jewelbug

Imp: A lovely vanilla musk, creamy with lavendar. Wet: A wollop of white musk with a bit of vanilla/lav. There's a slight citrus, presumably the bergamot in the earl grey. Very nice and unisex. Reminds me of Dorian, which makes sense, considering the inspiration... Drying: The musk backs off a bit, the lavender steps up. Dry: Huh, i swear i smell leather in this. A slightly smoky leather with a supporting vanilla musk, the lavender is pretty much gone. Its more toward the masculine side now, but still unisex. I think this is decidedly more masculine than Dorian. late into the drydown, i'm getting a weird synthetic scent--like a burny plastic almost. Maybe there's a sugar note that's not agreeing with me? Its faint, and I only get whiffs occasionally. Otherwise, its a masculine white leather musk scent with a vanilla sweetness. I want to try it on my hubby.

Imp: Very spiced cherry, but this cherry is akin to almond to my nose. Wet: I can't believe this spice is cardamom! It smells like a strong cinnamon+ginger to me. Maybe that's the verbena taking it towards lemon to make it more gingery. Anywho, it smells very strongly of ginger at this stage, very little of the cherry I smelled in the imp. Drying: Still predominantly gingery spice on me. Very nice, sorta shub-ish with the deep spice and darker notes underneath. Dry: Spicy, lightly fruity (cherry, presumably) with dark patchouli underneath. Its a very pleasant blend. As time passes, the berries become more prominent, but its more of a subtle, jammy, winey fruit, rather than lollipops or a bright cherry. The spices are equal to the fruit (but less cinnamon-like) and the an incensual patchouli supports it all. Overall: Considering a bottle of this, as its lovely.

Imp: A sweet woody blend with a bit of rose around the edges. Wet: A lovely sweet wooden blend. I think its more teak than cedar, and the rose compliments in the background (its not amping, i'm so shocked!) Drying: the woods get drier, more dusty, the scent has a sweet almost creaminess to it, and its really pretty. Dry: This shifts further and further into an incense blend as time goes on. A woody, dusky incense blend. It settles into a dark, sweetly woody incense and stays there for hours. Very enjoyable!

Why you should be insulted for being accused of excelling at your work is the big question. Anyway, thank you very much for coming in here and addressing the concerns. I know you've got a lot going on right now (perhaps the biggest understatement of the day), and we appreciate it! I dunno, I think she could make cupcake + cucumbers work somehow.

But I emailed them directly and was given that quote this week. So if it's not true anymore, they wouldn't be emailing people with that info....I would think. Oh, I don't doubt that the products are natural and that the lab is giving out accurate info via email. I think they are, indeed "Natural", but the implication is still there because the website used to say so and doesn't now, if that makes sense. maewitch--that definitely makes sense regarding the aldehydes.

Totally. I agree. I the beginning when I was new to BPAL, there used to be a statement on the website (in the FAQ's) saying that the blends were all-natural. But now that's gone and I'm not sure when it was changed. I swear I remember seeing that FAQ too. Ditto. It used to be there, because I was looking for it the other day to refer a friend to, and couldn't find it. Now, I'm as big a fan girl as most here, I guess, but the removal of that statement implies that it was no longer accurate, and it would definitely be nice to have a bit of official clarification. Personally, I love my bpal and I'll use it no matter what (okay, maybe if they started juicing kittens, I'd stop ). But this question is very important to others, and a clear, public statement (on the website for example) would be appropriate.

In bottle: Dark, musky, masculine, lots of vetiver, I think. Wet: Still strong on the vetiver, but gets sweeter almost instantly. Not supersweet, just sweeter than the super vetiver in the bottle. A hint of the cola scent that I associate with Voodoo. This smells red to me. Like red vetiver cola, actually. Drying: Vetiver root beer, actually...there isn't sassafras listed, but i'm getting that root beer feel from this. Early Dry: The vetiver seems to back off quite a bit, and I get a musky, dark scent, with a hint of dark fruits (currant?) and resins. There's also something slightly citrusy around the edges--tea maybe? Its sweet, but not overly so, and dark and pretty sexy, actually. I can also pick out a slight bit of lavendar, which brightens things a bit. Late Dry: Everything backs off and I get winey dark fruits. It reminds me of montressor, actually. Faded montressor plummy wine with a bit of musk. Overall: I like this, but it doesn't wow me, and isn't something I can see making its way into my regular rotation. ADDED Jan. 31: Bottle: Dark, kinda bitter jungle green and black. Vetiver? Dark resins? Wet: Dark, wet, jungle greens, dank and deep and a little dirty, yes, bitter, but there is something a bit sweet that comes through, too. I have no idea what it would be. Its definitely hard to pick out notes in this, but overall it’s a dark jungle scent to me. Kinda masculine for my tastes. Drying: This rounds out, is less jungle-y and bitter, though that dark greenery sensation is definitely still there. The sweetness has developed into a dark currant/plumy scent, kinda syrupy. There’s also a hint of more herbal-leaning greenery, verging almost to a mintiness. It’s a very nice balance. Dry: The sweet dark fruits take over this blend, stay at the forefront, and are supported by deeper green herbal notes and a faraway musk/resin. Its very nice, much less harsh and gentler than how it started. Overall: This is certainly an enjoyable blend. It reminds me of Penumbra, which is fitting. But I like this better than Penumbra, which was a little more “berryish” to me. This one is also a dark fruity scent, but these fruits are more up my alley. That said, I can’t see this working its way into my regular rotation, so I think I’ll find it a less neglectful home.

