puck_nc

SHIMMER-LADEN CRÈME Sooty green, resplendent with serpentine, golden shimmer. Origin: Straight from the Post Initial Thoughts: This one was a gamble, as I have never bought or worn green nail polish before, but a picture in the initial round of swatches made me consider it. In the Bottle: A dark, swampy green full of copper and golden shimmer. One coat: Opaque green with that golden shimmer. Two coats: A thick green that still makes me think of swamps or pond water, with that golden shimmer over it. Verdict: This is really pretty and interesting, but I'm not 100% sure I'd wear it often. We'll see.

CRÈME Queen of poisons: a royal, inky violet. Origin: Straight from the Post Initial Thoughts: I debated on this one because I still have plenty of Midnight on the Midway and Morgause from the first run of claw polishes and both are in the dark purple family. But I decided to give it a go. In the Bottle: A very deep, dark purple leaning to the blue side of the family. One coat: One coat gets you full coverage if you can do it evenly. On me it flips from bluish to a teensy bit reddish but is still a very rich darker-than-grape purple. Two coats: A very dark and rich purple, almost black in the shade. Verdict: This is different from the old colors I mentioned above in being a straight-up crème with zero shimmer or glitter, If you want something dark and luscious and simple, this is it.

Origin: Frimp from the Post Initial Thoughts: I thought I'd reviewed this one, but apparently not. A scan of the notes reveals no death notes and a lot of florals, which I usually like. We'll see whether all these flowers tilt into "funeral home" or not. In the Vial: Very floral, heady and tilting a bit toward a rich bouquet. No greenish hint undercutting it, so it's kind of sweet. Wet: And once it hits my skin, there's some green-stem involved. So far it's only taking the scent out of cosmetics territory and into fresh garden. Crossing my fingers... Drydown: While it doesn't go icky green stem on me, it does go a bit soapy. That usually doesn't happen with me and florals, so I'll need to take a look at the notes again to find the culprit. Verdict: A nice, pure floral, but I have enough florals that I don't feel the need to keep this one at this time.

Origin: Straight from the Post Initial Thoughts: On the website it looked gray and metallic. Metallic is something I like. Gray, not necessarily. But I threw it in anyway. In the Bottle: Gray and shimmery. One coat: My attempt at one coat wasn't all that good, but it seemed opaque and full of silver glitter. Two coats: (picture above) A lovely shiny and sparkly chrome. Verdict: If you are good at doing a top/first coat, I think this has great potential as a top coat to solid colors. It's also very pretty on its own if you like shiny/sparkly/metallic/glitter.

GLITTER The spark of desire. Glitter-full, deep-red, hot as hell. Origin: Straight from the Post Initial Thoughts: I debated between this and Le Léthé for a while and finally decided to get both, because glitzy red polish. In the bottle: An almost black red, shot with glitter. One coat: My attempt at a neat application didn't go so well. I don't know if the polishes need more time to cool from a warm mailbox (thought I'd waited long enough) or what, but it was a little gloppy and sticky. I'll try again soon. Color-wise it's a rich berry purple shot through with red glitter. Two coats: This is kind of what I ended up with on my thumb. Two coats made it very dark, somewhere between red and burgundy and black with the red glitter dancing through it. Verdict: I can see wearing this at Halloween or Christmas. Evilly festive!

Origin: Frimp in an order Initial Thoughts: This one wasn't on my radar, so I have no idea what to expect. Water with a zing? In the Vial: Close enough. Watery incense.Kind of evocative of a men's cologne. Wet: The two sides of this stay fairly balanced at first. A sweet and gently spicy incense that has a very diluted quality to it. Drydown: The incense in question must be based on light/white components, since dark patchouli and musk and amber and myrrh tend to amp badly on me. This isn't amping to the usual stinky degree but has strengthened and isn't smelling quite so watery. Verdict: A light and pleasant incense, more holy than water. But it does feel a bit masculine to me - I might try it on the husband.

