Poenari

OK, I finally caved and ordered this off the Trading Post's Etsy site, because I love the bath oils so much and I love pumpkin notes. This review is based on a skin-test, since I use the bath oils as an after-shower moisturizer, so I don't have any idea what this would smell like dispersed in bath water.

 

The stout was what had kept me away for so long, since I hate the taste and smell of beer, and was afraid of the stout. However, this is really good! There is a very mild pumpkin note to this- nothing as strong as the pumpkin in Pumpkin Pie bath oil or Marshmallow Pumpkin bath oil, nor as strong as my variety of pumpkin-scented BPAL perfumes. There is a slightly sour note at first, which I thave to assume is the stout, but it blends quickly into the honey and pumpkin, and it doesn't smell beery at all after the first minute. The notes blend together so well, and this is the most foody bath oil I have. It is a really nice scent, not overpowering with spice, and I think it will layer very nicely with any pumpkin scent, but also with other honey or cakey scents. I'm going to try it with Eat Me perfume- I think it will be a good base layer!

I wore Samhain 2012 today, with a spritz of Samhain atmo spray on my sweater. I think that the more I wear it, I am actually training my nose to like it.

Excellent red velvet cake scent when used as a skin moisturizer, which is how I use my bath oils. I don't get a strong cream cheese note, as the cake is more prominent and it is a little more chocolate than I had expected. But it's absolutely lovely and I am definitely going to order a couple of backup bottles before it goes away. I really wish this one had been sold in the 8 oz. size, although the price point in that size would probably have limited Puddin's sales greatly.

 

This is also perfect when worn as a skin moisturizer under my Halloween: Las Vegas perfume, and I imagine it will do the same under Cake Smash.

This candle is exactly as described- it's Beth's beautiful dragon's blood scent in candle form. The thing I love about it is that it also wafts scent throughout the room even when unlit. The glass is frosted, heavy, and the label is very pretty. The wick burns very cleanly and extinguishes easily. Excellent quality, and I am very happy I bought it. (I also plan to reuse the holder since it's so pretty, but I'd love it if the Post came out with some kind of refill for these.)

My Weenie order arrived yesterday and Witch Dance was my first try-out, so this review is based on trying it pretty fresh from the mailbox. In the bottle, I was surprised at how faint it was, and hoped that it would settle down and amp up after a while. I skin-tested right after my shower, so the bottle had a chance to warm up a little, and it was applied to fresh warm skin. It was mostly red musk, and I don't get any smoke or leaves at this point, although the red musk is grounded, which must be from the smoke and leaves. I was leaving to visit my mother, who lives two hours away. Upon arrival, I gave her a hug, and she immediately told me how good I smelled, and asked if I'd just applied perfume. I hadn't, it was still my earlier application of Witch Dance. It's all the more surprising that my mom smelled this because she's on oxygen and has basically no sense of smell at this point. I still don't get any smoke or leaves myself, but my skin alwasy amps red musk to eleven. However, red musk scents also garner me the most compliments, and Witch Dance definitely sticks around, so it is a keeper.

 

edited to add: after resting for 10 days, I wore this again today, and finally I get the smoke and leaves. I am now seriously in love with this scent! It's a softer version of Samhain without the medicinal note that has always kept Samhain from working on my skin. Definitely need another bottle before these come down.

This is initially more pine, but quickly softens down into a blend of forest smells... pine, fir, cypress, and soft woods. It's a softly whispering forest to me, very pretty and not a bathroom scent as I found Winter Wind to be. This one does smell good sprayed on my pillow and I can use it as a sleep scent. In fact, I find it extremely similar to Silent Forest Bath Oil and Black Forest perfume, which I use as sleep scents, so now I can go to sleep completely surrounded by the forest.