In Vial: Sandalwood incense, with an almost citrus-like quality. I admit that I was hoping for a fair bit of honey, which I can imagine around the edges, but its understated if there at all. Wet: Strong woody incense--cedar? Drying: Less sweet, more dry and powdery incense with a definite woodiness. In the later drydown its a very sophistocated dry incense/wood with just a bit of sweetness, but not that of the traditional bpal honey note to my nose. Overall: This is a lovely incense blend, but not something that would make it into my rotation, since I don't often wear them. I'll find it a more loving home.

Bottle: Really light but nonetheless perfumey florals. Wet: sweet, light florals with a bitter edge that I associate with violet scents. Drying: Goes a bit soapy. Dry: I'm not a floral gal, so this is just a light, non-descript floral to my nose. Its clean, a little soapy, and fairly unexciting. Fades substantially after only an hourand is gone in 3. Overall: Pretty but not for me. Off to the swap pile...

Bottle: A really gentle, light sweet rose with a hint of fruit. Not the type of rose that is strong and usually sends me running. Hopefully this won't amp on my skin like others do. Wet: Instantly more "rosey" when it hits my skin. Its supported ever so lightly by a very sweet, almost fruity peony. Drying: I steadily lose all but the rose. In its defense, its not the "rose soap" that I get out of a lot of amping rose notes, but its still not my cup of tea. Dry: Rose, but a nice rice--sweet and light and demure, rather than heady and in your face. There are slight hints of sweeter notes on me (honey? tonka? plum?), but this is predominantly a light rose blend. That's not surprising since I amp rose. Overall: A pretty, light rose scent, but not me.

I used bpal as my costume inspiration 2 yrs ago--I did a whole Mad Hatter thing. It was fun, and one of my favorite costume combos so far! You reminded me that I need to start thinking about this year!

Bottle: This is so light in the bottle that I can hardly smell it, but I get wafts of smoky 'nilla. Wet: Smoky vanilla, and what smells like a dark amber, slightly powdery in a good way. Dry: Smoky, dark vanilla, with a hefty bit of sweet dark honey. I love this. I do get wafts of pine, but its fairly understated on my skin. Overall: Yes, please. Smoky dark vanilla love. Note: Its odd, but of the 6 placed i put this that were within reach of my nose, this turns into super strong pine on ONE elbow crook. Nowhere else. I like comparing. Strange skin chem...

In Bottle: Sweet florals, very "perfumey" to me. Like a classy ladies perfume. Wet: Yes, very "old" perfume. Not as in "old lady," just as in "they don't make em like this anymore." My cousin used to have a bunch of old perfumes that my grandma gave her--they were in all sorts of interestingly shaped bottles. One that I loved sniffing was in a tall lady made of bumpy milk glass. I was little, so I don't know if this is REALLY what it smelled like, but it triggers that memory. That's not very helpful to others, I'm sure, but I stink at describing florals anyway. What I'm getting is a mosh of sweet florals with a slightly sweet, almost fruity edge. Drying: maintains sweet floral, but is less "perfumey" if you know what i mean. I think that hte moonflower and lily are predominant on me, becuase its a very gentle white, almost creamy type of floral. Dry: This settles into a sweet gentle floral, and occasionally I get a "red fruits" tinge from it, which is unexpected. Its almost like sweet plums waft in and out of this demure, white floral. Overall: A proper victorian lady's perfume. This is sweet and clean and pretty. It is not, however, "me," so I think I'll find it a home where it can be in the spotlight more often.

Given the listed notes in this, it was a shoe-in for me to buy a bottle unsniffed. I love creamy, foody scents with little earthier touches (like teak, here). Unfortunately, its not at all what I envisioned. While I was expecting a creamy buttery amber with some pleasant wood notes, it manifests as a dirty (like a dirty patchouli-ish scent, not actual dirt) burnt caramel. Actually, its even more unsettling than that. Someone above had a celery skin reaction, and I think this is similar. Like dirty celery crusted wtih burning caramel... It reminds me a lot of what ventriliquist dummy did on my skin, and that was an unpleasant thing indeed. Alas, not all caramels are for me, and this is one of those. So sad, but I will find her a better home.

