edenssixthday

The Snow Storm - Wow, I never thought I'd say this about a scent that is made up of fir, cedar, and mint, but I like it! These notes blend together to create a cool, crisp scent that is neither woody, evergreeny, nor minty. It's just cold and chilly and beautiful! I'm not sure what aconite smells like, but perhaps it's the inclusion of this note that keeps the others from going off on me, as they normally would. It's quite lovely and a wonderful winter scent that I would put in a similar category as The Darkling Thrush or Snow Bunny, although certainly not the same as them. Amazingly strong throw and staying power.

Chanukkiyah - Oh wow, this is a strange, yet intriguing scent. It's very foody in that sweet and sticky kind of way that usually repels me, but the amber and pomegranate seem to really temper the sticky sweet sufganiyot and the odd, sweet scent of the beeswax. It's very much a foody scent on me, and very warm and comforting, almost boozy in its sweetness. I didn't think I was going to like this one, but I do. Every note works together to create a scent that seems to be the perfect aromatic translation of the historical meaning of Hanukkah. This is quite lovely. The throw and staying power are both above average.

Diwali - In the bottle, this smells like meaty nuts, and I'm certain I'm smelling the almond milk, cashew, and coconut. However, as soon as I apply it to my skin, it becomes a dry, woody, incense and nothing else. After 10 minutes or so on my skin, it sweetens a bit and beneath the dry woods, I smell what I think may be cashew or some sort of meaty type nut scent. When I first ordered this, I somehow got it into my head that it was going to smell something like India Bouquet (despite not bothering to compare notes between the two scents), so when I smelled this in the bottle and on my skin and realized it's nothing like India Bouquet, I was quite disappointed. It's not nearly as exotic as I had hoped. On me, it's pretty much just another incense scent.

Angeronalia - This is initially bright with the scent of nectarine, but quickly becomes very bitter on my skin. There's the scent of nectarine and citrus behind the bitter note that keep it from being completely unpleasant, although I can't decide if I like the scent or not. After about 20 minutes of warming up on my skin, the scent takes on the slightest earthy touch -- not quite like dirt, but not unlike it either. It's a strange scent and I have no idea if I like it or not because I'm not initially attracted to this scent, but I do find it grows on me -- and other people at the office have commented that I smell good today. After drydown, the throw is light, but the scent lasts all day long.

November - This actually reminds me a lot of what you might get if you blend October (the BPAL scent) with The Snow Storm, minus the mint. It's got that sweet scent of wet, rotting, autumnal leaves of October and the crisp, chilly scent of The Snow Storm. This is probably one of my more favorite winter scents, which surprises me as "autumn leaves" usually indicates an earthiness that is fairly unpleasant on my skin. I like it a lot. The only problem is that after drydown, it fades rather quickly.

Mistletoe - This is a gorgeous, dark, and heavy green scent with a hint of snow-laden, dark, winter berries. It's quite similar (if not the same as) the last version of Mistletoe, but the earlier version didn't fade on my skin and this one is quite subtle and fades quickly. It's definitely reminiscent of holiday greenery and quite pretty

Midwinter's Eve 2007 - I love the previous incarnations of Midwinter's Eve, but it faded from my skin so quickly as to make it not worth wearing. This year's incarnation is deeper and darker, yet it's still fruity and sugary sweet, yet there's a depth to it - something resinous or woody (or both? Maybe a hint of patchouli?) that makes it more complex and interesting than I've found previous years' versions to be. This year's version lasts on my skin. It doesn't just last for a while - it really lasts and lasts, something I have not encountered with this blend before. I'm thrilled with it and will be hanging on to this year's version of the blend. Mmmmm!

La Befana – This reminds me a lot of the ultra-sweet, sticky, gooey, carmeley blends like Enraged Groundhog Musk, Sugar Skull, and Bonfire Night. It’s smoky and uber-sweet and doesn’t smell good on me at all. This type of scent usually turns on me gains an unpleasant burnt-plastic odor, which this one doesn’t do, but I still don’t care for the scent. It’s probably going to be well-loved by people who like the sticky, burnt-sugar scents, but I’m not much into foody scents, especially of the sticky variety, so this will get passed along.

