stellans

Thank Goddess I don't detect any mint in this lovely oil, as others have noted above. Mint is not my friend, at all, to point that it will make me physically ill. This is a lovely, lovely rose oil with greenery included. This is like going out to my grandmother's garden and picking dew-covered roses fresh from the bush -- leaves, thorns and all. There's a faintly woody scent at the bottom of the green smell, but the deep dark pink of the rose totally rules this blend for me. Hooray!

In the imp: a beautiful rose bouquet.

Wet on skin: even more beautiful rose bouquet, with the leaves and thorns and stems -- a perfect amalgamation of a rose scent. Venus herself couldn't have made a more lovely formula.

Dry: Oh, this wonderful, wonderful rose oil! I put a little dab at the edge of my hairline, as well as in the usual places, and caught wonderful little whiffs all evening long. Perfection!

Verdict: I have 3 bottles of this, and hopefully it will last me a really, really long time. I like Venus even better than I like The Empress, and that is saying something. Of course, I am only getting started on the BPAL rose notes...

ME===>

If you don't recognize the picture, click on the ME arrow for the explanation. But trust me when I tell you I'm a Venus all right...this Venus.

This is a favorite lunacy which I've worn several nights prior to last night, but I'm just now finally getting around to reviewing. I like it mainly because it eases me into a deep refreshing sleep, and I don't dream hard enough to either wake me or even remember. Sometimes that's a good thing!

In the imp: a nice fresh herbal scent, mostly green, but with a deep floral note (lavender!). I don't smell blackberry at all.

Wet on skin: still herbal, but now the florals are coming up very strongly. I like this so much -- it's a peaceful, 'down-in-the-valley' sort of scent which just draws one down into a lovely refreshing sleep.

Dry: I usually fall asleep before it dries down completely, but in the morning there's still a nice floral scent remaining on my pulse points.

Verdict: This is a wonderful lunacy which is in regular rotation for my nightly annointings. I've managed to snag 3 bottles, and since I make roll-ons with roughly 3 imps' worth of primary scent to the carrier oil (unscented Neutrogena Body Oil), these will last me for a while.

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This is a really nice floral -- is this what orchid smells like? If so, I like orchids! On the "If You Like__BPAL, You'll Like ___" thread, someone mentioned that this was like White Shoulders. It is somewhat familiar to my nose, but I don't think it's like White Shoulders, however.

In the imp: decidedly floral, and for some reason my nose is telling me 'lilac!'

Wet on skin: again lilac, but since the description says it's orchid, I guess that's what it is. But no other notes are mentioned, so maybe my nose is right too? Anyway, it is a very pretty scent that appeals to me.

Dry: Oh, it's going away! It doesn't last very long on my wrist at all, but stays a while in the crook of my elbow, and really stays in my cleavage.

Verdict: I like this enough to put the imp in rotation, but it requires renewal too much to buy a bottle. Maybe if I can get one in a deal on eBay or a swap, but not at full price. Pity. This is a very pretty scent, but it would be expensive to wear often.

I really like rose blends, so much so that I consider a rose scent my signature. Mr. Stellans once brought me a tiny little bottle of Joy he bought overseas, and I thought that was my favorite ultimate rose scent. Beth and BPAL have changed my mind. Beth creates such complex and differing rose blends that one wants to collect them all. I missed on getting RoseRed, and so far have been unsuccessful at even scoring an imp anywhere, but I am loving the other rose scents, like Venus and The Empress.

Where Venus reminds me of red roses and love, The Empress is more pink roses, with maybe a few yellow roses thrown in for good measure. There's also not much 'green' to this rose blend, unlike Venus, where I can almost smell the thorns!

Anyway, to the rest of the review:

In the imp: roses, but soft and gentle roses, nothing roaring up into your nose.

Wet on skin: still soft, but commanding a bit more attention now, with a very slight woody note.

Dry: Dry down leaves a very subtle rose scent, with an almost imperceptible woody scent, like a little dried leaf or stem was caught in the petals when infused.

Verdict: This is a very good rose scent for every day; one wouldn't grow tired of it, as might be the case with a stronger rose blend, such as Venus. I am declaring this my 'signature scent,' because I love roses more than any other scent and would choose to wear this every day if I didn't have so many imps to try.

When I first saw the listing for Sin, my first thought was my mother's oldie favorite, My Sin. Fortunately, this was nothing like My Sin, so I don't have to look for my mother behind me whenever I wear Sin! I am not a big amber fan, unless it's a very light note -- and this is very light.

