hammy

In the bottle - Definitely silver and metallic. I get the metallic tang of Flintstones vitamins and just a touch of citrus brightness.

Wet - Gah! Crazy morph. It's dead citrus and dull flower petals and old chewed gum. I'm really turned off.

Drydown - My skin ate everything but the iris, which doesn't smell good on me. Kind of reminds me of the staleness of my grandma's house.

Verdict - Good news! It leveled out a bit the longer I had it on, eventually drying out into a faint and inoffensive floral. Also: my coworker tried this on herself and absolutely loved it. She said it smelled gentle and exquisite -- and on her it did. I'm bummed that this didn't work for me, but my loss is her gain. Shes absolutely enchanted by it, and I like it way more on her skin. This blend seems highly dependent on skin chemistry.

Blonde seems bright and bubbly and almost citrussy at first, but eventually settles into a really heady oudh. I sprayed this on my hair at lunch, and when I got back to work the other people in my office were sniffing around me and going "it smells like incense over here." Eek. I was expecting more of the honey sweetness -- something to remind me of a sunlit head of golden hair. This is more of a tousled Marilyn blonde. Not bad by any means; I just had to adjust my expectations. My boyfriend loved it. When we snuggled up, he told me how good I smelled and asked if I had changed shampoos. Nope, just wig spray! Long story short: I wouldn't wear this during the day again, but it's really sexy and I'm definitely keeping it.

 

In the bottle - This is a happy citrus candy smell. It reminds me of something, actually. I can't quite put my finger on it.

Wet - Oh shit. That's Juicy Fruit gum. On my wrist. What a world we live in. I keep waiting for some of the blue stuff -- berries, lollipops -- but my brain can't seem to get past the bubblegum.

Drydown - Once it settled in on me, the berries started to come out and the scent unfolded a bit. I like this, but be warned: I have an unnatural affinity for sugary sweet scents and some bonkers skin chemistry, so your mileage may vary.

Verdict - In the end, this was berries and bubblegum, as promised. I adore it, although I probably won't need a whole bottle.

YOU GUYS. It's SAMHAIN. For your HAIR. I could probably just end the review there, because that's all that really needs to be said. Classic Samhain doesn't seem to agree with my skin chemistry (pretty sure it's the patchouli), but I took a gamble on this guy because fall scents are my jam and I was so desperate for some wearable Samhain in my life. JACKPOT. I smelled like a harvest festival today and it was glorious. This is basically just fall in a bottle. (Like, the label could actually just say "Fall in a Bottle.") The only downside? It's still summer weather and wearing Samhain made me crave autumn and all its trappings. When I applied this, I had a sudden urge to scamper through damp leaves in the forest in the dead of night when it's not quite foggy and not quite drizzling. After a couple hours with Samhain in my hair, the foresty notes moved into the background and I found myself desperate for spiced cider and pumpkin pie and fireside revelry and autumn mischief. This stuff is dangerous. I love it.

These are all notes that I go apeshit over, so beware that I'm biased. It smells like the very best day you could ever have at a secluded cabin on a mountain ridge. It's clean and a touch herbal, yet still light on its feet. Fresh. Almost like a damn breeze is blowing through the scent. It's uncanny. I don't meditate at all, but this is the kind of thing that makes me want to. It just clears everything else away. Ozone gives me an insta-headache, and this manages to give me the "wide open spaces" feel without the migraine. I would love it for that alone, but it really and truly won me over.

In the bottle - This is a doozy. There's a lot going on, and my poor nose is having a heck of a time trying to suss anything out. Definitely smells like the color green, but it's not a grassy-type "green perfume" if you get what I'm saying.

Wet - Really well blended. Every time I put my nose to my wrist I'm smelling something different. A hint of floral here, a hint of sweetness there, a whiff of patchouli over there. It's giving me the sense of rushing water, but it's not an aquatic. And then, all of a sudden, it feels like I'm in a spring meadow. For a split second I'm eating a pastry, and then I'm walking in a garden. I don't know what to make of this, though I sure like it so far. I realize I'm giving the impression that it's a morpher, but it's not at all! It's just SO well blended that the tiniest little edge of a note will catch the light (or the nose) from one minute to the next.

Drydown - Ooh, more of the amber-saffron is coming out. Not quite sure which, but it's golden for sure. Fir is one of the things I tend to amp, and I'm getting more of it now. It's not overpowering by any means. The softer components are tempering the notes that tend to go loud on my skin. I usually hate frankincense because it makes me stink to high heaven. Luckily, I can't even tell it's in here. Ditto on the patchouli, although that might just be because it's white patch. The longer I wear this the more I like it.

