angelamaria

Know your way around a computer? Why, F5, of course! All seriousness aside, personally I would probably wear something light. Light floral, light vanilla, "white" scents--anything as long as it's fairly unassuming and not in-your-face...although, well, some of my favorites kind of fall under that "category", so I find I'm not too hard-pressed finding something. Fresh scents would also probably work, white and green and clean as long as they are not "sharp".

I loved Serpents as well, but I gave up on finding a bottle of it It's just not as popular and so there's little of it floating around, I think. Other green scents that aren't replacements for Serpents but I also liked--and maybe you will too--are Envy and Sea of Glass. They're both green scents, which I'm discovering I'm just not as in love with as I thought I was. For Hesperides, have you tried any of the apple scents currently available from the Halloweenies? I'm afraid Hesperides didn't work out on my skin but you might find a good apple replacement in one of the LEs. Viridian, I mentioned this elsewhere but for the rest, Tree of Life reminded me of Black Opal when I tried it. Black Opal is tonka to me, and Tree of Life had the same kind of tonka--to my untrained nose, anyway Also, I think someone also gave a few suggestions in another thread very shortly after the announcement--I'm not sure which at the moment.

Is customer service/emails still backlogged for the lab?

In imp: green, clean! Definite yes on the "purity, crystalline" scent description. Makes me think of bright light--and you know when you look out on a lake or sea etc and the sun is shining on the water and the water looks like a bed of diamonds? Yes, this is it. Wet on skin: green, with faint white florals. Clean and beautiful and uplifting, almost healing and rejuvenating. Dry: beautiful. Sweet and bright and uplifting, slightly tart; pure and crystalline. Green with just a slight touch of floral, and I think a citrus as well. Very spot on with the "sea"--it gets more and more aquatic on my skin as it "ages". Doesn't really morph from the wet phase. Verdict: admittedly, this was a bottle scent, before I found Parsifal which is now more to my liking. I still love how evocative the blend is, but on the times I've worn it, it does tend to be quite sharp for me, so I'll be looking for a new home for my bottles.

In decant: crisp white floral, petitgrain, and ozone. Definitely a "clean" scent. White.. Wet on skin: paperwhite narcissus, indeed. Paperwhite florals, with a touch of citrus and ozone. Very beautiful and fresh, clean smelling. Initially it goes dusty on me--I hope this disappears as the dustiness doesn't go well with the ozone. Well-blended, feminine. Dry: doesn't change from the wet phase. All throughout my initial test, I've been trying to figure out what this scent was reminding me, a general catalog scent, something I've tested before and really liked too, but I wasn't sure. After a good while, I finally realized that it was Sea of Glass, which was a bottle scent. Against Sea of Glass, this is much more softer, and with that floral tone whereas Sea of Glass has a definite aquatic tinge (in addition to the ozone). Verdict: keeper! This is replacing the spot Sea of Glass has in my perfume collection.

This little review has quite a story to tell. A few weeks ago--maybe two months, or even more!--I became friends with a lovely lady through her sales post. She was such a dear and sent me testers of a good chunk of her collection, which included hard-to-find blends! She gave me a dry sniffie of JKv6, or it wasn't dry before she sent it, but it was dry when it reached me! I was perfectly all right with it--it still smelled divine, and confirmed to me that I needed to skin-test this beauty, stat. Upon learning that it was dry, she straightaway sent me ANOTHER SNIFFIE. In the middle of this second package, another super-lovely friend sent me a fairy package...which INCLUDED a sniffie of JKv6 too! So you might say this was meant to be. I delayed in testing, however, because I was not feeling well for a time there. When I finally did...well, you will find out. In tester: oh wow. Orange, dusky, slightly musky, but it's sweet in a non-candylike way. Just...sweet, slightly honeyed in feel. Lovely. Winner. Must skin-test. MUST!! Wet on skin: creamy, slightly musky and full orange. OHHHHH, super love. A nice sweetness, but it's not candyish, more of a honey sort of sweetness that blends well. A deep, full, womanly orange, though "womanly" isn't something you would usually say about an orange scent! Very, very pretty. LOVVVVEEEEE. Dry: light throw, pleasing and..."adult"? This is colored by my experience with the "creamsicle" PL176, which I love, but is a bit too childish a lot of times. So this is like an older and age-appropriate PL176, creamy and vanilla-ey and resinous and musky and sexy and sweet without going into candy territory. Light throw, will probably need to reapply, but I am now super itching to find myself a wearable amount!! It's dried to a nice, sexy orange-y scent, creamy and slightly resinous in just the way I like it. Verdict: SUPER WIN, omg. This also kind of makes me weep, because I've seen a couple bottles on sale before and it's always gone for more than my BPAL bottle budget, which is fairly high already. Okay, it's nowhere near Storyville high, but...SORRY I AM RAMBLING. BUT, THIS IS LOVE. THAT IS ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW.

