Lunaratu

Ok, this starts out rather acrid on me which i'm guessing is the "herbal" part. I should know by now that things that supposedly are green and herbal severally dislike me at first and smell like sharp alcohol cleaner. However, after the first initial blast of yuckiness this settles down into a very fragile floral bouquet. It reminds me a little bit of dove or oil of olay soap without the actual soap quality. Just that very light pretty floral scent. and then it does turn into light soap. as if I just washed with a floral scented soap bar. not really my thing. I'll stick with carnation and jasmine as my florals thusfar. Throw: almost non existent--it really gets sucked into my skin. Rating: 2.5/5

So I got this for a friend of mine who adores anything to do with Julius Ceasar and was a Classical History major for undergrad--but I had to sneak a sniff before I gave it to her ^_~ Immediately on it reminds me of a sharp mixture between cologne and pine sol cleaner--I'm guessing this is the rosemary (lavender dislikes me as well so I wouldn't be surprised since they smell similar to me at times). I have to keep myself from running and washing this off since everyone else has said it settles down into something much quieter. so I wait and it does settle quite a bit. no longer roaring on my skin it starts to remind me of old fresh soap like colognes--something expensive a man might wear but not necessarily me. It's not me but I have a feeling it will probably be much prettier on my friend. Throw: Close to the skin but as you move you can pick it up slightly Rating: 3/5 (i.e. pretty enough but not me)

I am in love with this! It started out more sugar and something slightly metallic on me but as it sunk into my skin it became the most amazing sugary spicy confection imaginable. It's like sticking your nose right into a frothy open pink carnation with a bit of spun sugar veiling it. Pink Moon perked up my mood immediately and just made me so happy wearing it! I feel perfectly girly and still sexy at the same time. It is the perfect spring scent and this is my first lunacy! I am in awe and i know i'm definitely a bpal junkie now (as if I wasn't hooked already) ^_~ This is definitely the perfect scent to match spring and the nursery rhyme about how girls are made of sugar and spice and everything nice (and that we have the prerogative to be both good and naughty at the same time!). just fabulous and I recommend this to everyone! This is perfect and I actually did to friends the minute i put it on. Throw: I have this wonderful slight pink haze of goodness wafting around me. mm, yum! Rating: 5/5 (and I can see this only getting better with age!)

wet: this is definitely that pine note--but it smells almost evergreen type of wood more so than the pine. hmm.. dry: ok, to me this seemed to sweeten up a bit and smelled like ruby red grapefruit added in. however my friend insisted that i still smelled like i had rubbed my arm on a christmas tree. this lasted quite a bit and was both weirdly acidicly sweet and smelled like a christmas tree at the same time. either way = not really something i want to smell like so i think i'll pass. Rating: 2/5

ok, in the imp and on me this was all mint--like wintergreen gum or breath freshener mint. and it kept lasting and lasting. it was definitely a bitingly cold wind type of mint. made me not want to go near it on my arm. definitely not my thing. hopefully it will work on someone else. Rating: 3/5

Hi everyone, as long as I can remember my mom has loved this perfume called White Shoulders. however, it can be a little hard to find and i think it smells a bit like the ethanol which is probably mixed in to help it dry faster. I want to find a bpal oil that will work wonderfully on her in the stead of White Shoulders which (given that she takes a bath almost everyday because of a bad knee) she could also use to scent bath products as well. One other problem however: my mom is asthmatic and does not respond well to overly strong scents. For example, when I was in high school she really liked the scent of Hypnotic Poison on me but it was a bit too intense for her (and it's only three notes: Jasmine, Bitter Almond, and Honey). The description on White Shoulders is that it's a refined, flowery fragrance made up of a blend of classic florals including Gardenia, Lilac, Amber, Oakmoss, and Jasmine. I'd really appreciate some suggestions to at least get me started on my search. Thanks a bunch!

