VioletChaos

In The Bottle: Yes, definitely more smoky and woodsy than the Red. I concure that this is the same Patch that was in #occupywallstreet. I love that scent, but frequently have found myself feeling disappointed when wearing it because what I *really* wanted was THIS. Just pure, unadulterated deep, black patchouli. Wet On Skin: That dirt-after-the-rains thing that bootownrat described? Oh YEAH. Like, in SPADES. Very rich, very earthy. Still smoky and just... Dry Down: Agreed: This isn't hippy/ trustafarian/ head shop patchouli. This is deep and primal and haunting. I might trade all my other bottles of patchouli EVER just to get some more of this- because clearly, ONE back up bottle will *not* be enough. In All: Years and years ago, I had a box of dried patchouli. It was a combination of leaves and roots twisted together into little bundles. The idea was that you could take a bundle and, say, put it in your sock drawer or a special trunk. Everything within the same area would gets it's beautiful, loam-y, dark-rich scent. That's what this is. Like distilling every summer and autumn rainstorm- the wind, the wet, the mineral-rich ground- and bottling it. I can't even imagine how this can improve with age. :wub:

In The Bottle: I, too am getting a cake-y vibe from this scent. It definitely reads as foodie to me, but not overwhelming. Wet On Skin: It's funny because I would also compare this scent to Huesos de Santo, but *not* the orange aspect. It's the sweet, mild cake of Huesos, with the ho wood playing in the background. Dry Down: In The final dry down, the scent has shift focus. It's no longer foodie, it's become a balanced scent of woodsy notes at the forefront and a mix of resins and herb-y essence bringing up the rear. In All: Low to medium throw, this scent, in small amounts, seems to be perfect for hot sultry days- for a scent so full of resins and wood notes, it's surprisingly light. I have a feeling that as it ages it'll become even better. For now, I anticipate wearing this for the remainder of our long, steamy summer.

In The Bottle: The best campfire you've ever smelled. Oh, sure, I can tell you that in the bottle there's a strong front-note of brown sugar, that the ginger is strong and deep and mixing with the cardamom to remind me of every delectable Indian Grocery I've ever been fortunate enough to enter. That the clove is whispering of a beautiful and spooky Hallowmas and that the bourbon vanilla is holding it all together. but really? This is a bright and sweet fire like the ones that I've smelled at Rainbow Gatherings and other hippie-nature activities. Wet On Skin: The cardamom is coming out front now and I couldn't be more delighted about it. Usually that's a note that just doesn't stick around on my skin, and it always makes me sad. But this is turning from campfire into delicious chai tea- I'm kinda hoping it'll stay this way... Dry Down: Yup. Chai tea. Strong, spicy, sweet, creamy chai tea. I've wished long and hard for a BPAL chai scent, and methinks I've at last gotten what I wanted! In All: Low to medium throw. Because of the notes, I'm betting that this will settle and smooth with a bit of aging, but it's certainly a very wearable concoction right now. My personal favorite of this year's crop o' Bats, Mopsfledermaus is that rare thing: a year-round perfume. Just lovely! :wub2:

In The Bottle: Opening this bottle was like stepping into a magick shop. The kind where there's amber bottles with dusty hand-written labels and you might not be sure that you can actually comprehend the words scribed. I immediately get beeswax, a lemony hint of the rosewood, a hearty helping of the labdanum and some black tea. The only one missing from the party seems to be the musk. Perhaps an appearance a bit later? Wet On Skin: This is HEADY. Strong and rich, already I can tell that the tiny drop I put on my wrist might be a wee too much. Yes, a little goes a VERY long way. That said, it also smells pretty delicious. I'm still getting the same 4 notes as before, but they're warming up on my skin now in a way that's really sensuous and sexy. Dry Down: ...Did I say sexy? What I meant was SEX-AY. I have to fan myself because this oil just made me into some kinda trollop, I swear. GoldenRubee is right, you have to wait a bit for the real dry-down change to happen, but it's so, so very worth it. The beeswax and the labdanum have teamed up and turned into a sweet erotic beast with two backs and woe be the fool who things they can take them on! I don't get any of the musk, and the tea is there, but really as more of an afterthought. Not that I mind, because this scent is one to be reckoned with! In All: Heavy throw, so tread lightly when applying. I can tell that with the rich nature of this scent that it's going to get better and better with age. I will likely wear it only a time or two over the next sweltering 4 months, but when the weather turns come Autumn, I anticipate wearing this on a very, very regular basis. Hoard now, I predict this one will be hard to come by later!

