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Showing results for tags 'Yule 2016'.
Found 114 results
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Shaggy fur, snow-flecked and rose-touched. This immediately caught my attention when I read the update, and I am very glad I took a chance on a bottle. It starts off as mainly fresh dewy rose petals with a snowy sweet background. After a little while the fur starts peeking out and the scent becomes more snuggly. It is like the snow from Snow White, the rose from Rose Red, and a touch of fuzziness from the fur. He really is the beautiful cousin of those two, but I would say the scent is mainly feminine, although the right guy could pull it off as well. Throw is fairly good, decent wear length.
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A chilly, bright perfume: flurries of virgin snow, crisp winter wind and the faintest breath of night-blooming flowers. Limited Edition; December 2003. Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab has been outdoing themselves with the limited edition scents lately, and this is a sterling example! This is an airy, crisp, barely floral that is warm and soft, all the while making me picture the first snow and the sharp, clean scent that accompanies it. I know warm and snow don't sound like they go together, but let me assure you that they do! My all-time favorite. I wonder if Elizabeth would consider keeping some of the limited editions based on customer response ... I'd e-mail daily on this one.
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Welsh cakes and ale with a smattering of dried lavender. In the bottle: Sweet baked smell with the faintest wafts of a boozy note and lavender. Wet on skin: The lavender pushes its way to the forefront, that baked smell lingering behind it. The ale is there too, but you have to pick it out. Dry down: Toasty baked lavender goodness, kind of like scones almost but not especially sweet ones. With lavender sprinkled on top. Verdict: I liked this a lot. It's a very cozy, comforting sort of scent, a curl up on the couch in a warm blanket with a cup of tea and good book on a rainy day type smell. Calming and homey without being dull, to my mind.
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I’ve run away from a little old woman, A little old man, And I can run away from you, I can! In the Bottle: Very thick, very dark, black strap molasses. That's it. Really! Wet On Skin: Okay, now that's it's warming up, the notes are beginning to reveal themselves. The gingerbread is front and center but it's still got that dark, chewy molasses thing going on. I suspect it's the vetiver having it's say in the equation, lending some deep, deep darkness to the mix. I get no clove at this point. Dry Down: The vetiver and clove combine into the gingerbread maelstrom to create a richer, darker, spicier gingerbread than the usual Lab gingerbread note, and it's PHENOMENAL. It's still a bit foodie, but this is a very adult, kinda sexy gingerbread. I'd wear this out for an adult holiday gathering where people like get a little tipsy and handsy In All: I predict this will be very popular, especially as it ages.
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On the night of the Epiphany, a joyful, broomstick-riding hag clad in a tattered shawl drops into chimneys all over Italy, bestowing gifts to good children, and dropping coal into the stockings of naughty kiddies. La Befana vien di notte Con le scarpe tutte rotte Col vestito alla Romana Viva, Viva La Befana! As the Three Wise Men searched for the house of the Christ child, they found themselves lost. Eventually, they stopped at a small house and knocked on the door. A small, wizened woman opened the door, holding a broom in her hand. The Astrologers asked the woman if she knew the location of the child, but, unfortunately, she did not know who these men were looking for, and could not aid them in their search. It was deep into the night, and the air was chilly, so the kindly woman offered the three men her hospitality. They spent the night in her warm, comfortable home, and shared bread and stories with one another. The Astrologers explained to the woman why they were looking for this blessed infant, and invited her to join them in their search come morning. Though she was touched by their tale, she declined, as she had a great deal of housework to do. At daybreak, the Astrologers awoke. They thanked the woman for her generosity, gathered their things, and prepared to leave. Before they departed, they, again, asked the old woman if she would like to join them on their journey. Again, she declined, and sent them on their way. After they had left, she regretted her decision, and she set off to find the Three Wise Men. After many long and frustrating hours of searching, she still could not find them. Saddened, yet still filled with hope, she stopped to give a gift to every good child she passed. La Befana comes by night With her shoes old and broken She comes dressed in the Roman way Long life to the Befana! Candy charcoal, winter lilies, parma violet, a sprig of cypress, a poof of chimney dust, and holiday sweets. straight sniff from bottle is purely sweet and gooey....absolutely nothing else ... holy moly...once applied the violet is astonishing and the dust and candy charcoal....ZomG... if you are a violet lover of bpal blends this is for you!! words cannot even describe the beauty and depth of this one...it is heartbreakingly beautiful i love it to death
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Jólabókaflóðið: A dribble of candle wax, distant hearth-smoke, a fleck of chocolate Yule log, and aged, yellowing paper bound by well-loved leather that has passed through many gentle hands. I am so moved by the story behind this scent. I have been a bibliophile my whole life, with a love of both reading and having books. I love the idea of the Christmas Book Flood, and I love that some of the proceeds from my purchase will be passed on to help others. Just lovely. The scent itself is incredible. Sniffing straight from the bottle I was worried it may be too chocolatey, but on my skin it literally smells like someone's Victorian-era home library. Other Lab book scents have turned bitter on me, but this is just perfect. I get a hint of candles burning above an old leather bound book, with, yes just a fleck of milk chocolate, as if the reader has just eaten a chocolate candy and set the wrappings beside his book. I am so pleased with my purchase! The book that accompanied the bottle was a tiny paperback of Rudyard Kipling short stories. Such a charming little thing!
