freyasfae

Damn, I do love the BPAL graveyard dirt note. It's just so unique. That's what I get right at first, but then the sweet booze quickly marches in. Giving it some drydown time (about 30 minutes), the sweet booze mellows out significantly and it becomes a well-rounded evocative scent - it's got the lurking sweet decay (sounds bad but if you love NOLA, you get it) with the spice from the rum and the gardenia giving it a more sophisticated feel - which is very NOLA in my opinion.

I was expecting this to be a lot headier based on name alone, but it's a wet rose. I tend to amp rose, so I am not getting much in the way of cinnamon and incense, which saddens me, but considering that I amp rose, I am finding this to be a surprisingly light rose on me.

I got this as an imp from a swap. I read Blockbuster and thought of like movie and when wet I thought red candies with a background of popcorn - but sophisticated. The notes seem more real and less fake red flavoring and fake butter. Then when I read the description and reviews, I realized perhaps it might be better described as cinnamon hard candies. It becomes less hard candies as it dries and more of a softer cinnamon scent. I am not a big cinnamon person, but what's unique about this is that it doesn't make me immediately think Christmas.

The first thing that hits me is the BPAL loam note from Graveyard Dirt and others, but with a spicy kick (the ginger and peppercorn, I presume). It doesn't take long for the fizziness to come out - again, I recognize this from the BPAL champagne notes. It's so damn interesting. One of those BPALs, I don't see myself wearing, but delighted I got to try such a unique scent. (My version is the pale oil - since reading other's reviews there's batch variation it seems.)

This is mostly peach on me - it takes a long time to dry down to something less peach dominant, and I am not sure I can wait that long. I was hoping this would be less peach forward due to all the other, seemingly contradictory, notes - and I do get some of that given a few hours - but the wait is sweet, sweet peach for too long.

There's a touch of the spicy loam from graveyard dirt in there. In fact, this smells like a very gentle version of Zombi (Dried roses, rose leaf, Spanish moss, oakmoss and deep brown earth) to me. It's stunningly unique and subtle. I may need to hunt down a bottle.

My 2016 review: 2021: The chocolate is not nearly as prominent for me in the 2021 version. In fact, without the description, I probably wouldn't think chocolate, so much as general sweetness added to the pale florals and greenery. I think the addition of the gardenia has shaped it towards more floral from the get-go, which is fine by me as I adore gardenia. I think I may like this version more!

I get the slight, delicate fuzziness which seems at odds with the citrusy bergamot. I suppose that gives it the sense of erraticness that does capture the butterfly from the book. I can't decide if I like it enough to keep it...which also seems apt.

This scent is soft, lovely, and wistful. To me, it really brings the overall feeling of The Last Unicorn to life - poignant and sad. I can't tell you if it smells like lilac as I haven't ever really had the chance to give a lilac a good sniff, but it is pale florals and green - perhaps some white musk in there, too. I think I'll keep it.

I applied this on, gave it a sniff, then let it sit a bit, then huffed several minutes later and suddenly there was the smokiness - prior to that it was just sort of sweet, tree sap. Then some polished wood starts to come out. It's like a hipster handcarved a coffee table.

Whew, spicy-sweet and sultry, and sharp, especially at first. Waiting to see if it softens up...it does a bit.

This scent is soft, lovely, and wistful. To me, it really brings the overall feeling of The Last Unicorn to life - poignant and sad. I can't tell you if it smells like lilac as I haven't ever really had the chance to give a lilac a good sniff, but it is pale florals and green - perhaps some white musk in there, too. I think I'll keep it.

I get the slight, delicate fuzziness which seems at odds with the citrusy bergamot. I suppose that gives it the sense of erraticness that does capture the butterfly from the book. I can't decide if I like it enough to keep it...which also seems apt.

This queen has one hell of a poker face. I think the tea and chrome make what would usually be a moodier scent come off as much more controlled, but it lurks, just beneath the surface. What is she thinking? What is she feeling? There's certainly a lot of feeling there, but she keeps it tight.

I totally get the cumin that @LizziesLuck mentions. It's a lingering back note that says spice, but not a sweet spice. I can't say I enjoy it on my skin, but in my hair, it floats around and makes me feel sexy - coy with a potential for danger, but you aren't quite sure, which makes it even more fun. This may be for special occasions only.