tinyvulture

You’re in the kitchen; you’ve been cooking up some sweet treats. On the counter sits a giant bowl of fluffy white buttercream frosting whipped up with plenty of vanilla and rich butter. Meanwhile, on the burner, you’re caramelizing sugar and cream until you have a sticky, syrupy, golden nectar. This is the scent that fills the air. Now what are you waiting for, lick those beaters!

Being a lover of forest blends, I was excited for the black pine and fir sap. But what I’m mostly getting is moss and saltwater, with sweet incense in the background. It screams “men’s cologne!” Darn, I should’ve known -- moss tends to do that on my skin. After a couple of minutes, the scent of fresh soil joins the party. It’s still very salty and mossy at this point. Truly a scent of the great outdoors, showcasing the variety of scents found in nature. As others have said, it is both aquatic and earthy. I don’t think my man would care for this, and it’s too masculine for me, so it’s off to the swaps pile.

An interesting scent, though not what I was expecting since the pumpkin is nearly non-existent on me! My skin typically amps it, so I’m mystified. I smell sweet, sunny, grassy hay – the hay note also found in Gunpowder - a bit of dark green vine, and something soapy. It’s dry and warm, but I can’t figure out why it smells like soap. Must be my weird chemistry. I’ll keep it for the hay note though – honeyed, herbal, golden.

This is in a class with Snow Moon and Snow Bunny. It’s got that sweet slush note, combined with the perfume of various florals, and tart red berries. Unlike those other blends, there’s no noticeable pine or other forest trees here. The clean white snow, the berries and the flowers are joined by something musky, like animal musk. I don’t see musk listed in the scent description, but there’s definitely something warm and almost sweaty. Not in a bad way. Maybe the snow maiden was hanging out in the snow-covered forest, gathering berries, and she decided to run for awhile to warm up. It’s still a pretty, feminine scent.

Creamy, white, slightly fruity muguet (lily of the valley)and deep violet are the main floral notes I can make out in this sweet, sad bouquet. The rose is completely gone, and I can’t smell the autumn leaves either. I was really hoping for them! Soft, pretty and wistful, but not my style – off to swaps.

How random that I just tested The Hessian of the Hollow, which shares several notes with this blend – vetiver, blood, and metal. Vetiver is never a weak note, but I would say it’s even stronger than usual in this offering. Although the blood and metal are present, they play more of a supporting role here (compared to Hessian). The most noticeable note next to vetiver is actually the smoke. Of course, vetiver itself has a smoky, scorched element, so that might be part of what I’m smelling. Overall, although I’m a huge fan of vetiver, I wish it were toned down a bit to allow the other notes their turn in the spotlight. It feels one-note compared to some of the other spectacular, complex vetiver blends I’ve tried and loved.

Another winner in the family of vetiver-laden BPAL autumn blends. The Hessian's dry, raspy sandalwood and sour blood notes set it apart from Samhainophobia, Chant d'Automne, etc. I love how these oils can share a few of the same ingredients, yet are each entirely their own thing. I mustn't forget to mention the artillery shrapnel -- there's a definite metallic note, but none of the heavy smokiness I had anticipated. That's fine, I have plenty of smoky scents already! Also, while moss sometimes turns a scent into unwearable "men's cologne" on me, I don't get that here.

I no longer have my imp of Snow Bunny but, from what I recall, the two are nearly scent twins. BPAL’s slush note, so sweet in and of itself, is interlaced with a piercingly sweet floral perfume. I have a hard time picking out specific floral notes, but I’d say the narcissus has quite a presence, while I don’t smell any rose at all. The fir and birch are content to hang out in the background – I think the woodsy notes were a bit stronger in Snow Bunny. This is really a lovely, girly, wintry blend. I’m wishing I had more than this half imp’s worth.

My skin amps citrus, so it’s no surprise that the mandarin orange was the first thing I smelled, along with a dusting of powdery cocoa. But there’s also tobacco, which prevents this from being simply a foody, chocolate-covered orange scent. It’s similar to Cerberus, as others have noted. After about five minutes, the mandarin has taken over completely, obliterating the cocoa and tobacco. I preferred it in its initial state.

The rich brown hue of this oil gives the first indication of its deep, earthy scent. It’s a combination of wild vetiver (khus) and crackling autumn leaves, similar to The Death of Autumn or Samhainophobia, but lacking the grassiness of the former and the herbaceous qualities of the latter. The scorched, “coffee grounds” aspect of the khus is enhanced by tobacco and charred, smoky wood notes. At first I wondered if this was too heavy for my taste, but it’s grown on me. It’s one of those scents that is a true and poetic embodiment of autumn, my favorite season.

At first sniff, I exclaimed, "Peaches and cream!" Which is funny, because I had just been trying to think of a peaches and cream blend. Tamora comes close, but it's more foody, less floral than this scent. The peach blossom is the most prominent note, followed by the Calla lily and other creamy, fresh florals. I can't pick out the rose or black musk, and I'm not sure about some of the other notes such as palmarosa. A flirtatious, happy combination of fruit and flower -- tempting me to buy a 5ml.

I’ve never smelled actual tulips, but this is a slightly creamy floral, woven into fresh green grasses. It’s clean and energetic. Not picking up an aquatic note, which is good news for my skin which hates aquatics. This isn’t really “me,” but it’s pretty. It would make a nice shampoo or lotion.

