Jenjin

Blind Bottle Purchase from the Forum. Looking for a beautiful violet to wear. IN THE BOTTLE: Sharp herbal floral with a caramelized brown sugar sweetness that grounds it. I'm guessing this is the white sandalwood. WET: Strong orris root front (mashed up iris) It's reminding me of caramel chews from halloween-if they were gentle lavender....The violet is there, and it's lovely and not too sweet. DRY: Soft, sweetly spicy purple flowers. I'm thinking of the darkest purple violets and waxy lavender iris in a dance with a pollen float. NOTES: I've been hesitant to go with a violet selection before. My grandmother wore a violet perfume which was quite common in the '30s-'40s so it seems a bit old fashioned to me. I have tried a few other violet BPAL oils in the past and wasn't attracted. In the case of Purple Snails, the Iris and violet have been caramelized with the earthy sandalwood, creating a gorgeous, contemporary perfume. Maybe there is a more beautiful "light purple" fragrance in the BPAL collection that I haven't discovered yet, but I adore this one. It's an earthy floral, with good throw and feminine mystic. I'm so glad to have this amethyst treasure. RATING: 8.5

Blind Bottle Purchase from the Forum. Curious about the Orris, Iris Root and Pear Stem. IN THE BOTTLE: Fruity, almost a wet lavender. It's reminiscent of violets or other purple flowers. Very tangy. WET: Strong, sharp floral with a creamy coconut base. This might not suit me.... DRY: I'm still looking for the pear. It's a "pear stem" and i'm not sure what pear wood smells like. The coconut has turned a bit from the tart, tanginess of the florals and I'm not enjoying what's happened with the florals. I'm not liking the little whiffs I'm getting..... NOTES: I can imagine a lot of people will love Hidden Pearls. The iris is pretty and the coconut thread makes it gourmand in a way. It reminds me of an asian drink with orchids, and sweetness. Pinks and Lavenders and Lapis Blue. Sadly, it's not for me. I'm going to keep my bottle and see how it changes with time.

Blind Bottle Purchase from the Lab on a quest for a crystalline frankincense option. IN THE BOTTLE: Oh dear-I don't have anything like this! Pure, bright and shining resinous frankincense with a kind of "amber" fog. WET: Softly sweet frankincense, along with a spiciness (benzoin) and slight vanilla backnote. DRY: Uh....I love this. It's so pretty and spicysoft. I know there's no carnation in it, but I'm getting a similar "spice" note. I'm smashing my face into a bunch of dewy carnations. I can also detect a controlled sweetness that takes the beauty of this into the stratosphere. Gorgeous! NOTES: I am awe struck by the Luper update this year. The Contrast has become a treasure for me. The balance between the frank, benzoin and vanilla is perfect and transforms a simple compound into a sparkling diamond. The Contrast is one of my favorites from this year and I'm so glad I have a bottle. RATING: 9.5

Frimp from the Lab IN THE BOTTLE: Wintergreen-reminds me of the top note in Love's Philosophy without the creamy bottom. This is going to be cold. WET: Strong Wintergreen! I can detect some other notes going on beneath it, but the mint is taking up all the space. Uh, oh. I'm coughing. DRY: Wood. Finally, I'm seeing the trees here. The wood notes are much more apparent but it's turning Pine which is death note, glue taste for me. NOTES: After dry down, the Wintergreen has disappeared and the leftover smell reminds me of a pickle pine scratch-and-sniff in a Highlights magazine. This one is an absolute no-go for me.

Frimp from the Lab IN THE BOTTLE: Effervescent, ginger ale bubbles with a very slight sweetness. WET: The champagne notes are strong but fun. DRY: Very interesting with lots of throw. I can smell the bubbly white grape and the bright strawberry is much more apparent. NOTES: I don't have anything like this in my collection. Seriously considering upgrading to a bottle for the summer heat. It has an aquatic feel to it, but its very airy and bubbly. Honestly, its a masterpiece. RATING: 9

Bottle straight from the lab. The name and the components enticed me. IN THE BOTTLE: Fresh, pretty. I can detect the sweet opium and narcissus. WET: Flowery and powdery. Oh, I'm hoping this gets some deepness to it. DRY: Decayed flower smell with a brick of grey powder. NOTES: Darkness takes me into a decaying flower place. Maybe this is the Darkness--the corners of the blackest place is always lurking, ready to blanket us with wilted blossoms and dust.

