Lucchesa

Oleander Honey is making me sad that the apiary has been discontinued. It's really lovely on me. It's a very pale oil, and not nearly as heady on me as some of the other apiary blends, and not perishingly sweet, I think because the slight sharpness of oleander keeps the dulcet qualities of the honey in check. It is perfectly balanced between floral and honey, and on me has no throw but good staying power, making it a perfect blend for work. This strikes me as a spring/summer daytime blend, but I loved it on this bright winter day, too.

And no one has reviewed this for seven years? Amazing! Aquatics invariably smell like laundry detergent on me. This does not fall into that category at all. It is definitely a skin scent, and the nectarine is the most identifiable note. Skin musk always just smells like skin ought to smell but rarely does; it doesn't have a distinctive smell of its own. And oakmoss is kind of fuzzy and earthy on me. It is a lovely combination, and despite the octopuses in the name, I don't get seaweed or salt spray or anything aquatic at all. Do you work in a scent-free environment but still crave your BPAL? This would be a perfect scent for that situation. A quiet beauty, but you could lift your wrist to your nose and breathe in Beth's brilliance.

Apple is not my favorite note, but cardamom is, so I had to try this one. It may be the most beautiful BPAL fresh apple scent I have tried (baked apple works better on my skin). At first it is all apple and pale honey; the cardamom and blackcurrant are definitely background notes on me. I do wish I got more distinct cardamom out of this, but it is very pleasant. The notes might suggest late summer/fall, but it seems more like a spring/summer daytime scent on me, no throw at all and very appropriate for work or any social situation.

Some of my favorite BPALs have only a couple of notes. Add this one to the list. Yes, the frankincense predominates, a woody, resiny frank. And it would probably be gorgeous as a single note, but there is that bourbon vanilla that emerges more and more the longer this resides on my skin, adding a trace of rich vanilla sweetness. And just a trace. This is not a foody vanilla. The overall tone of Hope and Fear on me is dry, not juicy. Dry and rich and complex and gorgeous, and the throw and staying power are not bad. Beautiful! ETA wearing this again three years later and it has held up beautifully. Just about exactly as experienced above.

Bub is surprisingly foodie on me. It's snuggly and spicy, not soapy at all, and I'm not getting a lot of meadow smell either. Once it has completely dried down, the scent it reminds me most of, weirdly, is Ooky, after the almond has evaporated. I've always had very food-motivated dogs in my life, so maybe if your dogs have been indifferent to food and just want to chase a ball in a field all day it might smell different on you? Anyway, I love Ooky so it's very nice, just not what I was expecting.

Mmm, Velvet is gorgeous on me. It's a deep dark cocoa (the Lab's milk chocolate note goes sadly off on me) sweetened with vanilla. The dry sandalwood keeps it from being foodie, and the myrrh adds this beautiful dark depth that had me huffing my wrist almost constantly the day I tried this. It would have been an instant bottle purchase except that it is quite similar on me to Gelt-Smeared Dreidel, which I have a bottle of (cedar instead of sandalwood, amber instead of myrrh), so when that one is about halfway gone I will buy a bottle of Velvet and start aging it. So good!

I was trying this on my right wrist with De Vos' Unicorn on my left, and compared to DVU, Kitty is lower pitched, an adult contralto instead of a girlish soprano. I love it. I had a strawberry fail recently with Diligent Instruction for the Bridal Night, but the strawberries here are a little more tart (bergamot? I didn't make out the bergamot otherwise) and just gorgeous with the vanilla and sandalwood and what I would say is a darker honey, not a pale one. It lasted quite a while on me, with low throw (which is average for me). Did I mention I love it?

I totally understand why De Vos' Unicorn is so beloved. It's gorgeous, sweet and fluffy, rainbows and kittens, and manages the neat trick of seeming ethereal while lasting a good long time even on my sponge-like skin. But it's not me. I may keep my decant for when I am in a pale pink sort of mood, but I can't imagine using up a bottle.

2017 version Wet, this is all honey and peach and cocoa and yum. And yet having said that, it's not gourmand on me -- the yum is simply an expression of contented delight. The neroli helps keep it from going too sweet. I didn't smell a lot of overt patchouli or ambergris, so if either of those notes scares you, you're probably safe here; I think they just contribute warmth and grounding. Totally lovely but no throw and low wear length on my admittedly parched skin.

2017 version Wet, this is all rose and coconut, and as tinyvulture says, it's a novel combination and very lovely. As it dried down the lily became apparent but stayed soft, I think under the influence of skin musk and tonka. I never really smelled the sage, but maybe it was a grounding note, keeping the white florals from going all high-pitched. If you like rose and like coconut, it's one of those two great things that taste great together experiences.

The Library of John Dee is absolutely beautiful, the library scent I have been searching for. Some candlewax, gentle leather, incense, ancient paper, and a hint of papery dried rose petals, a lovely evocative combination, each note (ok, not so sure about styrax or onycha, but the others) perceptible, all quietly sounding in ensemble. And then my stupid middle-aged skin eats it up way too fast until all that is left is a dusty trace of rose. I will try slathering it because it is just that good and see if it lasts longer, but damn you, skin!

I recently got a decant of Jolabokaflod and wish I had been a BPALer last year because I would have gotten a bottle and a book and helped a good organization. I am still looking for the perfect library scent, though. Jolabokaflod comes close -- gentle leather, candles and old paper are all remarkably realistic. Unfortunately the chocolate note is very similar to the one in Bliss that goes odd on my skin, smelling like stale Hershey's. If the Lab's milk chocolate note works for you and you are in search of a bibliophile scent, this one might be just your style.

