blacklacestatic

Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish. --John Quincy Adams Sandalwood, benzoin, cardamom, calamus, palmarosa, and sage. This is my first time reviewing something first. Yay! My love for BPTP bath oils knows no bounds, and Patientia has just elevated it to a new level. If you love sandalwood, go buy a bottle right now. It is the most perfect sensual sandalwood oil I have ever encounterd. It is not the least bit overwhelming, which is perfect for bathing, especially if you want to put on any sort of perfume after. It leaves the slightest, prettiest scent on your skin and feels so clean and woodsy. I'm in love.

I was so excited to see both of these scents in the update. Instant bottles! I love me some cherry blossom.

The "sweet" snow note, like the one found in Snow White, does not agree with me. I get somwhere between a headache and downright nausea. However I adore the other snow notes, especially the ozoney ones so I really have to pay close attention when the reviews come in to see how the scent will play out with my chemistry before I go for it.

This is definitely amongst my favorite atmosphere sprays ever. What LizziesLuck above said about gold being a good descriptor is spot on. It's warm, sweet, golden and gorgeous. The peach adds a beautiful sweetness without being overly fruity and it pairs so well with the honey note. Those are the two notes that stand out the most to me with all the others well blended in the background. Its at once comforting and sexy, a bit exotic yet something anyone could love. My preferred room for this is the bedroom, but it is equally nice in the living room. I love it's golden warmth for the winter but could see this being pleasant in the summer months as well. This is my favorite product from the Trading Post Snow Queens update this year. Absolutely in love with it!

I had such high hopes for this. Vanilla-infused frankincense sounded beautiful and I love patchouli and both honey and myrtle notes, so I thought this would be a winner. Alas, Jasmine... Now I thought Jasmine and I had reconciled after years of feuding. I recently tried both Rapture and Snow-Shower and absolutely adore them. Perhaps Jasmine simply behaves in certain company. At first sniff: I smell the frankincense, sage and a bit of that decaying jasmine that has been behaving and morphing into something beautiful when I wear it. My expectation is that she will calm down once she hits my skin. Wet: Pretty much the same as wet, the frank surges forward with the sage, but you can kind of tell Jasmine is not going to have any of that. She's in a jealous mood and wants me to pay attention to her. After a half hour: All rotting Jasmine, but smoky. Not in an incensey way, more like she jumped into a fire and came out charred. I have not been able to smell any of the other notes, no vanilla, no patch, no myrtle. This is the first blend in a looong time that I want to wash off. Charred jasmine that has beaten poor frank into submission. Total drydown: Its at least softer here, but still not pleasant. Out of all the bottles I have blindly purchased this year, only two have not paid off, this and Snow White. Perhaps I still have the need to be wary of certain flowers... *Edit to add: So I didn't wash it off, and hours later it's dryer and more resinous, but very soft. The jasmine ampage has waned. I don't despise it, but I don't feel it will be getting much wear from me either. I will let it age and hope for improvement.

Dee puts me in an insanely lustful mood. Make that AGED Dee. I pulled out an imp that was a few years old and could not believe the effect it had on me. I want to try it fresh to see if it's the same. Leather notes in general have been screaming sex to me lately, which is interesting because I used to hate leather. So strange how my tastes have evolved over time.

I tried Ded Moroz for the very first time today and I was so pleasantly surprised by the snow note in this one. My only experiences with snow notes have been in Snow Glass Apples, Rose Red and Snow White. I find Snow Glass Apples and Rose Red have a similar cold, clear feel which I like but Snow White feels nothing like snow to me at all. Ded Moroz starts with what I can only describe as a wintery blast, it hits you like stepping out into the cold from a warm place. It is slightly herbal from the sage, but then starts to warm up a little from the woods and amber. However despite the warming effect of the other notes, the snow note stays prominent on my skin. It reminds me of walking through the woods after a heavy snow. The cold air, the smells of nature, it all comes together gorgeously and the rose note, subtle as it is, lends an ever so slight sweetness as it dries. I still have quite a few to try, but this is definitely one of my favorite yules this year. It's exactly what I wanted from a snow perfume.

