wolfie13

Yes!!! I ordered this hoping beyond hope........... Hoping that this would smell like dirt and snow - for real - and it does! See, here's my problem - I have tried EVERY one of the "snow" and "winter" scents and while many of them smell fantastic in the bottle, they ALL change on me. My skin chooses one of the components to amp and all the blends turn either sickly sweet or fruity - seriously, like you'd be shocked to smell them on me (I'm looking at you, Snow Moon, Snow Bunny, Skadi - and Nocnitsa for that matter!) or totally floral (Frost Moon, Wolf Moon, Nuclear Winter, etc) Death of the Gravedigger smells pretty much the same in the bottle and wearing and during the drydown, which I couldn't be happier about. For reference: To me, this smells like Graveyard Dirt and Talvikuu - (the"snow" blend that stayed the truest on me), with a hint of resin - and the combination is more wearable on me than I find either to be alone. It will be a fantastic room scent as well.

This one was a real surprise on me - I didn't get most of the notes listed at all! Initial sniff and wear: Lavender and the herbal lemon of Verbena. I actually really like both of these notes, but I'm shocked to find I'm not getting much else! It's a tad bracing at this point, but not in a bad way. After about 20 minutes: The same two notes, but the white musk develops and softens and smooths everything over. (I love the way the labs white musk does this!) Late drydown: I get a teeny whiff of plum now and again. Final thoughts: This a much lighter blend than I would have imagined. And far less masculine than I would have thought as well - very gender neutral as others have said. It's actually very nice! (But I have another BPAL in the collection that is very similar on me, so I will try to trade for other CD)

Sweet honey and cake! After a few minutes of wear, i get some spice (a touch of cinnamon, and maybe nutmeg perhaps), but the predominant notes are still cake and honey. It's quite nice, actually, if you like this sort of thing, but for me it's too sweet and foody to wear. Surprisingly, it doesn't go burnt or plastic or ultra-buttery on me at all - as most of the foody blends do - so if I decide to become a convert this is where I will start! (And for reference, at least on me - I can see a similarity to Monsterbait: Underbed - but lighter on the spice and Honey added!)

I got a lot of the ylang-ylang in Dragon's Reverie

Yikes! I love frankincense and rosewood, but am discovering that I may not like them TOGETHER. Add in the lily note - which I don't like generally and things have just gone way south. It goes soapy on me quite quickly, with an additional odd "funky/musty" note as someone above pinpointed so well.

In the bottle: lightly fruity - apples and pomegranates - fresh, not super-sweet Wearing: I get a tinge of floral - chrysanthemum - and some light crisp apple. Then the bamboo and green tea actually really come out on me (my skin amps these notes.) I can see the progression from Hungry Ghost Moon to this one. Actually, come to think of it, it seems like all the Asian moons have exhibited this type of progression - Beth seems to carry over some notes from the preceding moon and adding new ones - you can take the whole year as a total body of work. I'd love to line them all up beginning with Holiday Moon and sniff in order. Its not a morpher on me - it stays mostly the same and I don't really get any of the super-fruityness or sweetness or grain notes that others seem to be getting. Its dry, lightly woody, lightly green, lightly appley. Other comparisons: It's a lot different than Harvest Moon 2005 on me. That one was spicier initially and eventually went really floral on me, which 2006 does not. And I can totally see how someone would call this "daytime Samhain". (I did actually try Samhain 2005 on for a side-by-side comparison and it seems they were closer in my memory than actually wearing. Samhain is much darker, and earthier though they share the same apple and woody aspect. And I was reminded, of course, of how much i LOVE IT. It's more me, for this type of scent, but it is QUITE strong - maybe I should keep this "daytime" version?)