Origin: Frimp in an order Initial Thoughts: I had no memory of this scent being a thing and had to look it up to see if I had a discontinued or unreleased scent. But I also see rose, which is usually a reason not to buy a BPAL thanks to my skin chemistry. In the Vial: Sharply tangy resins and rose. Wet: Rose trying to do the green-stem thing but being reined in by lots of honey and resins. Drydown: The resins and maybe the honey continue to keep the rose in check, though the whole is more airy springtime than before. Verdict: Almost. The rose almost behaves. But not quite enough.

Origin: Frimp in an order Initial Thoughts: Crystalline musks and coconut are a yes. Roses generally are a no because they hate my skin. But as it is passing through my hands, we'll try. In the Vial: Interesting. My first sniffs give me coconut and gentle musk without a trace of rose. Wet: And there's the rose! Immediate green-stemmy floral, though the other notes are keeping it from going full-on cooked collard greens so far. Drydown: There is an uneasy detente between the rose and the other notes. It keeps teetering between a lovely light and smooth musky floral and my usual nightmare rose. Verdict: The detente is so annoying as this scent is actually *almost* a good rose on me, but not quite. Very regretfully passing it on.

Origin: Nabbed off the BPTP Etsy store Initial Thoughts: This was the one Denver ComicCon product I really wanted to try, but didn't have enough money at the time to go searching for a fairy. So when I saw it on Etsy, I jumped. Vanilla orchid and tiare are favorites, I'm learning that my usual deal-breaking notes in perfume may work well on my hair, so the amber didn't frighten me as much as usual. In the Bottle: An airy floral at first, very orchid and tiare. A second sniff and something seems a bit harsh. But the proof is in the spraying. In my hair: Plenty of throw as I apply it in the bathroom and start drying my hair. And it's the most gorgeous floral - my overwhelming impression is of Coconut, Vanilla Bean, and Tiare HG, but without the coconut. The lovely floral side of CVBT is shining with no impression of tropical or suntan oil or sweet. The amber is staying quiet, which is just fine with me. Verdict: So glad to have this! Again, it makes a great fresh counterpoint to CVBT's more warm summery impression. I'll keep my eyes out for a backup bottle in the future.

Origin: Straight from Loved to Death. Initial Thoughts: Thanks to my skin chemistry and its tendency to super-amp a lot of popular notes, it's hard for me to find a dark, sexy, exciting scent that won't turn ugly on me. I had to read the notes list three or four times to verify that yes, it was vanilla and clove and cinnamon and beeswax with NO dark musk, NO patchouli, NO sandalwood, NO amber, NO myrrh, NO leather, NO vetiver. So I jumped the minute the site put the scent back up for sale. In the Bottle: Rich and dark vanilla with clove and an undertone of beeswax. Spicy and lushly sweet without a hint of foodiness. Wet: The smokiness comes out with a "burned" quality that combines with the beeswax to make it candle-like...a deep and gorgeous burning clove candle. It's amazing at this stage. Drydown: Hm. I hope the sense of mild itching that is possibly the cinnamon stays mild and/or goes away. Generally I can handle a little cinnamon. The beeswax is backing off in favor of the vanilla More drydown: I gave this more time than I normally do, just to settle the question of cinnamon and skin irritation. That irritation did fade on me without much trouble. The scent shifted back toward beeswax, but the quality of a lit candle is gone. A hint of the cinnamon finally emerges as a scent rather than an irritation. It's low on throw, and the notes combine into something like a skin musk with hints of interesting things. Verdict: This one may turn into a deliberate experiment on aging. It gives me the dark rich quality I usually don't get to enjoy in perfumes, but it's kind of a muddle on me now. I would like the spices to be a little more prominent, the smoky vanilla to assert itself a touch more. We shall see if this develops into the beauty I want it to be.

Origin: Frimp in a purchase from a fellow BPALer Initial Thoughts: I'm not sure whether it would be the sandalwood (which can amp on me) or fig that stayed my hand over the years, but hibiscus and apple blossom are definite happy notes for me. In the Vial: Spring in a bottle! A very fresh cool floral without being too green-stem or leafy. Wet: The sandalwood comes out, but since it's white sandalwood it's leaving room for the other notes to breathe. Less fresh spring and more what a mature and sexy woman might wear for a floral. Drydown: The apple blossom takes on a slightly more "apple" tone and the sandalwood backs off. Not quite as overtly sexy as before, but still my impression of what an older woman would wear. On the traditional side, but not dull. Verdict: A very pleasant floral suitable for work situations. I'll keep the imp and we'll see if I use it up fast enough to justify a bottle.

