rivercitylizzy

My Holy Grail foody scent...and I truly believed such a thing could not exist! H:LV is thoroughly, completely, utterly the foody scent of my dreams--sophisticated, sexy, well-balanced, infinitely wearable--what I hoped I Fell In Love With A Floating Brain would be (based on the reviews) but...no, no not that one. I took a big risk and bought a bottle unsniffed with the rest of my Weenies because of the beautiful and celebratory nature of the event that inspired it, and hoped that the cake/frosting/foodie notes would be tempered by the boozy/fruity/Snake Oil & Dorian notes.

I'm so very, VERY glad I did!

In the Bottle: Well, hello my absolute favorite Red Velvet cake with cream cheese frosting! How delicious you smell, how sweet and vanilla creamy without being at all burnt sugary or cloying or sticking in the back of my throat like the smell of decaying fruit, about to make me sick And who are your friends, standing there just behind you? Spicy-sweet sangria and Dorian (yeah I can sniff you out in there--that fougere is unmistakeable!). Holy s---, this is better than I expected. Must try on skin.

Wet: Bless my disbelieving soul, but here's the Snake Oil come to the party and bringing forward the fruity-berryjammy red wine and mixed drinks notes forward to mingle so very, very enticingly with the red velvet & Dorian! Gods above & below, I smell positively delectable! It's amazing, it's incredible, I repent my previous foody-scent-hating ways, forever & ever. For me, the throw is moderate to high, not unlike my beloved The Grave Pig, and I am floating in a delicious haze of sweetcreamyspicyincenseyOMGf'knbrilliant gorgeousness.

Dry: Not much of a morpher, which is great because I love how it smells when first applied; in the late dry down as mentioned upthread it has become a skin-hugging, begging-to-be-kissed (long & slow), delicious "smoky vanilla frosting" (honestly I could not have put it better). H:LV lasts for a very long time on me--I wore it for 6 hours, then I reapplied just to re-experience the wet phase all over again Multiple bottles, here I come--this one is definitely hoard-worthy :luv:

I confess it: I am a lavender lover and have been known to wear the EO on its own as a personal scent. Usually I amp the note pretty well, not that I mind that So when I saw "lavender incense" included in the notes for A Nocturnal Reverie (along with another favorite, FIG!!), well...I just had to add it to my cart!

In the Bottle: a lovely and pastry-free confection of sweet sticky figs, earthy spices (likely a combination of the oudh/agarwood and "incense"), sugared violets (violet musk + black currant, perhaps? not quite picking up the fruitiness of the currant, just a sweetness), and lavender syrup. YUM!! I cannot wait to wear this!

Wet: OMG gorgeousness! The lavender note is not particularly sharp or astringent but earthy & rich, calling to mind dried lavender stems from my garden, which I use for grilling (meats, vegetables, fish). I'm also getting more of the fig (BLISS!) and black currant but they are well behaved and do not overpower me with WTHSICKCLOYINGGETITOFFSWEET. The violet musk, black amber, oudh & agarwood add a beautiful incensey base to the blend, grounding the sweet notes and giving them a bit more throw. I agree with VipKim, it does smell purple, somehow

Dry: Very similar to the wet with more of the base notes coming forward, but still the lovely fig, currant, and lavender, which makes me very happy because my skin usually eats the fruity notes. Throw & wear time are moderate for me--not nearly so much as a blend with patchouli, vetiver, or sandalwood so slathering may be in my future with this one--but I LOVE IT.

Backup bottle may be needed.

Considering how much I love fig, and berries, and orange blossom honey, I had high hopes that I would love this one, so I took a chance and bought a bottle (okay, 2) from Stella's massive destashing sale post. And oh, I was not sorry!

In the Bottle: very green--freshly split Mission figs (LOVE that!!), orange blossoms, and what to my nose is raspberry leaves with a bit of the warm amber & honey peeking through, though only a bit.

Wet: yes, there's that fresh green still, and now the blueberries are coming forward with just a hint of the raspberry. The honey & amber are also warming up and it is Just. So. Lovely!!

Dry: thoroughly warmed up to my skin now, I smell fresh sweet berries and figs drizzled in orange blossom honey (my absolute FAVORITE kind, OMG! ), with a gorgeous amber base.

