fizzbangdangcharade

2018 In the bottle and on my skin this smells EXACTLY like my favorite alcoholic cider. Apples simmered in spices (mainly cinnamon, but the other spices are definitely there.) I imagine the ale note is what's giving it that slightly boozy, fermented undertone Much later, this has dried down and the apples and ale are gone, and I'm getting a really soft, creamy, sweet spiced milk. There's almost zero throw, I have to stick my nose right on my skin to smell it, but it's such a surprisingly comforting scent I don't mind. I'm not usually fond of the smell of milk in any form, but the spice and sugar make this more than bearable. Overall, this is a really nice, subtle fall smell. It's definitely going to be in heavy rotation this winter.

It took me awhile to nail down what this reminded me of. In the bottle: Nutella? Yea, this mostly reminds me of nutella. Hazelnuts and chocolate. Wet on my skin + drydown: Tootsie Rolls. It smells exactly like tootsie rolls on me. Dry: Much later in the day I lost the Tootsie Rolls, and the spice came out - at one point, I was getting something that reminded me of drinking hot chocolate by a fireplace. Close to the skin I got spicy chocolate, but the throw had something in it that read 'burning wood' to me. End of the day: This softened down into 'mexican hot chocolate' and stuck much closer to my skin. Overall this is really nice, it's warm and sweet without being too foody. This is easily my favorite chocolate themed scent I've tried, and I can't wait to see how it ages. It's so cozy, and I really enjoy how all the additional notes add depth and flavor to that cacao base. Throw on this one is pretty high for me - lasted an entire 8 hour work day.

In the bottle: Very strong honey- the kind that's been sitting in the cupboard for ages now, darkened and a little too thick. Wet: That same aged honey scent, but now I'm getting a touch of spice and something mildly medicinal. Warming: The spices are starting to warm, and the honey is getting lighter (it smells closer to honey you get that's still a pretty golden color, no weird crystals or extra thickness.) The light medicinal smell has gone. Drydown: This smells like you dumped a bunch of honey in a saucepan, threw in some lovely spice (cloves for sure, a touch of cinnamon, not sure if the pepper is there or not) and let it simmer. Something reminiscent of the medicinal smell came back, but it's not really medicinal. It reminds me a bit of the way caramels smell/taste after they've gotten a little too warm and then cooled - the barest hint of cherry but mostly something that bites. I'm not sure what note this is that's giving me that, and it's not entirely unpleasant, as it's an undercurrent of the honeyed spice. This one is nice. Not necessarily something I'd want to get a full bottle of, but definitely one I'll hold onto (I'll be interested to see how it ages.) Weird side note, I showered and after noticed that this one was a bit more stubborn in coming off- however combined with my soap, the remnants turned into straight play-doh. I've had other scents that stuck around after showering, but this is the first that went gross on me.

I got this as a frimp, and although so far I've had zero luck with any scent that had almond in it due to my skin turning it to play-doh, I figured I'd try it anyway. In the bottle: super spicy, a little sweet. Wet: This smells a LOT like a small local festival in my area that's basically ren faire, but with the fur trade era (think people dressed in hand made leathers and furs, bone jewelry, pelts, spices, candies - and everything being sold out of teepees and wigwams.) So much beautiful spice, with a sweet undercurrent and the hint of fur musk. Warming: The spice is really amping up, and I'm getting more of the sweet now. The musk has all but faded. Drydown: The sweetness and spice are now on even ground. The hint of musk is gone. I'm really glad I got this as a frimp! I would have avoided it due to my past experiences with almond scents, but this is so so good on me. And it really does remind me of that festival (which is technically a re-enactment.) It also reminds me little bit of Fireball whiskey, now that I think about it. Especially late into the drydown. Which is fine with me, since cinnamon whiskey is the only whiskey I like. This is going on my list of full bottles.

