Brianne

I have to agree with the comment by ladyfair - lotus always seems kind of pina coloda-y in that it is a sweet fruity scent (kind of like pineapple) - at least to my skin. Unfortunately it doesn't seem to be paired with any coconut, unless I've missed something in my search! Too bad The Star didn't work out for you, it's very reminiscent of Pina Coladas on my skin! Good luck in your search!

I'm going to second the nomination for Xiuhtecuhtli. It's a bit pricey smelling in my opinion, and sexy but classy - I think it could work well for that kind of event (of course, I wear it on a daily basis heh). Or, you might want to go in the opposite direction and pick something rather understated and yet classic - like perhaps Alice?

In the bottle: Rosemary, if rosemary had a tartly acidic quality to it's smell. On me: This is still quite strongly rosemary at first, but again - with a very acidic quality. After a few minutes it starts to mellow into something softer and slightly sweeter - that orange smell is there offering a nice base to this, it's sweet but not too sweet. The roses start showing up there too, and for once they don't go completely powdery and wierd on me. They don't overwhelm this scent either, which I find to be a pleasant change, since roses tend to do that. After a while, what I'm left with, is a very mellow rose with a spritz of citrus that is more on the sweet side than the zesty side. Final note: I'm pleasantly surprised by this one, I believe this is one of the only rose scents I could see myself wearing now and then. I probably WON'T, as I think this perhaps a little too mature for my tastes, but I don't dislike it and that's my point. I think it's an unusual take on a rose scent, and a nice variation of something rather classical smelling.

I feel the need to forego my usual review format for this scent, and so I will. Snow White is a song to me. A specific song. Tan Dun's "Yearning of the Sword" from Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. It is a sorrowful, wistful, yearning scent. It is the first snowfall of the season. Not the bitterly cold, miserable snowfall of winter - but the first soft, quiet snow. The kind of snow that falls silently down, and the rest of the world seems to be silenced by it. It smells clean and cold, and it clings softly to your eyelashes and your hair. The world seems blanketed in something fresh and pure. Snow White is how your heart feels when you feel deep longing. When your heart aches for something so much, that every breath you take, seems a sigh. It is simultaneously empty, cold, and quiet and yet also hopeful and softly sweet. It is the loss of love and yet the youthful hope for the return of it. Despite what I feel to be sorrowful undertones to this scent, I find myself completely enamoured of it. My mood of late might help contribute to my somewhat poetic feelings for this scent, but this scent is special. It touches me in more than just a way that makes me think, "This smells nice". It is not icy, but it is cool. It's slightly sweet with coconut and I believe a soft touch of mint. It is understated and yet powerful. It is airy and lovely and soft and feminine. When I ordered Snow White, I ordered it more for the sake that it was a popular scent and I wanted to experience it. I had no expectations of liking it, it didn't seem like the kind of scent I'd enjoy. I was very surprised by it, and I am so glad I tried it. It's truly beautiful and I think it has it's reputation as a popular scent for a reason. This is, without a doubt, one of my favorite BPAL scents now, and I truly hope that Snow White will continue to make appearances.

In the bottle: Gingerbread, what else? On me: Oh this is gingerbread alright, smells just like the real deal. It's sweet, but not overwhelmingly so, it's got the subtle spice of nutmeg, and the smooth sweetness of honey and brown sugar. It's very foody, of course, so if foody isn't your thing, this probably isn't going to appeal to you. Final note: However, despite that this smells NICE, I really just don't like it. I have discovered this holiday season - not only through BPAL but through another place where I got gingerbread scented items - that though I like the smell of gingerbread in relation to the actual food item - I don't want to smell like it. It kind of gives me a headache and ultimately I can't see myself wearing this. And there's absolutely nothing wrong with the scent. But between it not being for me and me not having any reason to really wear this, I think I should have stuck to my initial instinct to stay away from foody scents.

