edenssixthday

Nostrum Remedium – Oh, this is really fascinating! When I first apply it, I smell the tea and the sweetness of the honey and the brightness of the wasabi and it smells like a bright, summer tea blend, but the longer it sits on my skin, the less it smells like tea and the more it smells like… hmm… I don’t know what! It’s very dark, yet has a bit of sharpness that’s immediately tempered by the sweetness of the honey. And what’s more, the honey doesn’t smell all “poopy diapers” on me as I’d expected. There’s a bit of soapiness in the background of this scent, and since I’m not familiar with wasabi as a perfume note, I’m guessing maybe it comes from that? Overall, it’s very masculine and soapy and dark and tea-like and honey-sweet. I actually don’t get any “spice” from the wasabi scent, either. This is the kind of tea scent I would actually wear, if the soapiness weren't so overpowering. The throw is moderate and the staying power is quite long.

The Robotic Scarab I tend to like anise and frankincense, but not leather or oils, and metallic notes can go either way, so in my mind, this had about a 50/50 chance of working on me…and it does indeed work well on me. The leather in it is the same leather from Spanked and the metal and oil/grease notes back up the leather remarkably well. The anise is there, but it’s very subtle, and the frankincense provides a slight hint of resinous depth far, far in the background. It’s a very dark and masculine scent to me. As much as I like it, I would like to smell it on a handsome fella even more. (It's way too sad that my husband can't wear fragrances because this would be a total hubba hubba one on him!) The throw is “just right” and the staying power is quite good.

Pepper – When I first put this on, it stands out heads above the crowd of BPAL scents. It is one of the most unique BPAL blends I’ve encountered. There’s a LOT going on in this scent. I can smell each individual note and from one minute to the next, I’m entertained by the various notes swirling around each other, moving to the forefront, then backing up so another can take center stage, and so on. Adjectives I could use to describe it – all at the same time – are floral, sweet, spicy, creamy, and bright. It’s like a non-tropical, spicy Tiki Queen meets an English garden. Once it dries down on my skin, it smells dramatically different. When dry, the strongest note is the tuberose, followed by the ginger, geranium, rose, and vanilla. I love it during both stages, but I think I like the “wet” version of this better, which means this is going to be a scent locket fragrance. It’s also one I’m going to have to buy in a 5 ml.

Violet Ray – Oh, now this is pretty! It’s soft and powdery, quite subtle, and the dominant note is violet. However, the white mint and musk back it up gorgeously. The white mint lends a sense of “coldness” to the blend and the purple musk keeps it from being a “winter” blend with the cool, sweet violet and mint. I don’t smell the other notes, which is kind of good, as lilac can amp a lot on me, and considering how I dislike ylang and lavender. I don’t smell the sandalwood, either, but I can tell it’s there deepening and grounding the scent. This is really pretty and feminine, although it doesn’t seem to have much staying power.

Peony - This is very clean and soapy smelling in a floral kind of way. It has the faintest trace of something almost bitter. It's also kind of watery. To me, it's actually one of the more complex single notes - it doesn't smell to me like one note at all, but several that blend very well together. When I first apply it, it's really strong for about 10 seconds and then sticks very close to my skin. Peony tends to be a nice scent on me and I was hoping the single note would last on my skin, but it went the way of Peony Moon, which means the scent faded entirely within 20 minutes. If it weren't so rare, I might be tempted to use this in an oil burner on a beautiful spring or summer day.

Snow Glass Apples - This opens up on my skin with the scent of crisp, tart, juicy, green apples. I don't like apple scents, but I am totally in awe of how dead-on and perfect this scent is to the real thing. Immediately behind the apple is a strong touch of mint. Mint is another note I don't usually care for, but it compliments the apple really well. After about 20 minutes on my skin, I realize the mint is completely gone and apple has faded significantly. What is really evident at this point, is a snow scent that is quite reminiscent of Snow White, only more watery, like what you might get if you tried to capture the scent of a cold, clean, mountain brook. It is a really pretty scent and I'm so glad I got a chance to try it.

