LiberAmoris

Gingerbread Poppet reminds me of the spices, sans sugar, that are added to gingerbread, except that I also smell a lot of cardamom as well. For me, the overwhelming note ends up being cardamom---which is great, as I love cardamom so much that I make my own garam masala. That involves roasting cardamom pods with a bit of oil before grinding them up, which makes my kitchen smell amazing for weeks afterwards. Like some of the other reviewers, GP irritated my skin if I wasn’t careful to apply it to the outside of my arm. I applied it once on my neck after a bath and it burned so badly that I had to wash it off and use an ice pack! Lesson learned. Poppet’s a great blender. My favorite recipes are: Poppet + Sugar Skull, Poppet + Sugar Cookie, Poppet + Rose Red (really!), and Poppet + O. I also tried it with The Lion yesterday and it was smashing there as well.

Visions of sugarplums dancing in my head! Midwinter's Eve is the same juicy berry from Jester and Bordello but with a dusting of holiday spices and the tiniest hint of cinnamon. It started out really bubble-gummy, but as it dried it got darker and more plummy. It did not end up being my favorite of the Yule LEs, but I like it enough to keep the bottle for those days when I feel festive and berrylicious.

Hearth was much sweeter than I expected from the description: more cherries for me than wood or tobacco. But I enjoy having it around for times like last night, when I craved something sweet but mellow on my skin to lull me into sleep. It’s sort of the fragrance equivalent of a comfort food dessert, like cherry cobbler. I did not find it as dimensional on my skin as the other Yule LEs, but it has a foody charm to it that I enjoy.

A chilly, bright perfume: flurries of virgin snow, crisp winter wind and the faintest breath of night-blooming flowers. For me, trying to describe Snow White is like trying to describe a winter flower from a fairytale---there’s just nothing to compare it to. Like the reviewers above (who’ve done a lovely job putting its power into language), I pick up on the buttery floral, the gentle tropical vibe, and the pastry/almondy/coconutty edge. And yet, it seems to me one of the most elusive BPAL blends I’ve tried, changing so many times on my skin that in the end I can only imagine an expansive field of untrammeled snow, broken only by pale yellow anemones. When fairies dance in the winter, this is the smell of the flower that springs up at their feet.

Before BPAL, I thought I disliked rose scents, having been scarred by a zealous junior high school teacher who had clearly burnt out her olfactory system after liberally dousing herself with a commercial rose perfume every morning for thirty years. She was a hugger, and hugged each student on their way out the door each day (she probably couldn’t get away with that in this day and age, but it was the sweetest thing ever). But BPAL’s rose blends are incredible, and Rose Red is no exception. It’s absolutely the truest rose I’ve ever smelled, and the addition of the greenery and a hint of berry (to my nose) rounds it out perfectly. When I wear Rose Red at work, people literally lean in to smell me as if I was the flower myself. It’s my favorite of the BPAL rose blends so far, and I’m so glad I got two bottles, anticipating my obsession with this blend based on last year’s reviews!

Cold Moon is gorgeous, frosty, watery, berried loveliness. I smell the same mulled spices that I got from Skadi, mixed with an aquatic floral that reminds me a touch of the Water of Notre Dame. It seems an unlikely mix, but the result is really unique and compelling. It’s perfect today, as it’s snowing up a storm outside (blizzard conditions!), but inside our apartment is warm and cozy. Cold Moon is that same combination of chill and warmth, freeze and thaw, blue and red, winter weather and hearth fire---that is a perfect partner to this season.

Like other reviewers, In Khephra I also smell frankincense and something herbal like lavender or chamomile. I also detect the spice, but it burns off quickly on my skin, less than a minute or so. I'm left with a warm, aura-ish frankincense, deepened with the herbal notes which give tension to the smooth resiny undertone. There's something dark at the edges of the blend which makes it perfect for the Midnight Sun. There is the feeling that the warmth has been over-extended. Like Aureus, this is a blend that imparts a near glow to my skin and makes me feel cosy and warm. Definitely a keeper.

Lolita smells to me like a lollipop. It's got sticky sweetness from the orange blossom and the fruity note from the lemon verbena. The heliotrope and honeysuckle add to the knowing innocence of the blend. It would be quite nice on a warm day or when I'm in a coquettish mood. Unfortuntely, my love/hate relationship with orange blossom will probably prevent me from wearing this on a regular basis.

