sajiaidoki

Anything with Ambrette, Incense, or Rice Milk🦄 Diwali Thousands of Lights Channukiyah Hanerot Halalu Hollywood Babylon Dia de Reyes

After reading some of these reviews I went into this with pretty high expectations. At first, I was disappointed. But as usual, when BPAL is given a chance to settle on the shelf for a bit, something magical happens. Initially, I was upset that the coffee note wasn't more noticeable. Coffee in BPAL is relatively hard to find, especially as a dominant note. That same day I had several (guy) friends tell me I smelled like cheesecake, or cheesecake and incense. Or that, at any rate, they wanted to gnaw on me I took that to mean this scent wasn't a total fail. But it was still too cloyingly marshmallow for me. I gave it another shot today and felt that, while still marshmallowy... it was definitely more subtle. (This is going to age nicely, I can tell.) And after reading a review that Boo '09 smelled like a certain Warm Vanilla Sugar, I realized that that was a good way to describe what I personally got from Atlas. (I have yet to try Boo, so I can't compare side by side.) It also feels like a distant cousin to Death Cap- the same kind of dirt/outdoors with sweet type smell. I'm looking forward to seeing what this does in several months. I think if the incense develops just a tiny bit more, this would be divine. And yes, to echo what so many others have said... something about this blend is comforting. Any time I caught a whiff it made me smile.

Um, I'm not sure what's going on with this one, but my skin eats this so much that I can barely smell anything on drydown. Wonderful sounding notes (I've been on a cherry kick lately), and pleasant for a second when I first apply it. But WHERE DID IT GO? It's too fleeting for me to be able to review it, even. *sigh* such potential for this one, too. Bummer.

Wow, this is intense. Dark, heavy, wet earth. Not much sweetness here for me. I definitely get notes of vetiver and/or patchouli and/or sandalwood in this. It's so smooth that it's actually hard to pick any one of those notes out distinctly. It'd be great if I picked up on some of the light vanilla sweetness that other reviewers are getting, but this isn't bad in it's own right. To be fair, I think I had it confused with Destroying Angel in my head. I was hoping for something a little mushroom-y (Especially after my recent *huge* disappointment with Faeu Boulanger). But this actually reminds me of caverns and lichens and dripping rocks. And the smell of ashy earth where a campfire was just smothered out. All very good things. Thinking that this might inspire some strange looks from the general public But my co-workers (at a health food store) and fellow yoga buddies will probably dig it. (haha, no pun intended!) Also, this is great for layering with Planting Moon, on the days where I'd like a more grounded version of PM. And it does something nice with Lurid Library, too.

I don't dislike this scent, but it's not at all what I was imagining it would be. This smells spot on in the bottle and then morphs quite a bit through the drydown stages. It goes from household cleaner smell to effervescent citrus to a rather generic grassy beach fragrance. I wish I got more of... *any* of the notes listed in the original description. And again, it's not an outright horrible fragrance, I do understand the "glowing" part of it. It's just that, well, this is a far more mainstream plug in fragrance oil type smell. A beach-scented-roll-on-deodorant, even. I really had my hopes up for something more misty and dark. I hope this gets better with age, I sprung for a whole bottle of this stuff! *edit* tried layering this with Death Cap (for a stronger dirt/mushroom note) and a tiny bit of The Raven (to get some violets going on). Much better and more along the lines of what I was expecting. But um, still don't need a bottle.

Darn, I really wanted to love this. I spend most of my free time in libraries and bookstores. I can't imagine a better comfort scent concept. However, I get all sharp, dry white florals. No incense or musk, at least that I can distinguish. It's not bad but it's not what I was expecting. I have too many imps that amp white florals already. Definitely mellows into a softer sweeter floral upon drydown. I might be getting a bit of crisp paper or binding glue. But still, this doesn't say "library" to me. Oh well, one less scent to hoard. Note: I tested this on the same arm as Creepy 2009 and am really enjoying the way they are starting to mingle.

Wow, this is incredibly accurate for having several distinct notes. I definitely get green apple and a mild butterscotch with the faintest hints of coconut and rum rounding out the background. I mean, this is *exactly* what the description says. Amazing. No morphing or strange chemistry going on here. Nom nom nom. Upon further consideration, this is almost too realistic in the way that some of the richer foody scents tend to be. I live in Florida... October is still at least 80 degrees here. And while many of us yearn for all things up-north-autumn, I'll be saving this for a few, light-hearted gatherings. *techers: kids (and parents) will probably get a kick out of this After drydown this mellows out A LOT. Loving the imp, but not springing for a bottle.

I get rich, smoky tobacco, hardwoods, and something sweet, definitely peach but in a really classy sort of way. By coincidence, I first wore Diable on a late November night in '09 to meet up with friends I hadn't seen in years, and we ended up in a dark panneled, dimly lit, high end bar that happened to feature cigars... Maybe it's memory association but I still get all of those things from this blend every time I wear it: The sweetness of being dressed up, feeling beautiful and happy and having a great evening; being somewhere warm and cozy while being able to tell it's actually quite cold outside (if that makes sense), with lingering notes of fancy cigars (or possibly tea?) that could very easily be tinged with sophisticated notes of lush fruits. Yep, I get a lot from this one. Just now getting around to tracking down a bottle, or two.

I totally missed the 2010 lupercalia. Must track down Harimise. Immediately. Cooking rice is right up there with fresh bread as far as comfort smells go. Mmmm.

Okay, when I look at the list of notes in this: apple, oak, smoke... I can pick them out fairly distinctly. Especially the (green?) apple. However, on its own and without looking at the notes, all I get is... baby wipes?! Ack. Or maybe that toothpaste thing that a few other people have mentioned. And unfortunately, it's the "wearing on its own" that counts. Strange, these are notes that I wouldn't have expected any strange reactions to. Bleh.

To start, Pomegranate is a strong smell. Lovely, but I'm not sure if I can pull it off. Also, amber always equals old lady perfume on my skin. I usually like greens, woods, and foods. That being said, I'm new to BPAL and this was a thoughtful frimp. So I gave it a shot, cause you never know where you might find a new favorite. In the Imp: tart pomegranate and something sweeter and spicier in the background. Wet on Skin: *sigh* old lady smell. I was kinda hoping this would work on me. Pomegranate is lost in the amber. Drydown: I think it's dried down in to the notes it's meant to smell like, but unfortunately it's not for me. I can kinda see wearing this to a formal affair, orchestra, or museum gala. This *might* grow on me but I don't think I should force it. Glad I tried it, though.

I put this on right after a long day and a few nights of not sleeping well. Amazingly, this was the most comforting and relaxing smell I have ever come across. It was the fragrance equivalent going to bed in a pile of towels, right out of the dryer. As you can guess, I was shocked at that, given the reputation of O. Then again, falling asleep in a warm bed after sex is comforting, so maybe there's something to this. In the imp: sharp and sweet. mostly amber with a bit of honey and tart sugar Wet: something soft and dusty but pleasant. Vanilla and warmth. Dry: Richer and rounder. I can still smell it the next morning and I have no problem with that. I didn't get much amber in this, which is great since it usually amps on me.