In The Bottle: YUM! There's the vanilla and an added sweet-creaminess of saffron. At this stage, I get nothing more. And to tell the truth, I kinda hope it stays this way, because this is heavenly. Wet On Skin: Much the same, with an ever-so-slight note of fruitiness in the mix. It doesn't read as peach, which seems a bit miraculous, as I usually amp peach to the end of the world. Dry Down: I get no amber, ylang ylang or freesia from this. By and large, this is vanilla and saffron with the barest breath of fruit. This is what I so desperately wanted MB: Underpants to be on me and just wasn't. I'm so delighted to have a wish come true! In All: Very low throw. Also, my skin seems to eat this stuff up like candy, because I had to reapply several times just to get enough scent on my skin to test! However, since it's my magical skin that has pulled out all the most delicious notes from this mix, I shall not scold it too badly. THRILLED to have a bottle- I shall treasure it always!

In The Bottle: Mostly that glorious, smoky vetiver, but there's a sweet underlying note, which I'm betting is the licorice. So far, I'm enjoying it. Wet On Skin: The vetiver is still out in front, but I'm getting notes of a flower, something similar to fresh-blooming lilac, which I think is likely the immortelle. The two are playing off each other quite nicely. It's a surprising twist, but I'm curious to see where it goes... Dry Down: The immortelle has definitely taken a front seat in this mix, and there's a hint of the sandalwood there, too. At this stage, I get no plum or licorice, which I'm a bit sad about, but what's come up is actually like a more robust version of B340. I really love that scent for the hottest of hot summer evenings, but I find it's too light and floral for me the rest of the year. Noctule Bat strikes the balance of the sweet-but-not-cloying floral, but with the vetiver to ground it. I'm enjoying the interplay so much that I might experiment with adding some Haitian Vetiver SN to my wrists when wearing Noctule just to see what happens! In All: Low to medium throw, a good, light floral for those who like them, with a bit of heft to make it a viable option into the Fall.

Out of all the latest crop of Pickman scents, this was the one I was simultaneously most interested in trying and least sure would work. Normally, sugar as a note amps on me like nobody's business, which was my main hesitation about this scent, but fortunately, I had nothing to fear. Lemon Scented Sticky Bat is a scent that I am fond of- but only when I can bear the sheer amping of the sugar note in it. I do NOT get LSSB from Happy Baby. Where as Sticky Bat is somewhere between Lemonheads candy and Lemon Gumdrops on me, the sugared lemon in Happy Baby does something heretofore unheard of on me- it's a sweet, yet tart lemon that does NOT seem to have sugar, but instead reads as almost a lemon verbena: sweet without being sugary. And the lavender is not a force that's overly strong or acrid, yet also not the variety as in TKO that literally I can only stand at bedtime because it invokes instant snoozy- no. This lavender is the wild, sweet and gentle variety. The sort that would grow in my friend's mom's garden in high summer. Because of my personal skin chemistry, the scents that I tend to be most drawn to, and that work best on me, lean toward the heavy/rich side of the spectrum. Think: Snake Charmer, Mme Moriarty, Dragon's Blood, VooDoo Queen, etc. Even the few florals I get away with fall more into the Faith / Hope / Rose Red variety. But the thing that's miraculous, is that Happy Baby In A Long Dress is fresh and sweet, with an almost green tea note present- and even with my spicy-musky chemistry, stays true, for hours. In All: Medium throw with surprising depth given only 2 notes are listed, this scent is everything I've longed for in a warm-weather perfume and has previously found unobtainable. Happy Baby is beautiful, fresh, inviting and likely to be my go-to fragrance for many of the hottest days over the next 4 months or so- and more than a few sultry nights. Hoard-worthy!

