torischroeder9

Yes, lime candy -- limey but definitely sugary. A tiny whiff of absinthe. And then a little bit of sugar plum and fig to give it a little rounding and grounding while keeping it sweet. The sugar plums and fig keep it smelling like Christmas to me, but the lime cotton candy makes me think this would also work as a summer scent.

In the bottle: Mince pie, dark beer, and bow resin. On my skin: Wet, I get an immediate blast of a slightly bitter note. I can't determine if it's an element of the beer or the fiddle wood. As it dries, it's back to mince pie, and now it's aaaalllll mince pie. This stays pretty truly mince pie on me, though the eventual drydown brings back an element -- now less bitter and clearly wood -- of the fiddle. It's a very nice holiday spicy scent without being Holiday Spice (TM) or overly foodie.

In the decant: Amber that is rich and sweet while still being clean and simple. On my skin: Wet, it's immediately the beautifully soft, powdery amber that I love. It's slightly sweet but not overly so. I wouldn't guess sugar cane was a note if it wasn't listed. This is probably the nicest really amber-forward perfume I've tried.

In the decant: Caramelly, syrupy sweet pumpkin spice. I've had some pumpkin spice flavored sweetened creamer that smells a lot like this. And like one might expect from a concentrated creamer, as a fragrance, in the decant, it's almost over the top. On my skin: Wet, it's the same as in the decant, extra sweet pumpkin spice cream. After the initial drydown, the intensity backs off a bit, but the scent doesn't fundamentally morph. It's now a lot like pumpkin pie ice cream. (I, um, may have a very sophisticated palate in discriminating different pumpkin spiced foods from one another.) This is where it stays on me, a very sweet and very gourmand gourmand, fun for me to try, but not something I'm likely to regularly wear.

In the decant: Orris and narcissus are distinct, with something cutting the narcissus from being too in-my-nose. On my skin: Wet, it's mostly narcissus, but now I can pick out a bit of vanilla -- and then violet leaf on the drydown. As it develops, I get more distinctly orris and violet leaf. It's floral, but in the way that a flowering plant is floral, with greenery attached, which keeps the scent grounded. It doesn't morph on me after that. My skin eats the vanilla, which is habitual. This is nice, and I think a suitable floral for someone who doesn't overly love florals (like me). That said, I also don't love it, so I think this is a swapper for me.

In the imp: Very light and cologney, much more so than I was expecting from the note list. The lavender and white musk are what stand out most to me. (I also do not know how old this imp is. It came to me indirectly.) On my skin: Wet, yes, lavender and white musk, like a crisp gentleman's cologne. Folks weren't kidding about this being a morpher! As it develops on my skin, I get a point where it's mostly soapy rose and then another phase where it's cherry-dominant, with the original sharp lavender all but undetectable. Several minutes after that, I get a very nice cherry rosewood phase. Cherry rosewood is where it stays on me, and while it is quite nice, it's not so much a "me" kind of vibe. While it's sweet, it also gives me a sort of traditionally masculine vibe, though a refined, sophisticated kind of masculine, rather than something that reads "rugged."

In the imp: Sweet and fruity fizzy champagne. The strawberry is playing background to the champagne note here, but it's definitely a sweet sparkling wine. On my skin: Wet, it's mostly champagne fizz -- and a full degree dryer than in the imp -- and then I get a note that's almost exactly like strawberry bubblegum. After a bit, the strength of that note fades, and it's fizzy champagne upfront again -- but now I do get a distinct Strawberry Bubbaliscious note near my skin. This one's not a morpher on me beyond the initial phase. This is a light scent, but it's one with a lot of throw (at least on me). I feel like this would have to be a springtime scent for me -- when it's warm enough for the air to give some distance to the scent molecules but cool enough that I don't need something grittier to cover up my sweat.

In the decant: It's a very round, golden scent, slightly sweet but not overly so. Probably the only notes I would have called accurately from the scent description are amber and honey. On my skin: Wet, I definitely can pick out some of the orange blossom and neroli, though this is in addition to the rounder scent supporting those notes. As it dries, there's some lovely, soft, warm cedar close to the skin but a lot of brightness -- honey, for sure, probably orange blossom, I'm not sure what other notes -- in the scent's throw. Once it really has time to develop, I can see how well blended the notes are here. There's definitely orange blossom giving the scent its airy quality and cedarwood grounding it. In between are amber, saffron, and honey, giving it some depth that is almost crystalline in quality. Bits are sweet, bits are airy, bits are woody, bits are citrusy bright -- and it all comes together so nicely. I wish I had come upon this sooner so I'd have a better chance at finding more than a decant, but I'm definitely glad to be able to wear what I can!

The Lights of Men's Lives from the GC has the beeswax/smoke combo for me, but it doesn't have the floral notes.

