glass_cat

What a beautiful, warm, comforting scent!! I've been looking for some scents that still had a hint or two of the foodiness I fell in love with over the colder months, but were a little lighter and springier now that it's warming up outside. Milk Moon fits the bill perfectly. I had hoped that it would when I ordered it. The dominant note for me is of course the milk itself, but I'm also getting a lot of the sweetness of the figs and the honey as well which makes this scent feel very cheerful. However, it's tempered and kept from being too sweet by the tartness of the pomegranate. This is comforting, joyful, unique.... lots of fun yet still very grown up. This will be something I reach for often over the spring and summer when I need a change from the light florals and aquatics I usually wear when it's warmer. I see a lot of comparisons to Eden up thread, but it doesn't remind me so much of that personally. (That's probably for the best since Eden and I really didn't like each other much.) The scent I am most reminded of is actually White Rabbit. The milk note in that expresses itself very similarly to the milk note here in Milk Moon... at least on me. Just imagine the cleaner, crisper linen and tea notes replaces with sweetness by way of the fruit and honey, and that's how this smells on me. It's also very light and comforting in the same way White Rabbit was. Definitely in the same "mental scent category" for me.

This is one of those frimps that you get and actually put off trying because you're just that unsure about how it will work on you. Many times I'm pretty fearless with new scents and will be perfectly happy to wear one for the first time out of the house or around my boyfriend, but this one... when I sniffed it in the imp anyway... was a little more iffy, so I waited for an afternoon where I didn't plan on going out anywhere or spending time around anyone just in case. I'm not sure how to describe Brimstone, but I can start by saying that this is one of those BPAL blends that doesn't smell a thing like perfume. It smells more like an experience, or like a smell that just happens to be "around". Honestly, this one reminds me of camping and when I wear it, I feel like I've just gotten home from camping, or possibly hiking. It smells very much like an evening in the woods when it's maybe not so warm out... when you're getting ready to go to sleep and the campfire is nothing more than a ghost. It's very very smoky, and where it's not smoky, it's all woods and trees. Although I know it sounds like it would, this isn't something that blows you away or overpowers. It's just... there... and sometimes that's a nice quality for a scent to have. It's actually quite comforting in my case, since I have always associated the smell of campfires or fireplaces with comfort and warm feelings. Actually, it's bitter cold out today, grey, and getting ready to storm, so Brimstone really was the perfect scent to choose. This is not a scent I would have ever ordered on my own, except possibly for my boyfriend. I honestly can't believe I like this! If you had asked me if I'd like to smell like a camp site, I wouldn't exactly have jumped at the chance, you know? However, this is one of those things that sounds one way on paper and is actually something quite different as an experience. I doubt I'd "big bottle" this, since I somehow wound up with two imps worth of it in possession, and this certainly isn't an everyday scent, but this is incredibly intriguing for what it is and is definitely worth giving a try. If you don't like it on you, I could certainly see it making a very nice room scent.

Oddly enough, the first thing that came to mind when I smelled this on me was a post I made in a thread here where people were talking about what their BPAL box smelled like. I talked about liking the smell of mine a lot and wishing I could find a blend that smelled just like it. Winter of Our Discontent is very close to that scent. I originally talked myself out of buying this when it was originally available from the lab, but I recently won a bottle on eBay, so here it is in my collection anyway. Winter of Our Discontent is really one of those scents that shouldn't work well on me... like... at all. Predominantly this is a very woody blend, and I even get a hint of pine from it, and normally pine and I can't stand one another. However, the woodsy and foresty notes in this are nicely tempered by the myrhh, the spiciness of the cloves, the sandalwood, and that lovely smoke note that simply makes so many of my blends for me. I even get a faint hint of something floral, which I'm happy for. It keeps it from smelling too much like something I'd rather smell on my boyfriend than on me. In fact, the longer I wear this, the more the florals drift to the top and beautify this. It's so lovely and comforting and warm. I'm actually quite sorry I didn't have this in my collection over the winter. It would have been just the thing to reach for around Christmas time or on cold, snowy days indoors. However, it isn't so characteristically "winter" that I feel like I can't wear and enjoy it now as well... especially on rainier, cooler spring days. It's incredibly comforting, unique, and beautiful. I'm so incredibly grateful I was able to acquire a bottle.

