Jump to content
Post-Update: Forum Issues Read more... ×
BPAL Madness!

JazzieCazzie

Members
  • Content Count

    2,507
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Everything posted by JazzieCazzie

  1. JazzieCazzie

    Karmê (Κάρμη)

    Lagniapped from a goddess of a forumite and reached it today in my A-Z working my way through all of my scents. And seriously, this could not have come at a better time ... kind of like karma (no pun intended)! Yesterday I got results of my blood tests, including cholesterol, and today is Day 1 of the rest of my ... well, hopefully not the rest of my life but certainly the rest of the spring/summer as I work on lowering that nasty count with a lot of greeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeen stuff. IN THE IMP: SOOOO very fresh and green it's like sticking my nose into a little bottle of Farmer's Market! Very fresh and invigorating and perfect for the official first day of spring, even though here in the mid-Atlantic it does not feel springy OUTdoors. Dabbed generously on wrist and in crook of arm. WET: I know that there are no cucumbers listed in the notes but, like some other forumites, I am getting BIG TIME cucumber water, along with some other indefinable green and veggie notes. I used to use a "cucumber water" scent which I think was Caswell-Massey and, wet, this reminds me of that but in a more complex and fresh way. DRYDOWN: This stays, happily, very true to the wet form and also reminds me of, as another forumite mentioned, my holy grail of scents, the original Herbal Essence shampoo. I proffered my wrist to my hubby (something I don't do that often) and he immediately commented it smelled like Herbal Essence as well. So you know what THAT means, right? IT MEANS I HAVE TO FIND MORE MORE MORE OF THIS! Did it come in a 5 ML or only in imps since it was a Food Drive giveaway? Looks like I will be on the lookout for any and all imps of Karme, as I once was for Peace when it was an unreleased prototype. OVERALL: Awesomeness. Spring. Freshness. Health, Green. Yum. On a scale of 1-5, a definite 5.
  2. JazzieCazzie

    Jabberwocky

    Received an imp of this as lagniappe in a swap or purchase, can't recall which (have been doing a bit of swapping and purchasing of late ... must stop the purchasing and get more onto the swapping until I get Gainful Employment). I admit, I would NEVER have bought or chosen this based on the notes (specifically the orange, which tends to remind me of Triaminic syrup). But soldiering on with my project to test drive every single scent I have, from A-Z, today was the day for my lone J. IN THE IMP: Amazed how much I like this right off the bat! A bright blast of pine and eucalyptus with the fresh hard cold scent. Not picking up any orange. Got daring and dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm. WET: Wow. WOW. I really, really, REALLY like this a whole lot!!! I am not getting any PineSol or any of the "cleanser" vibes of the pine and eucalyptus, and the orange is very subtle and more like orange peel used in mulled cider or something ... basically, to me this is a GREAT Christmas tree-type of scent (and I have spent too much money buying blends trying to find a real Christmas tree scent over the years). DRYDOWN: The orange rises just enough to make this more of a Christmas tree pot-pourri or candle, but not a cheap crappy one ... a good one. It evaporates pretty much on my wrist but the crook of my arm retains it better (I find, in order, that wrist-crook-cleavage will keep a scent in that order based, I guess, on the amount of moisture). The drydown is really clean and fresh and bracing. OVERALL: I am so glad to have gotten this, because as I said it's not something I ever would have chosen for myself but it's definitely a keeper. It's so interesting that there are people who see it as a fresh, spring/summer scent whereas for me, definitely a winter scent, more because the scent memories/associations are so strong. On a scale of 1-5, a good keeper 4.
  3. JazzieCazzie

