hlemonds

The Phoenix Steamworks scents have special labels

Mmmm....cool, sweet coconut. I really like this! I think that the coconut in combination with the soft, creamy florals does lend itself to the Snow White comparison. This has a more tropical feel, however, possibly due to the coconut being the focus (no vanilla as I get from Snow White), and the more tropical flowers. This is very lovely. Soft and sweet, and perfect for summer! Thanks to beth and the labbies for getting htese out so quickly! I am stoked to have my Princess in time for our beach vaca in a couple of weeks!

Just out of the mail box. I honestly can not pick this apart. I will say that I'm not getting any vanilla, but the bottle may need to rest. I *think* that most of what I'm getting is the sandalwood, perhaps with a hint of the carnation, and some bay. It is actually quite nice, but not as "fluffy" as I expected. But again, it may need to rest. At the moment it's quite....perfumey. That sort of surprised me! I'm going to give it a day or two to rest and see how things sort out.

This is NOM. If you like coconut, please do try it! This is a foody coconut, that is to say, it is not the type of coconut that makes me think of suntan oil really. It feels tropical, sweet, and a little fiesty (probably the smidgeon of black pepper and angelica). I never knew how much I could love coconut until I tried Pduan Killer Swarm. I've tried other blends containing coconut before, but the coconut in those was never really a major part of the scent I suppose. Oh, and I don't get much coconut from Snow White, so I don't count that as part of my coconut stash. Anywho, My love of Paduan Killer Swarm with it's warm, sweet, musky coconut, lead me to try Paper Kite. I am SO glad I did. This is perfect for summer. I actually like smelling like a delicious coconut drink, who knew??

I've been lucky enough to be gifted with a couple of half decants of this gorgeous blend. And then, miracle of miracles, I stumbled upon an opportunity to swap for a whole bottle of my very own! I adore this blend, it has the most beautiful, creamy, warm, golden amber throw. It is so smooth, velvety, and just gorgeous. And thankfully it is one of the stronger BPAL oils I've tried, so a few small dabs go a long way. If you like Glowing Vulva try: Antikythera Mechanism, Love's Philosophy, Paduan Killer Swarm (the drydown on this one seem very close to me).

LOL, now I want all the butterflies and moths I didn't order just for the label art! I already have Gypsy, Luna, Rosy Maple, and Monarch, which are all so purdy. I'm thinking I might actually want GGW and Spicebush Swallowtail for the smells too, lol. Thanks for the lovely pics!

Luna from the new Butterfly Effect series is WHOA Lime Sugar when first applied. It does back down and become more incorporated into the green musk once it's dry, but it is still definitely there.

Yummy sweet berry candy! Huckleberry and candyfloss, backed by vanilla bean, seem to be the stars of the show. I think the acai helps keep this a true berry scent, rather than a wierd, fake berry. I also get a hint of the sweet pea from Mouse's Long...Tale. Not sure I smell the lemon blossom or rose sugar. Overall a really lovely blend, sweet and innocent. I will enjoy wearing this!

"Well, hi there lime sugar! Would you like a cup of Toureg Tea? It is ever so slightly minty, quite refreshing, really. Oh, and perhaps a slice of juicy pear for a snack?" Yep, you guessed it, the wet stage of this blend is all about lime sugar. It reminds me of Twinkle, Twinkle Little Bat, sans melon, with the pear and slightly minty tea note instead. Thankfully the sourness of the lime backs down a bit once this drys, and the sweet green musk gets a chance to come forward. As of yet, I'm not sure my nose has detected the carnation, armoise, or thyme. Once dry, this is very pretty and refreshing, but DANG that lime is sour on my skin for the first 15-20 minutes. I'm hoping it will become a more balanced part of the blend given a little time.

Immediately upon application this is all about the pumpkin and ginger, with a hint of the mandarin coming through. My husband's first comment was, "It smells good, but very mush like a yankee candle." I didn't think it was completely Yankee Candle, but he wasn't totally wrong. And I'm not a fan of smelling like a Yankee Candle. Not to fault those who do enjoy it, that just isn't my cup of tea. This does a big time morph however, after about 30-45 minutes. Once this is completely dry it is almost entirely golden amber, mandarin, and a hint of mango. Golden Amber tends to smell quite rich, sweet, and vanilla-like on me, so I was very much enjoying this stage. It did seem to face fairly quickly, but the dry stage was pleasant!

