edenssixthday

When I first smelled this in the vial, it smells like heaven. I love the scent of the blackberry and vanilla together. However, as soon as it hit my skin, my nemesis (honey) moved to the forefront and it instantly started to smell like pee on me. As I stepped outside this morning to go to work, the wind picked up the scent and wafted it around me and once again, it smelled amazing - soft and etheral, a blackberry-honey-vanilla-musky gorgeousness. But when I lifted my wrist to my nose, the honey was still misbehaving on my skin. So it's at least good to know the sillage is lovely even if the oil on my skin turns a bit rancid due to the honey. That means this is going to make a phenomenal oil burner and scent locket scent! Anyway, it's been two hours since then, and now, I can barely smell the scent on my wrists, but the rancidness of the honey has disappeared and the only thing I smell is a bit of softly musky blackberry vanilla. It's incredibly gorgeous and y ummy and I really wish it were a bit stronger. Still, it's stunning and I love it and it really do understand how Lady Una inspired this scent. I'm going to try it in my oil burner next. Mmmm.... good.

Pollution - Interesting... I've never heard of "green musk" before. I'm wondering where this comes from and exactly what it smells like. Hmm. Overall, this is a lovely scent, very herbal and has a touch of woody-resin about it. It's kind of reminiscent of men's cologne, but not in a bad way. It's actually quite nice - very fresh, clean, and slightly invigorating. I could see my husband pulling this off better than I can. The throw is about average and the staying power on me is fairly poor.

Famine - When I first apply this, all I smell is bright, wet lilac and something that reminds me of verbena, despite verbena not being listed among the ingredients. However, within the first minute on my skin, the bright herbal and floral scents are completely overwhelmed by the dry huskiness of tobacco and frankincense. What was initially bright and crisp and kind of peppy almost immediately becomes dry and barren and dark and heavy. It's highly masculine to me, and smells kind of like an unlit cigar. It's not really my speed, but it's fascinating nonetheless. The throw and staying power are both above average.

El Amor y la Muerte - Oh wow, this is really spicy, sexy, and sweet. I imagine this would smell great on my husband, too. It's predominantly a spicy clove blend, but it blends gorgeously with the resin/wood notes of the sandalwood and patchouli. The sweetness is mostly from the clove, although the opoponax seems to be lending the husky kind of sweetness that it usually does. I really love this blend. The throw is really, really strong and this is definitely an all-day wear kind of blend on me, which I attribute to the opoponax, sandalwood and patchouli. (January 08)

Mad Kate - It's nice to have a blend where rose geranium plays the dominant note, since it's one of my all-time favorite scents. It's also nice that the freesia plays up so well in this blend since it's so rare among BPAL ingredients. Beyond that, however, this scent becomes fairly generic on me. As it warms up on my skin, the honeycomb and gardenia also become quite evident, and the vanilla takes on more of a role of "afterscent" (i.e., after I think I've smelled the entirety of the scent and move my nose away from my skin, then I can smell the vanilla). This is a classic floral that's pretty, but not really something I can rave about, as it's sort of benign and doesn't really inspire me one way or another. I do think honey and honeycomb lovers may want to give this one a shot.

Rozpustnica - This is not a scent I thought I'd like because I feel only a bit "meh" about most of the notes in this blend and dislike at least two of them. But it turns out that it's really pretty! Musks don't usually show up on my skin, but the musks combined with the moonflower and the lemon verbena creates a really beautiful, crystalline scent that's very simple and clean. The lychee sweetens it up and smells so truly amazing, and while the rose starts out a bit powdery on me, it eventually works itself out and the powderiness goes away as it dries down on my skin, and the rose isn't really evident on its own, but provides a nice foundation on which the other notes can shine. There's a hint of something slightly soapy about the overall scent, and this soapiness is what keeps this from being a hands-down winner on me. The throw is quite strong and staying power is good, but it's mostly due to the strength of the verbena, so lemon/verbena haters may not feel the same way about this that I do.