I personally get no aquatic element from this single note whatsoever. What I DO get is that this is absolutely the dominant note in last year's Silver Bat, which is a blessing for me, because that was definitely, without a doubt, my most favorite scent to come outta Bat's Day last year, and indeed, one of my top 20 favorite BPALs, period. Warm and sweet, without being at all foody, this scent also reminds me a little of the warmth in Tombstone. This is one of the more highly wearable Single Notes and I'll definitely be stocking up on several bottles as I can tell I'll want to layer it with some of my other scents that have Ambergris so as to amp up that aspect a little bit more. Totally precious, bottle-hoard-worthy! :wub2:

This is soooo weird and amazing. When I smell this in the bottle, I get straight-up old-school typewriter scent. It's ink, alright. but it's ink ribbon and it's also a bit of grease in old gears and it's metal. It's all those things, and yes, it's one of those "How did the Lab DO this?!" kind of scents. On the skin, it stayed true to that for about an hour, which is pretty much par for the course when it comes to single notes, I've noticed. But now that it's settled down and even fading a little, now I'm getting something slightly smoky/spicy in there. And that is both intriguing and also means it's going to be fun and interesting to layer. This, to me, is the beauty of a single note- a pure, simplified version of some specific thing we encounter in this world, precious in it's singularity, but also something that has the potential to Play Well With Others. Love it!

Tiki King, hands down. The notes indicate it's "Ironwood", not necessarily sandalwood, but to everyone I've ever had smell it, it reads like a lovely sandalwood blend. It was only around for a little while several years ago, but I don't think it'll be *too* difficult to find- someone will swap it, I bet Good luck!

Golden pear, amber, fig leaf, oakmoss, bronze musk, mahogany, patchouli, and a smattering of glittering pyrite. of the three Le Mat scents, this is the one i've been least sure about. still, my curiosity is peaked. let's get on with it then, shall we??? in the bottle: fig, pear and a metallic finish of what must be the pyrite. wet on skin: uh oh. it's threatening to become shampoo on me. there's still hope, of course, but oakmoss, i'm looking at you. dry down: well, the oakmoss has left town and fortunately taken the shampoo aspect with it. *whew*! what's left is something puzzling. bronze musk? amber? pyrite? not sure. in all: this is one that i think will require aging before a final verdict can be made. but i'm hopeful! ETA: it's a while later and Marotte has turned into this scent that i envision Grande Dames of the 1940's would wear. i'm not normally interested in the scents that smell like "perfume", but this is certainly an exception. not a scent for every day, but one to wear when getting dressed up in total finery and going out for a night on the town. the sort of scent that forced men to hold doors open for you. THAT'S Marotte.

I just got this from the mailbox but I can NOT wait to test it- I'll edit later if necessary... In The Bottle: A combination of Black Lace, Antique Lace and the leaf note from Death In Autumn (which is my personal *favorite* leaf note.) We are off to a good start! Wet On Skin: Same as above but with the addition of the Laudanum adding a dark perfume-y aspect. Dry Down: Wow. This is just...wow. The laudanum has settled down and what remains is a warm, deep beautifully sexy version of the above: The sweet, dreamy elements of Antique Lace, the dark cognac and stained linen of Black Lace, the rich, mulchy leaf note of Death In Autumn and the addition of the spice and resin incense that perhaps was in Mlle Moriarty and Snake Charmer, with the laudanum adding depth and grounding to the whole thing. Just amazing. In All: Medium to Heavy throw- a little seems to be going quite a long way, so tread lightly at first- this scent is sensual and drop-dead gorgeous and I have a distinct feeling that it will only get better with age- if that's even possible. I bought two bottles cold, just based on the description, but honestly, I *might* need to get a third, just in case. :wub:

In The Bottle: Green, smoky, resinous. A vetiver's Vetiver. Wet On Skin: The smoky aspect is coming out a bit more now. I'm loving this. Dry Down: True to form of the other single notes, this Vetiver seems to be staying the same, from bottle to dry down. In All: Medium throw. Rich, smoky, and as with the Siberian Musk, a little goes a deliciously long way. I personally love vetiver, I find it a great earthy note that can be used when patchouli feels too obvious or overdone, and this one is a great addition to any collection. I can easily see adding this to a sweet foodie blend for instance to ground it, or to a floral to add depth. And I would bet dollars to donuts this is going to age fantastically. Well done- glad I have a full bottle, might even try to get a back up!

