filigree_shadow

Medicine Show is strange. When I first put it on my skin I thought it smelled too masculine. Rather strong, green, and yes, medicinal. I think that's the balsam and ginger combination giving it an aniseptic feel. After the top notes faded off, I definitely smelled the tobacco. Nice tobacco, not dirty tobacco. Like a tobacco shop. Then came a woody undertone that I imagine is the rosewood. It's sweet and dry. So it ends up a sweet, dry, woody, leafy scent. I would say that at this point it's not masculine enough for my hubby to wear. It also seems very light now, where at first it was quite strong. I like the scent when it's dry, but it still seems strange to me. It does seem like it might be better in the winter months, so I'll hang onto it and try again in a few months.

Very light buttery pumpkin at first, dries down into a bit of ivy, a dry floral note, and something soft and windblown. This is a beautiful oil, and it definitely reminds me of autumn. It seems warm and golden... like the last bits of summer before the weather turns cool. This scent captures that fleeting quality perfectly. This is one of my favorite lunacy oils.

Surprisingly fruity at first, although I'm beginning to realize that lotus smells fruity on me. The roses underneath are not very noticeable at first but dominate the scent when dry. This blend smells sweet and feminine -- I would definitely use the word "harmonious." The notes all combine nicely and the overall effect is soft and pretty.

This is an oil that I expected to like because I love the listed notes, but I had a very meh reaction to it. I thought it would be kind a musky deep scent, and I mainly got tea and herbs out of it. I guess the "five classical herbs of conflict" are too dominant for me. It ends up being closer to what I like when it's completely dry, but I don't think I like it well enough to ever want a bottle of it.

Phew, that's strong! It's also sweeter than I thought it would be -- this is sweet smoke rather than dark smoke. It's actually not as bad as I expected it would be, but it's giving me a headache so it has to go.

This oil smells like a gentleman's cologne -- it reminds me of my dad. My dad was one of those guys who wore a tie to work every day of his life and always carried a briefcase. He was very meticulous about his appearance and picky about his shampoo, shaving cream, and aftershave. When I was a little girl I used to love giving him a kiss before he left for work because I loved the way he smelled. I thought he smelled clean and like Daddies were supposed to smell. Looking back, I know it was woodsy and sweet and must have had a little bit of leather in in somewhere. Just like Dee. I think Dee is the only BPAL oil that reminds me so strongly of my dad that I would prefer that my husband does not wear it. It's also an oil I will always want to have on hand... just so I can sort of have my dad around sometimes. I miss him a lot.

I love this one! It smells bright and slightly fruity. It's a little bit green, but the fruitiness stays around too. It's pretty and light and feminine. It's sweet and rather deceptively charming. Like it's trying to be innocent but underneath it's not innocent at all. Also it's a red oil, and I almost always love the red ones.

It does smell like champagne, which is quite nice, but the strawberry scent smells artificial on my skin. It reminds me of a strawberry lip gloss. My hubby likes it a lot on me, but it's not really doing anything for me.

Eat Me is one of my new faves, and my own black-jeans-clad hubby loves the smell of it. Of course with that one you'd run the risk of having to tell him what it's called if he asks. And I agree with anyone who suggested Dorian. It's a good all-occasion scent because it's inoffensive and unusual. Definitely good for daytime.

My favorites are: Glasgow Gomorrah Hollywood Babylon Madrid Port-au-Prince Prague Tenochtitlan Tintagel -- #1 favorite! And also keep your eyes peeled... Beth said that a new sub-category called Phantom Islands will be added to Wanderlust at some point in the next few updates.

