puck_nc

Origin: Frimp in a purchase from a fellow BPALer

 

Initial Thoughts: I'm not sure whether it would be the sandalwood (which can amp on me) or fig that stayed my hand over the years, but hibiscus and apple blossom are definite happy notes for me.

 

In the Vial: Spring in a bottle! A very fresh cool floral without being too green-stem or leafy.

 

Wet: The sandalwood comes out, but since it's white sandalwood it's leaving room for the other notes to breathe. Less fresh spring and more what a mature and sexy woman might wear for a floral.

 

Drydown: The apple blossom takes on a slightly more "apple" tone and the sandalwood backs off. Not quite as overtly sexy as before, but still my impression of what an older woman would wear. On the traditional side, but not dull.

 

Verdict: A very pleasant floral suitable for work situations. I'll keep the imp and we'll see if I use it up fast enough to justify a bottle.

Origin: One I bought off the BPTP Etsy. The other is (I presume) a decanted tea light that was an extra in a purchase I made from a fellow BPALer.

 

Initial Thoughts: I love a good pine/fir/cedar scent for atmosphere and I love BPTP candles. But this one went out of stock before I could place my Yule order. I lucked out on an Etsy update and nabbed it. And then someone gifted me a sample.

 

Unburned: Holding it up to my nose it smells very clean and snowy, a bit earthy, and faintly evergreen. A wintry landscape, but a calm one.

 

Burning: I lit the tea light and under the burning-candle scent I am getting more evergreen and less winter chill. A cool but comforting Yule scent.

 

Verdict: Love it. I may snag another if my wallet and another Etsy update align.

Origin: Unexpected extra in a purchase from a fellow BPALer

 

Initial Thoughts: None, since I had only the vaguest idea that this existed.

 

In the Bottle: CHOCOLATE! In-your-face dark chocolate. A second sniff produces an underlying extra sweetness that makes me think of cake or brownies.

 

On the Skin: Definitely more chocolate baked goods than pure chocolate. A slight nuttiness tilts it further toward brownie.

 

Verdict: Well, if you ever wanted to take a bath in the scent of fresh-baked brownies, this would be your answer. But I have never been one to want to wear chocolate as a scent when I'd rather eat it. Therefore I will find some way to give this partial bottle a deserving home.

Origin: Decant gifted with a purchase from another BPALer

 

Initial Thoughts: Um, well, mistletoe? But with something sexy/musky going on?

 

In the Vial: Warm, honey-sweet apple with a backdrop of something incense-y.

 

Wet: A cheery burst of apple and fruit with an undertone that still reads incense to my nose.

 

Drydown: Now there's a bit of some evergreen in the mix. It's less of the cup of cider to make an exuberant toast to the holiday and more a cup of cider for sitting in an overstuffed chair and enjoying a cozy fire in a room hung with Christmas greenery.

 

Verdict: A sweet portrait of the Yule season and one I'll enjoy wearing.

Origin: Snagged from the BPTP Etsy store

 

Initial Thoughts: I wanted to try this back when it arrived last year, but by the time I had money to spend on Lupers, it was out of stock and didn't come back. I'd see it pop up on Etsy now and again, but it never stayed long enough for me to buy it. I have discovered that the right combo of sweet and floral is pure bliss and love jasmine and vanilla as notes.

 

In the Bottle: Sweet and jasmine and vanilla and lily-ish. It's slightly darker and more like a classic perfume than my other sugary florals - I think that's the vanilla.

 

On my Skin: I tried to get a single drop on the back of my hand since my palms are covered in a heavily rose Chaos Theory HG, but the bottle refused to cooperate and I had to squeeze a bit on the palm to dab on my other hand. The mix of this and the rose HG made for a VERY intriguing combo that I must explore if I keep the HG.

 

But I digress. Selbstverliebt on me is heavier on the vanilla than the florals. I find that I am absolutely okay with this as the sugar and vanilla keep the jasmine from going too sharp and the orchid from going soapy or green. It hugs the skin, which is also a good thing as that means I can rub some on my elbows or do a quick sugar scrub in the shower before work and not offend anyone.

 

Verdict: Gorgeous. I hope this is revisited sometime, but in the meantime I shall stalk Etsy for more.