In the Bottle: Sweet, buttery pumpkin. Lots of butter, lots of pumpkin. (Can I eat this now?! ) Wet On Skin: More of the pumpkin, less of the butter. I think the French Vanilla is peeking out a little at this point, too. Dry Down: Echoin what others have said, I ind I'm surprised by the amount of spice that's showing up. It's almost a softer version of Candied Pumpkin on me, which suits fine because I *adore* that scent, though I'm hoping that with some aging this might become a little more creamy. In All: O lovely addition to the Patch, and it might be a good "starter pumpkin" for some, as it's mostly about the pumpkin and less about other notes Glad I have a bottle!

In The Bottle: Buttery Apply Pie and Cheesecake. Wet On Skin: More of the same, with more butter! Dry Down: I, too am getting the Lambswool/Apple mash thing going on here, but there's definitely buttery pie crust and there's *absolutely* cheesecake involved. The last few years the Beaver Moons weren't enough cheesecake for my skin, but this here is a return to form. On me, this is "Beaver Moon 2005- Now with Apple Pie!" In All: Medium throw and just delicious. Hoard-worthy!

In The Bottle: I think the honeysuckle is combining with the patchouli to create some off version of a Victorian Gentlemen's cologne It's odd. Not unpleasant, but not really my thing either. I hope it shifts... Wet On Skin: There's something very "green" smelling in here. Like lavender and green twisting vines, or ferns. I'm am truly puzzled. None of the notes mentioned have ever turned into something like THIS before on me. Dry Down: Ah. *There* we go. Whew! I thought it was going to be that way forever! Now I'm getting sarsaparilla, honey and some vanilla. And yet, this doesn't read as a 'foodie' scent at all! The patchouli is really, really subtle. Far more than I anticipated. In All: Because of the rich, resinous makeup, I think I'm only getting half the story. I have a feeling I won't really know the final verdict for about 6 months to a year. BUT, from what I'm getting now, I think it's going to be worth the wait.

First a big ole thank you to my CC Fairy! In The Bottle: Honey and rose in equal measure. the honey at this stage is soft, much softer than it is in, say, O. And the rose is rather delicate. Wet On Skin: the fig is making it's appearance. So far it's not going powdery on me, which I'm glad about, as fig can turn on me. Here's hoping it stays true! Dry Down: Sadly, I get no trace of the bourbon vanilla in this, and that note was a big selling point for me However, this has a lovely, gentle vibe to it, and reminds me of Fairy Wine. If you are fond of that scent, you'll probably be in love with this one, too. In All: Low throw, a fine daytime scent, lighter than I expected. I don't think I'll wear this much in the cold months, but I'll be interested to see how it's come together next late Spring when I pull it out again...

I'm also getting the "green" vibe from this scent. I tried this and Evening Stock on at the same time (one on each wrist) and for a brief period, they seemed almost sister scents. But now that full dry-down has happened, they are very very different. There is a sharp, almost acrid quality to this scent. It reminds me of the kinds of traditional perfumes my great aunties wore when I was a kid. It's a note that is very "perfume-y". I don't know that I would have cause to wear this on it's own, but I can tell that this is in some blends I am fond of, like B340 and possibly Lune Noir. I'll keep my bottle, but I don't feel a need to get a back-up at all.

Of the new batch, this is my hands-down favorite. Buying-a-backup-bottle kind of favorite. Although I agree with the assessment that this is a "watery" floral, do NOT make the mistake of thinking there is any touch of an aqua note. This scent is sweet and soft and round, a perfect combination of all those high-summer flowers that are so fragile and ethereal that they seem to very nearly vanish once you've leaned in to sniff them. I am not a big fan of florals as a rule, save the occasional true Rose or watery Violet. But this, this is something rather special, easily worn alone or layered with something else, perhaps a dirt or root note. I could see this doing well with patchouli or vetiver especially. Don't miss this.

Like girbot, I got a "this is *almost* aquatic" sense of this single note. And it's the 'almost' part that saves it, because me and aqua notes do NOT get along. I also agree with the assessment by Lycanthrope that this is not purely pleasant. Some of the other SNs, I feel strongly, can be worn all on their own. But this one is something that I would add to another scent if it needed some earthiness or some grounding. I could see putting this in a very sweet foodie scent, for instance, to give a bit of depth. Or even adding to a clean rose like Peacock Queen, to give it more depth. But it's unlikely I will wear this on it's own unless I'm feeling like I need to do some very serious magick.