Others have mentioned upthread that Berry Moon '09 is like "lying in the middle of a meadow, with the sun beating down...surrounded by bushes upon bushes of berries, all warm and ripe from the sun..." and "a fragrant summer sunset" and I'd have to say I agree. It's an amazing scent that stays demurely close to the skin (within a foot or so) and just beckons you to come closer to breathe in more of that beautiful summery fragrance.

Based on the reviews and several of the notes (rose, woods, spices) I thought this would be a fine "unsniffed" purchase, particularly with all the glowing reviews. So I blithely added this lady to my Weenie cart and waited anxiously for her arrival. When she and her companions arrived, I eagerly opened the door for her, gave her pride of place, and offered up my adoration.

Which she at first disdained. And then...well, you'll see.

First Sniff in Bottle: Straight up tobacco--wet tobacco. Chewed tobacco. With that nauseating sweet edge that calls to mind the early days of my dog's adoption, when he peed on absolutely EVERYTHING (in particular, the back of our couch). This does not bode well, Mictecacihuatl is frowning at me I decided to let her rest--maybe she is overtaxed by her journey and will be more beneficent after a day or two?

In the Bottle (2 days later): Same as the first. With some trepidation, I offer her my wrist anyway.

Wet: What the--? She PEED on me!! (is it blasphemous to whack a goddess with a newspaper?) To avoid being smited, I consent (grudgingly) to not scrub her off immediately and manage a faint but very abashed smile.

Dry: I smell like I've been drowned in Sue Bee (uber-processed & cooked to death) Clover Honey mixed with tobacco juice. As I'm meeting my father this morning for breakfast and then will be in a car with him for a quick trip up the hill for some wine tasting, I CANNOT CONTINUE TO SMELL LIKE THIS!! I lower my head and inform the Mistress of Bones that it is my shame but her stay in my home will be short. I hope to find her a more gracious and loving host...and that she will not cling to me when I wash my wrist ;P

I don't like vetiver, but my friend convinced me to try more scents with vetiver to make sure that I didn't like it. And yep...this one went to bacon on me.

Fortunately for me (though it was so cruel to her), Tracy agreed to send me this, and a few more BPAL Vetiver imps, for a song--thanks girl!! And I'm SO very, VERY glad she included Love's Torments in the pack.

In the Vial: OOOH, spicy green woods with a touch of citrus. I have a good feeling about this!

Wet: Gorgeousness. The neroli is fresh and green and brings the same qualities out in the vetiver, while the Sandalwood is warm and dry and golden spice. Ever smelled freshly crushed Grains of Paradise? This is how I smell right now

Dry: Very similar to the wet phase, with all the notes nicely balanced. I could wear this all day, everyday, it's such a simple and beautiful blend. Throw is moderate to high in the wet phase and dries down to moderate, which is common for such scents for me, and after a good 12 hours of wear I could still smell the spicy white sandalwood--amazing!! I have a very nice quality bottle of Sandalwood EO at home that I am not afraid to dilute in oil & use liberally (hair, cream, sugar scrub), and the day after I've used it, people will still stop and compliment me on how nice I smell. Love's Torments ends up on exactly that same note.

I must get me a bottle of this, because at the rate I'm slathering from the imp, it will be gone in no time!

Pomegranate, red rose, and star anise? What the heck, I went ahead and got a bottle

In the Bottle: light, juicy pomegranate with a slightly bitter edge that reminds me of the taste of the seeds; it's not super sweet which I am thankful for. I also get a touch of floral but the rose is not overwhelming and there is a note of burnt sugar lurking in the background

Wet: Oh, my, it's lovely. The rose is coming forward and it is a velvety red rose, not a tea rose (which I also like, but this is very different) and it is fairly balanced with the fresh bittersweet pomegranate. I'm not getting much of the star anise but the champaca is coming out, adding more sweetness to the rose and there is a creaminess emerging that is not a milk cream--more like an almond milk. Very nice and quite ladylike.

Dry: pomegranate-rose cordial with a slight whisper of caramel (which I'm assuming is the benzoin & opopponax), and horchata (almond milk + soft sweet spice from the star anise). This is a beautiful, haunting skin-scent for me, as the throw is pretty light (within maybe 12 inches, similar to Muse of the Night on me in this respect); it lasted a good 6 hours before leaving the fragrance of nag champa incense (love it or hate it ) behind.

