Closet Raid

[Silvertree]

Funny how much better Lilith looks in my clothes than I do! This is the scent of generations of children raiding their parents closets: my grandmother and mothers Chanel No. 5, my father and grandfathers Lilac Vegetal, my Snake Oil, and Liliths lavender blossoms.

I ordered Closet Raid because I love the notes, and also because I remember how I used to love trying on my mom's clothes, and watching her get ready to go out. She's more of a Chanel No. 19 aficionado; I can still remember how special it felt when she dabbed the tiniest amount of scent on my wrists and behind my ears.

In the bottle, Closet Raid is a smooth, elegant, heady fragrance. I get little wafts of soft florals, like sachets fastened to hangers releasing their sweet scent, and a slight touch of something soapy-clean, like an old-fashioned aftershave.

Wet, I get mostly a sweet and powdery aroma. I'm not a huge fan of this stage of the drydown, but it's very short-lived. Which is great, because...

Dry, Closet Raid is glorious. It's one of those classic huff-your-wrist scents, a rich Snake-Oil-and-purple-flowers blend with resins and florals melding together to form a glowing, sophisticated whole. It reads as "warm" to me, but it's polished, not earthy. There's a little hint of the aftershave/cologne; I tend not to classify scents as "masculine" vs. "feminine," but if it's helpful I would call Closet Raid unisex.

I could see putting this on as a going-out scent, and putting the smallest drop of scent on the inside of my daughter's wrist while I'm getting ready. Closet Raid holds a special place both in my collection and my heart.

[paperflowers]

Clean, but not Cotton. Like clean, soapy skin. Light lavender.

[Beatrice33]

I mostly smell Chanel No. 5, and Beth has done a fabulous job with it! If you love No. 5, give this one a try!

[zankoku_zen]

To me, this smells like Chanel and lavender vanilla. This smells sophisticated, and elegant. It's a traditional perfume. Good throw and wear length.

 

I'm kinda thinking of a big bottle.

[Ina Garten Davita]

I just greedily tore into my box from the Lab. Closet Raid has arrived! I've been wanting a BPAL version of Chanel No. 5 since I first became a devotee in 2004. But of course, Elizabeth delivered an homage to the classic scent so great that Coco herself might claw her way out of the grave and snatch Beth bald.

 

That undercurrent of Snake Oil and a breath of lilac and lavender takes this scent to a whole new level.

[Jenjin]

Oh dear, this one is everything I look for in a scent. Love at first sniff
Effervescent, complex and posh, this makes me feel sophisticated even in jeans and t-shirt.
It has a brilliance to it, a golden glimmer, like tiny champagne jewels sewn onto silver satin.
I am contemplating exactly how many bottles of this I need, because it is dreamy divine.
The most elegant creation I think Elizabeth has made so far.

Edited October 5, 2017 by Jenjin

[JazzieCazzie]

To preface, I SO get so many of the descriptors in previous previews ... elegant, classy, sophisticated, etc.

 

IN THE IMP: Ageless, light, perfumey (in the sense that I do not get specific notes from this but rather the evocation of "perfume" of old, when everyone knew its name).

 

Dabbed on my wrist and in the crook of my arm.

 

WET: An elegant, classic perfume. I do not actually "get" any of the notes or scents in the description ... no Chanel, no snake oil, no lilac, not even the lavender. I get clean but not "soapy" quite ... more like, to be honest, baby shampoo. That clean clear scent.

 

INITIAL DRYDOWN: I don't know if my nose if just not on point today but I cannot identify a single note. And the drydown remains pretty much identical in description to how it smelled when first applied. And that continues throughout the entire time I am wearing it until my nighttime bath.

 

OVERALL: Like others have said, this is a classic, elegant, timeless blend.

 

Beth seems to conjure up something that is at once familiar of the generations past and yet unique and fresh in her own read of it ... if they only had a Project Runway for scent geniuses, she would run away with the title as I think she could come up with something unique for every challenge they threw at her.

