suki

O. Mi. GODDESS. this, THIS is the strawberry scent i've been waiting for my whole life! every other strawberry from BPAL does one of two things on me: it either becomes all plastic so i smell like a Strawberry Shortcake doll, or it goes all candy-like on me, like i just rubbed Twizzlers all over my arms. but this, this does neither. it's amazing. this smells *exactly* like real, warm, late summer, TART strawberries, maybe the slightest, and i MEAN slightest, hint of green in the background. on my skin, it stays true, just beautiful, real ripe strawberry to the last. the throw is low, but the hint of it stays on my skin for a long while. why, oh WHY did i only buy ONE bottle of this?! still, i will treasure this bottle for all my days :wub:

this is fruit-flavored rock candy, pure and simple. it's crunchy, sparkling candy edge is matched only by it's fruitness. this is not like Sugar Skull, though. the sugar in that amps on me like crazy, where as in this it strangely stays in place. this is not an everyday sort of scent, but when the mood is just so, it's the only thing that will do.

for me, Velvet Panther started out as a full-blown nightmare. in the bottle i couldn't pick out any notes, but as soon as it touched my skin, it became the black licorice horror of NyQuil. but then, within a minute or two, a miraculous thing happened. the NyQuil vanished entirely and a gorgeous and sexy blend of dark vanilla and musk with a touch of rootiness all bloomed on my skin in a mad rush. it's amazing. i'm really, really glad that i have a bottle with this, because my feeling is that it's only going to get better with age.

ah, fibro fog. boy, that's something i'd be happy to see disappear from my life *forever* anyway, i have to echo what other folks have said about the magic of TKO. it's absolutely my first-line defense for helping me to sleep when the pain or anxiety becomes too unbearable. it's the only BPAL that doesn't live in a big box- i keep it on my night table for constant access. i also really like Antique Lace because it's scent isn't overpowering during those fabulous times when Fibro makes all my senses a wee too strong. it's really gentle and is a really comforting one, i've found. Bitch, i find, is good for lethargy, big time. Perfect for the days when getting out of bed is needed and yet seems like the most enormous effort imaginable. and last but not least, i strongly recommend High John The Conqueror for any time one has to leave the house and get needs met. i wear it on the days that i'm in so much pain i HAVE to use my cane and i am in no mood to have to yell at someone to give me a seat on the bus. everyone just makes room for me, automatically. hope this helps, and welcome aboard- lots of folks around here have chronic conditions and although not everyone has ours, there's generally lots of support and empathy, cause we all know how hard things can get.

based on the ingredients, i had assumed this would be a cross between white musk and Sugar Moon. sadly, i got neither from it. the musk was light enough, but on me the flowering sugar cane just did that thing that many of the Lab's Spring Florals do on my skin, and that's become some nice-smelling shower/soap thing. *sigh* >< still, i'm glad i got to try it, even if it's to find out it's *not* for me.

i haven't had a chance yet to try out the Lab's wasabi note, so i was very interested in seeing about this particular Velvet. the throw was *much* lighter than i anticipated, given the other notes present in this blend. also, i thought it would be more spicy, perhaps a little peppery, or at least a bit heavy, but it wasn't at all, it was just wet cucumbers, green tea and fresh cut grass from start to finish. a lovely spring-into-summer scent, for those that are interested in this sort of thing. for me, however, i'm glad i got to try it, but equally glad i didn't get a whole bottle.

in the vial and wet on the skin, this seemed like the perfect mixed girlie drink: sweet, fruity and with a WHOLE LOT of alcohol. unfortunately, the juniper aspect of the gin, once dry, began to dominate and ceased to smell like gin- and just became a straight up juniper berry tree on me, mixed with a tiny bit of rock candy. the scent is fun and sweet, something to be worn for a "girls' night out", but as for me, i'm gonna let someone else adopt this baby cat.

i was a big fan of some of the Tiki scents that came out last year, so i was *very* interested in what this hommage would be like. as others have said, in the bottle and while wet on the skin, this is pure awesome. for me it was like finding a way to turn a pint of Haagen Daas pineapple coconut ice cream into a perfume. trouble came after dry down, when all those yummy foodie notes vanished, it became a floral so soft i could barely discern what it was, and then it just vanished off me entirely. sigh. i think for me i'll stick with moai, tiki king and upa upa from now on... :shrug:

in the vial, i got cassia (!?) and the Mandarin orange. wet on the skin and after dry down, it became a spicy/orange scent, that reminded me a lot of those orange pommander things i made as a kid around the holidays, with cloves stuck into a whole orange and left to scent the air. the problem for me is 1. this scent really wasn't strong enough for it to be worn around the holidays or used as a room scent and, 2. it's not really something i would personally wear as a "warm weather" scent. so i'll pass, though i'm really glad i got to try it!