Verdict: It may not be one of my Top 10 but I like it and am glad I have a bottle.

I would have to say first off that Expressive Head is definitely an attention-grabber, both for it's startling label artwork and for the scent within I picked it up with my first-ever order of BPAL Weenies because 1) it has patchouli, 2) it has vetiver, and 3) it has spices. These tend to be a recipe for delish on my skin and Expressive Head did not disappoint me (though it may certainly send the vetiver-phobic RUNNING )

In the bottle: WHOA dark woodsy skanky earthy VETIVER, made even more raunchy by the Teakwood and of course, Patchouli. Breathe in a little deeper if you dare--it's SO worth it--and you get the incredible blend of spicy lush tropical floral that is the clove and champaca, and maybe a touch of the crushed grapeyness (slightly fermented) that is the cognac. Hard to pick the pepper apart from the Teak-Vet-Patch triad, but I'm sure it's there...

I was girding myself up for a 12-hour day at work and as vetiver is one of my comfort scents I sallied forth and tested it on my skin, one dab on each freshly showered wrist from the cap.

Wet: The Vetiver-Teak-Patchouli complex is much less overpowering on the skin and OMG beginning to let the other notes emerge and they are LOVELY together!! I can smell the Champaca, but it is not overpowering either, just a beautiful full tropical bloom that, along with the cognac, adds a nice femininity to the earthy notes. Also the spices are emerging more and beginning to give an incensey feel to the blend. Wow. I want to curl up in bed with this for a blanket and ride out the storm system currently on its way.

Dry: I managed to leave the house anyway and drive myself to work. On the way, wafts of Expressive Head are reaching my nose from the vicinity of the bottom of my steering wheel, where my sweater & jacket-swathed wrists are resting, and making me feel euphoric. I smell like a heady incense being offered up to the gods in a balmy equatorial temple--the kind that has no walls, where the incense melds with the scent of perpetually damp trees, leaf litter, and white flowers that bloom year-round. I'm getting moderate throw with my wrists pretty well covered, so I'm guessing throw on bared skin would be moderate to high.

Expressive Head kept this gorgeousness as is for a good 6 hours before the vetiver-teak-patch softened to a more genteel backdrop to the champaca & cognac. 12 hours later, it's barely there but still pretty. I'm definitely glad I got a bottle...and may need to consider a backup

ETA Second Test...different chemistry, hm.

In the Bottle: Can you have a different "nose" on a different day? Today the vetiver took a backseat when I first sniffed, and I picked up on the Champaca, Clove, Pepper first with the Teak-Vet-Patch making an incensey haze in the background.

Wet on Skin: Okay this time it's much greener than my first test--not a bad thing, not soapy, just different from the first wear. Makes me think the vetiver is more the green type and less the rooty type. Fascinating! As it warms up to my skin, though, it begins to get "back on track" with my first experience, all the notes playing nicely together and giving me that "warm, fuzzy" feeling I loved about it so much. Hooray!!

Dry: Oh, I'm so relieved! Expressive Head went right back to being that euphoria-enducing, primal temple scent I fell for earlier and I'm happy it's done so because otherwise it might have been too similar to several other BPAL vetiver blends for me to consider keeping. But no, still unique, still amazing, still on the "may need another bottle" list

I was lucky enough to get a nearly full bottle of The Girl in a lot of full/partials I picked up recently from Melisssa here on the forum (who sold the lot for a song and frimped WAY generously thank you, girl!!). At the time, I did not give it much attention--despite the raves I'd seen--as when I first sniffed it upon arrival I was...underwhelmed. It was somewhat pretty but seemed a very light floral, not my usual thing, and I could not at that time figure why it was so coveted.

Silly me, I let it sit this past month and almost--almost--swapped it away for one of my DISOs (BTBT, which I ended up purchasing off of LJ), but something just held me back. This my friends is an instance of divine intervention.

On a whim last evening, while I was preparing decants from other recently acquired scents for daily use, I decided to finally test The Girl. I opened the bottle and sniffed and...oh, my. I could definitely sense an elusive, seductive quality as well as the vanilla-amber notes others have mentioned in previous reviews. Now The Girl drew me in and I could not resist a skin test.