I bought Aeronwen on sight and description alone. When she arrived on my doorstep, she was accompanied by quite a few other grindhouse ladies, as well as the illustrated woman. So happy was I to finally have them all in my possession that I could not help but to indulge in a gluttonous perfumed orgy without delay. There were ladies on every inch of my skin for my intense sniffing pleasure. Unfortunately, in that grand soiree, Aeronwen underwhelmed me. She was timid and nondescript. But my disappointment was misplaced… ...you see...Aeronwen is not the orgy kind of lady. Once I had her alone, she opened up to me so that I might fully appreciate her sweet, dark beauty. Wet, she is indescribably fruity, fresh, sweet and clean, with a scent of cut green stems. But as she warms to your skin she darkens--her musk grows in strength, supported by resins and woods. Sweet, liquid amber, creamy and golden, comes to the forefront and hints of erotic spice, earthy fig and sweet orange tease your senses. You are left wanting more. I am glad I tried her again. No doubt I shall indulge in her many more times before she is spent.

Ashlultum in the bottle smelled of acetone nail polish remover. I was taken aback. But I could tell that my nose was simply reading some floral as acetone, so I gave her a try. Wet, she was floral, sweet and clean (no more acetone, thankfully!). I could definitely pick out the lilac, but as I’m not sure what hyssop smells like, so I can’t comment on that… Dry, she went through quite a surprising morph. On me, she is a dead ringer for LUSH’s Figs n Leaves soap. I can’t explain it, as they don’t share a single note, as far as I can tell. It’s that same gentle, slightly creamy, clean natural scent of that particular soap. If I sniff very hard and try to pick out single notes, I can tease lilac out of the mélange, but the overall picture is that of FigsnLeaves. There you have it.

I'd add a rec for Talvikuu (discon from yules...2005?) to the list. I was wearing it yesterday and its a lovely evergreen (but not pinesol) forest in the snow. "Skeletal limbs of birch and fir coated in a thick, impenetrable blanket of snow. This is the death of the year personified."

Imp: Sweet syrupy amber, maybe a bit of honey, a citrus hint and some musk maybe? Wet: Very sweet amber, a hint powdery, with a citrus honeyed scent. Maybe a hint of pine? Its quite a nice smell, which makes sense if its supposed to lure in strangers. Dry: Musky, slightly powdery, sweet, but losing the citrus quality...but...this takes on a weird overtone on my skin...sorta like my grandma's art studio--all the paints/solvents/sawdust combined in a way that I like, but maybe not as a body oil (intent or no). Actually, that "weird" scent has a resinous quality to it--myrrh? The late dry is a very powdery resin/musk scent. Overall: This was a very sweet gift, but I am happily married and don't need to have strangers fawning over me. Which means I was afraid to wear it in public. I'm going to pass this on.

Imp: Super peppery, spicy lavendar. Wet: Whoa, cinnamon. And lavendar. And something almost minty? Though I guess that could be the herbal lav. playing with my head. Dry: Fireball in an lavender garden. I really love both lav and cinnamon, and this is a very cool combo, but its unfortunately making my nose itch! Late into the drydown, there is far less herbal/lav quality, and a dusty incense/resin note comes out--frankincense maybe? Or an amber? I'm not quite sure. Overall: This is a truly unique blend, and I enjoyed every stage of it. Unfortunately, it makes my nose a little tempermental, so I'm going to pass on the love.

Bottle: A deep syrupy scent--dark resins and a cola-syrup quality. Wet (2:49): Warm, dark, sweet resins. Lucifer is indeed charismatic. This has that dr. pepper/coca cola quality I get out of the wet stages in voodoo and torture king, and something about it also reminds me of schwarzer mond. Dry: The earthiness of the sweet fig definitely comes out, and its beautifully supported by all the sticky, warm resins. There's a hint of spiciness. During late dry down, I'm left with a dark amber/resin, slightly sweet. I really love this. Overall: I'd say this scent would work fantastically on a guy (so sexy), but hubby would have to pry it from my cold, dead fingers. I adore this blend. Okay, maybe I'll let him wear it, too. Occasionally.... For those that fear vetiver, I couldn't really pick it out in this blend, so don't be scared off--its beautiful!

