suki

In The Bottle: Sweet yummy pink strawberry sugar! Nomnomnom Wet On Skin: Yup. That's strawberry candy alright! Dry Down: Yeah, I see how the vanilla is hiding there. This is like strawberry pixie stix if you ever had those. I'm not usually much for "candy" scents (I like my foodie oils a bit more grown up) but this one is really, really good. In All: Low throw, a sweet daytime scent for you and also a perfect scent for children that want to feel special by wearing "grown up perfume". Glad I got a bottle!

In The Bottle: Vanilla, chocolate, pomegranite, all very strong. Like chocolate covered fruit. Wet On Skin: What?! where'd all those notes go??? NOW I'm getting all the roses and maybe some of the champaca- nothing else. All those sweet foodie notes have vanished! Dry Down: Ahhhh, NOW it's coming together. I get vanilla, rose (both kinds), benzoin and myrrh. So, lost some and regained a few. In All: This scent is a real morpher, and whenever I encounter a scent with so many notes, I always think that it's better to let it sit a while and age, give all those notes a chance to better get to know each other. So that's what I'm going to do, then I'll check back in with this bottle in a few months. Jury Is OUT!

In The Bottle: The clove, a tiny bit of the myrrh and a dollop of the Daemonorops combine right away to give the impression of a dark, sweet cherry scent. Normally I find anything resembling a cherry note to be too much for me, but I'm liking this...so far. Wet On Skin: The peppers are starting to come out, warming up the aforementioned notes. At this point, I detect no chocolate or labdanum. Dry Down: I can see where the prior reviewer got the "bubblegum" equation from. It doesn't read that way to me, but I can see why it would come across that way. The clove and myrrh mix in this way that makes it seem sweeter and more "fruity" than either separately. But there's a deep quality to this- this is not a teenybopper scent in the least, and my instincts say that this is one of those that has the potential to be unbeatable, after it's had about 6 month to age. In All: Low throw with lots of spicy resin undertones, this will be favored by some as a seduction scent. for me, I can relate to the madness aspect of this perfume's message, and so may wear it on days when I feel more inclined to embrace my "Girl, Interrupted" moments- perhaps even revel in them.

I've been meaning to purchase this for ages and decided to chuck a bottle onto my latest order out of few that it would be discontinued if I waited- I've had that happen too many times lately! In The Bottle: Mostly I'm getting lavender and a touch of honey. Wet On Skin: A bit of the vanilla is peeping out and mixing with the honey in a really lovely way. I am enjoying the journey this scent is taking me on thus far! Dry Down: Honey and Vanilla in equal measure, with a touch of lavender in the background. This is actually more what I thought Beaver Moon 2011 was going to be like, actually, so I'm glad I get to have it here instead! In All: This scent is a *very* far scent, indeed. Medium throw, but not at all cloying or presumptuous, this scent is so beautiful, so evocative of so many wistful moments from my own life and from favorite love poems and literature. I am so, so, so glad I didn't wait any longer to get this scent- I might even get a backup soon, just to be on the safe side!

Porridge, kukui nuts, and pastry crumbs. In The Bottle: Flaky, buttery pastry. Wet On Skin: Wow. Okay, right now? This is almost a dead ringer for Crumpet Rebellion. Like if CR had a little fruity jam tossed in there? THAT'S this scent. I wonder if it'll last? Dry Down: Yeah, this is very nearly identical to Crumpet Rebellion- buttery, rich yummy pastries. Which is GREAT, because I will not even say what princely sum I paid for my bottle In All: Light to medium throw and yummy, yummy, yummy. Seriously, if you're one of the hoards that has lusted after CR, here ya go. and for those of us that are lucky enough to have some of that precious gold dust, Halfling will allow us to save Crumpet Rebellion for the *really* special occasions

This is the 2012 version. In The Bottle: HONEY! And lots of it! I get a trace of the Snake Oil in the background there, but really, the honeys are the stars in the bottle. Wet On Skin: Yup, there's all that honey, and the astringent quality that I know to be fresh Snake Oil. I am one of the people that must age their Snake Oil at LEAST a year before wearing, so if the note sounds a little harsh, that's where my perspective is coming from. Dry Down: I can see what others have said, that you can tell there's more than one kind of honey in this mix. It lends a really beautiful depth, the likes of which I have only experienced once before, with a bottle of Honey-laden Chaos Theory, "O" Series. If Doom of Beauty is for the earliest awakenings of spring, then Womb Fury is for the later part, when everything is in full bloom, heavy and ripe and full of sexual energy. In All: Light to medium throw, and just a lovely honey scent. I can't WAIT to see where this goes when the Snake Oil has had some proper time to age!

