Love's Philosophy

[reynardine]

Vanilla, saffron, and cream.

In bottle: Ooooh, creamy goodness!

Wet: And there’s the plastic vanilla note. It’s not as harsh as, say, Detestable Putrescence, but it’s still there.

Drydown: The saffron and cream almost cover the plastic of the vanilla.

Later: And then it turns into something absolutely awesome! The question is whether to put up with the plastic doom note long enough to get to the good stuff. I’m keeping this, though, as it is perfect scent-locket material.

EDIT: to add description as this is the top of a page. Edited May 3, 2010 by Shollin

[Schmoozy]

 

Super spicy vanilla. it's creamy and the resemblance to rootbeer is there. However, it is not in your face rootbeer, just an underlying tone of it. This isn't a very heavy scent, just a creamy, spicy vanilla that works with my skin chemistry.

[moosue]

Creamy, warm vanilla.

Imp: Veeeeery sweet. Very well rounded though, with nice depth. This could be because this is likely aged, since it was last available in 2008.

On, wet: Okay, this is definitely toning down nicely. But cream is coming forward, which means latex/plastic on me. Oh no! Suspicions are confirmed, boyfriend says I smell like a doctor's office. He may be right.

Dry: Doctor's officedom goes away and I smell like melty vanilla ice cream. I can see where some people would get plastic from, but to me it smells like a bowl of ice cream by the pool in summertime.

 

This one works, even though my skin chemistry fights a battle with it. Would love to try layering this one with some Mad Tea Party scents or Snake Oil. Or Dorian! I bet it would be really great with Alice too.

I'll definitely have some fun with this one.

 

ETA: With Alice layered on top, Love's Philosophy initially disappeared, and I sadly thought I had killed the scent with Alice's spicy carnation. LP resurrected itself quickly though, and actually overtook Alice. Now there is wafting of melty vanilla ice cream, and if you sniff the skin, the warm carnation of Alice. Really pretty.

 

ETA Months later: After a mass sniffing of all my decants, something sweet and gorgeous kept catching my nose. I couldn't figure out which scent it was, and it was Love's Philosophy. This is so, SO good. If I ever see a bottle up for grabs, I'll be all over it.

Edited June 24, 2010 by moosue

[Rshields]

I finally got my mitt's on this one to suffer a grand disappointment because it's lasting power is very weak and fleeting. Upon the first application I get a minty milk of magnesia,that wintergreen so many of you commented on, then a lovely vanilla that I am quite fond of. It's a soft vanilla not cloying or too pungent. Perhaps it's the saffron tempering it. Sadly, I slathered this all over to find that it virtually disappeared within twenty minutes or less.

Edited March 12, 2010 by Rshields

[ami226]

To me, this one smells a lot like Midway... The vanilla is fabulous and clings to my skin for a long time! I am not sure why, but unlike Detestable Putrescense I get no plastic. Wheeeee! I held off getting a bottle of it because I thought it would turn to plastic, but it didn't!! Mmmmmm!

[Evilynn]

What? I never got around to review this?

In the bottle: Mostly buttery cream.

On the skin: Creamy vanilla with saffron. The butteriness burns off within the first 5 minutes, like Lovers With Rutting Cats

Drydown: Creamy, glorious vanilla that's being kept from going into sweetness overload by the saffron.

 

Vanilla, saffron and cream, just like it says on the tin. It is absolutely fabulous on me, and might be my favourite BPAL scent overall. This is the only BPAL I've hunted down a backup bottle of.

 

It's in the same family as Lovers With Rutting Cats (but with saffron instead of ginger), but I think I like LP even more.

[Invidiana]

This is a lovely creamy vanilla underscored with just the right amount of sexiness from the saffron. The vanilla is more buttery wet, but mellows out to a gorgeous vanilla cream. There's really nothing more to say, it's simple but simply beautiful.

[lavender84]

Oh dear... this smells wonderful.

 

Just exactly what it is; vanilla, saffron and cream.

 

Like delicious vanilla ice cream on cake.

 

ETA: Then turns a bit root beer. Nice. The lasting power is good, I woke up to lovely vanilla this morning.

Edited May 1, 2010 by ScentedDreams

[hlemonds]

This is actually very nice! I was a bit concerned since the reviews seemed very mixed on this one. But having seen a couple of forumites, whose tastes seem similar to mine, mention how much they like this one I decided to risk it.

 

The first time I tested it I was a bit disappointed as the saffron seemed a bit dusty and "off". Once dry, I still felt that the scent was sort of unremarkable as sniffed my wrist. It struck me as very "Yankee Candle" vanilla. Not a bad smell by any means, but sort of meh. However, the redeeming quality of this scent is the throw. Not that I'm saying the throw is uber powerful or something, rather that it is such a wonderful, warm vanilla scent. I kept catching these lovely wafts of smooth, warm, creamy vanilla, and thinking, "Wait, is that me?" Sure enough, when I sniff skin close I still get a sort of waxy vanilla, but in the air around me, there are swirls of sweet vanilla cream that are just lovely.