Bottle: Chocolate-drenched Montressor with a hint of sandalwood. Wet: Incredibly wet, fruity wine (still reminds me strongly of montressor), a whiff of chocolate (not as strong as in the bottle), and a woodsiness. Dry: As this dries, the sandalwood grows in strength, helping to balance the strong wine note, which has blackberry overtones. The chocolate fades, and I'm left with a tart wine and sandalwood. Overall: Lasts 4-5 hrs, very enjoyable blend. Not sure how often I'd wear it, however. I could perhaps swap one of my Montressor bottles and keep this one for some variation...

Imp: Very strong vanilla, perhaps a bit of a darker tonka, and a frutiness, presumably pear. This has a distinct boozy note to me. Wet: Still strikes me as boozy. A boozy vanilla with a non-distinct fruitiness. To be quite honest, at this stage, it smells like a nice candle--something I'd love my home to smell like, but not really myself. Dry: A fruity boozy vanilla with hints of candle wax (could be my imagination) and a whiff of wet paint?! The wet paint phase is short, thankfully. Later, I get some polished wood (sandalwood?) scent from it (along with the vanilla candle fruitiness), fitting for a parlour. Overall: I had expected this to be my fave of the new weenies. While its sweet and pretty, its not what I thought. It'd be a lovely home scent, but I don't see myself wearing it as perfume. Lasts 6-7 hrs.

A surprise imp from the lab!! Imp: Initially, I smell citrus and a dark foody note (tonka?) that reminds me of shub. Maybe its the tonka combining with the ginger? On deeper inhale, I do get a whiff of my jasmine nemesis. On even deeper inhale, don't laugh, but I swear I smelled Old Bay crab seasoning? wtf? Wet: Surprisingly foody, still like a light floral shub to me...i think it must be the tonka/ginger. Over that buttery foody base note are some sharper tart citruses and florals. Something is akin to necco wafers, with that sort of necco spice, if you know what I mean? On the very outskirts I can smell jasmine, but its not going satanic on me like usual. Dry: The necco backs down. I have effervessent citrus/floral with hints of mown grass and that buttery shub-like basenote. Its a bit floral for my tastes, and I do get hints of jasmine, but its very pretty. About 10 minutes in, the sweet citrus foodiness is joined by that old bay smell form earlier. Ever so slightly, but its there. I have NO idea what's doing that to me. Luckily that old bay thing only lasts for 10 minutes or so, and then this settles into a sweet floral with a hint of citrus. Overall: Thrilled I got to try this, even more thrilled that the scary jasmine is understated. Its light and green and pretty, but still manages to be sweet and creamy. It is, however, still a bit to floral for me--not my normal fare, so I think I'll pass it on. Not too much throw, fades in 3-4 hrs, despite the fact that I put a fair amt on the skin.

Imp: Very strong wine, a wee bit citrusy and even a little creamy, more foody than I expected. Wet: Oh, yes, a very fruity sweet wine, no vinegar here. Something vanillic, and also a wee bit chocolate from the wine's overtones. There is a spice to this, as well. So far, its lovely! Dry: This is a surprising warm scent for a chilling cellar. I'm getting a sweet, spiced wine with an earthy dustiness. Its really enjoyable. There is definitely a "tang", though it doesn't smell like blood to me, more like a warm orangey citrus. Later there is a soft, sweet powdery note to this, almost like an orris? A little creamy, a little fruity, a little sweet, a little powdery, yes, a bit mineral-y. This is really complex, unique and beautiful. I still swear it has a vanillic note to it. Overall: For such a soft, sweet, delicate scent, this has some powerful throw. It lasts for 8-10 hrs, and smells fantastic. This blend was quite a surprise--not at all what I expected There is a bit of wine at the beginning, but this dries into a powdered vanilla sugar, face powder and mineral scent. Its beautiful and unique. I'm very tempted by a bottle, but regardless, I'll be keeping this imp.

Imp: A very dark, damp, green scent. Lots of vetiver? Wet: Damp leaves, a bit of peppery spice, something like....the garden aisle of home depot after it gets cold? Really, I can smell the damp compost, the bagged soil and the cool air. Very interesting. The spice in here is a medicinal clove (I had clove packing when my wisdom teeth were removed, so certain clove blends always remind of that time), and the scent tends towards masculine for me. Dry: This really does smell like the autumn outdoors to me. I'm left with that "fresh steam from the composting leaf pile" sort of scent. Its woody, earthy, damp, dry, and really captures that moment. The medicinal spice has backed off, now there is a more subtle spice blend, like someone baking in the distance. Later into the dry the dark amber is more apparently, lending a slightly powdery resin to the dead leaves, woods and light spice scent. Overall: This is a triumph. I really think it captures that autumn in the woods scent. That said, its rather masculine on me, and my hubby didn't love it, so I think I'll keep my imp for the artistry and pass on a bottle. Lasts 6-8 hrs.