Changing the Shadows

[ofthegood]

The dawning of hope and the blossoming of charity: vanilla, orange blossom, white sandalwood, mate, red tea, and carnation.

Definitely got the strongest whiff of orange blossom after opening, which was sweet and floral. On the skin, everything else started popping out - especially the vanilla. So for a while, I smelled like a sharp floral creamsicle! The carnation and red tea were never particularly strong notes on me, but eventually I felt like it had mellowed and rounded to something sweet, gentle, and slightly spicy. Very soft and light scent on me, but lasted decently. It's definitely an "innocent" blend, and I can definitely read "hopeful" into it, too. Perhaps a little too innocent and hopeful for my tastes.

[sqwook]

In the bottle: A paradox - it smells of something sweet-berry and something dry-dusty, at the same time.

 

On me: Kind of too-boisterous at first - (Fruit! Grapes! Something randomly dry!) - but this thankfully all passes very quickly. It settles into what must be a dusky orange-blossom, sweetened by vanilla and tea, and backed by the barest lightest sandalwood.

 

It is somehow both deeper and brighter, in various ways, than I had expected, which is amazingly evocative, if you think about it, given its name "Changing the Shadows". How neat!

[puck_nc]

Origin: decant circle

 

Initial Thoughts: several of these notes are favorites of mine. Not sure about the mate or red tea notes.

 

In the imp: Sandalwood and tea and high, sharp neroli.

 

Wet: The sandalwood and orange blossom stay strong, but the vanilla is also coming out to play early. At this stage it's almost a scent painting of a sunrise.

 

Drydown: I think the teas and sandalwood are amping the orange blossom...only the vanilla is still in the mix, trying to give everything a sweetness. I can't find my beloved carnation anywhere.

 

Verdict: This one's not for me.

[whisperstilled]

In imp: Orange, vanilla, and tea. Sweet, but the tea counters it and keeps it from going too candied. The sandalwood and the carnation are there, but more as backing notes.

Wet: Sandalwood coming out strong! The tea is there, and the carnation, and the orange and vanilla have fallen to the background the second it hit my skin. This is turning into a really nice, almost resiny sandalwood and carnation blend. It reminds me a lot of Morocco, but with orange and a touch of vanilla to complement the carnation/sandalwood blend.

Dry: This is one huge shocker for me. I wasn't super impressed in the imp, but on the skin it's positively lovely. Sandalwood, orange, carnation, and vanilla, with tea as a nice solid backdrop. Somehow clean, woody, and sexy all at once. A surprise hit!

Edited August 4, 2017 by Whisperstilled

[TriGirlJ]

In the imp: sweet, vanilla, floral

Wet on the skin: I get mostly sandalwood and a hint of tea

 

Dry on the skin: As it dries, I first get the vanilla and the orange, but then the florals come out. It's really lovely and soft. It's floral and sweet, but there's definitely the tea and sandalwood underneath that keep it from becoming too strong.

 

I got this as an imp and I think I'm going to have to get a bottle of it.

[edenssixthday]

Changing the Shadows - This opens up as a sweet, complex vanilla scent, and it reminds me right away of the type of scent that has the potential to be very popular. It's creamy and has a really nice level of orange blossom that's not powdery at all, just slightly floral. The other note I smell the most is the tea, which compliments the orange and vanilla quite nicely. When it dries down, something in this blend turns flat and almost dusty on me, which is a huge bummer because it smells so good when it's wet.

[sunshinedaisybliss]

Mmm.. this is a pretty one! The vanilla is soft but not overly sweet, and the orange blossom is gorgeous - subtle, but definitely there. I can smell the carnation - it's warm and slightly peppery, but the most dominant note for me is the white sandalwood. There's something very berry-like in here, which may be from the red tea, and also a slight herbal quality which is probably the mate.

 

Overall, this is a lovely scent which has a kind of 'feel good' quality to it - warm and kind of sunny.

[astarinel]

I am beginning to believe that orange blossom is just one of those notes that doesn't work with my nose chemistry, rather than fails on my skin chemistry. When I asked other people to smell this they thought it was perfectly nice, but all I could smell was the horrible sharp bitterness of orange blossom, so this review will probably not be very helpful to anyone who doesn't apparently hate even the tiniest whiff of the note.

 

I was hopeful that this would be primarily the other notes, and in the decant I mostly smelled vanillaish tea, so I went ahead and skin tested anyway.

 

Unfortunately for me, what could have been a pleasant vanilla sandalwood spiced tea is topped with the icky metallic orange blossom. When I sniff hard, I can pick out the other notes, all of which are lovely. If you don't hate orange blossom as hard as I appear to, this seems to be a warm, well-blended vanilla scent. It reminds me a tiny bit of Unveiled from last year's Shunga series, I think because that also struck me as a complex vanilla tea scent.