Rangoon Riptide - In the bottle, this smells like it's got caramel in it and I'm a little scared of it. But I decide to try it anyway. When I first apply it, the rum and the fruity scents take a while to figure it if they're going to go this way or that, and from one second to the next, this blend morphs on me in some really weird ways. It's happened every time I've worn it. However, after about five minutes, the scent finally decides what direction it's going to go, and thank god it's in a nice, tropical direction! As soon as the rum fades, the pineapple is the dominant note, but within a few minutes, the lilikoi and raspberry are jumping to the forefront. My grandpa (who lives in Hawaii) makes the world's most amazing pineapple-lilikoi jam, and this perfume smells almost exactly like his jam...if it had a bit of raspberry mixed in. Hmmm... it also reminds me of a sweet, fruity, tropical, foofoo drink (which makes sense since it's from the Tiki Bar!) I don't smell the mandarin at all. I usually love mandarin, but this scent is so perfect without being able to smell it, that I don't mind that it doesn't show up on me. This is by far the most "tropical fruit" aroma in the entire BPAL catalog. It's not very strong on me and doesn't last a long time, but it smells gorgeous when I sniff up close or catch a waft of it in the air and I imagine I'm going to have to try this in my oil burner.

Phoenix Steamworks - This starts off as very metallic, very cologney, and slightly oily. As it dries on my skin, the oiliness fades completely, and something very bright and golden comes to the forefront - I'm tempted to say it's mandarin, but none of the other reviewers noted anything about an orange, citrus, or fruit scent. However, on my skin, this is very much a metal & citrus scent with the slightest hint of incense. It's still cologney, but not in a bad way. I probably won't be in the mood for this scent all the time, but there will definitely be times when I want to wear it a lot. It seems like more of an autumnal scent to me and so it's going to be set aside for the next few months while I wear my spring and summer scents, but it will get pulled out again in the fall. The throw is below average and the staying power is about average.

Moai - Holy smoky! In the bottle and when first applied, this is overpoweringly acrid and smoky and ashy and I'm positive I'm going to hate it. Then, as it dries down, the smoky ash scent lightens up A LOT and the scent of palm moves to the forefront and this ends up being a gorgeous scent on my skin. The husky ash scent backs up the sweet palm gorgeously. Initially, I thought this would be a good scent to layer to give depth to another scent, but I think I'll be wearing this on its own. I can't get over how gorgeous this scent turns out to be once it dries down. This is definitely the biggest surprise of all the Luau Lounge scents. Kudos, Beth!

Moana - I adore aquatics and so I was really excited to try this one. I was not let down. This is a wonderful aquatic. The dominant note is the seaweed and I'm amazed at how well the awapuhi blends with the seaweed. I don't usually like awapuhi scents, but the awapuhi in this is exquisite and used in the perfect proportion to the other notes. The sea foam note gives the scent a hint of effervescence. I imagine that if I were layering scents, this would be the perfect scent to wear after using a LUSH Big Blue bath bomb. I really love this and I think it's one of my top three favorite aquatic scents. Sadly, the scent doesn't last very long and needs to be reapplied after a while, but that's okay since I ordered extra bottles.

Marae - In the bottle, I smell gardenia and incense. On my skin, it's all sorts of super strong gardenia with just the slightest hint of orchid in the background. I don't smell the incense at all. It smells like a slightly tropical version of Sacred Whore of Babylon, which is also almost entirely gardenia on me. I don't really like predominantly gardenia scents, as I find them incredibly heavy and smothering, so I'm afraid this one has to go. The throw is moderate and it doesn't last very long on my skin - by the 20 minute point, it's almost entirely undetectable.

