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BPAL Madness!

wendyb1063

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Everything posted by wendyb1063

  1. wendyb1063

    Harvest Moon 2024

    I hesitated in purchasing this bottle, as I have at least 3 other Harvest Moon iterations, and while I do like them and wear them, they have all seemed fairly similar. This one, however, was worth getting!! Don't let the words "cologne", "fougere", or "patchouli" scare you off. It seems very unisex to me. At least for me, the main notes are the ones I was hoping for: the clove bud, the fermented apple pulp, and the bourbon cream. The cornmeal/hay/honey stout/roasted oats provide a warm, sweet, comforting, mealy base. And make no mistake: there is some booziness, yes! I don't really detect the soil or the patchouli, but there is a groundedness about this scent to which they perhaps subtly contribute. This scent would have fit well in the 2022 Labors of the Month collection, I think, a collection I continue to love. And while Harvest Moon 2024 might have a touch of "fall harvest season candle" vibe to it, it's a wonderful autumnal scent that I will reach for often.
  2. wendyb1063

    Pediophobia

    Fear of Dolls (But not ventriloquist dummies. Thats an entire phobia unto itself.) White porcelain cracked by white tobacco, threads of brittle cognac, and vanilla filigree. This is a very interesting blend. I suspect this will be something that I won't reach for much in the near future but will come to really enjoy it later after it has aged and after I have come to associate it with my life at this point. That doesn't sound like a ringing endorsement. I do like it, though. I had hoped for more sweetness from the tobacco and vanilla, but it is dry, elegant, perfumey, even. I detect something that smells like white tea; I wonder if that is the white porcelain note? The more I wear it, the more I like it. The throw is very good, and I when I get little whiffs of it, it's very pleasing. It does have a bit of the loud 80's bombshell perfumes feel to it.
  3. wendyb1063

    Humanite

    Tuberose, white peach, orange blossom, lemon peel, and caramelized vanilla. Upon first application, Humanite is a gorgeous, literally mouthwatering (!) fruity-floral fragrance, grounded by the sweet caramelized vanilla lurking in the background. I can detect each note, yet none stands our more than any of the others. The white peach and lemon peel leave the party after a while, leaving a trace of their fruitiness in their wake. The tuberose, orange blossom, and caramelized vanilla are more prominent now. As it fades a bit more it becomes a sweet, pretty, soft scent. The tuberose is never overwhelming, and the citrus keeps the whole thing from ever being cloying. Despite the rather eerie image on the bottle, this is a very lovely and happy scent, evocative of spring and fresh young things.
  4. wendyb1063

    Hunter

    HUNTER He turned, and standing there was a tall woman, with long, tawny hair, and skin the color of burnt caramel. She wore dappled leather clothes, mottled in shades of gray and brown. She had a battered leather duffel bag over her shoulder. She was carrying a staff, and she had a knife at her belt and an electric flashlight strapped to her wrist. She was also, without question, the most beautiful woman that Richard had ever seen. Leonine amber, tanned hides, clove, and clary sage. Mmmmm! I like this one! I generally love amber, but leather doesn't always work with me. However, this is a very smooth blend with both of these notes blending seamlessly. I get a hint of cloves, but it is not too dominant on me (as it is in Clockwork Couture Male). It is a warm, fairly unisex scent, fitting well with my mental image of the beautiful bodyguard Hunter (who is described as having caramel skin, but who would not really be suited by a scent with a caramel note). It reminds me a little of Coyote, I think.
  5. wendyb1063

