Honey

Me and aquatic notes.. now I know.

 

 

Imp: I get.. salty gherkin, clove and heavy sweet perfume. All layered with ozone.. or something aquatic at least.

 

Wet: Sour, salty.. and clove. Spicy and sour, maybe a bit soapy and a bit boozy.

 

Dry: Much better once dry. A spicy wooden scent with a salt crust (still mainly clove, though) is presenting itself on my skin. I don't get much of the aquatic notes anymore (and that's, for me, a good thing).

 

 

I smell clove mostly. So it's clove with other subtle perfume layers. While this is not the worst note in a scent, I am not too keen on it either.

Thank you, lejlkwiet, for letting me test this scent as a sniffy!

 

 

Imp: Wow, smells like rum raisins, buttery cake crust, caramel (must be the butterscotch) and.. licorice?

 

Wet: Fruity rum, caramel and butter.

 

Dry: Cheestcake crust! Buttery, creamy, delicious! Oh.. after several minutes, it smells faintly like fennel and butter. Meh.

Thanks to the lovely ChaosKitty I received a little Boomslang sniffy - and threw two of my dislikes over board.

 

 

1) It has vanilla in it. It is sooooooo delicious and not like hot plastic at all! Oh, snake oil!

2) It has cocoa in it. Oh, so yummy! So rich and dark and orgasmic.

 

I love this! Either in the imp or wet or dry, it's all dark chocolate cocoa with light vanilla and creamy spices on me!

What a strange scent..

 

 

Imp: Very minty (toothpaste) with a sweetly wooden (sandalwood) texture. Also very soapy and floral. Smells like a generic yet clean ladies' soap that is having an affair with, well, toothpaste. And gherkin*?

 

Wet: The flowers are more dominant now to my nose; mint retreats in the background. Still smells like my grandparents' bathroom though.

 

Dry: Menthol and mint. Sharp but sweet. Very floral as well. But still.. soap and toothpaste, sorry.

 

 

 

 

 

*I don't know what it is, but certain scents make me go "Gherkin?". I have had this before with Cool Water Woman. I cannot really make out what the parallels are..

I ordered a whole bottle of Bastet because the description alone was too delicious..

 

 

Bottle: It must be the saffron (or the lotus?) that is a really sharp and stingy note in the foreground. It's leveled with a soft and sweet almond (just like marzipan really) in the background. Musk and spices give it texture. It's solid, sweet, a bit tart.

 

Wet: A bit medicinal and more tart than in the bottle. Mainly sharp & dark floral but with the sweetness of almonds.

 

Dry: Tart and spicy. Will see how this will develop within the next hour. Though not perfect, it's a great scent. Musk and amber really take a step back on this one, but the body seems even stronger that way. Among the spices, cardamom seems most dominant. All in all, this is really nice, and I think this is a perfect evening an/or fall scent.. or even late summer, depending on your mood.

 

After a while, the tangy sweetness of amber, a soft cardamom and almonds prevail. This is really delicious on my skin!

Oh, coconut... how much I love to chew you, how much I love to pour your milk into my cuisine.. and, still, you just don't work with my type at all!

 

 

Bottle: Iris! Yikes! And some coconut.

 

Wet: Fresh light coconut with iris. No hazelnut. Maybe musk as a background for texture.

 

Dry: Not tangy, not sweet, just plain fresh coconut. A bit boring actually. Iris goes well with coconut, but.. it's really not my thing. Cannot detect much of the hazelnut or musk.

Didn't get a chance to completely test it for the review, but since I have used it before, I will have to work from memory.

 

 

Bottle: Very sweet and fruity - but with a weird twist. I guess that's the sage (herbal) and the wooden patchouli. I love sage, especially with lemon peel, but the fruitiness.. erk.

 

Skin: Sweet fruitiness (like pink anything, sweet plum, strawberry or cherry) just does not work for me. Patchouli makes it sweet and twisted. This is just.. so not me. The sage feels very odd in there. I mean.. if I had peach or cherry muffins and I had spiced it up with sage.. I guess that's what it would smell and taste like. Reminds me of those breath mint that have peppermint and wild cherry in them. If that cherry/mint mix is your thing, then Croquet will totally work for you!

