VioletChaos

In the Vial: VERY English Garden- all roses and green things in bloom, with a hiny of earthiness in the background. Like walking through a garden after a rain storm. Lovely! Wet On Skin: Hi Rose! Hi, hello! Hi! This is seriously rose. Like, all rose, all the time. A tea rose- slightly sharp, definitely pungent and clearly holding it's own! Dry Down: Still pretty much all rose. The rose has shifted, though, from tea to a more powdery rose, with a bit of dust and incense under it. More like being in a Victorian sitting room with the heavy velvet drapes drawn and vases full of dead, dried flowers arranged artfully in each corner In All: Medium throw, a strong rose with mere hintings at anything else, this, as with Romanti.Goth, easily lives up to it's namesake Now, to track down a whole bottle...

In the Bottle: As others mentioned, the first whiff is almost identical to the original Sugar Moon- it's sweet, but not foodie, and the floral is subtle with some tang. If it had a flavor it might be a sour-sweet gumball. Wet On skin: I find it to be the same as in the bottle. Dry Down: There's a bit more pronounced floral in this version than in the last Sugar Moon. Which actually is very much working in it's favor. I personally am very picky about my floral notes, but this one is just beautiful. In All: Low to medium throw with real staying power, Sugar Moon 2011 is a good cross-over season scent- it's both appraopriate as we slog through the last of winter, but I can already tell I'm really going to enjoy wearing this one come full springtime too. Also, it occurs to me if you enjoy that tart floral edge of Lady Lillith? You will absolutely *love* this new version of Sugar Moon. Win!

In the Bottle: Sweet, deep and resin-y, this actually, on first sniff, reminds me most of original Black Lace, the tobacco-cognac aspect of it. so, it's off to a great start Wet On Skin: Yup, still getting a variation of Black Lace, but perhaps with some...amber? in the mix. Dry Down: My boyfriend is perceiving a "soapy" note, but I think it's the musk starting to shine through. To me, this has morphed into a combo of Black Lace and the White Musk I used to buy at the Body Shop back in High School In All: Medium throw, this is a "skin" scent, which means to me that even as it moves around and extends itself, there's something that still reads as being close to the skin. intimate and romantic, this scent lives up to it's name. For keeps!

In the Bottle: Lemony-sweet. Somewhere between Lemonheads candy and the Lemon Merangue Strawberry Shortcake doll I had as a wee lass in the early 1980's Wet On Skin: Totally the same. Dry Down: Same. In All: Not a morpher in the slightest, with low throw, this is a beautiful sweet scent. Years ago I used to get perfumes at health food stores, and I had one i loved wearing in the summer that was lemon verbena. That one was actually *physically* sticky, which made it dangerous to wear in the hot months, but the lemon-sugar aspect of it kept me coming back for more- that's what this scent invokes for me. total keeper!

In the imp: All graveyard dirt, all the time (oh, and a hint of vanilla. which is odd, but actually rather nice.) Wet On Skin: The dirt and vanilla are more in balance now. the combination becomes somehow like cake, but not at all foodie. Dry Down: There's a sweet *something* in here that is reminding me of Crumpet Rebellion. I can't quite place it, like currant buns or something. Not the straight up sugar note of, say Sugar Skull, but certainly like a sweet baked good, a sticky bun, perhaps. The grave loam is absolutely still present, but adding something lovely and unusual. In All: I can't believe it's taken me this long to trying this and seeing it for what it is. clearly several bottle purchases are in order, as this is somehow the perfect combination of freshly-tilled earth and vanilla cake mix!

In the bottle: Deep spanish moss and equally dark violet. Wet On Skin: ok, I'm getting a little worried- the moss is threatening to turn this into old-lady perfume. C'mon violet, c'mon patchouli- pull through! Dry Down: Whew! Saved! the spanish moss takes a back seat and is now lending itself to the darkness of this very, very dark violet scent. As my name might imply, violet is unsurprisingly my favorite floral note, and, as much I love, say Ultrviolet or Faith, I was yearning for a violet scent that would have a sinister aspect, a violet with some teeth. With Bruised Villet, i think I've found that! In all: Definitely a morpher, don't write this scent off in the first few minutes of application. It needs a bit of time to blossom on the skin, but to those with the patience to ride it out, ye shall be justly rewarded with a violet scent that is dark, brooding and dangerous- perfect for a Goth Girl like me.

