brettashley

My Tiki Princess finally arrived!! And boy is she lovely. I just want to say that I have and love Snow White, and while I may have seen where some people might find them pretty similar, they smelled pretty different to me. Wet: a sharp blast of cold, wet coconut. Perfect for muggy summer days. Drydown: dries down to something warmer and sweeter. It smells like a creamy, cool coconut drink. The florals also come out more. It's a beautiful, inviting, snuggle-y scent. Overall, I love it! Am definitely keeping it, and I can tell it'll probably rocket up to my top 10 (or even 5)!

Just for my own reference! http://www.bpal.org/topic/69868-halloween-update-2010/page__view__findpost__p__1808268 Finally got time to sit down and wade through the massiveness of this update... ALL SAINTS 2010 -- Based on a venerable French pontifical incense blend: monastic frankincense and myrrh, Damascus rose, Russian gardenia, cassia, and lily of the valley wafting on a chill Autumn wind. A celebration of the glory and suffering of the saints and matryrs of the Church. Probably not for me; haven't been feeling the heavy incense scents lately, and I don't think that'll change. (It's already a pretty cold summer! But I still like my lighter scents.) ALL SOULS 2010 -- An incense blend that invokes the higher qualities of mercy and compassion, mingled with the soft, sugared currant scent of offertory soul cakes. Mmm soul cakes... Again though, this doesn't jump out at me as a must-have. BLUE PUMPKIN FLOSS -- Puffy clouds of pumpkin candyfloss with a trickle of blackberry juice. Sounds amazing! I haven't tried any pumpkin scents from the lab though, so I'm not sure... It might end up being too sweet. BOO 2010 -- Eerie billows of spun sugar, fluttering white cotton, and sheets of cream. YES YES YES YES YES YES YES! I was so hoping for this one to come back! I'm not missing out on Boo this time CALAVERAS -- Xocolatl, tequila, copal incense, smoke-dried jalapeños, vanilla pods, and cajeta. Sounds really intriguing but nothing's really calling out to me. DIA DE LOS ÑATITAS -- Hydrangea blossoms and rose petals, cigarette smoke, cocoa leaves, and chichi. The cigarette smoke sounds interesting, but I don't know about the floral notes... FLOR DE MUERTO -- The orange marigold, or zempasúchitl, has been one of Death's symbols since the pre-Columbian era. The yellow and orange petals are believed to represent the rays of the sun, bringing joy and light to the souls dwelling in the realm of the dead. These flowers surround Day of the Dead altars to guide the spirits to their offerings. I'm not really big on florals. GHOULISH -- a black cherry and coconut amaretto confection gently laced with saffron. GUH. Black cherry? Amaretto?? MAYBE. THE HAG -- Black musk, bay leaves, galangal, bourbon vetiver, blackcurrant, and rum. Mm, no I think musk scares me. GOLLETES -- A circular pastry glazed with pink sugar that symbolizes the sweetness of life and the certainty of death. Might be a bit too sweet for me! HUESOS DE SANTO 2010 -- Orange-glazed cake, dotted with anise seed, and filled with custard, set beside a bouquet of celebratory funeral flowers. Hmm not sure about the custard and the anise seed. Sounds like something I'd like to eat, but necessarily smell like. LAMBS-WOOL 2010 -- A popular holy day beverage in 18th century Ireland: roasted apples mashed into warmed milk and ale, with nutmeg, sugar, ginger, and clove. YES PLEASE. I didn't get to try it the first time around and I've been kicking myself ever since! NOTHING GOLD CAN STAY -- Dewy green leaves colored by Moroccan amber, ginseng, and rooibos. Hmmmm on the ginseng. Probably pass. Not sure, actually. Wait for reviews. OCTOBER 2010 -- Dry, cold autumn wind. A rustle of red leaves, a touch of smoke and sap in the air. This sounds great! I'd probably go with Halloween San Francisco though. But I still wanna wait on reviews... it might be amazing. PUMPKIN LATTE -- Espresso, pumpkin syrup, smoky vanilla bean, milk, raw sugar, and a dash of cinnamon and nutmeg. OMG yum. I don't know if I need more foodie scents though. PUNKIE NIGHT 2010 -- apple orchards, bright cranberries, and a touch of warm cider. I love the lab's apple scents! Definitely want. SAMHAIN 2010 -- damp woods, fir needle, and black patchouli with the gentlest touches of warm pumpkin, clove, nutmeg, allspice, sweet red apple and mullein. I feel like I should try this just because it's the classic Halloween scent! Hmm... SUGAR SKULL 2010 -- A blend of five sugars, lightly dusted with candied fruits. Probably too sweet for me. THE WILD SWANS AT COOLE -- October twilight. Falling leaves breaking the stillness of cool water, with sweet autumn clematis, feather-soft orris root, luminous white chypre, and muguet. This