This one is quite changeable on me. In the bottle: Honey mead - it smells drinkable! Lemony, sweet, sparkly. Wearing: Still honey mead, but joined with a grassy note. Wearing about 20 minutes later: The same as above but just a touch of summer floral - getting the honeysuckle for sure and something almost chamomile-esque (the daisy?). But I would not call this a "floral" blend on me at all. And this phase doesn't linger Later drydown: By far and away the most lingering phase of this scent is a lovely herbal honey. Smells like the honey in bengal. I am REALLY enjoying this. It makes for a blend that just says "summer" but in an unexpected way.

Yes, I agree with what many have said - dry, dusty, earthy scent. I don't smell ginger or spice in this, though. I definitely get patchouli, and possibly some vetivert, oakmoss and copal as well. Definitely a deep, grounded scent - seems to suit the name of this money blend and what it's purpose means to me - to do the work to start building up my finances from the ground up. I will ETA when I have more to discuss on usage.

In the imp: Mango! with a slight earthy background (patchouli) Wearing: The same as above for the first 30 minutes or so. Then the mango lightens up and I get more patchouli. The fig and green tea aren't so noticeable as individuals unless I sniff REALLY hard - but they are there lending a touch of sweet greeness. Impressions: The mango is too bright for me initially - i'm not huge on fruity scents - but after it dissipates somewhat, it's one of those fruity/earthy blends that I think Beth does incredibly well. There are others that I prefer for my mainstay in this category, but I will keep the imp! I must say that I've really enjoyed all the new additions to the Tea Party that I have tried!

In the imp: Pink candy. Wearing: Ahhh, the various notes start to make themselves known. The "sweet" part of becomes more obviously vanilla and less "candy", the sandalwood and amber show up in equal quantities. The sweet pea lends a teeny bit of a floral aspect, but I don't get that much. This doesn't really change much on me - predominantly vanilla/sandalwood/amber throughout. Very nice for folks who want a vanilla or sweet scent that's not foody. I haven't tried any of the bpals that seem similar to this, so I can't compare, but I do think this would layer very nicely with Villainess Spun Sugar soap! Very soft, sweet and feminine. Not generally my type of scent, so no bottle for me, but it's so nice that I think I will keep the imp for when the appropriate mood strikes.

Wow this is a strong sucker - in every way! Sniffing and wearing - LOTS of cinnamon, with a woody (heh heh) and sharp spice note. I'm guessing cinnamon, cedar and black pepper are the main elements in this blend. Lots of throw and long-lasting on me. Comparison to other bpal - the scent has elements of All Night Long and Three Witches. I like it better than either, though. Warning: It does leave a red, slightly burning patch upon direct skin application on me. It goes away after about 20 - 30 minutes. Results: It works. Well.

In the bottle and initial wear: It's a lavender and herbal scent. Quite light and bright. Upon wearing: I really like every stage of this. It evolves slowly and smoothly on me, no jarring transisitions. I love the lavender/herb crisp beginning. Then slowly some spice enters the pic. For me, it is just as said above, either carnation or a spot of sweet clove. (both?) Then - and I may be the only person that gets this - i seem to get the addition of a white or light musk softening and smoothing things. Ritual use: Okay, I couldn't resist applying some as i left the house today just to investigate the scent and on the off-chance it might have any immediate effects. Despite the lack of proper ritual, I honestly feel a bit better physically and mentally than I have in weeks - the malaise has dissipated somewhat - which could be coincidental or not - you decide! But I will update with results/feelings when I have put it to proper use. ETA: Okay - I have yet to do a full-blown ritual with this for larger effect, but EVERY time I've worn it: 1) I have a happier and more productive day 2) I get complimented on the scent (And it's not even the type of scent I normally like - on me it's seemingly got a lot of white musk, which I don't normally like. But it's also kind of lavender-y. And sweet. I'm repeating myself.)

In the imp: cedar, a bit of earth Wearing: cedar I actually do really enjoy a nice cedar note in a scent, but this one is too one-dimensional on me.

In the imp: Fairly light woodsy green scent. Upon application: The shea really jumps out. Since trying Obatala, I've come to realize that my skin amps shea like crazy. It's a very buttery, creamy scent on me. Too buttery and creamy. After about 20 minutes: The scent balances itself out on my skin. Soft slightly piney woods, a musky touch and the cream/butter of the shea has softened quite a bit. I like it okay at this point, but it smells more like something I'd like in a shampoo or lotion than as a perfume.

