caitilarkin

In the imp: Deeply fruity, earthy and green Wet on skin: This brightens up on my skin. I can pick out the berries and the cherry, which are backed by a dry wheat-y note. Morphing: Something shrill and herbal this way comes...Checking the notes, I see that this blend contains sage, my sworn enemy. Sure enough, the sage has launched into its traditional war dance on my skin. Dry on skin: Sage did its level best to lay waste to Harvest Moon, but the fruit notes are valiantly persevering. Eventually, it dies down to a pleasant, grainy floral that lasts about three hours.

In the imp: Coconut, caramel and fruit laced with tobacco and spices...delicious! Wet on skin: Red Lantern met my wrists, immediately became confused, and its rich, spicy foodiness turned to hairspray within about five minutes. Dry on skin: Yup, it's all about hairspray for a couple of hours. Eventually, the plastic/alcoholic note fades and the original coconut/caramel/fruity goodness is allowed to breathe, but the drydown is too painful to experience on a regular basis. Tested it twice, but this one just doesn't like me.

Just adding to the Snake Oil love... Based on the recommendations in this thread and throughout the forum, I let my lab-fresh bottle sit for about six weeks. Then I couldn't stand it anymore and HAD to test it out. Even fresh, it turned out much better than I had imagined. In the bottle: Medicinal, alcoholic vanilla Wet on skin: The spices come out to play and the boozy/medicine note recedes. Dry on skin: Refined, rich vanilla with spices in the background; almost demure, more coy than sexy. Lasts forever and a day; is appropriate for all places and occasions. This was not nearly as sexy as I thought it would be...well, actually it isn't sexy at all on me at this point. Maybe it will get hotter as it ages. But I do still love it. I slathered it on all weekend and got tons of compliments.

Another vote for Succubus here! It was one of the first BPALs I tried (just a couple of months ago) and it's a great enabling scent--very light and sweet.

Sugar cane, blue musk, mahogany, black orchid, black currant, violet, blackberry leaf, teak, strawberry, and dusky rose. In the imp: Burnt sugar, very faint...is my nose broken? Wet on skin: Sugar with a faint background of florals Dry on skin: This went through quite a metamorphosis: from faint sugared florals, to half an hour of sugared Play-doh (?), to warm, musky, sugared currants with a hint of florals (I can normally identify both rose and orchid, but not here). The final dry phase is quite lovely and lasts about 4 hours before fading back into its original faint, sugared florals. Not once did I detect the wood notes, which is very odd because they normally amp on me. This was very delicate, receiving what depth it did have from the musk. Edited to add scent description

In the imp: Oak and amber softened by vanilla and florals, very smooth and creamy Wet on skin: The oak is still at the forefront but is supported by the notes mentioned above. I think I'm not detecting sandalwood as well. Dry on skin: This definitely reminds me of my beloved Antikythera Mechanism, only more feminine due to the presence of the florals. This did not morph on me at all, had decent throw and fantastic staying power--nearly 12 hours--probably due to the presence of amber, which sticks to me until I wash it off. I never did detect any ginger or apricot, but I do still love this. Maybe I can track down a fresh bottle somehow...

This is for Samhain 08, which was allowed to sit for about two months after purchase due to a) warm weather and an unfortunate spillage incident which resulted in the loss of more than half of the bottle. In the bottle: Patchouli and fir, very dark, no apples and nothing spicy Wet on skin: The patchouli is warming up, the fir is backing off a bit and the apples have appeared. Drydown: Samhain morphs gloriously...I really got the sense that I was walking at night through a forest of fir trees after a heavy autumn rain, then stopping to roast crisp, red apples over an open fire. I adore this and think I will make a tradition of getting a new bottle every year (but hopefully not baptizing my apartment with it every year as mentioned above).

I love the lab's citrus notes, especially grapefruit, so I was thrilled to pick up a decant of this scent even though I thought the citrus might be somewhat muted due to age. In the vial: Grapefruit, soft lemon, guava and muted tropical florals Wet on skin: This smells like Hawaii! I grew up on Oahu, and these notes, in combination with my skin, evoke memories of my childhood. It must be the the guava and the florals. Dry on skin: The grapefruit and lemon recede somewhat, allowing the guava and florals to shine. Cheshire Moon lasts 3-4 hours on me and has little throw. Once the scent mixes with the mild saltiness of my skin, it really does remind me of the smell of our backyard on Oahu. This is not a typical tropical scent--it represents to me the difference between living in Hawaii and visiting it as a tourist. I love this and will try to find more.

