Leo 2007

[abejita]

Fixed Fire: the essence of pride.
Egyptian amber, walnut bark, chamomile, frankincense, and saffron.

In the bottle: nutty amber. Not just amber, Egyptian amber. My favorite. This bodes well.
Wet: oh, yeah. Egyptian amber. I love this stuff. Saffron, too. Gentle woody/nuttiness.
Dry: Did I mention Egyptian amber? You know, one of the Best Notes Ever? This is sweet, dark, dark golden, rich, and lovely. Saffron and Egyptian amber mix pefectly. The frankincense is subtle, but adds to the smooth resiny quality. The chamomile is gently sweet, like in Red Moon.

I have a feeling that this is going to be one of those instant BPAL hits. I am going to look for a second bottle right away to age. It's just that good. This is the best of the zodiacs thusfar, and I loved me some Gemini.

If you like the Pumpkin Queen or Bastet, get this. If you wanted to like them, but couldn't deal with the pumpkin note, or the lotus note, get this. Oh, hell, just get it.

Edited to add the year to the title. Edited September 13, 2007 by Shollin

[Athenae]

Why do I get orange from this? Bitter orange peel smell when it first goes on, whereas it's lovely and caramelly in the bottle. The citrus dries down and then it's all walnutty goodness, but very faint.

 

It might be the chamomile, which ruined Arcana's Anodyne for me, messing with my chemistry. Scent locket, this one, I think, because I luuuurve the smell in the bottle.

 

A.

[nineveh]

I'm getting lots of dry, hot amber with a high perfumy note. The walnut bark is very nutty, which is offputting for me.

 

This reminds me of the Lion, but with an herbal/nut note instead of hay. There's also something sweet and dusty going on.

 

I'm having a hard time describing this. I think I like it but the nutty thing is confusing me. I'll try this again later, but wanted to submit my initial impressions.

 

edit: As it dries down more, the amber starts to vanish and all I can smell is powdered soap. Can I blame the chamomile? I don't like how it smells in tea, and I don't think it's working for me here.

Edited July 9, 2007 by nineveh

[Lionesse]

In the bottle I smell sugar cookies? What the heck? Wet on my skin, I smell something citrus, but not quite citrus, its sweet though. There is something dark and warm in the background notes, that isn't quite coming through yet.

 

Is it that I just don't know what saffron smells like? or Egyptian amber?

 

I know I like it, but I just can't figure this scent out!

[Brianne]

In the bottle:

Umm...buttercream frosting? lol

 

On me:

It smells like frosting in the bottle, but once it hits my skin I can tell it's the Egyptian amber, which has always smelled sweet and foody on me. It has an almost almond oil like smell to it in that regard. The frankincense adds an incensey quality to this but without being overwhelming. I don't typically care for that note, but in this blend it works well and remains subtle. Chamomile and saffron add some depth to this too, even though they are not terribly apparent in this blend.

 

Final note:

This is really sexy in my opinion - it's very smooth and incensey without being too much so. Subtly sweet and deep.

[jewelbug]

 

Bottle: Oh, wow. Its almost foody! I'm getting a very sweet honeyed spiced amber sort of smell.

 

Wet: I'm having a hard time containing myself...I know its weird to feel this worked up over perfume, but this scent makes me JOYOUS! Right now its reminds me strongly of Pumpkin Queen without the butter/pumpkin. And while I love Pumpkin Queen, the pumpkin was always the one thing that gives me doubts. This is exquisitely perfect, and something I've been wanting for a while!!

 

Dry: Seriously beautiful. Sweet spiced egyptian amber. Hints of an almost apple-y chamomile, sweet and light. I don't really get walnut out of this (I was really curious about that note!), but at this point, who the hell cares!?! I am head over heels in love. Which I suppose isn't surprising--hubby's a leo, and I expected I'd love the scent that symbolizes him.

 

Overall: SERIOUSLY BEAUTIFUL. I am floored by how perfect this is. I am always excited about bpal, but this one has me more excited than I've been for a while! I'm having trouble limiting the use of exclamation points in this review! I love Leo, and I want more bottles!!! Beth, thank you thank you thank you!!!

