rivercitylizzy

LA MORT: Mon ironie dépasse toutes les autres!La Mort: Mon ironie dépasse toutes les autres!, Odilon Redon. Pomegranate accord, red rose accord, opopponax, benzoin, champaca flowers, and star anise. Pomegranate, red rose, and star anise? What the heck, I went ahead and got a bottle In the Bottle: light, juicy pomegranate with a slightly bitter edge that reminds me of the taste of the seeds; it's not super sweet which I am thankful for. I also get a touch of floral but the rose is not overwhelming and there is a note of burnt sugar lurking in the background Wet: Oh, my, it's lovely. The rose is coming forward and it is a velvety red rose, not a tea rose (which I also like, but this is very different) and it is fairly balanced with the fresh bittersweet pomegranate. I'm not getting much of the star anise but the champaca is coming out, adding more sweetness to the rose and there is a creaminess emerging that is not a milk cream--more like an almond milk. Very nice and quite ladylike. Dry: pomegranate-rose cordial with a slight whisper of caramel (which I'm assuming is the benzoin & opopponax), and horchata (almond milk + soft sweet spice from the star anise). This is a beautiful, haunting skin-scent for me, as the throw is pretty light (within maybe 12 inches, similar to Muse of the Night on me in this respect); it lasted a good 6 hours before leaving the fragrance of nag champa incense (love it or hate it ) behind. Verdict: It may not be one of my Top 10 but I like it and am glad I have a bottle.

EXPRESSIVE HEADExpressive Head, Jaroslav Panuška. Teakwood, patchouli, green pepper, clove, white cognac, vetiver, and champaca absolute. I would have to say first off that Expressive Head is definitely an attention-grabber, both for it's startling label artwork and for the scent within I picked it up with my first-ever order of BPAL Weenies because 1) it has patchouli, 2) it has vetiver, and 3) it has spices. These tend to be a recipe for delish on my skin and Expressive Head did not disappoint me (though it may certainly send the vetiver-phobic RUNNING ) In the bottle: WHOA dark woodsy skanky earthy VETIVER, made even more raunchy by the Teakwood and of course, Patchouli. Breathe in a little deeper if you dare--it's SO worth it--and you get the incredible blend of spicy lush tropical floral that is the clove and champaca, and maybe a touch of the crushed grapeyness (slightly fermented) that is the cognac. Hard to pick the pepper apart from the Teak-Vet-Patch triad, but I'm sure it's there... I was girding myself up for a 12-hour day at work and as vetiver is one of my comfort scents I sallied forth and tested it on my skin, one dab on each freshly showered wrist from the cap. Wet: The Vetiver-Teak-Patchouli complex is much less overpowering on the skin and OMG beginning to let the other notes emerge and they are LOVELY together!! I can smell the Champaca, but it is not overpowering either, just a beautiful full tropical bloom that, along with the cognac, adds a nice femininity to the earthy notes. Also the spices are emerging more and beginning to give an incensey feel to the blend. Wow. I want to curl up in bed with this for a blanket and ride out the storm system currently on its way. Dry: I managed to leave the house anyway and drive myself to work. On the way, wafts of Expressive Head are reaching my nose from the vicinity of the bottom of my steering wheel, where my sweater & jacket-swathed wrists are resting, and making me feel euphoric. I smell like a heady incense being offered up to the gods in a balmy equatorial temple--the kind that has no walls, where the incense melds with the scent of perpetually damp trees, leaf litter, and white flowers that bloom year-round. I'm getting moderate throw with my wrists pretty well covered, so I'm guessing throw on bared skin would be moderate to high. Expressive Head kept this gorgeousness as is for a good 6 hours before the vetiver-teak-patch softened to a more genteel backdrop to the champaca & cognac. 12 hours later, it's barely there but still pretty. I'm definitely glad I got a bottle...and may need to consider a backup ETA Second Test...different chemistry, hm. In the Bottle: Can you have a different "nose" on a different day? Today the vetiver took a backseat when I first sniffed, and I picked up on the Champaca, Clove, Pepper first with the Teak-Vet-Patch making an incensey haze in the background. Wet on Skin: Okay this time it's much greener than my first test--not a bad thing, not soapy, just different from the first wear. Makes me think the vetiver is more the green type and less the rooty type. Fascinating! As it warms up to my skin, though, it begins to get "back on track" with my first experience, all the notes playing nicely together and giving me that "warm, fuzzy" feeling I loved about it so much. Hooray!! Dry: Oh, I'm so relieved! Expressive Head went right back to being that euphoria-enducing, primal temple scent I fell for earlier and I'm happy it's done so because otherwise it might have been too similar to several other BPAL vetiver blends for me to consider keeping. But no, still unique, still amazing, still on the "may need another bottle" list

