terrenity

A new year's blessing! Peony, China's national flower, with bamboo for flexibility, plum blossom for perseverance, courage, and hope, tangerine for wealth, orange for happiness, lychee for household peace, pine resin for constancy, golden kumquat and quince for prosperity, narcissus and King mandarin for good fortune, peach blossom for longevity, oakmoss, plum, and tobacco for stability, and a splash of blazing red of dragon's blood... to help you scare away the rampaging Nian. (Disclaimer: I've been sick this week, so my sense of smell isn't what it usually is.) In the bottle: Very reminiscent of Earth Rat! It's the same fizzy-fruitness-with-floral-undertones. Actually, I would be hard-pressed to tell the two apart in the bottle. Drydown: Ah, now I can see the differences. It's becoming less fizzy and the plum is definitely giving this a rounder, richer flavor than the melon in Earth Rat. That said, it's still pretty clear that they have similar notes. Dry: The longer this sits on my skin, the more the florals come out. The peony in particular is actually dominating the scent, with the other notes providing a sweet, soft background. Plum is there only as a sort of aftersmell, lingering in the back of my throat. It's very feminine and pretty, and much more muted than Earth Rat. Where Earth Rat is the boisterous celebration of the New Year, Earth Ox is the soft rituals and prayers for good luck. This would be a great scent for special occasions; I think it would be particularly suited for weddings. Overall: Although this isn't at all what I was expecting (a fizzy plum), it's still gorgeous and definitely in the same vein as Earth Rat. I'm very glad to have a bottle, though I don't think I need more than that.

Reviewed from imp, aged ~5 years. This is so not my usual BPAL jam, but wow... this scent is really pretty. On my skin it morphs quickly into a clean, clear aquatic, sweetened by what I'm almost positive is the sarsaparilla. Underneath is a little bit of the leather, salt, and patchouli, but my skin eats the base notes pretty fast (which is unusual). The throw is very clean and "round", it reminds me of beach glass. I can't see myself wearing this often (it's just not very "me") but I would love this as a room spray or a candle, especially if the base notes came through a bit stronger.

(A generous swapper sent this to me a long time ago, and I'm ashamed to say it's taken me this long to try it, because I was too afraid I'd love it and never be able to get more.) Decant: Surprisingly floral. Really not getting much vanilla here. I was so surprised that I had to come and check the description. On: Yep, there's gardenia. It definitely dominates the scent for the first hour, making BiggerCritters a soft and sweet white floral. Not much depth to it, but it's pretty. Occasionally one of the notes gets upset and fights back, threatening to go heavy floral or vanilla-plastic, but mostly it's behaving. Later: Eventually the gardenia and the vanillas give up and decide to be friends, becoming something very like honeysuckle. Throw is low, as it almost always is on my skin. I never detect the grapefruit, but it's possible that's faded with age. Overall: This is really really pretty, but the overall effect on my skin is something I feel like I could duplicate with something much less HTF. I think I can probably find it a more loving home.

Decant: white chocolate. I can't really pick out anything else. On: Aw man, betrayed by my skin chemistry. Coconut turns into a giant waxy monster and eats all the marshmallows and chocolate. Now he's hanging out fat and happy and I smell like tropical chapstick. Someday I'll find a marshmallow scent that works on me.

In decant: caramel! And a little smoke? On: This reminds me so much of Red Lantern! It must be the caramel and red mask. Strangely, I usually amp red musk like crazy and anything sugary goes to plastic, but somehow this is really working. Unnnff sexy smoky caramel musk is right!! I've tested half a dozen blends this weekend but I think this one takes the cake. I want to smell like this forever!

Decant: Florals (ylang-ylang is strongest to my nose), pine, and snow. Delicate and feminine. On: I don't often order florals because I find them to be incredibly hit or miss on me. This one is really pretty though... I think the pine and frost are really helping it to behave on my skin. I'd put it in a similar category as Snow Bunny, but Snow Maiden is much more delicate and less "pink". If Snow Bunny is one of those lady olympiads with the perfectly curled hair that somehow looks gorgeous even after slaloming down a hill in the freezing cold, Snow Maiden is the fairy that bestowed these magical powers on her. This is a scent for wearing with your pearls, ladies!

