bheansidhe
-
Content Count
785 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Everything posted by bheansidhe
-
So gentle and pretty that it might be a surprise bottle buy, making it the only hazelnut-forward blend to work on my skin. While distinctly warm and nutty, the hazelnut blends so well with the muted espresso that I can barely tell them apart. There's also a lot of the toasted milk note I remember from Snake Milk and a deeply sweetened, TKO-ish lavender syrup.
-
I'm always impressed by Beth's ability to release many MANY sweet-coffee blends in a short span of time that all smell and wear differently from one another! Please Scream is an initial dollop of coffee ice cream deeply steeped in Turkish espresso - this is COFFEE coffee, and the diner might be a dive, but it's a CLASSIC, lovingly restored VINTAGE dive. The impression of Turkish-ness might be a result of the cinnamon and cardamom dusting the funnel cake; the cinnamon-and-cream also gives it a cozy horchata vibe. The ice cream digests quickly, and I'm left with treacle-y Turkish espresso dregs and spiced, sugar-dusted funnel cake much more reminiscent of El Dia de los Reyes (minus that one's chocolatl/cocoa). The weardown on me is similar to Pumpkin Spice Latte, but with stronger coffee notes and a different warm-baking-spice mixture.
-
Golden peach, tobacco absolute, tonka bean, and honey with a squirt of red musk. Fresh in the bottle: peach and tobacco and red musk. There's a heady nose to it, like 80 proof liquor. Wet on the skin: at first it's intensely peach and red musk. And then tonka and tobacco roar up like a slow-motion fireball, obliterating all other scents in their path. For a few minutes peach is completely subsumed. Then it bobs back up, and there's this sinuous wrestling-in-a-sack thing where Peach is intensely juicy and female and Tonka/Tobacco are very masculine and between them they make a scent as androgynous as Tiresias, which is to say not gender-neutral at all, but rather a fierce yin/yang whirl of woodsy and juicey. Somewhere in here things start to heat up and become *really* good, if you know what I mean, like a gorgeous low warm haze on the skin. ...and then my nemesis, honey, arrives in a rain of fulminated cat pee. *sigh* Twelve hours later, there is still a noticeable whiff of peach-tinged tobacco on the skin. Drydown never smells *dry* per se; it's peach-soaked to the bone. There is the *perfect* amount of peach in this one. And tobacco makes peach's butt look amazing. Peach and/or Tobacco fans without my peculiar chemistry may wish to beg, borrow or steal decants. Red musk fans may be sad, as it's never prominent in the blend for me.
-
This is indeed lighter and fresher than you'd expect a bleached skull trio to smell - the lily of the valley and Spanish moss linger in the background, softly green and ghostly behind the sandalwood. It's not quite floral, not quite mossy; it's gently earthy and and woodsy, so I'm going to say it smells like a New Orleans apothecary shop with antique wooden shelves lined with jars of rootwork ingredients, plus the trickle of a well-heeled customer's expensive, understated perfume wafting from behind the curtained "consultation alcove." Overall a very gentle, wearable blend, but subtly eerie if you perceive its hint of sweet, vegetal decay.
-
Black Pine and Incense Smoke Atmosphere Spray
bheansidhe replied to doomsday_disco's topic in Atmosphere
This is a parchment-dry and resinous pine forest jutting out of the high end of an arid, mountainous range. It's a touch smoky, a touch incense-y, but it also has a sweetness like ivy, or the crumbling, atmospheric ruins of a stone tower. So very much dark ancient dry forest and ruins; no pine-scented cleaner, cheerful Christmas tree lot, or jammy conifer here. I like how different it is from other pine atmos: cleaner, darker, drier, and wilder. This would fit in very well with the RPG lineup. -
This is indeed a warm, glorious El Dia de los Reyes spice medley dunked in a stonky, animaliac black musk. I can see how people are getting cumin, but I think that's the musk merged with the dusty nutmeg/chocolate (more of the cocoa in Gelt to my nose). Wear is going to depend 100% on your chemistry and how well the black musk plays on your skin. This is like getting a REALLY aggressively WARM hug from a bearded man in a huge fur coat who's been drinking Mexican hot chocolate.
