Christine Daae

In the bottle: Yummy lilies! I don't know how flowers can smell yummy, but they do? Wet: This is just lovely! It is definitely true to the description - warm, honeyed lilies. This may be the only honey blend I've found so far that I like. This is sweet and lovely. Drydown: This gets warmer and more golden and sweeter as I wear it. I love this. The lilies and honey play back and forth - I swear, no other honey blend has worked on me (they all go off), but this one actually smells like honey. Verdict: This is beautiful. I'm going to at least keep the imp, if not order more. My next order is going to be huge.

... The scent is one of unadulterated spiritual purity, with a taste of the world's eternal pathos, and the joy of suffering with grace: frankincense, olive, spikenard, hyssop and galangal. Frimp from the Lab! In the bottle: Ummm, sharp and...not at all a smell I would associate with perfume. I think that must be the olive. Wet: Sharp, sharp, sharp and Christmassy smelling. I swear to God there must be pine in here. I don't know what it is, but this smells like Christmas to me, too. Drydown: This gets fruitier and less herbal and (I SWEAR) Christmassy smelling. Verdict: Okay, so how come this has such remarkable throw, when most of my favourites (save Sugar Skull, bless it) stay so close to my skin? I keep getting wafts of the incensy Christmas smell, even though my arm is far away from my nose. It's not unpleasant, just...different. Not one of my favourites.

In the bottle: Oh dear, pomegranate. Pomegranate hates me. Wet: Blargh, icky-gross pomegranate. Oh pomegranate, why do you hate me? It comes off all sharp and offensive on me, for some reason, not ripe and juicy like it should. Drydown: Okay, well, this isn't bad. I think the peach and the rose mellow it out a little bit. I have no idea what myrtle smells like. I like the aquatic and the "autumn breezes," too. Have I at last found a wearable pomegranate blend? Verdict: The wet stage is just...icky on me, but after it dries down, it becomes sweeter and warmer and just lovely. The peach and the rose are both notes that work on me, so they must be the reason that this actually works on me instead of going all off. I will definitely be keeping this imp.

Frimp from the Lab! In the imp: Cherry-almondy! And it is leaking everywhere, so my hands smell of sugary almondy cherries. Wet: Still sticky-sweet cherry-almondy smell. Very sugary and yummy. Drydown: This gets less sticky-sweet (aww...) and more herbal and dark. It's still very lovely, though. I can't even begin to guess what's in this. I'm not getting anything floral, just something dark and...not quite musky. Verdict: I wish I got the reactions that other people are getting (sexy! sophisticated! yummy!) but I just sort-of long for that sticky-sweet almond-cherry smell. It's still slightly sweet, but mostly dusty and dry. It must be my chemistry. And it's too bad, because this one is leaking all over the place!

Got this as a frimp from the Lab - I wouldn't have ordered it because of the plum. In the bottle: Yup, plum. (Wah.) Wet: Oooh. Less plum, more...spice? This is lovely! Drydown: Mmm, carnationy Arabian musk. I really only get a little bit of the plum, which is good (fruit hates me) - it lends a yummy depth to the scent, under the spice and the musk. While wearing: Yes, I love this. It's very sensual and lovely - not overpoweringly knock-you-down sexy, just subtle and sweet and gorgeous. (God this is going to be an expensive next order...!)

In the bottle: Why hello there, Snake Oil! Wet: It's only in the bottle that this smells like Snake Oil to me, cos as soon as it hits my skin, instead of getting warmer and more vanilla, this gets cooler and sharper. The only thing I can think that would make this so would be the patchouli leaf (as opposed to patchouli itself). It's very slightly herbal. Drydown: This is much "drier" than Snake Oil is, but I can see where the comparison is. While wearing: Something in this really, really doesn't like me. I'm going to have to give it a second try, but...eek. This went very...icky on me. With my luck it's the pomegranate.

This is only my second Lunacy - my first was Snow Moon - but all the flowers appealed to me. In the bottle: Greenish and fruity. What? Wet: A very clear, green, fresh, melony scent. I am not getting any floral at all, yet. Maybe a bit of the honeysuckle, actually. Drydown: Ooooh, there's a bit of the vanilla bean. And the lily. While wearing: This is so pretty! I am so, so glad I got this. Cheerful, innocent, flowery, clear and bright. It's ever-so-slightly fruity. I love the honeysuckle and the beeswax combined with the lilies...it's not got that soapy quality that some people associate with lily, either, though that may just be my chemistry. Everything that I've tried from my most recent order is just gorgeous beyond words. It's too bad I can't get more of this, though.