 

Sadly, though, it's just not really "me" and as such I will cherish having gotten to enjoy all of these beautiful (and beautifully evocative and descriptive and filled with love) scents I've gotten to try and know that down the road in May they will find a wonderful home somewhere.

 

My loss will be Boobiepalooza Box's big gain

[LizziesLuck]

I am not sure I have ever smelled Chanel No. 5 before...

 

Wet: Powdery, clean, and very classic! That's what comes to mind immediately. It smells like my Grandma's bathroom at the old farmhouse (this is not a bad thing whatsoever!). I always thought it was her milk bath I was smelling in that bathroom, and now that I think of it, was it a Chanel Milk Bath I always used to buy her at Christmas? I will have to Google to see if that was ever a thing. ANYWAY this is lovely. Hints of lilac, fresh, clean, classic, CLASSY.

 

Dry: OK, so Chanel No. 5 did/does come in Milk Bath form, and I really think that is what I am smelling. It's so nostalgic. I get hints of the lilac as well, tiny bits of lavender, but I can't detect the Snake Oil. This reminds me so much of my Grandma, who is currently battling cancer. I am so happy to have this right now, I will cherish it. I had totally forgotten the memory of this smell, had even forgotten buying that bath milk for her as a gift many years in a row until this reminded me. Dusting off that memory is like finding a treasure I had forgotten I had. I owe the Lab for that. May have to pick up another bottle. Can't wait to see how it ages. It feels like being wrapped in one of the giant fluffy towels after a bath in the old claw foot tub on the farm, safe and warm and clean. I'm not crying, you're crying!! Thank you for this, Beth.

[Minh Scent]

OK, I have officially died and gone to heaven. I love classic perfumes. This is indeed classic Chanel...only a kazillion times better with the lavender, hint of Snake Oil and whatever voodoo magic Beth has added.

[milo]

I went and ordered a bottle after even getting my decants, as the reviews seemed like this one would be right up my alley. I'm getting what I think is the lab 's champagne note, a touch of lavender and Snake Oil in equal proportions. I used to wear Chanel 5 a shit ton in the late 80's, but I can't remember what it smells like, and this is not ringing any bells. Could be, and not that it matters, I really like this, though I wish the champagne note (though it's not fizzy, like it normally is with other lab incarnations) was a little less loud. I'm hoping it will mellow out with some age behind her. This is soft and cozy, and a definite win.

[doomsday_disco]

In the decant: This definitely smells classic, all right.

 

Wet: Perfume-y florals, moss, and a citrus component, perhaps bergamot, maybe neroli (but if it is neroli, it isn't turning horrible on me). It smells warm and cozy and like being enveloped in a soft blanket. I think that sandalwood could be lending to that vibe, as well as orris root, because I am now getting a lot of powderiness, for lack of a better word, that I normally get from orris. I am also starting to get some sweet jasmine as it dries down.

 

Dry: This is getting sweeter and more powdery on me. It reminds me of a woman sitting at a vanity, looking in a mirror, powdering her face, and dabbing on some perfume one final time before leaving the house. After a while, a musk note emerges and seems to get stronger over time.

 

Verdict: This one isn't really me, but I can see why it's well-liked. I'm really glad that I was able to try it, and I plan on holding onto my decant to see how it ages.

Edited October 23, 2017 by dementia_divine

[capncait]

WOWZA. This is elegant, indeed. I'm not picking up on the Snake Oil, but Closet Raid certainly reminds me of Chanel No. 5 with a hint of white floral and lavender. It's perfect. Low throw and short wear, on my skin. Very clean. I did try this straight out of a cold mailbox, so I will be interested to see how this develops as it settles from the shipping process.

 

I'm certain it will only get better with time.

[strick9]

My mother wears Chanel No. 5; it is absolutely her signature scent and it smells lovely on her.

 

It does not, however, smell lovely on me; in fact, it smells terrible. It goes sour/powedery and gives me a headache almost immediately.

 

I'm going to give my mom the imp and probably order a bottle to give her for Christmas.

 

If you can wear Chanel No.5, I highly recommend this. I honestly can't wait to smell this on my mom.

