Voleuse

This is an almost startling red in the vial, and even when I apply it on my skin. The scent itself is warm and a little sweet, but it also makes me want to sneeze. I think that's the amber, actually, and something reminds of resin, as well. Overall, the blend stays warm and inviting, but the sneezy feeling, unfortunately, stays with me. Sigh. And after about half an hour, it turns to ick on me--an almost rancid musk. It's not strong, but ew. Washing it off.

This is all mint on first application, with a perfect dollop of sweetness. It's very much like Lick It on me. (That sounded unintentionally dirty. ) As it dries, however, the vanilla of the blend starts to come out more strongly, balancing the mint perfectly. After that point, the strength and throw of the blend stays relatively the same. This is quite delicious, but I think I would have been just as happy with a bottle of Lick It.

On first application, this is sharp aquatic scent, just barely astringent to my nose. It's clean, but it's also a greenish-blue cloudy smell. It reminds me of ocean rain, but it's sweet. And there's the faintest hint of soap. This is fascinating. Every time I sniff it, it smells like something else. Beautiful. (And discontinued. Aw.)

This is almost overpowering on first application--strong musk and woods, and definitely masculine. Wow. As it dries, it becomes sweeter, warmer. The woods become friendlier, but no less wild. The blend overall is a feral one, and definitely sexy. In the end, I think both genders could wear this scent, but this is definitely not for the faint of heart.

This is muddy and sharply green on first application. It reminds me, actually, of walking in a park in the rain. And olives, which I happen to loathe. I waved my arm frantically, trying to dry the oil, hoping this was just the first stage of the blend. Alas, it stays strongly olive on me, though it takes on a smoky aspect I think I would like, if I liked olives. It reminds me of pitching in to cook dinner with my friends, when I inevitably get stuck with the task of making something I'm not going to eat. Fun, but mostly in anticipation of other people's enjoyment, not my own. It's calming in that way, I think, but it's not something I'd want to smell like.

On first application, this is all sweet pea, amazingly strong and sweet. As it dries, the sage comes out, keeping the blend from becoming too cloying. The musk, however, comes out as well. For a moment, it's nice and golden on my skin, but then the blend becomes too musky, too sweet. It's pretty, but much too thick and hazy for my tastes.

On first sniff, this is all incense and the smallest hint of leather. As it dries, it gets smoky and resinous. It still smells sharp to me, though, and verging on masculine. After a while, I can detect the woods as well--it reminds me of cedar, I think. And the leather just begins to bloom, getting stronger over time. Wow! I was unsure about it on first application, but I like how it ends up. It's sensual and masculine, and also smells like an old-fashioned library, rich and a little dusty.

Oh, wow. This is yet another gorgeous, snowy, piney scent that the lab does so well. (Too bad this one is discontinued.) This is a bit different from blends like Snow Bunny and Dublin, as it manages to have a tinge of sweetness to it, without going plastic as sweetness often does on me. There's also a musk note that I don't get from similar blends. After a while, I start to get a minty note which is, again, unique. Everything stays crisp and cool, and it strikes me as quite feminine. Beautiful.

On first application, this is a rich and juicy plum, with the barest hint of wine and berries. It's delicious, but dark and seductive as well. Over time, the amaretto becomes evident. This is a heady blend. It starts to get the tiniest bit plastic after a while, but overall, it's lovely

Super-sweet florals on first application. The strawberries are evident on first sniff, and I can smell the tulip and daffodil, as well. I'm not familiar with the other floral notes, unfortunately. As it dries, it becomes a little bit like cotton candy, and it fades significantly. In the end, however, it's a faint, dusky floral. It's a pretty, girlish scent, but it really disappears on me.

This is the May 2005 version. Since there's reissue of this scent expected on 13-Jan-06, I thought I should try this out to see if it's to my tastes. On first application, this is all chocolate with a hint of citrus. Mmmm. As it dries, the chocolate stays strong, but there's also a lovely floral note underneath it. Overtime, the tea gets stronger as well, and there's an earthy note to it as well--not dirt, but something that makes the scent more robust, somehow. And I think I get a hint of berries as well. Over time, the chocolate becomes perfectly balanced with the fruity and floral notes. In the downtown area of my city, there's a chocolatier located next to a flower shop. This blend smells like standing exactly between these two shops, and breathing deep. Definitely a keeper.

A sweet, aquatic floral on first application, this strikes me as a pale, bluish-green scent. It feels delicate, but there's a decent amount of throw. The lotus is the dominant note, but the rose is a close second, and it's what makes the blend as sweet as it is. This doesn't really morph on me, though the rose fades the tiniest bit. It's lovely, and though it's not really me, it's exactly the scent for Ophelia.

