opticnerd

This blend was a big surprise for me as it contained some of my doom notes (amber, sage, moss), but turned out to be just gorgeous on me. Very complex and strange and so well blended its almost impossible to pick the notes out. Wet, my boyfriend told me it smelled really good "like watermelon." I think I know where he gets that from. There is something cool, sweet and slightly watery smelling, mingled with something minty and cool. Smells a little like a refreshing sliver of watermelon with a leaf or 2 of fresh mint. As this begins to dry, the ambers and woods begin to come out. And instead of turning powder/dust doom on me, they are warm and snuggly and downright intoxicating. The sweetness begins to soften and the soft woods and ambers take over, maintaining just a bit of that cool/aquatic snow note. This blend is very pretty and could probably work well on both guys and gals. I am so glad I decided to get a decant and I think I may have to get a bottle of it.

This blend starts out with a similar sharp, juniper/pine snow note as a few of the other Yules, but has a slightly tougher edge which seems to be a bit of ozone and mint mingling with the frost. Almost tangy. I feared the dirt note, but instead found the dirt to be a very subtle oakmoss sort of note that blends beautifully with the mints and ozone and brings this to be a very wearable, clean unisex blend that is completely reminiscent of an adrenaline-charged snowball fight. Very fun!

This blend intrigued me with its description, but I didn't expect it to work on me. I was pleasantly surprised! In the vial it smells like sweet hazelnuts and softened with a bit of hay and maybe a touch of honey. On, it smells like blueberry muffins! Yum! Wet, it reminded me of a lighter version of Blackberry Jam and Scones (the same sweet buttery pastry note but with less pronounced berry) or a creamier version of Fairy Wine. Dry, this becomes a healthier side of foody/bakery scents, reminding me much of granola, oatmeal cookies or muffins dotted with raisins and berries and sweetened with a touch of honey. I would love to get a bottle.

This blend has a rose note that I cannot believe. I have long since given up on finding a rose that smells good on my skin. Yet, here it is in Pink Snowballs! This is a soft and delicate and modest rose that doesn't go old lady, sour, or amp on me. Its almost like a sugared drop of rose water in a sweet blanket of Snow White with a little kiss of creamy vanilla. This is sweet, innocent and absolutely charming! This is by far the most wearable rose I've ever found and I am positively smitten with this lovely scent! I hope Pink Snowballs returns for future Yule updates as this one is absolutely classic and a wonderful companion to Snow White.

Bruised Violet Compound and Brusque Violets are both nice violet-purples I get a very purple popsicle feel from Soothing System, and a little wine to keep it from being too silly Prunella is a pretty purple cream color to me- like a lilac color. I love it. I get something very purple in the incense/flowers of Midnight on the Midway same kind of vibe from Temple Viper like sweet purple velvet.

Looks like you can still order Boo- and that's an awesome sugary creamy scent! I have to agree with those who recommended Detestable Putrescence. Its a rich vanilla ice cream scent- can't go too wrong there. Eat Me would be wonderful, only, the name may be an issue when gifting someone so young. Same as Lick It. Vanilla sugar and mint- YUM! But, yeah, that seems to be up there with Eat Me as bordering inappropriate for the youngins. Tombstone may be too dusky, but I get really yummy vanilla spice from that one. Stimulating Sassafras Strengthener is like a rootbeer vanilla kind of scent that she may like. And while its not a straight vanilla- Aunt Caroline's Joy Mojo is a nice sweet happy scent. Regan may also be an idea. My top rec is Boo, though.

The only thing I've sniffed that's very close to Antique Lace is Black Lace, but that's even harder to find than AL. I think the second most similar (to my nose) is Under the Harvest Moon. Its a bit more floral/outdoorsy and rosy, but there's something there that's similar. I love Boo and Snow White for the same cool, sweet white scent, but its just not the same.

