Teamama

I had high hopes for TGP, but it does not like me. In the imp, it smelt warm and subtle--I couldn't pick out individual notes, but it was a good smell. Once applied, it instantly became a bad smell :-(. (Edited after other blends have been problematical,) I suspect either the mushrooms or the fig note may have been turned by my skin chemistry. Re-edited to add: Fig is not the problem.

Peacock Queen. Smells like arousal. Can't go into details without TMI, or sounding like a cheap paperback (Pupils dilated, she shook out her touseled mane, let out a low, throaty laugh, and pushed him onto his back. "These pants," she purred, "have entirely too many buttons.")

Yule 2015 version, from the Lab. This is outrageously sexy. This rose has its petals SPREAD, if you know what I mean. PQ is basically foreplay in a bottle. The scent is red rose, without the citrus notes that are in some red roses. I'm not sure what the thorn ingredients are, because I'm not catching any green or wood in this. Maybe the totally sexed-up vibe that I'm getting from PQ is due to a skin musk in there? All I can really identify is the rose, and it's sweet, but not food sweet. The scent stays true from application to drydown, although it did get a little sweeter. Then intensity of the fragrance dies down, but it's still all sex at 4 hours after application. Mmmm-mmmm. Backup bottles.

In the imp, straight up buttery piecrust. I wasn't sure I dared put it on, but bravely took the plunge. Wet, the pastry slowly started to allow the blackcurrant through. It reminds me of blackberry, and I can smell some vine-y green in there. Dry, the pastry has finally died off, which is a good thing for me. The rose is very faint, but the berries are nice. Second trial, same results except less Rose. Nice, but I don't see a need for a bottle at this time; a bit food-y for me. ETA my hair stylist complimented me on K of H, and said it smelled floral. I still smell blackcurrant.

I got a partial bottle via a swap; don't know the age of the bottle. The saffron is unexpectedly dominant, in all stages. I like the sweetness from the honey, and the rose is very good. I don't get much resin from it at all. On me, the saffron was a little odd. I don't know if it will grow on me over time. This may be one I layer with something spicy, to harmonize with the saffron.

In the bottle: stem and dirt, with a little bit of simple red rose. Wet: red rose, with an apple-y edge, and green stem, and dirt (reminiscent of Yorick.) Dry: 4 1\2 hours after application, this is faint Rose. The throw seemed medium-strong for the first 15 minutes. After that, it's stayed fairly discreet. This is a nice addition to my BPAL Rose garden. I like its stem notes. I'm going to have to death-match Rose Red against Two Five & Seven, because they have a lot in common. Edited to add: 2015 Yule purchase from the lab.

Drat. I was really worried that I'd need lots of this, but it's not for me . In the imp, it's rosy and woody. Right out of the decant on my skin, the scent is super sharp, and varnish-like. I think rosewood must be the note in BYHAM that isn't working on me, because Rose & Vanilla are usually bombproof. I can tell that a lovely Rose and some vanilla are nearby, but the varnish is covering them up. A long while later, I'm left with a faint, sour, varnished vanilla Rose. Heartbreak!

Yum. Spicy sweet floral. Cinnamon, lilac, and Rose are the notes that stand out in Chuparosa, but there's a lot more going on. It's REALLY pink. Pink like pink lemonade candy :-) . Wet, the spice and flowers are pretty darn strong, almost overpowering, in a "Oh no, did I put on too much?" way. That sweet attack calms down after about five minutes, and Chuparosa stays close to the skin after that. This scent makes me smile. It's cheering, and sweet, and sunny. It's kind of like a shot of the innocent confidence of childhood. This is the BPAL Pippi Longstocking would wear.

In the imp, this is powerful and it's hard for me to differentiate the notes. Wet on me, I get violet, and a little vanilla, but no gardenia. The violet is powdery and wistful, and seems like orris root. Dry, almost exactly the same as wet, just softer and more powdery. This is not a joyful scent on me. Sad little Snakey, dancing alone, trying to do the steps but she ain't got feet.

