euterpe414

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.

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!

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.

 

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.

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...

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?

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!

 

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.

Wow, I looove this one. At first it starts out very very similar to the Forbidding Foyer on my skin- smoky patchouli, wood and brimstone (no cognac, though). As it dries, the tobacco really comes to the forefront and combines with the labdanum to make a sweet resinous blend with a dark, shadowy background. I do think this is a great 'dark and lurking' kind of scent, because it does not have a lot of throw, but rather sticks very close to the skin (yet it is not faint or weak in any way). It lasts for a few hours at least on my skin, and as it fades I am left with a sweet tobacco. Wonderful scent, and definitely one that should make tobacco lovers very, very happy.

Eeek! I'm first.... I'll try my best, so here goes...

In the bottle this one is very, very dark, earthy and heavy on the black moss; I really adore dark, earthy BPAL blends and this is one of the darker ones that I have smelled in a while. Once it hits my skin it is a very damp mossy smell with a tiny hint of resin in the background. As it dries there is a smokiness that comes to the forefront (which I am thinking is my nose interpreting the vetiver/khus), and it really helps to add depth and another dimension to the blend. The smell brings to mind walking through a dark wooded area in the rain and smelling faint, distant chimney smoke that is wafting in and out with the wind. Once this has been dry for a long time the resin seems to come out a little bit more, and balance itself with the smokiness and moss. I really enjoy this one, and it's perfect for cold weather as these dark earthy scents seem to warm me right up Those who like blends such as R.M. Renfield, Malediction and Brimstone should definitely give this one a try.

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.

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.

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

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!

 

For myself, I'm looking for the ultimate peach. I've noticed a few BPAL blends that have a bit of peach, but it never seems to be described as a primary note. My favourite scent to wear up until now has been an old bottle of Fuzzy Peach eau de toilette from the Body Shop. It's just pure, single-note peach. I'd love to find something that has a lot of peach but also other things to make it more complex.

 

I'm still a BPAL virgin. I've ordered some stuff but it isn't here yet. I think a couple of the imps I'm getting have pear (like Titania) and plum (can't remember which, might have been Bordello).

 

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.

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....

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

I too have been trying to discern if there is a particular pattern to the origin of the rose in the oil or whether its completely random, or just due to the other oils in the mixture--but sometimes I really like the rose scents, and others I just cannot wear at all.

 

Rose Red--is a pure, red rose, just as the description suggests. I love this one but since I only have a smidgen, haven't worn it to see if my skin chemistry kills it.

 

The Empress--is a lovely pure rose smell with some slight greenery in the background. This one works okay.

 

Peacock Queen--yuck! Whatever rose is in this smells like soap on my skin. hated it (in Men On voice)

 

Persephone--Very much liking the rose in this, maybe because the Pomegranate balances it out

 

Harlot--Get it off! Which doesn;t make sense, I love both Cinnamon and rose, so what gives???

 

Rose Cross--perfect, the incense balances the rose nicely, it didn't turn to soap

 

Maiden--just meh for me.

 

London (tearoses) smells good for me, but not as "juicy" as Rose Red.

 

Has anyone figured out the differences between the Moroccan rose versus the Bulgarian? I seem to like the former and dislike the latter (or it dislikes me).

 

Another thought I had was that maybe its the pure rose oil (absolute) that smells good and its the rose-geranium that isn't so great...

 

Anyone else out there have an opinion on this???

 

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!

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.

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

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!

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.

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.

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.

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.