ivyandpeony

Tramp is right. If you'd like a visual reference, Sugar Skull 2005 features the Anima Sola on the label; 2006 has a light gray label featuring a tiny witch cartoon (all the 2006 Halloween LEs had similar labels).

HonorA - Sorry about your keyboard! I know what a bummer that can be. My husband and I bought some really nice nightstands when we moved in our house back in 1999. They're from a company that hand works everything and they are lovely. So of course... as I go to bed one night I absentmindedly put my wee bottle of all-natural cuticle oil on the nightstand and in the morning it's sitting in a gooey ring, just the residue on the outside of the bottle was enough to dissolve the finish. I was so horrified, and my husband gave me more shit than if I had splashed a gallon of spaghetti sauce on the Mona Lisa. (Don't worry, as the rules of marriage decree, I silently filed it away and have harangued him tenfold for the household transgressions he's committed, all of which have been much worse. ) I guess experiences like that may have made me a bit more conscious when messing around with my BPAL, although there are some splatters and spills you just can't avoid. I have spilled BPAL oils on the top of my dresser when decanting, but have had something handy to wipe it up immediately, so it has never damaged the finish. But I think most furniture finishes and most plastics can be damaged by fragrance oils, some essential oils, and BPAL. Oil based paints can also be damaged by it. I just try to remember to have a box of Kleenex, a pile of paper napkins, etc. around if I am going to start sniffing a pile of imps and bottles that just arrived or decant some things. The length of time the oil sits on a surface affects how badly it's damaged. For your random knowledge database: If you pour nail polish into a Solo cup, it will dissolve the bottom of it and make a huge mess. That's another plastics fact I once learned when I dumped out some of one color in order to add another color to it. If you think that a bottle of glue has dried up, put the cap back on anyway before you throw it in a wicker wastebasket that's sitting on carpet. That's one of my husband's.

That's interesting, minilux - I have noticed something sweet that seems similar between White Light and Lionheart, too, although I like it. And since the first time I tried Lionheart, it has reminded me of Jezebel. (Jezebel is predominantly honey on me with all the other notes playing backup.) When we were trying out new scents from our orders last fall, I remember that Andra noted something similar in the drydown of Wilhemina Murray and White Light. I could smell it on her wrist, but haven't really compared it since. She has a chemistry that really amps sweetness, just for reference. I agree with parrot_suspect on the Nocturne-Somnus comparison. I like Nocturne better; to me, it is not as sharp as Somnus on my skin.

These aren't impable (except in large sets), but you should be able to track decants down fairly easily if you aren't interested in investing in an entire set. To me, Tarot:Temperance smells very green and dandelion-y. (Roadhouse has that fresh, green, dandelion-ness for me when it's wet, but after a while I just smell like I spilled draft beer on myself. ) And from The Salon, Garden Path with Chickens is incredibly green and grassy - definitely reminds me of One to Tie, Two to Win, just with a wee bit of aquatic feel to it. Oh - and Pontarlier has a unique greenness about it - not that it's an exact match to One to Tie but if you are fond of unusual green planty scents, you should definitely try it.

This is very pretty and very hard for me to describe accurately! It is definitely "perfumey" - I cannot identify a dominant note the way I can with so many BPAL blends, just a big blurry feminine cloud around me. It has a more formal feel to me as well, not something I would throw on with my shorts and tee when I am headed out to run errands, but a scent for when I am more put together, whether it's for meeting up for a nice lunch or going to an evening party. I definitely see the parallel to Love in the Asylum that Sarada mentions (and appreciate her mentioning it, because I don't think I would have made that connection). My husband and I still laugh about an experience at a very elegant restaurant in Charleston (SC) years ago - there was a dish on the menu, a seafood lasagna flavored with orange zest and vanilla. We were intrigued and asked our waiter about it, not realizing that he was Jeff Spicoli's younger brother His advice? "If you think it sounds good, you should definitely order it." But now I do understand what he meant, just a little bit... because that's kind of what I'd advise you regarding Sitting Up With a Sick Friend. If the reviews intrigue you, you should definitely seek it out and try it, for the experience alone - it's a unique blend and one that I will definitely enjoy wearing, even if it's not destined to be my every day scent.

I'm really glad I decided to gamble on a bottle of this one. I dreamed that Miskatonic U would be fabulous and we'd spend a lifetime together, but it was the scent that taught me on that long ago day in spring 2005 just how caramelnoxious my skin can turn a perfectly lovely blend. But the woods and cinnamon in Pinched With Four Aces are just what I need with my sweet coffee - a little spice, a little something dry to temper anything creamy, caramelized or sugary lurking in there waiting to make me smell like I've been marinated in Bailey's. I don't think I will be wearing this much over the summer, but as soon as a chilly, rainy day hits, I am cuddling up with a good book and dabbing this all over.

