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BPAL Reviews: Brisingamen and Mantis
A little bit later than expected (I've been busy), but I finally come bearing my first BPAL reviews: Brisingamen and Mantis. I purchased the half-full vial (about 2.5 mL) of Brisingamen from ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
mandora here because BPAL straight from the lab takes some time to arrive and I wanted to try it sooner than that. Her package arrived in about five days, so it was definitely worth it. Along with the purchased Brisingamen, she included a free imp of Mantis, which was really nice of her, as well as a decant bottle with roller applicator and a bag of green tea. I therefore have two reviews for today, which was unexpected and really sweet.
Brisingamen
Category: Love Potions
Lab description: The amber necklace of Freyja, Norse Goddess of Love, Sex, Attraction and Fruitfulness. Her magnificent necklace was bough from four Dwarves [Alfrik, Berling, Dvalin and Grer] at the price of four nights of her passion. When Brisingamen graces your throat, no man can resist your charms. A glittering mantle of rich golden notes: five ambers, soft myrtle and apple blossom, myrtle, and carnation.
Wet on skin: Brisingamin is rich, spicy, and decidedly amber. It's a little too heavy, but lightens up quickly.
Drydown: The spices step back, the scent becomes warmer and rounder, and the apple blossom start to weave in and out—sometimes I can smell it, sometimes not. This scent starts to smell wonderful on me after about ten minutes, and is at it's best from one hour onward.
Wearing: The scent remains largely unchanged from hour one onward. It's a warm, rich, luxurious amber—no question about it, that's the dominant note and the soul of the scent. It's more beautiful than sexy, and makes me just a little lethargic. The carnation adds spice and the apple adds sweetness, so all the additional notes balance each other out to make an even-handed, slightly complex blend.
Throw: It's hard for me to tell, but it seems just about right for me. I can smell it around me, not just on my skin, but it doesn't reach too far past my immediate vicinity.
Lasting power: On me, Brisingamen lasts for about five hours at full strength, and then dies down to lie closer to the skin where it sticks for about twelve hours total.
Final impression: I've worn this a number of times now, and Devon has had the chance to smell it on me. I like it, he likes it, this definitely fulfills my amber desire, and I love it both for going out and for snuggling up to read and nap. Definitely a keeper, and I'll probably buy more if I run out. A wonderful first BPAL experience.
Mantis
Category: Rappaccini's Garden
Lab description: Crushed herbs and sweet amber resin with a streak of patchouli, neroli and golden musk.
Wet on skin: A little perfumy, some citrus, a little powdery, and all over a yellow-green scent. I don't care for this in the vial and don't really like it on me.
Drydown: The perfumy aspects fade and the scent becomes brighter and even more yellow-green. There's a bit of bite and sweetness to the citrus note, and it also smells a little herby. The throw also increases as the scent warms, but never becomes overpowering.
Wearing: A little sharp, a little like lemongrass, and primarily a yellow-green scent. From a distance, this is a fine scent—not one I particularly like, but pretty decent. Closer to the skin the scent is sharper, a little less pleasant, and far more distinct. I don't think I'd mind this on others, especially if their skin brought out a bit of the warmer citrus notes. On me, it smells ok but it's not how I want to smell.
Throw: A little further than I'm comfortable with, reaching just outside of my vicinity, but not overpowering or cloying.
Lasting power:About four hours.
Final impression: I tried Mantis twice with identical results. I wouldn't mind this on others, but it doesn't suit me. It's a little too perfumy, and far too bright. I've sent the imp to my sister, who likes brighter scents and citruses, to see if she likes it. If it comes back to me, I'll offer it to my friends list. I hope that some else gets more out of it than I do.
Now I just have to wait very impatiently for my six imps from the lab to arrive. Bleh. ^^ I'm really enjoying BPAL so far, and have been entirely thrilled with Brisingamin. It's exactly what I was looking for, and if I were smart I'd stop here and nip the obsession in the bud. Pity I'm not that clever.
