puck_nc

I'm a huge fan of roses and have been slowly working my way through every BPAL with a rose component that I can get to. My current top five BPAL rose scents are: (1) Two Five & Seven: this is for the days when I want a burst of roses, all in full bloom as if I'm walking through a garden of them. (2) Moon Rose: this is a very gentle rose, for days when I don't want a strong perfume. (3) Ace of Hearts: a hint of spice and pepper make this one a nice going-out blend for me. (4) Rakshasa: with the sandalwood & patchouli, this is my get-in-the-mood blend. (5) Rose Red: this is a special-occasion scent for when I want something fresh and clean.

Origin: Imp from a decant circle In the Bottle: pies baking...cider mulling on the stove. I'm getting annoying whiffs of PP#2...I think that imp leaked just a little in the package. Very much the Thanksgiving kitchen. Wet: I get a flash of pumpkin, then the spices take over for a while. Drydown: My three-year-old tells me I smell like cookies baking. Lots of apple and a very strong presence of sweet cinnamon. Verdict: I'm not sure I like it on me, but I think this will be a great scent for my oil burner.

Origin: Imp from a decant circle In the Bottle: Spicy, sensual, intoxicating. I can find the pumpkin and the sandalwood; since I have no idea what orris smells like, I'm thinking it might be the spicy note. Wet: LOTS of sandalwood. Drydown: Interesting...I get a musk-like combination, without the MUSK!!!! that I would normally get from a blend with real musk in it. It's very sexy. Verdict: Me likey! Can't wait for my bottle of this!

Origin: Imp from a decant circle In the Bottle: Well, I get pumpkin and I get pomegranate. But unlike my Persephone where the two notes of pomegranate & rose complement each other, here the notes clash to me. Wet: Ew, this is very tart. All pomegranate at first. Drydown: That citrus note stays, and does not go well with the pumpkin for me at all. Verdict: Well, with five different scents it was quite likely I wouldn't like at least one. This is the one.

Origin: Imp from a decant circle. In the Bottle: Very nice. Strongly woodsy and pumpkin-y. Of all things I feel like I'm in Hagrid's garden in the third Potter movie, behind the pile of giant pumpkins, next to the Forbidden Forest. Wet: Wow, very green! The ivy comes out strongly and I like it. Drydown: The pumpkin warms it up a bit, but this remains a very cool, green, foresty scent. I almost get an impression of mint, of all things. Maybe that's the galangal? Verdict: Lovely! It will make a great autumn room scent, and it works great on me!

Origin: Imp from a decant circle In the Bottle: CHOCOLATE! Maybe a bit nutty, but very, very chocolate. Wet: Ooh, nice! Rich, dark, sweet, nutty. It's like some decadent holiday dessert. Drydown: It stays dark and rich, with neither the pumpkin nor chocolate taking over. I like it, I think, but I'm not sure how much. Verdict: I'll keep the imp for sure. Not sure what I'll do with the bottle I have coming.

The legends around this scent are amazing. I only discovered BPAL this past summer and quickly became aware of the coveted status of this particular scent. While the description alone didn't immediately capture my interest, the general desperation to acquire the scent did. Origin: Scored off eBay when no one else wanted to pay to have it mailed from England, I guess. In the Bottle: Wow, that's nothing like I imagined! It's all sweet and floral and faintly powdery, with nothing of the dust and old-lady preconceptions I had. Wet: Is there some violet? I'm getting a bit of the acrid sharp reaction I usually get with violet, but it's very faint; violet often just takes over such scents on me. It's a bit faint, light, oh so sweet...is that wisteria? Something is tantalizingly familiar. Drydown: It's staying very sweet...but not really candy-sweet or fruit sweet. It's so pretty... After a while I open up this thread to add my opinion and glance at the previous reviews. Vanilla! That's vanilla I smell, but it's not at all a foodie scent. Verdict: You'll pry this imp from my cold dead hands! *starts haunting eBay and the sales forums*

Origin: Purchased on LJ forums. In the Bottle: alcohol, cream, nutmeg...yes, I can verify that this does indeed smell like eggnog. Wet: All spices and cream. Drydown: The nutmeg dominates on my skin. Verdict: Oh, I'm hanging onto this one for a room scent during the holidays! And I hope it comes back for the upcoming Yule update!

Origin: Swapped for it on LJ In the Bottle: Lots of rose with a crisp edge from the narcissus Wet: Whoa, lots of narcissus and just a little rose! A sharp, high scent. Drydown: Well, I don't think I care for narcissus, but it certainly swells like pride does. A good olfactory portrait of the sin. Verdict: Definitely not me. Back to the swap pile!

