lakeplacidskater

Reviewing based on a decant. Tested several days after receipt to allow the scents to "sit" for a bit. In the decant: sweet cream. Wet on my skin: I'm getting a sweet, pleasantly buttery cream. If there is amber it's very light. I don't get any peach, much to my chagrin. Dry: The lightest hint of cream. As I said, it's not a heavy cream, it's light and milky. Throw-wear length: It lasted about an hour on me and faded quickly. Hardly any throw. Upgrade to a bottle? I'm not sure. On one hand, I really enjoy this type of cream scent without honey backing it like Hymn of St Brigid; on the other hand, I'm not sure if I really want to smell lightly buttery. I was hoping for a creamy peachy scent with amber for depth and instead, it's all cream all the time. Perhaps with aging, it would be different but who knows? I will have to think about it.

I just got Final Girl a few days ago and let it rest before trying it. On my skin, it's almost like....natural bug spray?!? I guess it is the clove. It's super strong and almost cold/menthol-like, as another commenter suggested. No blackcurrant or any fruitiness that I can smell. I've had a small bit on for about 3 minutes, and there isn't much throw either, which considering, might be a good thing. 😂 I was really hoping to have a similar experience to almost everyone else, with the vanilla, marshmallow, and honey stealing the show. But right now, it's a clove party. I guess I will wait a bit and see if aging brings out the other components. UPDATE: After about ten minutes, the clove tamped down enough to allow the deep vanilla, musky honey, and a bit of currant (?) to emerge. It feels like the dark lovechild of "O" and "Hollywood Babylon". I feel like this is the perfume Wednesday Addams would wear. It's not my favorite, but I'm intrigued to see how it changes with time.

This is the best way to describe the mix of Amber and Myrrh. I really wanted to love this one. I expected the cardamom and honey to be sweeter, but on me at least it's a really strong pseudo-floral. I can see why people love it, but it is so strong and sharp (on me) that it almost veers into cologne territory. And it's aged for a few years, so I'm not sure if the sweetness will improve. Oh well.

I have had my eye on this one for months and finally added to my most recent order. In the bottle: ALMONDS. HELLO, ALMONDS. On my skin: Hello almonds again. As I wore it, it settled into a whispery almond/honey scent but VERY faint. Mind you, I did try it out the evening of the day I got it so maybe it needs to settle....either way I will still wear it! It's a nice bedtime scent because it's not overpowering but as some comments have noted, it also doesn't stick around for long - after about half an hour just a faint hint of the scent remained. I've been on an almond kick lately so I still like it!

I tested this from one of three Alice imps I've collected over the years..... In the imp: A clean floral - is that the bergamot?? Applied (wet): HELLO carnation. That's what I get right off the bat - a spicy warm carnation that has an almost resin-like sweetness behind it. Maybe that's the other notes supporting? Dried: After about 10 minutes, it softens to a powdery sweet milky bergamot with the spice of the carnations still keeping it from fading away entirely. Side note - my skin eats this up. By the 20 minute mark, it's almost completely faded away. I don't hate this and I don't love it. Not worth an upgrade for me, but for those that love carnation, you should love this.

I just found this imp and decided to try it out! Oh wow. I really like this one. I always considered myself purely a gourmand scent person when it came to chocolate, but this is dry, sophisticated cocoa backed up with sandalwood. I can smell the edge of the sandalwood a bit but the cocoa is the strongest; on me, it's a dry scent that is saved from pencil shavings territory by the cocoa. I'm glad I have two imps of this, I might actually use them! As for throw, it stays very skin-close - I have to press my wrist to my nose to smell it - but perhaps that's for the best. Update: About an hour after applying, I'm still huffing my wrist. I didn't expect to link this one, but I do!

In the bottle: sweet licorice! Authentic root beer! Wet: Licorice explosion! It's sharp and herbal and medicinal, in a good way. Dry: The licorice is sweet and as it settles, becomes less medicinal/herbal and much brighter. The vanilla, coconut milk, and nutmeg keep it balanced, and the vanilla and nutmeg come out more, although licorice still dominates. I personally love the smell of licorice, so it was a win for me. I know some noted that it was too medicinal when first applied, but I found it comforting, like a sweet, creamy licorice root tea. I feel like this will be one of my favorite "comfort scents".

In the bottle: Hard cherry candy On wet: The hard cherry (not a syrupy cherry, more like that hard cherry candy) hits me first. Dry: It's still cherry, but I smell a graham cracker crust is there too, in the background. No sign of the cheesecake (on me at least). It stays pretty close to my skin and very little throw; as far as longevity, I've had it on for over an hour and it's faded very quickly. Do I like it? Yes, it's quite nice, and perhaps if I layered it with another scent it would be more prominent, but it's ok the way it is too. Maybe I'll let it age for a bit..... This is my first Beaver Moon scent so it's a nice start to the collection!