    Inextinguishable Hatred

    Bought a bottle from the Lab when this was released, based strictly on the notes, all of which I like separately. IN THE IMP: Very very very sharp. In fact, I'd say acrid. Not getting any ginger on first sniff. I guess it's the pepper but not like I'm used to smelling a pepper blend. Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm. It actually stung a bit on my arm which hasn't happened to me with a BPAL blend in ages (one of the super-potent old cinnamon Sephiroth blends did that to me). WET: I definitely get the ginger once it's on, in that fizzy way, but not quite ginger-ale. The pepper offsets it SO much that it's more like ... fizzy chicken soup? It's salty-pepper if that makes sense. And still very acrid. DRYDOWN: This definitely improves for me on the drydown as it gets just a touch sweeter, with what I assume are the neroli and myrrh notes making their way to the top. The problem is that I have recently discovered myrrh doesn't play nicely with me on drydown, going wonky-sweet and powdery, while neroli often turns to bubblegum. So this ends up being gingery-peppery-powdery-sweet. Which isn't bad, mind you, it's just not something I think I would wear with regularity. OVERALL: I wasn't a fan of this when I got it but I couldn't figure out why. Generally the ginger and/or pepper scents work marvelously for me (and in fact I have imps forthcoming thanks to a forum sale of both War and Priala, both of which were mentioned in this thread, and I ADORE Gnome -- it's one of my top 10 BPAL scents). But I never swapped it away so decided to give it another try and at least make sense of WHY it didn't work. My guess is that while I wasn't a fan of the wet scent because it was so acrid, I would have liked the drydown a lot were it not for the neroli and/or myrrh. So, again, it will go to the swap box which will be officially listed once I've worked my way through my entire alphabet of BPALs. As you can see, I'm on I. On a scale of 1-5, a high 3.
  4. JazzieCazzie

    In His Hands All Thy Cruelties Thrive

    Acquired via a decant circle this month (March 2013). IN THE IMP: Actually indescribable. Really a unique scent. Even looking at the notes, I can't single any out but rather am writing down the images the combination evokes ... Food. Soup. Manly men. Bound-books. Sipping gourmet soup in a manly-man's library. And unlike most of the other (albeit few) reviews before this, the note I'm NOT getting is cloves. And honestly, it was the clove note that prompted me to order this. Dab cautiously on one wrist. WET: Still no cloves. Minty ... how odd but I'm getting mint, definitely. Not sure which note is creating that for me. Masculine, very very masculine. Still foody which I assume is the bay leaf since hubby uses that a lot when he cooks. Leather, wood, yes. Like a museum or a library. Or a museum library. DRYDOWN: Well, one thing I can say for sure is that a little bit of this goes a long way. VERY strong and long-lasting legs. My wrist remains smelling like minty smoke and some guy's sinuous lair. OVERALL: I think this would probably kick serious ass on a hot guy. But I'm not a hot guy. I'm not even a hot woman. So it is going into a little box of mostly-unimpable LE goodies headed to a very special forumite tomorrow. On a scale of 1-5, certainly a 3 at least but not a me-3.
  5. JazzieCazzie

    Feed Me and Fill Me With Pleasure

    Got an imp of this by choice in a decant circle -- actually only selected six of the whole 2013 Luper line. IN THE IMP: A musty closet but intriguing enough to want to explore it and see what hidden treats it might hold. Applied to wrist and into crook of arm. WET: The patchouli amps up hugely on me so the first overall smell, for me, is nursery school paste. Now, I actually like that scent ... it's one that evokes a lot of good memories and is often my mental connection for pure patchouli. It is quickly joined by a medicinal subnote, which would be the amber. I am getting very minimal honey when wet, surprising since that is usually a note that comes to the forefront with my body chemistry. DRYDOWN: Sadly, this isn't working for me. I gave it some extra time to see if I'd get what I call a "second drydown" which happens sometimes. Instead, the vanilla goes a little plastic and the honey, oddly, goes very perfumey and the overall combination is just way too masculine and cologney for me. I don't need to wash it off, it's not BAD on me, it's just not ME. OVERALL: This is a very interesting and complex scent and I can definitely see that it will be a popular one. Interestingly, since I've been working my way through my imps and bottles alphabetically, I tested both this and Forgive Us Our Virtues today ... if you'd asked me in advance which one I'd prefer, I would have predicted this one. Instead, this goes into the swap/give box whereas Forgive Us has been added to the OMGOMGOMGIHAVETOHAVEABIGBOTTLEOFTHIS list. On a scale of 1-5, I give it about a 3.
  6. JazzieCazzie

    Forgive Us Our Virtues, Forgive Us

    Acquired my imp through a decant circle -- only chose four from this series but this, for me, was a no-brainer -- even though I had/have no idea what styrax or palisander are supposed to smell like!!! IN THE IMP: Just sheer beautiful frankincense with that light spicy note provided by its little friend cinnamon. Dabbed pretty generously on wrist and in crook of arm based on that first sniff. WET: Upon application, the rosewood amps pretty quickly to round out the scent and make it a bit bigger and more complex. So many notes comingle and play together that it's harder to single one out, but they all play so NICELY that it doesn't matter. I can just sit and sniff and smile. DRYDOWN: As the original poster noted, this is just absolute bliss for frankincense fans (of which I am one). Once dry, that reigns supreme again but NOT, to me, a a single note pony. It's like it's sitting on its throne but its acolytes -- cinnamon, patchouli, rose (which, I guess because it's rosewood rather than rose, is kinda perfect and non-wonky on me) and the others -- are gathered close at its ankles and offering their best to join it. The result it just divine. A light and golden and spicy frankincense. OVERALL: This is absolutely one of my favorite recent BPAL scents yet. It's complex yet calming. Unique and notable yet not "in your face." There is nothing perfumey about it. It is TOTALLY going on my "must have big bottle list" right away. On a scale of 1-5, a definite 5.
  7. JazzieCazzie

