lyndsayj

I've got a cold at the moment, so this review may very well change in a week or so when my sinuses are back to normal and so is my sense of smell. But to me, this is like a softer, more muted version of Lush's Karma. As soon as I applied it, it hit me.. even with my blocked-up nose, the resemblance was uncanny! Whereas Karma is strong and in-your-face, with the pine, elemi and orange, this is smooth and subtle. 8/10

I don't get any of the caramel, or sweetness. On me, this is really dry, hot spices with lots of woodiness in the background. It put me in mind of an Indian supermarket near the Fortitude Valley, Queensland, train station. Once you walk in there you're immediately hit with this "womph" of spices, all of their scents mingled into the air and permeating the hallway. That's probably where I get the "dry, hot spices" part, because this smells just like that overall smell you get when you approach the supermarket. It's.. really different. Unlike any BPAL I've ever smelt before. The throw is very strong too, just a light smidgen applied on the back of my hand lasted ages. A keeper! Glad I was able to get a bottle.

On application, I'm immediately swamped with strawberry, cherry and raspberry. At first it reminded me very much of the strawberry jam flavour of Skittles that've just come out (we have the "Showtime" limited edition, rather than the American "Carnival"). It put me in mind of strawberry jam-filled donuts, or strawberries simmered in sugar syrup and poured over stacks of pancakes. And the throw! Workmates can smell me from the other side of the room. I applied it to my throat and the exposed part of my upper chest while getting dressed this morning. One workmate even said I was good enough to eat. And that I smell like lollies. This scent is so unbelievably yummy. It's creamy, lush and very red-smelling.

On me this blooms into something that is very reminiscent of Oisin. Quite minty and musky, overall the association is rather masculine (probably because of the Oisin resemblance). Glad it's being swapped. I kept this for so long and never even used it.

Our interpretation of Dolce Stil Nuovo is a blend of rose otto, carnation, vanilla flower, lavender and jasmine with the clarity of crystalline white musk and the warmth of golden amber. I was scared of buying a bottle of this because of the jasmine note, which normally overpowers everything else in most BPAL scents that have it that I've tried. But I'm VERY happy that jasmine behaves itself here. Dolce Stil Nuovo is just amazing. On first sniff in the bottle, it's all herbal lavender and nothing else. Immediately on application and wet, it's still sharp lavender - it made me think it'd be a great sleep blend. (Given I was putting it on just before work, I was hoping it wouldn't send me off to sleep at my desk! It didn't.) After just a few seconds the lavender disappears and a rich, creamy floral blooms - am thinking it's the vanilla flower and amber. I don't get much rose, but it just blends in with the overall floral bloom. No jasmine to be sniffed at all! Given we wear a lot of sunscreen in Australia, at this stage it even reminded me of a generic sunscreen scent. Which is fine by me, I like sunscreen scent It reminds me of wonderful summer days. Definitely a sleeper hit!

Ever since I put Svadhinaopatika on this morning, I've been racking my brain trying to figure out what it reminded me of. I decided that it's kind of like Red Phoenix.. but I might be wrong, because it's been so long since I wore that. But it definitely reminded me of a BPAL scent I've worn before, and Red Phoenix was what came to my mind the strongest. It's a deep, deep red velvety, spicy scent. I'm glad I snagged two bottles

I'm so glad I wasn't the first person who thought Khandita might sound like "candida" Anyway, personally I think this update is purely ORGASMIC. Indian heroines! Lupercalia with Indian-themed scents! The Snake Pit! It's all just so, so heavenly. Not so great is my bank balance atm after my Order of Doom (aka Biggest. Order. Evar) on Tuesday So many Snake Oil variants make head asplode! I got Abhisarika and Vasakasajja, with Chintamani-Dhupha from Lupercalia, but I think I also really want need Virahotkantita, Svadhinaopatika and Kalahantarika. Will have to wait until later, when I have more cash and the reviews start coming in, me thinks. Unfortunately I had such high expectations for Khajuraho last year, but it wasn't to be.. it was in the "don't much care for it" mark but bordering on the "can't stand it" too. It was so sad having to give it away, but it went to a better home so that's OK.

