LadyLuckDoubt

In the Bottle It smells very fruity and is a canteloupe sort of colour. Pretty. On Me Initially, I dunno what happens, but it smells like... how do I put this politely--- I can't-- dog poo. Wet grass and dog poo, and I'm hopiong it morphs, because, how the hell does fruit turn into dog poo? It morphs, thankfully. I'm getting canteloupe and honeydew, a moist grassy outdoorsy softness, and something that reminds me of lilipilly berries (which probably isn't, because they're Australian and I doubt they're over in the States) and a splash of mimosa. Eris isn't pretty, though. I wouldn't call this scent sweet candy-coated girly goodness in spite of the fruity notes, I wouldn't say it's sexy and mysterious, I wouldn't say it's at all a dark fragrance, either. But it's not a "hippy" like fragrance, either. Instead, what I'm getting is more like an unashamedly real perfume: it's nondescript and down-to-earth and it just strikes me as very human. Weird, changing, with glistening pretty notes but also with this odd bluntness about it-- it doesn't stand out initially until you really pay attention. In all honesty, I don't know if it was meant to work like that (or if my skin chemistry is just effing weird) but I think it is a very cool concept and I like it.

In the Bottle It's a soft peach reminiscent of body lotions, and it's quite innocent for a perfume named after such an... interesting character. There's honeysuckle in there, too, and it seems a little bitter. On Me Oh, whoa, no it's not girly and innocent: this is a woman's perfume. It morphs something chronic and instead of being a dainty, polite peach, this becomes something else entirely on me. The amber makes itself known, as do the florals, and it's not really that sweet anymore, either-- it is, however, extremely classy and makes me think of high-end perfumes, only this stuff smells real. Plus there's a sexy, soft note which I can't place but which reminds me of Follow Me Boy. After awhile, the peach has all but faded into the background, and I just have this golden amber with a bunch of heady florals (I suspect some kind of lily is in here and camelia?) and it's just lovely, and it suits the concept SO DAMNED WELL. This is the perfume I'd wear to a job interview, if I was plotting a humiliating public revenge scheme on an ex who deserved it, or if I was getting up to any other sort of mischief where I wanted to project that I had nerves of steel and needed a confidence boost. Love this stuff. I didn't review it when I first tried it, but since then, I've bought myself a bottle, and yesss... it's amazing.

In the Bottle Pure incense. Oh noez! On Me It's very woody and resiny, but the resin is warm, if that makes sense: it's not a vetiver type cool. There's still incense here, but it's not the gah-choke-I'm-dying disaster that was Kostnice meeting my skin chemistry. Overall, it's woody, smoky, and there's a touch of incense, and a sharp sweetness. It's quite lovely, but I can see how this one gets the "masculine" label. This is almost like a less extreme, friendlier Malediction. Malediction meets Blood Pearl minus the nautical aspect. Fenris Wolf makes me think of what it would smell like if a very classy, expensive furniture store went up in flames, and I dunno, I think that's pretty damned awesome. Given that I love fire, I love resiny fragrances, I love masculine fragrances and I love weird combinations (the sweetness here is a pleasant and interesting surprise), I've gotta say, I'm glad I bought a bottle, and I think I'm going to enjoy it. I'm NOT getting the "sexy" thing people have talked about with this oil, though. (I tend to get weird emotionally things with various oils, so I expected I'd get the sexy with this.) That said, I kind of feel like starting a fire.

Hmm, my last one said it had reached the postal office or something. But thanks!

In the Bottle This is extremely soft and subtle, but very sexy, just like the description suggests. On Me I'm getting a pretty, soft twinge of amber amongst rose and almonds. And something akin to that "Playdoh" smell people have described, but it's still a pleasant, warm scent. There are herbs in there somewhere, but only a sprinkling, nothing too aggressive or out there.

Thankyou so much! I suspected it might have been something along those lines given that it would have been Friday afternoon, US time, I think (I got the CnS Saturday night, Melbourne-time) so thanks for alleviating my paranoia!

Okay, here's a weird one... I ordered on the 29th of Feb... I got a CnS yesterday (March 30th) and I went to the CnS address and got this message... Label/Receipt Number: ***********US There is no record of this item. Why Are You Receiving This Message? 1. Event information may not be available if your item was mailed recently. Please try again later. 2. The number was entered incorrectly. Be sure to enter all of the letters and numbers as they appear on your mailing label or receipt. Does this happen frequently, or do I need to start freaking out?

