couscous

I can't really "review" this one, just help in confirming that there is, indeed, civet in this one, and if you have problems with this note, beware, cause its coming to get you.

 

I am someone who absolutely has problems with this note, and so I couldn't leave it on for more than 5 minutes.

 

But wet, it has a salty patchouli quality very much like Anne Bonny.

 

For advanced civet users , this is probably gorgeous

Ack! I never reviewed this one?

 

I've burned through a 5ml of this already since January, and I just got a 10ml of it a few weeks ago. This scent goes on the list of BPAL I will order consistently as my supply runs out so that I shall never be without it. It's extraordinarily light, cheerful, and clean-smelling. It isn't what i normally go for, but its the best "after-shower", job-interview, meet-the-parents scent I've come across so far.

 

The most prominent notes in High John for me are grapes, olive oil, herbs, and something like lotus' lighter sister.

 

The "olive oil" I'm imagining comes from the fact that the grape note in High John smells almost savory, NOT at all like kool aid or juice. This smells like green grapes in a salad, if that makes sense- cool and refreshing. Its savory, grown-up grape made complex by LIGHT herbs ( no sage, basil, rosemary that i could smell, for instance) sweetened by something that could be lotus but probably isn't. Lotus gives me a cotton candy sweetness, but that sweetness feels and smells sheer, like I'd dusted my skin with sugary water. This note gives that same sugared skin smell but without the candied associations. The combination smells like fresh, sweet grapes in a mildly sweeter syrup, like you hadn't washed off all the syrup from a can of fruit salad . Grapes and leaves with sprinkled parsley on top. Delicious.

 

The oil is also thick- thicker than any bpal I've tried. I guess Beth uses a different carrier for this little guy, or perhaps there really IS olive oil in this one . This gives it great staying power despite the extreme lightness of the fragrance itself. And if you're a slatherer, like I am, you can reapply throughout the day and never scare anyone out of an elevator.

 

I LOVE this fragrance, I love Beth for making him, and I will love him and squeeze him and train him .......er....never mind.

 

As for the voodoo properties- I wore this to my first new job interview in 4 years and I got called back for a second and then a third. It's been a week and they have not called me, so I guess I lost it right at the finish line. But getting so close definitely upped my confidence and made me think that looking for something better wasn't such a waste of time after all.

Wet, I got lemon and bergamot. Dry I got lavender, bergamot, and leather.

 

This sounded like the perfect blend for me, but leather and I just do not get along. There's also something that smells a bit like oakmoss in here. It's masculine and very elegant. The lemon is not very pronounced at all, so no worries for those of you who hate citrus.

 

Leather fans will love this one, as bergamot practically marries leather in this one and lavender blends surprisingly well. If you've tried and loved Loviatar or DeSade or dead man's hand, give Casanova a try.

 

I ended up swapping this one because of the one note I disliked.

I LOVE this one! It combines sweetness with grit in a way that makes cherry and dragon's blood smell dangerous.

 

The much-maligned vetiver is fantastic in this, and so is the clove- they combine to amp up the smokey quality of the resin and make it earthier and dirtier than ever before.

 

The cherry stays in the background, adding an almost medicinal sweetness. "medicinal" may not sound like a positive adjective, but it IS a good thing in this one. The whole blend is catch-in-the-back-of-your-throat thick, and it has amazing throw. It feels like it oozes all around you.

 

Beth makes scents for every kind of sexual situation, and this one is for dirty, dirty sex. It probably won't be good in the middle of August, but for a cold night in black vinyl, you can't get much better than this.

Dragon's Tears truly is a dragon at the beach. It has some salty, tangy note mixed with the dragon's blood.

 

While I suspect that NOTHING will EVER overpower the mighty, gorgeous dragon's blood, these salt tones it down and make it less resinous, more fresh/clean.

 

It's beautiful, and the best part is that you don't need to be a fan of aquatics to wear it. You get the tang of salt right when you first smell it, and on the drydown- very subtle.

 

This could be a summer fragrance for those who enjoy DB resin, just as Dragon's Eye, with the strong lilac note, is springtime Dragon.