This is the Luper I was most anxious to try this year, so I feel like I've got a lot riding on it- I hope it's as good as I anticipated! In The Bottle: Juicy pear, honey and vanilla cream, alright! Wet On Skin: The honey has moved a bit more to the fore, but all three major elements are still front and center. Dry Down: The vanilla and honey are now most prominent, but the pear lends a certain depth, and keeps this scent from becoming just a delicious bottle of frosting. I'm always a fan of the BPAL Honey note, and if you are too, this scent will NOT disappoint! In All: Low throw, this is definitely a "skin" scent. Subdued enough for daytime, this scent, after some aging, has the possibility for use in seduction- stay tuned for that. Definitely worth a bottle, and I might even need a backup!

In The Bottle: Yes, very green and herby. There *is* a cologne-y aspect, but it's not overbearing or cloying. Wet On Skin: This is much lighter and fresh-smelling than I anticipated. So far it actually seem like it would suit well for the very, very beginnings of springtime, when the ground is still hard and the wet damp chill is still very much present but the sun shines brightly and the first crocuses are pushing through the ground. It's shaping up to be *that* kind of scent. Dry Down: Huh. THIS is interesting. A citrus note has emerged, which actually adds a really nice balance with all the fresh herbs. Odd, but appealing! In All: Light throw, I stand by my original assessment that this is a scent best used in the very beginning of Spring. I think it's a rather good genderless fragrance, and I can easily see both dapper gents and elegant ladies wearing this for a brisk Sunday outing or taking tea with some fascinating acquaintances. Personally, I don't think I'll wear it often, but it fills a particular gap and when I want it, I think I shall be very glad indeed to have it on hand. ETA: A half hour later and this scent has both sweetened a bit and softened. All the things I said before remain true, but there's an interesting sub text to this scent that has now showed itself- it reminds me, strangely and distinctly, of this deodorant my boyfriend wore in 9th grade, called Tussy. I don't even know if it exists anymore, but it too had this soft, sweet unisex vibe to it, and I loved it then, and I like DOB in the same way. Just needed to add that...

Rose is one of the few floral notes I usually favor, so I was very interested in getting to try this out. Let's see how it's done, shall we? In The Bottle: I'm getting the dried rose scent that came up so strongly for me in Crypt Queen, but without the black under note of musk that ruined that scent for me. so already, I'm liking this. Wet On Skin: I can see what was meant by this scent having the remarkable ability to smell like fresh and dried roses at the same time. It's seems to be traipsing back and forth between the two states of being every few second- I'm curious to see which side it lands on! Dry Down: A deep, fresh red rose is the winner! In All: Solid medium throw, this rose has the freshness of a Real Live Plant but with a depth to it. I can easily picture being in a stuff drawing room in the late 1890's, one where the lace curtains are never pulled back, let alone windows being opened- and the only thing to freshen the air is an enormous bouquet of freshly cut very deeply red roses. That's this scent. Glad to have a bottle.

Now me and the Champagne Scents, we have a troubling history. I keep trying, and mostly they have failed me. but I keep going back, because I keep feeling like, there's one out there for me. there just has to be, right? So, since I didn't want to ask my Angel's Angel for too much, and since I was already getting two other bottles, the only Champagne I asked for was this one. Based on the name, it seemed, somehow, the most likely to work. So let's see what we got here, shall we? In The Bottle: Yup, there's that fizzy ginger ale-y note I know so well But there's also a definite fruit thing going on, too, so it comes off, in the bottle, smelling like a good spiked fruit punch. Potential! Wet On Skin: Man, this thing has some amp! and yet, it's not in a cloying overpowering kind of way. Sangria is no shy violet, but she's also not a blowhard, either. I'm finding myself intrigued. Dry Down: Huh. Well what do ya know. The fruity Sangria (which, to my nose, isn't one particular fruit or grouping of fruit, it really smells like a nice fruit punch variety to me) is providing a really nice counterpoint to the fizz of the Champagne- something that none of the past Champagne scents have been able to do for me! In All: Light, fizzy, sweet and cheery, this may very well be the scent I wear on New Year's Eve. and if not then, the lightness wouldn't actually be out of place on New Year's Day in the least!

