terrenity

Got a reply from the lab!! Bill says, and I quote: "We deliberately list all blends that contain any nutty ingredients, specifically for people who are allergic. We do not use almond oil as a carrier (nor do we use any other carriers). I don't know whether you should be concerned about cross-contamination, but I can try to look into it and get back to you with an answer." So it sounds like there's no need to worry about "hidden" nuts in blends, woot! Which means I can add some to my wishlist that I'd shied away from because people mentioned almond in the reviews. Dana O' Shee, here I come! Yet another reason to LOVE the Lab - they're allergy-conscious! As for cross-contamination, I'll let you know if I hear anything else.

In the bottle: Uh oh. There's the super-sweet rum note that ruined Rangoon Riptide for me. On: This starts to go the way of Rangoon (sickly sweet, on me) at first, then the booze of the rum comes out to play for a moment and has me worried about that too. After flailing around for a few minutes, the rum calms down and I can smell the pineapple and coconut. They're definitely dark and heavily sugared, though. Dry: To my great dismay, pineapple disappears almost entirely. BUT! What's left is a very sweet, very spicy scent, with just a touch of coconut. There's a bit of pineapple too, but it's not fresh pineapple; it's more like baked, pineapple-upside-down cake pineapple. Did I mention that it's spicy? I can't sniff it up close because it burns my nose a little. This is like some delicious cross between coffee cake and pineapple upsidedown cake and a cinnamon roll to my nose. Foody, spicy, sweet, and dark. Hour later: My skin does it's usual thing and eats most of the notes, leaving cinnamon and a few other spices, and a hint of coconut. Much drier and less syrupy than earlier. I'll just pretend this stage doesn't exist, and slather again when I smell it coming. Overall: I was hoping for a pina colada, but I don't get that AT ALL from this scent. It's more like some sort of sexy cinnamon dessert with a thick pineapple glaze and a little bit of coconut. Might layer well with Snow White for a more colada type scent; I'll have to test it. Throw: Strong! Don't slather this one. Color association: Syrupy brown ETA: Whew! I don't usually do well with cinnamon, and while I thought I could handle it here, sugared-down, it's starting to make my eyes water. I may have to wash this off, and try it later with a much smaller dab.

In the decant: Swoonable vanilla with a ginger kick. There's a bit of a tea-feeling here, similar to Dorian, which I'm guessing is the vanilla. On: Much of the same, until... Dry: Burnt plastic. -cries- Dragon's Milk did this to me too, and the only note I can find to blame is the vanilla, although Dorian, Snake Oil, and Mouse's LST all worked on me. Dragon's Milk also smelled like burnt plastic in the imp, so that one may not have been a chemistry issue. Hmm... I'm so heartbroken! I almost ordered two bottles of Opuhi, it sounded so good. Ah well... another good reason to order a clocket! ^^ Interestingly, this also turns a bit plasticky on Bear, though his skin eats it anyway so it doesn't matter.

I just popped an email off to the lab enquiring about both peanuts in MVJBA and about almond oil as a carrier. I'll let you know when I get an answer!

In the decant: Tropical florals, with a very Spree's sort of aftersmell, as most people have mentioned. It's fun and pretty, but very faint to my nose. On: The florals really bloom (pun not intended) and become very heady and sophisticated. Lovely, but I almost feel weird wearing it, like I'm not Queen enough. If a woman came my way wearing this, I'd pay attention! Unfortunately, things got a lot more interesting from there... Terr: (dashes out the door to class, not giving the Queen another thought, and then ten minutes later, standing outside...) What the heck smells like BOOZE? -looks around, then sniffs herself cautiously- Oh my god! Why do I smell like I bathed in wine this morning?? Five hours later.... Terr: -inhales deeply- Actually, this smells almost exactly like Smut. ...and there's a reason why I don't wear Smut during the day. Tiki Queen finally disappeared about eight hours after application (an eight hours that included both class and work, to my dismay), which is completely unheard of with my skin chemistry. Even Snake Oil and Smut fade after four hours. Not only that, but the throw was STRONG. A nice change from my skin's usual sniffie-eating habits, but I don't really want to walk around projecting that AA-meeting aura. Overall: What the hell?? I can't even figure out where the booze-smell came from... and no one else seems to be getting it. Tiki Queen definitely will require further testing... some time when I don't have to go to work. If I could get the pretty florals and spree's with the lasting power of the booze, I'll be a happy girl. Color association: Pinkish originally, then a deep burgundy-purple. ETA: Bear actually had one of the most positive reactions ever to this scent (he tends to think all BPAL smells similar, OH THE HUMANITY), and when I asked him to sniff he said he liked it and I didn't smell like an alcoholic. So maybe something is broken in my nose?

