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BPAL Madness!

allidavie

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Everything posted by allidavie

  1. allidavie

    Toasted Coconut

    Told you I'd let you go first.... I personally loved toasted coconut in the imp but please note I never actually tried it on my skin. In the imp it smelled exactly like the brown crunchy toasted part on the outside of a macaroon (as everyone knows, the best part by far). Given that this is the only imp of this I've ever heard of (Ultraviolet got it from me by way of eBay, and I have absolutely NO recollection as to where I got it from) it's too bad that more people won't be able to weigh in on this one. I really did think this was fabulous - most coconut is the overly-sweet, pina colada type, but this perfectly captured, well, toasted coconut.
  2. allidavie

    Sepulcher

    Very pretty white floral, as I sniff it in the imp (thanks OW ) but I smell lilies, which means that this is going to get ugly. Unsurprised to say that as lovely as this is, it turned to pure soap on me, the way all Lily scents do. I'm sure that any white floral/lily lovers would adore this though.
  3. allidavie

    Yemayá

    I don't know if anyone's seen it, but in the movie "Woman on Top" the main character makes several offerings to (what I know now) is the brazilian interpretation of Yemaya - she floats fruits and candles in a vessel and watches them go out to sea, and while I'm probably forgetting the details, that scene has always stuck with me. It was so beautiful and though I'm not a believer in any specific religion, that scene made me want to be. A few years ago when I lived in New Orleans I was really drawn to a mini-altar made by a local voodoo practitioner. I bought it mainly because I loved it as a piece of art, but I now realize that it was an altar to Yemaya. All of which makes sense, I guess, as I'm a very ocean-centered person. My work and many of my interests all center around the ocean, and I think that my attraction to Yemaya may not be coincidental. But even so, I expected this oil not to work on me, as no fruity BPAL has really ever worked for me. I was so wrong - this is just a beautiful interpretation of the sea and a kind of ocean-centered energy. It makes me hopeful and happy, and I can't think of a better way to honor Yemaya. (Oh yeah, and I guess I should describe how it smells - true watermelon, as in, how watermelon actually smells, mixed with salt water and sun. It is wonderful.)
  4. allidavie

    Seduction

    Darn my skin. Jasmine, jasmine, jasmine - that's all I get from this one. I can smell a note in the very background that is gorgeous, which I'm guessing is the ylang ylang of which you all speak, but the overpowering smell of jasmine isn't really letting that come through for me. Jasmine is a total headache/sneezing trigger for me, so I've failed to be seduced by Seduction. Pity. I really could use some help with the seducing.
  5. allidavie

    Quietude

    I both love and hate lavender - love that it helps to relax me, but hate that astringent top note, it almost smells acrid to my nose. I use Somnus as a sheet spray because it really works, but I really don't like how it smells... I just wish I'd tried Quietude sooner. I really recommend this to people who haven't had great results with the Somnium blends. This stuff is amazing. Lavender without the part of lavender that makes it unpleasant in large doses. I can tell there are other notes but this is so smooth and perfectly blended that my nose just isn't sensitive enought to pick them out. There is just something so pure and beautiful about this one - it is almost what white light would smell like to me if white light were lavender based - it is so calming and mind-clearing at the same time. This is just wonderful - I've been on a very strict BPAL ordering budget lately, but I'm going to have to get this one next time I order. Hey, it's for my insomnia, right???
  6. allidavie

    Lustration

    This is a gorgeous citrus herbal tea on me, with a bit of honey and milk added. Very soothing and comforting - looking on my review, its notes are similar to how many people describe Dorian, but the two smell nothing alike. I really love this one (I love Dorian too, but in a different way =) ). One warning though, like many of the more citrusy oils, this one evaporates rather quickly. I got a full imp of it about four months ago, if that long, and it is about 40% gone without my having used it at all. I wonder how the evaporation might affect the scent, so perhaps my review should be taken with a grain of salt, although it doesn't seem to be too different from everyone else's thoughts.
  7. allidavie