In the Bottle Whew! Lots of resinyness, definitely vertiver, and a cedarish hue. This stuff is REALLY thick, too, it oozes like a lava lamp in the imp, and it's a sappy, dark brown colour. On Me Campfire smoke. (Funnily enough, I put this on this morning: I woke up to the smell of fires burning because it's Melbourne winter-weather and people around our neighbourhood are tending their fireplaces from the smell outside.) But it's campfire smoke with a wet edge. And there's something mentholly coming through on me, too-- it reminds me of camping in the bush on a cold, crisp morning. Complete with Aussie gum trees. It's funny: I HATE camping with a blind rage, but this scent feels good and warm and comforty on me. It's what's good about camping-- without the insect noises at night, the drunken yobbos and the wind threatening to knock your tent over (and the outdoor non-existent toilets). In terms of things BPALers might relate to: it's like Djinn's more intense, manly-woodsman big brother. (And yes, it does strike me as a "manly" scent. Normally I'm all "everything is gender-neutral" and I tend to love the more masculine scents for me, but this is something a guy could wear easily if he had hangups about appearing too metrosexual.) It's not one I'm going to wear often, but I'm definitely hanging onto my imp. Household reaction: At the other end of the house, my partner: "What the HELL is that smell?" pretty much just after I applied it. He doesn't like it, stating that it smells like rancid Vicks VapoRub.

In Bottle Apricots, swirled with a smokey darkness I can't place. I'm iffy on it, but I was on Yerevan, too, because of the apricots, and that happened to like me, so we'll see how this goes. On me Fermented apricots, rotting. When I was a kid, we had a plum tree in the back yard, and my sister and I used to pick up plums when they'd fall on the ground, and one year my mother threw a heap in with some booze of some sort, and then about eight years later when we moved house, we found the concoction and tipped it out... and that's the closest thing I can compare this scent to. It wasn't particularly boozy by that stage, and if it was, I wouldn't have drunk it (and I still wouldn't... and I'll drink just about ANYTHING)-- te smell of rotting fruit was the overriding factor here. Seriously, I feel mean, and I'm sure this smells gorgeous and classy or swanky or something on everyone else, but it really didn't work for me. (And I'm finding my body likes most BPALs, but when they really don't work, it's an extreme thing. Like this.) Thankfully, for me, I've noticed the throw is only strong initially, and by the end of the day it's all but disapated into a fairly benign apricot-moisturiser scent.

In the Bottle This one's cologney, but there's a hint of something else: like the description says, something almost metallic and garageish. Comparing it to Kataniya (the other "mechanical" LE I can think of), yep: there is a definite similarity, though this is far more ozonic and woody rather than sharply floral. It's bolder than Kataniya, and the ozonics and citrus notes make it a bit stronger: it's not as pretty and floral. On Me Okay, consider me in love here! It's initially ozonic, with a sharp hit of lemon verbana or bergamot, there's a woodiness, too-- it's like cologne-- but made of good quality ingredients. After awhile, it calms down a bit, and the sharpness softens, and I am getting a lovely garagey smell-- motor oil and hot metals-- probably moreso with this than I did with Kataniya-- combined with the general ozonic notes. It last awhile, and it appears to be a compliment-getter for me: people are genuinely interested in this one, and it's been tried on a couple of guys and they've liked it, too, though it takes differently to them: one was a bit woodier, one was a bit more lemony. On me is seems to go a bit dryer and the dull metal/oil notes come out. Given my love for scents that are different, not overly girly, and the fact that anything mechanical grabs my interest, what can I say? I adore. (I can't believe I'm only reviewing this NOW: I bought my bottle AAAAAGES ago!)

