kajacana

In the bottle: Sharp. Almost lemony.

On skin: Floral, probably white. Maaaaybe lilies? Loses its sharp quality almost entirely, and Im not getting lemon anymore. Kinda soapy, though, which is not necessarily a bad thing -- it smells light and clean.

Nothing too exciting, but here are some BPAL photos from my instagram (@kajacana) :
[EDIT: thank you nathanielhebert for the image tech support!!]

So Below

Talvikuu '12, Boomslang, All Souls '14, and Morocco

Wezwanie/Hold and The Lion

Samhain '13, Night-Gaunt, Hellcat, Hesiod's Phoenix (misspelled label!), and some imps

Milk Chocolate Coconut Cardamom Rum & Ginger Truffle, Bezoar, The Apothecary, and Octopus

Speaking of Octopus, that's a classic case of Bought It For The Name/Label Art (and Keeping It For The Same Reason!)

This dries down to a very light, white/green floral on me. I can pick up the juicy scent of fresh fruit lingering in the background, which keeps the blend sweet instead of sharp. I don't usually like florals, but this one is light and clean, not at all cloying, so that's a plus.

I would recommend 51 to someone who was hesitant to try perfume oils for the first time, because a lot of people expect oils to be IN YOUR FACE and this one is definitely not! It's approachable, wearable, soft, and in my opinion scents like this are the perfect gateway to BPAL-Land. If you're a fan of commercial perfume, and you tend to favor light florals, green scents, and a springtime vibe, then you would probably like this blend.

What about Fairy Bites (GC, from the Labyrinth collection)? Osmanthus and raw honey with lavender, chamomile, white peppermint, raspberry, honeysuckle, thyme, bergamot, and Dracula orchid.

It's like sweet minty berry chamomile tea, really light and pretty. I'm not a fan of florals, but even with the lavender and orchid (two notes that usually get the side-eye from me), this is a very smooth and wearable blend.

So Below is a frakking miracle.
Need more detail? Okay, here we go.

In the bottle: Guys, I literally do not know what I'm smelling but whatever it is, it's making me swoon. Something amber-y, I'm sure, because my nose recognizes a wisp of a hint of something that reminds me of, like, The Lion. But there's something more complex about this one, something else there in the initial sniff that makes me go "HMMMMMM YES TELL ME MORE."

Initial application: Heavens to Betsy. It's amber, it's coconut, it's soft and sweet yet also powerful (a little goes a long way) -- methinks the Sumatran red patchouli gives it that extra punch, that je ne sais quoi which elevates this blend into something truly unique.

Drydown: Not a ton of throw, but I can smell it on my wrists as I type, and I only put on a single dab from the reducer cap. It is ridiculously pretty and I want to hug it but unfortunately I can't because it is a perfume oil and I am a human.

coconut isn't far behind but it doesn't smell like coconut, if that makes sense. When I think of "coconut" I see a white and creamy smell, very foodie and sometimes it does smell like sunlotion. This, however, doesn't smell like any of the usual stuff. This is dark, but not even toasted. I have no idea what's going on.

^That, exactly.

It's not foody coconut, it's not fleshy raw coconut, it's not suntan-lotion coconut, it's not Obatala coconut... it's darker, more like the shell of the coconut (HOW MANY TIMES CAN I SAY "COCONUT" IN ONE SENTENCE, MY GOD, I'M LOSING CONTROL OF THIS REVIEW). It smells like I'm sitting under a coconut tree wearing sweet amber perfume. (Actually it smells like the ecstatic dance of my soul, but that, I'll admit, is a rather more abstract concept and therefore probably useless to you, dear reader.)

Some amber turns to baby powder on me. Some doesn't. This doesn't. It's got a slight powdery quality, if that makes sense, but I'm not getting powder from it. There must be something in the blend to offset the powder factor.

I love cardamom but I can't distinguish it in this blend. I'm also not getting any of the usual in-your-face patchouli-ness, which is fine by me (although I don't know the first thing about distinguishing between the different varieties of patchouli). And I have no earthly idea what black copal is supposed to smell like, but the Google tells me it's a sweet resin, and that seems right.

So Below is coconutty, resin-y sweetness. It's perfect, I love it, the end.

