HappyLoveJoy

Right after I apply it I can smell something salty, kind of like a buttery vanilla pound cake note, and it's not heavy or overbearing at all to me. It actually makes my mouth water a little, the way that Thierry Mugler's 'Womanity' and Calvin Klein's ' Reveal' perfumes do (I own and love both of these). After just 30 minutes this becomes a glorious, creamy amber with a touch of coconut-vanilla. There's a candy out there by Ferrero-Roche' that is an almond surrounded in a creamy white chocolate, encased in a thin crispy baked shell and rolled in white chocolate & coconut. Ivory Vulva somewhat embodies that treat, but without actually being foody (sounds contradictory, right?). The macadamia milk must be what's making me think of the almond in that treat but I can't say it smells nutty to me---more of a slightly toasted warmth. Think of "O" without the honey and that 'just-had-sex' note, add some creamy, sun-baked coconut and a dollop of whipped vanilla cream and this is Ivory Vulva. It'll be a great summer scent.

Lovers and a Fan perplexes me. Do I like it? Love it? Not like it? I think it's been all three! I mean, how can just a few notes be so complex? The first time I tried it I loved it because it had a sort of deep and sweet clean musky vibe to it even though I really couldn't pick out any notes and it was reeeeally potent. Second time there was something off, like hot plastic, so I thought it may end up getting swapped but I also know that time can make a scent bloom in the bottle. The third time I decided to put on a lot of it---on my neck, down my shirt, on wrists and the crook of my elbow. Crook of the elbow is a bad place for it. It's closed up and sweaty and the chemistry on me makes it just not pretty, like rotting fruit. I sniffed the saffron I have for comparison and think maybe that's the note. It's dry, dusty and a little metallic. It's the Trader Joe's version and the only saffron I've ever sniffed. On the wrist after a few hours is my very favorite and makes it worth holding onto. It gives me confidence that when I wear it on my neck, other people smell something good wafting off of me. It's like creamy-smooth white honey, dry slightly sweet coconut with that little nutty brown skin attached and some type of delicate white floral. I get nothing sharp at all, no stinky overpowering flowers or rancid honey. I want to give credit to saffron but don't know exactly what aspect to give to it. Maybe it's the dryness of it. Keeps it from being too candy-sweet. So unless this is outright awful on you, I recommend waiting before you part with it. I think it does best when it can diffuse off the skin right into the air. No fabric to cover it, no inner elbow to stifle it. Such a beautiful finish.

This is almost a dead ringer for Jungle Conditioner by LUSH on me. Lamia is sooooo much better, however! I get no peach and no black currant whatsoever. All the other notes combine to give me a green coconut scent that is more heavy with vetiver than anything else. It's not sweet or fruity at all to me, but dry like a white-smoke made from vanilla, champaca and coconut with a little kick of something mildly spicy like powdered white pepper. This is slightly earthy without being dirty or soil-like and of all the oils I own, there is nothing like Lamia in my collection. I love it!

I love Black Heart! Somehow I have ended up with a few scents that seem to be in the same family: Black Heart, Aeval, Prospero, Lovers in a Rice Field, Berry Moon... they are all bright fruits with different personalities. Black Heart works much better with my chemistry than Berry Moon does, though. I adore sweet pea for its bright fruity-like scent and blended here with plum and pomegranate the scent as a whole reminds me of sparkling strawberries with their little green collars still on them. That's not to say that it smells like strawberry, but that's the picture my mind's eye conjures up when I smell the combination of fruit and sweet pea. As time wears on, the fruits get more round and softened by the sandalwood. I don't smell sandalwood all by itself but can definitely tell that the fruits are influenced by it. Carnation is undetectable by my nose as I get nothing with the creamy/clovey/spicy bite that carnation has. As the flame of the fruit dies down, the scent of vanilla gets a chance to be smelled but not in a strong way at all. Just a smooth trace of it, likely sharing the spotlight with an equally faint trace of white honey. Overall, Black Heart is mostly a red fruit, sweetened and softened by the other notes so that it becomes 'powdered' like crushed Smarties and a teensy touch of pink bubblegum. White honey makes it sweet without any of the darkness that the musky honey in Berry Moon has and that's why I prefer it over BMoon.