I don't think I'm going out on a limb to say that this blend definitely has dragon's blood in it. I'm not sure of the other notes though -- I would say something woodsy and maybe a dark floral note. It's a little sweet and a little earthy, exactly the sort of scent I like to wear. As for the effect, I'm going to have to admit that I'm biased. One of the reasons I like dragon's blood so much is that it has a calming effect on me. It smells comforting to me, and it smells like me. Sweet but grounded, unusual and playful. So any time I wear a blend that contains dragon's blood I automatically feel soothed. But I've been having a lot of trouble with insomnia lately, generally related to anxiety. And my anxiety attacks are always the same, they start with a sudden eye-widening pulse-quickening thought: "Oh my God, at some point I will die, I won't be here, the world will go on without me, no more consciousness, I won't see, I won't hear, I won't laugh, this body will be rotting in the ground, no no no no no that can't happen to me." And then I suddenly leap out of bed and have to distract myself with something for an hour until I can try to go to sleep again. This has been going on for about 7 years. It happens only when it's dark, usually when I'm in bed. I would try anything to make it stop -- and I'm definitely very pleased to try something as lovely as Wolf's Heart. Maybe this will become my bedtime BPAL. I already have Wolf's Heart on my list of bottles to order with the next update. I'm also waiting on a bottle of the TAL Wolf's Heart that I ordered a couple of weeks ago, so it'll be interesting to compare the two.

Cross-posted to the reviews forum. 13bodies package #2: Bon Vivant, Cobra Lily, Dee, Djinn, The Great Sword of War, Kurukulla. Bon Vivant - An effervescent blend of crystalline champagne notes and sweet strawberry. It does smell like champagne, which is quite nice, but the strawberry scent smells artificial on my skin. It reminds me of a strawberry lip gloss. My hubby likes it a lot on me, but it's not really doing anything for me. Cobra Lily - Sharp, heady and viciously carnivorous. I love this one! It smells bright and slightly fruity. It's a little bit green, but the fruitiness stays around too. It's pretty and light and feminine. Also it's a red oil, and I almost always love the red ones. Dee - His scent is soft English leather, rosewood and tonka with a hint of incense, parchment and soft woods. This oil smells like a gentleman's cologne -- it reminds me of my dad. My dad was one of those guys who wore a tie to work every day of his life and always carried a briefcase. He was very meticulous about his appearance and picky about his shampoo, shaving cream, and aftershave. When I was a little girl I used to love giving him a kiss before he left for work because I loved the way he smelled. I thought he smelled clean and like Daddies were supposed to smell. Looking back, I know it was woodsy and sweet and must have had a little bit of leather in in somewhere. Just like Dee. I think Dee is the only BPAL oil that reminds me so strongly of my dad that I would prefer that my husband does not wear it. Djinn - The scent of black smoke, of crackling flames, and smoldering ashes. Phew, that's strong! It's also sweeter than I thought it would be -- this is sweet smoke rather than dark smoke. It's actually not as bad as I expected it would be, but it's giving me a headache so it has to go. The Great Sword of War - Mandarin, tonka, saffron, black tea, cocoa, tobacco leaf, sanguine red musk and five classical herbs of conflict. This is an oil that I expected to like because I love the listed notes, but I had a very meh reaction to it. I thought it would be kind a musky deep scent, and I mainly got tea and herbs out of it. I guess the "five classical herbs of conflict" are too dominant for me. It ends up being closer to what I like when it's completely dry, but I don't think I like it well enough to ever want a bottle of it. Karukulla - Her scent is a harmonious, sweet, enchanting blend of three lotus blooms and three roses. Surprisingly fruity at first, although I'm beginning to realize that lotus smells fruity on me. The roses underneath are not very noticeable at first but dominate the scent when dry. This blend smells sweet and feminine -- I would definitely use the word "harmonious." The notes all combine nicely and the overall effect is soft and pretty.

Before I realized I was a civet-loving pervy, I was afraid of anything that had civet. And of course now I’m kicking myself for not getting a bottle of Morella when Maelstrom is up just because I was scared away by the civet. It’s a little stinging at first, but it warms up into a very pretty floral -- the orris/iris is the sort of floral note that I like, the sage makes it a little green, and the civet keeps it earthy. It also goes through a stage where it smells a bit like citrus, but thankfully it doesn’t last long. And then there’s a stage where is smells vaguely like vegetables. But overall I think it smells grown-up, like a sophisticated woman’s perfume. It’s definitely the sort of scent that keeps making me want to sniff my wrists.