I loved Black Cashmere (my signature scent during my post-college "I'm really a grown-up now, honest!!" years and was heartbroken when it went DC. So glad I found this thread for some suggestions on BPAL with a similar feel. I tried Scherezade layered with Sin as per the recommendation above and ohmigosh it was heavenly! Sure, it's not an exact dupe but it certainly gave me that BC darkspicysexywoodsy feel without venturing too far into the sweet--and without causing a sneezing fit, which the BC used to do. Excellent suggestion!

This one must be appealing to my darker nature--the full-on Scorpio (Sun, Mars, Mercury) I so often veil with my more well-behaved Virgo Rising--because damn I'm loving me some Nightmare In the bottle: I first get the vanilla-soaked linens, rich dark sweet dried fruits (currants, maybe even dried black fig or plum), milky poppy, and dry white honey. I have to hover over the open bottle for a bit to pick up the florals in the background, but they're very faint here. Wet on skin: as it warms up, I get more of the florals, and oddly enough the lavender and jasmine seem to dance back and forth on the drydown. It is thoroughly fascinating and I keep revisiting my wrists to see "who's on first" from moment to moment. Dry on skin: The amber and vanilla and honey work well to tie the florals together in a lovely bouquet with the fruity notes woven in seamlessly. I am delighted with this hauntingly beautiful and slightly feral scent--this ends up where I wish Antique Lace had (although I may be the better for it, as Nightmare is both more accessible and less expensive). Backup bottle worthy for certain!

Wet in the bottle: intriguing and enticing soft sweet honey and vanilla, fresh green magnolia, and what seems to me a very gentle patchouli, luring me into a skin test. Wet on skin: oh, no. This is threatening to go on a detour into Ol'ladyville and in a hurry. Dry on skin: yep, it's definitely headed there. Even after nearly two hours, it's soft and powdery (certain honey & beeswax notes will do this on me but I was seduced by the vanilla, ylang-ylang, and patchouli); perhaps not quite offensive but not really adorable either; overall I'd say it reminds me of The Gladdener of All Hearts as it dries down and develops. Which is not necessarily bad--it doesn't stink, IMO, and I might not need to scrub it off--but powdery is just not my thing. I'm willing to pop it in an aging drawer (along with a number of other Weenie bottles I bought on impulse) to see if it gets better behaved with time, but I'm afraid it may end up in swaps. Le sigh.

Exactly this! Wet in the bottle, it is MJ all the way. Wet on the skin, still MJ (with a little something faintly hay-like in the background, like someone tried to burn sweetgrass to cover up the...um...grass ). Dry, even after an hour and a half...yup, MJ, unless I really huff at my skin and THEN I can almost pick up the intended notes (red sandalwood, my beloved vetiver & patchouli) trying desperately to come out & play; I am not in love with Mary Jane. I blame the ambrette seed, perhaps, or the peru balsam or ambergris or whatever, for bullying some of my fav notes and making them stinky and gross. Where Expressive Head was a wonderful (and euphoria-inducing, no joke) development on my skin, Triumph of Death is a crushing disappointment. Thankfully it's sticking close to the skin but given the longevity of several of the notes on me I'll probably have to scrub it off before bed. Boo.

