In the bottle: Sharply green - like fresh cut green peppers - and an undercurrent of faintly sweet, masculine cologne.
On wet: Sweet green peppers and light cologne at first, but pressing my nose in close reveals that almost bitter smell that comes from newly fallen, turned - but not crunchy - autumn leaves.
Drydown: Very traditional cologne on me. There's a lightly sweet, aquatic-like freshness on top of an equally sweet, glowing base, and every now and then, I get that bitter leaf smell riding in between the two.
Overall: This scent wasn't much of a morpher on me, and didn't really deviate from the cologne-y vibe that carried on throughout. I really enjoyed the initial green pepper stage - it was *so* realistic to my nose, so crisp and juicy! - but it got lost towards the end. If that green freshness had stuck around, this puppy might've been something for me to wear regularly (I have no fear of "masculine" blends), but it didn't, and it works better on the Husband anyway, so I'll leave my favourite month's namesake to him. 3/5
Samhain 2005
In the bottle: Deliciously dark apples, spices, and an almost medicinal smokiness.
On wet: A mish-mash of notes trying to sort themselves out - though the damp, smoky forest and spices are definitely taking center stage at the moment.
Drydown: Spiced patchouli and a hint of warm apple one minute, a sliver of pine trees and distant bonfire the next. Not too foody, not too dark, not too spicy - it's simply the most perfect autumn evening, bottled for your pleasure.
Overall: Samhain 05 has the distinction of being my first - first bottle purchase in my first Lab order, and the first blend I ever fell in love with. It's aged beautifully, and is still one of the most evocative, glorious scents I've ever experienced in my life (next to my other memory-stirring beloved, Sleepy Moon). Whenever I need a bit of autumn-come-early, or I'm feeling down, a little dab of this makes me feel like all's right with the world - especially since it's connected to the many incredible autumnal memories I've made over the past couple of years (like my October wedding and the anniversaries that followed).
An easy 5/5, with extra gold stars for good measure. Absolute perfection.
In the bottle: Mmm...sweet, sweet apple cider. It's that same Golden Delicious apple note I get from Harvest Moon 06 (even though it's red apple listed in both blends - to me, it's very golden).
On wet: Instant spice, a dash of wood, the smokiness of myrrh, peppery-creamy carnation, and something that makes me think of (oddly enough) fresh, cool water lingering around the edges.
Drydown: Spice - including that fantastic peppered cream of the carnation - is still the most prominent aspect of this blend. The subtle, sweet earthiness of fig is detectable, though, as are the occasional whiffs of those sparkling golden apples. The wood, myrrh, smoke, musk, and patch are all sticking close to my skin, and, depending on where my nose is at any given time, I get bits and bites of each to varying degrees - really lovely. No toasted almond to be found. I'm thinking it got buried under all the other smoky/woody stuff.
Overall: Another delightful autumn scent to add to my collection - like the love child of spicy-woody-smoky-dry Chrysanthemum Moon, and the spiced apple-patchouli goodness of Samhain (with a dash of happy-apple influence from cousin Harvest Moon 06). I'd have preferred a *wee* bit more fruit to contrast with all that spiced smoke, but that's a small thing against everything else I enjoyed about this blend. And who knows what will come with some age? I'm betting it'll be even more incredible next year! 4/5
In the imp: Mmm...smells very similar to Mme. Moriarty! Sweet and musky and fruity.
On wet: A much higher-pitched sweetness than Moriarty - due to a lotus-y culprit, methinks.
Drydown: Sweet-sweet-sweeeeet! And kinda perfumey, too. The musky, fruity aspects of the blend are great - and even the usually-awful-orchid is behaving - but this uber sweetness (lotus *and* mimosa? Not familiar with the latter to know) just isn't working for me.
Overall: With only a scant few exceptions, BPAL's mega sweet stuff doesn't seem to jive with my chemistry, my nose, or my health (headaches! tummy aches! toothaches - seriously!). Marianne isn't making me queasy, thankfully, but I think wearing it in full force for most of the day, rather than just the wee test spot I've got going on right now, definitely would - it's just that heady and sweet. For anyone who wanted a kick of candy in their Moriarty, this scent's for you! 3/5
In the imp: Sweet, misty violets...and something almost minty?
On wet: I hate saying this but...household cleaner! A *good* cleaner, mind - like method or one of the other enviro-friendly brands that makes pretty smelling stuff - but still, not what I was looking for. ::crosses fingers for a morph on the drydown::
Drydown: I'm still getting cleaner in the background (but I'm willing to admit that this may be because I'm actually sniffing around for lingering traces of it). On top is an almost effervescent perfumey-ness - very bright, very sweet, and almost kind of delicate. The words "sparkly" and "fresh" come to mind. The violets are alive and kicking, I'm still able to detect a whisper of mint, and nothing even remotely "boggy" has crashed the party yet.