 

Overall I would say this scent has worked out very well for me. It is subtle, but lovely, and I've found myself reaching for it quite often.

[thewondersmith]

Omg delicious. In the imp, it's a fresh, slightly tangy vanilla, with a touch of something herbal which reminds me of Sachs. Wet, it's a cream and sweet, fizzy root-beer vanilla, and reminds me a lot of Underpants (without that lovely saffron gummybearish quality.) It settles fairly quickly into a gentle vanilla, backed by buttery cream and a sprinkling of saffron. Very wearable and quite lovely.

 

It's kind of funny- I'd never really seen myself as a vanilla person per se, but all of my new favourites (such as LP and Sachs) seem to suggest otherwise!

[mimosa]

Wet this is medicinal and root-beery. As it dries, the vanilla dominates , soft buttery vanilla. I've kept this since it was released but don't reach for it very often to wear. I'm reluctant to let it go as if does small wonderful, I thik it may be a great layering scent, I shall experiment.

[claudia6913]

In the bottle: Creamy vanilla. The cream is very strong in the bottle.

 

Wet on skin: This is very, very faint on my skin. What little I can smell is creamy vanilla.

 

Drydown: There's a hint of the saffron as this dries, but still very faint.

 

Dry: I'm kind of upset by how faint this scent is. I can smell the potential for a wonderful scent, but I have to bury my nose to get anything.

 

Overall: This is a very creamy vanilla with a hint of root-beer-ish saffron. However, it's so faint. This bottle is already almost 2 yrs old, so I can't imagine it would get stronger with more age to it.

[ianastar]

It took me awhile to figure out what I was smelling in this, then the Vanilla became really strong.

 

On the drydown the Saffron (a more herby like note, almost moss like) starts to come out. It's very interesting.

[Gold Dust Kitten]

Very sour in the decant. I was worried the cream note would get nasty on my skin like it does with Underpants, but this turned out very beautiful on me. It's a smooth, warm vanilla, almost like melted French Vanilla ice cream. I barely smell any saffron. It reminds me of B&BW Warm Vanilla Sugar lotion but not as intense. I actually like this better than Underpants, and now I think it's time to hunt down a bottle.

[violetblue]

I felt so lucky to find this on ebay a few months ago. Soft creamy vanilla, faint saffron. I like to use it layered with other scents. Only wish throw was longer. Would love this in a lotion. Shame it hasn't been released again.

[Antoinette]

My husband very sweetly won a bottle of this on ebay for me recently.

 

In the bottle : The saffron gives me pause. This seems like a strong scent with a medicinal edge to it and I'm just not sure.

 

Wet on skin : Vanilla and cream, thankfully! Sweet and yummy. The saffron floats around but isn't the prominent note.

 

Dry : Gorgeous creamy vanilla. I just love it. It reminds me a lot of a vanilla cream perfume oil from Body Time that I used to slather myself in until it was discontinued. Love's Philosophy is a much welcome addition to my BPAL collection and I can forsee myself becoming a little obsessed with it.

 

Only quibble, I wish the throw was a bit stronger. Like Sachs (which I ADORE) it stays pretty close to my skin. Unlike Sachs, my skin does not gobble this up into oblivion within minutes, so Love's Philosophy is made of all win.

[Vega]

Sniffed: Thick, sweet cream with a bright saffron edge.

 

On skin: Beautiful rich, smooth, creamy sweetness -- cream and vanilla perfectly balanced, not excessively cloying or rich or sugary. The saffron is light and spicy, and gives the vanilla cream a zesty kick! This may be a simple blend, but it's fantastic for what it is, the best showcase of pure cream contrasted with spicy saffron.

 

Verdict: Yum! I adore Love's Philosophy! This is bottle-worthy -- 'nuff said!

[arrow]

My two Love's Philosophy decants from Melenass arrived a few hours ago and I simply could not resist putting a droplet on my arm (well away from my wrists, which already feature Tombstone today).

 

Wet: YOWZA that is some sweet, thick vanilla frosting. Oh-so-buttery and creamy. I love the smell to bits, but not sold on it as a perfume blend at the moment. I can smell something a little dry, almost acrid, underneath, which might lend it a nice depth or might screw it up.

 

Drying: It hasn't changed too much, except my fears of something acrid have been laid to rest. The sweetness has mellowed out a bit, but it is still of the strain that makes your teeth ache, but not in a bad way. I am not sure I can make out the saffron itself, but I think it is there lending a nice extra dimension to make the blend interesting and not just pure vanilla.

 

Dry: Wow, this has mellowed out a lot and is quite lovely, actually. I think the saffron is giving it a grounded, almost woodsy quality, but without the obvious "OH HEY YOU ARE IN A FOREST" dirtiness that some woods do to me.

 

Conclusions: Being a vanilla addict, I require a different flavor of vanilla for every eventuality. This is a perfect sweetly mellow vanilla, but more interesting than a bottle of plain vanilla-- for example, I have and enjoy the Body Shop's vanilla perfume oil, but this is so much more complex even while remaining a simple blend, if that makes sense.