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Francois Boucher A burst of apricot silk, blood orange musk, French lavender, and red benzoin chypre in a gilded sledge of amber. This is absolutely gorgeous, very soft and lingering on the skin. The first thing I smelled in the bottle was light apricot, almost like an orange cremecicle. After applying, the apricot and orange musk with the underlying red benzoin,mingle together and I can almost smell vanilla although it isn't listed as an ingredient. After twenty minutes or so, I can finally detect the French Lavender, it is soft and so beguiling and understated. The Amber is there, very refined, elegant and coming in at the end. This is my favorite of the Yules and definitely multiple bottle worthy!
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Terebinth pine, pitch, and clove. Wow. Gacela of the Dark Death, you are lovely! That is unexpected. I've never smelled anything quite like this. I thought it would be like Mistletoe for some reason, but it isn't at all. The way the clove blends with the pine and pitch is amazing. The whole is greater than the sum of the parts. I can't really describe it. It is sort of airy and dark, and wafts lightly. It is not sweet at all. I sure hope that more people try this and can post more descriptive reviews.
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Cold - unending, heart-piercing cold - that slices through skin and muscle like a gleaming, razor-edged dagger until it penetrates bone and fills your marrow: white eucalyptus, frosted mint, raw frankincense, davana, iris petal, white grapefruit, and wormwood. I can smell every single note in this right on application. The eucalyptus and mint are both indeed "white", i.e., mild and sweet, not like an ice pick to the brain via the sinuses. The grapefruit is a bit bitter, like the peel more than the fruit, but it's very pleasant and off-sets the eucalyptus and mint perfectly. The frankincense fades quickly, and I smell almost no iris or wormwood at this stage, but there is a rich, sweet background of davana. The key players are mint, eucalyptus and grapefruit with darker, grounding undertones. There is a short phase where I think, "Huh? Wrigley's Doublemint gum?", but that settles as it dries. It smells more like a therapeutic or spa scent than a perfume, which I like. Not sure I'll keep this, since I have other blends that fit that slot, but it sure is nice!
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This is the scent of a freshly assembled gingerbread house, with swirls of multicolored icing, spice drop lights, meringue snow, pinwheel mint accents, chocolate roof tiles, candy wafer pavers, and jelly candy stained glass. We used a French translation for ‘gingerbread house’ as the name to make it sound fancier. French adds +40% Fancy! A jumble of scents reminiscent of that box of mixed Christmas cookies your grandmother used to make. For all the candy/sugar treats mentioned, this is shockingly not that sweet. I get chocolate , a HINT of gingerbread... and if I keep inhaling I eventually detect the barest whisper of mint and what I think is anise. My skin is notorious for burning off sweet scents so I'll be interested to see how this works on others. The dry down is a mix between Sugar Cookie, Gingerbread Poppet with a touch of Gelt and an indistinct Fruit note that shows up way in the background.
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Wow! The alcohol note in this is strong! There are other foodie notes in here that I am trying to discern as it dries down. Maybe some cake....
