angelamaria

Can anyone tell me if Pink Snowballs is very similar to Victoria? They both have vanilla and rose, Pink Snowballs is one of my favorites but I only have one bottle.

I'll try to test when I get home, but to my memory they aren't similar. Pink Snowballs has a chilly quality that Victoria doesn't have, and Victoria is a bit dusty on me, IIRC.

Saying goodbye to my full set of A Demon in My View bottles I "gave up" on completing this a while ago, lucked out on suddenly being able to complete it after all, but oh well needs must be met.

If anyone's curious on the labels (click for larger image):

In bottle: wow. Resins, tobacco, and sweet, creamy vanilla. It's a bit...Celeste-like, only not as spicy as Celeste: no what was saffron in celeste is the lovely mix of warm woods and incense here, but the overall feel of the blend is similar, without going all the way incense.

Wet on skin: yup, definitely resinous and incensey, but it's not overwhelming (I don't like wearing incense scents, but this is okay). Tobacco, sandalwood, frankincense all meld together nicely, in an almost Tombstone-like quality, and the creamy vanilla and tonka is sweet. I'm not sure I detect myrrh.

Dry: this is SUPERBLY lovely. This doesn't change much from the wet phase: vanilla and tobacco and resins. The tobacco is giving this the spicy, peppery feel that is present in Celeste but is suitably subdued and smoky as not to overwhelm. Right now, it doesn't have as much longevity and throw as I'd expect from a blend of this "feel" but this will definitely age wonderfully and I know this will only get better, smoother, richer.

Verdict: holy moly, so glad I was right. This is lovely! I've been heartbroken by Celeste before, but Dolly Kei more than makes up for it.

In bottle: okay, whoa. FLORAL, Y HALLO THAR. Tuberose, jasmine, and a myriad of blossoms. I do sense the mosses giving this a bit of depth. I feel I have smelled this scent before--only I'm not entirely too sure where. Maybe it is my childhood speaking to me, when I used to hoard collect scented stationery. *shrug*

Wet on skin: this goes lighter on my skin, and the flowers kind of back off a bit. It's definitely a flowers and mosses sort of scent: if it weren't for the moss note, this would be SCREAMINGLY floral. As it dries on my skin, I think I'm starting to get a hint of the wood note. Don't by shy, hime wood. Don't let the flowers bully you.

Dry: mosses and wood and flowers; the most prominent flowers to me are tuberose and jasmine. At this stage, with a chunk of those floral notes burned off, this is a LOT easier to smell, and is quite lovely in this phase, with the gorgeous woods and mosses coming out to give some much-needed depth. I don't know if aging will smooth out the cacophony of flowers here, but maybe?

Verdict: could probably use some aging. I think I will hang on to my bottle, and see how it ages further down the line. I'm not hoping for much, though--this kind of reminds me of Touched Twice and the white chocolate 13 earlier this year: lots of flowers I hoped would smooth out, but they never really smoothed out ENOUGH for me.

In bottle: ha, very pink and sugary and candy-like. Sugared rose (similar to how I remember Hope), hints of black currant. Very....pink. Fluffy.

Wet on skin: very light on my skin. It stays mostly the same apart from the violet leaf peeking through on my skin, smelling like, well, violets. At this stage this is like a cross between Hope and Faith. Like if they weren't Siamese twins.

Dry: it gets softer and softer as it dries, but there are times where it feels almost sharp to my nose. It's VERY pink and candy-like. Sugar, dusty flowers and violet--and a whole lot of pink ribbons and lace. Very apt for what the blend is for.

Verdict: it's cute, but not for me. This is like Loli.Goth, only with the pinkness cranked all the way up.

In bottle: well... definitely masculine, I guess? Bergamot and patchouli in a predominantly cologney base. And orris too.

Wet on skin: bergamot and patchouli; this is a nice patchouli, so if you're looking for the dirty headshoppy kind, this is not what you're looking for. I think the bergamot is keeping the patch clean. It's slightly "peppery", and has a dusty quality to it. I don't know if the dustiness is a skin chemistry thing, or if it's meant to be this way.

Dry: powdery pink pepper, dusty patchouli, and bergamot. While this is not a pink scent at all (it's a more...dark mauve/brown sort of scent), for some reason that's the first thing my nose registered once this blend is dry. Softer, but still retaining that masculine cologne-like quality. Much, much later, the masculine cologne quality is all that's left, and whoa does it stick--I've washed my hands twice since skin-testing and it's still there, faint but recognizable.

