puck_nc

Origin: decant circle Initial Thoughts: several of these notes are favorites of mine. Not sure about the mate or red tea notes. In the imp: Sandalwood and tea and high, sharp neroli. Wet: The sandalwood and orange blossom stay strong, but the vanilla is also coming out to play early. At this stage it's almost a scent painting of a sunrise. Drydown: I think the teas and sandalwood are amping the orange blossom...only the vanilla is still in the mix, trying to give everything a sweetness. I can't find my beloved carnation anywhere. Verdict: This one's not for me.

Origin: decant circle Initial Thoughts: I like florals and I almost always try "cold" scents looking for something close enough to Skadi. In the imp: High white florals and the chill of unsweetened mint. Wet: The chilly note has almost disappeared, leaving the this, pale floral note to come through, Drydown: Wow, this one fades rather fast on me. I can still smell the floral if I try really hard. Verdict: It's a pretty scent, but I have tons of floral scents already. I might use the decant but probably won't go for a bottle.

Origin: decant circle Initial Thoughts: Holly has worked for me before. Fig has worked for me before. Why not try them together? In the imp: Sweet and foody...something full of sugar and spice and yum. Wet: Sweet and foody. I get an impression of nuts and I think the holly is trying to peek out, but it's still mostly a rich dessert full of spices. Drydown: Spicy fig finally asserts itself and the scent shifts from pure foody to Christmas atmosphere. Verdict: I rather like it, but I'm not sure whether I would use a full bottle. Will ponder.

Pine boughs, plum pudding, spiced pears, sugared chestnuts, punch floated with oranges, boughs of holly, and myrica berries. Origin: decant circle Initial Thoughts: Mainly just a whim. I love the evergreen notes and was curious as to what foody notes might do with them. In the imp: Incredibly foody, like a fresh-baked pastry filled with spices and fruit. Wet: Ew, somethings are clashing horribly, almost like trying to light a fake scented candle in a room with a litterbox. Help! Drydown: Thank goodness, the worst of the litterbox impression fades fast. The pine and holly have amped, but a foody suggestion of sweet remains just behind them. Verdict: Once it settles down, this is a wonderful Christmas-y scent, like serving a scrumptious high tea in the room with a fresh-cut tree. Not sure I would use a whole bottle, though.

Origin: decant circle Initial Thoughts: This was just a shot in the dark. Several of these notes are love, a couple are iffy. In the imp: Currants, dusted with sweet spices and a citrusy zing in the background. Festive and pretty. Wet: Rich and fruity and sweet, with a suggestion of chill that may be the cedar. Drydown: The spices come to the forefront, but the currant and fruits continue to lurk underneath. Verdict: This is a surprisingly nice combination on me. I'll play with the decant a little more and then decide if I'll use a bottle or not.

Origin: decant circle Initial Thoughts: The original Lick It is one of my all-time favorite BPAL scents and I hoard my 2 1/2 bottles of it. I have tried every version since, but nothing ever quite came close enough to the original enough to warrant a bottle purchase. Time to try again. In the imp: Strong, sweet mint. A distilled candy cane. Wet: The mint sharpens on my skin and now I'm getting some of the sinus-clearing effects others have mentioned. (Good thing, too - I have a stupid head cold.) For a minute I could tell it was on my skin, but I didn't get any burning discomfort that some have mentioned. The mint has overwhelmed the sweet to the point that it's almost icy cold. Drydown: As it dries, it's gradually sweetening up again. On me the mint is hanging around. Verdict: I'm going to test it side-by-side with Lick It, but my impression is that while this is definitely a stronger mint, it's probably the closest to the original I've smelled. I foresee a bottle or two in my future.

Origin: unexpected gift in a decant circle shipment Initial Thoughts: After reading the other reviews, this may turn out to be too foody for me, but it's worth the try. In the imp: Spicy and vanilla-sweet and just a bit citrus-y, definitely a foody impression. Wet: Creamy, sweet and gently spicy. I agree with the idea of baked goodies, but it's not shouting any particular kind. Drydown: The spices amp up a little, but not too much. It's quietly warm and comforting on my skin. Verdict: I'm going to test this one again in a couple of days to be sure, but I think I like it very much.