 

On its own, it does smell kinda nice. That is.. until it turns into a freak show on my skin. Yeah, just not into the grapefruit/lime/sage thing..

Okay, one quick sniff before you leave me..

 

 

Imp: Super sweet vanilla. Ick. Very candy-like. Gives me an instant headache.

 

Wet: Something floral, must be the sweet pea. But still overshadowed by the vanilla. Alas - cannot make out the ambers, and I love amber!

 

Dry: Sandalwood coming through. Still too much vanilla though.

 

 

ETA: Kinda funny how "tastes" change. Giving this new imp a reboot sniff, and I really like it. It almost smells like a coconutty vanilla on my skin. I have come to like vanilla a lot thanks to BPAL. And somehow I have this thing for sweet pea all of a sudden. Sandalwood coming through. Very light, lovely and creamy.

One of those bottles I bought because the description sounded awesome.

And I was right!

Bottle: Wow! Lavender. Strong, sharp.. lavender!

Wet: Lavender. Very dominant.

Dry: Sandalwood giving this a sweet and little spicy twist. Other flowers coming through. All in all.. just lovely - if you like lavender.

Yay, new BPAL arrived!

Bottle: Lemon. A bit iffy.. like toiler cleaner. Also, there is tea. So.. like ice tea, the two of them together. Sharp and clean; maybe that's the aloe vera.

Wet: The same as in the bottle. Lemon tea. Fresh and clean. Smells a bit like grapefruit, though.. that is, a wee bit tart.

Dry: Sorry, but this.. just doesn't work for me. Alas.. now I have to swap that bottle somehow. It's just.. like a cheap cleaning agent on my skin. Lemon peel works wonders on me, but lemon just turns.. yuck. Meh.

Yum, another one of those scents that make me think about a bottle..

 

Imp: Thick sweetness (frankincense), sage and lemon peel is what I get at first. Sage and lavender build this tart and hearty body while a caramel sweetness that's only slightly spicy is noticeable in the background.

 

Wet: Lavender, sage and frankincense. Sage and lemon peel is just one of those drop-dead gorgeous combinations for me that I would recognize in any scent! *lurvs* Lavender is.. wow, like the perfect addition. Makes an awesome trio!

 

Dry: Strong frankincense and sandalwood. Sweet. Herbal scents in the background. I'm still loving this!

 

5 stars, period. However long or short this lasts on my skin.

Another one of those wild scents I have to split with my nose (and can't, because I'm just horrible at that).

 

 

Imp: Citrus and floral notes. Sweet and slightly tart. White grapefruit is good grapefruit - not bitter at all, just light and fruity. A bit spicy, I guess that's the ginger. And there is mild and creamy honeysuckle and tonka somewhere in the background. I guess everything with tonka in it smells somewhat delicious to me.

 

Wet: OK, tart grapefruit coming through - but it's not unpleasant. Hmm.. need to remove 'grapefruit' from my dislikes list. Tonka and florals somewhere in the background.

 

Dry: Sweet and sour instead of tart. But a good sour. The flower scents mix well with one another, I cannot really make out one of them as a singular dominant scent. Maybe the neroli overwrites the grapefruit a little, and that's why I like it. Alas, I cannot make out any green tea.

 

I really like fresh and fruity notes that have tea and ginger in them. This one, however, gets absorbed by my skin instantly, and only a powdery citrus note lingers on my wrists. Too bad! This one should have been a stronger scent because it's so lovely you want to keep it in your nose (and I cannot stop sniffing my wrists, dammit).

This smells so not like what it looks like..

 

Imp: Aquatic. Salty and soapy. Yes, soapy and floral. A bit fruity, too.. like fresh green mango or something else juicy and exotic that clashes yet harmonizes well with the aquatic note.

 

Wet: Still soapy. Like a sweet men's aftershave. But.. with a floral/fruity twist.