Somehow this smells like Midnight on the Midway with super creamy and sweet carnations mixed in. I keep thinking I smell cherry-flavored syrup blended in with the milk & honey, too. There's just a bit of something salty in here, which oddly enough gives me the impression of... actual puppy breath. The musk probably. I have been wavering on keeping this and I don't know why because it's actually really nice. If I focus on this being more of a milk & honey-based carnation scent and not a Burt's Bees baby scent, it all makes sense that I should keep it. Only time and aging will tell but I don't know if I will wait it out. I ought to keep it just for that adorable label of Lilith. <3

This smells so freakin' wonderful that I was able to let all my beloved Ivanushka go in place of it. They are similar in the musk sense but where Ivanushka had that pickled note, Creature Feature has that rounded-tangy citrus thing going on. I'm detecting something similar to Lilith vs. Giant Crab and I think it's the tangerine. LvsGC is very light and wispy where CF is more like a concentrated and compressed version of it. There's a fruity and very light candied aspect to this musk and I just adore it. Now that I've seem Monsters vs Aliens, considering this is 'Giant Monster Musk', I'd say this suits Insectosaurus perfectly, after her metamorphisis. Playful musk with colors!

I was gifted a partial bottle of this in a swap and I love it! (thank you! <3) It's a very rich and fleshy floral. The magnolia is made sweeter with the addition of honey and peach and sometimes I think it smells like gardenia & honeysuckle. This is very feminine scent and I agree with Reedsong that it's Southern-style and I envision a classy woman in Savannah, GA or Charleston, SC wearing his on a hot day. It's not foody to me even though I get the peach and honey but more like a tropical floral with a golden halo. Just lovely.

Light, darkness, kindness, and malice: golden amber, white amber, redwood, teak, bois du rose, sage, tree moss, and snow. I took a chance on this one because of the amber & rose but it is absolutely stunning on me! It's cool frosted flowers, moss and cucumber and with a touch of sweet minty musk that must be the snow note. It quiets down to a soft, subtly sweet cool floral that is very sexy in the way that 'O' is sexy, if you get my drift. I mean, really, this evokes a rose that has been suspended in a block of cucumber-mint ice, dusted with mossy-sugar-crystal-musk. Lovely in every sense of the word.

My initial impression was that it smelled like sassafras root, freshly pulled and broken to release that unique scent. In a very short time, the sassafras-like scent went away completely. I agree with all who say it's a light/soft blend because while it lasts a good while on my skin, it doesn't travel far from the application site. Honestly, that is just fine with me since my husband is overly sensitive to scents and I could probably apply this one just a few minutes before exposing him to it instead of hours in advance. As for the scent? Dry husky coconut, gently sweetened and something that smells like fresh, moist vanilla-tobacco but not a strong tobacco. There's none listed so maybe it's the amber & coconut husk combined? Oddly enough, I don't smell anything spicy in the traditional sense. I'm not sure I can call it a spicy blend at all, really. The licorice is not strong and dark but blends so well with the creamy aspect of the tonka and ginger cream that it comes across as light and creamy, too. It smells similar to Goblin but a much lighter version of it. I'm loving this blend and its understated beauty. edit: after I hit the submit button I noticed Little Bird's review and the comparison to Goblin. *high fives Little Bird*

Mmmmm, vanilla snake oil. Deep, rich, woody and so aromatic. It as if there's some coconut in there as well as honey but that must be just the way the teak, musk and bamboo work together on my skin. I just got my first chance to smell and try this one last night and I have a bottle on the way already. I love Habu!

I got to try a little left in a decant and I'm pleasantly surprised. It smells like honey incense on me. A little smoky at first but sweeter within minutes with a little powdery finish. It is quite simply that and bottle-worthy imo.