This candle smells exactly like the single note perfume, and is absolutely beautiful. It smells like a freshly cut spicy carnation, the kind that I had in my wedding bouquet way back before the florists bred all the beautiful spiciness out of them. The candle burns very cleanly and evenly, and I could catch slight wafts of it periodically, but it doesn't have a strong throw, which is the only downside for me. (Room size that I was burning it in was about 16 ft. x 16 ft. for reference.) Wick snuffs out quickly and easily. The jar is absolutely beautiful, heavy frosted glass with a beautiful printed label. I wish there could be refills, because the jar is a keeper and I will reuse it with a votive after my candle is gone.

I absolutely LOVE this hair gloss scent!! It's definitely for the patchouli lovers, although the amber sweetens the scent into a gorgeous blend. The scent is very long-lasting and compliments so many of my perfumes, especially because I love patchouli blends.

 

How I use it: my hair is below shoulder length with long layers, and it's not thick, but I have a lot of hair according to my hairdresser. It's also naturally wavy, but unless I put a lot of product into it to shape it, it hangs limply and does nothing. So I have to either blowdry it with a diffuser and scrunch it into long curly waves or straighten it, or use a curling iron, depending on which kind of product I use and what my "hairstyle mood" is for the day. My hair is also color-treated and quite dry, so I only shampoo every 2-3 days. Because of that, I mostly use the hair glosses on my wet hair, mix about 6 sprays into an argan oil product in my hand, and they work very well to keep my hair from frizzing while blowdrying, while scenting it with the hair gloss scent. After hair is styled, I squirt one spray into my hands to blend into the ends and especially the strands along my face so I can smell it all day. This one is my absolute favorite of the hair gloss scents and lasts until my next shampoo.

Oh, good idea on the sugar notes! I think I'll wear Sugar Skull, since it fits the Halloween theme and is also sugary and one of my favorite scents! Thanks!

I tried this when I initially received my decant in 2011, and got OH HAI VETIVER!!! Now retesting after a year, the vetiver has mellowed. Now that I've had a chance to try the Single Note Siberian Musk, I swear I can detect that in here, although musk is not a listed note. But my first reaction was enough to recheck the notes because I really thought I would find siberian musk listed. Interesting... Oh yes, vetiver is still prominent, but all the other notes have blended into a spicy woody blend. Very nice a year later.

As many times as I've raved about and recommended this scent in other threads, I never realized I hadn't reviewed it! Centzon Totochtin is one of my very favorite scents, and the fact that it's a GC is even better! It's Chocovine, which I personally find an abhorrent drink, but this is chocolate wine for sure. The wine is not so alcoholic that I fear wearing it to work. This one melds into my skin and there is a warmth to the wine and chocolate. I get a lot of compliments when I wear it, too.

 

Try this if you loved Midnight Kiss (like me) since it's very similar and available.

I reviewed my 2009 bottle right about a year ago, earlier on this page. Well I finally used up that first bottle and just opened my 2nd bottle of 2009 that has been aging unopened since purchase. This is heavy on the butterscotch rum with apples, and absolutely fabulous! I'm so glad that I ordered that second bottle. It's going into heavy rotation this fall.

I've decided that I want to dress as Effie Trinket for work on Halloween. I couldn't be more different in personality, but I loved the way they costumed her character in the movie! We have a small school and the kids have a trick or treating parade around the building and stop at all the offices, and many of the employees dress up in costume to pass out treats. I have built up quite a reputaton over the years for my costumes. I already have Effie's clothing figured out from various pieces already in my closet and some fabulous shoes I already have. I still need to pick up the right kind of wig. But I'm not sure which BPAL to wear... I think Effie is probably a floral gal, which I am not. I should probably peruse the Fantasy Island thread and see if there are any good suggestions there, but in the meantime I'll throw it out here, too and see if anyone has thoughts...

For those September days when the weather is still warm and sunny and in the upper 80's:

Pumpkin Princess

Lawn Gnome

Allison Gross

Hunter Moon 2007

Chrysanthemum Moon

 

Lately we've had some rainy weather in the 70's:

Singing Moon 2012

 

But I can't wait to break out some of my heavier smoky/pumpkin/cider scents!