    The Heinous Hedge-Maze

    After trying to figure out how to search the entire BPAL catalogue for a scent containing boxwood, a wonderful mod pointed me in this direction and, once I'd read the notes and reviews, I was doubly-lucky to find a forumite who would sell an imp to me ... A little history, I have loved the scent of boxwood since way before I knew what it was called. It was the scent I inhaled when I'd walk through the streets and gardens of old-town Williamsburg with my family, or even before that, with my 7th grade class trip. A lovely fresh green scent of spring and old and new. But I never smelled a boxwood perfume, and -- a city girl -- what did I know from boxwood. Then our landscaper added a boxwood bush to our house and I immediately made the connection. It brings me back every day to that lovely feeling of our history and our future melded into a green fugue of beauty. So ... IN THE IMP: So very very very green in a just so slightly dried and desiccated way. I wouldn't call it the pure boxwood of my childhood but it is certainly a wonderful green stems and stalks and leaves and nothing else scent. ON WRIST AND CROOK OF ARM: WET: I smell of the inside of a cool, quiet florist shop on Lexington Avenue, where I've taken a few bunches of flowers out of the refrigerator and had the florist snip off the ends and pull a few stems to take home to my mom. It is also very much what my favorite Tarot oil STRENGTH smells like though that has more amber. DRY: On drydown it gets a little more, well, dry ... herbal and soapy, just slightly soapy. I smell ineffably clean. I could wear this to work with no trouble at all no matter where I worked. OVERALL: It's not boxwood for me. And it's not Strength. But it's a green florist shop scent that dries down to a clean, calm, soapy, subtle scent that can go anywhere and be unique and sophisticated without being in your face. Can't ask for much more than that!!! On a scale of 1-5, about a 4.
  8. JazzieCazzie

    Coyote

    Received this as a lagniappe in a decant circle and I have a feeling that the lovely decanter actually really looked at my "favorite notes" and "dealbreaker notes" list based on the two imps included :) Or else just lucky, because there were NO dealbreakers at all and many favorites. I had never tried this because, I guess, the "doeskin" might have scared me off. IN THE IMP: Just SUCH a nice, fresh, green-and-gold scent. Dabbed on one wrist and into crook of arm. WET: This is absolutely lovely when wet. I'm not sure what doeskin is supposed to smell like, but there was nothing "animalistic" for lack of a better word for me. However, there was a definite sweetness to it that was at the forefront -- could have been the grasses, or indeed the doeskin. It's a subtle and outdoorsy scent with just a little spicy kick. DRYDOWN: This got just a little too "cologney-perfumey" for me when it dried. It was not at all unpleasant or offensive, but probably because of that not something I'd reach for in a crowded box. Very short legs, by the way. It was "all goney" on me within about two hours. OVERALL: I would call this gender-neutral but could definitely see it more as a guy scent than a girl scent, for some reason. If my husband were the type to ever wear cologne or scent, I would give him this imp in a heartbeat. But he's not, so instead I will add it to my swap box and make someone very happy. But I would be fine keeping it as well. On a scale of 1-5, a high 3. Just not really me.
  9. JazzieCazzie

    High-Strung Daisies

    Working my way through my imp and bottle box, A-Z, either re-reviewing scents or reviewing them for the first time. This is an imp I purchased from Lab a little while back, not sure how long. IN THE IMP: Pink sweetness. Reminds me a lot of my precious Pink Moon 2007 (the blend that smelled like sugared pink carnations). Dabbed moderate amount on one wrist and one crook of arm (I'm going one-armed today because of blood tests on the other one). WET: Like many others have mentioned, the first note to waft up and hit me is pink bubblegum. But not the super sweet bubblegum (at least not at first) ... a little spicy, more like Dubble Bubble than Bazooka, say. The florals bloom next with the carnation and daisies. DRYDOWN: At first I thought the spiciness of the carnations would offset the extreme sweetness, as it did for me in Pink Moon. But instead the scent remains on the just-a-little-too-sweet side for me. OVERALL: This is going into the swap pile because it's just too sweet for me, and I'd reach for my Pink Moon first on the occasions when I want something like this. But I think it's a great scent and can absolutely see why it would be a wonderful first scent to by a girly-girl daughter or niece or whatever. On a scale of 1-5 I give it a solid not-for-me-3.
  10. JazzieCazzie

