AEris

In the imp, Midnight Kiss has a terrible, sickly-sweet, fake-caramel kind of note when it hits my nose. It is sickening to me, and so I had no interest in trying it. However, I've been frimped by the Lab three times, now, so I've finally decided I should let a drop hit my skin. I don't know what that smell is in the imp, but once Midnight Kiss is on me, the "yuck" is non-existent, and the scent is a different creature altogether. It's quite beautiful and I definitely see why people are likening it to Mme. Moriarty (of which I own 5mL). Midnight Kiss is juicy, warm cherry compote tempered with lovely hints of cocoa, pipe tobacco, and a whisper of sandalwood and patchouli. It's luverly! It's completely different than the ick that I smell in the imp, and is yet another reminder that you can't judge a BPAL without giving it a chance on your skin. As it dries down, the juiciness subsides, and it becomes a little more woody, as the patch and sandalwood start to dominate more and more. I am surprised at how much I enjoy this scent, but I don't see myself wearing it again for some reason. Maybe because it reminds me of the Misfortune Teller, but the Madame has not been trumped by this Kiss. Also, the patchouli and sandalwood are a bit more dominant than I prefer in a blended scent (as much as I dig wearing them as a 50/50 blend on their own). I'll still frimp this one along, but I'm glad I gave it a chance, because it's a helluva lot nicer than I expected.

'07 Version I was expecting something far less creamy with Snow White. I mean, it's a white scent, but in a milky sense - I don't smell any florals at all! I'm not sure what's in here, but I am getting an almond milk/coconut milk base with a swirl of something aquatic (non-citrus aquatic, I must emphasize). It's like there's a drop of men's cologne in here...ozone, maybe? I was expecting something so different from what Snow White is on me. It's foody, but still airy - The coconut-topped angel food cake comparison was pretty interesting, and I'll second that, valentina! I hate almond, and I'm not a huge coconut fan these days, so I don't think SW is a keeper for me. Sad Face!! I just don't like it. So bummed. It reminds me of Ralph Lauren Hot, to be quite honest. I hate it when scents don't work for me, I want to like every single one! I hope I can find a more appreciative home for this little princess, because she totally wants nothing to do with me.

Hrmmm... I really am not sure if I like Noche Buena or not. The florals are so sweet that they have a fruity quality, and then there is a dryness in the background which I think is the sage. This tickles my brain because it seems juicy and lush, yet herbal and green, all at the same time. My head a'splode. It's interesting, but I don't think it's a winner with my chemistry. Mwah.

This is an awesome thread. I've got to try Moxie some more, I wore it a couple of times but without any particular reason. Scents that really lift my mood include the soft honeyed Sed Non Satiata, the bright Eos, and the chocolatey Bliss.

ooohhh this is really pretty on me! It starts out all violet, which makes me all smiley. Then, it dries down and the sandalwood comes out a little, backing up the lavender, gardenia, and ylang-ylang. Soooo glad that Veil is one of those scents that stays true to its description with my chemistry, because I'm a fan of all of the notes! I think this is going to be my scent of the day today Giving it 4.3 out of 5

Jasmine is one of my favorite notes, and although Pannychis is attractive to me, for some reason I am not falling in love. It smells like jasmine, ylang-ylang, and a hint of sandalwood. It's like, jasmine with a bit of a dried-out feel. Not heady, dewy, humid jasmine like in New Orleans, but like jasmine tea leaves. As it dries, the sandalwood comes out a little more. It's okay, but I'm not too excited about it. Not sure why. 2.5 out of 5

Katharina is a strongly fruit-forward scent, and certainly smells like apricot. People who are into fruity blends will like this one, but it's not my thing.... Honestly, it just reminds me of a tropical-scented Glade Plug-In air freshener. I don't really like it....Sorry! 1 out of 5 on me

On my skin, I interpret Black Opal as: Vanilla and Musk, and faint Green Coconut, with a hint of something herbal. This scent is also slightly powdery on me. It reminds me a bit of Dorian, because it's vanilla with a hint of greenery. It's okaaayyy....I had to try it because of the name, but I don't see myself clinging to this one. It's reminding me of commercial perfumes, like Ralph Lauren Hot or something. 2.7 out of 5 (On me, it's better than "meh," but not by much.)