Overall: Not as strongly violet as I'd hoped for, and a bit too aquatic/sweet for my taste, but definitely a nice scent. A good choice for warm weather, going to work, or hanging with friends - very wearable. 3/5
CCCXCIX - 339
In the bottle: Fizzy grapefruit and...lilac?
On wet: Grapefruit or lemongrass, but it's almost powdery - reminds me of the pith. No other notes are coming through at this stage - it's like citrus SN!
Drydown: Oh wow, this is gorgeous. The grapefruit has backed off a bit, and is mingling with something so delicate and watery (not aquatic, just a cool, green, moistness) - I'm guessing it's aloe. I still think there's some lilac in here, too - it's soft and gentle, but riding the edge of the scent, giving it just enough creamy sweetness to round things out. That powdery vibe (which is almost gone now) has me wondering if an orchid snuck into the mix somewhere along the line...
Overall: This is a fantastic blend - very reminiscent of Whitechapel (which I )! I will definitely be keeping *and* wearing this scent - it's perfect for me!
CDLXVII - 467
In the bottle: Light caramel, possibly some kind of wood, a fruit - maybe apple - underneath.
On wet: Caramel-dipped fruits! (Plum? Apple?)
Drydown: PLUM! Lightly glazed with the most delectable caramel-tinged syrup. There's still a hint of incense/wood underneath, some musk (red?) - maybe even the tiniest smidge of patchouli. I smell incredible right now, and I can't *wait* to see how this scent ages!
Overall: I'm not a foody person *at all*, so I was a little scared when I opened this (extremely full!) bottle, and got a whiff of caramel. Thankfully, it's not only the lightest caramel I've ever smelled, but the plum/musk/woods are strong enough to keep this blend firmly out of the foody category. An amazingly warm, sweet, *sexy* scent - another winner!
In the imp: Sweet - almost creamy - wood. How odd!
On wet: Nothing beyond an indistinct, vaguely perfumey sweetness - weirder and weirder...
Drydown: Okay, I'm getting red musk, the richness of the vanilla - perhaps even a bit of the magnolia, which often registers as a creamy, vanillic floral my nose - and a hint (and I mean *hint*) of clove adding a touch of spiced heat to mix. Not sure if it's the mimosa or the iris (which I usually love), but something in here is *incredibly* sweet - like, painfully so. It seems to burn off a bit after a while, but wow, is it ever potent! When my wrist is safe to smell again, I'm left with clove-studded, vanilla-tinged, still-fairly-sweet red musk. It's really quite sexy! (The rose never made an appearance, in case you were wondering.)
Overall: Clove rarely plays nice on my skin, so it was kinda surprising to find it behaving in this blend. I'm thinking that it was the mimosa that went uber saccharine (I had a similar reaction to the mimosa-laced Marianne), so I'll likely be avoiding (or at least wary of) scents that contain it in the future. If it wasn't for the sweetness, I'd likely be going for a bottle of this one with the next update (I don't have anything with clove in it, so it'd be nice to finally get something that does), but as it stands now, I'm going to stick with my decant a bit longer, test it again, and see if it improves or my chemistry is more welcoming over the next couple of weeks. Currently, a 3.5/5.
In the imp: Lightly sweet, herbal greens.
On wet: Lilac, green things touched with mint, a smidge of sugar
Drydown: Hmm...the lilac (or the rose?) has gone a bit powdery. The floral contingent is quite strong, and more prominent than the fresh, green base (which is slowly disappearing the longer I sniff), the lavender, or the currant (it's finally decided to make an appearance - yay!). After about 10 minutes, it's become this really interesting, multi-layered scent - it's still pretty floral around the edges, but almost warm and lightly spiced at the center. Reminds me of a complex, high-end perfume now - but a really, really nice one.
Overall: Not a usual scent for me - it's a bit too classy/perfumey for my taste - but it's lovely all the same. 3/5
In the imp: An almost candy-like sweetness and tea.
On wet: Fresh, sweet, faintly...lemon and/or anise-y?