When I first tried this scent (about a year ago) I thought it smelled like baby powder and wrote it off. A lot has changed since then, mostly my skin chemistry and my nose so a lot of things that smelled like powder now work and the opposite is true as well. So now that I start wearing it this time around, this scent has become pure win! Wet, I get Dorian and strong lavender and its kind of a bit too fresh and clean, and possibly sharp. Dry, however, the aging vanilla comes out and really sweetens and smooths it out to the point where I get almost a creamy sugary note in there that goes with the lavender and tones down its astringent qualities. Once settled, Lilith Victoria becomes an amazing creamy sugared lavender milk with added depth from SO and Dorian. And after a while I get random whiffs of Snake Oil here and there. This has become a huge favorite for bedtime. edit to fix pre-caffeinated typos

I love this scent. I ordered 2 bottles unsniffed, back when it was live, and am so glad I did! This begins as apple with a somewhat tropical and slightly bubblegummish tinge ala Xanthe. That must be the guava, but give it a little time to settle and a wonderful creaminess that is reminiscent of Alice begins to mingle with the tropical bubble gum apple scent. So that there must be the cream/vanilla/carnation. Its just delicious! Its fruity, and very slightly tropical without being sticky-sweet. In fact it feels very clean and fresh and a great spring/summer scent.

At first, the Girl was love at first sniff to me, and could do no wrong. I was all ready to go and get many bottles of it as soon as finances would allow, but then something happened. In later testings of it it started getting just a bit too cologny with the musks and what may or not be the birch. I still like it, but I wonder if its threatening to turn into a masculine scent on me the way mossy scents often can. My first application of it was just a knockout win. I got crystalline notes similar to champagne without the boozy/sour/fruity tone. Just sparkling crisp airy goodness, and ethereal swirls of silvery shimmery *can't put my finger on it* loveliness. The florals and ambers I feared so much didn't show themselves at all, but something sweet and delicate and absolutely intoxicating did. Maybe that was silver birch? No idea but it was just gorgeous. LOVE. Later applications were similar, but the crispness and delicate woods (probably the birch) started feeling hard and musky and possibly masculine on me. I'm very confused by this blend, but part of me just wants to have it as it was so beautiful at one time on my skin. I'm almost thinking this is one of those blends that wants to be ever so lightly dabbed on to the skin, as too much can become harsh? Must experiment further.

This blend is lovely, but possibly too rosy for my taste. I normally turn roses into something awful, but the rose is staying true in this one, which is good, but still rather prominent to me. I do love the creamy vanilla and cool musks that are very similar to Antique Lace (one of my staples). I wish I got less rose and more carnation and it would be a total winner. As for now, I'm just on the fence. It is lovely for a classic, floral perfume and is a very pretty blend, so I'm going to hold on to it for a while and hope for the best.

Simply put, this is everything I wish Samhain would be. Wet woods, falling leaves and the slightest touches of spicy roasted apples and whisps of smoke in cold autumn air. Samhain however, turns to burning rubber on my skin. Not Falling Leaf, though! It really captures the scent of autumn with a slightly lighter touch. I do not get any aquatic note in this blend, but I do however get the feeling of drying leaves and wood that are wet with fresh rain and a little chilling from the wind. The woods are sweetened with just a touch of what could be roasted apple in the air and a touch of chimney smoke. Its very evocative without being harsh or *too* outdoorsy. This is a great blend for a day like today where it is a little cool, gray and rainy and I want to savor the autumn gloom just a little.

This smells exactly as I thought it would. Its similar to Beaver Moon 05/Beaver'versary with the sweet creamcheese frosting. But its lighter. And a little less sweet. The Dorian/SO/Doc backdrop is subtle. It almost smells like whatever the backdrop in Eat Me is to me. It just makes it a little lighter and less sweet, but none stand out. If I were to smell this scent, without knowing the notes, I could pick out something cakey and sweet creamy frosting, and wouldn't know for sure that there was any SO, Dorian or DC hanging in the blend. Its a really lovely cake scent! I love that its just a bit more wearable for me than Beaver 05 which can make me smell like I've been baking all day. This one just smells like I've got a cupcake up my sleeve.

