freyasfae

I love the smell of a headshop/hippie/metaphysical store, but often the scents don't work on me or they smell too overpowering. This is definitely like my favorite metaphysical store, but toned down and more delicate. Well-blended to the point where the dead leaves are very subtle - I like dead leaves cologny smell and in this it's a background note that rounds out the coconut and champaca. I like the sharpness of it, but it's not sharp at all in this, which is just fine. I think I found my first BPAL dead leaves for summer! I may need to get a bottle of this...

Right when I apply, it smells like jasmine - in fact, I am shocked that it is not a note listed. Perhaps it is something else my nose is less familiar with? It takes awhile for the "jasmine" to calm down then it goes much softer to smell more beeswax with florals, and eventually it becomes more beeswax and light woods and tobacco. I really don't like the initial app, so don't think I will be buying a bottle of this.

Day of Skulls is my new fave Beeswax blend. It's a complex blend, with a lot going on, but the beeswax note is a standout. It hits this beekeeper's daughter right in the scent-memory zone. Specifically, the heady smell of a box of sheets of beeswax foundation, ready to put into frames. Don't miss this waxy treat!

I just read the reviews on this. I have a decant yet to test, so tomorrow it is happening!

The pine in this doesn't have that cleaning liquid scent to me, which is great. I think the mist and other notes keep it from going there - instead, for me, combined with the opium it has a very languid effect, but like a languid of cold nights, deep in the forest, like a dark fae - yes, this to me is the scent of the unseelie court.

I have worn this one several times now, especially when I am wearing my Wondy shirt, yet I haven't written about it yet, which is unusual as I usually review scents right away! When I wear this, it's not distinct in the sense of oh, I am wearing something with rose or vanilla or whatever - it's just overall warm and cuddly with the leather as a backdrop that all the other scents rest on. I have tried a few saffron scents and not loved them, but I decided I had to try this one regardless because of the other notes and the theme, and glad I did because it is lovely - it is definitely little Wondy, sneaking out to train with Antiope. Not sure if I want to buy a bottle (mainly because I am having to be very stingy right now!), but going to keep wearing it during fall and winter and see if I cave.

This is the 2017 version.

This is the epitome of what I would call a "green floral" - something akin to wildflowers, but a little more sophisticated and even herby (probably the dead leaves and chamomile). Unfortunately, after awhile, it goes a little sharp on me - reminds me of a hairspray I have used before, yet I am not completely put off by it. The vanilla is well-described from others as "rounding it out" and quite prominent on me and the rose is very subtle. Good throw. It is definitely more later summer/early fall.

I think per reading other reviews, I am going to put this in my BPAL box to age until next late summer and see if the sharpness wears off. I like sharper scents, but even this is a bit too sharp.

Violet tends to do soapy and/or powdery on me, but I thought with the Dead Leaves and Sugar Crystals, this one was worth a try. It does have a slight sense of soapy and powdery, but the sugar counteracts that to a degree, and the Dead Leaves linger in the background, like a backdrop to the violet and sugar. I am glad I tried it, but this won't become a part of my regular dead leaves rotation.

When I whiffed it, I was worried it was going to go playdoh on me like Hope and Love did. This one almost does that - but stops just short. It is delightfully girly, but I don't see myself wearing it because it is sooo girly. The kind of girly of playing in mom's make-up and playing at being an adult.

I am iffy on violet - like, I want to like it, but it just doesn't seem to work. This is pretty clearly violet - there's a slight chalkiness to it, or perhaps a duskiness is more accurate, which may be the violet or the tuberose. I am not picking up on what I would describe as lilac, but I also don't interact with lilac a lot.

#66

Fruitier than expected when wet, but it doesn't take long for the jasmine to step in, and it's an indolic, classic jasmine. They parry for a bit, but eventually the fruitier aspects win out and it's a nice fruity with jasmine beneath. Bath and Body Works had a scent like this for awhile that I really liked - this is, of course, a much nicer version of it. I love it!

Cologne - at first, one I thought I might like, but when I have retried it just hasn't hit the right chord. Seems almost a cologne smarmy guys with money, who want to make sure you know they have money, wear.