I also got almost pure lilac from this scent . Lilacs are dusty, soft, dry flowers, and I like to think of lilac as my rose substitute since I strongly dislike the smell of roses. If you get your nose right up to the skin, you can definitely detect some resin-y sweetness, but you really, really have to work on it.

 

I'm not really a floral girl, but today, only a few days after I noticed my lilac tree budding, it feels completely appropriate. I feel girlish and sunshine-y.

 

Good for springtime/summer, and good for professional/interview sitautions, as well.

 

For those who aren't sure whether they like lilacs, you can smell them in BPAL's Cordelia.

There's really no way to review Dragon's Blood, because it smells like....well....dragon's blood.

 

I will say, however, that this is the best dragon's blood I've ever smelled, and that if you want to try the scent, start with this one. Not only is it fantastic on its own, but the layering possibilities are endless. Dragon's Blood is sweet, smokey, dark, and warm.

 

I adore this. I bought a 5ml , but I doubt that will be enough

This one is so fun.

 

Like pure black licorice, all I smell is anise. I mean ALL I smell.

 

Super strong anise, I love the uniqueness of the note but I prefer my BPAL to not really resemble single- notes. There's not a cherry blossom or a wood to be found on my skin

The "sticky sweet" note, Lotus, goes on as just mildy sweet on my skin. Plus, its smells naturally sweet, which makes a big difference for me. Its the difference between perfume-appropriate sweetness, and....lip gloss. I never, ever thought i'd like Lotus, but there you have it- I like it

I do get a bit of bubble-gum, but for whatever odd reason, I never feel like a teenager with it on.

 

I'd also like to note that I am extremely headache-prone, and a bad scent can give me a pounding headache faster than the oil absorbs on my wrist. Lotus doesn't do that on me.

 

The lavender is what it is- if you think "bathroom cleaner", then shame on Procter & Gamble or whoever it is that keeps putting this fantastic note in their cleaning products. A damned shame, because I think lavender is one of the most beautiful herbs around. I love this note!

 

So, Paris was fantastic, and very ladylike. I'm definitely putting it on my short list. Spicy, sweet lavender-yum!!

 

Give this one a try-but make sure you are familiar with lotus and what it does on your skin, otherwise this gorgeous concotion is going to suffer more undeserved bad reviews.

When people use words like "young" or "juicy" to describe a scent, I pretty much file it in the back of my mind as being "not for me". Same thing with florals.

But Lolita came as a gift imp, and I'm wearing it today and loving every minute of it.

Orange-citrus flowers when you get close up to the wrist, but warm, sexy florals waft upward. I can't pick out the flowers, beth's description must remain as the only ones confirmed- honeysuckle and heliotrope-but its wonderful. Very perfume-like, very soft and powdery, with a great kick of spice.

Next to Eternal, this might be my favorite floral blend.

A gorgeous, soft pear scent- and, really, how many good pear scents are there out there?

 

Wet, I get pear softened by some kind of flower, and when its on, I get pear and rose .

 

A beautiful combination for those who love roses, but, alas, i do not. If only there was some way to freeze the scent at one stage!

Good Lord, I love this one. Thank you, labbies, thank you for throwing this in!

 

Severin smells...well, severin smells like Earl Grey tea with lemon. Sharp, slightly sweet, tangy lemon. But its complicated enough, perhaps because of the leather note, to not smell like a Demeter reconstruction or something. This isn't a singular experience-this is a perfume.

 

Light, refreshing, dead sexy. I adore it.

 

Suggested for people who love tea, love bergamot, or love shaving cream-y type, clean scents.

 

If you really can't take lemon, do not be fooled and think the tea will tone it down. It won't But if you are ambivalent about lemon, I'd give this a try, because it truly is lovely.

I must be nuts.

 

Wet, I smell orange, patchouli and that kind of creamsicle feeling others have described.

 

But drying down, I am almost positive that I smell rose. Tea Rose.

 

Orange creamsicle rose, spiced with barely-there patchouli. There is a distinct powdery feeling to this, depsite the sharpness of an initial sniff.

 

For floral-oriental lovers without an aversion to rose.

