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Truly, the softest of calfskin leather, gently creased, smooth as baby skin. Alas, it's such a light scent, that I have to press my nose right up to my wrist to get anything at all. This reminds me quite a lot of Paladin, which was another scent I love, love, loved, but was too faint to catch.
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This is so pretty ~ truly an iconic bpal blend that elevates some of their best offerings in a familiar but new way. It smells almost like if bpal and nava were to do a collab in my most magical of dreams haha. Starting out, I get this GORGEOUS insanely intoxicating smooth rose note, with an undulating complex bpal gothy darkness beneath. The scent as a whole has that vibe like it’s already aged and been discovered somewhere. The rose is like…. jammy in a new way I haven’t experienced yet. It’s jammy like you’re smelling sleeping beauty’s dark twisted gem like rose garden on a cool spooky summer evening through a looking glass. If that makes any sense at all 🤣 It’s smooth with all the potential soapiness removed, sweet without being sugary, jammy without smelling like rose jam, garden like without being pitchy, dark without being heavy or losing its ruby red glow, creamy without being milky, ethereal but has a lot of body, spiced without being spice-ey. Got it? 🤣 The muskiness beneath: smells like really complex slightly glowy amberic earthy patchy dark brown- ness undulating with snake oil. As I wear it, first that dreamy dark jammy garden rose thing starts to get a little spiced, and simultaneously I notice the patch coming out more in the stuff beneath. Next, the rose starts to dissipate into the base, leaving just a ghost of itself. Like a faint memory of its spiced jammy sweetness. The snake oil starts to swallow things and I notice especially the dark brown vanilla and vegetal musk mingling w the amber patch and leftover rose. Then it gets a little baby powder musky on me, as snake oil does depending on my skin chem and how it’s aged. Then it blends out and returns to a more faded version of the step before the slight baby powder phase, a little bit more of the sweetness revealing in the shadow of what was left over from the rose. Almost a tinge of chewy jammy rose caramel vanilla nuzzled into the musky snake oil and earthy patch. (V faded though like a skin musk as this is the tail end of the scent) ——— I wore this before going out to dinner and getting in a cab and the driver was like literally moaning lmfao (not in a creepy way despite how that sounds hahaha) and going “WHAT IS THAT, HNNNGGG ITS SOME KIND OF FLOWER BUT *MORE*” and going on and on about how it can’t just be rose and he’s never smelled anything like it. ——- The oil is rich and kinda thick and light translucent brown and just a little drop will project like crazy. (The cab driver situation above was just from me putting on the tiniest like wrist to the bottle cap residue and I didn’t expect anyone to be able to smell it but me) It projects in this most magical spiced flower patchy way like I literally feel like Pepé le Pew to my own scent halo ~ I would absolutely freak out if I smelled something like this on someone in public and tbh I don’t even love encountering perfumes in the wild very often. It is so mysterious and intoxicating and memorable and projects in this come hither not overwhelming sneaky undulating multi layered way. The way it sneakily twists in the air around you is SO gorgeous, mysterious, erotic, kind of sad, smart, chill, grounded - it’s everything lmao. ——- My only “complaint” w this is that it doesn’t last v long on me tbh, only about three hours. And I also want that rose note to last FOREVER omg it’s beyond gorgeous, but it’s mostly a longer lasting opening note for me that becomes a faded part of the overall base notes - lasting maybe 30 mins total. It’s very possible I’m not able to really smell the full extent of this on myself after a while though, as displayed by the cab driver situation lol. I also don’t love the short period of that snake oil musky baby powder but that just happens w snake oil on me sometimes as it’s very changeable w where I’m at skin chem wise during the month. Bpal does amazing things with roses and I haven’t smelled a rose like this from them (or any house) yet. I have two bottles of this and might get a third.
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Lots of pulpy, green, clean bamboo and sweet, juicy, tropical fruits. I also feel like I can smell the plum blossom more than usual in this lunar new year blend, and it has more of an actual plum fruit scent to it as well. The fruits are all syrupy sweet and juicy, but the fresh bamboo and creamy blossom notes help to cut through all of the sweetness. Definitely one of my favorites of the lunar new year series. This one isn't soapy like many of the others are on my skin.
