Laurel the Woodfairy

Yay! I get to try the decadence-in-a-bottle! Stardust is dark yellow in the vial--somewhere between gold and amber. Whoa, hairspray! I've smelled white musk before and thought, "I guess I can see how people compare that to hairspray" but this time it jumps up and screams it. Lord, this scent is loud. The notes don't stay in place, either--it's as though they're on and off a dance floor. After the hairspray leaves, the sweet florals--tuberose and ylang ylang--come out to disco. Then they back off and the jonquil jumps in to the party. There is a mere wave from sandalwood. I think the champagne was drowned out by everything else; I can't find it. This a great conceptual scent--all these crazy notes gyrating together. I *might* wear it clubbing, or I might pass it on to my wild-child sister. Now I have "(My Girl Wants to) Party All the Time" stuck in my head. Uh, great.

Ok, I love Northernminx's review and can't top it, but I'll add my two cents! Because I was thinking "lemon", I was surprised at how sweet Snow Angel is on me. It's all peach and sugar with a hint of woods and Beth's snow note (although that's not listed). I can understand calling this Skadi meets Dorian...er, on the couch in the tea-room, no doubt! Snow Angel does "sparkle," like a winter version of Titania with peach instead of pear. I can't pick out any particular florals (a breath of sunflower, perhaps? something bright and happy), but the faint hint of tea is really nice. Yep, Skadi does Dorian. I like it, I do.

First of all, I love this poem. Love it. How much? When I was a child, I named my beautiful blonde Labrador Retriever after Annabel Lee. It's just always seemed so mystical and romantic to me. *whispers my darling, my darling, my life and my bride under breath* I love peony. But I dislike sweet pea and most lilies. Peony tends to get drowned by other notes, so I decided to wait for an imp of Miss Annabel. Yeah, I was right. Lilies and sweet pea. Too cloying for me. I am super-picky about florals, and this reminds me of Aeval, which also didn't work too well for me. I'm not getting peony at all, although Annabel swoons and dies really quickly, morphing from super-sweet to gone in a flash (which it appropriate, really). Well, I will share this with my sister (fellow Poe enthusiast) and see if it works better on her. It does suit the winsome character; it just doesn't suit me!

I was thisclose to buying a bottle unsniffed, since this poem appears in my very favorite Poe story ("Fall of the House of Usher") and contains many notes I love. But then I saw the heliotrope and decided to wait for an imp. Heliotrope is the only thing worse than jasmine on me. Beautiful color in the vial! Rich red/orange, like flames. Ooo, rose and orange together! Reminds me a little of Masquerade; this could have been Masque of the Red Death if this were the Poe stories series. The vanilla comes out under the orange for a sweet creamsickle effect. It keeps blooming into more varieties of sweetness. Sweet floral, sweet foody. But there is just a tiny hint of yuck-sweet that's got to be the heliotrope. It's not strong enough to prevent me wearing and enjoying the imp, but an imp is enough.

City in the Sea...what Pisces could resist that? Sounds like home to me. Oh, this is so nice! There's that cool ivy note I love, blended with aquatics. Whereas supposedly gender-neutral scents like Sea of Glass seemed really pretty masculine to me, this one really is neutral. Fresh and tangy, for mermaids and mermen alike.

This is one I just wanted to try because of the concept that goes with it, although I *do* like Zombi so the dirt doesn't scare me! Bright red-orange in the vial. What I get is actually more like patchouli and musk than dirt, with spices on top. It's nice, although I'm not sure it's really "me."

I think I had this on my to-try list because I have lately discovered how much I love ivy as a note. Ohhh, and that was a good call on my part! Ivy is the topnote here; green in an incomparably fresh way, "clean" but not like detergent. The lily is not at all sweet; I dislike the cloying lilies. Instead, iris and other fresh, light florals mix with the ivy. There's a translucent, slightly aquatic quality; I can definitely see this as the "ghost" of a bouquet of spring flowers. It's a little bit elusive; I keep dabbing and sniffing some more. Although the fragrance is different, The Ghost reminds me of The Dormouse in that I can (and do) keep slathering and it's never going to be too heavy. A great one for when you don't want to overwhelm people with fragrance, but just smell fresh-scrubbed and nice. A perfect winter-turning-to-spring scent. ETA: I realized that The Ghost reminds me of paperwhites, one of my favorite flowers because they *do* smell so clean, white, and fresh from the earth.

