puck_nc

Origin: decant from Trailer Trash Princess' circle Initial Thoughts: I can do white sandalwood without amping. I love vanilla, though I'm not sure about "dry". I have some tea/tea leaf scents around. I know not from orris. In the Vial: Sandalwood and the tea leaf, I think. Maybe a bit of vanilla. Definitely a "dry" scent - the mental image is dusty/woodsy. Wet: A very strong whiff of tea. Something in the background is tilting ever-so-slightly spicy. Drydown: It sweetens up some, probably from the vanilla, but this is still predominantly a quiet tea scent on me. Almost no sandalwood, which is a surprise since it tends to amp on me. Verdict: A dry, understated, unisex blend. I may try it out on my husband - it's kind of a day version to the much sexier Dorian.

Origin: decant circle by Trailer Trash Princess Initial Thoughts: When I started playing with BPAL, I learned that frankincense, patchouli, and sandalwood were serious ampers on my skin. I later learned that *pale* or *white* versions of these didn't amp like a tsunami to the point of drowning out other notes. Having three of the doable versions of these deal-breakers in one scent was super-tempting, and *coconut* snow was the icing on the cake. If I can finally find a patchouli/incense scent that doesn't tip over into too-much territory, I'll be very happy. In the Vial: Definitely dry. Very sandalwood, but with a chilly impression. Wet: Not so dry now, but still very sandalwood. Either the patchouli or frankincense is adding a richness to the scent. Drydown: I am getting a true meld of the incense/patchouli. The sandalwood is still a bit stronger than the others, but they are all coming together into a gentle skin-hugger of a scent. Plus I'm getting the coconut, but not so strongly that it tips the impression. I would call this a unisex blend. Verdict: I'm going to try again to be sure, but this may be almost exactly what I was hoping for when I read the description!

Origin: decant circle by Trailer Trash Princess Initial Thoughts: This was my goofy pick. I love Christmas tree scents and couldn't resist the chance to try Gen-U-Ine Pine© Scent! In the Vial: Sharply pine/evergreen with a definite metallic edge. Wet: Definitely a fake-smelling pine scent. Not quite Pine-sol cleaner level, but definitely not natural-smelling. Drydown: Gradually the "fake" fades, leaving fresh cool pine in its wake. Verdict: On my skin, it lives up to its name at first but finally dries down into a cool evergreen scent. I don't know that I need a bottle - I still have a couple other strongly Christmas-tree scents in my box - but if you're looking for that consider getting this one.

Origin: Decant circle by Trailer Trash Princess Initial Thoughts: I have developed a liking for plum during my BPAL journey. I love lavender. I like some lilies. I like snow scents. We'll see if they all go together well. In the Vial: Wow. Incredibly rich, luscious plum with a hint of a cool edge in the background. On second sniff, I think I'm getting either the lily or the lavender. Wet: On me the lavender comes surging out with a bit of the lily. Still very cool. The plum is now lurking underneath it all. Drydown: Dammit, this has turned to total soap on me! Generic floral soap. Verdict: I am disappointed - this was so gorgeous in the vial. I guess calla lily is the culprit. Well, I got two new scent lockets for Christmas, guess I'll use the decant up there.

Origin: Decant circle by Trailer Trash Princess Initial Thoughts: I generally don't go for foody scents, but the idea of sweet peppermint was worth a decant experiment. In the Vial: More cake than peppermint, but the peppermint is there on the second inhale. Wet: Sweet and cool mint, just sharp enough to clear my slightly stuffy nose a little. The cake is there, but just barely. Drydown: My skin is hanging onto the mint so far. The cake note is getting a bit stronger, and tilting vanilla for me. Verdict: Very like its inspiration. But I'm not sure I need a bottle given how many bottles of Lick It (the original) I have in my stash.

Origin: Straight from the Post Initial Thoughts: I love the Christmas tree/evergreen note, but wasn't sure about having my hair smell like one. In the Bottle: As advertised. Fresh and green and chilly. On Wet Hair: No morph to speak of. Still fresh and green. After Blowdrying: Still not much morph, thought the "chilly" is not as prominent to my nose. Verdict: It's a nice cool green scent, but it also seems to fade in my hair very fast. I couldn't find it after work and usually I can get at least a hint of my hair glosses after work. I'll play with it a bit more before I decide whether to keep it.

