lysistrata

In the vial: Fresh cedar.

 

On me, wet: Cedar wood and sage with a little sweet vanilla. Smells kind of what I imagined Tombstone to be like, without the alcohol. Also smells like camping in the woods. I used to wear a lot of pine-scented bug repellent, and this reminds me of that. A very fresh, woodsy sort of smell. The vanilla's nowhere to be found as it dries; I suspect it's softening up all that wood and greeny smells. The leather adds a little smoke to the mix as it dries.

 

On me, dry: Wood, smoke and leather. The campfire has burned itself out and the camping cowboy's vest and chaps are hanging by the fire.

 

Verdict: This was a lovely smell for a while, but ends up all wood and smoke. Smelling this as it dries takes you through an entire olfactory campout! Unfortunately, I don't really like the wood and leather this scent eventually ends up as, so I will pass it on.

In the vial: Mm, nice gentle lavender.

 

On me, wet: Ack, nasty, oversweet, bubblegummy lavender. Cloyingly sweet. Bleah.

 

On me, dry: Not getting any nicer. Lotus and lavender seemed like a good idea at the time, but in practice, each brings out the worst in the other. Sweet and herby in the most suffocating way. Ever drink Irn Bru?

 

Verdict: No, thanks. I hope the real Paris doesn't smell this nasty.

Just discovered another GC similar to Beaver Moon, and a possible substitute for it: Hunger.

 

Hunger goes on very sharp and resiny, and the sharpness (to be honest) I don't like very much. On drydown, though, after a couple hours, all I can smell is vanilla, vanilla, and more vanilla. "You smell like a cake," my co-worker told me. Works for me!

 

So if you're like me, and BPAL's sweet vanilla scents LURVE you, you might consider waiting through the wet stage of Hunger to get a Beaver Moon-like smell, all without that pesky acquisition difficulty!

 

Hunger's also similar to Antique Lace, but not as creamy and with a sharper resiny-floral undertone.

What about Beaver Moon, is there a GC similar to it?

 

Dana O'Shee or Antique Lace are the closest I've found to Beaver Moon, with Antique Lace being slightly closer. A colleague of mine smelled Antique Lace on me one day and took it for the Beaver Moon I'd worn the previous day. They're both sweet and laden with vanilla.

 

I haven't tried Gluttony, but I hear from people that it is also sugary and rich with a nutty flavor to it. That's a possibility.

Yesterday, I wore Beaver Moon to work and let all my colleagues smell it.

 

Today I wore Antique Lace, and one coworker sniffed it and said, "Ah, the Beaver Moon perfume again?"

 

And they do both have that sweet vanilla thing going, although Beaver Moon has more butter in it. But it's nice to know there's a reasonably good GC substitute.

 

I wonder what would happen if you layered Antique Lace with Shill?

 

Also, Storme gave me an imp of The Apothecary, saying it was like Enbalming Fluid wet and turned into Budding Moon on drydown. And indeed, it was very much so.

 

Also, I smell certain similarities between Monster Bait: Underpants and Morocco and Bastet. In Bastet it's probably the sweet saffron, in Morocco it's the spicy vanilla.

In vial: Berries, butter, vanilla, and booze.

 

On me, wet: The sugar oozes on this one, made incredibly rich by the buttercream. The bourbon note tamps down the sweetness of the berries (they smell a little like blackcurrant). But my god, my teeth are rotting just smelling this.

 

On me, dry: Ok, the booze is fading, and mmmm, it smells just like a Raspberry Cremesaver. My favorite. Eventually fades to a nice blackcurrant. Scrumptious.

 

Verdict: I love blackcurrant and this one is yummy, sweet and rich, even if it is slightly alcoholic. I'll keep it around as a special treat, but there's no hurry to go hunting for a bottle of this one.

In vial: Rum-soaked cinnamon buns.

 

On me, wet: The booze y smell makes its way forward and dominates the sugar, butter, and cinnamon, making it smell slightly plasticky. The coconut and cassia underneath is SO BUTTERY GOOD, if only the rum would go. (But why isn't the rum gone?)

 

On me, dry: Rich, buttery Cinnabons and plastic. The most calorie-laden plastic ever.

 

Verdict: Damn, I really wanted to like this, but the plastic rum (which isn't even in the description! Is it the cassia?) is doing me in. It's so good otherwise; it wafts like crazy and packs an incredible nasal wallop with the butter and sugar. I'll give it another chance later, but I'm very on the fence with this one.

In vial: Faint sugary sandalwood.