This is for the 2011 version. In the bottle: Oh Red Lantern, how I have missed thee. There it is- the caramel/tobacco/black coconut combo I've missed so... Wet On Skin: This is a fresh and somehow "raw" version, clearly new and not quite fully formed or mixed. Not surprisingly, Red Lantern is one of those scents that become far more complex with age. With this one, I'm getting all the notes, but they are separate from each other in a way that only aging can change. still, even at this stage it's yummy- the potential is clearly there. Dry Down: Yup, that's Red Lantern, alright. In All: My last bottle was from the 2008 release, and I had the misfortune of having to sell it last year. I'm excited to have a chance to stock up now, and I can tell that this is going to age in the same beautiful way as that one (and the 2006 my friend has as well). the trouble is not having patience while it deepens and becomes the more complete version of itself. but any way you cut it, this is a classic BPAL keepsake, and as hoard-worthy as ever.

In The Bottle: Red, ripe fruity smell. I think it's the mango note, but it smells juicier than I'm used to the mango note smelling- perhaps the red musk is adding something unusual to the mix, or maybe the fig is staying put for a change (Eden, I'm looking at YOU). Wet On Skin: the juicy-fruitiness is still going strong. I tested this at the last Seattle Will Call and I actually don't recall the fruit being so strong in this. I like it, though. Many time the fruit notes don't work so well on me, and go a bit plastic, but this seems to be working in a really sweet (but not kid-like) way. Dry Down: Juicy fruitiness wins! In All: I am actually kind of surprised. I don't know if the tester/prototype I tried at Will Call waS perhaps a bit of a different formula or if it had had a chance to age, but this is quite different from that testing. Where as that application produced a strong tomato plant component coupled with the Red Musk note one would expect from a good bottle of Smut, this time all I'm getting is the mango and fig combination. I'll hold onto this bottle to see if aging brings the other notes out more, since that was actually why I was interested in getting a bottle of this to begin with, but otherwise, I might have to trade or swap for a different bottle...

In the bottle: This is pure Peppermint Patty, or Andes Candies. all chocolate-peppermint, allll the time. Wet On Skin: More of the same, with the peppermint making a stronger presence. At this point, I get no lime, just strong peppermint followed by a lighter note of dark chocolate. Which is yummy. Dry Down: The whole thing has mellowed by this point, but I find that I'm sticking to my original assessment, which is unusual, since I'm used to a morph happening between in the bottle and dry-down. But no, this is staying pretty much choco-mint, not a lime in sight. In All: No morph, really, except for the mellowing-out. As a result, I'd say go shead and slather this a bit or it might fade off altogether after a very short time post-application. I was looking forward to a lime note, preferably the one I find in the original Tarot: Star oil, but I get none. still, a good chocolate-peppermint scent was missing from my BPAL collection and I'm happy to have this bottle. If the lime note shows up after some aging, I'll certainly edit my review to include it, but for now, this is what stands.

In the bottle: My immediate impression is "Monsterbait: Underbed- is that you???" As with MB Underbed, the very first thing to be noticed is a strong hit of cassia/cinnamon, followed by some mellow, rich chocolate. at this point, I get no bacon smokiness. Wet On Skin: The cassia is in full force at this point. As others mentioned, this is an oil that needs to be thoroughly mixed before application. Even doing that, the cassia is still dominant. For the record, my skin is generally sensitive, but I'm relieved to say I am personally getting no reaction from any of the components- whew! Dry Down: The cassia settles down- but just a bit. This is still a strong cassia/cinnamon-driven scent, and the chocolate is actually less milky than, say, Bliss, and more dark/rich, as in Candy Butcher. The bacon and subsequent smokiness is, alas, only an afterthought on my skin. I was hoping for a far stronger presence than what I'm getting. In All: A fine chocolate scent, the cassia and chocolate play in a lovely rich way, and if you missed out on MB:Underbed or just really love that scent and wished you'd hoarded it, here's your chance. I lament the missing bacon note, but I'm hoping perhaps it'll show up more after the scent has had a chance to age. In any case, I'm thrilled to have a whole bottle of this and will love it for all it's worth.