Exactly this! Wet in the bottle, it is MJ all the way. Wet on the skin, still MJ (with a little something faintly hay-like in the background, like someone tried to burn sweetgrass to cover up the...um...grass ). Dry, even after an hour and a half...yup, MJ, unless I really huff at my skin and THEN I can almost pick up the intended notes (red sandalwood, my beloved vetiver & patchouli) trying desperately to come out & play; I am not in love with Mary Jane. I blame the ambrette seed, perhaps, or the peru balsam or ambergris or whatever, for bullying some of my fav notes and making them stinky and gross. Where Expressive Head was a wonderful (and euphoria-inducing, no joke) development on my skin, Triumph of Death is a crushing disappointment. Thankfully it's sticking close to the skin but given the longevity of several of the notes on me I'll probably have to scrub it off before bed. Boo.

Oh, I'm so glad I got this as a decant... In the Vial: The sweet pink grapefruit jumps out first with something faintly powdery-sweet lurking in the background. Still, it's the most promising of the Seekims I've sniffed so far. So I put it on. Wet on Skin: Inside of a minute, it's gone full baby powder on my skin I'm amping it, whatever it is (perhaps the honey note + orris? maybe they're fighting with the swamp moss & green musk) and it's giving me a headache. SCRUB. Dry on Skin: Despite a skin-reddening scrub followed by a bracing pass with rubbing alcohol (oh, my poor abraded wrists!) it is still there. If I keep my head away from my wrists it's not too bad. After about 4 hours it thankfully turns to soap (never thought I'd be thankful for that), then...6 hours later it is back to Old Lady Body Powder. Gah. Seekims, why hast thou forsaken me??

I wholeheartedly second Seance--it's a beautiful rose-but-not-rose scent and the rosewood note in it is lovely!

I received a goblin squirt of this--maybe 1/3 or 1/4 full?--as a frimp from another forumite, tucked in with my purchase from their sales post. Having never tried any of the BPTP atmosphere sprays I was quite curious how I'd like it, as with some folks upthread I've never been a big fan of the super-fake-smelling "air freshening" sprays (even the "lighter" ones like Febreeze, etc.). I was changing the bed linens today and decided--what the heck? I'll give this one a shot. I spritzed a quick bit over the dirty linens to see if I'd like the scent enough to sleep in it and, oh, my! It's lovely, unique, and did not give me a sneezing fit at first spray: I could pick up a spicy-sweetness (like a spiced marmalade, very nice!) and definitely the dirt & dry leaves notes right off the bat and decided that this was a scent both I and my husband could tolerate overnight. I spritzed a bit over the mattress pad, then laid down the layers of flannel, waffle weave cotton blanket, and satin comforter. This stuff is surprisingly strong without being overpowering and I am typing merrily away surrounded by a gentle but definitely present cloud of sweet-spicy-earthy goodness. Definitely worth picking up a bottle

This was the second of the An Evening in Hades decants I tried and unfortunately I can't add much more to the description of my experience than the above. In the vial I had some hope that the scent would be unique--the pom was sweet and juicy but didn't seem too "sweettarts" like and the other notes seemed to make it a pretty blend. Wet on the skin though it began to show signs of going plastic just like Green Apple of Venus and once it dried down...yup, fall candle all the way. Without the smoke to make it more interesting, no less. Worse, it's amping like heck and beginning to make me feel a bit nauseous. Definite pass, and it looks like no bottles from An Evening in Hades for me

