edenssixthday

Nuclear Winter - My first impression is that this is a cold, dry mint. It's not a sweet mint in the least (it's nothing like Lick It, for example). This scent is what I expected Numb to be (although I'm glad it's not since I like Numb!) As the oil dries on my skin, I also notice some type of tree scent. It's hard to distinguish the type, but I think it may be white birch. The longer I wear this oil, the less and less it smells like mint and the more dry and stark it becomes. Two hours later, the mint is entirely gone, and it's very stark, with a hint of woods, but I also notice something that's just a touch sweet -- or maybe "sweet" isn't the right word, perhaps "fresh" is more appropriate. This is a wonderfully strange scent, but certainly not typical of any of the scents I would normally wear for fragrance purposes. I will most likely pass this one on.

Monster Bait: Closet - When sniffed in the vial, this is so decadently yummy-smelling that I envision myself lolling around on a bed covered in thick, luxuriously soft, red velvet. The red velvet cake is definitely the dominant note when wet, but as it dries down, the bourbon blackberry buttercream note(s) begin to weave in, out, and around the red velvet cake, and I think I'm going to die of a heavenly-scent overdose. This is by far the most decadent and truly amazing foody scent Beth has created. It's thick, and rich, and luxurious, and makes you feel like a queen just wearing it. Unfortunately it doesn't have much throw or staying power on me, but I think this will do really nicely in an oil burner and/or a scent locket, and I'm definitely hanging on to this one!

The Peacock Queen is one of my biggest disappointments from my Yule/DiMV purchases. With words like "blood red, voluptuous, velvet, haughty and imperious, vain, thick, etc." in the description, I thought for certain this would be a rose I could go to the grave with. Then, when I heard the rave reviews from others over The Peacock Queen, I got more and more excited about it. While it is a beautiful, deep, and true rose, it is incredibly subtle both on my skin and in a scent locket. I even went back and doused the cotton locket pad with several more drops of the oil, and it's still indiscernible despite the fact that the locket is resting on my chest, directly under my nose. I can't smell the scent unless I shove the locket directly in front of my nose. As pretty as the scent is at that point, I would hardly call this "vain, haughty, voluptuous, etc." It's weak and impotent, and probably my least favorite among all of BPAL's roses.

Voodoo Queen - The first time I applied Voodoo Queen, it smelled like pickle juice with perhaps a drizzle of green olive juice in it. The scent was so overwhelming and horrible, that it made me nauseated and ill for a good half hour even after I washed it off. I could not find the courage to try it again for about five weeks. I finally tried it again, and this time, I didn’t get the pickle/olive juice smell at all. Rather, the first note I detect is soft, powdery incense and it seems to lay over a bed of dark musk – not sweet red musk and not white musk, but something more earthy and feral. After about 20 minutes on my skin, I begin to wonder if the incense is actually some sort of woody spice instead, as it definitely seems more spicy than smoky. I would also not be surprised if there’s the tiniest hint of Barbancourt rum in this blend, as it has just the tiniest hint of sweet booziness, which I think may be what I first identified as “pickles/olives”. This is an incredibly well-blended oil and it’s obvious that a lot of thought and time went into this one. The scent stays very close to my skin, but it does last for several hours. Definitely my least favorite of the C12 blends, but not a bad blend by any means, despite my first impression of it.

Gingerbread Poppet 2005 - I’m not really into bakery scents and I have never cared for gingerbread, but I thought I’d give this one a shot – I mean, with BPAL, you just never know. Right? In the vial, I didn’t care for the scent at all – it seemed dry and sort of hollow; however, as soon as it touched my skin, it warmed up and instantly turned into the smell of warm gingerbread cookies on my arm! It’s full of holiday spices, and reminds me of Christmas. This scent has terrific throw and staying power. I’m impressed with the quality of it. It is an authentic gingerbread scent, but since I tend to not wear bakery scents, I won’t be wearing this on my skin again. I will, however, be using this in my oil burner. In fact, I’m going to go put some in it right now. I think my house will smell gorgeous! Gingerbread Poppet 2004 - I had never heard of the 2004 version differs from 2005 at all, but I figured I'd test it out and see, so I put 2004 on one arm and 2005 on the other arm. Whereas 2005 is sweet and creamy ginger, 2004 is more sharp and biting ginger. It reminded me a lot of Shub, actually. So then I dabbed a bit of Shub on my upper arm to compare and while they're not the same, I definitely detect a lot more of the sharp ginger in both Shub and GP'04 than I do in GP'05. It's similar to how Sugar Cookie '04 is sharper and more biting than Sugar Cookie '05. GP'04 is wonderful and it lasts a long time on my skin. While I don't smell it consistently, I occasionally pick up wafts of it that are just incredibly beautiful. I am already looking forward to the '06 version of Gingerbread Poppet. *edited to add GP'04 review*

