puck_nc

I only just got my bar of Pumpkin Soap today and haven't had a chance to try it, but I'm already in love with just smelling it through the paper. Rich pumpkin with a good layer of spice to it. When I open the paper, the soap itself is silky to the touch. I'm in the middle of a bar of soap from a meet&sniff swap, but I will definitely be trying this next! I think I'm going to have to judge how much of this to cut off and set aside to scent up my bathroom or bedroom (and hope my husband doesn't complain too much--he already hates the pumpkin sachets in my dresser drawers).

Okay, how could I have missed posting a review of one of my favorite autumn scents? Origin: Straight from the Lab Initial Thoughts: At the time I was still fairly new to BPAL and still learning what I like and what works on me. I think I just remember seeing the incredible list of notes and thinking, "Wow, I gotta try this!" In the Bottle: Autumn spices! A rich, sweet brown scent that immediately made me think of baking for the holiday dinners. Wet: Rich, fruity and herby. Like walking through a farmers' market after the chill has taken a firm grip on the air and all the harvest is there to choose from. Drydown: The florals come out to play, as do the spices. I feel like I'm smelling cider-dipped flowers and it's gorgeous. Verdict: This has been a favorite of mine for the last two autumns and I've been reaching for it again this year as the mornings began to cool off and promise that yes, summer will end. I may have to start trolling the forums and eBay for a backup bottle sometime soon.

Origin: decant from eviltemptressdq's circle Initial Thoughts: I am utterly in love with Pumpkin Patch #4 and Pumpkin Patch #5 from the first round. This was the only one of the new set that grabbed me. In the Bottle: Buttery pumpkin, with a light sweet character thanks to the fruits. Wet: I get pumpkin for about two seconds, then the pear and grape take over. They aren't candy-like at all on me, very much like fresh fruit. Drydown: The pumpkin fades back in, blending very nicely with the pear and grape. It's a refreshing change to have pumpkin and fruit, but nothing that screams "PIE!!!" Verdict: If I use up the decant as fast as I think I'm going to, I'll be needing a bottle of it.

Origin: decant from eviltemptressdq's circle Initial Thoughts: This was the first Zodiac blend I ever bought. I've never been drawn to them as a rule, and my Virgo didn't have any notes that attracted me at all. But Libra sounded like it might be beautiful if the rose doesn't go green-stem skanky on me. In the Bottle: A blast of cherry cough-drop with a few whiffs of rose and carnation. Wet: Extremely black currant and cherry. I don't remember off-hand, but this is what I would think of for Mad Tea Party's Queen of Hearts. Drydown: And damn...now the rose is coming out but is all green-stem and very little rose. I am fighting to try and get any of the other notes right now. Verdict: This will go to someone whose skin chemistry is more compatible than mine.

Origin: sniffie from eviltemptressdq's circle Initial Thoughts: I love trying pumpkin scents, but the red ginger scared me off. I wouldn't have tried this, except my decantress threw in an almost-empty bottle as a sniffie. In the Bottle: Pumpkin!!! Followed by a wave of sweet, hot spice. Wet: Ginger!!! Sweet and hot but overwhelmingly ginger. My skin is actually burning slightly where I applied it. Drydown: Okay, the ginger's calming down a little and letting the pumpkin back in a bit. But not much. This is first and foremost a ginger scent on me. Verdict: It was nice to try it, but now I know red ginger isn't a good note for me.

Origin: decant from eviltemptressdq's circle Initial Thoughts: One of my favorite fall perfumes is a wood/smoke/leaf scent from another company. I was curious to see what the BPAL interpretation might be. In the Bottle: Jeez, green and dank and sour! It's more evergreen than fallen leaves to my nose, and it's as if the gorgeous Mistletoe somehow went rancid. A more cautious second sniff produces a more woodsy aroma. Wet: Okay, once it hits my skin it's muuuuuuch better. Woodsy with hints of smoke and a touch of spice in the background. Drydown: The spice comes out a little more on me. Verdict: It's a beautiful scent portrait of October, but I think I like the other perfume better. I'll probably pass this on.

Origin: decant from eviltemptressdq's circle Initial Thoughts: I will try almost any vanilla scent that doesn't include a deal-breaking note. I like pear very much in Juliet. In the Bottle: Wow, a pear so sweet I think several of my teeth just developed cavities. Wet: If Jolly Rancher or other candy-makers used pear as a flavor, this would be it. Pear, positively singing with sugar and sweet vanilla. Drydown: Hm. I see what others are saying about not much throw. But even close to the skin it remains a beautiful sweetly fruity blend. Verdict: I think I'm gonna need a bottle of this one.

