VioletChaos

in the imp: spicy, strong, and somehow reminding me of christmas :shrug: wet on skin: there's something that is reminding me of black pepper, which i normally can't stand, but which works well in this blend. there's also some sweet wood notes surfacing, and a strong under note of amber. dry down: the amber comes more to the forefront, but this is still a heady, strong mix. in all: i don't usually give gender to scents here at BPAL, but i have to say, this one is totally masculine. not to say i wouldn't wear it, mind you but i sorta want to experience it on some huge, burly dude covered in tattoos about to get on his 'cycle. mrow!

in the imp: i don't know how to explain this, except to say that it smells like grapefruit jellybeans! wet on skin: a slightly creamy quality enters the mix, and there's the slightest spicy undertone that must be the currant. dry down: the currant makes a much stronger appearance, balancing the grapefruit nicely. in all: this smells very much- VERY much- like the Lemon Merangue doll i had as a child back in the 80's. this is a good kid scent, and also for those looking for a soft but sweet food-and-floral combo.

in the imp: veeeery lime-y! wet on skin: lime and lilac coming through. i would've never guessed these two would smell good together, but they really do- it's very summer time to me. dry down: the lilac comes out a bit more, becomes more balanced with the lime. i get no other notes from this. in all: a very gender-neutral scent, this is one to wear on the hottest of summer nights to give a reprieve from the heat. lovely, fresh, very light.

in the imp: all peach. it reminds me of the fruity oils i used to get from The Body Shop about 18 years ago when they had a perfume bar testing area wet on skin: still all peach. however, it's light enough that it actually doesn't come across as all that foody. it's really pleasant. dry down: the peach stays. in all: this may be one of the only times that a BPAL oil has stayed true from the bottle to dry down on me. what you get in the bottle is what it stays, which is nice for those that are inclines to just sniff from the bottle. i'm not big on peach, personally, but if you are, *run* to buy this one- you will have no regrets!

in the imp: sweet, soft, green, very light on the floral wet on skin: a slight muskiness comes out, but mostly it's the 'green' note i smell. very soft. i could see letting a child wear this scent. dry down: oh no! it's gone to total powder on me! in all: i've actually never had this happen before. i *really* love carnation, and i've heard so many wonderful things about sweet pea, but i guess this just wasn't meant to be. now excuse me while i wash this off, toot sweet!

in the bottle: like a spicy cherry candy! wet on skin: the cherry and the cassis are both in the forefront. so far so good... dry down: the cherry takes a step back, the cassis amps a bit and i detect the patchoulli only faintly in the background. it reminds me of spicy chocolate covered cherries! in all: i'm glad i got it as a trade and will likely wear it when i'm feel a little impish and sexy, but it probably won't be an everyday scent for me.

another thanks to Cheshirecat for helping to make this swap possible! i have been *dying* to try some SNs and out of all of them, honey was at the top of my list: in the imp: yep. honey. but there's an almost -sour?- undernote to it, and i'm getting hints of the beeswax quality people were talking about. wet on skin: ooooooooohhhhhhh is this goooooooodddddd. a sweet, mellow, very understated honey, not at all like the honey blends i'm partial to in Lush products or the infamous Kama Sutra honey dust (which i love, but it's not like this). this is fabulous. dry down: it just gets better and better. there's a sexy quality to this that MUST be experienced first hand. i don't have many BPAL blends with the honey note in it, but this makes me want to find *all* the ones that have this magickal elixir present in the composition. :D

i got this as an extra goodie during a recent rares swap with the lovely Cheshirecat! here we go... in the imp: wow. a complex layering of fruit and floral notes- i can't pick out a single note individually, except perhaps the phlox. this is amazing so far wet on skin: the strawberry is peeking out slightly, making it's presence known, and i'm getting little wiffs of the pink sugar. it's all very delicate, though, not in the least bit cloying or overwhelming. dry down: the pink sugar, a hint of the honey and phlox are on top, but not by much. this is still very mixed, layered, complicated. it's totally feminine in the extreme- not usually something i'm drawn to, but man, this is GOOOOOOOD. in all: top five of all time, hands down. this scent has it all, and in a beautiful, subtle, close-to-the-skin scent. i hope i can find a bottle!

in the bottle: rum and butter can't go wrong there! wet on skin: the cake aspect emerges. _attempts gnawing on arm_ dry down: like flakey golden pie crust, sweet jam, and a glass of milk to wash it down. in all: every dessert should aspire to be this good!

