phedre

in vial: A field of flowers and a sharpness I first thought was citrus, but is definitely the aquatics. It's a lovely aquatic though, even for someone who isn't normally a fan. wet: definitely something citrusy appearing on my skin, keeping the florals from being too cloying. Very nice balance! A saltiness is also present. drydown: this gets somewhat fruity on me, which is probably the aquatics. The florals keep it all balanced. I don't get dark from this at all, it's very light and breezy, and there's definitely a bit of lime peel in here somewhere. An hour later: the fruitiness is gone, and the aquatic notes and florals are taking over. It's gone a bit soapy unfortunately, but not ecessively so.

in vial: there's a sharp herbal note to this, softened by tonka and mandarin. wet: cocoa comes out, but not strongly like in 13, it's more of a perfume note than a food. black tea also appears. The mandarin and herbs fade. Definitely some tobacco leaf. Mandarin comes out again, stronger this time. dry: the sharpness is amped. This is very herbacious with the smell of mandarin peel. The myrrh keeps this sweeter than it should be, and makes it all very lovely and balanced. I like this a lot more than I expected. An hour or so later: The mandarin has really amped up on this. The herbs are still there, but the blend itself has gone so citrusy, I'm amazed that it's the same oil I applied.

In vial: musk, orchid, and pear leap out immediately On skin: At first, I got a lot of pear; very juicy and nice! But my chemistry amps orchid, and this blend is no exception. Already it's taking over. Dry: The orchid has completely overrun every other scent and turned this into a cloying mess. Alas, this will have to go up for swaps.

In the vial: Cucumber, juniper, and something slightly herbal (the bay maybe)? A touch of florals, but not much. On skin: I could swear I smell pine. That must be the juniper playing tricks on me. The cucumber is there adding freshness, but it's not overpowering in the slightest. Dry: This is a very well blended scent, and so unique. I don't have anything else in my bpal inventory that's like this. No one note overwhelms the rest, they're all in harmony. I can understand why so many people love Blue Moon! It's not something I'll spend a fortune on for a full bottle, but I'll definitely use my imp.

I was lucky enough to snag a bottle of this on ebay. Normally I'd be leery of spending that kind of money on something I'd never even tried, but the reviews convinced me it was a worthwhile purchase! Oh how glad I am that I'm an impulse buyer. This is GORGEOUS. In the bottle, it's super thick and viscous, clinging to the sides. It reminds me of old snake oil, heady with tons of vanilla and spice. There's none of the sweetness I was expecting from the plum. On my skin, the sweet plum emerges and just ties everything together into the most amazingly beautiful scent. It's sensual, rich, and enticing. I love it!

Oh my... I got my first whiff of La Fee Verte today and I am in love. Wet, it doesn't smell like anything special: a little medicinal, a touch of lemon, a sharp bite. There's definitely an "alcohol" flavour there. On skin, wow. It's a completely different world. The sharpness goes away completely, leaving a touch of citrus and vanilla. It's clean, sweet, and just lovely. It's blended so well it's hard to distinguish individual notes. I'm a happy swapper Later: this just keeps getting lovelier and lovelier. The musks have stepped up, and there's a slight floral scent to it, but nothing sweet at all. Now I'm glad I splurged on that bottle on ebay without sniffing beforehand!

Wet in vial: Very similar to '05, but sweeter. Sweet candy cane with tons of peppermint. On skin: Peppermint and sugar. It's sweeter and less sharp than '05. Drydown: I had '05 on one wrist and '06 on the other, and they are very alike. The main difference is that '05 maintains its sharp edge whereas '06 is sweet peppermint cream. It's lovely layered with snow-flakes! If I didn't have a bottle of '05 on the way, I'd buy this; I don't think I need both, though.

In vial: Pure cedar. It reminds me of my step-father's canoe shop (he handmakes canoes out of cedar) Wet on my skin: Pickles. I swear to $deity, I smell dill pickles. Drydown: the cedar comes back, but the pickles still dominate. How very very bizarre. I get no florals from this whatsoever.