In tester: ooh. Coffee and a hint of carnation. Smoky, creamy, and soft and rich. Very nice, and quite promising. I'll have to watch that carnation though. Wet on skin: uhhhh. Cologney, chemically, and alcoholly? This is quite disconcerting. I think it might be the leather. Other notes I can get are coffee, tobacco, and is it possible the carnation is even softer? Not clove-y so far. Dry: soft, soft leather--and the aforementioned alcoholly note continued to fade away into virtually nothing. Aging would probably work for this one, to even out that leather and remove that high-pitched chemical note. Coffee, and tobacco and a vaguely carnation note is still hanging around, in that order. Masculine, quite sexy. Verdict: it is VERY tempting to get a bottle of this. This is sexy, masculine, and I love it, but I really wouldn't use it since masculine isn't for me. But...oh, so TEMPTING. *twitch*

In tester: whoa. super sweet syrupy cotton candy, a touch of pine and faint flowers. Quite dead on. Wet on skin: hello, cotton candy! This is far too sweet for me, for sure, although it's a very pleasant cotton candy smell. The sugary-ness has faded a little from the tester scent to let the pine and wildflowers take a bit more of the spotlight, but it's still predominantly a cotton candy scent. But it's definitely better IMO now than it was in the tester. Dry: sadly, with my skin chemistry, the sugar goes all burnt but the pine and wildflowers hold their own, and is quite pleasing. It's a bit saddening really: the wet phase, when the sugar wasn't too sugary and the pine and wildflowers were not cowering in the corner was quite nice--if the sugar was dialled down a bit, that phase would probably be a bottle scent. And I think, if the sugar did not go burnt on me, in time it would have been that way on my skin. Verdict: spot-on, but my skin chemistry messes it up.

This is like that song that you seem to know the tune of but can't pinpoint, or that quote, or whatever that's on the tip of your tongue. Halp! So I'm testing Parsifal tonight (care of my lovely witch and nacho witch) and this reminds me of something that I've tested before (BPAL too). Only I just can't put a finger on it! I was wondering if it might be Dirty, but I have no imp anymore and to my memory, I like this better than Dirty. I've sniffed my light floral bottles and none of them are as long as what I remember. Any suggestions?

In tester: oooh, nice. Green and resinous sandalwood, somewhat smoky. Wet on skin: sandalwood and ivy. Simple, somewhat smoky in feel. This is a very nice and uncomplicated blend, although I'm not yet too sure if I'd wear it. Dry: a nice, soft, gentle green scent, grounded by the sandalwood: a simple and almost understated blend, uncomplicated (which is good!). It's green, but quite notably different from your usual green blends--there is no "brightness" or crispness here. Unfortunately, it seems the smokiness is amping quite a lot on me--it's bordering on powdery, although I'm not entirely sure which is the culprit here. Verdict: I had hopes for this one, and I did retest to see how it goes, but it's ultimately a no: I doubt I would wear this much at all.

In tester: resinous and woody, by far. Somewhat incensey, definitely masculine. Wet on skin: resins and frankincense, whoa. A bit difficult for me to pinpoint which note is which (I don't have a lot of experience with wood notes), but definitely woody and resinous and incensey. Dry: the chamomile comes up to add a touch of brightness, but still well in line with the woods and resins here: a rich blend of frankincense and woods and resins and a hint of chamomile. Masculine, color impression is a rich brown with a touch of smoke. Verdict: interesting, but not for me.

In tester: creamy linen, smoky tobacco, light florals, and a touch of masculine cologne. Wet on skin: a very evocative blend. Linen, smoky tobacco, sad florals, and laudanum. That masculine cologne is keeping this from a feminine blend despite the florals--quite gender neutral--and it blends well with the other notes. Very evocative of Poe, and yes, while this is suitably gender neutral, it does side a bit more on the masculine side for me. A dustiness also comes out for me as it tries that's distinctly different from the smokiness of the tobacco. Dry: dry, it's ink and cologne (maybe it is one and the same, but my nose gets confused) and linen, not so much sad florals as those other "notes". Very spot on--in addition to all that, there's a hint of a dark menace underneath, or maybe more of a dark unknown or mystery that is not exactly menacing but somewhat...feared. Verdict: I was very tempted to get a bottle because of the Poe connection, and I do think this is a fabulous scent for him. However, I really wouldn't be using it :/ So it's a pass.