 

Dry: Something like rose is getting through.. I cannot tell many flowers apart, so it could be gardenia or anything else that's similar. So.. it's like you mixed a lady soap (rose or magnolia) with a men's cologne. Smells a bit like old lady - but in a good, comforting way.

This is.. not my scent at all. However, I wanted to give it a quick re-sniff and try on my skin before saying goodbye for it for good.

 

 

Imp: Acrid! Like the smoldering ruins of a burnt brick-stone house. A bit like nail polish remover, too. Very.. sour and acrid, sorry. And smokey. Ashes. And leather!

 

Wet: Smokey menthol on an old leather belt.

 

Dry: Menthol leather. Buried in ashes.

 

 

Well, it is not as bad as I remembered it.. but, yikes, I could give it one star if there was some sweeter note to it like beeswax or opopanax. This is just tart and smokey and dark.

 

 

ETA: After several minutes (maybe it's my skin?) something sweeter comes through and levels the tart smoke. Hmm, this is not so bad actually.. not so bad. This is sort of how I would imagine Rogue smells like. Wait! Spices coming through! What's happening? Crazy! Must re-think rating..

Again, one of those weird scents.. I like foody, but I am not sure about scents with wine since they always seem a bit too heavy and boozy for me. But here goes..

 

Imp: A bit like gingerbread.. minus the spices. Like honey cake or cookies. But gingery/spicy. Very rich and tart, seems to harmonize well with the red wine. Not really light or milky. Just.. honey cake, a bit smokey perhaps.

 

Wet: Something nutty gets through. Like almonds or hazelnut from the cake itself. Or maybe it's just the baked cake. Less sweet, still tart. Not that boozy anymore.

 

Dry: The heavy, tart and slightly sour red wine gets through again. Smells a bit like red wine and roasted plus sugar-coated almonds now (those that are caramelized with both sugar and honey and perhaps a dash of cinnamon).

 

 

All in all.. a bit too boozy for me, but I like the foody cake scent. But it fits well as fall or winter scents.. in summer, perhaps on a rainy day. But it IS delicious, you cannot deny it. If it fits your mood and outfit I guess.

 

 

2021 update:

 

This is mainly smoked digestive cookies on me now.

It's not the same imp I tested 10 years ago, but I am sure ageing of the "new" imp must have taken out the booziness and sweetness and made this a bit dry.

Before, the wine note must have covered the usual celery/fennel vibe I get from sugar notes and baked goods, but it's definitely noticeable now (and I am not a fan).

I have a fonder memory of this - unfortunately this didn't age so well and is a bit blend and funky on my skin now.

Dear Silvertree and Monday,

 

thank you for your reply! Yes, I know that having a rash does not necessarily imply an allergy. I suffer from allergies and stress rashes sometimes, so I know my skin can be sensitive. And since I eat cinnamon in many dishes (my favorite spice), I think I can rule out a full-blown allergy anyway. Like cassia or ginger, it gets really hot.. that is, it warms the skin (don't know the exact details of the reaction). I think I will follow your advice and try another part of my body or use a lotion first or use it on, say, a scarf or something else that can be scented OR I do swap it after all. I have never tried diluting one of my BPAL oils.. any tips regarding that? Is there some how-to thread somewhere? I don't really have any equipment like fancy pipettes or other little vials/bottles.

 

Bitter almond.. yes, true. I have never reacted to anything in foods before, and I think I tested negative on any kind of nuts once when I had an allergy test, but it could be the combination of both that does the trick. Hmm.. maybe a swap ain't such a bad idea after all..

You know, it's funny how you sometimes check out a frimp, then put it into a save place - only to get back to it some day, realize you really dig the scent, wear it all the time.. and then wonder if it's really something you wanted. I don't know.. does anyone else have these silly frimp love affairs?

 

Destroying Angel is a lady of that sort.. appealing in a way, but I am not sure what draws me to her.