Still death-matchin' the Weenie decants to see what makes it into a "get 'em before they're gone" Lab order Last pair before bed are two from the An Evening in Hades trio; here we go with The Nymphae Avernales! In the Vial: On initial sniff, this was the one among the trio I was most likely to enjoy skin testing. I got the lilac musk first and then the rose (seemed like a pretty soft, velvety pink rose, not as strong as a tea rose), with the frankincense grounding it and the honey & pomegranate kickin' it out back. Lazy bums. Wet on Skin: A pretty blend, the pomegranate still takes a backseat--it's not a super-sweet or plasticky pom, as in the Green Apple of Venus (which so broke my heart!)--and the rose comes more forward to blend with the lilac musk and frankincense as this warms up to my skin. No sticky sweet honey/pom here and that's good news, but also not much sandalwood. Hm. Dry on Skin: This blend has just a bit of throw and after about an hour the sandalwood is peeking through but not as strong as I'd like it. I've got Regina Erebi on the other wrist and as far as I can tell the throw on that one is kicking The Nymphae Avernales' ass. So I have to huff my wrist to get the rest of the drydown--soft and well-mannered rose with a touch of lilac in the background (TG it's not a super-sweet ickickick lilac, I kind of hate the RL stuff), a faint air of sandalwood, and slightly sweet resin. Not bad, but when I compare it to La Calavera Catrina I think LCC takes the win! I do think this would be a lovely blend for the rose-phobic though, as it's not overpowering at all

As opposed to A Nocturnal Reverie--another "purple" scent--this is truly a "dark purple" blend, the sort of purple that's almost black like a midnight-hued iris. Amazing how a scent can so definitely evoke a sense of color. In the Decant: My first hit is dark purple fruits, like black cherry and something reminiscent of bitter almond, though I know that's not in the notes. If I huff it for a while, I can pick out some of the tobacco (which might have been lending itself to the "bitter almond" impression), sage, and aquatics, which to me are not so much saline as brackish. Wet on Skin: Thankfully the "cherry/almond" recedes here (those tend to be no-nos) and I get more of a dark plum/blackcurrant note as well as more of the aquatics and the sage, sweet violet, sweet/herbal opopponax, and earthy moss. It's very pretty. Dry on Skin: Nothing But Death stays pretty consistent on my skin; after about 30 minutes of wear it's fairly similar to the wet phase. If anything, the fruits are now in the background sweetening things up and the florals/herbs/earthy notes are more forward along with the clean/fresh aquatics. An hour in, the tobacco is much more forward but not overpowering. It's a nice blend, but it's not knocking my socks off (especially compared to OMGILOVE A Nocturnal Reverie) so the decant may have to suffice

Got a decant of this to test out in my effort to "narrow down" a Weenie 2 order In the Vial: Wow, rice cakes! Starchy plantain! Tropical florals. Caramelized sugar. This smells like a seriously foody scent and--at least at this stage--very raucous. Lots going on here, hard to pick out the rest... Wet on Skin: Rice cake and starch all the way at first, then some of the chocolate pudding and buttery caramel custard comes out as it warms up on my skin. The florals are there too but seriously in the background. It would be great--amazing that all of this is in here!--but I'm really starting to wonder about the OMG RICE CAKE!!! and not sure if I can wear this. Dry on Skin: The caramelized sugar note is taking on a burnt edge that is blending with the starchy plantain and rice and chocolate and becoming overwhelming--like a pudding left on the stove too long and hopelessly burned--burnt microwave popcorn, anyone? Throw on this is pretty strong (it's beating out Nothing But Death, which I was testing on the opposite wrist) and though the DH next to me thinks something smells pretty yummy ("is that butter mochi??") I don't think I can do this. SCRUB.

