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In Bottle: Ginger!!! (What else should it smell like?)

On Skin: Um… gulp. Yeah, that’s ginger. A bit too much ginger for me. Wowsers! This is a note I don’t like to breathe in deeply. It’s very, very, VERY pungent. Slightly dirty, slightly spicy, slightly herbal… VERY not me. It’s hard for me not to want to wash this off, it’s not a good scent at all on me. I was expecting gingersnaps, gingerbread… something along that line. Nope, this isn’t sweet at all. It actually has a very sour note in it, citrusy… maybe lemonish. And dark, a little woody… I’m thinking a little Lemon Pledgy-esque. As it fades, it mellows out some, but still isn’t a scent I’d wear. But I got this to just help me identify specific notes in other blends and that’s exactly what it’s helped me do.

In Bottle: Sandalwood

On Skin: So beautiful… once you smell this as a single note, you can smell it other blends so easily. It’s a nice, light woody note. Dry and slightly powdery… not sappy at all. I get a bit of a masculine feel from this but that’s usually how I feel about woody notes. It has a very light throw, you really have to inhale to get a good impression of it. It’ sweeter than other woods like pine and cedar. Smelling this now, makes it appear an obvious note in Stardust, Thanatos an Vicomnt de Valmont… just to name a few. After about 20 minutes… I notice something not so good. It kind of smells like… pee… yeah… urine. But only slightly… if I concentrate too much. Then it goes back to being a powdery wood. Hmmm… that is a little odd but that’s what I got from it.

In Bottle: Spicy floral

On Skin: I’m note sure why I was excited for this scent… the ambers maybe? Well, I don’t like it at all at first. It smells like kitchen spices: cloves, nutmeg, pepper… mixed with fruits and flowers. A very weird and almost thrown together feel. I can really smell the carnation which is my least favorite floral right after rose. It just doesn’t go with me, it smells a bit spoiled. While I love the golden amber base that I smell at first with a quick whiff, I don’t like the spices and florals that come out deeper into the breath. It is an interesting scent, but not me sadly. After it dries down, and about 20 minutes into wearing, the ambers take over a bit more and I like it better. Plus the apple blossom comes out which I really like. But it’s nothing that’s making me drool or go crazy over… oh well…

In Bottle: Milk

On Skin: First off, it smells exactly like Milk Moon to me. I need a gallon. Then after a few minutes, the water note shows through and gives a slight aquatic tone to the scent. Hmmm… very nice. It’s not as heavy as Milk Moon and it’s more refreshing. But it does have that obvious creamy “milk” note that both Milk and Chaste Moon have and I LOVE that. The coconut is light, it’s not screaming suntan oil or anything luckily. The shea butter is sweet but also a nice contrast to the heavier milk note. Mixed all together, it does smell like a refreshing milky coconutty cocktail. I really want to sip it!! I only bought a 5ml of this unsniffed, so my next order will probably be for two 10mls. This is an instant favorite, since I ADORE Milk Moon and Chaste Moon and this is a family member of theirs for sure. I still love Milk Moon the most, because nothing can beat it, it is my ultimate comfort scent. Yay for comfort scents!!! Average throw and lifespan.

In Bottle: Sweet honey

On Skin: I am dancing, seriously. I thought I’d never find anything to compare to O, but this scent is BEAUTIFUL!!! The honey is the base and most obvious note. Beautiful drippy golden honey. This scent screams with a warm gold tone, so rich and comforting. After a few minutes the herbs start coming out, to my dismay. I don’t like herbal scents and was really hoping my skin wouldn’t amp the herbal notes in this one, but there they are. They cut through the sweetness which may be welcome to people who don’t like overly sweet scents. It has a very slight floral twinge, again enough to just help thin out the syrupy sweetness of the scent. As the scent develops, the honey fades a bit sadly. The herbs also take away from the syrupy feel, and soon the scent is actually becoming quite powdery. I do really love this scent, but O will still remain my favorite Catalog Scent due to the fact that it stays honey on me without florals or herbs. I did order a 10 ml bottle which I’m sure I’ll be using all of. A gorgeous scent and I LOVE the description. A huge success, thanks Beth!!!

