SmellsPrettyGood2Me
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Everything posted by SmellsPrettyGood2Me
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I picked this up as part of my never ending quest to make peace with jasmine as a scent note, because it is so often paired with other notes that I really enjoy, but I can so rarely wear it with pleasure. Jasmine is the first note to hit me here, followed by honey, then neroli, but no rose. Another reviewer referred to it as "nostalgic", and I would add old-fashioned and vintage to the adjectives. This is definitely the boudoir scent of a 1920's geisha who is burning incense on her vanity as she gets ready to entertain. Very softly powdery, and a decidedly wearable floral even for people like me who usually run screaming for the hills. Lower sillage and moderate longevity.
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This one broke my heart a little bit at first! Expecting to love two of my favorite smells in a holy union, on skin I got a whiff of what I can only describe as "warm pumpkin pie filling spilled on wet, moldy stone". It took a good hour for everything to settle down into balance. This was not a smoke-y incense for me, but YMMV. I will put it aside for cooler weather as I think the ambient heat and humidity did a number on how my skin chemistry took it on board.
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2009 version! This bottle is old enough to drive, and time has worn away at the edges of the notes to leave behind a sugary snow with a touch of rose water. Very quiet, not too sweet, and incredibly nice for those days where you want a "your skin, but better, plus a single pale rose" vibe. Although it's a Yule, I feel like this is wearable and enjoyable year round. Low projection, medium longevity. I would love to put a few drops on a sachet to keep in my unmentionables drawer, but I don't want to waste it!
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Black Pepper, White Sage, and Tea Rose
SmellsPrettyGood2Me replied to Seajewel's topic in Duets & Menage A Trois
In reality this is tea rose, white sage and pepper, in that order. I approached this scent with trepidation as I generally don't do well with rose or pepper, but I am so glad I tried this! Fragrant, and "clean" smelling, with no astringency or spice. This is a wonderfully ageless, romantic scent, fresh and pretty. Literally perfect, no notes. -
2024 version! I got this knowing that I already loved the Morocco scent DNA and was not disappointed. I agree wholeheartedly with others who declared this a "buttery" pumpkin, and would go so far as to say it's also just the tiniest bit nutty as well. Smells like a scent note sibling to the somewhat rind-y pumpkin in White Pumpkin and Bergamot. Incense-y but not too spice-y, thank goodness, although I get less carnation here than in the OG Morocco so if you're looking for that slightly crisp and floral sharpness you will be hard pressed to detect it here. I envision wearing this a lot while I wait for the classic GC scent to come back in stock.
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Hunter’s Moon: White Pumpkin and Bergamot
SmellsPrettyGood2Me replied to doomsday_disco's topic in Duets & Menage A Trois
In the bottle, white rind and a hint of spice. On skin, the changes start to happen. You know that new-plastic-coated-wire smell of a charging cable that accompanies the purchase of an iPhone or Macbook? That plus cinnamon (ratio 1:25 of plastic pumpkin cord to spice) is the first 10 minutes of this scent upon application. Around 30 minutes in, a wet dog smell begins to emerge and does not quit for the next hour. Bergamot? I don't know her, but I wish she was here to save me. Much improved 2+ hours later on lingering drydown, and I finally feel like I could wear this outside of the house without possibly offending someone. My skin is simply not worthy of the potency here. Unexpectedly robust projection even with the teeniest dab and very long longevity (7+ hours). If you are cinnamon sensitive this is not one you want to blind buy. -
Grateful that I blind bought this a full on decade after it was first released, because it has aged beautifully. Citrus top notes are often the death of me, but here time has faded them from what was surely a slap across the face in 2015 to a polite handshake in 2025. Deliciously chewy patchouli and clove are in a languorous duet of dominance, with just enough plummy sweetness to keep it from being too moody. This is the signature scent of a bawdy demi-god who sometimes just likes a quiet night in with a good book.
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Grassy, fragrant bluebells are the strongest top note, and the general impression upon application is fresh, soft florals in a cool breeze. Goes a bit soapy about an hour in, and starts to remind me of potpourri...but not in a bad way. But wherefore art thou, patchouli, musk and other notes? I think this may have been accidentally copied over from another scent description, which is unfortunate as this was what I thought I was getting the scent for. A lovely spring scent sure to please those who like green notes and fragrant flowers, just not what I was expecting as a whole.
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The wet opening here is not for the faint of heart! This goes on in a stinky and gooey olfactory slap, followed by a much sweeter, almost plummy dry down. At no point do I get any smoke, thick or otherwise. The cold rock note gives a nice contrast to the potency of the leathery vetiver as it mellows out over time. I would ultimately call this medium sillage with really good longevity (8+ hours). As a standalone scent, wearable for those who like boldness and earthy sweetness. In this collection, somewhere in the middle of the pack of the ones I've tried.