Verdict - This may very well be a new favorite. It's interesting enough to keep me sniffing all day, and long-lasting enough to make that possible. Plus its mild sillage means it's OK for cubicle wear -- another bonus. So glad I blind bought this. Creation for the win.

In the bottle - Gentle oak with a nip of pine about it. It’s foresty, but despite the pine it’s not a “cold” forest.

Wet - Wow, that’s getting sharp. It feels like there’s something green in there, which doesn’t quite fit with the scent description. Maybe the white oak is throwing me? I think I've only tried blends with plain ol' oak in there. Except this scent doesn’t smell like a woodsy, freshly-chopped trees kinda green ... more like mossy rocks green. I don’t know what’s happening. I don’t like it as much as I did in the bottle, but this isn’t a dealbreaker.

Drydown - Ahh, THERE it is. Amber saves the day. Everything evened out and I’m quite pleased with where it ended up. If I had to sum it up, I guess I’d say golden woods in the family of Haloes? But that's not quite it. If Haloes smells like a sunlight-dappled grove, King Pursued would be a forest where all the trees are gilded with gold leaf. There, that's the best I can do.

Verdict - King Pursued has an elegance befitting its name. I’m cuckoo for woodsy scents, so this was right up my alley. This unicorn has definitely earned a spot in my stable of staples.

In the bottle - Berries and sandalwood. Heavy on the latter.

Wet - Sandalwood and I get along great, so it’s no surprise that it turns silky smooth the minute it hits my skin. Man, this is teetering on the edge of gourmand. The sandalwood grounds it juuuust enough … or does it? I don’t care; I love foody scents.

Drydown - The fruits are marinating in a gorgeously creamy bed of sandalwood. I feel like the blend is actually getting juicier as it wears on, and I’m even slightly reminded of winter cranberries. Not sure where that’s coming from. The sandalwood core emerges gradually as the hours wear on and the berries fade. Thankfully, the currants start acting a lot more like themselves: sweet and a bit spicy. (Actually, they’re authentic enough to trigger flashbacks to when Eat Me was in heavy rotation.)

Verdict - I can’t shake the Eat Me comparison now. Hah! I wish the pomegranate had come out to play a little bit more, but my skin chemistry tends to eat it up. Still, Prosperine is a solid blend that will get steady wear from me as we transition from fall to winter.

Mod Note on review topic location: From BPAL's FB page: "...our con exclusives include a set of brand new Wig Sprays (in the style of our atmo/linen sprays)..."

First thing I did was unscrew the cap and stick my sniffer in the bottle to see if it was, indeed, the cotton candiest. It did not disappoint. There was a juicy fruity vibe in the bottle that took on a more crystalline quality when sprayed. There wasn't much else going on with the scent at that point, so I carried on with my day until I got a sudden noseful of ... don't kill me for saying this, but ... pink. It was just a soft, sweet, pleasant pinkness. If I hadn't already known the notes, there's no way I would've been able to pick them out. It actually took a minute to figure out that it was the Pink that smelled so damn good. It's not that it morphed, exactly -- more like the components were given the time and space to finish blending together completely. Catching whiffs of this at random intervals really brightened my day, and that's exactly what I want from a scent. I have a feeling I will be enjoying this one quite a bit in the spring and summer months.

 

 

In the bottle - Muskier than I was expecting. Had to double check to be sure it was the correct bottle.

Wet - The musky edge gave way to the sweet pea almost instantaneously, and I'm definitely getting more floral now. I hope the vanilla sugar comes out to play soon, because at the moment the blend is teetering on the edge of cloying. (Disclaimer: I have a rough time with a lot of floral scents, so keep that in mind.) If any of you are/were fans of Bath & Body Works' sweet pea products, this one is all you.

Drydown - Sweet peasplosion! Apparently my skin chemistry thinks this is a single note, because there's nothing else on the horizon. The sillage on this baby is incredible for maybe the first half hour. It's like Aeval on steroids, and then all of a sudden -- bam! It has quieted down and leveled itself out ... and it's kinda freakin' gorgeous. With my eyes closed, I could probably convince myself that I'm standing in the middle of a butterfly garden on a sunny spring day.

Verdict - Unfortunately, I think this is one of those scents I wouldn't wear often. It's super evocative, but I think I'll pass my bottle on to someone who will love it properly.

In the imp - Innocently sweet.

 

Wet - So pretty. Not a high-pitched obnoxious kind of sweet, but rounded and substantial.