My skin chemistry must (thankfully!) work well with this one, as it is primarily Bourbon Vanilla and Egyptian Musk on me. I get a hint of the tonka and sugar adding sweetness. Thanks to the lovely vanilla and musk base, this ends up being something of a love child of Antique Lace and The Girl. The cardomom is very subtle on me, but it seems that it may be a note that is very skin chemistry dependent. I adore this blend, I have no doubt I will be hoarding it. This is a wonderful everyday fragrance for me. And my husband agrees that it smells wonderful on me

My vanilla Chaos blend is labeled 223. My first impression upon opening the bottle is that this must have something (carnation, maybe?) in common with Hod. It is a very odd, bitter note. Thankfully, as with Hod, this disappears quickly once applied to the skin. As this begins to dry I am reminded of Mme. Moriarty, perhaps a wild plum note in addition to the vanilla? Once dry I find it to be quite faint, but as with most vanilla blends that may improve with age. I seem to get a bit of lily mixed with the (now) very soft carnation, vanilla, and (possibly) wild plum. Overall I do like it, I just wish it were a bit more potent and lasted longer, but age may help.

Ooo! I forgot about The Antikythera Mechanism, definitely 2nd that recommendation!

For a soft green floral I'd suggest 51. For a very "pink" scent I'd echo the recommendations for High Strung Daisies. For a playful, fruity scent I'd recommend Twinkle, Twinkle Little Bat (it is very melon-y at first, but hang in there and the melon will back off quickly, it leaves a lovely fresh, green scent). For fruits, honey, vanilla, and lovely musk I'd suggest Lady Una (it is unimpable, but if you look through the forum sales you can probably find a decant). Keep in mind, I haven't smelled Pink in years. Can't guarantee any of these actually smell like that particular scent, these are just recs based on your likes

I would very much recommend Paduan Killer Swarm. I'm unfamiliar with Wild Men of Jezirat al Tennyn, but It definitely has a similar warm, resinous, vanilla vibe to SO. It also has ginger cream and a wamr woodsy vibe from the coconut husk. Definitely worth a try I'd say! A couple of others: Black Temple Burlesque Troupe for a dark, resinous sort of scent with cocoa instead of vanilla. Mme. Moriarty for a warm, spicy vanilla with a hippy vibe. Tamora for a lighter incense style vanilla with a soft white peach on top.

This is really, really awesome. Its one of those blends where my nose is telling me "Mmmm....creamy vanilla!" but I know there isn't any vanilla listed, so that must be the tonka. I'm getting a bit of the licorice, but it isn't in any way overwhelming. There is a spicyness to the blend, but I wouldn't immediately say "Oh, hai cinnamon," or "Oh hai clove!" And there is a lovely warm woodsy sort of note that I think could be the coconut husk...maybe. I don't get coconut in an overtly suntan oil way, but it may be adding to the sweetness. This started off sort of wierd smelling, in that I couldn't even decide what I was smelling, but within 5-10 minutes it has settled into a warm, creamy, slightly exotic and spicy blend. I really like this! I am glad I went ahead and got a back-up, since I think this is going to age like a dream ETA: I had to come back and revisit this one. I have worn this blend eveyday for the last week. Absolutely unheard of. This is what I *wish* Snake Charmer res smelled like on me. At the start I get a very warm woodsy scent, which I think is a combination of the sandalwood and coconut husk. The licorice is also most present when wet, it recedes into the background of the scent once dry. I find the wet scent very intriguing, but the drydown is so incredibly sexy that I want to hoard a ten gallon drum of this stuff. The dry down is the most gorgeous, creamy, lickable amber-tonka-ginger cream blend. And perfectly blended in that ahhh-mazing base are the very gentle spices, black licorice, sweet sandalwood, and coconut husk. I initially thought this blend might be too soft for me, but I've noticed that it has really nice throw. It is subtle. No one is going to smell this and say "Who's wearing perfume?" This is more the kind of scent that will have people thinking, "What smells so good!?" And if they're lucky enough to get close to you, they'll realize that You! smell that good ETA2: This stuff has gotten even better in the short time that I've had it. I love it, and I would gladly store a gallon of it somewhere if I could afford to!

I have a love/hate relationship with leather. Mostly I think BPAL leather notes don't work well on my skin, something about them seems to tend towards a sharp, chemical smell. I know it's my skin chemistry though, because leather blends tend to smell pretty darned fabulous on my hubby. My particular favorite on him is The Bow and the Crown of Conquest. And a question for anyone who has Banned in Boston. It is very sharp and chemical initially, and it very much reminds me of how most leather notes smell on me. But it isn't in the listed notes, so I suppose something else could be making me think "LEATHER!".