From the time I opened the bottle, all the way through application and dry-down, it was all the same: Snake Charmer. Yes, there *is* a choco-peppermint thing going on in here, but honestly, it comes across more as just a cold feeling upon inhale than anything I really pick up as adding to the scent. This is rich and heady, just like Snake Charmer, yet light as well- a Snake Charmer to wear in the dead of summer, maybe, when the thought of wearing actual SC is simply too much to bear. In all: i predict this to only gain in popularity as time wears on and this scent has a chance to age. From the time I opened the bottle, all the way through application and dry-down, it was all the same: Snake Charmer. Yes, there *is* a choco-peppermint thing going on in here, but honestly, it comes across more as just a cold feeling upon inhale than anything I really pick up as adding to the scent. This is rich and heady, just like Snake Charmer, yet light as well- a Snake Charmer to wear in the dead of summer, maybe, when the thought of wearing actual SC is simply too much to bear. In all: i predict this to only gain in popularity as time wears on and this scent has a chance to age.

Ok, it's possible that I went overboard, what with ordering 3 bottles untested. But since I absolutely *love* black Lace and Antique Lace, I decided to have some faith. Let's hope it's paid off! :fingers crossed: In the bottle: I get the sultry red musk of Smut and the cotton-vanilla of Black Lace, with the tiniest- tiniest hint of red berry in the background. Tiny enough that to a less-discerning nose it would be easily over-looked. Wet On Skin: The cotton is much stronger now, with the red musk coming in a close second and the vanilla more of the faded variety that is in Antique Lace. there is something almost fragile about this scent. Dry Down: Oh, this is GLORIOUS. This is Smut and Antique Lace and Black Lace all rolled into one. the cotton has calmed down a bit and everything is just mixing and blooming. I can't say even at this stage that there's any berry presence. In the bottle it was almost and afterthought and since application it's totally vanished. the vanilla and musk are combining to make this sweet and nostalgic like A.L. always is, but with that sexy Smutt-y red musk to make is romantic. In All: I can see why others said this needs to be slathered. I don't actually think that's true, and on me there's a solid medium throw after applying only a big-ish drop from the cap. But there's a subtlety and grace that comes with this scent that, even when smelling it strongly, makes it come across somehow as a whisper. Give my experience with Red Lace's cousin scents, I know that this is only going to improve with age. :swoon: NO regrets about getting three bottles- this is *definitely* hoard-worthy! :wub:

In the imp: yes, the purple sweet lily is there, as others have mentioned, but to my nose, there's also something more earthy in the background there, like vetiver, or another "dirt" kind of note. hmmm Wet On Skin: ok, the dirt/earth note seems to be getting replaced with a green grass note. it's a bit like the sap in Strawberry Moon '09 and a bit like the fresh spring grass in Lilac Wood. It's definitely "Clean" and while i'm fortunate that (so far) it's not going all soapy on me, i can see where others could have a problem with that happening. the scent is lovely, but feels precarious... Dry Down: ok, weird. this did a sort of interesting and total morph. the grass dirt and basic lily is gone and what's left smells like a sibling of...Antique Lace. no, really. the floral is subtle and powdery, without becoming baby powder and there's that same nostalgic note of pale vanilla. Whoa. In all: well, if you're in search of Antique Lace, you might want to get an imp of this and see if your skin chemistry is anything like mine!

In the Bottle: light tea, light cake, light fruity cream. yes, this is very much a child's tea party Wet on Skin: now i'm getting cake with a light cream dollop on top and the rosewater coming out as an afterthought. this is lovely. Dry Down: rosewater and light sugar, plus some very light black tea. In All: definitely a child's scent- one that you can let your wee ones wear a little bit of on special occasions. for grown-ups, a good day-time scent, and one that will be nice to have on hand during the hottest parts of the year.

In the bottle: rum butterscotch and cheesecake- oh my! Wet on skin: the rum and butterscotch are both jumping up and down waving their arms to get attention. this scent is NOT subtle. but soooo yummy. Dry down: the butterscotch has taken a backseat and the cheesecake has pretty much vanished. what i get now is the sugary graham crust and rum. lots and lots of rum. not boozy, though. just like, a cake made entirely from rum and sugar. In all: medium to heavy throw, a good sugar alternative if you find yourself played out on, say, Sugar Skull or another sugar-heavy BPAL blend. This is fun and has definite potential for layering (Love's Philosophy and Beaver Moon, I'm looking at you.) a keeper. Happy Birthday, Lilith!

In the bottle: liquid sugar icing with a strawberry/peach jam. very, very sweet, but not the usual sugar note that i'm used to from the Lab. Wet On Skin: the sugar is warming up and mixing with the fruit so it's becoming something like a fruit-sugar icing that one might glaze a donut with. mmmmmm Dry Down: Okay, the sugar has morphed into the type that I'm more accustomed to from BPAL. I'm only getting the strawberry in a very faint yogurt-with-fruit-on-the-bottom kind of way, that is to say, sweet but subtle, and in the background. Mostly the peach is coming through loud and clear, and I'm not getting any hint of actual cream or cheesecake notes. In all: medium throw, a daytime food scent for those that like the idea of fruit syrup as a fragrance. I might try layering with the original Beaver Moon '05 to see how that goes, but this might not stay in my collection...

