Incendiare

The first thing I smell as soon as I open the vial are the dry leaves which reminds me of Devil's Night or even Sonnet d'Automne if I remember correctly, but this has florals woven in with the leaves. There is also something very clean about this. At first I thought it was white tea but no, white linen. I imagine opening a window and seeing linen hung to dry, with a bed of flowers underneath. After about ten minutes, the dry leaves remains intermingled with the florals.

Weird! In the vial, Breathless horror is all ice and bitter carrot seed. There is musk in there too but that bitterness is in control. Wet, it's the exact same. I don't know, this is nose-wrinkling to me. It's outdoorsy but in a weed-like way. Oddly I don't pick up any camphor, though. Pass and immediate trip to the sink.

Hmm, the vetiver in most BPAL blends, to my nose, is mind-numbingly disgusting, so I am surprised that there isn't a single trace of it in the vial. Instead, I am greeted by the opoponax and something earthy, yet soapy. The plum comes out once I apply this to my skin. After about five minutes, the opoponax is definitely on top and a vague floral lingers in the background. It's alright but not my style.

My initial impression was that there is plum in here. Maybe it's just the certain combination of fruits, but overall, it makes me think of the colour purple. It's also a bit musky in the vial. Wet, the gardenia comes to the front. After about five minutes, the rose starts taking over, but to be fair, my skin tends to amp most of the rose that Beth uses. The fruits have completely vanished and this has turned into a heady musky floral. Ultimately, the rose has stabilized and become the star of this blend.

Right out of the vial, this reminds me of the vanilla, coconut, or floral incense that I used to buy. Before lighting them, up close, they would all smell on the soapy side. Wet, the rose stands out more and the fig makes an appearance. I'm surprised that I don't get any dark, raunchy patchouli since that is a death note on me and my nose can pick that stuff out from a mile away. No jasmine either, surprisingly. After about fifteen minutes or so, this has sweetened up very nicely. The honey is beautifully woven into the rose and fig. There is a slight generic soapy note lingering in the background, and the rose is slightly sour, but overall, it's actually a lot nicer than what I expected. Would I buy it? No, but it's still a job well done.

Stupid interwebs. Sorry.

Weird about the Phoenix talk, because it is Midday that actually smells like Snowshowers on me.

Weird about the Phoenix talk, because it is Midday that actually smells like Snowshowers on me.

In the vial, Yellow Snowballs evokes images of slush. It's so incredibly cooling that it actually burns my nose. The menthol is very domineering. There's the slightest hint of general citrus in the background which gives this a bit of tartness, but overall in the vial, it's very chilly and medicinal. On me, there is no change. Even after fifteen minutes, this is menthol to the power of a billion and all of the citrus notes are cowering away in the corner. Oh well.

Out of the vial, this is cool, musky, and kissed with champaca flower. Wet, the champaca flower remains strong. Actually, it slightly amps, but in a good way. Soon after, I can detect some of the ambergris which joins with the musk. This smells very pure and white, and lives up to its name. I surprisingly get no fir needle which, to my nose, usually takes everything over and leaves no other notes with a chance. The champaca is a perfect match for the musk and ambergris.

2011: The only other Sugar Cookie I have tried up until now is 2008's, which turned out to be like burnt plastic with a hint of cinnamon. Weird. This year's is different but I don't think it will work for me either. Instead, in the vial, it has a plastic undertone, that while not burnt, reminds me of the plastic note I get in Egg Nog. This is like a more sugary Egg Nog with a weird vegetable note in it? On me, it stays strong and maintains that weird, indescribable acidic vegetable note in there.

 

After some thinking, I realized what it smelled like on me: Lush's Wiccy or Red Rooster Anyone who has tried Red Rooster knows what I'm talking about. Blech. Bizarre.

2011: Classic Snow White. So magical and nothing like its description. Normally I cannot stand snow notes, and I always associate night-blooming flowers with jasmine, which rarely works for me. Luckily I get neither of those notes in Snow White. It's hard to give a mega accurate description, but it actually smells more like coconut than anything else. Actually, it's like Lush's Snowcake minus the almond. This year's smells chillier than last year's. I love it all and cannot wait to get more.

2011: I've always appreciated Rose Red. It's not your typical rose, as this also contains the stems and leaves. It smells exactly like roses that you can find in the refrigerator at a flower boutique. On me, it smells the exact same. I've toyed with the idea of getting a bottle of this in the past because it smells so ridiculously realistic, but at the same time, do I really want to smell like a rose, stems and all? I mean, rose and I get along very well, but still, it just doesn't seem like a perfume that I would actually like to wear or at least reach for on a regular basis. Still, I think everyone should give this a whiff just for its realistic qualities alone.