    Succor

    Hmm, my skin did not like this baby at all. I interpreted the smell as burnt pickles, but Darkling you are a genious and indeed, after some reflection, it does smell exactly like the olive salad you put on a muffaletta. I didn't get any amber at all from this, just olive salad and some sort of wood/resin. This just didn't do it for me, but in the vein of the old joke "the food is terrible and the portions are so small" this one was very long-lasting on me. I put it on before bed and woke up to olive salad.
  8. allidavie

    Chuparosa

    This really must have a magical love attracting element to it because I hate rose, I hate lilies, I hate honeysuckle and I this stuff. Until it was pointed out to me that tulips have no smell, I thought this smelled like sugared tulips. Now I have no idea what to tell you it smells like, except to say it is just beautiful on me. I am not a floral person at all; I think the only florals I like at all are Danube and Amsterdam (which Chuparosa in some ways reminds me of) but this is just gorgeous. I'm definitely going to be buying a big bottle and hoping that it works to attract some love into my life, because I sure could use some. ETA: Now that I think about it, LLB may be onto something with thinking there was a geranium note. Sugared geraniums, perhaps??
  9. allidavie

    Black Opal

    Antique Lace gets it on with O and is changed forever, shedding her virginal ways for something a bit naughtier. Seriously, this stuff is just as good as it's been talked up to be. I've been an absolute buying BPAL moratorium as I've got enough to last me and say, 10 of my closest friends, through several lifetimes of scentitude. But this one's so good I'm going to be placing an order. For a 10 ml, no less.
  10. allidavie

    Shill

    That's fabulous NM!!! And that's exactly what this one smells like, eau de buttered popcorn! This one definitely shows off Beth's complete brilliance, but it isn't really something I would wear. Seeing as I hate popcorn and all.
  11. allidavie

    Geek

    This one is all warm leather and wood on me. After a while I can smell a bit of patchoulie and some other spices, but my nose isn't sophisticated enough to really pick up on what I'm smelling. This smells great, but it's way too masculine for me.
  12. allidavie

    Bed of Nails

    Unfortunately I also get the CKone vibe off this. No metal at all - it just smells like a frat guy to me.... which isn't necessarily a bad thing, seeing as one can be occasionally nostalgic about that sort of thing, but I don't really want to *smell* like a frat guy. I don't get any of the metallic smell others are getting - just citrus and ozone on me.
  13. allidavie

    French Creole

    I finally broke out my much-hoarded imp today, hoping it could send Katrina the hell away from New Orleans, or at the very least to help spare the city the worst-case-scenario, which indeed appears to have occurred. I give Beth full credit! I couldn't think of how to describe this at all, besides very comforting and yummy, but after reading the other reviews I've been able to pull out baby powder (only when wet), cloves, warm woods, and cake batter notes. My imp was tarted and is probably fairly aged, which would explain why the lime note is gone. This is gorgeous and sure seems to work. I hope one day it might reappear.
  14. allidavie

    The High Priestess

    Cherry and almond, somewhat reminiscent of aveda's old cherry almond conditioner, along with an astringent green - mint, and maybe pine. Whatever's in this, there's something I'm WILDLY allergic to in here - the only oil that I know I'm allergic to is cinnamon, and I don't think this has any cinnamon in it, so I'm stumped as to what it was that set me off. Maybe pennyroyal, as a lot of people seem to detect that in here - I've got no clue what pennyroyal smells like. but I think it's some serious stuff. All in all, not too upset that I'm allergic to this one, as it wasn't a good scent on me anyway.
  15. allidavie

    The Hermit

    Hermit smell good. Oh, is that not really a review? For some reason my nose is at a total loss. I couldnt' describe this one if I tried, other than it's absolutely lovely. Smells like a meadow on a spring day. But I couldnt' tell you what's in that meadow, beyond grass, trees, flowers, and a stream. Beautiful, though, and definitely a keeper.
  16. allidavie