For cooling the libido and soothing the senses. Cucumber mint, sea lettuce, French lavender, geranium bourbon, and lemon balm. Yet again I am blown away by the beauty of these oils. In the bottle I smell an herbal concoction, heavy on the lavender. When I use it in the shower The lavender is still strongest, but there is a hint of mint in the background, and a cooling sensation on the skin. If you have tried Snow, Glass, Apples, this has a remarkably close feel to that, but less dark. Also, the sensation is similar to that of B&BW's Twisted Peppermint shower gel. It is so calming and relaxing. Perfect for stressful days. The real magic happens a few moments after it's first use, as it starts to adapt to my skin. I get this fresh, floral yet still herbal feel that reminds me of a combination of J'adore perfume, Snow, Glass, Apples, Body by Victoria perfume, B&Bw's Gardenia Lily and the paste I used to use in kindergarten. I know that last one will probably turn some of you off, but it's actually wonderful. It brings back memories of simpler, easier times. I would swear there is Gardenia in this. Any stress just melts away. The scent left on my skin is miraculous. I'm truly in a state of bliss, which is an incredible feeling after being so stressed lately. Definitely Buy a bottle of this. I'm convinced it is a magic potion.

I just noticed that Apple mentioned Epitaph. Yes, this one! Epitaph is one of the most comforting powdery florals I have tried, I can't believe I forgot it.

I read a review of Noir, in which the reviewer says it smells exactly like a rose talc her mom used to wear. It also has lily in it. Sound appropriate? The problem--- discontinued. Here's some things that might work and are available: Black Phoenix: Our signature oil. A dark, languid scent. Promotes hedonistic tendencies and extreme self-love. You won't stop kissing mirrors for a month. A few people have said this smells like a sweet rose talc. Les Fleurs Du Mal: Features a rose base, softened with lilac and wisteria. Same here, the rose goes a bit powdery. Van Van: A venerable voodoo blend, used for purification of the spirit and to amplify positive personal power. This has got to be the closes thing to talcum powder out there in the Bpal world.

In the imp:Bright, sweet, girly flowers. Sparkly, sugary and pink. I can't wait to put it on! Wet on skin: Fresh, girly, innocent. A pretty spring/summer scent. It's somehow juicy even though it's not fruity at all. Drydown: A fresh waterfall tumbling over cotton candy. Creamy, sugary and glowing. Something is giving off a hint of chemicals, but it's fleeting. Overall: I love it. It's full of sugary goodness. It has an almost narcotic feel to it, addicting.

In the imp: Fresh, sweet, bright. Similar in feel to Moon Rose, and the plum note is similar to Bordello. I think I love plum most when it's not mixed with heavy spices. Wet on skin: Pretty, sweet and feminine. This could be Bordello's innocent younger sister. Despite the name, it's not rose-heavy. Drydown: Watery, fresh floral. Bright, sweet and gorgeous. Not a stuffy rose scent AT ALL. Overall: Another hit! Fresh rose and plum, slightly woodsy and super girly. Kind of an aquatic floral. It just sparkles.

In the imp: Creamy, yet woodsy and earthy. Very well-blended, no individual note stands out from the rest. I don't smell rose at all here, and only a slight bit of amber. Wet on skin: A little dusty, a bit masculine and soft. It's warm and cozy, like a soft blanket. Soft, sweet woods. Drydown: Soft, warm, fuzzy and musky. This is a dry scent, yet it's very comforting. A cuddle up by the fire scent. Overall: Perfect for me. The woods are soft, and the amber softer. The rose is almost undetectable unless you search for it, so all you rose haters out there, don't let that deter you from trying this. I know this is vague and kind of spacey sounding, but it feels like this has some deep, rich history to it, like it could have been worn by secret lovers in the past. Another fantastic love potion from the lab.

In the Imp: Heavy, sexy musky. A bit woodsy and thick, syrupy. A lot more depth than I was expecting. Wet on skin: Rich, dark, musky. Can smell the myrrh making it richer and sweeter, as well as the fir giving off a cozy warmth. This reminds me of smut, the same sweet muskiness. I really love the musk. Drydown: Hey, lab are you sure this isn't Smut? Was there perhaps some kind of mix-up? This is a lighter version of Smut, which is great because i looooove Smut. Unbelievably sexy, rich and mysterious. Overall: My kind of scent! Sexy, soft, complex musk. I love what the myrrh does in this. The perfect scent to wear when you want to cast a seductive spell over your lover.

