maribouquet

Sadly, the iffy notes in this went ifftastic on me: the plum is oversweet, and the ylang-ylang and jasmine go sour and give this a yucky, sugared band-aid smell when it dries. Not meant to be, I'm afraid.

Oh dear, the violet turns this into bubble bath on me.

I love this, especially the pear, but unfortunately for me the lily whomps everything else to death.

Wet, this is wonderfully yummy, not-too-sweet pear. That lasts for about 30 seconds and then fades as the vanilla takes over.

 

Now here is something interesting: BPAL vanilla hates me. Haaaaates me. All blends I've tried eventually turn to a yucky, plasticky and/or yeasty smell. Even my beloved TKO, in which I don't mind the plastic stage because I'm usually asleep by then anyhow.

 

The first time I tried Perilous Parlor was no exception - immediately grossly malformed vanilla smell.

 

But I tried it again this morning and the vanilla teeters on the edge of yuck for a bit, and then miraculously becomes a soft, dessert vanilla, like ice cream or vanilla pudding. It's not too sweet, it's not too in-your-face vanilla...it's just soft and nice, and I imagine I can even pick up a bit of the pear still.

 

Could this be the one scent that not only makes vanilla work for me, but smells *better* during my period? (/tmi) I'm keeping my decant, and if this continues to be awesome, then I may have to get a bottle for that one week out of four when I need something delicious and happy-making.

Aww, this smells like my dad! That makes me happy. But you know, I don't really want to smell like him.

 

Must echo what others have already said: this is very nice, the vetiver surprisingly subtle and balanced, the clove giving just the right hint of spice, and yes, I think I do smell smokiness in the background. Good stuff!

Swan Maiden is a divine floral, with the lush, wet feel of Bayou or Pele, and the quiet gravity of Silence. It's a smooth, regal floral with orchid and magnolia predominant at first (and the lily does not overwhelm me, which is a nice surprise!), and as this dries it settles down and the sandalwood emerges along with the other flowers to beautifully balance out the blend. Lightly, tearfully sweet.

My skin eats it up, but it's so lovely I don't care! The swan label is very pretty. A must for floral lovers.

wet: band-aids

dry: old dude

 

D:

 

I'm going to try this one again. Later.

In the imp I can smell the green tea, a whiff of chinese white musk () and of course, cedar. But once it's on, the cedar overwhelms all else. More evidence that cedar is not a good note for me.

Hmm, I think I like pumpkin as a note. Jack doesn't really work on me though - it starts out with an abundance of clove that is too reminiscent of a craft store for me to enjoy the juicy richness of the overall blend, and then dries down to a very waxy smell on me.

 

I have high hopes for other pumpkin blends, though.

Kicked in the face with Merlot!

 

This is super strong & consuming. I am very impressed with Wanda, but she's not for me. (Most wine-heavy scents aren't, sadly.)

In the imp, Aizen-Myoo is mouth-wateringly sharp yuzu. Wet on my skin, the tea emerges, very dry, and something sweet - maybe the kaki/persimmon? After a few minutes it becomes a wonderful, tangy fruit scent with touches of floral and citrus. It's very fresh and light with a delicious bite to it.

 

After about 10 minutes on my skin, it turns astringent - I think the tea and cherry blossom are emerging and dominating, and though the yuzu does pop back in and out, I'm ultimately left with a flat and powdery cherry/tea combo that is oversweet and kind of unpleasant. Boo, chemistry!

 

I wish it could have stayed in the ripe persimmon phase - that was delightful and juicy.

Intensely almond, like marzipan, when wet. As this dries it gradually mellows out into a lovely, soft Jordan Almonds scent, like the fine, sweetness that clings to your fingers after you've eaten a small handful.

While wet the berries are super strong on me & overpowering. I didn't recognize the berry note as berry though - it smelled vaguely powdery and citrus-like, and reminded me of Tarot: The Sun. After an hour or so, I'm left with a pleasingly woody, mulchy (good though, honest!) sort of smell, with a pinch of something pungent - that must be the evergreen? It smells a bit cedar-like to me.

