ShadowEtienne

Got an imp of this as a freebie in my very first forum order, and while it's something I'm not sure I would have picked up for myself, it's got a lot of promise in terms of things that I like. Dragon's blood is a note that I had a bit of wariness towards, but I've loved BPAL's in the Lunar New Year scents, so I'm at least open to the idea of it. I tend to like spicy scents, and BPAL's clove and black pepper notes have been my friends in the past. Cinnamon is a new note for me, and I know that it can be an irritant to a lot of people's skins (and my skin is known for being very reactive, on the other hand, it doesn't necessarily agree with most people's about what is a problem). I find myself very curious though! In the imp: sharp bright spices, surprisingly sweet cinnamon takes the forefront here, but I can smell that clove and the prickle of black pepper. The dragon's blood is there but very quiet in the imp providing something slightly resinous to the sweetness. On initial application to skin: there's a burst of cinnamon and clove, still quite sweet, more than I would have expected with a name like Wrath. No initial negative skin response, so that's good. As it starts to dry: It reminds me of how the kitchen smells when making a spiced simple syrup. Sweet spicy cinnamon and cloves are definitely the dominant elements here, but that slight prickle of black pepper remains keeping it from becoming cloying along with the hint of a resin that I'm not sure that I could pick out as dragon's blood at this stage. On dry down: This sits on the verge of being too sweet on my skin, but just on the safe side. The cinnamon is a very bright light sort of cinnamon on me, and the clove is sweet and bright as well, not dusty or dry as it can sometimes be. The black pepper remains just the slightest prickle of a note, but it's important in holding back the sweetness from being overwhelming. The resinous dragon's blood note has opened up some to help warm the scent further. I think that I'm going to stick by my assessment of spiced simple syrup, but in a good way! Overall, I like this. Not necessarily a bottle's worth of like, but I'm definitely going to keep the imp around and see how much I use it. I could see this going into my "I want to add spiciness to this" layering rotation.

Like all of the Lunar New Year scents I've had the chance to try to date, this one has strong associations with the little lacquer trays of dried and candied fruits put out during the Lunar New Year, this is part of what I love about them and why I'm trying to collect them. Hemp was a concern note for me, so I'm very glad I was able to get a decant of this to test! No itching or sneezing, and no noticeable hemp scent to me, so I'm relieved. The citrus is definitely a strong note in this. On me, the blossoms are less forward than they are on some of the other Lunar New Year scents and the resins are a stronger component of the scent. This lends itself to a slightly more sour and woodsy scent, though it's still fresh and floral and brightly fruity. It's not my favorite Lunar New Year scent, but it is lovely!

I was fortunate to get a decant of this in my quest to collect the LNY scents. This has been somewhat rice cake heavy but one embedded with dried or candied fruits. This year I made some of my fa gao with dried lychee embedded in them, and this is remarkably reminiscent of that (minus the bit where I didn't get the texture quite right). The citrus and lychee are definitely prominent along with the rice cake element. It's not particularly floral or resinous on me, though those elements are there in the background helping to balance the scent. This, like all the LNY scents, is reminiscent of the little lacquer trays of dried and candied fruits that we'd put out at LNY, but with that lovely kick of the rice cakes in the mix.

I was nervous about this one because melon and I don't historically get along (I'm mildly allergic to raw melons, cooking them fixed the problem, so candied melon doesn't have the same issue association as fresh does). Since this is obviously aged at this point, the decant that I got has had the chance to settle and balance itself, but I think that I've also been lucky in what amped on me. There's a light waft of the candied melon once the scent settles on my skin, but it adds a pleasant tart sweetness that plays well with the rest of the scent. On my skin, coconut, kumquat, and tangerine are the stars. There's definitely that nice balance of the various blossoms adding a floral element as well. Like all of the LNY scents I've gotten to try to date, this has a strong sensory memory for me of the little lacquer trays of dried and candied fruits set out at LNY, and this particular tray has some candied melon on it. I think the soft background resinous notes are holding the whole scent back from diving off the edge into too sweet.

I have finally acquired a decant of this, and I am delighted to be able to try it! I have loved all the Lunar New Year's blends I've tried so far, and I am especially excited about this one because it is my year! In contrast to the very peachy Wooden Goat and this powerfully citrus Fire Monkey, both of which I love, this is lighter and more floral on my skin. It is still the scent of the little lacquer platter of candies and candied fruits set out during the Lunar New Year that all these scents are reminiscent of, but this one is outdoors under the fresh early peach blossoms, plum blossoms, and peony. I am delighted that Water Snake is immediately one of my favorite LNY scents, and am now to be DISO bottle(s).