Storyville - This is a terrific scent! I don't normally like foody scents, but this one, despite being foody, isn't "bakery" foody in the least. It's dry from the bitter cocoa, yet I detect a ribbon of something sweet and creamy, perhaps vanilla? The scent is musky and seductive, and definitely leaves me with images in my head of corsets and heavy bustle skirts raised provocatively to reveal sexy black garters beneath. Although the scent is soft and subtle, it's a scent evocative of decadence and hedonism and it reeks of sex. This is definitely one of the better "foody" scents in Beth's repertoire. I just wish it were a tad bit less subtle and that it had more staying power.

Trick or Treat - This smells absolutely nothing like Candy Corn, but it still smells wonderful! I don't normally like the sticky-sweet sugar-foody scents, but this one is wonderful! It's warm and buttery, full of brown sugar, with a touch of maple syrup. It's got the tiniest hint of butterscotch in it, as well. It smells so good I can't stop sniffing my skin! Despite being sweet and sugary, it's also a very comforting blend. When I wear it, I feel warm and happy. The throw is moderate, but the staying power -- at least on me -- is very poor. It completely fades within 30 minutes. If Beth releases something like again this coming Fall, I will probably buy a bottle and use it predominantly in my oil burner to make my entire home smell like this warm sweetness.

Midwinter’s Eve – I liked it so much I bought a second bottle. It’s mostly sugar plum with the slightest hint of something floral behind it. It’s an incredibly sweet scent. I held up the bottle for my sister to smell (she likes dark, deep, resinous scents) and she wrinkled her nose and said, “Eww!” So obviously it won’t work for everyone! It’s ultra-sweet, ultra-fruity, ultra-pretty, and definitely my favorite of the Yules. Unfortunately, it doesn’t last long, but this is one I don’t mind reapplying.

Dia De Los Muertos 2004 is deeper and darker than DDLM'05, which is much lighter and honey-sweet. It could be due to aging, but it's impossible to say, having never tried it when it was first released. It’s smoky and has just the slightest hint of chocolate in the background. It has a touch of sweetness from honey, but it’s not as powerful as it is in the following years’ blend. It has a modicum of throw, but really good staying power, as does DDLM'05. It's a really nice, warm blend full of depth. Dia De Los Muertos 2005 This is a nice, subtle scent on me. When first applied, I smell tobacco and smoky incense. After dry-down, it takes on a sweet, honey-like scent that's grounded by the smokiness of the fragrance. I can't usually wear fragrances that contain chocolate, but the chocolate in this is very subtle and stays in the background adding depth to the other fragrances and is not a very distinguishable note of its own. Despite the connection with the Mexican celebration that's held outdoors, this is a fragrance I can see myself wearing to a business meeting as it's grown-up and subtle. Unfortunately, it's too subtle for my liking and stays too close to the skin for me to give it a higher rating. I only have an imp, and while I won't seek out a bottle of it, I'll probably try to get my hands on another imp.

Ace of Hearts is so pretty! It's a lovely floral. It's difficult to identify the notes, but I get a distinct impression that there are beautiful, soft white florals and possibly a tiny drop of white fruit – perhaps grape or pear? When wet on my skin, it has a note in it that distinctly reminds me of High John the Conqueror, which surprises me since this is so floral and High John is fruity. It's a really pretty, soft, summery blend. It's uncomplicated and just really pretty. It doesn't have much throw and it's almost completely gone after 1.5 hours.