Drydown: Wow, I can't get over how much muted lemon (pith?) I'm getting from this! I know tea can have a citrus-y vibe, but this goes far beyond a mere "vibe", my friend. The sweetness present is of the lighter, cooler variety - like white sugar that's been heated into a syrup and then chilled. It's pretty intense. The tea lives underneath that sugar-glazed lemon. It's a weak brew, but distinct when I press my nose against my skin. Not 100% sure what wasabi as a scent component should smell like, but I *am* picking up on a touch of heat where I applied the oil - it's making my skin tingle! No pain, no redness, nothing unpleasant - more like my wrist has been in the sun for a while.
Overall: Interesting blend - wearable, pretty, simple and complex at the same time - but, ultimately, not for me. I have Dorian and Severin to see to all my tea-scent needs. If sugared tea (with a wasabi-tingle!) is *your* thing, though, you will absolutely love this. 3.5/5
In the imp: Green sourness and white rose.
On wet: Herbal powder, something warm, and a twinge of sourness underneath it all.
Drydown: Very soapy powder on me - like a cross between some kind of amber and orchid (ick!). The white rose is especially bad (it *never* works on me, no matter how many chances I give it) - I think it's joined forces with whatever's powdery in an attempt to kill me. Perhaps that's the Reaper aspect of this blend? What's sad is that I can detect the *barest* hint of peppered cream from the carnation (perhaps some cool creaminess from the lily, too?) - if only I could get *that* smell as the primary aspect of this blend...
Overall: Powdered soap. Something sour. Evil white rose. Not enough yummy carnation. Sadness. 1/5
In the imp: Uber leathery - that cherry-vanilla leather that I get from Quincey Morris. A touch of Snake Oil underneath.
On wet: Oooh - sweeeet Snake Oil! Extra sweet! Absolutely delicious.
Drydown: Back to mostly leather. It's sweet, though, and both the sandalwood and Snake Oil are apparent - not sure where the sage is, it's usually not very friendly with my chemistry. There's an almost smoky quality to this now, and it's *really* yummy. If the sage stays missing or quiet (whatever it's doing), I'll be extremely happy.
Overall: Lovely. This is dark and sweet and lightly smoked - it's also quite addictive. I can't stop sniffing myself! Totally brings to mind being pinned against the wall of some dark club by a pair of very masculine, leather-clad arms. ::fans self:: Oooh, yeah - I'm thinking I might need a bottle of this one. Freakin' HAWT! 4.5/5
In the imp: An almost effervescent - yet resiny - pine!
On wet: Sweet pine at first, but then the scent begins to deepen and grow more complex within seconds. Patchouli and musk come to the forefront next...
Drydown: Sweetness from the skin musk, vanilla, and honey (perhaps the Indian resins, too), smokiness from the tobacco, an earthy swirl from the patchouli, and that almost jarring green sap vibe from the pine pitch. Every note is apparent, but the overall scent I'm getting is sweet, rich, slightly dirty musk with a juniper garnish. Colour impressions: shimmering gold with a bold streak of silvery-sage green through the center.
Overall: This might be a touch overwhelming on me. Maybe if the pine was a smidge less glaring, or the musk not quite so sweet, I could see this being perfection on my skin. As it stands now, I'm willing to let it age, see if it calms down a bit before making any rash decisions. It really is a *lovely* fragrance wafting from me at present, here's hoping it just gets better with a little time! A (temporary?) 3/5.
LXV - 65
In the bottle: Dorian cake, pure and simple.
On wet: Dorian cake...morphing almost immediately into musky-is that fruit?-cakey-spicy-something else I can't describe-Dorian. Hmmm....not sure if I'm going to like this.
Drydown: Dorian spice cake. It's mellow, skin-hugging, and the first "clean foodie" blend I think I've ever come across. Dorian balances out the foodier aspects so that it doesn't get too cloying or overwhelming (most food-based scents are both according to my nose), and the spicy cake element helps to warm up Mr. D's much cooler, fresher side. The vanilla-sweetness amps considerably as time passes, but the spice lingers just underneath that frosting-like layer, keeping it from getting out of hand. And I'm *still* wondering if I'm catching whiffs of some kind of mystery fruit?! It's not lemon - whenever my nose detects it, my mind flashes to a red/pink fruit - but it's gone before I can latch on to what it could possibly be.
Overall: Not sure how I feel about this one so far - I absolutely love Dorian, but not so much with the spiced pastry he's got tucked away in his pocket. Overt food scents tend to make me queasy, but this one isn't hitting my ick buttons (yet), and I've kept every Chaos Theory blend I've ever ordered to date - adopting this fellow out without giving him a chance to age would seem kinda cruel. So, I guess he'll stick around until I get to know him better!
In the imp: Pollen-y honey and something oddly astringent.