Ever since the new Misk Valley etc scent popped up, I've been wondering if it contains actual peanut oil (to assimilate the peanut brittle)? I've got a nasty peanut allergy, and while I wouldn't even try the scent out of caution, I'm wondering if I need to be worried about cross-contamination in the lab. Has anyone else emailed the Lab about this, or should I go ahead and pop them an email?

Regarding broccoli and cilantro... An article on how genes effect the way things taste... PTC, the bitter compound that some people can taste, while other's can't, is found in broccoli, as well as turnips and some other veggies. I have the PTC-tasting gene, and hate raw broccoli. On topic, I can't think of any scents, BPAL or otherwise, that even come close to approximating cilantro. I would be interested in sniffing one though... I'm among the people that think cilantro tastes like soap, and I've always wondered what people that like cilantro think it tastes like.

Dorian = deserves his reputation. In the imp: Tea! I guess I didn't really believe that there could be a perfume that smells like tea... that'll teach me to doubt Beth's godly powers. On: Ooh, this tea is strong! Very dark and very very sweet, like a cup of real, southern sweet tea. Sometimes I can smell a little sliver of lemon, more as a garnish than to actually add flavor to the tea. The musk is subtle and sweet, hinting at sex but far too dignified to say it outright. Yes, he's going to give you the best screw of your life, and yes, he expects to make you beg for it first, but in the end he will walk away with his suit perfectly pressed and nothing but the scent of very sweet tea on his jacket. Overall: I'm going to need a bottle of this. Color association: dark brown, like strong tea

Earth Rat is like this: :D But I guess that's not that helpful, huh? In the decant: Mmm, melon! Slightly fizzy, it reminds me of Melon Ramune. Unlike a lot of the other people who ordered Earth Rat, I was HOPING for melon. Strangely, my sister said it smelled like lemon tea. Proof that sense of smell isn't genetic. On: Earth Rat positively blossoms! The dominant note is definitely fizzy melon, but the other notes are bubbling happily underneath it. I can even smell the kumquat and lychee (which I only recognize from Ramune), much to my surprise! As others have said, it definitely has an Asian vibe. It's fruity, sweet, but definitely has depth. I can't say I smell the dragon's blood perse, but I get the feeling it's there, giving the scent a base. Oh, and it lasts a long time on me, which is very unusual (my skin even eats Snake Oil)! Overall: Please direct unloved Rats to The Rat Rescue. The address is kind of hard to find, so you can just send them to me and I'll pass them on for you. Color association: Red!

Leanan Sidhe - partial imp of unknown age In the imp: Sweet and dewy smelling. Maybe some light florals? Very soft. There's a note in here that hits my throat in a weird way, though. On: A soft, light green floral. My novice nose can't discern flowers from herbs, but I'm guessing the herbs are what is giving this a 'green' vibe. Very fresh and clean, and not at all cloying. It reminds me of something from when I was a kid, but I don't know what. I can see the shampoo/soap references.. this does have a bit of a 'cleanser' sort of quality to it, but it's like a NICE shampoo. One that I would wear my hair down after using just to catch whiffs of it all day. Overall: This is a beautiful scent for spring! It really reminds me of sunshine and dew-wet grass, with little white flowers just starting to bloom. It's the sort of scent I would wear to an interview, or somewhere else where I wanted to smell nice, but in a light, unoffensive way. I'll use my imp, but don't foresee a bottle purchase in my near future. ETA: There's rose in this, isn't there? -looks suspicious- After half an hour or so, Leanan Sidhe does what all scents with rose do on me: BAM! SN rose. It's very pretty, but unfortunately I have at least three other BPAL scents that do the same. Gah! I guess this is another one to try when I get a scent locket... Color Association: Grass green