Origin: decant from eviltemptressdq's circle Initial Thoughts: This sounded utterly sweet and feminine...if the violet will behave on my skin. In the Bottle: Wow...soap. 100% soap. I've heard of the soap issue on people's skins before, but I've never smelt it in the bottle like that. Wet: Lavender and sandalwood with an undertone of florals. The soapy impression lingers. Drydown: It blends together some, and the florals bloom more. The violet does not come out to stank up the place as it often does with me. It stays a quiet and feminine scent, but that soapy edge remains. Verdict: I may use up the decant, but I already have several light florals that don't remind me of soap.

Origin: decant bought on LJ Initial Thoughts: I didn't look before I bought...I thought this one was the one for sinus headaches. But since walking my child to and from school every day, I've developed a bit of pain in my left Achilles tendon, so I thought I'd give it a try. Scent: As others have reported, there's eucalyptus. There's lemon-citrus. There's a dash of pepper. All together it does smell rather medicinal, but it's not offensively so. Effect: I rubbed some into the sore points on my ankle. There was a cooling effect at first, and gradually everywhere I'd rubbed turned warmer. About ten minutes after applying I tried poking at the sorest spot and got zero pain! The tendon still feels...well-used if I move my foot around, but at this time it doesn't ache. This certainly seems to work as advertised. I'm going to get my husband to give it a try on his knee when he gets home.

Origin: imp from the Bag of Joy at the Maryland Swim & Sniff Initial Thoughts: I literally picked it for the name alone...a name I had absolutely no memory of despite over two years of BPAL fandom. In the Bottle: Overwhelmingly herbs and grasses Wet: Lavender and fern. Incredibly herby. Drydown: The lilac comes out to play, but so does the absinthe, making the entire thing oddly boozy. Verdict: Off to the swap/sale pile.

Origin: Imp picked out of the Bag of Joy at the Maryland Swim & Sniff Initial Thoughts: A couple of lucky picks recently have made me warm up to tonka a bit. And sweet pea is always good. In the Bottle: tonka with the sweet pea backing it Wet: sage comes roaring up, making a very strongly dark green scent Drydown: the sweet pea develops, along with a bit of musk, but the dominant note is still the sage Verdict: An interesting, deep scent, but not one I'd reach for.

Origin: Imp picked up at a meet & sniff Initial Thoughts: The BPAL violet doesn't tend to play nicely on me unless it's buried in a lot of other notes. In the Bottle: Sweet, fresh violets at first, then hints of the tonka. Wet: The incense amps up a bit, preventing the violet from doing its usual skanky number on me. Drydown: The violet is really, really trying to do its nasty thing on me, but the incense and tonka keep sitting on it and holding it to a sweetly floral undertone. Verdict: A nice scent, and I think I could use up an imp of it.

Origin: Decant I picked up somewhere Initial Thoughts: For the longest time this has been sitting in the "special" corner of my imp box. I think I kept confusing it with Chesed or Chiroptera, thinking it was an LE. Time to test it and see if I'll wear it; I adore honeysuckle. In the Bottle: Cinnamon sugar. I don't know if it's the honeysuckle making it so sweet, but something is. Wet: The myrrh comes out to play, but the sweet cinnamon is still strongest. Drydown: Something is causing an almond-like quality and the cinnamon tones down a bit so I'm left with a very pastry-ish smell. But still a very cinnamon-y pastry. I can't find the honeysuckle at all, more's the pity. Verdict: *looks at too-large pile of imps* It's a nice scent, but I'm honestly not sure how often I'd reach for it.

Origin: Won a decant on eBay Initial Thoughts: One of the things I adored about springtime at the apartment complex my husband and I lived in for several years was walking to the bus stop past the waterfalls of wisteria growing in a wooded area. It's a scent I love, that I associate strongly with spring and renewal. In the Bottle: Definitely wisteria, but a perfume-y version of wisteria. It's sweeter and heavier, more soapy than the scent of the fresh flowers to my nose. Wet: On my skin a green edge appears, a bit more like the real thing. The soapy element is still there. Drydown: The soapy element gradually fades and I get a gorgeous bright noseful of pink wisteria, just as if I'd buried my face in a branch full of the flowers. Verdict: If ever Beth decided to bring back the single notes for a limited run, I'd so snag a bottle of this in order to wear it regularly. As it is, this precious will join my few other SNs in the special corner of the imp box.

