JazzieCazzie

Received from the Lab as a generous freebie ... at first couldn't remember if I'd tried this before but no, that was Dragon's Kiss ... I remembered not really liking that but couldn't remember if it was the Dragon's Blood note that didn't work for me ... BOTTLE: Sweet, red and woody ... not sure why I think red on a woody smell but I do ... just a really nice scent (I know, "really nice" is such a lame way to describe it but it was ... well, really nice!) ... Applied to wrists reasonably generously. I'm hoping the sandalwood will come racing to the forefront. WET: Wow! This is SO lovely ... I am amazed and happily surprised. I didn't read any of the reviews before using it (forum was down) so I'm glad now that the cherry some people talk about didn't come up on me at all ... I smell a lovely light sweet wood, like when you're at one of those furniture stores where everything is newly crafted light unfinished wood. This is actually a good smell. And it makes me want to do arts and crafts! (Ooooh, time to go and decoupage my imp box I guess!!! DRYDOWN: OK, this may sound nuts, but what I kept getting was gumdrops! Something darkly sweet and vaguely fruity and spicy. I'm thinking now it's the orris, if others have said that's like violets, since violets have that purply spicy sweetness to me ... I LOVE THIS. Definite surprise keeper and maybe even a 5 ML order when I made my next bonanza order in February or so (next order comes after I try ALL my upcoming January imps, all two dozen plus of them!!!) REVIEWED AND REVISITED IN MARCH 2013: Purchased an imp of this in a small imp buy because somehow I no longer had it in my collection of many, many DB scents (now my favorite note) ... I reviewed and made notes before re-reading my old ones so it's kind of funny now. IMP: Actually oddly sweet in a foody way -- rather than picking up either the DB or the sandalwood, I'm getting sort of an chocolatey or candy scent, mixed with incense Dabbed on left wrist and crook of arm (and double-dipping with straight dragon's blood on other arm) WET: This morphs absolutely GORGEOUSLY with my body chemistry. A clean, golden, woody, grounding scent that would make an amazing aromatherapy blend for me. DRYDOWN: Slightly sweet but cleansing and calming and uplifting. OVERALL: Not sure why I don't have a 5 ML of this. Must be rectified ASAP. On a scale of 1-5, a 5 for sure.

I've found it interesting how this, as a single note, has morphed on me three times in three hours ... Ordered this as part of my discontinued haul because I have found that Ylang-Ylang has added something ineffable and wonderful to two of my favorite Lush Ballistics, Waving Not Drowning and Softy ... so I thought it would make a great note to layer with other BPAL scents as well ... First, though, I test-drove it today as a single note ... BOTTLE: Just delicious. Such a pure wonderful spring floral, slightly tropical, slightly warm. Applied sparingly to wrists because I am getting a ride to work from one of my bosses and don't want to blow him out of his own car. WET: At first, much like it is in the bottle. I smell like spring and wonderful warm floral thingies! EARLY DRYDOWN: I am getting a slight whiff of soapiness and something a little odd. A note that sometimes doesn't work in the scents I have bought that have YY inthem and am wondering if that is why ... it makes me temporarily sad until ... LATER DRYDOWN ABOUT AN HOUR LATER: That soapiness and "off" scent is gone and my wrists are back to being yummy and floral. Yay!!! I'm planning on adding this to something like Harlot or Silentium Amoris to kick them up soon ... this will be a fun imp to play with.

Like many on this page, got this as a freebie from the Lab ... and though cherry is my No. 1 no-no-note, I wanted to at least give it a sniff before I put it in the regifting pile ... Nope. Still doesn't work for me. I'm firmly in the Robitussin camp on this, Red Queen, etc. It makes me sad, too, because it seems many of the scents that people I like are passionate about have the cherry/berry thing happening but it turns my stomach. It also makes me happy, because I get to make said people happy by sending them impage!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Acquired via swap ... curious to find out if I just can't handle pumpkin scents, despite my LURVE for pumpkiny food ... BOTTLE: Overwhelmingly baked-goods sweet. This is one of the few BPAL scents that, to me, could be categorized with that trend towards "dessert scents" a la Jessica Simpson, etc. ... BUT it's not at all like Samhain in the bottle (which to me was just sour mash) ... Just applied sparingly to wrists ... WET: This goes on way strong even applied sparingly. And once on, the fruitiness of the peach just rises on me very very drastically (that was my other fear about this ... LOVE nutmeg and clove, MEH on pumpkin, HATE peach on me) ... DRYDOWN: I like the initial drydown where the nutmeg takes over ... there is something vaguely butter-rummy about it as well, like my grandmother's Life Savers drawer ... On final drydown, it's not as fruity but it's not something I would wear. It has this odd famiiarity of my grandfather's car ... to explain, though, my grandfather was a chemist who worked with "flavors and essences" (to quote the rabbi at his funeral), making perfume ... and his car, office, etc. always smelled like whatever unusual note he was working with at the time.

