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Ahhh I love BPAL's olibanum/frankincense notes. I got mine secondhand so I'm guessing it's aged a bit because the throw is nice and solid! Olibanum and labdanum with a light dusting of cardamom, edges gilded with olive blossom. Cade and spikenard add to the meditative, sacred feel of it. This is really pretty. It might usurp Templum Dei from its top shelf frankincense throne.
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A veritable thwack of cypress in the bottle, but it opens up on skin to a softly smoky incense with a roughly woven moss silk base. This feels like Girl Holding a Snake's older and bolder sibling, with amber instead of vanilla cream. The calla lily is soft, green stemmy floral breeze, stirring the incense plumes gently. If this was an Ars Anni scent it would be something like The Old Temple by Hubert Robert. A golden glowing scent, trimmed in green.
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I love reading the reviews here and seeing how differently people can interpret the same scent. This one especially seems all over the place! Fortunately (for me), I'm getting the same vibes as nikaida, Becca, and forspecial_plate! This starts out with a fresh cut dewy lily, not the loud spicy lily, but a cool soft one. There's a green stem note that fades away into a freshness from the green tea, backed by creamy florals. This is so pretty in an elegant, put-together way. It smells like someone fresh from the bath, having used nothing but Crabtree & Evelyn products. It's such an easy everyday type scent that I'm tempted to grab a backup bottle.
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At first whiff, I thought there must be carnation in here because it immediately reminded me of Shelley, Byron, and Keats. But I forgot about poppies! So poppy party, a hint of the sweet-tart vibe I always get from peonies, and ofc Snake Oil. It actually does remind me quite a bit of SB&K + SO, which I am very OK with because I adore both. Another lovely Snake for my floral Snake brigade! 🐍💐
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This starts out with a grassy burst, like smelling a freshly mown lawn on the breeze, over SO. The wildflowers peek out on skin, and the overall effect is wearing SO outside on a warm sunny summer day, surrounded by wildflowers and endless green expanses rippling in the wind, Studio Ghibli style. I'm not normally a grass fan but it works here as a perfect summery snake variant.
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Damp, sticky green notes. Like the sap of green stems, mixed with wet leaves and ivy. The florals are strong but definitely in that that nondescript wildflower vibe, like a breeze carrying a jumbled melange of floral notes. It does remind me of shampoo actually, and a specific one I used years ago that was sunflower scented iirc. This is surprisingly strong for a greenery and soft floral scent, maybe the silk is giving it the oomph. This feels clean and wild, Dryad vibes.
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Dear merciful gods this is so pretty. Lilac is one of my true loves, notes-wise but grape/wine scents usually go sticky sweet cloying candy on me, which I cannot handle. This is gorgeous though. I fully agree on the ice wine comparison, but it stays in that general vibe on me. The honeyed aspect gives way to a more pollen dusted, chilled floral beverage vibe. Great throw and longevity on me. This whole Luper season has been full of bangers but this one is Top 5. It's ethereal and otherworldly, big fae energy. Exquisite.
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(The mere mention of Love Lay Upon Her Eyes sold me on this! I had also overlooked the note tags, so major shout out to RoseThornAndOak for that!) This is super pretty. I agree it's like a sister to Love Lay, but with lily. The lily is gorgeous, green in that way lilies can be, but not grassy or too stemmy. Pollen dusted with the ethereal glow from white amber and a little hint of rose (and again I agree with above, tea rose came to mind!). It's not shrill or sour to me, more cool and airy. The white amber is definitely less in your face here than Love Lay, or maybe of a different variety, it feels less warm. This is lovely in hot weather! Good throw and decent wear for a scent that's fairly light!
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Something about this makes me think of wax, not like candle wax or beeswax in the usual way, but like... vintage waxy lipstick? Like the real old school ones in pots. Much waxier than the other lipstick BPALs I've tried so far. The smooth coolness of the lotus makes an interesting counter to the warmth ofcassia and myrrh. I totally agree that it's completely unobjectionable, I can't see anyone hating it. Smells like opening the drawer of an old vanity that used stored makeup once upon a time. Definitely vintage glam vibes. Elizabeth Taylor playing Cleopatra. Lowish throw.
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I've been loving all the SM beauties but Lorrainna 😍 STUNNING. The florals are dewy and delicate, like the scent of blooms on a humid morning before the sun starts baking everything to death. I adore lilac and was worried it would be too similar to my many other lilac scents, but the magnolia is an equal partner here, adding its breezy southern charm to the bouquet. Orris doesn't go full on powdery. Everyone is playing nice and being polite lol. I definitely agree with the "ethereal" description, it smells faelike, otherworldly. The throw is superb, I had no issue smelling it on myself even out in public with just a few wand swipes. It lasted a good 8ish hours on me, probably maintaining the throw for a good 6. This is so absolutely my jam, I'll be grabbing a bottle in my next order for sure.
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I can definitely see the white tea comparison, but white tea goes very shrill on me often and this fortunately does not. This is such a pretty floral earl grey tea scent though, omg. It smells like those gorgeous loose leaf blends with loads of flower petals and dried fruit in them. The bergamot is really gorgeous here, but I'm a bit partial to it as a note so ymmv on that lol. Honeysuckle is often very loud and kinda laundry on me but here it's playing very nicely. Gosh this is so pretty. This whole series is killing me, I've liked or loved every single one. 💀 Throw is surprisingly good on this one, but it dries down quieter after an hour or so. Overall medium throw and longevity so far, but it's so pretty I am willing to reapply nonstop if needed lol
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Agreed with the above. Reminds me of the strangely fizzy Batty Cathedral. The amber gives this a nice base to stand on, so it's lasting better than Batty Cath did on me. Bright and fizzy, grounded in smooth resins. Oddly refreshing and decidedly unisex. Ok throw, decent longevity. Another W for the Skull Maskerade series.
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Dry, baked desert spices. The vetiver warms up on the skin and starts lurking in the periphery. Clove and I don't often get along but it really works here. No medicinal edge, and it doesn't trample everything else into submission. The musk isn't feral or loud, just kinda there. Vibing. I like this a lot more than expected! Good throw and longevity as well.
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Definitely champaca forward, as mentioned, but what a beautiful champaca. The honeyed tobacco and spiced fruits rounds it out, makes it feel fuller and more robust. It reminds me of another indie favorite, but with better longevity and throw. Although she's not as much of a powerhouse as some of the other SM ladies, longevity seems solid so far. I'm really loving this whole series tbh, but I love cozy incense smells and this one is real good. Update: The longevity has really improved on this. It's an all day affair now and I'm here for it. This scent is like putting on a cozy jacket that fits you just perfect. I've been reaching for it a lot since I got it.
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Dry, sun-warmed earthy patchouli and leather sweetened by beeswax. Wafts of incense. This is so cozy and perfectly unisex. The dry aspect keeps it from being too heavy in the humid heat, despite the fairly heavy note list. It definitely fits the scholarly/academia vibe. Longevity is great, throw as well. I'm smitten ♡
