lizabelle

Oh, could it be? An amber that works on my skin?? For now it does seem to be behaving, and I get no powder at all. There's a gooey, almost fruity richness to this but it's not heavy--instead it's light and soft, like a much-loved sweater or blanket. The sweet pea takes on a warm quality thanks to the other notes, and the sandalwood is soft and cuddly. I'd definitely classify this as more vanilla/resinous than floral. I'll probably end up with a bottle of this, if only because it's the only BPAL I've ever tried where the amber smells like amber is supposed to smell on me.

Something about this really does feel magical! The patch and whatever those herbs are blend into a lovely spicy swirl, like fruity cinnamon(?) and woods. There's also something like prunes or raisins--definitely a dried fruit, because it's not juicy and there's a touch of bitterness to it. Or maybe I'm misreading and it's a resin. There's some kind of flower in here that I'm thinking is night-blooming, too. It's velvety and subtle but very pretty; it feels like the witch version of a scatterbrained professor, starting five spells/potions at once, with all the ingredients mixing together into this scent. I love it!

I'm also getting cedar out of this, at least after it settles. Wet on the skin it's obviously patch, and a bright, spicy, borderline-fruity patch at that (similar to the patch in Fake News, although probably not identical). Once it dries the sandalwood, patch, and frankincense blend together into a cedar scent very similar to Aureus on me. This is definitely a spicy, deep red-brown scent, and I can totally see a lady pirate wearing it. There's a brashness and commanding presence to it. ETA: I spoke too soon. After the Aureus phase it separates again into super-spicy sandalwood and fruity red patch. The richness of the wood really comes out as it warms to the skin. The throw is great. Full bottle for me, for sure!

This is the perfect tea scent! It verges on being a tea SN for me. On my skin I get a floral Chinese green rather than black tea, although I guess I can see how it's supposed to be that. I may be smelling the pepper and/or ginger and thinking it's floral. There's a great crisp vegetal note that I've only ever gotten out of a piping hot cup of green tea, though. This is slightly sweet but only in a natural plant sweetness way--I get no vanilla or honey out of this unless I really smush my nose into my arm. Even then it's faint and the tea is by far the dominant note. I'm not sure if this is a bottle purchase for me, but it's great!

I think this is the first time I've actually smelled hazelnut in a perfume, and I love it. It's sweet and nutty and blends with the creamy, milky coconut well. I barely get any iris here, but the musk is warm and soft in the background and rounds out the other notes well. Despite the notes it's not really a foodie blend. It almost verges on being aromatic/spicy with the richness of the hazelnut. I may have to get a bottle of this one--it's like nothing I have already and I'm really liking it.

This starts out as a nice dark, worn leather scent, but then...amber. I thought black amber didn't go to powder on me but I was wrong, because this is like old-fashioned face powder over that nice leather note. No tobacco at all, just soft sweetness. It even drowns out the opoponax, which I'm learning I love in darker scents. To be fair, it's not as unpleasant as most "golden" ambers are on me, but I'm still not a fan.

The lab's peony note is unfairly pretty. It makes me want to get bottles of anything with a peony note (which, granted, is not that much, but still!). This starts out similar to The Dormouse with a lovely fresh peony note and green undertones, but then sadly turns to soap on me. Very nice peony soap, but still soap. Aquatics utterly refuse to behave on my skin, which I suppose has saved me from getting another bottle of fresh pink floral perfume.

First, can we just appreciate the bottle art on this one? It's probably the prettiest bottle I own. I love the reflection effect! As far as how it smells, I'm detecting a pattern in my scent habits--I have a huge weakness for moonlit scents with night-blooming flowers. This is another ethereal, cool floral in the same vein as Cancer 2016, and Winter Jasmine SN, and other favorites of mine. The florals are sweet and soft, conjuring up an image of a moonlit night. There's just enough green bite from the sage and mint to keep it from being too one-note. Utterly beautiful.