 

Outdoorsy, softly masculine. Not really me, but I like it nonetheless.

News flash: my nose is officially crazy!

 

The drydown on Titus Andronicus smells like herbal coconut to me. I also thought there might be sage in it. Whaa? I can only guess that it must be the black amber &/or neroli that smells sweet to me...and the 'sage' smell? Eh. WHO KNOWS?

 

Anyhow, it is nice. Not calling to me at the moment, but nicely balanced and not too masculine on me.

imp: a sort of resinous, minty chewing gum scent
wet: antiseptic
dry: antiseptic

Totally bleh on me.

imp: sweet wine

wet: wine and something smoky

dry: myrrh? huh.

 

Smells weird on me - flat, dusty & sour.

 

 

edited for spelling

imp: a sort of coniferous floral

wet: sharp and tangy with an emerging sweetness that threatens to go to powder

dry: do I detect evil jasmine? something in here is starting to get that nasty, sour scent that jasmine gives me

 

the jasmine-like floral is gone, leaving a nice spicy scent...a little masculine. Not really me.

imp: fresh, citrusy aquatic

wet: a citrus-like plant note dominates

dry: love the airiness of this, but the citrus rind scent isn't working for me

 

the rind smell fades after about 20 min, leaving a nice aquatic scent that is very similar to Amsterdam on me.

Sudha Segara has great throw for me. This is unfortunate as it is also, on me, the most vile concoction I've ever put on my skin. Sooorry! Can't think of a nice way to say, 'this smells like mildewed socks lying in a puddle at the bottom of the subway tracks".

 

Pros: great throw

Cons: activates gag reflex

 

Worst part: it's just me! This smells good on other people. Rats, rats, rats!

imp: Ginger and aquatics

wet: Spicy, warm aquatic. Masculine.

dry: A sweet round smell emerges. I can't identify it but it has the male tang of cassis. Maybe also some seaweed?

 

Fascinating, but not for me.

 

ALSO, I didn't smell any grapefruit! Just phantom ginger. Clearly am deeply flawed as a human being.

blind review...

imp: Almond? or maybe that's cherry...
wet: Yes, definitely cherry. Reminds me of a softer Herr Drosselmeyer. Also something sort of lemony.
dry: Anise? Going a bit powdery & the cherry is gone. A little woody.

Soft and pretty, but not a favorite.

A blind review...

 

imp: Sweet pine tar

wet: Plus lily? kind of grape-y...or maybe frankincense? Smells like the undercroft of my childhood church a few days after the Christmas market.

dry: Old blankets and the faintest whiff of piss

 

Oh chemistry, why? This turns gross and stenchous, and then as if someone's tried to cover it all up with industrial bathroom cleaner scent.

 

 

ETA: Okay, I just read the note list and all I can say is WTF? I think there is always a smidge of a chance that one has come across a mislabeled imp or decant, but I think it's more likely that my skin and nose are just weird sometimes.

imp: Sharply floral citrus

wet: Kind of powdery, like sugar. Oooh - grapefruit!

dry: sour & powdery, a little plastic.

imp: bitter citrus

wet: bitter like cedar. or citronella? This smells like the back of the Ward Robe.

dry: bitter and eerily sweet. intriguing but not attractive.

I smelled and reviewed this blind...and it put me in mind of Pleasure Island in Pinocchio where the boys have every fun and tasty thing they could ever want or imagine...all fun and candy and no school, yay!

 

imp: hot, buttery toffee

wet: mmm, do I smell cinnamon?

dry: yes, and toasted nuts!

 

hours later: I wake up from my nap and all the sweet is gone. I'm left with a vaguely bitter, hollow scent.

 

This is so delicious though, I think I will have to get an imp and slather myself with it just for sheer decadence! I am not generally a foody-scent lover, so Cockaigne was a lovely surprise for me.