Yep, there are certain times of the month when I can't wear Snake Oil, too - it turns ubersweet and doughy. 

 

I would maybe suggest waiting a few days and trying again, it could definitely be a chemistry thing.

 

ETA:  Of course I'm slow and a gazillion people have replied the same thing in the meantime.  D'oh! 

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lol, no problem. the more play-doh girls, the better!!

 

I am happy to let snake oil sit for a few days now that I know it may make a huge difference. It's not like there aren't others to love in the meantime

 

Thanks for your advice!

Yes, I've gotten a temporary doh from Snake Oil.

 

Turned out my Snake oil was too new. The older the oil aged, the less play-doh came to play.

 

Chemistry (and that time of the month) is also a factor for me.

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That makes perfect, prefect sense. The imp I tried was tarted- i didn't even think of its age!

 

Thank you very much!!!

Snake Oil does this for me at certain times of the month. It does it less now that my bottle has aged (check out the aging thread for more info). Try Snake Oil again in a week or so, and keep the bottle around. It'll get less play-dohish and more sweet / well-blended as time goes by (at least in my opinion). Good luck! 

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Mwah! Many thanks for your knowledge and good wishes!!!! I think your advice gives me the most hope

I have gotten the play-doh smell before, and so I generally just avoid those scents that give me such an impression.

 

HOWEVER.... I just bought a 5ml of snake oil after trying the imp and loving, loving, loving it- both in the imp and on me. Last night I put it on, and.... I got the doh!!!

 

Is this some weird monthly chemistry thing? or something I never noticed before? I find it hard to believe I wouldn't have noticed it, and even harder to believe I am imagining the play-doh smell ( two other people smelled it on me, too)

 

I don't know what to do! I love snake oil too much to not wear it- should I cut it with another perfume? Wear lotion? Not wear snake oil until it has aged?

 

Do you guys think it will pass in a few days, or am I in a real chemistry bind- basically , has anyone else gotten a TEMPORARY doh?

Another gifty imp

 

When i opened up cerberus, I was shocked by how much it smelled like the chocolate covered cherries I eat. Chocolate cherries with a strong, bracing shot of booze- yes, this one is boozy!

 

I squished up my nose and recoiled from the strength and sweeteness, making a mental note of how Cerberus was going in my "dislike" pile, but as the day went on I kept opening the imp and smelling it. It was so different, so unlike anything else, that i kept sniffing it. Every time I sniffed it, I liked it more.

 

Today I wore it. I love it.

 

I've had my nose at my wrist all day.

 

Almost immediately after the chocolate cherry note, the fig note comes out and dominates for a while. The fig is even sweeter than the cherry, if you can believe it, but its unusual and earthy enough to give you a completely different impression. Finally the whole blend calms down and melts into one very soothing dry-down, the barest hint of spiced rum on the skin. It's spicy, decadent, and sophisticated- not at all what you'd think a chocolate cherry figgy perfume would be.

 

Cerberus may start out like spiked candy, but it ends like an expensive liqour. If anyone eats those queen anne cherries, they'd be well prepared for at least the beginning notes of this.

 

Big bottle to be ordered within the week

I got an imp of this in my last order- I didn't order it, so please forgive me, bats!!

 

First of all, thanks so much to the Lab- as much for the gift of imps as for the gift of their taste level, which has proved to be better than mine

 

This is a LOVELY, innocent, soft fragrance. It's supremely well-blended, but I do get lemon floral goodness with the warmth of lavender. Neither of them are screaming singular notes, though, so if you dislike lemon you can be sure that it's here for light, sunny lift, and not for a screaming citrus thing. I love, love, love lemon and lavender, so I am happy!

 

There's also a green note in here- leaves, not grass. Definitely alive

 

I can't pick out the florals, but if I can't pick them out then I'd be willing to bet there are no roses, violets, or lotus notes in this blend. All three of those flowers tend to scream out and be recognized immediately- therefore, whatever florals Beth picked must be soft and nondescript.

 

Chiroptera is extremely light. It's color would be pale yellow and it's season would be spring.

 

Suggested for fans of the dream forumulas and Shanghai.