In the imp: Deep, dark, and lovely...the amber is definitely there, but overtopped (in my nose) by the sandalwood and patchouli, and balanced nicely with the slight hint of cinnamon.

Wet on skin: Same as in the bottle...and I like it a lot.

Dry: Oh so nice and mellow - the sandalwood and patchouli are predominant on my skin, and the cinnamon is only there for the slight note it lends and not for its skin-searing capabilities thank goodness! This has good staying power on me, which is another plus -- don't have to keep applying every few minutes.

Verdict: I've managed to gather enough imps to fill a 5ml roller-ball bottle, which will do me for quite some time to come, so a bottle purchase is not in the immediate future.

I wanted so much to like this scent, especially after all the raves. I should have known better, because vanilla just doesn't do well for me unless it's so faint as to be almost imperceptible. Which Antique Lace most definitely is not. That's all I could smell, vanilla. No linen, no tea, no faint floral reminiscence. Just vanilla. And not even good vanilla...the cheap dollar store kind.

Plus, it didn't help at all that it arrived in a still-damp package reeking of Antique Lace, which got on my clothes, my tablecloth, and me. It was just too much. And it gave me a headache.

All of the above tended to prejudice me against this scent. So this will not be one of my 'must-hoard' scents by any stretch. And I'll probably trade away whatever's left in the leaky bottle.

Final impression: Just. Too. Much. Vanilla.

white rose goodness! Yellow roses and red roses are my favorites, but white roses have a special place in my heart because they were my great-grandmother and namesake's favorites. She was quite a good gardener as well, and developed several new iris too.

Anyway, this imp was my replacement daily imp after an unfortunate experience with Phantasm this morning. What a relief it was!

In the imp: roses, roses, roses!.

Wet on skin: Again, roses, but I get a little hint of that saltiness others have mentioned. This is a meditative scent for me, which is why it made me remember and miss my Mom Beane so much. I would like this scent around me in a green bower, with a lovely little seat -- a calm, peaceful place for reflection.

Dry: No more saltiness, however slight during the wet phase -- it's all floral, with some green notes moving forward now. Still, calming and meditative to me. I like this rose blend.

Verdict: I have rose blends for love, and rose blends for joy. Now I want a bottle of this for meditation. I love it so.

OK, finally Snow Moon rotated back around through my nighttime Lunacies box for last night's application. I so love this formulation, I'm trying to buy up additional bottles so I never run out. This is the perfect cold weather night scent for me, even DH commented on how 'right' it smelled last night.

In the imp: Lovely, cold evergreen smell, with a promise of sweetness underneath.

Wet on skin: Deep breath and ahhhhhhhhhhhh - this is a wonderful snuggle-up and keep warm scent which is perfect for a cold night's sleep. The evergreen note I so love is everpresent, but the floral notes are more prominent though in addition rather than instead of the fir/birch.

Dry: More floral, but still second to that lovely evergreen scent. And 7 hours later when I woke up after a wonderful night's sleep, the hint of evergreen scented by white flowers was still there.

Verdict: My favorite Lunacy of all, and I must have lots. Must.

When this fell into my hand this morning for my random imp, I immediately opened it for a sniff without first reading my database of BPAL oils/notes. Ack! Lemon verbena! On me, anything lemon (unless it's merely a dribble, a thought of lemony citrus) turns into either Lemon Pledge or lemonade, and not in a good way.

In the imp: Very lemon, I can smell nothing else.

Wet on skin: still very lemon, but there is a tiny bit of floral there peeping out.

Dry: More floral now, but the lemon is still so strong it gives me a headache.

Verdict: Unfortunate for me that I have TWO imps of this (thanks to swaps/frimps) because this is by no means a keeper. Into the Trade Box it they go.

I love magnolias and roses, and I like some jasmine, so I was very optimistic about this blend. Fortunately for me, that optimism was not, I repeat, NOT misplaced.

In the imp: floral, with a strong rose scent foremost.

Wet on skin: again, rose is the strongest up front.

Dry: Oh, nice! Now the other notes are starting to pop up, mellowing the aggressive rose note! I am really liking this blend. My poor wish list just keeps growing & growing & growing...

Verdict: The throw isn't all that strong, and it doesn't last as long on me as I would like, but the scent makes up for it. I kept smelling my wrist all day.

Is it a keeper? Definitely.

