vividdreamer

Gorgeous, gorgeous, gorgeous. I was smitten the second I opened my bottle of Hony Mone. In there, the oil smells rich and almost creamy. I can absolutely smell the honey, thick and golden, but I also catch wafts of gorgeously blended florals--jasmine and honeysuckle--and maybe just the tiniest bit of almond. Once applied to my skin, the jasmine and honeysuckle start to amp, but they're not at all sharp or soapy smelling. I normally shy away from strong floral blends, but immediately I know that this one is different. This is a very special floral. There's something almost...smokey? that keeps the flowers grounded, though I don't know if that is the herbs or the honey. I don't really get fig or apricot, just beautiful honeyed flowers. It's perhaps one of the most "perfumey" BPALS I've ever tried, but Hony Mone is just glorious. I normally go for either foody blends or the deep incenses and musks, but this one makes me feel feminine and beautiful. It's the sort of scent you'd wear for a first date...or, even more appropriately, your wedding. As it wears the notes blend together to create a gloriously beautiful perfume that lasts and lasts on me. It makes me think of a sophisticated, beautiful woman who always looks and smells incredible. This one IS strong, and I have to apply sparingly to keep from being overwhelmed with a headache, but it's absolutely worth it. I think Hony Mone will age wonderfully. If I'm right, the jasmine will mellow, the honey will become much deeper, and everything will pull together to become even more beautiful than it is now. I'm so glad I have two bottles!

I was fairly certain that I'd love Faith without ever even smelling her, so when I found a bottle for sale, I jumped on it. Just like I figured, I LOVE this one. It's so light and sweet and feminine. It's white sugar crystallized violets, delicate and like air-spun candy. I love violet scented anything, and this is quite possibly the best violet scent I've tried. The sugar keeps the floral from going at all soapy, and I love the fact that there's no greeness to be found here. It's just purple sugared petals, and so, so pretty. My only problem with it is that there's not much throw and it doesn't last. This is one that needs to be applied generously and often, at least for me. I absolutely need more bottles before the Carnival leaves town. I've been wearing it all fall and into the winter, but it would be a GORGEOUS spring and summer scent.

Yeah, I can't really add anything that hasn't been said already. This is dark chocolate covered Snake Oil. Deep, rich, sultry, and bitter-sweet. It's 85% cocoa dark chocolate, none of that namby-pamby milk stuff. And after a half hour or so on my skin, the chocolate disappears and I'm left with cocoa tinged Snake Oil. I agree with everyone who said that you need to mix this one before applying. The oil is THICK and dark, and even though I know you're not really supposed to rub perfume for fear of bruising the topnotes, there's really no other option for me with this one. The mahogany colored oil is pretty stark against my pale skin, so unless I want to look completely ridiculous with rust colored streaks on my neck, wrists, and cleavage, I have to rub it in well. All in all, awesome. So glad I got a bottle. I think it'll age magnificently, and it's a fabulous cold weather scent.

I debated hard about whether or not to get a bottle of this, but in the end I decided that it sounded too unique to pass up. So I was pretty horrified when I smelled pickles upon opening the bottle the first time. I decided to give it a chance, though, and dabbed a bit on my skin. And...pickles. That's all I could smell for thirty minutes. Just as the pickle started to die down a bit and I thought there might be a chance, the oil seemed to vanish. I mean, seriously, it was GONE. Sniffing between the spot the oil was applied and my bare arm I realized just how strange this scent truly is, because I could tell there was *something* there, but it smelled like nothing. Like I'd put odor neutralizer on that spot or something. Determined not to give up that easily, I tried it again last night, and it looks like Ivanushka definitely gets better with age. It still smelled like pickles when I first applied it, but after twenty minutes or so it morphed into something that is really quite soft and pretty. The musk came out and played well with the woods in the back of the blend, and there was a snuggly sweetness that reminded me of an expensive powder. Such a morpher! And yet, when I just put it on now, I'm immediately blasted by pickles. Even though I like the way that this one ends up, I'm not sure that I want to hold on to the bottle. I can't deal with smelling like a Vlassic dill for twenty minutes, regardless of how nice it is later on. It should be noted that my cousin came over last weekend right after I'd received Ivanushka and decided to smell all my oils. I hadn't mentioned anything about Ivanushka to him, and as he was sniffing each oil he'd make a little comment, "Hmm. Snow White...wow, this is what a girl should always smell like. Hmm...Gingerbread Poppet. This one makes me hungry! *pause, sputter* Oh my GOD, that one smells like a pickle!" I knew without even looking which one he was referring to and just died laughing. I was thrilled to know that it wasn't just me!