This is mostly lily on me, as many of the cool-floral-moon-blends are, but White Moon is a little different, because I like it more. Yeah. Um, isn't that a sophisticated review? Wet, this scent is true-to-life lilac, and it's just so gorgeous. Smells like spring at my mom's house! The lilac fades after about 15 minutes with my chemistry. It's not too unfortunate though, because the subsequent stages are also beautiful. I usually find that lily amps like crazy on me, and is a little too fresh and green and sharp. However, in White Moon, it is tamed (although not dominated) by the softer companion notes (musk, wisteria). I don't get much violet or lilac from White Moon, but their role in the background helps to take the edge off the calla lily so I can enjoy it. The sandalwood is extremely faint and not really noticeable to me. I do like this....I'm not sure if I need the whole bottle, but time will tell : -) 3.8 out of 5

So, when Gypsy Queen is wet, it's a spicy, smokey explosion that is a bit overwhelming for me. After about 10 minutes, though, it's divine! It strongly reminds me of the (Shrinivas Sugandhalaya) Nag Champa perfume oil, except with actual throw and staying power. It also reminds me of Chrysanthemum Moon, just with more spicy "bite." I'm mad that I like this so much because I won't be able to get a bottle, I don't think. I will have my little decant though! Gypsy Queen is a warm, spicy, incensey, smokey, dark floral. Very sexy! 4.5 out of 5 ETA: I love this even more now that I've tried it a few times. If Snake Oil is too powdery/sweet for you, try Gypsy Queen. (even though personally, I love Snake Oil with a hot passion)

Wet, this starts out a bit medicinal, but it sweetens up as it dries down. It's an earth scent to be sure, but the fig adds a bit of smooth fruit to round it off. The patchouli is not dominant, and although it's a significant note, my brain doesn't shout "patchouli!" when I wear this. This is indeed very well-blended. It's a deep, dark scent, and it's a little dusty. I think this would work very well on a juicy man, but women who like spicy, woodsy scents can wear this too because of the warmth from the fig. I don't know if this is really my style today, but I do like it, so: 3.9 out of 5 from me.

Yum!!! Wet, I can smell the orange spice, and then it dries into a warm, spicy, musky, dragon's-blood potion of goodness. The amber is going very powdery on me, even though I do like it. (Yup, I guess I'm one of those people.) Overall, this is a great little scent, a spicier and darker version of Dragon's Milk to my (untrained) nose. Dragging out some decimals here - 4.3 out of 5 (would be higher if amber didn't go to baby powder on me, but that's a personal thing)

I understand where the 'cough syrup' comparison comes from, when Osun is wet. Strangely, I also seem to be picking up rose potpourri. As it dries, I get hints of herbs and powder. But I still smell some sort of rose essence. This would complement Lush's "Honey I Washed The Kids" nicely, in my opinion. There's something about it that's a little like wine, too. Erm....I don't know. I can't say Osun is a winner on me, I like the softer honey BPALs and Osun is a bit brash and intense.

Yum! This reminds me of Beaver Moon '07, but with less fruit-candy scent and more of a juicy-syrupy-berry note. The vanilla cake essence is delicious, I wish my skin didn't amp it off so fast! I have the same sad face with Beav '07, because the tasty baked-goods note giggles at me and then takes off without looking back. There almost seems to be a sandalwood backbone here, and it's nice. I really like Eat Me, I've got to try it a few more times to determine how much.... As of now, hovering around 4 out of 5.

Wet: A strong candied scent, like grape soda pop and hay (I can definitely see how brit got a farm note out of this!). Drying down: calming into a sweetgrass and candied honey, still some kind of fruitiness...plum? urg.... something about Skuld just isn't too fond of me, and I have to scrub it off. It's just so cloying! And I hardly even had a drop on the back of a finger. I love honey, but in Skuld it's sickly and overpowered by the other notes. It really does smell like fermenting fruit. It's too much.

This starts out as herbal with some leather in the background. It's interesting, but the herbal note smells exactly like Victoria's Secret Forbidden Fantasy on me. ( ) I'm serious, to my nose it is exactly the same. And, I can also pick up on that curry note....which quickly starts to smell like: Ew. Body Odor. This just isn't going to work on me. Take care, Macbeth! Sorry I couldn't hang with you!