Blind bottle purchase from the forum. Looking for a marshmallow oil. IN THE BOTTLE: Delicate vanilla marshmallow goodness. WET: Whipped, white vanilla frosting made with marshmallow cream. Yum! I could eat this! DRY: Oh no! What's happening! I'm finding an artificial undertone that perhaps goes with the Easter candy reference but i'm not certain I like it. NOTES: I think this is a beautiful and fun fragrance, but just not what i'm into. Finding the right foodie scent is a challenge for me. I wish the wet smell could carry through over time but after wearing this for an hour, I wasn't enjoying what it became. The sweetness turns into something flat and dusty (stale) smelling that while unusual, isn't a scent i'm going to wear much. It is beautiful at first, but after eating a whole package of Peeps, my tummy hurts. RATING: 7

Blind Bottle purchase on a quest for the perfect Magnolia. IN THE BOTTLE: Spun white honey, the lightest vanilla whips, and perfect, sighing Magnolia. WET: Puffs of vanilla chiffon floating over peaks of silvery, white honey while the Magnolia sings. This is winning!! DRY: Magnolia face smash. The sweetness has subsided and left a large, perfect flower. NOTES: The Bride is lifting her dress. Gazing beneath the layered gossamer, the waxy, white pedals fall all around me. I have sunk my face into actual Magnolia blossoms and wished that I could always smell them. That I could roll in them. That I could shove them into every crevice of my body and make them part of me. The Bride has granted my wish. It is probably one of the most beautiful things I have ever smelled. My number one BPAL right now. So many times florals go too sweet, of bitter or plasticy, yet in this instance, they are stable and perfect. One backup bottle-looking for more. RATING: 10+

Blind bottle purchase from the lab because I am obsessed with light, watery, tea scents. IN THE BOTTLE: Wet green floral. I LOVE how this smell in the bottle. It's a beautiful blend of crystal rain and woodsy notes, balanced by steamy mist and greenery. Clean, pure and softy herbal. RAIN!! WET: The floral and bamboo parts amp just after application. Tiny clouds of the clearest, blue-green crystals explode within my mind. I get similar fragrance notes while peeling and slicing a plump, green melon. DRY: I keep getting whiffs of the beautifully blended chypre notes including resinous, sticky stems, soft oak moss and the wet musk. The aquatic element has turned to fog-the rain has stopped an left only steam. NOTES: This is a perfect complement to clean skin. After a morning shower, it mixes with my body heat to make a wonderful freshness I can't duplicate with any other fragrance. I wish the aquatic part was a little more apparent after dry-down but I'm enjoying how it doesn't morph into something overly sweet. Another Luper winner for the warm weather. 9.0

Blind bottle purchase from the lab. IN THE BOTTLE: Sweet, smoky with a balance of patchouli, vanilla and benzoin base. WET: The notes are very well blended at this point. The earthy patchouli swirls with the vanilla silk, along with dark notes mixed in. At this point, the benzoin gives off a slight camphor that is blanketed with smoked honey. DRY: The sweetness amps over time. Definitely getting strong benzoin and vanilla notes overall with smoky honey clouds. The patchouli fades into the background, providing a soft, herbal waft to the blend. NOTES: This was surprising to me after dry down. After my bottle arrived I sniffed it and thought, uh patchouli. I didn't apply any, yet thought I knew what it would become on me. Overall, I would describe it as slinky~~. It does have some similarities with Shalimar and BP Vasilissa for me, but it stands on its own. It does have some risks while wearing-out of all the lupers, I suspect this one could be the one that drives men wild. I could barely keep up with my husband the other night when I wore it. Also, it simply makes me crave all kinds of sweets-especially those super soft sprinkle sugar cookies. Will probably keep this one for special occasions and date night me thinks. RAWR! Impressions of the Floating World is classic, beautiful and pheromone inducing. Wear at your own risk. RATING: 8.5

Blind Bottle purchase based on comparisons to my beloved Kumiho. IN THE BOTTLE: Very similar to Kumiho but I detect a bit more sweet citrus (the neroli) along with the ginger tang of Kumiho. WET: Crystalline, white tea folding into a sweet, honeyed and somewhat metallic note, with green and spicy notes. DRY: The citrus fades down and a sweet, white floral amps. Full Moon also has a base note that I have never detected in Kumiho. I'm thinking of dry reeds or maze--taking me to the "shifting grasses in the moonlight". NOTES: So pretty! This is a masterpiece addition to BPAL's other tea blends. I'm enjoying how it has a softer "mellow" tone compared to Kumiho. Full Moon is a refreshing, summer scent for adding luminous light to indigo nights. RATING: 9.5+

Blind bottle purchase from the lab because I am obsessed with light, tea scents, citrus and floating. IN THE BOTTLE: Wet citrus, effervescent tea, cool green with an absinthe ground. It's so nice I want to pour it over a sugarcube and drink it. WET: Enchanting, fizzy, citrus mixed with a touch of tart blackcurrant and wormwood, thyme herbal spice. DRY: Ahhhh, this is perfectly balanced and becomes a quiet yet spectacular fragrance. The bergamot and mandarin have smoothed into a green, crystalline treasure. I can detect the slightest bit of sweetness coming, probably from the blackcurrant. NOTES: Crisp, tart and refreshing, Geisha develops into a masterpiece, without ever becoming powdery, soapy or morphing way beyond its' intent. The wormwood works so well with strong citrus tones, creating an airy, crisp tea creation that I love to apply first thing the morning. It's like a sparkling, warm weather sunrise. 9.0

