girasol

In the bottle: A sweet, slightly nutty smell.

Wet on skin: Milk and honey. This is really sweet, but the soft muskiness keeps it from being cloying.

Dry: This smells like rice pudding made with condensed milk, and a touch of baby lotion. Don't really get the dirt or crushed greenery, but that's all good 'cause those notes can be a bit iffy on me.

Verdict: This is an adorable scent that makes me want to cuddle a baby, stat!

Frimpage with my Ebay order... thanks Puddin'!

In the imp: Schweeeeet! I don't get any kind of boozy note though.

Wet on skin: This is quite cloying when wet - a candy, syrupy sweetness. It doesn't smell particularly apricot-y yet, just sweet.

Dry: The sweetness burns off a bit as it dries, and a slightly woody character comes through. I can pick out the apricots now, it's fruity and mellow like a bag of dried apricots.

Verdict: It's pretty once some of the tooth-aching sweetness drops off, but once that happens it also doesn't have much throw. I will use the imp, but it's not a bottle candidate at the moment.

[2004 version]

I bought this off Ebay unsniffed (it sounded nice, and it's going to a good cause) - I had no idea what holly berries smell like.

Apparently they smell like spice. The scent is a mixed spice in the bottle, like a pot of mulled wine simmering away on the stovetop. On the skin - yeehah, hello cloves! It is becoming increasingly apparent that I amp the living bejayzus out of cloves.

After an hour or two, this has settled and it smells great - like sweet wine and spiced cookies, with a faint touch of fresh flowers wafting in from another room. It's just a shame I have to go through a lengthy period of clove hell to get here...

In the imp: Smells very green, like flowers that someone has stomped on and smashed up the stems.

Wet: As above, only stronger.

Dry: There's a particular floral note that I'm really amping here... possibly the wisteria? It's much nicer than when it just smelled like crushed green stuff, but still definitely not for me.

This smelled very floral right after it went on my skin, but dry it became incense - before it's burned, like when you walk into one of those shops that sell flowy dresses imported from India. With good throw and serious staying power. It's nice in its way but doesn't suit me.

This was the kind of thing I think of as a classic rose scent. Pretty, but for me, nothing to get excited about.

In the imp: The citrus is pleasant, but there's also something quite astringent that makes me feel like I've had my sinuses scrubbed out...

Wet: The tea notes come though, with something slightly sweet in the background that I assume is the aloe? The citrus is not nice right now, a bit cleaning-producty.

Dry: Pleasantly zingy tea.

Later: The harshness is gone and it's now a warm, gentle floral scent. I like this stage best, but the problem is, by the time it gets there there's no throw at all.

Nice enough, but not bottle-worthy.

In the imp: Limoncello! Mmm

Wet: Lemon air freshener Then, sherbet lemons.

Dry: Something florally nondescript happening now.

You were promising in the imp, Whitechapel, but it was downhill from there.

Frimp - thanks lab!

In the imp: Very foodie, caramelly goodness.

Wet: And we have clove-off. There's no cloves mentioned in the notes, but there must be some, surely? If there is, I'm amping the living daylights out of them. If not, it must be the cinnamon, I suppose. It's reminding me of a sweeter version of Port-Au-Prince, which was close to pure cloves on me.

Dry: The spices have settled down and Chimera is now a warm, pleasantly spicy scent that's rich without being overpowering. Probably wouldn't buy a bottle, but a quite like it. Will hang onto it, it'll be perfect for a chilly winter's day.

Frimpage!

In the imp: Herbacious antiseptic.

Wet: Menthol and eucalyptus (I know there ain't none in it, but that's what it smells like to me for some reason)

Dry: Oh dear. Oh, deary me. Danse Macabre, you have made me smell like a flatulent koala that fell into a vat of baby powder after smoking two cartons of menthols. You are not my friend.

I've found my first scent twin!

In the imp: Light floral sprinkled with citrus zest.

Wet: The citrus came through quite strongly when it hit my skin, like freshly grated lemon rind.

Dry: Once dry, this scent is a total doppelganger for Tommy Hilfiger "True Star" on me.

Pleasantly light and fresh, but the imp is enough for now.

In the imp: This really took me by surprise - it smelled very herbal to me. I'm assuming this can be put down to the mint and rosemary.