Rose Red 2007 – When I first got this bottle, I was surprised at how much it smelled like dirt. There was definitely the crisp scent of fresh-cut red rose, but also a powerfully strong scent of dirt, which is one of my least-favorite notes on my skin. I used some in my oil burner, and was surprised that the dirt note wasn’t strong when used as a room scent, and the rose was more subtle than I had expected. I pulled this blend out about 3-4 months after letting it set for a while, and now, the dirt is barely discernible. It’s a lot like Rose Red ’04 in it’s fresh, red rose crispness and green stemminess. I look forward to wearing this blend now that the dirt has dissipated. The throw is really strong, but the wear length is below average on me.

Parlement of Foules 2008 – I was really looking forward to this blend because I love the few BPAL blends out there with white rose. However, this wasn’t a good blend on me. I can barely smell the rose. What I smell more than anything is something heavy and sour that reminds me of… molasses? Yes, that’s it! It reminds me of using molasses in recipes when I helped my mom bake when I was a kid. The rose is barely discernible and the molasses note is highly unpleasant on my skin.

Delousing Powder – I can’t believe I haven’t reviewed this yet since it’s one of my all-time favorite BPAL blends! I have read all of the reviews and just boggled over the fact that almost everyone smells citrus and detergent – I don’t smell any notes like that in any of the numerous imps I’ve collected. To me, it’s 100% amber and golden musk. I’ll allow for perhaps a drop of orange since there is something very sun-shiny about this blend, but it doesn’t smell like any sort of cleaner at all. The amber definitely turns a bit powdery on me, as amber often does. Overall, it’s a gorgeous, bright scent, that’s heavy on the amber and light on everything else everyone else smells. The throw and staying power are both remarkably strong.

Peacock Queen 2007 – The 2005 version of this blend was a huge disappointment for me because it was so impotent on my skin – it really didn’t do anything but fade quickly and leave behind no trace. The 2007 is everything I originally wanted this blend to be. It’s a heavy, bold, and regal rose. It’s one of the prettiest rose fragrances I have ever encountered – and I’ve been a lover of rose for as long as I can remember. It doesn’t have very good staying power on my skin, but in a scent locket, it does last and last. It has the perfect level of sillage and smells beautiful and womanly without knocking out everyone around me. I really love it and will cherish it until it’s gone!

The Flower Song – This is a gorgeous fruity blend. The pomegranate doesn’t smell at all like wine to me. Rather, it’s a bright, juicy, pomegranate note that at first sniff, could almost be a single note. As it warms up on my skin, I can smell the dry, grainy scent of the barley mixing with the pomegranate, and reigning in its crispness just a bit. I don’t distinctly smell the other notes, but I know they are there because there’s an earthiness to this blend that is not the work of the barley. There’s also something spicy in here – I’ve got no clue where it’s coming from. Perhaps it’s part of the “wine” aspect of this blend? Honestly, it smells like some carnation sneaked into this blend. This is one of the prettiest fruity blends I’ve encountered. It’s perfect for late-spring and summer, and I look forward to enjoying it a lot! The throw is quite strong, but it fades pretty quickly (which is typical for fruit blends on my skin).

Sapphics – Normally, I love oakmoss and myrrh, but this blend really doesn’t do much for me. It’s definitely woody, but not overpoweringly so. It’s slightly sweet from the tonka and oakmoss, but not in a feminine type of way. It’s a somewhat subtle scent on my skin and has a strong outdoorsy, woodsy feel to it. About 20 minutes after applying it, it actually starts to amp up and send the most gorgeous wafts of scent around me. The first time this happened, I thought it was coming from someone else and was beyond surprise to discover that the scent was coming from my very own wrists. When sniffing up close, I still smell the same scent I did before, and it’s still a little underwhelming and not particularly impressive. But the sillage is absolutely phenomenal! I love the way this scent smells as it’s carried through the air. I wish I could describe it better. The wafting scent is much stronger on the oakmoss (which I love) and tonka, and smells almost like there’s honey weaving through it – although I know it’s not. I love the way this smells around me even though it’s unremarkable when it’s just on me, if that makes any sense. I also think this would be a wonderful every day type of scent on my man. The throw is above average and the staying power is about average.