Snow White 2005 is very soft and beautiful. Unfortunately, it's too white and subtle for my taste. I like florals with a little more pizzaz. I have no idea what notes are in it, but it is very pretty, and it layers really well with some other scents. I love layering it with Midwinter's Eve as it helps round out the sharp sweetness of the Midwinter's Eve sugar plum, and the Midwinter's Eve gives Snow White a little bit of Oomph! that's it's otherwise lacking. I will finish the imp I have of it, but decided it wasn't worth purchasing a full bottle. Snow White 2004 - This smells almost identical to the 2005 Snow White I have. It is ethereal, creamy, and sweet. I am a huge fan of Snow White 2005, and although 2004 is supposedly the same formula, it smells even better to me than 2005. I am assuming this difference has to do with the aging process. It's stronger, has better throw, and is deeper and richer. I also smell no coconut in 2005, but when I walked into the kitchen at work this morning with just a dab of 2004 on the back of my hand, one of the ladies in there instantly mentioned that she smelled coconut on me. A few minutes later, the receptionist at work walked by me and said the exact same thing. So while I would have never identified the scent as coconut, it must be in there if that's what other people are smelling. The fact that just a dab on the back of my hand has people around me smelling the oil tells me this oil has extremely good throw and I need to be careful the next time I wear it! It's just gorgeous and I can't wait for Beth to (hopefully) re-release Snow White again this coming holiday season. I'll be buying a bottle, no doubt. *Edited to add SN'04 review*

Mi-Go Brain Canister - There is not one single note in Mi-Go Brain Cannister that I dislike. But put them together, and it's a really awful scent. Upon first application, it's incredibly perfumey -- the most "department store counter perfumey" out of the BPAL fragrances I've tried. It's heady and strong, but fortunately mellows out upon dry-down. The dry-down scent is much more subtle, but still unappealing. It's got some nice tropical fragrances that seem to be rooted in... yes, that's it: poopy diapers. I have no idea which note is giving the poopy diaper after-scent, but it's quite icky. Nope. This is an LE so I can't buy it again, but I definitely won't be looking to swap/buy other people's castoffs. It's got reasonable staying power, and it may work well on someone who doesn't get the poopy diaper effect from it.

Chaos Theory 2 CCLXXVII - 277 This is driving me crazy because it smells exactly like another BPAL scent, and I can't figure out which one! I would guess that contains has oakmoss, perhaps a touch of honey, and maybe a sliver of patchouli. It's really difficult to tell as it lives up to its name by being a strange and chaotic scent. I think it has some other floral in it, as well, but I can't place it. Gardenia, perhaps? Maybe some oakmoss, as well. It's definitely predominantly floral with some deeper scents that keep it from being too heady. I can't decide if I like it or not! It's one of those scents where my initial reaction is that it's decidedly not for me, but I can't keep my nose away from my wrist because it continues to intrigue me. Definitely an odd one. Chaos Theory 2: CCCXLVI - 346 This is pretty in the bottle. It smells fruity-sweet and slightly spicy. It’s invigorating and clears my sinuses. When I first apply it, it smells like a cross between Swank and The Hamptons – all pomegranate and orange –sharp, refreshing, and invigorating. I absolutely love it at this point. It seems the perfect “wake me up” scent for morning. As it starts to dry down, the fruit notes recede into the background, and a distinctly pumpkin scent begins to emerge, rounding out the sharpness of the fruit and giving it a mellower scent, and I get the feeling this is what I’d get if I layered The Hamptons, Swank, and Pumpkin Patch #3. Something slightly spicy is also beginning to move to the front, and I can’t tell if it’s nutmeg or clove. Upon full dry-down, the spices burst forth and become the dominant scent, resting on a bed of soft, smooth pumpkin cream. The fruit notes are nowhere to be found and it smells reminiscent of Harvest Moon with its artificial autumn potpourri aroma. As much as I love the scent of this in the vial and the opening notes, I don’t like the way it ends. I will try it in a scent locket and see if I have better luck with it retaining its fruitiness. Previously reviewed by Tesseljoan.

Queen of Clubs - My very first impression of Queen of Clubs is that it smells like dust and dirt. I’m guessing this is due to the incense in the blend. While it’s drying down, it smells distinctly like dust and dirt with just the tiniest hint of floral. Upon dry-down, it’s distinctly a creamy floral, but the myrrh interrupts the smoothness of the scent and gives it a slight bitter twang. I don’t smell any of the notes it contains that are my favorites – pomegranate, rose, red currant, or amber. They all completely disappear with my skin chemistry, apparently. It stays very close to my skin, but it seems to last for a good couple of hours before starting to fade.

Yuletide surprised me. I fully expected the “juice of ripe, bursting, blood red holly berries” per the Lab’s description, which is why I bought it. When I opened the bottle, all I smelled was holly greens. The sharp, pointy, thick green leaves of holly. Greenery like this and I don’t hardly ever get along. I thought for sure I’d be swapping the bottle. But I decided to try it, and the scent of holly leaves was definitely very strong, but I didn’t find it offensive in the least. At the point of full dry-down, the juicy scent of holly berries started to shine through, and at this point, I couldn’t stop sniffing my wrists. The whole scent is very unlike anything I would normally wear, and unlike anything I would normally like, but I am oddly attracted to it. It’s not something I’ll wear often, and I don’t believe I’ll ever use the whole bottle up, but it’s a scent I’ll enjoy wearing on occasion, especially around the holidays. I’m still a little confused as to why I like it, but the fact is, I do.