I'll admit it: I first saw this on eBay and wanted it solely because Bitter Moon is one of my favourite films. And the etailer wouldn't ship to Australia, so I was quite upset, thinking I'd never get it. But on the forums here, the lovely Schackjj was selling, and I picked up Bitter Moon for $20. I feel like I've just gotten the bargain of the century. (THANKYOU!) In Bottle It's light and subtle and pretty, with a tea-roseish note which is very, very faint. On Me Oh my GAWD. I'm worried this will just go to roses on me (I like rose, but I was hoping for more than just rose here-- for me, the ultimate rose is Peacock Queen) but it doesn't: instead, I've got this incredibly sophisticated, complex perfume which is all class. Bitter Moon is perfect for the blend, too-- it's not a "warm" scent, but it's still interesting. It's aloof and hard-to-get and complicated, and yes, there's a touch of something bitter there. What can I smell? A bare hint of rose, mingling with something bitter and "cool"-- I'm assuming the vetiver (that stuff and I are GOOD friends), and I can detect the blackberry faintly as an after-thing-- but the main notes are completely foreign to me: I have no idea what these smells are but they're awesome-- either that or they mingle nicely with the others. (Looking over the description: I'm ASSUMING the dominant notes are the Nepal poppy and the blue hibiscus-- I have no idea what those smell like.) It's complicated and clever and smells like a high-end department store fragrance which I'd buy: it's different, not overpowering, isn't dominated by one note, and like I said before, it's sheer class. I could wear this when going to work, when going on a date, or when just hanging out with friends... it works for me. The perfect signature scent, and probably the most underrated BPAL I've encountered so far.

In the Bottle A faint woody smell, more like cedar than sandalwood, really, with a touch of almond. On Me Wow: this is so different to in the bottle, which didn't really impress me... on me, I'm getting a honeyed, vanilla-ed kind of sandalwood with lily, I suspect, coming through, and possibly some Oriental spices?-- it's pretty and feminine and it becomes a lot more noticable on skin. I like it. Lasts awhile, too. That said, I'm still trying to adjust to the oddness with the bottle discrepency. You know when they do those experiments where someone eats something that looks like a strawberry and it tastes like lemons and it throws their senses out? That's what this one is like. No matter how nice I know this'll smell on me, I'll always sniff the bottle first and have second thoughts. Seriously, it's gorgeous, but utterly bizarre.

I recieved a decant of this with an eBay auction I won: THANKYOU to the lovely person who gave it to me! (Please contact me if it WAS you-- I will feedback you!) In the Bottle Sweet, sugary candied strawberries, a very "girly" scent, smells almost edible. On Me Stays pretty much the same: I'm now wondering what's been put with the strawberries to make them so sweet and pretty: the lily and the green tea seems to match up with the description. Basically, it's pretty much what it says it is, and it's very cute and yummy. If you're into Jailbait and the Jessica Simpson berry type scents, this is probably going to work for you too. Unfortunately, it really doesn't last long on my skin, though when initially applied, has an amazing throw.

In the Bottle Jasmine and rose with a sexiness that reminds me of Follow Me Boy but a lot more straighforward if that makes sense. On Me Pretty much the same: don't get me wrong, it's pretty, but it doesn't really do anything on my skin, nor does it stand out as a particularly memorable BPAL experience for me. After awhile it fades down to a rosey finish: it's nice, but that's all it really is for me. Has a decent life on my skin, though, and a pretty good throw.

In the Bottle Smells like English Breakfast tea, warm and comforting, with a bare splash of milk. It's tempting to consider drinking this stuff. On Me Pretty much the same as in the bottle, though I get a peppery note jumping out about half an hour in. Very good throw, and does it last?!? HELL YES. Funnily enough, though, it changed when I drank a cup of tea-- about five minutes later, I'm smelling roses and pepper, and the slightly bitter-but-warm smell has gone entirely. Not sure if this was just my sense of smell reacting to the tea I'd had-- a few hours afterwards, a friend commented that she could still smell the pepper in it. In short? A pretty, yet practical and completely original scent, which would be wonderful for daily wear. I'm extremely curious as to how it'll smell on menfolk, because it strikes me as one which could go either way and be quite masculine. The description is right-on, too, and I think it'd make a great gift for just about anyone who likes perfumes: it's ageless. Seriously, I think it could suit a younger perfume nerd, and I think my late grandmother would have liked and worn it, too. I'm glad I got a 5ml of this.