I love "Rappaccini's Daughter", but my budget was unwilling to let me buy a bottle when Beatrice made her debut. So I am delighted to have an imp at last! I expect it to smell "purple", like the deadly-beautiful blooms of Beatrice's familiar-spirit plant. Oh. Jasmine. My beloved rose never does this to me; this is my old nemesis, jasmine, popping out in the topnotes. Luckily, there is more to Beatrice: after a minute the soft spices come out, and there is also a hint of green. Beth has several slightly-powdery, slightly-spicy floral blends (Lucy's Kiss, Fleurs du Mal); none of them is a favorite of mine, although this is the best of the bunch. I'll probably wear it from time to time, but I'm glad I didn't go broke for a bottle!

Many thanks to Blood onmy hands for sending me an imp! I've been wanting to try this because my strategy for getting through the dreary winter days between holidays is many super-cutesy bath products. Yes, girliness = therapy for seasonal affective disorder. So I'll be using this in conjunction with my LUSH Snow Fairy and Snowcake and all those other goodies with "snow" in the name! I get an aquatic topnote (must be the snow) over the girliest pine ever. I didn't think it was possible; pine is a masculine note to me, but it's blended equally with something slightly sugary--can it possibly be powdered sugar? Skiing on a Candyland mountain with powdered-sugar snow! (Real pine trees, though.) Snow Bunny reminds me a lot of Ice Queen. A *lot*. The difference, which is subtle but definitely there, is the sweet note. I wouldn't have said berries, just perfume. It gets sweeter still on the drydown. Yep, this fits my "strategy" all right! ETA: I don't think anyone has mentioned it, but I definitely got ambergris on the drydown. Not a favorite of mine, although a good underpinning for sweet perfumes (adds depth in the basenote). Oh well, that means I don't mind having only an imp instead of a bottle, but I still like it quite well enough to use the imp up while the cold weather lasts.

OMFG, I want to eat this! This is possibly the yummiest foody scent I've tried yet (and it *is* a foody-foody-food scent). At first it smelled like an IHOP--all butter and syrup. A little weird to wear, although I wanted to dump it on some pancakes. However, within seconds it settled down and became infinitely more wearable. Still buttery, but with caramel--much like a Werther's Original candy (my swapper was nice enough to include one for comparison purposes). There's also a hint of the powdered sugar from Midway--in fact, Mitzvah and Midway seem like they would layer wonderfully. Verdict: I want to lick myself, so you know this'll be a crowd-pleaser.

Jezebel has one of my favorite Lab descriptions, hands down. How could I not want to try this one? Those are all notes I love, as well (especially roses and honey). Whew, she's a strong one! I get orange blossoms and honey barrelling out of the gate, er, imp. It's the lovely "O" honey, too; mmmm, sexy! No roses as of yet, but this is deliciously decadent...for the first few minutes. Then it goes, "ha! bye!" and disappears into powder with just a whisper of rose as it flounces out. Jezebel, you heartbreaker! Why couldn't you stay the way you started out? Alas, our new-relationship chemistry went pffffft in record time. *sigh*

I wanted to try Languor because I know I love narcissus, paperwhite, and all forms of rose. Lilies sometimes work on me and sometimes don't, so it will depend on which notes dominate. On me: Weirdly enough, the answer is "none of the above"! I'm getting incense (opium) first, with just a hint of floral underneath. Sweet but a little bit biting. As the opium cloud fades, the lilies come out. They're ok but I don't love them like I love rose and narcissus--Pride is my perfect blend of both of those notes, so I'd best pass this one along.