I have no experience with the oil, so I can't make comparisons there, but the soap is pretty delicious! The coffee note is predominant to my nose, backed by a dry, bitter, slightly spicy cocoa. I'd rather hoped for brownies, but this is more like high quality unsweetened chocolate, or maybe an unsweetened mocha. The scent is actually fairly light (though it is several months old), and doesn't really leave a discernible smell after washing it off, which is fine. The bar itself is a pretty toffee-color with cream swirls and little dark flecks. Lather is good, though not quite as moisturizing as my Samhain soap. Color association: Very dark, slightly dusty brown.

Hm. I think something must be seriously wrong with either my nose or my imp. In the imp and on my skin, this smells like burnt plastic. Nasty. I don't get any vanilla or honey at all, just that sharp plastic smell, even after waiting a few months to see if it needed time to settle. I originally thought it was the dragon's blood, but Earth Rat and Dragon's Tears are both fine on me. Darn... I may have to look for another imp to see whether this is a batch issue. I really thought I'd love this one! On the up side, the oil itself is a neat bright-orange color.

Red Lantern 08. In the vial: Caramel and smoke. It's slightly acrid, like cigarette smoke. This isn't promising... On: Sweeter, but with a definite cigarette aftertaste. There's something besides the caramel in here sweetening it up, but I'm not sure what. I don't think it's the coconut, although I suppose I've never smelled black coconut before. As time goes on, the amber softens things up prettily and the delphinium flits through. The smoke calms down and moves away from cigarette-land. After about an hour, Red Lantern reminds me distinctly of stargazer lilies. I think it's the heady, slightly smoky, slightly spicy sweetness. Swoon! The color I associate this is a rich, warm brown, like wood with a dark varnish. It's definitely sultry, a scent I would wear with dark eyeshadow and heels, but it has its pride. Red Lantern is a scent for eating dinner at a nice restaurant, occasionally inserting slight innuendos into the conversation. Seductive, but not sexual. Throw is moderate. On my skin, it lasts about four hours (which is damn good for me). On my clothes, it lasts a day or more. Overall: I need a bottle of this.

Smut 08. In the vial: Whoa! Very boozy... I actually feel a little tipsy. There's something fruity hiding in here.. maybe grape? It's sweet, but with a very sharp alcohol edge. On, wet: Still very boozy. Not a scent I would wear to work or around my family. There's also something sexual smelling in here that I'm assuming is the musk. Overall something great for the horizontal mambo, but not one I'd feel comfortable wearing for much else. Dry: The musk comes out a little bit more, and now it's a drunken orgy. Throw is very strong. Later: Smut sweetens as it dries, and the fruit comes out to play again. The booze and musk has faded and made Smut presentable (phew!), though still suggestive. I like this MUCH better! Actually, I can't stop huffing my wrist. Unfortunately, my skin does its usual evil thing and eats all the smutty goodness within a few hours (though I didn't put much on). However, some Smut that had transferred onto my PJ's was still very much there the next day and smelled WONDERFUL... sweet and heady, rather like stargazer lilies. Overall: I'm on the fence. If it stayed all booze and sex, I'd rarely wear it. If the sweet and slightly boozy scent stuck around on my skin, I'd buy a bottle. If it smelled like stargazer lilies on my skin I'd buy a gallon. As it is, I think I think Smut merits a few more tests. Edited because Terr is dumb and just retested Red Lantern, and it is clearly the culprit of the lily smell, not Smut. -headdesk-

Oh no, there's rose. I love rose, but anything with rose in it tends to become a SN on me as I amp it so much. In the vial: There's a blast of something sharp, then mostly patchouli. As a general patchouli-hater, this makes me nervous. There's some sandalwood too...also not one of my favorites. On, wet: Yup, there's the patchouli! BPAL patchouli, I'm discovering, is much nicer than the other varieties I've smelled. Still not my favorite, but not awful either. Dry: ROSE. ROSEROSEROSEROSEROSE. As promised, this one did the same thing as Baghdad and became a SN on me. Don't get me wrong, it's a really GORGEOUS rose... but between this and my imp of Baghdad I think I have all the single note rose I need. Overall: A beautiful rose scent, and I'm sure I'll use up the imp for that reason. I don't think I will need a bottle though... it seems that every frimp with rose I get smells like this on me.

