hlrigaud

3 words: Sexy Strawberry Candy. Straight strawberry candy would be too foody for me, but this has beautiful flowers supporting the candy top-note, bringing down the foodiness and making the whole work more complex and interesting. Pink Moon '07 is one of my Top 3 BPALs, so I was really excited to see the return of the Pink-ness, and although this is different from "07, it's in the same family and it's definitely Pink. I'm very happy with this one and I'm looking forward to seeing how it ages.

This is my first time starting a thread. Sorry if somethings not right. I ordered this for the carnation, but it looks like the peach is going to steal the show. This is the very first glance at this baby, in a week she might be totally different- but man, I hope not! In the Bottle: Lush fresh peach. Wet: Peach Peach Peach! Did anyone every drink peach wine? Because it reminds me of that. Not schnapps, wine. Dry: Okay, I knew there had to be flowers here somewhere. It's still all about the great, fresh, lush peach, but under that I'm getting some warm floral action. It's a sweet carnation, not spicy. It grounds the peach and keeps it from being more interesting and not strictly foodie. There might be a touch of something earthier, but just a touch. Overall: This is crazy gorgeous and I'm not a peach fan. This does say warmth, and laughter, and slow, languid sex. The kind that takes ALL afternoon. I'm surprised at how much I like this, since it's so different from what I expected.

Realize this bottle is brand new and still jumbled from traveling, and I have a bit of a cold. I can tell you right now the violet note is not going to be the problem here. In the bottle there are little tiny globs floating aorund, which tells me we're using Beth's cocoa note, which is confirmed on the first sniff. In the bottle: remember that 'off' cocoa note from Gelt? Wet: Okay, that off note went away. Wet I get cocoa, not white chocolate at all, and the violets from Faith. Dry: Oh man, this has got an amazing bloom. It takes a few minutes to get there, but whoa. The violets are light and sweet, very natural smelling. Not the powdery parma violets, or even the slight grittiness in Faith, this is light and airy violets. The chocolate note has lightened too. I'm no longer getting the heavy cocoa note, but instead its light chocolate. It's still not the white chocolate-cocoa butter note from Lush's Skinny Dip that I was hoping for, but it's clearly chocolate. Overall, this doesn't say 'Valentines' to me was much as 'Easter'. Green grass, white bunnies, and pretty little flowers. I suspect once this settles down it's going to become an HG for violet lovers, but I think most others will enjoy it, but not need it.

I don't usually post reviews, but this scent was so exceptional I really needed to. You know how Beth sometimes does these blends that just evoke a scene in your mind? Midway is a good example. This is one of them for me. Let me start by starting the most important thing, which is this is not Beth's usual pumpkin scent- the one that's very buttery. This is a raw pumpkin scent that's pleasantly different, especially if you have trouble with the buttered pumpkin. On to the scene: It's a pumpkin patch. You're out with a loved one. Its a cool fall day, but the sun is bright and warming everything- the grass, the dirt, the pumpkins. You're there with a loved one- a child, a lover, a friend, a parent; someone special to you. Around you there are a few smashed pumpkins, but not too many. The ground is damp, muddy in the haywagon tire-tracks, but it's a good, fertile ground, that's been growing food all season and is ready for it's winter rest. The pumpkins are big and bright orange. Most are fine, but every now and then you pick up on that has a soft spot. You find the perfect one, and take it home. As the scent fades, the dirt goes away and you're left with a light pumpkin smell that reminds you of the day at the pumpkin patch. That's Shattered pumpkin on me. Think I might need a bottle.

Violet Lovers Rejoice! This has made it's way quickly up my favorites list and it should be tried by any violet fan. The Ray is icey, the way numb wasn't. It's a cold, clear violet. It's sweet, but not sugary and it dries down to a pleasant, powder note that never get's 'old lady-ish'. Excellent violet smell, and while I can see the comparisons to Faith, the Ray holds it's own. I can see why it's part of the Streamworks. There's an electricity in this, but it's cold, like a peltier device (a circuit that throws off cold). This isn't a cold found in nature. Moderate throw and listing power. I don't know if non-violet people will like this. It's strange and wonderful, but perhaps not for everyone.

I'm with Teggy- Glad I got an imp (or half) but don't need more. This starts out WOOO BUTTERY! on me, walking that knife's edge of becoming buttered popcorn. But it manages to back itself off the edge and dries to a nice, sweet cream. Which is nice. But not HOLYGODHOWMUCH$$$$$ on ebay nice. I suspect this has some of the same notes as Underpants, which 90% of the population has spontaneous orgasms over and I go: hm, nice.

