theseagrows

this is a lovely, somewhat indolic jasmine at the beginning. after a couple of minutes i get a slight hint of spices, but overall this is mostly jasmine and the other notes are subtle. after about 10 minutes, i think i get a hint of the incense smoke. i really like this scent-i think it's perfect for spring and summer!

this is super cologney and bright. i think it's all dead leaves and mimosa on me with hints of leather. the dead leaves smell like aftershave or fresh, clean soap. this scent is not for me. i was hoping for more leather, amber and mimosa, but this is almost all leafy-green!

as this opens i smell the almond, sesame juniper and myrrh. it smells nutty and sort of airy-sandy. a few minutes later the florals come through and they're gorgeous. the drydown contains the same airiness and it's a melange of honeyish florals. such an interesting scent, i don't think i've smelled a bpal quite like it.

a frimp from the BPTP. i'm kind of surprised i've never tried this. it's a musky dark myrrh with hints of vetiver. very nice, though i think likely nicer on my boyfriend...will have to try it on him.

whoa, sweeter than expected. at first i smell candied apricot that's nearly boozy, like an apricot brandy or liqueur. awhile later i get some marshmallow and vanilla. it's marshmallowy-apricot. if you like marshmallow-candy scents, you will love this.

i definitely smell amber and tobacco at first. the tobacco is caramel-ly or maple-y, a little bit of cardamom comes through next. after awhile i think i smell more amber and some vanilla. the labdanum isn't that noticeable if at all, it's primarily a sweet tobacco and amber scent. it's warm and rich-perfect for colder weather, i'd say.

received a frimp-sniffie of this! in the beginning i get almond and what i believe to be the burning wool, but it's nicer than it sounds. soon after i get something bitter, maybe the bitter almond oil mixed with opium. then comes the honey. it ends up primarily honey and burning wool with rose.

i get a cool, dewy white rose and saltiness from the ambergris. after a minute or two i get a rooty hint of orris. the salt + rose is turning slightly sour on me, and i think white rose has a tendency to do that at times anyway. i love all these notes, but i'm not sure this scent is for me.

at the beginning, all i get is black rose. a slightly astringent/bitter rose. then i get something kind of green, and it's still bitter and there seems to be something almost citrussy going on. after about 10 minutes i still get no apricot or fig, just a bitter black rose. after 20-30 minutes i get black rose, with maybe a hint of apricot, but this is pretty much black rose single note for me.

mostly almond and leather with a hint of rose to start. whip doesn't work for me, yet i still have hope that this will i like how the cherry-sweetness of the almond brings out something interesting in the leather. shortly thereafter i get a sour rose, the same sour rose i get with whip. i keep hoping to find a rose/leather scent via bpal (because i've found it other places) but thus far it just isn't meant to happen. :/

ooh, liking this a lot at first! i get musk, honey, patchouli and the cashmere labdanum. it's warm, rich and a bit decadent. after a minute or two the patchouli really amps up, and this gets a bit earthier. the honey in this is goooorgeous, i might add. after about 20 minutes, it's a woody-baby powder scent. i get more cedar at this point, and maybe a hint of clove and mimosa. after another 20 minutes or so it's a warm, yellow musky scent. i really do like this one. perfect if you want a rich honey musk with other elements. eta: after the drydown this is even more gorgeous-i believe it's mostly the cashmere labdanum. i need a bottle of this!

hmm, not what i expected. at least at first. i get almond and coconut and something fizzy. wherever could that fizziness be coming from?! this is a very subtle scent, i can hardly smell it on me. *slathers more on* the amber and teakwood seem to be subtle background singers in this. after slathering, the almond seems stronger a bit longer but then i get the fizziness again, kind of like the lab's champagne note. i get almond and champagne and maybe a hint of coconut. after about 10 more minutes i get more teakwood, then it fades to a honeyed fizz and is nearly gone.

this smells very classic, as others have mentioned. starts with a bold but dusty rose. it smells just like a classic scent i've smelled before, but i can't place it. the spices are not distinguishable to me. after awhile the rose seems to become less dusty, slightly more fresh, and the spices are blending better at this point. i do like spicy rose scents and this one doesn't disappoint. i am liking the classic vibe. not sure it's a keeper, just because i have a lot of spicy rose and rose scents, but possibly.