Origin: One I bought off the BPTP Etsy. The other is (I presume) a decanted tea light that was an extra in a purchase I made from a fellow BPALer. Initial Thoughts: I love a good pine/fir/cedar scent for atmosphere and I love BPTP candles. But this one went out of stock before I could place my Yule order. I lucked out on an Etsy update and nabbed it. And then someone gifted me a sample. Unburned: Holding it up to my nose it smells very clean and snowy, a bit earthy, and faintly evergreen. A wintry landscape, but a calm one. Burning: I lit the tea light and under the burning-candle scent I am getting more evergreen and less winter chill. A cool but comforting Yule scent. Verdict: Love it. I may snag another if my wallet and another Etsy update align.

Origin: Unexpected extra in a purchase from a fellow BPALer Initial Thoughts: None, since I had only the vaguest idea that this existed. In the Bottle: CHOCOLATE! In-your-face dark chocolate. A second sniff produces an underlying extra sweetness that makes me think of cake or brownies. On the Skin: Definitely more chocolate baked goods than pure chocolate. A slight nuttiness tilts it further toward brownie. Verdict: Well, if you ever wanted to take a bath in the scent of fresh-baked brownies, this would be your answer. But I have never been one to want to wear chocolate as a scent when I'd rather eat it. Therefore I will find some way to give this partial bottle a deserving home.

Origin: Decant gifted with a purchase from another BPALer Initial Thoughts: Um, well, mistletoe? But with something sexy/musky going on? In the Vial: Warm, honey-sweet apple with a backdrop of something incense-y. Wet: A cheery burst of apple and fruit with an undertone that still reads incense to my nose. Drydown: Now there's a bit of some evergreen in the mix. It's less of the cup of cider to make an exuberant toast to the holiday and more a cup of cider for sitting in an overstuffed chair and enjoying a cozy fire in a room hung with Christmas greenery. Verdict: A sweet portrait of the Yule season and one I'll enjoy wearing.

Origin: Snagged from the BPTP Etsy store Initial Thoughts: I wanted to try this back when it arrived last year, but by the time I had money to spend on Lupers, it was out of stock and didn't come back. I'd see it pop up on Etsy now and again, but it never stayed long enough for me to buy it. I have discovered that the right combo of sweet and floral is pure bliss and love jasmine and vanilla as notes. In the Bottle: Sweet and jasmine and vanilla and lily-ish. It's slightly darker and more like a classic perfume than my other sugary florals - I think that's the vanilla. On my Skin: I tried to get a single drop on the back of my hand since my palms are covered in a heavily rose Chaos Theory HG, but the bottle refused to cooperate and I had to squeeze a bit on the palm to dab on my other hand. The mix of this and the rose HG made for a VERY intriguing combo that I must explore if I keep the HG. But I digress. Selbstverliebt on me is heavier on the vanilla than the florals. I find that I am absolutely okay with this as the sugar and vanilla keep the jasmine from going too sharp and the orchid from going soapy or green. It hugs the skin, which is also a good thing as that means I can rub some on my elbows or do a quick sugar scrub in the shower before work and not offend anyone. Verdict: Gorgeous. I hope this is revisited sometime, but in the meantime I shall stalk Etsy for more.

