Happicuppa

I have a pipette designated to each bottle for decanting anyways, so I use the pipette to put a little on...but I just got glass wands too, so those are nice.

Hm... In the imp, tangy pom and a spike of booze. On: a little too sweet for me to wear on my skin, but this would be lovely in my diffuser. I love the shot of booze and the sharp pom. However as it dries, it becomes a more powdery fruity scent than sweet...and I like it. Oh, this is quite nice. 7/10. Needs further investigating.

In the vial, overly floral but has redeeming lilac quality. On. ACK! No! The violet has turned sugary and powdery and disgusting! Ack! *coughs* I can't take this overly intense floral sweetness. Where did the lilac go? Swallowed by the evil violet and tuberose no doubt... Off to wash my wrist. 1/5...Nocturne, get thee away from me! Edit: Now I'm having a lovely asthma/allergy attack. Lovely. F-

Initial reaction, metal over flowers with an inkling of tea. Sharp. Floral. Brilliant. On my skin, floral and tea and the metal takes a back seat for a bit...almost sticky on my skin which I have never had happen. As it dries, I get more tea and metal and the flowers shift into the background this time. Nice and light but still that little oomph of chrome/ozone. A perfectly lovely scent, though I'll be content with an imp (though possibly a bottle before she disappears). Perfect for summer. Not digging the sticky wrists...but still lovely...4/5 Edit: Wore it on a hot summer day and LOVE it. Must. Have. Bottle. Edit: 4-14-09 mmm this scent has gotten better with time. Must hoard bottles. Many many bottles.

Ooh...I knew this was gonna be love...and it is...though not as much as I'd hoped. Wet it smells electric, a bit tangy like the ocean, salty, lightly floral. I begin to notice that it smells very much like 51 to me. Dry it smells salty, ozone, aquatic...a mix between Sea of Glass and 51...still the floral hint and almost salty driftwood. It's a beautiful blend...but to me it is very, very similar to 51, and 51 is much easier to get a hold of than a LE. I also like 51 just a little bit more than this. 4/5 because it is really pretty and nicely blended, but it's too similar. A good summer scent, and I will use up my decant!

Ooh...a rose scent that rocks out on me. I <3 it. In the bottle, floral but lightly so, just a hint of soapyness to it from the lily. Wet: Very nice, very light but distinct floral with a hint of powder and none of the usual 'acidic rose hell' I usually get. Dry: Lily turns it a little too soapy on me, but it's a good, expensive soap smell. Very clean and fresh and light and lovely anyway. 4/5--this reminds me of an innocent, 'church' perfume. Light, airy, perfect for summer and so shocked that the rose didn't turn into horrible, horrible smelly acid on me.

Sniffing this in the vial it smells almost floral, slightly creamy and a little tangy. Wet it's becoming over sweet and...oh my...plastic. I like vanilla, I really do. There is nothing better than a bowl of vanilla bean ice cream...but something about the lab scent for vanilla is overly sweet and plastic on me! *cries* Dry: Barbie dolls dipped in vanilla. So I guess vanilla really ISN'T a scent for me...*sigh* 1/5...and off to the swap piles with ye!

I would do the happy dance if there was a BPAL seller near Indiana...I'd drive 2-5 hours for it! Pleaaaaase!

This is a very weird one to me. I don't smell any fruit! I smell incense and baby aspirin, sadly. In the vial it smelled good, yet still like incense, but when I put it on my skin it turned to pure sickly sweet baby medicine. Yech. Off to swaps:( 1/5

In the vial I'm getting coconut and white musk. Pleasant, but maybe a bit too sweet? On my skin I suddenly smell divine pure coconut for a second, but the hazelnut has made an appearance and what I can only guess to be the iris. It's very soft, almost difficult to smell on my skin. I love that I can smell the coconut still, and that some of the sweetness has faded. When I think of coconut, I don't think of sugary confection, I think of what it tastes like to eat a freshly cracked coconut. Not a great throw, and it already seems to be fading on me, but I enjoy the combination in this imp. I think if I wear it frequently, I'll grow to love it more. In fact, the harder I sniff my arm to find it, the more I love the coconut note. I would give my left pinkie toe for a single note of coconut methinks. Anyway, I'm going to give it a 4 out of 5, simply because I am a coconut whore. I'll be giving this guy a few more test runs as it begins to warm up outside.

I don't usually do foodie, boozy or sweet scents...but I had to try. I love almonds. In the vial I get sweet almonds, almost amaretto. Then a creamy note. On my skin I can still smell the sharpness of almonds, but now it has been joined by the honey and rum. I hate honey mead as a drink, but the lab blend for it is nice. As it dries down, I begin to lose the almonds though and get pure honey. To me this is sort of a "Christmas office party" scent. A bit soft, a bit wicked...it's a pleasant combo. However, true to my nature, it's too sweet and boozy for me to wear on a regular basis. I'd have to give it a 2/5, I wish the almonds would have stuck around. Probably off to the swaps, but my mother is eye balling it...