Origin: Swapped for it on LJ In the Bottle: Vanilla and flowers. Very, very vanilla. Wet: Still very vanilla, with an undertone of pale flowers. Not bad. Drydown: Hmm...either the orchid or stephanotis starts smelling like baby powder. I bet it's the stephanotis, since I think this is the first time I've tried something with that note. Verdict: Well, it's not for me, but it's a pretty scent in the bottle. I think I'll try making a lotion of it for someone else.

Origin: Part of an auction lot In the Bottle: Sweet! Juicy Fruit gum in a bottle! Wet: Fruit! Sweet fruits with just a little tang of citrus...this is what I would have hoped for in Fruit Moon. It's very happy-making. Drydown: Ew! Just like that the sweet dried up and left household cleaner in its wake. I am definitely not happy now Verdict: It's so good in the bottle...and so bad on me. If I learn how to use the TALs properly I might get more at that point.

This was part of my alchemylab auction winnings on Live Journal. In the Bottle: I get a combination of spices and citrus. Wet: It's an orange full of cloves! I'm wearing an orange full of cloves! Then some darker element comes into play...is that chocolate? Drydown: Ah, cinnamon emerges. And then sort of takes over. Verdict: It's definitely not a scent I'd wear normally, but I wonder about its ritualistic purposes and if I can learn to use it properly.

This was an impulse purchase, after hearing from a couple of people that it was a great autumn room scent. Origin: Bought a 5ml off LJ In the Bottle: Very woodsy and smoky with incense. Deep green and mysterious. Wet: Very green and evergreen. I get some herbs coming to the surface and whiffs of incense. Amazingly, the incense isn't taking over. Drydown: Hmm...the fir is gone, leaving smoky herbs in its wake. Verdict: I'm torn a bit. It's not quite evergreen enough for me as a room scent and it definitely doesn't thrill me on my skin. Maybe I'll decant it out and keep one imp.

If it said rose anywhere, it went on my must-try list. Origin: Decant bought on LJ In the Bottle: Creamy, sweet, lots of the bergamot giving it a citrusy twang. Wet: The rose, she blooms. This is usually a good thing for me. Drydown:The rose is dominant for me, but the other notes make it feel very much like a child's perfume. It's delicate instead of robust, pretty instead of beautiful. Verdict: Not bad. I may pick up another imp in the future, but this one is off to the swaps. My tastes run a little more bold.

This was an impulse purchase: I saw "floral" and "limited edition" and snagged it. I second that the label is amazing. In the Bottle: Ooh, lovely! Rich dark florals with a lovely sweetness. I feel like I could get drunk just sniffing! Wet: Hmm...there's violet in here, I think. I'm getting that sharp and acrid smell that means violet has hit my skin. But like Bearded Lady, it only lasts a few seconds and quickly fades in favor of other notes. In this case I think I'm getting vanilla and rose. Definitely rose. Drydown: Wow, that was a quick fade! It's an odd combination of a light scent made up of dark flowers. Then I go through a powdery stage later. Then the sweet note starts creeping back in, strengthening the scent a bit. Verdict: Definitely using this in my scent locket. Debating creating some perfume or lotion to try and make the scent last longer or avoid that faded-to-nothing stage. But I'm very glad I bought it! Curse these limited editions that I adore!!!

The name of this moon refers to the color of wild ground phlox, a primary component of this Lunacy Blend, which is one of the most widespread floral signposts of springtime in North America. This Lunar blend is soft with phlox, tulip, daffodil, dogwood and muscari, dusted with pink sugar, carnation and honey, and a touch of the first strawberries of the season. Origin: decant purchased on LJ In the Bottle: A crowded floral, covered in honey. Wet: The sweet really comes out, just drenching the mix of florals with sugar and honey. Drydown: This fades pretty quickly on me I do get hints of strawberry as it disappears into my skin. Verdict: It's such a pretty scent, but I'll have to use a scent locket or try mixing it into a perfume to see if it will last longer.

