eatingthesea

hehe...i just got this in the mail yesterday. it is strongly lavender sniffed from the bottle, and i don't normally care for lavender, but i know it's a good sleep-getting agent so i hung on. i did get that strangely fishy scent lingering in my nose after a deep inhale. it seems to manifest only as an "aftertaste" and doesn't remain throughout the experience, which is obviously a good thing! i have to tell ya...i was a bit skeptical about being able to be "tko'd" by a perfume oil. i put just a little on both wrists to test it out at 5:30 pm. i fell asleep at 7 pm. i woke up briefly for sustenance at 10:30 pm and then fell right back asleep until 7 am today!! extremely uncharacteristic for me, especially on a weekday. i am sold! although i won't use it during the work week...too risky! and i have to say i do love the scent after it's dried down. an almost crystalline, lilac-purple-scented sugary herbal scent. not usually "my type" of scent, but well worth it for its tko-ing properties

i used to think i loved this scent but i retried it last night and ended up being horrified with the end product after a couple hours on my skin, lol. on application, it's all honey-sweetened myrrh and muskiness and i keep huffing myself. yeah, definitely finding myself humpable there. but then...sniff sniff...what's this? ugh! sour filth! i had taken a shower recently so i knew it couldn't have been me stinking it up. it was SNS. sad! the culprit HAS to be the tuberose and/or the geranium...two things i love smelling in nature but generally NOT on my skin, because they most certainly = B.O. or maybe it was the liquor. that's a no-no, too. wow, i'm actually surprised i ever really thought this was a "me" scent, it has so many "baddies" in it, hahaha. sorry...i rarely give bad reviews for scents...but this was just rank.

if i had but one quick sentence to say about this oil, it would be "we are soooo damn lucky to have this in the general catalogue!" that's one of the first things i thought, at least, once i got to the drydown and was able to appreciate Kubla Khan's full loveliness. and i'm not surprised to see some other forumites saying something similar. since this scent has like a library of ingredients listed and i'm not the best at picking them out, i'll just say that this scent is classified as "smoky sugar"-like to my nose. lol. i don't know how helpful that is, but... yes, in the drydown it is most definitely smoky, but tinged with sugar. i'm considering a bottle upgrade. lovely.

is it just the word "opalescent" appearing in this scent's description that is calling to mind the association, or does this scent seriously remind me of Black Opal? hmmm... i'm definitely loving this scent, apart from my deep and everlasting love for said Black Opal. the big difference between the two being a soft powderiness to Lady on the Grey (which i'm guessing is in care of the orris) and the deliciousness of the tobacco flower, which sooo reminds me of my beloved, long-gone tobacco flower scent from the body shop! i wasn't terribly interested in this scent when it first appeared in the catalogue but i was frimped it by cheshirecat (thank you ) and now it's going onto my ever-growing bottle list. feminine, demure, and does actually make me feel a little radiant! i'd buy that for a dollar...or two...or twenty...

i think my all-time favorite aquatic from the catalogue is Y-Ha'Nthlei. it's almost like a melon-tinged aquatic that reminds me a LOT of Selkie!

reviving this thread because it's a good one! and also, to add Hanerot Halalu to the list. yum. i'd say HH and Hand of Glory are BPAL's best blown-out-candle scents yet.

oh holy hell! flowering mums is INSTANT love for me. in fact, after this review is finished, i'm heading to my "top 10" list to update it to include this baby. this one may even rival my beloved chrysanthemum moon as a favorite.