    Hemlock Honey

    Working my way through all of my scents, old and new. This was frimped to me by the Lab during a recent impapalooza purchase ... and all I can say is OMGOMGOMGOMGOMG. IN THE IMP: Strong honey with a slightly green twist lurking below that I can't put my finger on. Dabbed on one wrist and crook of an arm. WET: Absolutely delicious. Sweet, sweet, sweet honey but with that slight medicinal/green/resiny hint that offsets it JUST enough to keep it from being TOO sweet. And I happen to LOVE "medicinal" when its resiny though I hate it when it's fruity. DRYDOWN: There is a ton of throw with this scent and it is blissful. The drydown is just as spectacularly deliciously sweet as the wet scent. OVERALL: This is an ABSOLUTE big bottle purchase, no doubt about it. I am so grateful to the Lab for frimping me with it because I don't think it would have ever occurred to me to buy it on my own. On a scale of 1-5, absolutely a 5.
  11. JazzieCazzie

    Hermia

    Working my way through my imps and big bottles, A-Z, testing, reviewing and revisiting and figuring out which are keepers and which will move to the big list of swappables once I am done. I've had my 5 ML of Hermia for awhile but had not reached for it until today. All four notes are ones I like, or so I thought. IN THE IMP: Clean and light with a floral that is not quite soapy. My first impression is that this would make a great bath oil. Applied to wrist and crook of arm. WET: I thought it was my imagination that I detected a bubble-gummy note that I would not have associated with pepper, amber, honeysuckle or passionflower but wonder, now, if perhaps it's the PINK in the pink pepper and that I am actually more accustomed to black pepper (one of my favorite notes in perfumes and wine!)? It's not bad, just surprising. Overall this is more floral than golden. DRYDOWN: Shockingly, it just doesn't work for me. I get too much perfume and not enough "scent" if that makes sense. OVERALL: I am not sure why this was discontinued. Due to its popularity in wishlists, I assume it was the unavailability of a component rather than lack of sales. I think it would be a very lovely scent for a teenage girl who is literary and intelligent and one-of-a-kind. But, surprisingly, this will be one of the first of my previous keeper big bottles that I am actually going to move to the "swappable" list when I complete it. I don't think I'll regret it (though I will be picky about the swap LOL). I just don't love it as much as I should and I can't see reaching for it when I have so many others I love (and would love). On a scale of 1-5, about a 3.5
  12. JazzieCazzie

    Haunted

    Working my way through all of my sniffies, old and new, alphabetically ... my imp of Haunted was, I believe, purchased from the Lab in impapalooza last month. I never reviewed it before but am thinking I must have bought it at one time or another because I do love amber and musk so it seems a natural. IN THE IMP: Simple, strong, resiny. Seems like a WYSIWYG ... dark, and sinuous, it lives up to its name in the imp. Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm (I find the slight bit of perspiration in the latter gives me a truer feel for how a scent will work overall but I only do it with notes that I am generally pretty optimistic about). WET: For the first few minutes, the two notes listed play together nicely, even adding a fizzy little kick like a cauldron bubbling. Then ... oh no. I sniff the crook of my arm and literally recoil. I smell like a stinky guy's locker room (and yes, as a sportswriter for 25 years, I do know what stinky guys' locker rooms smell like). Why? Whywhywhywhywhyw? These are both notes that I have always (or almost always had success with or, at least, not failure). DRYDOWN: I am determined to be patient and see if the wet sweat smell dissipates as it dries. But it really doesn't. However, the Johnson's baby powder smell others have mentioned rises up like a stinky athlete who covered his stinky sweat in powder instead of showering. Within about 15 minutes, thankfully, the sweat smell eases a little bit. The wrist never gets THAT bad and the crook dries out. But I have never liked the smell of Johnson's baby powder either. OVERALL: Sad face. I did have hopes for this but somehow it didn't have hopes for me. On a scale of 1-5, a 1.5. Luckily, it's bathtime.
  13. JazzieCazzie