Origin: Bought from the BPTP Etsy shop - bottle is labeled III !!!

 

Initial Thoughts: I don't do Chaos Theory in perfume because I have a few notes that itch horribly on me and more that amp badly. But I've learned that my hair is a different beast and am more willing to experiment with hair gloss. I tried purchasing a bottle when this first happened and got LXXXI, a very smoky blend that veered between charcoal and woodsmoke and finally went to a better home than mine. I figured it was worth trying once more so my Selbstverliebt bath oil would have some company.

 

In the Bottle: High and sharp florals. I'm thinking there's some very greeny rose in here - my first thought was Rose Red but even more dewy-fresh. A second sniff detects something else under that, but I have no clue what it is at this time.

 

On Dry Hair: Oh yeah, there's definitely some rose in here. I sprayed a bit on my hands to rub into a lock of hair and now my hands stink of way-too-green leaves and stems. In my hair I can detect the rose, probably another floral or two, and something else that makes me want to say citrus, but it seems off in some way. It's airy and maybe a bit ozone-y, but something about the notes is clashing a bit.

 

Verdict: No verdict yet. I'll come back and edit in the results when I apply it in my normal damp-hair method. It's entirely possible that what smells off is the notes in this clashing with the Winter Lily and Sugarcane HG I put on this morning, even though that scent is barely there at this time of the evening.

 

Update: Haven't done the wet-hair application yet, but the spritz I put in my dry hair mellowed out in a short while, that odd tang left, and I have a rosy floral that may be a little bit brighter and lighter than Rose Petals and Champa.

 

Final Verdict: I think this one will be a keeper. I did my normal shampoo/wrap-hair-in-towel/apply/gloss/blow-dry method and got a very strong burst of rose that was much like my Rose Red experience at first, very green and dewy rose. But whatever the other notes are, they mellowed it more toward my beloved Rose Petals and Champa, but less complex. I was sneaking sniffs of my hair all day long and could definitely smell it when I was moving around. A bright rosy floral and I'm glad I dared the Chaos a second time.

Origin: Bought from Nui Cobalt Designs

 

Initial Thoughts: This year so far has been a holy mess of me not being able to focus or concentrate or get things done in a timely manner.The half-imp of Concentration seems to work short-term in helping me concentrate on a task for a couple of hours, but I still feel way behind on most of the things. I wanted to see if Clarity would both last longer for accomplishing tasks and perhaps help me sort out a ton of feels over where I am in my life at the moment.

 

In the Bottle: Lemony zing and cool mint. I can definitely see that combination helping to stimulate the mind.

 

Wet: Both the lemon and mint dial it to eleven and the combo turns a bit herby/grassy. Very eye-opening in a good way.

 

Drydown: The mint backs down quite a bit and the lemon has taken on a candy-ish sweet tinge. It's very pleasant and I won't have any trouble having it on my skin.

 

Effect: I put it on my palms the way I do Concentration and sat down to tackle one of the many things that Must Be Done. I'll edit in the results later.

 

ETA: Well, I am getting some work done, but not as much as I had hoped. Still letting myself be dragged away from work tasks with household tasks that the husband could be doing instead...

Origin: Straight from the Post

Initial Thoughts: I love Pele the scent, but the perfume fades on me so fast that I never bothered to get a bottle. I was eager to try other forms in hopes of getting it to last.

In the Bottle: Rich and warm tropical flowers, creamy and smooth.

In the Hair: The bath oil on my skin brought out the ginger without it taking over. In my hair the ginger is staying very, very quiet. I am not at all displeased by this.

Verdict: If you've been looking for a hair gloss that is subtle enough to use at work, this is one possibility. If a lot of florals cause you problems (rose, jasmine, etc.) but you like the idea of florals, give this a try.

Origin: Straight from the Post

Initial Thoughts: This is it, finally! A mostly floral scent won the Lunacy poll!

In the Bottle: A crush of heady tropical florals. This is pure island magic without the coconut edge to make you think of suntan lotion.

On the Skin: My usual application method is to rub some into my elbows and other dry places at the end of my shower. 20 minutes later I can still smell it on my hands - the ginger has emerged, but is very smooth and gentle, adding some weight to the floral notes. Lush and tropical without screaming "Beach!"

Verdict: Love it! I'm very glad I snagged a bottle.