I got this as a frimp awhile back, and while it sounds lovely on paper... In the bottle: wow, that smells like an expensive department store shoved into the space of a storage unit Wet: I'm living vicariously through this right now - like I just sprinted through the perfume department of sears 40+ years ago Warming: Still perfume. At this point I've asked a handful of people what it smells like. All answers are in the same 'rich old lady perfume' vein. Drydown: Yet and still really expensive ladies perfume. Like I imagine a beautiful woman in furs and feathers shopping for fine china in this. I really wish this had smelled more like the notes listed on me. And while what I got definitely made me think 'Manhattan', it made me think the Manhattan of a bygone era: everyone dressed to the nines, and department stores in their heyday of expensive gleaming items, coveted catalogs, and the prestige of owning three sets of china.

Sadly, 75% of the day this just smelled like a generic men's soap on me. Not in a bad way, but I've never been fond of that 'ocean' scent (which is more or less what this smells like on me - like an ocean breeze candle that's lit for awhile. The slight scent of burning wick is there, which I think is the gunpowder.) Eventually the ocean scent leaves and I'm left with Sarsaparilla - soft and sweet. I got this as a frimp, was super intrigued by the listed notes, and then sadly reminded how anything aquatic doesn't seem to want to to work for me. I may try this one again later, after I've let the imp age a bit. Throw: low to non-existent as the day goes by. Last: about 6 hours or so and then I can barely catch a whiff of it with my nose to my skin.

So I also get cookies from this, but where everyone else seems to be getting gingersnaps I'm getting molasses cookies. In the bottle: Molasses cookies, straight up Wet: Still molasses cookies. Warm, and brown sugary goodness Warming: Seriously, baking cookies. That's all I'm getting. Drydown: The cookie scent calms down, and starts going more toward the herb/resin scent. As the cookie fades the throw gets closer to the skin. At one point, when I moved I got cookie. But when I sniffed my wrists, I got a spicy resin/herb scent. Hours later: I sniffed my wrist again hours later, and realized it'd changed again. And there's the ginger! A nice sweet, fruity ginger, reminiscent of the ginger in Kumiho. I can still get a little of the sugar and resin/herb underneath, which gives it a touch more bite than Kumiho though. All in all I really like this one! I actually like it a bit better than Miskatonic (this loses the sweet, gains some nice spice, and then ends in a lighter/wet sweet/spicy. Whereas Miskatonic loses the sweet and sits at the 'old book' smell and then never changes.)

In the bottle: Concentrated mixture of molasses and honey stowed somewhere dark and cool (sweet but not syrupy sweet.) Wet: Lots of honey and molasses - maybe a touch of the sugar cane. It reminds me a little of those honey sticks you find at various food shops. Warm up: The sugar is getting a little sweeter, like it's melting a bit. Imagine cold, thick honey and molasses tossed into a sauce pot and turned on low. As it warms it loosens, and the sugars melt a bit and get a touch sweeter. Drydown: The sweet smell starts being taken over by the oakwood - the oakwood scent actually reminds me a lot of the second phase of Miskantonic on me. But where that scent goes all the way old paper/ink smell, this never fully looses the sweet of the other notes. Honestly, this is what I imagine the wood of an oakwood barrel would smell like if you stored this sweet concoction in it, emptied it, tried to clean it, and then gave up because it's no use trying to scrub that out. Throw: This one has low throw on me. It's a nice, close to the skin scent. I'll be curious to see how this one ages.

In the bottle: Syrupy sweet ginger tea Wet: The thick sticky syrup is gone; the white tea is blossoming out, getting lighter and brighter as it unfurls from my skin Warming: It smells like it's sparkling. The bouquet of white tea is sweet without being overly sugary or heavy. The ginger helps keep the sweet in check; it doesn't add any spice or bite (like many ginger items do) it just blends nicely. Drydown: Since I put it on, I almost feel like the scent has been unfurling. Like a thick mist rolling off of my skin, slowly spreading and evening out. The scent itself has remained unchanged (not too surprising, given it's two notes) but honestly it's nice in its simplicity. At this point it's mellowed out - my warm skin has burnt off the excess scent, and now I've got just the right amount to retain a day long aura that fills my personal space. I think of this as 'clean' but not in a rain/water kind of way. It's simple. It's bright, it's light, and where some scents may feel darker, more complex and 'dirty,' this is the opposite. I put this on and I see a beautiful woman in white standing in the middle of a dirt road amid a warm summer rain. She beckons you closer, and as you oblige you notice the rain never seems to touch her. Closer still, and you can see a soft mist rising from her flesh. She smiles, and it's a little too long, a little too wrong. This one is going on the list of full bottle purchases.