... However, this bottle was not marked `poison,' so Alice ventured to taste it, and finding it very nice, (it had, in fact, a sort of mixed flavour of cherry-tart, custard, pine-apple, roast turkey, toffee, and hot buttered toast,) she very soon finished it off. in the bottle: all toffee and butter wet on skin: the butter becomes stronger (making me hungry!) and is accompanied by a bit of cherry tart! yeah! dry down: like cherry pie in a buttery crust. in all: although i'm sad at the lack of roast turkey, the scent *more* than makes up for it- a foodie's paradise!!!

in the bottle: cream and sandlewood. wet on skin: all the sweet creaminess of Love's Philosophy, but with a tang of wood and a *slight* hint of floral. :swoon: dry down: WOW is this stuff amazing! it reminds me a bit of the Sandalwood oil that the BodyShop carried years ago. it's been resurrected, but the new version is *not* the same. this nails that feeling-sweet, sexy, warm: a total "skin" scent. in all: great enough to wear for your lover, precious enough to wear for yourself.

hey mods! i did a review for a previous year of Red Lantern, so if it's not ok for me to do another, by all means tell me, but don't be too grumpy about it, please! Red Lantern 2008 in the bottle: like cream, coconut and opium. yowza! wet on skin: a woodsy note steps up to the front, while the sweet stuff takes a back seat. dry down: a beautiful complex Asian inspired blend that is a gorgeous assortment of wood, food and incense notes that combine to make something truly magical. in all: a total, perfect blend. MORE, please!

i have been looking very, very forward to this... in the bottle: heavy, deep chocolate. the dark version of Bliss! wet on skin: yep, like Bliss, but with a greater intensity. man, this is GOOOOOD. dry down: there seems to be a tiny spicy note, ala Underbed in here- i can smell a hint of cassia, though there is no claim to it being in the blend, but i can smell it in there- and it's REALLY good. in all: 1. glad i didn't buy a full bottle of Bliss yet. 2. will likely spend that money on a second bottle of Candy Butcher!

in the bottle: chocolatey Snake Oil wet on skin: the cocoa becomes even stronger. it reminds me of brownies! dry down: This is very, very similar to the bath oil Gula- and i *really* love Gula! chocolate without being too foodie, a spicy-incense thing...it's all really yummy! in all: worth every penny, and i'm betting that, like Snake Oil, it will only improve with age!

in the imp: salt water and heavy Dude Cologne wet on skin: more of the Manly Man smell. like guys at a night club wearing too many gold chains. dry down: the Dude-ness simmers down and a heavy, heavy aquatic note becomes dominant. in all: this is SO not for me. off to swap!

in the imp: sweet, spicy- but not at all foodie. it reminds me a lot of the Yule incense the magick shop near me sells. nice. wet on skin: the same. i can smell the cassia, but i can't really pick out any other notes. dry down: the cassia becomes stronger- it's definitely the same spice note in Underbed. this has a sexiness to it too, just like Underbed, but i think i prefer it personally with cocoa. in all: a Sexy Woman kind of scent, i'd wear this out dancing, or to a romantic dinner- if i didn't have so many other oils to consider! ADDED Nov. 23: in the imp: the sweet spice of cassia mixed with an undercurrent of something fruity that i can't quite name. wet on skin: same. it reminds me of this yule-time incense i pick up at my local magick shop, which is pretty nice. dry down: same. in all: i consider this a "holiday" blend. something i would wear heavily between thanksgiving and the new year and prolly not very much during the rest of the year. certainly a festive and fun GC alternative for the holidays, though!