Prague is the Old Country for me. I haven't been there (yet), but my maternal grandmother and her family emigrated from Prague to Chicago; the Czech Republic was still called Bohemia back then, and it is a big family in-joke that we are gypsies and artists by nature--ok, it was actually a merchant family but, y'know, Bohemians. *swoon* I've been to Chicago; the relatives are resting in the Bohemian Cemetary there. But Prague is where I really want to go, and I'll be taking this imp with me. It sits in my imp-house as a promise. Good thing I like it. Prague is an ever-so-slightly astringent floral, but that just means it's not cloying. It smells white, rather sweet, but complex. The undertone seems to be aquatic. This is romantic and beautiful, but with a fresh edge. Just the scent for a Bohemian girl selling armloads of pale spring flowers on a cobblestoned street (I don't know if there are cobblestones in Prague. Indulge me, ok?).

(Another generous gift from She Who Shall Not Be Named. I'm saving most of this for a time when I really need to be creative; I haven't had a chance to use it for intent yet. So I'll just review the scent.) I expected sharpness, possibly civet. Wrong, wrong, wrong. This is a cleaned-up, sharp-dressed Pan (every girl's crazy 'bout a...sorry, sorry; it seems to be inspiring me to be a dork). It's clean lavendar and subtle herbals. I know it's silly as hell but this reminds me of Mr. Tumnus from Narnia. A gentlemanly, English satyr. Gender neutral; everyone needs some inspiration!

I am mad for Milk and Honey, which was a gift from a Mystery Woman benefactress. It is one of the few oils that sits on my altar, for ceremonial use only. I expected "O"-like honey, and that's not it. This doesn't come off sweet at first; the topnotes are citrus-herbal. BUT, the drydown is gorgeous and brings out the essence of the blend--a creamy honey that you have to nuzzle your skin to smell. It's like wildflower honey; slightly herbal and clean in its sweetness, natural and beautiful. I've worn it several times now and gotten such a positive vibe each time.

I absolutely recommend Pride. I wore it when I finished my doctorate; it's the can't-touch-this scent. The description says "The scent of rabid hauteur: Moroccan rose and narcissus." It's feminine and very, very classy and professional (it smells expensive), but it absolutely screams, "worship this, bitch!" Can you tell I just love how uncompromising it is?

I've always loved Viola. Spunky little cross-dressing wench. Her scent is soft-spoken, more diplomatic and also more feminine than I expected. I get mainly lilac with a soft touch of rose--a faint sigh of a scent that does not assert itself. I'm glad I got to try this (thanks, lookinglass!), but it doesn't stand out enough to keep.

I got a bottle unsniffed for my sister as a Yule present--she's a vocal performance major, so Eurterpe is her Muse! I was surprised and delighted by the bottle artwork--a pale blue sky with fluffy clouds and a full-color classical Muse posed on it. Before passing the Muse along, I get to sample her, right? Right. In the bottle I smell pale musk and floral. On me, I smell a calm floral blend. Very serene. I can see how white musk could read as hairspray, but it's not that bad on me, just a sweet musk. No one note is jumping out at me. Euterpe is saying "be calm! I shall inspire you if you chill the f**k out already!" or similar. I hope Alison likes it...

A frimp from the Lab. I'm slightly surprised that the color is pale, almost transparent, despite the plum/black imagery the notes evoke--but then, my favorite plum-heavy oil is Queen of Spades, which is dark in color as well as scent. Whew, this is candy-sweet! Strong amaretto, which I really like, but it quickly becomes so syrupy that it's just too much for me. I can detect the wine note from Wanda--sweet and grapey--but it would need some spice or other balancing notes to calm it down enough for me to wear. I do like some sweet scents, but this is just a little too much. I wouldn't expect a bordello to be subtle with its sexiness, and this certainly isn't!

I had to have an imp (at least) of Polyhymnia, since--as a writer and literature instructor--she's the Muse for me! I'd keep this for inspiration no matter what it smelled like. Luckily, it smells good! Polyhymnia begins with clean, bright lemon notes that give way to a strong herbal base. I can just see her in her robes, saying "here! I will wake up your groggy brain with citrus and then get stern on yo' ass with some serious herbs!" or something like that. This reminds me of Arcana without the lavender. She will have a place of honor amongst my imp-throng.

