tinyvulture

i got this as an “extra” in a swap. i had been in no hurry to try it, and now i feel pretty silly about that! it’s one of those lovely surprises that makes me think i better try every single scent, regardless of what i think of the description, because you just never know. i love it. soft creamy vanilla and powdery amber, over white linen, with just a touch of dried flowers. sweet, clean, feminine, amazing.

in the imp, this smells extremely sweet and fruity – like kool aid! on my skin, the fruitiness dies down, and the strong evergreen notes of the Black Forest come forth. there’s also that familiar BPAL slushy snow note, strong and sweet. the almond and tart apple notes fade in and out, and i smell menthol as well. 15 minutes later, it’s all snow-covered pine trees. a delightful, wintry scent.

The fear of Halloween. Menacing Haitian vetiver, patchouli, and clove with a shock of bourbon geranium, grim oakmoss, and dread-inspiring balsams pierce the innocuous scent of autumn leaves. a warm, woodsy fall scent. reminds me of hexennacht, but darker. and it’s got the same awesome “autumn leaves” note as samhain. like being out in the woods at night, warming your hands by a fire. sometimes vetiver and oakmoss are too “earthy” on me, but i love them here. the herbal balsam and sweet patchouli combine with them perfectly. i’d like to get a bottle – hope it returns in ’07!

i mostly smell the rose and patchouli and that amazing, powdery black musk. thank god the neroli and bergamot aren’t going into citrus overload as usual – i really can’t smell them at all! there’s just a bit of tart apple when i first apply it, that quickly fades. then the vanilla pops up in its place, adding sweetness. 10 minutes later the patchouli’s faded and i’m left with sweet musky vanilla rose…very alluring and sexy but in a soft, understated kind of way...might need a big bottle of this.

this is the first bpal almond scent that i’ve really loved. it doesn’t turn bitter and it’s not too “foody.” i LOVE whatever it’s combined with! the honey, of course. i love bpal’s honey note. but what are those amazing spices? i can’t tell. something sharp. i sort of wonder if there could possibly be cumin in this. also, i think i smell some florals – roses and jasmine, maybe? i wish i knew, because it’s really an amazing combination.

buttery white vanilla cake. lighter than beaver moon. i can smell the currants as well, lending their slightly fruity sweetness. that “butter” note smells weird and artificial on me sometimes, but not here. a fun, playful scent. makes me hungry!

a simple scent – soft roses with light musk. i don’t really smell any spices. i like this on me, but i can see how it would be nice on the right guy, too.

strong jasmine sweetened with cherry and spiced with cinnamon. a bit like dr. pepper, as others have noted. unfortunately this is one of those blends where the jasmine goes “soapy” rather than sexy. damn skin chemistry, why do you only like jasmine SOME of the time?

ooh this is GOOD. i smell tobacco and cedar and leather mixed with a fine gentleman’s cologne. the vanilla adds sweetness. dare i say, i prefer this to tombstone. it's more...refined. but still rugged and manly . a new favorite.

this one reminds me a LOT of my beloved black forest, with its heavy juniper and pine notes -- but with the addition of sinus-clearing eucalyptus. i think i'll stick with black forest as my "foresty" scent, but this might be good for aromatherapy or when allergies are bothering me. very nice.

this is snake oil + gorgeous powdery, spicy resins. amber and frankincense, such lovely complements to the spicy woodsy vanilla of the original snake oil. it’s like all my favorite notes rolled into one bottle. and it has tons of throw and lasts a long time. my skin loves it, and it smells totally sexy on my husband as well. now i must try the other snake oil blends!

the driest incense blend ever. i’d classify it as masculine, but i like it well enough on my skin too. the lab description leaves nothing out: incense, sharp sweet opium smoke, a distinct tobacco smell, and yes, this actually does smell dusty, enough to make my nose twitch! i envision exploring a mysterious great-grandfather’s dark attic, blowing layers of dust off strange old keepsakes, and the lingering scent of tobacco and opium lingering on his jackets.