sounds great, but I'm iffy on the orris root. ++ HALLOWEENIE: MNEMOSYNE HALLOWEEN: BROOKLYN -- Flowering dogwood, weeping cherry, Korean pine, camellia, moonflower, Alberta spruce, arborvitae, and crab apples. Nothing's calling out to me here. HALLOWEEN: LOS ANGELES -- The sky on fire: a strange incense of burning brush, junegrass, tumbleweeds, chaparral, and wild sage. I love LA, but I don't think I want to smell like it. -__- HALLOWEEN: NEW ORLEANS -- The distinctive scent of the Mississippi at night mingling with sweet olive and Spanish moss. Mmm... possibly. Wait for reviews. HALLOWEEN: SAN FRANCISCO -- Salt air wafting in from the bay. Rain falling on rain-soaked leaves. YES. I knew I had to have this as soon as I saw it. ++ HALLOWEEN: POMEGRANATE GROVE POMEGRANATE I -- Pomegranate, poet's jasmine, and benzoin. Nope. POMEGRANATE II -- Pomegranate, white musk, lemon verbena, grapefruit, pink lime. The notes here sounds amazing and delicious, but I'm not really a fruity-scent girl. Maybe. POMEGRANATE III -- Pomegranate, Tamil Nadu sandalwood, lavender, tamarind, hazelnut, Atlas cedarwood, sugar date, bitter clove, and Arabian myrrh. Nope. POMEGRANATE IV -- Pomegranate, cognac, red musk, cocoa, tobacco absolute, star anise, and thyme. This sounds so interesting! Wait for reviews. POMEGRANATE V -- Pomegranate, carnation, amber, cardamom, neroli, vetiver, black pepper, and opium tar. I love neroli, but I'm not big on carnation, or vertiver. Probably not. THE HERAEON OF ARGOS -- Argive Hera. The temple in the Argolid that was dedicated to Hera, the Queen of Heaven, in her aspect as the Great Triple Goddess. Pomegranate, apple blossom, fig, willow bark, and almond. No reaction. Sounds great, although I'm not sure about the fig (may turn soapy), but I'll probably never get my hands on it. + HALLOWEEN: GOTHIC FICTION, VOLUME 1 THE BYRONIC ANTIHERO -- a Victorian fougère and a dashing carnation boutonnière tainted by a cloud of khus, yew, and patchouli. Ooooh this sounds so interesting! I'm curious about the yew and patchouli though. I might just get it for the Byron love. THE CREEPING MIST -- A muculent, brumous, ill-omened scent: orris, yuzu, white ginger, linden flower, petitgrain, and lotus. Nope. I don't think any of these work on me. THE DECREPIT HOUSE -- dilapidated planks of mahogany and cypress wood perched feebly on a grim foundation of long-dead leaves, black musk, patchouli, galbanum, tobacco absolute, fragonia, and oakmoss. Wood, black musk, patchouli... that actually sounds pretty scary, and I'm not at all sure I'd want to smell like that. A HOWL IN THE DARKNESS -- A scent evocative of a forest at midnight, with animalic brown musk, wild sage, Terebinth pine, black oak, and a chilly shock of terror personified by kunzea, cistus labdanum, verbena, juniper, metallic ozone, and white mint. Same. THE INFERNAL LOVER -- A creamy, sensual, honeyed red musk. Not sure about red musk, or (at the moment), honey. Probably not. ECCLESIASTICAL EXCESSES -- Faustian depravity: daemonorops, rose-infused frankincense, vetiver, mate absolute, and clove bud. Nope - not feeling the frankincense and clove. ENCROACHING MADNESS -- A yellow smell. Old foul, bad yellow things. Honeysuckle, chrysanthemum, balsam, hydrangea, and helichrysum. Hahaha this doesn't sound pleasant at all! I actually like honeysuckle though, so maybe! THE SHADOWY AND THE SUBLIME -- Moroccan amber, wisteria, ambergris accord, white rose, magnolia, white mint, angelica, bergamot, and myrrh. Not sure about the florals in this one. THE MADWOMAN -- Dusty white sandalwood, ragged cloth, and a dry, long-dead bridal bouquet. Sandalwood gets too incense-y on me. ODD PORTENTS -- Black rose, olibanum, dark musk, myrrh, blackcurrant, lavender buds, bourbon geranium, and amber incense. Not a rose fan. THE UNSAVORY GRAVE-DIGGERS -- An unearthed oakwood coffin, cemetery weeds, and a hint of booze. I'm not sure how I feel about boozy scents. THE UNSTEADY GOVERNESS -- White tea and violet leaf. Hmm... definitely considering this one! I love tea scents. And: 13: August 2010 -- A base of bitter dark chocolate with thirteen baneful and beneficial bits including pimento berry, pink pepper, tolu balsam, bergamot, golden honey, tobacco absolute, champaca flower, and paprika. Unfortunately, I don't think I'll be placing my order in time to get this. So I'll just pretend it isn't there. tl;dr: Definitely getting Boo 2010, Lambs-Wool 2010, and Halloween: San Francisco. Leaning really close to getting Ghoulish, Punkie Night 2010, October 2010, and The Unsteady Governess. Waiting for reviews on Blue Pumpkin Floss, Nothing Gold Can Stay, Pumpkin Latte, Samhain 2010, The Wilde Swans at Coole, Halloween: New Oreleans, The Byronic Antihero, Encroaching Madness.