Any of you cinnamon lovers tried Sin? It is really delicious spicy red musk and cinnamon on me. And I got lots of cinnamon from All Night Long as well. Bengal was a huge fail on me so far as spices go, all I got was a burning rash and extremely dusty/musty honey.

Amber, heliotrope, golden sandalwood, peach blossom and vanilla bean. This review is for very well aged Tamora. It's from an amber bottle, but with the old style label, purchased on the forum from the fabulous Stellans. I am so glad I snagged this from her sale page because it smells incredible! This oil dries down very quickly on me. Wet I can definitely smell the peach, but it back down quickly to blend into the amber and vanilla....it becomes a creamy and gently sweet skin scent. Thankfully this is NOT over-ripe peach, more like a slightly under-ripe peach, still whole, being sniffed just before taking a bite, the fuzzy skin warmed by the sun. I'm coming to the conclusion that, although I'm not a huge fan of eating peaches (except perhaps in cobbler), I do love the scent of peaches. Provided the scent isn't so sweet that it makes my teeth hurt, lol. Overall this scent is really wonderful when aged. I haven't tried it fresh, so I can not guess at the effects of aging. This is primarily a skin scent, which I think will be very nice for the warmer weather. And it will require some slathering and reapplication, since it does seem to fade somewhat quickly. I think she's worth it though!

Just out of the mailbox here! I did not review the notes/description before reviewing, so these are truly off-the-cuff impressions. Wet on skin.....wait....is that SCHEREZADE? That must be champaca. I do looove champaca. I do not mind smelling somewhat like an overpriced new age shop Underneath I can smell the black musk, which I also like alot. As it warms a really nice woodiness begins to come through. I'm not getting any anise, and I remember from when I ordered that anise was a listed note, because I was scared of it. The oil is very, very dark. Darker than Black Temple Burlesque Troupe even. I have a round spot that looks like jaundice on my wrist. So far this is quite unisex, maybe even leaning towards feminine thanks to the champaca. I don't recall which spices (if any) this is supposed to have in it, but i'm sensing a sort of warmth in my nose that makes me think "spicy". It is spicy in a very good way! Now nearly dry....I'm smelling a bit of sweetness. A very warm, slightly smoky, almost woodsy sweetness. The champaca is still there, dancing amonst the other notes. And the black musk, this is a really amazing musk! Yowza. Overall: I like this way more than I thought I would. More than Raven Moon, which is thus far my favorite lunacy. This is comforting in a warm, velvety, dare i say "furry" way. But sexy in a slinky, smooth, feline way. I don't often find a scent both comforting and sexy. Those are the sort of scents I really love. I think this could easily be worn by a man or a woman. Excellent job, Beth!

Hmmm....wet there is something quite sharp....probably the brandy. And behind the sharpness is a very O like honey. Unfortunately It seems that (as with Womb Furie) this particular sort of honey base goes a little wierd powder-playdoh on me. Thankfully that seems to be fading fairly quickly. There's also a fruitiness that sort of makes me think of coconut (??) in that it is sort of creamy, but my nose is also telling me that something in here is a bit cherry-ish. As it is drying....uh-oh....something is a wee bit funkeh. Nothing so awful as sweat socks or rotten onions, just a tiny hint of something off. Now that it seems to be completely dry....Wow, the funkeh has receded so far into the background I'm really not certian it's even there anymore. The throw is light, but incredibly lovely. A little fruit, a hint of sweet booziness, maybe just a tiny bit of creaminess still. The brandy gives it a zestiness, but I wouldn't say that the scent is overly boozy, just enough for a little zing. And if I try really, really hard I can still sense the playdoh effect, but I know now (from experience) that this usually fades with a little aging. It's already quite minimal, which means that a month or so should see it gone all together. Overall I think this is a really unique twist on honey. I think the initial wet stages might put some people off, but it will come down to skin chemistry as to whether or not any "funk" comes through, and whether or not it is enough to be bothersome.