In bottle: Oh my goodness, it smells like REAL STRAWBERRIES! 🍓 On wet: I get STRAWBERRY EXPLOSION (in a good way) backed up by the faintest hint of REAL coconut (not fake perfumy coconut). 🥥 Drying: Still strawberry, although it gets faint, fast. I don't really smell the coconut anymore, although I sense it's there, making the strawberry a little blurry/fuzzy (now I get what the "fluff" component of this was)... Dry: Hello coconut! While the strawberry is still on top, the coconut is peeking out gently (is that a thing?) and I can smell it much more now. Throw/wear: At first, I could smell this from my wrists as I type this, but after about five minutes, I can no longer smell it. If my wrist is inches away, I CAN smell it though, so....I guess low throw? Overall thoughts: I'm a gourmand-fruity scent fan, so I expected to like this one. I'm a bit disappointed that there isn't much throw, but then again, maybe I don't want to smell like a walking strawberry lol. I love BPAL's "juicy peach" note, so I expected this to be similar, but with strawberry, and it met my expectations. The only thing I wish was more prominent was the "coconut-fluff fur" note, which I interpreted as similar to the fuzzy note of This is a Perfume about my Dog Eating Peaches (but with coconut, obviously), maybe that was my misinterpretation... but it's still quite nice. My mother worked at a convent as an activities director (basically, throwing parties for elderly nuns) and one summer she organized a strawberry shortcake social outside, overlooking the Hudson River. This scent is my first strawberry scent, and when I was thinking about it, Wayward Ghouls reminds me of that event, the sweetness of the strawberries floating on the breeze. This feels like a summer scent to me, but I will probably wear it all year round.

In the bottle: It smells like a coffee shop - coffee, pumpkin espresso drinks, warmth. On wet: There's a sharpness that I guess is the tobacco? Drying: The sharpness fades to allow the cinnamon and coffee to shine through. Dry (30 minutes -1 hour later): This is when I like it the most. It takes on a deeper, smoother, yet sweeter scent - maybe it's a bit of pumpkin and the cinnamon hanging on? Now is when it starts to smell like a pumpkin coffee drink, but I guess the woods note keeps it from getting too syrupy-sweet. It stays close to my skin and doesn't have much throw. It is definitely a cozy, comforting scent that is pretty close to gourmand in my opinion. If you like Miskatonic University, Pumpkin Spice Latte, Coffee Bean, Cardamom, and Vanilla Pod, and Famous Kabuki Actors in Imagined Scenes of Lovemaking, I think you will like this one. 😀

I LOVE THIS. It's rich caramel/toffee with a hint of spice (?) and calms down to a smoky scent. I hope BPAL makes this again someday because I would buy several bottles!

I've been going through my collection while I'm moving, and I came across this one. When I first smelled it last year, I didn't think it would suit me. Then I put some on today, and WOW, it's one of my favorites. BIG balsam energy (is that a valid word choice?) followed by something sweetly citrus. Almost like orange slices that would be in a punch? Is that a thing? I didn't get any amber but I have a feeling it's there somewhere.....anyway, it's such a festive scent. The other day I was hiking in the woods and got a whiff of that lovely balsam. I just moved to a house on Balsam street (balsam firs are a big deal up here in upstate NY) and when I moved here nearly 20 years ago, the cozy shop we used to visit to buy housewares always smelled like spruce and balsam. So there are good memories associated with the scent. It feels like it would be a scent for someone who wants to smell like a winter forest, but prettier. I'm gonna be wearing this a lot over the coming months!

This sums up my experience with a slight departure. I thought it would be a gentle, milky coconut experience but on me, the coconut smelled almost astringent (maybe that's the white tea in the background)? After about 10 minutes the coconut fades and it's a very faint coconut with a tiny bit of milky-ness. It's very light and delicate and does stay close to the skin, fading quickly. I would say after about 20 minutes I don't smell it at all. I'll still keep it even with the edgy coconut beginnings!

Freshly applied, this smells like Flintstones vitamins, the orange ones. But it does deepen and I start to smell the yuzu and grapefruit after a few minutes. It's such a bright, happy, innocently uplifting scent. I will wear this all summer!

I am not normally an "apple scent" person (well, at least not since like 8th grade where I got the Bath and Body Works body mist) but I really like this one. The green apple hits me first, with an undercurrent of what smells like sweet pea even though that's not a part of it...maybe another floral is mimicking that? I guess I amp the green apple because that's primarily what I get...maybe a little bit of the jasmine tea. Sadly it doesn't last long enough but I still enjoy it. "Youthful" is a great descriptor, it reminds me of my pre-teen self.

On me the cream and honey dust are foremost and it settles down to a musk. On me, it only lasts about 20-30 minutes before it fades to whispery musk. I love the lab's honey dust note though so I just make do with constantly reapplying! I agree that it is a cozy, warm scent that is great for wanting to smell "like yourself, but better", or as a sleep scent, or a cozy day at home. I'm so glad I grabbed a bottle of this.

