suki

Can it really be possible that I'm the first to review this? (Mods, I looked hi and lo, but if I somehow missed the thread, by all means, merge this with the existing one and accept my deepest apologies!) Anyway, On With The Show! In the Bottle: All rum, all the time. This is definitely the same sweet boozy rum note from the Lilith scent, and even has a bit of the creamy element I recall from that one, at least at this point. I'm hoping some butter shows up later, though... *fingers crossed* Wet On Skin: the spicy-boozy quality is showing up loud and proud now, with a strong under note of pure rough sugar. This is seriously RUM at this stage. Dry Down: This has mellowed into a more rummy version of the Egg Nog scent. It's got a cream to it (not butter, which I'm a bit sad about, actually) and still lots and lots of rum as the predominant note, but with a spicier edge. In All: medium throw with a strong but subtle presence, I think Hot Buttered Rum has potential- but maybe needs some aging. I'm going to hold on to my bottle and check it again in later Spring. If it's changed in the way that I hope, it'll be highly covetable indeed. If not- off to the swap pile!

Dusted with mineral-rich salts dredged from the foetid depths of the Nameless Sea! In The Bottle: Wow. Straight outta the bottle I'm indeed getting: cookies. caramel. sea salt. Wet On Skin: The same. It's like the 2012 Sugar Cookie plus salted caramel. Dry Down: In the dry down, a touch of the 'depths of the Nameless Sea' have emerged- usually aqua and water notes go all Mr Clean on me and it's a bad scene, but the foodie elements of this scent seem to be keeping it this side of just briny, which is going pretty well, actually. In All: Low to medium throw, I didn't put a ton on this time and I might continue to be cautious until I see how that briny note plays out over the course of an entire day. It seems to mellow pretty quickly, so there may be no issue. but if you tend to be on the fence with water notes, I'll proceed- but with caution.

In The Bottle: A sweetness, like fruity bubblegum. Wet On Skin: More of the same, the bubblegum aspect seems to be intensifying. Dry Down: I concur that it's a "warm" scent, not given to easy classification, as is true with nearly all the original Tarot oils I've had the good fortune to try. There's something about this scent that reminds me, in feeling, of Hod- that warm, cozy, comforting aspect, as if I might wear this on a day when I'm mourning the loss of something less significant than a death but more significant than a hangnail. This card, being about liminal, in-between spaces, is tied closely into my thesis work this year, and as such, I'm especially glad to have this bottle come into my life at this point in time.

In The Bottle: I get sugared pink grapefruit! It's juicy and yummy and has a nice citrus bite to it. Wet On Skin: It has a bit of the sweet-fruit-cereal vibe that I got from Cheshire Moon, but it's not so overtly Froot Loops as that one was. It *is* kissing cousins, though! Dry Down: Yep, the Strawberry Shortcake doll comparison is an apt one, though without the weird plastic undercurrent that those dolls had. It's very playful and child-like, less like Ouija Yes or Faith or Hope in terms of being "sugared" and more like a cross between Pink Moon and Cheshire Moon.

In The Bottle: The incense-y vibe, combined with the orange blossom remind me more than a little of Rich Hippie's Kalachakra. This is a wonderful comparison and also, anyone that can't get their hands on the ridiculously-priced $750 bottle, the sniff from Peach IV is a fabulous substitute! Wet On Skin: It's become soft and powdery now- not baby powder, but the kinds of dusting powders ladies used to keep at their dressing tables with big, fluffy puffs. Dry Down: I get no peach from this. It's morphed slightly and become a soft, floral incense. In All: Low throw, definitely a "skin" scent, as it stays very close to the skin. There's something that feels poignant to me, like I would wear this while listening to "Summertime Sadness" by Lana Del Rey. It's beautiful and sweet and very unassuming. Just lovely.

This tobacco accord is soulful, earthy, and multifaceted: the scent reverberates like a deep bass note, possessing a very faint citrus-like twang and an almost animalic caramel richness. In The Bottle: Warm and yes, slightly caramel, but not foody. There's also an astringent quality that's coming through strongly at this point. Wet On Skin: The astringency has mellowed a bit. I feel pretty certain this is the tobacco note from Pinched With Four Aces. Dry Down: Staying true. Someone at Will Call compared this to high-quality pipe tobacco, and I can see where the comparison is apt. There's a warm sweetness that is usually present in pipe tobacco that you don't find in other varieties, and this has a bit of that. In All: Medium throw. As with nearly all the other single notes, this stays more or less the same from in the bottle through to it's finish. I don't know that I'll have much cause for wearing this on it's own. That being said, this is a *great* asset in adding to other scents when you're looking to add some warmth or sweetness without anything that'll read as sugary or food-like. This is a great addition to any BPAL collection and I predict it becomes one of the most popular Single Notes released during this 12 month period. ETA It's about 40 minutes later and the warmth and throw have both continued to grow with this Single Note. I think this has great potential to be mixed in with all kinds of other scents effectively, but be careful, because the throw on this scent is really really high at this point, and I barely put any on my hand at all. This is the epitome of A Little Goes A Long Way.

