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BPAL Madness!

RoseThornAndOak

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Posts posted by RoseThornAndOak


  1. I get all of the good sides and none of the bad sides from the listed notes, which is a miracle. The rose sap is less powdery rose soap and more green and lush. The ivy is fresh and green, not plastic. The orris root only softens and sweetens without going baby powder. The oakmoss is present but not stomping over everything. Pine needle adds an enchanted forest vibe instead of Christmas tree or musty pine box vibe. It doesn't go super pine at all actually, far less than Blauer Mond, if that helps. The lime does not smell like pee or super strong. The juniper also doesn't go bonkers (to me juniper smells like dirty socks usually and I don't know why but not here). 

     

    So that describes more or less what this is not. What *does* this smell like? This reminds me a bit of Rose Red, but less rose, more stem, with a hint of evergreen creating a darkened, nocturnal aspect. A forest, sparkled and glittered in fantasy, yet darkened with danger and intrigue. All the green notes come together to create an entirely different forest blend than usualy encountered.

     

    I think it is better in the bottle than final drydown, which is a nice, softened green blend. 

     

    I've encountered other fantasy forest blends I also love, but so happy to have this!


  2. I really like this. Ellocentipede's description of the ice note is perfect: clean, fresh, slightly minty, I would add in a fresh way and not like toothpaste at all. There's a nice sweet hay like grassy note underneath, plus some florals sniffing blind I would never be able to tell you what they were. I don't get an overtly pollenous or dusty herbal vibe from the marigolds or dahlias. No stompy rose, and I don't know what ranunculus is (is that a dinosaur? :lol:). I kind of just get a whiff of wildflowers on the breeze.

     

    It's not overtly cold. More like a sweet wildflower bouquet with a touch of wild mint throughout. I get Sense and Sensibility, "these are not from the hothouse" vibes.

     

    Very lovely!


  3. Hey guess what? It's leafy! It's green! Super green, juicy, fresh, bright leaves in the opening. A bit of pretty rose, doesn't amp, and not too powdery. The chypre is nice, a bit of that citrus bite bergamot can have, (but not the Fruit Loops type of bergamot), with a classic moss throughout. Some chypres have patchouli listed as a component, but there's none here. When I sniff close there is an almost tea like note.

     

    I really like this. I think fans of vintage everything will adore this. It makes me think of what a vintage chypre would have smelled like when brand new. Clean, nostalgic, soft, and romantic. A bit linear on drydown, I think it would layer well as well as hold its own all by itself.


  4. This is hard to describe. I'm getting a slightly spicy almost gourmand, not really bready, but brownish and a bit more like cinnamon than earthy mushroom, maybe a super light patchouli, but it is not like Death Cap to me, more smooth and less atmospheric. There is a note reminiscent of brown leaves on a forest floor, but not green pepper type leaves.

     

    This description probably makes this blend sound sharp and earthy, but it somehow is not. This blend is soft, warm, and smoothed out by a sweetness throughout. I do get some rosebud, similar to the one used in one the Labyrinth blends, but it is not too fruity. The moss is a bit like oakmoss, but not overtly dominant. 

     

    Overall very nice and like nothing else. Smells natural, mossy, sweet, cuddly, slightly spicy on drydown. Overall color palette impression is green and brown. I do agree there is a fairy vibe. Total Keeper! 


  5. White bright floral a tad soapy with snappy green in the bottle. Waxy floral on the skin. There's a plastic stage that reminds me of Easter basket grass. Dries down pretty white floral with the green receding. It is a different lily than say Karl Lagerfeld's Sun, Moon, and Stars, which brings early 90s nostalgia for me. 

     

    This is a solid like but not a swoonworthy love on my skin, so I will pass this along to a better home, but it was a lovely experience to try this.


  6. I'll wager my wig on this being the same rose in Two Women on Veranda Overlooking The Sea. It has that crisp, brisk, fresh, snappy aquatic zingy dewy rose, and in the bottle especially a very green sap. It does go a tad soapy in a nice fresh and clean, beautiful way, the way I like aquatics to go. 

     

    This is so nice. Perfect for these warm spring days when the flowers are blooming yet an epic thunderstorm might roll in and bless us with negative ions after. 


  7. Green herbal citrus blossoms in the bottle, white spring floral plus peach on the skin and on drydown. Unfortunately, this goes plastic and artificial on me. On the right skin this would be a gorgeous spring summer fruity floral. 


  8. Ok. Hard to explain. There's something almost cherry in this. Like salty cherry or some other fruit  but more brown in hue. There's something in here that vaguely reminds me of Phantom Calliope. It's sweet and spicy, I wouldn't be surprised if there's some sort of cinnamon or other spice in here. It fades into a vaguely sweet spiced skin scent. It's almost a buttery popcorn with some sweet cinnamon buns going on. I might need to try this again. It's odd as heck.