Oh, my. This is so gorgeous. I'm glad the Yules are going to be up for awhile, because I'm going to need a few backup bottles. It's almondy milky sweetness in the beginning with just a hint of something green and pulpy hiding in the background. It's a white flower with a thick, juicy stem pushing up through the crystalline snow. It's thin, unripe coconut milk running over green shell in frosty air. It's a newborn's baby's breath after nursing at her mother's breast. It's so beautiful, so perfect, and so unlike anything else I've ever smelled. Innocent and yet incredibly complex. I think this year's is even better than '05, and that's saying something. As others have said, this is truly a work of art in scent form. I've been applying more and more since I got the bottle at 2:30 p.m., and I've had my nose glued to my arm the whole time. This is the most unique fragrance I've ever smelled. I wish I could just bathe in it.

Okay, Midnight on the Midway. In the bottle, it smells like...perfume. I honestly can't pick any individual notes out. On my skin: Whoo...SOAP. Soapy soapity soap soap. It's the soapiest smelling oil I've ever smelled. In the bottle it isn't so bad, but once it hits my skin...overpowering. It's definitely a *nice* soap, but I don't want to smell like this. We'll see how it mellows. A few minutes in, and it's still aaaaaaaallll soap. I was really, really hoping to like this one, as I love incensey blends, and I'm also quite fond of jasmine and honeysuckle. And I'm crazy about food-y scents, so I was sure this would be a winner. And then! I put more on on my wrist instead of the back of my hand, and*sniff*... I think *huff*...maybe, just maybe *inhale*...it's going to work. I definitely smell clean, and while the soap is still going strong, I can't keep my nose off this one. There is something about it that's making me crazy in a good way, and there's something just hovering in the background that I wish would come forward. I think it's the cotton candyish smell, but I can't be sure. At the very least I'm hanging onto it until after I have this baby and see how it works then. Pregnancy skin can make even the best oils seem totally out of whack.

Yum. This one I like a lot, and I'll tell you why. About a year and a half ago, I read the reviews for Blood Kiss, and I thought it sounded AWESOME. So I bought a bottle off the Sale page. Got it, opened it, and was instantly *afraid* of it. Scared to put it on my skin. There was this crazy, awful note in it that just screwed the whole blend up for me. (Vetiver maybe? I can handle it in other blends, but NOT that one.) It smelled wild (in a bad way) and sharp and out of sync with the other sweeter notes. Almost like the oil had gone off or something, but I knew it hadn't. (So when I say something may be too animalistic for me, that's the note I'm talking about. Can't stand it.) Anyway, Midnight Kiss is everything I loved about Blood Kiss WITHOUT THAT NOTE. They're almost identical except for it. MK is very sweet, a little musky at first, and it *smells* red. Darkly red. I think it'll get even better with age, and I think I'm going to like it alot. It's at the opposite end of the spectrum from most of the oils I have now, and that's exactly what I wanted. I definitely see the Smut comparisons...this is Smut's little sister. Or first cousin. Definitely closely related because of the red musk.

