raisin

The hell? This goes on pure lemon candy. No other notes. Even drying down I just get lemon.

Might come back to edit this in an hour or two, but wow... not at all what I was expecting.

ETA: And it winds up as lemon verbena. Not sure what happened with this one!

Well, I really like this. It clearly separates really easily in the decant, so I'm gonna have to keep an eye on that.

I get the cocoa and lavender at first (and it's a really wonderful lavender), and then gradually the sage. The vanilla chimes in, but not enough to bug me. As it settles, I can't pick out the cocoa much anymore, but there's a really pleasant brown earthy bite at the end of it, which I assume is the vetiver.

There is something that smells kind of pleasantly leathery in this one, as well, but that might just be because leather is my favorite complementary note to sage and lavender, and I'm just filling in the blanks.

My only problem is that it reminds me a little too much of my bottle of Bow & Crown of Conquest (the vanilla/sage/lavender/musk combo), but with a browner, more masculine edge and slightly more prominent lavender.

 

Also. . what is the 'best' Sugar Cookie year? I'm looking for one that isn't too heavy on the spice. . more buttery cookie.

 

Thanks!

Might just be me, but I got buttery cookie dough from Al-Azif.

If you haven't tried them yet, I'd recommend checking out The Dormouse, Ochosi, and Squirting Cucumber for brighter green type scents.

I didn't get much green from Dormouse (though it was really lovely and I need to remember to get more) but Squirting Cucumber was definitely along the lines I'm thinking of. Sadly, both of those faded very quickly. Now I'm wondering if I've just got really evil skin chemistry when it comes to this particular quest of mine.

I'll be sure to check out Ochosi, though! Thanks!

So several years ago, my favorite perfume was Demeter's Linden. Then my bottle leaked everywhere and I haven't replaced it.

I've been curious to find a similar green blend in BPAL's catalogue, but so far, no luck. My first purchase included a bottle of The Unicorn, which was just far far too floral. And for a short time, I'd acquired a bottle of Spirits of the Dead, where the linden was definitely a bit more apparent, but only for a minute, before the scent became totally wood on me.

I don't expect to find anything quite so literally linden (I've done my search for the note, but it just doesn't look like it gets blended with anything overly promising for me) but I would definitely settle for something bright, light, and green.

Thusfar Envy has been my go-to green scent, but it's a bit darker than I'm looking for, and doesn't last very long on me. I tend to amp florals way the hell up, so I'm a bit wary of them, but I'm willing to try just about anything.

Any thoughts?

I'd be curious if you're able to find anything else remotely similar... I'm really enjoying Toad Hall myself and haven't stumbled across anything else with the same green/wood/aquatic feel.

But Aziraphale had some vaguely similar wood and musk on me, although without anything aquatic. And Sturgeon Moon has some similar fresh aquatic/green (I didn't get "salt water" from Toad Hall at all).

I've been meaning to try Fit of Artistic Enthusiasm for a salty aquatic/green/wood blend, but haven't yet. Sounds sorta promising, though!

Too sweet, but easily the best that cinnamon, violet, or frankincense has ever smelled on me. These notes go together surprisingly well, but I just can't dig the end result. It manages to simultaneously walk those three lines I don't like to cross: foody, floral, & incense. It doesn't actually cross them, mind; it just walks them. Expertly.

It is a devastatingly interesting blend, though. I'm sure I'd love it on someone else, but I'm just not courageous enough to wear it. I'm not sure who this blend is for, but I kind of want to know that person.

Definitely violet, definitely tea rose, definitely some lily. Perhaps a little chamomile, but not enough that I would have picked it out without help. This is exactly the kind of floral I wish I could like, because it's just so pretty and delicate and feminine but not "old lady"; it makes me want to go and visit gardens, wear frilly skirts, and have tea parties with gorgeous china. But alas. Florals and me, we just don't get along.

Still nice to visit now and again, though.

While I was initially getting a lot of green and florals, I now seem to be getting more spice. This sort of reminds me of carnation blends, in that I get cinnamon-but-not-cinnamon. I could believe there are some lilies in this one, as they sometimes give me that spicy-floral vibe. I think I might also detect a bit of the smokiness others have mentioned.

Initially, I'd tossed this on my swap pile, but this stage makes me dig it out. Close call, House of Night!

Pretty much just soft, powdery amber on me. Maybe a little bit spicy. Not getting any iris and certainly no berries. It's very soft and close to the skin. I may want to pick this up again later, but I think for now, I'm passing the imp on.

Stardust is totally late 70's, early 80's.

And Ophelia simultaneously makes me think of 80's fantasy (it's totally what I would have loved as a little girl) and the Pre-Raphaelites of the late 1800's.

I think I might wait until late October through December to pick up a bottle (because I can't see myself wearing it before then), but that's definitely on the horizon for this one. I didn't like it much in the bottle, but it becomes Christmas Carnation when applied.

I get almost entirely carnation and cider, but there was something a little wine-like about it, too. It was a lot less floral or foody than I worried it might be, and more spicy carnation than I had hoped. I'm really pleased to have finally found something the Mad Tea Party that I love!

I finally broke down and got some wand caps.

 

Oh. My. Goodness. As a slather-er, I'm very, very upset that I have not gotten these before now! Ingenious little pieces of glass and plastic. I now have to get enough wand caps for all of my bottles. (And I might have to go and stock up on a few scents since I am now more capable of slathering.)

