Earth Rat

[smallvoice]

A new year's blessing! Peony, China's national flower, with bamboo for flexibility, plum blossom for perseverance, courage, and hope, tangerine for wealth, lychee for strong family relationships and peace in the home, orange for happiness, pine resin for constancy, golden kumquat and quince for prosperity, narcissus and King mandarin for good fortune, coconut for longevity, and candied melon for good health, with a splash of blazing red of dragon's blood... to help you scare away the rampaging Nian.

My first first review!! Neat!

I've decided to try and give a better review. I feel obligated somehow, since it's the First and all. Heh. It has an ADORABLE label on it. I love it and wish it would be a shirt design. Anyway!

In the bottle, it really does smell a lot like the way Fee smells on me, with a bit of sharpness that I suspect is a floral.
Looking over the notes, I must admit that I don't know what quince smells like, nor do I know well what lychee, plum blossom or even bamboo smell like. I have a fair idea what some of the rest smell like, though.
Okay, so. Putting it on. Again, there's that sharp floral that just kind of lends a soapy feel to it, much like Fire Pig behaved on me. It doesn't seem to have a lot of throw, on me. That may be because I've tried quite a small bit of it. The strongest note, joyfully (for me), is the candied melon... SO. GOOD. It's a really well balanced and well blended scent. It is VERY fruity on me, with a floral backdrop- I wish the peony would soften the backdrop a little more, but it really is lovely. It is quite obviously related to Fire Pig, but is certainly its own scent, and it will satiate my need for compulsive searching for Fee. The coconut comes out in the drydown, and it's quite lovely. It smells pink and white to me, but also red, at times. This is another one that I bemoan not having to wear on my walk down the aisle, because I think it would have made a gorgeous June wedding scent. As it dries more, it is becoming more grounded. The fruits seem to be burning off rather quickly, but it leaves a lovely, complex scent on my skin that is in no way lacking the fruit, it's just toned down a little; behaving itself. It is amazingly executed.
All in all: Delightful. It's a keeper, I think. It is in the family tree with Fee, Fire Pig and Yemaya, from what I can tell. Maybe Oya, as well?
And the pine? Barely there. Awesome. A true happy scent, as most of my fruity scents are!
I think this one will age awesomely well. I love how much it morphs, too! It's a fabulous scent, at any rate. Edited January 31, 2008 by cordia

[jolarocknrolla]

Did you love Fire Pig? Did you want it to smell more of melon maybe? then this is for you. Has a lot of the efforvescence of Fire Pig but where that one was more citrus-y, this one smells a bit less floral on me (at least at the onset), with a stronger dose of what i think is the bamboo and abig dose of melon (melon is somehwere between the melon in Yemaya and Fee - i can't quite make it out because of the blending). Big hit for me. love the rat!

[Heavenlyrabbit]

I had NO IDEA Melon hated me this much... runs to go scrub this off.

 

After trying to elimate this (unsuccessfully) I do find once it's toned down, not SO bad.

 

The Pine is not prominent at all.

[phantasmmysteria]

Well, I'm sad to say that this one wasn't nearly as good on me as Fire Pig was, because I apparently amp melon (I sure as hell amped this one, that's for sure)!

 

It starts out strong melon in the bottle, and yet it only gets stronger once it hits my skin. After drydown, I can definitely smell the notes I love from Fire Pig, but they're all drowning in melon. Nothing is able to make it past that on my skin. If your skin tends to eat melon and you liked Fire Pig, I would give this a shot, as it might work beautifully with your chemistry.

 

Perhaps with age this will become a more well-rounded scent, but I don't have the heart to let it sit and languish, not as unwearable as it was for me. Off it goes, hopefully to a far more appreciative home!

[scarletgenesis]

I wanted to love Earth Rat, but it was just too melony on me. I must also amp melon, because that's ALL I could smell for the first 2 hours. A bit later, I got the tinyest hint of coconut, but that's it. No dragon's blood, no orange, no pine. The melon is my least favorite of the notes listed for this scent, and unfortunately it's all that I could really smell.

 

My stepdaughter (11 yrs old) told me that she liked it 'because it smells like the mall.' I don't WANT to smell like a mall!

 

So, sadly, I will be putting this up for swap soon, since I'm sure there are plenty of people who love melon and/or who will get the other notes more prominently.