When I put the oil on I thought it smelled like an artificial cherry scent at first. Then it warmed up and I could smell the dragon's blood mixed with a spicy and gently herbal scent. Didn't get much orange out of this, which was an unexpected result. Usually my skin amps all citrus. To be honest, Red Moon reminds me of Beltane 06. Not because they are so close in scent, but because they have the same sort of feel to them. The gentle herbs and sweetness. They are both lovely in their own right, but I'm pretty sure I like Beltane every bit as much as I like Red Moon. (Which makes me happy since Red Moon is so hard to find now!)

I really like this oil -- at first the almond is strong, the clove is barely there, and the whole thing is buttery and soft. Then it morphs into a smooth clove scent. It's rich and full, and it definitely smells decadent. It has very good throw and lasts quite a while, too.

Based on the notes, I should like this. However, the first time I tried it I didn't like it at all. I tried it again as part of the GC circular swap. Now I remember why I didn't like it -- it is too sharply floral at first. But overall it's too lemony for me (juniper berries and white musk both tend to smell a bit like lemons on my skin). If I got orchids and patchouli out of this I would be very happy. Instead it kind of smells like dirty lemons and old lady perfumey powder. It's really freaky strong, too.

This smells exactly like a weed smelled in the field behind my house growing up. I don't know why, I have no idea what note is causing that. It's a sweet weedy scent. It's a little unsettling to me. I think it may be the spikenard -- I smelled spikenard oil once and thought it was revolting. But anyway, I really don't like this blend at all.

Mmmm, nag champa and patchouli. There is definitely a grapey scent to it, but it's not overpowering at all. This smells good on me, but it truly smells lovely on my sister. On her skin it goes from rich and smoky to mysteriously sultry. She's not normally a patchouli and nag champa kind of gal, but even she had to admit that Urd smells fantastic on her.

When I first got into BPAL I really wanted to try Skuld because it seemed like it was terribly popular. Then I got an imp of it, eagerly took a sniff, and then wondered what everyone thought was so great about it. Poor ickle Skuld, shunned to the back of the imp box. I got the imp out to try it again as part of the GC circular swap, and now I see what all the fuss was about. This really does smell wonderful. Charming and bright, warm and soothing. Pretty but not overly feminine. This doesn't smell like perfume, it doesn't smell like flowers, it doesn't smell like fruit -- if someone else was wearing this, I would definitely ask her what it was. You wouldn't expect a person to smell like this. It's unusual and very intriguing.