    Hand of Hermes

    Working through all of my imps and bottles with re-visits and new reviews. The timing was perfect to reach H and Hand of Hermes this morning since I was about to guest-lecture (via Skype) to a college graduate school class. I've had this bottle for awhile. Not sure how long, honestly, but awhile. And I had somehow forgotten how truly glorious it is. IN THE IMP: Wow wow wow wow wow. This really does sum up the word "joy." Dabbed ... well, okay, slathered generously on wrists, both crooks, cleavage and a little behind my ears. My recollection was that it didn't have a TONNAGE of throw or legs and I needed all the help I could get. WET: This may be my favorite BPAL scent. Absolutely divine. The cinnamon is actually prevalent over the lavender but only by a nose (heh). It is just the perfect combination of the two where they co-exist so beautifully. It's truly rapturously transporting. I talked talked talked for 1:20. Now it's time for ... DRYDOWN: Very faint but still there, lovely and light. OVERALL: This scent is warmth and comfort and confidence and joy. My only wish is that it had a little more throw. And also that they would release it in bath oil, soap, candles and everything else. On a scale of 1-5, eleventy-zillion. Or 5.
  14. JazzieCazzie

    Hollywood Babylon

    Received this as lagniappe in a purchase ... not something I would ever have chosen for myself based on the usual dealbreaker notes of strawberry and cherry, and sometimes vanilla, but the amber/heliotrope/musk part made me more than willing to at least take it as far as it could go for the sake of science. IN THE IMP: Surprisingly nice! Sweet and slightly spicy floral with only the slightest touch of fruit, and the fruit seems to be the strawberry ... a note which has been known to work for me on occasion (I liked Strawberry Moon -- I like the "strawberries and sugar at Wimbledon" kind of scent). Dabbed cautiously and sparingly on one wrist ... and am glad I did because ... WET: Boom, here comes that damned cherry, barging into the party and knocking over the punch bowl. And apparently it's a Halloween costume party because cherry is all dressed up like cough medicine. Boo. DRYDOWN: Never got there. Washed it off. OVERALL: Um, yeah. Honestly, without the cherry, this could work for me ... and I will probably be more open to scents where strawberry is the ONLY potential dealbreaker for me in the future. But this wasn't it. I DO see why there are people who love it, though. If you like cherry, this could be a great scent for its complexity, etc. On a scale of 1-5, a 1.5. Into the swap box.
  15. JazzieCazzie

    Gnome

    I honestly can't remember when I got this imp or who I got it from. It has an interesting label on it which I THINK is not Lab-produced so am guessing it was either a swap, small forum purchase or decant circle (I know I got two RPG imps, this and Mage, at the same time). IN THE IMP: Fizzy yummy soda, somewhere between ginger ale and cola. Abso-freakingl-lutely YUMMMMMMMMMMM. Dabbed on wrist and into crook of arm. WET: A spicy, light ginger ale that tickles my nose, with the pepper rising pretty quickly to give it a little extra kick. DRYDOWN: It's not strong at all and has minimal legs, but it cools down into a soda-and-woods scent. I never get any smoke from it at all. OVERALL: I think Gnome is the perfect name for this scent because it's playful and mischevious. I apparently used a lot more of this than I'd realized because my imp is almost empty. Definitely going on the refill-re-order list. I think this would make a wonderful scent line ... I would totally buy it in lotion, bubble bath and candles. On a scale of 1-5, a 5 for sure.
  16. JazzieCazzie

    Golden Wave

    Gifted with this in a purchase by a lovely forumite. I was so pleased to get it but felt pretty confident that it would eventually be regifted to another lucky forumite down the road and I was right. The notes, one by one, have some potential and are also fraught with issues. I LOVE LOVE LOVE passionfruit and guava. To eat and drink. I love gin and tonic. To drink. I love tangerines. To eat. My biggest dealbreaker notes are: fruity fruit fruit, booze and aquatics. But I forged on for science. IN THE IMP: Smells like I'd love to pour this in a nice glass at a tiki bar, stick a few cubes of ice in it and down this baby. DABBED ON WRIST WET: Oy, Orangey orangey orange orange orange. My problem with fruit is that it goes SOOOOOOOOOOO syrupy sweet medicinal I feel like my mom has come back to life and is chasing me around the house with a bottle of Triaminic cough syrup to make me take it. Not one of my favorite childhood memories, shall we say? SO, sadly, we never got dry down. We got wash off. sooooooooooooooory. Scale of 1-5: 1. But I bet it would have tasted good.
  17. JazzieCazzie