Just got a decant of this along with several other Weenies that didn't make it into my first round of bottle orders (thanks Catseyes!!), as I wanted to see which, if any, of the rest I'd want bottles of before they came down. In the Vial: beautiful, ethereally sweet violet, bright and clear citrusy olibanum and elemi, sexy red musk, the slightly bitter saffron and astringent wormwood (I so love that and other artemisia notes, which I hardly ever see in perfumery) all mingling together to seduce me into slathering. I was going to a memorial service at a Buddhist temple which was going to be heavy on the incense, thus I saw no harm in doing so. Wet on Skin: I agree with the experience upthread about giving this blend a moment or so to warm up on the skin and allow it to blossom. Not that I thought it wasn't pretty enough on first application but once it began to warm up--OH!! Yes. Yes this is definitely hoardable; the blood red musk swirls around the resinous elemi and olibanum, mellowing the brightness of the citrusy aspect carried by these notes, with the violet leaf adding a sweetness and the white tea, wormwood, and saffron adding astringent/herbal and earthy/bitter edges that are just beautiful. I don't feel like I'm getting much of the crypt dust, unless like the saffron it's simply serving to ground the blend. Whatever, it's...just... I so want to bathe in this. Instead I slathered it on wrists, behind ears, and over the sternum. Dry on Skin: The musk & resins take center stage here with the other notes blending and keeping the scent from going either sweet/cloying or dusty/powdery/old lady. Throw was pretty decent though as I said, I was in a room with lots of incense wafting around and so no one was getting blown away by my perfume. After several hours of wear it is softly sweet and incensy and I just love how it is slow to fade. It is sensual and irresistible and yes, it may be giving A Nocturnal Reverie and Halloween: Las Vegas a run for their money in my "Best of Weenies 2011" death match In any case, I see at least one (maybe more) bottle in my future.

Just got a decant of this as part of my order from Catseyes' Happy Halloweenies circle and was most eager to try it and La Calavera Catrina to see if bottle purchases need to go in before the Weenies come down In the Vial: I also get mostly a fresh, green, crisp scent, with the rose sneaking forward; this is not a lush and sweet tea rose but a brighter rose--the way I recall wild roses actually smelling. There is just a hint of sweetness in the background--probably the vanilla--but it's not rushing to the front at this point. This is pretty unique as my tastes run mostly to deep, dark, rich, and earthy/spicy scents and these are most heavily represented in my bottle purchases. However despite this being a "fresh, clean" scent it's not seeming soapy and I'm down for a skin test. Wet on Skin: Oh, gods above the rose in this is stunning and as it warms up a bit to my skin the vanilla comes forward and the two are tempering the fresh & bright quality of the other floral notes--the astringent chamomile and dry/dusky marigolds & chrysanthemums. This I really could wear to work everyday--it has a zingy, alertness-inducing effect without being either minty or citrusy (again, unique) and as I'm caffeine sensitive this might be a good alternative to using coffee or black tea as a "wake up & get my ass to work" crutch Dry on Skin: Throw is pretty decent on this one, though again because it's such a well-balanced and clean scent it probably won't offend anyone if I did wear it every day to work. Happily it's pretty consistent on my skin and keeps that lovely blend of wild rose, grown-up vanilla, and bright golden florals. MUST HAVE BOTTLE. Maybe even backup bottle.

Just got a decant of this as part of my order from Catseyes' Happy Halloweenies circle and was most eager to try it and La Calavera Catrina to see if bottle purchases need to go in before the Weenies come down In the Vial: This definitely made me perk up and go "Oh, unique!" I definitely agree with the cold dry autumn leaves as the forward note--where I live it's not so humid and October so far has been a see-saw of chilly nights/mornings and warm days. The leaf note here reminds me of our weather now, leaves just changing from green into golds/reds/oranges/browns and shivering still on the trees in the cold dawn. Very bright and chilly. I'm also getting the sweet from the vanilla/white cocoa and the richness of amber in the background, sweetening up the blend. Wet on Skin: My gosh this is beautiful!! Throw is not super strong but it wafts gently around my wrist and up to my nose. The white cocoa has come forward a bit to blend more evenly with the vanilla--as others have mentioned for me this is more a dry, powdery white cocoa and not a creamy white chocolate note--which is good because the "buttery" aspect of such notes can go sideways on me. The shivering quality backs off a little bit, keeping it from being too "minty." Dry on Skin: The combination of white musk, vanilla/white cocoa powder, and amber incense deepened by slightly woodsy dry leaves is rich and complex when I sniff at my wrist and from a distance (maybe a foot or so) it is slightly sweet, slightly incensy powder--the way I wish body or baby powder would smell. It is the best powdery scent I've ever tried and if anything could make me refrain from shouting my loathing of powder scents from the highest mountain, this would be it Not sure if it's a bottle purchase but the wet phase is making me think on it and I'm certainly enjoying the decant.