[blktauna]

All's I get is sugary melon... and maybe a bit of lychee.

 

It's so sugary melon I was checking to see if my fingers were sticky. As it dries, there's an odd undercurrent of something I'm not sure I like, but then the melon will pop back up.

 

 

Not exactly what I expected and I'm still not sure if I like it or not.

[coldandsleepy]

Well, it seems like i've had a pretty atypical reaction with this, so i hope my review'll cheer up people out there who are fretting about receiving a bottle of Earth Melon '08.

 

Here we go then.

 

In the bottle: Melon, melon, melon. Smells delicious, like really freshly sliced melon at breakfast, but it's close to overwhelming me with its sweetness and melon-ness.

 

On application: Wahoooooooa, woah. Not only was this a melon-o-rama, the melon seemed to go weird on me right away, simultaneously becoming extremely sweet and developing a sour note. (How does that even work?) My husband recoiled in horror at how this smelled on me straight off. We're now calling that scent Psychic Death Melon. At this point, my heart kinda sank and i thought Earth Rat was destined for a new home.

 

But wait! There's more!

 

About 30 minutes after application: suddenly the melon just fell out of this. Like, entirely. It remained as a very, very, very faint sort of... aftersmell. Once the great ominous melon clouds parted, a scent emerged that was almost a single note peony scent. It's really weird, i don't think of peonies as being the most flavorful flowers, but i have a really amazing new appreciation of them.

 

About 30 minutes after that: the peony kept on kickin'. It developed a really nice creamy edge. And guess what note peeked out? PINE! Yesssssss! I tend to amp pine, but that's okay with me because i looooooove it. It's really beautiful with the peony. I even like the melon aftersmell.

 

Throw and duration: throw's not big on this for me, and wasn't even during the Psychic Death Melon phase. I'd be okay with it being a little stronger now, but really, it's pretty pleasant as is. It's been about 2.5 hours and there's no signs of this fading off of me, so duration looks like it'll be fine too.

 

Overall: i'm really happy this didn't stay Melon Fest on me, because while i did think the melon was delicious in the bottle, it wasn't what i was really expecting and it's not really what i want to smell like. The peony scent makes me pretty happy, and i'd love to wear it again; i'd probably be more keen on doing this if i didn't have to go through the weird melon phase first.

 

Keeping my bottle for now... i'll see how i feel about it in a couple of weeks and go from there.

[slave1]

EARTH RAT

 

In Bottle: Sweet fruit

 

On Skin: The follows in the same vein as Fire Pig… the fruits jump out right away… I smell the tangerine and orange, bright and orange with a nice tart edge. The melon is delicious and gives a sweet, and wet feel... melon is one of my favorite notes and I love how strong it is here. The florals harmonize nicely and take a step back to let the fruits shine. The coconut gives a creamy tone that helps ground the scent. The dragon’s blood darkens the scent, and as the blend develops it becomes stronger and more pronounced. I don’t smell the pine, and the other notes also blend in so well I can’t pick them out individually. The scent begins to fade very quickly… it becomes a light fruity blend, soft and subtle. It has low throw and short to average wearlength.

[prunesnprisms]

This smelled, to me, a lot like Fire Pig in the bottle, which is a dear, dear favorite of mine. On me, it really amped the sour melon rind, and I did not love it. However, as Fire Pig simply got better as the year went on, I'm planning on keeping Earth Rat in hopes that it mellows out a bit.

[hkhm]

bottle: i'm sure there's other fruit in here but all i smell is melon. this reminds me a great deal of yemaya.

 

wet: very melony. a super-sweet dripping melon. luckily, i love melon scents. but this still smells quite similar to yemaya, perhaps a bit more bitter.

 

dry: melon. there is a bare whiff of other fruits but this is a melon orgy. melon!

 

(edited for spelling idiocy)

Edited February 12, 2008 by hkhm

[Lyrical]

In the vial: tropical fruit cocktail - yummy!

 

Wet on skin: melon and lychee and melon and tangerine and melon and a tiny touch of resin.

 

Dry on skin: mmmmm, lovely tropical fruit, still mostly cantaloup melon and lychee. I won't be ordering a bottle, because I prefer my scent to smell of scent rather than of fruit, but I think this is my favourite from this batch!