  9. Hmm, I'm wondering if aging brings out the beeswax more, because it is very present in the drydown and quite nice! I kind of get more weird green stony and incense blend in the bottle, that makes me think of a dungeon. The sweet beeswax drydown saves the day. This isn't a favorite blend, I'd be ok without it, but I do like it especially as an atmospheric.


  10. Maaaan I wanted to like this one! It's a deep rich dark yet dry woody blend with cedar planks. It's either the patch or oud ruining this, however, as it goes sharp. There's not too much fig or coconut. It mostly dries down to the wood and patchouli notes.I think on the right skin this would be a fantastic pirate sweet dark patchouli oud blend!


  11. In the bottle, a sweet almond with green soft moss. As it dries down, the oakmoss takes over. This stays as an oakmoss cologne predominently. I could picture Napoleon wearing this, however, since watching Swamp Fox last night, which is based on the story of Francis Marion fighting in the Revolutionary War in the swamps of SC, I kinda picture him more, but maybe on a cleaned up day. 

     

    This is awesome for oakmoss fans and I keep being drawn to it. I think it would layer well with woodsy or smoky blends.


  12. Ooo wow this is pretty. AL type vanilla with a tiny smidge of vanilla extract, soft sandalwood (not hippie-like), and a deep, almost tuberose-like ylang ylang in the bottle, not too indolic at all, that softens considerably and melds with the vanilla and a faint wiff of the sandalwood on drydown. Gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous. 


  13. In the bottle, deep rich cacao blorbs, so this does well with a good shake, with sweet pumpkin and deep wood notes and a slightly green high note. On the skin, much softer overall however this has a note, likely the myrrh or guiac, that goes sharp on me and that's about all I can smell surrounding the softness. It would be better in a locket, but now that I revisit the bottle, the sharp note is present beneath the cacao woodsy goodness. It has potential on the right skin but there are others in this vein that I like more. 


  14. This is interesting. It's rich coconut but more planty/natural than coconut cream or pie. The vetiver isn't too strong and doesn't smell like peanuts. It's an odd pairing but pleasant. Tropical but in a completely different way. Kind of like Lavanila Coconut but not as overtly coconut and more husky bits. Kinda duds out on me but has potential. Might be another locket contender. The vetiver reads more like No Man is an Island in the beginning, that sort of dark vegetal almost tobacco tonka vibe but doesn't stay as nice on me. I'll give it a few more tries I'm not giving up on it yet. 

     

    *The next morning, I'm getting a lingering Pele like tropical floral. Very pretty. 


  15. Very sweet spicy gingerbread pumpkin in the bottle. I would say sugary but not in the usual way. I get the dry spice drydown that Little Bird got. I think this has potential, but might be better in a locket and isn't wowing me as far as gingbread scents go. However it's not smoky in any way. I think on the right skin it will be a lovely, richly sweetened pumpkin gingerbread blend.


  16. Very Snow White and pine. The pine simmers down, so I'm left with Snow White wandering in a snowy evergreen forest. Magical. Previous year's reviews scared me off but this one due to it being a Snow White variant made this year'a a win for me!


  17. What the crap? I get no oud, no ash, no sandalwood, and no blizzard. I get a gorgeous vanilla tea and it's basically a more wearable Dorian for my skin chemistry. There are some background notes threatening to go weird, so it doesn't beat Madame Pearl completely for me, but dang this is pretty. Ok there's the ash, I have to hunt for it. I think if you like Dorian Suf or tea blends you're going to like this one a lot, it has far more throw in my opinion than DS.

     

    Next morning, ahh there's the white oud slightly, but oof, that gorgeous grey amber! It's not too indolic, just deep. Strong resemblance to Grey Columns at this stage. What a ride!


  18. Sharp patchouli with some syrupy bits early on. Dries down to dusty vaguely sweet dry spices but doesn't really read gingerbread to me. It's pretty good, but not what I was expecting, although I do have more interest in the molasses note now and think this will age beautifully.


  19. Dancingchair pretty much nailed this one. Hearth smells like sweet, dark cacao + tobacco, beeswax, and charred woodsmoke, and not much leather. I love it. Gender neutral, atmospheric and transporting, but wearable. It's comforting in a rugged kind of way. Wearing this, drinking tea, and listening to Last of The Mohicans and Rob Roy film scores listening to the birds chirping outside is a mood. Today is good, and Hearth made it good-good. 

     

    Next morning: more or less the same but the leather comes out a ta more under the other rich notes. So beautiful.


  20. I agree, Snek and Snow White. Heavier on the patchouli in the bottle and upon application, then smooths out mostly. Plays pretty good on me. I might like Frostbitten SO a little better but will have to death match. A keeper for now!


  21. Oh my gosh this is pretty. In the bottle, planty coconut with sandalwood and cardamom supporting. Glorious. Not too floral. Then a final drydown of Morocco, Eve type goodness (without the plastic/bandaid) with dry, warm, spices, keeping a nice depth, maybe a distant whiff of coconut trees spotted in the distance. Can be a little powdery but I like it here.

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