On me Czernobog is musk, myrrh and eucalyptus. The eucalyptus (or whatever minty note) is strong at first, then burns off and it becomes a more peppery musky blend. Thankfully the vetiver is hardly noticable. I like the wet stage a lot because there is a thread of sweetness running through it. But when dry, it seems more traditionally masculine. I think I will try this on the boy and see how it works on him. He's currently comatose from eating too much Tofurkey so I think I will be able to sneak up on him and apply as much as I want!

There are very few BPAL oils I've tried that I actually wouldn't try again, but Serpent's Kiss is one of them. I'm sure this is heavenly on the right people (like the lovely people above) but I am not one of the lucky ones. I don't have that much experience with vetiver, so I'm not sure if that's the note that's the culprit, but on me this smells like a bathroom spray my ex-boyfriend used to have in his college apartment. It's not bringing back any good memories. I believe this is one I will give to a friend in the hopes of a better match.

Masabakes is a really complicated scent, difficult to describe and difficult to detect notes in. It's really well-blended. To me, it smells like plum incense or a bonfire made from cherry branches. It's a hazy, dark, fruity blend with a good waft. The currant comes out last for me and smells a bit like mulled wine. Quite nice.

Dear God. Iago is one super-sexy blend. To quote a dear friend: I think my panties just dropped. Iago's truly masculine. So masculine that I don't know if I'd want to wear it on a regular basis. Rather, I want to go find my BF and give him a good coating of it. Except I'd be afraid to let him outside with it on, as he'd likely get some offers from strangers! If dominance had a scent, this is it: musky sexuality, a hint of clarifying mint, the earthy grounding of vetiver, and the snap of leather that comes off the crack of a whip. Another one I never would have ordered on my own, but of course, BPAL knows best. Thanks for the imp, it will be put to good use.

Nyx is one that started off all jasmine on me. I like jasmine, but when it's the primary note, it's too sweet for me. Luckily, Nyx mellowed a bit and the rose came up to temper it. Overall, I think this scent would be nice when I go back to visit New Orleans, because it has a sort of sultry, nightclub vibe to it. I'll keep the imp and use it when I visit NoLA, and also when I want to amp up the rose/jasmine component of both Mata Hari and Nemesis.

Masquerade was an imp I was putting off testing because when I went through my initial uncork-n-sniff in the first raptures over my lastest BPAL delivery, it didn't smell promising. Of course, by now I should know that those ones are the FIRST ones I should try, as so often they end up being the ones I fall most deeply in love with. Masquerade definitely reminds me of Lush's Karma (which I love) but it's more complex than that. It's sort of like Orange Spice tea, only sexier. Like the name, it masquerades in the bottle. I thought it would be nondescript, a muddle of notes pulling in different directions. Instead, it's turned out to be a most harmonious blend of carnation, orange blossom, and patchouli. I have way too many bottles right now to be adding any more oils to my big bottle list. But when 'an opening becomes available,' I will be picking up a 5ml to have on hand.

Magdalene started off very green and sharp on me, then slowly mellowed into a balanced combination of rose and orchid. I don't think orchid works well with my skin chemistry because I had the same reaction to Queen Mab---it's lovely, I can see why others love it, but it just doesn't feel right on me. I think I might try burning Magdalene in my oil burner instead. And on a side note: This blend captures beautifully the mysteriousness and suffering of Magdalene.

Wow, Jester is one carefree scent. There’s something very simple and childlike about it. It seems unburdened of a complex array of notes. It’s very uncomplicated and playful. On me, it smells like strawberry-banana candy, and unfortunately banana is a scent I’m just not fond of. However, it captures the mirth of a jester perfectly. I think I'll hang onto this one and try it again in the summer.

Danube was a generous freebie from the lab and it absolutely knocked me off my feet. I've been looking for an aquatic that would sit right with me and stun me the way that some of the resiny and darker blends have---and this, along with the Water of Notre Dame, fits that bill. Danube for me is grapefruity, melony, with a tang of something in there that is riiiiight on the edge of being too much---it steps right up to that line and then backs off...and slowly melts away, leaving a shadow. The tangy note keeps it from being too sweet or too simple. It's plashy and fluid and bright, without drowning in the stock aquatic notes. It's just perfect.

The Apothecary was a freebie from the lab in my most recent order (thanks, lovelies!). I believe this thread has reached consensus on the herbal, green, mossy, hint-of-lemony aspect of this oil, and I don't disagree. It is definitely a triple-milled herbal French soap smell---totally luxe and ever so clean. I think this would be great if I was coming off of a cold or a flu, because it's so inoffensive and fresh. It makes me feel freshly-showered and pulled together. The fig comes out at the very end for me and the end impression is of a touch of lemon, oakmoss, and fig. It's really nice and I'll enjoy using up the imp.