In the bottle: Sugary, dark berries. A bit of musk with the vivid sweetness of honey. Wet on skin: The berries are the strongest part of this, particularly the raspberry. Ripe summer raspberries picked fresh from the vine, dark red and juicy. I'm starting to detect a bit of the orange blossom here, which is a much beloved note to me. It makes evrything sexier. The honey is similar to Lady Una, kind of overly sweet, but when it adapts to the skin it gets richer and softer. Drydown: Absolutely irresistable. I am so happy I got a bottle of this. Seductive yet soft and sweet. Extremely summery yet enticing. The best of juicy summer berries. Overall: Love it, it's incredible. I made a good decision on this bottle!

Initial unsniffed impression: How adorable! This sounds like it will be full of win! In the Bottle: Dark, sweet molasses. Wet on skin: I get heavy molasses with something fresh and green and a hint of fruit. It's quite srong, and makes me kind of hungry. Very sugary sweet. The red currant comes forward after a while and the scent smells like fresh berries covered in syrup. The hint green of green is like plants covered in morning dew, it's a fresh green, not earthy. I don't really notice the moss or patchouli individually. It's perfect for a Lawn Gnome because you get this green scent, plus sugary fun! Drydown: There is a kick to this now as it dries the patch comes forward, but you wouldn't recognize it for what it is. It just gives the blend depth. Now it's a dark, deep vanilla berry scent. Still very sugary, but it's terribly pretty. Overall: Love this scent! The idea was adorable and the concept is brought to life perfectly.

Just letting you guys know that I got a weird, rich honey blast form the extreme drydown of Nonae Caprotina. It was quite rich and sweet and lovely. The whole rest of t didn't smell like that though, it took a couple of hours to get there.

Szepasszony has changed my mind about aquatics. I thought they all smelled like cologne, until I came across this fresh, bright, sweet beauty! I'm in looooove!

Lavender, maybe lilac and violet,possibly a hint of another floral I could never place unfortunately. White Moon comes to mind, but it might be tricky to find, it was a an old lunacy from back in '06. You might be able to find some in swaps though. For GC's I would try Veil (White sandalwood, lilac, gardenia, violet, orris, lavender and ylang ylang) or Violet Ray (White mint, purple musk, violet, lilac, ylang ylang, lavender moss, and sandalwood). These two come the closest, I think. Some others might include Oneiroi, Come To Me, Cordelia, Ode On Melancholy, Les Fleurs Du Mal, Bluebeard, and Nocturne. Maybe Farewell To False Love too. Some of these don't actually have lavender, but have that dry, soft lavender feel to them and include other flowers you mentioned. My favorite of the last bunch are Nocturne (kind of has that bright, sweet B&BWorks feel), Ode On Melancholy (just lovely) and Les Fleurs Du Mal (goes on harsh, but fades down into a flowery beauty). Good Luck!

Initial unsniffed impression: I'm not sure about the goat's milk, but I'm on a myrrh kick so I'm very intrigued by this. In the bottle: Whoa, this baby smells strong! Very strongly goat's milk. It's amazing how much this really smells like goat's milk, they nailed it with this accord. It is, as Heavenlyrabbit says above, pungent. It's a great word to describe it. There is a hint of fig too, but the milk is superstrong. Wet on skin: The milk immediately moves back a bit to let the fig through. It's ripe, plump, sugary fig. The myrrh comes forward now to give it a rich depth. I never can smell myrrh in bottles or imps, it's like a secret note that only appears when applied to my skin. This loses it's sour edge and comes together beautifully. Drydown: Wow, this is gorgeous. It's warm and delicious. The fig is delightfully sugary and the myrrh is sweet and rich and hypnotic. Myrrh is my new favorite note. the milk note is not so prominent anymore, it just blends in and it all comes together so nicely. Overall: Very happy with this. Definitely glad I bought my bottle. Once again myrrh comes throguh for me. I'm in love. So far this update has been full of win.