Acquired as a freebie with order ... IN THE BOTTLE: Much cleaner and sharper than I would have imagined from the notes and the description but having an aversion to juniper I am still a bit leery of the final product on my skin) ... Applied sparingly to wrists as a result ... WET: Somehow managed to be clean and earthy at the same time, a neat trick. It's more neatly shoveled dirt rather than wild outdoorsy dirt though. Slightly anitseptic but not unpleasantly so. DRYDOWN: The inevitable juniper soapiness comes up in a hurry, fortunately before I had to leave for work so I had time to wash it off, LOL ... there was something somehow plastic and manufactured about it that I can't put my finger on ...

Figgy figgy fig fig fig! And I do love my fig. Problem is, from within a few minutes of application, the mandarin rose up and took away my lovely fig and replaced it with orangeyness. Strong and sweet and rather nice but too fruity for me in the long run, I'm afraid. It's something I would regift to someone I really like, because I think it's unique and lovely, just too fruity-sweet to be me.

DRACUL Acquired via swap. I would have thought by the notes and name that this would be a guy scent, but I think it is definitely gender neutral. WET: The first thing that hits me is the mint. I'm not sure what the other notes are but they are so familiar and I'm guessing that's the tobacco. It's very very pleasant. It may be my favorite BPAL mint scent so far, because the mint is more like chewing gum than soap, which is what mint usually turns to on me within seconds. The orange blossom rises very quickly also. It's a very clean scent but not overwhelmingly soapy. DRYDOWN: You know, during the wet stage I LIKED it but didn't think it would be a keeper for me. But it dried down into something completely different which I love ... somehow comforting and clean and slightly sweet and pungent. I would have to wear it again a few times to figure out what it reminds me of ... but it makes me happy.

Acquired via swap, this is the one scent of the eight acquired that I had actually ordered based on notes, but it's in my 12/1 order which only "shipped" yesterday so I am not expecting it until at least January. IN THE BOTTLE AND WET: This is an amazing scent for anyone who loves lavender. It's really light and clean with the sandalwood giving it a nice sharp kick. Heading into an all-day meeting at work, I wanted something that would keep me unstressed. It reminds me, wet, of Crabtree & Evelyn's Goatmilk scent which is perhaps my single favorite non-Lush and non-BPAL scent except of course for Andiamo. ON DRYDOWN it morphs into something mildly fruity (could that be labdanum? I have no idea what labdanum is!) and I smell a little bit like a head shop (obviously nag champa) but to me, child of the 70s, that is a good thing. I couldn't stop sniffing myself in my meeting and though I tried to be surreptitious I am sure my new boss thinks I am really weird. REVISITED AND RE-REVIEWED IN MARCH 2013: Ordered a new imp of this with my February impapalooza order from the Lab. IN THE IMP: Lavender lavender lavender but wrapped in cloak of smoke. Dabbed on wrist and into crook of arm. WET: This is an absolutely fascinating scent for me. I love all of the notes individually but -- to my nose, at least -- they sort of divide into lavender on one side and all the others hanging out together on the other side. The best way I can describe it is it's like a gourmet chocolate with a liquid lavender center, enveloped in a smoky, woodsy, resiny outer layer. DRYDOWN: On drydown, the lavender fades more to the background and the sandalwood combines with the nag champa and labdanum to elbow their way into a complex combination that lasts for hours. OVERALL: So evocative of my teen years -- well, the good part of them. And the parts I can remember. And some of those two actually overlap. On a scale of 1-5, a 5.