Of all the 2011 Yuletime Will Call scents, THIS was the one I was willing to sell my soul just to try. A HUGE thank you to ALL the angels that made it possible for me to get a whole bottle! So let's see if it's all I'm hoping it'll be! In the Bottle: The Red Musk I adore in Smut is here, alright. but in the bottle, she's hanging back a bit, yet lending a good sweetness. In the fore is the Black Musk for sure. BM is usually a Death Note for me, but I was willing to bet on this because of some of the other notes, and so far, so good- the orris is providing a good balance, yet not coming across as too powdery. I'm hopeful! Wet On Skin: Wow. This is really going somewhere. I'm getting the amber and the musks all playing nice now, and the orris lending this just lovely sweet, dusty note to the proceedings. It's like everything that normally gets too overpowering is being held in check by all the *other* notes that normally get too overpowering. Dry Down: Holy. Crap. This is just...beautiful. I can totally get what Mxtine was saying about how great this is fresh from the Lab- but I can't WAIT to find out what it's going to be like in 6 months! This is really just extraordinary. In All: Solid medium throw, and a soft, sweet musky blend that's like all the best parts of all the favorite scents I ever encountered as a child- my aunt wearing White Shoulders, my mom wearing Ambush. My grandmother's kitchen, snuggling into my warm blankets at the end of a long day, sleep overs at my sister's house, pinky swears with my cousin. Not since Antique Lace have I encountered a scent so nostalgic, so evocative of so many things. I'm really just floored. This is easily now in my Top Ten of All Time. :wub:

What a lovely, special oil. In the bottle, Yule 2011 smells like Wintertime to me. specifically winter in the Northeast, but north of NYC, where I grew up. It actually remind me greatly of winter in Vermont. The quality of the snow, the sweet smell of the evergreens- it's all in here. A tiny drop on the skin (I wasn't sure if I'd have a reaction because of the essential oils, I recommend taking care, you never know!) has shown that the oil is staying true. No, this is not a perfume oil. But ritual doesn't mean that something only gets used by the light of the Full Moon in a cast circle, either. I would say, from my Pagan perspective, that this is something to use whenever you are trying to bring yourself closer into the nature of Winter, with all Her sleepy hibernation, all her soft, quiet snow and- here, in the Pacific Northwest- all Her torrential rains. But the Capricorn in me, that leans toward melancholy in the withered January daylight, sees this substance as a chance to embrace Winter, in all her aspects, and to make peace with Her and love Her for who she is. I can't help it, having that little drop on my hand is making me kinda *love* Winter, just a little. Miracles. <3

In the Bottle: Lots of wine, and a follow-up of sugar. Wet On Skin: the wine has become sweeter now, a bit more grape-juice-driven, and I'm absolutely getting the frosting part too. so far this is like the adult, parental version of Sprinklecake, which seems very fitting indeed Dry Down: This has become the bastard child of Tzenton Totochin and Sprinklecake. Or, Sprinklecake with booze and wine. Anyway you put it, I think I like it! In All: low to medium throw, a sweet, food-related scent without being overtly "foodie". A good daytime scent and seriously, a good alternate if you favor Sprinklecake (which I certainly do!) Glad I picked up a bottle!

In The Bottle: Yes, the leather is there, but it's not the HAI LEATHER! that I thought it was going to be. And even in the bottle, it still is being tempered by some of the other notes. I'm especially detecting the cedar and possibly the narcissus right now. Wet On Skin: the leather is not playing with the oudh and the narcissus still, and there's another floral I'm getting just a hint of. It's not the rose, so I'm assuming it must be the star anise, but less spicy than I'm used to... Dry Down: Well, it's leather accord, alright. Sadly, though, I'm not getting much of the other notes- and there are a LOt of good ones in here. As with many of BPAL's headier creations, time might be all that's required to really make this oil shine. So I'll put it aside for now and revisit come high summer- 6 months should be enough to make this *really* special.