 

I don't usually wear light florals, but I'll come up with an occasion-post-shower, office, beach, something- in order to wear this one. It's purty

If you are in a Sephora, you can sort-of try Shanghai. Just go sniff Bulgari's Eau Parfumee green tea, because the two are very, very similar. Beth's blend is better because of the richness and the omission of alcohol, but, to my nose, they could be sister scents.

 

I used to wear Green Tea, but those days are long gone, and so Shanghai feels like its time has passed. But if you haven't gone through a unisex, I-want-to-smell-almost-like-nothing-at-all phase, get Shanghai. Its as light as you can imagine.

Cordelia reminds me of Shanghai, too, but I much, much prefer Cordelia.

I can sort of see why people aren't raving about this one- it's a light, lilac tea with a touch of lemon. I can't really smell the cedar, but I can feel it as a grounding note. Mostly, though, its lilac tea on me. I don't think there are enough lilac scents around, and as the proud and loving co-owner of a lilac tree, I'm happy to wear this one even though I don't generally like florals.

Why are people so ambivalent about this one? It's not because Cordelia isn't beautiful, because she absolutely is. I think its mostly because she's light, unobtrusive. She doesn't conjure up images of a young girl, or a powerful woman, or a mythical being, or a state of mind. She just is what she is- slightly spicy, slightly sweet.

Or perhaps its because we're all too used to lemon being used in cleaning products. Come on, people! Lemon is a lovely note, perhaps the loveliest of all the fruits. It can be astringent, sure, but it can also be elegant and summery. Cordelia is one of those summer lemons.

I wouldn't wear this regularly, but I love it for reminding me of those 4 or 5 weeks out of the year when a lilac tree blooms in Queens. . I hope more women try it so that the right "Cordelia" girl will emerge.

Nanshe is a gorgeous herbal lavender- a really lush lavender single note spiked with rosemary and lemon, I think. I loved it and am buying a bigger bottle, but its very much an either/or type of scent. You either love lavender, or you hate it.

 

I love it, and this is the best of it's kind I've smelled. I will use it as a "Pallet cleanser" between my normal BPAL, since it is sharp and cleaning.

 

Those who don't like to wear it as a "perfume" could use it in lotions, conditioners, and even as bedding sprays, and it would be elegant and calming.

 

Give this a try!

I actually smell quite a bit of Ivy in this one. There's a scent Annick Goutal makes, I think its eau de Camille, and I smell a lot of that in the first stages of snow white.

 

Warming up the ivy is a musk of some sort, a sweet vanilla, and probably several buttery florals.

 

It's a masterpiece of ingenuity, but I didn't like it at all. Its definitely the butter-y stuff that's making me dislike it, and that's not surprising. I don't like smelling buttery!

 

However, I had to try it after the glowing reviews, and I'm glad I did, because really...a warm scent called "Snow White" is just ballsy and fantastic. It is very snow-creamy, and it is like no other BPAL I've tried.

 

This bottle will make someone very, very happy

Wow! Austere and Cerebral.

 

On me, I get a citrus-moss. VERY "tweed'y"- it actually smells like tweed! There's also a spearmint-y note in this that I also smell in Dracul. This is like Dracul light. It's green and oatmeal-colored, very very clean, and very very masculine.

 

The scent did not have a lot of throw, but I got small puffs of it hours later. It's probably the lightest BPAL I've tried since Phantasm, and if you like scents like Phantasm, Embalming Fluid, Shanghai, and, to a lesser extent, Dracul, try this one. It really does seem like it'd be better on a man, but with the right woman, who knows how beautiful it could be?

Hmmm...I, too, don't smell any aquatics. Nor any woods or herbs, really. On me, Arachne is a pretty straight-up floral. In fact, it smells a little like Blood Lotus, without the resin. A softer, sweeter blood lotus.

 

So...I'm guessing lotus, a little rose, and a spicy flower....maybe carnation or jasmine? as the top notes.

 

It's lovely, but very bubblegum on me. Sadly, I'm not really a bubblegum kinda chick

 

For sweet floral lovers who don't like their scents heavy.