Just got a decant of Silver Apple of the Moon and Green Apple of Venus from Catseyes Happy Halloweenies circle--thanks chickie Since I now have either decants or bottles of all the "Apples", I decided to test four of them today and now am covered in appley goodness LOL!! I bought a bottle of Black Apple of Saturn (along with Glittering Apple of the Stars and Golden Apple of the Sun) unsniffed in my Weenie Order of Doom (well, for me anyway) but was waiting to test it until I got decants of the last two Apples. So here I am In the Bottle: Oh, this is a dark and incensy blend, very rich dry apple--not fresh & juicy, which I kind of like. There is plenty of black musk and the bitter astringent edge of cypress and perfumey resinous myrrh and galbanum up front here. Wet on Skin: During this phase the tobacco comes forward though it is by no means overwhelming, which is good because some tobacco notes can go sickly sweet on me. Here is is just a whisper giving a slightly sweet and smoky base to the dry apple, resins, and rich dark musk. It is a gorgeous balance of sweet, dark, and incensy and I love it!! Dry on Skin: Not too much of a morpher and throw is a bit lighter than Glittering Apple of the Stars was on me; after about an hour it's sticking pretty close to the skin, a coy, come-hither sort of sensual blend. It is pretty similar here to the wet phase for me, which is a plus because I find that so lovely. It may not be a Top 10 or backup bottle necessity but it is beautiful and I will cherish the bottle I have!

Just got a decant of Silver Apple of the Moon and Green Apple of Venus from Catseyes Happy Halloweenies circle--thanks chickie Since I now have either decants or bottles of all the "Apples", I decided to test four of them today and now am covered in appley goodness LOL!! I bought a bottle of Glittering Apple of the Stars (along with Black Apple of Saturn and Golden Apple of the Sun) unsniffed in my Weenie Order of Doom (well, for me anyway) but was waiting to test it until I got decants of the last two Apples. So here I am In the Bottle: Oh, my. Fresh, ripe, juicy & crisp apple--I've never had an Heirloom Malus apple so I can't speak to that but it's reminding me of something like a Honeycrisp or Fuji--just a tiny bit of spiciness to the apple. Wow. Also I can pick out the vanilla (it's a sugar-coated sort rather than a creamy vanilla) and lush florals (tiare, frangipani, ylang ylang). It is beautiful and not sickeningly sweet. I can't wait to get it on my skin. Wet on Skin: As it is warmed by my skin the apple opens up and the bergamot floats to the top, giving it a citrusy and slightly bitter edge that keeps the blend from being too sweet. The musks also seem to ground the florals and my overall impression is...seductive, in a somewhat artless or innocent way. I am reminded of Yvaine when I get a whiff of this wafting up from my wrist--the character, as I've not had the pleasure of smelling the BPAL version. Dry on Skin: The dry phase reminds me somewhat of The Girl, though I believe the only common note is "white/pale musk" (maybe) and ylang ylang. Although I suppose the white florals could be counted as a common theme also. In any case it is ethereally beautiful and otherworldly enticing; the apple note never goes plastic or sharp and the florals remain in balance with the musk and vanilla. Throw is moderate so I can definitely slather with impunity and it lasted a good 8-10 hours before fading to a soft sweet incensey skin scent. It is gorgeous and may be my favorite of the Apples, though I have yet to skin-test the Golden Apple of the Sun. This one may be hoard worthy for me. :love!:

