The Seesaw

[Leopard403]

Strawberry and patchouli root with pink pepper, white rum absolute, and benzoin.

In the imp, this is juicy strawberry with a hint of earthiness and booze. I got super excited when I opened the decant. Then it hits my skin, and immediately the patchouli takes over and that's all there is, folks. I'll try it in a scent locket, but as of now I'm bummed.

 

ETA: About 10 minutes into wear time, there's a hint of rooty strawberry that has reemerged, and that's nice, but overall this stays too head shop-like for my usual tastes.

[SophieCedar]

This smells like a headshop with vaporizers and incense. Overall, mischievous and relaxing.

 

Patchouli hasn't been my best friend in the past 2 years but if it still loves you, have fun with this one!

 

ETA: LOL! I posted this without even seeing Leopard403 said the same thing about smelling headshopy!

Edited March 13, 2016 by SophieCedar

[ladyjc]

Man oh man! I'm in love! I'm in love! And I don't care who knows it!

 

This, to me, is reminding me of when I first discovered BPAL. Something about the headshoppy vibe is bringing about fond memories of when I discovered early true loves (like Bordello). It's the kind of scent when sniffed makes me go...oh yeah, this is totally BPAL... if that makes sense?

 

I agree with the above reviews...sweet, headshoppy, strawberry incense. So, if that's your bag...jump on it. Me? I'm snagging a backup...maybe 2!

[Laura S. Taylor]

At first, it was all sweet artificial strawberry

 

then it was I'M A CIGARETTE SMOKER WEARING SWEET STRAWBERRY PERFUME and it was making me nauseous

 

THEN the stale cigarette smell faded and now it smells like strawberry incense, which reminds me of a Tinkerbell lipgloss I had as a child.

 

I like it, more for the nostalgia than anything.

[Pyretta]

Bottle: Mostly patchouli - the deep, earthy kind - and strawberry candy. Also getting a little booze in the background. I can't decide if I like this or if it's just over that sickly-sweet threshold.

 

Wet: More of that sticky, earthy patchouli and rum, and there's something smoky in an incense way that reminds me of a vape shop. Yep, this strongly reminds me of strawberry e-liquid. The almost sickening sweetness is starting to fade, thankfully!

 

Dry: The sweet incense-y e-liquid thing is still going on, and I'm finally getting a bit of the pink pepper, though it just adds to the spiciness instead of giving the scent that "lift" that I usually get from that note (it's one of my favorites, too, so I'm glad it showed up). This has crazy throw on me, though, and it's giving me a bit of a headache. I was ambitious with the slathering so I'll definitely tone it down next time.

 

Verdict: I expected this to be a sweet, smoky blend perfect for a Spring day, but it's actually way more appropriate for a crazy night out. It reminds me of a vape shop owner's girlfriend or something... candy-sweet and girly but totally sexy and debauched. I won't get a bottle but I'd be willing to take in somebody's unloved decant.

[lucycat]

In the imp: Fresh strawberries! Very definitely the fruit, not the candy. When strawberries are in season, I like to slice them and serve them with sugar and balsamic vinegar, and The Seesaw smells just like that.

 

On my skin I continue to smell the strawberries. The patchouli comes forward to balance their sweetness. This is not a gritty patchouli, but it is earthy.

 

Rum can be overwhelmingly sweet on me, but the rum here doesn’t overpower. It is sweet, but perhaps because it’s white rum, it hovers in the background. I can’t pick out the benzoin; I think it’s just grounding things.

 

The Seesaw joins the ranks of what I think of as the patchouli-plus blends (Imp, Goblin, Sin.)

Edited March 31, 2016 by lucycat

[zankoku_zen]

The Seesaw is very interesting. On wet, it smells distinctively of strawberries and pink pepper. It dries down to a strawberry, patchouli, with a swirl of rum and benzoin. I have to say that the strawberry/patchouli combo is one of the more interesting combinations that BPAL has put forth in the past couple of years. Good throw, good drydown.

[tailoredshirt]

My first sniff: Strawberry ice cream!

 

Follow-up sniff: Strawberry ice cream with patchouli!

 

Next sniff: Alcoholic strawberry ice cream with patchouli!

 

On me, this is mostly about the strawberry and benzoin combination. It's a sweet, creamy scent, but the patchouli adds some fresh earthiness and keeps it from being straight-up dessert. The patchouli is not super gritty. I forgot there was pepper in it while I was testing, and I confess that I can't remember how present it was.

[dreamingjune]

Imagine sweet strawberry preserves mixed with Ask the Nearest Hippie. This is not a bad thing at all. Also, nice longevity and throw without being obnoxious.

[HerbGirl]

I decided to take a last minute chance with this one and I'm not sure if I like it. I don't smell any pink pepper or patchouli...just lots of strawberry (yum) and rum (not so yum). I will let it sit for a few weeks and hope the patchouli will drown the rum!

 

Eta: Beautiful. The patchouli and pink pepper are doing the most exotic dance. This is exquisite and I am so glad I took a chance.

Edited May 23, 2016 by Herb Girl

[LavenderCoffee]

The Seesaw is so good! I don't get any rum from it, but I don't miss it. Wet, there is a hit of strawberry, then the patchouli opens up. I can't quite pick out pink pepper but I think it is tied up in the strawberry, skewing it slightly in a candy direction, and I suspect the same is happening with benzoin - giving the patchouli root a hint of sweet resin support. Plus the strawberry hangs around! I keep getting whiffs of it here and there, and it's perfect with the earthy patch.

It's not exactly a strawberry incense vibe, but it's not far off. Makes me want to wear clove cigarette alongside it.