Wet: I get a lot of the rose-infused amber at this stage. There is a hint of a wood, but right now, it's mostly just ROSE and AMBER. I'm not a big fan of rose, so I hope the scent changes. Dry: Here, the sandalwood comes out - a lot. Rose and amber recede to the background, and I'm left sniffing sandalwood. Lasts pretty long (still smelled it when I went to sleep at night). It's a nice scent, but not one I'm really in love with. The wood is a bit smelly at first too, but it gets softer as it wears on. Strong sandalwood leaves me feeling like it's Chinese New Year's (sandalwood is commonly used as incense in Chinese temples), and it's a weird association for me to be having. I might like it in a differently blended or more appropriate scent, I think, but The Little Wooden Doll is not for me.

I got my hands on a testable sniffie of Snake Charmer Resurrected, thanks to a wonderful forumite, and I wanted to post my thoughts on it before I forgot! Wet: Smells a lot like Snake Oil going on, but with less patchouli. There's something sweeter here, and spicier. Dry: Snake Charmer is amazingly well-blended. It's a spicy vanilla sister of Snake Oil, but it's not overly heavy - instead, it's actually got a coolness to it that balances the heaviness out. I think that's the hint of coconut other people are talking about. I'm liking this much more than Snake Oil, but to be honest, I wasn't crazy about Snake Oil to begin with. Overall, it's a fantastic scent, well-blended and delicious, and if it was still up, I'd probably buy a bottle. As it is however, I've missed both my chances and to me, it's not really worth it to try to track a bottle down. I would get it if I saw it, but I'm not gonna go nuts if I don't get more - there's simply too much awesome BPAL to go around to get hung up on a scent or two. 8.5/10