Wet: Oh. My. Goodness. The "vanilla" is to my nose not a creamy or buttercream vanilla--not a foody vanilla--but a tropical-orchid-fruity vanilla, very lush and alluring, and I'm assuming this is the davana, which I understand has those qualities and which is supported by the amber and musk. The Girl wet on my skin reminds me of Lavanila's Vanilla Passionfruit EDT (though the notes listed for either are nowhere near similar, but I have no idea what's actually in the latter)--which is another signature scent of mine and I LOVES IT. So much. OMGOMGOMG I can't believe I almost gave this away!! I would agree with other reviewers that for me the throw is moderate--you have to be within a couple of feet to catch the scent, which I feel is completely in character with the essence of the scent. I totally want to bathe in it

Dry: I'm still getting that uncanny similarity to Vanilla Passionfruit from a distance but when I sniff at my wrist I find the silvery birch note is becoming evident on the drydown--a shimmering, flickering pale mint-like note that sets it apart from the other perfume and gives it a much more otherworldly quality. The davana is more balanced with the other notes in this phase and dry this is a completely lovely, very complex blend, slowly revealing flashes of its other facets as you linger over it. I could get lost in this.

The Girl lasts and lasts on me as it has on many others; nearly 12 hours after I first put it on and I can still smell it, though it is now mostly birch, light musk, and pale amber. Truly a captivating blend, masterfully done. Definitely one of my Top 10 :love!:

I'm beginning to understand what folks mean when they counsel patience and persistence when contemplating a scent for review--it really does make a difference when you let an oil age and/or revisit a scent you thought you would loathe...just in case it entrances you at another time.

Jezebel is such a morpher for me that this approach is really necessary for me to even appreciate its potential loveliness. I purchased an imp of it from a forumite because several of the notes (rose, orange blossom, sandalwood) are usually wonderful for me, though honey can be hit or miss. Here's how my first go-round went:

In the Vial: WTH?? Pure old school soap; I kid you not, it smells to me like the travel size cheap bar soaps my grandmother used to keep in her guest bathroom for the family to wash their hands (the good stuff was always in her master bath ) Good gods, I'm not sure I want to put this on my skin.

Wet: The floral soap stink is overwhelming. I'm trying to distract myself by browsing the forum to make it through the drydown, see if anything lovely manages to emerge from the cocoon of EW. Toward the end of the wet phase I sniff again and detect...my beloved tea rose. It's gorgeous but sticking close to the skin, if I back away from my wrist I just get the old lady floral soap. Gah.

Dry: Where did the sandalwood come from?? I could not detect it at all in the vial or wet phase, but dry here it is peeking out from between what I assume is honey and either the orange blossom or rose or both, heaven help me, duking it out. Like the rose from earlier, it too is close to the skin. Sigh. After sleeping with it on, I awoke this morning to...stinky old lady floral soap. Get. It. Off.

Then, just to be perverse, I went back to the vial and sniffed again and got...pretty citrusy creamed floral honey?? WTF?? Now wet on the skin I get slightly sweet, barely spicy tea rose--that oh-so-lovely tea rose I got a glimpse of the first time is now face forward. I smell like a gorgeous cordial made of roses, orange blossom honey, and white pepper (though that's not in the notes, it's a very light spice coming I assume from the sandalwood). Throw is as before--very close to the skin. Goddess Mother, this does not even smell like the same oil Dry, the orange blossom-honey is more forward but the rose is not gone and the sandalwood is still lounging in the background. There is only the barest hint of soap. Hm.

Verdict: I don't think I'll jettison the imp I have because it's intriguing and I like the way it ended on the second go round, but I do prefer my scents to be a little more consistent on the wear so I don't think I'll be getting a bottle. Very interesting and educational experience

... I was always the cinnamon, cedar, vanilla, sandalwood, patchouli girl... and now I'm still that girl, but I can enjoy wearing the girly stuff too! This is amazing: I can smell the grass, dandelion sap, and fresh delicious sugary strawberries. I think the vanilla helps tie everything together and ground the scent a bit - truly a masterpiece.

I have to say I agree with this assessment overall, though getting to such accord was quite a journey for me!