In the bottle: Buttery, buttery rum On skin: Ugh. Right away, I know this is going all wrong. There's no sweet, there's no pine, there's no comfort or smoke or anything other than CEDAR. DUN DUN DUNNNNN! Cedar hates me, it really really hates me. And this is no cedar smoke on my skin. It's just cedar. Smells like a hamster cage with cedar bedding. Somewhere behind all that hateful cedar is some warm boozey smell, something slightly foody. But it's so overshadowed by this cedar that it just doesn't do any good to even acknowledge it. It just makes me sad that this doesn't work well on me. Final note: If you've ever tried something with cedar and the cedar didn't work on you, don't bother with this because it's very likely it's going to do the same thing again. Cedar killed this scent for me. I was hoping for a comforting Christmas nostalgic scent, and that is not what I get at all.

In the bottle: Oh this is pine. Fresh, wet, strong smack of pine. On me: At first - yup it's still pine. Strongly so. And it's not that I hate pine, but I don't particularly want to SMELL like pine. I will agree with the fact though that this isn't pinesol or some pine air freshener. It's REAL pine. It has that airy *real* crispness about it, rather than smelling artificial. There is a very VERY faint little sweetness - and not sugary sweetness, more of a natural berry like sweetness (though I dont' smell berry, if that makes any sense). I really like that this isn't strong either, it's really very airy and light for being a green piney scent. There is a small hint of spiciness to this too, but again - it's more airy and light than anything. Final note: This IS a beautiful green scent - I actually really like it, but the truth is - I just won't wear it because pine isn't really my thing. Very nice scent though, I can see how this would be really reminiscent of Christmas for a lot of people (not for me though, since we always have a fake tree )

Yes I did I got a reply finally though and Sara said she got out the missing imp packs right away, yay!!

Well the order did not include two whole imp packs, and the Paypal information did not include the last part of my order - ie the two imp packs. I emailed them just a few days ago. The only reason I'm worried is that because they are Christmas gifts I really gotta find out if they are going to try send out the missing imp packs in time, or if I need to start looking for replacement gifts @_@.

How long should I wait before re-emailing the lab? There was a problem with my Christmas order, so it's rather time sensitive (I paid for 7 imp packs but only got 5 because Paypal cut off the rest of my order - all of these are Christmas gifts) but didn't know if I should re email just yet or not since I haven't gotten a response yet.

I haven't smelled Forest Moss either, but I second the Dublin suggestion as being green, airy and gender neutral so it's not all "RAWR MANLY"

In the bottle: Powdery and musky On me: This was another case of me ordering a bottle without expecting a lot. I didn't expect to hate it, but I wasn't expecting to love it either. The description appealed to me a lot, but I've had real hit or miss success with the lunacy blends. I am so glad I DID order though, and let this be a lesson to me that I should never doubt my love for all things musk. At first, this smells like a man to me. Not in a masculine way, it smells more like a man would after they've just showered. It's mens soap and shampoo and deoderant and powder. Then it all starts to settle into a gloriously musky scent. The sandalwood makes a wonderful partner to this musk, and there is something spicy there too - I'm not so sure it's cinnamon, but perhaps nutmeg. It just might be cinnamon though. Maybe a little ginger in there too, there is something with a bit of a kick that I can't identify. Final note: Glorious. I just love it. I have no doubt that my bottle will be used. Also, this would work great on a man or a woman

In the bottle: Crisp greenery and apples On me: I only purchased this because it was always being mentioned by people and I never had the chance to try it - and with a name like Harvest Moon, how could I resist? After reading the description, I was quite afraid this was going to be really floral. But I needn't have feared anything. This is crisp and earthy in that you can smell a lot of green things. The apple is very tart and lends a cool edge to this scent and the spices are quite subtle. Final note: I like this - it's refreshing and autumnal and lovely.