Just as a reminder for the curious, the Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab website is here.
mandora here because BPAL straight from the lab takes some time to arrive and I wanted to try it sooner than that. Her package arrived in about five days, so it was definitely worth it. Along with the purchased Brisingamen, she included a free imp of Mantis, which was really nice of her, as well as a decant bottle with roller applicator and a bag of green tea. I therefore have two reviews for today, which was unexpected and really sweet.Brisingamen
Category: Love Potions
Lab description: The amber necklace of Freyja, Norse Goddess of Love, Sex, Attraction and Fruitfulness. Her magnificent necklace was bough from four Dwarves [Alfrik, Berling, Dvalin and Grer] at the price of four nights of her passion. When Brisingamen graces your throat, no man can resist your charms. A glittering mantle of rich golden notes: five ambers, soft myrtle and apple blossom, myrtle, and carnation.
Wet on skin: Brisingamin is rich, spicy, and decidedly amber. It's a little too heavy, but lightens up quickly.
Drydown: The spices step back, the scent becomes warmer and rounder, and the apple blossom start to weave in and out—sometimes I can smell it, sometimes not. This scent starts to smell wonderful on me after about ten minutes, and is at it's best from one hour onward.
Wearing: The scent remains largely unchanged from hour one onward. It's a warm, rich, luxurious amber—no question about it, that's the dominant note and the soul of the scent. It's more beautiful than sexy, and makes me just a little lethargic. The carnation adds spice and the apple adds sweetness, so all the additional notes balance each other out to make an even-handed, slightly complex blend.
Throw: It's hard for me to tell, but it seems just about right for me. I can smell it around me, not just on my skin, but it doesn't reach too far past my immediate vicinity.
Lasting power: On me, Brisingamen lasts for about five hours at full strength, and then dies down to lie closer to the skin where it sticks for about twelve hours total.
Final impression: I've worn this a number of times now, and Devon has had the chance to smell it on me. I like it, he likes it, this definitely fulfills my amber desire, and I love it both for going out and for snuggling up to read and nap. Definitely a keeper, and I'll probably buy more if I run out. A wonderful first BPAL experience.
Mantis
Category: Rappaccini's Garden
Lab description: Crushed herbs and sweet amber resin with a streak of patchouli, neroli and golden musk.
Wet on skin: A little perfumy, some citrus, a little powdery, and all over a yellow-green scent. I don't care for this in the vial and don't really like it on me.
Drydown: The perfumy aspects fade and the scent becomes brighter and even more yellow-green. There's a bit of bite and sweetness to the citrus note, and it also smells a little herby. The throw also increases as the scent warms, but never becomes overpowering.
Wearing: A little sharp, a little like lemongrass, and primarily a yellow-green scent. From a distance, this is a fine scent—not one I particularly like, but pretty decent. Closer to the skin the scent is sharper, a little less pleasant, and far more distinct. I don't think I'd mind this on others, especially if their skin brought out a bit of the warmer citrus notes. On me, it smells ok but it's not how I want to smell.
Throw: A little further than I'm comfortable with, reaching just outside of my vicinity, but not overpowering or cloying.
Lasting power:About four hours.
Final impression: I tried Mantis twice with identical results. I wouldn't mind this on others, but it doesn't suit me. It's a little too perfumy, and far too bright. I've sent the imp to my sister, who likes brighter scents and citruses, to see if she likes it. If it comes back to me, I'll offer it to my friends list. I hope that some else gets more out of it than I do.
Now I just have to wait very impatiently for my six imps from the lab to arrive. Bleh. ^^ I'm really enjoying BPAL so far, and have been entirely thrilled with Brisingamin. It's exactly what I was looking for, and if I were smart I'd stop here and nip the obsession in the bud. Pity I'm not that clever.
Just as a reminder for the curious, the Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab website is here.