I actually reviewed this on the site before I realized this place existed: On me this smells exactly like I’m standing on a pier in southern Florida, staring out at the boats on the Gulf. If I smell my wrist where I applied the oil, I get mostly the scent of the spices they use in rum (with a touch of ceder.) The scent, as it wafts up to me, smells exactly like a wooden pier. That sort of old, water logged timber that’s caked in sea (ocean) salt. The salty ocean scent is more prominent, the wood a nice undertone. It’s not until near the end of the day that any sort of leather comes through (and it’s an old sort of leather, the kind that’s seen a lot of sun and sea.) Why I ended up trading this off to my roommate- I live in the Midwest. Going around smelling prominently of ocean water is a little disconcerting. It sort of clashes with the natural Midwestern nature smell that’s far removed from palm trees and white sand beaches. Don’t get me wrong, I like it. It’s just not something I personally could wear everyday.

Oh boy, this one I have a love hate relationship with. In the bottle: That smells kind of like...a urinal cake. Wet: Still urinal cake..with a hint of alcohol. So....drunkenly dared to use a urinal cake as cologne? Warming: Less alcohol, and I think this is starting to morph a little...still not overly pleasant to my noise but getting less gross fake pine smell Drydown: Now it's starting to smell more like a really nice mens cologne. All those spices are coming through wonderfully, riding on a current of a scent I'm not sure of...but it's something I've smelled before in other "masculine" scented stuff. Fully dry: None of that gross fake pine/urinal cake smell left. It's all spice, and man. If this didn't spend so much time smelling so nasty to me, I'd buy more. I got this as a frimp, and gave it to my male roommate. It starts pretty much the same way on him, but spends less time there. It really only needs to warm on him before the spice and cologne comes out. So at least he can enjoy this one.

This was a frimp, and of all of the BPAL woodsy/pine scents I've tried this is the closest to smelling like a proper northern pine forest. I actually really liked it, but sadly it started to irritate my skin, and trigger my sinus allergies. In the bottle: Dried herbs, like shoving your face into a nice home-grown spice rack. And some strong minty resin smell binding them all together Wet: Still lots of nice dry herbs, but the minty resin has changed into something much more pleasant. It's mint to be sure, but not straight menthol. It smells like a minty variant of 'generic pine' smell Warming: Everything is starting to blend to make a really nice 'forest' smell. As in, it actually smells almost like real pine trees?! This actually surprised me, considering I'd never smelled a scent that came close to real trees. This is also where it started to irritate my skin. drydown: This smells really nice! Like pine trees in winter. Close together in a grove, dead needles at your feet. Everything is dry but still alive, you get hints of bark and sap in addition to the needles. The scent of snow is in the air, crisp and chill. Sadly, this is where I started noticing my throat getting scratchy. I'm really sad I'm allergic to this one. By the time the dry down hit I had to scrub it off. But for the time it was on, it was surprisingly nice! so far I've found no woodsy scents I'm not allergic to, so this one being no different doesn't really surprise me. I passed this on to a friend who really adored it, so thankfully I found someone who could make the most of it.

Romantically gothic; a fey beast hiding in human form. In the bottle: boozy blood orange. Kind of reminds me of a brandy old fashioned a little actually. Wet: Still boozy blood orange, but as it dries it looses the booze and replaces it with something sweet. Warming: The booze is fully gone, and smells exactly like those Sanpellegrino italian sodas (the blood orange one specifically.) Drydown: The orange is retreating, and I'm getting this super lovely creamy spice. My oh my this smells amazing. Sweet, spicy, and a little bit feral. Definitely the clove coming out (and bringing the vanilla and honey with it.) I'm also getting the faintest hint of what might be the musk. It's the slightest hint of fur beneath the sweet and spice. This one is going on the list of to-buy for full bottles. I love orange, especially blood orange. And the way it's dancing between sweet and spicy is fantastic. Side note: This one belongs to my (male) roommate. On him it starts like orange sweet tarts, mellows into a cherry orange punch, and then nose dives straight into spicy vanilla. While I've got a nice sweet and spicy balance when dry, he goes straight from super sweet to super spicy. It reminds me of this "Venetian Vanilla" bath soap I had for awhile on him - vanilla, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg..aka vanilla and pie spices.

