lostluckkitten

Ooooooooooooo Iloveit. When I first put this on, it's all chocolate and apples with a hint of spice and it is SO GOOD. Sadly, that phase fades almost immediately. After being bummed for about ten seconds, I get over it and relish in all the lovely combinations that come off of me. It's the same white chocolate note in Pumpkin III (2007), and it's tempered with rich, warm, dark dusted cocoa. The spices make it feel so comforting, and very much like autumn. The nutmeg is obvious, and the sandalwood adds just enough dry-dusty woodiness to keep this from being too rich and sweet. At times, this is almost nutty. On my wrists, this stays dry spiced chocolate. In the crook of my arm where it's warmer and softer skin, the apple blossom and honeysuckle are hanging around. This will be SUCH a good fall/winter blend. ETA: Oh, forgot to say... the boyfriend got "burnt sugar" from this when I put it on.

I should note that I tried this scent the day after I received the bottle, and I thought, "nice but meh." A week and a half later, I tried again, with a better result. So it seems resting this one a bit does good things to it, so don't judge a fresh bottle too quickly! At first application, the pine pitch is very IN YO FACE. Or at least in my face. It borders on "too much pine" for about two minutes until my skin soaks it in and beats it into submission. The next 30 minutes or so bring about a drydown very similar to Golden Priapus - vanilla and pine, but with a lingering smokey tobacco and muskiness (good musk, not bad musk). Whereas GP gets a little bit doughy on my skin after a while, this does not. I think the honey keeps the vanilla from moving too much into the "cookie" stage - it stays golden and soft. I don't want to say it gets powdery, because it doesn't, but it is soft. Like the honey and vanilla are blurred at the edges with musk and tobacco. It really does smell like smoked vanilla. Difficult to describe in words, but really something good. The pine is always there, but it's never overpowering. Several hours later, there is a golden waft of smokey vanilla that I catch every once in a while, and the musk stays sexy and warm close to my skin. Very pleasant. Definitely a good one. Not sure if I want a second bottle yet, but we'll see if the next few months bring about an OMG MUST HOARD chain of events.

At first, this is completely peach. Very lovely, new, not-too-pulpy peach. It's a very realistic note; not syrupy or fake at all. Directly on my skin: the honey amps and the peach falls back after a bit. This is a thick, golden honey. The cocoa is powdered and dusted over the top. There is a definite salty tang to this after two or so hours. In the throw: The neroli is detectable here. The throw is peaches and something familiar that I can't place. It's driving me bonkers. It puts me in mind of Southern California orange blossoms during summer, but also being outdoors with them. And the Orange Blossom Festival, where you can get honey sticks and orange blossom everything. In my locket: This stays mainly peach and neroli, with a whisper of honey. This is a very interesting smell. The salty tang makes it a little weird, but it's not unpleasant. I am originally from So Cal and have been transplanted into the Midwest for the time being, and this reminds me of home in the summer (I used to live near orange groves).

Very juicy, almost overripe plum is the first note I get. Very loud and up front. The red musk lurks beneath it, sweet and almost cloying, but not quite. The patchouli leaf is nowhere to be found, at least not in my lab-fresh bottle. The vanilla bean adds a warm, soft, almost custard-y edge to it, and I can detect the fruity-floral pom hiding behind everything, just barely peeking out. This dries into thick, yummy vanilla bean with a fruity backdrop. Must age more before I pass final judgement, but I like it very much. Not ZOMGLOVE, but seriously considering dating for a while.

I concur that this scent certainly has the feel of Smut without the booze (though I have only tried the '08 version) and Mme. Moriarty without the vanilla and plum. I like Marianne a whole lot. Kind of surprising, as I was certain Agrat-Bat would be the hands-down winner for me. At application, patchouli and red musk come right to the top, overwhelming everything. But within moments, patchouli is beaten back by the red musk and everything sweetens up. It's got the same vibe as the musks in Smut at this point. Then the orchid and lotus root rear their heads, adding a blushing girliness to the outright smuttiness, and black currant is tart and fruity, lurking in the background and smiling. I have found that most BPAL oils I love last ages on my skin, but this is an exception. It lasts a long time (several hours), just not as long as some. It dries into something that I can tell is floral, but doesn't make me go "BLEH" as a non-floral fan. They are like purple sex flowers, and the black currant keeps the fruity enough not to be "flowery." This is sweet and sexy and just a tiny bit swarthy. Like the lady in the picture in her red corset dress, fanning herself gently and giving you a knowing-but-not-blatantly-obvious smirk. A keeper for me.

Based on reviews and people who like similar scents, I thought I'd love this one. In a sense, I do, but not overall Dorian is, in theory, pleasant to my nose. Sweet, vanilla-sugared white tea. Fairly potent. A nice sweet scent. However, something in this amps up to WOAH WAY TOO SWEET and become cloying to the point of nausea. I wore it for several hours, and I'd get a nice whiff only to be immediately slammed with an after-smell that was something akin to NutraSweet. So bummed

I just tried Ladon, and it morphed from apples into a slightly-more-floral version of HIWTK on me Which is awesome, because I like HIWTK, I just definitely wasn't expecting it. I don't know if it's just my skin chemistry or what, because I don't think I've seen anyone else get that from it.

