jizatt

I was convinced this was sweet birch when I first put it on, and then that went away. I was not getting that icyness that I love from BPAL's cold blends. Then, I was convinced I could smell melon-floral-ice with a smidge of black pepper. Which was interesting, but not love. Somehow it stayed with me though, and usually I burn oils off my skin within a couple hours. I could still smell this, and couldnt stop sniffing it. And its on my sleeve the next day, and keeps catching my attention. So, I guess I do like it! It's very unusual wet, but the dry stage is gorgeous.

This is a very soft peach. It wears as a mostly white tea with a hint of peach and jasmine, *maybe* a touch of the mums. I didn't get any of the wood, but I also tested it far too soon after travel I can't wait to give it a good thorough testing and see how it does!

the animal musks are velvet goodness on me =) I havent found one I DONT like yet

Now give this a chance before you call me crazy, but I tested Ether today and found it similar to The Girl. I thought, no way! So I reapplied much much later in the evening, and gave it a side by side test. Ether has to have a chance to settle into your skin to lose that initial edge, but after it dries, it has a very similar pale amber vibe. Its a bit colder maybe, or a bit cleaner, not as sweet to my nose. Granted, I prefer The Girl, of the two -- but I still thought you should all know

 

Ether - Translucent blooms, ethereal white resins, and davana

The Girl - white amber, silver birch, immortelle, davana, pale musk, star jasmine, and ylang ylang

Oh I had to come chime in -- If you like the Coyote/Ivanushka family -- you will like this one. It had that same sweet suede musky quality, but with a cold forest rather than the warm grass of Coyote. I think this one is a bit stronger, and maybe sweeter as well, the dry down anyway. I could not stop huffing my wrists the whole time. I went to sleep with it and anytime I woke up during the night, I sniffed again. This genre is so comforting to me, I LOVE this scent. I'm contemplating a bottle to go with my Coyote and Ivaunushka... can't decide if I need them ALL or if its hoarding tendencies

I, an avowed violet hater, and distruster of orris, found a beautiful violet/orris blend. I love it and it loves me back =)
When I first put it on, I made the violet face and started pulling up my swaps thread. But it went away JUST quick enough and is gorgeousness on my skin.

I smell that sweet dusty snow note, an indefinable sweetness, and somehow the whole thing is dusky.

wow - Darkling Thrush.

 

I, an avowed violet hater, and distruster of orris, found a beautiful violet/orris blend. I love it and it loves me back =)

When I first put it on, I made the violet face and started pulling up my swaps thread. But it went away JUST quick enough and its gorgeousness on my skin.

 

holy crap this is pretty - I dont smell specifically mint for those of you who were worried. I smell something leafy for sure, maybe the musky too but its a crystalline kind, and a cold very light aquatic note -- this is what I thought Falling Leaf Moon would smell like (instead of apple cider). While I dont get a strong snow note, this is definitely cool and late autumn/early winter smelling.

 

LOVE. (and as it dries, I do get a sense of rain, which is awesome because that was my first desire to find here at BPAL)

Sea of Glass and Archangel Winter =)

What scent could I possibly wear today other than GLUTTONY??

 

how perfect

 

I ended up wearing Judith Victorious, and ate with both families at the inlaws house -- appropriate in itself, no?

mine started out rose/sandalwood and dried to rose amber -- I love seeing how the oils are different for everyone =) The good news is the rose plays nice -- it doesnt go sour, weird, or screaming for me -- its a very sweet smell too, almost has a sugared note to my nose

Having just had the chance to try this (its been way of fmy radar, never even seen it until a generous offer from a forum member!) -- Im sad that its discontinued. The notes are all on my yes list. Golden musk, amber, and jsut a hint of patchouli? So yes, I had to try it!