 

Imp: Clean, yellowish green, light, a slight bit tart and sour.. as if you're walking into a flower shop.. just minus the flowers. Smells like the inside of a chapel when there's a casket inside that's decorated with unsweet flowers (like calla lily). And then you walk to the grave, and there is fresh soil. The scent somehow sums this up for me. Hmm, but there is also a layer of man's after shave / cologne. That's why I also get some aquatic notes.

 

Wet: Funeral flowers with patchouli. I am sure calla lily is in there somewhere.

 

Dry: Finally, a sweetness comes through. A light floral scent that is dominated by something heavier.. is it only patchouli? Is there something citrus-y in there? Something tart like bergamot? I bet there is another "greenish white" flower like cala lilly in there. To me, literally a grave scent. It's alluring and light but also sinister and twisted. It scares me a little but I like it therefore. I cannot detect any mushroom scent.. but it's a bit musty, so maybe that's how the destroying angel deserves its name after all?

Has a spring appeal to me.. spring or fall, when there is white buds on bare trees or utter decay.

Witch Queen - hello! A very strong, very heavy scent that I'm not really sure what to think about..

 

Bottle: Plum! Overly ripe, juicy and sweet plum. Maybe some floral scents mixed in or in the background. But this is sweet and strong and mainly just plum.

 

Wet: It's really sinister and boozy all of a sudden. The plum retreats in the background and floral scents - mainly calla lily - come into the foreground. Smells earthy somehow, a bit like funeral due to the lilies and earthiness. Smells sharp and a bit.. acrid. I guess that's the incense and the pimento. Yes, the peppery scent of pimento is very strong now.

 

Dry: Incense and musk become visible, of sorts. Plum and florals blend into one another and smell sweet in harmony. Yes, it must be the musk that has become dominant (although I have never smelled red musk on its own). Possible that other flowers come through more strongly now, but I cannot quite pin down the exact ones. I'm a huge honey lover (hence my name), but the beeswax isn't really noticeable on its own.

 

 

It's definitely not a scent for everyday use. I think it's one of my favorites for fall, maybe also winter. It reminds me of plum jam with cinnamon or baked apples with almonds and cloves. It's almost too sweet and heavy, yet it fits to a gloomy fall day with wet brown leaves on the ground. I guess the peppery pimento is the one thing I am not really thrilled about. Would have preferred clove or cardamom instead. The florals are great that way and harmonize well with the plum. Great if you need something sensual and heavy for evening use.. or if you actually feel like a witch queen.

This scent is one of those that is so rich in ingredients and different layers that I have to sniff it for quite a while like other people would sip and slurp a good wine to get to its delicious core..

Bottle: I smell lemon peel; slightly bitter yet fresh, with a faint citrus note. That note is rather balmy, though, not acidic or sweet at all. Therefore to me it smells a lot like Nivea facial cream. Now that I check Nivea's ingredients via Google (Bergamot, Lavender, Rose and Musk), I seem to be quite close. AMGP has a very dominant citrus, musk and floral appeal to it. The sage sits there in the background; I am hardly able to smell it. But it adds another fresh, herbal layer to the scent.

Wet: Wow! There is only citrus and a strong waft of sage. No, it's mainly sage, all fresh and balmy. Still smells a lot like Nivea cream, though.

Dry: I wish it were less sage on my skin once dried down and more musk and floral notes. The musk gets through after a while, though, even if the citrus has taken a step back now. I rate this with 5 stars anyway because to me it is an everyday scent that goes with any season and projects an image of cleanliness, purity, freshness, beauty and reminds me a bit of my childhood when Nivea cream was the smell that made you feel cozy, loved and protected.[/size][/font]

I have a pretty bad reaction to "Inferno": my skin gets red, itchy and suffers from a mean rash.

I guess I have a good explanation for this: the scent contains a lot of cinnamon (oil? extract?), and cinnamon is kind of sharp when you put it on your skin. Just think of cinnamon chewing gum or toothpaste. And I even had a self-warming massage oil with cinnamon once. So why was I surprised? I should have known!