 

hokay...let's see...this definitely falls under the classification of "spicy floral," which defines BPAL amour for me. i don't find the floral note fresh, however. it definitely has a dry, musky quality to my nose. the usual dustiness of mums is sweetened up by the vanilla but deepened by the incense. cinnamon doesn't usually agree with my sensitive skin -- and i don't care for its hotness -- but here it merely acts as the spicing agent and is very much a supporting character. on the whole, this scent is not like mum moon at all other than giving the impression of "antiquity," which i suppose is how i'll forevermore identify the scent of mums. this scent lasts and lasts on me, too. it remains rather uniform in scent throughout, though the spiciness recedes just a tad. but this is perfect for me. i adore this scent and only wish i had stocked up!

omg! i've been longing for this scent for ages, because it just sounded so fascinating. i typically don't care for the scent of sage but still...fascinating enough combination of elements. and you know what this scent reminds me of? HOD! and i KNOW it's that hot-damn, sexxxified carnation that punctuates hod through and through that is calling to mind this comparison. i get a lot of cedar and leather on the drydown but while it's still slippery n' wet it definitely rings the HOD bell for me. and i quite like having that readily-available substitution at my fingertips in the GC catalogue. time will tell whether i will require a bottle. in the meanwhile, the imp will be kept close to the chest!

if you can find it, litha! it may be a little more common and easier to get now, since it was offered at the recent trunk show. it's so lovely, just a pure honey/mead scent on me.

i've been wanting to try this one for awhile. don't usually care for citrus scents but it seemed intriguing. i was finally frimped it, but i was shocked to smell nothing but the scent of the baby shampoo my mother used to use on me. wtf? then i came to the reviews and saw that i am not alone. very odd. the only way i'd ever use baobhan sith is in my hair, like if i were out at a smoky stinky club all night and didn't have time to wash my hair afterward. just dab this on my strands and voila! that just-been-washed smell will permeate through my hair. but that's the only use i'll ever find for this oil.

wow, this is beautiful, exactly what i was hoping for plus a little somethin' extra. i do get the sweet orange note that others find and actually, at first, it's a little off-putting in the way that xiuhtecuhtli was when i first tried it: reminds me of that orange-scented cleansing hand cream that auto mechanics use to get the grease off. yuck, indeed! but luckily, it evolves into a lovely orange-creaminess melding perfectly with a strong beeswax note. there's not too much smokiness here (but maybe that comes much later; i'm reviewing hanerot in its very earliest stages) but that's okay. to me, this is like xiuhtecuhtli and anubis coming together...a deeply sweet, dark and old-candle-ish scent that is at once mysterious and sturdy in its simplicity. it is grounded and straightforward -- not complex -- yet it does have a very "ancient" and glowing feeling to it. i like it much more than its anticipated "sister" from last yule, chanukkiyah. that one was a bit too desserty for me.

 

i think i may have to go for a bottle of this one.

i love rose scents all-around, as they jive with my skin quite mildly, never over-amping or doing weird plastic things or whatever the usual complaints about rose are in these parts. so i was quite excited to try hope! it is everything i had imagined...and more. yes, it is definitely exactly as described: sugared rose. i imagine a crystal-sugar-sprinkled pink rose, small and fresh. but i also imagine vanilla in the mix, somehow, though it's a waft of vanilla, nothing more and nothing less. the word that comes to mind most often when i'm wearing hope is "confection." it really is like a delicate sweet, though it's not candy-shop girly fun...it's more like a dainty treat served at a tea-house for ladies.

 

i notice that when i'm wearing this, guys tend to get ever so much closer to me...leaning in and such. it is yummy, so i don't blame them, haha. this definitely makes me feel feminine and alluring, i have to admit, and i feel quite comfortable wearing this as a day-to-day scent. however, we'll see; i think hope could possibly cause diabetes! now, i can't wait to try faith.

i agree with the reviewer that this calls to mind al-araaf. it's a powdery slightly-honeyed scent (care of the beeswax, i assume) that is reminiscent of black opal. whereas black opal is a vanilla-opal scent, this one is a beeswax-and-flower-opal scent. it's hard to describe the "opaline" note that beth uses, but i think it's divine. i wish it would come around more often! the roses are way in the background, but the scent does have a floral touch to it. for the floral-challenged, this is still worth a try. the ozone isn't really even that present, other than giving this scent a little "lift," if that makes sense. it's pleasant and inviting (whatever that means, lol). and, on me, it's long-lasting. me likey

you might want to find to helen, from the love poems series of this past year. it has an "opaline" note that reminds me a lot of black opal, if not being identical. black opal is more "stripped-down" to this note, while to helen is a little creamier, a little more floral -- but definitely not overly so. it's nice!

oooohhh, i like this old thread! i'm gonna do my personal "top 10 enabling scents" and why...

