Gin

I'm such a sucker for any BPAL that lists plum in the notes. Sadly, Purple Phoenix gives me just about everything but plum. Violets and myrrh and wine and orris and wine are usually not great (to sometimes downright awful) on me, and so I think you can guess how well PP worked for me.

This probably should be a surprise, but Ace of Hearts is a super-floral. All white flowers, all the time. I like the sweetness, but it's still much to flowery for me.

('05 version) Graveyard Dirt is really just that. Dark, damp dirt. I find it a little unsettling.

Citrus and flowers. Nice, but not amazing on me. Queen of Diamonds is one of those scents I feel like I should like/wear more than I do. I like the notes, I like the scent, but I never choose to wear it.

King of Diamonds is clean and musky, maybe a little citrussy? It's not as masculine as I thought it'd be, but it still doesn't quite work for me.

Mabon was one of my first BPALs so it holds a special place in my heart. It smells like fruit and vines.

Usually I can pick out individual notes, but Tattered Lace gives me nothing. Pretty much all I can say is Tattered Lace = good.

Honey and I are not friends, no matter how hard I try. Gennivre is all bad honey and mint tea at first. It dies down to soft honey and powder. This is probably gorgeous on other people, but not me.

I LOVE the Amaretto Macaroon. I'm not a huge fan of amaretto, but after the initial, "hey amaretto!" it blends with the coconut and I don't really notice it anymore. The coconut smells like the type that usually goes shrieky and piercing, but something keeps it in check and it doesn't actually go there. This is possibly the most perfect baked-goods type coconut scent ever.

Yup, pretty much the same here. I was expecting more of a minty Blue Fire, but got mostly Lick It. It's still fun and I'll definitely use it up, but Blueberry Peppermint wasn't my favorite imp in the stocking.

Kiyohime Changes From a Serpent is a fresh-floral-aquatic. It's less fruity than I had hoped, and kind of makes me think of a body lotion or bath treatment. That said, I still really like it. It's a perfectly subtle, springy scent.

I wish I had more positive things to say about Mischievous Spirit. It's not as amazing as I'd expected. It smells tartly fruity, almost carbonated, and then slightly... resinous, maybe? It's much lighter than I thought, and it seems like it's gone before I have a chance to form an opinion.

I don't understand The Golden Apple of The Sun. I don't get any apple, I get a bit of soapy floral for a bit, and then I get a soft, incensy scent. It smells OK, but I'd like either a stronger apple note or a stronger hibiscus note.

I love Plum Puddin'! It's plummy and sort of medicinal at first. I put it on and kind of forgot about it. 5 hours later, I was home and firmly planted on the sofa and something smelled really good. I thought maybe my sweatshirt had some fruity oil on it or something and then I realized it was the PP. At that point, it was a delicious, soft fruity scent, a little dark, but in a good way.

I don't really know what to think about Street Festival. I thought the fruits would come springing out of the bottle like confetti and streamers, but it's actually just kind of quietly fruity.

At first, Colder and Colder smells like a blend of several previous minty BPAL oils, and I was a little underwhelmed. I got a hint of dentist office and also pack-of-Doublemint-in-my-grandma's-purse. However, over a period of about 15 minutes, it morphs and becomes softer and smoother. The white musk pushes past the mint and the scent seems more complex. It's really lovely, and I'm surprised how much I like it, because it's pretty far outside my fragrance comfort zone.

Madame Tracy smells like a sweet-but-slightly-powdery candy rose. There's more to it than rose, but I really can't pick out any other notes, they just all blend together with tea rose at the front. It's a cute, feminine scent.

Hm. Sometimes I get a bit of ~anise from vanilla, and that's definitely here, too. I get alternating anise and sassafras for awhile, and just when I think it's destined for the swaps box, it settles down into a faint, TKO-type vanilla. I'm a little disappointed that it's not the vanilla I had in mind when I ordered it, but I think it's a relaxing vanilla that is appropriate for a massage oil.

Yup, Bittersweet Chocolate smells like brownie batter, maybe like a cross between Lump of Coal and Bliss? I love this.

I was nervous about Good Cheer. I love fig, but nut/wood notes can go wonky. Luckily, Good Cheer does not seem to have that problem. I don't get a lot of fig, which is kind of sad, but the chestnut is just perfect--very much like a the Spiced Chestnut candles from Williams-Sonoma that I love. I'm so glad I took a chance on this.

OMG, are you kidding me with this? It is SO GOOD. I get a ton of apple and apple strudelliness from it, which makes me super-happy. In the air, I get a blast of what smells like apple + Sugar Skull, and it seems to fade fairly fast (or maybe I just get used to it quickly). On fabric, I can smell more coffee, but it's still a lot of spiced apple awesomeness. I love this and wish my home could smell like this always.

I got a giant box o' goodness from Puddin' today, and I was thrilled to see the goblins sent L'Engouement. In the bottle, it smells like strawberry-vanilla sugar with a little bit of a tart edge. On my skin, it goes a bit incensy, which is weird but not bad. It dries down to a quieter pink scent, still with a bit of tartness that makes me think of pomegranate, and a touch of powdery/incense. I was hoping this would be a screaming strawberry candy scent along the line of Velvet Pink Kitty, and it both is and isn't. I think it's the same strawberry at the core, but where VPK is loud and boozy, L'Engouement is calmer and quieter, like VPK's older sister, or mother. The more I sniff it, the more I love it. Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous.

In the bottle, Blossoms in Springtime smelled like super sweet buttery vanilla which is perfect for me. When it touched my skin, however, it went spicy and I was like, WTF?, but also, wow! It's a well-balanced blend of sweet/foody and warm/resinous. I totally see where the comparisons to Glowing Vulva are coming from. I think it's very striking and timeless.

Lady in Speckled Pink Kimono is simple and gorgeous. In the bottle, it's Pixy Stix powdery sweet, reminding me of Sticky Pillowcase, but on the skin it goes instantly to almost straight-up peony. The vanilla orchid is there with a bit of a bite for a minute (my nose reads it as anise) but then blends with the peony to create a soft, sweet, pink peony scent. Peony = springtime = happiness to me, and the more I sniff this, the more I like it and the happier I feel. I originally had 2 bottles in my cart but I got nervous and only ordered one... now I wish I had ordered three! I want to smell like this all the time.

I haven't had much luck with BPAL pears (looking at you, Perilous Parlor), but I still can't resist them. The Vine, however, is lovely. It goes on with a strong syrupy, candy-sweet pear and dries down to a sweet vanilla-honey. It's not the screaming PEARPEARPEAR that I'd like, but it's still really good. Definitely a keeper, but probably not multiple-bottle worthy.