In vial: lemon balm dominates. I get a touch of rosemary, but everything else is completely overwhelmed by the lemon balm. Wet on skin: Still dominated by lemon balm, but the sage is starting to peak through, as is the sandalwood. There's a bit of a honey sweetness to it (the honeysuckle?). Dry: Pure lemon balm and honey. It's nice, but not for me.

Sleepy indeed! Lavender and chamomile in the vial. A bit of sandalwood. It has a soapy quality to it, but it's definitely scents I associate with rest. Wet on skin: Soap. Very finely milled, high quality lavender soap. A touch of sandalwood underneath saves it from pure soapiness, and a bit of the chamomile as well. A few minutes after application, the florals peek out, ylang ylang and poppy. Dry: A lovely restful scent. I don't get winter from this at all. The soapiness is still there, but as lavender soap is my favourite soap, it's not such a terrible thing. The chamomile is still there, very subtle. The other florals are gone. I like this. It's not something I want a bottle of, but I'll use my imp for sure.

I'm so glad I got a bottle of bitter moon. I adore lavender and vetiver, and I thought the sage would go well with it. I was right! In bottle: herbal. there's a tart note, like grapefruit (the blackberry?), and florals. Lots of lavender. Wet on skin: The tart note stays there, something bright, balanced with the bitter edge of sage and vetiver. The florals calm down. dry: the sage really comes to the forefront. It kept its sour note, but it's not an unpleasent sour at all, kind of reminds me of candied grapefruit peel. This is so well balanced and well blended. I love this. A few hours later, the blackberry and grapefruit notes have completely disappeared. All that's left are light, sweet florals. Very pretty.

In bottle: Pine, and sweetness Wet on skin: florals come out, and a bit of mint. I don't get ylang ylang from this at all, it's more like dryer sheets i'm afraid. drydown: Dryer sheets. Yipe. Swaps for this bottle!

I was lucky enough to swap for a very old imp of snake oil when I first started using bpal. The oil in the imp is viscous and thick, so delicious. It's what prompted me to run out and buy my first (and only) 10ml bottle right before they were discontinued. When I got my new bottle of snake oil, I was... disappointed. It was nice, but not that thick, heavenly scent I fell in love with and I couldn't figure out why. After some digging on the forums, I realised exactly why: aging. That 10ml is now tucked away in my bpal box, aging merrily. After four months, it's already starting to deepen in that lovely snake oil manner. But I don't think it'll be ready for a long time yet! From vial to wet to drydown, this scent is gorgeous. Spicy, sweet, and sensual all mixed together into a perfect blend. It's no wonder this is the best selling scent on the site! it's so complex and warm, with just a touch of patchouli to keep things grounded. Snake oil is pure sex. Love it love it love it!

In the vial: Tea, which must be the chamomile. And something sharp, though I can't figure out what. Sweet primrose and a touch of bergamot and musk to smooth it out. Wet: Tons of bergamot, which I adore. Flowers and sandalwood come out and play. Dry: I really like this. It's soft and lovely, reminding me somewhat of Dorian. It's supposed to be gender neutral, but my skin amps the florals and bergamot into a very feminine blend. It disappears after a few hours on my skin. I applied this at around 9 AM and at noon it's completely gone, except for the slightest whiff of florals. Verdict: I love this; I just wish it would last longer.

In vial: Woodsy and peppery, with a bit of sweetness from the frankincense. Wet: mmm sandalwood. I adore sandalwood in a blend! A touch of spicy pepper to keep it interesting. Dry: Warm, deep, and soothing. It becomes a lovely blend of sandalwood and sweetness. I'll be hanging onto this one!

Wet: Lavender overpowers just about everything, which is ok because I love lavender. On skin: Bergamot and lavender. A bit of cool mint. Dry: A bit herbal from lavender and thyme, a bit of orange and wood from the orange and bergamot. I don't get foody from this at all. Overall, I like this. I don't think I'll buy a bottle, but I might use the imp.

I got this as a frimp in a trade. In vial: Whoa. Hello there lavender! My favourite floral scent. And that's definitely anise peaking around the edges. Wet on skin: Mint, lavender, and anise, three of my favourite things. Dry: More anise. Kinda reminds me of Absinthe, but more floral and a bit sweeter. It's really more candy black licorice than pure unsweetened anise. The lavender has gone a bit soapy, but not overly. Overall, I'm not sure how I feel about Baku. I'll have to try it a few more times and figure it out.

