PumpkinGuts

In the early stages, Bearded Lady smells like high-end vintage cosmetics. It's got that powdery violet type of smell that Guerlain products have, plus jasmine, lily, and subtle rose. It reminds me of playing dress-up and sitting at Grandma's vanity, testing all of the fancy lipsticks and powders. The way the florals meld with the amber and vanilla during drydown is sexy as hell, and I feel very classy wearing this. I'm glad to own a bottle!

I was here for the vanilla, wood, and buttercream. What I got was gobs of lotus bubblegum stuck underneath a wooden table with a few buttercream frosting fingerprints atop the surface. The hardwood is so subtle that it's difficult to tell what type it is, but I don't think it's oak. Virtually no throw, and I didn't notice any resins until late drydown. I was hoping the lotus would be more of a background note, so this isn't for me.

I'm happy I listened to reviews and grabbed a bottle of this before it went down, it's stunning. I can't really add much more than what's already been said -- this is smooth, sexy, slinky sandalwood and tobacco. It smells expensive. I need more blends with this vanilla husk note, it's to die for. Definitely similar to Pediophobia, but I like this even better. Instead of a frilly porcelain doll, Kiseru is a geisha doll carved from fine wood. I only wish the throw was as strong as Pediophobia's, this is more of a skin scent. My favorite of the 2023 Lupers!

Wet, this is almost entirely mango and pomegranate, maybe a lone cranberry in this fruit basket. I have to really sniff to find the red musk. The sage and thyme don't peek through until much later on drydown, at which point the fruits have transformed into SweeTarts.

I recently ordered some decants of the Stardust scents I hadn't tried yet, and Victoria almost didn't make the cut, as lily is one of my death notes. I'm so glad I decided to say screw it and order the lot, because Victoria turned out to be my favorite of all. As I mentioned, lily almost never works on me, but apparently the stargazer variety does. There is nothing sour or sharp about the florals here. They're slightly sweet, clean, and a little soapy, but in a good way -- like I just showered and took a stroll through an English garden. Vanilla musk is the perfect companion to these flowers, lending some extra sweetness. Seriously one of the prettiest perfumes I've had the pleasure of smelling, a full bottle has happily been added to my collection. Top ten worthy, for sure.

Splatter comedies are one of my favorite horror subgenres, so I had to have this, even though banana never works on me (except Loi Krathong, and that's banana leaf). Instead of banana cream pie, I'm getting bananas flambé. There's definitely some spice in here, but just a pinch. Greasy bananas flambé. I feel like if there was more creaminess to the banana and no spice, it would've worked out better for me. Alas.

Wet: You have a bowl of strawberry and raspberry jam. You pour in some sugar, but get distracted and the whole bag goes in. Whoops! Dry: Strawberry pie with a caramelized sugar crust. This one is a lot of fun, but ultimately way too sweet for me. Also worth noting, this is not plasticky on my skin.

The Torture Queen from the Carnaval Diabolique line smells a lot like CK One to me! According to reviews, many others think so, too.

This is what I wanted Midwinter's Eve to be, even though it doesn't have any florals. If that was way too sweet for you, try this one. The plum and blackberry are bright and candied, but the piney winter breeze and amber keep it from being cloyingly sweet.

I don't get buttercream, or anything creamy for that matter, from Monster Bait: Closet. Rather, the red velvet cake is studded with blackberries. Both notes are in roughly equal measure, with the cake coming out to party a bit more on the drydown. I could also swear this has some sort of spice, but my skin is basically a dowsing machine for spice notes.

If Creme Savers made cherry and raspberry flavors, this is what they would smell like. The cherry here is not medicinal to my nose, but a nice and tart one, and the cream and raspberry notes tame it nicely. The powdered sugar aspect strengthens over time, ultimately taking over the entire blend. Bloody Mary only lasts a little over an hour, but it's a tasty hour. Cherry and I don't have the best track record, but this is one that works -- just wish it stuck around a bit longer!

A very pretty, ethereal lavender, while it lasts. Unfortunately, my skin amps the amber to high heaven, and turns this into a dead ringer for Degree deodorant. And I was so sure this would be a winner! 😔

Bright, crisp tea and lilacs to start out, but somehow that tea note turns real funky, so much that it was almost a scrubber. But I waited... Beautiful honeyed lilacs! Skin chemistry is such an interesting thing. Beeswax notes, of course, have varying degrees of honey aromas to them. I'm getting straight up honey in Eusapia, and it lingers for hours and hours. There are some big ol' bees on this lilac bush. Eusapia is the Marilyn Munster of the "An Evening with the Spirits" line. Less haunting and more springlike, you wouldn't know she was part of the family if she wasn't already there.

Lightly spiced cake with a smear of Dorian-infused cream cheese frosting. I'm not getting much Snake Oil, but I believe it's lending a subtle spice. This smells similar to Beaver'versary, but so much better. Unfortunately, Cake Smash is suuuper faint on me, probably due to age. It's one of those oils I never really wear, but take out my bottle to sniff every once in a while. Can't seem to let this one go -- it's an important slice of (cake) BPAL history.

Oh my, this really is magical, and everything I'd hoped it would be. Mostly mallow flower and pale sandalwood, a few poofs of pastel peony blossoms floating in a dish of cream. A touch powdery, like enchanted dream dust. I've been getting into floral scents lately, particularly creamy florals, and this scratches that itch. A true fairytale floral, just exquisite. I must find a bottle! This reminds me of the song Audrey dances to in Twin Peaks. "Isn't it too dreamy?"