Origin: Free goblin squirt from the Trading Post

 

Initial Thoughts: I am yet another fan of TKO for helping me sleep at night. At the Dirty South Will Call last month XOMom said that Erebos was her TKO substitute for spraying onto linens. With that bit of information, it was time to dig out this freebie.

 

In the Bottle: Strongly lavender, but a more floral lavender than TKO. Still sweet and pleasant.

 

In the Air: And suddenly it's almost all lavender, but it's not harsh or herby.

 

Verdict: I will definitely be experimenting with this in the bedroom and hope it improves my sleep.

Origin: Free goblin squirt in a BPTP order

 

Initial Thoughts: Sun and desert sand? Dry and lifeless? Doesn't sound like me.

 

In the Bottle: Okay, sunny I agree with. Maybe even sandy. But this is hardly dry and lifeless. There are layers of spice and sweet that make it quite pleasant.

 

In the Air: Once sprayed, there's a strong impression of lightly sweetened sandalwood. I completely agree with the Morocco comparisons - the description suggests dryness and harshness but from out of nowhere there's soft creamy-sweetness in the blend.

 

Verdict: I rather like it. I don't tend to use atmos enough to require bottles, but I'm very happy to have the sample.

Origin: Frimp from a Lab order

 

Initial Thoughts: I had crossed this one off my list even thought I love carnation because the combination of musk and sandalwood usually mean amp city. And then I went to a Dragon*Con and got to try Moroccan Pumpkin Patch, which turned out to be marvelous when there was pumpkin involved. So now that an imp has fallen in my lap, time to try it.

 

In the Vial: Very sweet and rich musk. On the second huff I can detect the carnation. On the third I can pick out the sandalwood.

 

Wet: Okay, where is the vanilla coming from? Because what I'm getting is that very sweet musk/sandalwood combo, a bit of the carnation, and the overwhelming impression of vanilla. Is my nose broken?

 

Drydown: Okay, the impression of vanilla fades a bit. It's got a bit of spice to it now, but it remains mostly musk and sandalwood. While the amping is keeping the other notes to a minimum, the musk is not going overboard the way dark musks often do. So I'm guessing this is a light musk.

 

Verdict: This is not at all what I was expecting. I rather like it and think it would make a comforting work scent.

Origin: Various frimps and a bottle from the Lab

 

Initial Thoughts: I tried this one fairly early on in my BPAL experience and it quickly became one of my favorites when I wanted a more sophisticated floral. Somehow I never reviewed it before. Somehow the red sandalwood isn't problematic.

 

In the Vial: The first whiff is sandalwood. The second has the Lily of the Valley. Elegant and mature in a good way.

 

Wet: The sandalwood is the first note, which isn't surprising as sandalwood is one of those notes that can amp on me in a big way. Usually white sandalwood can work but red is an issue.

 

Drydown: The lily emerges to make it a much more floral scent. The sandalwood grounds it and the vanilla sweetens it. I never really detect the mandarin.

 

Verdict: Still a favorite for when I want what people would consider a traditional perfume.

Origin: Bought at the Dirty South Will Call

 

Initial Thoughts: This one I skipped right over when I first looked over the Luper offerings. The first problem was rose - I had only just discovered that rose does not go stinky in my hair the way it does on my skin - and the second and third problems were frankincense and myrrh, both of which amp horribly on my skin. But at the Will Call I took a regretful sniff, and then tried a regretful spray on my hair. And discovered something new.

 

In the Bottle: Heady rich wine. Something, probably the myrrh, is giving it a bitter edge.

 

On Wet Hair: Overwhelmingly rose, but a rich and honey-sweet rose without a trace of the green-stem issue that plagues me with most rose blends. Where Rose Red might be a winter/spring chilly rose, this is a lush summer rose.

 

Dry: The hair dryer brings out the incense more and balances the whole thing. It's still a rich and sultry rose, but there's more complexity and mystery.

 

Verdict: I can't stop huffing my hair. I think I'm going to need another bottle before the Lupers disappear.

Origin: Frimp in an order

 

Initial Thoughts: This is a mishmash of notes that I like and notes that are iffy on me. Let's see what happens.

 

In the Vial: Smooth and silky jasmine. I'm really surprised that I'm not picking up at least the cinnamon, but everything else appears to be creating a rich foundation to show off the jasmine.