[thekittenkat]

In the bottle: Each time I sniff I get a different lovely note: the vanilla, orange, sandalwood, tea, and carnation all present.

 

Wet: And then my nose is almost blown away by the orange and the mate. (I forgot that I don't like mate; I think it ruined one of the Luper chocolate scents for me last year.)

 

The dry-down: I'm thrilled that the orange has receeded somewhat, and the tea and carnation and vanilla have come to the foreground, whilst the sandalwood keeps their sweetness in check by adding a little dryness overall. A very lovely scent, and I can see why this has gotten so many reviews. I think that this would be perfect as a late spring changing into early summer scent. Not too floral, not too sweet, a skin scent that makes one wish that this is how one naturally smelled (except then how could we appreciate so many wonderful scents!?).

Edited January 17, 2011 by thekittenkat

[milo]

Wet, this is sharp orange blossom and mint. I know there is no mint listed, but something is translating to mint. As it dries, the orange blossom is less sharp, and there is the lovely tea coming out here with a touch of honey, which must be the vanilla. So we have orange blossom with mint and honey tea, a very nice, fresh combination. This would be lovely in the warmer months, as it is, I'm kind of on the fence with this, as I have honey/orange blossom/tea blends that I like more, though not in this particular combination all together. Must think on this one.

[blu°]

Uh, this is not for me. It's pleasant and pretty, alright, just not my type of scent. It weirdly smells of apricot to my nose. Very fruity, very sweet and tart. Orangey and almost candy-like. Very feminine/girly. Bubbly. Bright. With some weird undercurrent.

[Voleuse]

This is all orange blossom at first, and it's a little soapy, to boot. (Not necessarily a bad thing.) After a little while, it is tempered and sweetened by the vanilla and smoothed by the tea. There's a hint of spice behind it--not spicy, but intriguing. It's the sandalwood, I think: it lends a nice grounding note to the blend, in addition to leavening the initial femininity of the orange blossom and vanilla.

 

This is a sweetly complex scent, mostly vanilla-tea-orange blossom to my nose, like a feminine Dorian, if that makes sense. It's very well-balanced, and all-around lovely to sniff.

[melange]

Wet, I get a rush of sweet, fruity scent that's hard to place but smells like something that should be in a meadow. It's amazing. However, that leads to orange blossom taking over, and then the whole thing dims on my skin, particularly on the left side. Eventually, a little vanilla/floral sweetness comes back out.

 

Luckily, the freshness lasts longer on a scrap of fabric! This could make a great room scent, even though it doesn't work with my skin chemistry.

[DifferentDances]

Decant!

 

Imp: Strong sandalwood, almost 'clean' smell, but a hint of something red and strong.

Wet: Sandalwood immediately knocks down a shade while the vanilla and orange blossom meld with the mate to bring out a nice sweetness. Almost like delicious orange creamsicle candy.

Drydown: Oof. The sandalwood is weirdly stringent. Not a fan.

Dry: Thin, sour orange blossom. There's a slight warmth from the carnation.

 

My rating: 1/5

[CitizenBree]

Smells a little medicinal. light on the vanilla, but the orange comes out a bit

[porcelina]

i notice the orange blossom most of all, softened by vanilla. this is more perfumey and more floral than the oils i typically enjoy, but i'm trying to expand my horizons. good for my nose, not for my wallet. there is a fresh flower note to this that is quite nice. i don't notice a lot of sandalwood, but i think i can detect it in the background, rounding out the whole thing. sadly, the red tea and mate notes that inspired me to buy this in the first place are totally absent for me.

[paradoxicaljlb]

For the first few hours, there's something that reminds me of muscadine grapes --- very juicy and sweet --- along with prominent tea and sandalwood. The mate and carnation add spice, but it's in the background. After about an hour, the orange blossom amps up. All of these notes play very nicely with one another. It's been about eight hours since I put this on, and I'm still getting whiffs of spicy, herbal red tea. Overall it's very pretty and uplifting.

[deprongmori]

This one is lovely. As another reviewer mentioned, I can't really pick out individual notes while it's on, it is blended so well. Warm, lush, perfumey. It actually reminds me of the First of the Three Spirits though I can't pinpoint why (maybe just the sweet fruity warmth). I wish I had full bottles of both, as they would work well year-round. While it's still winter, though, this scent is a definite pick-me-up. Has great staying power.

[theseagrows]

i pretty much love every note in this, except i was unfamiliar with what mate might smell like. this is pretty much an orange blossom vanilla on me. BPAL's orange blossom smells different on me than other orange blossoms i've tried-it's sweeter and a bit less sharp? i guess. this reminds me a bit of vice, which i think is orange blossom, cherry and chocolate, but it's lighter and softer. i really like this a lot, but the orange blossom tends to turn a bit too sweet and plasticky on me, so i remain undecided for now. i will have to try it again in a couple of weeks.

[karihan]

I got this one because I love all the notes, except for mate which I haven't tried yet.

