Lido

The first time I tried this one, it seemed to start out unpleasantly fruity and then got unpleasantly soapy; I put it aside. Now I'm trying it again and my reaction is different -- it's still quite soapy, but not harsh or unpleasant. The longer it's on my skin, the more it softens, and it seems to be turning slightly powdery. While I probably still wouldn't pick it for its scent alone, I kind of like it now. As for its other properties, I'll try it out tomorrow -- I could *really* use some luck then. ETA, next day - Hm. My dreaded, much-postponed, across-town-in-the-rain, inconveniently-timed afternoon appointment... just called and cancelled.

The varied reactions to this scent are so interesting! Try as I might, I don't smell any chocolate at all, and no cherries. In the vial, it's a very oily toasted hazelnut -- so buttery, it's almost harsh. However, when I put it on that disappeared immediately, and it turned sweet. It's all honey, almond, and something I think of as coconut, though it may not really be that. Then it stops changing and is quite long-lasting. I think this might be the equivalent for me of bunny slippers: I might not wear it out, but it'll be great for an evening of withdrawing into solitary comfort and early bed. And that's not a bad thing at all.

This really does start out smelling like children's aspirin! After about ten minutes, it went through a really nice phase, the orange sweetness plus something like tobacco with a bit of anise. That stage I LOVED -- unfortunately, it didn't last very long. After that, I guess it was the red patchouli... both sweet and slightly medicinal, and then just a bit powdery on top of that. It was dramatically softer after the first thirty minutes, and all but gone after an hour. I think I have to try it again; the transitional stage was fantastic, but the others left me cold.

Wow. On me this started out as full-throttle, no-brakes amber -- probably emphasized by the sandalwood, but they were sufficiently blended that I couldn't pick it out. Then about an hour later, the sandalwood showed up as an independent note, and then finally just a hint of the cinnamon. Somehow the overall effect is very woody, maybe even a tiny bit smoky. I found it warm and very, very dry. It's not seductive on me, but it's very nice... a confident day scent on the strong end of the spectrum.

Now I feel weird... I think of it as bee-pall rather than bee-pal

Interesting... I've enjoyed this a lot, and last weekend got compliments from every single person I greeted... it also makes me feel good for other reasons. On me it's very incensy, spicy and warm, and not at all obtrusive. Yum.

I'm not very good at detecting individual notes, but I can definitely smell the nutmeg and cloves, too, and maybe myrrh in the dry-down phase? This is definitely my favorite BPAL oil so far -- it just gets better and better the longer it's on my skin, the bit that leaked into my bag has turned out to be a delight rather than a tragedy, and I just can't get enough of it! Also, for me this is a scent that reacts very nicely to body heat -- without being overpowering or maybe even detectable to others (only one comment, that just after applying), I feel like I'm in a very close-lying cloud of scent. It reminds me a bit of the effect of Must de Cartier, but spicier and without the heavy-duty musk note. Whether it lives up to its other claims I don't know, but I've had a good week and in general, it makes me feel... prosperous? confident? protected? Whatever it is, bring on the economy-sized drum, lab staff, if you please.