-
A soft but bracing wintergreen birch, warmed by a touch (just a touch) of clove. There's a hint of pine needle and woods in the birch note, but it's primarily that bracing, minty sap. Drydown: Green, pulpy wood with touches of salt and sap. Fringed with clove on the outside, but never clove-forward.
-
Beaver Moon: Blackcurrant and Iced Lemon
bheansidhe replied to doomsday_disco's topic in Duets & Menage A Trois
The feel of swallowing a long cold draft of an Arnold Palmer after three hours of gardening in the hot sun: slaking heat and thirst at once. This smells so light and refreshing that I want to actually drink it (but please don't). It's an absolutely true iced lemon and tart purple-black fruit from application to drydown. Blackcurrant doesn't play well on my skin, but this has been delightful in my oil warmer. -
Cold Moon: Moss and River Silt
bheansidhe replied to doomsday_disco's topic in Duets & Menage A Trois
I'm a longtime fan of Halloween in New Orleans, and to my surprise, this is a VERY wearable blend that throws a definite HiNO vibe while being distinctly its own creation. I love its grit and saltiness, and how unexpectedly earthy and grounding it is to wear. The moss reads like Spanish Moss single note, not oakmoss, and not like cologne. It's loamy, not aquatic. If this blend had a color, it would be the weathered silver-grey patina of hundred-year-old bald cypress planks milled with hand saws from the heart of a Louisiana bayou. There's a faint woodsy sweetness in its wake. -
Cold Moon: Osmanthus and Sweet Frankincense
bheansidhe replied to doomsday_disco's topic in Duets & Menage A Trois
Wet, this is primarily frankincense sweetened by osmanthus, which to me always smells like young green leaf with hints of apricot or peach, and not like a white floral at all. It's surprisingly subtle and low, like the trailing waft of the New Age shop you visited earlier in the day. Resiny, not smoky. Layered with Moss & River Silt, it's a solid nod to my beloved favorite, Halloween in New Orleans. ETA: at the end of drydown it's a faint drift of incense smoke and no florals. It smells at this stage more like a nag champa note. -
This smells like a gorgeous Victorian's gentleman's cologne that's both villainous and seductive, and one that belongs in the Crimson Peak lineup.
-
Sexy lichen indeed! This starts as a soft and nymph-like oakmoss draped in ylang-ylang and a very foody vanilla. Something about that combo plus the orris and ambergris gives it that distinctive "BPAL Lace" quality. It stays sheer, delicate, and low on the skin. Forest fairy face-powder is spot on - thanks, @gentle-twig!
-
Sniffed, I get all coconut and a darkly astringent lavender, which plays oddly on my skin when first applied, but then morphs into a citrusy, lavender-tinged musk. Now the coconut reads like husk, like the color of dirt, like a brown vase holding the other notes, which lean heavily into the amber musk with just a hint of mandarin freshness. If lilac is here, it's just a supporting note, and the lavender fades quickly. It ends as a dry, husky coconut rind and and really resonant amber, plus a musk that resembles the base of Smut, all leavened with a bit of spray from the orange rind as the peel is cracked open. It also has the wet-tropical-woods feel of the discontinued Wanderlust blend Manila. Coconut husk, Smut musk, and amber with an orange twist on the rim. I love how dry the, well, drydown reads on my skin. I didn't expect to like this nearly as much as I do.
-
This has such a sweet, bright tang that pairs beautifully with the Valencia Orange Hair Gloss. Where the HG is a more realistic orange, Fire Poppy is unquestionably a sweetened tangerine base that avoids all pith and pucker, blurring seamlessly into the other notes like a glorious scarlet-and-orange watercolor wash.