    Justice

    I have no clue, at all, as to what's in this baby. Yummy floral, and most florals don't do it for me at all. I love it - I just don't know how to describe it. But considering I'm a lawyer, I could always use some justice anyway, right?
  17. allidavie

    The Hierophant

    The Heirophant is my soul card and also my personality card, I guess someone's trying to tell me something. And considering I'm a lawyer I guess that it's appropriate. The Heirophant was the first tarot imp I ever smelled and I remembered disliking it, because it was too heavy and spicy, but I hung onto it because it was "my" card. Now that I'm retrying it as part of my I've got all the tarots imp decantorama I really like it. Cinnamony, without being burny or too sweet, incense, resin, spices, its really gorgeous. Probably more of a winter perfume, but definitely one to try!
  18. allidavie

    Strength

    Absoulutely gorgeous grassy green and herbal scent, maybe some amber? There's some florals in there and I'm not really sure what else. Is it enough to say this went right on my big bottle please list?
  19. allidavie

    The Hanged Man

    Apples and honey and a touch of floral (whomever suggested honeysuckle, I think you're right). This one is just gorgeous, but for whatever reason it just isn't me. For those who like fruity florals, though, this one is a keeper. Very nice.
  20. allidavie

    Temperance

    Lovely, fresh floral with a lot of herbs in the background. Fits the card very well, and the blend itself is beautifully balanced. It's really lovely, and I can see how this would be a great 'starter' BPAL for people intimidated by all the new smellies. Very nice, but not the one I'd grab when I was looking for a light floral as their are others I prefer at this point that are similar.
  21. allidavie

    The Lovers

    Words fail me - I have no idea what this smells like but I >must< have more. I'd say cinnamon pear alongwith whatever makes chaste moon creamy, plus a touch of the vanilla musk from O. It is gorgeous and goes straight to my wishlist. Wow.
  22. allidavie

    The Wheel of Fortune

    It's Mighty Morphin' Power BPAL!!! Seriously, this scent changes its shape entirely about every five minutes, which is appropriate considering the card itself represents constant change in life. It goes from a bubble-gummy sort of smell to mint to some kind of wood to some kind of floral and back again and then some. It's not really a perfume per se, I see where this with some kind of intent closer to your body and because of its changeable nature, possibly wearing it with another complementary scent more outwardly. I think this is the first BPAL that my reaction is : cool!
  23. allidavie

    The Magician

    Lemony Lavendary Liquorice. Very nice, but kind of masculine for my tastes. I don't know very much about the associated card either, so I guess that's limiting my review here. As it dries down, become more herbal and liquorice-y. Nice, but not something I'd wear everyday.
  24. allidavie

    Dorian

    Inspired by and created for my beloved Tedwin: my eternal, beautiful, wicked Dorian Gray. Refined, elegant, and lovely, with a noble bearing and seemingly gentle air. This blend is an artful deception: a sweet gilded blossom lying over a twisted and corrupted core. A Victorian fougere with three pale musks and dark, sugared vanilla tea. Absolutely, positively gorgeous. Like Antique Lace, but with lemon. I don't get the tea note at all, just creamy vanillay musk with a yummy, but not overpowering lemon note. I just ordered TWO 10 mls after deciding that this may just well be my favorite bpal ever and I want to be stocked up at all times. If this were discontinued I might have a heart attack. I'm planning on making a dorian spray perfume now that I have more on the way, but I find that once I make sprays I stop wearing anything else and once I have a Dorian spray that may be it for me! Still have no idea what a fougere is though...
  25. allidavie

    Antique Lace

    I just deleted my whole long review... oh well. Very sophisticated vanilla and musk. Just wonderful. Vanilla without being cloying or too sweet. I consider myself very very lucky to have some of this baby.
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