the pursuit of knowledge, utilizing their extended lifespan to further their research. They are usually reclusive, and some were once Transeo that have rejected the bustle of human society in favor of solitude.

PHILOLOGUS
Ancient books, crackled parchment, faded incense, and candle wax.

Keep reading for the review...

Buy Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab (BPAL) perfume oils here.

BPAL: Vampires Don't Sleep Alone - Vespillo

The Vespillo are dedicated to assisting newly infected vampires in understanding and accepting their condition and learning to live with the challenges that vampires face.

VESPILLO
A grounded, earthy scent, evocative of the soul's finer qualities: patchouli, clove, neroli, night-blooming jasmine, sage, and iris.

Keep reading for the review...

Buy Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab (BPAL) perfume oils here.

 

BPAL: Vampires Don't Sleep Alone - Misericordia

The Misericordia, or Tristis, are vampires that are consumed with a longing to regain their lost humanity, some to the point of being driven mad by the desire to be human once more. The shock of their transition into vampirism and the rejection they faced from friends and loved ones was devastating, and it compromises their ability to find solace and comfort.

MISERICORDIA
Eons of grief and unending hunger: magnolia, black currant, castoreum accord, lavender, labdanum, amber, rose otto, and opoponax.

Keep reading for the review...

Buy Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab (BPAL) perfume oils here.

 

 

 

BPAL: Vampires Don't Sleep Alone - Transeo

The Transeo are vampires that have assimilated into human society, often reaching positions of power. Among the Transeo there are many celebrated politicians, scientists, businessmen, philosophers, artists, writers, and musicians, and, surprisingly, a large number of influential clergy and militarists.

TRANSEO
GA cologne that (almost) blends well into human society: benzoin, orange blossom, cumin, King mandarin, gaiac wood, juniper berry, Calabrian bergamot, Ceylon cinnamon, and blood camouflaged by wine.

Keep reading for the review...

Buy Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab (BPAL) perfume oils here.