oakmoss

Okay, I'll differ a bit from the Cucumber Chorus here and say that this is not just cucumber, it's ENGLISH cucumber, that really old-fashioned gourmet cucumber that makes you say, yessss, this is what cucumber used to smell and taste like back in the olden days when vegetables and fruits had real flavor. So there's that green wet scent, and the fresh-mown grass greenness, and then on dry-down there's just a hint of lily-of-the-valley -- imagine lying in the shade on a warm summer day, smelling the sweet cool grass and lily-of-the-valley, nibbling elegant cucumber sandwiches and reading something by Agatha Christie, perhaps....

Try Dana O'Shee -- my skin also amps honey, and it didn't do so here. If you can find some, you might enjoy Chaste Moon, but it is one of the rarest of the rare, so good luck!

Oh, body chemistry, you are a funny thing. In spite of the almond note that always goes wonky on me, I took a chance with a smidgeon of Bilquis, and sure enough, this blend went through the wet-dog phase mentioned above and then into fishy. And a very particular kind of fishy -- not ocean-freshness fishy, but haven't-cleaned-the-aquarium-lately fishy. And the wet dog is still sitting there, nose against the aquarium. And someone is feeding him almonds. Old, dusty almonds. Okay, okay, this is NOT about whatever beautiful scent Beth made. This is between me and my chemistry (and the dog). Sorry, Bilquis.

This is a goddess-worthy perfume indeed -- rich and warm and generous, many-layered like a rose rolled in fine spices, the petals touched with cinnamon and sandalwood, wafted through aromatic incense. It just kept getting better and better, from the first sniff to the last fade-out. I need more than one bottle of this.

As I was heading here to write a little review, I kept thinking, "This is like some commercial perfume from twenty or thirty years ago..." and it looks like many other reviewers were on the same wavelength! Much as I hate to say it, on my skin this blend becomes the kind of strong generic perfume that I shudder away from when I smell it on other people or when passing by a perfume counter -- a muddle of sharp cheap floral twangs that assault my nose and give me a headache. As with any negative review, of course, I have to emphasize "on me" -- you may get a completely different take on it. I know sometimes we use the word "sophisticated" here to mean "I can't pick out any individual notes," but for me, a sophisticated blend reveals notes like a belly dancer swirling her veils -- a hint of this, a glimpse of that. This blend may just be too swathed in veils for me.

I fully intended that this perfume would go up for swaps untried, as jasmine, gardenia, and grapefruit are all notes that don't work on me at all. I just wanted the critter! So imagine my delight at finding that this blend is lovable all on its own. The vanillas muffle the sharpness of the white blossoms and citrus to make a perfect combination of creamy and sparkly. It's fresh and light, not perfumey or heavily floral, just happy and playful. It is also subtle, and on me at least, fades VERY fast. I've applied it twice in the last hour or two and it's gone again. Usually jasmine sticks around way longer than I'd like, so this blend is mysterious in many ways. Don't be afraid of the individual notes -- try it!

When I got this imp, I didn't even try it on -- the sniff from the imp was so strongly cherry-fruity-sweet that I wasn't attracted to it at all, and I tucked it into a little imp box I have in my purse and forgot about it. A few days ago I got a new scent diffuser for the car and happened to remember the imps in my purse, so I tried a few drops of Tanin'iver, and yummmmm! This makes an excellent airborne scent, a sort of fruity incense, but without the heavy cough-syrup effect I was getting from the imp. Today I got brave and tried some on my skin, and to my delight, upon drydown the incense came to the fore, rich and with just a hint of the fruitiness. It doesn't last long, alas, so the period of time after cherry-sweet and before disappearing (on me, anyway) is rather brief. As a room/car scent, though, I think you could safely use it abundantly and get the full benefit of its smoky goodness.

I'm giving this thread a little bump to see what's new and faboo in the BPAL world of scents that are good in the car, specifically. I just got a little oil diffuser for my car and tried some Alice -- okay, rather too much Alice, as about half an imp spilled onto the little pad. I'm thinking I'll try Midway next. What have you tried and found effective in that kind of enclosed small space?

Carnation, posies, and white amber with a hint of inky treacle, sandy cider, and wooly wine. I put this on without referring back to the notes description and now that I've read them again, I have to say that even straining my mind's nose to detect what everyone else here seems to be smelling, I don't get any carnation, amber, cider, wine, treacle, etc. I'm getting a heavy sort of mishmash, that sort of generic perfume-y perfume scent -- although some other blends that list amber have done the same thing on occasion, not consistently -- for example, House of Mirrors, which was very perfume-y on me. I tried to let Queen Alice morph into something else on me, but after two hours it's still unpleasant and doesn't seem to want to wash off. Oh well, chalk it up to odd chemistry, because those notes SHOULD work on me! Off with her head!

Perfumed Garden '06: I hadn't tried this in quite a while, so I took it out for a spin last night. At first, this was a sophisticated elegant blend of flowers, reminding me of classic French perfumes of a bygone age, perhaps. You know, Audrey Hepburn in a Givenchy gown sort of thing. Alas, my chemistry amped up the jasmine and within minutes this was pure dish soap. Not unpleasant, but still... dish soap. Within an hour, it was gone completely, which surprised me, since the scent was quite vivid when it was working. This might be one I'll try in the scent locket to see what it blooms into when it isn't fighting my skin.

