furygrrl

In the imp: Sweet, unidentifiable fruit, and something almost cleaner-ish. On wet: Fruit syrup - the kind that you get from canned fruit cocktail. Lightly sweet and pourably slick. Drydown: I'm mostly smelling musk, maybe whatever the "serpentine green herbs" are, a touch of the lemon/lime combo every once in a while (not very prominent at all), and something dry and spicy-hazy underneath it all - I'm assuming that's the snakeskin. Weirdly evocative! The fruity vibes from the initial application vanished after just a minute or two, but the further it dries, the more currant I seem to get - wonderful! I love Beth's currant notes, so I'm really glad they make a more obvious appearance! Overall: The list of notes sound like they were made for me - lemon, lime, musk, currant - but it takes a *long* time for these superstars to actually wake up and shine on my skin. I didn't care for the wet-to-dry stages that much, and the later drydown - which I really, *really* like - was super faint and didn't seem to have much throw. I agree with posters before me who mention the 51 comparison. 51 is one of my favourite light musk/fruity blends, and Serpents definitely heads in the same direction the longer it sits on my skin. Even still, it's huffably addictive (my nose is mashed against my wrist even now), so it's quite possibly bottle-worthy in the future. 3.5/5

LXV - 65 In the bottle: Dorian cake, pure and simple. On wet: Dorian cake...morphing almost immediately into musky-is that fruit?-cakey-spicy-something else I can't describe-Dorian. Hmmm....not sure if I'm going to like this. Drydown: Dorian spice cake. It's mellow, skin-hugging, and the first "clean foodie" blend I think I've ever come across. Dorian balances out the foodier aspects so that it doesn't get too cloying or overwhelming (most food-based scents are both according to my nose), and the spicy cake element helps to warm up Mr. D's much cooler, fresher side. The vanilla-sweetness amps considerably as time passes, but the spice lingers just underneath that frosting-like layer, keeping it from getting out of hand. And I'm *still* wondering if I'm catching whiffs of some kind of mystery fruit?! It's not lemon - whenever my nose detects it, my mind flashes to a red/pink fruit - but it's gone before I can latch on to what it could possibly be. Overall: Not sure how I feel about this one so far - I absolutely love Dorian, but not so much with the spiced pastry he's got tucked away in his pocket. Overt food scents tend to make me queasy, but this one isn't hitting my ick buttons (yet), and I've kept every Chaos Theory blend I've ever ordered to date - adopting this fellow out without giving him a chance to age would seem kinda cruel. So, I guess he'll stick around until I get to know him better!

LXV - 65 In the bottle: Dorian cake, pure and simple. On wet: Dorian cake...morphing almost immediately into musky-is that fruit?-cakey-spicy-something else I can't describe-Dorian. Hmmm....not sure if I'm going to like this. Drydown: Dorian spice cake. It's mellow, skin-hugging, and the first "clean foodie" blend I think I've ever come across. Dorian balances out the foodier aspects so that it doesn't get too cloying or overwhelming (most food-based scents are both according to my nose), and the spicy cake element helps to warm up Mr. D's much cooler, fresher side. The vanilla-sweetness amps considerably as time passes, but the spice lingers just underneath that frosting-like layer, keeping it from getting out of hand. And I'm *still* wondering if I'm catching whiffs of some kind of mystery fruit?! It's not lemon - whenever my nose detects it, my mind flashes to a red/pink fruit - but it's gone before I can latch on to what it could possibly be. Overall: Not sure how I feel about this one so far - I absolutely love Dorian, but not so much with the spiced pastry he's got tucked away in his pocket. Overt food scents tend to make me queasy, but this one isn't hitting my ick buttons (yet), and I've kept every Chaos Theory blend I've ever ordered to date - adopting this fellow out without giving him a chance to age would seem kinda cruel. So, I guess he'll stick around until I get to know him better!