 

On me, wet: Sharp saffron and sandalwood with a smidge of vanilla and alcohol.

 

On me, dry: The saffron and sandalwood makes this kind of flowery.

 

Verdict: Not as foody as the other Monster Baits, but it does make for a lovely sweet vanilla sandalwood perfume. Not as sandalwoody as my good friend Velvet, though still nice in its own right. I think I like this one best of the Monster Baits. And it's also the rarest, damn it.

In vial: Sugary vanilla cake from a mix.

 

On me, wet: sugar, vanilla, and butter. mmmmmm.

 

On me, dry: This is the essense of the buttery sugary vanilla that I loved so much underneath the Monster Baits. Wafting, calorie-laden, sweet, fattening....yum.

 

Verdict: This is a fantastic one. I think it would give an extra sugar kick to perfumes with a little sweet in them to begin with, but it's also kind of pleasant just to smell like vanilla butter cookies.

In the vial: Sweet Irish Coffee.

 

On me, wet: Very subtle coffee and a hint of butter. Yummy.

 

On me, dry: Something darker creeps in behind the buttery coffee; it's a titch smoky and dry. Very subtle and nice. Maybe even some chalk in there. It ends up making the buttery coffee a bit stale. But it really does smell like what I imagine old university halls would smell like.

 

Verdict: I do think this is a lovely smell, but smelling like a stale General Foods International Coffee is not really my thing. I can see why it's such a hot commodity in the BPAL universe though. There is something very comforting about this smell, especially for people who like coffee. But I am not really one of those people.

In the vial: Sugary rose.

 

On me, wet: A nice soft floral with a little vanilla. Not too floral, not too sweet, and subtle.

 

On me, dry: Perfumey sweet vanilla rose. Subtle, feminine, beautiful, and irresistible.

 

Verdict: A friend was smelling the Monster Baits, then tried Antique Lace and said, "Ooh, I like this one!" Something about it just speaks to you instantly. This one goes on the Must-Get-Big-Bottle list.

 

Edit: This has become my favorite scent, along with Velvet/Bliss and Morocco. Completely delicious.

In the vial: Very green floral and a titch of sandalwood.

 

On me, wet: The spices spring up immediately, the green fades into sandalwood and rose, and it sweetens considerably. I would never have guessed that this perfume would change so much on the skin.

 

On me, dry: Vanilla or milk, spice, and a teensy bit of sandalwood-rose. Deee-licious, and so good to smell I can't tear myself away from my wrist.

 

Verdict: Even though this is a mild perfume, and does disappear unless it's slathered on, it's so worth it. I am so in love with the light, milky, spicy sweetness of this. It's subtle yet discernable, mild yet spicy, fragrant but not overpowering. This now tops my list of Must-Get bottles, tied with Severin, Glasgow, Velvet and Dana O'Shee.

In the vial: Sweet almond extract and honey.

 

On me, wet: Still sweet almond extract, but a nice gentle milk is added to the mix and stops it from being too sticky or cloyingly sweet.

 

On me, dry: Sweet honey milk and a touch of almond, maybe a whiff of coconut. Delectable, fresh and warm and very light.

 

Verdict: I LOVE THIS TO DEATH. I kept catching whiffs of my wrist and swooning. It's mother's milk, comforting and sweet, and I really can't get enough of it. WILL GET BOTTLE. GRAR.

In the vial: Fresh lemon juice.

 

On me, wet: Lemon lemon lemon, but with a little darkening behind it.

 

On me, dry: The lemon note has settled down to a very light lemon freshness with a light leathery/smoky undertone. It's refreshing and completely wonderful.

 

Verdict: Ever since I sneaked sprays of Love's Fresh Lemon off my mom's vanity, I've looked and looked for a really good lemon perfume scent. This beats anything I've ever found. This is my long-sought lemon perfume. I need more of this.

In the vial: Almond extract.

 

On me, wet: Deeper almond extract. Again with the amber and musk. God, I love them. The lotus and saffron gradually emerge to spice up the almond a little, and the amber does a nice job of keeping it fresh. It's gradually turning gold. The saffron is quite strong.

 

On me, dry: It's becoming more spicy-Egyptian as the myrrh comes in, but the almonds are still there sweetening it up. There's also a freshness to it. Nice.

 

Verdict: Sweeter than Haunted, spicier than Velvet, but with a little of the spirit of both. It has a slight danger of veering a little too cat pee (oh Bastet! bad kitty!) so I have to be careful how I wear this, but I really love the almond and saffron here.