This is a cool, crisp, night-floral. The blue musk is only in the background to ensure that this scent isn't too harsh or sharp because the florals are so fresh and green. I'd characterize LNM as a white/pale floral with a balanced coolness and an ethereal quality. My nose isn't very well-trained when it comes to these moonlit florals, so I find that this blend actually reminds me very much of the Gibbous Moon and Swan Maiden. I can't say that I don't like it, but I will say that it's not quite my style. I tend to go for florals with a little more humidity and roundness to them (like New Orleans, Juliet, Delight, etc.), and I'm honestly jasmine/ylang ylang's biggest fan. So if you don't like those kinds of scents, you can't take my opinion into account. : -) Even though I don't think I will keep Long Night Moon in my collection, it's about a 3.5 out of 5 from me.

I got an imp of O fresh from the lab, so it hasn't aged at all.... So, with that in mind, I have to say that O is the most powdery BPAL I have tried as of yet. It's not bad, but I mean "Wow!" is it powdery! Some people claim that honey or amber can go baby-powder, especially when it's fresh, so I may still buy a 5mL of O and let it chill for a while before I really make a judgement. I can smell the honey, too - it's soft and happy and clover-y. I like powder, so I'm not disappointed, but I really get the feeling that there's more to explore here, and that I'll benefit from acquiring a bottle to set aside with patience. As is, it's still at least a 4 out of 5, because it makes me so damn smiley!

Edit: This is my favorite GC scent ever, but I like it aged. When it's fresh, I don't really like the pear, and the scent just smells completely different. But, when it's aged, it's just exactly the perfect scent for me. This was a mystery for me for a while, because I even suspected that I had a mislabeled imp when I compared my fresh 5mL to the initial imp that I had! It's just absolutely breathtaking. I get compliments on it whenever I wear it. So I am wearing BPAL's Juliet today, and it is striking me as very similar to Lush's B Never Cocktail guest soap (ltd. holiday '07 stuff). I have no freakin clue why, as it seems that none of the notes are the same. I never even considered trying Juliet because it sounded like it would be too sharp or too fresh smelling, and I'm not a huge fruit fan (or so I claim....) I caught a whiff of Juliet at a recent Meet & Sniff, and scooped up an imp because it reminded me a lot of Sleepy Moon, which is my favorite BPAL (and the Cocktail soap smells kind of like Sleepy Moon which is why I scooped it up in the first place). After putting Juliet on my skin today, I realized that it also reminds me strongly of the Cocktail soap. Why? How? I don't know. It doesn't even have ylang ylang in it! All I can say for sure is, Juliet has a striking similarity to Sleepy Moon and Cocktail to my nose. Should I blame chemistry? My nose? Whatever the case, I'm taken and need two bottles soon. Oh, what does it smell like? Well, I can try to explain....it's a very soft, jasmine-esque floral (maybe this is from the honeysuckle?) with a lovely roundness from the white musk. Seriously. Juliet is a hidden gem that I never would have sought out and I'm so glad she's this beautiful. Not joking about ordering two bottles ASAP (and this is coming from someone who owns like 10 bottles and doesn't often buy them). Lurve lurve lurve lurve lurve 5 out of 5

I may have partially answered my own question here, but in case anyone else is interested, I'm gonna post it anyway... Sleepy Moon is my favorite BPAL, and I've been hoarding it like crazy, and I just discovered that GC Juliet smells so similar on me (??? it's true) I have no freakin clue why, as it seems that none of the notes are the same. Juliet is "Sweet pea with stargazer lily, calla lily, heliotrope, honeysuckle, white musk and a touch of fresh pear." I never even considered trying it because it sounded like it would be too sharp or too fresh smelling, and I'm not a huge fruit fan (or so I claim....) I caught a whiff of Juliet at a recent Meet & Sniff, and scooped up an imp because it reminded me a lot of Sleepy Moon. After putting Juliet on my skin today, I realized that it is just so awesomely similar that I need more. Why? How? I don't know. It doesn't even haveany of the same notes in it! All I can say for sure is, Juliet has a striking similarity to Sleepy Moon (and, incidentally, Lush's B Never Cocktail soap) to my nose. Should I blame chemistry? My nose? Whatever the case, I'm taken and need two bottles soon. Does anyone agree with this assessment? And if so, what would you layer with Juliet to make it even more similar to Sleepy Moon? (I've also posted this reply in the Lush/BPAL thread for Juliet's Cocktail simiarity.)