This is actually very nice! I was a bit concerned since the reviews seemed very mixed on this one. But having seen a couple of forumites, whose tastes seem similar to mine, mention how much they like this one I decided to risk it. The first time I tested it I was a bit disappointed as the saffron seemed a bit dusty and "off". Once dry, I still felt that the scent was sort of unremarkable as sniffed my wrist. It struck me as very "Yankee Candle" vanilla. Not a bad smell by any means, but sort of meh. However, the redeeming quality of this scent is the throw. Not that I'm saying the throw is uber powerful or something, rather that it is such a wonderful, warm vanilla scent. I kept catching these lovely wafts of smooth, warm, creamy vanilla, and thinking, "Wait, is that me?" Sure enough, when I sniff skin close I still get a sort of waxy vanilla, but in the air around me, there are swirls of sweet vanilla cream that are just lovely. Overall I would say this scent has worked out very well for me. It is subtle, but lovely, and I've found myself reaching for it quite often.

Unfortunately I may have to echo Violetblue on this one. I only tested a few droplets from the cap, but daaaang this stuff is potent! And unfortunately it is quite harsh to my nose. I can see where lovers of very dark, smoky, incense blends would like this, but I think it might be a bit too much for me. I'm not certain if the opium is the culprit, making this too sharp, but whatever it is.....yeah. The plum and musk were what drew me to this blend, and I'm not getting any of those on my skin. Probably off to the swaps for this bottle, hopefully for something I can enjoy more.

This is really pretty! It is "girly" without being completely silly or frivolous. Not that there is anything wrong with a scent that has either of those qualities, this one is just a bit more mature. It really is an embodiment of a Lolita-esque, girl on the edge of womanhood type fragrance. That said, I feel quite comfortable wearing it despite the fact that I am neither Loli or Goth, so I would say it is a very wearable "girly" scent. Wet I get a lot of strawberry, but it settles very quickly into a more complex blend. I get a hint of sweet creaminess from the pink musk and white sandalwood. And if I sniff VERY deeply I get something a bit bitter and green, which may be the raspberry leaf? No worries though, the bitterness doesn't come through in the throw at all, and even with my nose pressed against my wrist I have to work very hard to smell it. I think I'm actually glad that the bitterness is lurking there in the far background, I think it helps keep this blend from being over-the-top sweet or foody. This is one of those rare berry scents that doesn't come across as "foody" to me. It has enough complexity that I think someone smelling it on me would say "You smell really nice!" not "You smell like strawberry jam!" Again, don't get me wrong, I do sometimes want to smell foody and deliciously edible. But I have to be in the mood. This is more of an anytime, wearable, pretty scent. I really like it! ETA: On my skin this has moderate throw, and wears for a nice long time.

I'm surprised I haven't reviewed this blend! Illustrated Woman and I have a sordid past. I had a wee sniffie imp that smelled quite nice. So I decided to swap for a bottle. Well, unfortunately USPS utterly massacred said bottle. Upon opening the sad USPS plastic bag that they use for damaged packages, I was sooooo sad because it smelled ah-mazing. The actual bottle was nowhere in evidence, but it was pretty obvious that The Illustrated Woman had at one time resided in the envelope, because that's what I was smelling. At this point I surely didn't expect my swap mate to replace the bottle. This obviously wasn't her mistake. But she (very kindly) refused to take no for an answer. She ordered a fresh bottle from the lab for me. However, in the mean time, I was really wanting a bottle because my sniffie imp was completely gone. So I procured another bottle (of indeterminate age) via the forum sales. At this point the bottle I'm currently using must be over one year old. It is a thing of beauty. And the replacement bottle is safely cellared, awaiting the day that I need it. Initially the pine packs a wallop. Having sniffed a fresh from the lab bottle in comparison to aged, I will say that the pine pitch note seems to back off a little bit with age. The pine remains the top note for the first 3 hours of wear or so, but it is backed by lovely smoky vanilla, sweet tobacco, and skin musk. It isn't single note pine, but the pine remains in the forefront for a bit, and I find it quite enjoyable. It actually gives this blend a rather cool feeling, which is very nice for these warm spring days. After the first 2-3 hours the pine begins to fade, allowing the patchouli to come a bit closer to the surface, and the skin musk is a bit more noticeable as well. On the insides of my wrists I get more of the patchouli and musk, on the backs of my wrists more of the vanilla, pine, patchouli. Overall this is a really unique and pleasant scent. I feel uplifted when I wear it. The pine pitch in this blend is one of the few evergreen notes I really care for on myself. Others tend to go generic Christmas potpourri on my skin. This note, thankfully, doesn't do that at all.