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When wet, this is graham cracker crust to my nose. A bit gingerish with a sweet boozy note. Quite nice!

 

On the drydown, the sweetness fades, except for a tiny tickle of it. Think Juke Joint (esoterically speaking, not exact). Then, the musk comes out to the forefront.

 

This is where the scent stays for me. Musk with a hint of sweetness.

I *almost* think that the musk in this is very similar to Harvest Moon '05. It could be the musk or it could be the surrounding sweetness that's throwing this vibe to me.

 

Regardless, Devil's Night is a scent of a wild autumn night. Boozy, and sweet, that leaves the lingering scent of skin cooling after the flush of running, playing, and kicking ass with wild abandon.

 

Be Mischevious!

The juicy top notes of ripe bursting blood orange are beautiful, but all too fleeting. The rose parades herself out immediately after and makes her presence known.

Something in this blend is going to major powder on me. I suspect it is the heliotrope as amber usally doesn't go this route on my skin. There is something here that reminds me of Beatrice. It's probably the rose.

I wish I were getting more of the vanilla and the musk. The musk doesn't seem to want to play and the vanilla continually plays hide and seek with me throughout the day.

All in all, my feelings are favorable for this blend. I could do with less powder, but that's just the luck of the draw. My skin is fickel in what it decides to amp and what it decides to eat up.

Wet, this is a juicy cherry. Not quite cherry cough syrup, but without the added woods it probably would have been. The addition of the deep woods gives this blend a complexity that is hard to compare. It is dry and stays somewhat sweetish throughout the day. I hesitate to say that it smells like a wood box that has been used to house cherry pipe tobacco, but to me...that's similar to what it smells like. It does have a faint smokiness to it as well.

 

A probable winner for fans of woody scents: rosewood, sandelwood, the components of Cathedral that have been kicked up with a juicy fruity burst.

 

Cherry Kool-Aid spilled on an unfinished mahogany tabletop, perhaps?

This smells so familar to me. I'm picking up vibes that are reminiscent of both Sin and the late drydown of Snake Charmer with some woody goodness thrown in.

 

First, I'm hot with a wonderful cinnamon-spice (I also agree a wee bit Bengal-esque). This lends itself into a more creamy spiciness as the blend begins to settle on my skin. A unique vanilla tinged musk, think Black Opal and Buck Moon, comes to the forefront after a couple of hours.

 

If I sniff close, I can faintly pick up the grains beneath the musk. They are solidly in the background lending even more creaminess to the blend.

 

A little goes a long way, but I can't help thinking that I should have worn more today. It's a lovely, power scent and I would have liked to surround myself with the aura.

I also adore O. Haunted, I tried to love, but never quite got there. I didn't find them very similar at all. But, if you like black musk and amber it might be worth a try. The amber never really bloomed on my skin, however.

I second the Buck Moon / Dorian comparison. Maybe with a teensy dash of Black Opal to soften it.

This really is an elegant perfume.

A dark vanilla musk - but oh so light and delicate. But, truly it's also deep. Such a paradox. What contradiction. I also get the "mineral" whiff, so faint it barely whispers.

 

This holds close to your skin like a secret.

The Star is another one of those blends that show major differences from bottle to bottle.

 

I've had one that was all sweet minty coconut and another that was a bit high on the lime. I can almost see the similarity of Milk Moon and The Star under those circumstances, but I still feel like Milk Moon is really in a class of its own.

Initially, this reminded me so much of Kali without the chocolate note. I'm not entirely sure why, but that was my reaction.

 

Freshly applied, the lily and jasmine come out to play. The jasmine is a well-mannered girl today. I can even catch the hints of vanilla and musk in the depths at this time. These notes come out more as it dries. Upon drydown, I am left with a lovely light boozy vanilla musk scent.

 

Quite a lovely scent. And....I got my very first "you smell good" compliment today because of it. So, I hope I'm not being too biased.

Bright musks with lots of beautiful rich Oriental spices added to the mix. Overall, I can pick up more iris than jasmine. Iris loves my skin for some reason. I'm also pretty sure that the cereus is what lends this blend it's personality. It can be a very deep and overwhelming scent, slighty perfumy. It lasts all day for me an stays pretty true since it's parts are very well-blended.

First Sniff : Something about this reminds me of Tarot: The Star. Fresh, slightly cool with coconut underneath.

 

Wet : Imagine that first moment of life in The Garden. All the living things waking up for the first time. The sun shining on dew-kissed leaves. The scent of life permeating through the fiber of everything. Eden is alive - green, and lush. Bright green leaves - take one off the fig tree caress it with your fingers and crush it up to your nose to smell it's essence. Maybe if you sniff closely you can find just a hint of the regret to come when The Garden is ripped from mankind forever.