So I am wearing BPAL's Juliet today, and it is striking me as very similar to the Cocktail soap. I have no freakin clue why, as it seems that none of the notes are the same. Juliet is "Sweet pea with stargazer lily, calla lily, heliotrope, honeysuckle, white musk and a touch of fresh pear." I never even considered trying it because it sounded like it would be too sharp or too fresh smelling, and I'm not a huge fruit fan (or so I claim....) I caught a whiff of Juliet at a recent Meet & Sniff, and scooped up an imp because it reminded me a lot of Sleepy Moon, which is my favorite BPAL (and the Cocktail soap smells kind of like Sleepy Moon which is why I scooped it up in the first place). After putting Juliet on my skin today, I realized that it also reminds me strongly of the B Never (Lush) Cocktail guest soap. Why? How? I don't know. It doesn't even have ylang ylang in it! All I can say for sure is, Juliet has a striking similarity to Sleepy Moon and Cocktail to my nose. Should I blame chemistry? My nose? Whatever the case, I'm taken and need two bottles soon. Does anyone agree with this assessment? And if so, what would you layer with Juliet to make it even more similar to Cocktail? (I'm copying this reply in the 'limited edition = general catalogue thread' for Juliet's Sleepy Moon simiarity)

Um, so I tried Lush's B Never Cocktail guest soap, and I am obsessed!! It is soooooo gorgeous, it smells so awesome....and it's a holiday-07 limited edition soap..... I have two questions for anyone who cares... 1. Has anyone else tried this? And, more importantly, 2. Is there a BPAL blend that smells like Cocktail? I would just spring for a bottle of the B Never Cocktail perfume, but not only is it like $100, it's not BPAL and I've suddenly become a bit monogamous....and did I mention that it's a hundred freakin dollars?? Here are the essential oils in the perfume (although "perfume" is also an ingredient, and is therefore a mystery to me): Lavender, Bergamot, Jasmine, Rose, Sandalwood, Ylang Ylang. Any suggestions will lead to money for Beth-n-friends! Please share your secrets!

You're going to hate me, but Beaver Moon '05 keeps its identity after the drydown. I've only tried it once or twice because I got an almost-empty sniffie as a freebie, and it smells like vanilla cupcakes with a buttery note that actually sticks around on me. I have the same problem where the buttery, bakey note evaporates immediately from my skin (it happened with Beaver Moon 07 and Pumpkin Cheesecake). I wouldn't recommend trying to get a whole bottle unsniffed, though, because they are sooooo expensive. I would also recommend Bliss to you, it smells exactly like freshly baked chocolate brownies and stays that way on my skin. It's ridiculously delicious.

This is a lovely bouquet of white florals with a hint of green freshness. It's very fresh and pretty, and I like the scent. Personally, I like my florals to be a little rounder, creamier....this has a slight sharpness to it that keeps me from being totally in love. This is similar to my taste in wine, I tend to shy away from wines that are very dry or green. I would compare Swan Maiden to an Italian Pinot Grigio. It's very nice, but a little too fresh and crisp for me to go bonkers over. I definitely would call this an early spring scent. It has a tangible lightness to it, but with decent throw. Nice!

The scents of the blossoms of darkness, condensed into one perfume. Features a rose base, softened with lilac and wisteria. I did not get any rose from this scent, not even a hint....strange, considering most of the reviews, and the scent description itself. I must agree that this smells the same in the imp as it does on my skin, which is to say: Ylang-ylang, jasmine, wisteria, and lilac. I know that ylang-ylang and jasmine are not listed as notes in this fragrance, but this blend is so evocative of those notes that I can't help but detect them, even if they are false impressions. I really like this scent, not head-over-heels 5mL lurve, but I will keep the imp for when I need a sweet, heady, spring bouquet. Edit to add: I'm trying it again today, and now I smell a balanced blend of rose and lilac and wisteria to round it out. I don't smell jasmine or ylang-ylang at all this time. What the hell was I on the first time I tried this? : -P It's a little too powder-poofy for me, I hope it wears off soon : -/ 3.0 out of 5