Verdict: I didn't think this would work for me, and it doesn't. I also kind of prefer a less, er, "traditional" masculine scent for a guy, although this isn't too bad.

I just wanted to say I ADORE the idea of the Crazy Crafters Swap. I'm so sad I'm not in the U.S. so I couldn't participate T_T

This!

Just a heads up: I posted the ATC swap topic, pending approval.

Yay!

Thanks! I, ah, did end up going ahead with an unsniffed bottle purchase >.< although that doesn't sound very promising now! D: And yes, The Unicorn is a white floral. Would you know how Orpheus compares to something like...hmm Parsifal? I think that's my "greenest" keeper.

 

Woops! Sorry to come in too late! I've not tried/forgotten Parsifal, so I'm afraid I can't compare that. Mmmm... vastly more green than Planting Moon, which is one of my very few greenish bottles. Regardless, I hope it works for you!!

No worries! I had a last minute "omg, looks like I need to get Singing Moon" moment on the 5th so I went ahead (and since international shipping is $19, I doubt I can afford another purchase later this month). But I do appreciate your weighing in, at least I can mentally prepare myself to not expect anything similar to The Unicorn

Either CCCLX or CCCIX, I'm not entirely sure which. I think it is more likely it is CCCIX.

This is...interesting. It's a far cry from Dorian, really. To me Dorian is a bit foody, mellow and smooth. This one is...not.

I can sense the Dorian base sweetening this up certainly, but over that--I would say "under that", but the non-Dorian-y qualities are front and center rather than the Dorianness--and that is SO a word, I say so--over that, there's a very striking resinous, almost incensey note.

Sadly, my nose is too inexperienced to really know what note/notes I am smelling. I think frankincense, or sandalwood, or leather, or all damn three. I don't know. SOMEthing.

This made me think about how I wanted Celeste to be this lovely soft vanilla-ey goodness with a touch of resins, but however it went reins with a touch of vanilla. That's what happened here. Also that resinous spiciness in Celeste? Tone it down, make it softer, and give it a manly punch, and that's what I'm smelling here.

You know how Jareth is like Dorian with leather? Crank that up a notch and add woods and a softly peppery feel and maybe a hint of smoke, and you've got this one.

It's actually pleasant, in a definitely masculine way. I'm almost tempted to keep this blend, just because I find it utterly fascinating, although I'd never wear it really.

In bottle: sweet gardenia, chamomile, and frankincense. It's definitely a floral, and already I'm wondering if this would be too loud for me. I mean, it's practically screaming floral.

Wet on skin: gardenia, and frankincense to hold it back a bit, but really--WHOA GARDENIA. Very floral, although softer and not as I AM FLORAL HEAR ME ROAR as in the bottle, it's...well, floral. Sweet gardenia, almost candyish or bubblegummy for some reason, and frankincense, with a creamy tone. This stage is softer, and is something I can handle, and it's a very lovely gardenia blend.

Verdict: right, so I think iris on me tend to go quite sweet, usually cloyingly so, before it completely turns over and goes eurgh. That cloyingly sweet, almost grandmothery scent...eh, yes, that's the iris, and it's right here. So it's not just candyish but also oily-sweet. I aged this for a couple months, and while it smooths out a fair bit and is not as oily-sweet anymore, it's still candyish-sweet.

Verdict: sadly a no, although it's a very pretty blend in small doses.

In decant: foody! I'm getting fig, pear, and a hint of vanilla. Actually, my first whiff was chocolate, but the second whiff--yeah, not so much.

Wet on skin: rather unexpected: pear, which makes this blend fruity as opposed to foody. The chocolate is still not present. To be honest I'm a little bemused, as I kind of expected something foody and chocolate, but rather I'm getting pear and figgy vanilla. I wish I knew what "quince" smelled like on its own.

Dry: well, yeap. This is a pear scent--pear and a hint of vanilla. A bit unexpected. I am also...sort of at a loss for words.

Verdict: yeah, well.

In bottle: creamy vanilla, sandalwood, and grey amber. There is another scent that I am getting that I'm not sure of, which I guess could very well be the amyris. This is a resinous sweet and creamy scent.

Wet on skin: quite lovely! Vanilla, grey amber, and a resinous tuberose comes up warmed on my skin. Very beautiful--a touch floral, but I wouldn't call this a floral specifically, at this stage. It's "present", but not cloying or heavy.

Dry: dry, I'm getting a hint of powdery, pleasant and so far it feels quite in tune with the blend. It's resinous and creamy with a sweet tuberose to highlight but not overwhelm. I love this stage; there's an almost-haunting sweetness to it that is feeling, which feels appropriate given the inspiration. About an hour on, however, something has turned to powder on me and I can't get much of the other notes anymore.