    Brood XIX

    BROOD XIX Under the heat of the summer sun, a Cicada was hopping about in a large field, chirping and singing lazily. An Ant passed him by, busily heaving along, with tremendous effort, bits of corn he was taking to the nest. “Why not come and chat with me,” asked the Cicada, “instead of toiling like that? The day is too lovely to spend in such a manner.” “I am helping my fellow ants lay up food for the winter,” squealed the Ant indignantly, “and I recommend that you do the same.” “Why bother about winter?” said the Cicada; “we have got plenty of food at present. Climb this tree with me and enjoy the sun-warmed bark and the gentle swaying leaves.” Turning away, the Ant went on its way and continued its work dutifully. The Cicada pitied the Ant, calling it foolish for wasting time working on such a lovely day, and went back to singing his summer songs of joy. When the winter came, the Cicada had no food and no shelter. The Cicada found itself dying of hunger, while the resourceful and hardworking ants were snug in their warm holes, full of corn and grain from their stores. Then the Cicada knew: It is best to prepare for the days of necessity. The Cicada, in myth, represents indifference and idleness, brevity and impermanence, and dissolution through pleasure: The story is that once upon a time these creatures were men-men of an age before there were any Muses; and that when the latter came into the world and music made its appearance, some of the people of those days were so thrilled with pleasure that they went on singing, and quite forgot to eat and drink until they actually died without noticing it. From them in due course sprang the race of cicadas. (John Sallis on Plato’s Plaedrus) The cicadas also represent immortality and rebirth because of their emergent resurrection from the womb of the earth, and they embody transformation and self-preservation through guile because of the way they shed their golden skins. The Great Southern Brood of cicadas is now hatching. Tree sap, hay, almond blossoms, moss, hemp, corn stalks, acorn, sweet amber, and rice milk. Yes! This is almost exactly what I was hoping for in this scent! It is warm, sweet, nutty, grainy, comforting. Somewhat reminiscent of Fledgling Raptor Moon, which is a scent I like a lot, although the notes are quite different. Very unisex and quite unique. It has a hint of porridge-like mealy-ness that I just love!
  6. wendyb1063

    Zonked in Paris

    Even the most intrepid adventurers get sleepy. Coffee, coffee, and more coffee for the grownups, and vanilla ice cream to en’sugar the kiddo out from her stupor.  This is great! Exactly as you might expect based on the description: sweet coffee and a bit of musky vanilla. It's kind of like a less musky, more gentle, vanilla-accented Jialong (which I love too). It reminds a bit of the scent of the Campsite Coffee candle from Bath and Body Works that I have, only better.
  7. wendyb1063

    Motherhood

    I love this kid. Oh lord, Lilith, you are my joy. You are silly and sagacious, loud and lovely, ridiculous, theatrical, and serene. You possess one of the kindest souls I have every known, and I am blessed by your compassion and your wisdom. Snake Oil, lavender, bubblegum, and gummi bears. I debated long and hard about this one. The notes called to me, strongly. But having struggled with infertility for many years, and eventually giving up, I worried it might make me sad. However, I realized how much joy and love children can bring parents. I see it in my brother, my sisters-in-law, my friends, my coworkers. In Beth!!! And I realized that motherhood, even if I can't experience it myself, is something I cherish and revere. So I ordered it!!! I'm a sucker for Snake Oil flankers. This one is very nice. It seems like a blend of SO with something like Hellion, or Hollywood Babylon, or Jailbait. It's actually more like those scents, with a dollop of SO and a very light dusting of lavender. I'm glad I got this!!!
  8. wendyb1063

    Silk Daffodil

    I really like this! The smell of daffodils is so ephemeral and hard to capture, I think. But I love neroli and spices and amber, too, so this was a natural blind buy for me. This reminds me a lot of Closet Raid laced with a good dose of neroli. It's sophisticated but also warm, clean, and pretty.
  9. wendyb1063

    Winter Landscape with Church

    Caspar David Friedrich Frankincense, myrrh, and rose resin drifting through a winter wood. This is simply gorgeous (as is the painting on which it is based). As expected, it's resins and snow and pine, with a hint of rose in the background. The myrrh adds sweetness; it almost smells like there is I some vanilla in here. There is a bit of baby powder scent in this as it dries, possibly the myrrh and rose? Nevertheless, I still find it lovely.
  10. wendyb1063

    Thirteen (13): January 2023

    This is really gorgeous. I have many of the previous 13s, and they are deliciously foody, and I cherish them. But this one is special. The lavender and herbs in it give it a drier, perfum-ier, spa-like vibe that I love and that differentiates it from other 13s.
  11. wendyb1063