Wet: More of the citrus coming through, but with the greenish tang from the peel and herbs.

Dry: When dry, this smelled like Chinese tea to me, herbal and fragrant. Not sure exactly why as obviously there are no tea notes or jasmine in the blend, but there you go.

Verdict: Unusual and intriguing. Bottle possibility.

In the imp: Floral and tangy

Wet: Fruit salad!

Drydown: As it dried, the fruitiness mellowed out a little and the light, pretty florals came though more. What I really liked though, was that the fruit didn't disappear, it just balanced more with the florals. Fruity notes often disappear quickly on me, but Titania's pear and peach had some legs!

A lovely, feminine scent that perfectly suited the bright, full moon and midsummer night when I first wore it. Though light, Titania has some staying power, which a lot of scents do not for me (though admittedly I did slather this one - I dropped the imp while putting it on and rather than let the spillage go to waste, on it went!). Will get a bottle at some stage.

In bottle: Bafflingly, this smells quite foodie to me.

Wet: Soft florals and a hint of burnt sugar.

Dry: Lightly musky and still a bit foodie. Nothing seems to last ages on me, but this fades away particularly quickly.

This was a strange one - I didn't really get the aquatic notes at all, nor mint or apple. And I have no idea what kept giving me a whiff of caramel. But that said, I like teh turtle! Not sure if I'll need a full bottle, but the imp's a keeper.

In bottle: Herbacious and citrusy, pleasantly zingy.

Wet: It has a bite that's a little harsh, not sure what note is causing that.

Dry: Oh no the sparkly little kitty has turned to air freshener with a granny-talc undertone.

Cheshire Cat was a disappointment for me. I really loved Schrodinger's Cat and a couple of people recommended CC as being similar, but he just didn't love me.

I didn't know what to expect from this, as I didn't know what heather smelled like. In the bottle it was light and pretty, but on my skin... ergh. Laundry powder with a side order of granny talc. Sorry Glasgow, I love the accents of your citizens but your scent is not for me.

In the bottle: Ripe, luscious honeydew melon with a citrusy zing. Smells a lot like a midori illusion!

Wet: On the skin, the melon is still strong but a bit more of a florally edge is coming through.

Dry: That initial burst of full-on melon has mellowed out quite quickly. I know there's not really any floral notes in this, but the scent I'm getting now is reminiscent of a light floral. It's still got a nice tang to it, though.

Verdict... the imp is a definite keeper, such a pretty and unusual scent. Makes me think of warm nights in summer, with fruit bats screeching in the darkening skies. Might even need a bottle.

The nastiness that The Little Sparrow became on me made me sad, so I was really hoping this one would work... and it did!

In the bottle: Sparkly, limey goodness. Mmm!

Wet: A big handful of smooshy ripe berries... the redcurrant?

Dry: Fresh fruitiness that makes me smile. I put this on just before leaving for work, and the delicious smell of it blowing around my car made me grin like an idiot on my way into the office.

Later: Now I'm getting a soft muskiness and the herbs are more evident.

Definitely have big love for this scent. It goes through lots of stages, but I like all of them just fine. Bottle plz.

I wanted to love this scent, because I adore the story by which it was inspired. But alas, it was not to be. In the bottle I didn't mind it, I got something sweet and warm, but on the skin, soap. Soap when wet, soap when dry. Not even nice soap, the nasty harsh stuff that stabs you in the sinuses *sigh*

Fly away little sparrow, you are not for me

Zephyr... it's very nice, but a bit so what if you get what I mean. I agree with those that have said it's like a traditional perfume - puts me in mind of White Linen or something like that. I don't mind it, it's fresh and florally, but I think the imp will be enough.

I had a book of kids' versions of ancient mythology when I was little, and the story of Demeter and her daughter Persephone was my favourite one. I loved the idea of Persephone's double life, the long winter months spent languishing with her lover Hades as her mother despaired, and her return from the underworld in spring, when joyful Demeter made the flowers bloom and the crops flourish.

Ahem. What I mean is, I really wanted to love this scent as much as I love Persephone's story.

In the bottle: A warm fruitiness, like a handful of squished berries.

Wet: The instant this touched my skin, the rose came through. It's a lovely rose though, rich and warm.