    GOP

    Gifted this in a purchase by the most generous seller who sent some really hard-to-find and unusual scents. I confess that as a died-in-the-wool Democrat I figured I would not POSSIBLY like this scent ... but ... IN THE IMP: Light and dark (hahaha), but overall a lovely slightly sweet yet strong resiny spice. Dabbed on the wrist and in the crook because I loves me my resins. WET: Just ... great! I'd vote for this! Clean and sexy and yet subdued, not in your face at all. And thank GOD I did not get ANY of the booze, which can be a real deal breaker on me. DRYDOWN: I just love sniffing my wrist. It's subtle and lovely and something I could wear to work because it's so light it would be my little secret. Though I'd never admit the name if anyone asked. OVERAL: A shocking keeper. Yay! On a scale of 1-5 I g 4.25.
  18. JazzieCazzie

    Fire Phoenix

    I'm so envious of people who can really identify specific notes. I can do it occasionally but most of the time my reviews tend to be images, evocations, etc. Sooooooooooory Got a bottle of this from the Lab's Etsy site, intrigued by the blend though admittedly not recognizing many of the notes. Decanted an imp to work from. IN THE IMP: Metallic. Desert. And also slightly fizzy which I guess was the sarsaparilla. Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm. WET: This is so unusual and yet weirdly familiar at the same time. Sand, salt, tang, ironworks. I honestly cannot identify a single note of the many listed. DRYDOWN: It's interesting, though still indescribable. It definitely evokes heat, like red-hot metal, and the "Fire" makes a lot of sense. It's nice but it's not something I can see reaching for in my box of goodies and so will go into the swap box (yeah, yeah, soon to be a major motion picture or at least a lengthy addition to my sales/swap thread ... just waiting till it's done and I'm only moving onto the Gs now). OVERALL: Nice, interesting, unusual and complex but just not for me. On a scale of 1-5 a solid 3.
  19. JazzieCazzie

    Flowering Chrysanthemums

    Test-driving a few new scents and this was one of them, purchased as a 5 ML from the wonderful world of the Lab Etsy (oh Labbies, how I adore your Etsys ... if and when I ever land a new job I will SO reward myself with a more few unsniffed and untried new wonders). I was intrigued by the list of notes -- a few major favorites (amber, sandalwood, cinnamon and incense), one that I've never tried as a note but love for its spiciness (marigold), one that can be good or bad on me (vanilla) and one I was clueless on (chrysanthemum). IN THE IMP: A sweet, light, spicy floral and offered abundant possibilities for fresh springy goodness. Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm. WET: I thought it was my imagination but the first thing I thought when it hit my skin was AQUATIC! AQUATIC? and I double-checked the notes for something like lotus. I confess that while I love few things more than being at the beach, aquatics do NOT like my skin chemistry at all. And I thought I was totally crazy until I read the reviews here to find that LunaLovegood (great name, BTW) had the same reaction (maybe we're skin twins). DRYDOWN: So so sad that this just does not work on me at all. On drydown all I have is aquatic-smelling powder. Maybe it's the mums? I don't know what they're supposed to smell like. Am thinking the powder is the vanilla. But NO amber, NO incense, NO sandalwood and NO marigold. OVERALL: I am sure this would be divine with someone else's body. But for me, it's not a washoff but it's a swapper. On a scale of 1-5, for me it's a 2.
  20. JazzieCazzie

    Recommendations for Cemetery Boxwood Scent?

    I'm going to bump this because while the boxwood scent I'm looking for is not limited to old cemeteries, I think it's probably too similar a note to start a new thread (and Ivy was kind enough to bring this to my attention in my question re: how to find a thread looking for a specific note). I don't know if old cemetery boxwoods smell the same as fresh in-my-front-yard boxwoods or all the boxwood bushes that seem to line the streets of Old Williamsburg, Va., (the place I really associate with the smell) ... But for years and years I'd smell this and think "Williamsburg! WHAT the heck IS that smell?" and finally passed one (I think it was on Capitol Hill) and asked the owner and voila, had a name for it. Now I have one in front of my house and always love to sniff it when I walk in or out. The deer love it too. To me, it is SUCH a unique scent, one so ineffably springy-summery and green and fresh and yet evocative of the olden days that I was hoping there might be more blends that include it. I was directed to this past Weenie's Heinous Hedge-Maze and have an imp coming my way so I'll get to see if it's close, but am worried that the rosemary (NOT my favorite scent) will overpower it. Beth or Labbies, if you read this and ever respond to a question like this, IS there such thing as a boxwood note or oil? Or is there something similar? I think if you ever decided to add an Old Williamsburg or colonial scent to the Wanderlust line, boxwood should be the predominant note!!!
  21. JazzieCazzie