ok, when I first put this on it smelled very strongly of pumpkin--very buttery and round. However, as this settles into my skin it becomes very sharply citrus with the warmth of the amber and the spiciness of the ginger. It becomes a warm, but slightly sharp citrus, however. I want the round pumpkin scent back truthfully. I really hope this citrus scent backs off a bit again but I doubt it will. I'm newish to bpal scents so I'm still figuring out exactly what elements work on my skin. I like the ginger, I like the amber, and I want more of the pumpkin to come back out again. I do not like the sharp citrus, however, so in the future I'll know to stay away from a scent that has two citrus derived ingredients so as to avoid this overly sharp scent on my skin. Hold on--ooh, the citrus is backing off a bit and I'm getting this resinous gingery scent. There's still the citrus there but now that the other scents are coming back out and rounding out Pumpkin Queen I'm much happier now. This spicier scent is definitely nice for the wintery months--very warming. A Year Later: This smells almost like fresh-baked gingersnap cookies whenever I put this on my skin--buttery, warm, gingery, and rather yummy. Throw: Low Rating: 3.5/5

So I got this lovely little frimp in the mail with my recent order. first off I must describe that the oil itself is a dark pink, almost red color. All the other oils I have ever bought or gotten free imps of have been rather mellow in color--this is a beautiful jewel color. Really pretty so I had to try it out first. French Love is initially very sweet--like a burst of cherry or some such, but in no way lozenge type of cherry. It reminded me of cherries still fresh on the tree in the sunlight with a field of flowers nearby. However, the fruity sweetness mellows out and I'm left with this lovely almost heady scent. Definitely flowers in there but also some kind of incense--perhaps frankincense or myrrh (both like me). It creates a scent that is really beautiful. There might also be something like cinnamon in this, which I'm guessing is the dragon's blood from what others have said, because from time to time I'm getting a subtle little bit of spiciness--but still mixed in with a resinously sweet scent. French Love truly does smell very French--but like a French painting. It is classy, warm, sensual, and bright. Both resinous/incensy and sweetly floral at the same time, French Love is a complex scent that I highly recommend people to try. This is what I always thought Chanel #5 should smell like and it doesn't. In fact I always found the actual Chanel a disappointment--this doesn't disappoint and evokes that same flavor better than even Chanel does itself. I must admit French Love is bringing a smile to my face as I'm wearing it. Like walking along the Seine on a sunny spring day, or even an unnaturally warm fall day, with a new love, a flower behind your ear. This would definitely be a scent to feel very feminine and alluringly classy in. I can't admit to the voodoo properties of this yet but I'll make sure to try it out in a situation where I can soon. Throw: Low to Good Rating: 4/5

wow--you guys are amazing! you have made my job so much easier. my mom can sometimes be really hard to shop for and I was thinking of making lots of stuff scented like her favorite perfume. Now I have a place to start and everything! You guys have given me so many options that I have plenty of ideas to go with. Thanks so much!

ok, in the bottle this smelled pretty--very green with the underlying berries. however, when i put this on i couldn't escape from the fact that it strongly reminded me of first berry flavored alcohol and then hairspray. I'm allergic to aerosol so smelling that specific floral combination with the slight hint of berries to it that just reminded me of the stuff they scent hairspray with so it doesn't smell strictly like hairspray made me feel like my throat started to close up just because of the association. It made me very sad. Hope it works better on other people though! Rating: 1/5

Wet: This really reminds me of this lavender lemonade I drink from a tea shop near me. It’s very much that natural sprig of lavender in there that’s hitting me. Initial drydown: oh god, I reek of lavender. Eek! I mean, I’ll stick through it because hopefully it will die down but damn does lavender smell yucky when oomphed up to this degree. I’m wrinkling my entire face in disgust here. A few moments later: ok, ugh, I can’t keep this on. It’s making my eyes tear because the lavender is way too potent. I should have known about how much lavender hates me. People have given me lavender single notes before in lotions, etc., and it always became way too strong on me. And it is happening right here. Verdict: lavender hates me. I like it in the aromatherapy eye-mask my friend made for me (in which is the actual crumbled flower) but wow does lavender hate to be on my skin. It becomes overly medicinal, bitter, and astringent. Yikes. Ok, I go wash this off now before my eyes tear up too badly. Throw: very strong. I have my arm turned away from me and I only dabbed a tiny bit on my wrist and I’m still tearing up. Rating: 2/5