in the imp: a deep. dark. musky rose. it's very dark- makes me think of dried roses or sitting in a room full of antique black lace dresses wet on skin: the rose lightens up slightly, and a musk becomes more apparent. dry down: a beautiful, full, heavy rose. in all: if you are a rose lover, this is one to add to your repetoire!

in the imp: rose, indian jasmine wet on skin: the jasmine becomes stronger. dry down: the jasmine remains the top note, but softens. in all: what i would consider a good summer evening fragrance- something to wear with a light cotton dress, taking a stroll after dinner and looking up at the periwinkle sky.

in the imp: heavy vetiver. wet on skin: the vetiver dies down *slightly* and a hint of citrus comes in. i get little whifs of the nut some folks mentioned, but only in passing. dry down: the vetiver returns. everything else vanishes. in all: if you like vetiver-based blends, you'll love this. as for 'power', i can't say i feel anything except slight dizziness (which may be because i'm hungry )

in the imp: dirt, fresh-tilled and warmed by the sun. no joke. wet on skin: wow! it's *totally* mushrooms! this is one of those 'how-DOES-she-do-it?!' moments for sure. dry down: the dirt comes back, strong and sweet, with the mushroom just hanging out in the back ground. in all: for those that like the unusual, this is a keeper. me? i like my foodies, but, uh, not THIS kind, i guess ADDED Jan. 13: in the imp: yup. that's dirt and fungus, alright. wet on skin: same. dry down: same. in all: a lighter version of Worm Moon, this one doesn't make me retch with it's strength, but it's not exactly something i want to smell like, personally. with a soft throw and the unmistakable scent of white fungus and gentle dirt, get a bottle of this if it sounds like a treasure to you- it will be.

my hopes are high because this is a fae blend, but low because none of the fae blends i've tried have worked on me thus far so let's see how this goes... in the imp: sweet, musky, slightly lemony. nice! wet on skin: i think i'm smelling the sweet pea, because it smells 'green' and sweet at the same time. unusual, but nice dry down: hmmm. the sweet pea and lemon aspect is, unfortunately, turning to dish soap on me :cry1: in all: for someone else with the chemistry for it, this will be a keeper. me? i guess i'm still looking :sigh:

in the imp: cherry. but not like candy, more like cherry bark. woodsy-cherry is how i want to describe it. wet on skin: now it's morphed into cherry twizzlers. seriously dry down: the cherry all but vanishes and there's a tobacco-incense note that takes it's place. in all: warm, sweet, cozy- like sitting next to a comfy grandpa type while he gets his pipe ready for a long smoke.

in the imp: very floral. a bit cloying :meh: wet on skin: the jasmine starts to peek through, but i still feels it's too sweet dry down: the jasmine simmers down and a bare hint of neroli shows itself. normally i find neroli to be too strong, but this is nice in a tiny amount. in all: i'm not big on the florals, but this is a lovely springtime scent that i could see making a LOT of people really happy.

in the imp: juniper. very wintery. wet on skin: the juniper is still strong, but it's gained a sweetness and lost it's sharp edge. it reminds me of a beautiful snowy day that starts with making angels and ends with hot cocoa. dry down: wow. this is a really wonderful juniper-pine mix. :cozy: in all: while i'm not much for wearing stuff like this on my skin, this is guaranteed to be a great room fragrance.

the chocolate BPAL formulas are mostly kind to me, but not always, and what i found with dear, dear Gula is that a little goes a long way, at least for me. the first time i tried it out, i poured a HUGE amount, prolly somewhere between a half ounce and a full ounce into my bath. my tub is pretty huge and i wanted to completely submerge myself in the glory of BPAL chocolate. well, that actually backfired and it wound up smelling like fake, plastic scratch n sniff choco hate. i was willing to give it another go, so the next time i tried Gula, i put in about half of what i'd used before, somewhere between a quarter and a third of an ounce and it was HEAVEN. this was a valuable lesson for me, because i usually go excessive with BPAL and with Guls, i have to show some respect. which is good, too, because it'll last longer now!