Origin: Straight from the Lab Initial Thoughts: This was a MUST! BUY! NOW! for me. I teach Spanish. Every October and November I am explaining how no, it's not a Mexican Halloween, getting my kids to make little altars, bringing in pan de muerto, the whole bit. I have tried all the other Día de los Muertos scents that do not have a deal-breaker note for me and none of them have worked on me. Plus I love marigolds...how they look and how the flowers smell. I am hoping against hope that this will be the closest I might ever come to a single-note cempazúchil. In the Bottle: It's sharper and thinner than I remember from the last time I buried my nose in them, but it's definitely a strong mum-ish floral. Wet: Ooh, spicy! It warms up quite a bit on contact, bringing in a cinnamony sweet undertone to the very herby floral. Drydown: There it is! That lovely balance between aquatic and spicy and floral! It may not be quite a pure marigold, but it's warm and bright and I'm already planning to wear it for the festivities planned for our languages department at our school. Verdict: I think I'll be keeping this one. Might have to snag a backup bottle before they go away... Darn it, spoke too soon. It morphed further and went more herby, adding a smoky undertone. The sunny sweetness I was tripping on has vanished

Origin: Straight from the Lab Initial Thoughts: Honeysuckle, hydrangea, chrysanthemum...some of my favorite romantic flowers all in one blend. I had to try it in spite of the description. In the Bottle: Wonderfully sweet honeysuckle next to a definite herbal note. I think the herbal note is winning here. Wet: The herby and slightly woody balsam is taking charge to start with. It's rather sharp, but I can detect the florals underneath, biding their time... Drydown: The florals are stronger, a less sweet blend than the honeysuckle was at first. But the herbal side just isn't willing to give up without a fight. It finally retreats enough to let the florals take control: a sweetish crush of summer and fall petals. Verdict: I believe I have room to keep this in my box. Need to compare it to a couple other florals I have.

Stargazer lily, white musk, winter orchid, white grapefruit, fir needle, star jasmine, citron, and mint. Text on Bottle: Passar al foco i di quieti e contenti Mentre la pioggia fuor bagna ben cento Translation via Wikipedia: Before the fire to pass peaceful, Contented days while the rain outside pours down. Origin: Straight from the Trading Post Initial Thoughts: I almost never take baths; our tub isn't long or deep enough for a good soak. That was one of the reasons I hesitated over doing the Inquest. But I saw someone's suggestion about massaging the oil into one's skin in the shower before a final rinse and thought that was a good idea. In the Bottle: The fir needle is prominent, making me think "winter" and "chilly" right away. The musk gives it a gentle sweetness and something adds a lovely unexpected zing...probably either the citron, grapefruit or mint. In the Shower: As I was applying it I got a lovely blast of cool floral and gentle musk. It was a great pleasure to rub this all over and bask in the scent. After the Shower: My skin is beautifully silky-soft. The scent is almost non-existent, but I get the faintest whiff of fir and floral. I will have no trouble layering this with other scents. Verdict: Okay, now that I have a use for bath oil, I'm going to have to take another look at the Trading Post's offerings. And I am going to thoroughly enjoy using L'Inverno as long as it lasts.

Origin: Straight from the Lab Initial Thoughts: I'm always looking for a coconut scent that isn't over-the-top foody. And I love the tropical florals of plumeria and pikake. Have no idea what ala ala wai nui is. In the bottle: Wow, definitely a cold impression! My first whiff is actually more floral than coconut, but the coconut comes out in the next whiff. Wet: The chilly impression has vanished, leaving behind a very balanced scent between the coconut and the florals. And because of the florals, it's not a foody impression. Possibly a mixed-drink impression, but my husband hopefully will not complain of me smelling like coconut creme pie. Drydown: The chilly impression returns, making the scent even less foody. The coconut is in the background now, with the florals going slightly herbal. Verdict: I think I like this very much. Must play with it some more.

Origin: Straight from the Lab in record time! Initial Thoughts: On the plus side: white musk that doesn't amp on me, French vanilla, honeysuckle and frankgipani. On the minus side: white rose which can go stinky on my skin and ambrette seed which may behave like amber and amp. Unknowns: angelica root and orris. But it's been so long since there's been a Lunacy that didn't have a dealbreaking note, so I jumped. In the bottle: The initial note is musk, but a sweet, gentle and playful musk. Another whiff gets some floral undertones. And then I can pick out the vanilla. Wet: Still mostly the light musk and the vanilla is making it almost foody. For a second I thought I could detect the bad rose, but it disappeared as fast as it came. Drydown: Wow, this fades pretty fast on me. The musk and vanilla stay dominant on me, with a soft lilting floral and herbal edge in the background. Verdict: On the plus side, the rose didn't stink up my wrist. On the minus side, there isn't quite as much honeysuckle as I was hoping for. I think I'll play with this one a little before I decide whether to keep it.

Origin: Straight from the Lab Initial Thoughts: I love and hoard my decant of Chaste Moon 2005 and was thrilled to see it return. In the Bottle: Cool, spicy and floral. Like a soft musk dripping over white flowers. Wet: It gets a little spicier, and the coolness becomes zingier - I see where someone before said herbal. At this stage I'm not getting that wonderful gentle creamy musk that made me love the original. But then I've been known to have a time-delay musk-amping power. Drydown: Yep, there's the musk. It's a gentle one, a skin or white musk, the kind that works on me. It warms up the scent and cradles the floral in a lovely light spice. I don't think it's as creamy as the original, but it's beautiful. Verdict: Keeper!