Wet: mm, ok I must admit that I work as a bartender to help support myself through college and dang if this isn’t reminding me of a buttery nipple shot (bailey’s and butterscotch liquor) and therefore also reminding me of these old butterscotch candies as well since that’s what the shot tastes like to me. The candy came in yellow cellophane individual wrappers and I don’t think I remember every knowing what the name of them were but boy do I remember the wonderful taste of them. Yum! Initial drydown: interesting. I’m getting a hint of something peppery coming through the sweetness so that it smells still like the candy/shot but with something else in there swimming around to give you an impish surprise. Hmm, I’m really wondering what this is going to finish smelling like… Hour later: still very boozy sweet with a hint of something that curls around in it like incense smoke. Verdict: yummy but a bit too boozy/foody for my tastes. Makes me very, um, well, lickable to tell the truth. Fun but definitely not an everyday scent. Oh boy. Rating: 3.5/5 Throw: low. It sticks close to the skin but by just waving my arm near my face I can smell it like wonderful rum-laced honey mead with that undercurrent of hazelnut-cream/butterscotch.

Wet: ok, on me my first reaction was “ick!” which musk can do from time to time (though I’ve only had very bad reactions with black/dark musk before this) Initial drydown: mmm, much much nicer. I’m getting some vague fuzzy sweetness mixed in with florals with something dusting them a bit exotic when my wrist is turned away. The musk is still very powerful but I’m getting a good feeling about this once that dies back. However, I’m still getting the sensation of my nose being assaulted by a department store counter of perfumes when I go to sniff my wrist directly. Half hour later: it’s settled down into a scent that is almost old fashioned in its floral warmth. It’s starting to remind me of the scene from the movie Bram Stoker’s Dracula when Jonathan Harker opens the perfume bottle and the drops fall upward. The bottle glows an unearthly golden and is antique—something in which the perfume should have long ago dried up in and yet it’s still liquid and usable. It’s both very womanly but at the same time has a hint of the unearthly. Already I’m thinking this might suit my mom much better than me since it’s reminding me of her favorite perfume though warmer, deeper. Verdict: well I was really hoping to love this one since I’m a huge fan of Vampire Theory but even part way through the experience I got the hint that The Brides and I did not perfectly match. I’m going to use it though to scent some homemade bath products for my mom since I think this might really suit her. It would probably smell almost lickable on her (and given that she is still actively dating I, um, wish her well with it since I love she’s out having a great social life but dang do I not want to think about my mom having a romantic social life). This just smells too traditionally “perfumey” on me so I’ll see what I can do with it since it’s still a pretty scent. Rating: 3/5 Throw: low. It sticks quite close to the skin but I don’t have to have my nose plastered to my wrist to smell it either which is a very good thing.

Wet: Very grape but good grape. Juicy. I like it but I’m waiting to see how this will settle. Initial Drydown: ok, this isn’t settling so well. I smell this wonderful combination of the myrrh with the juicy elements which make me really want to like this but the orris is coming out all icy and slightly metallic funking with the scent a bit but I have a good feeling this might fade away. Hour later: mmm, I was right. Right now I feel very sensually powerful—like I should curl my hair slightly, wear wine colored lipstick and dig out my v-neck black velvet top to wear to work. Given that it’s cold out that would probably be a bad idea. But, wow, something in this keeps settling so nicely into my skin. It’s got a whispery sensual feel that keeps brushing against my nose as if it were gently seducing my senses yet it’s also got a slight juiciness and sweetness to it that I find irresistible. I’m really trying to keep from constantly sniffing myself (since I’m at work) but damn do I find that I keep doing it anyway. Much later: ok, this soaked into my skin quite quickly but somehow it’s still there—hours later. I turn my head and I get a whiff of it as I’m working which makes for a very nice surprise. It’s relaxing and I’m really glad to have it on. Final Verdict: mm, in love definitely. However, I have a feeling that as this oil ages that the metallic tang from the orris, or at least something in this, will fade out so that the scent remains velvety throughout. I’m definitely hoarding this and I’m very tempted to pick up a second bottle before it goes away because I have a hunch that I might quickly become addicted to this and use it in everything. I would love it even more if the florals were even a tad bit lighter to emphasize the myrrh and the purple fruit and cognac making it even juicier and still warmly dusty at the same time. Just..yum! Throw: Fine. It manages to walk that line of hovering very close like a second skin but at the same time having just enough throw that if I lean in to a guy he’ll get a nice delightful whiff of it to tempt him. Rawr. ::pounce:: did I mention this scent makes me feel sensual and powerful? Rating: 4.5/5 ETA: ok this has become my favorite scent. I find myself wearing it all the time and when my sheets started to smell like it too after a few days I couldn't help but smile. I keep reapplying when it becomes weaker because it is so beautiful. It's comforting and warm but at the same time sensual. I'm totally in love and kicking myself for not buying many more bottles of this. so totally hoarding!