Normally I stay away from the chocolate box scents because the lab's chocolate note tends to go powdery on me, but I took a chance on a decant of this on a whim... and can I just say, it was worth it. Decant: Strawberry and white chocolate. This is so realistic that my husband was able to ID it immediately on a blind sniff. Ugh I want to eat this so bad. On: Thankfully, this stays pretty true on my skin. Like Strawberry Moon, it doesn't last too long, but it's delicious while it does. Love!

2008 version Decant: Vanilla, butter, rum?, and caramel. Hubby says this smells like coffee and I can see where he's coming from (it reminds me of Miskatonic U). It's very deep and caramelized... not at all the buttery-fluffy-white I was expecting. On: Skin chemistry strikes again! All the depth goes out of this and it ends up smelling like a vaguely plasticky vanilla. Womp womp. I'll be passing this one to my husband.

(Hard to believe this bottle is six years old...and that I never reviewed it!) Bottle: Pine, snow, and a little bit of cedar. On: Like most of Beth's snow/pine blends, this one remains pretty true on my skin. It's soft and a little bit sweet. This smells like a log cabin at night in a quiet, snowy forest, where the moon is out and everything is sparkling and silent. Pretty. Later: The grassy notes amp up a little over time, making this different from some of the otherwise comparable Yule blends. It's a dry grass, though, sweet and little spicy, like hay. With the woods it's almost cologne-y (in a good way!) sometimes... I feel like I catch a different facet of this every time I sniff. The throw on this is super low on me (less than 3 inches), and it's fading fast - my skin seems to be eating it. I'll have to try this on my husband, or in a scent locket, before I make a final decision.

(I'm trying to go through and test all of the bunches of imps I have collecting dust. Not sure of the age on this one but I'd guess about five years.) In imp: Super sweet, golden, a little bit plasticky? On: Until this exact moment, I didn't realize the common denominator in Alice and Bengal that makes both of them go to sticky plastic on me... it's honey. There were a few glorious minutes when I put O on when it was all golden syrupy honey, but now it's teetering on the edge of plastic again. It's so so close to being awesome. The sillage is definitely better than the up-close wrist huff, but I can't decide if it's actually good. Since I also smell plastic in the imp I think I can chalk this up to a double failure of both my nose and my skin chemistry. This is triggering a super strong memory of testing Bengal in the dark of winter when I was in college... sitting in a cafeteria grabbing a late dinner and cup of crappy hot chocolate, surreptitiously huffing my wrists to see if I still smell like spicy plastic. It's snowing outside, One Republic is on the radio, and I'm doing the crossword in the school paper. I've never had a BPAL trigger a memory of another BPAL before! Verdict: Probably the swap pile. Too bad... amber, honey and vanilla are some of my favorite things!

(Reviewed from imp, at least 5 years old) In vial (blind sniff): Sharp, green, and masculine. Something here is very pokey but I can't place what it is. On: Warms and mellows quickly to a soft, resiny pine. Wow, this has aged fabulously, yum. It's sweet and a little spicy (it reminds me of cola for some reason) but still bright. This feels like it could be a Yule blend. Maybe like Snow Bunny's brother? Not strongly masculine though - definitely something I would rock on a cold day. It's surprisingly awesome!! Verdict: Keep! If my pine-loving husband doesn't steal it, this might go into my holiday rotation.

Does anyone know if the Lab's amaretto note has almond in it? I know not all brands of amaretto liquor are made with almonds, so I was wondering if blends with amaretto notes might also be almond-free? Edit to Seajewel: Just wanted to chime in that I'm allergic to most jewelry too (exceptions so far are platinum, titanium, and sterling silver), and I've had zero issues with my clocket (which I bought about three years ago).