This was a frimp I was gifted with. I was motivated to try due of the recommendations thread, in which it was strongly compared to a Florist's shop. Reading the reviews, clearly this is a really morphy scent, because the only florist shop this baby reminds me of is the Florist shop of the dead. However, I will say it's a very interesting scent. It starts out so bright green it almost choked me. Big, huge lily note here. Then it starts to dry and you get the pond. Its a pond that looks lovely as you first see it through the woods. But as you get closer, you start to smell the rotting vegetation all around you. And while this is repellent, there is this note still there, that's calling you on. It's like Siren's singing, and you're thinking to yourself "Rot isn't all that bad. Everything dies and rots" while your common sense is strongly suggesting you RUN! And all the while the beautiful lilies and moss are quietly there, completely untouched by your presence and possible death. Like I said, an interesting scent. HL

Have you tried Maiden? When I tried it florist's shop was my first impression, especially when it's wet. HL

Frimp from the lab. One word: Bubblegum. Pink, pink, PINK, PINK bubblegum. Sweet, very sweet, frankly, too sweet for me. Which is weird, cause I'm a sugar skull fan. But not LM. I envy everyone else who get womanly, winey notes from this. I'm just getting nauseous. No, she's not for me. Thanks. HL

I got Dorian, because everybody love him, right? Certainly on the top 10 of bpal scents. Classic! Sexy! Victorian! Whoo-hoo! Right? NO. Gah. Old man cologne. No tea, no lemon, certainly no sex. Just old, floral, (lavender?) citrus blah. Which is why Beth makes imps, thank goodness. Still, I would've like some sex. I'll try it on the boy. Otherwise, he's outta here! (Dorian, not the boy) ETA: Yeah, it's better on the boy. Much better, but it's still not moving me. I will say it lasted all night. I could smell it this morning when we cuddled. Off to swaps. HL

As I've stated before in my other reviews, I'm one of the lucky, lucky few who can not do Beth's Patchouli. I've tried it many a time and have faced bitter disapointment over it (Samhain WHAH!!!!). But I received a frimp (man, I love the lab!) of Midnight Kiss and sniffing from the vial, I thought, oh, maybe! It smelled sweet, yet floral and complex. So, I slobbered some on my wrist, and guess what? Patchouli! Tons of it, swooping down without mercy. Then something weird happens; I'm reacting to the smell the way Dracula reacts to a silver cross, and then it's gone- Almost all of it. If I plant my wrist under my nose I get a faint cherry smell, but otherwise it's history folks. Weird. And off to the 'no' pile.

I chose this as the most appealing of the new Pirate scents. It's got a nice, spicy, cinnamon-y scent and I love cinnamon, but you know that old U2 song, "I still haven't found what I'm looking for"? Yah. I like this, and at the same time, it makes me want something- more. It's close, but I realized what I really want for that great chai scent is April '06 13. I know, I know, 13 has chocolate and this doesn't, but it's what I want this to be. I'll save this imp; I think it will age nicely, but I'm also off to find a bottle of 13. HL

Okay, this is story worthy: I got an imp of this with an order of decants from Evon (Hedgielover), that included a frimp of ANNE BONNY. So, being distracted by new Monsterbait and not knowing all the BPAL names (by a long shot) I figured AH'DUNO was just another frimp. I thought it was named after one of those voodoo goddesses or something. (Where is that d'uh emoticon?) SO I ignore it for almost a week, and today I decide to look this badboy up. Now, it's red, and red can mean Patchouli, (like Anne Bonny) which HATES me, so I'm not too excited. And I do a search on the main BPAL page and.... Nothing. Hmm. Weird. Whatever. On to the forum and I put it in under reviews. (Cause I'm not going to go searching through the whole catalog) and WHHHHHAAAA???? Only one return? UNRELEASED??!!!?? :D AND!!! It smells GREAT on me!!! Root beer, cinnamon, floral!?! Ah'duno, but I love it! I feel pretty dumb, but I smell great! Now my only problem is I want more. Thanks to Evon, Beth and everyone else. I needed that. HL

*sigh* I was really excited about wearing Samhain for the first time today. I've been having fun wearing Devils Night yesterday and I was set! It was on my mind while I had my coffee and took my shower. And then I opened it up. My first impression was of a strong, *off* note. Whatever I was expecting, it wasn't that! But no fear! I went ahead and tried some on. Now, patchouli is a dicey thing with me. I tend to ramp it up, and not in a good way. (We shall not speak of the horror that was Anne Bonny) And Samhain is going down that road. Not good. But wait! Oh, it's changing and adding huge note of Powder with it! Oh, rapture! Feel the love! Right. I'm washing this off and trying Dia de los Muertos or All Souls. HL