In tester: lilac musk, frankincense, and sandalwood. The flowers are only hints--I wish they were more apparent. No pomegranate that I can capture. Wet on skin: lilac musk, and sweet red rose that is turning powdery--well, both of them probably are. Pomegranate is very subdued here, which is a surprise and makes me think that maybe this has a chance! Somewhat ethereal in feel, but still fairly full-bodied. Oh, oh, the rose is suddenly out--and the whiff I got is freshly cut and young red rose. Oh, really, really nice! This is a nice, beautiful rose. ...oh wait, I just sneezed. Dry: the red rose is actually holding its own here! It stays true to the rose note I got during the wet phase--fresh and young and very beautiful, not overwhelmingly floral, almost green.And there's also the lilac powder and faint incense. No pomegranate. The lilac does turn more and more powdery as time goes by. Verdict: sadly, the lilac does ruin this. Drat, and I thought I might have a nice red rose scent now. The rose does turn powdery after a good while too.

In tester: sweet apple, light and pretty and white. Very feminine! I'm liking this a lot. Wet on skin: light florals, and a sort of shimmering scent. Not very apple-y, and there is a similar feel to this that I've noticed in blends that have turned grandmothery on me. :/ Still--well-blended, and almost creamy. I'm getting orris, moonflower, and a slight crispness (apple?). Dry: well, there you go, the orris amps, the blend gets soapy, and quite grandmothery. Also somewhat cloying on me, but the apple is more apparent than it was wet; maybe because the florals have gone soapy? I'm trying to hunt for the sandalwood, but it's not showing on my skin. Verdict: rather sad about this, I did like how it smelled but this doesn't play well with my skin!

One of the first things I had to test! In tester: floral and foody. Whoa. Yummeh. Sweet, bright flowers. Banana. Boozy kakanin (general term for Filipino rice delicacies). Yum! Wet on skin: floral and foody, does not change from the tester scent, although deeper and darker flowers also emerge. Hints of kakanin: rice, banana, syrupy leche flan. Some florals are going soapy. Dry: hmm, one of the florals--or the blending of the flowers here--have suddenly reminded me of that beautiful, haunting floral in Annabel Lee which I loved--bright and sorrowful at the same time, sweet and cheerful but quite haunting. Which, I suppose, is quite apt! Not as foody--this is more floral on me by far, with a hint of the foodies and a syrupy sweetness. Verdict: I was thinking maybe it was a mistake to get a bottle, but now, I don't think so! I will probably not need more than that, though.

In tester: wood, pumpkin, and vanilla. Wet on skin: mmmm wood. The blonde wood here is very nice, reminds me of Glowing Vulva. Lovely vanilla, too. Yes, definitely reminding me of GV. The pumpkin kind of takes a backseat for me here, which is just as well. Dry: oh, this is definitely lovely, and along the lines of GV, most definitely, although when it's dry, it's not as highly GV as it was before. Wood and vanilla and a hint of pumpkin. I totally was not expecting to like this, since everyone is going "pumpkin!!" but this was quite unexpected. Doesn't change much from the wet scent, although it gets smoother and a tad smokier. Verdict: keeper!

In tester: slightly minty musk with violet leaf and tea, herbal and green with a faint floral and pretty sweetness. Wet on skin: icy skin is quite right, not entirely minty, but cool. Elemi, saffron, violet leaf and tea are all blended together well but also recognizable (while looking through the notes list), otherwise it's just a nice almost-delicate herbal/green/floral blend. The "crypt dust" is also coming out, but it's not a powdery blend, just giving it a hint of dust. Dry: it's developed into a beautiful blend that reminds me of something that I can't quite put my finger on. It's just...familiar, in a good way. Doesn't change much from the wet scent, although it grows a bit more vibrant, not as cool and aloof. The notes are very well blended, and they are now very difficult to pinpoint. Verdict: very pretty, but I keep waffling between if it's a keeper or not, that I'll just pass, I think.

In tester: oh wow. Dry leaves, cocoa, vanilla, and white musk. Slightly cologney, but also quite creamy due to the cocoa and vanilla. I wouldn't call this foody, but definitely chocolatey. Wet on skin: so, so pretty. Love! I can tell right now that this will be a keeper, depending on that white musk. Fragrant and slightly herbal leaves, and cocoa, and vanilla. Overall feel is cool and cold, but not minty. Ohhh, this is love. The play between the leaves, cocoa and vanilla is really pretty here, it's simple and uncomplicated but great character. Dry: cocoa and vanilla, with that slightly herbal coolness. The leaves have receded newly dry on my skin, although as it's on me longer, the leaves do come back out--and much later on, I had a mostly-herbal leaves with a touch of cocoa, and unexpectedly beautiful too, in a different way. There are no grandmothery notes here for me, the white musk stays true. Verdict: definitely a keeper! I also ordered a bottle of this unsniffed and I'm pleased to know that it's definitely "coming home".

