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BPAL Madness!
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clover

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Posts posted by clover

  3. Posted · Report reply

    Oh my, this is truly, truly gorgeous!

     

    Upon first application: On me, it's overwhelming vanilla, with just a hint of spices...a little cinnamon and a little clove. And call me crazy, in that very few first seconds I get just a hint of (dare I say it) civet. Or something animal-y. But it's gone immediately. I've tried it two or three times and every time there's that animal flash at the begining.

     

    After a few minutes: It's still very much the same, very vanilla-sweet and slightly spicy, but I think I'm getting a slight bit of pumpkin. (Or else I'm just assuming there's pumpkin there, because of the name). But I think that I sense something that smells like buttery eucalyptus, which is how pupmkin smells on me. It's really light though.

     

    I'm afraid I'm not doing this justice, because it is really terribly, terribly yummy. Oh, how I hope that it is more readily available in the future! :P

  4. Posted · Report reply

    MISTLETOE



    The plant of peace in Norse tradition. If enemies met in the forest and came upon a sprig, they laid down their arms and observed a truce until the next sunrise.

    Yikes, am I the first to review Mistletoe? I'll keep it simple then...

    Mistletoe: I love you. You are the perfect spicy green scent. A little bit of sweetness for the berries, with a little bit of sharpness for the poison.

    I'm wearing Mistletoe today (Yule and all) and I have to admit the first minute or two were a little scary. I was afraid the sharpness was a little funky. But it disappears right away and turns into a lovely blend sharp and sweet. It's the PERFECT holiday scent. And it stays pretty true from first application on...which is why this review is so short. :P

  5. Posted · Report reply

    CERBERUS

    Proceeds go to the Animal Assistance League of Orange County. Cerberus, the Three-Headed watchdog that guards the gate to Hades. Loyal, dutiful and ferocious to its master's enemies, but possessed of a distracting fondness for honey cakes and the song of the lyre. A deep, rumbling scent, warm, soft and as cozy as a dog by a hearthfire, but with a fierce and feral soul: deep chocolate, deeper musks, with a dash of fig, bittersweet walnut, and the wild essences of juniper berry, cubeb and rum.

     

    Upon first application: Cerberus smells like a chocolate covered cherry. It really does - or one of those candies whose name I can't think of, that are cherry cream and walnuts and covered with chocolate. This completely takes me by surprise, because, despite the chocolate in the description, I wasn't expecting a sweet scent. I'm not sure why I'm picking up cherry, unless walnut oil, like almond oil, has a sweet scent.

     

    After a few minutes: The scent completely morphs. It slowly gets less sweet, grows stronger and slightly bitter - but bitter in a good way. I assume that's the combination of juniper berry, cubeb and fig. (See how I just throw cubeb in, like I know what it smells like? Of course I don't know what it smells like. The extent of my knowledge of cubeb is that you can make cigarettes out of it - so I assumed it was tobacco-like. Well, I looked it up and it turns out it's a pepper berry. A-ha!)

     

    A few minutes after that: Mostly fig, but a round, full, earthy fig rolled in sugar and spices. It's quite a transformation, but it's really nice.

  8. Posted · Report reply

    Incantation

     

    Note to the Lab: If you're going to send out oils this darn sexy, you're really going to have to start sending a man with them. Really.

     

    First sniff: Holy mother of god! *Fans herself*

     

    Upon first application: "Unfathomably dark". How I like the sound of that. Like others have said, this is very woodsy and the vetiver is really strong.

     

    After a few minutes: This is pretty masculine, so I don't think I would wear it as a perfume while I was out and about very often. But it's also indescribably yummy and comforting, so it's a perfect at home scent.

     

    Conclusion: I thought Iago was the scent that all of the men of the world should wear. Well, they should, but they should also wear Incantation. Wow.

  9. Posted · Report reply

    Oh man, Spooky may be single-handedly responsible for me breaking down and buying a scent locket.

     

    Sniffing from the vial: Yum! This smells like extra-special Girl Scout cookies. (Thin Mints, I think they're called?) All chocolate and cookie and mint.

     

    Upon application: Yum! Now the coconut jumps out at me. Coconut cookies dipped in peppermint hot chocolate.

     

    After a few minutes: Yum! Coconut cookies. But the coconut has taken over and all but obliterated the cocoa and rum and peppermint. Like coconut always does to me.

     

    Conclusion: Well, I tried this on a piece of fabric and it stays much truer to that yummy choclatey/pepperminty/cookie goodness. So I think I will have to use my delicious imp either in a scent locket or on my clothing and not directly on my skin.