This is a surprise hit! I normally don't care for green scents unless they have that certain something and this has it. I can't deny the strong green note in this but to me it's like taking a sassafras leaf and crushing it. The smell of a crushed sassafras leaf is somewhat tart and fruity like lemon-sugar; nothing too bitter or sour. Then comes the red berry scent so then I get crushed leaves and tart-sweet berries. I smell the honey only when these two notes are nearly gone so by then the honey is really mild but it's pure honey nonetheless. I see I never mentioned the poppies...I just don't get flowers out of this but then I'm not familiar with the scent of poppies, either. Overall I like this very much and will use up my imp. edit: I tried SPT again this morning before putting on anything else and I can smell something that reminds me of the way red apple peel smells plus I'm getting a mild sweet flower that makes me think of how honeysuckle nectar tastes. The flower stage is fleeting for me and the oil transforms superquick on my skin so I get to the clean, sweet honey rather quickly. It's fresh, pretty and feminine.

Now this is how I do florals!! It's absolute perfection on my skin and one I horde. Smooth, sugared flowers and creamy vanilla with mild, sweet musk. I think the champaca gives this a little candy vibe but in a nondescript way. Like the conversation hearts that don't really have a strong flavor but they have that certain something that's creamy and rounded. It goes on like it's going to be really strong but in a few short minutes, it's all laid back and gorgeous. It never gets pungent or overly sharp floral/soapy on me. If I envision a flower to match this scent, it's a flower that has creamy, almost white petals that are edged in dark pink. I'm so thankful that this scent works for me!

This is sooooo dry! It's like I took some really pretty floral-scented spray starch and ironed it against a piece of damp vanilla-powdered linen until it got really hot and dry. There isn't one negative thing I can say about this and it lasts for hours and hours on me. It only gets better as time wears on because then the vanilla (very dry and not sweet) comes out more but it never stands alone; at least not on me. It's a tad fresh, cool and and spicy in the way that Hod is but the similarities end there. I'm thinking that this will age very well.

Frankincense, orris root, asuhi, leather, and ginger-infused cream accord. This isn't even remotely pretty on me. Rotted wood and dried orange. The ginger is smelling like orange and not like ginger at all to me. The leather is sharp and rubbery---too new. I just looked up Asuhi because I don't know what it is and it turns out to be a tree (Japanese cypress?) and also Hiba turns up in the search so maybe they're the same thing? Anyway it's not warm, rich, sweet wood but more like a freshly opened, sappy wood with some greenness to it. This is the dark, smoky resinous version of Lilith vs The Giant Crab on my skin. ( btw, I adore L vs GC) edit to add description

I know that not everyone has smelled the three oils I'm about to name but for those who have, Chaste Moon 2010 is like a threesome between Abhisarika, Fairy Market and Schlafende Baigneuse. I love Chaste Moon '05 and though this one is not the same, it's still a downright pretty floral. The cream in this isn't the milky/sour variety but a smooth, velvety cream you'd want to rub into your skin because it has no scent but feels thick and rich. It helps the florals transition from a hairspray scent to a more rounded/creamy/smooth floral with a touch of sweetness and a sniff of clean, cool air. Got this in a swap and sooo glad I did!

Mmmmmm!!! Tobacco! I loooove this tobacco note! Not only that but it remains the prominent note for me. It's rounded out by the honey, quince and mandarin just perfectly. None of them take over but you can smell them still. It's like a moist fruity tobacco you'd actually want to chew. Rich, sweet, somewhat dark in the honey/tobacco color sense but not a dark scent at all. After this is done developing it's vanilla tobacco with traces of untangy fruits steeped in sugar syrup. Absolutely addictive!

What in the world is my skin doing to this?! It's green like grass and clean like powdered laundry detergent. I can't smell any coconut in the usual sense but I do get that fresh-from-a-day-at-the-beach scent. It's sharper than I like for a coconut blend and not as sweet, plus the florals are strongest. If you've ever smelled Sun & Sand from Yankee Candle, this is what it reminds me of. And if there's a suntan lotion note to this, it's not your typical drugstore brand but the expensive department store variety where they come up with their own signature fragrance for their sun protection lotions. It's a really pretty scent, definitely reminiscent of freshly washed, creamy-smooth skin and clear, cool water. I'm not certain that I won't get a bottle but I first have to see how my hubby reacts to this.