Frimpage! I actually first tested this about nine months ago when it was fresh, but put it on again today to retest it. In the imp: Sandalwood and incense? I'm getting strong scent associations with those import shops where you can buy jingly skirts and incense and pretty wooden boxes, so I'm sort of taking a guess here. Definitely has an exotic feel to it. On: Baghdad softens and turns into a very smooth, golden scent. I can't pick out the amber specifically, but I'm sure it's there. Oh, there's the rose. For some reason my skin amps rose like crazy. This actually ends up smelling like a nicer version of Mata Hari (which went sour on me) - mostly heady rose with a bit of dry sandalwood. Throw is pretty strong; you only need a dab. Lasts about three hours on my fragrance eating skin, which is sadly about average for me. Color association: Gold, with a swirl of burgundy velvet. ETA: After about half an hour, Baghdad is all about the rose on me. It's very much like a SN Tea Rose I had and loved, but gave away because it made me sneeze... except that Baghdad doesn't make me sneeze!

In the bottle: My mom said, "I've got some of that in the kitchen, sweetie. It's called peppermint oil." On: I don't get the sharp mint from this at all! This smells exactly like a candy cane. Actually, scratch that. What it REALLY smells like is one of those old-fashioned peppermint sticks that are a bit soft and creamy. Oh yes. Minty and sweet and full of vanilla! Throw on this is fairly strong when wet, but decreases rapidly as it dries. After a few hours I can only smell a sweet white vanilla when I sniff my wrist (which then layers rather nicely with whatever I put on next!). As Ishtar said, this is kind of a novelty scent. It's on the simpler side of BPAL and not a typical perfume. That said, it always makes me happy when I wear it, and it's particularly good for test days (mint stimulates the brain!). Please address any loved bottles to "Terrenity". (Side note: My bottle is about three months old, and has definitely mellowed with age. More vanilla/sugar, less mint.)

Oh, Snow White! I ordered the 07 version back at the beginning of the Yules and was incredibly excited to try it.... but I must admit that I was initially disappointed. It was lovely (and somehow cold without being minty), but pretty heavy on the coconut, which I realized quickly is not one of my favorite notes. For a few months Snow White and I had a strange relationship. We would hang out a few times a week, casually swapping stories, but we never really clicked. Some days I thought she was gorgeous, and other days I thought about breaking it off. I'm not sure whether age has changed Snow White, or my skin chemistry has changed, or she and I have just become acclimated to one another, but OH GOD! I'm in love. Snow White is exactly as she has been described... a cold, creamy, feminine scent, but very hard to describe. The only note I can pin down for certain is the coconut, and some sort of milky vanilla, but Snow White is a scent that goes beyond definition by notes. She just IS. Someone mentioned pina colada, and I think that's the closest thing I can relate her to in actual scent, though the feel is quite different. To my nose, Snow White isn't foody or floral or green at all, nor is it snow and ice. If you are looking for perfume, I would say look elsewhere. But if you are looking for an idea, Snow White might be for you. As others have said, Snow White lasts FOREVER. I can smell it faintly on my skin after eight hours, which is a long time for me (my skin eats even Snake Oil in five hours). I can also smell it on my jacket for days after I wear it. Even though it smells like a light scent, I've found it can drown out pretty much anything else I put on (also including Snake Oil). So the throw is strong, but not cloying or particularly obvious, if that makes sense. Overall, Snow White is an oil I have come to love. I'd recommend giving it some time to age if you don't like it at first (though if you don't want to wait you're welcome to send it on to me ). As you can probably see, it's incredibly difficult for me to describe, just like a woman should be. Snow White really embodies what I love most about BPAL - that they are more than a perfume company; that they can capture an idea in a bottle. Way to go on this one Beth! I hope the princess continues to return next Yule!