I like all the hair glosses I've tried so far. I mix 4-6 squirts of my decant of the day into the palm of my hand with a small amount of a cheap brand of argan oil, spread into my towel-dried hair (I have a lot of hair and it's below shoulder length) and comb through it with a wide-toothed comb. My hair is naturally curly and this makes it very easy to blow-dry straight.

 

As for Coconut, Vanilla Bean and Tiare gloss, I do like it, and it is extremely long-lasting and has great throw. I can really smell it on my hair all day long when I use it. But I get no coconut from this, which is somewhat disappointing. It's very strong and heavy on the tiare- not unpleasant, but I would have loved to get more of the coconut and vanilla bean. I still haven't decided if I like it enough to order a whole bottle- maybe next summer. For now, Amber Patchouli is my hands-down favorite hair gloss.

I like all the hair glosses I've tried so far. I mix 4-6 squirts of my decant of the day into the palm of my hand with a small amount of a cheap brand of argan oil, spread into my towel-dried hair (I have a lot of hair and it's below shoulder length) and comb through it with a wide-toothed comb. My hair is naturally curly and this makes it very easy to blow-dry straight.

 

As for the Morocco gloss, everything is good but it is just like all the other Morocco products (perfume and bath oil) on me: a very pleasant scent that disappears quickly into my hair and skin. It's a good work-safe scent and I love being able to use all the different products in the same scent. But so far I greatly prefer the Amber Patchouli - that is my favorite for stronger scent and long-lasting throw.

Strange that I never reviewed this before- I could have sworn I did. Anyway, Pumpkin Pie bath oil is exactly as described: a pumpkin pie with extra cinnamon and spice. I love the scent, and pumpkin pie is one of my favorite desserts, and this smells just like it, without the pie crust.

 

I originally bought my bottle from the Post when it first went live, and because I use it as an after-shower moisturizer I've got enough to break it out every autumn. A little of this one goes a long way. For those who also have last year's Marshmallow Pumpkin bath oil, this is very similar, only stronger. I guess I have skin like iron, because I can apply without burning, but YMMV. I can't wait for a little cooler weather so I can start wearing this again.

I was in the mood for something different today, so I broke out my bottle of Clermont, which I purchased when it was first released. I can't typically wear rose scents because they turn straight to soap, but the opium tar in this one has always taken center stage. Now, after aging for two years, this is a very dark incensey rose... so much better, and it has unbelievable staying power and throw. All morning long I could smell it, and it kept reminding me of something else in my collection but I couldn't quite figure it out. Then all of a sudden I realized: it smells like Lucy in Darkness Atmo Spray! Clermont has aged to a scent that is almost a dupe of Lucy in Darkness, which is probably my all-time favorite atmosphere spray. The only listed note that would be in common is the opium, but even side by side they are very similar. Lucy has a bit of the grave about her scent though, that is lacking from Clermont. I am going to try layering Clermont with a hint of Graveyard Dirt and see if that brings them even closer. I am so glad to have realized that I do have a similar perfume to my beloved Lucy!

 

 

If you're looking for a lighter incense, then think either Penitence or Cathedral are worth a try. I love Valentine of Rome, but it was much stronger on me than either of these.

 

It's been a while since I've tried them side by side, so I can't remember much of a difference right now. But they are both GC's so you can get an imp of each and compare them.

 

Midnight Mass is a Yule LE, but it has reappeared most years (if not every year) so it's pretty available and you can probably find a decant. I don't think it varies much from year to year, but it does age nicely so you might prefer it fresh vs. aged, or the othe way around.

 

I have a lot of BPAL with incense notes, but mine are all more along the lines of strong throw and heavy incense like VoR, so I don't have any other first-hand recs.

 

You might try scrolling through these two threads for more ideas:

Sugared Incense

 

Incense and Resin recs

 

edited to add links to other incense threads

This is that note that I love so much that is common to Snake Oil, Snake Charmer, Madame Moriarty, and other Snake Oil-related scents! It has the same color that marks my skin, and is the primary note above the heavy vanilla I get in Snake Oil. I love it, and will be wearing it alone as well as layering it over some of my other favorites. I am so happy that I ordered two bottles of this! I wish it were a GC as I would make it one of my mainstays.