In Bottle: Apricot!!

On Skin: Um… super yum! Again, I’m getting the Strawberry Shortcake doll feel from this… but this time it’s the little Apricot doll. She was always my favorite… with Hopsalot the Bunny. Anyway, it smells a bit like the single note Georgia Peach… syrupy and amazingly sweet. Not a fresh apricot at all… more like canned apricots, or even the beautiful scent of concentrated dried apricots. I want more of this… yes… it is so pretty yet cute. Very feminine and fruity. A nice bright and fuzzy scent… apricot velvet to be exact. I want to lick my wrist… it’s a bit dangerous. I am suck a sucker for the single note scents, especially the foody ones. I need more!!! Please!! I’m begging… yes….

In Bottle: PEACH!!

On Skin: Super sweet syrupy canned peaches. I love this! It completely reminds me of the Strawberry Shortcake doll Peach Blush. She was one of my favorite dolls! It smells soooooooooooo good. Much sweeter than a fresh peach and a little more artificial. If I could get a bottle of this I would… and maybe mix it with scents to cut the extremeness of it. Maybe mix it with “O” or Milk Moon… yum… Seriuosly, if you have any this you’d be willing to spare, I’m your girl. I only have a few drops of it that I’m going to hold dear to my heart. I must have more!!!

In Bottle: Salty ozone.

On Skin: This is a very fresh ozoney scent. I don’t think it smells like real tears at all, unless you cry ocean water. It also has a slight soapy detergent note, like most aquatic/ozone scents seem to go on me. It is very light blue feeling… almost an ice blue. Very salty and crisp. This scent is so clean!! It stirs me, so refreshing but also comforting and relaxing at the same time. Not really a scent I’d wear but I’d use it for aromatherapy or as a room scent. Medium throw and average staying length.

In Bottle: Sweet and spicy pumpkin

On Skin: Wow! Much deeper and sweeter than any of the Pumpkin Patch series. This is “Super Pumpkin” layered with gorgeous spices and sweet vanilla. I think I smell nutmeg, clove…. brown sugar or maple… Hmm…. It’s also quite dark, I almost detect a resinous note or musk. It is quite delicious but I’d rather use it as a room scent than as a perfume. It has pretty good throw and is a beautiful comfort scent. A must for foody scent lovers. I think it’s pretty amazing, but I don’t think I’ll sell my soul for a bottle like some people have. But I’m super excited I got to try it and will keep the half imp I have!!

In Bottle: Spicy berry bubblegum

On Skin: I love this, why didn’t I get a bottle!?!?! At first it has a super sweet bubblegum note… In the background is a slight spicy exotic and also sour feel, almost like Dior Tendre Poison. I think the sweet note is the plum and pear, the myrrh is royal and deep. The woody note makes it even deeper and gives a slightly smoky base. I get a dark purple, green and gold feel from this, it is beyond beautiful, I would love to wear this all the time. It’s like Dior made a berry/plum version of Poison. I’d buy gallons if I could. The throw is medium with average staying length. I am completely in love with this scent!!!

In Bottle: Musk and spices

On Skin: I realized I never reviewed the real Snake Charmer. When I got my first bottle last summer it was actually Hall of Mirrors labeled as Snake Charmer. The lab sent me a new bottle of the real scent and I never reviewed it. So here we go. First off, it is pure Snake Oil on me. That beautiful deep musky spicy resinous scent. I don’t get the plum or coconut at all. I smell the resiny ambrette, dark Arabian musk and sweet vanilla and benzoin right off. A beautiful combination. The labdanum adds a darker note, deep and sultry and the Egyptian amber adds to that… and to finish it off the sexy spices pull it all together. This smells almost identical to the aged Snake Oil I have so I’m not sure if I need to order any more since at least Snake Oil is a catalog scent and I can get it any time. After about 20 minutes, the plum comes out a bit. That is the only real difference I can smell in Snake Charmer, the fruity note. Snake Charmer also fades a lot quicker than Snake Oil. All in all, a very seductive and sensual scent. I’d love this on myself as well as my husband.