Single Note: Sassafras – Mmmm… this smells like sweet root beer. I love root beer! Oh wait… it’s more like one of the those root beer Bottle Cap candies! I love this sassafras single note! I wish Beth would use this more in various blends … but without the notes I don't like since so far, I don't like any of the sassafras blends she's made. I don't know if I could wear this single note solely on its own because it really does smell pretty much exactly like root beer Bottle Caps, and I don't really feel that's something I want to smell like. But then again, I might, because it’s that good. This is by far the yummiest single note I've encountered.

Samhainophobia 2007 – This scent reminds me somewhat of Samhain. The difference is, I have fallen in love with Samhain in the past year, and I don’t really like Samhainophobia this year. It’s like a darker, pumped-up version of Samhain. The 2007 version of Samhanophobia is a lot stronger and darker and heavier than the 2006 version, I think. It seems to have more of the scent of crunchy, dry autumn leaves and is heavier on the vetiver. I don’t care for the 2007 version as much as the 2006 version. It’s got incredible throw and a teeny tiny drop of it will keep me swathed in scent all day long.

The Atrocious Attic – The scent description described this perfectly and I don’t think I can elaborate on it. It’s totally the scent of a dried bouquet – softly floral, and dry and slightly dusty at the same time. It’s a pretty blend, and it is very soft and subtle. The throw is light and the staying power is a little below average on me.

Haloa 2007 – The 2006 version was divine on me. A coworker who walked by me said, “It smells like warm, homemade goodness over here!” She summed it up perfectly. This year’s blend is even better. I didn’t think that was possible, but I love it. I don’t get the feeling of religious rite and ritual from this blend. Rather, it’s the scent of a buttery Danish with berry filling. It’s got a lovely level of throw and staying power. I haven’t used this as a room scent, but I can imagine this would give my house the most wonderful, comforting, home-baked-goods scent I could possibly imagine.

Jolasveinar 2007 – Last year’s version smelled like butter pastries and algae on me. It wasn’t a good combo. The 2007 version rocks my socks! It’s predominantly butter pastries with a strong, sleety snow scent, with the hint of soft florals behind it. In my experience, it’s really different from last year. I like the 2007 blend a lot and am thrilled that there’s another “bakery” scent that smells good on me since most don’t work with my skin chemistry. The throw is quite strong and the staying power is well above average.

Parsifal – This blend is quite heavy on the ozone. It’s incredibly clean and clear, like strong ozone scents, reminding me of thunderstorms. The narcissus gives it a bit of a high-class feel to it and the rosemary brings it back down to the ground. I most definitely understand the inspiration behind this one and it’s a perfect representation of the artwork that inspired the scent. On me, the throw is light and the staying power is quite poor.

Lick It One More Time – the “Lick It” series just gets better and better every single year. This is by far the best of the “Lick It” blends. This is a powerful peppermint – absolutely perfect for winter time. I love the addition of the vanilla this year – it tempers the mint a bit and gives it a unique, sweet, creaminess that it hasn’t had in previous years. As with all of the “Lick It” blends, it doesn’t last on my skin long at all, but it smells freaking amazing as a room scent – just right for giving the house that festive holiday feeling right before the Christmas party. I love this one and since it just gets better every year, I can’t wait to see what the 2008 “Lick It” blend will be like!

The Shivering Boy – This is my favorite of all of the Yule 2007 blends. It is a scent that is very cold, windy, and sad, yet tragically beautiful. The strongest scent is actually very wintery-green, reminding me intensely of juniper or maybe even holly, although I don’t see either of those notes listed in the ingredients. It’s also got a touch of powdery amber about it – again, another note that’s not listed in the ingredients. Of the scent description notes, I think those that would best describe this scent are “frozen”, “bitter sleet”, and “piercing ozone.” It’s such a perfect winter scent and while I’m not wearing it much now that spring is here, I wore it a lot last winter and expect to wear it often every winter until I run out of it. The scent has above average throw and average wear length.