 

Summed up in smileys: :D

 

Okay, that was obnoxious (um, I had more emoticons, but the board limited them). Sorry, I really can't help myself. Hehe!

Edited October 1, 2008 by jewelbug

[angharad]

Bottle: Buttery warm sweet smooth with the barest hint of spice. I LIKE THIS and definitely see the resemblance to Pumpkin Queen.

 

Skin: Goes on the same, then swiftly changes to...cedar? Maybe that's the chamomile, but it really smells like cedar to me. The longer it's on here, the more cedar it smells...and then progresses to pine...and now, about 30 minutes after initial application, it smells like Pine-Sol.

 

I'll update the review if it gets any better later on, but for now, Leo has officially broken my heart.

 

ETA: About an hour later, I'm catching whiffs of apples...but this is still overwhelmingly Pine-Sol on me.

Edited July 10, 2007 by angharad

[dreadeddragon]

In the bottle: Fruity, resiny, and delicious. I'm so glad I got 2 bottles of this.

 

First on: Yay amber! Yay saffron! This smells very similar to the blend I made way back at Beth's aphrodesiac class (only mine also was about 75% cinnamon. Heh.), and she gave me some Egyptian amber to make it the perfect Leo blend. It's sexy but not too strong, playful but regal, and not a scent to be taken lightly. It's perfect!!!

 

Drydown: I never want to stop sniffing my arm. The only thing that could make this any better (for me personally) would be cinnamon. The scent hasn't morphed on me at all, it's still a lightly floral/citrusy (heliotrope perhaps?) with the amber and saffron.

 

Overall: Sunny, happy, proud & regal, while being completely sexy. How could a Leo not love this scent?

[tamburlaine]

My sun is in Leo, as is Mercury, as is Mars. I of course bought two bottles.

 

In the bottle: Lightly spiced saffron orange. Frankincense ahoy!

 

On my skin: Ah yeah, The Pumpkin Queen comparisons were apt, but Leo 2007 is more dusty, and a little more fruity/citrus. The Egyptian Amber drowns out the budding frankincense scent but holds onto the dry, pungent, and unusual fragrance of the saffron. In drydown the scent melds to your skin; this is the way you want your skin to smell naturally in the summer: slathered-on with soft resins. This lion is a kitten -- its sensuality is soft and not raging. Only because of my Leonine nature, I'm disappointed that this blend weren't more fiesty or spicy (or long-lasting.) The amber tempers Leo 2007 too much, and after 35 minutes we get a rather typical perfume offering.

 

I suggest to wear this into fall and winter.

[slave1]

LEO 2007

 

In Bottle: Foody resin

 

On Skin: I love the bottle! Being a full blooded Leo, I was aching to try this scent. The first whiff blew me away. I need gallons. It smells quite foody at first, sweet, caramely and decadent. Egyptian Amber is one of my favorite notes in the world, and here it is highlighted perfectly. When paired with the saffron, the sweet yumminess is beyond description. The walnut bark adds a nutty note, again adding to the foodiness. The frankincense compliments the amber and gives a gorgeous rich spice. The chamomile blankets all the notes in a soft velvety comforting almost creamy tone. All combined it is a FABULOUS scent. But the funny thing is, I get undeneathe it all, a zing of citrus. I smell the orange peel I couldn’t really smell in Red Moon… how odd!! It fades though and becomes more woody than orange so maybe it’s the bark that I’m smelling. I am so happy my sign has the best scent ever. This is seriously one of my favorite BPAL scents now. I want more!!!!! I will be wearing this one every chance I get without a doubt, and making a spray and lotion to compliment it. I am completely in love!!! Thank you sooooo much Beth!!!! Medium throw and short wearlength.

Edited July 13, 2007 by slave1

[Kitrona]

I got this today, and I absolutely love it! I forgot there was Egyptian amber in it, but apparently that's one of the kinds of amber that works with my skin. It's overall a rich, mellow scent, and although I can't identify specific notes, I want three more bottles of this so I never run out!

 

My husband likes it on me, too.

[cuervosueno]

Wow, this is nothing like I expected, nothing like the reviews.

 

Nothing like the Pumpkin Queen, which I love. Nor is it nutty or foody, though it does have a slightly sour but foody note in the bottle.