In the decant: Very fizzy champagne. It's lychee-sweet, but what I mainly notice is the feeling of bubbles. On my skin: Wet, there's the mango. It leaps off my skin to become by far the dominant note. The immediate drydown brings back the champagne bubbles. As it develops, I lose a lot of the mango again, and the scent is back to lychee and champagne. Now, though, the champagne almost feels more "fuzzy" than "fizzy." It's still a little tickly on my nose, but it's quite subdued compared to the rush of bubbles that was the scent in the decant.

In the imp: A lot of rather sharp lavender, with a little violet smoothing it out, a little white musk brightening it, and a little vetiver making it even more earthy. On my skin: Wet, it's a lavender single note on me, sharp and herbal, not tempered by any other thing in this world. My husband says I smell nice right now, for what it's worth (unsolicited comment, so I figure it's worth mentioning in the review). As it dries, however, the violet comes out, softening the scent and making it almost creamy. Ultimately, this is a very nice violet scent on me. The lavender and vetiver aren't really except to give it a bit of backbone and grounding. It's fairly similar to -- but lighter than -- Fallen is on me.

In the imp: Soft, powdery honey. I don't get a distinct milk note, but there is something that's both cutting the sweetness of the honey and also rounding it out. On my skin: Wet, there's something spicy that I'm guessing is the carnation, but it's really almost lightly peppery on my skin at this stage. As it dries, I get powdery rose brightened by bergamot. The carnation -- or something -- is still adding a bit of spice to the scent, which I like a lot. At this point, I get nothing I can discern as either honey or milk. After a while, all I'm really getting is high-end luxurious rose-scented powder.

In the imp: Um. Minty eucalyptus soap. On my skin: Wet, it's lots of soap, with mint becoming more apparent as it dries. Ope, nope, thirty minutes later, and we're back to minty soap. I'm calling it: This one is a fail on me. Part of that is due to my preferences, I'm sure, as I don't like to smell like mint or eucalyptus generally. (This was a Lab frimp.) And the soap? Maybe that is part skin chemistry.

Um. Tracking says this got here just before noon, so this has rested. Eight hours, but it has rested. And I cannot resist longer. In the bottle: Echoing the above "holy crap" and raising the Lab a "holy shit!" It's beautiful peach brandy. I know the Snake Oil must be behind it because while it is a jolt of liquery goodness, it is not assaulting my nostrils like straight alcoholic notes can. On my skin: Wet, this is every peach perfume I have ever wanted. It's baked peaches, so the juice is concentrated sweetness, along with just a hint of spice (probably from the Snake Oil proper?). As it dries, I can smell the patchouli and musk of the Snake Oil come out closer to my skin, though peach brandy still dominates the scent's throw. Given more time to develop, the Snake Oil -- musk and patch and spices and I must even be getting vanilla because this is so damn smooth, not sharp like fresh patch can be -- makes its presence more known. It does tone down the overall blend on me, which serves to make it a little less in-your-face but a lot more all-day-wearable. Not in outright scent but in feel, this reminds me a lot of Pomegranate Grove: Snake Oil. (To be fair, it's fall, and everything has been reminding me of PG: SO.) Peach Brandy Snake Oil is sweeter, but the fruitiness still gives it a lighter and brighter feeling than I get from many Snake Oil blends. This is straight-up gorgeous and the first BPAL peach scent to really work on me. My only regret is that I bought but one bottle.

In the bottle: Amber and orris, but I get more carnation and currant than I do violet leaf. On my skin: Wet, the amber all but disappears. The orris butter rounds out the slightly spicy carnation and slightly tart currant to keep them a little smoother. The violet leaf does come out as it dries, adding a bit of earthier, almost greenery-er vibe to the brightness of the carnation and currant, which are still supported by the amber and orris. (I cannot pick out the amber at this stage either, but amber has a pretty long history on my skin of picking out and amping other notes without being detectable itself. I suspect it is doing the same thing here.) It's really nice at this stage, a very light scent but one with a lot of throw on me, if that makes sense. The smell is never overwhelming, but I'm also never bringing my nose closer to my skin to try and pick it out of the air. This isn't at all like what I usually wear (which is heavy on patch and spices), but it's completely great.

In the bottle: Honey and fuzz. Looking at the notes, what I'm reading as "fuzz" here will most probably be the musk or the ginger. On my skin: Wet, everything good disappears, and it's quite soapy. Whew, the soap phase is short. The honey comes back, and with it something that is a little powdery, but it's not soap. I would pin the powder on the musk, particularly given the bottle's age. But even the powder fades back with enough time, and I'm left with a honey-sweet, vanilla-rounded, musky floral. This will probably make a great warm weather perfume on me as it's light but one of those scents that I think will stand up well to sweat (which, living in the desert, is reality all 12 months of the year). It's pretty and soft and feminine but doesn't rely on being too "clean" smelling.

In the bottle: Peony, carnation, freesia, and peach. On my skin: Wet, it's very peony, though the carnation and freesia do try to make themselves known. As it dries, the woods do start to come out, and they are pale -- they literally smell like driftwood to me. Given more time, the peach also comes out. Overall, though, this remains a pleasant, light but grounded floral. It's the type of thing that I'd love if it were an atmo, but it's not so much in my perfume wheelhouse.