In the imp: dark yummy chocolate, and a bare hint of ginger. it's like if Bliss had an older Goth Sister, this is what she'd smell like. Wet On Skin: The ginger is coming out a bit more now. It's reminding me strongly of good Mexican Hot Chocolate at this stage, with the spice and the cocoa being one with the other. there is no separating them. Dry down: Like beownies made with Mexican Hot Cocoa mix. what I mean is that I'm getting a warm, rich dry cocoa as the predominant note, and the gingerbread is definitely in there to lend a rounded quality, but it's not overpowering. I like the ginger in this, as opposed to, say, Poppet, because it's staying more true to actual Ginger on my skin than that one, which goes all floral and sugary on my skin. I sadly get NO espresso. I was hoping for some, as I adore the Turkish Coffee note among others, but no. Nothing. Not even a hint of mocha. In all: As I said before, if Bliss had an older Goth sister, this is what she'd smell like. If you find that Bliss and other chocolate scents aren't quite strong enough on the cacao, this one might be the scent you've been waiting for. And Beth? If you release this full size? I'll be the first to buy *several* bottles!

In the imp: vanilla buttercreme with a shot of peppermint schnapps on the side. Wet On Skin: *mounds* of sugar cookie dough, with a hot winter beverage that has peppermint schnapps in it. i don't know where the boozy note is coming from, the the peppermint and alcohol seem to be all tied up together in this blend for me so far. i should note that i've never had this experience with a BPAL mint note before, so i don't know what exactly is going on. I'm not finding it off-putting myself, but it Is a bit odd... Dry down: vanilla sugar cookie dough (uncooked), with a touch of mint sugar icing. In all: very light throw. For those who find Sugar Cookie to be a holy BPAL grail, this will be a happy surprise and probably worth getting a few Bags o' Coal for. For me, I shall love this little imp for all it's worth, but will need no more than that.

In the Imp: all spiced eggnog, all the time. Not the BPAL eggnog scent. No. Real, actual eggnog. With cinnamon and clove and maybe a wee nit of rum to keep gramma quiet Wet On Skin: yeah, the clove is coming out proud at this stage. The clove note tends to amp a bit on my skin, but I don't mind- it's the reason I got a bottle of Smiling Spider, in fact! I'm also getting a bit of an eggnog-cookie thing going on, but it's hiding behind the intensity of the clove right about now. Dry Down: Spice cookies. I get cinnamon and clove as the strongest notes still, but there's also powdered sugar and stiff cake, like pfeffernoose in there. In All: this may well be the holiday food scent I've been waiting for. usually the yulr foodstuffs, like Eggnog and Gingerbread Poppet, wind up going strangely floral on me in the drydown. I think the addition of the spices keeps the whole thing in check. Light to medium throw and super yummy, this is an imp I'll treasure- until Beth releases a bottle size, then I'll stock up!

Of the Sack Of Switches scents, this is the one I was most excited about trying. Let's see how it turned out! In the Imp: sour lemon candy balls and a slight hint of sweetness, but nothing as discernable as strawberry at this stage. There's also an edge to it that's reminding me of the first art school I went to, so I think that the lemon is reminiscent of turpentine somehow. But don't let this put you off- it actually smells quite nice in here. Make me feel nostalgic, even *sniff, sniff* Wet on skin: Ah, THERE'S the strawberry! It's not overpowering at all. The combo at this point makes me think most of Strawberry Lemonaide. The way most places add syrup, as opposed to fresh berries, to the lemonaide. It's a candy version of the fruit to be sure, not the fresh note found in, say, Strawberry Moon '09. Dry Down: the strawberry has become more candy-like, but somehow, also more subtle, so there's a balance that happens here. the lemon is more in the background, and if someone passed me while wearing this they would likely ask what that tart strawberry-vanilla scent was. I get no mint, but absolutely a light touch of vanilla is present, which I guess accounts for the "candy cane" part of the deal. In all: light throw, sweet and innocent, this is a pretty scent for holiday and day use, and also one that a child could wear and it would be totally appropriate. Were BPAL to offer a full size bottle next Yule, I'm sure it would be well-hoarded.