In the bottle: Sweetness, a touch of something clean and herbal. On wet: Still clean, sweet, and herbal. Definitely picking up on the tobacco flower (which used to be my favourite home fragrance from The Body Shop some years back). Very nice so far! Drydown: Lightly perfumey. The bright, citrussy bergamot (which I love), the smooth, sweet, candy-like angelica, and the tobacco flower are dominating this blend. Underneath, I can detect a smidge of woody sage - possibly a teeny shot of the frankincense. No ginger yet, or anything that's yelling "fig" or "olive blossom" - though I'm sure the latter two are mixed up with all that sweet, floral goodness. The benzoin is also, thankfully, absent at the moment (it doesn't like me, sadly). Overall: A very pleasant floral-herbal scent. It's heady but light, complex but not over the top, sweet and fresh with just a little herbal darkness to ground everything perfectly. Wearable and lovely. 3/5

In the bottle: Sweetness, a touch of something clean and herbal. On wet: Still clean, sweet, and herbal. Definitely picking up on the tobacco flower (which used to be my favourite home fragrance from The Body Shop some years back). Very nice so far! Drydown: Lightly perfumey. The bright, citrussy bergamot (which I love), the smooth, sweet, candy-like angelica, and the tobacco flower are dominating this blend. Underneath, I can detect a smidge of woody sage - possibly a teeny shot of the frankincense. No ginger yet, or anything that's yelling "fig" or "olive blossom" - though I'm sure the latter two are mixed up with all that sweet, floral goodness. The benzoin is also, thankfully, absent at the moment (it doesn't like me, sadly). Overall: A very pleasant floral-herbal scent. It's heady but light, complex but not over the top, sweet and fresh with just a little herbal darkness to ground everything perfectly. Wearable and lovely. 3/5

In the imp: Lush, fully bloomed rose - almost candy-sweet. On wet: Still very sweet, a hint of something slightly dusty underneath - reminds me of Beth's orchid note. It tickles the back of my throat... Drydown: Not much morphing from the wet stage. Sweet, sweet rose, and a pinch of orchid dust. Hmph. Overall: I remember liking this much better when it was fresh. It's still quite nice - a very realistic, full-bodied rose, but that dusty orchid vibe has kinda soured it for me. 2/5

Peacock Queen 2005 In the imp: Lush, fully bloomed rose - almost candy-sweet. On wet: Still very sweet, a hint of something slightly dusty underneath - reminds me of Beth's orchid note. It tickles the back of my throat... Drydown: Not much morphing from the wet stage. Sweet, sweet rose, and a pinch of orchid dust. Hmph. Overall: I remember liking this much better when it was fresh. It's still quite nice - a very realistic, full-bodied rose, but that dusty orchid vibe has kinda soured it for me. 2/5

In the Imp: Pine, slush, a faint trace of spicy dirt... On wet: Pine, slush, and a more pronounced sweet n' spicy dirt - like someone's chewing gum in the middle of a snowy, slightly muddy forest trail. Drydown: Pine, slush, a powder puff of light spice, and something else underneath - something...pink? Maybe there's a hint of carnation in here? I was thinking bubblegum at first, but some of the Lab's carnation notes (Pink Moon 07, especially) go spicy pink Bazooka gum on me. Hmm...as the minutes tick by, it's starting to veer into burnt berry territory - or berry garbage? Either way, this is not really doing it for me. Overall: I pulled this decant out for retesting purposes, to see if I should snag this year's version, but it's not wearing very nicely with my skin chemistry. Not biggie, though, I've got Talvikuu, Snow-Flakes, and The Snow Storm to see to my snowy needs. 2/5

Snow Bunny 2005 In the Imp: Pine, slush, a faint trace of spicy dirt... On wet: Pine, slush, and a more pronounced sweet n' spicy dirt - like someone's chewing gum in the middle of a snowy, slightly muddy forest trail. Drydown: Pine, slush, a powder puff of light spice, and something else underneath - something...pink? Maybe there's a hint of carnation in here? I was thinking bubblegum at first, but some of the Lab's carnation notes (Pink Moon 07, especially) go spicy pink Bazooka gum on me. Hmm...as the minutes tick by, it's starting to veer into burnt berry territory - or berry garbage? Either way, this is not really doing it for me. Overall: I pulled this decant out for retesting purposes, to see if I should snag this year's version, but it's not wearing very nicely with my skin chemistry. Not biggie, though, I've got Talvikuu, Snow-Flakes, and The Snow Storm to see to my snowy needs. 2/5