this is my third Panacea oil, and i'm starting to deal with the fact that sometimes, nearing my moon time, i'm just a wee bit difficult to be around. sigh. anyway, it's not *quite* to that part of the month, but as i'm rather familiar with aromatherapy and what it can do, i figured i'd give this a go right now, as i just got it in the post today. in the bottle: straight up yellow chamomile and some mint behind it. i'll say spearmint for now, but i reserve the right to change that later. wet on skin: same as above, but something else might be in there too, that i can't quite put my finger on. hmmm. dry down: catmint. that's what it is. catmint (aka catnip) has a bit more of an herby edge to it, likely to be the "herb" aspect so many other folks here have noticed. the chamomile is still there, of course, but now it's more of a partnership than a mean dom/sub relationship in all: i don't think i used enough to actually feel much of anything, but you better believe i'll be reaching for this bottle at the first sign of grumpiness!

in the bottle: this reminds me strongly of the incense display at this one place that i worked about 17 years ago. it wasn't just one item- it was the WHOLE rack, all coming together to make something inclusive yet different from everything present. that's what this smells like in the bottle. incense and yummy, but nothing more distinct. wet on skin: much the same, actually. which is cool, since, you know, i've never found it in one single bottle (or incense stick for that matter!) before. dry down: the incense wins! in all: now, i'm not big on florals. i generally only like two. but the champaca and the poppy have totally won me over in this blend, probably because they don't smell like fresh flowers, they smell like an incense version of themselves. which is SO perfect and swoonworthy! i can't say how pleased i am to have obtained a bottle of this!

i was surprised by Montresor. i was expecting it to be a combination of, i don't know, Gluwhein and spicy cherry bark. but instead it became the slightly more aggressive sibling to Tell Tale Heart, all vanilla and tobacco. don't get me wrong, i'm really into it, it's just not at all what i expected. maybe i'll try again in a few days and see if anything changes.

i love most of the notes in this and so was really bewildered and disappointed when none of them seemed to be present incense? plum? musk? nay all around. what i got, in fact, was very similar to the composition of Hanami, which, unfortunately, became total cloying, perfume-y soap on me. this oil, on the other hand, became cloying perfume-y shampoo on me. when will i learn? the only florals i have any real luck with are violet, rose and sometimes verbena. i need to just leave it at that, and make way for floral lovers to get their hands on stuff like this. sigh.

version # CCCXLLL in the bottle: it's all heavy lemon verbena. not just lemon- this is important. this is clearly the plant not the fruit. to my boyfriend, it smelled like Lemon Pledge. but to me, it was yummy and plant-y. wet on skin: it takes on more of a plant note, like a bit of fresh sun-warmed mint has been added into the equation. i cannot over emphasize how much like actual living, growing plants these notes are. dry down: the barest trace of Snake Oil with a beautiful, muted Verbena on top, and a little of that mint to round things off. in all: a perfect scent for a late spring or early summer day, i'm betting it's only going to get better with age.

it's almost rubbed off, but i think the number is CCLXXXVIC...maybe? in the bottle: omg BUTTERSCOTCH! seriously, people. straight up butterscotch. good goddess, what a treat! wet on skin: it's changed slightly, with the butter getting replaced by honey a bit. dry down: this is honey butterscotch, pure and simple. i feel so unbelievably lucky!!! bottle # CCCII well, it's hard to follow an act like that first bottle i just reviewed, and while this one can't be put in the same catagory, this one is rather lovely. it's more of a honeysuckle as opposed to the rich honey of standard O, and there's just a *hint* of something floral, adding to the honey suckle idea. i will totally be wearing this one through all the warm months for sure, and that top butterscotch one whenever i want to make other people swoon

to me, this is almost a dead ringer for Pinched With Four Aces, only a little...richer? is that the word? Whereas Pinched tends to fades sweetly on me, this set of Dogs seems a little more hard, robust. but that same gorgeous combination of tobacco and coffee are there. i was worried about it being too heavy with it being Irish Coffee and all, but unlike Eggnog Latte, this coffee is rich, but perfectly blended with it's other components, from start to finish. definitely need a backup bottle!!! ETA: after giving this a more thorough second wearing, i change my mind a little. this is like the love child of Pinched and Black Lace. it has great elements of both, its definitely an option for all genders and it gives me that same feeling of being comforted by a kindly old alcoholic uncle in a funeral parlor. total win.