This review brought to you by a really big glass of wine.

Creamy coconut made extra nutty by the macadamia, plus a really beautiful, light amber.

I can see how some people might get buttered popcorn from this, but for me it's staying on the sweet side of foody. The coconut in this blend isn't that suntan-lotion, pina colada type of coconut... it ALMOST reminds me of the coconut in Obatala on intital application, but the comparison stops there because the foodiness takes over quickly.

I also agree with the above reviews which have said the buttery factor goes away and the scent morphs into something almost spicy after several minutes. It's almost like a spicy coconut cookie. I really like it!

In the imp/initial application: this is EXACTLY the bourbon vanilla of the Trading Post's bourbon vanilla bath oil. A really perfumey, non-foody, rich vanilla.

Drydown: the fruity sweetness from the apricot comes out. I'm not getting any cardamom, just this really nice mix of bourbon vanilla and apricot (I'm guessing the "preserved" apricot could translate to "apricot preserves," because it's definitely got more of a jam vibe than a fresh fruit vibe for me.)

It softens quickly, leaving that beautiful bourbon vanilla with a boost of extra sweetness. Not a lot of throw, but I could definitely see myself slathering this one in the summer.

The cardamom barely peeks out after several minutes, not super detectable but serving to round everything out very nicely.

My co-worker who is a nerd and who I nerd out about BPAL to, even though he could not care in the slightest, just confessed to me that he likes Donald Trump's cologne. I immediately found the notes:

 

The fresh mix of basil, citrus, cucumber, green notes and vetiver give this scent an airy coolness that is never overpowering. The smooth aroma of wood adds masculinity, and a touch of mint gives this cologne a crisp and energetic feel.

 

And promised him I'd find a BPAL corollary. Ten seconds of searching has not come up with anything yet. I'm obviously going to keep trying, but if this looks familiar to anyone, let me know! I'm not much for the fresh or minty scents, so even if I started to read a note list like this, my eyes would glaze over before I got to the end.

Maybe Laughter of Loki from the Ragnarok LEs?

"Serpentine green musk with fiery red ginger, sweet basil, alder leaf, white patchouli, cistus, and mistletoe."

ETA: Can't find a good GC so far, but maybe Dawn: Cernunnos (Terebinth pine, basil, green sandalwood, fig leaf, armoise, lemon balm, cypress, myrrh, black cedar, and juniper) or Cathode (Ambergris, Spanish Moss, oakmoss and three electric mints)?

Initial application: Sweet and fruity - especially heavy on the watermelon. It smells almost juicy, that's how ridiculously fruity this is (in a good way!).

Drydown: Then it takes a turn for the floral. The sweetness all but disappears, and I get the gardenia petals in full force. Some of the blackberry is still coming through, but only a little.

There was a super-brief stage right as the oil dried on my skin that was somewhere between the above two extremes, and I wish it had stayed like that. The end result is very pretty, it's just too floral for my taste.

Received as a frimp from the Lab.

On me, this starts out as lavender and quickly morphs into sweet mint, with something earthy in the background. I like it more than I thought I would when I initially smelled it from the imp. It's not nearly as high-pitched as some of the Lab's other minty blends, if that makes sense (probably because the mint here is coming from the pennyroyal, which steers it away from toothpaste and more in the floral direction). It's got a very clean quality to it -- reminds me of fresh air and springtime and clean clothes. The more it dries down, the more comfortable it feels. It makes me want to spread a freshly laundered blanket out on the grass in the shade and read a book.

Received as a frimp from the Lab.

In the imp: bubblegum.

Wet on skin: strawberry Starburst.

Initial drydown: Not bad! A little hint of artificial candy flavoring, but there's something in the blend that tones it down -- the musk, I guess.

Drydown after several minutes: I'm getting just the tiniest hint of soft grapefruit, and the scent as a whole has mellowed into a really pleasant, sweet, fruity scent. Not strawberry Starburst anymore, not even candy-like anymore -- just sweet musky goodness that maybe is reminiscent of strawberries if you think about it hard enough.

I like this one. Not sure it's "me," per se, but I'm definitely going to keep the imp and wear it in the summer.

Received from the Lab as a frimp.