In the bottle, 2015 Boo HG smells like butterscotch. Spritzed on damp hair, the butterscotch unravels into sugar, and cream/cream soda. The dairy-ish scent goes away pretty quickly on me, leaving cream soda vanilla. It's pretty, and I got complimented on how I smelled. I applied 7 sprays to my below-shoulder-length hair today, and it wasn't super-strong. I'm glad I got Boo. I hope it comes back again next year.

Finally, a chocolate/cocoa/cacao scent that works for me! Imp, from the lab. Dark brown ITI, gold on my skin, with the occasional darker dot. Wet, it's chocolate honey resins. I smell cotton and masa. The overall smell is dry and sweet and earthy, but not foody. Dry, the resins lose their initial sharpness. It's still earthy and sweet, but not as dry. I'm probably going to buy a bottle before my imp's all gone 😊. 2018 Edited to add: Fresh bottle. The asphalt note takes a lot longer to die down. 2022 update: With age, the asphalt doesn't dominate during the drydown. The overall blend is bittersweet, in a very good way. I'll wear this more now that it's aged.

I'm in rainy, rainy Seattle WA, and so far, Snake Oil, Wolf's Heart and Harlot are my favorites when there's rain (not drizzle, mist, or a passing shower.) For me, serious precipitation makes me want warm notes, but not hot or scratchy ones.

I tested my decant straight out of the mailbox, and again today after letting it rest. In the imp: sweet apple, clove, a hint of vanilla, and another fruity, red note that must be the blackcurrant bud. Wet: Mmmmm, sweet! All the above notes are there, but it's got a dry, condensed sweetness. It reminds me of the tobacco sweetness in Antikythera Mechanism. Dry: Within the space of five minutes, my skin has devoured everything except the clove and the condensed, sweet note. I smell like a pack of Djarum clove cigarettes. Boo hoo hoo, where did my apples go? Verdict: I really like Apple IV, but will not be able to wear it unless I get a scent locket.

Beekeeper's daughter here, and yes, honey can totally smell like spit. I have spilled a lot of honey on myself, and depending on the bees, the season, and what the bees got their nectar from, spit (scent) happens ;-). Wearing O, I smell like the most fabulous honey cake ever, plus Amber. The honey is strong, and smells it's been heated (which I should have expected, because how could you extract fragrance from raw honey?) My fantasies about smelling like all the flowery secrets present in raw honey did not come to pass, but I'm happy I bought a bottle. ETA Can't stop wearing it. My daughter's review: "Like eating honey cookies in a room with incense."

Yum. I love it. Red apples, juiced for cider, with lots of the notes that apples can offer. Some floral hints, a spice note, a little wine, fresh apple skin... Yum. After aging for a year, the cinnamon note is more prominent. I wore it in my scent locket, and by mid-day the cinnamon was all that was left.

I amp Red Musk. Spellbound was the BPAL blend that first made me notice that my skin chemistry could change a fragrance radically, like acid changing the color of litmus paper. On my skin, Spellbound, which has my BFF's Amber & Rose, is single-note red musk. End of story.

Had to build up to reviewing the legendary Snake Oil. I got my imp in my very first lab order, and duly waited 4 months to try it. It's warm and wonderful, with lots of subtle resins backing up an excellent sugared Vanilla. I have a bottle on the way, 'cause it's superb. HOWEVER, I am one of the minority on whom SO does not smell at all sexy. Teapapa and my kids all say I smell like a cookie when I wear it. This is not a "sexy cookie," with fishnets and pasties that look like glittery sugar cookies, and a naughty spatula, This is straight up vanilla sugar cookie, like us Scandi types have with coffee. So, all you SO sex bombs out there, good for you! And for any other SO cookies out there, don't worry, there's lots of other BPAL to be sexy with . 2022 update: Aged SO is more my jam than fresh, but I don't wear it often. It's mostly spicy vanilla on my skin. I wear SO variants (Western Diamondback especially,) more often than straight SO.

