Alethia

I wasn't quick enough to purchase this last year but when it popped up on the Post's Etsy I snapped up a bottle. And thank goodness for that because this is glorious! When I tested the perfume oil in 2012, there was a weird lemony note that I didn't like. I'm happy to report that the bath oil doesn't have that weird note and is pure creamy vanilla and cotton. The cotton keeps it from being too sweet, which is good because this has quickly become one of my favorite vanilla scents. The oil itself is exceptionally moisturizing. It also gives better throw and lasts longer than the perfume oil: I've had three compliments from coworkers on how great I smell, which never happens when I wear just an oil. Verdict: Hoarding!

Thoughts before testing: I'm hoping that this will be my perfect sugar/cotton candy scent! Wet: Snow White with a BLAST of mint. Dry down: Play doh?! Dry: Play doh. Thoughts before testing: I adore Snow White and have never gotten play doh from it, but this is nothing but play doh on my skin Verdict: Off to the sales!

Thoughts before testing: I love each of these notes separately, but I'm worried that it will be too sweet. Wet: Creamy sweet pea, sugar overload. Dry down: The cream is more prominent and the whole thing is quite lovely but it's still tooth achingly sweet on my skin. Dry: Sweet!sweet pea and cream. Pretty, but too sweet for me. Final thoughts: I would have liked more cherry blossom but I don't know if that could have saved this for me. I like sweeter perfumes but they have to have a backbone of something not so sweet in order for me to want to wear it. This one is missing that and despite how pretty and girly it is I know that I won't wear it. Verdict: Off to the sales!

Hello lovely forumites! I've recently developed a hankering for sweet, sugary, cotton candy type scents and would love to hear your opinions on what the best blends are! I have a bottle of Go to Sleep, Darlings from this year's Yules on the way to me. I'm also considering Mouse Circus, but the popcorn note (that several reviewers liken to peanut butter?!) scares me. And what about Boo? Would that fit in this category? And perhaps most importantly, oh great hive mind of BPAL-dom, what scents have I missed?

Aah, you guys are great! Thank you so much for all the recommendations!

Thank you, everyone! My list just keeps on growing I'm definitely going to track down a bottle of Boo and Mouse Circus and then tackle the rest. You guys are great!

2010 and 2011 vintages Thoughts before testing: I loooooove Snake Oil and I loooooove honey, so I'm not sure what's kept me from trying Womb Furie for so long I was recently given the opportunity to test both the 2010 and 2011 vintages of Womb Furie and so here we go! Wet: Immediately the 2011 version is much sweeter than the 2010. Both have a beautiful backbone of aged Snake Oil and the honey in both is silken and creamy and fabulous. Dry down: Still more honey in the 2011 version, the 2010 version is a little drier and spicier. Dry: Eight hours later, the 2011 version still has more noticeable honey than 2010 but really both vintages are fabulous. Snake Oil and honey for the win! Final thoughts: If I had to pick, I'd probably choose the 2011 version. Really though, both years were amazing and I'm kicking myself for waiting so long to try them! Both years had J's stamp of approval and he even went so far as to request that I wear one of them on our next date night. Both were also incredibly long lasting. They made it through an entire work day and I went to bed still smelling delicious. Verdict: I'll be hunting out a bottle of the 2011 version and possible picking up the 2014 vintage as well

Thoughts before testing: I've never smelled Roman chamomile before, but vanilla bean and bourbon vanilla are two of my love muffin notes, so we'll see what happens! Wet: Pretty vanilla with a green floral tinge. Dry down: The smoky vanilla comes out to play and elevates the whole scent to a fabulous level. The greenness calms down and becomes a little more floral, and the whole thing is just lovely. Dry: That smoky vanilla is still the star player here and works beautifully with the floral chamomile. Phenomenal. Final thoughts: I do believe I've found a new favorite. I'm a sucker for vanilla scents, and this one is very different than anything I have in my collection currently. The staying power is decent (around 5 hours), the throw is low. Love this! Verdict: Keeping, potential backup bottle.