I got a bottle of this, nearly full, in a lot of bottles purchased from a wonderful forumite. When I saw it in the list, I was curious--my prior experience with strawberry scents fell into one of two categories: Strawberry-Shortcake-the-doll-plasticky/strawberry-candy fake or strawberry soap. I'm not really a fan of either, TBH. So I approached my first skin test of this bottle with a bit of trepidation, I must admit Still, it's an aged bottle, so I forged bravely ahead...

In the Bottle: WHOA strawberry syrup!! Or an uber-sweet fresh strawberry pie (you know, like they have at Marie Callender's). I had to keep sniffing to get the dandelion sap, and TG because without something earthy & green I might never have dared to actually wear it!

Wet: Strawberry syrup still dominates but the green grass/dandelion is much more forward here. I'm still doubtful if I'm going to keep wearing it or scrub it off--before my boss/coworkers smell me like this. The throw is almost overwhelming. Should I swap this?

Dry: What happened?? Scary-sticky-sweet went all mellow on me and suddenly I have a very lovely blend of sweet homemade strawberry preserves, fresh green dandelion, and a subtle vanilla-brown-sugar that is most wearable. Throw went from holy hell to moderate in about 2-3 hours, then stuck close to the skin for another 4 hours. What the heck, I think I'll keep it!

PS: I tried a little experiment with one of my fav BPALs, Banshee Beat, and this scent: Strawberry Moon on one wrist, BB on the other (okay, yes, also behind my ears and dabbed into the cleavage, because I loves my BB!!) and OMG!! Holy cow, the best of both worlds--that lovely earthy-sweet vanilla-patch-hempy goodness with a gorgeous waft of fresh cut strawberries & green sap peeking through now and then! Awesome, just awesome.

I'm also down for Banshee Beat--just lucked out and got some from another forumite and I LOVES it!! Vanilla and Patchouli, really I can't go wrong there...Clemence, my goodness, is all patchouli & warm spices but on me the spices are a bit stronger than the patchouli (not that I don't love it anyway )

I second (third?) Tweedledum--it is a lovely light sort of patchouli blend, on me it's more fresh and less earthy. It is GC (Mad Tea Party).

My fav earthy patchouli is The Grave Pig (notes listed: fig, oakmoss, mushroom caps, and patchouli); reviews are here. It is OMG earthy sweet spicy patchouli and sooooo gorgeous!! I really don't think I can say how much I love this one AND it's GC (in the Marchen category, scroll down under The Elfin Hill)! When I wear this, I cannot. Stop. Sniffing. Myself!!

I'm surprised no one's talked about Western Diamondback here. It is very sage on me, with that intoxicating Snake Oil scent underneath. It's just gorgeous if you like your sage with a lot of sexy.

Oooh, that sounds incredible! But oh! How to get my hands on WD?? Le sigh...I really need to cultivate a swap-worthy collection, methinks

Has really nobody mentioned Ava Maria Gratia Plena yet?? A pale, delicate, truly angelic blend. A scent created to emulate Adonis' halo of beauty: fragile, distant, and radiant. Rosewood with Sicilian lemon peel, red Mysore sandalwood, pale musks, sweet mountain sage and a dusting of lily, night-blooming jasmine and orris.I love it so much!

I've not tried that one but I'm gonna have to add it to my list! Sage with Rosewood and lemon? Seems wonderful

Sage is one of my favorite notes! I would like to see many more scents including it, and many more strongly-sagey scents as well. Clary sage is a different plant (and scent, to my nose) but also good.

I'm a sage lover as well (have at least 6 different varieties in my yard, mostly natives to Western/Southwestern North America) and after a previous post on this thread caught my eye--about wearing Tenochtitlan when they feel like smelling of sage--I thought to try layering that scent with some very nice Clary Sage EO I have at home (it's about 5 years old, so very mellow and not sharp at all; I diluted it with some fractionated coconut oil before dabbing on my skin over Tenochtitlan) and OH!!

Tenochtitlan I loved at first sniff in the vial but first time I wore it it went a little granny on me midway (after about a couple hours of wear, I'd say) although the finish was still soft and lovely and no more "oil of old lady." Layering it with the Clary Sage amped up the sage notes in Tenochtitlan and carried the scent through that middle period with no trace of weirdness. Simply wonderful!