This is a rich, nectary, juicy lily scent on me. A still growing flower, with gentle notes of the greenery of the plant lurking underneath. Lily definitely amps on my skin to this big juicy note most of the time, and Black Lily is no exception to that, but it is an excellent example! It's a fairly simple scent, with the one main note, but it's also a deeply complete scent with lots of layers to that lily. It's got that slightly sharp/spicy element that lilies can have, and both sourness and sweetness. I reach for this in the imp often, and will likely be upgrading to a full bottle as soon as the imp starts running low.

I am sort of sad that I discovered this long after it was discontinued. I have two imps from lovely friends who have been into BPAL much longer than I have and had it floating around in their collections. Tiger Lily is one of the scents that showed me that Lily is one of my absolute favorite scent notes. It's vibrant sun-warmed nectar-rich lilies in a field, and a soft sunny overlay of honey that just ties the warmth of the scent together. Lily always comes out such a big rich note on my skin, and this is no exception. It's a pretty sweet lily, but with that subtle spicy/sharp note that lily can sometimes have keeping it from being cloying. If I didn't have such a limited amount of this, I would wear it more than I do, and it's definitely on my wishlist of bottles if I could ever find one to buy from someone!

On me, this is a minty snow note first and foremost, it lacks the creamy nature of this year's Snow White, though every so often I can detect a tiny waft that makes me think of it. There's a whisper of what smells like dried roses, but it's mostly hiding under some dirt and moss. Those two aren't loud enough to make me dislike the scent, but they're prominent enough to make me uncertain. I like mint, quite a lot in fact, so a minty-cold scent isn't a bad thing, but this isn't the minty scent that I'm going to reach for. I was the person in my local group order who liked it the best, so I've ended up with the bottle, but I don't see myself reaching for it often, and I suspect that at some point, someone who likes it better will get the bottle passed along to them.

This is a sweet, bright lemon, and like others have mentioned, has an almost fizzy quality. There's definitely also elements of soft syrupy notes of blackcurrant and blackberry. Everything in this is bright and juicy, and it makes for a very light, joyful scent. Effervescent is indeed a good word to describe this scent! I feel like this is going to be a scent that translates well year round, and has notes that would make for a very good drink year round.

This smells lovely to me in the bottle, spices (cardamom very present, nutmeg there but quieter) and some florals that I struggle to identify in the bottle. On my skin, I think that it comes a little unbalanced from the bottle. The nutmeg gets louder and a little sour, and the cardamom doesn't quite keep up (unfortunately, I love cardamom, it's part of what drew me to Mama-Ji as a scent I might like). The florals make themself more distinct here. I'm pretty sure that there's carnation and some very gentle rose, both of which I'm fine with but don't sway me one way or the other. There might be a little bit of jasmine in here, but not much (and for me, not enough, I think that it would make the scent work for me if there was more). I'm going to echo the people saying champaca as a probable note, that's one that sometimes gets a little odd on my skin, and while it's not a strong note, I think that it's doing it here. I like the idea of this scent more than I end up liking the scent itself on my skin. I've been playing around with layering it with things that will help balance out the notes that aren't working on me, and I've had some luck, but I'm not reaching for it much.

This is the newer version. A soft, dusty/dry clove is definitely the predominant note of this in the bottle, but as soon as it hits my skin, the deep, syrupy black currant comes out in equal strength (reading other reviews, I must amp the black currant). It's sweet and spicy and definitely reminds me of a mulled cider, but one made of black currant. For something with only two listed notes, it's a remarkably complex and well rounded scent on my skin. Sweet and spicy and a little bit bitter and a little sour all and once, with that drying note from the clove. There's nothing cloying to this sweetness, which I appreciate. This is an excellent scent for layering, and I love blending it with flowers or with fruity scents that need a spicier note to be good on me.

I hesitated over this scent at first, uncertain if I would like it enough to be happy with a bottle (and with no one in my circle of friends who also like BPAL who wanted to share in a bottle with me). I'm glad that I circled back and bought a bottle! I love cardamom, it's one of my favorite notes, and I love that here, it is not a sweet note at all. The cardamom and caraway are a beautiful combination of sour spice, but sour in the best way. The charred sandalwood is a woody bitter note that accentuates the beautiful spice notes without overwhelming them. On my skin, it's in fact very subtle, and this is mostly about the cardamom-caraway duet. This has been among other things an excellent layering scent for me when something is too sweet for my tastes but otherwise smells good. It definitely stands up to being worn alone as well though.