I'd really been sorry that I'd missed White Moon when it was originally available from the lab, so I was thrilled to recently win an eBay auction for a bottle of my very own. This is indeed a lovely scent. I see a couple of people comparing this to Asphodel, and I can see why since the two certainly fit into the same mental category for me. However, Asphodel to me has a green, fresh, rather springy undertone to it that White Moon lacks... at least to my nose as it smells this blended with my skin chemistry. White Moon actually smells "white" and feminine and gentle to me. The florals are definitely dominant in this. I smell the lily and violet right away especially. I also get the musk in the background deepening this and adding complexity to its overall floral tone. What is really selling me White Moon and setting apart from the other white florals I own is the fact that it smells vaguely "sugared" to me... almost vanilla-esque but not quite. Perhaps it's the phlox? I understand it can do that to a blend. I love white florals as it is, but when they contain anything that is sugary and soft as well, I melt. White Moon is just beautiful. I'm so glad I won this bottle. I can tell it will be a spring/summer staple without a doubt.

I was still pretty new to BPAL when the last batch of Halloweenies was available from the lab, so I've sort of been into dropping by eBay now and again and bidding on bottles of various LEs that I've since really regretted not buying at the time. Pumpkin Queen was thankfully one of the ones I actually won. I just received it in the mail today, and since it's actually very chilly and even snowing out although it's April, I figured it would be just the thing to reach for today scentwise. This scent is simply heavenly... really. It's actually in the same mental scent category as Shub for me, although there are enough differences to give Pumpkin Queen its own identity. This is one of those ones that perfectly blends foody and feminine for me. I can very definitely smell the buttery loveliness of the pumpkin and the gingery spices. I also smell quite a bit of citurus in this... probably orange. I normally don't much care for orange notes, but I am really loving the one in Pumpkin Queen. It just goes so well with all the others. I also smell something rather floral in here. Are there florals in Pumpkin Queen? I honestly don't remember, but that would certainly explain the very feminine, elegant feeling I'm getting from this in equal amounts as the fun, happy, Halloween feeling. This does really embody Halloween for me... perfectly in fact... but not so much that I wouldn't wear it any other time. Actually, unlike some of my other foody blends, this is light enough and pretty enough to wear year round I think. My fiance and I were planning on getting married in Vegas this summer, but yesterday we decided we'd rather do Salem. I was kind of up in the air as to what BPAL I could wear that would be feminine enough for a bride, but would still kind of tie in to something I relate to Salem. I'm thinking that unless some lucky BPAL really blows me away between now and then, Pumpkin Queen is going to be it! Seriously... I love this so much, I want to get married in it. Literally.

Hmm... I'm really not sure what to think of this scent or what to say about it. I can tell you that when I first swiped a little on, all I could smell... and I do mean all... was nail polish remover, and I don't mean in that "hmmm... someone must be doing their nails at their desk" kind of way. I'm talking about feeling as if someone doused a rag in nail polish remover and was holding it over my face trying to smother me with it. That was probably the first time I'd tried on any BPAL blend and actually seriously thought about washing it off. It was that bad. However, I let it linger a little while because it sounded like a morpher from the other reviews I read, and I figured it would eventually change into something else if given a proper chance. It did change after it had been on maybe ten or fifteen minutes and ultimately decided it wanted to be something fairly pleasant... a gentle bouquet of dry hay, grasses and light florals mostly. It does call up the mental image of a hayride or a day at the county fair, and those are extremely pleasant images for me. The drydown of this is pleasant and comforting enough that I can see wearing it occasionally... probably often enough to eventually finish my imp... but I do wish that first ten minutes or so of wearing this wasn't so positively nauseating. This would be terrific on the right person I'm sure, but it just isn't "me" enough to make the bottle list. Scarecrow is nice for what it is though. In it's favor I will also add that I was feeling extremely upset and agitated over some paperwork issues before and the drydown/developed phase of this is making me feel 100% better as we speak, so this is definitely a comfort scent. Scent is really a powerful thing.