 

1) dorian: not necessarily the #1 enabler...just a general crowd-pleasing, good musk-and-tea scent.

2) zombi: dirt and roses...it works. i'd be unladylike to make sure i have a lifetime supply of this.

3) irrelevant & disturbing surreal crawdad dream: not all of beth's scents are "dark" or "gothic!" for your friends who don't go for that, but have a good sense of humor...present them with the best blueberry perfume ever...bottled happiness!

4) rose red: for the doubters...how the scent of a big, fresh red rose in a florist's fridge can be bottled.

5) black opal: another "concept" scent to wow them (hopefully). how DOES that woman get the scent of a black opal into a bottle? a gentle, somewhat aquatic vanilla that'll make the (hopefully) new convert feel like they "get it."

6) white rabbit: a fun scent, one of the best (if not only?) ways sweet tea and milk and linen can get together in a scent.

7) xiuhtecuhtli: because everyone thinks i'm wearing thierry mugler angel when i have xiu on...so it's good for those who are woefully attached to their commercial 'fumes.

8) snake oil: duh. just...duh.

9) mme. moriarty: if they're ever going to be a red musk/patchouli fan, they will know this by the trail of mme. moriarty on their arms.

10) snow-flakes: they need a slushy snow scent minus the floral-vanilla of snow white...for starters.

can anyone flash us a nudie pic of the original graveyard dirt?

yikes, indeed! but, a good yikes. this one would sure wake you up right quick if you're sludgy and dumpy feelin', lol. upon first applying, it's just straight-up cuke...definitely reminds me of this peel-off cucumber mask i used to use. it even reminds me of the cucumber salad my dad used to make when i was a kid. yummm. after awhile, there is a bitter tinge to the scent that almost leans toward herbal soapiness, and even a little dot of sweetness, too. very odd.

 

it is definitely green through and through, but on my skin, it does develop and do little somersaults rather than remaining a uniform cucumber scent. i agree with the reviewer who said this would layer well with envy -- if you're going for the 100% fresh-green feel. i'm not so sure how i feel about squirting cucumber at the moment - as a perfume - but i will say that: 1) it's a go-to scent for snappy quick attitude adjustment/wake-up alarm, 2) you have no excuse for complaining about humid/disgusting hot weather when you have this scent around - it's that much of a cooling agent, methinks, and 3) it's helluva lot nicer than those awfully generic cucumber melon scents you find at every drugstore and mall in america!!

i always thought the notes for this one sounded so appealing...i was excited to finally try it. unfortunately, this one ends up being bath & body works' sweet pea single note on me. i don't get the sage, the musk, the tonka...so sad. and i don't have much else to report. although i guess it's good to know for the future that i'm not too wild about sweet pea. it's just too gentle and...cutesy, or something. oh well.

i'm sure this is answered elsewhere in this thread but i'm "search"-challenged. what does "order shipped" on the CCnow status page mean? i have a feeling that it doesn't really mean it's shipped since i haven't gotten a CNS. is this what people mean when their order has "harvested"?

Eatingthesea, I think that was the label for Sugar Skull, I'm familiar with the image as well but I'm not sure of the name...i think I thought it was Joan of Arc but I could be wrong!

yes! that's the one. now to figure out the name of it...and i believe you're right, it's joan of arc. thanks!!!!

i'm trying to figure out the name of a limited edition oil - i think it's likely 2 years old or older - whose art on the label i'm unaware of the title. but it's a very well-known religious iconographic image. i believe it's mary magdalene (?) in chains, apparently in hell, as there are flames surrounding her, and she's either reaching up with her arms - or praying? i feel ignorant not knowing the name of the painting (esp. considering my catholic upbringing!) but it's driving me nuts, both trying to figure out which LE oil had this art on its label and what the damned painting is called in the first place. help?

