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BPAL Madness!

Sheila

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Everything posted by Sheila

  1. Sheila

    The Emathides

    I haven't written a review for a very long time (at least a year), but this gorgeous blend has inspired me to stop being so lazy. The Emathides is one of those blends where no note jumps out at me, and if you asked me what it smells like, I'd be hard-pressed to pick out any individual notes. However, the overall effect on my skin is fabulous. It's dry, sophisticated, and smoky. It's complex and deep. My best attempt at a description would be a dry floral (that's not too flowery) over warm amber with a slight touch of sweet fruit. Thank you, Beth! This is fabulous.
  2. Sheila

    Orange Blossom and Neroli Recs

    Jezebel, on me, is all orange blossom and honey sweetness.
  3. Sheila

    Ozymandias

    Warm, glowing sand.... Vintage, classic perfume... A desert breeze, hot and fragrant.... I adore this scent, and ordered a big bottle about 2 minutes after trying the imp. It's a very evocative, hot scent--I can't pick out any notes, but it really does smell like desert breeze.
  4. Sheila

    Why do scents turn to baby powder on me?!

    I *adore* powdery scents. Your skin may be different, but my favorites are: Unseelie (sadly discontinued) Alice Oberon O Jezebel Zephyr Snake Oil (at certain times of the month, it's a lovely, sexy, deep power on me. Yay!)
  5. Sheila

    Parlement of Foules

    Medieval romance and courtly love. White rose and soft resins. Yes, yes, YES! This is so lovely! I'm glad I ordered it--I wasn't sure I needed another rose scent, since I have and love Maiden, Love in the Asylum, London, and Seance already. But they're all different, and all lovely. This is exactly as described--rose, and the softest, prettiest resins you can imagine. They're spicy, but in a gentle way--almost sweet and faintly chocolatey. The rose is very soft, too, and not at all sharp. It doesn't last long on my skin, but it's so perfect with my skin chemistry that I'm going to keep re-slathering. It's nice in my scent locket too--but not as sweet. Love it!
  6. Sheila

    Red Lantern

    In the bottle, this is SO yummy. It's sweet caramel, but not overwhelming (like Hellcat or Sugar Skull). YUM. On, at first it's caramel, then it's tobacco, then it's opium and floral incense. Where'd the caramel go? I miss it. There's a floral note in here that reminds me of Pink Phoenix (though this is not pink in any way!). What a morpher. I'm not sure if I like it or not--I'll have to give it a few more wears (to various places) before I decide.
  7. Sheila

    Khajuraho

    Huh. This smells like single-note black currant on me. Strange, since there's not black currant listed as an ingredient. It's definitely fruity and sweet. I get some florals at first, and then nothing but black currant, which smells like sharp-and-sweet berries to me. No resins, no sandalwood. I've tried this twice, and both times it's the same! It's pretty, but not what I expected.
  8. Sheila

    Smut

    This is such a strange scent; I can't decide if I love it or hate it! I've worn it twice now, and it's smelled so different each time that I can't quite figure it out. In the bottle: this oil is DARK. It's almost darker than the amber bottle it comes in. And in the bottle, it smells like Snake Oil, but lighter. Yummy and sweet. On wet: Snake Charmer, but with no plum! There's a strong boozy note, also. Later: Still sweet like Snake Charmer, but there a dusty note (like the one in Miskatonic Universtiy) also present. And one of the musks--not sure which one--smells like dirt on me. I wish I knew what was causing that dirty smell--then I'd know to avoid it. The sharp booze is still there too. Later: After several hours, when this is amost gone, there's the faintest breath of sweet sugar left on my wrist. I love this almost-gone scent--the "dirt" smell is gone, the booze smell is gone, and I'm left with a lovely sugar scent. Verdict: I just don't know. It's such a morpher, and very complex. I ordered two scent lockets yesterday; I'll try Smut in one of them to see how it smells when it's not interacting with my skin.
  9. Sheila

    Arachne

    This smells exactly like the description: soft, gossamer, and sighing. It smells like a light floral with a slight herbal edge. There's a touch of sweetness, and a touch of something woodsy as well. It's nice, but a bit "generic floral" on my skin, unfortunately. It's a very complex scent, which I love, but it's so soft that some of the layers are lost. However, this would be perfect if you're looking for something non-evasive and wistful.
  10. Sheila

    Harlot

    This is very nice, and exactly as advertised: it smells like roses and cinnamon! The cinnamon adds a nice spicy quality to the roses. This is softer than I would have expected, but very lovely.
  11. Sheila

    Versailles

    This smells like oranges, jasmine, and a touch of amber. Unfortunately, I'm one of those people that amps jasmine, so after an hour or so, the floral scent takes over. Then it smells like single-note jasmine. Too bad, because when wet, this was beautiful and soft. I wish the orange and amber would stay around longer.
  12. Sheila