In the bottle: Blueberries! On wet: Blueberries instantly give way to tea and the currant - no problem, I love them, too! Drydown: Powdery lemon? Where is this coming from? This odd stage lasts for several long minutes, then the blueberries return with the tea in tow. Ginger lingers on the sidelines, as does the vanilla and currant. The musk is developing slowly - darkly sweet, vaguely leathery, working (surprisingly!) well with the berries/tea combo. Not picking up the benzoin (good - not a favourite), or the squash blossom/coriander. Overall: Another good fruit-tea-musk combo for me! I'm not even very interested in blueberry as a scent to wear, but it's really nice with the supporting notes in this blend - and it's incredibly fresh/realistic! A unique addition to my BPAL box, and a nice change of pace from what I usually wear. 4/5

In the bottle: Blueberries! On wet: Blueberries instantly give way to tea and the currant - no problem, as I love both! Drydown: Powdery lemon? Where is this coming from? This odd stage lasts for several long minutes, then the blueberries return with the tea in tow. Ginger lingers on the sidelines, as does the vanilla and currant. The musk is developing slowly - darkly sweet, vaguely leathery, working (surprisingly!) well with the berries/tea combo. Not picking up the benzoin (good - not a favourite), or the squash blossom/coriander. Overall: Another good fruit-tea-musk (with a healthy dash of vanilla) combo for me! I'm not even very interested in blueberry as a scent to wear, but it's really nice with the supporting notes in this blend - and it's incredibly fresh/realistic! A unique addition to my BPAL box, and a nice change of pace from what I usually wear. 3.5/5

In the bottle: Mmm...sweet n' lightly creamy. The colour "pink" instantly popped into my head while I sniffed this - that, and thought that this would be the *best* bubble bath/bath oil scent evah! On wet: Sweeet! Powdery! Candy-like! YUM! Drydown: Still mostly sweet, candy-licious powder, though I'm detecting something almost spicy underneath - peppery carnations finally making an appearance, if I'm not mistaken. Then there's the honey and frankincense adding this insanely edible, golden depth to balance out the sugary, milky florals - SOOOO GOOOOD! Freaking *gorgeous* stuff, seriously. Overall: Honestly, I wasn't expecting much from this blend - I mean, honeyed milk and baby powder? For reals? - but I figured I'd give it a try since I love carnations and creamy florals like Alice. Am I ever glad I did! This is absolutely WONDERFUL - easily my favourite baby blend of the bunch. Well done, Beth!! 5/5

In the bottle: Mmm...sweet n' lightly creamy. The colour "pink" instantly popped into my head while I sniffed this - that, and the thought that this would be the *best* bubble bath/bath oil scent evah! On wet: Sweeet! Powdery! Candy-like! YUM! Drydown: Still mostly sweet, candy-licious powder, though I'm detecting something almost spicy underneath - peppery carnations finally making an appearance, if I'm not mistaken. Then there's the honey and frankincense adding this insanely edible, golden depth to balance out the sugary, milky florals - SOOOO GOOOOD! Freaking *gorgeous* stuff, seriously. Overall: Honestly, I wasn't expecting much from this blend - I mean, honeyed milk and baby powder? For reals? - but I figured I'd give it a try since I love carnations and creamy florals like Alice. Am I ever glad I did! This is absolutely WONDERFUL - easily my favourite baby blend of the bunch. Well done, Beth!! 5/5

In the bottle: Light tea and gorgeous mandarin. On wet: Sugared mandarin and both musks - they all smell fantastic together! Drydown: Lovely tea, rose and mandarin, vanilla, musk, poppy, even the violets! All of the notes have hit my radar at one point or another (except the opoponax, which I think is grounding everything and isn't as noticeable - fine by me since I'm not a huge fan), and they've since combined into this light, sophisticated melange of gentle, sweet, fruity-floral-musky goodness. Overall: High end yet wearable. Appropriate for any occasion. Perfect for those who've been craving a good fruity-tea scent - like me! Absolutely delicious, and an easy 4/5.

In the bottle: Light tea and gorgeous mandarin. On wet: Sugared mandarin and both musks - they all smell fantastic together! Drydown: Lovely tea, rose and mandarin, vanilla, musk, poppy, even the violets! All of the notes have hit my radar at one point or another (except the opoponax, which I think is grounding everything and isn't as noticeable - fine by me since I'm not a huge fan), and they've since combined into this light, sophisticated melange of gentle, sweet, fruity-floral-musky goodness. Overall: High end yet wearable. Appropriate for any occasion. Perfect for those who've been craving a good fruity-tea scent - like me! Absolutely delicious, and an easy 4/5.