I'll admit I bought this one for the cause and not because I'm a huge candy cane lover--I actually dislike peppermint as a rule and one peppermint thing per holiday season is usually enough for me (although there is never enough peppermint bark). Now that I'm wearing it, though, I actually like it quite a bit. Maybe not enough to get a Lick It every time they come around, but enough to keep a bottle on hand. The peppermint and sugar blend into a perfect candy cane scent, and the vanilla underneath is sweet and strong, helping to break up the nose-tickling peppermint. This feels simultaneously like being out in the snow and being inside with a big pile of sweets. Nice!

I expected this to be darker and gooier, but it's actually light and soft. The apple seems more golden than red to me, and the honey isn't one I've smelled in any BPAL blends before. It almost smells like a honey liqueur--this is extra concentrated honey, but it's still not too heavy or too sweet. There's a floral tone to it, but in a different way than in Les Bijoux or Hetairae; this is more an autumn floral than a spring one, fittingly. Definitely a winner for me, despite already having so many apple scents. At this point I think I could just blind-buy any BPAL apple blend and love it.

2009 version This is simple but very pretty and I can see myself wearing it a lot. The woods are incredibly creamy, to the point that I'm surprised there's no milk or coconut note in here. It reminds me of Yggdrasil a bit, but cooler and creamier. There's a restful quality to the herbs in here and it truly does feel moonlit. It's perfectly unisex and seems like it would be wearable at any time of year. A definite keeper.

This gingerbread is definitely the bread and not the cookie, which I actually prefer, both for smell and taste. There's a savory butteriness going on along with the spice bread, and the red fruit makes it feel more moist and a bit tart. It sort of smells like someone decided to put butter and jam on a big slice of gingerbread fresh out of the oven. Delicious!

I really shouldn't have looked at some of the older moon scents, for my wallet's sake, but I did. And I saw "chrysanthemum" in the notes, and I jumped. I adore chrysanthemums. This starts out bursting with red fruit, which is actually amazing--the pomegranate and berries blend together perfectly and there's the slightest whiff of a mum to ground them a little. As it develops the sorghum and hickory develop into a deep, warm base, and there's some creaminess from the rice notes. There's definitely some herbs lurking in the background, as well as tea and bamboo, and it all blends together into the most gorgeous, harmonious early-fall scent. It's almost apple-cidery from a distance, which honestly just adds to my love for it.

The blackberry note in this is incredible! It's all I smell right at the beginning, to the point that I was wondering if I misread what I had put on my hand somehow. They're juicy and yet somehow also a bit perfumey--there's this airy quality to it that's hard to describe. Over time the berries actually get more juicy, which I didn't think was possible! The leaf note does seem to develop over time, too, although it's soft and stays firmly in the background. There's a dusty earthiness that deepens the blackberries and makes this feel like a scent with more than two notes. I tend not to be a fruit-heavy perfume person so I'm shocked by how much I like this! It's perfectly autumnal and that berry note is amazing.

When I made my last purchase I waffled between Third Charm and Witch Dance for about four solid days. Both looked great, but I couldn't justify both bottles, so I went with this one because it seemed more like a "sure thing" kind of scent. I was so, so right. Deep, dark, spicy woods underneath soft herbed honey. For once the cedar doesn't take over, balanced perfectly with the patchouli (and the ho wood, I assume, but I've never seen/smelled that note before so I'm not sure). The honey here is the boozy, animalic honey of Blood Kiss and it works beautifully with the darkness of the woods and herbs. This is right in my scent comfort zone and I can tell I'm going to wear it lots.

When I bought this (from the lab's Etsy) and read "white rose," I was expecting a crisp, soft rose, maybe a little powdery. I could not have been more wrong! This rose is alive and assertive. There's a definite lemoniness to it that reminds me of geraniums--in fact this seems to me like what you would get if you interbred geraniums with red roses. There is a floral powderiness that develops over time but it remains big, fruity, and kind of spicy. This is exactly the kind of rose I love, and I will treasure my bottle.