In the bottle: Hmm what IS that? It's a bit murky smelling - probably the patchouli On me: *sigh* I had high hopes for this. Samhain was a blend that I heard about non stop since I first got into BPAL. Everyone seemed to love it, and the description seemed like something that would be right up my alley! But alas, though I don't hate this blend, it's not quite what I had hoped for. The patchouli is certainly in the forefront on this. In the drydown stage I can smell a faint hint of pumpkin and apple and spices, but it's more like a breeze of freshness through that patchouli - which still sits firmly in the front seat. Oddly enough, the smell all but disappears on me after just 15 minutes. Final note: It's a pleasant scent, and I wouldn't get rid of my bottle, but I can't see myself using all of this either. EDIT: Wanted to add that after wearing this today, after about an hour it smells really faint and sort of candyish in a way

In the bottle: It smells like Grog actually On me: I can see why I thought this smelled like Grog in the bottle. It smells very much like rum to me - it has that boozy sweetness. Along with that it is mostly brown sugar, with a maple syrup stickiness to it and a buttery edge. This is thick, sticky, and sweet. Final note: This is too sweet for me. I was expecting something sugary, but this is just that heavy kind of sweet that I can't really wear. I enjoy it on one level, because I think it's quite unique, but I know that I will only end up wearing this once in a blue moon.

In the bottle: Smokey and musky yay! On me: Ooooh I love love love this! This is quite musky on me, and I do adore musk so this is working out pretty well in my favor so far lol. It has a general sweet smokey vibe going on with it, but I don't find it to be overwhelming - it just adds that "bonfire" feel to this. I can see where the "boozey swoon" comes from as well, because there is something sweet and alcoholic underneath this - it's just a faint touch of it, enough to make me think of drinking hot cider or the like next to a bonfire. And because of the airy lightness of this scent, it DOES come off very much like an Autumn night. It's just a truly beautiful blend, I hope that this might make a reappearance next year so I can keep on wearing it! Final note: I love it, plain and simple.

In the bottle: strongly herbal and pungent On me: Ick. This certainly isn't how I want to smell. It's lavender and other assorted herbs and flowers - but the lavender is very prominent. Usually I don't automaticaly hate lavender, but every once in a while lavender comes together with rose and makes this sort of diaper cream smell on me that I can't stand here. I don't know if there is rose in this or not, but I can say that I'm getting that same smell. Final note: I wouldn't wear this as a scent, but I am keeping the imp around to see if it does come in handy for it's intended purpose. I can see why it might be calming because of the lavender, so perhaps it will work fabulously for that

In the bottle: This is rose all right, but it's very GREEN rose. On me: Rose is just doing it's thing on me and dominating, but this isn't the kind of rose that goes soapy/powdery on me. Instead, I find it rather similar to the rose in Whip, in that it's crisp and fresh smelling. It's very aromatic, the scent just wafts around me and the rose smells wet and freshly cut. Final note: I feel so lucky that the lab included this as a frimp in my order, because I always like trying the scents that I otherwise wouldn't have a chance to. As far as rose scents go, this is pretty nice. I say this as someone who isn't really a fan of rose, but it's certainly in the top 2 BPAL rose scents for me (the other one being Whip).

In the bottle: Lightly green smelling On me: I had a feeling from reading the notes in this that this wouldn't work on me. Despite the fact that I adore sandalwood and herbs. This is very very DRY. It's got a dusty smell to it - not a dirty smell, but like a bowl of old herbs and dried funeral flowers have been covered in a thin layer of dust. It's certainly an interesting smell though, and I find that it smells very appropriate for it's name. You'd just imagine that a smell like this WOULD be called Shroud haha. Final note: It's got too much old flower and dusty dryness for me, but I think this would be appealing to a lot of people because it's an awfully unique blend.