     

    So happy to have this!

  10. Posted · Report reply

    Ahathoor:

     

    Upon first application: Pungent...citrussy. Maybe grapefruit?

     

    After a few seconds: Oh, wait...not so pungent anymore. It's softer, a creamy mellow citrus. And definitely a hint of yellow flower, though I'm not sure what kind of flower. I just know that to me it seems yellow.

     

    After a few minutes: Like the other Stations of the Sun, I definitely detect an incensy/resiny base. But it's not as strong in Ahathoor as the others. I'm wodering if I'm detecting the tiniest little bit of civet, too?

     

    Conclusion: Just double checked, and this is the mid-day sun. Holy crap...these stations of the sun are just blowing me away! They are just so spot-on...so incredibly well executed! Which, of course, is hardly a surprise.

     

    This one is beautiful...

  11. Posted · Report reply

    Tum

     

    Upon first application: Wow, this is pure grape juice!

     

    After a few seconds: But it immediately mophs into something more. It starts to sparkle. Really, it does. Wow, that's seriously completely glorious. It's like a glittery purpley-magenta scent on my skin. In the background is the incense/resin scent that all of the Stations of the Sun seem to have.

     

    After a few minutes: Suddenly it turns just a little bit cinnamony. And maybe a tiny little bit floral.

     

    A few minutes after that: When I was trying this out I couldn't remember what station of the sun Tum was. But now that I've checked and discovered that it's the setting sun, I'm just amazed. It's amazing how on me the purple/grape/sparkly incense scent coexists with the slightly spicy cinnamon scent and the two don't mix at all. It's honestly reminiscent of a sunset-streaked sky, and a complete triumph.

  12. Posted · Report reply

    Hail unto thee who art Khephra in Thy hiding, even unto Thee who art Khephra in Thy silence, who travellest over the heavens in Thy bark at the Midnight Hour of the Sun.
    Tahuti standeth in His splendour at the prow, and Ra-Hoor abideth at the helm.
    Hail unto Thee from the Abodes of Evening.


    Upon first application: Very smooth, and calming. Slightly sweet. And vaguely herby. For some reason I'm thinking it smells like mallow - although that's strange becuase I'm not sure if I've ever smelled mallow before. Huh. Nevertheless, mallow is the impressions I get. An maybe chamomile??

    After a few minutes: Stays pretty true...herby sweet with a background of resiny incense. And just the slightest floral...although I can't tell what floral it is.

    Conclusion: This is very calming, and generally speaking I don't get along with calm scents. They make me nervous! :P But it works perfectly in the set, as the Midnight Sun.

  13. Posted · Report reply

    Blood Kiss

     

    First impressions: Oh, I was hoping that "the honey of the sweetest kiss" was a metaphor, or just a really lovely turn of phrase. Apparently not.

     

    Upon first application: #%@& honey! My mortal enemy. It just jumps right out at me and taunts me, saying "Haha! I'm going to stand here and just let enough of the rest of this scent through to taunt you with how beautiful and sweet and earthy it is....but I'm not moving." Sigh. It's so sad...I had such high hopes for this scent, and I feel like it's just out of my grasp.

     

    Conclusion: Well, it dries down to a musky, sweet, but musty/sensual & glorious scent. Unfortunately it took an hour or so for the honey to wear off. Just like "O" on me, sadly.

  14. Posted · Report reply

    I keep forgetting we have to drop the "Old" now!

     

    You know, it might not be any single note in Queen Mab, but a combination of notes. For example, I adore the smell of Queen Mab in the bottle...I think it's sweet and gorgeous. But on me it smells like curry, almost immediately. I know there's no curry in there, but it just happens. I think it's the combination of orchid and sandalwood that does it to me.

  16. Posted · Report reply

    Another one of my experimental bottles from Beth:

     

    Sniffing from the bottle: Juniper! Pure juniper. Oh how I love juniper!

     

    Upon application: Well, it's deinitely junipery, but it's a little warmer.

     

    After a few minutes: A-ha! It appears to be Snake Oil made with juniper instead of vanilla. How very, very lovely.

     

    Conclusion: This is absolutely perfect for me, because there are certain times that, as much as I loooovve Snake Oil, the vanilla in it cranks up to 11. My stupid girlie chemistry. So, now, when that happens, I will have another option. Yay! How wonderful.

  17. Posted · Report reply

    Beautiful, beautiful Old Dublin. :P

     

    First impression: I'm not sure what alderleaf is, but this smells gorgeous!

     

    Upon first application: Very green, and sweet. I would've sworn there was a little bit of berry in here to sweeten up the greens. I can't detect any rose at all. Thank goodness, because 90% of the time rose goes all soapy on me.