Samhain 07 Samhain was my first "Gotta Have It" BPAL scent, way back when it was incredibly precious and hard to find. (2004?) Words can't describe how thrilled I was when Beth first brought it back and I could buy a bottle for a reasonable price. Now, I get a bottle of Samhain every year, and I slather with wild abandon as soon as the weather turns. It is truly fall in a bottle to me, and I know that I'll always, always associate the two. This years is very much like my 2006 (I think that's right) bottle was in the beginning. Samhain is one of those scents that just gets better and deeper and more complex as it ages. I wish I had the resolve to buy a bottle and put it up for a couple/three years and see what happens to it, but I don't. This isn't a year-round scent at all...it only seems appropriate from October until late December to me. It's pumpkins and mulled cider and chill air and pine trees, and it is so, so perfect for autumn. Love.

First sniff out of the bottle and I smell pears. No vanilla, just crisp, green, juicy pears. After applying, I can sense the vanilla coming out to play, and the two scents--vanilla and pear, for there is nothing else in this blend that I can tell--intertwine beautifully. After a few minutes, the vanilla takes over a bit, and I'm aware of the "plastic" smell that others have mentioned, though it doesn't really bother me. This one stays close to the skin...it has little, if any, throw at all. However, it manages to keep from being too foody--it's much more perfume-y/gourmand to my nose. After awhile it morphs to a warm vanilla that is very nice in a skin scent kind of way. I wish it was stronger...or that I had an extra bottle so that I could slather at will. Ah, well. It's quite lovely and I'll have no trouble using up my bottle!

I smell more almond than Snake Oil, though there's definitely some hiding there in the background. And then, on my skin, it's practically ALL almond. I actually think this smells kind of...watery. It's not heavy at all, and I can tell that it's going to fade quickly. Almond scents seem to do that with me...I guess my skin just eats them up. It's a shame, because I do love them so. And...it's almost imperceptible after 45 min. Snake Oil Light, absolutely. I completely agree with that. Not bad, but not the quite deliciousness I was expecting. I'm hanging on to my 5ml, though!

Mmm. Sweet, chocolate-y, caramel pumpkin. The pomegranate gives it just enough vibrance to keep the blend from becoming overwhelmingly heavy. The drydown is reminiscent of a pumpkin coffee (no spice), and I LOVE it. If I want spice, I can always layer on some Shub or Gingerbread Poppet (when I get my new bottle!), and I'd imagine that will be *amazing* too. This one was the surprise winner out of the two orders that I received yesterday...I'm so glad I got a bottle! ETA: Either my nose was acting crazy the first day I tried this or a couple of days have changed the oil a bit, but the last few times I've worn this it has been ALL pomegranate in the beginning. I wasn't even aware of it until I ate a pomegranate the night after I got Pumpkin III, but the next day when I put the oil on I was hit with a blast of juicy, red pomegranate. After awhile the pumpking and caramel started to come out on my skin, but the oil in my hair stayed primarily pomegranate (with just a hint of something richer that balanced it, though I couldn't tell if it was caramel or pumpkin)throughout the day. Such a wonderful scent for this time of year...I'm seriously debating another bottle before it goes away.