Hearth is extremely foody on me. I would have never guessed from the description of the scent. It’s very buttery-sweet when it’s wet, which is also the only scent I detected in the vial. Within a minute or two after applying, the smoke scent starts to mingle with the butter, and about 10 minutes after that, the sharp and bright scent of pine peeks through. It’s completely unlike anything I would have anticipated from the Lab description. I don’t normally like foody or buttery scents, but this one is warm and comforting… until the pine, which completely blows it for me. It’s got a ton of throw, and only the tiniest drop is needed, and the scent lasts and lasts and lasts.

Mabon - Oh Wow! Mabon is an absolutely exquisite scent! When I first apply it, the first note I detect is that of apples, but it’s not just apples – it’s apple blended with something dry, crisp, and fresh. As the scent dries, the blackberry note rushes forth to blend with the apple and creates the most gorgeous scent on my skin. This is also the point where I begin to notice something spicy, but not overwhelmingly so. It smells like cinnamon and nutmeg, perhaps – and now, because of that spice, the apple smells more like cider than it did before. Despite being an Autumnal scent, I am thoroughly enjoying it this gorgeous Spring season, as well, because it’s just so fresh and lovely. The scent has fairly light throw and only lasts about 90 minutes on me, but up until that point, it’s absolutely divine. I have to somehow get my hands on more of this. I want enough to scent my shampoo, my conditioner, my body butter, my soaps, put in my oil burner, and well, pretty much have it consume my life.

Doc Buzzard is my favorite of the C12 exclusive blends. When I wear it, the very first note I detect is sandalwood. However, after another reviewer noted a touch of lime in it, I looked for it, and sure enough, when sniffed wet in the vial and when first applied to my skin, there is a bit of lime brightness, which adds the most unique twist to the scent. The lime scent fades when the oil dries down, and the sandalwood really comes out strong at this point, accompanied by the most gorgeous, deep, smokey incense note. This scent would probably be put in the category of traditionally masculine, but I absolutely love it -- and I'm usually into the girly-girl type of scents. But Doc Buzzard is lovely. It's deep and resinous, it's got kick without being spicy, and it is warm and so incredibly sexy. I had the misfortune of spilling some on my desk, and what I couldn't soak up with giveaway Q-tips, I mopped up with a washcloth which I then laid out in that room, and a week later, that room still smells so warm and inviting because of the Doc Buzzard. On my skin, it lasts nice and strong for about 4 hours and is pretty much completely gone by the 6 hour point. This is definitely my favorite among the more woody, resinous, and incensey BPAL blends, and by far my favorite C12 blend. It's gorgeous.

Samhain 2005 - This is a truly wretched blend. The patchouli and pumkin combination is sickingly cloying, and the scent in general made my chest tighten up and constricted my airways. I've never had a single BPAL blend give me asthma-like symptoms! Anyway, this was one of those rare blends I had to wash off. I managed to keep it on for about 30 minutes, and I finally gave up, decided I do like breathing more than I like BPAL, and scrubbed it off. I couldn't completely get rid of it, but once I scrubbed my skin, the scent was much more subtle and tolerable; however, due to the physical maladies this caused, I won't be wearing it again. Samhain 2004 - 2004 is a bit more palatable than 2005, but it's still not my cup of tea. It's full of dry, autumnal leaves, rancid apple cider and plastic. Lots of plastic. It's cloyingly sweet and while it doesn't make me ill as 2005 did, I don't find the scent pleasurable in the least. It's got some serious throw and staying power. This will be passed on to someone whom I know adores this scent. *edited to add Samhain '04 review*