The Goddess of Persuasion, Seduction and Sexual Wiles. A member of Aphrodite’s retinue, she is also Aphrodite’s daughter and sister to Tyche and Eunomia. Lusty myrtle and jasmine with red sandalwood, stargazer lily, and clove over an opulent, rich bed of warm musk and bourbon vanilla. Origin: Frimp from the Lab In the Bottle: sweetly musk. This bodes ill. My skin tends to take any hint of musk and run away with it. Wet: Yep, musk. I get faint traces of vanilla and a whiff of flowers, but it is quite definitely musk. Drydown: Hmm, interesting. The musk is still there, but not so strongly. Now I'm getting jasmine and lily. Verdict: Well, alone it doesn't grab me. The musk does lie down much better than most BPALs with musk notes. Smelling it, I was longing for a rose note to mimick my beloved Bearded Lady, which led to an experiment in layering. I think I'll be keeping the imp; whether I buy a bottle to layer with 25&7 remains to be seen.

I love honeysuckle, so I really wanted to try this. Origin: Fortuitous frimp from the Lab. In the Bottle: Hmm...definitely lemon tea. Light and sunny but thin. Wet: Whew! Lemon Pledge! Drydown: The Pledge calms down and it becomes light, lemony tea again. But the honeysuckle never shows its face. Verdict: Into the swap pile.

I love the scent of wisteria, and it's hard enough to find in perfumes, so I had to give this a try. Origin: Part of a big imp purchase off LJ In the Bottle: It's very light and floral, and I can pick out my wisteria. Wet: Hmm...the florals vanish and all I get is lemon, cedar and musk. The combine into an almost cinnamon-scent. It's like I'm standing in an old-fashioned candy-barrel store. Drydown: Wow, this fades fast on me! The florals creep back out, but by the time they do my skin has eaten it all. Verdict: I'm thinking of trying this as a spring room scent since it's so pretty in the bottle.

Anything with roses in it gets a tryout with me. Origin: Bought in an LJ sale. In the Bottle: Hmm...this isn't a pleasant smell for me. Either the orchid or labdanum is very acrid. Wet: Well, for once I'm not sure what to think. The roses aren't really blooming but at least the acrid-ness is lessened. Drydown: Ugh. This turns into a very faint baby powder on me, with no throw. I'm glad this doesn't happen with my favorite rose scents. Verdict: Off to the swap pile.

If it has roses, it must be tried, even though I felt pretty sure going in that the coffee was going to turn me off. Origin: Bought off LJ. In the Bottle: A very crowded scent, and it's hard to isolate the notes. I get whiffs of coffee & wood. Wet: The coffee is strong, as is the vanilla and fig. I smell like Starbucks! Drydown: It goes sharp & acrid on me. The combination doesn't hang together at all. Verdict: It wasn't the coffee in the end but the mahogany and tonka bean that I couldn't stand in combination with the florals.

A celebration of the Bone Church of Prague. Frankincense, rosewood, lily, and geranium rose. Anything that has rose listed in the notes is a must-try for me. Origin: A frimp from a kind BPALer on LJ In the Bottle: dry and dusty, definitely like an old church Wet: incense and more incense. My hate affair with musk continues. Drydown: *sigh* The rose never blooms, nor does the lily. It's all musky incense. Verdict: Sold off.

It was my first Lunacy order. I ordered with trepidation, fearing I would wind up smelling like my dad's Christmas fruit salad. Origin: Fresh from the Lab. In the Bottle: All I can pick out is sour/citrus fruits. Lime, tangerine...it does smell like my dad's fruit salad, which is heavy on the grapefruit. But I don't like grapefruit and that's not one of the components. Wet: MAJOR grapefruit and tangerine, maybe a hint of the mango or papaya...something tropical is trying to peek out. Drydown: Nope, tangerine and oranges. I have to breathe very deeply to get even a hint of other notes and the ones I can catch are the ones I don't care for...like apricot and cantaloupe. I get no apple, no strawberry, no pear. Verdict: Oh well. This one will be sold or traded.

I put this on my wishlist early on in my BPAL experience, long before I had learned what my skin tends to do with either violet or musk. Origin: Frimp from the Lab In the Bottle: I can pick out the musk, violet and maybe the neroli, but overall it's more woodsy and musky than floral. Wet: violent violet and sandalwood. Violet just plain hates me. Drydown: Oddly enough, the musk doesn't take over like it usually does. The violent backs off some in favor of a musky sandalwood, but that bitterness hangs on. Verdict: Swapped.

This sounded like a unique and interesting floral to me. Origin: Bought in a lot on LJ. In the Bottle: Very floral, buit a cool floral. Definitely makes me think of the night and the moon. Wet: Purple and dark, definitely evocative of nioghttime. Something in it makes me think of violets, but without that awful acrid-ness that usually happens when violet meets my skin. Drydown: It lightens up a bit, and a note develops that I can't identify. Whatever it is, it's sharp and sour and not very pleasant. Phooey. Verdict: Off to be swapped.