In The Bottle: I get a mix of Butterscotch, Cedar and Vetiver. The butterscotch and cedar remind me strongly of Hearth 2005. (I know I didn't see any cedar listed in the notes. Maybe it's the Anise??? ) I was expecting a strong butterscotch, based on a CT I have that's of the WHOA BUTTERSCOTCH! variety, but this is pretty mellow, even in the bottle. Wet On Skin: The scent morphs quickly into just that Cedar (Anise?) note and the Vetiver (which might be the myrrh doing something weird on my skin.) Dry Down: This is now a woodsy, slightly resinous scent. Completely changed from what was in the bottle. In All: Surprisingly low throw considering the intensity of the notes. I read this as a good "early autumn" scent, so I'm glad I chose today, a somewhat crispy early autumn day to try it. The note that smells like cedar on me is well behaved, not becoming the "hamster cage shavings" that real cedar does, so that's nice. but other than that, I feel unable to tell if this is something that is ultimately for me. Because of the depth of the notes, I have a suspicion that this might do very well for some aging, but if, in 6 month, I'm not seeing a shift then it will likely go to a new, more appreciative home.

Thanks again so much to Glambie, my Con fairy for getting this for me! In the Bottle: A clean, fresh tea rose, with some green stem. the green stem reminds me of the "Dandelion sap" note from Strawberry Moon '09. Wet On Skin: The green is hanging back and the rose is becoming a bit more spicy. At this stage it's reminding me of a perfume my grandmother wore when I was a kid. So far, this doesn't have the strong almost-chemical under note that Peacock Queen had on me. Here's hoping it stays that way... Dry Down: I can see how someone might get citrus from this. I'm not, but there is a...tangy?...quality to this scent. At the same time, this certainly reads as a Single Note on me. Just as a fresh rose in a garden has depth and layers, so too does Cherokee Rose- but it's still just one thing, not a compilation of several. In All: Medium throw, this is a clean fresh "Rose's rose". I could certainly see mixing this with other rose scents, such as Victorian Rose Milk, when I want to amp the rose note for the day. I'm really glad that I have my one bottle and at the same time, I don't personally feel like I would ever need more than the one. However, if you're a really big Rose fan, this might be one you'll want to hoard.

I'm really seasonal in my BPAL-wearing anyway. I find Coxcomb, for instance, to be the most perfect Summer Blackberry scent ever and wore it liberally the last 3 months or so. I do tend to favor 'Weenie scents for Fall and around Hallowmas, especially stuff like Pumpkin Latte and Autumn Cider and the like. I wish Jack didn't have peach in it as that's a death note for me. If the Labbies hear my plea and resurrect Pumpkin King for their anniversary this year I SWEAR I will wear it to ALL Autumnal and Winter celebrations!

Spanish Carnation Single Note smells like a florist shop to me- that uber-fresh delicious floral that only comes out of a shop FILLED with flowers

As with the other Single Notes I've tried, the first thing I notice about Eight-Petaled Lotus is that it stay true from bottle to application through dry-down. In the BPAL universe it's one of the rare instances of "what you smell is what you get" from start to finish. I like that about the SNs. There's a security in that. I am in agreement with Mellifluous- there's something that reads as a 'lotion' smell to me in this. It's light and floral...I guess. I mean, I'm actually finding it hard to ascertain *where* this scent belongs, which is funny because it's a single note, so it *should* be really obvious! There's a softness to this scent. It's got a light to medium throw, but don't let that fool you- this Lotus holds it's own. You can slather it all you want, it's not going to become over-bearing. It's just not that kind of floral. That's why I hesitated to even call it as such. for me, I like the occasional floral, but there's nearly always a point where it'll become too cloying, too overwhelming. I don't see that happening with this. Unlike Siberian Musk and Spanish Red Carnation, I don't know that I can see myself wearing this one alone- unless I was in a really vulnerable head space, then it might be the only thing to console me. But no, mostly I can see layering this with another sweet or feminine scent to give me a softness (like mixing it with Smut, maybe!) or else adding a depth (Like with Mid Winter's Eve, perhaps.). In all, glad it's around, and really, really glad to be experimenting with all the new Single Notes!