Origin: Straight from the Post Initial Thoughts: I love carnation. I love sweet florals. I love vanilla. This was a no-brainer. In the Bottle: All the carnation! Spicy and fresh, but with a sweetness around the edges. Wet: More carnation! VERY carnation! Drydown: Eventually the other notes step forward to soften the carnation. Vanilla and sweetness and a gentle white floral that tilts ever so slightly toward my dreaded skanky-rose experience but backs away from the edge. Verdict: Glorious carnation settling into a very comforting scent that stays reasonably close to the skin. I'm very glad I got a bottle.

Origin: Straight from the Lab Initial Thoughts: I have some great apple-based scents from BPAL. Honey is iffy on me. I hesitated over this one but some of the reviews nudged it into my cart. In the Bottle: Fresh apple, tilting ever so slightly on the tart side. Wet: Still very fresh apple. My mental image is a green apple, but it's sweet. Golden Delicious rather than Granny Smith. Drydown: The sweet finally coalesces into honey. It doesn't drown out the apple, but I am getting something of a "shampoo" impression now. Verdict: I'll play with this some more, side-by-side it with my other apple scents, and see.

Origin: Straight from the Lab Initial Thoughts: I like pumpkin when it's spiced. I like sugar. In the Bottle: Hello, Jack from the GC. Who threw you into a vat of honey? Wet: The second it hits my skin, the spices come running up, screaming for my attention. Very foody and baking impressions right now. Drydown: The spices calm down and let the pumpkin back in. A little buttery, very foody, sweet without making teeth ache. Verdict: This is terrific and I am glad I have a bottle. I'll do a side-by-side to be sure, but this seems to be a lighter option to Pumpkin Spice Everything and includes some actual pumpkin.

Origin: Straight from the Lab Initial Thoughts: I love cider. I love the aroma when I make it every Christmas. I thoroughly enjoy the Apple Cider SN from a previous Weenie collection. I wasn't sure I needed another cider scent, but when the time came to order, I threw it in. In the Bottle: Definitely cider. Kind of like the recipe I use that includes wine and muscadine cider. Rich and fruity with the hint of spices in the background. Wet: Rich and sweet wine, dark and delicious. Drydown: The spices come out to play and everything is wonderful. On me this is Pumpkin Spice Everything on top of a port wine single note. Verdict: This is a lovely scent. I'll side-by-side it with my Apple Cider SN to be sure, but I expect I'll want to keep both.

Origin: Straight from the Lab Initial Thoughts: I like marigold flowers. I hope to like this. I tried Flor de Muerto when it came out a couple of years ago and it did not like my skin. Trying one more time. In the Bottle: Hm. That is...not pleasant. Super-sour something over greenery. *girds loins* Wet: A really big blast of the sour something, but it fades pretty quickly and starts settling into something else. Lots of leaves-in-a-garden going on. I've never tried anything with tomato leaf in it, but this is kind of what I imagine it would smell like. Drydown: It finally settles down into something that is at least pleasant to my nose. I still don't get anything that would suggest floral or marigold to me, but it is garden-green with hints of dirt and a spiciness lurking in the background. Verdict: It ends up pleasant, but I don't love it. I will almost certainly rehome this to someone who can do it better justice than I.

Chunky plum glitter with flecks of violet and hints of orange. Origin: Straight from the Post Initial Thoughts: The photo of the bottle looked like terrific fun: deep purple/black with bright orange glitter shot through it. In the Bottle: Plenty of big orange glitter and tiny rainbow microglitter floating in the dark. One Coat: Definitely not enough for full coverage. I'm not sure that it would be a good top layer for another coat, given the dark shade of the base here. If someone is gifted at getting the glitter to apply evenly, the smoky base is kind of interesting. Two Coats: A thick, inky shade of blue/purple that is nearly black, with sparkly orange glitter everywhere. Similar to Fires of Love, this is hard to photograph well. It's prettier than the photo would suggest, with the orange glitter kind of glowing out of the dark polish. Verdict: I think I'm going to take this to the nail salon this weekend and let a professional apply it so I can wear it through Halloween and see if I need a second bottle. It's most definitely a Halloween thing - I don't see myself wearing it much at other times of the year. ETA: A big photo of the polish when a pro is handling the brush. Still doesn't quite do the shiny glitter justice, but better than my own attempt:

Origin: Straight from the Post Initial Thoughts: The only note that gave me pause was the hops. That was what made me wait on a few reviews and Weenies before ordering. In the Bottle: Sharp and strong lavender, almost overwhelmingly so. On Wet Hair: Almost immediately something - I think it's the vanilla but it could be the hops - is softening the lavender and making the overall impression sweet and gentle. This is the stage that makes me think of TKO a bit. Blow-dried: It settles down into lavender tempered by the other notes and I think mainly the white musk is doing that job now. It's a very gentle scent. Verdict: I think I may need another bottle or two of this. It's a perfect work scent and very soft and soothing.