In the bottle: Oh my. MUSK! Musk musk and more musk. On my skin: Hrmmm.. something's coming out into those musks that I don't like. Drydown: Amber has come out to wreak havoc on me. Sometimes it plays nice, sometimes it doesn't and this is one of those "doesn't" situations. The musks are nice, but I can't get past the babypowder-esque smell of the amber in this mixture.

In vial: mint, mint, and more mint. On my skin: something spicy comes out. The ambergris I assume, and a touch of the moss. I keep getting whiffs of cold, but when I go to smell my hand again, it disappears. How very odd. It's fleeting, like a cold breeze in a warm room. Drydown: Hrmm.. this goes very aquatic. I smell something almost salty here, aftershave-esque. Not for me, so off to the swaps it goes!

in vial: this smelled like apple juice and sugar to me. Ok, but not something I thought would work. Wet: cider and cranberry juice. How very odd. Dry: It's growing on me. It's not something I'll wear often, but it's interesting enough to keep around. The cranberry keeps it tart as opposed to sickly, and there's a bit of warmth to it from cinnamon maybe?

In the vial: Whoa. Hello there grape! I assume this is the burgundy wine grape, but it doesn't smell burgundy-esque to me. Rather, it's candy grape, like good quality grape hard lollipops that will turn your mouth purple. On my skin: The grape candy disappears almost immediately, leaving behind something lovely and not too sweet. The florals come to the front and the plum disappears. I don't get cognac in this at all, but definitely myrrh to round things out. There's more of a wine note to it now as opposed to grape juice. What a morpher! I like this. Not sure if I like it enough for an entire bottle, but I may change my mind as time goes on.

Lots of radiance, not so much desolation. I ordered this hoping for a chilly scent, but that's not what I get here at all. In the bottle, it's got a sweet creaminess to it with a bit of pine and juniper lurking in the background. Wet on my skin the pine comes forward a bit more, with the sweet fading. There's a slight hint of musk maybe? There's definitely mint notes here. Drydown: it's got a pine-resin type scent, and a breath of sweetness. I quite like it, but it's not "winter" to me. I'll be keeping my bottle though!

This is actually a topic that I'm very interested in. I've been searching for a "cold" bpal scent ever since I discovered them, and failed miserably. Of the oils suggested, I've tried: ice queen Saturnalia snow moon snow white shattered Snow-flakes Snow-maiden Nuclear winter Lick it I have at home/ordered, but haven't tried yet: Talvikuu Black ice Cathode None of what I've tried so far comes close to "cold". I'm looking for a very specific cold though, more so than the minty cold. I come from (very) Northern Canada, where the temps can get down to -70c with the windchill, so I know cold! I find they tend to run towards sweetness, which just shouldn't be. Cold to me is the middle of December, standing in the quiet woods with snow-covered pine trees all around you. There's a whiff of frozen pine needles, ice, wind blowing over snow, and leftover small bitter juniper berries on bushes. There's a sharp, bitter quality to the air, no sweetness, no florals, no salty aquatics at all. It bites at your nose, and also has an aspect of fresh and clean to it. It makes you want to inhale deeply, even though it hurts your lungs to do so. I'm hoping someone has a suggestion like this

I think I'm doomed when it comes to berry scents. Aside from Baneberry which works, most just turn to sticky sweet jolly rancher candy on me, and this is no exception. The bottle smelled so heady and luxurious with wine, but once on my skin the currant and plum completely took over, rendering it sticky sweet and headache-inducing. I was so disappointed! ETA: Re-reviewed this one. It seems to work well with my chemistry today! In vial: pure amaretto. This is very boozy. wet: amaretto and currents. I think I like this. Dry: I'm liking this more and more. The booze stays, with tons of amaretto and current. It's sweet, but not sickly. It's grown on me!

This was in the first imp pack I ordered. How could I resist getting the site's signature scent after all? I wanted to like this, but it just wasn't meant to be. On me it was bitter bitter almond, sharp and chemical. There's depth there, and it's an interesting scent to be sure, but all wrong for my body's chemistry.