2011: I've always appreciated Rose Red. It's not your typical rose, as this also contains the stems and leaves. It smells exactly like roses that you can find in the refrigerator at a flower boutique. On me, it smells the exact same. I've toyed with the idea of getting a bottle of this in the past because it smells so ridiculously realistic, but at the same time, do I really want to smell like a rose, stems and all? I mean, rose and I get along very well, but still, it just doesn't seem like a perfume that I would actually like to wear or at least reach for on a regular basis. Still, I think everyone should give this a whiff just for its realistic qualities alone.

This is hella spicy in the vial! Pumpkin Masala Rooibos is packed with fiery cinnamon and chopped almonds. Actually, it kind of reminds me of Pumpkin Latte sans espresso but it is a lot more aggressive. Wet, the cinnamon is even hotter. After about five minutes, I am starting to detect a hint of liquorice. This has excellent throw and remains as a strong cinnamony rooibos tea with a hint of pumpkin.

2009: Simply put, this is Snow White with a delicate, fresh rose note on top. In the bottle and on my skin, it's the same. What's great about the rose in Pink Snowballs is that it is so subtle and unassuming. It's not in-your-face or overwhelming, so even rose haters would love this. The throw is on the light to medium side. This could be worn throughout the entire year, and is too freaking classy for words.

 

2011: Maybe it is because I only have a vial of it, but to me, this year's isn't as fragrant and rosy. Even the Snow Whiteness in it is more subdued. Unfortunately, this year's goes through a plasticky phase. On the dry down, the plastic note dies down a bit but this still isn't as fragrant and lively as 2009's.

2011: Now, I love rose, but I will admit that Beth's roses can be a little iffy on me. Some are too heady, too sour, too sharp, but Peacock Queen is a beaut. It really truly is a fresh rose. Nothing more. This year's smells even fresher than last year, and a bit closer to Rose Red. Like Rose Red without the stems. Peacock Queen 2011 jives well with my skin chemistry too. Wet, it isn't going sour or anything, nor does it amp like crazy. It's simple and beautiful. All rose fans have to try this.

This is some seriously cooling menthol in the vial, yet here is a hint of sweetness in the background. You know what? I normally dislike snow and/or menthol notes, as they are far too medicinal to my nose, but there is something about this that I kind of like. I am extremely biased since I've studied Old Norse and Norse mythology for years so I am trying to like this but ultimately, I cannot get past the snow note.

2011: There is something medicinal about this upon first sniff, but the florals soon follow after. The plumeria and Mexican tiger lily are the most prominent florals in the vial. On me, the sharper florals such as the mums and tuberose blossom. I find this year to be not as tropical as last year's, which was major plumeria-y. This year, it's slightly crisper and greener. I don't find it soapy at all. Beautiful blend.

2011: My first impression of this was a deep red. Dark red, ripe fruits. This doesn't smell at all like most of the plum blends. It's tarter and deeper. The plums are lightly dusted with sugar. They're also juicy and cold, like they're on a bed of snow in the fresh winter air. Last year's was meh but this year, it's really working on me!

Woodsy and resiny with a touch of earthiness. It elicits images of a warm cabin than a church, really. There is also a swirl of smoky incense on top. This year's blend is softer than last year's, in my opinion.

Initially, the ginger reminds me of fresh ginger à la Mother Ginger. This is a much brighter gingerbread blend topped off with candy and sparkly happiness. Wet, the cinnamon comes out and I swear I can smell some kind of cherry candy, like jelly beans or jujubes. To my nose, there is no chocolate to be had. On the final dry down, the cinnamon pops out even more. It's an ultra cute blend packed with sugar and spice.

Now that's what you call a candy cane. In the vial, Lick It Discreetly has a sharper peppermint note than last year's variation. This one smells almost like straight up peppermint oil in the vial. Wet, the peppermint remains strong, and even creates a tingling sensation in my nose, but a soft vanilla comes out to play to create a true candy cane scent. This is such a fun, uplifting scent that I would definitely reach for on days when I'd feel a bit down or stressed.

2011: This blend screams winter. The snow, dirt, and moss remind me of winter out in the countryside. In the vial, I can also detect a faint hint of the pastries, but it smells more like a sugar cake to me. Wet, the sweetness from the pastries comes out a bit more and I am also greeted by a cool floral note. To me, this year's blend seems more balanced than last year's, but ultimately, I am just not feeling that snow note, as always.

2011: Jacob's Ladder smells fantastic in the vial! It's very ambery and musky, due to the ambrette seed, I'm sure. Wet, it is pretty much the same, however, there is also a slight touch of rockrose, but it's not heady nor sharp. The labdanum also blends beautifully with the amber. Definitely a unisex blend. I like this more than last year's, since Jacob's Ladder '10 smelled drier, however, to me, this has a warm glow.