I'm another one for whom Ides of March was an impulse buy. I was initially not too sure about it, because when I see the word "cologne", I automatically tend to think "masculine" and masculine scents really don't win any points with me. However, I couldn't resist the description and the concept. I was really sold on the fact that this is based on an actual ancient perfume recipe. (Plus, I figured that if I didn't like it, I could always trade it or give it to my boyfriend. He was more than happy to take De Sade and Casanova off my hands.) Ides could certainly be worn by a man quite comfortably, but I would label this scent as more unisex than anything else. It's very fresh, very invigorating, and quite herbal... a perfect blend to help ring in the new spring season. It does call to mind what I imagine in my head when I try to think of what people might have worn in Rome back in the day. I like very much how the herbacious and grassy tones of this are tempered with a little bit of floral. It makes it "pretty" enough for me to comfortably wear it, and that is what's really selling me on it. Mentally, this is in the same category as Tempest, which is one of my top favorites. I like this very much, and I already know that I'll be reaching for it often over the coming spring and summer months. Ides is the refreshing scent of the first new, fresh, green growth after a cleansing rain. How could I not like it?

Not that anyone really needs to say it again, because I think we all more or less got this impression from this blend, but.... yeah, this is patchouli, patchouli, and more patchouli. This is definitely not one for you if you hate the smell of patchouli or can't stomach blends that have a fairly dominant patchouli note. I'm personally one of those people that can take patchouli or leave it. I don't love it, but it doesn't completely destroy a blend for me either. In addition to the patchouli, I also detected a little greenery, some vetiver, and lots of smoky incense. Coiled Serpent definitely seems like a meditation type blend, as it calls to mind exactly that. This definitely would not have been a scent I'd choose on my own, just based on the site description and other people's reviews, but that's exactly the reason frimps are so awesome. I would have been worried it would be way too hippy-ish for me... and it is hippy-ish... but actually, as someone else up thread said, Coiled Serpent is more grounding than anything else. I don't know that this is something I would reach for to wear to the mall or out to dinner, but I could certainly see me putting it on to relax before bedtime, to do some writing, or to meditate. I actually wore it the other night as a bedtime scent and my boyfriend really loved it... he loves "dirt" smell... and also requested to be allowed to wear it himself sometime because it smelled "kind of like one of his". (That would be the vetiver, since I primarily choose vetiver or cinnamon blends for him.) I doubt I'd get a bigger bottle of this since I really only do that with blends I can see myself wearing "all the time", but I definitely like this scent well enough to finish up my imp when life calls for such a scent as this one.

I was initially a little nervous about ordering Red Lantern because of the coconut note... coconut and I have a 50/50 chance at best when it comes to really getting along... but ultimately I couldn't resist giving it a try and tossed a bottle in a cart just before the Lupercalia scents came down. I figured at worst I could trade it for something I like better at some point down the line. However, upon actually making this the "perfume of the day" so I could test it properly (since today is my anniversary and I knew my boyfriend would love this on me) I can tell you that Red Lantern won't be going anywhere. This actually smells to me like the exotic lovechild of Miskatonic University and Perversion, if scent comparisons to other BPALs are in order. The buttery caramel foody notes that I liked in Misk U are still very much present in Red Lantern, but the woody dustiness is replaced by that beautiful smoky opium note I love so much in some of my other blends, and the coffee note is replaced by something much headier and boozier. On me, I get only a hint of the coconut, so it actually enhances the scent for me instead of ruining it as it might have if it were more prominent. Lantern as a whole experience is very seductive, very exotic, and very comforting all at once. It does summon to mind images of an opium den full of intoxicated, barely conscious gentlemen reclining on sofas and exotic, scantily clad beauties drifting about the room like shadowy ghosts. Very nice! Definitely a keeper.