this is for bottle # CCCLXXIX in the bottle and wet on the skin, there's a strong vetiver note in here, with the scent of warm/rich Snake Oil as an afterthought. on the skin, this magically transforms into the love child of Mme Moriarty and Snake Charmer. i can't even believe that either of those scents could possibly be improved upon, but here it is! the sweet and the sexy and the rich, all rolled into one astounding scent. this is my third Chaos V Snake Oil series, and not one of them has disappointed, not in the least! :wub2:

this, THIS is the clove scent i've been looking for! i agree with others who said it smells like clove cigarettes, but to me it specifically smells like them in the box, when you get a fresh pack and first unwrap it. there's not much transition from in the bottle, to wet to dry down. the clove stays true and i really don't get much else from this, except as "supporting actors" that make the clove more...clovey. medium to low thow, perfect for all us moody gothy types that like to write poetry on grey days and dance to the Cure when we're alone.

this is my first ever participation in a Chaos experiment, though i've been down with BPAL for a couple few years now, and i gotta say, so far so good! first up: LVVI in the bottle: this is the sweet smokiness of Death In Autumn. not the vetiver that usually amps beyond control on my skin, but just deep, rich smoke, staying put, with a slight edge of her Lady snake Oil under it- but not much. wet on skin: sweet darkest resin, the rich smoke still holding strong. this is a "winter" scent as is. dry down: a little bit of leather is coming into play here, which is normally a deal-breaker for me, but is not leaping out of the fray, it's just mingling beautifully with the other rich dark notes. in all: when walking to my friend's house near the woods in mid fall, there are smoldering piles of foliage everywhere- rich colors and a beautiful evocative scent of sweet burning leaves that instantly set me down in a corn maze in a town i've never been to before. this is that scent, that feeling, bottled. Beth, you are so totally a genius. Next: XCIII in the bottle: fruity, fresh Snake Oil. reminds me of Coral Snake a bit, or SO with a dash of Clemence thrown in: Snake Oil and Acai? wet on skin: same, but the acai/tart fruit note is gaining in strength. dry down: This is a refined mix of tart fruit and Snake Oil- it's as simple as that. in all: as with Snake Oil in general, this clearly needs a bit of aging. but even so, it'll be the perfect summer counterpoint to that dark one listed above can't wait for moooooooorrrrrrreeee!!!!!!

i join the ranks of those who have fallen in love with this scent. it's not buttery, as all the other pumpkins have all turned on me. it's spicy, warm, and sexy. in fact, i dont find this autumnal or foodie at all- it's more like VooDoo Queen, actually. which is pure love on my skin. sigh. well, if anyone decides they suddenly hate their bottle of this coveted scent, y'all know where to find me...

yup. that's buttered popcorn alright! wet, dry, later: all consistently yummy buttered popcorn. i like this WAAAAY more than i thought i would. i hope i can track some down at this late date...

i pretty much figured this one would be a no-go since i don't actually LIKE real chocolate covered cherries. and, well, it is what it is. the cherry in this is incredibly strong, similar in strength to the berry note in Bloody Mary. the chocolate is unfortunately the variety that turns to fake scratch n sniff chocolate on me, so that's no goos either. my boyfriend adores his bottle, and he loves the real edible version too. so maybe that is a big factor...

i agree with those who have said that aging will do this blend some good. the elements are all there- solid, warm notes, a bit of sweetness, though not foodie (i get NO chocolate from this incarnate), and beautiful deep resins. all it needs is some time to blend with itse;f. then it will go from being a great scent to being a to-die-for scent. i can't wait.

thanks to the eternally lovely BookAndBroom i am able to finally review this treat that i have been dying to try... in the bottle: milky coffee- this reminds of of those hard coffee candies that i used to be able to find everywhere but are much harder to track down these days. wet on skin: lordy- more of the same. this is SOOOOO good! dry down: the coffee has settled a bit and that sugar wafer smell that someone mentioned has come to the fore. now instead of a cup of coffee, i smell like a coffee and snack combo! in all: although the throw starts out high, it settles after dry down and becomes average. the scent morphs enough that it's quite different both from Coffee Bean SN as well as other mixed coffee scents like Miskatonic U and Pinched With 4 Aces. the coffee is still a presence, but as i said, it's like having a treat WITH the yummy coffee together. Total. Love.

in the bottle: heavy citrus, but there's something else in here too. something that reminds me of sitting in a library on a summer afternoon- sleek, shiny wood floors and soft leather chairs. it's fabulous. wet on skin: more of the same, with a bit of actual grapefruit and citron showing themselves. dry down: there's a wood note here for sure, but it blends into the citrus notes to just give the sense of-yes- strength. in all: i got this blend because i have many physical limitations that effect my energy. while i'm not sure this blend will help with that, i can tell that i will have even LESS trouble opening my big mouth to get my needs met, for sure!