In the vial: Buttery pumpkin and spices--this smells like an unbaked pumpkin pie with a homemade, butter-based crust, just ready to be put into the oven Wet on skin: Pumpkin (still very buttery) and florals Dry on skin: This is a morpher; the spicy pumpkin backs off quite a bit and the florals and amber take over. I never do detect the mandarin and orange peel. Pumpkin Queen is yummy in both its pumpkin phase and its floral phase, but I much prefer the earlier one. This is one for the scent locket.

This has been on my wishlist since the first day I heard of BPAL but I kept putting off including it in an order. Thanks to a generous sniffie from a forumite, I am now thoroughly in wub! In the vial: Soft vanilla and florals Wet on skin: Vanilla and linen, with florals in the background Dry on skin: Perfectly blended vanilla, linen and florals Simple, soft, long-lasting (close to 12 hours with some serious throw, as others have noted)...what's not to love? Must have many bottles!

I had to get a decant of this, seeing that it will probably become an LE classic, even though I usually loathe lavender. In the vial: Lavender and lemon, but the lavender is softer than it has been in other blends that I've tried. Wet on skin: Much more complex than in the vial...vanilla, spices, tea and other florals (I think) have joined the lavender and lemon. I can definitely detect the Snake Oil influence but it's tempered by the Dorian notes and the strength of the lavender. How apropos! Dry on skin: Stays fairly true to its original wet stage for the duration (about eight hours). Taking a cue from the Bedtime BPAL thread, I slathered this on last night before I went to bed and then proceeded to sleep like a rock. And I like it much, much more than I thought I would.

In the imp: Red musk and patchouli with heady florals (not sure if I'm smelling lotus or orchid) Wet on skin: Very similar to in the bottle--the musk/patchouli blend is challenged by the florals. I think I'm getting more orchid than any other flower. No currant yet... Dry on skin: Ah, here's the currant at last! Its arrival helps to temper the florals, which are getting a bit sharp. Surprisingly, this only lasted about three hours on me, despite the presence of the patchouli (which usually takes up permanent residence on my skin). It was yummy while it lasted; I'm glad to have a decant of this.

Purchased from a lovely forumite--this was one of the first LEs I added to my wishlist when I first discovered BPAL (all of two months ago). In the bottle: Lots of almond gives the honeysuckle-based floral a slightly gritty edge. I think I can pick out the fig, too. Not detecting any carnation or tonka yet... Wet on skin: Sharp honeysuckle at the forefront, with fig and/or pomegranate adding a deeper sweetness. The almond, which is almost never good on me, has mercifully faded almost completely. Dry on skin: A multilayered drydown: the honeysuckle blends with the other floral notes (except I never do get any carnation) while the fruit stays in the background, then the fruit and honey take the lead as the honeysuckle/jasmine fades. Hony Mone lasts over eight hours on me and gets progessively more beautiful. Edited to correct grammar fail

In the imp: Red musk, patchouli and an unidentified spice (not cinnamon or ginger)...my eyes are watering a bit from the strength of the blend. Wet on skin: This has more going on than musk, patchouli and what I now think is clove. (Vetiver? Sandalwood?) In any case, the patchouli/musk anger is mellowing and it's not as aggressive on my skin as in the bottle. Dry on skin: This dries down nicely. My skin chemistry tends to make every blend sweeter and drier; this is no exception. The clove plays nicely with the heavier elements and the overall effect is quite comforting. It is massively strong and lasts on me until I scrub it off (12+ hours). Masculine or not, this mellows enough on my skin to be worn during cold weather.

In the imp: Very potent lemon and ginger Wet on skin: Quite nice, actually...the lemon mellows a bit and the ginger gets richer...not getting any hint of the dreaded lavender Dry on skin: Phooey. The lemon gets dirty and the yummy ginger fades into allspice, which doesn't go quite so well with the lemon. Faded completely in about three hours and was gone before I turned in for the night, which is a good thing because I would not have been able to sleep while wearing this scent. In its wet (yummy) stage, it's too energizing, as previous reviews have stated. Once dry, it faded into tired staleness on me.

In the imp: Strong, astringent pine Wet on skin: Sharp pine, slightly sweetened (not sure if it's the ambergris or the musk that's having a tempering effect on the pine) Dry on skin: Morphs from single-note pine to a blend of pine and musk Relatively short wearlength on me (2-3 hours) and the pine loses much of its potency after the first hour. This will be nice for winter, especially layered with berries or a wintry floral.