There's still a waitlist button posted, so I think you're safe. When it disappears from the site entirely, then it's gone. Make sure you sign into your account and get on the waitlist -- I got an email recently from the Lab telling me that Jareth was back in stock after being OOS for ages, so it does work!

I got a Mata Hari frimp from the Lab today and realized I had never reviewed it, so I gave it another shot. Yep, Mata Hari is still weird and awful on me. Even though there are jasmine blends I love, I'm coming to the conclusion that jasmine is often a disaster on my skin. In the imp it's sultry and dark, like something a damaged Philip Marlowe heroine might wear, but on my skin there's something about the combination of jasmine and coffee and rose that goes dramatically wrong. So sad as I can see how it would be so beautiful on others... ETA I had to wash it off then douse myself in Irish Coffee Buttercream to counteract the coffee oddness.

The Lab frimped me two of this one, so I had to try it, especially for the name. But like all aquatics, it smells like laundry detergent on my skin. Oh well, my hopes were never high.

A year ago I wouldn't have touched Clemence with a ten-foot wand cap. But now that I know not all patchouli smells like a Berkeley head shop, I'm willing to try a scent with patch listed as the first note, especially with beloved cardamom and carnation backing it up. And Clemence was worth the gamble. At first it was all patchouli and clove, but as it dried down it warmed into a snuggly spicy patchouli. I never get pepper (scent blind?) and didn't get any tea from this either, but I would have tried it even if those notes hadn't been listed. Carnation and clove are related notes to my nose, and the clove doesn't overwhelm. It's about as patchouli as I'm willing to go, but it really is a pleasure.

Warbler is a lovely floral tea blend on my skin, with a hint of plum. Cherry blossom can smell artificial on me, but that doesn't happen here. Green tea is always a little citrusy on me, and the tea, fruit and florals all work together to create a bright springtime feeling. Sadly, like so many shungas and tea blends in general, this one does not last long on me at all.

Wet, there's a blast of almond extract, which I love. Somewhere on the forums I read the scientific explanation for why the almond note is always so fugitive, and while I don't remember it (esters?), this is another example of a fleeting almond that entwines with and then bows out in favor of a gentle incense note, more fortune teller than fortune cookie. It is not at all foodie on me past the first ten minutes. I'm delighted I finally got the chance to try this, but I don't think I need more than the decant.

Strawberry candy. At first there's an appealing tart juiciness, but on my wrist it settles into a slightly artificial strawberry nougat note and is much too girlish for me.

I adore the name, but Velvet Dogs Playing Poker is one more disappointment in my search for a perfect pipe tobacco scent. I seem to be anosmic to the Lab's pipe tobacco note; I don't perceive it here at all, though there does seem to be perhaps a little cigarette smoke. The wood is the strongest note on me, then a little tonka, strong black coffee - not getting any booze or creaminess. Not particularly sweet on me. I don't think this decant is a keeper. Not a fave.

Rose and incense can be a lovely combination on me, but sometimes the rose goes sour (All Saints). Unfortunately, this is one of the latter cases. It is lighter and brighter than I expected of opium tar, and I think it would be lovely if the rose behaved, but the rose has a sour tinge that doesn't make me happy. I will pass this one on.

Also check out the current Yule Snow Queen update at Black Phoenix Trading Post: Caw Caw hair gloss and Language of Crows perfume.

Hot cocoa with cinnamon, coffee, and brown sugar. 2015 version. So, I was frimped a tester of this, and I adored it and sought out a bottle on the forums. And it got lost in the mail. I was sad, but these things happen. I would have ordered a bottle when Yules came out, but there wasn't a 2017 version. Then, a miracle happened: the package reappeared, and it finally arrived today. Oh the rejoicing! After all that anticipation, I opened the bottle and sniffed and was frankly let down. It struck me as a slightly insipid milk chocolate. Then I applied it to the back of my wrist and almost immediately, it transformed into something rich and complex, an adult version of hot chocolate. It isn't ridiculously foodie on me; I get only a whisper of cinnamon, and the coffee is deep and nutty, and I have a well-loved brown leather satchel on the table next to my hot chocolate, and someone is smoking a pipe at the next table. This one is magic on me, and it lasts and lasts -- I can still smell it, many hours later.

She Crushes for Men Happy, Fruity Wine. The description led me to believe that this would be a much darker blend than it is (I looked up chthonic, it means related to the underworld...) This is sweet, bright and bouncy, almost juicyfruit at first. It smells more alcoholic in the imp than it does once it hits my skin; I could easily wear this to work. On drydown I start to perceive a bit of the incense, but the overall tone is still bright and fruity. I like it, but I was hoping for something a little more sultry.

Fighter on me is a combination of brand-new leather and the scent memory of my father cleaning and oiling his shotgun after duck or pheasant hunting. So I might be getting a little avian blood and feathers. It doesn't morph a lot on me. I love the Lab's well-worn leather smell, but this is not it; this Fighter is wearing brand-new leather and steel armor. I think part of what I'm reading as leather workshop is actually red musk. Interesting and extremely evocative, but also strong and I'm not sure how often I would like to smell like this. I'm keeping the imp because I am shooting for a full set of the RPGs, but I don't see myself needing a bottle.