Origin: decant bought in an LJ sale Initial Thoughts: First I was going to get both Sportive Sun and Gibbous Moon. Then I was just going to get Gibbous Moon, because the amber made me second-guess myself. Amber often amps up on me. But I had a financial hiccup and let the deadline pass. So when someone offered a bottle of Gibbous Moon and a decant of this, I jumped. In the Bottle: Very, very spicy amber. Wet: A blast of very hot amber. Drydown: This time the amber doesn't stomp the other notes into the ground. The cedar comes out, backed by a warm mishmash of floral with a hint of spice. But it clings very closely to my skin...not much throw that I can tell. Verdict: Well, it's an amber that I can wear, but it seems to fade so gosh-darned fast. *drums fingers*

Origin: Bought in an LJ sale Initial Thoughts: At first I was going to get both Sportive Sun and Gibbous Moon. Then I was just going to get Gibbous Moon. Then I had a financial mini-crisis and couldn't get either before they were taken down. The reviews made me regret missing this one, so I grabbed a bottle when I found the chance. In the Bottle: Floral with a heavy green leaning...probably the cucumber. Very fresh and inviting on this broiler of a day. Wet: The moss leaps out to join the cucumber, with a light and airy floral mix behind them. Drydown: Ooh, I smell my hyacinth! And I think I smell lily as well--or maybe that's moonflower. I'm not sure what moonflower smells like, exactly. It's still wonderfully light and cool and floral, but greener than Blue Moon Verdict: I adore hyacinth and I think this is the first perfume oil I've found where it is a dominant note. I'm so glad I managed to snag a bottle of it!

Origin: decant bought on LJ Initial Thoughts: It sounds like a light and pretty floral. In the Bottle: Weak herbal tea. Wet: A blast of grassy notes. Drydown: The sweet comes out along with some high herbal notes. But it's also very strangely over-the-counter perfumey. Verdict: Nice, but it isn't grabbing me by the throat and demanding to be worn.

Origin: decant from eviltemptressdq's circle Initial Thoughts: Magnolia is one of my favorite springtime scents and there just don't seem to be many perfumes where it's a dominant note. In the Bottle: Almost pure lavender to my nose, but a very cold lavender. Wet: Very, very lavender. If there's any magnolia in there at all, my nose can't find it yet. Drydown: It takes quite a while, but the magnolia finally fights to the surface. It doesn't really stand out on its own, but takes the egde off the lavender, making it sweeter and gentler. Verdict: I can see using this as a sleep scent and may be getting a bottle if I use the decant up fast enough.

Origin: decant from eviltemptressdq's circle Initial Thoughts: I have learned to love vanilla musk thanks to a couple of scents from Possets, and I love stargazer lily. In the Bottle: Incredibly light, feminine, and innocent. A very sweet rose scent. Wet: Ugh...so many rose scents do this skanky green-stem number on me. The lily is fighting valiantly, though. Drydown: The musk is joining the fray as well, and eventually beats down the green-stem into submission--more or less--and lets the sweetness and the florals peek out. Verdict: I can see using the rest of the decant in a scent locket, but I'm not sure about a bottle.

Origin: decant from eviltemptressdq's circle Initial Thoughts: I adore the book. I adore this scene. I adore the description. I hope that the incense and grass notes aren't overpowering. In the Bottle: Grassy with a lot of sugary florals and a fruity impression. Wet: Phooey. After a blast of grass I get the incense. Drydown: Well, the incense note backs off, but so does everything else. I can barely pick out the grassy floral and I can only get a touch of sugar if I sniff really long and hard. Verdict: I'll pass on this one.

Origin: decant from eviltemptressdq's circle Initial Thoughts: This was more for my husband's amusement than me expecting to be able to wear it. I only hope ethereal musk is a light musk, otherwise it will eat the other notes for breakfast. In the Bottle: Very, very woodsy. Light and golden woodsy. Wet: There comes the musk, but it balances nicely with the woody notes. Drydown: It stays very light on me, with the musk keeping it from turning into a lumberyard full of sawdust. Verdict: I'm not sure that I would wear it, but I'm curious to see what it does on my husband.

Thank heavens I had swallowed my drink!

Hmm...at this point I'm not planning to attend a midnight party unless I get some reliable spoilers beforehand that assure me that Rowling will end the series as strongly as she constructed the first five books. But if I did, I'd wear Jack or one of my Pumpkin Patch blends, as I am a Harry/Hermione shipper and one of the fandom names for the ship is the Pumpkin Pie.

Origin: Frimp from the Lab Initial Thoughts: As a rule, I don't care for earthy scents. In the Bottle: Very strongly earthy. Wet: Strong notes of dirt tinged with green. Drydown: A few warm and foody elements creep in, but it's still dirt. Verdict: Definitely not for me.

Origin: Frimp from the Lab Initial Thoughts: I've liked a dash of opium in other blends. In the Bottle: Um, yeah. That smells like a box of Band-Aids. Wet: OK, now it's heavily resinous Band-Aids. Drydown: The resins lighten a bit, the poppy sweetens up, but my overwhelming impression is still opening the door to the bathroom closet and inhaling the Band-Aids and various creams and lotions. Verdict: This one does not like my skin. Pass.