Haloes - This is all vanilla, tonka, and amber on me. I don't detect the florals, fruits, spices, or woods. It's very similar to Perilous Parlor and those who loved that blend will probably find this one a great substitute. It's uber-sweet on me and I wish the oak was showing up stronger in order to temper the sweetness of this blend, which is quite overwhelming for me. Even the amber in this for once isn't going to save it for me - the vanilla and tonka (and whoa, what's that? Sweet apricot jam!?!?) is just too cloying on me. I think those who love vanilla and non-bakery foody blends should definitely check this one out. Overwhelmingly strong throw and staying power.

Judith & Holofernes -I kept putting off testing this one because honey and carnation are not exactly my best notes. This morning, I woke up with the word "Holofernes" stuck in my head (and probably pronouncing it wrong in my head) so I figured it meant I should test this blend out today. I am glad I did. It's gorgeous! It's very exotic and has a touch of a Middle Eastern appeal to it. When I first apply it, it's warm, slightly sweet, and woody, but as it warms up on my skin, the dry, spicy, and resinous scent of the patchouli really comes forward and adds a really unique aspect to this scent, without drowning out the other notes. I applied this at 8 a.m. this morning and it's almost 3 p.m. and I can still detect a hint of both honey and patchouli. And for once, the honey smells really good on me. Love it!

Peacocks - Oh my gosh, this is so pretty. I have to say it's one of the prettiest BPAL blends I've come across in a long time. It's sweet and floral, yet it's not high-pitched and loud. It's soft and musky and just so damn pretty! The strongest notes are the pear, violet, sugar cane, and what I think is the moss note. The violet doesn't smell powdery as it usually does on my skin and the pear doesn't make this an uber-sweet floral as it usually does on my skin, and the sugar cane doesn't turn to plastic, as it usually does. Everything blends together in absolute perfect harmony to create a scent that is stunningly beautiful, crisp, sweet, floral, and so amazingly pretty. I applied this at 8 a.m. and by 11 a.m. it was fairly faint on my skin, but it's now 3 p.m. and I can still very, very faintly smell it on my skin. It won't get me through a day, but it's got better-than-average wear length on me, which makes me really happy, since most scents that I adore disappear so quickly on me! I want a full bottle. Or two.

Lucifer - Deep, dark, brooding, menacing, and ultimately, uber-sexy. Holy smokes, this is one hell of a sexy blend. The woods and resins blend together so amazingly well and the fig adds just the slightest touch of sweetness - enough to keep this blend from being overwhelming in it's darkness. I love the way vetiver is gravely on my skin. Mmm. Mmm. Mmmm! I also have to say this is the first perfume oil I've worn in a couple years (so 1 out of a 1,000 or so) that my kitty-cat went crazy over. She kept coming back to me, trying to lick my arms, no matter how many times I pushed her away. But then, she's evil, so I think she must have sensed the Lucifer inspiration or something. This has really, really strong throw, so be very careful not to over-apply. It also has amazing, all-day-long staying power. Yes, more, please!

Autumn - When I first apply this, it smells to me almost exactly like Samhain, only without the apple note. As it dries down, it maintains that amazing scent of dry leaves and the smell of Fall in the air, but the sandalwood and rose really begin to express themselves, and I'm amazed at how gorgeously it all blends together. I wish I could describe it accurately because it's really beautiful! I'd put this in the same family as Samhain, and I wouldn't remotely describe it as a floral, even with the rose note. It's definitely more of a woods scent and absolutely perfect for the Fall season. For me, if I ever run out of Samhain, this would make an acceptable substitute. The throw is above average, but not over-the-top-strong, and the wear length seems to vary, depending on where on my body I put it (it's short on my wrists, but quite long when I apply to my cleavage area.)