In tester: linen, vanilla, dark fruits, lavender, jasmine...uh, well, reading through the scent list, I can pinpoint each of the notes, but on its own I would probably have difficulty describing the notes. It's floral, herbal, faintly unsettling. Wet on skin: largely the same in the tester, but something is kind of alcohol-ly--thankfully, this burns off fairly quickly. Mostly a sharp lavender on my skin, with the other notes there in the background. Somewhat dusty...*looks at amber suspiciously* Dry: argh, it's gone to dusty lavender. I blame the amber. Dusty lavender, sweet fruits and flowers, and a creamy vanilla. It's very pretty, but for some reason it still has that dark, menacing vibe to it--I'm not sure if it really is the blend or my "knowledge" of what the name of the scent is Verdict: I ordered a bottle of this unsniffed, and I may try aging it and seeing where it's gone after a year. I am not holding much out for my skin and amber, but it's worth a shot.

In tester: dark and boozy, with the black currant and resins front and center. Wet on skin: black currant and florals, and faintly resinous. As it dries, the red currant burns off a bit and the florals emerge more, an even blend and difficult for me to pinpoint which floral is which. The sweetness also comes up more, but stays dark and rich. Dry: well! The red current has come back, darkly fruity and prominent over the florals. Almost amazingly, the rose hasn't gone to rose, which is good. Overall, this is a fruity--darkly fruity--blend, with florals to sweeten it up but not overwhelm and rich resins to ground it. Verdict: quite nice, but not for me.

Awww. You can opt to use rose blends in a scent locket, maybe? And I believe some people also put BPAL in their hair instead of on skin. If it's the note itself that's a problem, you could also try looking for other "kinds" of roses--rose also turns powdery on me, but white roses stay "rose" longer and better than any other type of rose for me, and I know I also have problems with some forms of white musks, but not others. Maybe it's just a particular kind of rose that's problematic for you?

In tester: sweet, fruity green apple! It's almost syrupy-sweet. It's a "white" scent, even if it's a green apple. Fabulous. Wet on skin: sweet, sugary apple. So, so pretty and so, so nice. I think I can get the ylang ylang and the tiare, but they aren't front and center. Very well blended, the notes meld together well and nothing is overpowering over the others. Crystalline, sweet, sugary apple. Dry: sweet, sugary apple. Syrupy and crystalline, at the same time, and while I usually dislike syrupy-sweet scents, and highly druity scents, this doesn't tip over on to those categories, even though this is definitely on the syrupy fruity side of things. Love! Crisp, beautiful, crystalline. Verdict: keeper! Lovely.

In tester: green. The sandalwood and gardenia notes are most recognizable. Wet on skin: hmmm. I'm not sure what this note that I am smelling is--maybe the white cognac, as it has a slightly liquor-y sort of feel. Gardenia, and slightly green, rich. This is quite pretty! Somewhat unexpected, to be honest. Good, strong throw. I think I will have to retest if the drydown is good--I have a feeling that this will be one of those blends where a little will go a long way, on me, and will just grow stronger as it ages. Dry: the white musk has gone faintly grandmothery. Aside from that, I get gardenia, that note that I assumed was white cognac, and a hint of sandalwood. It's a pretty, floral blend, well blended. Verdict: probably a pass, but as I did get a bottle unsniffed anyway, I'll age my bottle to see how it develops later on.

In tester: green, fresh newly cut roses. Also, chamomile and freshly turned soil. Wet on skin: green, with soapy florals and cut stalks. Huh, this is going super powdery on me, it's making me sneeze something fierce!! I don't think the soapiness of the florals are helping any. It's hard to sniff when you keep wanting to sneeze. Dry: the thing that was making me sneeze is gone--now it's a slightly grandmothery, soapy floral with a slash of green and fresh soil. It's very evocative, and quite a pleasing scent, if only the florals held their own and the rose did not go all powder on me (I can still get a bit of it). Sadly, no presence of bourbon vanilla for me here. Verdict: passing on this one. I guess I should have expected it based on the rose note present.

In decant: tea, quite herbal. There's a touch of vanilla, but overall it's a clean herbal scent. Gender neutral. Wet on skin: tea, quite simply. It's slightly powdery (not sure where that's coming from), but refreshing and clean, as if newly out of the shower. The aforementioned touch of vanilla is there to make it creamy, but not foody in any sense, and it's just a hint. A gender neutral tea scent. Dry: it's almost all gone now, on my skin. If I pull hard I can get at it, an herbal note with slight vanilla. Verdict: a nice skin scent, and probably better for someone with a better skin chemistry than mine for this.