Mmm...I have no clue what these notes are but boy they are beautiful. In the imp I'm getting clean and crisp, refreshingly herbal with a hint of incense perhaps? On my skin this goes very sweet and grassy for a moment, but then dries down to a fabulously clean and herbal scent. Very much a spring scent, and also a very relaxing blend. I'm going to have to try it again before a final verdict, but I'd give it a 3 out of 5 to begin with...perhaps more over time.

I received this in a swap as a frimp. Upon first sniff I get violets. Sweet floral, but very much violets! As it begins to dry down I get violets and baby powder...and something that makes me think of 'old lady perfume.' Much too floral and not soft, just overly sweet and powdery. I find that it's got an edge to it that I cannot stand. Ugh. No thanks. Perhaps I can find it a new home. I'm not very much into violets. 1 out of 5 (and of course this is one of the few scents my husband says "That's not bad" too...gah...)

In the vial I'm getting the faintest hints of coconut and vanilla with a swirl of lemon and a smoky ovetone. On my skin I'm picking up heliotrope and coconut, vanilla and lemon. Very soft, lemony and light. Then I get the opium smoke. As it dries, this becomes more smoky, the coconut and flowers disappear. I am left with a smoky alley and a wafting scent of lemon. Entirely enjoyable and for some reason it reminds me of when you walk by the carnival after it's been in town for a few days...a bit dirty and musky, but still the scents of lemonade and flowers. Not something I'd wear everyday or slather myself in, but an interesting blend and something to hold on to. Not a terribly strong throw, but good staying power. I'm getting hints of lemon and opium hours later. I'd give this a 3 out of 5.

I just acquired Night Thoughts in a swap to further expand on my ozone obsession and am pleasantly surprised by the scent. I was worried about the combination of notes in this blend, but they are pulled off beautifully. In the vial I get something woodsy (the cedar) with lilac under it, but on my skin I'm getting pure lilac and ozone with the hints of neroli and herbs. My skin has amped the lilac up a few notches as it dries, and paired with the ozone it's fresh but not overly crisp and has a soft glowing feel to it. The throw is not so hot, and it's really not very intense, but my skin continues to smell like lilacs and powdery warm ozone. Almost like an expensive lilac soap, but in a VERY good way. I love it. Simply beautifully and artfully blended. Delicate, soft, and fresh. 5/5

Oh my, this smells heavenly! I was frimped Hunger Moon in a recent swap and lands sakes I wanted to douse myself in it! Most BPAL citrus comes off as overly sweet to me, but the white citrus rind in this is freaking amazing. Pair it with the verbena, sage and oakmoss and I get a lovely herbal scent entwined with it. Ozone is my favorite note, and I can smell it distinctly yet soft in the background, lending it's trademark 'crispness' to the blend. This scent reminds me of going into an antique store, scent memory of old wood and potpourri burning in the background. On my skin it dries to an amber/citrus with herbal undertones, and I just can't stop sniffing it because it's an amazing scent. Beautifully blended, good throw, and so far so good on the staying power. I'd give this a 4.5/5, a nice scent for late fall or the gradual thaw after a long winter.

I just acquired Moon of Ice in a swap today. In the bottle it's nose-tickling pine and poinsettias with that 'chilly' winter scent that I believe to be ozone-licious. Its a definite winter scent in my book. On my skin, more of that ticklish pine tingle, but flowers are slowly starting to bloom out of it, almost powdery. Nothing pine-sol about it so I love this pine, it smells as if I've taken a run through the snowy woods and snapped a few branches off of a pine tree and trampled a few flower petals into the ground. Very fresh, crisp and dare I call it whimsical! I wish I had gotten this earlier in the year, it's a great snowy scent.

WOW! This is a keeper! I was swapped a sniffie of this and I am in love! In the imp this smells sweet an herbal with hints of pale flowers. On my skin, this smells light and wafty of dried flowers and herbs and clean, crisp air. It doesn't have a great throw or staying power, but I keep getting heavenly breezes of flowers and herbs and spring weather. I will be looking for a big bottle of this scent, mmm! So light and clean, this would be perfect for everyday wear! 5/5

In the vial: Whew! Smells like sugary cake mix for some reason:( I'm not getting any citrus OR floral, just really sweet foodie. On: Hm...the obnoxious sugar has now left and has left behind citrus that is slowly turning into lemon furniture polish and baby powder. Not a fresh, zingy lemon like I get from Et Lux Fuit, I'm getting dull chemical lemon:( Dry: Huh? Where'd it go? I have the faintest whiff of the chemical citrus and the rest is all gone. Sad face. Sadly, this must not be for me. I hate sugary sweet scents and I can't stand the chemical citrus. 1/5, will get swapped to a loving owner.