The Black Swan - This is one of the retail-only scents that I was most excited about after reading the scent descriptions. When I first apply it, something sharp and strong (water lily, perhaps?) opens up and is almost biting in its bitterness. After about 10 minutes on my skin, it starts to mellow and soften and become something truly and astoundingly gorgeous. It's a soft aquatic floral that reminds me somewhat of Bayou, but without the dank, dirt-type note in it. When I look at the painting that is the inspiration for this scent, and then when I smell its gorgeousness on my skin, I completely understand how Beth turned that painting into this scent. I can smell every note listed as a unique aspect of this blend, yet they all blend together in perfect harmony to create a gorgeous, soft, floral-aquatic that is truly a winner. The throw and wear length are both well above average - a little goes a very long way.

The Forbidding Foyer – This is a heavy and sharp wood & smoke scent. I don’t detect the cognac at all, unless that’s what’s making the scent slightly sweet, but I think that’s mostly the brimstone and “rot” notes. It has a sort of sulfuric scent about it and it’s not remotely pleasant to me, but I imagine those who enjoy wood scents, or even those who like the smell of old libraries and dusty hallways might enjoy this scent. I tend to go for scents that are more uniquely feminine, and this one’s not.

Midway (Resurrected) – This is pretty much an exact replication of the original Midway – super sugary cotton candy. Yum! I seriously love this scent. I don’t smell anything except for the sweet, sugary notes. The original turned to plastic on my skin almost instantly, and it was really a horrible experience. While this version does get slightly plastic-like on my skin, it’s not too heavy, and I only smell it when I sniff up close. Perhaps it’s just my skin chemistry that has changed? Either way, I like this one a lot. It has a lovely throw and I feel like I’ve got spun sugar floating all around me. I think this version of Midway won’t have to get relegated to scent-locket-only wear, as the original was.

Pumpkin III (2007) – I didn’t think this was going to work on my skin because chocolate (of any color) and caramel both tend to not work at all on my skin. This one, however, is different. Perhaps it’s the other notes in it that keep the chocolate and caramel in line, but whatever it is, it works. It’s incredibly foody and positively oozes sweetness. The cream note is quite strong and gives it a heavy, milky feel to it, and it smells exactly like something I would want to drink. Foody lovers must try this one!

Pumpkin IV – This is another great new Pumpkin Patch blend. I love the scent of pumpkin blended with cactus blossom and sage. I don’t smell the sweet grass at all. This reminds me of southern New Mexico. The pumpkin in this blend is a bit too sweet for my preferences, but otherwise, it’s really fabulous. Low throw and moderate staying power.

Pumpkin V (2007) – This is a really cool pumpkin scent. It’s mostly pumpkin with a sweet touch of citrus that isn’t bright and crisp due to the booziness of the bourbon vanilla. The red ginger is barely discernible in this blend to the point where I wouldn’t have recognized it if I hadn’t have read the scent description. It’s probably my favorite of the 2007 Pumpkin Patch blends. It’s sweet and slightly boozy pumpkin. Moderate throw and staying power.

Winter Maiden Bath Oil - Scent-wise, this is my favorite of all the bath oils/massage oils I've tried so far. It's hard for me to describe the scent except to say it's in the same category as King of Spades, Queen of Spades, and The Living Flame. It's warm and woody and fresh-blackberry sweet, slightly floral, but mostly just like warm amber-blackberry. Mmm! The scent stays on my skin for a good 12+ hours and is one of my all-time favorite scents. The oil is wonderful in the bath, making my water soft and silky and leaving my skin smooth and moisturized afterward. I really, really love this and can't stand that it was an LE that's no longer available!

TKO Massage Oil - I have a love/hate relationship with TKO perfume oil. The scent is too sweet for me to like it at all, yet the oil really, really works when it comes to soothing me and helping me sleep at night. So I was curious about this TKO Massage Oil. I like the massage oil scent a million times better than the perfume oil. It's actually the exact same scent, but somehow, spreading a thin layer of it over more skin area seems to almost thin out the scent of the TKO on me, keeping it from being overly-powerful and overly-sweet. It's still the strong scent of lavendar and ultra-sweet sugary marshmallow, just not *too* strong. The oil itself is wonderful - a tiny bit goes a long way to scent my skin and also to moisturize it, which is an extra benefit. The oil slides on nicely and sinks in quickly without leaving my skin slippery or greasy. I really love this and when I run out, I will buy more.