Thanks Elka! I didn't even think of High Strung Daisies! But that's too bad about Mouse Circus

Thoughts before testing: I hate the way grapefruit tastes, so I can't imagine that I'll like the way it smells in perfume form. Everything else here (minus the rice wine, which I've never smelled before) is a winner though, so maybe the combined other notes will overpower the grapefruit? One can hope Wet: GRAPEFRUIT!!! Complete with spotlight and confetti and jazz hands. And shockingly, I like the way it smells! It's sweet and citrusy and quite pretty. Dry down: Boozy grapefruit with a hefty splash of vanilla. The grapefruit isn't sharp or pithy, it's just fresh and clean. The rice wine is also surprisingly nice; most of the booze notes turn to vomit on my skin, but this is fresh and slightly boozy without being overpowering. Lovely. Dry: Clean, fresh rice wine and vanilla with a whisper of grapefruit. Final thoughts: This didn't last terribly long on my skin (around 4 hours), but it was shockingly pretty on my skin and so don't mind reapplying. Verdict: Keeping, and on the lookout for more grapefruit perfumes!

Thoughts before testing: This is made up of nothing but excellent notes for my skin. So much so that I'm not sure how it took me so long to try this! Wet: Musky floral vanilla with a little kick (from the ginger? Maybe?). Lovely! Dry down: The floral-ness of the osmanthus dies now a little, and the golden musk/ginger/honey is the star here. So pretty! It's warm and inviting and definitely sexy. Dry: Lovely, lovely, lovely. Musky vanilla with a hint of florals and spice from the ginger. This is fabulous! Final thoughts: This was just as beautiful as I was hoping it would be. Musky/vanilla/floral perfumes are probably my favorite, and this is definitely one of the prettiest ones I've come across. I love this, and it'll be going into heavy rotation. Verdict: Keeping!

Thoughts before testing: I've noticed lately that the snow notes (with the exception of the one that's in Snow White) turns to pure dryer sheets on my skin. My hopes are not high for the legendary Skadi Wet: Ozone-y snow with a hint of mint and berries. This is hinting at beautiful things, but it's mostly dryer sheets. Dry down: Dryer sheets covering holly berries. Damnations. Dry: After about an hour, I'm left with nothing but faint dryer sheets. Double damnation. Final thoughts: I think that I'm staying away from the snow notes from now one. Verdict: Off to the sales!

Thoughts before testing: This is the Anniversary blend I was most looking forward to. I love vanilla of all types and amber generally plays nice on my skin, but oudh can sometimes go wonky. Wet: Oh yeah this is pretty. Pretty amber (slightly dry) with a sweet backbone of vanilla. Lovely. Dry down: The vanilla warms up the amber and I'm not getting a lot of oudh. This is reminding me of a much more sophisticated and wearable O, and I like this a lot better. Dry: Turns much sweeter on the far dry down, beautiful combination. Final thoughts: This is a winner! It's the amber-vanilla combination I've been searching for. To die for beautiful, and I'm so happy to have this one in my collection! Verdict: Keeping

I'm also getting a lot of the cakey vanilla with more mint on the dry down, but I definitely don't mind. This is fantastic! It's unobtrusive and the perfect balance of perfumey/foody. This will be perfect for my office: it's not sexy like a lot of my atmo sprays and just smells pleasant. It hangs around for a decent time, and I'm betting it's going to be fantastic on my sheets and couches. This one is going to be a big bottle and my decant is going to live at my office

Dorian is one of my top ten favorite perfumes of all time and I used to wear it in my hair on a regular basis until I realized that the perfume oil was damaging my hair. So when Puddin released it as a hair gloss this winter I was thrilled to pieces! Needless to say, this does not disappoint. It smells like aged Dorian, which is to say it smells FABULOUS. Sweet tea with lemon and a dash of vanilla and it's perfect. The hair glosses are my favorite product from the Post because they make my hair look *and* smell fantastic. You'll have to pry this one out of my cold dead hands

This is my favorite patchouli scent, even more than Banshee Beat. The patch is perfect and sweet and light and not earthy, and the sugar is perfect and sweet and not caramelized. There's a little burst of citrus at the beginning that just ties everything together. Seriously this is not only my favorite hair gloss, but one of my favorite scents of all time. Perfection, bravo Puddin!