In the bottle: Cherry cough syrup. The kind you give little kids that's mostly sugar. Wet: Maraschino cherries and a touch of spice Warming: The cherries are fading and being replaced by..licorice Drydown: Cherries are basically gone, this is almost straight black licorice on me (there's still that hint of sickeningly sweet in the background.) This was a frimp, and while I like the idea....it's two things I hate with a passion: Maraschino cherries and anise/black licorice. Had it gone a more proper cherry/musk route I may have kept it, but this was immediately given to my (male) roommate on who it just smells like sweet cherry candy.

100% Red Hots. In the bottle, and on my skin. I love it something fierce, but sadly it irritates my skin (fitting, considering the candies used to make my entire mouth hurt with their firey goodness.) This is one I'll hold onto until I can pick up a scent locket or something.

Obligatory 'haven't tried the original.' In the bottle, as well as for the first 3(?) hours: all I get from this is a powdery floral scent, sadly. HOWEVER, around the 3+ hour mark, I start getting hints of lime appearing. The powdery smell fades and the lime comes through stronger and stronger, pulling the lovely berry scents up along with it. 8 hours after initially applying it, I'm smelling this beautifully juicy, sweet, berry and lime scent with the faintest hint of that powder lingering below. To get to the fruit stage, it took about 6 hours total. Throw: When it's powdery the throw is crazy high. It's all I can smell. Once it shifts to the lime/berry scent, the throw is nearly non existent. The places where I put the most on, I can only smell this if I stick my nose against my skin. Fortunately, I'm not actually allergic to this one, I just don't like the powdery scent I'm getting as an opener. I'm not 100% sure which note is causing the powdery scent, but I'm going to put this one someplace to sit and age, to see if I can get more of that super juicy fruit, and less of the powder.

"You smell like church." I too grew up spending time in very old, very beautiful catholic churches. Dark wood, stained glass, statues, incense, candles...old cloth and dusty bibles, the way the pew smell mixed with the leather smell of the kneeling...things. I remember that it was always warm and close feeling, despite the vaulted ceilings. It was mildly hazy (even in winter but especially in summer) and everything smelled of the incense/resin blend and old church smell. Despite being bored as a kid, I always felt safe and loved, like the building was lulling me into peace. (I may or may not have fallen asleep there when I was younger.) This doesn't quite capture the entire church scent experience (I'd love to find something that did) but it does smell a great deal like the incense portion of that experience on me. The constantly burning incense + the stuff they'd burn in the thurible (the caged incense ball thing on a chain they swish around.) It can get a little strong on me, especially when it's hotter out. But if I use a small amount, I smell like I've just come from mass. Odd, I suppose, since I haven't stepped foot into a proper catholic church for anything beyond funerals as of late, but there's something comforting in the scent to me.

In the bottle: So much almond! It smells amazing, like marzipan and eastern spices. On me: as soon as this mixed with my skin oils, the almond took a sharp turn into Play-doh land. It overpowered all the other nice scents as well. I tried a couple of times, at different times of the month, and still - Play-doh. My chemistry does not work well with almond at all (a pity, as I freakin love almond everything.) I do really like this one in the bottle. I've been holding onto it with the vague plan to find a scent locket or something I can put it in so it can warm but not actually go weird because of my chemistry.

Smarties are what come to mind first when I smell this. There's something decidedly candied about the fruit notes. Except not so much candied fruit as actual candy. I like it, don't get me wrong! It's simple, and sweet, and I do actually like smarties. It sort of reminds me of wearing a smarties necklace as a kid. The soft, sugared fruit scent that lingered beneath my nose as I sucked on the candies. It's not something I'd associate with the word 'carnal' though. It smells too much like something I associate with youth and innocence. In the bottle, wet, dry, the scent never changed. It also managed to last all day, at the same throw level as well. Just slightly further than my skin, a close aura of powdery candy.