Anyway.. I would like to know if any of you has tried this scent and gotten the same reaction? Then I'd know if I am allergic to the scent (or the cinnamon), or if it's just my sensitive skin? It's too bad because "Inferno" smells great.. but, heck, the name could have given the reaction away, really.

One of the first imps I ever got. Only smelled in the imp itself a couple of times, never used. Tonight, I am going out, and I will be wearing this "blindly".

 

Imp: Very strong waft of alcohol! Like port wine and coconut rum. Also very fruity, like cherry or plum. Sweet and strong.

 

Wet: Still very strong. Port wine and coconut rum. Cherry overrules the plum (plum scent seemed stronger than the cherry in the imp).

 

Dry: Just like red wine cake. The alcohol has taken a step back but it's still a very fruity and sweet scent. But more "dark sweet" than "candy cotton sweet". Cannot put my finger on the cocoa. Does not have a distinct chocolate-y smell to me at all. More port and rum with plum.

 

 

Veeeeery heavy and dark. Seems like a perfect autumn/fall scent. Or if you are in a pirate mood. Don't get any South American vibe from this, more Caribbean or, well, Germany in October. But I like this. Not one of my favorites but it seems daring and fun for a night out.

This is one of my first scents from BPAL. I had ordered it because I once had a vanilla-pear tea that smelled and tasted just delicious. Alas, this scent couldn't make me just as happy.

 

Bottle: Very faint pear. Not ripe, juicy pear.. more green, clean pear. The vanilla is simply too sweet. Smells a bit chemical.. like something medicinal. A bit like plastic or cheap vanilla candles that give you a headache.

 

Wet: I get a waft of pear. Never noticed that before, but now that I pay close attention for my review - it's there.

 

Dry: Alas, the pear only lasts for a minute. Now I mainly smell plastic vanilla, sugar and something green (like grass?) in the background. I wish there were more notes to it.. something that would give this smell a spicy or a clean attribute. Pear and vanilla just seem a bit.. bland to me. I could imagine this scent in a revisited version with white or green tea, calla lilly, honey and/or ginger. Somehow Perilous Parlor seems like a "white and green" scent to me, so these would fit in there quite well I think.

This scent is one of my favorites, so I might be a little bit biased as a reviewer. But then again: that's what these reviews are for, right? My first review so far, hope I'm doing this right.

 

I ordered White Rabbit in my first order addressed to BPAL ever. Mainly because I was amazed there were special "Alice in Wonderland" scents, but also because I have loved the smell of honey ever since I had tried a parfume at L'Occitane in Budapest. My grandpa also kept bees and made honey when I was a little girl.

 

Bottle: Opening my vial of White Rabbit, I first smell honey (not too sweet) and a sharp note, which could be ginger and/or white pepper. But it blends in just fine. After several sniffs, I also smell a bit of laundry detergent. It levels the sweetness of the honey and adds a freshness to the overall scent.

 

Wet: I smell the notes of tea, milk and a bit of lemon. The tea sits there in the background, milk and vanilla are a faint company and allow the honey and ginger to dominate. Still not too sweet, not too sharp. I have a body lotion with rooibos tea and date that I bought because I loved the tea note of White Rabbit so much. Alas, the body lotion smells horrible by itself and horrible on my skin (very bitter and a bit sour). The tea in White Rabbit is very nice, clean, and not bitter at all. I was also afraid that the vanilla could make it too girly - not the case, so I am happy. Very different from the vanilla in, say, Mouse's Sad and Long Tail.

 

Dry: Mainly honey, lemon, ginger, white pepper and a decent milky tea smell remain. I absolutely love this scent! I think you can wear it in all seasons. It's not too heavy but it doesn't fade too quickly (at least not on me). When I put this on, this scent stays most of the day, and it doesn't change into something I would not want to smell like.

 

ETA: The feeling I get from this smell is very warm, comforting and familial. It reminds me of a, well, actual tea party. White crisp linen, bone china, warm spicy tea with a dash of milk, the linen fresh out of the laundry, homemade honey that seems a bit dirty and wrong.