In the vial: floral and citrus, a hint of ozone, not so much salt yet (that hits me dry) and very spring/summery feeling. Wet: Now the floral is pumped up, I can get the crisp clean scent of ozone and it's becoming very salty. Dry:For a moment, it's almost too salty to stand but this quickly fades and becomes more floral and crisp than anything else. It reminds me of a sea-sprayed boquet of flowers with a hint of citrus. It's still very crisp and light, and reminds me of the beach in summer. This has a good throw on me, I can smell it hours later, and it is similar to Lignthing on me. Probably because I'm an ozone addict Overall I'd give sea of glass a 4/5 and I know I'd love it more if it were summertime. I'd say this is bottle worthy, because it really is a delicately blended scent and is perfect once it's totally dried down and lost that slap of salt. It's another delightfully fresh and clean scent.

51 is another win in my book. This one knocks me off my feet! In the vial I get fresh melon and a hint of ozone, as well as some light floral and what must be musk. Now, I've never really worn any of the lab's musk scents but this smells divine! It's enough to make me want to try more musks. It smells clean and crisp. This scent has a 'mysterious' vibe to it, it reminds me of something and I can never quite remember what. On me this scent stays pretty true to the first sniff, though now I can grab hints of the amber and freesia better. I think this is an intoxicating blend. I can even catch hints of what I can only call 'salty air' and I love it. I like to wear this scent out on the town and get rave compliments every time. I think it's crisp, clean, and fragrant. It manages to keep up with me all night long, and I still have faint wiffs of heaven on my wrists in the morning too. Overall, I'd give 51 a 5 out of 5! It's an amazing scent! Every time I wear it I fall more and more in love with it.

In the bottle: crisp, sharp ozone (which I adore) and winter flowers (though I'm not sure where these are coming from!) It reminds me of the air before snow, not actual snow. On: Still getting winter flowers and the ozone has toned down a bit from in the bottle. Still ozone-a-licious, and it has a great throw. It feels clean, piercing and very, very delicate. This is what I would consider the winter equivalent of Parsifal. Smells like the cold earth before a snowstorm, the freezing air and earth trampled underfoot. Somehow it also reminds me of poinsettias. I'd consider this another sophisticated blend, something to wear to parties or out and about. Overall, this is another gorgeous ozone scent and it is excellent for winter time. I'd give it a 4.5/5 and am loving my bottle of it to death! Edit in 2016: eight (eep!) years later: This smell is so evocative to me of when I used to visit the botanical conservatory at Christmastime as a child. It took me a long time to put my finger on it. I barely wear Archangel Winter--except for right at Christmas usually--but that smell hits me like a memory 18-wheeler and my god, it's exactly why I love BPAL so much. I feel like that 'ozone' is reminding of the intensely fresh air in the conservatory thanks to all the plants, and yeah, I still get poinsettia. And I still think this is 'winter Parsifal' in a way. But it's still in my box, and it's still full to the shoulder, and no I'm never going to part with it -- just pull it out and sniff it when I need a shot of feel-good nostalgia; a kid at Christmastime excited to be out with her parents in the Botanical Conservatory with it all decked out in lights. That was one of my yearly highlights, that visit, and as such this perfume has a super special place in my heart. I love it so much, thank you for this Beth.

In the bottle: herbal, floral soft with a bit of a fresh ozone tone to it. It reminds me of the botanical gardens I visited as a child! Wet: Still floral but much more herbal now and with the zing of ozone. I like that its herbal but not earthy, its floral but not overpowering or sweet. Dry: mmm...still has a great throw but it feels 'soft'. It's not too intense, but I definitely can smell all the components of the blend. It stuck along all day, even though it did mellow out towards bedtime. It makes me feel fresh and very sophisticated. I think that this one makes me think of taking an elegant stroll through the park on the first warm day of spring when its mainly foliage with a few early bloomers here and there. This is a 5 out of 5 in my book! I cannot wait to finally get my hands on a 5ml bottle! 6-12- And I have a 5ml...and have determined I need at least TWO more...when I die, slather me in Parsifal so I can stroll on into the afterlife in style.

This is quite the accurate description! In the vial: mmm, smells like a cup of hot cocoa, nice and choco-licious though I don't get a 'wicked' vibe. On wet: Hm, the first thing that comes to my mind is Cocoa Puffs! Not a bad smell, but I can detect that almost 'grain' note like in a cereal. Dry: Now it's pure chocolate again with just a faint powdery hint on my skin, it has some staying power and a little goes a long way, I can smell my wrists from down by the keyboard! This scent is lovely for all of us chocolate addicts, but now I feel like I need to eat some brownies! Overall it's a beautiful and accurate food scent, and I think I'd like it the best in the bath because smelling like chocolate all day makes me feel a little too young (and hungry) and its so luxuriant! A nice long soak in this (especially with PMS) would be like going to heaven. I give it a 3.75/5, again a beautiful scent but very potent!