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Sugar-sprinkled sufganiyot filled with sweet raspberry jelly. This one is going to get a lot of love. This is a gorgeous jammy raspberry, with a hint of doughnut. Unfortunately, for me, there is also something plasticy that wasn't in the Strawberry version. I'm very much feeling like a raspberry scented doll. eta: After about an hour the plastic scent did finally burn off. I was left with a pleasant fruity scent.
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THE PEACOCK QUEEN In dramatic contrast to the soft innocence of Snow White and the dew-kissed freshness of her sister, Rose Red, this is a blood red, voluptuous rose, velvet-petaled, at the height of bloom. Haughty and imperious, vain, yet incomparably lovely to the eye, but thick with thorns of jealousy, pride and hatred. I love rose. Let me just get that out of the way. That said, The Peacock Queen is not necessarily my favorite incarnation of the versatile rose. However, Beth has flat-out nailed the concept of "haughty" in scent. This rose is haughty. It is very much a fresh, blooming rose . . . but there's something very distant about this rose. It's not a rose that's blooming from the earth. It's one dozen very expensive, perfect red roses, bought for a woman who expects that sort of thing. It's perfume. It's striking. It's very beautiful, but not approachable. Remarkable. Like I said, this isn't my personal favorite of the rose blends, just because the vibe it evokes isn't entirely "me," but I am incredibly impressed with the artistry of the scent and with how many different ways rose can smell and feel.
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Mod Note: New topic for Lick It With Consent created due to different color copy/description. You can find the 2014 Lick It With Consent review topic here. Considering the current sociopolitical climate, I felt it was important to bring back this specific incarnation of Lick It. Proceeds from Lick It With Consent will be donated to RAINN. (For a spot-on dissertation on what consent entails, please visit Erika Moen and Matthew Nolans VERY NSFW infographic. Oh Joy Sex Toy is not a sponsor of Black Phoenix, or the other way around. Er, whichever. This is just a damn good link, and I wanted to pass it on!) A sugar-crusted vanilla peppermint stick! The peppermint is very soft, and I feel its coolness very lightly on my skin as I wear it. The vanilla is very strong underneath, and I get the sugar too. A beautiful soft, sweet candy cane scent with a good amount of throw!
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Sevivon, sov, sov, sov Chanukah, hu chag tov Chanukah, hu chag tov Sevivon, sov, sov, sov! Chag simcha hu la-am Nes gadol haya sham Nes gadol haya sham Chag simcha hu la-am. A bounty of chocolate coins! Dry cocoa and golden amber! Gelt is gorgeous. I'm not a foody fan, but I will be hoarding this. In the bottle: perfect cocoa powder, with a dash of hazelnut. This is not very sweet at all, it's exactly like sticking your nose into a fresh box of expensive cocoa powder that's got some hazelnut flavor. Application: The same, but it immediately starts warming up. The amber is poking it's head through the cocoa and giving it a homey warm feeling. This is the scent of curling up on a chilly night with a steaming mug of cocoa, prepared from scratch the stove-top way, with a healthy splash of frangelico. 15 minutes: Much the same as application. There's still beautiful, dry cocoa and the golden warmth of amber. It hasn't sweetened up or collapsed in on itself. Overall: This is a remarkable scent. It smells precisely as described by the lab, and I think can be appreciated by both foody and non-foody fans. I will be stocking up on this before it vanishes.
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Fear of Dolls (But not ventriloquist dummies. Thats an entire phobia unto itself.) White porcelain cracked by white tobacco, threads of brittle cognac, and vanilla filigree. This is a very interesting blend. I suspect this will be something that I won't reach for much in the near future but will come to really enjoy it later after it has aged and after I have come to associate it with my life at this point. That doesn't sound like a ringing endorsement. I do like it, though. I had hoped for more sweetness from the tobacco and vanilla, but it is dry, elegant, perfumey, even. I detect something that smells like white tea; I wonder if that is the white porcelain note? The more I wear it, the more I like it. The throw is very good, and I when I get little whiffs of it, it's very pleasing. It does have a bit of the loud 80's bombshell perfumes feel to it.
