Antoinette

So, I experienced some sad weirdness this morning. I may have had an allergic reaction to my L'Estate bath oil. This is the weird part, I've used it three times before with no problems. Twice in the bath and once as a moisturizer on my upper arms. This morning I used a quarter size dollop of it as an after shower moisturizer on my upper arms and a bit on my chest. About ten minutes later I felt my chest tighten up and my throat go all wonky. Like, tightness and tingling. I washed it off and went to an immediate care place where they checked me out and said I was ok. They could not say whether I had a reaction to it or not, but advised me to take anti-histamines and not use it anymore. I hasz a sad now. The doctor read the ingredients list and said everything was okie dokie, nothing exotic to be concerned with, so it could just be that my chest skin is too sensitive for oils and the very thought of an allergic reaction made me panic. I don't know, but it was scary. Anyone else have trouble when applying oils, perfume or bath, to your chest area? Like I said, I used this on my arms before, bathed in it twice with no trouble. Maybe I just over did it in a sensitive spot? I suppose my almost full bottle will now be going up for swaps because I'm too scaredy cat to use it again.

Honey, vanilla, peaches and cardamom...mmmmmm. I would marry my bottle if I could.

Mmmmmmmm, this smells yum yum. I'm not confident that I can pick out all the different notes in this one, but what I do get is an almost sweet, dark and smoky scent. I think I'm recognizing the plum, tobacco and opium tar. Gorgeous combo. Looking forward to layering this one with other RPGs.

Whoa! The caraway seed seems to get carried away on me! This smells yummy, but not something I'd want to wear. It's more like - mmmm, something smells delicious and I want to eat it.

Atlas - you are so intriguing! I usually don't like anything with wood notes in it, but this one is the exception. This is soft and creamy, woodsy but sweet. I find it reminiscent of The Arabian Dance, but much softer. I can see Atlas becoming a favorite during the fall and winter months, it's soft and comforting. I am not super familiar with all the notes listed, but I do detect the mallow (yum) and the coffee (yum again) and woods. This is a definite bottle purchase. eta: Atlas has become a multiple back-up bottles scent for me. I reach for it whenever I need grounding or calming. It's like Xanax in perfume form! A true help when I need it!

In the imp - lemon! Bright and fresh. Lovely. Wet - lemony zip. I get no anise but can detect the musk. Dry down - musky lemon. Musk is not a fave for me, so my decant will be enough. This is very pretty, though.

So, I can't decide about this one. It is morphing between a lovely milky almond scent to Thousand Island salad dressing. WTH? Plus, it stings a little upon application which must be from the almond blossom. I know almond oil gives me bad skin reactions, so...bah! I so so so want to unabashedly love this one because I adore cicadas, but this will need another skin test before I decide. Will definitely be keeping my decant (so adorably labeled by Mellifluous!).

Wow, this one is adorable. In the bottle and wet on skin : pink bubble gum (lotus, maybe?) and yellow cake. The bubble gum note (which seems to have an almost floral edge on me, so lotus?) is front and center - pretty yelly, actually. As the oil dries it becomes so so nice. It's sweet, sugary pink and yellow cake with frosting on top. I love this. The wet stage is a little loud with the bubble gum, but the dry down is so completely worth getting to. And, as someone else noted above, it is reminiscent of Velvet Unicorn to me too. Which is just another bonus of love infused sweetness. Ahhhhh....

At first sniff, this is sharp and white. I can't really pick out individual notes. Dry - this is shining metal and leather. There's a sharp/sweet scent still present and it sort of comes and goes. Not sure about this one, I waver from liking it to thinking maybe it's not my thing. Will try layering it with other RPGs.

I had high hopes for this one. Alas, it went from awesome ginger ale to straight up play-doh on me. I smelled the fizzy and it was great, but the horrible dry down made me have to wash it off. Sad because ginger is one of my favorite notes. *le sigh*

Sweet sweetness! This is all berries and honey on me. Very sweet with a strong throw. A little of this goes a long way.

I've been wanting to try this for quite some time now and it was worth the wait (thanks for the frimp, Lab!). This is lovely. I only dabbed a drop on one wrist but could smell this for hours. Best way to describe it is as a soft, fuzzy vanilla. Not sure if I'm picking up on any coconut, although there is an underlying creaminess to this that could be it? I can forsee wanting to wear this on cold days because it gives off a fuzzy, cozy warmth. Beautiful.

Sassafras is one of my all time favorite notes. If you can find any Anti-Saloon League, I highly suggest it. It's Sassafras and cream and most divine. Tombstone and Slaugh are the other two I would recommend.