Initial unsniffed impression: This reminds me of the fairy tale, "The Snow Queen". It's my favorite fairy tale of all time and I have always been fascinated by characters with an icy, cold beauty. In the Imp: Fresh, wet, springlike. Wet on skin: Fresh, still very wet, bright, still very springlike. It reminds me of the first blooming flowers of spring, after it rains and their fragrant blossoms are heavy on the damp air. It perfectly encapsulates the story. There is a bit of sweetness here, but a fresh sweet, and it feels chilly, cold. It feels like a sudden rainstorm in the spring in which the raindrops have a piercing, yet fresh iciness to them. Drydown: I'm in love with this scent. Cold and beautiful. I think I recognize sweet pea or something comparable. It is actually raining as I'm wearing this and it all feels so perfect. Overall: There are some Bpal scents that randomly come my way which change the way I think about scents. I never considered myself an aquatic person before, but now I want to try anything and everything that evokes a feeling of rain. It also makes me want to run outside and make love to my boyfriend in the rainstorm. It's the scent of watery pleasure. And it is soooooo bottleworthy!

Initial unsniffed impression: There is something about the scent of rose that I love. It's just the complete scent of old-fashioned romance. Wisteria and frankincense often make some blends too dry for me to enjoy. Let's see how this ends up... In the Imp: Soft, sweet, rich, innocent, a bit dry. Wet on skin: Mysterious, breathtaking, heavenly. I don't normally care for wisteria but here it lends a breath of ghostliness. Drydown: Very pretty and light. It would be a great blend to wear to bed or as a stress-relieving aromatherapy. Very comforting. It also gets heavier on the sandalwood as it dries. Overall: This would be a perfect comforting sleep scent. Unfortunately I may not be able to get much use out of it as a perfume because it makes me a bit drowsy. I think I'm too relaxed by this!

Initial unsniffed impression: I'm not sure what the majority if the notes in this smell like on their own, but I love nicotiana... In the Imp: Very light floral, I could swear I get violet from this, but it's not listed as a note, so perhaps one of the other flowers smells like violets. I don't recognize any other individual notes. Wet on skin: A pleasant, light bouquet of flowers. Not heady at all, just light and breezy. Drydown: A floral bouquet. Not quite sure if it is me, I'm not normally a floral kind of girl. It is very calming, light, fresh. Overall: I'm not exactly excited about this one, but it's nice. It's pretty, but as I said before I'm not a floral kind of girl. It's romantic in an old-fashioned sort of way. It's also extremely light. I think overall I'm happy with it, but don't think I will need a whole bottle. * After some more time wearing this, I think it's growing on me. It's quiet and lovely.

Initial unsniffed impression: I have a feeling I might like this as a scent, but not to wear as a perfume. I really don't care for saffron, nor cedar, but I was generously frimped with this so I may as well test it out. In the Imp: Herbal, medicinal, bitter. Strong saffron and spices, but not the sweet kind of spices. Wet on skin: Strong medicinal saffron is all I really get here. There is a hint of cedar, but not much else going on. I think I amp saffron because it's all I smell in Love's Philosophy too. Drydown: The sandalwood is stronger now, but still a whole lot of saffron and cedar. The whole thing has a savory kind of feel, like cooking exotic food. The scent as a whole is calming down a bit, it's not as strong as it was initially. It's a nice scent now but, as I expected, not really nice for me as a perfume. Very, very woodsy, reminds me of a church or of summer camp in wooden bunks. Overall: I love the images this evokes, the feelings of strolling through an exotic marketplace. It also has a very spiritual feel. However it is just no good on me.

Initial Unsniffed Impression: I got really excited when I read the description of this one, and I'm not sure why, because I'm not sure what half the notes smell like. I decided to take a gamble anyway and buy a bottle unsniffed, because my intuition was strongly telling me to go for this. In the Bottle: Mmmmm... baking spices and a hint of coffee and chocolate. Wet on skin: Sweet spices, with something a bit savory in the mix too. There's a slight tart bit, like red wine or some kind of fruit. It reminds me ever so slightly of Midnight Kiss. This quickly morphs into OMG CINNAMON! A whole big wallop of cinnamon. It's not quite the creamy, smooth cinnamon I love. It's actually just like the smell of Big Red gum. It's like I chewed up some Big Red and rubbed it all over my wrists. Holy Goddess of cinnamon. Drydown: Now I get the smooth, delicious cinnamon I adore. The whole thing gets creamier, smoother. I can smell more of the cocoa now. The wine comes forward more, and I'm in heaven. It's so delicious. I got more compliments on this scent then I have ever gotten on a fragrance before. I'm told I smell "freaking fabulous", and "amazing". Yay! Overall: This gamble paid off BIG TIME! I'm thrilled with this. I was a little unsure during the wet phase, but this becomes so perfect and beautiful. A definite new favorite!