     

    After a few minutes: This is just so beautiful! I'm absolutely in love again. I adore pine and evergreen and all scents of that nature, but I'm afraid they smell too masculine a lot of the time. But this is the perfect sweet, gentle evergreen scent. Just like a forest.

     

    Thank you Lab! With Old Dublin you're allowing me to indulge my love for all things coniferous while still being soft and feminine. And that's a little bit of a miracle as far as I'm concerned!

  18. Posted · Report reply

    LIBER RESH VEL HELIOS: RA

    Hail unto Thee who art Ra in Thy rising, even unto Thee who art Ra in Thy strength, who travellest over the Heavens in Thy bark at the Uprising of the Sun.

    Tahuti standeth in His splendour at the prow, and Ra-Hoor abideth at the helm.

    Hail unto Thee from the Abodes of Night!

     

    Sniffing from the bottle: Hmm, it reminds me of Red Moon!

     

    On first application: Yes, it's definitely like Red Moon, except without the spiciness. It's a very smooth red/orange floral...maybe heliotrope? I guess that would make sense.

     

    After a few minutes: All of these LRvH blends seem to have a smooth, sweet base. I think maybe it's frankincense? Some sort of resin, anyway...

     

    A few minutes after that: It has mellowed and blended very nicely. And strangely, it seems like there's a tiny little bit of some warm spice.

     

    Conclusion: It's really kind of bizarre (and I mean that in the best way!)...it seems like it's incredibly smooth and sweet, but kind of burning hot at the same time! Really great.

  19. Posted · Edited by Shollin · Report reply

    BLACK ANNIS

    Vast talons, foul with human flesh, there grew

    In place of hands, and features livid blue

    Glar'd in her visage; while the obscene waist

    Warm skins of human victims close embraced.

     

    The blue faced hag of the British Hills. She lives in the Dane Hills, Leicestershire, in a cave called Black Annis' Bower Close, which she dug out of rock with her own iron-strong claws. Dozens of huge cats prowl the Bower with her, and it is guarded by a great pollarded oak in which she hides so that she may catch lambs and small children to eat. She carries her victims back to her cave, where she flays them alive before devouring them. She drapes their skins on her guardian oak to dry. Her skirt is fashioned from the skins of her prey, and her bed is a high-piled bed of their bones. Black Annis' perfume is a mixture of damp cave lichen and oak leaf with a hint of vetiver, civet and anise.

     

     

    Alright, I admit...I'm a little disturbed by how very me this scent is. I mean, she's a hag! And a child devouring hag, at that. But really...anise, vetiver, moss and oak leaf? Those are a few of my favorite things.

     

    Upon first application: Not what I was expecting! Very smoky, ashy...vaguely reminiscent of Djinn. Downright ember-y.

     

    After a few minutes: And the anise comes out to play! I love it when that happens.

     

    A few minutes after that: It's all licoricey, with a very earthy background. I can only just detect the slightest bit of civet, and really it's just sweetening up the anise a little.

     

    Conclusion: It's fantastic. And what it really reminds me of is trick or treating on a dark Halloween night...candy and fallen leaves and that earthy Autumn smell.

     

    Definitely will need a big bottle.

  20. Posted · Report reply

    Every bottle I got is absolutely gorgeous! They're all really different, too...one is ambery, one is junipery, one is fruity, etc...

     

    However, one of the bottle that I got stands out above all of the others. Ever since I discovered BPAL I have been looking for a perfect apple scent, and now I have it. I was unpacking my box and discovered that there was one little green bottle that I hadn't noticed at first. I opened it up and was struck right away by the appliness. I thought I might just die. I LOVE the smell of apples. And when I tried it on, I realized that it was predominently apple, but with just a hint of vanilla, or maybe even Snake Oil. But it doesn't turn the apple sweet at all, like The Hesperides, it just seems to stabilize it, so that it lasts longer than a fruit scent normally would. I can only describe it as pure golden apple cider, and I absolutely love, love, love it!

     

    I'm so lucky... :P

  24. Posted · Report reply

    You know, the only time I have ever had a reaction to a BPAL oil was one morning when I slathered on some Kabuki right after I got out of the shower. The same thing happened to me as what you descibed. It was especially odd because I wear Kabuki all of the time...it's one of my favorites.

     

    I have a feeling it had to do with the fact that I had just gotten out of the shower, and maybe my pores were still open and thus more sensitive?? (Just a theory). Anyway, now I wait half an hour or so after I bathe before applying the oil.

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