I am in love with this blend! Oh my goodness, its amazing! Its the prettiest and sweetest citrus sugar scent ever. I get sweet watery tangerine that's slightly creamy, though not in any obvious way. Just as though there's a slight touch of spun sugar and vanilla in there, not an outright cream or milk note, though. There's also something a little dry and dusty in there. It reminds me of Lush bath bomb dust, particularly that of the Supernova bomb. Its a very pretty scent! It reminds me of summer, as there's something ever so slightly tropical with the tangerine note, as though its a wet fruity breeze over some hot sandy air (which must be the sandalwood/ambergis). Its gorgeous! And for a light, sweet citrus blend, its got great staying power!

I also get a hint of Mme Moriarty or Snake Charmer with this blend. The thing is, red musk is just awful on me. I amp it to the point of giving myself headaches and feeling ill. This blend, is not red musk! Its PINK musk! And I can wear this! And I freaking love it! It begins as soft pink incense, then a hint of coconut and sugar come out as does the pomegranate and musk. It has a young girlish feel, along with the hypnotic billows of incense. Its absolutely adorable and lovely. Easy to wear incense/musk/fruit if ever there were any. The only downside to this one is that its light and fades quickly and becomes a very close-to-the skin scent, but I don't mind it. Keeps it an innocent and lovely blend. overall its a total win and I am SOOOO excited to be able to have a "lite" blend of those blends I have never had any luck wearing.

Oh wow, this scent is just so wonderful! In the bottle, its a buttery, soft vanilla cream and sugar scent. Wet- MIDWAYYYYYY! Oh God! That's possibly my favorite BPAL scent ever, so its amazing to get something so similar, but still unique and different. Its slightly less sweet and more somber, and seems to have a bit more throw. Drydown- I'm still getting Midway spun sugar awesomeness, but the buttery hint is dying down a little and I'm getting hints of Antique Lace in there. After a while, I'm getting a scent that has suggestions of so many of my favorite BPAL scents in there, but never enough to make this an unnecessary purchase. This is almost too good to be true! I'm getting Midway and a bit Plastic Pink Flamingo sugariness, with Antique Lace's creamy cotton vanilla... and what's this? Snow White, you're in there too? Yes, I'm getting that cool dusty Snow White scent on the dry/fade side of things, and almost a whisper of the way Snow White reminds me of Lush's American Cream and Silky Underwear as it fades down. Boo is just a total win for me, and I will be needing to stockpile the hell out of this one.

I can't believe I never reviewed Snake Oil. I was so sure I had. Maybe its because everything I could say has already been said by other reviewers. Snake Oil is absolutely amazing! Its this beautiful woody resinous vanilla incense, with just the faintest kiss of something almost opium-like. Perhaps a bit of almond and saffron, and the easiest to wear patchouli and possibly cedar ever! Ok, so its tough to pick out the notes, but its just the most captivating and warm sensual vanilla blend ever. It makes me feel comforted whenever I wear it, and oddly enough, it makes me feel tough. Like I won't take any crap from anyone. Its an empowering and gorgeous perfume. And yes, aging makes it just incredible.

I can't believe I never reviewed this one! This was one of my first BPAL loves. A scent I ignored for a while and when I eventually did put it on my skin, I just couldn't get enough. Its definitely a vanilla cake scent that gets better and better with age. Not heavily frosted cake ala Beaver Moon, but warm, vanilla coffee/bunt cake with a hint of currants in the wet phase. My skin chemistry tends to dry it down to a vanilla cake and incense blend that is just amazingly comforting in cold weather. I have a nice 5ml aging for the upcoming winter.