Somehow, when I read the description of this, I completely overlooked the "woods" part. Didn't even notice it. I saw all the foody parts and went, "OMG! Need!" Threw it in the cart along with Bloody Mary and Tamamo-No-Mae, checked out, and then headed over to see if any reviews were up. And. They were. And every one of them said...well, you can read the first page. Not a whole lot of raves for this Monster Bait. I felt like...well, a *dummy*. But I figured that it surely couldn't be that bad, and if worst came to worst, I could at least gift it to either my husband or one of my guy friends who love BPAL. The bottle came today, and I was pretty apprehensive about opening it. I mean, I LOVE the smell of woods, especially cedar, but I didn't think I'd be too keen on wearing them, especially in summer. But when I finally managed to work up the nerve to twist off the cap, I was very pleasantly surprised! I don't get any of the scrummy smells that I was anticipating, that much is true. No hazelnut, no caramel, no butterscotch. I definitely smell the woods and the patchouli, and there's a LOT of spice here, too. But it's tempered with a bit of sweetness--maybe the brown sugar?--that rounds it out really well. I dabbed a bit on my shoulder, and went about straightening the house. I'd also put quite a bit of Bloody Mary on my wrists, because that's the one I was really interested in reviewing first. But I kept getting whiffs of Ventriloquist Dummy, and for some reason, I couldn't figure out why it smelled so familiar, and why I liked it so much. Then it hit me. This smells--at least to (and on) me--EXACTLY like Lush's Blue Skies and Fluffy White Clouds bubble bar. I mean, DEAD ON. I've heard a lot of comparisons between certain BPAL's and Lush products before, but to tell the truth, I've never gotten anything besides a vague similarity. But this one...this one I get. It makes sense, I guess. Blue Skies has lots of patchouli and spice (cinnamon, I think), and I'd venture to guess that it also has some "wood" in it too, simply because I know that this oil does. So...I definitely won't be giving this one away to anyone! Hell, I may even search out another bottle for this winter (when I like those BBS's the most) for layering and to add to my bath water. (Shouldn't be too hard to find, judging from the number of people who seem to dislike this oil.) However, if you're a fan of Lush's Blue Skies, you'll definitely want to give this a try. MAYBE it's just my pregnant nose acting nuts, but I don't think so.

I love chocolate, especially eating it. Milk, dark, semi-sweet, in cakes, cookies, pies and candy...you get the picture. I love the smell of chocolate when it's cooking or melting. And I love the idea of smelling like chocolate...but I'm usually very, very disappointed in the products I buy that claim to smell that way. They're usually way too synthetic smelling, or don't smell the least bit like chocolate, or just downright stink. And who wants to stink? Certainly not a BPALer, that's for sure. I've tried most of the labs chocolate (or chocolate containing) blends, with mixed success. Velvet is too woody for my tastes, Bliss is nice enough, but lacks the *oomph* I really wanted (except for the aged bottle I bought recently, which I've been posting about endlessly, because it's SOOOO delicious), and as a blended note, it's kind of hit or miss. But after reading all the high praise for Candy Butcher, I decided to order a bottle. And OH.MY.GOD. I took my first whiff out of the bottle, and my eyes rolled back in my head. Chocolate. I honestly wanted to drink it. This is the real stuff, pure chocolate goodness, nothing added, nothing missing. On my skin, while wet, it's exactly the same. Then, after it dries, a few other notes start to play with the chocolate: cream, perhaps, and maybe just the *tiniest* hint of something floral. Now, I really, REALLY dislike florals, so don't let this scare you, because it only enhances the beauty of this particular oil. It also becomes a bit "drier" smelling, but I have trouble putting what I mean into words. It's not melted milk chocolate, but it's not 72% dark Ghirardelli, either. The Candy Butcher falls somewhere in between the two, and it's absolutely gorgeous. Spectacular. Swoon-worthy. Like a lot of people have mentioned, it's not as foody as you might think--it's gourmand--so give it a shot even if you don't like smelling like sweets. I don't get any hazelnut at all, though that would have been interesting. It's just glorious chocolate, and I really think I need another bottle. Fans of this will be happy to hear that aged Bliss (did I mention my aged Bliss, and how wonderful it is? ) will be a great substitute when this isn't available anymore, but it's not exactly the same. Also? While fantastic on it's on, Candy Butcher is awesome for layering, which makes me love it even more.