In the imp: Popcorn?!? Whoa. -sniffs again- Damn, that's a new one for me. I guess this is the salty 'tears' part. Wet, on: Still very popcorn-y, but now with a strange sort of bubblegum note lurking in the background. Dry: The popcorn note gradually fades over fifteen minutes or so, becoming more of a suggestion of saltiness in the background. Meanwhile, the bubblegum scent gets much stronger, eventually dominating the blend. It has a sort of citrus-y edge to it that I assume is the grapefruit, though it smells more lemon-y to me. It's a very pink sort of scent... youthful with a bit of a bite. If this is the scent of vampire tears, then the vampire is a five-year old chibi vampire sniffling into her pink jumper. When you reach out to comfort her, she wipes her nose and manages a weak, fanged, smile, promptly latching onto your hand, somehow managing to remain cute while draining the blood from your thumb. Overall: Not at all what I would have expected from the name, but kind of a fun scent, and very fitting for Shojo Beat. It's even got a strangely comforting quality, even during the popcorn phase. I wore it to bed the other day and fell asleep huffing my wrist (not an easy position to sleep in!). I'll use my imp, but I don't need a bottle. Edited for spelling. ><

I would have to second everything ymmat said. I didn't think you sounded unsympathetic at all, and I appreciate that you are looking out for other BPALers with allergies. You brought up some good points that I hadn't previously thought of. -nod- On that note, I will try to get an email out to the lab today inquiring about peanuts.

I'm absolutely sure that you are right. There are very few companies that are willing to make the guarantee that a product will always be 'free' of an ingredient, and I have no doubt that cross-contamination can occur with limited equipment, regardless of how careful they are. That having been said, I personally feel safe enough to order from the Lab just as I feel safe enough to eat some foods that don't specify that they are absolutely peanut-free. My only truly severe allergy is to peanuts, and I feel safe ordering from the lab because I have never seen a blend with a 'peanut' note, am technically not allergic to good-quality peanut oil, and due to the nature of the business I imagine that the Lab maintains better cleaning practices between blends than might be found in other products. For me, the risk is worth it, but I imagine that a possible cross-contamination disclaimer might be a good thing for the Lab to put somewhere on their website. I guess my idea of having a sort of list was less for people with life-threatening allergies and more for people with milder allergies (ie rashes), so that people can come and say "I know I have a problem with almond/jasmine/etc, and this blend made me itch even though it doesn't have it as a listed note. If you have a problem with ______, you might want to avoid this blend too." However, after reading your post and thinking about it, I do agree that such a thread could potentially cause problems for people with more severe allergies. I would be interested to know if the Lab has any sort of comments on the allergy issue, though, particularly regarding the likelihood of cross-contamination.... let me know if you hear anything! I will also email the Lab this week and ask specifically whether they ever use peanut oil so that I know for certain whether I and others with peanut allergies should be concerned about that.

Oil Age: 8 months; 5ml bottle In the Bottle: Jasmine! Dashing out and trampling all the other scents. The woods make the jasmine very dry, but I can't distinguish them from the flowers. On: The jasmine in Mata Hari continues to be aggressive and assaulting. This stage has a lot of throw and is very strong. I can occasionally smell the vanilla and what I assume to be tonka, but likely only because I'm looking for them. It takes at least an hour on me for the jasmine to exhaust itself. Then the throw decreases until I can smell the jasmine only near my wrist. About an hour and a half to two hours after application, the jasmine is gone completely: utterly spent. At this point, the scent becomes a sweet, rich vanilla... almost exactly the scent of whole dried vanilla beans. It's very dark and delicious, and very much a 'skin scent'. This is the part of Mata Hari that I love... it's seductive and rich, but still sophisticated. This Mata Hari doesn't throw herself at men, but seduces them with her gorgeous looks and sophistication. Sadly, by the time she reaches this stage, I can only smell her with my nose against my wrist. Summary: On me, this is a distinctly two-staged scent. The first is all about the jasmine. Even the rose, which I usually amp, is nowhere to be found. The second is pure, dark vanilla beans. I love it, but can't smell it without huffing my wrist. Verdict: Mata Hari is a scent that I don't dislike, but also don't really like. I think I'll have to pass on jasmine blends in the future. Edited to add: My boyfriend, who bought this for me, made a nasty face for the first time in my BPAL history when he sniffed this in the bottle. Edited again: I smelled some Jasmine SN at Whole Foods today and realized the funny sour rose I thought I was smelling was actually jasmine! Oops. So That essentially changed my whole review.