Thoughts before testing: I had to wait to order Sylvia until recently (I was out of work all summer), but I would have ordered this one right away as the notes are absolutely perfect. I'm a little worried about the pine taking over, but my hopes are high for this lady! Wet: HOLY SHIT THIS IS GOOD. Spicy, beautiful carnation and spicy clove with a fabulous warm brown musk (snuggly is the best word for it) and just a hint of pine. Seriously this is good. Dry down: Still fabulously spicy carnation and clove with that warm musk. I get just a hint of leather, just a touch of pine. This is warm and spicy and phenomenal. Dry: Carnation, clove, and musk finish it out. Spicy, warm, beautiful, and perfect for a werewolf! Final thoughts: Beth and Ted knocked it out of the park with this one! Seriously, this is absolutely fantastic and I'm considering getting a second bottle before the Wenches come down. Verdict: Hoarding.

Thoughts before testing: This sounds right up my alley, although I'm a little worried that the blood musk will have dragon's blood which typically doesn't work on my skin. Wet: Strong, lovely red patchouli and a hint of cacao. Dry down: The tobacco makes an appearance and mingles with the patch beautifully. The cacao stays in the background mostly, and I can smell the myrrh faintly. Dry: Still a lot of patchouli, but the myrrh is much stronger now and elevates the patch into a sexy, sexy scent. Final thoughts: I wish there was more musk and benzoin, but I'm willing to bet that they'll show up with a little aging. This is a dirty sexy scent and I'm so glad to have it in my collection! This is also Boy Approved as he's requested I wear this on our next date night. Verdict: Keeping!

Are you interested in anything from the Haus of Gloi yule update on November 3rd? Which products and which scents? No thank you. I'm really trying to limit my perfume buying and I can't have another perfume company to be obsessed with How do you feel about nail polish? If you like it, are there any brands or colors in which you are interested? LOVE. My nails are always painted (although I kept them bare for my interviews last week, which was bizarre looking to me). I love OPI the best, as I can get up to a week of wear with their polishes. I also love Essie, China Glaze and Revlon. I tend to stick to mostly reds, pinks, corals, taupes, nudes, and purples for colors. I love the way blues and greens look on other people, but I feel so weird wearing them. What about makeup? What brands do you prefer and which products would you most enjoy receiving? Yes to makeup! Within the last year I've started wearing more makeup in an effort to look a little more put-together and professional. My daily routine is foundation (Revlon's Colorstay Whipped is the best I've found so far), concealer (Bobbi Brown's corrector is a lifesaver for my dark purple circles), eyeshadow primer, 1-2 eyeshadows (I've fallen in love with MAC's neutral eyeshadows), mascara (Maybelline The Falsies), matte black eyeshadow as liner (MAC again), eyebrow powder (Bobbi Brown again), blush (I've been using MAC, but also really love the Nyx blushes) and lipstick (usually either MAC or Revlon). As far as brands, I love MAC, Bobbi Brown, Revlon, and Laura Mercier (she's out of my price range for the most part though), and would love to get eyeshadows (mattes or neutrals) or lipstick (pinks, "my lips but better" shades, and reds). Your feelings on Adagio teas: If you've never had anything from them, would you be open to trying them? If you HAVE had them and like them, name some favorites blends. I'm not a tea drinker, sorry! Do you like video games? Are there any you want to play? Do you have a large library? I'm also not a gamer Name three BPAL scents you have tried, but are dying to get more of. Black Lace (non-apple), Lyonesse, and Le Lethe. Have you ever tried anything from Paintbox Soapworks? Which products or scents would you prefer? I have, and to be honest I really don't like her products. Her soaps dry me out big time, and her scents aren't to my taste. Do you like/have space to garden? If so, what do you grow? I do, and I'm starting this spring! I hope to grow tomatoes, herbs, lettuce, and a metric ton of flowers Gift cards/vouchers - yay or nay? If you like them - which stores would you like one for? Love gift cards! Amazon, Sephora, MAC, Barnes and Noble, Target, Nordstroms, and Bed Bath and Beyond would be great! Seen anything lately that makes you go OH HOLY FUCK THAT'S AWESOME!!? I'm still madly in love with my Nook. For as long as I can remember, I've taken books with me when I go places and it was always so hard to decide which to take and what if I finished it while I was out?! The horror! So being able to take hundreds of books with me everywhere is absolutely mind-blowing to me. Name five small things you could use, but might not think to get for yourself? A cuticle oil pen, more round labels for my BPAL bottles, fridge magnets, an eyeglasses case, stickers for my laptop. Is there anything from a farmer's market you might like? I love canned goods, but those might be prohibitively expensive to ship. Do you have any upcoming away time I should be aware of, for shipping purposes? Nope! I'll be here the whole round! Would you like anything from Sock Dreams? Here is my wish list! I love Sock Dreams!