    Sophia

    On me, this is feminine, gentle, soft lavender. I don't get any of the other notes. It's not the fake lavender most places produce, though. Beth's lavender smells really sharp and herbal--just like the plant. However, lavender isn't really my thing, so off to swaps.
  13. Sheila

    Harvest Moon 2005

    It took me a couple wears, but I've finally wrapped my mind around this scent (if that makes sense), and I've decided I like it. At first, buttery apples (but not that gaggy, over-the-top butter scent that's in Jack). As it wears, the spices and sugar come out more, making this the tiniest bit incensey and sweet. (Yum!) I can also smell the pears and ivy, and just a smidge of the bergamot. It's very well-blended, though, and has a definite "autumn" feel without smelling like anything specific. In other words, none of the notes are overpowering.
  14. Sheila

    The Apothecary

    This is light, herbal, and mossy. At first, it's very herbal and faint, and just a little sharp. I like it more as it dries down--the moss comes out, lending a bit of earthiness to the blend, and the sharpness goes away. I'm left with a faintly dusty, OLD-smelling scent. It perfectly captures the name.
  15. Sheila

    Haunted

    I love amber, and I love musk--so naturally I love Haunted. This is a deep, dark, sad scent. It perfectly matches the winter we've been having in the Pacific Northwest--grey and wet. It's also strangely alluring, in a gloomy way. It's like a grey cloud surrounding me. (And whenever I wear it, I sing Poe to myself all day--a good thing in my book. ). ETA: And it gets deeper and...sadder...as it ages.
  16. Sheila

    Snow Angel

    Shelldoo is very, very sweet--I've been going through a lemon phase lately, and was dying to try this. So she sent me an imp! Thanks, Shell! This is wonderful. It reminds me of lemon soda--sparkling and citrussy. It's quite sweet and strong. As it dries down, the "floral tea" comes out--it reminds me of the florals in Pink Phoenix, but this is a sweet yellow scent instead of a sweet pink scent. This is the perfect lemon scent. Bravo, Beth!
  17. What about Snake Oil + Bathsheba (or some other "plummy" scent)? Because to me, SC smells like a less intense SO with added plum and a touch of coconut.
  18. Sheila

    Carnal

    Bold, bright mandarin paired with the sweet, sensual earthiness of fig. Fig and mandarin, huh? Then why do I just get dust and dried apricots? *kicks stoopid skin chemistry* I think it's the fig that doesn't work for me. Off to swaps.
  19. Sheila

    Leanan Sidhe

    Mmm, this is nice. It's light, herbal, and clean. It's perfumey and bright. This would be a good "first BPAL" scent, since it reminds me of a posh commercial perfume.
  20. Sheila

    Severin

    Because I'm going through a lemon phase right now, I was very eager to try this. It came as a giftimp in my last order--thanks, lab, you read my mind! On wet, it has the lovely lemon-and-tea scent I've been craving lately. As it dries, however, the leather comes out more strongly, making this a bit masculine on me. It's very posh and sophisticated, though, and would be soooo sexy on a man. I'm going to keep the imp for my DH.
  21. Sheila

    Titania

    This is very pretty and feminine. The adjectives that come to mind are light, luscious, and juicy. The fruits and flowers combine perfectly so it's hard to pick out individual notes, but I do catch a breath of a melon-like scent. Of all the scents I've tried, this reminds me the most of Blue Moon. This is very fae--a perfect scent for Titania.
  22. Sheila

    Embalming Fluid

    This is fabulous--the perfect fresh scent! If you're looking for light and clean, you have to try this. At first, it's all lemon (and I've been totally craving lemon lately, so it's perfect). At drydown, the tea and musk come out, making this clean, light, fresh, and pure. (I know I keep repeating those adjectives, but they're really very fitting!) I got a bottle untried, and I'm so glad I did. This will be perfect for everyday office wear.
  23. Sheila

    Bordello

    Yum, yum, yum. This is sweet and candy-like. It smells like blackberries and black currant to me, with a light touch of plum. It reminds me of Bewitched a bit, but with no sage or tea. I was worried that the wine note would take over, but I can't smell it at all. This is light and pretty on me. Glad I got a bottle.
  24. Sheila

    Jacob's Ladder

    This is soft, golden, glowing, and absolutely wonderful. On me, this is primarily an amber scent. There's a slight sweetness (which I'm guessing is the tonka and benzoin) at drydown as well. It's like a skin scent--not harsh or overwhelming, but definitely sexy. My husband really likes this one, too. A must-try for amber lovers.
  25. Sheila

    Hexennacht (2005, 2016, 2019)

    Musk, musk, and musk--with a side of herbs and forest notes. The musk is strong and sweet, and overwhelms the forest notes on me. (My skin amps musk, though.) I like it, but I wish there was more wind and forest and less musk.
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