frimp from the lab! I do so love these free samples--it makes me try things I would never have even considered (even though the list is still long since I'm still fairly new to bpal) and like the first one I got, I really like this frimp! Wet: It’s almost too strong but I am dedicated to try it out anyhow… Initial Drydown: hmm, interesting. This smells exactly like this cedar incense box I have which houses some very expensive frankincense and myrrh incense that was a gift years ago. It’s very woody yet smoky, resinous, and full of incense. It’s a warm scent. Not my usual thing but very nice all the same. Something I might wear when hitting the books since it feels like a deeply academic/scholarly scent. Later: hmm, definitely woody—but a good type of wood. Something slightly spicy and warm. Very natural. It’s like being in a very old library in a church. I’ve done some work with old medieval illuminated manuscripts and something about this scent is reminding me of those books. I believe it’s the combination of certain woods with the incense. It’s a wonderful image I now have of this beautiful old manuscript hand-bound and so meticulously painted, gilded, and wrought with calligraphy so that it will stand the test of time with only slight yellowing to the vellum belying its age. It’s a peaceful and scholarly image that makes me think this would be a wonderful scent to wear when deep thinking is needed. Verdict: will definitely keep the imp but I’m still trying to decide if I want a bottle of it: it seems like something I’d use rarely anyhow even though it’s pretty. Also, it disappears very quickly on my skin so I would definitely need to slather and even then I wonder if my skin would just drink it up quickly still. I really do like it though—it makes me feel all safe and warm and studious. Like curling up in a big arm chair in a brightly fire lit room with a book—all warm coziness, literary associations and all. One of my favorite things to do. Throw: very low. I can only pick it up when I’m very close to area I applied it. Rating: 3.5/5

I got this as a free imp with my order of The Darkling Thrush. However, while the DT smelled very old Hollywood glamour feminine on me this smelled very masculine and dark even though both oils have violet as a major component (I believe it's the musk that does it in The Raven) Wet: ok, my first response was actually to wrinkle my nose a bit. This smelled like strong aftershave that doesn’t work for me. Very masculine and overpowering. Which surprise me because while in the imp it was still potent it also smelled quite good. I’m thinking something in here just doesn’t like me and my best bet is to say it’s the musk—musk has turned weird on me before. This is making me sad because when I looked at the ingredients I had such high hopes since I love delicate florals and sandalwood—that mix of the exotic/spicy into my scents usually gets me addicted. ::sigh:: I’ll just wait for this to dry and hope the musk dies down. Dry: Wow, luckily this is drying down to a much gentler scent. The dark musk assault I initially got is fading. However, this still smells quite…masculine on me. I’m guessing it’s still the musk giving me that inclination but it’s making me sad. It’s also smelling a bit like soap as it’s dying down and…oh my, it’s almost gone in about ten minutes! I don’t know why but this scent just starts out way too strong, dies down to a more soapy/smoky self, and then dies quickly almost all within the first 20 minutes of applying. However, in the practically gone stage I do get a tad bit more of the florals. Final Verdict: Definitely not for me. The dark musk obviously hates me and amps up to such an extreme while I can smell The Raven that the scent is practically ruined. The pretty florals only peep through when the whole scent practically disappears about 20 or 30 minutes into dry-down and there’s a trace scent there that reminds me of baby powder as well. It dries down into a dark powder that is so light that I can barely tell it’s still on my skin. The musk does die back considerably at this stage so that I actually think it’s rather pretty but it’s still barely there. ::sigh:: Throw: Very low. I have my nose pressed against my wrist and only then am I even picking up a trace of it. Rating: 1/5