 

On me, it is odd--both interesting and slightly repellent. That could be saffron--I dislike both the scent and flavor of it. I think i can smell chamomile too--its slightly grassy slightly herbal note. Frankly, I can't discern the amber--what I get is a resiny scent that could be a soft red musk (but is not). I also smell my beloved frankincense, but it is so far under the other notes it is buried. What I get is a slightly sour, slightly woody/herbal scent grounded with not enough sweet frankincense. I want more of that!

 

A few hours later, what is left is amber and frankincense (in other words the resins) and I like that, but the fact is I have other resins scents that I like better.

 

It is not at all fiery and proud enough for my interpretation of Leo, but....

 

I don't know if I'll keep this. Resins can deepen and morph, but I'm not sure I like this enough to wait for that.

[SeaLady]

In the bottle, this is foody and sweet! I love the label art, too ^.^

 

On, this is snuggly and warm. Creamy and ambery, with a little orange citrus and some saffron. I also get the Pumpkin Queen comparison, only without the pumpkin note that is not at all my cup of tea. This one I can wear, and sniff continuously and happily

 

From my first test and reapplication soon after, this one disappears lightning quick from my skin, so it might be more of a scent locket friend, so I get more wear out of it. I'm so glad I ordered this!

[DifferentDances]

Imp: Almond, is that you??? Reminds me of some other nutty blend I tried a while ago.

Wet: Oh god, whatever that nut is, make it go away!

Drydown: Whoa. The amber has invaded with a massive army. Nut down, nut down, we need a medi-lift!

Dry: Oh. Wow. This is, erm, very, very sexy. Like, roll in a pile of hot men sexy. Erm.

 

My rating: 3/5 for now. I think I need to retest this later, because as jawdroppingly bad and long as the beginning was, the end result was nice. But it didn't last more than a couple hours. Hmm....

[Salsa Shark]

This is fascinating, and not at all what I was expecting. Amber usually dominates in any blend, but I can't actually pick out the individual note until a good few hours into the drydown, and Egyptian Amber is apparently a lot more subtle and sweeter than the other ambers I've tried. It's not just the amber, either; I can't pick out any one single note, even though Frankincense and Chamomile both usually stand out well on my skin. There's the definite feel of the notes, but if I didn't know what the notes were, there's no way I'd be able to pick them out.

 

Overall, it's a sharp golden resin. It's bright and dry - a crisp and promising summer morning rather than the warm lazy heat of an afternoon, and while there's a spicy edge to it, it's mostly sweet, nutty orange that's foody without being overwhelmingly so.

[Jilara]

Love the label!

 

In the bottle, this is very foody. The analogy of "buttercream frosting" is spot on!

 

Wet, it's butter and amber. A hinting of resin. Still very foody. Drying down, I get frankincense coming out.

 

Dry, the butter note drops out but lends a lush richness to the amber, which now gets solid backing from the frankincense and a hinting of saffron. I don't get chamomile or walnut bark. Very warm and luscious, though.

 

Unfortunately, this one is almost as bad as Eclipse on me, in terms of fast vanishing. I get maybe half an hour of scent out of it, before Leo goes off to explore other savannas. Which is too bad, because I really like it. Maybe if I keep reapplying...

[portalkat]

I am both repelled and fascinated with Leo 2007. This smells completely different than I would have imagined and my experience with it is exactly like that in Cuervosueno's review. In fact, I had composed a review almost just like it in my head before I saw hers. I get a strong mingling of orange, chamomile and saffron. I think that saffron is the strongest note that I smell at this point and the combination is not really to my liking. I'm not sure if there really is orange in this or if it is frankincense combined with the saffron, but it is sort of a sick sweetness that sits on top of all of the other notes at this point.

 

A few days later: I can definitely smell a difference in just this short time. The orange and saffron are no longer as pronounced as it dries down and the walnut bark and amber are coming forward. I am hopeful as there is no way that I was ever going to get rid of this bottle. Not only do I have my sun and moon in Leo, but also Mercury, Venus and Pluto. I need to love Leo 2007 and I think that it is moving in that direction with a bit more aging.

