tinyvulture

if you missed out on hexennacht ’08, i’d recommend yew trees as a GC equivalent. this is a soft, powdery pine. there’s a sweet note, but nothing fruity. personally, i’m not smelling any berries. it’s more like a dusting of powdered sugar. there’s also something fizzy and hoppy, like beer. like drinking a beer out in the woods. i like it, but i’ve got a bottle of the hex so i’m all set for pine, for now.

lotus on me is usually exuberantly sweet and fruity, leading me to describe most lotus blends as “kool-aid scented” or “something a child would wear.” but that’s not the case here! this lotus is soft, understated, dare i say sophisticated. the strong and smoky opium is the real star of the show, supported by crisp pine resin. i don’t notice the rose or amber. this reminds me of a commercial perfume i’ve smelled before, only much better done, of course. mysterious, exotic, grown-up. it has a nice throw, too.

I’m not really familiar with osmanthus, but it seems like a slightly tart and fruity floral. It combines nicely with the sweet honey and warm musk. I agree with reviewers who call this the Japanese O, or the floral O. I’m not noticing the ginger at all. Harikata is playful, but also sensual. Very feminine. I wish it was a bit heavier, but it’s nice when you just want something light and pretty.

the figs jump out at me right away. i enjoy the lab’s many fig scents, but for me, there’s only one – eden . so while i appreciate the fruity, tropical, floral goodness of the hanging gardens, it’s never going to be one of my top scents. i just say that so you'll know i'm biased. the pears and various flowers are the most noticeable notes after the figs. i’m sad i don’t smell the lab’s luscious plum note. it’s all very light and airy... it’s like a fairy garden, enchanted, ethereal. so light. too light.

right off the bat, this smells like a blend of craft store potpourri and pancake syrup. i thought it might get too treacly or cloying, but it actually stays at the right level of sweetness, wavering between foody and floral. it soon takes on more of a burnt sugar note, which combines nicely with the whirlwind of various florals and fruits. the strawberry and red currant are noticeable and quite nice. the mahogany and teak aren’t immediately identifiable but they add a definite woodsiness. i’d love candles in this scent. a homey, comforting blend, recommended for fans of kill-devil or channukiyah.

Golden rum, apricot liquor, pineapple, pomegranate, ginger, brandy, grapefruit, and pink lime. BPAL’s pineapple note is really mouthwatering! It’s so much like the real thing, I love it! This is a refreshing and fun scent – tart, sweet, and boozy. I smell the pineapple and grapefruit first and foremost, soaked in plenty of rum and apricot liquor. Not really noticing the pomegranate or ginger. It’s juicy and citrusy, like a big cold glass of spiked fruit punch on a hot summer day.

When I first apply this, it’s all wine. Grapey, syrupy and sweet, yet tart. Then the powdery notes of myrrh, jasmine and rose come out. I’m not picking up the patchouli and sandalwood. The jasmine is quite strong, and the spicy floral blends well with the wine and myrrh. A dark, sexy, womanly perfume. Reminds me of something nice my grandmother used to wear.

it’s Baron Samedi by the sea... there’s that same warm, sexy spiced rum note, but this time enhanced by aquatic notes. aquatics are sometimes too sweet on my skin, but this really does smell “salty,” as the description notes. and it’s not a strong aquatic – just a light mist of sea spray cooling your skin. after it dries completely, the wood notes come out. they combine perfectly with the spices. this is a great summer scent.

i’m just now trying a decant of this halloween blend, and i certainly do hope it makes a comeback in ’08 so i can snag a bottle. i love the corny joke of the name (“pear-ilous,” ha). i can’t recall trying any other bpal pear blends, but i hope they’re forthcoming because this note is awesome. baked pears in syrup, covered in sweet vanilla cream. a light, playful food-y scent. great throw and long-lasting, too.

Compared to the original Hexennacht, what I first notice about the 2008 version is the absence of the juicy berries. This incarnation is warmer, softer, and less sweet. The scents of fir and pine are enhanced and heightened by the powdery amber and heated musk. The fir is stronger in this version, and it combines so beautifully with the bonfire smoke, creating an image of the springtime forest after sunset as a mysterious yet comforting environment.

Frederic is too masculine for me to wear, but smells good on my husband. It’s a strong cologne, heavy on the patchouli and woods. And if you like the plentiful bay rum of Baron Samedi, this could be the LE for you. I don’t notice the rose or currant at all; there’s really nothing sweet about Frederic. At first I thought he was too strong, but now I think he’s growing on me.

I took my first big sniff and sighed contentedly, “Honey!” This is a gorgeous exotic floral bouquet of champaca and jasmine, liberally laced with honey. The vanilla adds even more sweetness and there’s just a sprinkle of cinnamon to add complexity without the fire that cinnamon sometimes brings. And the olive blossom, often bitter on my skin, seems to have gone missing completely, so I’m very happy. I love the combination of the two strongest notes, honey and champaca. Champaca sometimes turns “banana” on me but it’s showcased beautifully here, and smells heavenly. Light, summery, and sexy.