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[No additional description given.] oh, i don't wanna be first! my reviews aren't that good! but, well, here we go anyway... my point is ... i enjoy wrapping presents! i'm good at it! and i know me the smell of wrapping paper. which is a fairly specific cheap-processed-paper smell, mingled with inks, and just the faintest hint of cellophane. and yep. that's been bottled. as far as wearing this, i think it would make an interesting layering note. or character-building scent for RPGs
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Utagawa Hiroshige Snow-dusted ti leaf, winter-white cherry blossoms, gilded ylang ylang, and hinoki cypress. the ylang ylang and hinoki cypress can easily ruin anything as they are so pungent, so i was nervous with this blind bottle... in bottle: every component is evident and swirled in perfect harmony. application: starts off w a sharp blast of ti leaf above the floral, w the hinoki cypress as a base. ti leaf recedes and the cherry blossoms beautifully appear on a bed of bonzaii needles. the ylang is elegant and a supporting note. verdict: i am happy i have a bottle... do i need another to age? though the hinoki is not overly herbal or menthol-ish and the ylang not pungent. i cant shake the strong base of cypress needles and snow, as much as i love everything else. something childish like sweetarts+ cherry blossom in here makes it a keeper for me.
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Fear of Parents-in-Law A scent of judgement and scorn: blackened vetiver, smug vanilla, and a dismissive, sneering dribble of black coffee. Nice to meet you, Mr. Soceraphobia. I can see where your daughter Europa gets her good qualities from. *awkward silence* *coughs* Just tried this scent out for work today, and it really does remind me of the Europa scent. Upon opening and trying out Soceraphobia, the most out in front note is the vetiver. The harshness is echoed with the coffee, which itself is barely noticable as a separate note. The vanilla underneath does give it a sweet, mellow flavor to it, but it is not nearly as pronounced as it is in Europa, although is it enough to make the connection. Vetiver remains in control throughout drydown, and although the scent fades in a few hours, every so often it re-emergers, lingering a bit only to fade again... Definitely a keeper for the days I want something a bit more subtle.
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The perfected winter rose, dew covered and freshly cut. Red Rose. Limited edition. My favorite rose so far. This is the first rose scent I haven't melted off within an hour. (I was amazed the first time I wore it. Eight hours, and no need to reapply!) In the bottle, it smells like a rose from the florist - that cold hothouse smell. On, it warms up slightly, but not too much - it's got a slight bite, which is a nice change from most roses that fade to a powdery softness. I'll be very sad when I finish this one.
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Snow falling and night falling fast, oh, fast In a field I looked into going past, And the ground almost covered smooth in snow, But a few weeds and stubble showing last. The woods around it have it – it is theirs. All animals are smothered in their lairs. I am too absent-spirited to count; The loneliness includes me unawares. And lonely as it is, that loneliness Will be more lonely ere it will be less – A blanker whiteness of benighted snow WIth no expression, nothing to express. They cannot scare me with their empty spaces Between stars – on stars where no human race is. I have it in me so much nearer home To scare myself with my own desert places. – Robert Frost A blanker whiteness of benighted snow: white sandalwood, dry vanilla, white tea leaf, and orris. Gorgeous white tea leaf! I love it the snow note plays gently in with the vanilla and orris. I hope this will age well....cause I am digging it
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cold first winter rain poor monkey, you too could use a woven straw cape Compassion: pink lotus root and fig milk with ylang ylang, bourbon vanilla, soft myrrh, fir, khus, and sandalwood incense. I bought this mostly because of the adorable monkey on the label and the cute description, but it has wound up being one of my favorites of the Yule scents I purchased this year. Poor Monkey is a very foodie fragrance on my skin. I love the lab's fig note, and the fig and lovely bourbon vanilla are the strongest notes on my skin. It's like figs drenched in milky vanilla cream with a slice of moist vanilla cake and slight, sweet spice to it. There's a soft swirl of sweet lotus floral perfume, temple incense and sweet myrrh, and a hint of fir that fades in and out of the fragrance. But it's mostly fig milk and bourbon vanilla, with the other notes keeping things interesting and more perfume-like in the background. I really love this one <3