Origin: surprise decant from an Inquisition circle off-forum Initial Thoughts: None really, though I tend to avoid metallic scents In the Vial: A minty musk. I agree with the inside-Grandma's-purse description. Wet: The mint softens a bit into the musk and I think some leather emerges. It shifts into something more like a traditional men's aftershave. Drydown: It gets a little more metallic as it dries and the mint softens further. A subtle scent and to my nose very masculine. Verdict: Not something I would wear. I'm going to try it on the husband and see what he thinks.

Origin: bonus from an Inquisition circle off-forum Initial Thoughts: None, since there doesn't seem to be a description of any kind. In the Vial: Nutty and sweet and warm. A comforting foody scent that immediately thinks of being in a warm and cozy home on a cold night. Wet: Not so sweet now and much more of an impression of air, although there's no ozone in here. Of all things it seems like cedar is creeping in. My mental impression includes a fire going in a fireplace now. Drydown: The woodsy-cedar note persists on me, and I'm thinking there may be some tea in here, because I agree with the notion that it's a bit like Dorian. My skin makes this a masculine foody scent. Verdict: I'm going to try this on my husband and see what it does. Not something I would wear for myself.

Origin: decant from an Inquisition circle off-forum Initial Thoughts: I like strawberry and I like mimosa when it's in bloom. In the Vial: Very strawberry! Very candy-like with just a bit of "green" backdrop that might make one think of florals or leaves. It's rather powerful as well...I opened the vial to take a sniff, closed it, and am still smelling the fragrance in the air after typing all this. Wet: Wow...that first clash of strawberry and mimosa is indeed disquieting. It balances somewhat after the initial blast, but the sweet strawberry candy is definitely not blending well with the mimosa. The scent is somewhat jarring and every sniff for the sweetness is just not quite right. Drydown: I think the mimosa is winning the battle on me, and I'm not sure that's a good thing. The strawberry has turned a bit sour, lurking under the mimosa like something just waiting to turn into full-on scary mode. Verdict: The scent certainly suits the inspiration. But I don't think my skin is showing it off at its best.

Origin: decant in Inquisition circle off-forum Initial Thoughts: I'm not sure about honey and musk on my skin and rose doesn't always behave on me. But I adore, adore, ADORE how my teddy bear smells after years of being squished against me at night. In the Vial: That...is an incredibly foody scent for something that doesn't really seem to have food in the notes...honey...sugared plums... It's pie, pastry, buttery, and sweet. Wet: More of the same so far, with maybe the barest peep of rose and plum. Drydown: The musk amps, as musk tends to do on me. It brings out the honey, and while it's still foody in nature, it's not so much pie-from-the-oven now. It turns sweeter; I think the vanilla comes out as well. Verdict: Well, this starts out smelling nothing like I expected. It's not a bad scent to me, but probably not one I'll keep. It should go to someone who loves honey and gently foody scents.

Origin: decant from an Inquisition circle off-forum Initial Thoughts: I love me some carnation. Not quite as sure about the grape. In the Vial: Very light and airy. I'm having a hard time getting a good noseful of scent. I think I can smell the carnation and a fruity note, but it's all very faint. Wet: Again, this is extremely light. If it stays like this, I'd recommend it to folks who want to wear a scent, but have to deal with people who complain about being overpowered by perfume fumes. At the moment the carnation is the stronger note, almost like a fresh flower, with just the slightest fruity edge. Drydown: It gets a little more sugary and fruity, still all the while staying extremely close to the skin. Verdict: I could see finishing the decant, but I'm not sure about tracking down a bottle.

Origin: Frimp in an Inquisition Circle Initial Thoughts: the description seemed like it would be too ozone-y for me. But never look a gift frimp in the mouth! In the Vial: Lemongrass fizzing with energy from the ozone. Wet: Lemon shot through with mint. The ozone has calmed down for the moment, but still adds a very airy feel to the scent. Drydown: Not a great deal of morph on me other than the mint fading somewhat. Verdict: The lemongrass overpowers my nose. This will get passed on.

Origin: frimp from an Inquisition circle Initial Thoughts: In my first searches through the massive catalog that is BPAL, either I nixed this because of the mention of aquatic notes or I found it after I learned that some rose and pomegranate notes aren't at their best on my skin. But, never turn down a frimp with no firm deal-breakers! In the Vial: Lightly fruity, freshly floral, with a cool aquatic undercurrent. A pretty, feminine spring-like scent. Wet: Sweet and light fruit, all warm and golden. More summer than spring at this stage. Drydown: The aquatic comes out a bit more, along with the floral and finally a hint of those autumn breezes. It stays sweet with a fruity grounding throughout. Verdict: I like this a lot more than I expected I would. We'll see how long the imp lasts...