Honey, when it's listed as the top note, doesn't usually do too well on me; it's too rich, too sweet for my nose, and totally smothers anything else in the blend. I normally end up washing it off and moving on. However, Jezebel has changed my mind about honey top notes, oh yes!

In the imp: Honey, but with an underlying sweetness which must be the orange blossom. I totally love eating orange blossom honey on toast, and this smell reminds me I didn't have breakfast this morning. (this review was started late Sunday morning.)

Wet on skin: Still honey, but the orange blossom seems to keep the heavy sweetness in check very nicely for my nose.

Dry: oh my living Goddess! The rose and jasmine notes have come forward, and combined with the honey and orange blossom, this is one of the most seductive scents I've tried so far! The husband, sitting next me on the loveseat, suggested we return to the bedroom "for a while." Hee!

Verdict: This is a keeper, and I want a bottle. Not that my love life needs any help right now, but a little liquid insurance never hurt anyone. If you know what I mean, and I think you do.

Is it a keeper? see above.

Added Monday morning: Before he left for work, Mr. Stellans suggested I wear 'that good-smelling stuff again tonight.' oh, yeah ...I want a bottle now!

Oh man, I wanted to like this one so much! It has evergreen and cypress, both favorites of mine, plus I was really curious about Spanish Moss. Aquatic notes are generally kind to my skin, so I can only thing it was the floral notes that reacted to my body chemistry to produce: insect repellent!

Ick. Ick, ick, ick. It brings to mind the trucks communities used to send out on hot summer nights to emit clouds of insecticide to kill off mosquitos, and we kids were dumb enough to dance in and out of the clouds. Fortunately, I personally know noone who suffered for such idiocy, but one never knows.

But, back to my review.

In the imp: Deep green, murky water. This smells interesting!

Wet on skin: hmmmm... there's an odd citrus-y note coming to the front, and that's not a good sign. Lemon is not one of my 'good' notes, and this is definitely more lemon than lime, grapefruit, or orange -- all of which work better on me. And it's getting stronger! Eeep. This is ramping up so much it's making me feel a little sick. A very bad sign, indeed.

Dry: I could hardly stand to wait for drydown, this was making me feel sick to the point of a headache, but I persevered. It did not improve for me enough to keep from washing it off. The lemon/citrus smell diminished slightly, and I could smell a little florals coming up, but not enough. Not nearly enough.

Verdict: I'm going to throw this in my "Try Later" box and hope it was just some odd hormonal shift that caused my reaction today. If not, well...there's always the swaps.

Is it a keeper? Not yet. Not by a long shot.

OK, I admit it...I'm a total sucker for patchouli. And luckily, since I love the way it smells so much, it smells good on me. And my husband loves to smell it on me. So trust me when I say this is a GOOD BLEND.

In the imp: I can totally smell the apricot, which isn't easy with many patchouli blends -- the big P tends to rule over most comers.

Wet on skin: The apricot lends the earthy patchouli a sweetness, which isn't necessary for me to love it, but is totally loveable anyway. Honestly, this is so wonderful to smell it makes me roll my eyes and swoon in ecstasy.

Dry: The apricot retreats a bit in the dry down, but it's still there, keeping the strength of the patchouli nicely in check. Sometimes patchouli will dry to a bit of a powdery scent on me, depending on what else in the oil. This dry down stays true to both notes, and is still wonderful several hours later. The throw is not overpowering, as in "LOOK OUT! THE PATCHOULI IS LOOSE!!!

Verdict: This goes immediately on my Must-Get-A-Bottle list, and I will treasure the one imp I have until I can get the bottle.

Is it a keeper? Until it is pried from my cold, dead, fingers.

OK, I bought this bottle, and I could swear it says '2005' on the label, but I think it's 2006. Anyway... I totally love this Lunacy blend! I have a newer one coming, and I hope I like it as much as I do this one.

All of the evergreen scents are lovely to my nose, and seem to be my favorite 'go-to-sleep' scent, because all of the BPAL blends which have pine or juniper, etc., all tend to lead me to fast sleep and cool dreams, which I usually remember. Now for the details...

In the imp: lovely, lovely evergreen scent. I just can't get enough of this, and to think I used to like using Pine-sol in the kitchen just because of the smell! My nose just didn't realize what better delights there were.

Wet on skin: I can't say enough how much I love this smell. I am transported to a mountain side, with lush trees and a cold wind gently tugging at my hair. This is the Wolf, highly intelligent, feral King of the Forest. Lions? Pshaw!