Just got a decant of this (and Green Apple of Venus) from Catseyes Happy Halloweenies circle--thanks chickie Since I now have either decants or bottles of all the "Apples", I decided to test four of them today and now am covered in appley goodness LOL!! In the Vial: Very luminescent dry (but not candy-sweet) apple with soft florals and softly sweet nectar. Not getting much of the white sandalwood at this stage, even if I pause and huff for a few moments, but it is generally lovely and so I blithely apply to my skin. Wet on Skin: Ooh, soft and pretty. The apple comes out a bit more on my skin (maybe I'm better off with the "dry apple" notes?) and it is a bit more grounded, though I'm still not getting the white sandalwood note that I love. I agree with one of the reviews upthread, this is a very well balanced blend that would seem pretty to most and offensive to none in the workplace. It's very well-behaved. It is not a huge morpher and is keeping that luminescent quality from the vial. Dry on Skin: The white sandalwood peeks out a bit but remains in the background, which is fine and makes this a unique blend in my current collection (I usually amp the white sandalwood, not that I mind this as it smells pretty fab on me). If I "death match" this against Green Apple of Venus, this one wins hands down. After a few hours, it becomes a lovely incensey dry white apple and moonlit floral scent and is quite lovely! Bottle purchase may be required

Just got a decant of this (and Silver Apple of the Moon) from Catseyes Happy Halloweenies circle--thanks chickie Since I now have either decants or bottles of all the "Apples", I decided to test four of them today and now am covered in appley goodness LOL!! In the Vial: Fresh, juicy, and yes sweet fruits dominating (I'm getting mostly the crisp green apple and pomegranate with a whiff of strawberry that goes right to the back of my throat) with sweet florals twining throughout. It is lush but not spicy and pretty enough to lure me into a skin test. Wet on Skin: I actually love this phase the best!! On my skin it's smelling like ripe and juicy late summer/early fall fruits--still the crisp green apple and pomegranate with the strawberry sweetening things up considerably. I'm not getting the "Pez effect"--yet?--but the blend of fruits is sweet enough that I can see it being a possibility. Bolstering the sweet fruits is full-blown (and yeah, sweet) tea rose and the apple blossom, which is also coming off as sweet. I get a tiny bit of warmth that my nose is characterizing as caramelly and may be the red sandalwood mixing with the rose. So far, it's really nice and I'm contemplating a bottle... Dry on Skin: Rose is usually my friend but I'm getting a bit worried on the drydown as it seems to be fighting with the fruits. After about an hour of wear...oh, no. Here's the Pez, followed by the plastic/scented play-doh edge. I'm left with a super sweet "Strawberry Shortcake & Friends Doll Collection" scent on my arm. It's not giving me a headache (or toothache, for that matter), TG, so I don't have to scrub it off, but it's doubtful I'll manage to purchase a bottle of it unless in the next week it manages to lose that edge somehow. Wah!

Graceful, arching branches, heavy with plum and apricot blossoms, sweet ichigo, and a bouquet of peony, anemone, honeysuckle, spider lily, and hydrangea against a backdrop of luminescent, gently glowing lunar oils. I agree that the florals in this one don't go all high-pitched or soapy on me either, which is awesome. Throw for me is decent and I like the balance of just-picked (but not bitten) fruit--that hint of plum & apricot and fresh-not-fake strawberry mentioned in earlier reviews--and soft florals and a bit of something that seems to suggest moonlight on dewy spring-bloom-laden branches. For me, this is pretty consistent from the bottle through the drydown and it is a perfect "closing the day" scent!