In the Bottle: Yup, that's some fruit brandy, alright! Wet On Skin: The cherry has a marachino vibe to it for sure- usually BPAL cherry notes turn all cough syrup on me, but I'm digging this one- it's not medicinal, it's like yummy jam! Dry Down: the fruit are now grounded by the musk and the whole thing is decidedly more spicy and grownup than the previous version of Berry Moon. In All: low to medium throw, this is a sweet daytime scent that has just a little kick of sexiness. Perfect for a date down on the Boardwalk, for instance!

In The Bottle: I'm getting quite a bit of the linden blossom, followed by some honey. the 2 by themselves shouldn't work well together, because linden has a 'greeness' to it and honey is all softly sweet and powdery. But it's actually a pretty compelling juxtaposition... Wet On Skin: the linden and the orange are doing this dance that makes them come across together as Neroli (or Orange Blossom). at this point I'm getting a little of the honey coming through in the back ground, but the vanilla so far is no where to be found. Dry Down: A soft, gentle honey-floral, when I tried this scent at Will Call last month there was something about it that compelled me to get it. And there's something still, though I don't know what it is. It's sweet and gentle and not like any other scent I wear. It feels fragile, like I need to shelter it. I think I'll want to wear this a lot when it gets warmer outside again. In All: low throw- definitely a 'skin' scent, I think A Wonderful Light might be the unsung hero of the Yules this year. I have a strong feeling that because of the unassuming quality of this scet it's going to be overlooked now- only to be in high demand later.

In the bottle: I'm getting the apricot brandy thing others mentioned. The fruity/incensey vibe of this in the bottle reminds me strongly of the "head shops" my mom brought me into in the 70's. It's not a bad association Wet On Skin: there's what appears to be a black musk note showing itself. Right now it's behaving, but black musk is often a deal-breaker for me, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed... Dry Down: Boy oh boy, this is *heady*. I'm getting the tobacco and definitely the plum. I can see the comparisons to Mme Moriarty and to Snake Charmer (two of my winter time favorites!) but it's completely it's own thing, too- not a replacement for those others. In All: A lighter throw than MM or SC, and a little heavier on the black musk, i think a bit more aging might improve this oil. I'll hold onto it for now, but if it doesn't come together by summer, it might have to go to the swap pile...

I picked this up on a lark at the last Seattle Will Call, but today was the first day that I really tested it out. In the bottle I get honey and a little patchouli mostly, with a slight bitterness as almost an afterthought. Wet, and on initial drydown, it becomes sweet, light and very smooth. I was reminded most strongly of the non-foody sweetness of Hod, actually. at that point, there was a nice medium throw, and as I walked down the street, I'd get little wiffs of it again and again. Really quite nice. It's now several hours later and what I'm left with is a wine note, like a daytime cousin of Gluhwein, even though there are NO notes to indicate such a thing! In All: the throw died down as the scent settled. Because of how it morphed and because of the Snake Oil inclusion, I am theorizing that this is a scent that is going to do well to age significantly. I'm going to hold on to my bottle either way, but I'm willing to bet that by summer time, this is going to be a very sexy beast indeed

This bottle was my big Yule gamble this year, the one I felt least sure about, but the notes just sounded so beautiful that I threw caution to the wind. Let's see if that's paid off! In the Bottle: fresh rose and gardenia, with a hint of the pear. at first sniff, it smells like an English Garden. This is promising! Wet On Skin: The rose and the pear are really popping now. so far, I'm not getting any honey or currant or vanilla. I hope that changes, though, because I could see those notes really changing this. Dry Down: It's the pear note from Perilous Parlor and a strong, green-tinged rose. Very fresh, bright floral. In All: Medium to heavy throw- a little bit goes a long way. The rose/pear combination is not a bad one, I'm just not certain it's for me. I'm willing to wait a month or two to see how it ages, if that brings the vanilla and honey out, which would change this scent considerably. If it stays as is, though, I'll likely swap it as I like my roses with more cream and sugar.