This is odd for me to even be reviewing Singing Moon 2012, because I only have this due to a customer service error by the lab. I waffled over whether I should even mention it in my review. I ordered two bottles of Spanish Red Carnation, but when I opened my package, it contained Singing Moon instead. I had no interest in even opening a bottle to sniff, as I knew it would be too misty and aquatic for me to bother with. I contacted the lab immediately and offered to return the bottles - promising that they were unopened and completely virgin from the lab, but they told me to keep them and sent out my Spanish Red Carnation with my next (already pending) order. What excellent customer service by the lab!!!

 

So here I am with two frottles of Singing Moon! I am gifting one to a coworker whom I've been trying to enable, but I decided that I might as well give the other bottle a sniff and a little skin test before deciding to gift it to someone else as well. As expected, it is misty, etherial, and very grassy, with the ambergris giving it just enough staying power to stick around for a while. Although this is not something I chose, I am finding it very nice on these unbelievably hot and humid days that are full of heavy thunderstorms. Something about it is just refreshing enough, but it does not feel too "un-like me" compared to my usual preferences for me to dislike. It gives me a similar feeling to F5, in that it is very green and not my typical preference. So thanks to the lab, a coworker is getting gifted a bottle, and I am going to try to convince my daughter to try the other bottle. I've been unsuccessful at enabling her but this one might do the trick! If it doesn't work out for her, then I guess it's meant to be that it was for me.

Carnatlons have alway been my favorite flower, but the carnations that you purchase nowadays lack that beautiful spicy smell that I remember from years ago. I've planted pots of red dianthus and garnered a tiny hint of that smell, but it's faint when compared to the carnation scent I remember. I didn't discover BPAL until after the single notes had been discontinued, so I was very excited to see the return, starting with Spanish Red Carnation. I ordered two bottles immediately, just in the hopes that I would find that long-ago spicy carnationn scent. Well, I am beyond thrilled! I met the postman at my mailbox today because tracking indicated that my order was out for delivery. Opening the bottle and sniffing straight from there, I am immediately in love!! THIS is how carnations are supposed to smell. Spicy, definitely red, and I am in love.

 

Applied on wrists, it is the same scent, and hasn't morphed or even faded much.

 

I am so glad I ordered two bottles. Now to decide if I can afford to order a couple more before they come down. I imagine this will age beautifully, and it's such a work-safe scent that I can see me going through a lot of this. I can't wait to see what future single notes will come next, and there are a few I hope will appear, but if nothing else appears that ends up being right for me, it's ok, because I am so happy to have this!

For some reason I never got around to trying Dorian before,and finally the lab insisted that I must, by throwing in a frimp in my last order. Wowie woo hoo what took me so long?! I should have known this would be beautiful, but I had. no. idea. I think the tea note is what always threw me off and made me pass it by. But this is an amazing lavendar vanilla musk and it wears like forever. I love Snake Oil, and Lilith Victoria is one of my top favorites, and I finally "get" the blending of the two since now I actually smell the Dorian in it! I never realized it before. Thankfully I don't get lemon or citrus, just am amazing blend that I can see is easily worn by either gender. I would love to try this on my husband but he's a hopeless case. However, I am definitely adding this to my next bottle order!

Earthy patchouli that is sweetened by the fig. I was originally worried about the mushroom, but that just keeps it grounded with an earthiness. This is very long-lasting too, and stays a warm sweet patchouli for hours. Really happy that the lab frimped me with this, or I might never have thought to try it!

Predominantly a dark cherry scent with a strong undertone of frankincense- almost to the point of being satan's cherries. The intense cherry scent burns off quickly and leaves a dark mildly spicy fruitiness. I use my bath oils as an after-shower moisturizer, and this one is good as a scent on it's own. I've also tried it layered under Ghoulish, which works well. I also agree with Eden's Sixth Day that Hollywood Babylon is another good choice for layering.

 

I'm glad I finally got around to ordering a bottle and have been wearing Humanitas a lot this summer.