[sarada]

I admit I was really hoping for the old Leo to make a comeback, but I love frankincense and amber so this was definitely worth trying. And the initial nutty scent I get in the bottle disappears almost instantly when I wear it. That's where things go weird, because the first time I tried this it became a deep, burning frankincense on my skin, a dry and dark chamber of sweet incense smoke -- and this time I'm trying it, it's got much more of the sweet frosting scent.

 

Amber actually does weird frosting things on me from time to time, so that's not too surprising, but I really wish I got more of the refreshing herbal chamomile, and a bit more of the smoky incense. I really didn't expect this to be so sweet. But, it's nice, and I think it will age well so I'll keep it. I can detect that deep, churchy frankincense just beneath the surface and if I bide my time maybe it will come out stronger.

 

In the meantime, people who enjoy the nutty/frosting aspect will certainly like this, I think, but that element is not overly strong...so don't let it put you off if that's not your thing!

[midnight_aeval]

I'm a Leo, so there's no way I could pass this one up... then I read the notes, and I fell in love with the idea all over again!

 

Finally got my bottles today, and my-oh-my, this one is heavenly! This most definitely smells like a spicer, more sophisticated version of Pumpkin Queen. After a while I even get a hint of a coffee smell - must be the walnut bark. The PQ similarities all but disappear in about 15 min for me.

 

As it dried down I get more of the saffron and it becomes the sweet buttercream-esque frosting that others have been describing!!

 

Amazing - thank you Beth

[Gale]

This is really wonderful!

 

In the bottle: I got out my bottle of Et Lux Fuit and sniffed the two side by side. They are almost identical.

 

On dry: This is so lovely. It isn't super strong and no notes overpower the others--not even the saffron. The amber and frankincense mix beautifully into a warm, golden haze. Faintly in the background is a sort of bakery scent--but Leo is by no means foody on me. It's just gorgeous.

[PurringPulsar]

Leo 07

 

In the bottle: mmm, sweet and sugary-foody. I see what others mean by it smelling of frosting, but it's not buttery (thank goodness). It smells like spiced sugar and amber.

Wet on skin: fizzy? Why am I getting some kind of fizzy drink from this? A sort of lemon Coke smell?

Dry on skin: now I smell the walnut. This is very nice now. It's lost it's initial blast of smelling like a soft drink, but the amber isn't really showing off as much as I hoped. Maybe later? Now it smells like citrus, a sort of effervescent lemon scent, along with hot saffron and walnut bark, which smells like a walnut husk to me. There's a bare hint of smoky frankincense as well. I think the amber in here is like my batch of Egyptian amber that has a slightly lemony-spicy scent to it, as opposed to my E-amber that smells like a lighter, translucent golden amber.

After a while: now it smells like cool iced tea (camomile tea?) and lemonade in a desert oasis. Clear, golden and sparkling, and warm. The frankincense is being quiet in here and the walnut has calmed down too. Now it's all about glittery lemony saffron, olfactory gold dust mixed with sugar, and a clear golden sweetness like sunlight. It brings to mind sunshine shimmering off sand. The amber is lovely but not as upfront as I hoped it would be. There's also that exotic oily quality which I also got in Cleopatra Testing Poisons.

Then the frankincense shows up! Now I can smell more of the piercing resin, and there's a wine soaked, olive leafy, buttercreamy-gourmand quality to it that reminds me of Haloa. It also reminds me of Lycaon at this point, with that hint of lemon. This sure is a fascinating scent!

The drydown of this scent is a lovely golden sugary scent like amber covered in sugared cream swirled with syrup, with a dash of citrus, nuts and spice. I can smell more of the lovely Egyptian amber at this point-it’s not as strong as it was in the Lion, this is more of a gentle kitten of a scent now…and I smell more of the walnut once more.