In the bottle: ALMOND AND CINNAMON TO THE EXTREME!! On me: Wow, with that overpowering scent in the bottle, I half expected this to be overwhelming on my skin. But it's not. I do have to say though that I am not at all sensitive to cinnamon and the like, but this made even my skin tingle a bit. So, if you're sensitive to cinnamon STEER CLEAR. This is delicious smelling. Despite it's notes, I guess I wasn't expecting something so foody. But it is definitely foody in my opinion. It's delicious almond goodness with cinnamon and a general sugary warmth to it. The frankincense must be in there somewhere but it's hiding itself quite well and so is the heliotrope. Final note: Much foodier than I expected, but I do really enjoy it. I think this would make a fabulous room scent, especially during these fall months when this type of scent is what makes a home seem like a home

In the bottle: Almond and soft rose On me: Why do you hate me so Rose? Did I do something to offend you? I had high hopes for this, despite the fact that it contains rose. I was hoping that the sandalwood and almond and spices would balance out that rose. Alas, it doesn't. There is no balancing out rose on me, it's usually just rose. It kills all other notes. This is no exception unfortunately. Surprisingly though I DO smell a little bit of that orange peel, and it just makes me even more sad that the rose is so prominent in this. Final note: Rose lovers rejoice! But for those of us that rose refuses to work on - weep, because this probably won't be any different on you. The orange peel sure is nice though.

In the bottle: sweet and earthy - not earthy like patchouli - earthy like greenery On me: What an unusual blend. I wasn't really sure what to expect of this one, because there were a lot of notes in this, and some of them I had no idea what to expect of (such as blackthorn). The dragon's blood is definitely there, I'd even say it served as the base so to speak, but it's no prominent on me. That smell of mulled wine is though and it's spicey and a little boozey and fruity, but only minutely so. You can smell greenery in there somewhere and I'm not sure which of the notes that is, but it comes off kind of outdoorsy, without actually breaching into that territory. The cinnamon in this is LOVELY, it's very earthy and subdued but lends a wonderful spicey appeal to this. Final note: This is a really interesting blend, I quite like it! I'm on the fence about whether or not I'd order a bottle, but I know I'll use the imp and I have a feeling I'll probably end up wanting more. I think this is a wonderfully appropriate scent for fall, it just has an Autumn air about it EDIT: I wanted to note that this reminds me a lot of Hunter Moon, though it doesn't smell terribly similar, the whole feel of it is very much the same.

In the bottle: Sweet and smokey yay! On me: OH BLACK OPAL YOU ARE HEAVEN! Man, I wish I had trusted my instincts and purchased a bottle of this right off the bat, rather than ordering an imp first. This is so wonderful, and I know I love it, but I'm having a hard time thinking of how to describe it! It has a slight familiarity to it and that's because the "smokey" note in this is the same one as in Xiutehcuhtli. This is a sweet and smokey scent smelling of vanilla - but a deep vanilla so perhaps it's tonka but I can't tell. There is a slight edge to this scent, which I think is what people are describing as "minty" though I wouldn't really call it minty. It's just a slight camphorous edge that compliments the sweetness of this very well. Final note: I could BATHE in this it's so good. I positively adore it, it's definitely in my top 10!

In the bottle: Strong general cologne smell On me: This is definitely masculine, it's very "cologney" and deep. Despite a slight frankincense like warmth and spice to it (though that isn't listed as a note, there is something in this that reminds me of frankincense) it's a very clean and crisp scent with a nice citrus kick. Final note: Would smell great on a man, but definitely not something I can pull off. For the man who likes stronger/deeper scents.

In the bottle: Green and vaguely fruity On me: The fig comes through pretty clearly in this, and yet - I wouldn't say it was the predominant note either. The green note is very light and fresh, and the slight fruity note is just a little sweet, with an airy floral backing. The plumeria comes out a lot clearer in the drydown stage of this and I THINK I might smell the tiniest hint of that rose, but I can't be entirely sure. It's such a complex scent that it's really hard for me to be certain about where this scent is going to land, so to speak. On me it's green, fruity, floral, sweet, airy, and a tiny bit nutty. In the late drydown stages of this I SWEAR I smell hazelnut, it smells just like a hazelnut candle from Yankee Candle Company. Final note: This is really interesting, it has a lot of depth and some really lovely notes. I'm not sure I'd buy a bottle because there's just so much going on in this scent that I don't know I'd where it that often. On the other hand, for that exact reason I just might get a bottle anyways. It's certainly unique!