Laurel the Woodfairy

Well, I can't really add much to that! Library has the remarkable "old books" smell from Misk. U., but without the coffee and with the addition of musk. I found it a little odd...I guess, as a grad student, I associated the smell of library books with coffee-fueld all-nighters, so that seems a natural fit. I may or may not have done anything naughty in a library ( ), but that's not a smell I'm really seeking.

I didn't participate in the Inquisition this go 'round, but I was curious about this scent. I got to test it recently, and it reminds me of Storyville--a rich, resinous, 'red' scent. Passion seemed to have more...well, I thought it was patchouli, but that's not in the notes, so I guess it's the musk combined with the ambergris. Anyway, it's one of the 'heavy' scents--that is, strong base notes, rich/warm middle notes, but no light/floaty topnotes that my nose could discern. I like the whole family of scents*, as a general rule, but Storyville is the sexier of the two to my nose, and I have that one. *I think of it as the Snake Oil family--all the musk/resin/sex ones. Of those, Snake Charmer and Storyville are my most beloved, while Smut was a bit too much for me.

I managed to snag an impling of Ingenue at last, thanks to the generosity of a dear Forum friend. I immediately shared with my ingenue sister, and my quest will continue for more, now that my appetite has been whetted! Melon and violet are a lovely combination--juicy but delicate. The rose and wood drydown is just beautiful; I am always and ever rose-crazy, and the added "freshness" of the green notes is delightful with the melon. I have never understood why this gorgeous blend disappeared from the GC so quickly; I put it on my wishlist when I first arrived in BPAL-land in '04 and then it was gone before I could order! Bring it baaaaack!!!!

I nearly died of when I saw Madeline was one of the new scents--as excited as I was about the Maelstrom, I whined and bitched bitterly in my heart that her brother was there but she was missing...as elusive as her wraith-like presence in my favorite short story. Of course, in the story, Madeline returns with a vengeance, so I shouldn't be surprised she's finally here...and with my two favorite notes, rose and ivy, no less. I want to try all the new Poes, but Black Lace and Madeline were the two that could not wait and caused me to break out the credit card. And she was worth the wait. On me, Lady Madeline Usher is swooningly gorgeous. She also seems to have rapaciously snatched notes from a few well-loved blends to take to her grave: she opens with that gorgeous Dublin white rose, the ivy adding an extra touch of fresh florist-shop cool greenery reminiscent of Rose Red. Then the earth notes creep softly forth, and combine with the rose for a fresher variation on Zombi. And there's just the faintest hint of tea...fresh, clean, green, earthy is she, but with my precious rose for added beauty. Hers is the scent of a grave overgrown with roses and ivy, yet the earth smells fresh--newly dug up by its fair occupant?? At long last her bottle sits beside Usher's in my BPAL box, and they are at peace. (However, I don't think they would layer terribly well, which is a shame--no incestuous scent-twin shenanigans for a Poe-tic finish.)

This made me giggle. Beth is such a cutie. I do agree with White Light or, for a GC, Water of Notre Dame--it smells like soft, comforting sunshine to me, and it's a Voodoo oil for calm/peaceful feelings. I love it.

I couldn't believe it when I saw that my Black Lace bottle had already arrived!!! I rarely buy bottles unsniffed, but this was a must-have. What kind of lousy Victorianist would I be to miss out on this? I opened it and went "oo! aah! oo" for several seconds before putting it on. The opening notes were a touch sharp (almost like violets, oddly enough, but I think that's the cotton) and my boy said it smelled more like 'traditional' perfume than most BPALs. However, that was just while wet--Black Lace immediately began to settle into the most *gorgeous* combination of vanilla-musk-cognac-tobacco all perfectly swirled together! This is the scent that pops into my mind when I hear the words "Bourbon vanilla"-- it sounds like vanilla with a boozy edge to it to tone down the sweet. It is *crazy* to me that Beth was able to capture the vintage-y quality of a classic perfume AND, at the same time, this delicately-foody aspect. It honestly smells *old* but in a completely great way--as though the notes have melded together perfectly over time. Black Lace will hold a place of honor next to Havisham in my BPAL chest, for she is the foody sister of my girl Miss H. Two very fine Victorian ladies indeed.