I just got my bottle of Pride in the mail today, and honestly... all I am thinking right now is "why didn't I buy this a long time ago". I will admit that I've been hemming and hawing about trying this for a while now, and I held off because I have so many rose scents already, but I finally gave in and tossed a bottle in my cart the last time I made a visit to the lab. I'm so glad I did. Really, this scent is exactly what I hoped for... both from my own mental impressions of what it would probably smell like and from reading other people's reviews. It's a very heady floral blend, so if you can't handle those, Pride is not for you. (I, on the other hand, love them so it's perfect.) Most predominant is a very bright, very juicy rose, but the narcissus is very definitely there, giving it that little something extra. I also think I smell something a little green in there... but I'm not totally certain because it's underneath the floral bouquet deepening it more than anything else. Because of the headiness of this, I didn't have to apply much... just a dab or two from the cap more than sufficed... and it has a lot of staying power. Pride is the very epitome of... well... pride! This is an extremely haughty scent fit for a sophisticated woman who's a little on the vain side, who loves to be admired, and who is maybe just a little bit gaudy at times. I will jokingly admit that description actually kind of fits me, so I'm not surprised that I like this scent so much. It's very vampy and very sophisticated in equal amounts, and it actually reminds me a lot of Black Dahlia which I liked for the same reasons. Honestly Pride is more like what I wanted Whip to be... it makes me feel very sexy, very confident, and very very flirtatious. I can see myself eagerly reaching for this on the same days that I reach for my blood red lipstick, my curling iron, and my red strappy sandals this summer.

I was so excited to see this appear in the general catalog. I've always loved the idea of the poisoned apple from Snow White, and I've been looking for a BPAL scent that was really very apple, so I went ahead and ordered a 5mL of this to add to my collection. I expected to like this, but I didn't expect it to be as unique as it is. In the bottle, I smelled a very strong, juicy apple note. Not quite the "red delicious" smell I was imagining in my head when I ordered this, but more the tart "Granny Smith" variety that I actually prefer for eating because I personally like less sugary apples. I could also smell a little of the sleepy opium note that I've come to love so much in so many of my other BPALs. After putting some on, the apples really bloomed into life and ripened up a bit. They're juicy and tart... so much so that I can actually almost taste them. I also clearly smell the smokiness of the opium, which I was hoping for. In the background there lurks a very faint earthy note that gives this a lot of depth, as well as something that smells quite herbal and perhaps a little poisonous. Perhaps that's the hemlock making an appearance. After this is on a bit, it sweetens up considerably, but remains beautiful... very much so. This embodies the idea of the poisoned apple extremely well... better even than I thought it would. It also dries down to something very pretty and feminine... but feminine in a "mature and sexy" way as opposed to an "innocent little girl" way... so I can already see this becoming one of my "all-purpose" scents. It has the fresh juiciness I favor in my springtime scents, yet it has the dark sleepiness of the opium in it as well, so I could just as easily see myself reaching for this at bedtime or when it's cooler out. Overall this is yet another masterpiece to Beth's credit. Bravo!

Actually I was totally thinking about this the other day! I'm getting married this summer in Las Vegas actually and I've noticed that since I got into BPAL, I'm really particular about matching scents to occasions and such. Naturally I've given what BPAL I will wear for my wedding a lot of thought. Right now, my personal first choice is Lucy's Kiss. That one for some reason really makes me think of brides... really clean, "white", classic, and feminine all at the same time. "Clean florals" tend to produce a "happy" feeling for me anyway. Runners up, as of right this minute are Hope, Faith, Juliet, and Sea of Glass. Antique Lace would be in there as well, as I personally think it's an excellent choice for a bride, but I wear it to bed so often I now associate it with sleepiness and actually start to get sleepy every time I wear it.

My springtime scents? Envy Juliet Asphodel Lorelei Sea of Glass Tempest Lucy's Kiss Amsterdam Mock Turtle's Lessons I can also see Hope and Faith carrying over into spring and summer for when I want something sweeter. They're probably my two current favorites. I also ordered a bottle of Ides of March in my last order intending it to be my "new treat" spring scent. I haven't tried it before, but it sounds wonderful.

What a lovely scent this is... and how fitting a tribute to Eris! The predominant note in this for me is apple, which is appropriate because, if memory serves, Eris sows discord by throwing magical apples kind of like some screwed-up version of Cupid. I also smell two notes that I can't quite put my finger on, but they are complete temperature opposites and also contribute to the Eris homage. One is a warm, almost buttery note that I have also noted in Bordello. The other is something cool and fresh like an aquatic floral almost. Overall, this is very pretty, almost impish scent, and I like it very much. It will also make a nice transitional scent for me to enjoy as winter continues to become spring here in New England. Eris is too similar to other scents I already own bottles of for me to want to bottle this one as well, but it's just beautiful. I will definitely be finishing and savoring my imp.