So far all of the Conjure Bag blends I've tested have been awesome, and I've ended up purchasing 5ml bottles. I'm testing a frimp from a forum purchase. Yellow-blonde color in the imp. In the imp: This smells fantastic! Jasmine, vanilla, citrus, & a little baby lotion? Surprising blend. Wasn't expecting the baby lotion. Wet: I should have known better than to put this on my neck--the citrus irritated the skin on my neck, but not my arms. There's a hint of spice in there, but mostly jasmine, vanilla and baby lotion. I know baby powder & lotion are "supposed" to be based on roses, but I really can't call this a rose note. There's also sweetness, more sugar to me than honey. Dry: The sugar and vanilla develop a lot as Follow Me Boy dries. The vanilla and jasmine are almost equally in front, and then comes the baby lotion note, and then way in back, the citrus. I really like this, but I'm not sure whether I need a bottle. I own other oils to satisfy my jasmine & vanilla urges, and the boy I want already followed me home . If he goes wild for it, it might be worth another bottle... Adding: Follow Me Boy lasts and lasts. Adding again: I think I'm going to need a bottle. The compliments keep coming . 2022 update: My aged bottle of Follow Me Boy has super strong throw when freshly applied, and mellows out after an hour or so. The floral/baby lotion notes are dominant overall. I haven't been reaching for this blend very often, but I think I'll put it into rotation in the warmer months this year.

In the imp: grape juice & leather & myrtle. Wet: where is it? Almost undetectable? Dry: faint, sweet grape, the ghost of leather, and a memory of myrtle. This is the first blend that my skin vanished. I'd try slathering, but I think my daughter's a better candidate for this blend.

This started out very promising for me, and I can totally understand all the praise for Dance of Death. In the imp and wet,there's wonderful interplay between the dark of the musk, myrrh and patchouli and the sweet dryness of the orris. I was preparing to add this to my bottle list for the first ten minutes. Unfortunately, orris seems to be a note that my chemistry flattens out as it dries. By 20 minutes, all the magic was over. The orris was the dominant note, and it was flat and medicinal. It reminded me of a smell that's in Ben-Gay, Obviously, I need a scent locket!

This lovely scent is tricky to wear, because it's got an oil that disagrees with the more sensitive parts of my hide. If I put it on my neck, chest or abdomen, it stings. The prime suspect is the orange rind, which also keeps me from wearing Ravenous. Patch test if you're sensitive! That said, I like it. Wet, the almond is in my face. For about five or ten minutes, it's like MARZIPAN and some spices. After the almonds have gotten over themselves, the spices, rose and orange rind show themselves. I like Seraglio, but the Orientalist harem image isn't what I get. For me, this is the outrageously feminine smells that would have signalled preparation for Christmas in the kitchens of my Norwegian ancestresses. Ground almonds, grated orange rind, rose scented cold cream, and all the spices. This is about a 4 hour fragrance on me. It dries down into a spicy whisper with no throw.

Wet and dry, I got a subdued (damp?) rose, but only the faint echo of leather. My imp was from a forum purchase, without an age, so I'm going to reserve judgement. Whip gets a lotta love on the Rose Apologists' forum.

In the bottle: Granny Smith apple skin, after several months in storage (I'm from an apple-growing state, and that's NOT a good thing for me.) Wet: Granny Smith apple skin. Tantalizing hints of the other notes occasionally, overwhelmed by the apple. Dry down: After about 4 hours, the apple skin smell simmered down enough for me to detect the tobacco and tea, occasionally. Verdict: I have finally found a note (besides vetiver,) that I "amp." None of the Lab's other apple scents have done this . I'm going to have to swap it away for someone else to love.

Magical smell, but the orange is too strong for my cheap Scandinavian skin IT BURNS!! Had to wash it off, and the areas I applied it to are totally red (redneck city.) If you're at all sensitive, patch test this one! I will have to get a scent locket if I want to wear this, or use it as a room scent. So sad! The patch and the orange come together in a resin-y, vanilla-like way that is just magic.

In the imp: apples and green bitterness (the birch?) Wet: Wow, this is FABULOUS! Wet, just-sliced tart apples, with some bitterness like bark, or leaves. Dry: It's close to the skin, not a lot of throw, but still FABULOUS! The apple smells real. Dry, it's more like apple skin than juicy cut apples. The bitterness is in the background. I don't have enough experience with birch to know how true it is, but it does seem like it could be wood or bark. It's subtle, like the bitterness of tea. The apple blossom is also in the background, and hard to find, but it's there. I really like this, and need a bottle. Edited to add: lasts longer in a scent locket. Super for summer weather.