In bottle: Sweet caramel and honey, edged with apples. Wet: I am amping the apple blossom and honey. It was very apple blossom at first; smelled like sweet new apples, drizzled in light honey. Drydown: The wood and skin musk comes out, along with the caramel. Total yum. It smells differently on me up close then from a slight distance. Directly on my skin, it is warm, skin musky caramel, but not super sweet caramel. Milky, warm caramel. From a distance, it smells like sophisticated caramel apples, if that makes sense. Sweet, caramel-covered apples with a musky honey edge. It's foody, but not like the typical cake-cookie-pie-caramel smelling scents. Definitely a sophisticated foody. Not boring or sticky sweet at all. Overall: The teak is a very minor player in this blend, or at least on my skin. For the first hour or two, it has the innocence of apples and sweetness without being ZOMG TOO SWEET. The amber does not go powdery on me like it does in some blends, like O (thank god!), it just adds an overall golden feel to the blend. After several hours (at least ten), I can still smell musky, sexy amber-caramel on my wrists. This blend is neither light nor dark, but somewhere in between. Yum. Yum yum yum. ETA: After letting the oil rest for a few days, I've found after wearing it again that the teak is coming out more. Not sure whether it's because the oil rested or if my skin chemistry is different. The teak is more pronounced once the oil dries and after several hours. It adds well to the blend

This one and Eat Me were my first two GC loves; the first two I decided were bottle-worthy. I love my Kill-Devil. This goes on my skin as thick, dark, sticky sugar. I get no burnt smell; it's just a fresh and crisp sugary sweetness on me. The sugar cane is very apparent, backed up by the thicker molasses. After the wet phase, something sexy and murky (in a good way) comes poking its head out. It's not quite sugar, not quite musk, but very warm and sultry. This may be where some are getting the burning smell, but I get sexy, deep sweetness with a musky edge. This is where the oak comes out for me, and it just completes the scent. It's like someone took a fresh plank of oakwood and smeared this honey-sugar-molasses-sweet goodness on it. Lasts hours on me, drying down into a come-hither sweet sexiness.

I adore the Rat; I reach for it often Melon is most definitely the forerunner here when it goes on. Bright green, sparkling, sugar-rolled melon. After it's been on me a few minutes, the melon falls back a bit and out come all the other fruits and bamboo. It's a very green scent - not dark green, but a light, bright green. Lychee and kumquat like me in this blend, and are tarted up by the citrus fruits. The bamboo is fresh, and the flowers breathe just a little beneath it all. The dragon's blood is just barely detectable, lurking around the edges. It lasts all day on me, ending in a soft fruity floral. Oh, how I hope there are future incarnations of the Chinese Zodiac like this one.

Wonderful! This is so green. I am not a floral lover, but I found myself really enjoying this blend. It's not overpowering "flowery" flowers; just crisp poppy and green, green stems. I can't detect the honey or berries separate from the poppies, but I can tell they add a nice, non-cloying sweetness to the blend. If you're not very into florals but like "green" and fresh scents, this is one to try. This and SSS are my two favorites from this group.

Dark purple, crushed violet petals, letting out the aroma of the flower. This has been turned in earth containing patchouli root and moss, giving it a grounded, darker edge. The patch isn't dirty, really... it's earthy. Fresh and growing. The moss adds to this. I don't detect dirt, but it definitely gives me the feeling of something pulled up out of the earth. The violet is deep and plant-like, as opposed to sweet and sugared. I don't detect the red currant alone, other than perhaps adding to the overall feel of the blend. Nice.

This one was interesting. At first, there was something that gave me a kick way high up in my nasal passage, and it took a while for the boy and me to figure out what it was like... then it hit me - bell pepper. That sharp scent of a fresh sliced green bell pepper. After a bit, that toned down, and it smelled very earthy - dust, wood, earth, growing things, with a sharpness beneath. Very interesting, not unpleasant, but not something I'd wear regularly.

Fresh green cedar, followed by sweet herbals. Herbal, green, slightly floral. Lovely. Florals become much more prominent when dry. Light blue-purple flowers backed by sweetgrass and cedar. Reminds me of incense shops along the beach boardwalk in So Cal… must be the Dragon's Blood doing that. Overall, very pleasant. Imagine the colors on a sprig of lavender... the green stalk and purple-blue flowers. That's the color I feel this blend is. Good one.

Smells a bit like Glowing Vulva, and… cologne. Men's cologne, and not a good one. Rats. Wait… getting sweeter. Vanilla gets much more prominent on the drydown. That's better. Vanilla pipe smoke in an oak chamber, with teak making a noticeable statement. Close and less creamy cousin of GV on me. Occasionally getting a sharp smokiness that isn't so great, but it goes away. Tobacco is trying to be fickle on me, I think. I ended up liking this one very much, which is good because two minutes in I was going "UGH." It's similar enough to GV on me that I don't think I'll get a bottle... but might consider it as an alternative when my GV bottle runs out.