Green Phoenix – I thought I was going to dislike this one, as most of the “green” notes are ones I don’t care for, but this is a simply delightful scent. It’s mostly a sweet and fruity cucumber scent, with a hint of depth that I think comes from the papaya pulp and amber. The grass – a note I can’t normally wear – is really low-key and the white mint (another note I can’t usually tolerate) is not really evident except to lend an additional slice of coolness to the cucumber. This is very green, fresh, cool, clear, and really lovely. It’s more of a late-spring/early-summer scent to me, and I do believe I’ll be selecting this one quite often during that time of year. The throw is below average, but the staying power is quite strong.

White Phoenix – This contains some hit-or-miss notes, so I wasn’t sure what I was going to think of this blend. I’m still kind of so-so on it after testing it a couple of times. The strongest notes on me are lavender and orchid, which are a really fascinating combination. The sugar cane is probably what I smell next – sweet, but slightly woody. The scent reminds me of the taste of chewing on freshly-pulled sugar cane. It’s a clean, smooth, and calming scent. Overall, it’s a nice scent, but reminds me a lot of Yvaine, which I use at night before bed, so I don’t really have a need for this one.

Blood Phoenix – Holy moly, this is freaking GORGEOUS! It’s definitely swoon-worthy. It opens up with an incredibly lovely combination of sweet grape and dragon’s blood, followed by the sweetness of almond and more grape. It’s a very sweet, red scent, and I love how the other notes in it blend with the dragon’s blood to keep it from becoming overly-resinous and overpowering. It’s just a stunning, gorgeous scent and I’m head-over-heels in love with how it works on me. I will be trying to hunt down more of this scent, that’s for certain. It’s really strong when first applied, but becomes much more tame upon drydown. The staying power is about average on me.

Experimental Blend: “Coconut Snake Oil” – This is the experimental blend that’s been referred to as “Coconut Snake Oil.” This is such an awesome blend and if Beth ever sold something like this, I’d buy it by the 55-gallon drum. It smells exactly what it sounds like – sweet, coconut milk and gorgeous, aged Snake Oil. I can’t keep my wrist away from my nose. I could go on and on, but suffice it to say that this is The World’s Best Snake Oil Blend EVAR! I have to figure out a way to mimic it by layering SO with some other blend. Yum!

Ivanushka – On me, this is very feral, musky, and masculine. It’s kind of like Buck Moon is crossed with October. The musks aren’t overpowering, yet they’re very strong (if that makes sense) and I am one of those people who can’t smell a lot of the lighter musks, so I have a feeling that may be stronger on me than I can tell. I also smell the dry leaf note that is in October. It’s definitely not a scent I will choose to wear again because it’s not really a “me” kind of scent, but it’s interesting and undoubtedly will have some big fans.

Monster Bait: Bigger Critters – I can’t believe I haven’t reviewed this yet! On me, this smells like flakey, buttery, pie crust combined with lovely, sweet vanilla and a hint of jasmine. This is the first jasmine blend I’ve really, really enjoyed and found oddly fascinating. One strange thing is that to me, this is a very foody scent, but when my husband smells it on me, he doesn’t think it’s foody at all. This is his #1 favorite BPAL scent on me and he says he likes it because it’s not foody at all to him. It’s really lovely, but turns slightly plasticky on my skin when I smell my skin up close (so I just don’t smell my skin up close!) It doesn’t last as long as I’d like on my skin, but lasts for days in a scent locket. Fantastic blend!

Ile de la Tortue – I love this! It’s incredibly tropical and damp, with the orchid being the strongest note in this blend. I wish I could describe this better, but the closest I can come to describing it is to say that it’s a sweet, floral, warm, tropical aquatic. I’ve been looking for a couple of blends to wear to an upcoming trip to Hawaii, and this is definitely being included with those that I’m taking with me. Just stunning.

Privilege – This opens up with a very green and bitter note. It’s a strong floral blend, but one of them is highly bitter and green on me – I’m unsure which one. I think that without that note that overpowers the rest of the blend, it could be a very pretty floral on me. I can’t wear this, however, even though the bitterness does mellow out a bit upon drydown.

Pruno – I think I’m the only person in BPALdom who actually likes this blend. It’s sweet, fruity and effervescent. I do tend to like sweet, fruity scents and this reminds me of what you might get if you mixed something sweet and fruity like Jester or Titiana with Bon Vivant. I won’t wear it a ton, but I think it’s great for a hot, summer day.