I love rose in nearly every incarnation that leaves the Lab, same for violet. But apple blossom can ruin things that sound phenomenal to me, poppy is absolutely unpredictable, I usually don't like mint unless it's accompanied with lots of sugar, and thyme? Am I going to smell like au gratin potatoes or a mushroom tart? So imagine how surprised I am that Taurus is the romping, stomping winner of the three floral blends from the Milk Moon & 13 updates. On me, it's a gorgeous creamy bouquet of roses and violets with some wildflowers and greenery to give them depth and dimension, and it knocks the socks off Poisson d'Avril & Lady Luck Blues, both of which have descriptions that read like a list of favorite notes. But by now I should be used to these surprises, where the whole turns out to be greater than the sum of its parts - it's definitely not the first time this has happened to me as I went through those little bottles in the Priority Mail box. My only complaint is that Taurus doesn't last long enough on me, and I've been around long enough to know what to do there, too - carry it in a rollerball for touch ups or make an eau de parfum - so I guess I really have no complaints.

I love daffodils & their kin, too - really, all those spring bulb-blooming flowers, but the heady smell of paperwhites makes me weak in the knees. From the list you compiled, I get the most daffodil/jonquil et al. fragrance from Langour, which is an extremely heady floral on me, and Pride, which I love in the bottle but which sadly contains a varietal of rose that doesn't work on me. The search engine didn't pick up Eshe for you, I think because of the plural (the notes are embalming herbs, black myrrh, white sandalwood, black orchid, paperwhites, tomb dust, and Moroccan jasmine) - I get a huge cloud of paperwhite from this one, the most of any BPAL scent I have tried. The narcissus in Hades is gorgeous - I'd describe it as the Goth chick's perfect narcissus, because the scent is dark and sexy and rich, but you have that bright floral note holding things together. Nothing else in your list is dominantly daffodilly on me... House of Night doesn't actually have any narcissus - if you read the poem in the description carefully, it's one of the flowers that dies from sadness as the dark, melancholy trees and plants take over the garden, and it's those notes that are actually in the perfume. (It's a fabulous blend though!) Eos is dominantly honeysuckle, Marquis de Merteuil has vetiver which amps on me to the detriment of everything else, Melancholia is mostly lilac - but you know, you have to try them all anyway, because your chemistry could be different, you could love one or all of them even if you don't get the notes you expect, and BPAL is like Pokemon - gotta get 'em all.

I second this! I have a bottle of Melancholia coming in my next lab order. I was also very excited about the lilac in Virahotkantita (from the Faces of the Heroine series that came out for Lupercalia). I orginally got a decant from a friend because it also has cedar, which loves to dominate a blend on me. But I get tons of lilac backed up by stargazer lily - just heavenly. So if you lilac lovers can hunt down a decant or a bottle, you may be as pleasantly surprised as I was.

No need for blushing, that's what this thread is for - and the search engine won't find terms of three letters or less, so you wouldn't get any results for "13," unfortunately. Also unfortunate , but just my opinion, there's just nothing like the first two versions of 13. (I haven't had the chance to try 13 III yet.) Do you have a feel for the notes that stand out on your skin? You could try to layer some other scents that feature those notes prominently. Or, you could just haunt the swaps section like Moaning Myrtle...

It hasn't been listed as a note in any other blends. But if you search for posts that include the word "catnip" in Reviews, you will see that a lot of people seem to think it's a component in the Voodoo blend Black Cat. Other blends that have gotten a mention for a whiff of catnip are Obeah (unreleased), Helping Hand (a TAL that was an exclusive to a retail store that's now closed), and Gennivre, L’Artiste du Diable, which is now available in Carnaval Diabolique and contains mint. So I'd definitely give Black Cat a try, and perhaps branch out into minty blends from there if you are still unsatisfied - you may find a mint blend that is herbally enough to give you a catnip feel.

You may have to experiment with floral blends and smoky blends to find ones that you like that will layer nicely together - in addition to the suggestions people are posting, you can find woodsmoke recs here and lilac here. Sarada, His Station and Four Aces came to mind for me too! I haven't had a chance to try it yet though - I'm waiting on it with my Friday the 13th order. Living so far south, I don't think this is a scent I will ever experience walking outside in the spring...

Just thought I'd mention, I have been adding new links and tidying the list. If you have any suggestions, feel free to PM me!

That is a really good call! And it's funny, Arabian Nights didn't work very well on me, but Mama Ji is lovely, my favorite of the three. I do like Gypsy Queen, but not so much that I wasn't willing to let someone have half of my bottle, knowing I'd never use all of it. Wonder what this says about me? I'm middle-of-the-road? Or at the very least, it says I am a floral kinda girl (although I have known that for a long time).

I'm anxious for my bottle of Minotaur to get here - I can't take heavy smoke in a blend, but I'm hearing that it adds a gorgeous nuance to Minotaur. So it may well be a great addition to the blends in this thread!

I recently discovered that Mania is very similar on my skin to Venom. This makes me happy!