Dry: The rose still dominates, but it's underscored by the fruity zing of the pomegranate. This scent seems to have good staying power, which is a bonus as a lot of scents seem to fade pretty quickly on me.

Sooo, the verdict - I wanted to love it, and I do. It's feminine, but luscious and warm with a delicious fruitiness that prevents the rose from being cloying. I think a bottle will be required...

I've scanned over the whole thread looking for another recommendation. I love B&BW's Vanilla Bean Noel. Way back in the thread, someone suggested Mouse's Sad and Long Tail, which I have and love. But I don't think it's that close. Mouse's notes are: Vanilla, two ambers, sweet pea and white sandalwood. VBN has vanilla bean, warm caramel, and cream.

 

Is there anything else in the GC or any other category, including DCs, LEs, protos, etc. that has just those three notes? Or any layering ideas? Thanks in advance!

You could maybe try Gluttony from Sin & Salvation? Thick, sugared and bloated with sweetness. Dark chocolate, vanilla, buttercream, and hops with pralines, hazelnut, toffee and caramel. Might not be an exact match, but with vanilla, buttercream and caramel notes it should have a similar yummyness!

Anyone know of good matches for either Guerlain's Jardins de Bagatelle or Dior's Dolce Vita? I'm trying to enable my mother and those are her two favourite commercial fragrances. Jardins de Bagatelle is described as "a bouquet of white flowers", I'm assuming with a rose influence as that is what the actual Jardins de Bagatelle is famous for. Dolce Vita is described as having top notes of Rose, Magnolia and Muguet, middle notes of apricot, peach and cinnamon, and base notes of sandalwood, vanilla and heliotrope. She likes slightly oriental fragrances, and tends not to go for sweet florals.

I'm only a newbie, but this is my favourite BPAL so far. I'm not great a picking out particular notes, but to me this scent is all sparkle and zing. It has a very fresh, 'awake' sort of feel to it and for me, it brings teh happy!

I only get the lavender quite faintly, which pleases me as lavender scents give me a granny vibe! The mint is quite subtle as well, just enough for a little sparkle around the edges.

The only downside to this little kitty is a bit of a lack of staying power - it fades off quite quickly, but it's so lovely that I don't mind having to reapply. I have a bottle on the way.

Masculine scents tend to like me (good examples are Hellhound, Tombstone, and Robotic Scarab), so I am curious about Port-au-Prince. The butter part scares me though- I hate the buttery smell of, say, Jelly Belly buttered popcorn beans. Something else I tried- Boo maybe?- was super buttery and I didn't like it. Anybody know how much butter is in Port-au-Prince? I think Hellhound has bay rum, and I lurve Hellhound.

Can anyone tell me if the bay in Port-au-Prince is strong? I've read the reviews but I want to know more. I think it was bay that made Delphi smell like nachos to me. Otherwise, I'd buy it for the clove and rum.

On me, Port-au-Prince is heady cloves with faint almondyness - I personally didn't get much butter, rum, or bay. I didn't like it much for the first hour or so, but once it settled down a bit it became a sort of gentle, warmly spicy scent and I liked it better. I think it's the sort of thing that could smell quite different from one person to another though. It is going to a good cause, so maybe it's worth taking your chances!

Masculine scents tend to like me (good examples are Hellhound, Tombstone, and Robotic Scarab), so I am curious about Port-au-Prince. The butter part scares me though- I hate the buttery smell of, say, Jelly Belly buttered popcorn beans. Something else I tried- Boo maybe?- was super buttery and I didn't like it. Anybody know how much butter is in Port-au-Prince? I think Hellhound has bay rum, and I lurve Hellhound.

Can anyone tell me if the bay in Port-au-Prince is strong? I've read the reviews but I want to know more. I think it was bay that made Delphi smell like nachos to me. Otherwise, I'd buy it for the clove and rum.

On me, Port-au-Prince is heady cloves with faint almondyness - I personally didn't get much butter, rum, or bay. I didn't like it much for the first hour or so, but once it settled down a bit it became a sort of gentle, warmly spicy scent and I liked it better. I think it's the sort of thing that could smell quite different from one person to another though. It is going to a good cause, so maybe it's worth taking your chances!