In the vial: Powdered cocoa and dry, bitter sandalwood.

 

On me, wet: The chocolate suddenly springs to life, with the sandalwood, now warm, supporting it in the background. I want to lick my wrist.

 

On me, dry: The sandalwood takes the stage again, and cocoa is there in support, but now a vanilla flavor enters the mix. Warm, sweet, slightly spicy, and totally delicious.

 

Verdict: When I wear this, I feel cozy and warm and totally comforted. This is the nasal equivalent of curling up in front of a fire (an exotic, sandalwood fire) with a mug of hot cocoa. My favorite perfume before BPAL was a sandalwood and vanilla oil blend. Now I see it was only aspiring to be what this perfume is. So far, this is my all-time favorite BPAL scent. Big-ass bottle, when I have some money. Someday.

In the vial: Lemon! Smells very much like 4711 Cologne, which my mom used to wear, which was lemon and bergamot with lavender, rose, rosemary, and musk.

On me, wet: A little fresh sawdust, a hint of lemon. This is a really lemony amber, and a nice gentle musk. The lemon comes and goes, peeking out behind the musk.

On me, dry: It dries down to a very subtle and skin-hugging musk, not overt at all, with maybe a little creamy musky vanilla and a rosiney smidge of amber somewhere in there.

Verdict: I wouldn't have expected something that's just musk and amber to smell this fabulous, and I like most that it's very subtle and light, but still detectable. This is a wonderful perfume for days when you just want to enhance your own natural smell a bit. It clings, yet it is simple and unperfumey. A great scent.

In the vial: Sweet and watery, with a bit of berryliciousness.

 

On me, wet: Mmm a nice light and sweet heather, subtle, but lovely. Not too green and not too sweet. A lovely balance. The berries poke their heads out every so often and add a little juiciness, and the heather keeps things green.

 

On me, dry: Very delicate and skin-hugging watery berry sweetness. I am constantly sniffing my wrist.

 

Verdict: I love the simplicity and fresh sweetness of this perfume. It's just berry enough for my sweet tooth, and not so much heather that I choke on floral. Plus, it's unobtrusive and light. One of my favorites. I'll be getting a big bottle of this eventually.

In the vial: Jasmine, my old nemesis, we meet again. This time with something dry, the spices perhaps, that reminds me of Renaissance Faire.

 

On me, wet: There's the lemon, but it smells as if it's been cooked. The cooked, limp, slightly rancid lemon in canned lemonade, mingling with that sweet n' cloying jasmine smell, which, with the spices, remind me of the New Age bookstore I frequented in high school.

 

On me, dry: Now the spices come into the foreground, and the jasmine cools down into something almost aquatic. That's kind of morbid, considering recent developments in the city in question. I bet this is the honeysuckle. I wish I could smell more lemon.

 

Verdict: Evocative of my youth as this is, I don't think this is something I could wear. It's too strong, and too much with the jasmine.

In the vial: Jasminey jasmine.

 

On me, wet: Heavily perfumed jasmine with something lighter in the background. That must be the buttercup and honeysuckle. It's extremely flowery, and a little cloyingly heavy.

 

On me, dry: Fading somewhat, thank heavens, but the cloyingness remains and is now perfumey perfume. And then the entire smell disappears completely. Where'd it go? Wait! I think I may be able to detect the buttercup, but it's so shy. Fight off that jasmine, buttercup!

 

Verdict: This ends up rather pretty, but you have to suffer through the wallop of jasmine first, and I'm just not that into flowers to wear this, I guess. Sorry, Eos.

In vial: Very sharp and sweet grapefruit and citrus.

 

On me, wet: The sweetness continues, but with a bite to it. It's a lovely round citrus smell, and gradually the purple plum emerges to add a little more juice to it. There's still a squeaky greenness to it, and a little gold which must be the amber.

 

On me, dry: The squeaky green gets stronger and the sweetness fades a little, and it becomes primarily plum. Smells fresh and green, like dew-covered leaves and fruits, and not too sweet.

 

Verdict: Yummy but not too sweet, green but not too grassy, and a nicely rounded scent with a little light and a little dark. I like it a lot. I think it'll make a good summery scent.

 

EDITED TO ADD: Later: After wearing this several times, I notice a peppery, bitter flavor that I didn't notice the first time I tried it. It may just be because of that time of the month, but it completely dominates the plum and grapefruit and makes it very hard to enjoy the scent. I guess I will have to get my fruit elsewhere. Maybe Bordello will satisfy my plum fix.