In the imp: raspberry lemon fizz. It reminds me of a tart candy I ate as a kid, like Fun Dip, or SweeTarts. It's not beer-y at this point. Wet On Skin: Ok, there's the booze note. But it's light. Not like a mixed drink. Maybe like a wine cooler! The lemon is a fizzy one, to be sure. Reminds me of lemon soda, the light kinds you can get in the U.K. yummy! Dry Down: Lemon candy raspberry soda. I thought this might wind up being more like my favorite berry Lambic, but any booze note I could earlier detect is gone. A wee hint of the ginger ale-esque champagne note is there, and it may very well gain a stronger foothold. I find that it's playing with the lemon aspect in a really sweet and light way. In all: bright playful and fruity. This may well be the one I wear on New Year's Eve, as it has all the elements of a celebration. A fun scent for the gloomy months ahead.

In the imp: minty and 'green', as others have said Wet on skin: the 'green' is more of a fresh grass than, say, an evergreen. it's a nice variation on the green+mint winter theme. Dry down: i get what zankoku was saying about it going a bit "masculine". To my nose, this is the male counterpart to B340. both contain that cool, light mint, but whereas that one had a touch of perfumed violets to back up the mint, this has a fern/moss green to hold it. In all: one of the more "perfume-y" BPAL scents I've tried. Light throw, gender neutral, and a lovely scent to encapsulate this chilly time of year. If a full size bottle was ever released, I don't think I'd get it, but I shall love this imp for all it's worth. ETA: it's later and the scent has morphed some, become more musky and sexy on my skin. it's now somewhere between a white musk, a pale mint and a dark vanilla. If this keeps up, I may indeed beg Beth et al to make a full bottle version!

I need to say that, first of all, my experience with BPAL Season-based scents is that by and large, I go for the Autumnal in general. But with this round of Phoenixes, it was Summer all the way. I tested it out and left the Will Call and had to go back three days later because I couldn't stop thinking about it, and knew I needed a bottle before it drove me mad with wanting. So here ya go: In the bottle: The red musk and saffron are both the immediate notes. They come on strong, spicy and sexy and somehow have a creaminess to their heady mix. The ozone and wet/aqua notes are surely there, but amazingly, they stay in the background- a first in my personal experience with either of those aggressive notes. *fingers crossed* Wet on skin: More of the same, but it's going deeper now. The warmth of my skin is somehow getting the notes to blend more, interact, open into another layer of complexity. the word that comes to mind is "heady". Dry down: This is Summer In The City, in a bottle. Having grown up in New York City jumping into open fire hydrants far more often than jumping into the ocean at the beach, I can tell you, it's here. The hot wet asphalt, the charge in the air before the heat lightening comes, and the lurid smell of damp bodies in too-close proximity. Oh my YES. In all: What Smut is to Wintertime sexiness Phoenix In Summer is to summertime sexiness. Medium throw, this is one that is clearly going to only get better with age. Not just a keeper, but possibly a scent to get several bottles of. :wub2:

In the bottle: Fresh, sweet lilac and spring grass. I don't mean *perfume* that smells like these things. i mean when I close my eyes, it really, honestly smells that way. Wet On Skin: The green grass is taking a bit more of a front seat at this point with the lilac bringing up the rear. Dry down: the lilac has made a comeback. However, this should not be interpreted as being strong or bossy or overpowering, because it's not in the least. But there is no mistaking it: this is lilac, all the way. In all: light to medium throw, a gentle but determined floral. I personally only like florals on a very, very rare and particular occasion. But when I smelled how this scent bloomed on my skin, there was no question: I HAD to buy a bottle. I know that I will mix this with some of the Violet based BPALs I have, for wearing in these darker months, and come springtime, I'll be happy to wear it all on it's own.

Of all the Champagne scents this year, this one was by far the worst of the lot. In 2008 none of the Will Call Champagne scents were anything more than disasters on my skin. This year, it's thankfully been the total opposite- with the exception of Champagne and Party Hats. Which is ok, really. Except that from the time I opened the bottle of Party Hats just to sniff, I instantly got the same head-achey feeling I got the first time I sniffed Pruno. There is some extremely similar note in both, of the Mr. Clean-strong-disinfectant variety. Not to mention, I smelled no trace of cake anywhere. Meh. In all, I leave this scent to someone else. If they have the blessings of not having my skin chemistry, then they are lucky indeed. for now, I shall stick with Pink Champagne, Sparkling Apple Cider and all the rest.