 

Throw: I was going to claim that this is one that sticks to my skin, but actually I keep getting very faint whiffs of it while sitting here typing. This, to me, makes it a great blend for everyday use: I know I'll smell great and people might get a lucky whiff, but I don't have to worry about it being overpowering.

 

That said, Love's Philosophy decants are hard to come by. If the chance to buy a bottle arises, I will certainly go for it but I won't lose sleep over it as there are lots of other lovely BPAL vanillas (I am not the type for a tragic love!). However, no one will ever take my imps away from me-- I am very pleased I went with my instincts and bought both decants while I could. They will be much loved.

 

One more thing: Since I have Tombstone on my wrist it is easy to compare these, and I would say that if you like Love's Philosophy you should try Tombstone. LP is much, much sweeter while Tombstone is a little deeper & richer what with the cedar in the mix, but they smell quite related to my nose.

 

EDIT: Oh noooooo. I wore this again and it was so stunning. And the first blend that my boyfriend said, "Woah, you smell amazing" to without me shoving a wrist in his face. My calm reserve of the earlier review is gone. NOOOO I am now doomed to an eternity hoarding my imps and scrounging for a bottle.

Edited June 14, 2011 by arrow

[Klepz]

I remember testing this years ago and loving it - it smelled like vanilla ice cream. But I finally managed to snag a bottle and it turned into surgical gloves! Tea scents tend to do that to me, but vanilla/cream has never morphed like this before!

Edited August 20, 2011 by Klepz

[Alethia]

Thoughts before testing: I have no idea what saffron smells like, but I do know that I (nearly) universally love vanilla and cream blends. I have high hopes for this one!

 

Wet: Creamy, spicy root beer. Wow! This is pretty spectacular wet.

 

Dry down: Still creamy and spicy but less root beer and more vanilla. So far, this is pure love.

 

Dry: Creamy, spicy vanilla.

 

Final thoughts: The scent sticks close to my skin, but I'm ok with that. It's also super long lasting. I tested it at 6 pm and woke up the next morning at 6 am and could still faintly smell it on my arm.

 

Verdict: This is a hands down win for me, and I will be scouring the sales page for a bottle.

[lohengrin]

This is a review of an aged bottle.

 

In the bottle: Saffron, softened and sweetened by the cream and/or vanilla (can't really tell which--it's not a distinct note).

 

On skin, wet: No real change from the bottle scent.

 

On skin, dry: The soft/sweet note gets stronger and becomes more clearly vanilla, but the saffron is still dominant.

 

After an hour: It becomes a little more vanilla with a background of saffron, but there's still enough of the saffron to make this quite unique and lovely.

[n3m3sis42]

Hmmmm... I knew it was a bad sign when something smelled "off" about it even in the bottle. I bought it straight from the Lab and have cared for it properly ever since, so maybe my nose is broken?

 

On me, it goes to plastic with a hint of mint and then fades away to nothing. Bah, how disappointing. Off to the swap bucket it goes!

[sharkdiver]

I managed to snag a bottle on EBay, and I'm so glad I did!! I've been on a vanilla/cream kick lately, and this is so COMFORTING! It's like being wrapped in a big warm fuzzy blanket. This is also awesome for layering!

 

In the bottle: cream and saffron with an added sweetness

 

Wet: pretty much the same as in the bottle, but within moments the sweet vanilla starts to emerge, knocking the saffron to the background.

 

Dry: this smells like everything I had hoped detestable putrescence would be...straight up melty French vanilla ice cream!

 

This layers Amazingly with Castitas bath oil and bourbon vanilla bath oil... Especially as a bedtime fragrance!

Edited February 25, 2012 by sharkdiver

[littlebeky]

I won a bottle of this off of ebay a few days ago. I won it with Midway and Pumpkin Cheesecake. I thought Midway would be the favorite out of the lot but I was wrong! Love's Philosophy has me hooked!

 

In the bottle it was a bit strong, like a medicinal vanilla. I am not sure what saffron smells like, but I can tell something is there over the sweet vanilla cream.

 

On my skin wet it smells the same as in the bottle.

 

As it dries down it becomes sweet cream soda/root beer. Which is INCREDIBLE on me and I happen to adore root beer

 

It does start off pretty strongly but then stays close to me (which is fine, I can smell it on me all day!) but doesn't have the same throw on me that Sugar Cookie or Samhain does.

 

I think I have found my new favorite. It's sweet and soft with a bite of root beer, but a very grown up sweet.

[Alshneato]

Ok- I think their may be a bit of variance with this blend! I have a tester bottle from littlebeky above me here, and a low partial from Wren12. I have a little of each on each wrist right now. The wrist with the oil from littlebeky smells creamy and like root beer and I love it so much!! The wrist with the oil from Wren12 smells half way like the creamy root beer from my other wrist- and half way like a medicine-y band aid. Which makes sense because littlebeky loves this blend and Wren12 didn't like it as much. I wish I could get my hands on more of the batch littlebeky had. They are both staying true to their scent while drying as well.