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This lunar new year blend is more dry and sharp than many of the other variations. Dried out, sour citrus peels, laundry soap powder, a realistic kumquat note trying to sweeten things up, and a good deal of smokiness that smells like a recently blown out candle, wax and all, with a hint of incense scent. Dry and crisp. It doesn't sound that great the way I've described it, but I do like it. Its clean citrus and laundry + smoky thing is actually working for me and it smells joyful to me. It leans towards a dry and sophisticated incense in the drydown.
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The blood musk is metallic, but in a silvery, cool, cologne-like way instead of smelling coppery or like iron. Metallic cologne, a hint of red musk, amber that comes off like dry woods and dust, and an odd drizzle of sweet honey and savory saffron. I actually find the overall combination to be really off putting and dirty smelling. I normally enjoy all of these notes, but this blend feels really disjointed to me and the thick dusty/powdery quality of the amber isn't working for me here.
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A Nosegay of Roses, Marigolds, Larkspur, and a Bumblebee
Little Bird replied to Seajewel's topic in Limited Editions
Goes on with lots of powdery, sweet orris and a bubblegummy-yet-clean floral scent that makes me think of the High Strung Daisies blend. I also keep catching whiffs that smell like brown sugar. As it dries down, the rose comes out and it's a lovely mix of fresh and sweet, touched with that toasty brown sugar type of scent that I would normally dislike, but I'm loving it here with the floral notes. The orris also sticks around as a shimmery, powdered sugary, silvery veil. I love sweet, gourmand florals and this definitely leans into that territory. It's a scent that makes me think of a shimmery unicorn lazing about in a fairy garden full of fat bumblebees. I didn't expect to love this as much as I do, but I wore it while gardening this morning and it really put me in a planting flowers mood and it was strong and long lasting even in the heat and is still going strong 4 hours later. A beautiful, gourmand floral. -
I usually hate root beer / sarsaparilla scents, but Native Gold conjures up this old Western vibe that I really enjoy, transporting me to an old, dusty mining town in the West of old Hollywood movies. It somehow really does smell like dusty minerals and the scent of standing just inside of a cave, this chilled, rocky, ancient scent that I love. The dry cedar and sweet tobacco conjure up the images of an old wooden saloon. The sarsaparilla smells like root beer, but leans more towards dried herbs and old apothecary than a root beer float, which I prefer more than the impression of the sugar drenched drink. As it dries down, this is also reminding me of Essence by Reminiscence Paris, which is one of my favorites.
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The first minute on my skin is delightful with the burst of realistic, juicy, tropical guava and a vanilla sugar and cognac that reminds me of Black Lace's flankers. It quickly fizzles out, though, to a loud and baby powdery white sandalwood and warm vanilla sugar. Bpal's white sandalwood has ruined more blends for me than any other note over the years.
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So... I NEVER bother to write reviews but I have a HUGE pile of "to be tested" scents before sending a dozen or so bottles off to sale... And todays tester was this one... Half Queen of Cigarettes... so... on me this is a really lovely sexy bonfire full of flowers... The smoke is super prominent... but I don't hate it (and I am a girl who avoids campfires because I HATE to smell like it...) As it dries the smoke fades a bit to allow the floral of the tobacco flower to come out... and there's a lovely softness that I attribute to the amber This is a really sexy sensual scent and although it was a long shot for me... very outside of the box... I'm definitely keeping it! This one will get lots of wear!
- Yesterday
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Sweetly floral in the best way, like realistic daffodil and honeysuckle flowers, wrapped in an elegant, perfumey bow. Creamy, sweet, pollen-y, and full of sunshine. A little of a slightly powdery vanilla and clean musk undertone. Very strong and long lasting. I keep thinking that this smells like something that Marc Jacobs would come out with (somewhere between Daisy, Perfect, and Decadence). I got this as a free bottle in one of my latest huge lab orders and I really love it.