In the Bottle Lavendar. Cleaning product lavendar, when it's made with the natural stuff-- a tart, crisp, almost medicinal scent. Normally this would bother me, but I went into this purchase with my eyes open and read the reviews... I'm just hoping it works on me. On Me I applied this at 5am and left the house before sunrise. It felt cool on application, which was interesting, and the lavender was pretty strong. Then... ten minutes in, the magnolia starts showing up, and the combination of lavender and magnolia is pretty. Later on, it's changed again, as though there is some lilac and stargazer lily in there... I'm not sure what "crystalline" is meant to small like in this, because I got a lovely softness, which wasn't wimpy thanks to the lavender. A lovely mix of essences which compliment each other beautifully. I'm so glad it worked on me: Stardust the film was kind of intense for me for a variety of reasons and Yvaine just had attitude yet she wasn't completely hardened and beyond human... I love the concept, and I love the idea of a fragrance based on that. And yep, it worked. Ordinarily not one I'd have picked for me, but thanks to the marketing, I did, and I love it. ALSO: It's now 11pm, same day, and I've washed my hands several times at work, yet I'm still getting the faintest whiff of what smells like a gardenia/lilac/lily combination. And it is the perfume, not anything I've washed my hands with or touched today: this morphs on me like no one's business.

I put this on today! In the Bottle Like people have said, "cat smell." Upon a closer sniff, there's something almost aniseed in it, with a hint of grassiness and possibly lemon verbena. On Me Liquorice, jasmine and rose. The rose lingers around for awhile, too-- I put this on at the start of the day and I can still smell it. Excellent throw, and a complex, interesting, and utterly appealing scent. As for the magical aspect...? I'm probably not a great guineapig at the moment because I'm kind of depressed and all over the place of late. (Then again, it's going to take more than a perfume oil to fix that, so I'm not saying it doesn't work.)

In the Bottle Floral and astringent and green. Not sure how this is going to smell on me. On Me Get it off, get it off, get it OFF! Goes to something smelling like a combination of fake floral airfreshener, toilet cleaner and cheap white wine initially. Thankfully, it's not really strong, but I can smell it and I'm not a fan. On drydown, it goes a lot less floral, and turns into a dry version of Jazz Funeral (which I love)-- that same smokiness, the booziness, and the subtlety. It's a LOT nicer than what it did initially, but overall, it's failed to win me over.

In the Bottle Honeyed spice with almond. On Me Ooooh, nice. The honey comes out on this but it's not ridiculously sweet-- there's a warmth to this, and an ambery note, the almond is still there. I'm not sure what the spice is, though I think there's a touch of myrrh and maybe some saffron. It's pretty but blunted; an excellent throw, and it lasts for AGES. It makes me think of what a combination of Osun and The Lion would be. Not at all what I expected (I thought there'd be more of a francinscencey note in there because Egyptian-themed fragrances tend to have it) but absolutely divine. It dries down to a warm, golden spicy fragrance, the almond (which previously dominated) has disappeared. I'm getting a bottle of this. I put it on hours ago and I can still smell it and it's lovely.

This was The One I HAD to try from this range. It sounded fascinating, and I love Yeats, so I just had to get it, and swore I would cry if it didn't work on me. In the Bottle Far more delicate than I expected. Subtle, with a handful of florals coming through, and the "Irish herby" smell I expected to smell more of in a few other blends. I expected this would have a stronger woody note, and I can detect the juniper, which I LOVE. (I'm a gin drinker. I love the juniper.) On Me Just like in the bottle for a few seconds, then things change a little. It's a lot stronger on my skin than in the bottle, too. I don't know WHAT the florals are-- there's SOME lily in there and something a bit spicier, and something that might be lilac. Whatever it is, it's calm, happy-making perfume for me. Suitable for a summer's day, yet ideally, in my mind, a crisp winter morning blend. After awhile, the florals amp up a bit and I'm getting a note of something dark in there-- that same poisonous note Beatrice has. It has an odd earthiness that makes me think of rainforest floors, too. A few hours later, I can still smell it on me: it's extremely subtle, but there. After that, I think it's gone, but it's like I can detect this aloof, distant green floralness around me, which I'm liking, and also which is making me wonder: can other people smell it? (I'm a smoker, so I guess my nose isn't as good as the noses of my non-smoking friends.) Yep, I'm happy with it. Not insanely in love, but pleased I bought it, and pleased I satisfied my curiousity. And pleased that I didn't have the reaction to this that I had to Love's Philosophy. EDITED TO ADD: Having read the other reviews, I'm interested to see that so many people have called it feminine. See, I'd say this is unisex: this, to me, is Beatrice's foresty little brother. I'm really wanting to see how this goes on some male!friends, because I can see it working on boys.