At first when wet, it's lovely grassy dandelions, but the honey quickly steps in. Hoping it won't go plastic on me as it dries! Ah, yes, no plastic, still very honey, but a delicate and light honey. Just all around pretty is how I would describe this.

I received this as a frimp from a recent BPAL order. This one surprised me! I applied it first, then looked up the description. It is all around very well blended, so I had trouble identifying different notes. I actually would not have guessed lavender right away because it is very subtle (or maybe just subtle for me - I love me some potent lavendar!) But now makes sense in terms of the description of a genteel fougere, though not getting much in terms of the deceptiveness of it because it is so smooth and well-blended.

I received this as a frimp with a BPAL order, so it contains notes I usually avoid like patch and carnation, but I am pleasantly surprised by this one. It is definitely patch, but a softer and florally patch which may be the ambergris and orange blossom? The carnation adds a spike of spice to an otherwise smooth scent.

Mmmm, this is exactly like it sounds. It's a light tea scent with ginger (though the tea seems more green tea to me than white tea - it actually reminds me of that 90s Elizabeth Arden Green Tea scent, which I totally wore, and which apparently they still make cuz I just googled it!). It has a perfumy quality to it that surprises me - it gives it more staying power than a lot of tea scents. I suspect it has a white musk or something else to give it more oomph than a lot of the BPAL tea heavy scents.

I got this as a frimp with a BPAL order, so it's not something I would have ordered on my own because dragon's blood and apple, two scents I love, I HATE on my skin. This is no different. In fact, the combination makes it even worse. BUT, if you like dragon's blood and apple, this is for you - the floral notes are there, especially closer to the skin, but it's mainly dragon's blood and apple.

Someone I swapped with was kind of enough to send me a sample of this to try! Wet is a lovely sweet, marshmallow without being cloying, but it quickly dries plasticy on me, much like Love did. Alas.

Reading earlier reviews, I was worried I wouldn't get the coconut, but I do! When wet, it's mainly Lilith's lavender with vanilla, but as it dries, the lavender mellows out and the coconut becomes more prominent - but it is a vanilla-ed coconut. I blind bottled this because Lilith's lavender, vanilla, and coconut are some of my favorite notes, and I was pretty confident that together it was a total no-duh for me. While this is true, the lavender is the most prominent scent - and I love Lilith's lavender, but I also have several Lilith's with this note, so I was hoping the coconut would be a smidge stronger. Still I will be wearing this A LOT - especially during the summer months.

Bluebonnet is everything I hoped. Being a native Texan, I wanted to support the cause, but I also was hoping it might smell close to the Evening Stock single note, and it definitely does! Despite being a wildflower, the scent is more sophisticated than I would have imagined, and also more complex than I imagine a single note to be. It will definitely do for something to fill the hard to find Evening Stock single note, and even without the comparison it stands on its own for being a beautiful, sunny floral.

Whoa, this is very much sea salt at first - it reminds me of those little packets I would buy for my underwear drawers as a kid. This disappates after awhile and the milk comes in, but not as strongly as I would like. But, still this is a perfect scent for those who want a lovely, sea spray scent.

 

Can anyone suggest a sexy luper?

Womb Furie!!

 

Oh yes, I second that! It's an all time BPAL fave of mine!

Le Vice Supreme from this year's Lupers is one of my fave for being sexy, smutty, and provocative! (The name says it all!)

This has gardenia and bergamot in it which made it a must try for me when I recently swapped with someone. It reminds me a lot of Tissue, but it's not as soft. I could probably deathmatch them and pick my favorite, but I am on a gardenia kick right now, and this is a def for gardenia lovers.

Oh, wow. This was a little sharp (in a good way) at first, but as it has tried down it has really transformed into this well rounded scent - it's soft and dry, much like dried leaves. The woodiness is very subtle, but definitely there. It fascinates me.

I was hoping the pepper would be more dramatic in this one, but it's very faint...or maybe I am even trying to make it happen. This on me is mainly white chocolate and strawberry. It's very pretty, but I wanted more sharpness from the pepper.