My skin chemistry turns this into original Snake Charmer, only it's a lighter version of it. I love O and I can't recall what Snake Oil smells like by itself. This initially goes on smelling just like O and only O. In a reasonably short time, 10 minutes or so, the honey steps back and Snake Oil comes forward and takes over. It still holds a little of the honey note from O, making it sweet and sexy--- not that Snake Charmer wasn't sexy, but it was definitely way more strong and perfumey with all of its other notes. This is very nice but I prefer plain ol' O for my sexiest BPAL fix.

I got this decant thinking that it was possibly the male counterpart to Glowing Vulva and for me it most certainly seems to be! It's absolutely gorgeous on my skin! The lilac is very pronounced on the initial application and it's way more beautiful than I'd expected. It's a fresh petal-y floral and not cloying so I don't mind it at all. I'm thankful that it was the floral of choice for this blend. Eventually the ho wood comes out to mingle with the lilac and takes the lead role. I end up with a rich vanilla and ho wood blend that is ever so slightly touched by a whispery breath of lilac. I'm rockin' this scent! I forgot to say that this doesn't smell masculine on me at all. Nothing cologne-y or astringent.

Count me as another who thinks this is very much like Glowing Vulva. For me, Haloes is the male counterpart to GV because I get something like sweet cologne mixed in. Probably the ginger/apricot are working together to create that vibe on my skin. I don't smell lily or anything floral at all. Resinous oak soaking up rich, sweet, syrupy amber blended with a creamy vanilla. This is an androgynous blend. Different enough from Glowing V that when I want to wear GV, Haloes just won't do. The mood to wear Haloes doesn't strike me often but it's smells damned good when I do!

This smells damned good on me! Way better than I thought it would based on the notes. I admit that when I first put it on, it smells like pine tar and smoke. But then within just a few minutes something wonderful happens and this changes into a rich, resinous incense with the scent of sweet, sexy wood swirling throughout. It went from bitter/black/burnt --> sweet/darkest brown/toasted. I don't know how it is that I'm getting something floralesque but there it is. It's what makes this dry and pretty and not just dry and smoky. Like Forspecial, I can smell something similar to Golden Priapus; probably the pine/cypress connection. As for the hazelnut, I either can't smell it or its toasted quality is camouflaging it within the charred and smokey parts of this. I am so happy it works this way with my chemistry and now I want a bottle!

This scent treats me soooo good! For having just a handful of notes in it, Lovers in a Ricefield, is very rewarding in that I can smell everything listed. Anytime there's a fruit blossom in an oil I always think it will smell more like the fruit and less like a flower and usually that is the case. This is no exception: it's plummy but not like a deep, dark plum that may have a grape-y quality. More like a tart, red plum with a black cherry quality. Even though I can't smell floral I know it's there because the fruit is strong yet airy. As Pursniketty said, I get the impression of a delicate, floating blossom and that blossom is surrounded by soft, still air. All the other ingredients make me think of rice pudding that is perfectly creamy with subtle notes of nutmeg that you can catch very easily if you don't think about it too much. Like those 3-D optical illusions you can see if you relax and don't try so hard. Eventually the image floats to the top. I am so fortunate to be able to smell the plum, the milky nutmeg, the vanilla sandalwood so light and beautiful, and the essence of steamed rice. I know it's wild rice, which really isn't a rice but I smell white basmati or jasmine rice. Maybe the vanilla sandalwood blends with it to smell that way. Whatever it is, it's just purely lovely on me. I want another bottle.

I got a decant of this in a swap and it's really very pretty! It's really, really sweet to the point that it makes my nostrils tickle when I sniff it closely. I get a little bit of the creamy vanilla that's in Plastic Pink Flamingo and that sweet, syrupy note in Sugar Skull. Add one dryer sheet to this and you have Boo. Fresh, clean vanilla and melted marshmallows swirled with cream.

I didn't get any cream or molasses, which I was really hoping for. I did, however, get strawberry-scented dolls and candles. I also noticed a similarity to Mme. Moriarty Misfortune Teller. Probably the patchouli and fruit combination.