Hi Witch Dear! Thank you so much for the ebooks! I'm reading the first Harry Dresden one now and am loving it! Do you have any upcoming away time I should be aware of, for shipping purposes? Nope! I'll be here the whole round! Would you like anything from Sock Dreams? I love Sock Dreams! I wear primarily skirts and dresses and in the winter I just add a pair of thigh highs underneath to keep my legs warm. I want to love tights, but I have some belly fat and tights make an unsightly belly roll So I stick to thigh highs, and Sock Dreams has an excellent selection! My wish list is here! Is there anything in the Miskatonic Valley Philharmonic update that you're interested in? Surprisingly, no. Death notes abound in this update, so my wallet is safe for the (hopefully soon) upcoming Carnaval and Yules! Is there anything my mom's etsy shop that you're interested in? Super cute stuff, but none of it is really my taste

Thoughts before testing: I've never tried a 13 before because I don't like chocolate in my perfume. But this was released on my birthday last year, and even though I initially passed I immediately regretted it. My lovely mother gifted me with a bottle this Monday, so here we are! I'm not really expecting this to work due to the cacao and the long list of notes (the BPALs that work best on me are the ones with shorter note lists), but let's see what happens! Wet: Strong chocolate and dragon's blood resin; it's like being in The Heart of the Dragon (a local metaphysical shop where they burn DBR incense) and eating a really good strong dark chocolate bar. Quite lovely actually. Dry down: The patchouli and amber make more of an appearance and it changes from the foody wet stage to a really sophisticated, dark, smooth scent. I'm really surprised at how much I like the cacao here. Dry: This dries down to a really lovely, smooth scent. The cacao is completely in the background after about 90 minutes and I get a strong smooth vanilla mixed with the DBR (which is surprisingly amazing here) and just a touch of honey with a lovely backing of resins. Smooth, dark, and absolutely beautiful. Final thoughts: I never thought I would like a blend with chocolate/cacao, but this is wonderful. It's complex and sticks close to my skin. This will definitely be getting a lot of love from me this fall/winter! Verdict: Keeping

Are you okay with semi-spicy foods right now? I'm thinking like curry or chipotle? If you were to choose a chili powder would you go Hot, Medium, or Mild? Medium spicy is about all I can handle (I'm a wimp!), and definitely no curry for me please! If you were this mystery witch's witchee, would you be interested in Spoonfudge (http://www.spoonfudge.com/) or any other such "ordered online" sweet? Ooh. Spoonfugde looks amazing and now I feel like a glutton because there are like 10 flavors I want to try The Caramellow, Ginger Pear, Peaches and Champagne, Salted Caramel, Chocolate Banana, Butter, Coconut Lime, Champagne and Roses, and Root Beer all look fabulous Also - Double checking everyone's baked goods status. Home-made baked goods or other food stuffs OK? Yes, as long as they're gluten and nut free please! Is there anything you'd like from Lush, witchee? No thank you If you like earrings, what kind? Dangly earrings, hoops, studs - what kind do you like? How long do you like your necklaces? Or would you prefer to just get a pendent, so you can size the chain yourself? I love, love, love stud earrings. They're my favorite! I also need a pair of plain hoop earrings as one of my last pair mysteriously disappeared (the cat likes to cart off my jewelry). And I like my necklaces fairly average length, 18-20 inches or so: I have a rather large bosom, and anything too long looks odd to my eyes. If I were your witch and were to paint you something, what would you absolutely love, what would you feel ambivalent toward, and what would you not like to see or receive? I would love anything you want to paint me, Witch Dear! I love moonscapes and have been looking for a painting or picture of a moon shining on the sea. Are there any craft project/s you are working on now that you need supplies for? Or rather, is there a craft project you've been wanting to do but need stuff to start? I want to start lace crocheting desperately! Either a pattern or yarn/needles would be lovely! I also have been wanting to get into knitting, so anything in that realm would much appreciated. What do you think of hair sticks? Would you like a set? I love the look of them, but honestly my hair is so thick and heavy and long that hair sticks (and really most hair accessories) fall out. Is there anything you'd really like to have/try from Trader Joe's, or any other popular-but-not-available-everywhere store? I used to live near a Trader Joe's, and their chocolate covered pomegranate seeds and cookie butter are my kryptonite. I would love to find these in my box! Would you rather have something fun or practical? Both Witchee, would you like a set of Cards Against Humanity? Desperately! I've been eyeing it for weeks, but with Switch Witch and the holidays coming up I've been told not to purchase anything for myself (I tend to be a horrible gift-receiver in that if I see something I want, I'll usually just buy it instead of waiting and putting it on my Christmas/birthday/what-have-you list).