All Saints 2005 is a lovely autumnal blend. I anticipated that the frankincense and myrrh would take over the blend, but they don’t in the least. When I first apply it, it smells like incense and makes me think of Midnight Mass, in particular. However, as the blend dries down, it takes on a slightly spicy scent, which I thought were mulled spices, but which I now know is cassia. It smells like autumn mulling spices. After about 90 minutes, I’m suddenly caught off-guard by a very strong rose-and-incense scent, and I’m really surprised by how strongly the rose has suddenly appeared when I couldn’t smell it before at all, and how the myrrh and frankincense have turned into soft, smoky incense, which compliments the rose so nicely, accompanied by the gentle spices in the background. It is only around the two hour point when the cassia begins to fade and the incense mellows even more that I catch the faintest whisper of sweet, soft lily of the valley – one of my favorite scents of all time. This is a beautiful blend, and if it were to ever be placed in the General Catalogue, it would most definitely go in the Funereal Oils category. This blend is wistful, as well as somber and sacred. It’s beautiful and nothing like I anticipated. The staying power is only a little over two hours, but the throw is just perfect, as I don’t smell it constantly, but catch bits of the scent as it occasionally wafts about me. This is a really beautiful, sacrosanct scent. All Saints 2004 - The 2005 version is beautiful on me and the reviews of 2004 had me very, very excited for this blend. When I applied it, I was instantly reminded of both Hearth ’04 and Harvest Moon ’04, except much, much smokier. It was smoky, buttery and autumnal all at once. Then suddenly, as the oil began to dry down, the smoke scent (which I think must be the combination of frankincense and myrrh) began to amp up on my skin and began to take on a quality that reminded me of Brimstone, which is a GC that I can’t wear. The buttery and autumnal notes were completely overwhelmed by the smell of smoke. I kept it on my skin despite being greatly tempted to wash it off, and about just about the 60 minute point, the smoke dissipated along with all of the other notes with the exception of frankincense, and it’s wafting about me quite nicely. Two hours later, it’s still pure frankincense, but the scent is sticking my skin now. After that first hour, it’s a lovely blend, but I have plenty of other gorgeous frankincense blends that are beautiful from the get-go, so I’ll be passing this one along. *edited to add AS'04 review*

The Perfumed Garden - I’ve been foiled again by my dastardly nemesis, jasmine. In the bottle, all I smell is an absolutely gorgeous floral blend, but the instant it touches my skin, the jasmine is very evident, and the longer I wear it, the more and more my skin amps up the jasmine. It’s still softer than jasmine usually is on my skin, but it still may as well be a jasmine single-note on me. It’s just awful on me. It’s also incredibly potent, and the tiniest drop of it could fill a whole room with fragrance. I am so sad because this one had so much potential, but the jasmine ruined it for me. I will be getting rid of my bottle.

Herr Drosselmeyer - When first applied, this is all armchair leather and sweet, cherry pipe tobacco. It’s a very warm and comforting scent and doesn’t just smell like “old man” as much as “intellectual, distinguished, and sophisticated old gentleman”. The pipe tobacco scent fades within the first 30-40 minutes leaving only a warm, leather scent behind. The leather note has moderate staying power and a slightly above-average level of throw. I’m a big fan these days of finding scents that layer well with my LUSH Karma Kream, and this one layers surprisingly well with it. In fact, I love them together. I don’t think I could pull off wearing this scent by itself as it’s too reminiscent of an older gentleman and I prefer feminine scents. I don't have much inclination toward this myself as a perfume unless I’m going to layer it with my Karma Kream lotion to give the lotion a bit of depth.

Red Phoenix - I didn't buy a bottle of this because it just didn't sound like it was up my alley, but I got a decant, and I really like it! It's sweet and spicy, and has a pinch of fruitiness. It doesn't have much throw and stays very close to the skin but seems to have moderate staying power.

Spooky is a all about winter vacation in the Caribbean. It's full of tropical and beach notes. On me, I get a lovely blend of coconut, rum, light mint, and just the faintest hint of cocoa. The coconut (brightened up by the light mint) is the predominant note on me, although the rum and cocoa flow smoothly beneath the surface, occasionally popping up to say "hi" to my nose. The "light mint" is the one note that doesn't appeal to me, but otherwise, this is a fun scent. This fragrance has a moderate level of throw and lasts about 4 hours on me.

Devil’s Night - Based on the description alone, I didn’t think I’d like this blend. When I first sniffed it in the vial, it smelled slightly foody, but when I applied it to my skin, the foodiness disappeared, and it became gorgeous, dark, and incense-like. It’s slightly sweet, but not in an unpleasant way at all. This is what I imagine I would get if I were to combine Smut with say, Midnight Mass or The Pit & The Pendulum. This is a beautiful, warm scent, but it is very soft on my skin and doesn’t have much throw. I will most likely keep this blend, however, and give it a shot in the oil burner. I can’t imagine a better “comfort scent” than if my entire house smelled like this.