Ok, finally got my grabby little hands on Swan Maiden, and Holy Wow! As I said in my review, "This reminds me of Yankee Candle's Wedding Day scent and also Estee Lauder's Beautiful, even though I know that those both contain roses and Swan Maiden does not. I guess it's just the "mood" of all those scents--a big, fabulous bouquet of white flowers says "wedding" to me. I will have to share this with my sister who is getting married next June; she may very well want to wear it. It's heady and romantic and ultra-feminine. Bride perfume with BPAL style!" I suggest all BPAL brides who are going with a traditional big-white-dress sort of wedding should go out and beg, borrow, or kill for some of this.

Thanks to the wonderful Crimescenecleanup, I now have Swan Maiden! I would have sworn, on first application, that it contained moonflower, as it reminds me of a sweeter version of my precioussss Evening Star. However, I think it's the combination of gardenia and lily producing that effect. This reminds me of Yankee Candle's Wedding Day scent and also Estee Lauder's Beautiful, even though I know that those both contain roses and Swan Maiden does not. I guess it's just the "mood" of all those scents--a big, fabulous bouquet of white flowers says "wedding" to me. I will have to share this with my sister who is getting married next June; she may very well want to wear it. It's heady and romantic and ultra-feminine. Bride perfume with BPAL style!

Vampire Tears smelled very strong and herbal to my nose, almost like grass, even though that's not in the notes. A little sharp for me, but appropriate to its name. It evokes throwing oneself onto the grass and crying!

Midnight Kiss reminds me strongly of Vice on first application--chocolate-covered cherries! However, as it settles, it's boozier, brighter; patchouli and the grape note from Wanda start to dominate. A fun, young scent, and perfect for the Shojo Beat fanbase.

I so adore the character of Yvaine that I was inclined to put her on my wishlist right away; however, the notes made me pause. I like lavender very much in all its sharp herbal glory ( ), but its "mood" is really different from soft, sweet magnolia. When I got to test Yvaine, that was indeed my impression--really sharp lavender, with the magnolia fading out and going rather powdery. The notes didn't really "get along" very well for me. So, I will always think of Evening Star as Yvaine's scent--it's one of my all-time OMG-Loooooove scents, and the name is just as fitting.

Many thanks to Shollin for letting me sniff hers! I've been curious about Black Widow forever, mainly because of the name. It struck me as an upscale "perfumey" scent, due to the florals. However, it also had very definite black-cherry overtones, which surprised me. It was a dark red scent, if that makes sense. I'd buy at least an imp if it ever came back, but now that my curiosity is satisfied I won't be overly heartbroken if it's gone for good.

Got to sniff this yesterday--I adored the coffin box, which had a lot more heft to it than expected. The scent itself was much sharper than I expected, and had a strong edge of cedar. Not sure why, as cedar isn't listed in the notes. There was a definite floral bouquet in the background, which seems to "bloom" nicely on some testers. For me, though, the overall impression was dry and sharp--perfectly grave-like, but not really my thing.

Cockaigne has been on my wishlist for awhile, so I was pleased to get to try it at the Meet n' Sniff yesterday. It was *nothing* like I expected--I hadn't read the reviews, but based on the description I for-some-reason thought it would be more subtle. Definitely nothing subtle here! Straight out of the imp I was blasted with ZOMG-BUTTER-RUM; very much like Grog, actually. I do like some foody scents, but this was too strong for me, perhaps because I wasn't expecting it.

Dorian is such a gorgeous Southern-sweet-tea + sexy musk scent that it's no wonder Atlanta girls like Andra and I love it. (To clarify: I was born there; I live in the Northwest now but will always be a Georgia girl at heart. ) My favorite tea blend of all, though, is Dormouse--peony and tea are two of my most beloved notes, but they are both delicate and inclined to be drowned out in other blends. With Dormouse I can smell both distinctly. It occurs to me that tea notes are universal favorites in my family. My Mom wanted White Rabbit as her first big bottle; she loves to wear it for teatime. My S.O. loves Usher--it's all citrus tea on him, and smells really clean and elegant without any of those "ick" notes that he hates in most non-BPAL men's cologne. I've passed my bottle on to him. I've smelled Severin and liked it, so I have some on order for him. I think of Dorian as utterly gender-neutral (but hottttt on guys!) whereas Usher and Severin have a...I believe it's a fougere?...which makes me like them on boys. Honestly, seeing "tea" as a prominently listed note is a big incentive to me to try a scent. However, while I *like* green tea (as in Embalming Fluid or Gennivre) and white tea (as in Kumiho), I *love* black tea. That's always the winner for me.