 

Drydown - I did NOT except to love this as much as I do. Anytime Beth mixes florals with this kind of sweetness, it's like friggin' catnip to me. And the berry wine on top is just perfection. I wish I had more to say, but my nose is glued to my arm and it's kind of hard to type that way.

 

Verdict - Please sir, can I have some more?

In the imp - Wow, that’s intense. And definitely very plummy.

 

Wet - It’s getting plummier. How is there this much plum? I can tell it’s tussling with the blackcurrant, but the plum is definitely winning. Yowza.

 

Drydown - Jeez. Plum refuses to back down from center stage, but there are finally some other characters in the background. I’m getting wisps of the florals now, and the blackcurrant is still hanging around. No tea, thankfully. That’s hit-or-miss on me.

 

Verdict - I wanted to love this but I just can't. If you like plum, OHMYGODBUYTHISNOW. If you’re not completely gung-ho on plum, look elsewhere.

In the imp - Vetiver is a death note on me, but thankfully I don't smell it here.

 

Wet - Oh gawsh. So good!! I love how slap-you-in-the-face sweet this is, and I hope it stays this way for a while.

 

Drydown - I'm guessing the ylang-ylang is doing the same thing that it did in Love and Sleep (another Luper from 2014) -- it comes in and makes everything all swirly silken sweetness and then recedes on drydown. Ah, well. It's still a lovely scent. Mostly strawberries and creamy vanilla. If I didn't know there was citrus in here, I wouldn't have guessed it. And no hint of the vetiver, mercifully. Goes a little plasticky on me toward the very end, but it's so faded by that point that it doesn't really matter.

 

Verdict - I adore this when I first put it on, but it loses points with me as the sweetometer drops. Probably good I didn't get a bottle.

In the imp - A little odd. I'll give it a shot.

 

Wet - Wow, that's a lot of lavender. Too bad. I was really hoping the rest of it wouldn't get eaten by lavender, which always amps to high hell on me.

 

Drydown - The lavender has settled down a bit, but it's still the predominant note and I kind of have to sniff around it to get at the others. (Not a pun.) There's a bit more sweetness as it wears on, and I definitely get the sense of being outside in harvest season. It's fairly lovely, actually. Takes about half an hour to get to an acceptable point for me, and another twenty or so before I start to really like it. Somewhere along the way it went a bit anise on me, but maybe that's just my chemistry. At any rate, that stage passed quickly. At this point (2 hours in), it has faded a touch but is really divine. I'm definitely getting the sense of fall. Thanks, hay.

 

Verdict - This blend reminds me a lot of A Moment in Time, but not really scent-wise. Just in the sense that they both have domineering French lavender at the outset but then eventually settle into a beautiful place that evokes the outdoors. Heartbreaking, since I don't tend to be patient enough to wait through notes I don't particularly like. I'll keep my imp, but I doubt I'll need a bottle.

Last year's Gourd of Deprivation atmo was one of my all-time favorites, so this was a no-brainer when I saw the new Weenies. It doesn't disappoint. I've been spraying the atmo for almost a year now, and this hair gloss holds up against the original blend. Oh man, I can't tell you how wonderful it is to finally be able to spray this chai pumpkin tea scent in my hair! It's got the same qualities I loved about its predecessor: sweet spices, cozy pumpkin, and the feel of gentle sunshine on a hayfield. Reminds me of harvest season back home when the wind picks up loose bits of dry grass and swirls around a bit. I finally feel like fall has arrived. This hair gloss will not disappoint you.

Yes please! I'm definitely in the Halloween mood, and this hits the spot. Not in a spooky way, though. Pumpkinholics like myself would likely find it comforting. It's very soft and unobtrusive. The pumpkin-wax combo reminds me a liiiiittle bit of a craft store candle, but it's so much better than that. The pumpkin smells like the same one from Gourd of Deprivation -- not too buttery, not too vegetable-ish, just enough spice. I can see this being a staple for the rest of this season.

Downright delectable. All the notes in here are fantastic on their own, but damn do they sing as a group. Golden amber, usually the star of the show (and deservedly so) is in perfect harmony with the resin. The rich spiciness of the DB is counterbalanced by the creamy floral of the champaca, which in turn is buoyed by the nutty warmth of the macadamia. Honey is just the cherry on top, so to speak. This charming scent swept me off my feet.