The notes in this blend remind me of a hair rinse I make for myself, with raw apple cider vinegar, rose & orange flower water, and rose, neroli, carrot seed, frankincense, & sandalwood EOs. Every time I use it, I get compliments on how amazing my hair smells--and this from folks standing a good 3-4 feet away from me and on the next day (of course, the sandalwood may have something to do with that, as it lasts for. ev. er. on me ) So when I saw the description for L'Ecole des Filles, I just had to hunt down an imp of it (THANK YOU, Angelamaria!!). In the Vial: Oh, this is a perfect orange blossom scent! It smells almost exactly like the fragrance that permeates my backyard every spring when my orange tree is dripping with succulent white blooms. I love the feeling that comes along with that scent--like everything is fresh and new and artlessly sensual. This IS Spring. Wet on Skin: There is a spot in said backyard that is equidistant between the orange tree and a very large, very fragrant rose bush. It's not a red rose (or white for that matter), more of peach/apricot colored rose, but the fragrance is beautiful. When the orange is blooming and the rose is blooming and the sun is shining, the warmth and spring breeze mingles the scents of these two flowers together and I've often wished I could bottle that and wear it all the time. This is that scent. Even without the woody/incensey/earthy/spicy notes I so adore, this blend is fantastic and unique in my collection. I could bathe in this! Dry: As it dries down, the carrot seed emerges and oh! It is the carrot seed from my hair rinse, mingling just as harmoniously with the orange blossom and rose and made more complex and enticing by the ambergris, orris, jonquil, lemon balm, and creamy sweet benzoin. Others have mentioned that this blend smells more innocent than debauched, and I partially agree--I feel it has a sort of innocent sexuality, a quality of generosity of heart & body and joyful exploration of the ingenue that is in sharp contrast to the coy, practiced, and artful seduction of the courtesan. I'm quite glad it has not gone to powder at all. L'Ecole des Filles is for me what I wished Jezebel could have been, and it's definitely going on the Bottle Wish List

Yes. This. I'm so very, very glad I was frimped a tester of this along with a purchase I made from a kind forumite (THANK YOU BLAINE!!!), as it has saved me quite literally in the nick of time from sending a jaw-dropping paypal for a full bottle of it. In the vial: Oh, damn. I really wanted to like this! Instead of a lovely vanilla musk I get powdery vanilla, musty tablecloth, & my grandma's EDT--which is not lovely on me. But I went ahead and put it on my skin anyway, just in case it turned out to be a morpher. Wet on Skin: Nope, not a morpher, and now my skin is amping the "Oil of Old Lady"--I REEK of cheap body dusting powder. Ick. It is irritating my nose to the point that I'm having sneezing fits Can't even tell what it's like completely dry, as after 15 minutes I'm sneezing so badly I must. Get. It. Off. Off to the swap pile it goes, a frimp for someone who will actually enjoy it.

How have I not already reviewed this here?? I've certainly waxed rhapsodic about this scent everywhere else on the forum The Grave Pig is one of those utterly surprising, serendipitous finds, as I had not planned on ordering an imp of it and it was not even on my radar when I placed my first order with the lab back in July of this year (2011). But those Labbies, they are such the clairvoyants, and slipped this in among the frimps in that first box of BPAL love. I saw the name ( ), checked the notes on the site, opened it up to sniff...and In the vial: Ah, patchouli, I do love you so! And what a nice, fresh, green patchouli you are here, swimming in the earthy mushroom & oakmoss notes with just a hint of figgy sweetness. Wet on skin: This...is SO. Good. Holy Mother of Us All, I want to smell like this all day, every day. I am swathed in a cloud of sweet-spicy-earthy goodness, all the notes blending just perfectly and none overwhelming (or fighting with) any other. I can definitely pick out the patchouli (LOVE!) and fig (bliss) and the mushroom note so similar to Death Cap but tempered here by the sweet fig & patchouli, with the oakmoss contributing a sensual sweet complexity that I'm somehow interpreting as spicy (in conjunction with the mushroom & patch, most likely) and boosting the earthy quality of this blend. The sillage on this is wonderful--strong enough to be picked up a few feet away but not enough to knock over my coworkers. Good thing. Totally slather-worthy. Dry: Have mercy, this is exactly the same dry on me as wet I feel so powerful, beautiful, sexy, and confident wearing this! It lasts & lasts--I can still smell this the next day. The Grave Pig could well be my signature BPAL, and a bottle of it went into my very next BPAL order--I love it so much I feel it equally squee-inspiring as any beloved LE/rare/DC. And to think--if not for the lab's "random selection of imps included with purchase," I might never have found it. That would have been tragic, indeed, and so I bow to the wisdom that guides the picker of imps