The notes I can pick out most easily are peach and patchouli. There’s a green bitterness to it, like an unripe fruit. A green peach, just turning white. I can’t smell the cocoa at all, strangely. This smells kind of like Mane & Tail hair conditioner, actually… OK...hold on. I just went and sniffed my bottle of conditioner, and this smells EXACTLY like it. Random!

When I first apply this, I swear it smells like pumpkin and celery. That crisp, watery green scent is really unmistakable. And yet, there’s no celery in the scent description. The scent quickly morphs into a spicy potpourri, fragrant with berries and frankincense. The pumpkin note is surprisingly low-key, just hanging out in the background. The floral notes are nowhere to be found, but that’s fine by me. Then after a couple of minutes, the celery returns. Weird! I already have a lot of pumpkin blends, so this mysterious mixture is off to swaps.

This is a masculine cologne blend, heavy on patchouli, yet it’s got a lovely warm, creamy spiciness, reminiscent of Blood Moon. Tons of amber, as well as cinnamon, cardamom, and other members of the “chai spice” family. It’s exotic but homey and comforting, all at once.

i wish there was a bath oil of this scent. it’s relaxing yet sensual. a heady, full-bodied bouquet of orchids, with just the right amount of sexy red musk (my skin really amps it, and sometimes it’s overkill, but not here!) and a touch of citrus sparkle from the bergamot. i don’t usually care for bergamot, but it pairs so well with the red musk! oddly, i am really not noticing the juniper at all. but that’s fine, i’m still loving this blend.

this is a light, airy, clean scent. i swear i can smell that “fresh linens” note from Dirty…that’s how clean this scent is. the spicy anise comes on strong but fades very quickly, leaving a delicate cherry fragrance hanging in the air. i would love this as a fabric softener. mostly my clothes would smell clean, but every so often i’d catch a whiff of cherry. as a perfume, it’s not really me, but i like the concept.

On me this smells like gentle pink rose, a strong dose of sandalwood, and lemony ginger. I’m not getting the patchouli at all. It’s a pretty, simple, cheerful scent which reminds me of Indian incense.

This scent smells downright bizarre on my skin. I know it’s a floral bouquet, but on me it mostly smells… sour. Like Elmer’s glue. I got this as a freebie direct from the lab, so I doubt there’s anything wrong with it. I think it’s just my weird chemisty. Sourness with some faint floral notes that I can’t even begin to identify because the glue-ness is overwhelming. I gotta go wash my wrist now.

I got this as a freebie in a lab order. To me, it smells like a department store perfume, but not any one scent in particular. Like when you buy a Vogue magazine and it just smells like perfume because of all the different sample strips inside. It’s totally floral, with undertones of green leaves and powdery sweetness. It is very well blended – I can’t pick out any recognizable notes. It’s smooth and pretty and not too strong. Actually, it fades rather quickly. I’m not much for floral bouquets, so it’s off to swaps.

there’s a lot going on in this one. when the scent description says spicy carnations, it is not kidding. they are floral yet extremely spicy, almost as though they had been sprinkled with cinnamon. the juicy plum is a bit sour, but nice, accentuated by the unique earthy, dusty smell of chrysanthemums. overall, this scent smells like fall. like a cinnamon and dried plum potpourri. it would be pretty as a room scent, but i don’t fancy smelling like a craft shop.

a very fresh, green scent, warm and summery. i'm usually not big on anything too citrusy, but mandarin is my exception because of the intense sweetness of it. to me, it's a very cheerful note. although i have to say, i have no idea what green mandarin might be! little green oranges eaten by alien hands? the guava and honeydew add more sweet fruitiness. the honeydew is so realistic! the musks and amber are crucial to the gentle warmth of this scent. there's also a slight tang of ozone. i stay away from ozone-heavy scents, but it's so slight here and it blends really well with the other notes. it's not the right season for me to wear this but i'll hang onto it and see how it ages until next summer.

I love the shimmery golden honey note, but lily just isn’t a good floral note on me. It always fades away into nothingness on my skin. I wish I got more out of this, but I’d have to bathe in it.

i admit, it took me a long time to try this general catalog scent. it never really stood out as something i absolutely had to try. how silly i was! it smells like baby! like sweet, idealized baby scent. baby powder and cream and the sweetness of their breath. i also find a strong likeness to antique lace, only this is a tiny bit heavier on the florals. which isn't to say this is a heavy floral blend. i adore orchid, but it's really light here. the sweet, creamy vanilla is the main event. dreamy and gorgeous. this would be so charming for a little girl to wear as her first perfume. think i need a bottle.

last year’s Pumpkin IV also paired the orange gourd with sage, but this year’s concoction seems more complex, with a wider variety of notes which appear at various stages. the herbal sweetness of sage is immediately noticeable, followed by the spicy and somewhat medicinal cherry tobacco. i think i smell fiery cinnamon, too, although it’s not listed in the scent description. the pine and cedar add to the overall effect but aren’t bold enough to be noticed on their own. the honey and vanilla add a top coat of creamy, smooth sweetness that brings everything together. this blend is foody without reminding you of any one dish in particular. it’s also pretty strong and long-lasting. i don’t crave a bottle but it is quite nice.