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NES GADOL HAYA SHAM But not long after the king sent a certain old man of Antioch, to compel the Jews to depart from the laws of their fathers and of God: And to defile the temple that was in Jerusalem, and to call it the temple of Jupiter Olympius: and that in Gazarim of Jupiter Hospitalis, according as they were that inhabited the place. And very bad was this invasion of evils and grievous to all. For the temple was full of the riot and reveling of the Gentiles: and of men lying with lewd women. And women thrust themselves of their accord into the holy places, and brought in things that were not lawful. The altar also was filled with unlawful things, which were forbidden by the laws. And neither were the sabbaths kept, nor the solemn days of the fathers observed, neither did any man plainly profess himself to be a Jew. But they were led by bitter constraint on the king's birthday to the sacrifices: and when the feast of Bacchus was kept, they wore compelled to go about crowned with ivy in honour of Bacchus. And there went out a decree into the neighboring cities of the Gentiles, by the suggestion of the Ptolemeans, that they also should act in like manner against the Jews, to oblige them to sacrifice: And whosoever would not conform themselves to the ways of the Gentiles, should be put to death: then was misery to be seen. For two women were accused to have circumcised their children: whom, when they had openly led about through the city with the infants hanging at their breasts, they threw down headlong from the walls. And others that had met together in caves that were near, and were keeping the sabbath day privately, being discovered by Philip, were burnt with fire, because they made a conscience to help themselves with their hands, by reason of the religious observance of the day. - The Second Book of the Maccabees, 6:1-11 In order to consolidate his power in Jerusalem and Hellenize the area, the Greek king Antiochus IV Epiphanes outlawed Judaism and ordered the population to worship Zeus and the Hellenic pantheon. As this was anathema to the Jews, they refused, and Antiochus moved to enforce his religious decree by extreme force. Some origin tales say that the dreidel was used at this time as a method by which the Jewish people were able to continue to study the Talmud in secret under the guise of gambling. Now, in addition to being a light gambling game, the dreidel is also a reminder of the strength, devotion, and perseverance of the Jewish people and the mercy of God. One scent in four parts: Nun, the Snake: nuun, nothing. Naḥš, in modern Arabic, means bad luck. Represented by scents of loss and remembrance: opoponax and lemon verbena. Gimel, the Camel: the Ship of the Desert. Represented by scents of abundance, fortitude, and determination: patchouli, heliotrope, pomegranate, and almond. He, the Window: sometimes used to represent the Unutterable Name of God, this is the window in our souls through which God's light touches us. Represented by scents of clarity and piety: frankincense, myrtle, and hyssop. Shin, the Tooth: also stands for Shaddai, one of the names of God. The hand formed into shin acts as a priestly blessing. Represented by scents of strength, generosity, kindness, and benediction: carnation, myrrh, red poppy, and hibiscus. The essences of Nun, Gimel, He, and Shin are blended to become Nes Gadol Haya Sham. Prominent notes for me are the Heliotrope and Almond. This reminds me of an old favorite, Tzadikim Nistarim, and also a few of BPAL's earlier 13 blends. Probably because of the wide range of notes. Maybe even reminiscent of Cleopatra Testing Poisons. Complex and unconventional from a perfume standpoint.
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Black tea, myrrh, smoked vanilla, and licorice root. First review! I love this scent. It's basically licorice Dorian atmo spray. The licorice and myrrh come out at first but then as the scent dries down and wears so to speak, you get the tea and vanilla more. It's so comforting. I like to spray my atmos on scarves, sweatshirts, etc. I will be purchasing a backup bottle.
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On Christmas Eve, French children leave shoes filled with carrots by their fireplaces as a treat for Gui, Père Noëls donkey. If the child has been good, Père Noël takes Guis offering and fills the childs shoes with sweet fruits, candies, and small toys. Bright Sicilian oranges and sweet tangerines with a clink of lavender candy and a drop of anise. I wanted to cry when I put this on. It reminded me of growing up in Italy, and the Christmas holiday. Captured perfectly. Have you ever had those anise cookies from an Italian bakery? That's what the anise note is like in this one, and the orange is distinctly Sicilian I don't know HOW they captured this so perfectly but they did. I'm not a huge citrus scent based fan but this one, wrapped my heart up in magic and took me back to being a child at Christmas time.