I never thought a soliflore would crack my top ten, but this jasmine just might. This is the sweet, soft jasmine of my dreams--the jasmine from a perfect tea, the jasmine blooming under the moon. The jasmine. I'm honestly sniffing it and struggling to find words to type out because whenever I smell it my eyes roll back a little and my brain just kind of goes blank. It's perfect, and beautiful, and I may have to hoard. ETA: Now that I'm less hypnotized by jasmine I can report that the throw and wear length of this are amazing. It leaves a soft, pretty trail without being outrageously big. I put some on last night at around 10; this morning at 9 I can still smell it on my skin. Definitely multiple-bottle worthy. I can't think of much it wouldn't layer with beautifully, and I may just wear it on its own too.

I was not planning on getting so many bottles from this series, but I can't resist the lab's apple note. It's so fresh and true and it seems to work well on my skin. This starts out as crisp, green apples and gradually turns a bit darker from the tobacco and tea. Somehow it almost feels metallic--for a moment there I thought the description said "silvered" instead of slivered, and that would fit too. It's light and almost floral without being truly sweet, and I can see myself wearing it at any time of year. Yet another winner!

The rosemary/lavender blend in this is gorgeous--deep, herbal, and a touch powdery. The blackberry is a little harder to find, but it blends with the musk to form a sweet, dark base. The bergamot lends a nice sharpness to an otherwise-soft blend, and keeps it feeling unisex. Unlike some of the lab's other primarily-herbal blends, this one actually has some throw on me. That makes it a winner! I think I'll be wearing this a lot when the weather warms up, because for me there's nothing like a fruit/herb blend on a hot, humid day.

Starts off as the cherry-est almond you ever did smell, then settles down into a soft, pleasant cookie scent. It's not overly sweet, so those who don't usually go for gourmands don't have to fear. There's the spice of unburnt incense in the background, as well as a true smoke note reminiscent of Weenies "bonfire" scents. It's not a blend I would have thought of but they go great together and I can see myself getting a lot of wear out of this. Glad to have a bottle!

Oh, beauty. I'm still terribly confused as to why this one works great on me and Road to Versailles doesn't, but oh well. It starts with a burst of apricot, blood orange, and the lovely bold lavender note found in so many of the Yules this year. Sadly the lavender fades pretty quickly, but it leaves an almost gooey fresh apricot and a resiny, vanillic base. I'm actually shocked that there's no vanilla in here, because that's what I smell. No amber bombs in this one, maybe because benzoin tends to work on me and is keeping it in check. Festive but still very refined--this feels like what a society lady might have worn to a party sometime in the past.

This is going to sound dramatic, but: this is the tragedy of the season for me. Eggnog is one of my main holiday staples, but I recently developed lactose intolerance and I can't drink it anymore. When I saw this perfume, I thought it would be the perfect solution, but it doesn't work at all on my skin. It starts fine fresh from the bottle--I definitely smell rum and nutmeg--but then it disappears less than fifteen minutes later. There's still a wisp of something there that's very odd, if vaguely pleasant. Things that come to mind are the vanilla candle note from The Lights of Men's Lives mixed with milky cotton candy. Sadly, no nog at all to be found.

Oh my, this is gorgeous. It's foodie but not an in-your-face foodie because of the lavender, which is very present all the way through to the drydown on me. The cake note is rich and borderline-gooey, and if there's any ale here it seems more like it's baked into the cake than anything. I think I smell some currants or something baked in there, too. Over time it dries down to cake crumbs and lavender buds--just the faintest hint of how it started. Love this! Will be getting a full bottle for sure.

Between this and Egg Nog, I'm kind of heartbroken. Clearly I picked the wrong Yules! It starts off soft and a little vanilla-y, with some clean woody/herbal notes. Then amber amps enough to make my eyes water from feet away. Nose-wrinklingly sweet and powdery, but then that's ever amber that doesn't work on me. I would have loved to get the smooth, elegant scent everyone else did! I guess I'll swap this off to someone else who will love it more than I would.

This one starts out very generic "perfume" on me (seriously, I could not pick out the notes at all) with a cold snow note, and then over time turns into soap and plums. Or maybe plum-scented soap. It seems like it could be elegant and pretty on the right person, but that person is not me. Luckily this was a decant and not a bottle.