In the bottle: Ah, bourbon. Now I can smell like I’ve been day drinking while completely sober. Wet: Man, this is legitimate bourbon smell. I smell like an alcoholic. It really lives up to its name. Warming: Behind the bourbon I get a bit of tobacco? Not a lot, but the baked in kind of smell that you envision when you hear the term ‘Juke Joint.’ Drydown: The actual true booze scent is fading out, like I’ve burnt the alcohol off with a lighter at some point. It’s turning that sweet, beautifully rich scent that is more associated with bourbon flavoring in confections. The tobacco is getting less harsh and more sweet leaves. Dry: All traces of that harsh boozy babe are gone – something sweet and luxurious has taken her place. The bourbon is a rich, creamy caramel. The tobacco a sweet leaf smoked by gentlemen in their study. Based on the notes, I’m not 100% sure how I get the smokiness from this...possibly the way the bourbon is interacting with the mint? I adore this, but I actually have to be careful where and when I wear it. Because it really smells like I’ve been drinking bourbon all morning (until it drys down enough and the sweet over rules the booze.) I love the way it makes me feel. I love wearing it on fancy friday (the opposite of casual friday in my super casual office) with a button down and moto boots. It makes me feel like I just rolled in from a hole in the wall bar in a place that knows no law. Like I’ve been out getting business drunk with Jack Donaghy. When I wear it I’m cool, I’m tough, I self medicate like a new age cowboy (or a biker babe.) I can’t wait to see how this ages.

Apparently my body really amps anything floral, because all I got out of this was generic flowers with an undercurrent of spiced rum (maybe a touch of dark sandalwood there.) Although the flowers were a little powdery (perfumed, if you will) and the spiced rum was a little too alcohol and not enough spice for my taste. The throw was low, and while it lasted all day, it was barely there at the end. I’d hoped for something more, having read the reviews of others with better luck, but sadly this one didn’t work for me. (I passed the imp along to someone who it smelled more like a proper pirate's bounty on.)

This is one of those scents that, to and on me, is not even remotely similar to the descriptors (or other reviews I read beforehand here.) In the bottle: This...smells like those coca cola bottle cap candies Wet: Coca cola bottle caps and now...licorice. Black licorice. Drydown: The cola is fading, but the licorice just will not quit. There’s spice coming up in the background now...so spicy black licorice. Or maybe ouzo prepared with sugar cubes and some pfeffernusse as a snack on the side. Ok yea, I like that comparison. Ouzo and Pfeffernusse. Last/throw: Lasts all day, and has decent throw. How I ended up with Pfeffernusse and Ouzo I don’t know. I had a few other people try it (in my family and friends.) My mother also got Ouzo, cola bottle caps, and Pfeffernusse (she refused to put it on, this was from the bottle.) My sister got spice and tobacco (she wore it.) Her friend declared that on my sister it smelled like 'a really good smelling head shop.' On said friend, it went 'antique shop' which was actually really nice and what I had been hoping for. Like old furniture and a touch of vanilla tobacco. My room mate got Ouza and Flaming Dr Pepper (the shots.) Ultimately I gave this to my sister and her friend. It worked much better with their chemistry...and something with the anise smell was making me sneeze. Also I hate black licorice with a passion. But it was interesting to see how it worked so differently on a few of us, and at least I was able to find someone it worked really well on to give it to!