Mary Read – I was kind of excited about this blend because I love aquatics and I’ve been hoping Beth would make more sarsasparilla blends. This scent smells like something you’d find in a LUSH bath ballistic. It’s strongly aquatic, patchouli, and aquatic. It’s also slightly effervescent, which I’m guessing is the “ocean mist” aspect of it. I really love the scent, but not as a perfume. I think I would rather have it as a bath oil or bath bomb scent. I’ll bet it would smell amazing on my husband, but I doubt I could convince him to wear anything that has the name “Mary” in it. I may have to figure out how to make/scent some sort of bath product with this blend.

Kill-Devil – This is horrific to me. I don’t like the gooey, sweet notes like caramel, and I had a feeling that molasses was going to fall in that category, too, and it sure does. I’m also not usually a big fan of BPAL honey notes. This scent is ultra-sweet in a heavy and dark molasses-type way, sweetened by loads of honey and sugar. There’s a bit of a sharp, woody note, but mostly, it’s just heavy molasses and honey. It’s quite unpleasant on me and to me. Pass!

TP'd Trees - Most scents with pine smell like car freshener on me. This one is different - it's more of an oak-wood scent, reminding me of The Twisted Tree. It's woody, but not heavy -- almost airy and herbal. There's also the distinct scent of wet paper, like the coarse, brown, paper hand-towels you find in some public restrooms. Sadly, as soon as it touches my skin, there's a faint trace of... B.O. -- and it's not me, it's definitely this blend going wonky on my skin. It's not going to work for me. Still, when it comes to the Inquisitions, six out of seven ain't bad, is it?

Spiked Punch - Surprisingly, as much as this smells like spiked fruit punch, it also smells like a really sexy, gorgeous, quality perfume. It's really classy and gorgeous. The punch isn't ultra sweet. It doesn't smell like a Life Saver or Jolly Rancher. Rather, it's kind of a dry, yet juicy, red scent and I'm positive there's some sort of floral in there -- lily, perhaps. The booze scent smells like sweet, sparkling Prosecco. Overall, this is gorgeous. I didn't think I'd like this one, but I have a feeling that of all of the Inquisition blends, this is the one I'll wear the most. The throw is average and the wear-length is quite long. Wonderful blend!

Pumpkin Cheesecake – Oh wow! This is sooo yummy! It starts off as a creamy pumpkin scent that quickly gains a hint of graham cracker, followed by the slightly sour scent of cheesecake. It’s kind of spicy, but not in the red-hots kind of way – more like a warm, homey kind of spice. I didn’t think I’d like this scent, but I really, really do. It’s just too bad it doesn’t last longer on me! It doesn’t get plasticy on my skin like most sweet scents do, but it does fade somewhat quickly. Otherwise, truly phenomenal. I would love for my whole house to smell like this, especially during the holidays.

Egg’d Mailbox – Wow, this is totally not what I expected. This is the scent of a creamy crème brûléé with a burnt sugar glaze over the top. The most fascinating part, however, is that this dessert is served with a bright red carnation on the side. I had no idea this would be such a floral scent. It’s half-and-half creamy custard and floral. Really spectacular. I think this is among my favorites from the Inquisition. Really spectacular, unique, and unexpected scent. It has above-average throw and long staying power.

Pumpkin Smash – What a great scent! This has got to be my favorite pumpkin scent ever! It’s pumpkiny, spicy-smoky, and very boozy. It’s the most unique pumpkin scent I’ve encountered, and it’s really gorgeous in a foody kind of way. Sadly, the beeswax takes over in a matter of minutes and the whole scent turns to a waxy-plastic scent. I imagine it smells phenomenal in a scent locket or as a room scent.

Marshmallow Poof - Ooooh! Sweet, sticky, fluffy, ooey, gooey, sugary, perrrrrfect marshmallow! If you've ever opened a brand new jar of Jet-Puffed marshmallow fluff, you know what I'm talking about when I mention the scent that burst through the air for a microsecond when you pull the seal off the jar and the marshmallow billows out the top. That is what this smells like - sugary, creamy, slightly vanilla-y, slightly buttercream frostingy, and so incredibly yummy. It's hands-down the best sweet/foody scent I've ever encountered in my life. It mellows on my skin almost instantly, leaving a trace of sweetness on it that is very subtle and reminds me of what my skin might smell like if I smeared powdered sugar over it. Amazingly enough for a sweet scent, it doesn't ever turn to plastic. It just gets fainter and fainter until it's just poof! gone. This is really fantastic. Thank you, Beth, for making this!