A creamy, sweet, beautiful, floral vanilla scent. It smells the same in the bottle as when it's fresh on my skin - comforting and nostalgic. The linen notes come through and complement the florals wonderfully. While wet it's just a fresh and clean scent. But within sometimes as quick as a few minutes later, the vanilla-ness emerges and it transforms into a gentle, creamy scent.. it still has great throw, though. I love it Very glad I got a 5ml, even though I'd never smelt it before.. in my almost a year of being a BPAL addict and with many dozens of imps and bottles bought/frimped/traded, I'd never even so much as got an imp of Antique Lace before But with all of the great reviews I've read, basically there was no way I COULDN'T get a 5ml of it.

This blend definitely works. Amazingly so. I slathered it on last night - some on my chest and a few drops on each of the back of my hands - and was out within minutes. I'm wearing my nightgown atm and can still smell the residue from last night. I don't really have a problem with falling asleep anymore but I used to. One of my first bottle purchases from the Lab was Somnus, which still works well, but TKO is much more effective. The scent is rather astringent at first but the most delicious, pink, sweet marshmallow fragrance soon emerges and stays. I have no idea what could be in this but whatever they components are, together they work amazingly well. Last night I slept as solidly as though I'd taken my usual sleeping aid (a liquid antihistamine capsule). This morning it took ages to wake up properly - my muscles felt so heavy and relaxed, I definitely didn't want to get out of bed If you use this - go to bed early!

Eat Me is a lighter, tarter Monster Bait: Underbed, for sure. For some reason this goes all coconutty on my skin on drydown, almost identical to Underbed (which I adore), but balanced out wonderfully with the currants. And the cake batter-like notes are there, too, creamy and yum. I could almost happily swap all of my Underbed bottles just for Eat Me bottles. Almost.

While it's true this does have a masculine undertone, it's not a very "in-your-face" type of masculine. It's just right for me - mysterious and dark without being an obviously-male scent. As people have said, this oil is green and colour and it *smells* green, too Wet on the skin, the woods come across as a subtle pine-y scent, but on drydown the musk creeps out and eventually mellows. It's a very sophisticated, soothing, calming blend.

This is JUST like Anzac biscuits It's all cassia and coconut on my skin, really creamy and smooth coconut which really amps up with my body chemistry. The spice from the cassia is just right, but the coconut is pretty much overpowers everything else. The cocoa is there slightly, but not that I can notice it much. And oh my god, the throw! This stuff lasts for HOURS, and that's when I slather it straight from the bottle. I can't wait to mix it with alcohol and put it into an atomiser, 'cos scents last that much more that way. I wouldn't say it's got the staying power of Pink Phoenix, but it's getting there. I love it! *hoards bottle obsessively* Edit: After a few hours, the cocoa comes through and this morphs from an Anzac biscuit to a gentle Coconut Rough (chocolate with yummy dessicated coconut mixed in it, for the non-Australians reading this)

Without making this into an E/N drama debacle, that was a pretty rough night. But I made it out the other side of it relatively emotionally-unscathed. But I *was* angered in a way I didn't think I'd ever be angered, which just that fact alone surprised me. I thought I'd break down and become even more distressed, but instead I fought back. And it felt *good*, knowing that I gave a piece of my mind and didn't just default to a "shrinking violet" stance. Anyway, I still need professional help and I shall seek that today, by any means necessary. Sleepless nights still suck, though.

For some reason, this smells JUST like the Lush soap Honey I Washed The Kids on me I can't explain it. I put it on for the first time last night, and it just bloomed into this wonderfully addictive, HIWTK smell - creamy, buttery, caramelly, then dried down to a soft, citrusy (must be the bergomot) floral. Wonderful! I don't think anyone's mentioned that it smells like HIWTK yet.. perhaps it's just me, but it was so unexpectedly identical. I love it! I hope it wasn't just a one-off and that it keeps smelling like that on me from now on.