A deep plum glitter. Origin: Straight from the Post Initial Thoughts: My favorite Claw Polishes so far have been the glittery ones. The picture of a lovely lavender glitterbomb was all too tempting. In the Bottle: Shades of purple from light to dark twinkling with tiny rainbow glitter. One Coat: A practiced hand might get full coverage with one coat. For me it was a pale purple base flecked with rather coppery glitter. Two Coats: This brings out the full plum effect, with a rather bronze shimmer from the glitter. The surface is much smoother than that photo suggests. For me this went on very nicely and I didn't feel the need for a top coat. Verdict: Gorgeous and I will be buying more before the Weenies go away. It's definitely a suitable shade for fall, but I can also see wearing this for any number of glitzy occasions.

Shimmering French pink with a mist of silver. Origin: Straight from the Post Initial Thoughts: I just grabbed all the Lupers. This one seemed a simple, straight-up pink. In the Bottle: A rich rose-pink with a few ghostly streaks of silver. One coat: One coat is probably enough for most people. This goes on beautifully, a lush and shiny satin. The color stays pretty close to the bottle - maybe a smidge lighter. Two coats: Just adds more to the party. No top coat necessary as far as shine. Verdict: Definitely keeping this one and maybe getting a backup. ETA: I put this on last night, only one coat and no top coat. Again, this is the sleekest, lushest polish for applying. This afternoon, I have a hint of wear at several tips, but no chipping. I am definitely getting more of this one.

Origin: A wonderful fairy helped me with Dragon*Con. Initial Thoughts: There were only five to choose from. Why choose? In the Bottle: A gorgeous fall shade. For those who have Pumpkin Spice Everything, this is much more brown-coppery with a greenish tinge, like the leaves turning on trees. One Coat: Not a lot of coverage - clear base and the colored glitter. Might work as a top layering coat. Two Coats: There we go! The picture below is much more golden than real life - this is a true copper glitterbomb. I also note that these particular glitterbombs go on much more smoothly than previously. I don't feel that I have to add a top coat to get rid of the rough texture. Verdict: Winner! I will definitely be wearing this in the fall and might grab another bottle should there be any leftovers for Etsy.

Origin: Frimp from the Lab Initial Thoughts: Originally when I went exploring through the Lab's catalog as a newbie, I probably backed off because of either the plum or the musk. I have since learned that plum can be very good and that *white* musk does not amp horribly on me. So let's seize what the fates have dumped into my lap. In the Vial: Musk and light, airy florals. I'm not sure any one is standing out. At this point the plum is adding a richness, but not necessarily a lot of fruit. Wet: Mostly daffodil & orchid at first. Sweetly airily floral. Drydown: The plum emerges, surrounded by the florals. The musk is behaving nicely and playing backup rather than center stage. Verdict: I think I like this quite a bit. Definitely hanging onto the imp and maybe there's a bottle in my future.

Origin: A wonderful fairy helped me with Dragon*Con. Initial Thoughts: There were only five to choose from. Why choose? In the Bottle: A mesmerizing blend of green and lavender glitter. One Coat: The base is a pale transparent purple and the glitter makes a very feminine, delicate sparkle. Sheer enough to be a top layering coat. Two Coats: That gets us full coverage and full sparkle. The combination of purple and green is almost iridescent in places. I now have a visual for the Harry Potter "Opaleyes" dragon's scales. ETA: This polish goes on incredibly smoothly for a glitterbomb. Usually I have to add a top coat or two to smooth out the surface of the glitter, but these D*C polishes do not require it. Verdict: I think this has shot to the top of my favorite BPTP polishes. I really, really hope I can nab another bottle sometime.