-
Between the sappy, realistic chrysanthemum and the dead leaves note, this has a very La Offrenda vibe. It's bright, light, and crisp, like a dry champagne (no, it does not have alcohol notes). The maple is syrupy and sappy, but not gourmand, perhaps because it's so well balanced by the herbal chamomile and the light woods notes. Frankincense twines through the other components, lending a gooey resinous warmth. It dries to a light, unisex fougere overlaid with a powdery, woodsy sweetness. As someone who can't wear Samhain, I'm pleased to have this blend to fill the Samhain-shaped hole in my perfume collection.
-
Dr. E. S. Packard, of Corunna, Me., in the Eastern Star, states that Mr. David Prescott, of South Sangerville, over ninety years of age, “wandered away into the woods, and not returning, a crowd of over a hundred men hunted for him nearly two days; the mill pond near his house was drained. Search was made in every direction but to no success. “A gentleman of that place decided to call in the aid of Mrs. Stevens; she told him somebody was lost, and not being able to visit the place she drew a map or chart of the locality, giving directions, by which, on his return he was immediately found alive, but died the next day. The day following I was at South Sangerville, and stopping at this gentleman’s house, examined the map, which was perfect in every respect. The house and shed were correctly drawn, the mill and pond near the house were marked, the field and woods, two fences over which Mr. Prescott must climb, even to the swinging of the road by the house was definitely given. “The spot where she said he was, was shown by a large black mark, and he was found exactly in that place. When we consider that Mrs. Stevens never saw this place in her normal condition, it is to me a wonderful test of spirit power.” Absolute and perfect clarity: rockrose, white amber, Corsican immortelle, Siamese benzoin, white sandalwood, and life everlasting. Sniffed, I get clouds of sweet sandalwood incense and white cotton -- not "clean laundry," but something white and cottony and opaque. I think this particular iteration of white amber is doing the powdery thing. It's not floral-forward, though the flowers advance as the blend wears down. Mostly, it's reading as benzoin/sandalwood dusting powder. There's a non-foody but vanilla-like sweetness (probably the benzoin, which contains vanillin). Also, somehow, the blend smells white. The vanilla-resin-powderyness makes me place it in the XYZ Lace family of Lab blends (e.g. Antique Lace, Black Lace, Red Lace). So this is... Psychic Lace.
-
Tea roses, honeysuckle, heliotrope, olive blossom, milk, and honey. I splurged at Dragon*Con on the set of four (the labels are GORGEOUS, by the way). Maiden was actually a pickup for someone else because I am not a fan of rose in any incarnation, and honey is typically awful on me. Typically, floral honey blends go one of three ways: -cloying, -musty, or -sour. But I've learned my lesson and I always skin-test even the most unlikely suspects. Sure enough, this was the one that appealed least on paper and worked the best on skin. Maiden stays sweet, but never cloying; light, but with hours of stay and persistent throw. It has the milky smoothness of chalcedony or opal. It's just so.. so darn...pretty. Not frilly or bubbly or girly; just clean and serene. Even drydown was graceful; it didn't change, just gradually faded away. The top note is tea rose - definitely tea rose and not damask or any other type. Tea rose always smells "rosiest" to me; it's clarion, not unbearably heavy. The heliotrope and honeysuckle stay light and delicate, and the olive blossom (which is a favorite note) lends a beautiful round fullness. The milk-and-honey background is similar to that of Dana O'Shee, but somehow never goes feral on me the way that blend does. How does Beth do it? No clue. But I am abashedly fond of this beautiful blend and I predict it will be a real favorite.
-
I can't decide if Lavender Lussekatter or Lavender Avocado Toast is my favorite successor to Lavender Rosemary Baguette (which I loved). The saffron is indeed distinct here, along with the herbal lavender and the yeasty dough. It's all steaming lavender-infused butter on first slather, which wears down to such a soft poppyseed bun scent. I'd say it's overall softer and more butter-forward than Lavender Rosemary Baguette, and a touch sweeter than Lavender Avocado Toast.
-
Extremely gentle rose and lily notes, framed by ? white sandalwood or a similarly low-key resin.