Wet, Somnus was lavender and something kind of acrid, almost urine-like. BUT, that acrid note only lasted about four minutes on me before it melted away and then all it was all gorgeous lavender and soft roses. Totally relaxing and soporific. I don't normally have trouble falling asleep, but I am a restless sleeper and sometimes struggle to stay asleep when I get uncomfortable in the middle of the night. No such problem last night. I slept like the proverbial baby. I will use Somnus again---it's quite nice.

For the record, let me state that I hardly ever remember my dreams. So it was with a certain skepticism that I tested out Temple of Dreams last night. In the imp and on my skin it was medicinal in an herbal way, the way lavender smells a bit astringent and bracing. I also detected the lemon that reviewers mention above, which helped sweeten and temper it a bit. I went to bed at 11PM and slept for 13 hours. Not only did I have amazing, sensory dreams that seemed to span almost all of that period in 'real-time', but it was lucid dreaming, something I have done at certain points in my life but have been unable to do for several years. In other words, I knew I was dreaming when I was dreaming. At one point, I dimly recall thinking something like: I should wear Temple of Dreams tomorrow night, this is amazing! So I don't know if it was the oil or the power of suggestion, but I don't really care. Whatever it was, it worked. And now I have some amazing images to carry around with me today, like one in which I was able to look down 14 flights of stairs that cut through an apartment building to a subterranean world in which a group of nuns were carrying out some kind of rite on a unending line of grace-seekers. What this says about my psyche, I am not sure! But it was a really incredible experience and tonight I will be wearing Temple of Dreams again!

After all the discussion of Samhain as the BPAL oil to beat, I was eagerly anticipating trying it out. And fruitlessly attempting to manage my outsized expectations. When I opened the bottle, I instantly smelled what struck me a base of Dana O’Shee, with apple, pine and spice layered over the top. I diverge from the majority opinion on Dana; it does not do pleasant things on my skin and smells almost plasticky. So I was unsure about how Samhain would play out. On the skin, however, Samhain’s spice and apple came to the fore. The woodsy note burned off a bit and the almondy/milky/creamy note receded. I can almost detect a nutty component, which adds to the richness of this blend. It’s taken a few tries, but I really like Samhain! And it’s perfect for days like today when it’s gray and cold out—it’s like wrapping myself in a blanket. A comfort scent.

Gorgeous. Dublin is simply beautiful. A very green and red and white scent, lush hills and trees and berries with a drifting murmur of rose. There is something very Christmassy about it because of the alder (which smells more to me like a very mellow juniper/spruce) but it's also just foresty and fresh. I think I like this better than Val San Retour for telegraphing the feeling of walking through greenery.

This morning I had to get up at the crack of dawn so I thought it would be a good time to try Ra. When first applied to my skin, it smelled....green. It set me back because I was anticipating something that smelled the way I imagine the sun to smell: golden, yellow/red/orange and hot. But it smelled a bit like the inside of a dandelion stem, that milky verdant stuff inside the hollow stalks. Within a few moments it was already changing, and a citrusy orange and cinnamon warmed up a floral scent that I can't determine. It's really nice and very warming, a perfect embodiment of the rising sun. I will enjoy using up my imp on cold winter days when I need a hit of some solar power. ETA: Now that I re-read clover's post above, I can definitely smell the frankincense. Normally frankincense is not my favorite component, but here it's really nice.

Night-blooming jasmine, violet, and smoke. Morgause is very mysterious. If you like jasmine and violet but find that they are normally too sweet for you, this one might be a winner, as the 'incense' aspect blurs and darkens the florals, making them shadows of themselves. Very feminine and alluring, slightly dangerous, and compelling. It reminds me a bit of a hookah bar I went to last year. We mixed jasmine and violet tobacco for our table blend, and this smells so much like that spiraling, dimensional smoke. This isn't my absolute favorite from the last batch of imps I received, but I have a feeling it's the kind of blend that will grow on me.

As others have said, Sea of Glass is aquatic and salty like the breeze off the ocean. I think I'm picking up a handful of citrussy notes as well, and ozone. Very smooth and very fresh. Sea of Glass smells a lot like Tempest to me, only less chaotic and more peaceful. Like Tempest, it has that “this is what dryer sheets smell like in heaven” sort of vibe. A nice blend and one I will wear when I want to feel tranquil.