I knew I would love this scent when I took a whiff out of the bottle and tested a little drop upon receiving my twins yesterday, but I wanted to wait to write a review until I have given Faith a proper wearing as I did with Hope last night. Faith is every bit as beautiful as her sister Hope. Really... I am incredibly impressed with the beauty of both of these blends, both separately and as a pair. They really are the perfect florals, and I can imagine even people that think they don't like florals would be able to fall in love with these. Faith seems to me to be a very sugared lavendar-colored blend. The violets are there and make themselves known, but as with Hope, there is delicious, velvety vanilla creme note that is equally prominent. It blends with and balances the floral perfectly and again causes me to wonder whether I would rather inhale the skin right off my wrist or gobble down huge bites of it, because it definitely feels like one of the two if not both. Also like Hope, Faith sticks around for a very long time without morphing too much or becoming really loud or overpowering. She's perfection. I can't sing her praises enough. I swear... that Beth is a genius. Honestly people... at least try Hope and Faith. Even if you think you don't like florals. I think they would especially appeal to the same crowd that loves Antique Lace.

I'm one of those people that tries to avoid ordering too many LEs. I'm so afraid I'm going to fall madly in love with something, run out, and be stuck pining for it forever more. However, if I stumble across one that I just can't handle skipping, I'll make an exception. How could I not make an exception when I read the descriptions for Hope and Faith?? Sugared rose and sugared violet? It's like my wildest BPAL dream come true. I decided to try Hope first, and let me tell you. I cannot stop huffing my wrist. I've been doing it all damn day. I probably look like I have some kind of weird muscular tic that I can't control. This is probably the most beautiful BPAL rose scent I've ever smelled, and I've certainly tried my share and loved more than a few of them by now. It's exactly what I was hoping for. Hope is so simple, but so beautiful and perfect in that simplicity. The rose note is lush and tart, and it is blended with this beautiful, creamy vanilla note that just turns it positively heavenly. I don't know if I want to sniff my wrist or devour it... maybe both! It also stays very true and wears for a long time. It's feminine and delicate, yet comforting and inviting at the same time and in equal parts. Overall Hope is a real winner that I would best describe as a foody floral... right in the same family as Antique Lace for me. It's perfect for any occasion and any season. If Hope's sister smells anywhere near this good, I can see where I'm going to have to stock up on back-ups for when the Carnival moves on.

Of my favorites, the ones that have the most throw on me are easily Black Dahlia and Tempest. Both of those work wonderfully with my skin chemistry, but geez... if I don't apply really sparingly, there's no fixing the situation. I don't personally mind being overwhelmed by the smell of my BPAL (sometimes I even find it strangely comforting) but I doubt other people feel the same.

The scents I reach for the most often when I need comforting are usually White Rabbit, Tezcatlipoca, Antique Lace or Miskatonic University. I suppose they're all a bit "foody" in their own ways, but I suppose that's what most often spells "comfort" to me.

This was another freebie from the lab for me. I'm beginning to really look forward to the frimps as the best parts of my orders, because really... BPAL's catalog is so huge that I never can recall all the scents. There are a lot that show up that don't even ring a bell with me, and Centzon Totochtin was one of those for me. I was completely intrigued when I read the description though, so I'd been looking forward to a chance to try it. I'm getting where I really have a tendency to compare new BPAL scents I try to others that I already know and love, and if I were to do that with this blend, I would describe it as the love child of Tezcatlipoca and Bordello, two of my all-time favorites. The dark cocoa in this is just lovely, and the sweetness the wine and dragon's blood notes add to this is a lovely compliment to it. It's something I would recommend to people who enjoyed Tezcatlipoca but didn't feel it was feminine or sweet enough for them. I'm not sure what exactly this scent has to do with hundreds of divine rabbits, but it's lovely and very unique, which is always a plus with me. I'd bottle it if I didn't already have similar scents in bottles already.