[Brianne]

Fire Pig + melon. It really does smell VERY similar to Fire Pig on me, only with more melon so it's more sweet than tart (as Fire Pig was more tart than sweet). To be perfectly honest, I could not be happier that this is nearly melon single note lol. I LOVE melon scents and I have never found one in BPAL (even the ones that some people got melon from, I did not). So I am quite happy with this melon scent and will be putting this away until warmer weather, when I will gladly slather it on and smell like a fruit cocktail lol

[Emu Nymph]

On me it smells like flowery melon. It smelled like something I wear and I think it would have to be a cross between Fire Pig and

Yemaya. I really like it. Nice and jucey sweet!

[LittleGreyKitten]

I'm a big fan of BPAL's melon scents. Fee, Yemaya- those are both huge favorites of mine. This has that same amazing sugared juicy melon scent to it. I also am getting a hint of bamboo, and definitely some delicious lychee. The peony is hiding, thank goodness. I am really enjoying the Rat. It will be perfect on hot days- that's when I like my melony scents the most. I find it most like Fee, really- probably that lychee-ness, though with an Asian twist beneath the melon. I like it a lot more than Fire Pig.

 

5 out of 5, beautiful.

[robozwil]

In the bottle - My first impressions without looking at the notes, orange, maybe grapefruit definitely citrus and something floral?

Ok, so a look at the notes - the first ones to hit me are either tangerine or King mandarin and possibly plum flower. I haven't tried Fire Pig so I can't say how this compares to me

 

Wet on skin - the citrus calms down considerably and the melon comes through. This is so definitely a summertime scent to me

 

Dry - that melon doesn't go anywhere. It might change a bit from melon in fruit form to melon in candy form but it stays put nonetheless. I thought during the wet stage that I would really like this one during the spring and summer months but its really just starting to get on my nerves. Guess melon isn't one of my faves

[akiko]

K, all I'm getting here is melon. Not even a hint of the dragon's blood!

 

Thankfully, honeydew melon is one of my favorite things on the planet (which is why I bothered picking this up, after reading the reviews). Maybe a little lychee, but it's still mostly melon. And I'm fine with that

[sookster]

straight sniff from the bottle this is a dead ringer for fee!! wheeee!

 

once applied loads of juicy, fresh melon and some peony...i adore peonies...then there

is a smidge of coconut and here comes the dragon's blood!!

ok, now i feel like violet from willy wonka and the chocolate factory when she chews that gum!!

violet, you're turning violet, violet! ha!

 

overall, this is an awesome scent and mastered with the greatest precision...pure love!!!

[snapeophilex]

Review disclaimer: I've never smelled Fee, don't like Yemaya but adore Fire Pig!

 

So, so happy to receive a Rat in the mail today! I adore Fire Pig and have been nurturing high hopes for Earth Rat--they share so many of the same notes, after all...silly me...what a difference a couple of notes here or there can make!

 

Sniffed from the bottle: very, very reminiscent of Fire Pig, which I adore (I may have mentioned this already...*snerk*)

 

Wet: soft sweet melon, very prominent, drowning out the other yummy notes

 

Dry: more of the citrus is coming out, backed up a bit by the peony, with some narcissus and what I think is lychee rounding out the scent. No pine, but I don't ever get pine from the Pig, either.

 

Verdict: on its own merits, a lovely, soft, complex, very 'grown up' mixture of notes. I think someone described this as a 'sophisticated' scent and I agree wholeheartedly. It smells like a very expensive perfume, with a very short throw.

 

That being said, I must have lowbrow tastes, 'cause I do prefer the more assertive, 'spiciness' of the Pig, which oddly enough gives off a 'gingery' note on me when it warms up on my skin a bit.

 

Think I'll wander over to swaps and try to trade a Rat for a Pig.

 

Edited to say that I wore it all night and this morning the scent still lingers. It's truly lovely and I think I'll be keeping this Rat for special occasions/fancy kinds of things when I need to be more grown up!

Edited February 23, 2008 by snapeophile

[fairnymph]

In the bottle: Melon, peony, plum blossom, kumquat, citrus. Tart and fruity and floral - yum!

 

Wet: Tarter, less melony. A hint of pine and coconut. The florals are delicate. Dries rapidly.