In the Bottle Yummy, sugary, creamy vanilla and yep, the warmth and deliciousness of saffron. This is EXTREMELY sweet, and reminds me of Jessica Simpson's Creamy perfume, which I love. I have high hopes. On Me Sadly, it's not to be. Within seconds of applying a drop of this stuff to the back of my hand, it's gone effing rancid on me, smelling like fake vanilla mixed with that plasticy smell of cheap crappy plastic toys which one suspects are made with toxic substances dangerous to small children. It also lingers like no one's business, and in desperation to get it off, I licked my hand. It doesn't taste very nice, either. I can't believe my skin DID THIS. Seriously... I had a similar reaction to Hellcat, which went to nasty-smelling old-lady perfume on me (think fake Chanel No. 5-- I don't like the real version let alone the knock-offs) and I thought that was as bad as it would get. But this was worse... it was stronger. I'm totally swapping it or selling it. So many people seem to love this one, and it's definitely not getting any love here (and I'm sure I could get something I WOULD love, too).

In the Bottle It's sweet and light. I'm definitely detecting the green tea, I can see where the honeysuckle comes in, and there's a clean, astringent note there as well. On Me YUM. This reminds me of this lovely Avon Aromatherapy sleep range they had out for about five minutes, only Shanghai doesn't have a plasticy smell lingering around afterwards. It's sweet and light and almost edible. Very fresh-- while all the notes I'm getting sound in tune with what's on the label, on me, I could SWEAR there's a dash of lilac and a smidge of watermelon. This is so pretty. Well, pretty and slightly comforting-- it's a perfume I could wear anywhere. Consider me a fan of this one.

In the Bottle A dark, intense woody note making me think of a combination of cedar and myrrh. On me Initially I get what smells like a vetiver/cedar blend. It's cold. After that's died down a bit, I'm left with a smokey, fruity goodness, almost like Christmas fruitcake but with a drier, less sickly-sweet (and less boozy) note. There's a touch of incense, but unlike, say, Kostnice, it's not overpowering.

I was seriously excited about this one... early on I'd sworn I wouldn't buy CD blends because I couldn't afford them, but upon seeing the description for Kataniya, my mind changed pretty quickly there. The concept is just made of win-- I could seriously blather on about it all day but onto the actual perfume. In the Bottle It smells flowery and greasy, like someone's sprayed airfreshener around a garage. Personally, I love "chemical" smells-- oil and petrol and that stuff used to do acrylic nails-- but I'm wondering how well it's going to work on my skin. On Me Initially, it goes to florals, and I'm left thinking, "What makes this so different from mainstream perfumes?" I mean, it's pretty, but not particularly stand-outish. Then the florals (lily, some type of rose, sweetpea?, heather?) die down a little and this ozonic, yet greasy tinge starts making itself known and I'm getting the hot metal description... and wondering just how the hell Beth does that. Eventually, I'm left with an ozonic, reality-scented floral that reminds me of Mechanical Phoenix (which I also love) but it's a tad more subtle. I'm digging Kataniya because I can wear this anywhere. It's not so strange or "hippieish" that it's going to freak out people, and it's not recognisable to most people so it's an indiviudual. It isn't too strong, yet it stands its ground and still hangs around after a few hours. A total winner, IMHO.

In the Bottle I'm getting a sweet, cheeky smell reminiscent of Alice and very orchidy. On Me My, my, we have a LOT of orchidness going on here, don't we? Thankfully, I love orchids, and Alice is one of my favourites, so I'm pleased with how this is working out so far. There's a musky sophistication here that Alice doesn't have, and the rose comes through nicely giving it a hit of floral that isn't overpowering or weird. Everything compliments one another nicely here, and it's actually quite hard to detect the individual notes. And I swear I'm getting currents in there somewhere. Honestly... it's odd. That said-- I love it, and shall get myself a bottle.