[roseus]

Threatened to go screechy on me, but settled down fine! I get the Chanel No.5, lavender, a classic men's cologne in that order and if I really sniff I get the Snake Oil underneath all of that. It's heady, floral, and a little powdery but in an elegant way. It's definitely a big, bold, glamorous scent.

[Poenari]

Playing "dress-up" in my mother's and best friends' mothers' clothes was my favorite past-time as a child. With my Gemini nature, I still want to dress in many different styles depending on my mood, and have never developed a signature clothing style for myself. I range from anything sparkly and velvet, to leggings and tunics, to tees and jeans or broomstick skirts, boots or platforms. Sadly I can't wear heels after a serious fracture. But my style is nothing if not eclectic. So also is my perfume, though it leans heavily towards incense and patchouli.

 

I wore Chanel No. 5 way back as a young woman in the 70s. I haven't smelled it in decades, but the minute I applied Closet Raid to my wrist, I immediately recognized the scent! It is so gorgeous, and now that I'm a woman of a certain age, it seems even more appropriate and perfect to wear. The hint of Snake Oil shows up after about an hour, along with the lavender. Overall, this is so well-blended that I keep sniffing my inner arm to be sure I'm getting all the notes.

 

This is the most elegant BPAL I've smelled or worn. I'm reserving this for special occasions because as much as I want to order a backup bottle, I simply have to limit my backups. I'm already drowning in more BPAL than I will ever wear. But if I could, this would be a hoarder for me. Love this one with all my heart. And the label is perfect! ❤❤❤

[Lunasariel]

In the imp: BPAL's champagne note dominates, although it's less fizzy than usual. I also get hints of a broad, sexy, sweetness and wafts of soft, subtle florals underneath, but the champagne makes them difficult to focus on.

 

Wet: Oh dear, there's some soap going on here. From afar, I get a wonderful black velvet cocktail dress kind of scent - I wouldn't be able to identify the Snake Oil without knowing it was there already, but it's a refined, subtle, sexy-sweet scent. But up close, yeah, soap. I bought this because I was very interested to see (er, smell) BPAL's take on a classic like Chanel No. 5, but I don't have the lovely warm nostalgic associations with it that would take this from "yeah, it's alright" to "LOVE FOREVER!!!" To my knowledge, no one else in my family wears any kind of scent or perfume, let alone Chanel.

 

Dry: OK, if this is what Chanel No. 5 smells like, sign me up! It does smell elegant, refined, subtle, and classic. It's warm and cool at the same time (if that makes any sense), slightly spicy, and slightly floral. I could totally see myself wearing this for an elegant night out.

[fairybites]

Sharp white florals and lavender cologne. Not familiar at all with Chanel No. 5 or Lilac Vegetal so I can't really pick those out in this. No Snake Oil on me, like literally none of the notes! 

 

A little disappointed by the complete lack of SO, but I don't hate it. It's just a bit too cologne for my tastes!

[Honey]

This is insane: It smells exactly like my grandmother.

I am sitting in her bedroom again, watching her open her wardrobe to get out a piece of accessory. It almost brings tears to my eyes.

The scent has lots of throw and is a perfect dupe for No. 5 if I may say so.

It's very lady-like, grown up and elegant. It's sweet, spicy, and decadent.

It's also soapy though and a bit overpowering to my nose.

I'm not really a classical scent or cologne person, so I don' t think this is something that fits me really well, but I am so happy I got to try this.

[lunaticana]

So much LAVENDER gosh I adoooore this but yes there is def also Snake Oil and some lilac yes yes yes all is here 😍

[frizzlechicken]

I just got a bottle of this and wow, do I love it. I've long liked how Chanel No.5 smells, so I immediately put this on my wish list when I read about it. It is magical! It really does evoke Chanel No. 5, but not just that; there's a delicious powdery note that takes me back to some old 1990s Revlon velvet lipsticks in red cases. Gosh I loved those, and Closet Raid wet on my skin smells like them! It's wonderfully nostalgic. As it dries I can detect the Snake Oil and a little lavender. It's definitely a "high-end perfume" kinda BPAL. I love it!!