 

There is a certain generic perfumey thing that my nose has to get past on the sniff, before I hit the gorgeous. I think its neroli that I interpret that way, isnt it a pretty common classic perfume ingredient? Then I get the amber and golden musk. This is not the sticky golden I thought though, because its also got a nice green undercurrent from the herbs. I'm not sure it would have been a bottle purchase for me, but it is definitely staying in my imp box =) This says green and golden, all summer to my nose. I'd like to wear it in the bleak cold of winter to bring my spirits back up!

my favorite non-minty snow: Wolf Moon 04 (a slushier snow), Snow Maiden (I cant tell you what this smells like, I dont understand it! but I do love it!), and Archangel Winter (cold sweet ozone)

What I smell is a cool, almost melon, frosty floral. I dont get any aquatic out of it, just the coolness. There is a velvety lightly musky quality here as well. This definitely has a night time feel to it, very pretty =)

What I smelled first was a not-sweet not-exactly-mint mintyness and fir forest. Looking at the notes, I think the not-mint minty is birch. I dont think I get any florals at all out of this, but then again maybe the dusty dry powder thing I smell is the mums. There is just the hint of dry and sweet under the minty not-mint that may be the florals hiding out. This is a very interesting companion to the other snow scents, which seem to be very different from this. Granted, this is pretty aged by now and may not resemble the fresh oil at all... Love love my bottle!

 

Overall impression: cold and dry, powdery snowy forest =)

 

(eta: even prettier the longer its on my skin -- the birch has gone more barky now, still with the powdery not-mint snow vibe)

The black rider must be the sexy one This is one gorgeous, take me (I was going to write take me out somewhere nice, but settled for take me!) scent.

 

Its harder for me to pick out notes on this one, but I think I can smell the sweet of the opoponax, and mebbe a hint of tobacco. No one note stands out for me here, not even the leather, but to me thats a good thing. I dont smell amber identifiably, but Im sure its what is under the entire thing. I'm looking forward to sniffing this all day as it dries and changes!

the barn comments all scared me, but on me this is the sweeter of the leather riders. I get sandalwood strongest, and then soft leather-- more like suede than the others. The sweetness and the soft and the sandalwood all = I like this one quite a bit!

Thanks for the suggestions. For those who have tried Wensleydale and Dirty, can you describe the differences? The Lab's descriptions are so similar, and I read through the reviews but I'm still not sure what the difference is.

 

Wensleydale: An immaculately clean scent: well-scrubbed soapy skin and fresh cotton.

Dirty: A fresh, crisp white linen scent: perfectly clean, perfectly breezy.

Is Dirty more of a laundry soap or dryer sheet smell and Wensleydale more of a soapy skin scent? So many of the reviews say they smell similar but Dirty was sometimes described as "sharp" and Wensleydale seemed to have references to flowers. But Dirty was also often described as a scented soap smell. And Wensleydale was often described as being sweeter than Dirty.

 

Dirty is less *soap* to my nose and more clean, maybe some white floral in there? Ill have to test it again to be sure. Wensleydale has a sweeter touch to it, a little more soapiness, and was ultimately the one that won the standoff for me =)

Dirty and Wensleydale - hands down =)

OH I had to try this, because what a cool concept! And its one of the way realistic smells. I know everyone has already said this, but this IS champagne, with bubbles an everything. The rose stays nice, the part I was worried about, it doesnt go sour or overstrong. This is one of he blends that makes me think HOW THE HELL does she do this?? How does she give us bubbles and champagne and roses??

Oh yes to the Girl too, but be careful about the label I also wanted to mention Antique Lace, except that its hard to find right now!

if shes okay with mint, maybe Snow Angel -- such a gorgeous name too =)

This is exactly my kind of scent. I only get a smidge of coconut, which is the note I was worried about being too strong. It has a fair resemblance to The Girl on my skin, but less sweet/amber. I can see the comparison to Snow White, except that this is muskier somehow - maybe the tobacco flower is that stronger, edgier backbone I smell here. I like that someone called this a femme oakmoss, I can see that too!

 

so, a muskier Snow White, with a femme oakmoss edge =) Wishing for a bottle about now!

I had tried this once upon a time and marked it up as MINT, no thanks. I have been craving to retry it ever since, go figure. So I finally got my hands on an imp. First applied, it was exactly what I was craving. But my mint burns off super quick, and I'm left with a strong sticky ambergris with a hint of moss; the mint is left only as a cooler whiff. Wow, first time I wished a blend had more mint?!? I may try to reapply somewhere else -- its currently on the back of my hand.

I was coming to recommend, but all the good recs are out there I think! So I'll second these for

simpler, age appropriate, vanilla for a 14 year old:

 

Love's Philosophy

Tamora

Mouses Long and Sad Tale

Black Opal

Snow White (not exactly vanilla, but I bet she likes it!)

 

 

I want to say Dorian so bad, but its dead sexy on me, so I just cant!