I absolutely hate when I have to warn people. But I hate duplicate topics too, especially when there are links sitting in the "Short Guide to Common Recommendations." In the past two or three weeks, I have had to issue four or more warnings for this most basic and easily avoidable misstep! I don't know if everyone has spring fever or something - relatively new members are doing it just as much as old-timers. Before you start a thread focusing on a particular note in Recs, please double check to see if one has already been started! You can check the short guide, and you should also do a search by thread title. If you have any doubts or any questions, I am only a PM away (but please do give me time to respond). Feel free to PM me with any links that you think should be added to the short guide as well. Thanks everyone... sorry to be a kvetch, but it's been a problem lately!

at Karen! This one smells so cucumbery to me, like absolutely nothing but cucumber, like a cucumber big enough to stomp Tokyo. I am amazed that Beth can make something that smells like this and wowed by the freshness - but I can't take the cucumber single note, although I do like cucumber in blends (Tulzcha comes to mind). I sent the little squirt to a new home where he will be loved and cared for.

Really good topic, MV Most of the TALs I own are OK for use as perfume, but I think that even when you think you're dialing down your intent when you're wearing Dixie Love Perfume or Sexual Energy, your subconscious may not be, & you might be projecting a message you'd prefer not to be. And of course, if someone has no interest in the purposes and intent of a TAL oil but realize it smells wonderful, it's a great show of respect to want to find a BPAL perfume that smells similar instead of using the TAL as perfume. I'll be very interested to see how people respond.

I wore 51 last week to a doctor's appointment, thinking it was so light that I would be the only one to enjoy it. I got so many compliments, it must have crazy throw. (Luckily this was not the allergist or anything like that, so I didn't make anyone sick ) I really didn't put much on, either, because all I have is an imp. Next experience: I dabbed the tiniest bit of Knave of Hearts on from the cap to try it, and within moments I was surrounded by a caramel cloud. My husband could smell it on the other side of our family room. You may not amp the caramel the way that I do - I somehow turn blends like Red Lantern and that gorgeous Salon with the caramel into industrial strength, single note caramel - but it won't surprise me if you get a lot of throw from the Knave.

Here's a discussion of BPAL blends that smell like old books. And you can probably find some tree ideas in forests and woods talk. But I will have to put some original thought into the manly, earthly idea, although Luperci popped into my head immediately. It's an LE and won't be available much longer from the Lab, so you will have to move quickly if it appeals to you.

This is my new love. While Beth's sense of humor must have inspired the name, this blend itself is fucking genius, for lack of a better description. It's crisp and green, very feminine, and people asked me about it wherever I went, so it apparently has crazy throw. I get a beautiful combination of freesia and white musk for the most part, with citrus and neroli topnotes and a hint of ambery drydown. I was reminded in the oddest way of a Creed scent I used to wear, Fleurissimo, which I don't think I have smelled since about 2001 - I will have to look it up to see what notes they share, though. I didn't even want to mess around with the angst of searching swaps for an unwanted bottle - I just went ahead and ordered a bottle tonight, along with a bottle of Morocco I wanted because I got the best frimp of Morocco ever in my order today. (I usually wait and wait and wait before ordering because I like to get the most out of my shipping, and I have tons of bottles to swap right now, but no! there could be no waiting!) Anyone who's a fan of the Lab's light musk scents should give this one a try, even if there's a note or two that would usually send you running. I hesitated myself, because I am no fan of guava or honeydew, but somehow the other elements (perhaps the citrus, the woods, the amber?) balance out the tropical sweetness that could have ruined this one for me. I have a feeling all the light, spring-y blends that I have moved to the front of my bottle box are going to be neglected when my bottle of 51 arrives.

I went into this one with an open mind, not knowing what to expect. In the bottle and on my skin? Not a rose in sight! Sweet toffee caramel with just a hint of blackcurrant fruitiness. I have been known to amp caramel exponentially, and to the total exclusion of all other ingredients, so don't write it off if you want roses, and definitely give it a try if you are a foody fan. Knave of Hearts may be one of those blends that gives everyone a unique experience.

Svadhinaopatika (golden amber, oude, red sandalwood, massoia bark, honey, and currant) is incredible - the sweetness of the honey and currant balance the woodiness perfectly and complement the spicy amber so well. Jarvenpa, have you tried Jacob's Ladder? The '05 version resembles The Lion on me, but is much richer and it lasts forever.

Try Habu from the Snake Pit. It's green and wet, with some woods and incense to keep things interesting. Habu is a great suggestion - I think the bamboo adds that green element for me. As a matter of fact, I find any of the BPAL blends with bamboo to be very green, but usually very mellow. Of course, a number of my favorite ones are limited editions so you can only find them through swaps or sales (in particular, I love Holiday Moon and Whippoorwill). I did a search and found other blends with bamboo include Dragon Moon, Harvest Moon 2006, Neo-Tokyo, and Sleepy Moon. Two very unusual scents that I would at least overlap into the green category are The Apothecary - mossy, grassy, figgy green - and Two, Five & Seven, which is rosy floral green.