Verdict: I did a retest of this as I really, really liked it and felt it was a keeper except for that powder in the end, but sad to say my skin doesn't like this. Oh well.

I do have a question on Orpheus though.There are a lot of "crushed green stems" reviews for it, which I like the smell of but don't like smelling of. However, blends like The Unicorn and Berenice have been mentioned, both of which are keepers and The Unicorn being in my top three. Worth a chance?(Also, is it greener than Garden Path with Chickens?).

 

I just re-tested my imp of Orpheus, and I find it is quite strongly 'crushed green stems' on the waft. Up close, I can find other notes, but I keep catching the green stems note and feeling like I need to wash up after some weeding... It's not working for me, but I don't care for very green/fresh scents. I think I recall The Unicorn as being in the white floral family, right? It's not similar to my memory, but I can't find that one to retry.

 

Garden Path is distinctly IVY on me, and not generic/weedy greens. I prefer it vs Orpheus, but neither is a family I really love. Hope that helps your decision.

Thanks! I, ah, did end up going ahead with an unsniffed bottle purchase >.< although that doesn't sound very promising now! D: And yes, The Unicorn is a white floral. Would you know how Orpheus compares to something like...hmm Parsifal? I think that's my "greenest" keeper.

Thanks on Garden Path as well!

In bottle: a clean and clear white scent, faintly floral, with hints of that blue musk. I can also sense the tea note floating in the background; definitely a "silent", pensive blend, although it does have a rather solid presence.

Wet on skin: wow, this is lovely, and right up my alley. Warmed by my skin, it doesn't change too much from the bottle scent, but the warmth grounds this scent--makes it a bit more sweeter, a bit whiter, and the sandalwood and musk comes out much better as well. The latter is subdued, in the background, and adds lovely depth to a predominantly moonflower and green tea blend.

Dry: clear white moonflower and tea, grounded by lovely sandalwood and musk, lightly sweetened. This doesn't change from the wet phase for me aside from a further smoothing out, a slight softening. This keeps true to the pensiveness of the blend.

Verdict: I'm so glad I took a chance on this! I'm really liking this, and sad that it's been discontinued.

In decant: whoa~ banana and pineapple! Actually, the pineapple is definitely more front and center. Sweet, and like this particular candy I remember I used to have when I was a kid, a pineapple-orange candy.

Wet on skin: err...something is going quickly to plastic on my skin, and I suspect it is the banana. I've tested a few other blends with banana before, and while it is from other etailers, I remember they also went plasticky on me. Also, the pineapple is disappearing! It's now mostly a vaguely pineapple scent: mint, white musk, and faint memories of fruits.

Dry: plasticky, dusty mint and white musk with a whisper of fruits. I don't know if aging will help this some, but most of the interesting notes in this blend disappear, which is a shame. Not that I'd wear it, but they were interesting!

Verdict: pass. I knew I wouldn't be getting this, but I was quite disappointed to see the interesting notes disappear.

In decant: definitely fruity. I immediately thought of Lemon-Scented Sticky Bat mixed with other fruits: it's predominantly a foody lemony citrus blend, with very lovely vanilla cream. I expect it will turn to plastic on my skin...

Wet on skin: gosh, this is so yummy! Like lemon candy and lemon pastry rolled into one. Very lovely citruses, with the lemon topmost, and sweet yummy vanilla cream.

Dry: this softens into a slightly soapy lemon and vanilla scent on my skin. Interestingly, contrary to expectation, the cream hasn't turned plasticky on my skin, hurrah! This stays sweetly foodily yummy all throughout.

Verdict: I really like this one, but I don't wear fruity scents so this will be a pass.

Maybe the "marine accord, seaweed, and bladderwrack" in Windward passage would do it, or something with Ambergris or onycha?

Cool! Thanks for the ideas! Is there any word on the search feature? Seems it's been down for a while, or is that just me?

You can use the BPAL.org search at http://bpal.org/search it's not part of the lab's official site but made to look like it--so the blends are incomplete but should help you start

Okay, I've been going through the reviews section after having narrowed down the blends that are promising. After going through the Salon list again I actually had thirteen (13!!! omg) blends, but thankfully I was able to remove five from the first pass. Although that still leaves me with 8 (the number I started with).

I was able to remove Arrival at the Sabbath (too foody), Cupid Complaining to Venus (too fruity), Love and Pain (too lavendery), and Kiyohime/Sunrise (both too fruity-aquatic).