I, too, was very excited about trying this scent. I took a sniff of the tester at Will Call, but didn't try it then, though I'd ordered my bottle already by that point In the Bottle: I get the spicy-fruity combo I associate with rooibos tea plus the ginger and cardamom in supporting roles. Wet On Skin: The spices start to calm down, but the rooibos itself is going strong, while the coconut is now making an appearance. This coconut note is the one I recall from Eden, though that was quite a while back the last time I encountered that. It also reminds me of the coconut in Tarot: The Star. Dry Down: The rooibos is the consistent thing throughout. The coconut has mellowed a bit and the spice notes have reemerged as a distant support. This is NOT the usual ginger-heavy Yule scent- the rooibos is definitely the star. In All: Medium throw, a light winter spice mix reminiscent of 2007's Diwale but with rooibos as a main attraction. I anticipate wearing this warm daytime-friendly scent quite a bit and may also need to get a backup bottle by January ETA: I get no pumpkin from this. Not at any point.

In the Bottle: It's kinda of amazing- the lemon and yuzu have combined with a tiny, tiny hint of mint to create something that, in the bottle at least, smells like a wintery pine forest without the pine. I don't know HOw that's possible, but that's my very first impression. the second bottle impression is that this is a citrus scent that somehow manages to be incense-y, and that also makes no sense AT ALL to me. Still, I'm excited to see what happens next... Wet On Skin: Okay, the grapefruit and the vanilla cream are starting to poke out a little now. But even with all the food action going on, this does not read like a foodie scent in the least. Dry Down: All citrus besides the yuzu has vanished. Now it's yuzu and vanilla cream. No mint, nothing else. In All: Medium throw and a lasting presence, i like this scent quite a bit, though previous comparisons to Pink Snowballs have me baffled as I personally get none of the snowy presence *or* delicacy that scent has. This is certainly wintery but I find it to be in a totally other kind of way. I'm definitely going to keep my bottle, but if I want a delicate winter scent, it's Pink- not Yellow- Snowballs I'll be turning to.

This is the 2011 version. In The Bottle: Snow White with a light rose tossed in: sweet, delicate, musky and wintery without turning baby powdery. So far, so good! Wet On Skin: A slight morph, this is now smelling to my nose like a combination of the sugary rose that is Hope and the creamy rose of Victorian Rose Milk v.1. and since those two are my favorite rose blends? This is turning out to be *just* what I was hoping for. Dry Down: A light, beautiful and bright creamy and sugary delicate rose. In All: Light to medium throw, this is the Rose scent to complete my trifecta of yummy rose scents! An in-between of the afore-mentioned Hope and VRM v1, this is a rose scent to wear on those impossibly blind-bright sunny winter days when the light seems as if it will reflect off each and every snowflake in each and every drift passed, dazzling the eye more than should be possible. But since I live in Seattle where it's cloudy most of the winter, I shall instead wear this scent to remind me that the sun will eventually return.

Also, it you can find a bottle- from another forumite - then you'd probably love Lilith's Tea Party! That's ALL tea and cream, all the time!

Black currant, rhubarb, mushroom, champaca, and myrrh. in the bottle: strong sweet/tart rhubarb, champa and a hint of myrrh. doesn't sound like they would necessarily work together, but at this stage, they DO. wet on skin: same, with the champa becoming more incense-y by the second. which i LOVE. dry down: champaca is absolutely the dominant note, but that doesn't mean it's overpowering. it's not. the rhubarb actually keeps it in place rather well, balancing it, making sure it doesn't become too much to bear. in all: i *know* this is going to age brilliantly. but even fresh, this oil is beautiful- tart, incensey and totally compelling with a surprisingly low throw, this oil is perfect for right now, when the trees are just starting to come to life and the air hoveres between cool and warm. total. love.

I got gifted some Bacon! proto room spray yesterday and would love to review it, but can't find it ANYwhere- not under the Trading Post, OR Retail OR Event Exclusives- can someone show me where to go???