This is such a delightful scent, and while a little out of my comfort zone when I initially picked it, I'm so glad that I went for it! The cassis and cardamom are the stars on my skin. It's a warm, resinous, woody, spicy scent, and I can definitely tell that the clove is in there too. The waft of rose smoke really adds a layer of depth to the scent as well. This is not a juicy or bright cassis note, but instead one that smells more like a spiced jam or cider. It's deep and rich and still somewhat sweet, but definitely not too sweet. The bay is definitely present too, adding a layer of herbaceous greenness that helps keep the scent out of too dark and smoky for me to enjoy. This isn't an every day sort of scent for me, but when I want something resinous and woody, it's definitely one of the first things I reach for.

This is a rich, spicy-sweet anise forward blend on me. The sage brings a fresh herbal note, and the bergamot a slight touch of citrus freshness, but the anise is the star. That was what I was hoping for because I adore anise. It's not cloying or licorice-like here, but fresh and bright because of the other notes. I wear this one quite a bit, and it's on my list of Menage a Trois scents that I really wish weren't LE.

This is a rare scent where amber works in a way I like on me, and it's made me open to trying more scents with an amber note listed, though it's definitely a hit and miss note for me. The jasmine and honeysuckle are both the rich smell of the flower in humid night air for me, but wafted a bit away from their original flowers and mingled in the air. There's a nectary scent to it, but not as strong as it would have been right up against the flowers. It's fresh though, even if the flowers are powerful in their scent. The amber brings a warm slightly resinous note to mingle with the flowers some and grounds it a bit and warming it up. While this isn't my favorite jasmine yet, I do like how this mingles jasmine and honeysuckle, both of which I like quite a bit!

I get so much jasmine from this one, with some hints of other white and tropical flowers lurking underneath. Gardenia, plumeria, carnation, what strikes me as possible the floral part of the ginger plant, and I'm pretty sure orange blossom. There's a lot of good floral stuff going on here. There are some spice notes underneath, possible from the flowers that can go spicy (like carnation) possibly from some white pepper and cardamom (those are the two spices I'm picking up), maybe a little ginger. There's also some green notes and resinous notes lurking deep in the scent keeping it grounded to my skin. It's fresh and rich and has some elements that remind me of Machu Picchu and Pele, as well as some elements that remind me of New Orleans. I'd agree with someone's comment above that it feels like it might have been a prototype for a Wanderlust. It just has that sort of vibe to me too! I like this one quite a bit, though I need to be in the mood for something strong with a lot of throw when I put it on!

On my skin, the black currant, specifically a tart bright black currant, is very much the dominant note of this! It's sweetened by something soft and coconut, along with a buttery sugary scent. Faintly in the very back is a hint of a sweet rose jam note that helps keep the tartness of these black currants under control. The scent is very close to being too foody for me. I'm very very tempted to chew on my own wrist right now (this is a problem). I may actually try some layering with Knave of Snowflakes to get the foody aspect to back off a bit and give it a little bit more floral punch.

2022 version I'm getting sweet coconut cream and subtle white florals. There could be some lily in there, but if so it's a rare lily that doesn't amp into a big juicy nectary note on me. Fortunately there doesn't seem to be any almond oil in this (I have a nasty topical reaction to all the almond oils), and I'm not smelling any almonds/almond blossom, so I think I'm safe (I didn't noticed that point that some people were making in the reviews until after it was already on my skin). I'll keep an eye on the wrist where I applied it anyhow. There's definitely a light brightness or freshness to the scent, but it's pretty creamy and coconut forward on my skin. There's a faint hint of some sort of greenery hiding in the very depths of this scent, perhaps something evergreen under that snow, but it's not a terribly cold scent to me.

A while ago, I was gifted a decant of this by a friend who has been into BPAL much longer than I have, and have been using it extremely sparingly so that I won't run out and never be able to have it again too soon. Litha (2006) is a garden in the woods with herbs and flowers and bees nearby being warmed by the sun. It's a well balanced scent on me, honeysuckle (supported by the honey), thyme, and vervain are probably the most noticeable smells for me right off the bat on my skin, but the others are there, filling out the rest of the garden with flowers and green growing things. There's a spiciness to this that is lovely and blends well with the woods and resins that seem to make up its gentle base. I don't notice them at first sniff, but they are definitely present and lending to the impression of this garden being a tended area where the sunlight comes down through the trees in a forest. Honey has been a very hit and miss note for me, but here, it is delightful and definitely lends to the sun-warmed feeling of the scent. Alas, discovering it this late, I will have to treasure my little decant and choose when to use it carefully.