The library is hushed and dim (but not gloomy.) The careworn mug on the desk stained from too many uses and too few cleanings. The tanned liquid within steams slightly, wafting the scent of stale coffee across the pile of ancient, yellowed tomes. 5 pumps of liquid sugar can’t quite cover that unique microwaved taste, but it helps... In the bottle: oh my, that is some very sweet coffee. Swirled with goopy syrup and a splash of vanilla. Wet: Still getting that same sweet sweet coffee. But I can actually smell the coffee more beneath the sugar, which is nice. Warming: The coffee note in this is interesting, it actually smells like coffee that’s been reheated in the microwave. Which fits the narrative very well, IMO. I’m also starting to get the scent of old books. Specifically the way old pages start to smell when they’ve begun to yellow. Drydown: The coffee smell is fading into the background, and the books are taking the forefront. It’s the point during the study session where you’re engrossed in what you’re reading, the coffee off to the side and growing colder and staler. Your nose is in the book, and your world is filled with the smell of decaying pages and ancient ink. Last/throw: This one lasts all day, however the throw (while it starts strong, stretching to fill the room) ends close to the skin. I like this one, I enjoy the way it morphs throughout the day. I’ve yet to find a scent that hits both the ‘stale and microwaved’ coffee and the ‘old yellowed book pages’ notes (let alone in the same scent.) I'm not too sure if I like smelling like either, however it fits really well on those deep fall days, where everything is dead and I'm in 'giant garish grandpa sweater' mode. If I already look like I should be drinking reheated coffee and reading old books, might as well smell like I just came from doing that very thing.

*I never tried the original. In the bottle: overly sweet latte Wet: It smells exactly like popcorn flavored dum dum pops. Warming: Still getting dum dum pops, although it’s calmed down a bit, and gotten a little creamier. Drydown: Butterscotch candies. The kind that come in the orange wrapper that your grandmother always had. Dry: It’s quite a bit calmer now – it’s softer, closer to the skin, and much less ‘carnival.’ It reminds me a little of Miskatonic University actually. I’m getting a very very sweet, but soft latte smell. Frothed cream, a heaping helping of white sugar, and a splash of something a little nutty (that vaguely mimics coffee. Maybe hazelnut?) I can tell it wants to go to white bread, but it’s so drowned in sugar that it’s hard for me to pick it out. The bread is less of a forefront note and more of a scent I can taste at the back of my throat. I like where this one is trying to go, and I’m going to hold onto it and let it age a bit to see if I can get the popcorn/butterscotch to calm down and let the toast/tea through more.

Orange trees heavy with ripe fruit; that mint plant you potted and placed on the sill large and lush, and ready to be harvested for tea and cocoa. The breeze brings with it the warmth of vanilla, the faintest hint of sweet tobacco and spiced skin oils. There’s always that faint hint of something floral, but there’s never a bloom in site. I originally got this as a frimp awhile back, and it immediately became my favorite scent from that order. (It is, in fact, my favorite scent of all the ones I’ve tried thus far.) I had no idea what to expect when I sniffed this in the imp – but was immediately both confused and entranced. In the bottle: bright and creamy orange with a splash of..cilantro?! As much as I love orange I hate cilantro (or anything that reminds me of it) so I had my doubts about this one. But I couldn’t help it, I needed to know; it was the first of my order I put on to try out. Wet on my skin: Yep, that’s orange and cilantro all right. But I don’t hate it? I think this is what cilantro smells like to most people – a really pretty lemony green, similar to lemon grass but not quite the same (which is not how actual cilantro reads to me.) I also get – chocolate and mint. This may sound like an odd combo but I actually really love it. Warming up: The green lemon fades a bit, and the orange is swirled with a frothy vanilla cream. The chocolate mint is just as strong, and makes this so sweet (but not saccharine.) Despite all the notes being food scents, this doesn’t actually come off as foody to me. It’s less gourmand and more sweet summer breeze. Drydown: The cilantro has all but gone – the orange has mellowed, and blended into the mint chocolate. The creamy vanilla has lost its froth, allowing a soft spice to come through. It’s smokey, like the memory of incense and sweet tobacco leaves. There’s something not quite floral – more like the suggestion of blooms on a summer breeze, warmed by the sun and nourished by damp earth. Last: It lasts all day on me, fading into something soft and lulled by sunset. Throw: This one has amazing throw – it makes my entire office smell amazing, and in the winter it lingers in my scarves. Of all my scents, I’ve noticed it’s one of the few were people will stand just a little closer to me than usual. This is my scent. My go to. It works with all of my soaps, it transitions from day to night, and works for all occasions. It makes me feel warm, and content, and like the world is beautiful. Like I am beautiful. I have scents I love because they evoke strong scent memories I cherish, or because they fill a specific role I want to portray. But this? This is just...me.