Much, much lighter and sweeter-smelling in the imp than I imagined it would be. Once on, it's light and "rocky" smelling. It smells like sweet green moss on rocks. The ozone is there, backing up the rock scent. It's almost warm on me… more like sun-warmed mossy rock than cold, icy Stormhold. Once dry, the ozone amps more, and it has a more jagged-rock feel. Not unpleasant, just might be a little too ozone-y on me. Reminds me of Lightning without the floral element I got from that blend. Starting to smell a little like burnt air/rain after lighting tears through it

This started out similar to Hermia on me - cloying pink flowers and a hefty shot of strong pepper. Hermia was too cloying on me, so I was getting bummed. Now on the drydown, the pepper mellows out and the fruits come out more. Now it smells like… tea. Spiced tea with a floral backdrop. I think that may be the ginger... I drink tea with ginger sometimes, and I think it's triggering that scent memory. Quiet scent; not too loud on me. Light mix of flowers and fruit, warmed by pepper but not overwhelmed by it. Pleasant. Has a teensy hint of Teenage Cannibal to my nose (probably the citrus+pepper+ginger element). Sweet, but not cloying. Spicy, but not overpowering. A touch floral, but fun, not old-ladyish. Great blend; the elements all work well together. Definitely considering a bottle of this when I use up my decant.

Much lighter-smelling than expected. Chypre (cologne-smell) and patchouli at the top, but very light and softened by something powdery and a little sweet. Powder is probably the amber, and the sweetness is probably rose. Nice. Don't know how often I'd wear it, but it doesn't suck. About 15 minutes in, the patch and chypre kick up again, and it's slightly ocean-smelling and citrus-y; then it goes back down again. The rose doesn't amp, it's just a sweet background note.

Count me as another who either got a "good bottle" or whose skin chemistry this one works with. Which is a relief after reading the reactions some had I was worried at first, because when I sniff the bottle, it is so THICK and "buttery" smelling. Like someone mixed butter into heavy cream then mixed in a whiff of saffron. I also got some of that "fake" vanilla smell that many are reporting. I got my bottle five days ago, and didn't pluck up the courage to try it until today. I was really afraid it would be horrible on me. I decided to just go for it this morning, and when it first hit my skin, I did get that fake smell, and thought "oh no." But low and behold, my skin took it, amped the saffron, and morphed it into a light, lovely vanilla-saffron smell. I get no wintergreen mint at all - just sweet, warm vanilla (reminds me of B&BW Warm Vanilla Sugar), with the saffron poking through and giving it a nice kick. It has a close but decent throw on me. I've had it on for two hours now, and it's still behaving. I hope it continues to do so! I am so glad that this was a winner with my chemistry, because I really wanted to like it. And I do!

In bottle: caramel sweetness with a hint of smokiness. Same when wet on skin. Drying: sweetened incense (probably the amber I'm smelling), with hints of spices and tobacco. Sweet, slightly smoky, with an undertone of something a little harsh and airy that must be the opium. Reminds me very slightly of Kill-Devil at this stage. It shifts between sweet spices and more smoky and dark. On me, this lasts hours and settles into a sultry, rich mix that is a touch hanging spices, a touch sweetness, and almost woodsy, cloaked in smoke. It's very nice, I like it very much. It's the only scent so far that I've been complimented on, so apparently others think I smell good too!

In the imp, it smells like bubbly citrus with a kick of mint. Wet on skin, wow I really like this. REALLY like it. It's sweetened effervescent citrus with a sprig of mint and… something else that's nice, maybe the lavender in it. It's so happy! On the drydown, it's getting a bit more complex, I think I can smell the earthy oakmoss in the background. This is reminding me of the real mojitos I got in Cancun, with the beach right there next to me. It's very light, but man does it work on my skin. Love it.

*toes dirt* I have a review... I've never done one before, so this is my first try. I just loved this scent that much In bottle and wet: Vanilla-cakiness with a hint of lemon. Drydown: Fruit sweetens up with a kick of spice (pepper/ginger?). Very light whiffs of floral that fade quick. Lemon sugar is coming out a tiny bit now. Very little vanilla on me; all fruit spice. Pear gives a slight woodsy-ness. I can smell the cream in the throw, but not up close. Dry: It's all spicy fruit up close, but a mellow spicy, with whiffs of lemon sugar and cream in the throw. Very light, happy scent. After several hours, the creamy citrus is all I smell, but it's still nice. I couldn't smell the pepper and ginger at all in the bottle, but boy did they come out when they hit my skin. I really, really love this. ETA 2/21: I've worn this several more times now, and I still love it. I have a little more to add... now I am getting an "orange spice cake" smell for the first 15-20 minutes or so. Very yummy. It lasts about 5-6 hours on me, though I can still smell a little if I huff my wrist after. Toward the end, it goes to light, sweetened lemon that's just barely there. I also occassionally get a soapy kind of smell, which is weird, but not weird enough to bother me