Skydiving without a parachute. Blind bottle purchase from the lab on a quest for a fun, red fruit scent. Plus, I just love the cover art on this one. So awkward! IN THE BOTTLE: oh my! Please pass me a sugary slice of that shivering, white cake absolutely drenched in plump, almost ripe strawberries. At first whiff this is a sweet, sparking strawberry that raises my eyebrows and ignites the senses. I'm not sure about this! WET: Is it red? It smells red. Anyway, after application, the strawberry explodes all over the place. Not shortly after, it changes again! Cherry Blossoms are falling, falling all around me AHHHHHHHHHHhhhhhh. This is fruity goodness. I don't have anything like this-am I too old to wear this? DRY: The strawberry disappears, white, spinning cherry blossoms and red musk with a touch of the lightest, whipped cream swirl around. The red musk burns its way to the surface, transforming what was once a sweet, girly strawberry, into a scent with so much depth and personality-It smells expensive!!!! NOTES: I don't have anything else like this because I fear strawberry perfume. I don't want to smell like burying your nose in a redheaded, calico wearing strawberry shortcake bush. The Instructional Manual has blown my mind-morphing and transforming itself from little girl to high class, silk swaddled courtesan. I am fortunate to have a bottle of this and sense it will age into something even more beautiful and hypnotic with time. RATING: 9.0

Skydiving without a parachute. Blind bottle purchase from the lab on a quest for a chocolate addition without too much sweetness. IN THE BOTTLE: What the heavens is this? Upon first sniff, I can detect a chocolate, but also spice and a booze shot. The real story is a secret until this creation mixes with body heat. WET: Well! Here comes the dark chocolate along with a slap of clove and a spank of pepper. Och! I'm liking this! DRY: I'm smashing my face into lavender pink spring flowers. This smells just like spicy Stock blossoms! YUM! Smooth, pepper/clove top notes with amber and vanilla mid-tones making an appearance here. The chocolate takes a step back, folding itself into the spice in delicious ways. NOTES: This is so sexy. I feel so delicious while wearing it. It's deep, warm and soothing yet not heavy. Very balanced and beautiful. UPDATE: Honestly, I don't know who will read this, but I have been wearing this all day, and i'm in so much love. I keep catching little whiffs of it and its so gorgeous. Little notes of soft sweet spice, creamy vanilla, and chocolate. Overall it reminds me so much of sinking my nose into a boozy, hot cup of Mexican champurrado. Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh Yes! Back-Up Bottle here. RATING: 9.8

Blind purchased bottle several years ago based on the citrus and white tea notes. IN THE BOTTLE: I can definitely smell Grapefruit, but it doesn't bite, and is accompanied by a whiff of sweet Apple. WET: Strong, sweet pink Grapefruit smoothed down with Apple blossom. Not much different from the bottle-just stronger. The other notes aren't detectable yet. I love this in the bottle--It's so fresh!!! DRY: Ok-this is where Baobhan Sith relaxes and eases in for the Vampire Kiss! The Grapefruit fades dramatically and The Apple amps. I also get hit by the White Tea which I'm not so sure I like, but never the Ginger Note mentioned in the description. If anything, the Ginger is the flower blooming in the background, and not the root. NOTES: I still wear Baobhan occasionally in the hot summer, but the lack of the Grapefruit after the dry down isn't to my liking. It is much like slicing open a Pink Lady Apple and breathing in deep but Im not enjoying the accompanying White note. It looses some depth and energy when the Grapefruit fades and just goes "pretty" with a fruity APRICOT finish which is very odd. RATING: 6.5

FRIMP from the Lab IN THE IMP: Wet, bitter orange muskiness with a yellow pink cherry note WET: The strong orange is muscling out the patchouli at this point. Is that patchouli??? A spicy, metallic background is lurking behind the flowers. Has a bit of an "artificial" quality to it-these orange blossoms might not be real after all. Not sure about this one. DRY: The orange and patchouli notes settle down together in an equal way, resulting in a someone flat finish. Reminds me of drinking orange soda after it's been sitting around for a day-where's the fizz? NOTES: I can definitely see this on the right person. It has a tangy, pink-orange quality, but my thoughts turned to baby aspirin while wearing it. RATING: 6.0