Disclaimer: This imp is at least 3 years old. In imp: Aquatics and green musk. Very soft and clean-smelling, reminds me of some aquatic-themed B&BW shower gel I used to have. Looking at the notes I'm actually not sure where this is coming from...I'm not getting the fruit at all. This would be a really nice spring/summer scent when you just want to smell like fresh laundry! On: ...and it's gone. If I get reaaaaally close I can catch a whiff of freesia and musk, but for some reason my skin just ate this one up. Guess this is one for the scent locket! This one has been on my wishlist essentially since I got into BPAL because of the "clean laundry" comparisons. I never would have guessed it from the notes, but this one really lives up to its reputation! I'm sad that my skin eats it, but I think it'll be lovely in a scent locket for summer. It's clean and refreshing but not soapy. If this is what aliens smell like, sign me up!

Imp: Syrupy, sweet peach! This is sweeter and deeper than other blends with peach/apricot notes that I have - possibly partly due to age. On: The peach blooms and then starts to slide into apricot territory - a bit "drier" for lack of a better word. Clove pokes its head out but isn't sharp or dominant at all - more like clove oil than dry cloves. I would call this a "skin" scent - it's soft and round and unobtrusive, as if you just naturally smell fabulous. Lovely. I think this will only continue to age amazingly, too. Average throw and lasting power on me.

Imp: Syrupy, sweet peach! This is sweeter and deeper than other blends with peach/apricot notes that I have - possibly partly due to age. On: The peach blooms and then starts to slide into apricot territory - a bit "drier" for lack of a better word. Clove pokes its head out but isn't sharp or dominant at all - more like clove oil than dry cloves. I would call this a "skin" scent - it's soft and round and unobtrusive, as if you just naturally smell fabulous. Lovely. I think this will only continue to age amazingly, too. Average throw and lasting power on me.

Imp: Sugar with a touch of slightly medicinal smelling red fruit (cherry?). I can smell the candy/marshmallow note in here that does weird things on my skin.... On: Within seconds of hitting my skin this blooms into... plastic. Something floral (probably dandelion) is waving in the background, trying to be seen, but the plastic is so strong I can hardly smell anything else. 20 minutes later: Somehow this morphed into a soft, sugary marshmallow scent, with the dandelion flitting around it. I have never, ever had a blend that's gone plastic turn back on me before, what a nice surprise! Unfortunately the throw is incredibly low - I have to have my nose within an inch of my hand to smell it. It's pretty enough but between the low throw and the plastic phase I just can't see myself reaching for this often. Swap pile!

Am I the only one that gets vetiver from this? O.o Maybe that's just how my nose is interpreting moss... In the decant, and wet: EEKVETIVER. (or something like it.) Drydown: Praise the BPAL gods, the vetiver-ish smell fades, leaving a faintly sweet aquatic note. It reminds me a bit of Sarah, in that it's very atmospheric, and also shares that low, cool, sweetness. Unfortunately I think my skin chemistry has eaten up the foresty-green notes; I feel like I'm not getting the complete picture here. I'll have to sneak this one into Giteone's imp pile and see if it works better on him. Overall: Pretty, evocative, and unique, but not really me. I'm glad I had the chance to try it though! ETA: Interestingly enough, I don't amp the rose in this one. Huh.

Phew! I admire your rigorous testing Apple! It's interesting that you found Bordello and Prunella to be closest - both of those go very off on my skin, where Lovers does not. Amazing how different skin chemistry is! Did you ever try Castitas for the vanilla part? I keep asking only because it has rice flower, cream AND vanilla in it, and that makes me feel like it might be pretty close (though I've never tried it m'self). Other than that I'm not sure what else might work... The Girl is probably too musky (and I bet won't be much easier to find than Lovers in six months), Detestable Putrescence is probably TOO vanilla-y... maybe Sachs? I'll have to sniff my decant.

Popping in to say that The Girl smells like a cousin to the Antikythera Mechanism, or even Inez, on my skin. It's sweeter and more vanillic, but they're definitely related. The vanilla in The Girl also smells a bit like Dorian to me, so maybe layering the two would produce a good likeness?