In the bottle: Any BPAL with sugar/honey/anything foody smells like plastic to me at first sniff, and this is no exception...plastic butterscotch. But I have learned quickly to press on. Wet on skin: No more plastic butterscotch, just rich, warm caramel and tart apple (more fruity than blossom-y at this point). No sign of teak yet, which surprises me since I usually amp any wood notes. The musk must be in the background, blending and deepening the caramel and apple notes. Dry on skin: I could say quite a bit here about what this blend does to my skin, but the Reader's Digest version is: The teak never does appear, but this dries down beautifully. The caramel backs down a tad, the apple fruit morphs into apple blossom, the honey shows up shimmering and singing...on my skin it's sensual without being inyerface sexaaay, sweet but not cloying, rich without being heavy... Okay, that's enough newbie hyperbole. I love this Grindhouse Lady.

In the imp: The tartest apple I have ever smelled, with something sour in the background. The description is unpleasant but the smell was not--it was sophisticated and complex, not foody at all. Wet on skin: The tartness of the apple is being warmed by...something...it doesn't smell like the amber that I'm growing accustomed to... Dry on skin: Glorious drydown, with the amber mellowing the tartness of the apple. This is definitely not at all foody on me. (And I love foodies--but BPAL foodies get all academic and sophisticated on me for some weird reason.) Lasts about 5-6 hours on me. This is delicious. I'll be reaching for it often this fall and winter.

Bliss was remarkably consistent from imp to drydown: milk chocolate brownie. It was delicious, but dryer than I thought it would be (all the BPAL baked foodies seem to be somewhat dry on me). It lasted about four hours, which is long enough to smell like a brownie in my book. I'll definitely try layering this one.

In the imp: Very, very herbal, with something sharply floral in the background Wet on skin: The herbs are a bit more mellow and the lavender is more identifiable (still very sharp) Dry on skin: Sharp lavender with some herbs, no sweetness whatsoever This one's not for me. I did try to wear it to bed but it gave me a headache--had to get up and wash it off at 1 a.m.

In the imp: Rose and leather, with a sour note in the background that I'm tempted to blame on the rose (my evil nemesis) but which might actually be the wine. Wet on skin: Oh, my...this is sexy. The sour ickiness is gone and the leather and rose are flirtin' up a storm. The rose, which usually turns into screaming soap on my skin, is having way too much fun playing with the leather to be obnoxious. And the leather note is commanding and feminine, evoking kidskin gloves rather than a dude's bomber jacket. Dry on skin: Fantastic drydown as the wine note joins in, deepening the rose and mellowing the leather. At the first test, it lasted about six hours on me. This scent makes me feel subversive, like I'm at a board meeting wearing leather underwear under my demure corporate attire. A definite keeper.

In the imp: Tropical flowers with chocolate in the background Wet on skin: The rose is amping (as it always does on me) and the wine note is making an appearance. I think I can detect the other florals but I can't tell them apart. Dry on skin: Fades within an hour. Completely. Down to nothing. ???

In the imp: The orchid jumps right out, followed by the clover/moss/hawthorn greenery. Wet on skin: Well-blended floral, with the orchid still prominent but not overpowering the other notes. Nothing is going shrill or soapy yet...whew! Dry on skin: This scent is rich but stays more mellow than most florals do on me--I'm especially pleased that the orchid hasn't gone beserk. A previous review mentioned aquatic notes; as it dries and the green notes become more prominent I think I can detect a water note. It's almost like a field of flowers in a mossy meadow during a light rainstorm (a bit hyperbolic, I know, but the scent is pretty evocative for the first few hours). This would be a great spring/summer scent. The green notes anchor and deepen the florals, keeping them from getting too sweet.

I was so excited to order this. Amber, check. Dark fruits, check. I loves me some fruit and amber. This blend seemed like it would be simple, rich and long-lasting. In the imp: Deeply fruity--I got more of a currant feeling than a berry one. The amber stayed in the background, grounding and deepening the fruit. Wet on skin: Glorious fruit for about two minutes, then hairspray. Dry on skin: I left it on for nearly an entire workday. It was long-lasting alright, but smelled like hairspray the entire time. I have tried this twice now with the same result, and need to accept that it will be a scent locket blend for me. Something in this oil hates my skin. And it's so delicious in the bottle...my first BPAL heartbreak!

In the imp: Rose with a tinge of sourness. No spices. On skin: From application through drydown, for its whole life on my wrists, this was straight up rose. That is all. It never morphed or seemed to meld with my skin. And it's got some serious wearlength; it was going strong when I finally washed it off after 12 hours. Huh. I'm not sure what I think about this scent. This is the first rose blend that hasn't curled up and died upon contact with my skin, but it doesn't really appeal to me, either. It's very pretty, though, and I'll try it again in a month or two.