Okay, I've decided that I REALLY need to stop reading reviews and start posting them, especially since I've been around here for so long and have tried so very, very many scents. And also? I'm on my third (THIRD!) bottle of MB: Underbed. I think it's my favorite BPAL ever, and I can't even put my finger on why. As I told the seller I bought this from, this is pure toasted coconut CRACK for me. Yes, there's cassia (and it BURNS my inner elbows when first applied), and there's delicious cake that rounds it out perfectly. But it's mainly about the coconut for me, which struck me as odd, at first, because I never knew I was such a fan of it. Here, though, it's completely different, not the least bit like suntan lotion or pina coladas. It's toasted, and brown, and caramelized, and I have a hard time concentrating because it smells so wonderful. This one is at the top of my foody list; it's even above Beaver Moon and Candy Butcher. Gourmand, yes, but foody enough that I feel hungry the whole time I have it on. Plus, it has great throw and staying power, and doesn't turn on me at all. *ssssnnniiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiffff*

In the bottle, I smell mostly oranges, with a hint of spice. Very tangy, almost too sharp for me. Am I going to regret buying two bottles of this? Applied to skin: While wet, the orange is still prominent, but other fruit notes start mingling with it. I smell apples and pumpkin, though orange is definitely the frontrunner. After a few minutes, though, this starts morphing, and goes through several stages. There's a point when it smells very buttery and similar to Jack (which I quite like, though mostly use to layer with other scents), and then I start getting mulled apple cider (lots of spices) from it. The orange keeps popping up here and there, which makes the scent a bit odd for me, because I generally dislike citrus. Finally, after a while, Her Royal Highness settles down on my skin and the layers of scent start to really work together. There's a creaminess underneath the prominent fruit and spices of this blend that I really wish I could smell more of, and I'm hoping that a little aging will take care of that. All in all, PQ is another keeper from the wonderful Samhain update. I can see why this one is so popular: it's foody without being overly so, and I think that it would make a great room scent as well as perfume. I can easily see this one working all the way through Christmas, and I have a feeling that it's just going to get better and better as it ages.

I was a little leery of ordering All Soul's unsniffed, but decided to go ahead and take the plunge. And I'm SO glad I did! In the bottle, I do smell the cake and currants. It smells like a foody blend there, which is great, because I love Beth's foody scents. However, I ordered this primarily because of the incense, because I've been wearing foody/gourmand oils and lotions for the past year or more, and I'd like to get back to what first attracted me to BPAL: the resiny/incense/spicy blends. Anyway. Back to my review. The second All Souls touches my skin, all traces of cake disappear. It's astonishing, really, because (as I've wondered a million times) how on earth does she do that? Magic, I guess. Now all I get is incense, a bit of smoke, and a trace of dust. (Someone earlier mentioned hay, and I can see that.) I can't decide what type of incense, but it's definitely the good stuff--not those 10 for $1 sticks of crap. It stays very close to my skin, and I can't pick out any distinct notes. Hell, I can't even decide if there's any florals in this or not. I don't get any fruit or honey either, so maybe my chemistry is wacky. It's gorgeous, whatever it is. Like I said, this scent stays very close to the skin, even when I slather it on. There's very little--if any--throw after just a few minutes, and it doesn't last very long on me. After about an hour I can smell traces of it if I press my nose to my wrist, but it disappears completely shortly after that. So even though I wish it were a bit more potent, I still really, really like this blend. It's not really evocative of fall to me--Samhain will always hold the top spot as my perfect fall blend --but it's beautiful, and I'll definitely be looking for another bottle through the Sales page. ETA: I've used nearly half the bottle of this (yeah, I like it) and this morning I applied some to my wrists. I've been trying to place the dry, dusty note that I keep getting, and until now, I couldn't figure out where I'd smelled it before. But I just had an *AH HA!* moment, and realized that it's the same (or similar) note that's in Intrigue. That's the note that led me to purchase a 5ml of Intrigue after my first imp. Now, All Souls doesn't necessarily smell like Intrigue (it lacks the berries, for one thing), but there's a definite relation there. What is this note that I'm smelling? It reminds me of something from my childhood that I can't place, but I like it very much. Certainly not something that I want to smell like every day, but it's comforting in an odd way. Can someone help me figure out what the similar note is? Edited again to add: Duh. Cedar. It's cedar that I'm smelling in both blends, which makes perfect sense regarding the childhood memories. My dad owned a lumberyard back then, and his favorite wood is cedar, so he'd always take me out to let me smell it. He even built a houseboat when I was in my teens, and he made all the cabinets and woodwork out of cedar. Some of my happiest memories are of spending weekends on that boat on the lake. I can't believe I didn't recognize the scent immediately.