    Abundance

    I know that reviewing for the scent is not what TAL is about but since we do apply it, I figured I'd chime in on this one ... was gifted with a small vial of this by one of the kindest and most wonderful forumites out there (who happened to start this thread), who knew that its purpose was one which I could really use. I have been waiting for the proper time to attempt some sort of mini "ritual" with it but in the meantime, had decanted it to an imp which would fit my homemade BPAL box and in doing so, dropped the teensiest drop on my desk. Not one to waste, I swiped it up with my finger and dabbed on my wrist so here is my review (and maybe my desk will have some good fortune!): IMP: Sharp and woodsy and evokes images of the first day of school, sharpened pencils, clean pleated uniform jumper and freshly washed white blouse (which means elementary school I guess, back when I loved school and was a star student) ... gender neutral. ON WRIST: How can I explain this? Perhaps it's just my imagination working overtime but it smells of high hopes realized ... the smell of success. DRYDOWN: Distinctly cologne but in a pleasant and comforting way. Clean, reassuring. I get no cocoa or cinnamon but the woods and, to a lesser extent, the patchouli are strong. I look forward to using this in a more cerebral and ritual manner soon. ETA: I just had to add this. Very shortly after writing this post I got a phone call from my husband who was between gigs (he's a musician) with a little funny story to share ... he'd gotten a phone call from a guy who does the booking for a semi-regular job he does at a chain of bar-restaurants in the area. He had booked him for an upcoming Friday night (a pretty good money job) but turns out he had inadvertently double-booked him with the guy who USUALLY does that particular club and no longer needed him. However, since he didn't want to tick off my husband, he offered to still pay him in full for the gig and let him take the night off. I don't remember the last time he had a Friday night off ... And yes, he got the phone call at almost the exact time I spilled that teensy drop on my desk LOL. Coincidence, he said. MAYYYYYYYbe.
  22. JazzieCazzie

    Ekhidna

    Purchased in February as part of my "impapalooza" purchase from the Lab based on interesting notes. This is the first time I've tried it, as I work alphabetically through ALL of my imps and bottles as a current project. IN THE IMP: Sharp, masculine, busy. On second kick up comes the seaspray scent and something else that is oddly sweet and bubblegummy. Maybe the myrrh which tends to go sweet and funky on me on drydown but usually not something I pick out in imp or when wet. Dabbed on one wrist. Scares me a little. WET: So complex. Each time I sniff I get something else ... a note, an image, an odd idea. Seaside. Driftwood. Bubble gum. Cologne. A lot of cologne. Dial soap. Food. Juice. More cologne. DRYDOWN: Interestingly enough, I don't get my usual myrrh-powder-funk. But the cologne note, whatever that is, is just wayyyyyyyy too strong and masculine for me. OVERALL: I think this is a great guy scent, what with the seaspray and cologne. It just isn't for me. On a scale of 1-5, about a 2. For me.
  23. JazzieCazzie

    Eden

    Working my way through the alphabet of my BPAL collection, reviewing and re-reviewing everything. I know this is not my first imp of Eden but already can't recall if I've had this awhile or may have been lagniapped with it during one of my recent flurry of swaps/purchases. The imp is about 2/3 full. I know I've tried it before, liked it, didn't review it and didn't like it quite enough to keep it. So here goes again for the first time. IMP: Smells like candy. The coconut and almond definitely are the prevailing scents to me, though it was the fig, honey and sandalwood that attracted my hard-earned dineros when I first ordered it. Dabbed on wrist. WET: Coconut-honey-almond. It smells like the honey-flavored macaroons I just bought for Passover (I know, it's not for a few weeks, don't judge). I may have to find a recipe for macaroons that has honey and fig in it for the homemade batch I am making for family mini-seder. INITIAL DRYDOWN: For some strange reason, this goes TOTALLY wonky on me. Though all five notes generally play pretty nicely with me, with except of coconut (which is problematic for me because it's TOO SWEET), this is salty and a scent or evocation of something that I can't place at first. Then I realize WHY I can't place it, because it's something I wouldn't normally associate with perfume -- I SMELL LIKE THAI SEAFOOD. Maybe it's because I am so not a fan of Thai food that when I'm dragged along somewhere I stay safe and order coconut-milk something or other. The fig is just barely evident -- despite being first note listed, it's completely drowned out by the coconut and almond. LATER DRYDOWN: Huzzah, huzzah. Fig is a latent but powerful note here. Now? Figgy fig fig fig with some mellowing sandalwood and slightly sweetening honey and almond. Bye bye coconut. OVERALL: I don't think I'm going to keep this because, much as I LOVE LOVE LOVE me my BPAL fig, I plan on buying big bottles of Nemesis and Nephilim on next order (or swapping for them), and they fit the bill better for me. Score on scale of 1-5: 3 on final drydown but off to lagniappe box (imp not full enough to offer as full imp in swap but would make lovely extra).
  24. JazzieCazzie