2006 In the bottle: Brown sugar! Wet: YUM. This is just sugar, sugar, and more sugar on me. Drydown: Ooooh, I'm getting a bit of the fruits now. Dear heavens, this is lovely. This is exactly the kind of "foody" scent I love, and I'm probably going to need more of this, too. While wearing: This is so yummy. It's mostly brown-sugary, with hints of caramel and alchoholic vanilla, with the fruits taking a backseat with my chemistry. I love this. It has a gorgeous, sugary throw on me too - and most BPAL tends to be more "second-skin" on me. But gah, this is lovely. More bottles for me! Edit!: For some reason, if I put this in my hair and not on my skin, it becomes dead sexy and almost spicy. Rowr.

In the bottle: Orangey floral. A bit like Moscow. Wet: Oh. Oh. Oh, my God. That is just gorgeous. Sweet, creamy, slightly spicy floral. Drydown: Oh dear, I'm going to have to get more of this. God, this is beautiful. I don't normally like orange (or spice), but this is just beautiful. I was very wary of the tobacco flower, too, but. Bright and sweet and lovely. While wearing: This gets sweeter and creamier and more and more gorgeous as it dries and settles into my skin. I love Lucy's Kiss as well, but I think this captures Lucy's character better. It somehow encompasses both sides of Lucy's character - the sweet, oversensitive, effervescent girl - and the Bloofer Lady. I love this. I need more of it!!

In the bottle: Sweet, cool floral. Wet: Very rosey, slightly...lily-ish? Very "cool" at the outset. Drydown: This is a very sweet, quiet floral with a slightly dark undertone. There is nothing offensive about this, it's so light and pretty. Almost too light - I have to keep my nose almost pressed against my wrist to smell it at all. While wearing: As it dries, the blackcurrant and dragon's blood become more apparent. The description "innocence corrupted by what was already inside the person" is perfectly apt. The darker aspects become more apparent as you wear it. Deeper, sweeter, darker, spicier, flirtier and just lovely.

In the bottle: Spicy rose. Wet: Okay, there's the rosewood and other woods! This does smell like a seance parlor! Drydown: I was really hoping for more lilac in this (I love lilac and the other lilacs I've tried have had lemon in them, grrr). But it's very softly floral with the woods overpowering it. I have no idea what osmanthus smells like, but this smells a bit incensy. While wearing: This is very "musty." There's a very "musty" closed-in, Victorian feel to this perfume - being locked in a parlor on a rainy day, having to do something to amuse yourself and your guests...I swear I smell tea, even. Tea and soft florals and woods. I quite like this, though I'm not sure if I'll wear it too often.

In the bottle: The herbally quality most of the Voodoo blends that I've tried is there, softened by...florals? Wet: This is very pretty! I think this and Aunt Caroline's Joy Mojo are the two I've liked the best so far. It could be because I love florals, and this is just so lovely and peaceful-smelling. Drydown: This is very quietly floral. Very unassuming, not particularly old-ladyish or anything like that. I like it! While wearing: There's little to no throw, I have to press my nose up against my wrist to smell it, but I definitely like it. Herbal floral (there must be lavender in here). The first time I tried this blend, I was not suffering a broken heart, but was having a terrible time getting over something a friend had done, and this helped me calm my tears and fall asleep. So I suppose it works for me that way, too!

In the bottle: Trees! Piney, menthol-y trees. Wet: I think it's absolutely amazing that this just smells like forests on me. And a bit of Vick's Vapor Rub. Drydown: Cedar, trees, and menthol. This is not at all something I would pick for myself (but it was a frimp, so that's why I have it). I'm still so amazed at the artistry that went into this blend. While wearing: This basically just smells like menthol and trees on me forever and ever. Lots and lots of trees. It may help clear my nasal passages, though. Really, if I'm looking for a cold, wintery, piney scent, I'll go with Snow Moon.

In the bottle: Lemon! Lemony lemon. Wet: Really, I'm still just getting lemon. Drydown: This smells like lemonade. It is very light and sweet-smelling, but I'm getting almost all lemon and only the tiniest hint of green tea. Lemon and I generally do not get along because I amp it up. While wearing: This fades down to practically nothing after the inital LEMON!! burst. It's too bad, because I think I would have liked it (despite it being my archnemisis, lemon).

In the bottle: Leather. Holy carp. Wet: Leather with a little bit more sharpness. Drydown: Still leather? While wearing: Yup, leather. This was a frimp (I wouldn't have ordered it for myself anyway), so I'm not too disappointed. I didn't expect it to be "me" anyway.

In the bottle: Cherry-almond! Wet: Yup, that cherryish almond scent, like whoa. Drydown: Mmm, this gets much better on the drydown (the cherryish almond scent is far too strong for me). Warm and lovely and vanillaish. While wearing: Oooh, and there's the cinnamon! This is really lovely, actually, warm and slightly dark and cheerful. I love heliotrope, but I can barely smell it in this, it's much more vanilla-almond-cinnamon. This layers beautifully with Belle Epoque, too.