In the decant: Very peachy apricot, with something keeping it from being too syrupy or cloying. I cannot say at this stage whether it's a resin or something like the rice milk achieving that effect. On my skin: Wet, it's a lovely lightly spiced peach cream. In addition to the peach, I'm getting the rice milk and just a hint of cardamom. As it dries, the cardamom dials back, and I'm left with a scent where peach is very much the star of the show, supported by rice milk and light resin. Given more time to develop... something... maybe the frankincense or amber?... causes it to develop a slightly musky quality on my skin. But not like vulva-musk (ask your parents, kids), more like a slightly stale sweat or body odor musk. That element is faint, and the scent is still mostly peach on me, but it's not the best direction this blend could have chosen. I am, fortunately or unfortunately, not having the best success with this peach blend. Unfortunately because one always wants success. Fortunately because Lupers are down and I did not purchase a bottle, so at least now there's no regret and no FOMO.

In the decant: Blackcurrant through a resin, though I can't, at first sniff, make out whether that's frankincense or amber. On my skin: Wet, it's the frankincense that's coming through the most, though the blackcurrant rounds it out nicely. As it dries, the carmelized black amber comes out, and it's soft, lightly smoky, and very sexy. The motia attar is adding just a tinkle of floral around the edges. This is jasmine when jasmine behaves. This is absolutely stunning, light as a floral without being in the least heady or overwhelming. This may hit my list of wishes, though I will at least enjoy the heck out of this decant!

In the imp: Ylang ylang is the central note, accented by neroli and supported by sandalwood. On my skin: Wet, it's very ylang ylang. As it dries, the ylang ylang quiets down a bit, and I get a bit of the neroli as well as the backing of sandalwood. Ultimately, this is a nice, inoffensive floral. The sandalwood helps give it grounding and structure, and the neroli keeps the ylang ylang from being too overwhelming. I do not know that I need an inoffensive floral in my collection (I'm just not an inoffensive floral kind of person), but this was fun to try.

In the imp: Heady sweetness, narcissus and cypress. On my skin: Wet, the narcissus and cypress combine to form a note that is almost like neroli on me. As it dries, the neroli vibe disappears, but narcissus and cypress remain, evocative of a humid (but not necessarily overly hot) summer night. There is a quality to the scent that is a little aquatic, which is very unlike how I'd picture Hades to be. Given more time to develop, the resins come out a bit more, adding a bit of... space... to the cloying quality of the florals. This is not at all how I expected it to be and is in fact quite nicer than I expected it to be. I'm not sure I want to wear Hades on a regular basis, but if this is what the place really smells like, I wouldn't mind going there.

In the decant: Pineapple, mandarin, and rum. On my skin: Wet, it's rum, raspberry, and pineapple. Once it's dry... maybe this decant hasn't aged well, but it's almost Irish Spring-type soapy. Okay, after I give it some time, the soapy quality backs off, and it's pineapple over... something fuzzy. Maybe like fruit notes over a light resin? The fuzziness is a quality rather than a distinct note. It's cute and bright without being overwhelming or cloying. It is also really skin-close on me.

In the imp: A lot of frankincense, a little rose. As someone who normally amps rose to high hell and holy heaven, this is promising. On my skin: Wet, it's rose through a soft resin. Both notes are present, but the frankincense is actually more prominent. As it dries, however, the scent becomes fairly soapy. Like, rose soap that is a lot of soap and not super a lot of rose. The more it ages, the more the rose comes out. It's less soapy on me than it was, but it is a drier tea rose. It never loses that soap completely for me, however. Another rose scent I've tried. Alas, another rose scent that does not work on me.

In the bottle: Honey, but not in a cloying, overpowering way. I can't identify any pumpkin outright, but I can tell that there's something softening the Lab's honey here. On my skin: Wet, it's a dark fall honey on me. As it dries, I can pick out flickers of both cinnamon and soap. I am... deciding on this one.

In the bottle: This is actually very perfumey to my nose, such that I double-checked the bottle to make sure I'm reviewing in the right spot. (Names and abbreviations match.) It's almost dead leaves kind of cologne-y, minus the bell pepper evocation. On my skin: Wet, I still get a lot of dead leaves -- and even a bit of bell pepper now, though I can't swear that I'm not conjuring that out of my mind -- but there is something in this that feels slightly tingly on my skin (cinnamon, cassia, clove, pepper, or even nutmeg are solid possibilities). As it dries, the dead leaves aspect fades, but it's still very strong on the pumpkin spice. Not pumpkin spice cake or pumpkin spice frosting. Just. Pumpkin. Spice. Just. Pumpkin. Spice. is much better on me than are cologney peppery dead leaves. But I do miss getting any kind of sweetness out of this, from chocolate or cake or frosting. I might be interested in trying to layer this with something that's too sweet for me to see what happens.