    Eclipse

    Eclipse is a great example of a scent, on my at least, that patience was a virtue. I know I had an imp (maybe a bottle) of this way back in my early-ish BPAL days (probably took me a little extra time to jump on the bandwagon because I was not brave enough to try almond, but once I got frimped I bought a bottle IIRC). Swapped or sold it at some point and then decided to try again and buy another imp ... not that recently, since label is slightly stained and imp is half-empty, but it's not 8 years old either LOL. So, hitting my Three Es today as part of my scientific "try or re-try and review or revisit every single scent I have" project. IN THE IMP: Almondapalooza but not, like many people have mentioned, BITTER almond. Maybe it's the aging process or maybe the vanilla has aged because to me it's sweet almond, not unlike those yummy "hot nut bags" they sell at the local crafts fair (hey, I think I've been called a "hot nut bag" once or twice myself). Dabbed reasonably generously on wrist and in crook of arm. WET: A sweet and only very slightly spicy almond. I'd say about 85 percent almond-vanilla and 15 percent cinnamon. I am getting ZERO heliotrope or frankincense as far as I can tell ... INITIAL DRYDOWN: This is where it lost me, temporarily at least. It went a little soapy (may have been the heliotrope?) and a little plastic (probably the vanilla). It was pleasant, still, but not as good as it was when wet and in fact I placed it in the swap box (not full enough to swap but enough to add as an extra lagniappe). LATER DRYDOWN: Just went and moved the imp out of the swap box and back into the keeper box. An hour later, the soapiness and plastic are all gone. What remains is a very light and sweet scent, reminds me of marzipan as many others have noted. It's a clean scent (which I think is the cinnamon) and a comforting one ... OVERALL I think this would make a great "signature scent" for a teen who wants something different, something that not all the other girls are wearing -- something sweet and unusual and lovely, not suggestive or sexy but still unique. I often hesitate buying BPAL for people because it's such a personal thing, but this is one of those scents that I think would make a terrific gift, a great soap/bubble bath/perfume package, etc. Overall on a scale of 1-5 I give it a 4. Not something I'd reach for all the time but something that I would absolutely wear out the imp and probably buy or swap for another one on a large purchase.
  25. JazzieCazzie

    Dragon Moon 2008

    Working through my entire collection to review or revisit and quadruple-test-drove four Dragon's Blood scents today, this among them. I was gifted with an imp of this a few years ago and was so besotted that I was thrilled to be able to buy a bottle off this very Forum. I am embarrassed to admit I don't recall what lovely boardie was kind enough to sell it to me, but I know she made GORGEOUS cap-labels because this stands out in my box with its beauty. (I also owe a huge debt of thanks to the lovely forumite who gifted me with this imp to start with ... it was a double-gift of this and The Ifrit, which have become among my top two BPAL scents EVAH!) The scent equals the label in its loveliness. IMP: Dragon's Blood, yes, but not that obvious upon first sniff since this is such a complex and complicated blend. I would use the term busy (just look at all those notes!) except that sometimes I think "busy" is a euphemism for something that doesn't work, and this really does! I'd call it rich, complex and green. Dabbed onto my wrist. WET: Just very, very beautiful with a different note coming out upon each sniff. I'm not totally sure I'd recognize the Dragon's Blood for what it is among all of the notes without the list ... while "green" to me in the bottle, when applied it is more golden. Sweet, slightly spicy, mellow. I think the frankincense is the most predominant note for me. Which isn't a bad thing. DRYDOWN: Light and lovely and remains a golden blend out of which I'd have trouble picking the notes but put all together is an absolute winner. OVERALL: Outstanding and lovely. SO glad I was gifted with this and so glad I was able to buy it. On a scale of 1-5, a 5.
×