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I got a bottle of this on the lab's etsy and it's such an odd scent for only having two notes. At first, I was sure that I wasn't going to like this, because the first 10 minutes are all mahogany and it's a dark, bitter, sour wood note until it settles in on the skin. After about 10 minutes, all of a sudden, a charred sweetness pops up and it seriously smells like roasted marshmallows on my skin. Roasted marshmallows and glossy, dark wood that starts to smell more cologne-like than bitter. Something about the deep sweetness and incense-y character of the myrrh reads as blackened marshmallows on me. Once the sweetness comes through, I find this scent really addictive and attractive.
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I like Jaunty Tater a lot more than Dapper Mandrake. This one is a smoky vetiver cologne. Like blackened meadow grass set on fire with plumes of black smoke rising into the sky and a generic, musky, watery men's cologne that's unpleasantly dry. It reminds me a little bit of Dee, but I much prefer Dee's complexity and subtle sweetness, which it feels like Dapper Mandrake is lacking.
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Amor, To Show That He Was Pleased, Approvingly (In Silence) Sneezed
Little Bird replied to Seajewel's topic in Lupercalia
I recently picked up a partial bottle of Amor To Show and I absolutely love it. I wish that this vanilla cream showed up in more fragrances because it's like a strong, gorgeous, lightly sugared cream that's cool toned and sweet without being cloying at all. Like whipped cream, but the best whipped cream ever. The honey cakes smell like perfect, dainty, yellow cakes topped off with honey flavored sugar, all deep gold and warm. I don't get any lemon or floral and that's fine for me. Yellow cake topped off with the most gorgeous whipped cream and dusted with dark gold honey sugar. All gourmand and creamy and I love it. -
I love the lab's wild plum note because it smells like a perfectly ripe, juicy, dark, sweet plum. Very deep purple. The tea here starts off screechy and lemony, but quickly mellows out to a scent that smells delicately green and grassy, more like green tea, with a pinch of white ginger to give off a little spiciness and heat that dries down more tropical floral to me. In this stage, it's like slicing into a perfect plum with the juices running over your fingers, sitting next to a steamy cup of green tea with hints of tropical florals coming in through the windows on a cool breeze. If it stayed in this stage, I would be in heaven, but around the half hour mark, the whole thing starts to go very powdery (probably the red sandalwood) and loses all of its complexity and more interesting notes. I prefer the "Wild Plum, Green Tea, and White Jasmine" trio for my wild plum and tea fix.
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Reminds me of the GC blend Imp at first. I have trouble wearing a lot of bpal's peach blends (tend to go plasticy or sour), but this is a juicy, sticky-sweet, ripe peach that smells delicious. It might be getting its sweeter, juicier qualities from the lychee because it does have a tropical edge to it. The black oudh, to me, is giving off black patchouli vibes (this part reminding me of the GC blend Depraved), something like fruit juice soaked black leather, but it's more noticeable in the opening stage and barely there at all in the drydown. Bergamot is also barely there, though I catch whiffs of its citrus cologne sometimes. The auburn musk takes over the drydown and smells similar to golden musk to me, sort of powdery and warm, but more sophisticated and slightly spicy, not sharp or baby powdery. The overall effect is very elegant, even though it has sweet, fruity notes.
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I got a bottle of No Pls from the Lab's etsy page. First on, it's a big dose of creamy, sweet orange blossom that threatens to go soapy at the edges, but in a pleasant way, like orange blossom turned into a luxurious, creamy bar of moisturizing soap. As it dries down, it starts to shift and pick up a sweet cigar tobacco and dry cedar that's super smooth like a good quality sandalwood. The honeyed orange blossom in the drydown stage actually starts to read as a really beautiful jasmine tea type of scent on me, losing the soapiness and going more dry alongside the cedar note to make me crave a cup of jasmine tea. I expected this blend to be more spiky, chaotic and odd than it actually is. It's very mellow and pretty to me. The dry woods, sweet cigar tobacco, and beautiful orange blossom go really well together and are delicately sweet, smooth/creamy, and easy to wear.