This is an incredibly sweet floral on first application, and then it becomes a nice, sweet tobacco. After one minute, however, I get wet mop. ACK. Not as bad as my experience with Sybaris, but still extremely unpleasant. I had to wash it off right away.

This is a sweet rose on me, tempered by the chamomile. There's also a hint of bergamot. As it dries, it becomes a subdued sandalwood, overlaid by rose and chamomile. This is a lovely and complex scent, but I don't think it's me.

On first application this is all musk and a little tobacco, strong and dark and masculine. There's a bit of spice to it, as well, which is nice. Damn sexy. Over time, this gets a little lighter, and lets more of the fir in, as well as a hint of mint. I don't get any orange blossom, but there is the merest suggestion of something sweet. It ends up being woodsy, as well. Yum. After a while, the musk gets a little too musky for me, but the overall experience is wonderful.

On first application, this is a perfectly ripe honeydew, freshly cut and mouth-watering. Mmm. As it dries, I get a hint of the tea and maybe something floral, but nothing strong enough to discern individual notes. After a while, this becomes tea and honeydew, with the tea as the dominant note. Overall, however it ends up being a subdued, sweet blend. Very pretty.

On first application, this is sweet grapefruit, with an odd note of musk. I say odd because the combination, sadly, reminds me of the way my high school locker room smelled. The sweet note is what I first detect, but every time, it's closely followed by bleach and gym socks. Something about my body chemistry turns this blend into citrus and bleach and BO. :glare:

This is amazingly sweet on first application, perfectly-ripened strawberries, set in a dish of sugar. After that first bloom, however, it disappears quickly and completely. I'm left with an incredibly faint sweet note, which I suspect I wouldn't have noticed if I hadn't known to sniff for it in the first place. =(

This reminds me of Pine-Sol on first application, an almost searingly sharp evergreen. As it dries, however, it mellows into a nice juniper in fresh earth, and the air around it is cool. After a while, I start to smell resin as well. I can't detect the patchouli at all, which is a bit surprising. To me, this doesn't smell like a dark scent at all. Instead, it's trees on the side of a mountain, prickly and fragrant. It's rich and earthy. I like it.

On first application, this is a strong jasmine, but it's quickly overtaken by a sweet tumble of roses and citrus. As the scent dries, I begin to detect the myrrh, and I think the musk as well. After the initial bloom, the scent kind of fades on me, and becomes a quiet, complex floral. The sweetness, by that point, is almost completely gone. This is a warm and languid scent, but I much prefer the way it smells in the vial.

On first application, this is surprisingly green, warm and leaning towards sweet. I'm not very familiar with most of the notes, but I do detect a note that I think is balsam. As that blooms, there's a stage of dry wood, sweet and a little dusty. After a while, however, all I get is the dryness of wood, and a vague impression of greenery outside. It's not an unpleasant smell, but I had wanted a little more out of this.

Huh. On first application, I get a sharp flowering note, almost pure citrus in its sweetness. After a minute, however, it's quickly overlaid by a murky, muddling note that's very much like damp earth, and a little like a garden sidewalk during a drizzle. I can't discern the different floral notes in the blend, though they're definitely there. This is really well blended. This is much brighter than I expected it to be, given the description. It's the scent equivalent of an impressionist painting of a lush garden, or staring through a window as rain pours down, even as the sun shines through the clouds. This is pretty and fascinating. I'm impressed--even more than usual.

On first application, this is a sweet and sharp floral. The orange peel is tart, and strong enough to make my mouth water. As the scent dries, it warms, the amber blooming nicely around the other notes. It strikes me as very feminine, though the floral notes aren't overpowering at all. Though it doesn't fade, it's an extremely light and delicate blend on me. I'd have to slather it on, and unfortunately there isn't enough in my little imp to do that.

On first application, this is the shadowed depths of an evergreen forest, silent and darkly majestic. Unlike other BPAL evergreen scents I've tried, this isn't at all snowy on me. It's cold, but dry. After a while, the blend sweetens, but it's the sweetness of sap, almost frozen but starting to thaw. This isn't a scent to enjoy, it's a scent that inspires reverence. It's beautiful.

2005 Version: On first application, this is a light and bright berry, sweet and almost innocent to smell. As the scent dries, the floral notes make the blend more complicated. Unfortunately, after a while, it turns to a dusty musk on me, with an animalistic, wet fur sort of smell. In contrast with the sweet overtones, it makes me a little nauseated. A nice idea, but not compatible with my body chemistry.