This is another long-time favorite of mine. i have gone through so many bottles of Alice over the years, she is a definite partner in crime. IN THE BOTTLE: Lots of stuff!!!! Fresh, fat Pansy, Carnation, Pink Rose Buds, Bergamot, White Tea, Sugar Cookies, Cinnamon, Honey drip, melted vanilla ice cream. WET: Spicy, fresh carnation and a certain Bergamot Fizz. The spiciness sizzles your senses and ignites the imagination, while the milk cream swirls around and through to soften and subdue. DRY: The lovely part of wearing Alice, is that she stays fresh and consistent throughout the day. The florals never seem to get tired, just softer and dreamier. NOTES: Many of the Mad Tea Party oils have a certain complexity and multi-layered quality to them which I love. Each one is like examining a sparkling gem with it's dazzling facets and inner smokiness and power. Sparkle on Pink Diamond! Alice is the definite winner for me out of all of them-maybe because she has been with me for so long. As I am getting older, I'm not certain I will be able to wear her much longer. She is a more youthful scent I'm afraid, and might not be so pleasurable on a middle aged lady. Plus, I have many other BPAL scents now that have taken me deeper into the rabbit hole. Alice will always have a place within my spirit box, but perhaps for my daughters to explore. RATING: 9.0

Started out with a Dorian imp and recently graduated to a bottle. It is one of BPAL's luxury stars. IN THE BOTTLE: Raw sugar, tea, lemon squirt, subtle musk and very slight vanilla folded down. WET: I would say this one "explodes" after application. When the oil touches the skin, the heat causes a certain reaction that amps sultry Dorian, in the days after he sells his soul. DRY: Dorian's beauty is dazzling, and the underlying sugary muskiness, grinding with dark, sticky vanilla envelopes me and makes my toes curl. Pleasure!!! The sweetness amps during dry down and the lemon fizzles out. NOTES: It seems to have a "memory" when you wear it. I keep catching little whiffs of it throughout the day--even into the next day, I can "remember" what it smells like. It's definitely "alive". Dorian demands a certain type of activity while wearing. It's not something I can wear daily-its more of a bedtime, sex smell in the way it invokes pleasure and musk. . RATING: 8.0

I have purchased many bottles of Kumiho over the years. After spending a lot of time obsessing over "O", "Snake Oil" and then on to "Alice", I discovered Kumiho. It was unlike anything I had smelled before, even though it has familiar notes. I wouldn't really say its a morpher, but it does tell a story while you wear it. IN THE BOTTLE: Juicy tartness that makes my mouth water and my head float. Ceremonial. WET: Crisp white tea folding into a lemon flower notes. I am in the midst of a magical, blooming lemon grove with silver, sparkling blossoms and a ginger kiss. DRY: Oh Spirit Fox! Kumiho takes me on a journey through the sun and deep into golden streams, lined with snapping ginger root and floating lemon blossoms. Gorgeous! NOTES: As others have noted, Kumiho has similar notes with Embalming Fluid, Sudha Segra and Baobhan Sith. Embalming Fluid is very nice and clean, but very single note compared to Kumiho. Sudha Segra has a powdery backdrop while Kumiho is bright, shiny and crystalline. Kumiho has brightened many of my dark days and lightened my heart. It's beautiful. Thank you a million times Elizabeth for this one. It has changed my life. RATING: 10+

Blind Bottle Purchase. Decided to dive into the Lupers this year. Several had notes I love in other oils and I am intrigued by their fleeting existence. With Volcano in Springtime, I had read reviews, seen FB posts proclaiming obsession, and the racy cover art turned me on. IN THE BOTTLE: Vanilla, Cream and Candy WET: On my skin, the Vanilla deepens into a spicer experience while the sugary cream levels it out. DRY: I can't stop smelling my arm-I can't stop smelling my arm-I can't stop smelling my arm-I can't stop smelling my arm-I can't stop smelling my arm-I can't stop smelling my arm. My husband keeps smelling my neck and then you know how it goes. This is delicious stuff. It softens into a something with a very slight muskiness and the sandalwood keeps the vanilla cream from being overly sweet. It is rare to find a sweet oil that works for a woman and doesn't make her smell like a baby. NOTES: Soooooooo Goooooood! My only Luper back up bottle. Volcano is an orgasmic treasure. RATING: 10

Blind Bottle Purchase. I love BPAL's tea scents and the addition of cucumber makes it different from other bottles I already have. IN THE BOTTLE: Green, Herbal Cucumber Fresh. Crisp and Fresh! WET: Strong, Sudsy Clean Notes with a green tea base note DRY: BEAUTIFUL! Takes me to the spa with my feet up, soft music, water running, bubbles dancing. NOTES: Ahhahahhaa Gorgeous! This is really beautiful! It has softened into a lovely, sweet fragrance that makes me feel fresh and clean even without a bath. I might be able to go a few days without showering if I keep applying this oil--it's just that fresh. Rendezvous at the Bath strikes a different note with the green tea / cucumber combo. It will be a great fragrance for the sultry, southern heat headed this way. I wish I had a backup bottle. RATING: 9.0