The sourness of olive blossom combined with… candy hearts? I had to laugh when I smelled this, thinking, “How appropriate!” There’s something sweet and sugary, dry and powdery, that really reminds me of those little Valentine’s hearts with sayings on them! I think it’s just the mixture of all those sweet resins because I can definitely pick out the frankincense and myrrh. This is one of the sweetest myrrhs I’ve ever smelled. But I just don’t care for that olive blossom; it always turns bitter on me.

I’m not sure what many of these notes are, but I assume they are various Hawaiian flowers. Few particular floral notes stand out, that I can discern anyway. I’m a fan of orchid, so I can pick it out, and that’s about it. I don’t really notice the ginger. Other reviews say it smells like fresh flowers, but it’s quite dry and powdery on my skin. Light, sweet, feminine and tropical. Pretty, but too “powdery floral” for my liking.

An indulgent scent – rich and foody. It reminds me of Gluttony or Cockaigne, but more complex and sophisticated. I love the combination of sweet vanilla and buttery caramel. There’s also something slightly sour, which makes me think I’m smelling pineapple although it’s not listed in the notes. There’s the barest hint of dark patchouli and spicy carnation, but they’re easy to overlook because of all the caramel, caramel, caramel!

As BPAL “dirt” scents go, this is in the same family as Penny Dreadful and Zombi – dark, moist earth combined with soft, mournful flowers. I’m not sure what rose geranium smells like, but I definitely smell florals. There’s also something wet and salty, like the sea. Maybe the moss causes this slightly aquatic note. I like it, but the sweetly perfumed Penny Dreadful remains my favorite dirt blend.

I think The Dormouse is similar to Shanghai, which I just tried. They both have that lemony tea scent that is so refreshing and cooling. There are floral notes in the background, but nothing I can really pick out. The lemon note is pretty strong but not overpowering. It’s a light, crisp, clean scent, the perfect antidote to a hot and muggy day. Although, I think I prefer Shanghai with its honeysuckle sweetness. The Dormouse is tart rather than sweet.

This blend is very clean and stimulating; it really clears the sinuses. It smells like green plants (fern, mostly) and grass, with touches of mint and lavender. I’m not sure what herbs are in this, exactly. It's like burying your nose in a freshly-cut front lawn. The lavender adds sweetness. I like it more than I thought I would (I received it as a frimp), but I’m not sure how often I'll wear it, as mint blends aren’t really “me.” But it might be good to have on hand for its cooling and head-clearing properties, when my allergies are acting up.

a gorgeous vanilla floral combination, breezy and romantic, ginger is sometimes too sharp or astringent on my skin, but it’s delicate here, and sweetly spicy. this makes me think of sudha seghara plus a large dose of vanilla. it's light and creamy and sure to be in heavy rotation all summer.

i got this as a frimp and i wasn’t sure about it, since lemon scents are usually too strong on me. but i was pleasantly surprised. at first, it reminds me of a cologne a preppy boy would wear -- crisp and clean. but soon, the soft, powdery honeysuckle makes its appearance and now it doesn’t smell so masculine. the sweet honeyed floral combined with the lemon and tea makes me want to drink it up. a perfect, refreshing springtime scent.

just like a cold, sparkling root beer on a hot summer day, SSS has arrived at my door just in time to help combat the texas heat. light woodsy and incense notes make the Strengthener a little darker, a little more complex, but really, they are so faint that i hardly notice them. just think of a tall, bubbly, chilled glass of root beer and you have this scent. i will be slathering this on for the next several months.

what i smell most is the moss – it smells wet and herbaceous and somehow old, but not dank or mildewy. it’s a clean, masculine scent. the green sandalwood is dry and woodsy. i expected a lot of sweetness from the tonka but it’s very mild. i can’t smell the rice wine, but the black tea is lovely. a wonderful springtime scent, like a japanese garden after a good, cleansing rain.

this scent just screams “spring!” i’m not sure what cherry blossom, ume blossom or wisteria smell like on their own, but Hanami is fresh, clean florals. it could be a commercial perfume or shampoo; it's got that broad appeal. it’s light, cheery and feminine, but not sweet or powdery.

oh. my. god. no exaggeration -- at first sniff, this became one of my all-time favorites. it goes perfectly with my skin chemistry. the amber is so warm and gorgeous, and the velvety cream accord is a perfect match for the bright, fruity lotus. the teak adds a dry, resiny woodsiness without smelling like pencil shavings (note to self – seek out more teak blends.) it’s one of the sexiest bpal scents, right up there with my beloved O. i agree with other reviewers who say it’s the scent of contented afterglow. gorgeous.

this blend is herbal and woodsy, with just a hint of aquatic sea-spray. it’s masculine, like a crisp, clean aftershave. there’s a green grassy note that really stands out, with a bonfire wood note in the background that reminds me of Hexennacht. i’m not really sure what meadowsweet, hellebore and Irish lady’s tresses are, but i’m assuming they are various herbs or grasses. a cool, outdoorsy scent, like an early fall evening hanging out in the woods, not too far from the water. i'm thinking i will love this one on my husband.