 

In bottle: Oh dear. The first whiff is weedy-smelling and a little musty. Mate, is that you? I do pick up some sweetness and carnation in the background though.

 

On wet: OHHHHH, much better. Vanilla, sandalwood, tea, there you are! The minute it hit my skin, this opened up into something warm, sweet, lovely and much more promising!

 

Drydown: This hasn't morphed so much as gotten more intricate. The sweet vanilla is now counterbalanced by the carnation's spice, the orange blossom's brightness and gentle herbal hints from the teas. The sandalwood deepens everything, just gorgeous.

 

Conclusion: This one is my favorite out of all the Yules I've tried, and also the most thematically correct, as it really does go through a wonderful transformation from bottle to skin. As post-spirits Scrooge would say, glorious, glorious!

[Invidiana]

I was really hoping to love this one because of the first four notes listed, but with my luck I ended up amping the last three, mate and carnation more than anything. I can't stand mate. I tried yerba mate tea once and promptly spat it out. That said, what happened with this but after the initial confusion of notes in the wet stage, the mate came blasting out in a lemony-medicinal type of way followed by carnation to eleven. I could barely smell anything else. Ugh.

[PurringPulsar]

Changing the Shadows

 

In the imp: sharp, herbal tea like neroli.

Wet on skin: cologne! This is quite perfumey.

Dry on skin: oh, this is pretty. Although this has a sharp, cologne like scent initially, this fades to give way to an incredibly gorgeous springy scent of orange blossom and sunshine, with a hint of tea. The orange blossom is the strongest note, and to me it’s less like Khrysee and more like Oceans of Love bath oil, but with vanilla instead of honey. It’s got an almost spicy neroli like edge to it. The vanilla softens the orange blossom nicely. I like the mellow yet fresh scent that the tea brings to it all. I can’t really smell sandalwood and carnation yet.

After a while: it doesn’t take long for all the sharpness to fade and what I’m left with is a glorious vanilla rooibos tea and orange blossom scent, warmed by the carnation. It smells delicate and ethereal as a shadow but it’s a scent full of light. It smells like the most beautiful spring afternoon. It has a feeling to it that I can’t put into words, but it’s like that ‘aaah’ feeling one gets when settling down with a cup of tea, satisfying and relaxed. This blend makes me calm. It also reminds me of Ra, with its blend of orange blossom, carnation and a warm sweet base (though I think Ra has amber, and this has vanilla.)

Verdict: such a delightful scent. I’ve been wearing a lot of orange blossom now that spring has finally sprung because it evokes springtime at its most confident and optimistic to me, and this scent brings to mind those days when finally winter is well and truly gone (even though this is a Yule scent), reminds me of late April and May in particular. The extra warmth from the carnation enhances this, and the slight sharpness of the orange blossom is calmed and sweetened by a stunning yet understated vanilla, and the combination of vanilla and rooibos always makes me smile because of the positive memories I have associated with that sort of tea. It’s a very uplifting scent, a scent of the shadows lifting and the light returning (a bit like Sol Invictus without the citrus and incense).

<drwhonerdiness>I also admit that I’ve been calling this blend ‘Counting the Shadows’… </drwhonerdiness>

Is it a keeper? oh yes.

If you like this, try: Ra, Time Does Not Bring Relief, Sol Invictus, Khrysee, Oceans of Love bath oil, Katharina, Ravenous

[Vega]

Sniffed: Deeply, deeply sweet, full-bodied and clear. Must be a combination of the teas and orange blossom.

 

On skin: Changing the Shadows has a particular sweetness that I've never encountered in any other BPAL blend, so it must be from the red tea and mate! It has the characteristic dry mellowness of tea, albeit very red and almost fruity in sweetness, perhaps brightened by orange blossom and slightly creamed by vanilla. I'm not familiar with carnation, but I'm sure it and sandalwood are involved somewhere. A deep, clear, dry blend that is perfectly balanced in its sweetness. It feels profound, almost hallowed, a blend with substantial presence but is not excessive or pushy. Colour impression is a deep, radiant vermillion red.

 

Verdict: I really like Changing the Shadows! It's such a warm, full-bodied scent, with the perfect level of sweetness that's not too cloying, creamy or sugary. And it's the only blend that I've really liked out of all the 2010 Yules I tested. I'll be keeping my decant!

[ami226]

Hmmmmm, sour florals/tea? Eep.

 

The sour smell is still there, but I am starting to also smell some orange as well. Weird scent that definitely does not work well on me... Ick.

[aleciarivas]

Thankfully this is one of those times that vanilla plays nice with me and doesn't get powdery! This is a GORGEOUS scent and may have to be bumped up to my top ten!! The vanilla and sandalwood balance out the fruitiness perfectly, preventing this from being too sweet. Overall a delicious scent that I will be wearing a lot more of in the future!