I totally thought I already reviewed this, but according to my spreadsheet, I haven't, so... Wet: strong, rich Irish coffee, with a definite sugary undertone. I'm getting what a lot of people have mentioned before, a sort of caramel/butterscotch sugariness. A bit too sweet, actually. Dry: as it dries, it mellows out and the sweetness loses its edge. Now the wood and paper notes are coming through, and it definitely smells like I'm in a library - one of those old-fashioned, polished-wood-and-incandescent-light ones. When I first got this bottle, I think the wood-and-paper kinda put me off. I guess I was expecting a straight-up foody/coffee scent, but I got something else, so I put the bottle away for a while. Now, however, I'm really enjoying the fact that it isn't straight-up coffee. I think I'll like putting this one on for when I need to feel studious. It's pretty strong on me, so the smallest dab will do.

In the bottle: Cold ozone, but with a strong whiff of something floral. Wet: surprisingly sweet! The florals really come out to play but overall this is a cold "snow" scent. Dry: Clean, cool, and pleasant. Will definitely be keeping this one, but I don't feel the need for any more (I was swapped a little less than half a bottle).

I got a bottle of this unsniffed because I was certain I'd like it. And when I opened it, straight from the mail - I reeled. It was nothing like I was expecting, and it actually made me feel sick. I put some on anyway, just to try it - no go. Too sickly sweet and creamy. I had to wash it off. However, something was telling me not to trade the bottle away immediately. I held on to it, maybe because I liked the concept so much? Anyway, I kept it for about... a year? And, as I was going through my bottle collection, I decided to put some on today. This. Is. Gorgeous. Wet: Sweet, creamy beeswax, and a soft vanilla note. I'm smelling a bit of the coconut that everyone's talking about, but I love coconut so that's okay. Drydown: I'm starting to get a hint of smokiness, but it's not sharp; it accentuates the softness of the scent. The coconut fades, and I'm smelling a really great blend of beeswax and vanilla. Dry: Gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous. Sweet (but not too sweet) and comforting! I want to give this a whole day trial tomorrow, but I think I've smelled enough to declare this one a winner! I'm so glad I didn't swap this away!!

I just put this on right now.... Oh. My. God. It is drop dead sexy, all smoky leather and with a sweet undertone of vanilla... I felt about ten times better just putting it on! I will definitely be hunting down a bottle of this, no matter what. It's probably just shot up into my top ten or so.

Whoa! Definitely smells bright, cheery, and happy! Wet: a rounded, golden scent, softly floral and fruity Drying down: a sweet earthiness prevades, anchoring the scent down I just put it on so I can't tell you exactly how long it lasts or if it really does work as a good luck charm for me, but I feel happier just wearing it. Definitely have to upgrade to a bottle, just so I can have "happiness-in-a-bottle" around for those blue days!

Oh dear. I was excited to try this (I've been meaning to try all of 'Come and See' because they sound amazing) and received this as a frimp from the Lab - so YAY LAB! Unfortunately, the entire blend was taken over by the Patchouli for me. Wet: Smells... I can smell the mint, and the vertiver. not bad. Drying: Hm. There is a creeper lurking around and I think he hasn't washed his hair in days. (Sorry but in Berkeley, Patchouli = unwashed hippie. For me, anyway.) Drydown: patchooouuuli. urgh. I had to cover it up with some lovely Lillith Victoria. (Save me, LV! You're my only hope. )

2008 version I was expecting something more of an almond-y snowy scent (like Lush's Snowcake, I suppose) but this isn't nearly as sweet, to me anyway. Wet: I get cold pine and florals. I love how Beth was able to make it smell cold. Dry: It begins to get almost cloyingly floral. Good point is that it doesn't fade quickly. I've tried it twice, and seem to be fairly neutral towards it. I might let it age a little and then come back to it.