I was given an aged imp of this by a friend who's been into BPAL far longer than I have. It was one of my first times I encountered a frankincense that I didn't hate, and I've since learned that in the right blends (in small amounts with things that balance it for me), it can work for me. On the skin, this is a very jasmine and lily forward scent for me. This is a good thing, as those are both flowers I love, and they tend to smell rich and nectary with my skin chemistry. This is no exception. The moonflower and ylang ylang are definitely in the background of the beautiful white florals on my skin, but they are playing their part, and the overall floral blend lends itself to a sweet nectary-spice floral that I love. The cardamom gently amps up the spice, and as one of my favorite spices, it definitely also holds up its part of the scent. Black currant has been much louder on me in other scents, and it's another note that tends to play well with my skin and nose. Here, it's a gentle jammy-juicy dark undertone that helps ground the scent along with the even gentler woody-resinous notes from the sandalwood and frankincense. It's a deep, complex, rich scent that is mostly powered by the spicy and nectary white florals. I'm sad that it's a discontinued scent because this would definitely factor into what I'd consider for full bottles if it wasn't!

I love Snooty Rose, it's a beautiful rich rose balanced by dark, rich plum and warm woods that keep it from going sweet. However, I almost never wear it, generally only with something else layered over it, because it's the rare scent that smells almost the same on me and my sister, and roses are one of her scents, so I keep having my brain try to figure out where she is. Scent associations are fascinating like that! This is a scent that definitely reinforces that plum tends to work really nicely on me though!

This is a lovely, mild floral that is fairly balanced between rose, lilac, and wisteria on my skin. I can smell all three flowers about evenly, and they smell true to themselves, though perhaps cut and not quite fresh, there's a soft dryness to the scent. However, while there is nothing objectionable about the scent, I rarely if ever find myself reaching for it. None of the scents are lighting up on my skin or doing much terribly interesting. I have other florals that I'm more excited about with most of these notes (I love wisteria, but have not found it in something that excites me yet). I think that for me to properly appreciate this one, it would have needed a brighter note of something, or some spices to round it out. There are pure florals that work for me, but this isn't really one of them, despite there being nothing wrong with it.

I am delighted by this on first test. I'd opened it to sniff it a few times (and also to let it get a little air before testing it), and I'd been a little concerned that the scent might be a little bit bitter in the bottle. But that didn't prove true when testing it on skin. In the bottle, there was a bitter black tea (good but needed to be balanced by something), a sharp sandalwood (again, not a bad thing alone for me, but balance not happening here), and a hint of the jasmine that I was hoping for (with very little of the cedar, incense/smoked elements, or sweet sage). Once it hit my skin, the sweeter and maltier and smokier notes immediately started appearing, warming up the scent and making it absolutely delicious! (Fortunately not in a way that actually makes me want to chew on myself, and I have enough self control not to lick my own wrists, perfume is not for consumption, I know this.) This is a sweet smoky jasmine blending and balancing a slightly bitter but malty black tea. There's a soft warm haze of incense that blends the wood notes of the sandalwood and cedar beautifully, and the sweet sage is a bright, very slightly green herbal note that softens any last harsh edges that the scent might have had. It's a very comforting scent (which is not necessarily what I would have expected with the name).

I was also able to get one of the bottles of Wooden Goat from the etsy shop when they listed a few of them, and I'm very glad that I've gotten a hold of it. While it's not my favorite of the Lunar New Year scents I've gotten to try, it's lovely and still in my bracket of very favorite scents. While I like Water Dragon a little bit more personally, I also feel like Wooden Goat is the more generally accessible scent of the two of them. In the bottle and when first applied to my skin, I get so many peaches from this. Peaches are a note that can do good things or bad things on me, and I wasn't sure if this would end up being the Lunar New Year scent that went a little too sweet on me at first application. Fortunately, as it dries down and soaks in, the citrus, florals, and resins come forward and balance out the peach. Like all of the Lunar New Year scents that I've tried, Wooden Goat strongly brings to mind the scent of the lacquered trays of dried and candied fruits that my foster family would put out during Lunar New Year, and this is a delightful scent memory.

Like all of the Lunar New Year scents I've had the chance to try so far (Fire Pig, Water Dragon, Wooden Goat, Fire Monkey), this is a very citrus forward scent on me. There's also gentle wafts of the florals floating in the background of the scent, predominantly the peony, but I'm getting the plum and peach blossoms and the chrysanthemum as well lightly. The Buddha's hand is a really interesting note in this, and it definitely leads the citrus in a pleasant sort of sour direction. I definitely get the kumquat and tangerine as well though, and all of these are notes that I love. I really appreciate that this does invoke the lacquer platters of dried and candied fruits that my foster family would put out during Lunar New Year (this is something shared in common between all the Lunar New Year scents for me so far).