I had a feeling that I'd like this just from reading the description (I'm SUCH a sucker for foody scents), and saffron and sandalwood really like me too. I couldn't quite imagine how they'd work together, but they DO. In the vial: Vanilla, caramel and butter rum. *drools* Wet: The sweetness of the vanilla and caramel stand out the most, followed closely by the booziness of the rum. The saffron and sandalwood are beginning to come out and play... Drydown: Oh. My. GOD. Still caramel-y, buttery goodness, but the sandalwood and saffron are coming to the forefront, tempering the sweetness. The sandalwood note is really emerging, "drying" out the stickiness, and the spice is just PERFECT. Later: It's still sweet, but the sandalwood and saffron are perhaps the most apparent on me. They're a perfect balance to the foodiness, and I LOVE the way they work together. It's stays pretty close to my skin--doesn't have a whole lot of throw--but Jeebus, is this ever a sexy oil. Final verdict: Gorgeous. Perfect. Sure to be a highly coveted scent, and I'm going to have to resist the uge to slather, because as with all the Monster Baits, I keep asking myself, "WHY DID I ONLY ORDER ONE BOTTLE?" I still think I like Underbed better (who knew I loved coconut so much? Not me, that's for sure.) but I only have a drop or two of it left *sobs uncontrollably, while hoping she can find some more*, but at least I have Underpants to console me.

After falling off the BPAL bandwagon for a year or so, I'm back with a vengeance. It's been so long since I posted a review that I'm not even sure I remember how, but I'm so in with Beaver Moon that I'm willing to give it a shot. I've noticed a lot of you likening this to red velvet cake. I don't guess I've ever had red velvet cake (how is that possible?), but now that I know it smells like this, I'm going to go nuts waiting on my Monster Baits! In the bottle: Cream cheese, definitely. There's that slight sourness, but it's tempered by a deliciously sweet graham cracker crust. Good thing, since I highly doubt anyone would want to smell like cream cheese by itself. Cheesecake, though...that's a WHOLE different story. Wet: Still getting the soured milk vibe, but not as strong. After just a few seconds the graham cracker really comes out to play, and I'm not sure if it's really there or not, but I get the slightest hint of spice. It's certainly not "spicy" by ANY means, but you kind of get the feeling that someone sprinkled the tiniest bit of cinnamon in with the crust. Drydown: The tanginess is almost gone now, but not completely. It's there in the background, and has changed a bit, almost like a hint of lemon. The scent is decadent and yummy and makes me want to lick my wrist. Final verdict: After a few minutes on my skin, it's nearly impossible to distinguish any certain notes; this oil just smells delicious. It's the PERFECT foody blend, and that's wonderful for me, because those tend to be my favorites. When I first started reading reviews of the Beave, I knew that I had to have it. I managed to score a bottle from a lovely Lush forumite (thanks kmasden!), and I slathered so heavily that the 5ml was gone in just over a week! Thankfully, I found another bottle (thanks to you too, gensparkie!) and received it in record time. I'm going to use it much more sparingly this go-round.