    And Here I Shere My Corne Full Lowe

    This smells very much like the July Labors of the Months scent (in fact, I thought at first I ordered two of the same bottle accidentally). Luckily, I like it: it's a happy, sweet scent. It doesn't necessarily smell like the given notes, although there is a warm, sunny, wholesome, grain scent. I feel like there is a pleasing similarity to many of these Labors of the Months (at least those for the warmer months).
  12. wendyb1063

    2022 Wish List

    WISH LIST 2022 (Updated 8/23/2022) BPAL Can never have too much of these: Gypsy (from the butterfly collection) Clockwork Couture: Male Scherezade Sugar Skulls Midway Storyville Antique Lace (original) BPAL I’d like to try: Horses Hay Moon 2020 Eastern Comma Lights, Camera Something The Empress and Their Heckhound 8th Grade Resistance Morphine Hay Moon 2020 Harlow’s Lace Silver Lace Dark Lace Pumpkin Spice Dragon’s Milk Snake Oil with peanut butter? Or did I dream this? Cozy Pumpkin Sweater Popcorn Ball Snake Oil Apple Sugar Drunk Uncle Brown Butter Bourbon Cookie Fearful Pleasure Lola Lee Loo After the Winter Every Day You Play with the Light of the Universe We Wear the Mask Shelter Beeswax, Lavender, and Acacia Honey Perfume Oil Caramel, Smoked Chilis, and Black Vanilla Perfume Ylang Ylang, Sandalwood, and Vanilla Absolute The Pearl in the Volcano Eve (OLLA) Streets of Detroit (OLLA) Sugared Lace Champagne Lace Other perfumes to TRY Midnight Gypsy: The Owl Moon Arcana: Murder Ballad Blues, Wild Jack for a Lover, Black Sand, Fire, Yellow Cake, Haint variants (I have and love Haint, a gift from my very first Switch Witch long ago) Haus of Gloi: In the Ballpark, Marshmallow Woodsmoke, Rendezvous Nocturne Alchemy: Many of their foody scents More Kyse perfumes! Other perfumes I’ve tried that I want more of Kyse: Cocoat Tiare, Delizia di Marshmallow, Fumee Vanille, Oui Plus! Arcana: Bonfires at Dusk Pineward Perfumes: Velvetine Nocturne Alchemy: Anubis Black Pumpkin (this is an oldie but one I particularly love); Gray Bunny Other scented things: I'm a sucker for candles, incense, body scrubs, lotions, etc. I particularly like fall and wintery scents: pumpkin, apple, spices marshmallow, coffee, booze, smoke, vanilla, caramel, etc. Other: I have a really long "want to read" list on Goodreads. I'm fine with used books or e-books (I have a Kindle) or Audible books. I also have a really long Amazon wish list under wendyb1063 here.
  13. wendyb1063

    Großvater Tanz

    GROßVATER TANZ The evening’s celebration winds down with a traditional German folk song: rice porridge, candied fruits, heavy cream, powdered clove, and Lebkuchen. Yummy!!!!! This is exactly as I had hoped. It has the creamy, spicy, mealy scent of the porridge, and some candied citrus in there too. The cloves are not too strong, and overall It is very reminiscent of festive holiday cooking. It doesn't have huge throw on me, and has faded a bit in the 2 hours that I have had it on, but it is very delightful while it lasts.
  14. wendyb1063

    Prairie Witch

    This smells just like I imagine a mixture of Jack and Lamb's Wool would smell. It could be a Weenie, yes, indeed, as others have said. It does eventually veer into candle territory: there is an almost waxy scent to it after a while. Yes, it does have the fall candle vibe, but it is a fun ride, especially when you are looking forward to fall!
  15. wendyb1063

    With My Sythe My Mede I Mawe

    This is a really nice blend! When I put it on last night (without remembering the notes), it smelled to me like buttered toast (made from hearty, tasty bread) with orange marmalade. It was a comforting scent to wear to bed, and I still smell traces of it on my wrist in the morning. The fennel is not licorice-ey, but I think that note plus the honey is what brings the citrus peel to mind when I smell it. I don't get much smoke, but it does smell like toasted or freshly baked bread. I've really been enjoying these Labors of the Months scents!
  16. wendyb1063