This. Is. Fantastic. It was a last-minute impulse addition to my order, and I'm SO glad I threw it in. I usually avoid anything with the word incense, but this is heavenly. Takes me right back to a summer I spent in Greece. The olive groves, a whiff of incense on the breeze, and the overall atmosphere of late-night outdoor dining. I'm almost getting beeswax in here too, but I suppose that's just the honey? (Or me imagining tapers on the dinner table. One of the two.) My god, but this is good. It walks the line between sweet and savory with incredible skill, and I find I desperately want more of it. This will be used with fondness in the colder winter months when my heart needs a bit of summer and sunshine and maybe a little European nostalgia.

Renoir was a surprise disappointment for me, since I like most of its components individually -- with the exclusion of red pepper, which is (naturally) the only thing I can smell. I find myself actually wrinkling up my nose in distaste. It's very very heavy out of the bottle, though it fades somewhat after things dry down a bit. Unfortunately it doesn't die down enough, and I just can't get a handle on the rest of the blend through the red pepper fog. To be fair, I'm getting over a cold ... but there is still no situation where this would be a winner for me or on me. As an avowed pepper hater, I should have known better. My bad.

 

Edit: Re-sniffed without the hindrance of a stuffy nose. There's more peach this time around (which improves it significantly), but ultimately I'm still not the biggest fan of Renoir.

I'm not a huge fan of Antikythera in perfume form, as tobacco is a problem note for me. I do LOVE the rest of the notes though, so I bought this hoping that a hair gloss would help circumvent the nasty "tobacco vs. my skin chemistry" ordeal. Not so. I really wanted to smell like oak and teak and vanilla, but I mostly just smell smoky. Like I've spent the evening at a bonfire. Sigh.

In the bottle - Sweet ginger musk.

 

Wet - The spiciness jumps out at me. This is now GINGER. Also some heavy-hitting clove to back it up.

 

Drydown - I know what this is. It’s ginger beer. Effervescent, not-quite-sweet, and VERY ginger-clove. Go drink a bottle of Reed’s Ginger Beer if you want to know what this smells like. It’s STRONG. Not strong in sillage, but that’s OK.

 

Verdict - I was really excited for this one since brown sugar blends are always champions of my skin chemistry. Unfortunately, the sugar and vanilla didn’t make much of an appearance on me. If anything, it was more like molasses. If you’re looking for a more delicious and reserved ginger, allow me to point you toward Brahmin or Gingerbread Poppet.

In the bottle - Tiny tangerines, big sweet creaminess.

 

Wet - Gorgeous, delicious. There’s a touch of Creamsicle about this, yes, but it’s so much more than that. It’s soft and a bit of everything -- a bit citrus, a bit floral, a bit aquatic, a bit woody, a bit fruity -- without falling squarely into any one of those categories. This is magical.

 

Drydown - Oh, bummer. This went soapy on me. I blame the ambergris.

 

Verdict - Beautiful opening that turns into soapy bathwater on me. Damn you, skin chemistry.

In the bottle - Reserved, creamy wood.

 

Wet - Soft, creamy woods. Sandalwood is a favorite of mine, and it glows here. Something is a little powdery-dusty in the background … maybe the marigold or amber?

 

Drydown - After a while, it’s faintly spicy vanilla sandalwood. The alleged amber-marigold powder has slowed its roll and is only evident on close sniff.

 

Verdict - I’m intrigued by this one. I want to like it, so I’ll give it another couple rounds at different times of the month to see how it performs.

 

In the bottle - I’m getting woods -- juniper, cedar, pine, whatever -- with a hint of sarsaparilla.

 

Wet - Oh man, it’s a cooler sarsaparilla now thanks to the calming influence of the juniper. Cedar keeps the mix from going too cold, and there’s juuuuust a touch of pine sap in the background to complement the sarsaparilla.

 

Drydown - Shit, man. This is gorgeous. The swirling chill is tempered by the buoyancy and creaminess of the sarsaparilla. I wish I had more of this.

 

Verdict - Expertly blended, almost unisex. I’m going to hunt down more NOW.

In the bottle - OMG. This is perfection. It’s softly sweet and creamy-fruity. I’m searching for a backup bottle and I haven’t even put it on yet. If I huff deeply, there’s a bit of fruity spice at the bottom of the bottle.

 

Wet - Vanilla fruit. So so SO good. Apple usually amps on me, but so far this one is just a serene component of this lovely blend. I’m hoping for some guava action in this!

 

Drydown - Innocent apple-vanilla-fruits. The fruitiness is waning a bit, and there’s more of a sugar floral happening. I smell a little bit like Smarties candy. (Just a little.) The main note is still apple, although that’s to be expected on me.

 

Verdict - Gawrsh. So pretty. I wish it smelled more like it does in the bottle, but hey … you can’t always get what you want.