My review is pretty much the same as many others. In the bottle it's mostly a blast of cassia (dry cinnamon type scent) and as well upon initial application. I never get much of the cocoa or coconut as individual notes, but I can tell that they do add their own hint of depth and sweetness. The cassia pulls back pretty quickly on me, and what I mostly get is white CAKE with a tiny hint of spice. Unlike some other folks, (as I'm not much of a foody-scent lover), I actually got this hoping I would get MORE of the cassia and dry spice quality. As it works out on me, this is just way too foody. Sweet and delicious cake, but just not for me. But I must say that it does not go burnt or plasticky on me AT ALL, which many foody blends do. And I don't get an allergic reaction to it either. I quite like it - for a foody blend - but I knew I just wouldn't wear it, so it's off to a new home.

This one really does morph! In the imp: I'm getting the red sandalwood, carnation and a touch of aldehydes, giving it a perfume-y quality. I like it. As soon as I apply this: Bam! HONEY. And lots of it (no surprise as my skin amps it up, generally) But I'm also getting additions to the floral aspect - definitely some rose, and what I can only suspect is the jonquil. It stays sweet and floral for awhile and I'm really not loving it. But then the honey calms down a bit, and I get more of the carnations back (I love their peppery scent). And the sandalwood and incense play more of a part. A touch of cloves. Liking it at this point, but not entirely sold on it. But it sure is unique. (ETA: Late drydown is more clovey and I'm liking it best at this point. But not sure I want to wait the hour or so to get there.) (ETA: Okay, wait, now I'm getting more honey again. But it's a lighter version. Not swampy. (Yes I said swampy). It's rather like a spicier Alice, actually. With cloves. I come close to actually liking it at this point.)

In the imp: Exactly as stated, milk, shea, a touch of fresh (not candied sweet) coconut. Yummy. Wearing it's almost the same, but I lose the individuality of the notes a bit - which saddens me - and it becomes MILK MOON. It's nearly identical on me, except it's just a bit more sheer - the "refreshing water" note? Milk Moon was heavy cream and butter on me- too much, though i did like the idea of it in some way (as you can see by the fact that I've tried all listed below). This slightly lighter version might just make it more manageable (though I wish it retained a bit more of the coconut aspect that i get from the imp.) (And the boy loves all variants of this scent on me - even though i don't - so this one is for him!) This will be a must for fans of any or all of the following: Milk Moon, DSH Au Lait, CSP Matin Calin, Lait Sucre. All these scents are EXTREMELY similar on me.

Mmmmmmm - I get mostly balsam and beeswax from this with a touch of musk. Another one that stays mostly the same and remains well-blended on me. It's woodsy (not piney, but more that combined scent of leaves, bark and the forest floor) and the oakmoss doesn't go swampy on me for a change. The musk never overpowers but it's there lending a sultry edge. The honey note develops a bit as it dries down, but it's never overly sweet or cloying (my skin often amps honey like crazy.) It doesn't have a lot of throw, and does seem to fade on my rather quickly, but I do like that it's more of a skin scent on me. This is Very nice and would be lovely on the fellas as well.

In the bottle: Oh god - sweet caramel, like something out of Jessica Simpson's Dessert line. I'm horrified. Wearing: Caramel, yes, but wait.... While this note never totally disappears, the other notes join in. Yep - tobacco, amber, opium, black coconut (which can be a BIT plastick-y on me - I've tried the single note and know it's the culprit - but manages to not totally cross the line here) - they're all there. For once in my life, nothing dominates and it all becomes this fascinating, terribly evocative blend. A little sweet, a little spicy, a little smoky. This was the one I thought I'd like the least, if at all, and instead it's a keeper!