Oh, I like this a lot. I was reminded of Miskatonic University, for some strange reason, only without the coffee, if that makes any sense at all, which it probably doesn't. The same sense of soft, thoughtful, enveloping warmth, but without the foodiness. The coconut adds a bit of subtle sweetness, but nothing like Eden or Obalata, yummy as they are -- this isn't a moist chewy coconut. This is indeed a dry coconut, lying just beneath the gentle sandalwood and musk. I could definitely get a sense of this blend being "furry" -- or maybe just fuzzy. It's comforting.

Alice is feeling a little sullen today, as in her photo in my signature, because I've found a new carnation love. Alice, oh, Alice, don't despair! Pink Moon and I are just a fling, I promise! YOU are general catalogue, after all. Even if I am smitten with this most delicious spicy-sweet springtime creation, so that I can't stop smashing my nose against my wrist or returning to sniff the bottle again and again.... it could never compare to the depth of feeling I have for YOU, Alice, my Alice... (Could it...? )

I really can't review these separately -- and who could separate the twins, anyway? One is the most delicious rose, the other the most delicious violet. A dab of Hope on one wrist, then Faith on the other, caress them gently together, and inhale -- ahhhhhh..... sublime. The combination is swooningly beautiful, and every time I try it, I'm enchanted anew. If you love florals, you must get this set.

I really can't review these separately -- and who could separate the twins, anyway? One is the most delicious rose, the other the most delicious violet. A dab of Hope on one wrist, then Faith on the other, caress them gently together, and inhale -- ahhhhhh..... sublime. The combination is swooningly beautiful, and every time I try it, I'm enchanted anew. If you love florals, you must get this set.

First, I must set the scene for you. My house doesn't have a bathtub at present, which is a HUGE sacrifice for me, as I'm at least half mermaid. So to take a bath rather than a shower, I need to go into town to the lovely Japanese bath at Well Within spa. It is a round deep soaking tub set in a pretty little private outdoor garden, with a small fountain, open to the sky. After a few minutes in the sauna, I stepped out into the soft chilly rain that was falling and immersed myself in the steaming water I had run into the tub. Sinking down, I plopped in my Quietude fizzyBOOM and inhaled its subtle fragrance. Raindrops fell on my upturned face as I let the fizzyBOOM do its thing -- softening the water deliciously, so that it felt silky against my skin. I think in a closed bathroom with a normal sized tub, the scent would be stronger, but even outside and in a double-deep tub, it was noticeable and effective aromatherapy. In a little while the rain stopped and the clouds blew over, revealing patches of blue, and small blossoms fell into the perfumed water from the tree overhead. All my cares were gone, and life was in perfect perspective again.

I always wear BPAL to bed, and the blends that give me the best sleep are incensy, like Penitence, Midnight Mass, The Pit and the Pendulum.... There is something about the rich softness of these blends that is comforting and protective, conducive to peaceful sleep.

I'll add my votes for Two Five & Seven, which I think is just the freshest, greenest, moistest (is that even a word?) rose ever -- and for Kurukulla and Parlement of Foules, if you can find some. If like violet as well as rose, try Marie.

Anne Bonny is probably a good bet, and Hetairae if you can wear honey blends. Masquerade is also lovely -- the orange blossom/neroli is the first note, but then it ripens into spicy patchouli-carnation yumminess. Also Umbra, Urd, and Sri Lanka, which is like a very good patchouli-based incense, rich and mysterious.

In addition to those named already, try Tamora: Amber, heliotrope, golden sandalwood, peach blossom and vanilla bean. Warm and bright. In fact, you might want to search for other blends with heliotrope, since you are following the sun yourself!

Definitely try Prague, and if you like roses, try Two Five and Seven. Both of these have that fresh damp floral thing going.

It isn't mentioned much when sexy blends are discussed, but give Penitence a try. It is rich, warm, spicy, mysterious, and altogether divine.

Obatala should do the trick, and I'll put in a good word for Eden too -- no plastic AND the first time I wore it to bed I had a long dream about George Clooney. If you can find any (and good luck to you there), you might also like Milk Moon. It's rare, but every now and then people offer an imp at least.

I can't seem to find a thread that compares currently available LE blends to ones that aren't available anymore, so moderators, please feel free to move this as needed! If you liked Annabel Lee..... try Darkling Thrush.

Two Five and Seven is the lightest and freshest of the rose scents, in my opinion. It's the one I never get tired of, and it never goes over-heavy-rosy.

Sometimes a perfume just nails it in terms of the imagery and invocation of its source inspiration, and that's so for dear Mina. The gentle blossoms swiftly morph into a swooning spiciness, with hints of dusty rose peeking through, like the tatters of innocence. And then as suddenly, it's gone... just .... gone. Ordinarily I'd be whining, "Where's the throw? Where's the staying power?" But for this blend, it seems right that she should be an apparition that fades away sooner than you would like. I may have to get another bottle, for frequent touch-ups. This is one of Beth's most beautiful, I think.