 

Dry : Sweetness follows man and woman as they awaken in this lush paradise. They have everything they need. Eden truly is the land of milk and honey. They want for nothing. This is the scent of comfort. Find yourself lost in the rich ambrosia of milk and almonds warmed with swirls of fresh honey. Stay here for a while and soak it all in.

 

Final Thoughts : I don't believe that I had ever considered that a perfume could tell such an evocative story. But then again, that was before I discovered BPAL. Eden is beautiful and it has found its way into my heart and one my top 10 list already. The drydown is a beautiful sweet relvery that most anyone could relate to and enjoy. Upon waking this morning, my wrists still carried the faint scent of caramel and coconut. Truly spectacular.

Deep and comforting - like the earth.

 

QofC = rich, fertile soil laden with the juices of ripe red fruits.

 

This is not a very wet blend to me. It has a dry quality that I can't quite describe. At first, it's the earthy dirt smell with just a bit of berriness from the pomegrante. I couldn't wear pomegrante in Persephone or Swank, but I'm happily able to pull it off in this one. It must be the balanced and grounding that the rich earth helps me pull it off. The frutiness reminds me of Bewitched minus the sage and tea.

 

The damp earth scent lasts through the wet phase and morphs into a light berry with just a hint of vanilla. It doesn't warm up too much and sits very close to my skin. My skin also eats it up, which I didn't expect. So, frequent touch-ups are a must.

A pleasing pale summer floral.

 

The Bulgarian rose is quite a lovely note in this blend and it really starts things off with a bang. On my skin, it's mostly a top note and it does recede into the background by the end of the day. Staying power is moderate without a lot of throw.

 

The lotus only makes enough of a statement to lend it's cool watery feel to the blend rather than making itself a showstopper. That's a job is for the freesia. That's the note that I noticed was most prominent. The lotus is not the typical note we're familiar with in that the bubblegum sweetness is not present.

 

I was intrigued by the rain orchid and rose gardenia. They added quite a nice roundness to the blend.

 

All in all, this is a wonderful light floral blend for those that like rose blends and other light muted floral scents. A pretty sweet girly scent.

Green, woodsy, cool and a bit masculine. This would smell fab on a guy.

The bamboo and juniper lead the charge to make way for the spicy cardamon and black pepper. There is just something about this combination that is incredibly sexy. It's cool and damp with forest mosses. It blankets the spice and lets it peek out as you wear it.

It's a mix of woods and aquatics that I find so intriguing.

As I try more of the SiA scents, I am mystified at how well Beth can capture such esoteric ideas and transform them into something we can all understand. Another outstanding winner!

A bouquet of florals with a hint of sweetness and a pinch of something fruity.

 

I could pick out the daffodil and the tulip, but it was the wildflowers that wowed me. Wildflowers covered in dew just as the sun begins to warm their petals. Really feminine and pretty without screaming "I'm a flower, damn it!".

 

I predict that people that aren't normally floral fans will find this one agreeable. Most probably because of the sweetness and the freshness of those wildflowers.

 

This is definitely a keeper for me. A wonderful blend to add to my growing collection.

Bright peach. The musk and amber ground it and give it some staying power. The fruit sticks around for awhile, which I didn't expect. A little bit goes a long way. I can still smell this in my clothes and on skin after a full day's work.

 

I concur with the "boozy" feel that people have mentioned. Something about this one definitely gives that impression.

 

A good interpretation for Splendor - bright, sparkling, and glowing for all the world to see.

Smells like peaches covered in cream with a hint of spice.
Creamy vanilla peach. Not overly fruity. Not overly heavy.

The undertones of the amber and sandalwood ground it and keep the peach from being too fruity and the heliotrope from jumping out too much. Understated, but still lush.

Probably a good fit for fans that like the milky creaminess of Dana O'Shee and Alice, the vanilla musk of Dorian, and the peachiness of Fae.

Initial Impressions: Somewhat powdery iris scent with a touch of coconut.

 

Wet: Infusion of iris -reminescent of Florence. Seemed to be very overpowering on me. Of course, I put a *wee* bit too much on to truly be objective. It was a dry scent. It soaked into my skin.

 

Dry: Coconut welcome to the party! After the first 20 minutes, things begin to settle in nicely. I feel as if I have been drenched in a latte with coconut cream and a shot of hazelnut. The iris and orris have settled down somewhat except on my clothes. They are still very apparent there.

 

Final Drydown: The musk peeks out under the coconut to ground this and give it staying power. It lasted nearly 9 hours on me.