This was a (big) surprise hit for me. I object to most of the notes in it as I am decidedly NOT a fan of golden honey, ylang ylang or patchouli and clove tends to overpower most blends on my skin. This though, is nothing I expected. It smells like warm sweet figs in a Lush shop. Lots of nommy scents of every category wafting in the background giving it a soft sweet incense vibe and just adding dimension to that great figgy note. The patchouli was a shock to me as it smells nothing like dirty earthy hippy stink to me. It smells like that lovely warm sensual patchouli tucked away in the Snake Oil blends. There are rare moments where I think with a dash of vanilla this could be part of the Snake Pit. Anyway try it out if you like warm fig blends and lush sensual fragrances that aren't overly floral or spicy.

Beaver'Versary I thought I'd write a review as I'm wearing this for the first time in a while today and I'm enjoying it. Its definitely a cool weather scent- far too just-baking-kinda-foody for summer or warm weather. When I decided I was in love and needed to order this, it was due to a sniffy I was sent. The sniffy was warm sweet creamy cupcakes with the density of cheesecake. And it was love. My bottle, however, is mostly cinnamon. It almost turns into an incensey cake scent as a result. I still love it but I wonder if I got a super cinnamony batch of it. O well, either way its the perfect winter foody scent for me, and cinnamony or not, its delicious. My only complaint is that it does smell a little too foody at moments, as though I am covered in cinnamon buns and cookie dough and baking spices after baking a long day, but most of the time its just lovely.

I found this blend to initially be dead-on melty vanilla ice cream, however, it gathers a bit more complexity on my skin. It seems to bloom into a big vanilla cream scent, but is toned with other subtle notes- I get a bit of a vanilla flower note, something figgy and a little touch of almond in there. It also has the slightest suggestion of a sweet waffle cone and a big ol cherry on top. For those who wished Love's Philosophy was just a bit sweeter and foodier- here ya go! Its almost got the sweet cloudiness of Midway, with the basic vanilla cream of Love's Philosophy and a bit of the cherry almond of Horn of Plenty. Maybe also just a touch of Hetaire or Eden's figginess. Surprisingly sexy. though one application showed threat of going plasticy, it has been behaving like an angel for all other applications.

08 version The weather here has been hot and humid for weeks now and its almost impossible to sleep at night due to the hot stuffiness in my bed room. Snow White has been my cure. It brings a soft gentle snuggly feeling to me that is truly reminiscent of freshly fallen snow. It is unbelievable how much of a true snow scent this is to me- soft cool and powdery with the faintest hints of almond, vanilla and white flowers. Its so hard to describe, but it truly sums up the best qualities of snow. Sparkly, white, soft, fresh and innocent. And oh so beautiful!

Originally, the only appeal this had for me was the cute name. A perfume called "Stinky" is just awesome, after all. But, none of the notes described sounded like they'd work for me. I turn a lot of scents into powder, so the idea of something that is powdery to begin with just about made me cringe. However, I've learned to be open-minded and try any BPAL I can. So I got a decant. And OMG!!! This scent is just amazing. Everything about it is refreshing, renewing and clean and pretty feeling. It doesn't smell like honey (which is kind of a foul sour scent on me most of the time) or powder or anything I was expecting. It actually didn't morph at all on me from application to the full span of its wear, and consistently smelled like fluffy cotton, and creamy white nectarines. Or Smarties. Either way it is so nice to wear- clean, cool, fun, sweet and innocent, and most of all very very pretty. Damn. I didn't foresee this making the bottle list at all, and now it is making the bottle + backup bottle list.

Floating Brain, but with raspberry jam and a hint of brown sugar. Dig it.

This one is strange, and I agree its so faint its difficult to get a feel for. I get a bucket of rainbow sprinkles from this one. No cake. No frosting. Just rainbow sprinkles. There's not much smell to that, and there's something almost plasticy, artificial and non foody about it. But somehow its sweet happy, fluffy deliciousness. This scent is rainbow sprinkles, indeed. I think it will lose the waxy/plastic edge with a bit of age. As strange as it is, I keep applying and deeply sniffing. Its a good clean smell and I like it more with each wear.