Have you ever tried Beltane? It has a "green" bouquet feeling to me. Of course, nothing approaches the chilled beauty of my lady Havisham i.m.o. How I wish it would come back...my bottles are getting as elderly as Miss H. herself. I agree with you that Rose Red is the right "feel"--it truly says florists' to me. Maybe layer it over Grandmother of Ghosts? Ok, now I have to try that.

I hereby bump this thread in Kebechet's and Puddin's honor and declare that ALL of the pirate scents would be great for weddings! Aaarrr! ETA: and in other news, I'm maiden of honor for my sister's wedding next spring, and over the holidays I want to sit down with her and have a solemn look through the catalog since--you guessed it--I want to give her some bridal BPAL to wear on the day. I've given her tons of imps over the years, but I don't know that there's any one scent that's right for the big day. I will probably wear Litha since it's in mid-June, but she's a wild-card (and wild child--y'all should see the gown she designed! I'll post pics when the time comes). Havisham remains my favorite, and I'd wear it if I were the bride, but for a 22-yr-old Bohemian girly like my sis...hm, I wouldn't be surprised if she got out the Glitter I gave her back before it was discontinued. /end ramble ETA: Also, a little thread housekeeping! Years ago I compiled a few of the more wedding-related GC scents, and for some reason stuck it in the general wedding thread (which is now approx. 5 million pages long). It should go here. So, here 'tis: Queen of Sheba: {excerpt} In the end, the great king and queen conquered each other’s hearts and fell breathlessly in love: the perfect marriage of equals. Her scent is a bounty of golden honeyed almonds and a whisper of African and Middle Eastern spices. Delight: In ancient India it was believed that a specific combination of flower petals, when strewn across a couple's bed, would amplify desire and sexual pleasure. This blend is a blend of the same floral essences, refined into a gloriously sinful perfume blend. Frangipani, with rose, tuberose, and jasmine. (sounds very wedding-night to me!) Maiden: A gentle vision of purity, goodness and virtue: white tea, carnation and Damask Rose. Psyche: {excerpt} This is the scent of true love, your heart's deepest, purest desires. Bulgar rose, Chinese white musk, lavender, orchid and frankincense. Eternal: {excerpt} Though lovers be lost love shall not; And death shall have no dominion. Stephanotis, cyclamen, heliotrope, white rose and gardenia.

It's not only sexy, it contains RUM, and all rum scents are pirate scents!

(Tested at the home of lovely Portlander Darkitysnark) Oh, this is pretty. Reminds me of a more subtle, complex Lady of Shallott--gardenia and other sweet white florals with an aquatic undertone. Very pretty, rather light. More heavenly than un-, I think!

(Tested at the home of lovely Portlander Darkitysnark) Aquatic and…rocks. Seriously, wet rocks. I don't know what that mineral note is, but it's a bit like Tobacon Springs at Fantasy Bath, if anyone's tried that bath bomb. A cool, refreshing, gender neutral scent that evokes damp underground stone passages perfectly.

Hm, I haven't smelled Goth Juice (awesome name though!) but based on the notes, I'd suggest: Omen : oakmoss, juniper berry, myrrh and patchouli. Greed: patchouli, heliotrope, copal and oakmoss. I searched "oakmoss" because it seemed the tricksiest note; I think patchouli might "feel" a lot like hemp, so these two stood out for me.

Mystery!!! Of course, it's discontinued, so that's not much help. I hoarded an imp and wore it for my dissertation defense (b/c my subject was detective fiction), but I'm almost out now. Maybe if it's resurrected...? Nancy also strikes me as an Ingenue type, but again...discontinued. So...from the current offerings, I lean towards Black Opal. Very tasteful and classy, but "clean". It would go well with a sweater-set and pearls.

I am crazy for Helena Bonham Carter and her sexy-Goth Bellatrix outfit, so I want to dress as her and wear Bewitched.

Queen Gertrude, although I think it's technically wisteria, is the *only* BPAL that really "feels" like lilac to me...Dragon's Eye, although the lilac note is clear, is so much warmer w/ the dragon's blood, whereas Gertrude is all palest-purple clean floral loveliness, the way I think of lilacs.

March Hare, for sure. That would be spot-on. And you might like Depraved as well.