Mmmmm! YUMMY. Snake Oil doesn't work on me, but Dorian does. I decided to get a bottle anyway - good intuition! Wet: lavender, sweet, a little powdery. I get Dorian's black tea for a bit, sugared by SO's vanilla and a sweet baby lavender. Dry: Dorian tends to fade, leaving behind SO which actually. smells... gorgeous! It doesn't turn into baby powder on me, instead it's this wonderful vanilla-lavender combo that's very comforting. If this is what aged SO is like, no wonder why people like it! Oh! Also, it's the first BPAL my boyfriend has decided to compliment of his own free will. Hehe. When I was applying it, he started taking these long sniffs and at first I was worried it was too strong, and then he turned to me and went, "What is that? It smells GOOD!" yay.

A fast-acting, powerful scent used to overcome adversity through positive means. Attracts wealth, prestige, good health, and enhances others’ opinions of you. Grants courage and steadfastness. Hmm... received this as a frimp in the lab and since I have an essay due tomorrow, I decided to see if it would help me bowl through the essay. I've finished the bulk of the essay, but that was before I put the scent on. -__- Haha so I'll update on those properties later. Wet: Smells a bit ... lemon-y, and bitter floral. As florals go, I actually like this more than cloyingly sweet smells (jasmine is starting to get to me. Unfortunately, it seems to be in almost all my shampoos/conditioners and I'm on a no-buy, so.... ugh.). But yeah, this isn't a bad scent. Dry: Starting to get that "floral soap" association. It actually smells very strongly of Taiwan, if anybody knows what I'm talking about. Like... Asian scented feminine stuff! And their nice, clean, humongous department stores! Probably not bottle worthy, but it gives me pleasant associations with Taiwan so I'll probably hold on to the imp for personal reasons.

Thanks to my klutziness, I spilled half an imp of Swank on myself today. -__- HOWEVER this ended well. I found out that I rather liked the scent and didn't mind smelling like a pomegranate martini all day! Out of the imp: Very astringent smell - I get almost no pomegranate at this point. Wet: Mm, the fruits come out really strong, and the alcohol keeps the scent light. Dry: Yum! It gets sweeter upon drydown. Overall, it was a wonderful scent to wear while sweating it out in NorCal (it was so hot today. wthell, fall?) & I'd verrry much like to get a 5 ml of this! I'm not gonna rush it though - I'm in the mood for fall/winter scents and I'll somehow get a bottle of this before summer.

Huh. I was looking forward to a rich red berry from this one, but not quite... In the imp: stickily sweet Wet: Sour jolly ranchers (does such a thing exist?) and Nerds candies. Gives me a sticky feeling in my throat, like I just gorged on candy. Dry: To its credit, this doesn't morph into baby powder on me (although many others do, sadly. haha) It does have a bit of a soapy tinge though, but I can ignore it. I was quite undecided on this one (meaning I probably wouldn't buy a bottle) and I asked my boyfriend what he thought. Boy: "It smells fruity." Me: "Good kind of fruity?" Boy: "No. It's like... candy." Me: "Good kind of candy?" Boy: "No." I guess I won't be getting a bottle! I'll probably hang onto the imp and see if aging it helps any....

Oh wow! I didn't know I would like a rose scent all that much, but this is lovely. Must wear when I want to feel pretty! I won't go for multiple bottles on this scent - I think one will last and I wouldn't necessarily want too much of it, as there is so much BPAL to try! but now I don't really feel the need to order Rose Red anymore. Wet: Green rose - very green. Drying: The white rose is coming out more... and then I smell the honey. It's sweet and lovely! I feel very lady-ish when I wear this.

Whoa. I the Antikythera Mechanism!! =] And I didn't think I'd like it at first too! In the imp: sharp, medicinal tang. Kinda wary about putting this on.... Wet: mm, I'm getting more of the teakwood now. Still a bit sharp - like polished wood floors Drying: Oh, this is getting yummy. The wood has subsided and allowed the vanilla to take over (can't tell what the tobacco note is - is that the smokiness? heh well that would make sense) Dry: Oh dear. This is gorgeous. It's cologne-y, sure, but it's sexy when a woman wears it. PLUS I shoved my wrist under my boyf's nose - for once, he doesn't think BPAL = baby powder. Gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous!! I'll give it a day to check wearlength but I definitely want to throw a bottle of this into my next order (even though it's GC! Oh dear.) I can't stop smiling!!