 

It also makes layering a tad bit easier, IMO.

I love the wand caps! While using the normal cap works fine for wrist/neck application, the wands are totally the best for applying a scent to my hair (which is a great place for the scents that my skin devours or morphs). And also slathering.

I really need to pick up some more for my recent bottle acquisitions.

Goes on very perfume-y and sweet, with a lot of floral and something powdery. This stage isn't enough to make me nauseous, but it's always enough to make me question putting this on in the first place. It reminds me of soap, and it doesn't smell particularly dry, wet, rotten, or dusty to me.

It dries down to something a lot more pleasant that reminds me a bit more of cloth. I like that it isn't totally squeaky clean, fresh-from-the-laundry cloth, but something a bit more relaxed. Depending on the staying power, this may work as a nice, neutral scent, but does walk that "overly perfume-y" line.

I was hoping for something with a bit more wood, but this smoky/green/aquatic is very nice!

I get primarily kind of a masculine cucumber/melon sort of green, very wet smelling. That mingles beautifully with what I think might be some tobacco just underneath and some hints of some dark woods. There's some kind of citrus in here, but not the lemon I generally amp... perhaps some lime rind?

Overall, it's very toad-y. It's a nice sophisticated green aquatic, and just gorgeously blended together. I want more!

ETA: This dries down to a wood and musk kind of similar to Aziraphale, and sort of reminds me of old books. <3 I wish this stage was a little more unique, but I still really like this.

@fabgab

That makes me think of Yvaine, as she's a very direct and focused scent. And, for when you're feeling a bit adventurous, I love layering her with Tristran, as that one smells like marching off into a glorious forest.

@Shalottian

Bow & Crown might warm you up to leather, since there's so much else going on in that one. And if smelling like one of the horsemen of the apocalypse can't make you feel a little badass, then there was never any hope anyway.

Thanks for the other recs, guys! I'll try to get out and sniff those. I have faith my nerdy librarian scent is out there somewhere.

Purplish, greenish, slightly aquatic, mostly herbal and earthy. I wouldn't be able to pick out a lot of notes anyway, but they blend together into something pretty solid here. One sniff, and I knew I'd found my go-to nighttime scent. (And, when I discovered how quickly this one fades on me, I realized that's about the only thing I can use it for.)

It's certainly got that nose-to-the-ground smell of grass and dirt mingling, with some light herbal/floral throw. It's dazzlingly unique, and just makes me want to drift off into a peaceful sleep.

I'm gonna go slather some more on.

Was hoping to get something a bit more Asian with this one, but it's mostly kind of an old lady floral on me. I really can't work the florals.

This one is very sweet, almost fruity, and I'm just getting the vaguest hint of the sandalwood and incense.

Sadly, I really don't love it, or even like it much for that matter, and I was really hoping to.

Just wondering how other people made out with their recs.

Well, Cordelia had already been one of my favorites, so that one was pretty spot-on. Wilde I really enjoy, but it goes a little weird on me after an hour or so (I got a used imp, though, so I'm considering getting a lab fresh one to find out if it's any different). And Saint-Germain is fabulous, though I keep forgetting how much I like it.

I'm still on the hunt for my ideal nerdy librarian scent, if anyone has any more recs.

This starts kind of sweet, like dark syrup or fruit, but it dries down beautifully into a sweet earthy blend. There's a faint bitter dustiness in the background, but mostly a fantastic slightly sweet amber/dirt.

I'm definitely going to hold on to this one. It's beautiful on its own, and it might come in really handy for layering.

Very, very similar to Lightning, though I think I prefer this one. Where Lightning smells a little more like traditional aquatics to me, with a little bit of a sour note, like what I generally pick up in salt water blends, Tempest is a bit more fresh water. Lots of ozone, and that smell of rain before you really start getting drenched.

I think Tempest may be the top contender for a big bottle if I ever choose to upgrade from my imps.

I'm getting more old-timey candy shop (or "shoppe" as it were) with roses on the counter than anything else. It's a little citrusy, maybe a little bit of sassafrass, something mildly bitter, then a whole heap of sugar. It reminds me a bit of cough syrup.

This is kind of borderline nauseating for me. I don't think I could leave it on long enough to find out if it actually works.

Well, bummer. I'd really liked the way this one smelled in the bottle, so I got an imp. It goes on kind of nicely spicy, a little bit haughty. Before I could really evaluate the notes, though, this becomes pure rose on me. Maybe a little green, a faint spiciness (more like carnation-esque spiciness than cinnamon), but mainly ROSE. Quite a bummer... I'd really liked this one wet.

A pleasant, light fruit at first. It was almost peachy with some vague citrus. (Lemon and lime usually amp way the hell up on me, so it's nice to get something different!) There's a floral softness from the cherry blossoms and I definitely picked up the tea, though I would have guessed it was white or green instead of black.

I think I might pass this on to a friend, as it's a bit too soft and fruity for me, but not terribly unpleasant. It was nice to try!

I would not have guessed this one was entirely floral. I can't pick out individual floral notes (possibly because I'm not horribly familiar with these particular varieties, possibly because the individual flowers blend together so well). It stays very soft and close to the skin, and it's surprisingly dark. Almost smoky or earthy or slightly musky.

This could work very well when I just want something that stays close. But I'm not sure I'll need more than the imp.