On wet: Chamomile, a smidge of sweetness - but it's SO light! I can barely smell anything, and I slathered my wrist up good! I hope it intensifies as it dries down...
Drydown: Still pretty faint, which gives me massive sadface 'cause I not only LOVE chamomile, but have wanted a honeyed-cham scent *forever*. What I *am* able to smell, however, is exactly that - gentle, bee-kissed chamomile. It's sweet, delicately herbal, and makes me feel clean, cozy and safe. Not getting any tonka or hyssop specifically, but I'm sure they're lending themselves to sweetening things up and grounding everything. And I agree with some of the previous posters - the further this dries, the more it smells like O without the amber.
Overall: I'm hoping this scent will get more intense as it ages - especially the chamomile. Other than that, I quite like it! It's soft, sweet, and comforting. I will definitely be grabbing a bottle if my imp ages the way I'm hoping it will. 4/5
In the bottle: Figgy, blueberry musk!
On wet: Light honey, something herbal - kinda perfumey, but very pretty.
Drydown: It's taken a little while, but musky berries have finally become the order of the day! Still a bit perfumey, still quite honey-sweet, but definitely a nose-to-skin scent. The blueberries are the dominant component, right up there with the figged-out musk. Honey is keeping things sugared up nicely. The poor raspberries are indistinct for most of the time, but there *is* the tiniest swirl of something red hugging the scent's edge - I imagine that's them.
Overall: A really lovely blend! The honey-musk-fig-berry combo works extremely well, and each note (with the exception of the elusive raspberry) is quite pronounced. I expect this will age fabulously, with the berries becoming even more obvious - just like Crawdad Dream did, much to my delight! - so I will definitely be hanging on to my bottle. 3.5/5
MCLXXI - 1171
In the bottle: Caramel or dark sugar, something fruity and fresh.
On wet: Almost instantly, that drizzle of sugary caramel gives way to...uh, herbal bubblegum?? I *think* that's what I'm smelling, but damn, is it ever sharp and weird. And now it's going kinda chemical, like...burning bleach.
Drydown: I still don't know what I'm smelling, but thankfully there's some light caramel-fruit sweetness returning to the forefront. I'm still picking up on what I can only describe as bubblebum, but it's now a supporting note in this strange blend, and no longer horribly offensive. The longer it dries, the more intense the sweet, candied fruit becomes - I'm thinking it might be red plum.
Overall: Out of the 8 CTs that've come my way (4 this round, 4 last), this is the first and only bottle that I really, *really* didn't like. I even had a no-swap policy in place specifically for any CT purchases 'cause they were all unique and made for me, right? But in this case, I think I'll have to bend the rules a bit. This odd duck (odd with my chemistry, at any rate) will almost certainly never see the light of day, and that's no life for *any* BPAL fragrance. I'll have to find it a new home.
MCXLVII - 1147
In the bottle: My nose is instantly hit with strong, "dirty-rooty" patchouli. Loitering around the edges is something bitter, something muddy green. This scent seems really dark at first sniff.
On wet: Menthol, like Vick's Vaporub. The fresh, almost sour twang of newly fallen leaves emerges seconds later.
Drydown: The patchouli is finally rising back up with a tiny lick of dirty smoke alongside it. There's a smidge of lingering menthol, too, but this is primarily all patch, all the time.
Overall: I typically like my patchouli spruced up with some fruit or tobacco or musky-musk, but this is quite nice, too. It's simple, uncomplicated, not overly sweet, not too dark. I haven't received a CT in this category yet (non-perfumey/foody/floral) so it was a nice surprise!
In the bottle: Dorian peeks out first, followed by the darker, sweeter Snake Oil. Lavender clings to both. Lovely.
On wet: Sweet, powdery, slightly herbal. Bit of a jumble that's trying to settle down, but still lovely.
Drydown: Dorian's wearing a sprig of fennel-wrapped lavender pinned to the lapel of his vanilla-cream suit. Snake Oil swirls like a slinky, syrupy river of lightly spiced warmth beneath him. Picking up all the extra notes except the lily of the valley - I think it's adding to the creamy sweetness, just not as obviously as the other toss-ins. As I expected, this is good, *good* stuff. YUM.
Overall: Much love for this blend which has brought together two of my fave BPAL scents of all time. The lavender, fennel, and vanilla flower tweak them up to the next notch of awesomeness - adding just enough variance so that LV stands as a unique fragrance in its own right. It's a 4/5 right now, but I'm thinking that a little age will push this puppy into the 5/5 realm.