Verdict: this smelt totally different to what I expected, but I really love this one. Less of a proud lion and more of a playful lion cub, I think of young Simba when I smell this. Overall this reminds me of a CTIII scent I got last year which smelt like a sort of fizzy drink with spices, amber, and a feel of desert heat, with a creamy amber drydown. An interesting mix of clear golden coolness and hot solar notes. The effervescence of this scent was a surprise, but I like it-it smells like powdered sunlight mixed with lemon sherbet. At times it even smells creamy and sugary with a touch of saffron buttercream. And yet with it's youthful fizz and moments of smelling almost gourmand, it still manages to smell exotic and glowing, thanks to the frankincense, and the wonder that is Egyptian amber. I was hoping for a little more of the amber, I was expecting it to be the star of the scent like in The Lion, but it's in the background in here, but it definitely shows itself, with that beautiful golden shining sunny sweetness ever present. Now I wonder if my prediction about the zodiac scents which are not in my chart working on me is coming true…because I love Leo a great deal, even if it isn't the Egyptian amber-fest I hoped for. I'm sure it will get lovelier with age as well!

Emoticon rating: (there's no kitty emoticon, or any emoticon that expresses 'rrrawwr!' so this will do!)

Is it a keeper? yes-both bottles! I was hoping for more amber and frankincense but this is very good.

If you like this, try: The Lion, Three Gorgons, Bastet, Cleopatra Testing Poisons, Haloa

[QueenFae]

Warm, golden, sweet and bold. This is just lovely, a beautiful amber blend. There is a rich, almost citrusey undertone to the amber. In between there is a smattering of soft frankincense and luxurious spices.

 

This is very, very nice. Spun gold in a bottle. I will certainly be keeping my bottle

[edenssixthday]

Leo 2007 – Until I smelled this particular blend, it had been a long time since I’d smelled a new BPAL scent that made me want to positively bathe in it. I love Leo. From the first moment I sniffed it in the bottle to the first moment I put it on my skin to the very last moment it wears off my skin I LOVE IT. Did I mention how gorgeous this scent is? The gritty, golden frankincense is the first obvious note that I identified immediately, followed by the warm, golden, and softly powdery amber. Amid these amazing, rich resins, there’s something very sweet that’s almost foody-sweet that I couldn’t identify right away. It’s not the chamomile from the scent description. I think it’s the saffron. Put it could be the combination of saffron with walnut bark, which I’ve never smelled before. It reminds me a lot of other blends with saffron in them, but if that’s what it is, there’s a hell of a lot of saffron in this particular blend! No matter what, it’s gorgeous. It’s deep and resinous and sweet and warm and golden and well, it’s so perfectly LEO! My best friend is a Leo and while this isn’t a scent she would ever wear (she’s more of a lily-of-the-valley type girl), it is positively a perfect olfactory representation of her. The throw and staying power are both well above average, but amber and frankincense always last a good, long while on my skin.

[t_for_tau]

This is *definitely* a morpher.... My first thoughts:

 

When I first put it on, I'll admit I was rather ACK! GET IT OFF ME! It was fizzy sickly orange and peach, and I nearly ran straight to the shower. I don't know *where* that fruity-foodiness is coming from, but it's not something I like at all.

 

It settled down fast, though, and though it retained a bit of the initial effervescence, I like it much better. Sadly my skin seems to be eating it, so I'll have to go back and slather, but I think I can smell the walnut bark coming through, which is delicious. It's still golden, but with a bit of nutty woodiness underneath.

 

I'm really, really hoping this will work out on me. I might update this review if it morphs a lot more.

[The_Merf]

In the bottle: Oh God, it smells like Red Lantern...for most people this is good, but RL went very, very wrong on me. The Egyptian amber and walnut are combining for this sticky, caramel foodiness.

 

Wet: This is foody for about a second and then wildly morphs into orange fizz soda. I have no idea what combination of notes could bring this about. As it changes some more, I get a bit of saffron rice, as though I were at an Indian restaurant. This one's certainly got lots of character!

 

Drydown and wear: I really smell like saffron rice with an orange undercurrent. There is almost a sense of warm grass, like a lion laying out; this is a very sunny scent and in keeping with Leo's astrological ruler. Even though I don't necessarily love it on my skin, I cannot help but appreciate the obvious craft and care behind this blend. I can see why it has a reputation as a special BPAL already. This is a very interesting BPAL, but it also seems to follow Merf's Iron Law of Sadness--If everyone else likes it, it will just not quite work for me. My loss, however, stands to be someone's considerable gain.