In the bottle: Dorian peeks out first, followed by the darker, sweeter Snake Oil. Lavender clings to both. Lovely. On wet: Sweet, powdery, slightly herbal. Bit of a jumble that's trying to settle down, but still lovely. Drydown: Dorian's wearing a sprig of fennel-wrapped lavender pinned to the lapel of his vanilla-cream suit. Snake Oil swirls like a slinky, syrupy river of lightly spiced warmth beneath him. Picking up all the extra notes except the lily of the valley - I think it's adding to the creamy sweetness, just not as obviously as the other toss-ins. As I expected, this is good, *good* stuff. YUM. Overall: Much love for this blend which has brought together two of my fave BPAL scents of all time. The lavender, fennel, and vanilla flower tweak them up to the next notch of awesomeness - adding just enough variance so that LV stands as a unique fragrance in its own right. It's a 4/5 right now, but I'm thinking that a little age will push this puppy into the 5/5 realm.

In the bottle: Dorian peeks out first, followed by the darker, sweeter Snake Oil. Lavender clings to both. Lovely. On wet: Sweet, powdery, slightly herbal. Bit of a jumble that's trying to settle down, but still lovely. Drydown: Dorian's wearing a sprig of fennel-wrapped lavender pinned to the lapel of his vanilla-cream suit. Snake Oil swirls like a slinky, syrupy river of lightly spiced warmth beneath him. Picking up all the extra notes except the lily of the valley - I think it's adding to the creamy sweetness, just not as obviously as the other toss-ins. As I expected, this is good, *good* stuff. YUM. Overall: Much love for this blend which has brought together two of my fave BPAL scents of all time. The lavender, fennel, and vanilla flower tweak them up to the next notch of awesomeness - adding just enough variance so that LV stands as a unique fragrance in its own right. It's a 4/5 right now, but I'm thinking that a little age will push this puppy into the 5/5 realm.

MCXLVII - 1147 In the bottle: My nose is instantly hit with strong, "dirty-rooty" patchouli. Loitering around the edges is something bitter, something muddy green. This scent seems really dark at first sniff. On wet: Menthol, like Vick's Vaporub. The fresh, almost sour twang of newly fallen leaves emerges seconds later. Drydown: The patchouli is finally rising back up with a tiny lick of dirty smoke alongside it. There's a smidge of lingering menthol, too, but this is primarily all patch, all the time. Overall: I typically like my patchouli spruced up with some fruit or tobacco or musky-musk, but this is quite nice, too. It's simple, uncomplicated, not overly sweet, not too dark. I haven't received a CT in this category yet (non-perfumey/foody/floral) so it was a nice surprise!

MCLXXI - 1171 In the bottle: Caramel or dark sugar, something fruity and fresh. On wet: Almost instantly, that drizzle of sugary caramel gives way to...uh, herbal bubblegum?? I *think* that's what I'm smelling, but damn, is it ever sharp and weird. And now it's going kinda chemical, like...burning bleach. Drydown: I still don't know what I'm smelling, but thankfully there's some light caramel-fruit sweetness returning to the forefront. I'm still picking up on what I can only describe as bubblebum, but it's now a supporting note in this strange blend, and no longer horribly offensive. The longer it dries, the more intense the sweet, candied fruit becomes - I'm thinking it might be red plum. Overall: Out of the 8 CTs that've come my way (4 this round, 4 last), this is the first and only bottle that I really, *really* didn't like. I even had a no-swap policy in place specifically for any CT purchases 'cause they were all unique and made for me, right? But in this case, I think I'll have to bend the rules a bit. This odd duck (odd with my chemistry, at any rate) will almost certainly never see the light of day, and that's no life for *any* BPAL fragrance. I'll have to find it a new home.

MCXLVII - 1147 In the bottle: My nose is instantly hit with strong, "dirty-rooty" patchouli. Loitering around the edges is something bitter, something muddy green. This scent seems really dark at first sniff. On wet: Menthol, like Vick's Vaporub. The fresh, almost sour twang of newly fallen leaves emerges seconds later. Drydown: The patchouli is finally rising back up with a tiny lick of dirty smoke alongside it. There's a smidge of lingering menthol, too, but this is primarily all patch, all the time. Overall: I typically like my patchouli spruced up with some fruit or tobacco or musky-musk, but this is quite nice, too. It's simple, uncomplicated, not overly sweet, not too dark. I haven't received a CT in this category yet (non-perfumey/foody/floral) so it was a nice surprise!