 

Wet: Still jasmine, but it's more in line with the rest of the notes making up that foundation rather than being in front. It's warmer and spicier, which could be the cinnamon emerging or the sandalwood amping or both.

 

Drydown: This is astoundingly well-blended. The jasmine is still the only note I can identify for sure, maybe the vanilla. The overall impression is a warm and sweet comforting jasmine, as if it had been dipped in caramel.

 

Verdict: I think I like this one a lot. We'll see how fast I go through the imp.

Origin: Frimp in a Trading Post order

 

Initial Thoughts: No notes available? Then no idea!

 

In the Vial: Creamy light florals. Definite sweetness. I can see where people would say coconut, but my husband who detests coconut and unerringly makes a face when it is present in a blend didn't recoil. So if it's there, it's really well-blended.

 

Wet: The creaminess gets stronger and pushes it more toward foody than it was in the vial. Light and frothy and sweet.

 

Drydown: I think there might be something in the musk/amber/patchouli family in here, but on the white/light side. It's amping, but not in the mow-down-all-other-notes way that the dark end of the spectrum does. I'll run with someone's suggestion of piña colada - this would be the stage where some dark rum was added. It's deeper and richer.

 

Verdict: I think I like it, though I'm not sure how often I'd reach for it. I'll keep the imp for now, at least until such time as we learn the notes.

Origin: Bought at the Dirty South Will Call

 

Initial Thoughts: This was one that I was watching reviews on, because while I'm all over the plum and vanilla flower, the other notes are iffy. Since the reviews were mixed about what notes emerged, I was glad I got to try it in person.

 

In the Bottle: First sniff - pure honey. Second sniff - Okay, maybe there's some tea and stuff in this honey.

 

Wet: The tea is the first note out the door, and it takes several seconds for the florals to start catching up. It's all cool spring, green but with a soft and sweet undertone.

 

Drydown: The florals and honey emerge, making the scent warmer, but still very gentle and spring-like. Then the tea seems to come back - perhaps that's the ambergris helping it - but it remains a wonderful comforting floral scent.

 

Verdict: A bottle came home with me. A great gentle and grounded floral that's a bit different.

Origin: Bought at the Dirty South Will Call

 

Initial Thoughts: I love pear as a note - it features in Juliet and The Perilous Parlor, a couple of my favorites. I always hesitate over musk if it's not clearly spelled out whether it's a light or dark musk, since darker musks amp badly on me and I've had a couple of lemon-furniture-polish experiences as well. This was on my maybe list, but I got to play with it at the Will Call.

 

In the Bottle: Very, very pear. Cool and not candy-sweet, but positively pear.

 

Wet: Still very pear, but the lemon emerges quickly. And it's not artificial or overpowering at all, just adding its citrus zing to the pear.

 

Drydown: I would think it is safe to say that this is not a dark musk. The musk develops and blends in nicely, making the overall scent a bit less fruity and a touch more skin-like. It's subtle and would make a good work scent for me.

 

Verdict: Lovely! So glad I was able to try this one and bring a bottle home.

Origin: Frimp from the Lab

 

Initial Thoughts: Violet is usually very problematic on my skin, turning acridly unpleasant. But I love gardenia, lilac, and lavender with a passion. I will cross my fingers and hope.

 

In the Vial: A light and pretty crush of florals grounded by either the sandalwood or the orris. It's like one of the first warm spring days of the year.

 

Wet: A rush of gardeina and floral with the sandalwood amping up a touch the way sandalwood sometimes does.

 

Drydown: The violet is playing its stink card, but perhaps because of the numerous other notes it's not as strong as it has been in other blends. The gardenia is sort of taking everything over and that's not a bad thing.

 

Verdict: Well, it's nice to have found at least one blend where the violet doesn't overload and go icky. We'll see how often I reach for it.

Origin: Straight from the Post

 

Initial Thoughts: Like stellamaris, my skin does very disagreeable things to a lot of the Lab's rose notes. In my case I get green-stem to the level that it stinks like cooked collard greens. But I let Puddin' convince me that perhaps my hair would not misbehave so badly.

 

In the Bottle: It's the same beautiful fresh-cut rose that is the perfume.