First impression: Oh my God, is this... is this Skadi? That's all I can think as I sit here smelling my wrist.

Okay, I just got out my bottle of Skadi '13 to compare, and they are actually different. Skadi has that sweet berry thing going on, whereas Kumari Kandam has almost a minty undertone that leaves it a bit thinner and lighter than Skadi on drydown. The snow factor is very similar between the two, though.

Hellcat is "hazelnut, buttercream, honey mead, rum and sweet almond" -- for me (and, glancing at the review thread, it seems like for many people), that almond note reads as cherry. In my case, the cherry fades on my skin, but others have had different results, so you might want to give it a try!

For a less dessert-like option, maybe Kabuki? "cherry, red musk, and star anise."

Purple Snowballs !!!

I love this one too!

Any of the snowballs, really, might have that cold snow note you're looking for. Purple Snowballs is snow + sugar plum, currant, and cardamom, Yellow Snowballs is snow + citrus, Pink Snowballs is snow + rose, etc. etc.

And count me as yet another recommender of Skadi - it jumped to my mind as soon as I read your criteria. It might be a little bit on the sweeter side for your taste, but definitely worth trying.

This is POWERFUL on me. I put 3 sprays in my hands, then run my hands through my (long) hair, and the scent has amazing throw and lasts for hours. It's a very clean scent, and there's something floral about it - it brings to mind a bouquet of white flowers and fresh, green herbs. I don't necessarily think it smells like tea, and to be honest I don't really get sage from it either. Maybe my nose is weird! That being said, either way it's a very pretty scent, well suited to spring and summer.

Hello minty friends. I am specifically looking for the type of mint that is in Lick It, the one that actually feels cool on the skin...

The only Lick It I have is Lick It Now (2013), and Tokyo Stomp is very similar...

Obatala is one of my favorites, glad to see so many votes for it here! It's very coconutty but also just a really clean, summery scent.

Lolita and Whitechapel are simple, bright citruses.

Glasgow is blackberries & heather, very clean-smelling and not too complicated.

If you're into foody scents, try Grog (smells like butterscotch) or Detestable Putrescence (vanilla ice cream).

Good from the RPG line is light and smells simple - hard to describe, but really nice, and easy to layer.

I second the soft, sweet incense comments. I can't quite tell what it smells like -- it's reminiscent of Eat Me, but Eat Me went to cherry head shop on me, and this doesn't. It's very pretty, good throw but not too heavy. Definitely need a bottle.

I amp cinnamon, and even though there's no cinnamon listed in this blend, my skin is finding some cinnamon to amp!! (Maybe the allspice or the ginger?) It's super pumpkiny and foody in the bottle and upon initial application, like the familiar BPAL pumpkin we all know and love. The cinnamony bit emerges after about 5 minutes -- so intense that my skin burned a little. But then the cardamom and tea peek out, and it settles down into a well-rounded spicy chai tea scent with just a hint of pumpkin to soften the edges. I like it!!

....has no one mentioned Boo? Really?! O_o
"Eerie billows of spun sugar, fluttering white cotton, and sheets of cream."
I have the 2009 version, and I get this sugary, foody, cake-y, almost maple-y smell from it. One of my faves!

I get pumpkin pie spice in the bottle, and sweet, fruity, orangey ginger on my skin. This is really an awesome blend! The pumpkin and cardamom give it a warmth and depth on my skin underneath all the fruit, so it's not sharp at all. A very cozy and autumnal scent. Love it!

Thank you so much Deek, that is really helpful!!

Hey guys, resurrecting this long-dead thread to ask a question (and welcome back to the forum everyone!).

Can someone explain to me whether the Beaver Moons ('05 and '12, I believe?) are the same thing as Beaver'versary? I can't find a review thread for Beaver'versary (got a decant), but it smells like the description for Beaver Moon '05... am I just missing something? Help!!

Exactly like an orange creamsicle on me!

Light, sweet, foody citrus. A perfect scent for me to wear to work, where I like to wear blends that are noticeable but not "perfumey" and not too strong.

In the imp/wet on skin: Strong, chemically-floral, department store perfume.

Drydown: Bounce dryer sheets?!?! WHAT?! It really does smell like fresh laundry to me.

It's not a bad smell, just not at all what I was expecting.