Mare Nectaris The Sea of Nectar: sweet peach liquor with papaya-infused musk, golden musk, and green ti leaf. This is the first Lunacy I've gotten in AGES! but the notes sounded pretty great, so let's see if the gamble paid off! In the Bottle: Peach schnapps, papaya and musk- oh my! Wet On Skin: Man, that green ti leaf is AMPING on me! Behind that, the fruity aspects are playing around, but definitely overshadowed a bit. Dry Down: This is...odd. If I'm being totally honest, the first thing this reminds me of is a perfume I wore freshman year of high school. It was a "Designer Impostors" fragrance, of all things, and it had a sweet, musky thing going on just like this scent does. But the ti leaf has calmed down and adding some hi notes to this. Hmmm. In All: Medium throw, definitely musky above all else. The ti and the fruits just sort of weave in and out, never staying stable. I can't get a handle on whether it's right for me or not. But I'm willing to let it settle and re-test in a week or two. If nothing changes, off to swaps it goes!

Orris, luminous ambergris, and golden amber illuminated by a sunlit golden musk. In The Bottle: The dusty-sweet scent of the orris is sharing a spotlight with the ambergris as soon as I put my nose close to the mouth of the bottle. I do not get anything else at this stage. Wet On Skin: More of the same, with a slight powder edge coming out of the orris. This has definitely got a similar vibe similar to what was in Silver Haired Bat. It's a subtle scent, but has a strong presence as well. Dry Down: Pure orris and ambergris. I get no musk or amber, which honestly is a relief as golden amber can go powdery on me and golden musk often smells like syrup on my skin (in a bit of an unpleasant way). In All: Low to medium throw. Dry, sweet and dusty, this almost comes across to me as a desert scent. It also smells like a pared-down version of Silver-Haired Bat, which is great, because I love that scent quite a bit. I'm glad I have a bottle- I will definitely wear this sometimes in place of Silver Haired Bat!

Alas, so far all I get is tobacco. The sweet, chewy caramel-y French tobacco as found in Red Lantern and the single note of the same name. Don't get me wrong- it's a lovely tobacco. I just wanted, you know, the other stuff. To be fair, I tested fresh out the mailbox. I know that many of these notes do well with a bit of aging. And the notes sound incredible! So I'm willing to wait. For the present, it's All Tobacco, All The Time. But I'll see what happens in about a month and hopefully have a solid edit to make then

I expected tis to be similar to other fruity/Froot Loop-y types scents, like Cheshire Moon. I expected a sugary-sweet explosion of crystalline candies in glittering fruit-shapes. In fact, this scent turned out to be a study in subtlety. Even when I sniffed from the bottle, even when the oil was still wet and slick on my skin, it was all soft, natural fruits, melding gently, caressing my skin. It's a skin scent, meaning the low is incredibly throw, the scent clings close. Five minutes after application, I had to put my wrist right up to my nose to really huff. That said, it hung around for hours, even after I washed the area twice. It has the distinction of being long-lasting while still being so soft and gentle. In all, a beautiful late-summer scent. <3

Sun-warmed squashes, peppers, salad greens, snap peas, radishes, green onions, and silphium. In the imp: Very much a late-summer garden: warm, green, earthy without being overtly dirt-y. Reminds me strongly of our backyard gardens when I was a kid Wet On Skin: The green is really starting to take over at this point. It's more dense than, say, cucumber. and it's not foodie. It actually reminds me a lot of aloe vera. not the juice, but the straight up gel from the leaf. It's a strong intense smell, but not overwhelming. Dry Down: Totally green. I get no individual veggies from this, and nothing as sharp as onion or radish. It's just a dense green, like walking through a lush vegetation-laden area. not trees, just big green leaves everywhere. In All: Medium to High throw, pretty long lasting with little morph from wet to dry. For those that have been wanting another scent in the vein of Planting Moon, this is it. not sure I personally want to wear it as a perfume, but I really like it for it's own sake and would totally use it as an atmosphere and linen spray to be sure