A Lab frimp! I am very curious about Dirty--I generally don't like "clean" scents, but then I've really only encountered them in wax tarts like Yankee Candle's Clean Cotton and Fresh Comfort, which smell like dryer sheets. However, I love White Rabbit and *did* get a hint of something linen-like in it, so here goes nothing... Yep, this is that note from White Rabbit! I like it. It reminds me of Szepasszony, which is a clean white floral/aquatic. Dirty does have a wee hint of soapiness as well. I'd keep it if I weren't being ruthless with controlling my burgeoning herd of imps --but since Szepasszony does the same job for me I guess I'll swap it.

You should have heard the squees around here when I opened my package--I had asked for "Nice", so I knew it was a one in three chance or I'd be swapping. But sure enough, the Labbies correctly deduced that--surprise!--this Fairy wanted Fée like whoa. Super-cute label--the little imp with the costume halo. In the bottle, the sweet, juicy green honeydew is dominant. On me, Fée is just a riot of yum. As the honeydew topnote clears (I do think of it that way--like a sweet candied cloud dissipating in the sun), the sunflower and vanilla peek out. They are more subdued, more languid, but also more wearable. Bottom line: Fée smells like a hummingbird's dream food. It's the juiciest scent of all the BPAL I've tried; a great spring/summer scent for parties and good moods in general.

This was the one Demon scent I *had* to have, although I hope to gradually swap for imps of some others. As much as I love Poe, I'm more obsessed with the stories than the poems (when *that* series comes out I am in sooo much trouble!); my need for this scent was actually all about Tolkien. What with copyright and all, I figure this is the only Evenstar scent Beth is likely to do. The label is perfect for either meaning. *sniff* Oh, this is delicate, sophisticated, and beautiful--a slightly aquatic floral. I can smell the moonflower and lily (never smelled "fairy lily" before, but of course I am over the moon for that name!). It's warmer on me than I expected; for me this is a second-skin scent, even though it is not musky like most skin scents. I think it's a fairy or elf skin scent! It doesn't yell "I am perfume!"; it just smells soft and elusive, slightly sweet. It stays close to me even though it's rather strong (ok, I slathered, which helped). It "feels" like Midnight, but not so heady. You know what this is? This is a sex-in-the-moonlight scent. Silvery and magickal, but also warm and intimate--just like the elf-princess of your dreams would smell.

I was thrilled to have the chance to order Antique Lace when it was brought back--it was one that I hadn't really noticed when it first joined the catalog because the description didn't list notes; it just sounded as though it would smell "faded". But THEN I started reading reviews and hearing the buzz and hated that I had missed it. And now it's mine! And...OMFG, Pink Crack!!! Seriously, I was so bummed that Black Opal didn't really smell anything like Pink Sugar on me even though others had found similarities. But this--wow, this is a thrilling surprise! It actually does have the same powder/musk base notes as Black Opal, but it also has this gorgeous candy-vanilla topnote that I had hoped Opal would have and it didn't. It's more complex than Pink Sugar, of course, since this *is* a Beth creation, but it completely satisfies that craving and will layer over my Skindazzles Pink Crack lotion. My association with the name Antique Lace is that it would be a good wedding scent, but it's more fun and girly than romantic; it's more of a bachelorette party scent to me!

A freebie from the Lab! I am so pleased to try this, because it is not one I would order for myself based on notes, BUT it would be so cute to wear it when Brian is wearing Jolly Roger. In fact, just having this imp makes me want to finally get over to Joli Rouge, the new(ish) pirate/Goth club here in town, so I have an excuse to wear it. Obviously, I'm thinking of Anne Bonny more in terms of costumes, since my everyday identity is fairy rather than pirate. For some reason I was expecting rum, but on me Anne Bonny smells like...Cathedral, actually. Incense and sandalwood. But with a fresh, salty touch, like a big ol' wooden ship carrying a cargo of incense. It's really pretty masculine for me, so I might layer with something else to make it more "me". But I want to keep the imp because it is just such a fun identity to take on sometimes.