Just wanted to put my two cents in... I went to Whole Foods today and picked up a bottle of Jojoba oil as well as some little vials (including some appx 4ml rollerballs). Just attempted my first dilution, and am extremely pleased with the results. I also have no trouble getting the rollerball to roll with the jojoba oil! I used the following proportions: 2 ml Jojoba Oil .5 ml Mata Hari (a stronger scent, IMO) The throw seems somewhat less, but the scent is otherwise unaltered. The rollerballs cost me $1.19 at Whole Foods, and 4 oz of pure jojoba was $10. I was able to pick up plastic pipettes at Sally's Beauty Supply for 69 cents each. I will edit this post if I have any problems with the rollerball leaking, since the jojoba + Mata Hari combo is pretty thin. -goes to make labels- ETA: Also made a rollerball of Sundew, but that one isn't as strong as Mata Hari... I'd estimate I used about a 2:1 carrier-to-bpal ratio on that one. Update: I haven't had problems with the rollerballs leaking in my purse, although I have noticed that I get a LOT more oil with one swipe if the vial has been upside down. Additionally, although the oils mixed well at first, Mata Hari seems to have separated out and I'm getting the 'lava lamp' effect. Rolling and upending and righting the bottle has had little effect. Strangely, this is happening only with Mata Hari.

Just wanted to post as someone with nut allergies who is amassing a little box of BPAL's. I'm severely allergic to peanuts (read, life-threatening) and also allergic to almonds (including sweet almond oil). I have had skin reactions before to almond oil (damn Nair!) but they have not been serious, so my approach so far has been to scan descriptions and reviews for almond notes before trying a scent and otherwise hoping for the best. I am happy to report that I have had no problems so far, and thought I'd post of list of the oils that seem to be almond- and peanut-free in my experience: Sundew Mata Hari Lick It One More Time Snow White Kitsune Tsuki Amsterdam Lurid Vampire Kiss Szepasszony Wanton Baghdad Snake Oil I wonder if it would be possible to start a separate thread for people with known food allergies, as opposed to contact dermatitis/headaches/etc? That would make it a lot easier for people with serious and known allergies to find one another and provide info. Maybe we could compile a database of sorts so allergic people don't have to bug the lab as much for ingredient info? Edit: Forgot something.

Sundew is a hard scent to pin down for me... it's more of a 'feeling' than a combination of specific notes (at least to my inexperienced nose).. but then again, I think that's kind of what BPAL is about. In the bottle Sundew is sharp, green and yellow. Almost too sharp.. I guess this is where the 'carnivorous' part comes in. On, and drying on my skin, it rapidly loses that sharp edge, becoming a soft yellow floral. It reminds me of a gift shop in the summer, for some reason. Sometimes I can catch a whiff of that sweet, almost melon-y scent... it's like the floral hits immediately, but the sweetness sticks in the back of your throat, almost like an aftertaste. On me it has very little throw - I have to get right up to my skin to smell it. It seems to be fading rapidly, too.. I don't think this will last very long on me. Over half an hour, Sundew settles into a very clean, floral scent, almost a little soapy, like someone that's just gotten out of the bath. The sweet note is still there, but barely, clinging onto the end. It's very springy and airy, perfect for summer. This is an everyday pretty sort of scent. Definitely one that I could get addicted to! My only issue with Sundew is that is has a very short life on my skin - after an hour I have to have my nose to my wrist to smell it, and it's gone by lunchtime. That said, I'd be more than content to slather it, even bathe in it! Overall, I'd describe Sundew as a sweet, pale yellow floral.. a nice, clean skin scent. If it were clothing, it'd be a yellow checkered sundress, hanging out to dry in the breeze. Very pretty! Edit: Sundew is tied for my all-time favorite BPAL. It really does smell like sunshine, and reminds me of Bear's name for me, which translates to "the sound of sun shining on water". While I may love a lot of scents, Sundew is completely and undoubtedly me. Color association: Yellow!