Origin: Straight from the Lab Initial Thoughts: I am all about silver. One of my favorite colors, my favorite metal, symbol of my favorite planet, etc. and so on. So when I saw no notes that shouted "Danger, Will Robinson!" I had to try it. In the Bottle: Most definitely cool silver. Herbal notes overlaying fruit as if the pear were coated in a thin sheen of glassy silver. Wet: On my skin, this is much more an herby floral than a herby fruit. The herbals are softer and sweeter than the usual sharp medicine-y or spicy notes I associate with "herbal" notes. The dominant impression is still cool and silvery, like a full-moon night setting the garden aglow. Drydown: The herbals finally sharpen somewhat, giving a metallic tinge to a scent that has no metals listed. It's also irritating my skin where I tested it and I don't know if that's me reacting to a note or just the cold dry weather here (a couple other oils have made my skin itch and burn a little this week). Verdict: I think I will try this again in a few days and see if it behaves any better.

Origin: Straight from the Lab Initial Thoughts: I had heard the buzz about Hod being a holy grail of carnation, but didn't get around to ordering it before it went poof. I'm very glad for the chance to try it now. In the Bottle: Spicy carnation and velvety musk. It's like what I remember from Bathsheba, but seems to have many more layers to it. My mental image is a bouquet of carnations on a glossy mink coat. Wet: A smooth, silky musk and over it the freshest carnation I can ever remember smelling in a perfume. I've had the "fresh flower" experience once or twice with rose (which usually leads to my "stinky cooked cabbage" skin chemistry issue), but I'm not getting that nasty morph yet here. It's the scent of burying my nose in that wonderful carnation. Drydown: It took a while, but the musk is finally amping on me. What was a carnation scent enhanced by musk is now a musk scent with a thread of carnation in it. Verdict: Well, now I know. This is beautiful, but I get a much better carnation experience with Bathsheba.

Ylang ylang, osmanthus, spring berries, and daffodil cloaked in hoarfrost. Origin: decant from eviltemptressdq's circle Initial Thoughts: I didn't try this back in 2006. Maybe it was because I was still relatively new to BPAL then and inexperienced. Maybe I looked at "berries" and associated it with blackberry/raspberry. Maybe I looked at "hoarfrost" and assumed "dirt". Whatever the reason, I saw the daffodil this time around and decided to try it. In the Vial: The evergreen version of the BPAL snow notes, with an herbal undertone. Reminiscent of Skadi, if I remember correctly, and of Mistletoe and this year's The First Soft Snow. Wet: The evergreen is strong, but underneath there are florals stirring and an edge that I think is the berry. This is so chilly it's still cool on my skin after several sniffs. Drydown: I need to do a side-by-side to be sure, but this is most definitely giving me a Skadi vibe. Rich cool evergreens with an underlying tinge of berry and floral and herbal. Verdict: If the side-by-side confirms that this is the closest to Skadi I'll ever get beyond my half-decant, I'll definitely be grabbing a bottle or two.

Origin: decant from eviltemptressdq's circle Initial Thoughts: I love port. I like jelly. I've always been curious to taste it. This could be the next best thing. In the Vial: Incredibly red boozy jelly. Way strong on the red currant after the first sniff. Wet: Sweeter than in the bottle and not quite so boozy after the first few seconds. Deep, rich, fruit with an alcohol undertone. Drydown: This one seems to fade on me pretty quickly. After only ten minutes or so I'm getting a much fainter scent. A lot of the fruit has thinned out and while the alcohol remains, it's a wine that's a pale shadow of its former self. Verdict: I'll play with the decant some more to see if I can make the rich, robust stage hang around a bit longer.

Origin: decant from eviltemptressdq's circle Initial Thoughts: The original Lick It is one of my all-time favorites and I hoard my precious 2 1/2 bottles of it. Later editions have not quite captured the original magic for me, either going plasticky or stale on me, although last year's came close. Time to try again. In the Vial: Pure candy cane in a bottle. Perhaps this year's is slightly less sweet, maybe. Wet: Sharp, cold mint, with hints of sugar. This feels kind of like sticking my nose in an Altoids tin. Drydown: This is staying very strongly minty on me. I don't think it's as sweet as my aged original, but at least I'm not getting plastic like I have at other times. Verdict: I think this may be a bottle-or-two purchase. If it ages as beautifully as Lick It has, getting a couple now will extend my supply that many more years into the future.