I do have a question on Orpheus though.

There are a lot of "crushed green stems" reviews for it, which I like the smell of but don't like smelling of. However, blends like The Unicorn and Berenice have been mentioned, both of which are keepers and The Unicorn being in my top three. Worth a chance?

(Also, is it greener than Garden Path with Chickens?)

P.S. Other Salons I've liked are: Parsifal, Haloes (both retail exclusive), Tree of Life (Klimt LE), Silence (disconned).

In decant: green floral: tobacco flower and sage, which is simply lovely, and I can sense the lemongrass and ambergris too. I can't get the vetiver, which is just peachy for me.

Wet on skin: light and green floral, but slightly powdery, which is making me nervous about this. The tobacco flower is lovely, front and center.

Dry: slightly soapy, and rather powdery...which breaks my heart. Otherwise it's a light floral headed by the tobacco flower, with a touch of green, hints of a citrus brightness, and grounding woods.

Verdict: I had high hopes for this one, but my skin chemistry just doesn't want to cooperate. Oh well.

In decant: dirt. Cold, glittery dirt.

Wet on skin: cold, glittery dirt--and radish, that gives this an almost fruity component. Dirt and cold glittery rocks--and it's actually "clean" smelling too. That sounds like a weird combination, but it's true. Masculine.

Dry: doesn't morph from the wet stage. The dirt has softened out and is not as "dirty" as dirt (uhhh), but still recognizable.

Verdict: I knew this was not for me, and I thought of not even skin-testing. But I'm glad I did, it was quite an interesting experience nonetheless!

In decant: lovely!! Creamy linden blossom and clean floral. Definitely freshly-washed, but not overtly soapy to me.

Wet on skin: LOVELY!! I'm thinking, I will need to deathmatch this with The Unicorn, which is my super favorite linden scent. This is absolutely fabulous. Clean, light, and feminine, with that super lovely linden blossom with vanilla supporting it and giving that lovely creamy vibe. I can also sense the lab's linen note. Dare I say it, an Antique Lace for linden blossom?!

Dry: I am in love. This is a simpler but creamier The Unicorn--if you mourned the loss of that one like I did (well, in hindsight anyway), then you need, need to try this out. Being such a lover of vanillas and linden blossom, this is like the ULTIMATE linden/vanilla perfume. However, much later (about an hour plus onward), the linden scent has pretty much gone, leaving this a clean and freshly laundered linen scent. I'm hoping aging will improve the longevity.

Verdict: I wish the linden blossom stayed, but this is still pretty nice as it is, and I'm hoping aging helps along with keeping the linden around. I think I will still get a bottle of this, but The Unicorn is still top, for me.

Where is Haloes listed? The only salon I will truly miss and that I bought a back up of was Orpheus. It is the most gorgeous but melancholy floral scent that I own.

It's a retail exclusive Salon

http://www.bpal.org/topic/38836-haloes/

I've tried a few Salons and they haven't worked on me so far, but these are the ones I still want to try:

Lucretia (Iris, black amber, sage, Kashmir wood, vanilla musk, mandarin and violet.)

Orpheus (Pale musk, green mandarin, neroli, benzoin, citrus peel, blue lavender, narcissus, stephanotis, crushed green stems, willow branch and cedar.)

The Arrival at the Sabbath and Homage to the Devil (Bourbon vanilla, benzoin, caramel, Mysore sandalwood, aged black patchouli, carnation, and iris florentina.)

Cupid Complaining to Venus (Apple blossom, fig, white peach, honey absolute, red sandalwood, and wild thyme.)

Garden Path with Chickens (Damp grass, ivy leaves, morning glory, daisy, rose geranium, heliotrope, white gardenia, climbing roses, peppery nasturtium, phlox, begonia, verbena and sun-warmed herbs.)

Love and Pain (Lavender, Balkan tobacco, black musk, dark vanilla, and golden copaifera.)

Schlafende Baigneuse (Skin musk, white cream, honeycomb, yellow rose, King mandarin, chrysanthemum, golden amber, honeysuckle, and wide-throated yellow monkey-flower accord.)

Spirit of the Komachi Cherry Tree (Cherry blossom, blue lilac, lavender monofloral honey, white sandalwood, and Asian pear.)

Not sure about the retail salons, but I've been lucky with those: Parsifal and Haloes are part of my keepers.

I'd be game for the ATC swap for sure! I need to get more creative again

"Favorite BPAL" sounds super interesting