 

Applying: My usual method is to spray into my damp hair or in my hands to work it in. I went for fewer sprays than normal, just in case since I wasn't going to have time to try and wash it out before work if it was disastrous. And at first the green-stem was pretty strong.

 

Drying: Blowdrying my hair quickly cut the strength of the scent, but I had a few more minutes of trepidation before the rose finally bloomed again.

 

Wearing: It has lasted all day at a very gentle level, giving a lovely pure rose aroma.

 

Verdict: I am very glad that this works on my hair and I can finally enjoy Rose Red in its proper courteous form rather than the greeny "HULK SMASH!" that my skin produces.

Origin: Straight from the Post

 

Initial Thoughts: At first, the lotus root and cade put me off. And then the reviews came in speaking of cool lilac floral. So I added a bottle to my last-minute Yule/first-minute Luper order.

 

In the Bottle: Lilac with a strong note that is alternately herby and chilly.

 

Wet: Well, hello, lotus! I remember your faintly bubblegum adventures from other scents...can you let the other notes out to play?

 

Drydown: It seems to be settling down to a lilac with a sweet edge from the lotus. Definitely not as chilly on my skin as herby with the chamomile.

 

Verdict: Unsure. It's not the lilac explosion I was hoping for but it may grow on me.

Origin: Straight from the Post

 

Initial Thoughts: The notes list included several favorites (honeysuckle, coconut, white jasmine), an iffy note (moss), and an unknown. Ever since I discovered that the "white" rule with me and musks also applied to patchouli, I've been eager to try white amber since it falls in that same family of notes that usually amp horribly on me.

 

In the Bottle: Warm jasmine. This is like a solitary garden corner, shady but with sun dappling through the leaves above. It's really well-blended - all the other notes just cluster up and support it.

 

On My Skin: It's a slower process than with the perfumes and/or the darker ambers, but the white amber does step up and make its presence felt. On the other hand, it brings the honeysuckle and coconut with it, which is a win.It tilts toward a summery scent without going all the way.

 

Verdict: I think I will be able to use this up, eventually.

Third on the throw. I got home, opened my box, left the candle on my desk while I ran back out for some errands, and came back to roses in my den. It's very true to what I remember from trying the perfume so many years ago - freshly-cut rose. And this won't go icky on my arm!

Origin: Frimp from the Lab

 

Initial Thoughts: I like lily in some blends - I wasn't sure about what "cobra" implied. Time to find out!

 

In the Vial: Sweet, fresh, slightly greeny lily. A second sniff detects an undertone of something grounding...the faintest resin or sandalwood.

 

Wet: For a moment I get that green rush that I usually get with rose, where it goes all stem and leaves. But it morphs very quickly into that undertone note, which means said undertone note is something like red sandalwood, a darker musk, incense, or patchouli-related...something that my skin amps like a fiend. However, the lily is not backing down without a fight.

 

Drydown: An interesting detente has formed between the lily and the amper. The amper is keeping the lily from going too green on me and lending a nice spicy flair to the scent. The lily is keeping the amper from going into "cheap headshop" territory. A scent quiet enough for the work environment, with an edge of sexy to it.

 

Verdict: Definitely keeping the imp. We'll see if it gets used enough to turn into a bottle purchase.

Origin: Bottle bought on the forums

 

Initial Thoughts: At first this wasn't even on my radar because generally booze=bad for my skin chemistry. Then someone mentioned in a thread that the "bourbon" of Bourbon vanilla has nothing to do with the Kentucky state drink but instead a geographic region of islands in the Indian Ocean that produces the majority of the world's vanilla. Thus educated, I immediately promoted this to my wish list. Because vanilla.

 

In the Bottle: Definitely vanilla. Smooth, rich and dark without screaming "CAKE" or "FOOD". I like it and am already pondering what this would layer with to give another scent an extra dimension.

 

On skin: This turns a bit more resinous, since of course benzoin is somewhere in the resin/incense family and that set of notes tends to amp on me. But it's not eating up the vanilla, only enhancing the aromatic side of vanilla and continuing to keep it out of foody territory.

 

Verdict: Lovely! I'll probably snag another bottle of this before it goes away, because it makes a perfect gentle scent on its own and has so many possibilities with combining with hair gloss and perfume...