Origin: Bought from the BPTP Etsy shop - bottle is labeled III !!! Initial Thoughts: I don't do Chaos Theory in perfume because I have a few notes that itch horribly on me and more that amp badly. But I've learned that my hair is a different beast and am more willing to experiment with hair gloss. I tried purchasing a bottle when this first happened and got LXXXI, a very smoky blend that veered between charcoal and woodsmoke and finally went to a better home than mine. I figured it was worth trying once more so my Selbstverliebt bath oil would have some company. In the Bottle: High and sharp florals. I'm thinking there's some very greeny rose in here - my first thought was Rose Red but even more dewy-fresh. A second sniff detects something else under that, but I have no clue what it is at this time. On Dry Hair: Oh yeah, there's definitely some rose in here. I sprayed a bit on my hands to rub into a lock of hair and now my hands stink of way-too-green leaves and stems. In my hair I can detect the rose, probably another floral or two, and something else that makes me want to say citrus, but it seems off in some way. It's airy and maybe a bit ozone-y, but something about the notes is clashing a bit. Verdict: No verdict yet. I'll come back and edit in the results when I apply it in my normal damp-hair method. It's entirely possible that what smells off is the notes in this clashing with the Winter Lily and Sugarcane HG I put on this morning, even though that scent is barely there at this time of the evening. Update: Haven't done the wet-hair application yet, but the spritz I put in my dry hair mellowed out in a short while, that odd tang left, and I have a rosy floral that may be a little bit brighter and lighter than Rose Petals and Champa. Final Verdict: I think this one will be a keeper. I did my normal shampoo/wrap-hair-in-towel/apply/gloss/blow-dry method and got a very strong burst of rose that was much like my Rose Red experience at first, very green and dewy rose. But whatever the other notes are, they mellowed it more toward my beloved Rose Petals and Champa, but less complex. I was sneaking sniffs of my hair all day long and could definitely smell it when I was moving around. A bright rosy floral and I'm glad I dared the Chaos a second time.

Origin: Bought from Nui Cobalt Designs Initial Thoughts: This year so far has been a holy mess of me not being able to focus or concentrate or get things done in a timely manner.The half-imp of Concentration seems to work short-term in helping me concentrate on a task for a couple of hours, but I still feel way behind on most of the things. I wanted to see if Clarity would both last longer for accomplishing tasks and perhaps help me sort out a ton of feels over where I am in my life at the moment. In the Bottle: Lemony zing and cool mint. I can definitely see that combination helping to stimulate the mind. Wet: Both the lemon and mint dial it to eleven and the combo turns a bit herby/grassy. Very eye-opening in a good way. Drydown: The mint backs down quite a bit and the lemon has taken on a candy-ish sweet tinge. It's very pleasant and I won't have any trouble having it on my skin. Effect: I put it on my palms the way I do Concentration and sat down to tackle one of the many things that Must Be Done. I'll edit in the results later. ETA: Well, I am getting some work done, but not as much as I had hoped. Still letting myself be dragged away from work tasks with household tasks that the husband could be doing instead...

Origin: Free goblin squirt from the Trading Post Initial Thoughts: I am yet another fan of TKO for helping me sleep at night. At the Dirty South Will Call last month XOMom said that Erebos was her TKO substitute for spraying onto linens. With that bit of information, it was time to dig out this freebie. In the Bottle: Strongly lavender, but a more floral lavender than TKO. Still sweet and pleasant. In the Air: And suddenly it's almost all lavender, but it's not harsh or herby. Verdict: I will definitely be experimenting with this in the bedroom and hope it improves my sleep.

Origin: Free goblin squirt in a BPTP order Initial Thoughts: Sun and desert sand? Dry and lifeless? Doesn't sound like me. In the Bottle: Okay, sunny I agree with. Maybe even sandy. But this is hardly dry and lifeless. There are layers of spice and sweet that make it quite pleasant. In the Air: Once sprayed, there's a strong impression of lightly sweetened sandalwood. I completely agree with the Morocco comparisons - the description suggests dryness and harshness but from out of nowhere there's soft creamy-sweetness in the blend. Verdict: I rather like it. I don't tend to use atmos enough to require bottles, but I'm very happy to have the sample.

Origin: Frimp from a Lab order Initial Thoughts: I had crossed this one off my list even thought I love carnation because the combination of musk and sandalwood usually mean amp city. And then I went to a Dragon*Con and got to try Moroccan Pumpkin Patch, which turned out to be marvelous when there was pumpkin involved. So now that an imp has fallen in my lap, time to try it. In the Vial: Very sweet and rich musk. On the second huff I can detect the carnation. On the third I can pick out the sandalwood. Wet: Okay, where is the vanilla coming from? Because what I'm getting is that very sweet musk/sandalwood combo, a bit of the carnation, and the overwhelming impression of vanilla. Is my nose broken? Drydown: Okay, the impression of vanilla fades a bit. It's got a bit of spice to it now, but it remains mostly musk and sandalwood. While the amping is keeping the other notes to a minimum, the musk is not going overboard the way dark musks often do. So I'm guessing this is a light musk. Verdict: This is not at all what I was expecting. I rather like it and think it would make a comforting work scent.