oh my. me likey this death stuff. there are so few funereal oils (i'm still stuck on that category name!) that i've tried. they all seem to require a large serving of balls to pull off, so i approach them somewhat tentatively. i wasn't too sure about the ingredient listing for thanatopsis. i've only recently begun to experiment with BPAL pine blends, starting with illustrated woman, and the results had been promising thus far. but pine AND juniper? and then just the musk? it sounded much too foresty for my tastes. but ohhh does this musk in this scent really turn a graceful, sexy leg! without the musk, this one would be solidly unwearable for me - maybe good for sniffins only - but with it, it turns into an "arsenal oil" - the type you want to hoard away for those occasions when you want to wriggle your toosh in anticipation of a great pounce upon your object of affection...lust...what have you. but it's not an uppity scent by any means. it's dark, a bit smoldering, definitely seductive (though not overtly sensual, e.g. Smut). and best of all, not 100% pine. it's very well-balanced. i will spend some more quality time with thanatopsis. must determine whether i have enough girl-balls to go for a bottle, though i do believe the imp will not last terribly long, and much sadness will ensue once it disappears

why, dear lord, WHY?!!?! i'd been sooo looking forward to this scent. how could it go wrong...ginger, green grass, rain, amber...? sounds just heavenly, doesn't it? at least, it did to me. obviously, all that beauty blinded me to the inclusion of one of my few nemeses...verbena. oh, you little trick! so yes, boys n' goils...this scent is all lemon pledge on me. i guess if i were going for the maid-in-distress role, i'd don this mag mell stuff, but i doubt i would be any time soon. the other notes just get smothered and are refused entrance to the playground. it's really sad...there is a cry from that beloved green grass just in the distance...but it's absolutely muted. too bad.

queen mab is a beautiful floral but it's probably a bit too light to be a favorite, plus after it's been on my skin awhile, it's just a bit too simple -- hence a good choice for the workplace, but that's about it. i must say its beauty, for me, peaks not in the middle or at the end, but at the very beginning. in this stage, it would be classified as a "yummy dark floral," a category in which i actually am able to fit in a lot of great BPAL scents. i'd say black lily belongs in the same family as queen mab. oh yes, that black floral thing. i also wondered to myself if there was honey in mab, it was that smooth and gently sweet. reminded me a lot of harikata. looked up the notes -- ah, osmanthus. i do love when you appear. but the appearance is short-lived, alas. i am perplexed by the inclusion of sandalwood and jasmine in this blend, though...i pick up on neither. rose - a smidgen, maybe? musk, yes. it is the groundwork upon which this honey-smooched black floral scent grows. i'd likely never buy a bottle of queen mab because it's too unspectacular on my skin, but i will be keeping my imps -- i've got several of them -- for workdays or when i want to be the least unobtrusive as possible.

wet, this is like a vanilla-ginger tea steeped with blueberries. there is a touch of herbalness that I assume is the coriander? but what really stands out here is the bright bite of red currant, which lingers over the scent from beginning to its dry-out phase. after awhile, it's not too bright and cheery, more laidback and comforting, however i don't get the blueberry dessert comparison that some find. to me, after the scent has been worn for some time, it's just not a foody scent at all! if it MUST be classified, i'd say "fruity-tea" with the lovely addition of a smidgen of red musk, deepening the scent overall. (why aren't more reviewers picking up on the red musk? this is such a gorgeous representation of a red musk scent, right here...it's just right.)

 

and yeah, kinda candy-like. but yes, it's very fun, kinda silly, and a mish-mosh of elements you don't often see together. in that regard, reminds me of the mock turtle's lessons...though they're definitely not two of a kind. there's something almost marshy about crawdad dream that really settles all that sweet stuff, and i believe that's what really draws me to the scent. this one is just so hard to review! hehe. i like it a lot. not a typical type of scent for me, but it's for certain moods or occasions...my next LSD trip? j/k.

 

i'm keeping this one (p.s.-this one is pretty darn light; it's a slatherer.)