In Bottle: Dry dirt

On Skin: Very dirty and powdery. It smells like dirt that has been diluted, it's not a strong scent at all. There is also a woody note, not wet though... more like old dry wood. This scent seems very "brown" in tone to me. I'm not a huge fan of woody scents, this one especially. It was neat to smell but I don't see myself or my husband ever wearing this one. But it does seem quite realistic... this is exactly what I can picture Mandrake smelling like.

In Bottle: Soft dirt

On Skin: A soft version of zombi at first… minus the rose. The floral note this is so soft it’s almost like velvet, so pretty and sweet. There is a slight resin note which adds to the velvetyness. I love that its sweet too, it’s like an earthy cookie almost. Mudpie anyone? It’s a very light scent, within minutes of applying it it pretty much vanished on my skin. Sad, because I LOVE this, but the way it vanishes makes it hard to wear…

In Bottle: Sharp floral

On Skin: The Rhododendron is the key player here. I remember it strongly from planting it in our garden with my mom when I was younger. It’s very sharp and pungent. The aquatic notes are strong too. I get a strong spring feel from this… flowers, plants and crisp ozone. A very bright blue feel with a bit of bright white. I get something citrus, grapefruit I think? It’s sweet yet tart, beautiful. It also slightly reminds me of Pele, it wakes me right up. It is a pretty scent but florals and I aren’t the best of friends. I would love to use it as a linen or room spray in the spring.

In Bottle: Dirt

On Skin: The dirt note jumps forward. It is so neat! It’s not exactly like Zombi, it’s more ozoney and lacks the obvious florals. This smells like dirt and laundry detergent. It’s very fresh and actually a bit seductive. The wines are not deep, more light and bright… not mulled or heavy. I love this!!! It is a scent people will notice and ask about, completely original! It has a spring feel, like I’ve been working in the garden. It has average throw but doesn’t last long sadly. I would love to have it last longer because this is a scent I will be wearing for sure.

In Bottle: Sour rose

On Skin: Well, I’m trying this just for fun. I know I don’t like rose scents, but I’m trying to make my way through the entire BPAL catalog and I’m almost there. This is a strong powdery rose. I also smell another floral, maybe lily, that sweetens it slightly. There is also a slight spice which is a nice contrast to the sour rose and slightly sweet other floral note. It still is a rose scent though, and I think BPAL has plenty of those so this one doesn’t seem too special, but I do like the description. And as usual, rose scents make me think “old lady” right away. To me this is a grandmother scent.

In Bottle: Metalic herbal

On Skin: This has a sour metallic herbal note that just turns my nose the second I smell it. Eek. I smell something slightly woody/resin… maybe an incense. I also smell a berry or fruit that gives a slight seeet note, maybe grape? After about 5 minutes, clove comes through, spicy and a bit off to me. I get a bit of a cough medicine feel from it with the medicinal herbal note that shines through. There might be honey in this as well, because I get an additional syrupy note in the background. Normally I love honey, but with the odd mixture here, it just doesn’t work for me. This scent makes me a little ill sadly. It reminds me of Honey Moon (the honey and herbs) mixed with Kali (grape/wine) and maybe Three Witches (clove/spiciness). Very odd…

In Bottle: Pure almond extract

On Skin: Another scent that reminds me of the icing I used to make as a child. It was basically powdered sugar and almond extract with a little water. This smells like I just opened the bottle of almond extract, super sweet. Yum. The vanilla intensifies the sweetness of course as does the heliotrope… two blends that turn into pure sugary delight on me. WOW! The frankincense is light but adds a slightly darker, smoky note far in the background, just enough to give it some oompf! The cinnamon also adds another layer, a slight spice playing with the extreme sweetness of the scent. Personally, I don’t like cinnamon and wish it didn’t have that note in it, but oh well. All in all it’s quite nice, but damn sweet. I like it a little more after drydown when it blends with my chemistry and becomes a more morphed form of itself. Sweet but sexy, smething that is nice to get a light whiff of, nothing you should breathe in deeply. After about 20 minutes, Big Red gum. Not my thing sadly. Moderate throw, but short wearing length, it faded super quick.

