Ok, so I love BPAL, like LOVE it.
Why do I love it? Well, because it's the only perfumery that understands my love for all things smokey, spicy, woodsy, and most importantly SEXAYYY.
Snake Oil, Dragons Milk, and Smut are amongst my favorites. However, I have love for each oil individually because I respect the work that is put into each scent. I've learned that hard way that YOU MUST buy the larger bottle of something if you love the imp, like RIGHT AWAY, because it can be gone at the blink of an eye, and you may not be able to get your hands on it. I still weep for 'O' as I hold on dearly to the last droplets on the bottom of the imp glass vials. (Shameless plug to bring back O , or surrender your bottles!) In addition to being sexy I love marijuana, she's one lovely lady. I love the way it smells too. I also really enjoy patchouli, and most definitly vanilla. So when I saw the description for this oil, I knew I had to get my hands on it. I got Jiggery Pokery too.
1st impression: I couldn't wait, so I smelled it right away. Of course I felt it was way too something. I always feel the oils are way too something right when I first get them. So first impression was WHOA HOLY PATCHOULI... just a smack in the face, WHAM. No vanilla, it was dissapointing really... but I do love the patchouli... At this point I decided, well this will just be another Kundalini grounding meditation oil type of thing... like The Coiled Serpent.
HOWEVER- Several days later, I cannot spend the day without thinking about my Hippie Oil. I've been wearing it for the past couple of days, and my oh my do I love it. It has excellent throw, so every time I move, I smell it. People at the office watching me like I'm nuts shuffling left and right. But I don't care, I am having an olfactory extravaganza, they can't recognize- ya dig!?
The blend between cannabis, patchouli and vanilla is so perfect. I think you have to be one of those like "I DON'T GIVE A DAMN" about a thing kinda person- to wear this. It's not for everyone. It's got-a punch but in a very sophisticated way- a sexy bookworm/nerd stoner-vibe. The vanilla adds that warm and sensual touch to it. It really helps to mellow out the sharp bite of cannabis. This reminds me of the Hempz lotion line. The Hempz lotion contains shea butter and cannabis. So I can definitely recognize the cannabis in Ask the Nearest Hippie, and it's very prominent.
So overall. Strong cannabis smell, however, people won't think you just walked out of a smoke room or anything, because the patchouli and vanilla blend perfectly to make it sexy and warm.
It lasts pretty long, I'd say like 8 hours... but that depends on weather and my mood... The smell changes as it evaporates-The cannabis mellows out and lets vanilla play with her patchouli friend, but cannabis is always there watching in the back, taking leisurely puffs from a blunt Enjoy
Update: So I have not been able to put this one down. The strength dims down after a couple of hours, but you can still smell it. Especially if I am a bit warmer, I can get a whiff of it by just moving slightly. The vanilla really nicely encapsulates that harshness of cannabis and patchouli. Both canna and pat are beautiful smells, but can smell very medicinal. However, I must say the vanilla here really brings it all together. It's a beautiful blend. I will probably get one more bottle so that I will have a back up. Men and women can wear this.