Venneh, I would say yes. I had to do the same thing a few years ago when I was still living on campus, and everything was taken care of! I would e-mail them about a week before you head home if your package hasn't shipped yet, and repeat if it hasn't shipped a week before you move back, rather than sending them one e-mail with the dates you'll be in each place, as I'm sure that would be difficult for them to keep track of.

Wow, I'm so glad you found something that works! I wish Prunella had gone that direction on me. I tried layering with Agape, and unfortunately found it too be a bit too fruity and heavy to work well. It completely overpowered Kitsune-Tsuki. I suspect that the best possibility for the vanilla portion might be Castitas bath oil, since it has both vanilla and rice, but since I've never tried it I can't actually testify there.

ToT 2009 In the decant: Of the many, many BPAL blends I have sniffed, I have never had one that made me gag. Not even outright repulsion. But Trick or Treat literally had me fighting to keep my waffles down. Couldn't close the decant fast enough. Apparently creamed corn + candy corn = gag reflex for me. After a break, I decided to try it on, and steadfastly avoided sniffing it until it was dry. Aaaanndd... On: Skin chemistry strikes again! This is pure cinnamon on me. No corn. No sugar. Just cinnamon. And what's even weirder is that it's fading fast, which never happens with cinnamon on me. -head scratch- Overall: Hehe, this was worth it just for the experience. Can't say I will ever be wearing it again, though. I'll pass this decant on to a more loving home.

I don't know how bad of a death note jasmine is for you, but I can't smell it at all in Kitsune-Tsuki. I actually had to look it up after you said that, because I went, "Wait, which one has jasmine?". Anyway, just thought I'd throw that out there. I haven't tried all of the ones you've mentioned, but here's my thoughts on the ones I have: Bordello: Much to my surprise, this blend actually went awful on me. I think I amped the wine. A lot of people love this one and have commented on the prominent plum though, so it might still work for you. Dionysia: I STILL can't quite pin this one down.. I actually just put some on so I could compare for you. The plum is definitely there, but somewhat subdued by the woods and resins. It's a bit more tart than most of Beth's plum blends. It's very pretty and you should try it if you like plum, but to my nose it isn't very similar to Lovers. Prunella: I had to go try this one too. Poor thing has been languishing untried in my imp box. And... damn, I'm amping the wildflowers (which are surprisingly green and stemmy and pretty, but not what you're looking for). If you already have some, you might as well try it anyway though. I don't know if you've tried Makhanitis (also from the past Lupes), but it's probably the second-plummiest blend I've come across (the first being Kitsune-Tsuki). The plum is a little deeper than Kitsune-Tsuki, so it might work well for layering if you can find some. As for the vanilla part of layering, I think Lyonesse and Dana O' Shee are both good candidates. Mouse's LST is super sweet to my nose. Agape might also be a good choice (it's got that creamy, soft vanilla thing going on), and shouldn't be too hard to find on the forum, but I'll try some layering experiments with it this week and get back to you.

Mm, I love Lovers in a Ricefield too! Unfortunately I haven't really found a twin in the GC. Kitsune-Tsuki and Mme Moriarty both have the same plum note, to my nose, but Kitsune-Tsuki is bright and fruity and Mme Moriarty is deep and sexy, whereas I find Lovers to be soft and sweet. Maybe if you layered Kitsune-Tsuki with lots of something with soft vanilla (Castitas?)? Ivyandpeony, thanks for mentioning Soothing System! I've been trying to get my hands on some Gluhwein but was afraid that the cinnamon would amp on me (like it always does). Sounds like SS is the perfect remedy.

In the imp: Spicy-sweet cocoa. -salivates- Normally I don't do foody but this is gooood... On: It takes about thirty seconds once this hits my skin to go from total delicious-ness to all cinnamon, all the time. I can literally smell it changing with each sniff. I amp cinnamon like whoa, so I should have known better. It is a pretty nice cinnamon though, as far as they come. It reminds me of Christmas. Later: The cinnamon finally mellows out and I can smell cloves too, with a touch of sweetness. It's also a little dusty, which is making me scratch my head. Giteone thought it smelled like old potpourri. Overall: A perfect example of skin-chemistry fail. But I bet this would be delicious on someone else!