Iceblink

Lawn Gnome begins as a blast of oakmoss that quickly becomes a tasty blend of currant and molasses and vanilla--but it's never overly sweet or foody. The patchouli and oakmoss keep it earthy and and give it a darker feel than a straight foody oil would have. It doesn't have a ton of throw but it's very rich, and it's a nice way to wear some deeper notes even in summertime. Like it a lot, think it will age fantastically, and probably need a bottle.

Yesyesyes!! The Tiki bar series was a huge hit with me last year and this is so much like Blue Fire--gin and effervescent fruits! Smells like a delicious tropical drink (with an umbrella in it, of course). Just lovely and very refreshing.

Heavy, almost earthy milk--I'm guessing the myrrh here is giving the milk that almost gamey feel. Fig comes out more and more as it dries. Comparisons to Milk Moon are apt...also reminds me a bit of White Rabbit, but figgier, or a heavier Eden. Ultimately too sour on me, but it's got good staying power and throw.

Pink marshmallows, yes--but this is the marshmallow that goes all plasticky on me, alas!! Ends up as lightly sweet plastic.

Dark and vetivery, although the vetiver lightens after a few minutes. Then it's kind of men's deodorant-y on me. Nope.

This is gorgeous wet--plummy, ripe fruits...but as it dries the amber really takes over. I've had good luck with the amber/fruit combination with Florence but here the amber is just too much and it overpowers the fruits. Might work better on someone who can wear amber a little better than I can!

Spicy dragon's blood with a dark edge to it from the vetiver. One of those BPALs that ends up smelling of potpourri or scented candles on my skin. Alas! I do like the spiciness of it but it just smells a bit artificial.

Almost straight dragon's blood, with some flowers creeping in (although I think straight dragon's blood smells kind of floral anyway...). Getting sweeter and heavier the longer it dries. I must say that the color of this is just beautiful--a clear, bright red. Very alluring.

I tried this once ages ago and couldn't make up my mind about it so went in for a second try...and wow...this is quite beautiful to my nose now. It's on the sweet side--are there violets in here?--and sort of dusty/powdery, but in a pretty way. I don't get "green" from this, just lovely dried florals. Very nice!

Oh dear. How do you make a head-piercing salty aquatic even worse on me? ADD VETIVER. Nonono.

Incredibly herbal musky sage--this one smells very traditional-man-cologney too. I don't get much currant here--it's not sweet at all. Sage more than anything. The musk is reminiscent of that in Hunter Moon. This would be smashing for a man but not for me.

*sneeze* The wood in this is SO sharp and strong. I get mostly woods with a metallic edge, and sweetness from the pear. The overall effect is quite cologney and honestly, it's giving me a bit of a headache. Not for me although I do like the pear note--I can get that from Titania and Perilous Parlor if I need a fix, luckily!

Wow--crazy currant and rhubarb!! This is very tart and fruity. There's a darkness to it from the myrrh but I don't get any mushroom...granted, I'm just testing it from a sniffie but still, it's just fruitfruitFRUIT. Reminds me a bit of Jester with a darker edge.

Dark aquatic--if most aquatics smell fresh and clean, this one smells grimy and cloudy. Not giving me a headache like aquatics tend to do, though (must be the Lovecraft fan in me!). Not as strong as they usually are either.

Queen is major vetiver when wet but as it dries...chocolate?? It's very rich and heady. Actually this smells a lot like that mulch you can buy for your garden that's got cocoa in it--dirt and chocolate combined! Kind of yummy. Ultimately it's a bit too overpowering to wear, I think, but might be used in other ways.

Whew--*seriously* powdery gardenia. Follow Me Boy and Chuparosa come to mind but this is even more straight gardenia than those are. Not changing much as it dries.

Very light, very faint white flowers...and very fleeting! This might be terrific as a room spray, though.

Dessicated skin coated in blackened ginger, cinnamon, and mold-flecked dirt, with cumin, bitter clove, leather, and dried blood. This is much lighter on me than all those heavy notes would make me suspect. I think the ginger must be what I smell, along with a bit of dirt (which isn't overpowering like dirt tends to be in BPAL-land). Faintly sweet--is that the blood?--and growing increasingly spicy as it dries. Very, very odd mix of notes. This isn't terrible but it's very...weird. Interesting, though, very much so!

Wet: vetiverrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr! Nice vetiver, though. Dry: cedar!! And a faint hint of tangeriney citrus. Dry and tangy--not bad; not really me, but not bad. More of a masculine blend.

I've been retesting a few things that formerly went awful on me since I quit hormonal birth control, and jasmine is one note I've noticed smells a lot better on me than it used to *shock*. Twilight is quite sweet due to the honeysuckle but the jasmine still dominates; however it's a lighter, more pleasant jasmine than I used to get from blends like this. Have I turned a corner?? I do get a light lavender from this as well. Very pleasant; I don't think I'd wear this regularly but it's nice enough.

The first Strawberry Moon was all candy and sweetness on me; this new version is greener and fresher. Ripe strawberries out in the sun in a grassy field with a few dandelions blooming...this makes me want to go berry-picking!! I'm surprised that the greenness of it is so prominent. It makes this blend a little more grown-up and wearable than the previous edition. So perfect for this time of year.

Now this one is just lovely--nothing really leaps out at you here; it's very well-blended. I do get a lot of the vanilla and musk with a hint of anise but overall it's just a really pretty dark musky-sweet incense with a hint of spice. Very nice! A little heavy for springtime but also smells like it'll age well and be fantastic come autumn.

A really strong, sharp, vetiver that's very smoky--almost like vetiver meets Smokestack or Djinn. I only smell the slightest hints of orange and anise here and that only far into the drydown. No cinnamon, no teak. If you like vetiver then go for this but I'm amping it like crazy here and it's just NOT working.

This is a wonderfully sweet creamy tobacco when wet but as it dries it becomes smokier and kind of...bland. The final result seems to be a sweet smoky woodsiness that's inoffensive but just kind of...there. Faint, not much throw. Doesn't remind me of Pinched at all.

Rum-soaked cotton candy, boot-stomped licorice whips and circus peanuts, scorched marshmallows, a dribble of corn whiskey, cigar smoke, and greasepaint. Slightly boozy and *very* sticky-sweetly cloying. This makes me think of that awful fruit cocktail/marshmallow fluff concoction that people used to bring to church picnics back in the day. In the latter stages a slightly burnt/smokiness comes through. Interesting but I don't want to smell like a clown, so--pass.