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If you are into bonfire, coniferous needles and vanilla, this is a "must try". The scorched wood leads the way here, and smells like an insanely photorealistic campfire literally still burning. There is a mildly astringent sap note in the background that fades in about 30 minutes. The char settles down quite a bit after drydown, and the vanilla sits quietly with a lingering note of pine for another 6 hours. I feel like there is a hint of a snow note here as well, but it is very faint. I can see this easily being both a ritualistic scent and a fall/winter banger. Really enjoyable for those who love forest firepit smells with a light sweetness, as I do.
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Love at first whiff!! Despite all of the red references in the description, this is a gloriously beautiful incense-y blend that smolders instead of screams. Red musk can be tricky when present in too high of a ratio to other notes, but here it is absolutely perfect. My nose and skin lean more towards amber/labdanum dominance, and the combo of the two is incredibly sexy. The Lab knocked this one out of the park. Please make this part of a more permanent collection, BPAL, I beg of you!!
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Big edit here: opened grassy, finished as overripe banana skin. As someone who does not like bananas, this is a pass for me.
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Very strong projection when wet, although it softens on the dry down. First impression: hand soap. Over time: hand soap. Pleasant enough, but too "orange" for me to enjoy on a regular basis.
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A rose scent for those who want the note to play nicely with other deeper, more powerful elements that can put it in it's proper place. I like that it is a bit sugar-sweet, rather than floral-sweet. The musk is not subtle here; it's bold, and a small dab goes a long way. Definitely full bottle worthy, and the bottle will last you a good amount of time.
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In the bottle, extremely frankincense forward. The cardamom is not as sharp and bracing as I expected, and largely takes a backseat. Amber is faint, powdery, and carries the barest whiff of smoke that doesn't stick around. After about 30 minutes on skin it warms up, and I could finally pick up each of the notes on their own. This definitely shares some scent DNA with my beloved Dahlia! Low sillage and longevity - I really have to get up in my wrist to catch it at all after a couple of hours. Pleasant, wearable, and likely to get even better with a few months rest.
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Idle Moon: Vanilla Husk and a Bundle of Twigs
SmellsPrettyGood2Me replied to doomsday_disco's topic in Duets & Menage A Trois
This surprised me! I expected the twigs to be dry and dusty, but they're still a bit green. There is a light humidity under the surface as a result. The vanilla comes off plastic-y, almost like the head of a doll, with a drop maybe of cinnamon in the background. Although this is just two notes, it feels more complex. I agree with others who think this will get even more interesting as it ages. -
Perfection, and I think it's the sandalwood that really ties this scent together. Sugared, airy flowers are bound with a small hint of coolness from the white silk ribbon. Not at all melancholy to me! I can see this being a wonderful wedding scent as it is more quietly pretty than most of the other Snake Oil variants. Glinda The Good Witch's signature scent, most likely. Very much hope this becomes a permanent member of the catalog.
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This is really terrific, and perfectly fits the bill for a "summer Snake Oil". Taking a deep breath in from the bottle, fresh cut grass dominates. Wet on skin, it's a newly manicured lawn with what I could swear is a tiny dewy lily hiding amongst the other lighter flowers. As the Snake Oil begins to emerge and the scent deepens a bit, it evokes the feeling of dusk coming. Truly a journey from the punchy first morning dew on a newly mown permaculture lawn to the lingering scent of a lightly vanilla earth below a setting sun. A home-run from the creative team at BPAL!
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More pomegranate than fig? Any brightness or sweetness fades very quickly. Agree with @Little Bird that the pastry note here is very dusty, like something that was leftover from last year's festivities and kept in a dark cabinet where it started to cobweb. No discernible lavender, either, somehow.
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Would have been beautiful, minus the Bliss. I just get too much milk chocolate, like a Hershey bar left in the car melted in the hot sun and soaked into the black leather seats. I will keep it to possibly mix with another imp (maybe something musky?) to see if I can frankenfix it to dilute it out.
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Testing a sample over 2 years later, none of the light fizz that others have described has faded! One hour in the fizz has faded and the scent morphs from raspberry seltzer into a berry scented pipe tobacco. Worth waiting for it to bloom as it gets better and better as it settles into your skin.
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Very creamy, milky, and, to my nose, a bit soapy - reminds me of one of the lotions I tried as a kid in the Cracker Barrel gift store. Thankfully no notable black pepper, which my skin tends to amp.
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YES. Fierce, powerful, industrial. The soot and smoke come to play in the best possible way. If this came in a beard oil I'd be leaving it in the bathroom cabinet for gentlemen guests to slather themselves in the next morning. A scent to wear to an early 20th century power lunch where you're negotiating a railroad contract.
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A grassy lily above all else! I had to wait an hour after application to detect the dragon's blood resin, and even then it was quite subtly there. The black plum is more concentrated, like juice, almost, rather than something fleshy. I like it!
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Sun warmed pungency, almost fermented. This gets nicer as it dries down into something softer. Cream of Wheat vibes.