Gula Bath Oil - I'm not the biggest fan of cocoa, honey, black currant, or caramel BPAL blends. However, I figured that since this isn't being worn as a perfume fragrance, I might enjoy it more. Sadly, even as a bath oil, the scent doesn't cut it for me. It smells mostly caramel and honey with a touch of chocolate, and it just didn't smell good to me at all. If you're someone who *likes* those notes, then you'd probably love this! The oil scent is actually really strong in the bottle, but softens up significantly when I put it in the water. I don't get any scent residue on my skin or in the bathroom after I'm done with my bath. As for the oil itself, it's definitely high-quality. It leaves my skin feeling very soft and moist after my bath. I love the way the heels of my feet feel so incredibly soft when I'm laying in bed at night after using the BPAL bath oils, and this one is no exception.

Frenum Bath Oil - The scent is very crisp and ultra-green. I smell more lettuce than cucumber, but combined with the other notes, particularly the soft cherry blossom, it's an absolutely perfect scent for late-spring/early-summer. It's very calming and soothing. I also discovered that a little goes a long way - I found out the hard way by using way too much and being very slippery all over - but I was definitely well-moisturized and smelled amazing for the rest of the night! The scent is remarkably strong in the tub water and lingers in the bathroom for quite some time after I am finished in there. Another job well done!

Diary of a Lovestruck Teenage Cannibal - Oooh, this is good. I mean, this is GOOD! It reminds me a lot of MB: Bigger Critters in its sweet, vanilla-grapefruit yumminess, only better because there's no jasmine in it! This is one of those rare foody blends that I am absolutely crazy about and which actually works on my skin and smells amazing for a long time. It's got the tart tanginess of grapefruit blended with the sweetness of vanilla and what I'm guessing is the "candyfloss" note. After it's been on my skin for a bit, a slightly dry, spicy note peeks through - I'm guessing it's the ginger - and blends gorgeously with the vanilla and grapefruit, providing a sense of depth and decadence to this scent. The throw is really, really strong and lasts a long, long time. Must order another bottle now!

I Married a Vampire from Planet X - I don't smell anything that any of the other reviewers are smelling. From the moment I first opened the bottle to the moment I applied to my skin to now - much later - all I smell is vegetable juice. Mostly tomato. It's kind of like having a V-8 or drinking Bloody Mary mix with extra celery. It's just weird on me. I don't think I've ever had such a totally off-the-mark reaction to a scent. I have no idea which note(s) is doing this, but it's definitely not for me. Smells good enough to toss some vodka in and have a drink, though!

Reindeer Poop - I can't help it that I'm not a fan of caramel or chocolate scents, and this one seems to have both notes in it, as well as perhaps some light woods notes. It's very sweet and bakery-foody, and despite my dislike of both caramel and chocolate, they actually don't misbehave on my skin in this blend as they usually do. Rather than turn rancid or sour or plastickey, they actually smell like what they're supposed to smell like! It doesn't morph on me at all. It's really strong initially, but softens up quite a bit after about 2 hours, although I can still smell it very faintly on my skin 8 hours after application. This one's not for me due to it's strong foody overtones, but I'm impressed that it doesn't "turn" on me and I bet foody lovers would really dig this one.

Tanuki – Oh, I really love this! It reminds me of what you might get if you crossed Budding Moon, Holiday Moon, and Fire Pig. It’s bright and fruity-floral, very Asian, and a really happy, fun scent. The fruits blend together gorgeously, although I’d say the orange, plum, and yuzu are the strongest notes. There’s a touch of pine behind these fruits and although I don’t normally like pine scents, it’s so pretty in this blend. The throw is about average for a fruity blend (which tend to start off very strong on me and then be semi-subtle upon drydown), but the staying power is above average for a fruity blend, most likely due to the pine grounding this to my skin. Really fantastic, and something I could see myself wearing in both summer and winter.