MCLXXI - 1171 In the bottle: Caramel or dark sugar, something fruity and fresh. On wet: Almost instantly, that drizzle of sugary caramel gives way to...uh, herbal bubblegum?? I *think* that's what I'm smelling, but damn, is it ever sharp and weird. And now it's going kinda chemical, like...burning bleach. Drydown: I still don't know what I'm smelling, but thankfully there's some light caramel-fruit sweetness returning to the forefront. I'm still picking up on what I can only describe as bubblebum, but it's now a supporting note in this strange blend, and no longer horribly offensive. The longer it dries, the more intense the sweet, candied fruit becomes - I'm thinking it might be red plum. Overall: Out of the 8 CTs that've come my way (4 this round, 4 last), this is the first and only bottle that I really, *really* didn't like. I even had a no-swap policy in place specifically for any CT purchases 'cause they were all unique and made for me, right? But in this case, I think I'll have to bend the rules a bit. This odd duck (odd with my chemistry, at any rate) will almost certainly never see the light of day, and that's no life for *any* BPAL fragrance. I'll have to find it a new home.

In the imp: An almost effervescent - yet resiny - pine! On wet: Sweet pine at first, but then the scent begins to deepen and grow more complex within seconds. Patchouli and musk come to the forefront next... Drydown: Sweetness from the skin musk, vanilla, and honey (perhaps the Indian resins, too), smokiness from the tobacco, an earthy swirl from the patchouli, and that almost jarring green sap vibe from the pine pitch. Every note is apparent, but the overall scent I'm getting is sweet, rich, slightly dirty musk with a juniper garnish. Colour impressions: shimmering gold with a bold streak of silvery-sage green through the center. Overall: This might be a touch overwhelming on me. Maybe if the pine was a smidge less glaring, or the musk not quite so sweet, I could see this being perfection on my skin. As it stands now, I'm willing to let it age, see if it calms down a bit before making any rash decisions. It really is a *lovely* fragrance wafting from me at present, here's hoping it just gets better with a little time! A (temporary?) 3/5.

In the imp: An almost effervescent - yet resiny - pine! On wet: Sweet pine at first, but then the scent begins to deepen and grow more complex within seconds. Patchouli and musk come to the forefront next... Drydown: Sweetness from the skin musk, vanilla, and honey (perhaps the Indian resins, too), smokiness from the tobacco, an earthy swirl from the patchouli, and that almost jarring green sap vibe from the pine pitch. Every note is apparent, but the overall scent I'm getting is sweet, rich, slightly dirty musk with a juniper garnish. Colour impressions: shimmering gold with a bold streak of silvery-sage green through the center. Overall: This might be a touch overwhelming on me. Maybe if the pine was a smidge less glaring, or the musk not quite so sweet, I could see this being perfection on my skin. As it stands now, I'm willing to let it age, see if it calms down a bit before making any rash decisions. It really is a *lovely* fragrance wafting from me at present, here's hoping it just gets better with a little time! A (temporary?) 3/5.

In the imp: Green sourness and white rose. On wet: Herbal powder, something warm, and a twinge of sourness underneath it all. Drydown: Very soapy powder on me - like a cross between some kind of amber and orchid (ick!). The white rose is especially bad (it *never* works on me, no matter how many chances I give it) - I think it's joined forces with whatever's powdery in an attempt to kill me. Perhaps that's the Reaper aspect of this blend? What's sad is that I can detect the *barest* hint of peppered cream from the carnation (perhaps some cool creaminess from the lily, too?) - if only I could get *that* smell as the primary aspect of this blend... Overall: Powdered soap. Something sour. Evil white rose. Not enough yummy carnation. Sadness. 1/5

In the imp: Green sourness and white rose. On wet: Herbal powder, something warm, and a twinge of sourness underneath it all. Drydown: Very soapy powder on me - like a cross between some kind of amber and orchid (ick!). The white rose is especially bad (it *never* works on me, no matter how many chances I give it) - I think it's joined forces with whatever's powdery in an attempt to kill me. Perhaps that's the Reaper aspect of this blend? What's sad is that I can detect the *barest* hint of peppered cream from the carnation (perhaps some cool creaminess from the lily, too?) - if only I could get *that* smell as the primary aspect of this blend... Overall: Powdered soap. Something sour. Evil white rose. Not enough yummy carnation. Sadness. 1/5