I've had Perversion for two months, but haven't really worn it until recently. How on earth did that happen? There's no way that I can top the other reviews, because they describe this delicious scent perfectly. However, I'll go ahead and add my two cents. In the vial: There's a definite creamy sweetness but it's intertwined with a heady, boozy scent. Already I can tell that this is going to be a complex, interesting blend. Wet: The booziness diminishes a bit, and coconut bounces to the forefront. Not synthetic coconut, which is really the only coconut smell I'm used to in lotions and perfumes, but a freshly-cracked one that's been lying in the hot sand beneath a palm tree. Real coconuts aren't very sweet in actuality, and if the tonka bean weren't there to help round it out, this oil wouldn't be either. Dry: Still coconutty, but so well blended with the tonka and dark rum that I don't notice any one note predominantly over the others. As others have said, there is a tobacco scent coming into play too, but it's very mild and only seems to serve as a background note. I agree with those who have compared it to vanilla flavored tobacco: it's a dark sweetness, something that smells and tastes exquiste, but you know that it's ultimately bad for you. Final: Innocence defiled indeed. The deliciously sweet, dangerously alluring scent of this mingles so well with the deeper, muskier notes that it's easy to see how Beth came up with the name for this scent. Perhaps my nose is just playing tricks on me, but this oil seems to keep morphing from an innocently sweet creaminess to a deeply dark liquer and then back again. I really don't smell leather, but it's easy enough to imagine that I do. My only complaint (and complaint is actually too harsh a word) is that it doesn't last as long as I'd like. Nevertheless, this one is going on my big bottle list, because I've already used up the imp and I want MORE.

I received this from an Ebay auction two days ago, and I'm SO glad I managed to get my paws on it! After reading all the reviews and high praises for Samhain, I was sure I'd never be able to get a chance to smell it. Even though I paid over double the Lab's price, it's worth every penny. (Now I'm just trying to restrain myself from bidding on the other 5ml that I see up for auction over there!) In the bottle: Sweet, spicy, and rich. A hint of butter, but nothing like the other foody scents (Jack, I'm looking at you!) that I so adore. Wet, on skin: Pine--but not of the Pine-Sol variety--melds with the other scents to create something warm and very, very complex. I'm getting a bit of pumpkin too, but again, it isn't really "foody." It's a raw, cut pumpkin that you've just cut into after taking an early-evening hike through the woods during fall. Dry-down: The "green" scent takes the forefront, but only for a while. Then the apples, spices and smokiness begin to emerge, ever so slowly, and gradually they're accompanied by sweetness and butter. I smell some sort of alcohol--perhaps it's the mulled wine that others have mentioned?--but it isn't cloying at all. It's gorgeous, in fact, and I'm in complete agreement with those who have described this as fall in a bottle. Final review: I absolutely love this one. It's calming, cozy, snuggly, warm, and actually brings back fond memories for me, which is something I haven't really experienced from any of the other blends. (That's not to say that I don't adore my other oils--just that they don't really *remind* me of anything in particular.) Samhain is Perfect for the cooler months, but as it's relatively light, I imagine it would be fine for Spring as well. There are so many individual notes in here that it's hard to pick out anything singularly, because every time I sniff myself (which is quite often!), I smell something different. I'll be wearing this for the rest of the winter--can't get enough of it. I haven't found it to be as long lasting as some of you have, but that's likely because I want to be able to smell it ALL the time. This is one that I reapply quite frequently, and my bottle keeps getting emptier by the day. I'm going to have to learn to be more conservative, damn it!

Jack, oh Jack, I'm completely in love with you. I'd been looking forward to trying this one because I like most of the "foody" scents, but I honestly had NO idea how much I'd love this one. It's such a complex, delicious, edible scent. Perfect for fall, yes, but also for the winter months in general. In the vial, it does smell strongly of buttered popcorn (which I have no objection to), but once on, it morphs into a delectable delight that I can't get enough of. Rich, spicy, pumpkiny, and just the slightes hint of butter. This is a "slather" scent for me...I'd bathe in it if I could afford to! The husband seems to agree, which I understand completely, since pumpkin pie has been named one of the most aphrodisical scents for men. (And apparently it works, if last night's *ahem* "activities" count for anything.) It went straight to the top of my big bottle list, and though I know it'll take a few months to arrive, it'll still be perfect for late winter.