Cross-posted to the reviews forum. This package contains: Oberon, Penny Dreadful, Port-au-Prince, Skuld, Tzadikim Nistarim, Urd. (I didn't have to test any of the imps from the package -- I already had all these.) Oberon - Orchid, white musk, and bergamot wafting over juniper berries, with a gentle touch of soft, earthy patchouli. Based on the notes, I should like this. However, the first time I tried it I didn't like it at all. I tried it again as part of the GC circular swap. Now I remember why I didn't like it -- it is too sharply floral at first. It's a little too lemony for me (juniper berries and white musk both tend to smell a bit like lemons on my skin). If I got orchids and patchouli out of this I would be very happy. Instead it kind of smells like dirty lemons and old lady perfumey powder. Penny Dreadful - Soft perfume evocative of noir heroines over rich red grave loam. (Reviewed 4/22/06) There's a sort of honey sweetness to this one, but unfortunately there is also a strong dirt smell, which doesn't agree with me. I like the way it smells in the imp though, so I think I'll try it in a scent locket. Port-au-Prince - Dark, decadent and incomparably exotic: the rich scent of buttered rum flavored with almond, bay, clove and sassafras. Strange, I thought I reviewed this already. I can't find a review, though. I really like this oil -- at first the almond is strong, the clove is barely there, and the whole thing is buttery and soft. Then it morphs into a smooth clove scent. It's rich and full, and it definitely smells decadent. It has very good throw and lasts quite a while, too. Skuld - Being. Ylang ylang, honey, Egyptian and Arabian musks and labdanum. When I first got into BPAL I really wanted to try Skuld because it seemed like it was terribly popular. Then I got an imp of it, eagerly took a sniff, and then wondered what everyone thought was so great about it. Poor ickle Skuld, shunned to the back of the imp box. I got the imp out to try it again as part of the GC circular swap, and now I see what all the fuss was about. This really does smell wonderful. Charming and bright, warm and soothing. Pretty but not overly feminine. This doesn't smell like perfume, it doesn't smell like flowers, it doesn't smell like fruit -- if someone else was wearing this, I would definitely ask her what it was. You wouldn't expect a person to smell like this. It's unusual and very intriguing. Tzadikim Nistarim - The scent is one of unadulterated spiritual purity, with a taste of the world's eternal pathos, and the joy of suffering with grace: frankincense, olive, spikenard, hyssop and galangal. This smells exactly like a weed smelled in the field behind my house growing up. I don't know why, I have no idea what note is causing that. It's a sweet weedy scent. It's a little unsettling to me. I think it may be the spikenard -- I smelled spikenard oil once and thought it was revolting. But anyway, I really don't like this blend at all. Urd - Fate. Muscadine, black and red patchouli, cereus and nag champa. Mmmm, nag champa and patchouli. There is definitely a grapey scent to it, but it's not overpowering at all. This smells good on me, but it truly smells lovely on my sister. On her skin it goes from rich and smoky to mysteriously sultry. She's not normally a patchouli and nag champa kind of gal, but even she had to admit that Urd smells fantastic on her.

Sweeter than I expected it would be, and very pretty. It smells a bit perfumey to me, and golden. The amber blends very well with the lotus. Lovely. This is an unexpected surprise -- I didn't think I'd like it this much. Now I'm glad that I panicked and ordered a second bottle in a second order. Also I love the label.

I smelled mead for about two seconds and then it turned herby and sweet, almost a fruity sweet scent. The mead keeps poking out every once in awhile -- it's definitely recognizable. It's also just the barest bit creamy, like there's a smoothness underneath it. After a while it smells a little floral. I'm having a whole lot of trouble describing this. But it smells very celebratory, almost jubilant.

In the bottle: Cypress and frankincense. Initially: Frankincense -- sweet and slightly powdery. Drying: Becomes a spicy woody scent. I got the barest whiff of red musk at one point, but then it disappeared. Dry: Spicy and sweet, but a little bit too powdery for me. (I have that problem with frankincense.) But I'll keep trying -- it's a very interesting scent.

Holy crap this is good stuff. I wish I had bought a whole bottle of it because this imp isn't going to last long. When I first put it on my skin I thought "eugh, too floral." And then I thought "hey wait a minute, it's starting to smell a bit like cologne." And then I just sat there for the next 5 minutes with my nose right next to my wrist, glancing around furtively in case Hubby suddenly came around the corner and I had to explain what I was doing. I think this is one of only two BPAL oils for which I liked the imp sniff, didn't like it wet, and loved it dry. It ends up smelling floaty and languid -- and mesmerizing. It's soft and pretty and not too sweet. It smells like the sweetness is coming from the ylang ylang rather than the dragon's blood -- I can barely tell there's any dragon's blood in this. So... yeah, gonna need a bottle of this one.

I love dragon's blood, but it's not very strong in this blend. It had a bit of an "air freshener" quality to it for about 5 minutes as it was drying, and then that went away and it reminded me of incense. Then that went away and it ended up smelling mainly woody, very dry and faintly sweet. Not at all like pine or cedar or anything like that, just lovely sandalwood. The dragon's blood becomes a bit more pronounced after it's totally dry, but not overwhelming at all. Very well done.