In Bottle: Smoky woods

On Skin: Eeek!! This is super strong, my eyes are tearing up already. It reminds me of Djinn and Brimstone, two of my least favorite BPAL scents. It also has a super pungent sour note, almost like pickles. As it dries down, some of the smokiness goes away, but it is still super woody. Wow, this is strong redwood. It’s not me in the slightest and actually seems quite masculine. This is one of the Celestials that didn’t really appeal to me by it’s intent and description so I’m not too heartbroken. It’s off to the swaps I’m pretty sure.

This smells more like milk chocolate than the original 13 which was clearly white chocolate. The tangerine/orange/mandarin also stands out. I’m getting chocolate covered orange peels from this… sweet but slightly sour and bitter. The tea note is light but you can smell it for sure. It makes the scent a little more formal, like a tea party with fresh fruit, chocolates and cookies. I’m not smelling the iris though… hmm… All in all, it smells quite similar to the original 13. I like it, but it’s not really a scent I’d wear.

In Bottle: Dry powdery floral

On Skin: Super potent floral. I get green and white from it, quite pungent and it makes my eyes water a bit. I smell sage, but it seems to be loghter than the floral iris note. The civet is very subtle which is nice. Civet is one of those notes that can go terribly wrong on me. It starts fading into a gentle feminine scent, clean and a bit soapy. It is also quite powdery. I said it was feminine, but as it continues to develop it becomes more unisex. Interesting, but not quite me.

In Bottle: Citrus tea

On Skin: I smell the tea right away… but it’s not the same sweet tea as Dorian, White Rabbit or Severin, and not bright like green tea in Shanghai and Holiday Moon. It’s a little more bitter and very fresh and clean smelling. And the mint adds to the sharpness of it with a medicinal edge. The mandarin gives a citrus note and the blackcurrant helps sweeten it just slightly. The blackcurrant is powdery, not juicy at all. The musk provides a beautiful soft yet dark base. This is a much more elegant and formal tea, I love the mood it evokes. It does seem more masculine to me, but I don’t mind it on myself and I’m quite the girly girl when it comes to scents. It has medium throw and average staying power. A beautiful scent that I will keep the imp of.

In Bottle: Holy jasmine Batman!!!!!!

On Skin: Um yeah… jasmine is the dominant note. Super thick and sweet. It is actually quite overwhelming and I don’t think I could ever really wear this scent. The juniper is very light in the background, a slight minty piney note. The rose geranium adds a somewhat sour note that contrasts the sickly sweetness of the jasmine. It’s actually a bit artificial smelling and it is quite cloying… This scent has a super strong throw and average staying power. It’s not me at all so it’s off to the swaps.

In Bottle: Dirt

On Skin: Interesting that I decided to review this scent right after Black Orchid. I can actually smell the same notes from Black Orchid as well as a slight woody note. And like Black Orchid, it also reminds me slightly of Zombi. The patchouli is light, nothing to extreme which is of course a good thing in my book. The dirt/soil is the most dominant note by far. Wow, I feel like I am buried… scary! Slightly creepy, the scent of the flowers from the funeral, the wood from the coffin, and just a general dark feeling. It has a very light throw which is interesting and medium staying power. Not really me, but a perfect scent to fit it’s description.

In Bottle: Soapy floral

On Skin: At first it is an obvious floral. There is a slight ozoney/soapy note. I also get a little of a dirt/earth note. This is quite nice, very purple in feel… dark and exotic. I get a similar feel to Zombie since Zombie also has a slight dirty aquatic note as well. Intersting… I do like the orchid note in this better than the rose in Zombie though. Florals always feel elegant to me, it’s just a mindset I guess… but I get the womanly elegant feel from this blend as well. It has a medium throw, and average staying power. I like it, but the dirt note gets to be a bit much after a while. I just don’t like smelling earthy or dirty, even if it’s a clean note of either.