 

Dry: Sweeter, all of sudden. Very very fruity, but in a tropical exotic way that is delicious; melon, juicy citrus, a touch of lychee and warm, summery coconut. Yes, a bit foody, but I find myself liking it because there is still that tart edge of kumquat and quince, the wee sharpness of pine, and feminine wafts of flowers. So many layers!

 

Summary: Tart citrus, whispy flowers, delicious melon and tropical fruits, with some earthy resin and patchouli that emerge after a few hours. Great throw, good lasting power. Masterfully blended!

 

Do I want one bottle or 2? Eek!

[Nightroad103]

In the bottle, I could smell mostly melon, with some tangerine and orange. The lychee and plum blossom were a little more noticeable at the second sniff, though.

 

Wet on me, I can still smell the melon, but the citrus notes come out more, along with just a hint of dragon's blood.

 

About two hours after it dried, the pine had come out just enough to make my migraine explode, to the point that I almost couldn't see anymore. I washed my wrists/hands at the first chance I could, and that took the pine right out.

 

I had been afraid that I would have to put this with the swaps pile, but after washing my hands I decided that I'll have to keep it and try it at least one more time.

 

ETA, for round 2 (04/30): Wet on me, I smell candied melon, with a bit of bamboo and just a touch of pine resin.

 

As it's drying, the plum blossom comes out, with the lychee and citruses hinting at being there. The dragon's blood lends a touch more to the floral side, which has only happened in one other scent I've worn with dragon's blood (Wrath, and that turned into pure flowers on me).

 

I like it. It's not too strong, the pine in it doesn't bother me, and it's not overpoweringly floral or foody -- it's a fantastic balance of floral and citrus and fruity.

Edited April 30, 2008 by Nightroad103

[pinkstardust420]

MELON BLAST ALERT! MELON BLAST ALERT! Melon..more melon...okay....fading a bit...here comes the light coconut! YAY! ...now I smell something creamy...this definitely smells like a tropical drink. Loving this!

[couscous]

I am almost ready to cower in shame about this because I have declared my hatred for the genre in the past, but...I think I may really like fruity scents! At least...i really like Beth's fruity scents. I loved Fire Pig, and I love Earth Rat, too- even though both are some of the most unabashedly fruity concoctions I've ever worn. They are the scents of celebration, all right- youthful gourmands with just enough exotic appeal to bring them out of the realm of shampoos.

 

Fire Pig was very much lychee on me, with a bit of dragon's blood. The effect was refreshing and tart, and I miss that from this year's outing. Earth Rat doesn't have a lot of sharp edges, and is probably less of an "interesting" scent than the wonderful Fire Pig. However, what Earth Rat lacks in complexity is balanced by what it has in spades- wearability. It's almost all melon- instantly recognizable to both the wearer and the people around them, and it fades to...softer melon, with maybe a bit of coconut, soft as the taste of shaved ice. I get NO sweet headache from it, but it's got serious throw and quite a bit of lasting power, too!

 

I couldn't wear this every day, because I suspect i'd get bored and oversaturated quickly, but it's a really wonderful surprise- and, truly, a lovely scent. I don't think people will need to hoard 4 or 5 bottles of this stuff, but nearly everyone should try and hunt down one.

[heartlilly]

It has been said before, but this is some serious melon. Sweet and sticky melon. Later it blends with the other stuff and becomes a bit more mellow, creamy and kind of tropical, but it stays mainly melon. Will probably be great for warm weather.

[Iceblink]

I'm a Rat. I had to try it. In the imp and fresh on my arm, this was all OH HI YEMAYA...that same sweeeeeeet sugary melon. Nice but a little too sticky.

Then I went and worked out for an hour and sniffed my arm again and now it smells like the best tropical punch! More Shango than Yemaya now, and so fruity and refreshing! This'll be what I want in July, I can just tell. I never tried Fire Pig but if this is anything like it...oooh.

[ymmat]

I was really hesitant to try this since pine (of any variety) and I really do not get along. I always end up smelling like Pine-Sol. I figured I'd get a decant at least because I am an Earth Rat.

 

In the vial, it smells lovely and fruity. On my skin, it smells exactly like tamarind hard candies (one of my favorite treats). As it settles down a bit, the coconut comes out and the tamarind smell fades. It settles as almost a very light coconut cream.

 

So, no nightmare of pine, which leaves me hopeful for other pine blends, but I probably won't buy a bottle of it. It's nice, but doesn't settle into something I'll wear that often.