at first i get a strong cardamom with ti leaf and rice milk. it's foody, but not in the typical way at all. the cardamom (i think) smells almost caramel-y. then the ginger comes through and the ti leaf gets stronger. it's a cool spicy scent, unlike other bpal's i've tried. i really love it after it's been on the skin for about 10 minutes, and the caramel-y thing dies down and the ti leaf becomes more prominent. it kind of smells like a mildly smoky green tea in a way. so lovely.

i think this is mostly beeswax with some earthiness from the patchouli. the honey is subtle, it's like a dirty beeswax on me. i like it, but it's not a love. i have other beeswax scents i prefer, perhaps it's because the patchouli is too strong for me...

ah yes i smell snake oil and sugar at first, with the honey peeking out seconds later. after a couple minutes it seems to bloom, but i am unsure what note i'm getting now-something kind of earthy, almost leathery. after about 15-20 minutes i get the vanilla cream, which really thickens the scent. i really like this! out of all the snake oil "flankers" that i've tried, this one smells the closest to the original to me. personally, i prefer them, as snake oil doesn't really work on me. i think perhaps this may be the closest thing to snake oil i can wear though, yay!

what a beautiful tea scent. from the outset i get white tea and vanilla orchid. later on i get the sandalwood, but don't seem to smell any honeycomb. i was kind of hoping for a honey-tea scent. this is very light and pretty though- a great spring or summer scent.

this scent definitely smells polished. it's like soft polished woods, with something almost mildly green and/or fruity that i cannot place. perhaps it's the "ivory"? it smells clean, kind of like freshly shampooed hair. the amber is in the background. this isn't what i expected. i somehow thought it'd be much more like a creamy wood scent. it's fresher than i thought.

i think i am getting orris butter and narcissus with a hint of vanilla. mostly white florals, but a hint of creamy sweetness from the vanilla to tone it down. it smells like springtime. after a few minutes i think i get hints of bergamot, but narcissus is definitely the front-runner here. after about 20 minutes, the narcissus has finally toned down a bit and the scent is more balanced, like a creamy white floral. i enjoy it much more at this point, but fear the narcissus is still just a bit too strong for me. i guess i was hoping that it would be more of a background note. ETA: i do like this after it's been on my skin one hour +, at this point it's a narcissus-vanilla and much creamier.

received this as a frimp. right off i get dirt and dryish melon....i think it's veviter and patchouli though. there is a slight sweetness, not sure what it is. the clove also comes out quickly- a slight spiciness. it's an earthy, dry, spicy scent, mostly vetiver and clove on me.

this starts with patchouli and maybe a hint of amber. soon after i get the distinct pencil shaving scent of frankincense, luckily not too much. then the champaca gets quite intense, and it's primarily a warm amber-champaca scent. in the end it's an amber with champaca and vanilla-very warm and cozy, like others have noted.

i am mostly getting the indigo musk at the beginning, with some patchouli. it smells very indigo and black, i think the description does it justice. after awhile it's mostly musk with a slight sweetness, and a hint of oakmoss way in the background. i don't seem to get any olibanum and the patchouli has largely faded. this is an interesting scent, but i'm not sure how i feel about it yet. i may have to re-try.

oh no, right off, something in this is not agreeing with my skin chemistry-it's kind of like an unclean bathroom with an air freshener trying to mask the scent but failing. i am guessing that's the gurjum balsam because it's the only note i'm not familiar with, though i'm not sure i've ever tried the lab's "blue amber". luckily that note fades pretty quickly and then i get some ylang ylang, orris, benzoin and maybe a bit of amber. after about 2 minutes i smell myrrh and the scent is also getting a bit soapy, which i think comes from the amber, balsam and myrrh. it then loses the soapiness, and gets powdery, in the way that myrrh does. this smells classic me, and it dries down to a really pretty powdery ylang ylang.

i've been wanting to try this for years, and finally tracked down a decant. i've tried very few single notes, but carnation has always been a favorite note, so this one has been at the top of my list to try. in the vial it smells like a real bundle of carnations and i am instantly transported back to my grandmother's yard, full of carnations, roses and gladiolas. i put it on my skin and it smells almost just like in the vial, but there is something else, slightly creamy and airy in the background. overall, a spicy carnation with a hint of creaminess. i am in love!

i received a frimp of this in a swap it's definitely a honeysuckle with hints of other florals and greenery. it smells like fresh flowers blooming in the rain or snow...i think this is a perfect rainy spring scent, actually. i get a bit of sweet pea to sweeten the scent, but this is primarily honeysuckle and a greenish floral note. nice for spring yet not something i would wear all that much, though it is pretty.