Mae

I ordered this based on the properties it promotes moreso than the scent, but so far I have been exceedingly pleased. I love lemon and lemongrass and the sweet notes (which I can't identify) remain on my skin even after the citrus. It does provide the immediate lift of senses and mental stimulation mentioned in the above review. The throw seems long to me, but it is only my second day of wearing it. I'll follow up if anything changes.

If it 'works' as good as it smells, it will be invaluable in my own quest to 'rediscover myself', as the description says. (Honestly, the timing on this couldn't have been better.)

Before BPAL, I would have never, ever thought I would wear violets.

Thanks to this, and the Bruised Violet Compound, I have found something wonderful.

Violets turn sweet on me! I had no idea. The sugars in Faith make it even more pronounced and I smell wonderful. There's no powder smell, no green smell, just sweet, sweet flowers.

It does seem to fade a little faster than her sister, but I just put a little more on.

Mae

I finally got my hands on a full bottle of Hope (and Faith!). What a difference a new bottle makes! I don't have so much sugar on me, just some very pleasant roses. I was not a flower fan, even less of a rose fan, due to most roses being overpowering. This is quite nice, tho, without the super-powdery bottom notes that can cause headaches. I think with some time, this will age to something especially lovely.

Mae

I'm wearing this today and I am glad I did. It's such a happy smell; the sugar cuts the lemon in the right way so that I smell like a lemondrop shooter. Very summery, light and sweet. I may have to try for a bottle of this one.

Mae

This one is super sweet without much blueberry to me, but not the super sweet sort that I like. I don't get much of anything besides marshmallow, which is a little disappointing. I'm more of a Sugar Skull or Bloody Mary fan. I'll put this one away and come back in a few months!

Mae

I've only ever gone horseback riding once, but this reminds me very much of that day. I get the grass first (BOY! Do I!) and it's so strong that my husband mentioned that it was one of the smells he was trained to be wary of in the military. (apparently, some chemical agent smells like it) The grass fades mostly within the first 30 minutes and the leather comes out. I didn't really get any lemon candy until just now, when I was contemplating this post. My wrist passed below my face and that sweet, Jolly Rancher type of candy smell caught me by surprise. The leather is the main note after an hour, but that grass smell is still there and the little breezes of sweet lemon are a pleasant surprise. I really wasn't too sure about this upon my first smell, but it's growing on me.

Mae

It starts out very antiseptic on me; not in a bad way, but it has a really clean, sharp beginning. That fades quickly and it becomes sweet and vanilla-y. I don't get much lemon but I do retain the vanilla, albeit with a slightly sharp edge. It is a lovely summery scent and, God willing, I'd like a bottle some day!

Mae

I don't smell the honey separately, it just blends in with the sweetness of the spices and becomes something...fuller, richer...something...it's lovely and I'm investing in a full bottle ASAP.

This also lasts and lasts and lasts...and stays pretty, sweet, and spicy for about 4 hours. It will probably require reapplication, as it seems to be turning a little baby powdery now. Still, it's strong enough to wear to the club for those four hours!

The citrus is bright and delicious in the bottle and first applied, but on me, it became powdery and faint in less than an hour. I won't give up yet; I'll try again in a few months (more into summer) and see how it goes. Alas, those powdery scents rarely change on me.

Sigh.

Mae

I've had such good luck with the red musks, lately, that this one really sounded wonderfule to me. My first smell in the bottle was woody- not the piney, resiny woods but a dark, hard wood- which wasn't what I expected but I still thought I might like it. After a few minutes on my wrist, it turns incensy- heavy on the nag champa. Not bad, but not what I was hoping for from this. An hour later, it's all patchouli and champaca, and very faint, at that. I'll try on my neck/behind the ear tomorrow and update. This one may be put in the 'aging' stash, as a few months of dark, quiet meditation may be necessary for this one before I make a final judgement.

Mae

Boo 2009

If Halloween were in June, this is what it would smell like.

Very sweet butter in the bottle, like that stage of homemade cookies that's just butter, sugar, eggs, and vanilla extract. (mmm...cookies) The rich butter is nowhere to be seen (smelled?) on my skin, tho, which just leaves the sugar and vanilla. That's okay (freakin' fantastic, actually) because without the butter smell, this turns very soft and light. The cotton softens the sugar, too, after a while. What's left is the very best of clean sheets and vanilla fabric softener. It's not soapy or perfumy, just clean and very inviting. It's a happy scent that begs to be worn on a summer outing at a park or a backyard gathering.

Mae

I actually saw my doc about the acne problem I was having back in January but I didn't make the perfume oil connection until just a few days ago. I'm on birth control for my acne since I didn't want to take anti-biotics and my skin tends to have bad reactions to benzoyl peroxide. Every spot on my face has cleared up except my chin, neck, and chest... Which are now healing nicely now that I'm not applying my perfume oils to those spots.

 

@ Mae - I actually thought that it could be my make up too! So I stopped wearing it for several weeks, and the acne was still going strong. I know there's no bismuth in the foundation I use though. I specifically bought a mineral make up that didn't contain it.

 

@ AmandaArcana - I'll have to try just applying to my wrists from now on and see what happens! I know the skin on the chest and neck are similar to your facial skin, so maybe those parts are just too sensitive for perfume oils.

Ah, those pesky hormones! I'm thinking about asking my dr for a try on those, as well, as my skin is rebellious even at 41.

Good to hear you're healing!

Mae

If I apply BPAL oils to my neck for more than a couple of days, I tend to get painful cyst-type breakouts along my jawline and neck as well. The only problems I've had with my collarbone/wrists/inside of elbows, though, is a slight rash if it's a particular oil like cinnamon that's actually an irritant.

 

Personally I'm a big fan of putting perfume oil on the ends of my hair; it lasts longer, doesn't morph unpredictably, and helps with dry ends. Plus I get wafts of scent every time I move my head

Good idea on the hair! Especially dry ends (of which I have many)!

Mae

I have always had terrible skin but I've never had a problem with BPAL, specifically. You may want to consider your make-up, if you wear any. I developed the type of skin lesions you're describing (after years of warring with regular old acne/rosacea) and it turned out to be the bismuth in my mineral foundation! I have to be careful with that from now on or they come right back.

I believe a derm dr is the best bet, too!

Mae

Huzzah for my first bottle of Smut!

It's even more wonderful than I thought it would be. I do best in warm scents, I find, and they don't get much warmer and alluring than this. I'm still learning scent notes, but I'm pretty sure that I get sweet musk and something honey-like after 30 minutes or so. I could swim in it. Yum.

Mae

Did you ever see the movie Trick r Treat?

This is Sam's pillowcase...he's the little guy with the burlap mask...

It's super-sweet in the bottle, but when I wear it something turns heavy. It's a sort of dirty, decaying sweet on me and I really like it. It heats up and smells great, even over cigarette smoke. I like to wear this to the club.

Mae