-
The bright clear honey note reminds me of The White Bees Swarming hair gloss from many Yules ago. It's surprisingly soft on the skin, morphing from an initial flourish of orange creamsicle to a sweetened (but not foody) freesia and honey, as noted by the previous reviewer. I can't pick out the pink peppercorn at all. For all that it pops brightly out of the bottle it does, in fact, fade to a ghostly phantom sweetness in your wake.
-
Satan Presiding at the Infernal Council
bheansidhe replied to doomsday_disco's topic in Limited Editions
Dang, that's sexy - part Hell's Angel (clean) leather jacket, part gleaming, ebonized wood-and-steel showroom for Lucifer's new motorcycle line. I'm not sure why I'm getting a motor oil vibe - possibly the bitterness of angelica root - but it's nicely overlaid with warm organic notes of pepper and sweet frankincense, and a hint (just a hint) of nag champa. It's not something I'd wear myself, but I'd certainly want to get close to an attractive someone wearing it. Beth has certainly excelled at nailing "sexy engine" with some recent blends! -
This is a CRAZY sexy forest floor drenched in fresh pine sap. It's snappy, fresh, and acidic; like biocarbons, I get a hint of lime peel. I would not mind snuggling up to someone who was wearing this (and maybe a cabled fisherman's sweater, while I'm dreaming).
-
2024 version! it opens as a very realistic brown sugar, lightly dusted with pumpkin pie spice (mostly ginger and nutmeg, with just a ghost of cinnamon in the back), but with an underlying fizzy effervescence that reminds me of the champagne note. As it wears, it darkens into ALL THE RAW SUGARS -- molasses, dark cane syrup, demerara -- grounded by sweet, earthy pumpkin gourd and ever-deepening baking spices. There's no hint of pastry, making this blend distinct from the other "pumpkin pie" variants. It is, truly, pumpkin, spice, and sugars. It reminds me of a happy Mexican bakery at Halloween!
-
Sniffed: this smells like an incredibly conceptual, high-end ice cream from a James Beard award-winning pastry chef, the kind that incorporates unexpected savory-leaning notes like olive oil or pepper. Touchstone is noticeably creamy, with vanilla and pear on top, but with a tempered sweetness and a nutty base of grain streusel. The pear is realistic but simmered-down, not juicy and fresh. I smell whiffs of honey and sweet musk, but no noticeable clove or wood. Skin-tested: creamy, sweet but not sugary. The fig, honey cake, and bourbon sandalwood dominate here, with a pear creme anglais poured over. Again, it smells like an elevated dessert concept. The vibe is still warm and "nutty" (with no nut notes), with a hint of toasty spices and sweet woods. Drydown continues to center the bready cake note (like a stone fruit-based bread pudding). Overall, foody but a left-of-center foody, just a touch sweetened. Very snuggly on the skin. The sandalwood blooms out beautifully at the end. I do not get white cedar in any noticeable way, but I wouldn't mind if I did, and it might be contributing a little jammy warmth to the background. ETA: 30 minutes after applying Touchstone, I stuck my head out of my office and yelled, "Is someone burning something?" down the hall, only to realize the fantastic whiffs of sandalwood incense were coming from my arm.
-
An unreleased American Gods blend (AG IV). Patchouli and ink/paper notes, plus maybe rosewater from greasepaint? Perhaps some stale tobacco or pipe smoke? The longer it's on, the more certain I am it's patchouli that's blackened and sharpened by something like ink or labdanum, plus a hint of something cold, like stone or old smoke. In the far drydown I definitely smell paper/ink. It has a similar note to the "inky-black myrrh" of Lydia. Almost an older male Lydia, but with the bitterness of old cigarette smoke instead of patchouli sweetness. It has more staying power than Lydia, but where she has a dark, treacley sweetness from the patch, A Man's Fortune has grit and cigarette ash. Wet cigar end accord, maybe? Honestly, the bitterness makes it interesting. This isn't quite like anything else I've smelled.