i smell incense resin and something grassy and woodsy and slightly astringent…balsam or reeds maybe? i’m just guessing there. there’s maybe a tiny amount of nag champa in there somewhere but it’s definitely not your typical head shop incense. i love incense blends, but i’ve never smelled anything like this. i’d say there’s a bit of sweet flower petals in it too, just lingering in the background. i really love this; it’s unique. the only downside is that it doesn't seem to have a lot of throw.

on me this is all honey and sandalwood, a sexy combination to be sure. i usually describe this sandalwood note as "pencil shavings" and sometimes it's too much, but i think the honey is its perfect companion. the powdery amber is especially lovely here, as well. bpal’s honey has become one of my favorite notes and it really shines in this blend. i like it a lot.

i smell pineapple, florals and vanilla. the orchid is soft, barely recognizable, but it's there. a layer of warm musk underlying everything else. a sweet, light tropical scent.

i smell bright, lush florals. and cinnamon? just a touch? and something like fresh green grass. and maybe some juicy, tart red fruit? whatever’s in this, the name fits perfectly. it’s sunny and warm and summery. a keeper.

lavender! and i could have sworn there was eucalyptus in this too, when i first applied it – it really cleared my sinuses! the lavender is blended with other florals, but i can’t tell what they are. i don’t smell any rose, and i’m not sure what wisteria smells like. i’m not really picking up the musk either. a bit of spicy sandalwood, fresh lavender, and some other flowers – an evocative, feminine scent.

i haven’t yet tested this oil’s ability to attract wealth, but it sure does smell good. like a sweet red lollipop. strawberry or cherry, i can’t quite tell. it kind of reminds me of cherry chapstick, actually. but wait, i smell grape too. like a grape popsicle. there’s a light floral perfume in the background, too. a nice cheerful scent. i’ll wear it to my job where i’m campaigning for a raise, and report back.

i had a pretty immediate aversion to this one because of the lime and lemongrass. my skin really amps up the citrus, and the citrus/coconut combination is just not doing it for me. those are the only notes i can make out, as i’m not sure what the florals in it actually smell like. i’ll be swapping this to someone who can give it more love.

a dark floral perfume, sweetened by a touch of currant. the smoky poppy is the strongest note. sadly, i can't smell the musk or patchouli on my skin. and the throw is very faint, even though i kept applying it in order to do this review. i know it will be better on others, so it's off to swaps.

remember those scented markers when you were a kid, that came in scents like apple, and mint? this smells like a few of them, all rolled together! the aquatic, green apple, and mint notes stand out on my skin, and they make an odd combination. i think i smell coconut as well. the notes seem to stay individualized rather than blending together to form something new, if that makes sense. not for me. off to swaps!

on me, this is a blend of red berries, cherry (not listed in the notes, but i swear it’s there!) and greenery. i’m not picking up a specific “fresh cut grass” scent that i was expecting, and i can’t smell anything floral. i guess this is supposed to be a springtime scent, but it reminds me more of the holidays because it’s a bit like potpourri. it's pleasant – probably a good room scent.

jasmine and soft musk. sweet, mysterious. the jasmine really works for me here! the musk is a tad “baby powder-ish”, but in a nice way. it works to smooth out the jasmine and keeps it from going soapy. i can’t tell what the other floral notes are. i barely notice them because the jasmine is definitely the star. there’s some spices too, but i couldn’t name them. it’s a lovely scent.

at first it smells like sweet, tart grapefruit. after it dries, a soft, sweet powdery note comes out as well. the myrrh, maybe? i can’t smell the lavender or chamomile at all. i feel like i have smelled this before...perhaps in my childhood?... and have good associations with it. it does smell a bit like lipton iced tea, as jasmineboreal said! i think it is a happy, innocent scent, something a young girl could wear. i normally don’t like citrus scents, but this is the first grapefruit BPAL i’ve tried, and i am a fan.

orchid is one of the few florals that i really adore, so i’m glad it’s the first note i smell when i apply this to my wrist. the jasmine and rose are also noticeable. they are slightly soapy but not too bad. as it dries, something smoky comes out. it smells exactly like the smoke from a candle when you blow it out. reading the components, i have no idea what it could be, but it blends with the orchid really well. there’s also something super sweet and fruity. whatever it is, it makes this blend too sweet and “girly” for me to wear often, but i still like it all right.