Origin: frimp in a Lab order Initial Thoughts: Early in my BPAL journey, I was avoiding tea scents because I didn't want to smell like food. The pepper also probably put me off. At this point I'm more experimental than I was, and there's nothing in here that is an amper on me. In the Bottle: Tea mostly, with hints of pepper, honey, and ginger. Wet: Lots of pepper in that tea! At this point it's elegantly masculine to my nose. Drydown: The linen comes out to complement the tea, laced heavily with ginger and honey. The pepper is hovering in the background. Verdict: It's a very pleasant scent, but it does read to me as masculine - I imagine I would not wear it much. If I could get my husband into BPAL, I'd push this on him.

Origin: Straight from the Lab Initial Thoughts: Honeysuckle is one of my true loves in scent. With no danger notes, I had to try it. In the Bottle: A glorious noseful of honeysuckle and jasmine, with an outdoorsy feel that is probably the grass. Wet: Hmm. Now it's almost pure grass with some floral backing. I will be disappointed if the florals run and hide from me. Drydown: It takes a little while, but the florals do take front and center. I think I'm getting equal parts honeysuckle and jasmine. But together they are a super-strong and sweet floral. Verdict: I think this is likely a keeper.

Origin: Straight from the Lab Initial Thoughts: I love coconut in many of the Lab's scents. I even have a tiny bit of the first run of SN Coconut. Of course I was going to try this. In the Bottle: Sweet coconut, on the foody side - like opening up a bag of shredded coconut. It's a bit more foody than the original Coconut SN when I sniff one after the other. Wet: Not quite as sweet as before but I still think kitchen more than beach. Drydown: The sweetness is gone at this point and the scent is a dry coconut, much less foody than before. It's a more in-its-natural-state coconut, but there isn't anything tipping it into tropical/suntan oil territory. Verdict: I think I like the wet stage better, when there's still a bit of sweetness in it, but I'm curious to try layering this with other things. Experimentation will happen.

Origin: A wonderful fairy helped me with Dragon*Con. Initial Thoughts: This was the only 2016 Peach that didn't have a deal-breaker note, and I hesitated, but since the very kind fairy was getting me lovely claw polishes, I decided to try it. In the Bottle: Very peach, very lemon, and very, very candy-like. Bright and girly. Wet: Very, very lemon candy. It skates toward, but never crosses into Lemon Pledge territory. Drydown: The lemon calms down and lets the peach emerge again, but it is still old-fashioned-candy-shop-with-fruit-drops all over the place. Verdict: It is a beautiful, light and fizzy scent. I'm not 100% sure it's me. I'm going to play with it a little and see what happens.

Origin: A wonderful fairy helped me with Dragon*Con. Initial Thoughts: There were only five to choose from. Why choose? In the Bottle: A rich royal blue full of sparkly, sparkly glitter. One Coat: The palest sheer blue polish shot with glitter. Might work as a top layer over another polish if you like doing that. Two Coats: Full coverage and a beautiful sapphire glitterbomb. The picture below is paler than it is in real life. ETA: Just adding that these D*C polishes go on incredibly smoothly. Usually with glitter-rich polishes I have to add a top coat to even the surface, but not these! Verdict: Winner! This is more like what I wanted when I got Eldritch Drunken Constellation - that one has glitter across the rainbow while Blue Dragonscale glitter sticks to blues and purples. If I ever get the chance to get more of this, I will.

Origin: A wonderful fairy helped me with Dragon*Con. Initial Thoughts: There were only five to choose from. Why choose? In the Bottle: A flame-orange red full of shimmery glitter. One Coat: A bit sheer, but possibly enough depending on your preferences. Two Coats: Full coverage. I likened this to the Lupers Sugarcane Me in my comment on the general Claw Polish thread, but maybe it's more like Reflected Vulva with the finer glitter. Verdict: It's a high-quality gorgeous polish, but I don't know that I'd wear it much - it's just a bit too far away from red-red for me.

Origin: A wonderful fairy helped me with Dragon*Con. Initial Thoughts: There were only five to choose from, so why choose? In the Bottle: So, take Le Léthé and its rich classic sports-car red. Take A House That Bleeds from the Crimson Peak line and its brick red with coppery undertones. Dragonfire is almost a perfect balance between the two. One coat: This is a nice rich but not very thick creme with a glittery sheen. A practiced hand could probably get full coverage in one coat. Two coats: A smooth and satiny red shine. Verdict: This is a lovely polish, just as good as other BPTP products. I'm not quite sure I need three slightly different nail polishes, but this is a very, very pretty red.