Bones Trombone, you just make me smile. In the bottle: green (hemlock?) and lemon with a bakery feel. Wet: The lemon pie scent comes on strong with the green vying for equality. Blueberry marshmallow cream is subtle. Dry down: AMAZING. This really smells like lemon meringue pie. I can't help but grin whenever I smell it. I really like what I'm guessing is the hemlock because it keeps it from being overly sweet and makes it unique. Makes it BPAL, if you know what I mean. The blueberry marshmallow shines as this wears on. Really happy with this scent. It's definitely something that will make me happy whenever I wear it. ETA: I was already wearing Celeste when Bones Trombone showed up in the mail. I skin tested BT a few inches away from Celeste, but can I just say - the two wafting around together was heavenly. I almost ate my arm.

Icy - yep. Lemony - yep. Sugary - yep. Do I love this? yep. Straightforward scent that keeps me smiling every time it wafts around me and I catch a sniff. This will be wonderful to wear on hot summer days. Lemon Scented Sticky Bat is really fun! I don't get 'lemon cleaner' from it at all, it's sugary and cold.

The only thing holding me back from absolutely adoring Kitty is the sandalwood. Seems like I tend to amp it and once the oil gets to the dry down stage it pretty much takes over. Otherwise, in the imp and wet on my skin, this blend is beautiful. The first impression I get is sweet strawberries and vanilla with a touch of honey. Dry down is sweet sandalwood, but the sandalwood is too overt on my skin. Kitty may be a scent locket option pour moi.

Whoa, I've fallen hard for Celeste. This was love at first sniff. Reviews had me worried in terms of references to a muskiness, so I got a decant first and have skin tested with it liberally. Thankfully, I'm not getting musk. I do detect something soft and fuzzy, the way musks come across to me sometimes, but whatever it is, it's beautiful here. Basically, this is predominantly vanilla and it's stunning. First impression: This reminds me a lot of the vanilla in XCDL13 and it's instantaneous love. Wet to dry: This does not morph on me. It's the delicious vanilla that I love with vanilla orchid making it so pretty and feminine. The orris lends a softness (love orris) and the saffron really isn't that detectable. Seriously, Celeste just shot up to being an all time fave. I ordered two bottles right away. Celeste, I love you.

Oh...WOW! So happy I ordered this. I think Red Lantern is sexy. It's sweet and dark and mysterious all at the same time. It really seems to capture the mood of its inspiration (not that I've ever been in a 1930's Shanghai opium den), just saying. I get sweet sweet caramel, tobacco and coconut. I adore this!

I don't know what went wrong with this one. Lemon verbena is one of my favorite scents, but in this it becomes overpowering - it's not soft, more like it's yelling for me to acknowledge it. Normally, I'm ok with that so it must be the way it smells combined with the other notes. I suspect it's the combo with the star anise. Weird, I like it at first application but as the day wears on (I've tried this two times now) it becomes almost cloying on me. Sad.

My husband very sweetly won a bottle of this on ebay for me recently. In the bottle : The saffron gives me pause. This seems like a strong scent with a medicinal edge to it and I'm just not sure. Wet on skin : Vanilla and cream, thankfully! Sweet and yummy. The saffron floats around but isn't the prominent note. Dry : Gorgeous creamy vanilla. I just love it. It reminds me a lot of a vanilla cream perfume oil from Body Time that I used to slather myself in until it was discontinued. Love's Philosophy is a much welcome addition to my BPAL collection and I can forsee myself becoming a little obsessed with it. Only quibble, I wish the throw was a bit stronger. Like Sachs (which I ADORE) it stays pretty close to my skin. Unlike Sachs, my skin does not gobble this up into oblivion within minutes, so Love's Philosophy is made of all win.

Oh boy...so this is the vanilla scent of my dreams. It just had to be, huh? Well, if I never find anymore than these few precious drops that I was so fortunate to come by, then so be it. Just happy to try it and experience the loveliness. It reminds me straight away of the vanilla in Antique Lace, but I don't get the muskiness here (which makes this ALL win on me). It's strong, bright and sweet. Basically, pure olfactory love.

Wow, I got to try this today for the first time. I understand why this is so highly spoken of and sought after. It's an incredible creamy soft warmth of a scent with amazing throw and lasting power. As pretty and glowing as it is, it's not quite my type of thing. I think the teak is the culprit, something about the wood notes I've tried always end up a no go for me, but I'm so thrilled to have had the chance to try this one.

Nymphia is all kinds of beautiful. I pick up on the mango, spun sugar, coconut and rose more than anything. Sweet deliciousness. The rose might be a headache inducer for me though, as other BPALs with rose in them tend to be. I'll give Nymphia a few more tries and see because I really adore this scent.

I really thought this one would be made of all win on me, alas, it's not. I think it's the grains that are making things wonky. They seem to overpower everything else. I can detect the other notes as a sweetness, but the grains take over and smother them. Darn, I was so excited for this one.

On me this is just like the description. In the bottle I get mango and white chocolate but once it's dry on my skin the buttercream floats around in the back. My skin chemistry loves this one, the mango and white chocolate are equal partners and make this scent just delicious. This is rich and fruity, bright but smooth. Winner!