Origin: Various frimps and a bottle from the Lab Initial Thoughts: I tried this one fairly early on in my BPAL experience and it quickly became one of my favorites when I wanted a more sophisticated floral. Somehow I never reviewed it before. Somehow the red sandalwood isn't problematic. In the Vial: The first whiff is sandalwood. The second has the Lily of the Valley. Elegant and mature in a good way. Wet: The sandalwood is the first note, which isn't surprising as sandalwood is one of those notes that can amp on me in a big way. Usually white sandalwood can work but red is an issue. Drydown: The lily emerges to make it a much more floral scent. The sandalwood grounds it and the vanilla sweetens it. I never really detect the mandarin. Verdict: Still a favorite for when I want what people would consider a traditional perfume.

Origin: Bought at the Dirty South Will Call Initial Thoughts: This one I skipped right over when I first looked over the Luper offerings. The first problem was rose - I had only just discovered that rose does not go stinky in my hair the way it does on my skin - and the second and third problems were frankincense and myrrh, both of which amp horribly on my skin. But at the Will Call I took a regretful sniff, and then tried a regretful spray on my hair. And discovered something new. In the Bottle: Heady rich wine. Something, probably the myrrh, is giving it a bitter edge. On Wet Hair: Overwhelmingly rose, but a rich and honey-sweet rose without a trace of the green-stem issue that plagues me with most rose blends. Where Rose Red might be a winter/spring chilly rose, this is a lush summer rose. Dry: The hair dryer brings out the incense more and balances the whole thing. It's still a rich and sultry rose, but there's more complexity and mystery. Verdict: I can't stop huffing my hair. I think I'm going to need another bottle before the Lupers disappear.

Origin: Frimp in an order Initial Thoughts: This is a mishmash of notes that I like and notes that are iffy on me. Let's see what happens. In the Vial: Smooth and silky jasmine. I'm really surprised that I'm not picking up at least the cinnamon, but everything else appears to be creating a rich foundation to show off the jasmine. Wet: Still jasmine, but it's more in line with the rest of the notes making up that foundation rather than being in front. It's warmer and spicier, which could be the cinnamon emerging or the sandalwood amping or both. Drydown: This is astoundingly well-blended. The jasmine is still the only note I can identify for sure, maybe the vanilla. The overall impression is a warm and sweet comforting jasmine, as if it had been dipped in caramel. Verdict: I think I like this one a lot. We'll see how fast I go through the imp.

Origin: Frimp in a Trading Post order Initial Thoughts: No notes available? Then no idea! In the Vial: Creamy light florals. Definite sweetness. I can see where people would say coconut, but my husband who detests coconut and unerringly makes a face when it is present in a blend didn't recoil. So if it's there, it's really well-blended. Wet: The creaminess gets stronger and pushes it more toward foody than it was in the vial. Light and frothy and sweet. Drydown: I think there might be something in the musk/amber/patchouli family in here, but on the white/light side. It's amping, but not in the mow-down-all-other-notes way that the dark end of the spectrum does. I'll run with someone's suggestion of piña colada - this would be the stage where some dark rum was added. It's deeper and richer. Verdict: I think I like it, though I'm not sure how often I'd reach for it. I'll keep the imp for now, at least until such time as we learn the notes.

Origin: Bought at the Dirty South Will Call Initial Thoughts: This was one that I was watching reviews on, because while I'm all over the plum and vanilla flower, the other notes are iffy. Since the reviews were mixed about what notes emerged, I was glad I got to try it in person. In the Bottle: First sniff - pure honey. Second sniff - Okay, maybe there's some tea and stuff in this honey. Wet: The tea is the first note out the door, and it takes several seconds for the florals to start catching up. It's all cool spring, green but with a soft and sweet undertone. Drydown: The florals and honey emerge, making the scent warmer, but still very gentle and spring-like. Then the tea seems to come back - perhaps that's the ambergris helping it - but it remains a wonderful comforting floral scent. Verdict: A bottle came home with me. A great gentle and grounded floral that's a bit different.