 

I will wear this often, but I will be a bit more judicious in my application.

Wolfbane is pine with a sprinkling of other complimentary woodsy notes. But there is a little something a bit darker underneath.

 

I found it to be a bit more on the masculine end of the spectrum. It is slightly herbal and outdoorsy and could smell fabulous on the man that likes those particular notes.

 

I did like the scent, but just not enough to wear it myself. But don't be dissuaded if you enjoy this class of scent. It is a great departure to the normal take on things...as BPAL always is.

Wet: This is pure butterscotch. I smell like a cocktail! Must resist urge to lick arm.

 

Dry-down: The beautiful butterscotchy feel quickly morphs into a slighty rum-like sweetness. Quite a wearable booze scent for me.

 

Overall impressions: As previously mentioned, this is a boozy & foody scent. Even if you aren't a fan of this scent category, at least give it a try. It's in a class by itself. Grog is a BPAL "must-try". It makes me feel decadent and makes me think of mischief.

 

ARRR....

When SiA was introduced, this was my first purchase. I was 99.9% sure that I would love it. And i was not disappointed.

 

This is mint in all her unadulterated glory.

Peppermint, spearmint, maybe some apple mint - possibly just a smidge of pennyroyal to darken the edges. (*this is only conjecture on my part as I wouldn't want to scare anybody off due to pennyroyal's dark side and bad-for-pregnancy issues. Please consult the lab if you need to know for certain whether this blend contains it or not). This is mint that's not afraid to put itself front and center.

 

Mint is very prominent for the first 10-15 mintues. So if you and mint don't get along, I'd suggest you don't buy a ticket to this play. She makes her grand entrance and bows quickly to exit stage left. But, before she does she introduces a most unlikely couple: pepper and cucumber.

 

I wouldn't call this a true cucumber though. It's just a watery, fruity hint of a cucumber's essence. For those of you familiar with Blue Moon, it is somewhat reminescent to that. I'm not surprised since it has that "traditional lunar oils" feel to it - but more complex somehow.

 

All in all, this is just as described - cool, fiery, and strong on minty goodness.

Bewitched is more berry with a very slight green edge from the sage. I wouldn't call it a truly herbal, but still a nice one.

 

The Apothecary is herbally, but on me it has a floral edge as well. I'd suggest trying it out. It really is an all around pleasant scent.

 

Phantasm and Embalming Fluid both have a citrus/lemony feel to them. It could be more prominent than you might like. However, Embalming Fluid is a nice light scent that blends very well, perfect for warm weather.

 

I would also recommend The Ghost and The Hanging Gardens. The Ghost is light and airy and has a true herbal feel to it. Hanging Gardens can also be thought of as a garden scent, but it also has a fruit component that is intriguing for bringing something new to the mix.

I get a buttery note upon opening the bottle. I thought that this might be similar to Snow White. It is, but only on the surface. Many people picked up creamy butter mint scent, but not me. No mint for my little sniffer.

 

The first time I wore it the florals came out too strongly after the butter smell went away. Upon wearing it a bit more, I realized that it was my skin chemistry that had gone a bit wonky the first couple times. After using much less of the oil at each wearing, I noticed that the florals are much more muted and the in-your-face butter smell settles down after it's on. Quite pleasant at this point. And the drydown is soft and creamy...very comforting.

 

I like it, and will wear it often, but in my heart I will always be a Snow White kind of girl.

First sniff: green floral, like the first budding spring flowers pushing up through the soil. Not overpowering or heady at all.

 

Wearing: I expected an explosion of floral on my skin, but did not get that. It remained green, herbally - maybe a touch of grassiness, understated flowers like tulips, the first bloom on a heirloom rose, buttercups - flowers that we don't often think about.

 

Drydown: The end came all to soon for this lovely. It bloomed quickly on my skin, but did not stick around. I was left with a soft floral musk - very understated. Perhaps, I will add more next time.

 

Final thoughts: All in all, a lovely scent. Wish it had more staying power, but this is so often my fate regardless of the scent. I would buy this one again.

Mint julep!

 

The mint is very pronounced initially. It is a herbally-fresh-green mint sprig instead of pepperminty-gum-Altoids mint. Very accurate, but fleeting. Mint said hello and goodbye very quickly.

 

Initially, I got the alcohol/boozy quickly followed by the sweetness of the sugar. This lingered a while. I was afraid of smelling boozy, but it wasn't overwhelming at all.

 

In the drydown, I was left with a powdery and smoky feel with a bare hint of the boozy resonance.

 

It reminded me of how a splash of Mint Julep on the front porch would smell at the end of a lazy summer day. Quite nice...not over the top or overdone. Just about right in my opinion.