Wow. I think I love this scent. I received a new order and tried this from an imp before going to bed Wet: It's black tea and pepper - I definitely get the pepper (and i think ginger?) Drying down: the sweetness of vanilla and honey are starting to show up. it's delicious might be too early to call it, but i definitely want a bottle. YAY!! (I've been going through a phase where a lot of scents turned into baby powder... -__-)

I put on a bit of SO yesterday, when my O dried/faded to baby powder. It definitely made a difference - I smiled right when I smelled it and I didn't even mind the disappointment of O afterwards. I just put some on today. Wet: Delicious, spicy vanilla Dry: Still delicious, more mellow than spicy. I first ordered from BPAL about... four years ago. At the time, I got an imp of SO and wasn't impressed. I put it away in my drawer at home and promptly forgot about both it and BPAL. I recently rediscovered BPAL and since I live across the state now, I can't get to that drawer... but I'm going crazy trying to find out if it's still there! (If so, I have unwittingly aged SO for my future self! Trippy! ) Anyway, really want to get a bottle of this and start aging it, but my wishlist is way too nuts right now and I can't justify buying GC bottles. Yet. *edit* My boyfriend smelled me today and said, "You still smell like baby powder." I really didn't think so - we'll have to see. =T I was getting more vanilla & spice, but I guess his nose didn't differentiate from yesterday's scent. -__- I'd be devastated if Snake Oil of all scents didn't work on me!

Hmmm Swiped this one on today. In the bottle: honey hits my nose sharply first. I'm a bit wary but swipe it on anyway Wet (ie less than 2 minutes later): my boyfriend stares at my mineral makeup suspiciously. "Is that baby powder? Something smells like baby powder" Dry: still baby powder; very sweet. not unpleasant, but then again, not "sex in a bottle" *** 2nd try when my boyfriend was out (approx. five hours later): My earlier swipes have faded - I catch a couple of whiffs here and there, but it's essentially gone. Wet: Hm. I'm getting more of the honey this time. It's a bit cloying. Dry: Seems to be baby powder + honey? I wanted to like this... might hang on to the imp & try layering with something else (if I can figure out what). or maybe just letting it age for a bit. *** EDIT *** Okay, so I've let this imp age in its box for about a year... and it's just GORGEOUS. I finally get what all the fuss is about! Wet: Beautiful honey, sweetened by vanilla. Rich, warm, and comforting. Dry: I think that's the amber coming out to ground it. It's aged so beautifully! (Either that or my nose has gotten better!) It also smells fresh, in a way - very sophisticated! =] Not sure if this is worth a big bottle at the moment (money is tight & yules are realllly tempting~) but it really is something I'd look at getting later on, when I have the extra cash! (re: no longer a college student. -__-)

Wet: smells delicious! I like coconut & fig, so I was really looking forward to this, and it was simply gorgeous. Sultry, comforting, sweet in a fruity way... it called up images of a damp, hot day in a fertile garden. Dry: Mm. Still delicious but... wait. is that soap I'm detecting? 1.5 hours later (i.e., after lecture): DAMN. It's completely gone, and whatever whiffs of Eden I happen to catch smell like *soap* I really wanted this to work for me! (But I suppose it's better for my wallet that it didn't. )

I was really looking forward to trying out Alice - had high hopes as I thought the notes would be all right on me! Sadly, it was not to be. Wet: Smells citrusy at first, and then powder-y sweet Drying: Rather pretty - I'm getting more of the carnation now, and a bit of the honey. 30 minutes later: Fading quickly. I'm practically inhaling the inside of my elbow, where I put two swipes of oil, but it's very faint. 2 hrs later: yup, nothing there. Plus, I ate lunch about half an hour after putting the scent on and I immediately got queasy. Something about this smell + food didn't mix well for me. I really wanted to like this! Especially since I have some other milk-based scents on the way.. (White Rabbit, Kat Van Tassel). I don't know what it was that made me queasy, but I'm hoping that wasn't it. =T