    Young Woman Powdering Herself

    This is a lovely, old-fashioned scent that lovers of powdery florals will enjoy. The powder is not particularly sweet and there is no cream/vanilla note; it is indeed like an old-fashioned dusting powder. The throw is moderate, and after 8 hours, I can only smell traces on my wrist. I may have to upgrade my decant.
  17. wendyb1063

    An Opiate Vapor

    This is one of those types of scents that the Lab does so well. It is a gorgeous, moody, dark opium. It's brightened by the champaca orchid, giving it an almost champagne-like effervescence and a high-end perfume vibe, a bit reminiscent of Closet Raid. The violets are there, too, giving it a velvety base. I put it on at bedtime and could still get traces of its scent in the morning.
  18. wendyb1063

    Atlas

    Wearing this today after a long hiatus. It has aged beautifully. It goes on with a blast of marshmallow and then some oak and nutty coffee. I think I get some sweet vetiver here as well. I'd put this in the same family as Stekk and Two Sheep and Two Goats.
  19. wendyb1063

    Vase de Lilas a la Fenetre

    This is a lovely, lovely scent that does, indeed, showcase lilacs in full bloom. I thought it would remind me of my Mother, who loved lilacs above all other flowers. And it does, but even more, it reminds me very strongly of one of the very first "little girl" perfumes I had as a young child. That doesn't mean that this is a youngster's perfume; I think it could be worn by anyone of any age. I'm so glad I have a bottle of this beautiful perfume.
  20. wendyb1063

    blends containing that coveted lemony vanilla?

    What about Lemon Scented Sticky Bat?
  21. wendyb1063

    White Clover, Elderflower, and Apple

    This is a lovely, lovely scent! Even my husband (who classifies most of my scents as "cardboard", "men's cologne", or "weeds") said he really liked it. It's a masterful combination of the three notes. The white clover brings sweetness and a hay-like/coumarin-ish warmth, but also some floral character to enhance the elderflower. The apple brings its own balanced tartness and sweetness. We have lots of both of these plants growing on our land, so to me, this is the ultimate upper Midwest summer scent. I remember one time biking near a field of white clover in bloom, maybe 25 years ago, and thinking it was the most beautiful scent I had ever smelled. This reminds me of that. It has some serious throw at the beginning.
  22. wendyb1063

    And With My Spade I Delfe My Landys

    Really? No one has reviewed this one yet? To my nose, this perfume is richly fragrant with the BPAL snow note and coniferous tree notes. The amber is in the deep background, proving a hint of warmth. I don't detect any florals, maybe a hint of iris, but perhaps they will come out with time (although I'm not sure what snowdrops and hellebore smell like). This honestly smells more like a Yule fragrance. It's quite lovely and makes me think of walking through a pine forest on a quiet winter day.
  23. wendyb1063

    Vanilla Husk, Nutmeg, & Hay Absolute

    I really, really like this one! It's like Tombstone without the cedar, per my husband. The vanilla is indeed reminiscent of Antique Lace, and the nutmeg is fairly quiet. The hay is beautiful. Longevity is good: I put it on more than 12 hours ago, and it's still very noticeable. The scent profile doesn't change much over time either.
  24. wendyb1063

    Penis Bound With Gold Ribbon

    I wanted to love this... but I just "like" it. I think I assumed it would be sweeter, with some grounding vanilla vibe from the amber. But there is something about this one that doesn't quite do it for me. The lemon here seems almost bitter, like lemon rind, and there is almost an aquatic note to this as well. It does have pretty good longevity, though. We'll see how it ages...
  25. wendyb1063

    Languishing for Love

    This one starts with a very strong almond/cherry blast. After a few minutes, the musk comes through, as does the chocolate and mint. The almond/cherry face to a marzipan/playdough note that I really like. The star anise is barely a whisper. It's not as foody as it sounds, but is more of a sweet, dark gourmand. It's got serious throw! Overall, I like this quite a lot! I suspect it will be one I wear often. It reminds me a bit of WILF but with cherry and almond.
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