I definitely agree with what others are saying when they describe this as "a complex scent". It is that, but it the loveliest way. I get so many different things from this. The vanilla, honey, and cherry make this sweet and pretty, but the cloves, poppies, and resins make it mysterious, laguorous, and quite a bit sexy. I am really liking that combination... a lot. I can pick out each and every one of the notes, but they blend together perfectly. That's exactly what I like to see. This scent is incredibly wearable, very very "me", and really different from any of the other BPAL imps I've since upgraded to bottles with. As my collection grows, it gets harder and harder for me to become really enamoured with a new scent, but this one stands a chance. The more I smell it, the more beautiful it becomes, and I could easily see a 5mL of this making it into my next order. It's a masterpiece that I already know I'll be reaching for often.

The ones I put on for bed more often than not are either incense-based or somewhat foody. Those seem to do the best job of soothing me and making me feel relaxed. I think right now my favorite bedtime scents are Antique Lace, Miskatonic University, Rose Cross, or Eat Me. I also just adore opium-based scents when I want to wind down... Opium Poppy and Languor especially.

Both Undertow and Belladonna were very "wakey-wakey" for me. In fact they were both so bracing that I rarely wear them for any other purpose. Whatever works though. I also really like Envy and Mock Turtle's Lessons. Actually those are two of my very very favorites. They make me feel alert and awake, but are more wearble in my opinion than the first two I mentioned.

I absolutely love strawberry scents in general, so I of course have really been itching to try a BPAL with a dominant strawberry note in it. Plus, I adore the name of this. I consider myself to be the walking, talking definition of a bon vivant, so it easily made it into my cart the last time I placed and order. This is very very sweet and fruity... very. If you are one of those people who hate sweet and fruity, stay away from this. It's not your friend. However, if you actually prefer that the way I do... especially if you like very girly, cheerful blends... you might like this one, too. It kind of falls into the same mental family as Juliet actually, even though I wouldn't really say it smells anything like it. It does smell like a lot like champagne to me. It actually even smells "fizzy" although I can't imagine how anything could actually do that. The strawberry is definitely there, but it's extremely sweet and carries with it an undertone of something that smells almost foody... more as if I am having the champagne with a strawberry tart or strawberry cookies instead of actually eating fresh, juicy fruit. That's not a bad thing at all though. Overall, I really do like this scent, and I'm glad I went for the bottle right away. It certianly isn't for everyone though. Definitely one of those blends that's either you or it's not.

This is another blend where I just went straight for the bottle, not knowing how in the world I could not like something with that incredible list of fresh-smelling notes. I wasn't wrong either. This blend is beautiful and smells pretty much the way I was expecting. At first sniff, I mostly smelled the apple and the watery aquatics in this, but as with so many BPAL blends, after I put it on and gave it a chance to evolve and become what it wanted to be on my skin, I could smell everything listed to some degree. It reminds me of sipping a chilled apple martini on the beach scent-wise, and it is evocative of the conversations on the beach between the Mock Turtle, the Gryphon, and Alice by the water in Wonderland. This scent is everything I look for and hope to find when I order new scents to take for a spin. It's clean, crisp, and juicy yet is still very pretty and unique at the same time. The notes are easily identifiable, yet they all blend together beautifully to create an incredible olfactory experience. Mock Turtle's Lessons is the kind of scent people get a whiff of and say "mmmm.... what is that". Who doesn't want that reaction?

Mmmm.... "Splendor" indeed! This is a lovely scent. Very fitting to represent one of the Graces, and one I can definitely see myself reaching for frequently when the spring and summer months roll around again. Lately I've gotten quite a few peach-based scents frimped to me from the lab with my orders and this is another one of those for sure. The peach and the musk are probably equally dominant for me. The peach makes this seem festive and merry while the musk deepens the blend and makes it seem almost opulent. I also smell the amber after this has been on a little while and that lends this a warmth and a sunniness that is quite cheering. Overall this is a blend that makes me feel cheerful, beautiful, fresh, and elegant all at the same time, and that's a combination that spells a winner for me.