Out of my many imps, this is the one that I can't get enough of. I think it'll be my first 10 ml purchase! As others have said, it's a mysterious scent. And if you apply too much, it can be a bit overwhelming for the first few minutes, but it lasts a LONG time on my skin. So long, in fact, that even after a sweaty day of horseback riding, I got a, "What smells so good?" unsolicited compliment. I wish my nose were more refined so that I could detect some of the individual notes in this, but I can't. It's just a warm, musky, exotic fragrance that envelops and intrigues both the wearer and those who come in contact with. I suppose I should mention that I'm particularly attracted to the deeper, muskier scents (and before BPAL, I'd NEVER have thought that to be the case) and that until Schezerade, I'd gravitated toward the dragon's blood/honeyesque scents (O, Snake Oil, Dragon's Heart), but this one has changed my mind. Absolutely gorgeous. As has been stated many times previous, Beth is a genius. ADDED Dec. 12: Absolutely. Divine. I ordered an imp's ear of Schzerade, and after three or four unsolicited compliments, I decided that I needed to upgrade to a 5 ml. And I'm SO glad I did! Incensy? Yes, but in a spectacular way. One of my co-workers asked if I was wearing patchouli, and though I'm not sure whether or not that's even in the ingredients list, I can see how someone might make the mistake. In the vial: Dry, somewhat smoky, but with a bit of sweetness that emerges to enrapture your nose and begs to be put on. On: While still wet, there's a slight touch of floral (is this what saffron smells like?), but still that herbally, delicious goodness that makes me want to sniff myself repeatedly. On the drydown, all the scents mix beautifully to create an incredibly sexy, irresistable aroma. This one has a lot of "throw," and I feel all sultry and goddess-like after it has mellowed for awhile. Love, love, LOVE this one.

I wasn't sure about Bon Vivant when I first sniffed the imp, but decided to try it yesterday before work anyway. My initial thought was "Sparkly! Strawberries!" and for ten minutes or so I enjoyed the bubbliness of champagne and the sweet, ripe strawberry scents as they mingled together. For a few minutes, Bon Vivant is a happy, giggly party filled with fun people and great times. And then...it's gone. Well, not quite GONE, but very faded. It's the morning after, and all the champagne has been consumed by my skin, and all that's left is a bowl half-full of mushy fruit that didn't get eaten the night before. Not a lot of staying power in this one, and it doesn't make my list of favorites. But it matches its description perfectly, and like any good party, it was fun while it lasted.

I applied Dragon's Heart at 6:30 this morning, and it's still there (though much more muted) at 4:45 this afternoon. I'd call that good staying power. And, like someone else said, it helps keep me sane during a day of teaching. Plus it's just the most fabulous scent EVER, so...there you go. Snake Oil and O last a long time too. I usually only apply O before going to bed, and it's still there when I wake up in the morning. I'm sure there are others, but since those are my top three picks of the moment (and also the only 5 ml bottles I possess), I'll leave it at that.

**This is my first review, and I've been kind of nervous about posting, since I know my description is going to be completely inferior to those of you who have been acquainted with BPAL for a long time. I received my first order of imps about a week ago, and after sniffing, wearing, resniffing, and contemplating, I've come to the conclusion that this is definitely my favorite purchase so far. It's a heady, complex, sexual scent, and when I placed my order, I wasn't sure I'd like it. I've never been all that crazy about musks, but oh, Dragon's Heart...how I adore thee. It works wonderfully with my chemistry, and it's #1 on my "Big Bottle" list. Mmm. It's intoxicating, euphoric, strong and so, so sexy. Plus, it lasts forEVER on my skin, (at least ten hours!), whichmay well be one of the reasons I love it so. (Dragon's Milk is nice too, but it fades far too quickly on me.) Hopefully my nose will become more refined and I'll be able to pick out the distinct notes in this scent, but as of right now, I really don't give a damn. My imp is already almost gone, and I'm trying to be conservative, but I can't help slathering it on every day. Now I'm off for more scents that include Dragon's Blood resin...any suggestions?