This one was a free gift from the lab and wow is the only thing I can say Wet: oh my, mmm. That was my first response to putting this on: I actually made a little mmm sound. It smells, well, sultry and feminine. Very sexy. Wow. It’s definitely spicy and floral—there’s a deepness and a richness to this that is making me feel all warm inside. I’m definitely suddenly feeling flirty, sexy, and rather powerful. Kind of like “I am woman hear me roar” and then a little Chita Rivera “rowr” sound that is all sex-kitten purr. Dry: However, upon dry-down this amps up the spiciness to an extreme so that it really does feel like it’s trying to roar through. The soft, hazy quality of it is dissipating which is making me sad. Yet there’s still some aspect of it that reminds me of the wicca shop I used to sit down and read in when I was around 12. Something spicy, warm, and close. That shop was filled with incense, wood, and light—plus tons of books. It was a small shop though so it was very personal—the owner would give me gifts of incense on my birthday and set things aside for me. It was a very welcoming environment to hang out in as an early teenager. So this scent reminds me of those initial feelings of having to deal with being a woman (I was an early bloomer) and learning to just be myself, feeling comfortable in my own skin. I kind of want to lay back into a bed with satin sheets smirking mischievously but at the same time genuinely smiling while wearing this— especially given now that I am a woman and very comfortable within myself. Final Verdict: It is a strong (as in personality) scent but there’s a warmness to it and a kick. There’s an insouciance to this that works well to conjure the image of a witty, sexy, and warm woman. Truthfully, I’m picking up that musks don’t like me all that much so I think it’s amping up the carnation with it a bit—I have to remember to apply this sparingly next time. It’s lovely, very sexy but potent. Throw: Good. I can smell it even as my wrist is turned away from me and is on the table as I’m typing (though I am just getting a spicy warm scent this way—something that reminds me of baking gingersnaps or some such even though it doesn’t exactly smell like ginger, gingersnaps, or even baking for that matter). Will definitely use up the imp but I don’t think a bottle is yet in my future. Rating: 4/5

my first review! I hope this is ok Wet: It’s almost too department store-like at the moment. Strong, very floral on me—smells a lot like the perfumes they’ll add to expensive cosmetics and lotions at the moment. It’s almost stringent in its urgency but I’m sticking through this stage since most things start out too strong on me (plus my throat has been dry all morning so most scents are hitting me a little hard at the moment). Dry: Ah, it’s settling. It still smells very floral but there’s a hint of warmth sneaking back into the scent. The Darkling Thrush is softening out into this scent that reminds me of this very expensive French soap one of my friends gave me as a gift a few years back. Very pretty. Not my usual type of scent (I’m more of an incense, creamy, spicy scent kind of person) but pretty all the same. 15 minutes: mm, it’s settling even more so and the florals are almost getting a slight spiciness to them. It could just be my nose but it feels like a light dusting of something with a kick bordering the petals of the flowers. I’m getting a very visual response to this like I can see a beautiful deep violet flower, bluish-purple in color, with an almost coppery dust glinting off the edges of the flower in the shadows. Definitely reminiscent of the poem. Final Analysis: It’s very pretty but not my usual type of scent. It’s dominant notes are definitely the violet and the orris on me but the amber does provide a good warm back-up to the floral scents. However, I was wishing the florals were even just a tad bit softer (I think it’s the violet and orris on my skin) and that there was more of the amber to create a soft hazy light or aura to this blend. The Darkling Thrush is certainly that—a song in the dark. It starts out strong in contrast to the cold of winter and then it mellows into something almost powdery, warm, and floral. It’s definitely very female and reminds me of the type of scent a woman like Elizabeth Taylor or an old Hollywood glamour star would wear—something uber-feminine with a warmer heart lurking behind like a little wink. Throw: Low. I have to be within about six inches of where I put it on my wrist to smell it at all but I don’t have to have my nose pressed against my skin to pick it up. Rating: 3.5/5 (meaning: very pretty, just not for me)