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BPAL Madness!

euterpe414

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Everything posted by euterpe414

  1. euterpe414

    Mad Kate

    This is such a delightful gardenia blend! I smell on my skin mostly honey, vanilla and gardenia with a touch of freesia and currant in the background. It's very vibrant and lively, and makes me feel a bit spritely and energetic. When it has been dry for a long time on my skin, the thyme comes out and it goes a little bit more to the herbal side, but I don't mind the change. This is a great floral for any time of year, although it is very spring-y by nature. I find that it is quite good for lifting my spirits during this dull and dreary winter weather, though.
  2. euterpe414

    Kill-Devil

    Wow this is some good stuff! I don't normally go for the heavy heavy sweet blends like Grog and Hellcat, but I really love this one. It's definitely a bit lighter than the other that were mentioned. All the notes are present from the beginning and blend well together to form the sort of natural, dark sweetness. For reference, I find the sweetness to be very, very similar to the sweet notes in Bonfire Night (however there is NO smokiness in Kill-Devil) It kind of reminds me of a dark, glistening maple sugar, with the hint of oak being in there. It doesn't morph much and has a decent amount of throw. I'm really glad I gambled on ordering an unsniffed bottle of this one, it's definitely a winner in my book!
  3. euterpe414

    Katharina

    I really love the apricot in Grand Guignol and Depraved, so I was very anxious to try my frimp of this. At first this smells very refined and lady like, and for some reason made me think of L'Occitane Orange Blossom more than anything apricot. The orange blossom is REALLY strong on my skin, I guess it's my body chemistry amping it up (this is not the first time this has happened with orange blossom...it drowned out all the other ntoes in Zarita as well). After a while the orange blossom starts to do something with the musk and turn things a little bit musty. Wah. I guess this one is not a keeper for me.
  4. euterpe414

    Egg Nog

    Egg Nog smells quite boozy in the bottle, but once it hits my skin it's the lovely, thick and creamy scent with just a hint of spice. I don't get any booziness (which is good b/c sometimes it makes me queasy) and the lovely spiced cream scent actually has a lot of staying power and throw for me This is exactly what I wanted this scent to smell like, and I am so grateful that Beth and co. decided to bring this back!
  5. euterpe414

    White Rabbit

    I have owned my bottle of White Rabbit since I first got into BPAL, I think it was perhaps my third bottle purchase or something like that... anyway, in my quest to review everything I've tried, I've got to say that this is one of my favorite tea blends ever. It starts out with milk, linen and pepper in the forefront- a very creamy white with a hint of spice. As it dries the tea comes out and is followed by the vanilla, honey and ginger which really enhance the pepperiness of the blend. I don't get a lot of vanilla in this one, and it's definitely not a hevay foody blend, even though it is reminiscent of a beverage. It does not have a lot of throw- it's more of a comforting skin scent that lasts on me for a pretty long time. As a quick note- I have found that this blend takes on some very 'chai' like qualities as it ages. My over two year old bottle smells a bit more like lightly sweetened chai than the more crisp, light peppery tea with milk it was when I first got it. Both are lovely, and this blend is definitely a BPAL classic to be adored.
  6. euterpe414

    Sagittarius 2007

    Saggitarius is very warm and comforting, like a big cuddly hug I get a lot of chamomile and sage, with a sort of creamy herbal tinge that I think is the balm of gilead and dandelion. The clove adds a tiny, tiny ouch of spice, but never overpowers the rest of the notes. This is the perfect scent for those days when you are curled up at home with a good book, or knitting, or something of that sort. I feel relaxed just smelling it now (and today has not been a particularly relaxing day...) I bet this would be a great bedtime fragrance as well. I'm definitely happy with this one, all of the zodiac blends so far have been incredible, and this is definitely no exception.
  7. euterpe414

    Lucifer

    First of all, I have to thank tartchef for sharing a decant of this with me! I would have never thought to try this one, since I have so many patchouli blends and I didn't think I needed another one, but this is...one of the best earthy, woody patchouli scents ever. At first on my skin this is a patchouli single note, but as it dries, this earthy greeness (which I think is the fig, mainly, mixed with the vetiver) really comes to the forefront to blend with the patchouli. The amber is not that dominant on me, it just gives this golden edge to the scent and I can't really pick it out individually when I press my nose to my wrist. This is a very unisex scent, and seems like it would wear well in any season. It wears for a very long time and has a decent amount of throw. I definitely see a bottle of this in my future...
  8. euterpe414