Dry: The dry down loses none of its evergreen delight for my nose, but mellows ever so slightly, and keeps me sniffing over and over, until I fall asleep. When I woke up 7 hours later, I could still smell traces on my wrists. Delightful.

Verdict: As with Snow Moon, this is a Lunacy blend I want to always have with me. I'm going to stretch this one for as long as possible with carrier oils, because I like to use the Lunacies at night, every night.

Is it a keeper? oh hell yeah.

I received an imp of this in a swap, and upon first sniff, fell completely in love. However, as is my custom, the imp went into my Need-To-Try box for random selection. I was so thrilled when it fell into my fingers this morning!

In the imp: roses! lovely, lovely roses. Beth hasn't put together a rose-scented oil yet that I don't love, and Silentium Amoris is no exception. This has a bright, fresh note that is very pleasing to my nose and practically begs to be slathered immediately.

Wet on skin: Still a lovely bright rose scent, though I do catch a little green note coming through, like the roses were picked fresh before distilling into the lovely liquid before me.

Dry: slightly less fresh, but still delightful. Some rose scents can turn into sachet-type scents, or even old-smelling perfume like my Nana would wear, but this one did not. I love it.

Verdict: This is not an 'old lady'* rose scent by any stretch; it's a long-lasting very nice rose oil that I must find more of immediately. Alas, it is discontinued so I will haunt the Sale/Swap threads, and eBay.

Is it a keeper? Oh yes. Definitely. I want more.

*and really, what kind of thing is that to say??? "Old lady?" If your grandmother wears BPAL, does that make BPAL an "Old Lady" scent? I resemble that remark!

I'm with Phedre; this is a very nice floral...just not on me. It is too sweet, and I can't believe I've found something that's not a food scent that is 'too sweet' for me.

In the imp: very light floral, I smell nothing but flowers -- light and airy, and with a spring-like freshness. Would make a nice air freshener, especially for a spring-cleaning session.

Wet on skin: ack. Sweetness, almost enough to make my teeth ache.

Dry: Still sweet, though a bit more mellow. I don't smell any musk at all, just a really cloying sweetness, like something sold to little girls as 'perfume.' I wonder which note has reacted this way to my body chemistry? The peony? The plum blossom? The white ginger? I must experiment to find out, because I really do not want any big bottles of anything that makes my arm smell like this. Ick.

Verdict: I am collecting Lunacy scents, and scored this bottle from eBay. Alas, it must go back on eBay, because it makes me smell like a junior high girls PE locker room.

Is it a keeper? I'm going to try it one more night later on just in case it's me doing the harm, but if it doesn't improve, it's definitly going on the auction block. Argh.

REVISITED 3/7/07: Last night I gave this Lunacy Oil another chance, and while it is still sweet, I actually liked it this time. It's sweeter than I would wear for a daily scent, but it worked well for a spring-type night and gave me interesting dreams. It's a keeper.

I'm thinking it's the peony that gives this oil its sweetness, and now I like it. I'm glad I gave it a 2nd chance. It was obviously my body chemistry doing something wonky the first time.

I am still too new to BPAL's goodness to be able to identify separate notes unless they are very strong, and delineated out for me in advance.

But..with that said, today my random imp pick was the first of a set of Qliphoth imps I bought from eBay for $18.

In the imp: There's a strange almost sour smell here, I don't get a strong floral sense at all. If I hadn't read the reviews, I might have passed on this because I don't like sour smells.

Wet on skin: Very light floral, almost not there. Again, had I not read the reviews this imp would have been tossed into my TryAgain/TradeAway box.

Dry: Oh, this is very nice. A golden spring morning, with spices! This isn't a 'sweet' floral on me, and like I said, I'm not good at picking out individual notes yet, but I hope I learn fast because I'd love to know what's in this so I can look for them in other blends.

Verdict: This imp was a lesson to me not to judge an imp by its bottle! What didn't seem like me before trying turned out to be a new favorite. This floral blend also has surprising stay power, and its throw is decent as well. I get little whiffs of it from my cleavage as I move around, enchanting me all over again.

Is it a keeper? Oh yes, it is. And I may have to break down and buy a 10ml bottle, even if it is pricey, this scent is that good. If the rest of the Qliphoth and Sephiroth imps I have are as good, I'm going to have to go without food to afford them. Not that it's a bad thing, all things considered.

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I wore this today, because it fell into my fingers from my imp box at random. I am so glad it did!