Table Games - do you play them? If so, which ones, and which versions, and are there any goodies you might like related to them? Yes! I got into Munchkin this summer and love it! I only have the original, so any expansion pack would be great. I'd also love to have Cards Against Humanity, as my family is amazing and filthy-minded and hilariously politically incorrect and this game would be fantastic to play with them. Witchee, are you in need of any particular spices? Sure! I cook a lot and bake a fair amount, and so anything interesting you want to send my way would be great! If you were my witchee, would you be interested in anything from my store or something similar? (Nut-made by LisaNut on etsy.) No thank you I recently started crocheting and so I'm good on knitted things! Say your witch works at a used bookstore. what kinds of things might you like from there? cool old pulp fiction paperbacks? tarot cards? (we have those.) a dr who pen? books about haunted cemeteries in seattle? you may have all of these things:) oh, and also movies. and cds. Tarot cards!!! And pretty much anything from a used bookstore Witchee, the Haunt Halloween update goes live tomorrow! When it does, please post right away and let me know your dreams and wishes! I've always wanted to try Winchester; Batik, Empire, Gloaming, Lovehound, and Roma perfumes sound amazing. The lip lusts in Bettie and Sweet Cream also sound fantastic. I've got some canned goods put up -- mostly jams/jellies, some apple butter, some applesauce. Want some? If so, what kind(s)? Yes! All of your canned goods are belonging to me How feel you about lip balms, glosses, and lipsticks? Any particular favourite scents/flavours? Any favourite makers/sellers? Love lip balms (nut free please!), and adore lipsticks. I'm not a gloss fan because I have very long hair and live in a very windy area so I wind up with lip gloss in my hair and smeared across my face I have the best luck with Revlon and MAC lipstick, but will gladly try any lipstick you send my way, Witch! I love pinks and reds and am always on the lookout for a good nude! Since wish list links never seem to work in forum mail, won't you please re-post your wish list links here, so they're readable? All my wish lists are linked in my signature under "Wish List". If you click on it, it'll bring you to my BPAL wish list, and then at the bottom of that post are my Amazon, Pintrest, etc lists!

Thoughts before testing: Everything listed here is a win except for the white musk. Pink pepper especially is fantastic on my skin, so I'm excited to see how this turns out! Wet: Strong juicy apricot with a hint of honeycomb. It's sweet but not tooth-achingly so and is quite pretty. Dry down: The apricot all but disappears and leaves a lovely orange blossom drenched honeycomb with a nice kick from the pink pepper. It's really lush and pretty. Dry: It settles down into a sweet floral honeycomb with a hint of pepper. Final thoughts: This is really pretty, but I don't know if it's bottle-worthy. It's maybe just a little too sweet for me. But if you're a fan of pepper or honeycomb, definitely give Pandy a try! Verdict: Pass

Thoughts before testing: I've heard such great things about The Girl that I had to test it when a decant came my way. It doesn't sound like something I'd like, and the star jasmine worries me as it tends to go very strongly of cat pee on my skin. Wet: Stunning. It's silvery and beautiful. Dry down: And the jasmine turns everything into a stinky mess. Dry: Nothing but cat urine Verdict: Pass