    El Dia de los Reyes

    Mexican. Hot. Cocoa. yum. I didn't think I was the most foody person, but lately all these amazing foody BPAL blends have been drawing me in...this is no exception. It is the perfect spicy hot chocolate scent- just a hint of coffee, cinnamon and sugar. I love it to pieces and need at least a few more bottles before it goes away. As others have said, it has amazing throw and great staying power. What more could you want, really?
  9. euterpe414

    Haloes

    The first thought that popped into my head when I tested this was 'pure, simple beauty'. This blend is very very vanilla, sandalwood and lily, with hints of the remaining notes in the background. Although I find the lily to be very prominent in this blend, I would not classify this as a floral perfume. It sort of falls into the class of 'unidentifiably good vanilla blends', like Antique Lace and Black Opal, although smell wise I do not find it to be similar to the other two, its definitely a unique vanilla. It lasts a very long time, and fades away to the sweetest skin scent. I love this one, it's an instant BPAL classic, and I'm glad it is not an LE or super rare... phew!
  10. euterpe414

    Ivanushka

    This is simply gorgeous. It's a very soft musk with a touch of herbs and leaves. I don't really get a pickle note, perhaps my skin chemistry just tkaes this one in another direction (thank goodness, since the smell of pickles is not something I'm shooting for...) As it dries down I get hints of iris... other than that change it stays pretty much the same on me throughout. This is a close to the skin sort of scent, and is oh so snuggly and warm. I love it, and will cherish my little bottle of it.
  11. euterpe414

    Hairy Toad Lily

    At first this one is super sweet lily with fresh cut green grass- absolutely lovely and like walking about in a springtime garden. Sadly, as this dries, it turns very quickly into laundry detergent. I have no idea what note is doing this since lilies and grass usually behave Sadly, this imp will be off to a better home.
  12. euterpe414

    The Peacock Queen

    This is a vintage rose; it has a very "victorian" feel to it- somehwat powdery, perhaps a bit musky, very prim and proper. The rose in this is a little sharp and not something I would normally go for, but I love the antique feel that this has to it- almost like dry rose petals but without the dustiness. So, yes, this scent is a perfect fit with its description, and I'm very glad I finally got a chance ot try it. I'm not sure if it's something that I would wear often, but I will certainly find some occasions for it.
  13. euterpe414

    Rose Red

    Rose Red 07 Yep, this is the perfect rose. I remember try a sniffy of the 05 version and it was definitely a bit sweeter than this current version, but I suspect that aging might mellow this one out. Even if it doesn't that's OK b/c this one is also phenomenal. It's a very fresh, wild rose with slight hints of dirt and greenery. It smells exactly like my grandmother's rose bush in its entirety, and I'm reminded of being a little kid when I used to get up close to it and inhale deeply . I am loving this blend and am thrilled to be able to own a bottle of it. Many, many thanks to the lab for bringing this back!! :D
  14. euterpe414

    The Fruit of Paradise

    This is soooo gorgeous! It is a deep, velvety, sweet pomegranite with a touch of resin (I am pretty sure it's amber since it's smells similar to Hymn to Proserpine, but I could be wrong...) underneath. I do agree with others in that it does not have a lot of throw, so of course I'm going to have to buy another bottle at least This does have a very 'holiday' feel to it, but one could definitely wear it at other times and not feel out of place. There is really not much else to say about this except that it is truly beautiful, and if you like pomegranite at all you MUST order this one!
  15. euterpe414

    Hunting for the ultimate _____ blend

    You definitely need to try The Cup of Death! The notes are - Peach blossom and peach tree leaf, Mysore sandalwood, French lavender, bois du rose, myrtle, and blue yarrow.. I get a lot of peach (not just blossom, but actual, juicy peach, even though it's not listed) and lavendar/herbs, which is really gorgeous, imho.
  16. euterpe414

    A Murder of Crows

    I wanted to love this one but verbena really amps on me and turns somewhat sour. Alas! The amber and iris are so gorgeous with the herbs but I only detect them for just a second before the verbena stomps in and ruins everything!!! I guess I need to make a mental note to avoid verbena in the future....
  17. euterpe414

    Rose Recommendations - which blend is for me?

    Wow, strange indeed! Oh...your list reminded me of a few I forgot- there are just so many good BPAL rose blends! (man, how did I forget to put Alice on this list though, whoops!!) I'm sad to see that the Peacock Queen is on your 'no' list, though!! I'm still going to cross my fingers
  18. euterpe414

    Rose Recommendations - which blend is for me?