I can almost repeat Sarada's review verbatim. This brings to mind lush tropical gardens. Yep - on me it's pretty dang floral. These aren't floral notes that I know well enough to differentiate other than to say "hmmmm, smells like flowers". It's more complicated than that so both my description and skin chemistry are surely not doing it justice. After about an hour or so, I get a bit of the sandalwood and honey, but not enough for me to like it any better, and it stays exactly the same for the rest of the drydown. Just not my cup of tea.

This one really is quite a morpher. In the bottle: Very sharp alcohol and musk. Wearing: The same at first - for a good 30 minutes I'd say. Then it evolves into something that does indeed evoke a cross between Snake Oil (which I still adore to this day) and Snake Charmer (which I did not adore). Feeling kind of "eh" about it at this point. After about an hour there is a brief window where I could only describe it as a lightly sugared musk and I quite like it! If it stayed that way the whole time it would be something I'd be hunting down like mad. But that moment is over quickly and then the red musk element really takes over and the final drydown is nearly identical to Lust on me. Which I never really liked much.

Piercingly sweet berries over evergreen boughs, deepened by the tree’s sacred wood. In the bottle: Whoever said cypress up-thread - that's EXACTLY what I smell too. A sharpish evergreeen scent - though I wouldn't call it pine. And not "snowy" either. Wearing: This DOES smell a lot like Loup Garou - enough so that I looked up the ingredients for that one (yup - that one has cypress and some juniper and touch of eucalyptus - i bet this one does too). I've always liked Loup Garou but it wears a bit too sharp on me. But wait a minute......... Just 10 minutes later: This has mellowed out considerably. I don't get berries per se, but there is definitely a sweetness there. On me it's more of a tonka type scent (which usually is a sort of not-too-sweet woody-touch-of-vanilla on me). And a little bit of "minty" quality (likely from some eucalyptus or perhaps birch). Fascinating! I am REALLY liking this one. This could be a bottle. (And based on the teeny number of reviews, an entry for the Bpal Hidden Treasures thread!) ETA: OH NO! the drydown on this is a sweetish powdery berry - something i got no hints of for the first 30 mintues or so. And I don't like it any more!!

Upon initial application - this one is a bright, borderline soapy herbal a al Clairol Herbal Essences on me - and remains more or less the same. As it wears it gets a touch spicier and a touch sweeter, but not enough on either count for what I was looking for. It really takes a good couple hours for this to mellow and blend enough to be even okay on me. (ETA: this actually bounces back to more of the herbal soapy phase after a few hours - not good on me.) I think my skin chemistry is just not playing nice with this one at all. (And I also must admit that I am dearly in love with a similarly intentioned perfume from a commercial house - and tend to compare all others to it, so this review is not entirely objective.)

(This was generously frimped to me from Ice Queen - she spied it upon my wishlist.) In the bottle: Just as it says - I smell the tea, aloe and lemon and I really like it. Upon application: For the first 30 minutes or so it remains exactly the same - just lovely - I was thinking "oh maybe I finally found my summer scent". But then.... it gets totally soap-y (and loudly so) on me! SO unexpected - add this one to the long list of popular and well-loved bpals that don't work on me. And nobody wanted to have a summer signature scent called "Embalming Fluid" more than me! (Should I re-think my sale of Spirits of the Dead?? Count on Holiday Moon??NOTHING I've ever tried in this vein has been "the one".)

In the bottle: mmmmm - smells balsamic/herbal/citrus Wearing: The same overall feel with a bit of resin and spice. The notes have become more distinctive - I feel sure that frankincense and rosemary are in this, with perhaps a bit of orange and cinnamon. The bright herbal aspect is most prominent on me when wearing, and it smells pretty nice if you like that sort of scent, but to me this definitely smells like a ritual oil (which it is of course). I did feel a nice positive energy surge just from testing without any focus on it's uses, but I got this mainly to use with candles etc. I can tell this will be an effective one for me. (And PS - this smelled a lot like Ahathoor on me - if you want a GC scent of a similar nature.)