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This is a lot like the French Tobacco single note, but not as sweet, more washed out, shrill, and sharply smoky. The tobacco is almost like dead leaves - slightly spicy, dry, lightly sweet. I don't get vanilla or amber from Snaky Hair'd, but the incense smoke comes out more like actual cigarette smoke to me. I'll probably never reach for this over any of my sweeter tobacco fragrances.
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eldritchhobbit posted a blog entry in Eldritchhobbit's Blog
ALT It was a joy to narrate the powerful “More Real Than Real” by Greta Hayer for the Cast of Wonders podcast. Cast of Wonders 537: More Real Than Real | Cast of Wonders View the full post. - Last week
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This starts off with a blast of the almond blossom, which is the same one found in last year's Almond Blossoms. I get some birdseed and a bit of wood with it, but nothing can overtake the almond blossom note during the wet stage. Once the scent is dry, the russet amber emerges, and it ends up becoming the dominant note once the almond calms down. I believe it's the same amber note from Adventuresome Encounters. I love this sweet amber, and it pairs so nicely with the creamy almond blossom note (which only has a hint of its former almond glory by the end of the day. I can smell the balsam, wood, and what remains of the birdseed if I go looking for them, but this settles into being mostly about the amber and the almond blossom on me. I think this is really nice, but I'm like, hmmm, do I really need more of this when I have Almond Blossoms? I'll be hanging onto my decant and retesting before it goes away to know for sure. But I'm sure my almond and amber-loving partner will be telling me to grab a bottle once she gets to try it.
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I get the lemony white tea in the vial, tinged with some greenery and honey. Once applied, I get lots of green hinoki (which isn't frost-tinged at first but develops a slight frosty quality once dry), backed by some balsam and wood, and then the honey emerges and becomes a main player. I think it might be the same honey in the honey musk from Capax Infiniti and Lady Una, but I didn't deathmatch to be sure. Then the frangipani pops up, as well as the white tea, but the white tea isn't nearly as strong as it was in the vial. This goes powdery for a really long time, and I believe that's the fault of this particular honey note, or the honey paired with the floral frangipani. Yukikeisetsu settles into a honey-dominant scent backed by soft woods on me. Despite the powdery phase, I found this scent to be really comforting and drifted off to sleep wearing it. I am planning to keep the decant, and I'll retest before it goes away to see whether or not I need more.
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Dry, musky, powdery white floral that's lightly sweetened with the honey. The musk reminds me of white musk more than ambergris. I get zero plum and zero tea. If there was ever any plum, it does not exist anywhere in my aged bottle. Powdery, clean, lightly sweet, musky floral.
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Star Trek: Essays Exploring the Final Frontier
eldritchhobbit posted a blog entry in Eldritchhobbit's Blog
Star Trek: Essays Exploring the Final Frontier: ashleywritesstuff: I had the privilege of interviewing @dramyhsturgis about a new book she co-edited with Emily Strand about Star Trek. Pick up a copy, request it at your local library, read essays from some of the sharpest minds in Trek fandom, and listen to this episode of We Are Starfleet. View the full post. -
Well, it's a good thing I really like this one because I just spilled the entire bottle of it on my bed and pants by mistake. Anyway, this is really all about the rose and violet together, with the resins taking up the third seat mostly. Think of it as a non-sweet version of Hope and Faith. Liking this a lot!
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Very realistic cookie dough. It smells just like making cookies and adding in the chocolate chips and vanilla extract to get that soft vanilla chocolate aroma. As it dries down, the freshly baked bread note makes an appearance and starts making me crave chocolate brioche. Chocolate brioche and raw chocolate chip cookie dough. I think it's cool that the cookie dough never takes on a baked cookie scent and never goes caramelized or toasty on the edges. I'm really thrilled that I tracked down a bottle of this. The fries and cotton scared me off initially, but neither of those notes make an appearance on me anyhow.