The number one thing that stands out for me with this one is the caramel - I think my skin amps caramel so it's not surprising - closely followed by the sugared cream. Sandlewood is nowhere to be found. I second the note that it is almost buttery, this is a RICH scent. It has a great throw, but sadly, does not last long. This feels like the kind of scent you put on in the winter when you want to stay warm and cozy. I'm glad that I got a bottle.

This is one of my new favorites! Almost gourmand, (thanks to my beloved vanilla and the sweet sugar cookie note) but not quite. In the bottle: Sugar cookie with a woody background to keep it from getting too sweet. It smells almost like cedar but I know it's not.... Wet: Mostly oakwood on me but the vanilla and sugar cookie softens it a bit. It is almost a "cologne" scent but the other two notes save it. Dry: The vanilla surfaces followed by the sugar cookie scent. Alas, it doesn't last long.... This one has low throw on my skin, but it's very nice anyway. I bought a backup!

This is probably one of my new favorites. As a cardamom aficionado, I am always looking for cardamom scents. So if you like "My Little Grotesque" or "Perfectly Normal Childhood" you should enjoy this one. It's somewhat gourmand but the perfect balance of a savory and sweet scent. In the bottle: Yeasty almondy bread with a hint of cardamom Wet on skin: Sharp almond but I still smell the background of bread and cardamom, which I think keeps it from being too sharp. Dry: Hello Cardamom! That outlasts all the other notes on me. Usually, cardamom doesn't last too long but somehow (maybe because of another note?) it lasted quite a while on me, several hours. This is such a cozy, comforting scent that I'm considering getting a backup!

I had the same experience, sadly. I love anything toffee or sweet or foodie/gourmand so I thought this would work. On me, the clove came out the strongest, followed by what I guess is the patchouli and Oudh? It's spicy and almost medicinal smelling at first (my mom was like "what is that scent?!?" when I wore it for the first time) so I guess this proves that I amp clove as well. Then it wears down to be slightly more toffee, and a little vanilla peeking out, but it still smells mostly like clove. I didn't smell coffee at all, which is what I was looking forward to (I hardly drink coffee but like the idea of smelling like coffee for some reason). The warm quality does come out hours later but I'm not sure it's worth waiting so long for that to happen.... Either way, I'm glad I tried it - at least now I know that my skin amps clove.

I was on the fence about this one until I read the reviews. Here goes: In the bottle: rich CAKE BATTER Wet: Still rich CAKE BATTER but a little bit of VANILLA peeks out. It is very sweet smelling but not unbearably so. Dry: The FLAN rounds it out but it's still mostly CAKE BATTER and a bit of VANILLA. It is very comforting. I can see the comparison of a vanilla candle scent but I don't mind that; it's sweet, comforting, and rich. The perfect kind of scent for a cold day. I've come to the conclusion that the cake batter scent amps on me. There is also a richness that reminds me of Aoede, Melete, Mneme (another one of my favorites) but somehow this one is more balanced on me? Either way I'm glad I got it and plan to wear this one often.

I was able to procure this bottle from Etsy (thanks Ted!!) after keeping an eye out for it since the fall. I put it on the day I received it so I realize it might change the scent profile as it settles, but here are my initial impressions. In the bottle: HONEY. So much wonderful, warm, slightly spicy honey. Wet: Honey and a little bit of apple and pomegranate. Dry: Hello Apple. Very strong apple fragrance, it does kind of smell Yankee Candle-ish. There seems to be an undercurrent of pomegranate and honey, but the apple dominates. It's still a nice scent, but not what I expected. Hopefully, it will settle a bit and different elements will come out in time.....

I have to agree with this assessment - to me, it actually smells like Juniper Breeze body spray from Bath and Body Works. A little more nuanced, but it's very perfumey on me, and almost a bit tropical-smelling?!? Then again, I just got it today, so it is literally right out of the mail. I will let it settle and see if it becomes a bit more complex.

I got this in a swap just now, so it's a few years old. I'm so glad I did. When I put it on, it was a very faint clean almost floral fragrance - the tea blossom is softened even more by the vanilla and amber. Later on the oakwood comes out. I think this would be nice to blend with Baby's First Ballista from this year's Liliths to strengthen it. It doesn't last long and it stays close to the skin, but it's a very pleasant scent.

2020 version In the bottle: hello peaches in syrup (with a hint of amber) Wet: The peaches have a lovely almost candied quality, the amber comes out and gives the scent more dimension than "just peaches". It's like peaches in the sunshine. Dry: As it dries and the amber comes out, even more, it becomes a sexier scent, but still sophisticated. It feels like a perfume one would wear to a movie premiere, but it can still be worn daily without seeming too unapproachable. It's not quite a foodie scent, it is, as some noted, more like a fruity blossom scent. The amber makes it deeper and more evocative than the typical peach-based fragrance. I loved this so much that I ordered a backup bottle. It's a beautiful spring/summer perfume but I've been wearing it lately to bring some warmth to my days as the winter gets closer.