In the bottle: Incensy. Slightly sour incense. Wet: This...smells like churches. In a good way. Drydown: The incense and the rose smell warm and holy. This reminds me of Catholic mass, weddings, and confession all at once. While wearing: I am not sure how I like incensy scents on my skin. This is a very true, holy-smelling rose. I love roses, and this is such a comforting, holy scent. Beth's roses are all so gorgeous. It's holy and resiny and incensy, but at the same time, the most beautiful rose scent. It reminds me a lot of Parlement of Foules, actually - another of my favourites.

In the bottle: Spice! Cinnamon! Woo! Wet: I'm looking through all the other reviews as I do this, and people say they can smell dragon's blood, and I don't know what dragon's blood smells like. But this kinda smells like cinnamon candy to me. Drydown: This is really nice! The cinnamon (or whatever spice) mellows out, and it gets sweeter and a bit fruitier... While wearing: Ooooh yes, this is lovely. This might be what I wear all day today. It's a bit floral-orangy smelling, but with the spice still in. I love it - it's spicy and sweet and just a bit powdery, playful and edible-smelling. A lot of the other voodoo blends have worked for me, so I'll give this one a try tonight.

In the bottle: This definitely smells like gentlemen's cologne. I'm not terribly good with the more masculine scents, so we'll see. Wet: On, at first I still just get the cologney smell, and then I get a bit of the tonka. (I love tonka.) Drydown: As this dries down, the overly-cologney smell warms up with more of the tonka. While wearing: Hmm. This has all-but disappeared on me, after only a few minutes. All that's left is the little bit of tonka, and just the teeniest bit of lavender, all the other scents are gone. Odd! ETA - Now I keep getting wafts of lavender and herbally scents, and the tonka is all gone. This is quite nice, but far too masculine for me.

In the bottle: Floral and...dry? Wet: Mmm. Very...imperial-smelling. The tangerine doesn't overwhelm, thank goodness. Drydown: This is very regal-smelling! I love it - florals and musk and tangerine. While wearing: What a lovely blend, I really adore this. It does remind me of walking down a street in Moscow, even though I've never been. The blends are all so evocative, and this is no exception. The tangerine comes more to the forefront and then drifts off again. I love the lily of the valley and the rose. Just gorgeous.

In the bottle: Berries! Wet: Clean and bright and sweet. I like this! There's a little sharpness from the sage, but I like that, too. Drydown: Mmm, this gets warmer as it dries. I think I just need to get every BPAL ever that has any sort of tea in it, because this is just gorgeous. I'm not even normally into fruity smells. While wearing: I am so keeping this imp, if not buying more. This is just so pretty. I've noticed that my chemisty tends to "warm up" otherwise cool, crisp blends, and this is no exception. It must be the musk that's coming through. This is very true to its name and description. I love it!

In the bottle: ...omgyum. Wet: Mmmmm. I can smell all the different parts coming together - the blackberry, the bourbon, the buttercream, the red velvet cake (how much do I love red velvet cake?). Drydown: I have to say, this has incredible throw. I feel like I'm radiating yummy creamy boozy cakey goodness. Not a lot of things have good throw on me, so this makes me happy. I love the combination of the blackberry and the buttercream frosting. While wearing: Sadly, this fades after about three hours. That's actually not bad, considering that most of my favourites need reapplication every three hours or so. But I didn't bring any with me, sadly, so I just have a whisp of a blackberry scent left if I press my nose to my wrist (which I am doing). I'm so glad I took the risk and got this! I'm always so afraid that I'll love the LEs too much. And while I do love this, it's not going to replace Lolita or Maiden.

In the bottle: Cinnamony, YES! Wet: This is darker than my usual, but spicy and definitely 'corrupt' smelling. Mmm, I've been looking for something with cinnamon in that I would like. Drydown: Again, I like the sweet scents. Sweet and spicy. While wearing: This one is a morpher. The cinnamon stays constant (and kind of burns my nose when I smell it, hee!), but the amber and the patchouli (I guess I like patchouli?) play back and forth. I swear I smell vanilla in here (and looking at the other reviews, I'm glad that I'm not the only one who smells it). Probably not something I would wear often, but I'll keep the imp. Cinnamonnnnn.

In the bottle: Unabashedly masculine. Wet: Kinda red and sweet, but still manly. Drydown: Ahh! I think it's the woodsy scent that makes me think "manly." While wearing: Yeah, not exactly my kind of scent. Definitely fits the description, though - feral and warm and red. The amber is nice. But this is woodsy and musky more than anything else. Would be good for a boy!

In the bottle: Mmmm, mostly honey? Wet: Honey with a bit of wine. Hmmm. Drydown: This gets a bit sweeter, but I don't smell any of the vanilla. There's the muskiness (which I'm not too fond of), but I don't smell any floral at all. While wearing: Hmm. All the notes listed in this made me want to try it and love it, but it's just too...dark? for me. It must be the musk or the wine (or the vetiver, because I'm not sure what that smells like). Honey, vanilla and cherry are generally right up my alley, but this one is a bit on the "rawrrr!" side for me.