In the imp: rich fresh florals, no one note immediately comes to the front for me.

Wet on skin: Ah, there's my rose, but softened by jasmine and then sharpened again by the slight citrus tang. The amber didn't show up until the drydown started, and I didn't really pick up on any lily-of-the-valley.

Dry: Mellow, but mature, this floral combination works so very well for me. I love florals best of all, and this is no exception. My skin tends to amp up rose, but since it's my favorite scent, that's just fine with me. The other notes deepened the floral top, and provided a very nice base for my lovely rose to shine. Also, the first application lasted surprisingly long for what seemed to me a fairly light scent. A very pleasant surprise indeed!

Verdict: I couldn't stop sniffing my wrists all day. When my husband came home, the first thing he said was "Wow, you smell great!"

Is it a keeper? Any perfume who gets that kind of response from the DH gets to stay, and I will be getting a big bottle of it soon. Or at least as soon as the Spring Fling is done, if I don't get it from my Switch-Witch.

In the imp: juniper in the rain -- a wet, evergreen smell.

Wet on skin: again, juniper but now I smell the cypress and there's the eucalyptus peeking through.

Dry: Oh. Oh my. This dries down wonderfully into a fresh, clean cold smell that makes me want to drive up into the mountains. The eucalyptus (that I love on its own) is just barely there, which is just fine, because the juniper and cypress are what make this scent. I don't know the galangel, but if it's what helps this oil mellow on me this way, I say bring it on.

Verdict: I love this. I want this oil. In huge quantities. Now.

Is it a keeper? Oh yes, and it's a hoarder too.

*In the imp: very patchouli, which I love, but there's something else too, something smoky.

Wet on skin: again, very patchouli, and I am loving it so much. I used to wear straight patchouli way back in the day, and because I was a smoker then, I wore way too much just so I could smell it. I reckon others could smell me coming for miles. I apologize to you all, really I do.

Dry: Oh, man. This dries down so wonderfully mellow. The notes of vetivert? frankincense? something really take the patchouli down just enough to make it a pure delight to the olfactory sense.

Verdict: I. Must. Have. More.

Is it a keeper? see above.

*I wrote this when I actually wore this oil. I saved it and then forgot to post it. D'OH!

I bought this 'used' from the forum, unsniffed and un-imped, because I loved the description. It's so upsetting to find that it smells like lemon Pledge on me, even though it smells wonderfully herbal in the vial. I'm going to wear it tonight to see if it makes me dream. I'll hang on to it to see if the scent does better for me later on, but if not, I'll be looking to swap or sell. Dang it.

The lab description:

Another one of my searched-out lavender note blends, I loved this right away. It has a deep, dark purple scent that really suits me to a T. The scent wafts well, and doesn't wear away quickly, unlike some lighter lavender blends. This is a keeper, and I ordered a bottle.

ETA: wow! I wore this again today for the first time in a long time, and the vetiver has really kicked in since the last time. Aging this blend really, really pays off in major way for those of us who love vetiver. Rawr!

For my first order from BPAL, I did a search for blends with lavender notes, and this was one of my picks...luckily for me! On first sniff, I immediately thought of my all-time favorite author, Jane Austen. It starts rather primly, but surprises one with the lustiness of its staying power.

I bought a 5ml bottle from a forum seller, and will order more from the lab. This is a scent I want with me for a long time to come.

Edited to add:

When I buy a large bottle of something, I like to make a 'touch-up' roll-on bottle to carry with me, or if I used it at night, to keep at my bedside. Surprisingly, this is the one oil I've found so far that does NOT mix well with Neutrogena's Unscented Body Oil. It has a very odd back smell that I don't get straight from the bottle or the imp, and that can only be from the body oil.

I'm going to try another oil with it, but maybe I should just use a reducer with the oil and no carrier at all. I still love this scent, especially at night for sleeping.

All lemon with a touch of thyme. Not getting lavender or mint at all. Smells like dishwashing detergent, and definitely not for me.

I recently received this in a multi-imp buy off eBay, and was sad to discover the same thing you did. I tend to buy things with a lavender note, and shy away from anything mint, but smell neither in this blend. I'm going to keep the imp for a while longer and try again to see if time changes my mind.

Edited later to add: It must have been my hormones or something, but now I love this scent! The lavender does come through, and thankfully, the mint does not. I've scrounged up a couple more imps and made a roll-on with some body oil to stretch the scent until I can buy a large bottle.