A spectral denial you must not disregard: Burmese heartwood teak, coffee beans, black patchouli, green cognac, and white musk. Thanks to TwilightEyes for making this possible! In The Bottle: Smoky black patchouli, a bit of dark wood (not the teak from Glowing Vulva- this is blackened, rich.) and a touch of cognac. Wet On Skin: The cognac sweetens up a bit- this is the same cognac note from Black Lace and it does a lot to smooth out the rough edges of the heady, dark scent. Dry Down: Wow. This is pretty special. It's like a combination of Black Lace, deep, dark patchouli and fresh-brewed coffee as smelled whilst walking through the French Quarter. It's not sinister, but it *is* serious. In All: Medium throw with a nice, rich undertone that makes this perfect for all genders. I have a feeling this is going to get even better with age!

With a hint of FD&C yellow. The British version is better, amirite? In The Bottle: A light milk chocolate with a sweet, sugary undertone. Honestly, this reminds me of the Easter baskets I got as a kid, that faint smell of chocolate combined with the headier smell of 18 different kinds of sugar, plus fake grass. Love it! Wet On Skin: The chocolate is blooming now, but it's not the rich chocolate of, say, The Other Hot Chocolate or Bliss. It's more the chocolate note that shows up in some of the "13" blends- lighter, more sugary. And there's the cream, coming across a bit more persistently, now, not dairy-based- all creamy sugar instead. Dry Down: Light, mild chocolate with an undertone of a similar cream note found in various Egg Nog releases. YUM! In All: Medium throw, sweet but not aggressive- a cute daytime Spring alternative to the richness of Egg Nog. I could see wearing this for family gatherings or just a nice stroll in the park on a chilly spring day!

In The Bottle: A dry tobacco, definitely very different from the French variety I've become accustomed with. It's so dry and dusty that it could be in Tombstone. Wet On Skin: Someone of the FB thread was talking about how this has a vanilla extract undertone to it, and I can now see what she meant. It's not foodie in the least, but there's definitely a dry vanilla thing going on and it's really, really working here. Dry Down: This is really, really beautiful. Honestly, I've gotten to a point with French Tobacco where it's usually too heavy and over-powering for me to handle, unless it's part of a heavy, rich blend, like Red Lantern. But this, this I can wear all its own. It's dry and light and slightly sweet and smells like the desert and sweet sands and crackly leaves. I think I'm in love.

2016 version. In The Bottle: Whoa, cassia! I *adore* the cassia note and that was the reason I took a chance on this bottle. It comes on strong, and that's how I like it! Wet On Skin: Still the primary note, tiny bits of Snake Oil are coming in at the edges and it's pretty great. Dry Down: If the cinnamon and ginger are present in this at all on me, it's just in a faint support of the cassia. The cassia by far remains the dominant note. I expect that the Snack Oil will make something of a comeback, once this has had a chance to age, but honestly, even if it stays as-is, I will be totally happy to have this sweet, spicy bottle. <3

In The Bottle: Champaca incense note. Straight up. Wet On Skin: Same, but as my skin warms it up, I get slight hints of the Snake Oil underneath. Dry Down: The champa settles in, becomes more incorporated. There's a sweet, soft roundness to the scent, and I'm acutely aware of the fact that SO on its own needs to age for me to really appreciate it. The other Snake Pit scents I've tried, it hasn't been an issue- I felt I was able to start wearing them right away. But this one, I can tell that it really needs a chance to age a bit, so that the various elements can really mingle with each other more completely. But I like what I'm experiencing now- it's a promise of what the future will bring!

In The Bottle: Yummy almond cookie! Wet On Skin: Yep, that's some almond cookie alright. Dry Down: Goodness! It really *is* fortune cookie incense! This is AMAZING! I never would have thought I needed such a thing in my life, but yes, I needed this exact thing! It's sweetly resinous incense-y, but definitely still fortune cookie. It might sound odd- how can those two things line up? but they do. they really do, and this has immediately jumped to become one of my favorite incense scents of all time. Just like that.

I think I'm in love. This is not just cotton candy, but to my nose, it's *coconut* cotton candy. It's fluffy, sugary-sweet and yet not over-powering or cloying. I don't own any wigs, but I will be more than happy to spray this in any room that requires it. It's fun and light and yummy and lovely and I'm *so* glad I got a bottle.

In The Bottle: All sweet pea, all the time. It's very "perfume-y" in that way. Wet On Skin: The vanilla sugar i starting to make its presence known now, though at this point, it's still reading mostly as a very feminine traditional perfume. Dry Down: *There's* the pink musk. It gives this scent a bit of depth so that everything else isn't just a reading of tinkling high top notes. In All: Medium throw, super, duper, über girlie, indeed, you don't get fishier than this. If you're a fan of ultra-femme perfumes, then this is one you'll fall in love with.