    I have not reached a conclusion with this, either, but I have the same problem. At first I thought it was certain roses (tea rose, aminly) that I could not wear, but then I found a few blends with tea rose in it that worked for me (Rose Moon, I think, and the Atrocious Attic) extremely well... really my rose successes are quite random.... what worked: The Haunted Palace Three Brides (I think this may be my favorite rose blend besides Rose Red) The Atrocious Attic 2, 5 & 7 Persephone Harlot Rose Red Rose Moon Lady Luck Blues Rakshasa Lucy Westenra what didn't: London (the worst of them all, smelled like acetone on me) Maiden Rapture Kurukulla (I love lotus but the rose in this was icky and sharp) Whip (the leather in this gave me a headache, but I think the rose was ok) Spellbound Rose Cross (this was also reallly bad on me) Moon Rose (pure soap- but moonflower works on me in other blends) Lucy's Kiss Baghdad Seriously, I have no idea what the deal is....but at least there are rose blends that love me b/ I do love the smell of roses I'm really anticipating trying out Peacock Queen to see how that goes, too!
  19. euterpe414

    Demeter's Funeral Home

    I think, personally, your best bet would be Midnight. It is chock full of white flowers, and other flowers for that matter, and is a very heady, classic floral.
  20. euterpe414

    House of Night

    I remember that I first tried this early on in my BPAL exploration and somehow passed over it... well, I'm certainly glad that I gave it a second try. This time, I get something very very similar to Samhain (although more the 06 version than this year's), minus the pumpkin and apple. It's very smoky and spicy, and I can just detect a hint of rose among all of it. I am sure there are other flowers in here, but I really can't detect them. It's definitely reminiscent of taking a walk in the crisp outdoors in autumn, perhaps with a bouquet of dried flowers in your hand. I do agree with the word 'somber' in the description- there is not much that is light hearted about this scent, although that doesn't mean it isn't gorgeous. This is definitely a fall/winter scent in my book, and if I didn't have a few bottles of Samhain lying around I would definitely upgrade my imp of this
  21. euterpe414

    Vampire Tears

    This one's a very juicy citrus floral on me. Somehow the grapefruit and other flowers keep the jasmine in check, and it only goes musty/sour on me for a minute or two when it's wet (it was a couple of very scary minutes, though!!). This is a really nice jasmine blend for those who like jasmine, and would be great for spring and summer- it reminds me of those citrus/jasmine tea coolers that you can get in the summer from fancy coffee shops It has good throw and lasts for quite a while- unusual for a citrus blend on my skin. I am glad I got a frimp of this b/c I might not have tried it otherwise, and although I am unsure I need a bottle of this, it's nice to have a little bit around to sniff anyway!
  22. euterpe414

    Ile de la Tortue

    This is beautiful, although nothing like I expected it to be It's a very clean, fresh tropical floral on my skin with a hint of aquatic. It's very light breezy, and very much for spring and summer (in my opinion, anyway). It reminds me a lot of Hi'iaka, but less sweet and with a little bit more greenery. This one has a lot of throw on me and lasts a fairly long amount of time- unusual for a floral on my skin, but I'm not complaining! I do like this one very much, and may buy a bottle in the spring, but for now I have Hi'iaka and a few other tropical florals, so I will just hold on to the imp.
  23. euterpe414

    Beaver Moon 2007

    Hm...on me this one is not very similar to Bloody Mary. I get a lot less cherry and red fruit, and much much more of the strawberry end of things. The best way for me to sum up Beaver Moon on me is - strawberry ice cream. Seriously, for a long time, it smells exactly like I rubbed ice cream on my wrists (it totally makes me hungry, too!). There is a little bit of time when I first apply it that it goes plastic-y on me, but that seems to mellow out rather quickly (phew! I have never had anything go 'plastic' on me before- it was not a pleasant experience for my nose). All in all I would say that I enjoy this blend very much, except for the odd phase in the beginning. I will definitely wear this when I am in need of a comfort scent.
  24. euterpe414

    Pirate Moon

    This blend is really polished and smooth. I definitely detect red musk first and foremost, but it is so well blended that it is not overwhelming. In fact, I think this is one of the most well blended scents that I have smelled in a long time. It gives me the impression of a sleek, shiny, gleaming and polished ship on the high seas. This is a great pirate scent, and goes really well with its companion, The Phoenix (which is a more salty, oceanic take on the pirate theme). Much, much love for this one.
  25. euterpe414

    The Phantom Wooer

    I have no idea what is giving me the impression that there is citrus in this blend... but as soon as I put it on I smelled citrus, moss and florals. The "citrus" is somehow making this blend a little too sharp for me, and obscuring the moonflower and lily which I really want to smell. as it dries some more the bite goes away and I am left with a nice earthy moonflower scent. Now I am really enjoying this; it reminds me of a less heady version of Midnight, somehow. After the blend calms down on my skin it is really quite beautiful, but unfortunately it also doesn't last long. I am probably going to keep my imp, but I am not sure if I need a bottle of this.
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