In the bottle: Light tea and gorgeous mandarin.
On wet: Sugared mandarin and both musks - they all smell fantastic together!
Drydown: Lovely tea, rose and mandarin, vanilla, musk, poppy, even the violets! All of the notes have hit my radar at one point or another (except the opoponax, which I think is grounding everything and isn't as noticeable - fine by me since I'm not a huge fan), and they've since combined into this light, sophisticated melange of gentle, sweet, fruity-floral-musky goodness.
Overall: High end yet wearable. Appropriate for any occasion. Perfect for those who've been craving a good fruity-tea scent - like me! Absolutely delicious, and an easy 4/5.
In the bottle: Mmm...sweet n' lightly creamy. The colour "pink" instantly popped into my head while I sniffed this - that, and thought that this would be the *best* bubble bath/bath oil scent evah!
On wet: Sweeet! Powdery! Candy-like! YUM!
Drydown: Still mostly sweet, candy-licious powder, though I'm detecting something almost spicy underneath - peppery carnations finally making an appearance, if I'm not mistaken. Then there's the honey and frankincense adding this insanely edible, golden depth to balance out the sugary, milky florals - SOOOO GOOOOD! Freaking *gorgeous* stuff, seriously.
Overall: Honestly, I wasn't expecting much from this blend - I mean, honeyed milk and baby powder? For reals? - but I figured I'd give it a try since I love carnations and creamy florals like Alice. Am I ever glad I did! This is absolutely WONDERFUL - easily my favourite baby blend of the bunch. Well done, Beth!! 5/5
In the bottle: Blueberries!
On wet: Blueberries instantly give way to tea and the currant - no problem, I love them, too!
Drydown: Powdery lemon? Where is this coming from? This odd stage lasts for several long minutes, then the blueberries return with the tea in tow. Ginger lingers on the sidelines, as does the vanilla and currant. The musk is developing slowly - darkly sweet, vaguely leathery, working (surprisingly!) well with the berries/tea combo. Not picking up the benzoin (good - not a favourite), or the squash blossom/coriander.
Overall: Another good fruit-tea-musk combo for me! I'm not even very interested in blueberry as a scent to wear, but it's really nice with the supporting notes in this blend - and it's incredibly fresh/realistic! A unique addition to my BPAL box, and a nice change of pace from what I usually wear. 4/5
In the Imp: Pine, slush, a faint trace of spicy dirt...
On wet: Pine, slush, and a more pronounced sweet n' spicy dirt - like someone's chewing gum in the middle of a snowy, slightly muddy forest trail.
Drydown: Pine, slush, a powder puff of light spice, and something else underneath - something...pink? Maybe there's a hint of carnation in here? I was thinking bubblegum at first, but some of the Lab's carnation notes (Pink Moon 07, especially) go spicy pink Bazooka gum on me. Hmm...as the minutes tick by, it's starting to veer into burnt berry territory - or berry garbage? Either way, this is not really doing it for me.
Overall: I pulled this decant out for retesting purposes, to see if I should snag this year's version, but it's not wearing very nicely with my skin chemistry. Not biggie, though, I've got Talvikuu, Snow-Flakes, and The Snow Storm to see to my snowy needs. 2/5
In the imp: Lush, fully bloomed rose - almost candy-sweet.
On wet: Still very sweet, a hint of something slightly dusty underneath - reminds me of Beth's orchid note. It tickles the back of my throat...
Drydown: Not much morphing from the wet stage. Sweet, sweet rose, and a pinch of orchid dust. Hmph.
Overall: I remember liking this much better when it was fresh. It's still quite nice - a very realistic, full-bodied rose, but that dusty orchid vibe has kinda soured it for me. 2/5
In the bottle: Sweetness, a touch of something clean and herbal.
On wet: Still clean, sweet, and herbal. Definitely picking up on the tobacco flower (which used to be my favourite home fragrance from The Body Shop some years back). Very nice so far!
Drydown: Lightly perfumey. The bright, citrussy bergamot (which I love), the smooth, sweet, candy-like angelica, and the tobacco flower are dominating this blend. Underneath, I can detect a smidge of woody sage - possibly a teeny shot of the frankincense. No ginger yet, or anything that's yelling "fig" or "olive blossom" - though I'm sure the latter two are mixed up with all that sweet, floral goodness. The benzoin is also, thankfully, absent at the moment (it doesn't like me, sadly).
Overall: A very pleasant floral-herbal scent. It's heady but light, complex but not over the top, sweet and fresh with just a little herbal darkness to ground everything perfectly. Wearable and lovely. 3/5