Bolsters sexual vigor, stimulates sensuality, and inspires relaxation: cacao with coconut, vanilla cream, and shea. Normally I don't bother with massage oils. I no longer live with an MT, so I feel like "what's the point?" However, when I saw the note list for this item, I felt that there was just no possible way I could ignore such a thing. so here goes: In the Bottle: Imagine the most delicious edible suntan lotion that has never existed. Cocoa butter? Check. Coconut? Check. Vanilla frosting in a can? Check, check, check. On the Skin: Oh, holy crap. This smells AMAZING. Not only do all the above elements stay true, but the shea butter shows up and adds a little sugary note, right on at the end. the oils texture is light and absorbent, leaving my skin feeling moisturized without being slick or greasy or sticky. In All: A must have, I will use this post-shower or post-bath as a nice light moisturizer and I will also put some into the ends of my hair, where it's most thirsty. In other words, do not deny yourselves something so yummy and lovely simply because you don't get that many massages. Trust me- you'll find ways to use this heavenly treat!

In The Bottle: Banana deliciousness! Plus a bit of fresh, unsweetened whipped cream and a flaky pie crust! Wet On Skin: All the same, except the crust is becoming a little more up front. Dry Down: For those that fear banana scents, this might be a perfect one- the banana is subtle and fresh, like real, actual bananas, not like banana candy or flavoring. the crust lends weight and balance, with the cream being thick but light- like real, home-made whipped cream. In All: Low throw, a good daytime scent. Yummy!

Black leather aflame with a cherry-infused cognac that has been spiced with brown sugar, vetiver, black pepper, and dried apricot. Full disclosure: normally I don't 'do' leather scents- they tend to amp like crazy on me and last far too long. but the other notes in this were SO compelling that I took a chance. Let's see hoe my gamble pays off... In The Bottle: The cherry-infused cognac hits my nose first, followed by a little of the smoky aspect of vetiver. But that's it. Wet On Skin: AH! *There's* the leather! But amazingly, at this stage, anyway, it's playing nice and just adding a dense, dark round note to ground the other, sweeter, lighter notes. Dry Down: Okay...the *vetiver* is actually the dominant here. But not by much- the cherry, the brown sugar and the apricot are all mixing together to form something that's sweet and smoky and *quite* sexy on the right person. In All: For those that normally fear leather, this just might be the one for you. And for those looking for a good smoky-sweet scent for date night- regardless of gender- you just might want some too.

I picked up an imp of this based on recommendations I was seeking for Lemon-based scents. Unfortunately, I get *no* citrus from this at all, not lemon, not verbena. On me it's all China musk and white florals. It's lovely, but definitely not for me. Oh well!

In The Bottle: Oh, açai berry, you sassy vixen, how I have missed you! In the bottle she is juicy and ripe and full of sweet and tart promise. She's also the dominant note, overshadowing all others. Wet On Skin: Still mostly the berry's show, but I'm getting traces of the smoked vanilla here and there, which is giving the açai something to ground to. Dry Down: Oh HAI Snake Oil! I was wondering when you were coming to the party! SO is very faint, at least in this fresh-from-the-Lab bottle. We all know how SO ages and changes, so I wouldn't rule out the possibility that later it might become more dominant. It this current state, however, it's merely giving depth to the vanilla and berry combo- and rounding the whole thing out, making it really delectable and quite singular. In All: I always thought my love affair with Boomslang would be the beginning and end of where I stood with the Snake Pit. But Australian Copperhead? Just hit it out of the part. Hoard-worthy.

In The Bottle: Mostly the jasmine, the rich, heady kind, like the stuff one can procure in tiny beautiful bottles in Indian neighborhoods. Wet On Skin: The rose is coming out, and it's a fresh, still on the stem kind of rose. The jasmine os still being heady and dense, making for an incredibly sultry floral combination. Dry Down: Bits of the pepper and sandalwood finally come out to play, though it's for sure in a background, supporting role kind of way. The jasmine is still definitely the star of this show, with the rose getting softer, less on the stem now, more like a rose musk, or the kind of rose in a Victorian face cream. In All: Honestly, I'm not one for florals. I'm extremely picky about them, even when I love them. I don't know that I will keep this, as the jasmine has asserted itself in a very dramatic way. But the scent is certainly a floral-lover's dream, not to be passed up.