Oh my gosh, got this in a swap ... PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEASE gentle labbies, PLEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEASE have this available for purchase by the time I make my next big-bottle order (probably mid-late January) ... BOTTLE: Clean, soapy in a good way, very white. No specific notes jumped out at me from the bottle. Just from capping and uncapping it, some stayed on my fingers and it's very strong but in a good strong way, not an overpowering way ... I liked this enough in the bottle to take the plunge and go wrists, crooks of arms, behind ears, nape and cleavage. Had I remembered that this is so new that it doesn't exist beyond being lucky enough to get a freebie imp, I might have been more sparing WET: Oh yummy yum yum. So delicious and clean and wonderful, just a great winter scent ... and probably a great summer, spring and fall scent too!!! DRYDOWN: I am getting hints of lavender and whatever herbs they use in the Goatmilk soaps, both favorites of mine. I'm also getting these occasional "hits" of a scent I can't quite put my finger on ... something vaguely sweet and maybe nutty??? But also the tiniest bit fruity ... is there such thing as a fruitnut? I can't WAIT to see the actual notes on this. My brain hurts trying to process it. I am in love with this scent ... PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE make vats of it!!! REVISITING AND RE-REVIEWING MARCH 2013: Am working my way through all of my BPAL collection, old and new, alphabetically to re-organize, figure out what I can swap and what I need to restock or acquire. Through the kindness of some forumites, I was able to amass several imps of this back when it was still an unreleased prototype and not yet a TAL scent (I've actually never tried the TAL version) -- thus my testing imp is actually a decant from a bottle containing about 3 or 4 ML of decanted imps from 2004-5. IN THE IMP: While I obviously get the lavender component, I wouldn't automatically think of this as a lavender scent based on sniffing the imp ... nor do I get ANY "green" or woods. I get a light and lush floral blend. Very clean. Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm. WET: This is EXACTLY how I remember it from 8 years ago. Clean without being soapy per se. Light and lush and floral. I pick up the lavender and, I think, some lilac as well and something that is probably woodsy to give it that "clean" note. DRYDOWN: This is one of those rare blends that, on me, then and now, is the aromatic equivalent of WYSIWYG. It smells exactly the same in the imp as it does when wet on my skin as it does when it dries down, at all points of application. There is no morphing. And it is VERY strong, still. OVERALL: I am not a HUGE fan of floral scents but to me when I find a BPAL floral I love, it's always very special (and there are several). This, to me, is a floral scent (even though I generally tend to separate lavender into a different category). It's divine and it is literally and figuratively ageless. On a scale of 1-5, a 5.

IN THE BOTTLE: This may be the greeniest green that I have ever greened. Greengreengreengreenygreengreen. And that is NOT easy to type. Also a little bit of PineSol but that is momentary. Dabbed on wrists but carefully because a little green sometimes goes a long way ... WET: Green, astringent, green, fresh, green and slightly medicinal though not in a bad way. It's also somehow candy-sweet at the same time. It really wafts up off my wrists bigtime. DRYDOWN: OK, don't laugh, but I keep getting little whiffs of Band-Aid. Like one of those kiddie doctor kits with the candy pills. This one fades pretty quickly but while it's going it is green (duh) and springy. I think it would be a nice scent for a spring evening dinner al fresco. Not an every-day scent for me but definitely a keeper!!! I have to edit this several hours after posting ... especially addressed to Lucretia and Phaedra ... this is the second time I have worn this scent and I know I have said on this board about 82 times that fruit doesn't work for me ... yet when I stuck my Belladonna's wrist in the face of my husband his immediate reaction was "strawberry!" (Lucretia) and when I had my daughter sniff she said "smells like cherry cough medicine" (Phaedra). Neither of them liked it, by the way ... which surprised me a little. I don't think anyone else among the sniffers on the board made fruity references ... and I really like this and can't believe I would have been stealth-fruited. So it's kinda weird ... I would love to know exactly what the notes are! REVISITED/RE-REVIEWED FEBRUARY 2013: So, more than eight years later, am revisiting this via a new imp purchased from the Lab in an impapalooza purchase earlier this month. IMP: Green, green, green and herbal with a slight zing that I can't put my finger on as a note. Dabbed on both wrists and crooks of my arm, feeling it's pretty safe, light and IIRC doesn't have long legs. WET: I still can't put my finger on the note that stands out. I am no longer getting the "band-aid" smell (which I guess may be benzoin) but some astringent (in a eye-opening way, not a Bonne Bell 1006 way) and a sweetness that is not green at all. DRYDOWN: Again with the very faint tinge of fruit. I don't think it's a red fruit, though. Maybe pear or apricot? Or maybe just the green of the plant that is more like the leaves of a fruit tree? I also get some soda in there ... 7-Up? OVERALL: My problem is that somewhere within all of this green and refreshing complexity is a note that just doesn't work on me. I recognize it vaguely on drydown but even after all these years can't yet determine which note it is (it's one that is generally good when wet but cloyingly sweet when dry). I've had a few scents like this where I've really liked them wet but can't really stomach them dry. Vacillated back and forth on this but finally put it into the future swap box because I can't keep it wet all the time. SCORE: A 3 on a scale of 1-5.

I thought this one would be a can't miss for me based on the notes, but sadly for some reason when combined with my skin chemistry, it didn't quite work. IN THE BOTTLE: Surprisingly light and subtle. I expected something much more in-your-face. I applied it to my right wrist and crook with the plastic applicator and honestly couldn't smell anything. I went for the fingertip application and STILL couldn't smell anything. So I ended up with two fingertips worth on both wrist and in the crook of my arm ... WET: To me, it just smells like soap. Now I don't mind smelling clean and it smells like a NICE soap (maybe the yellow antibacterial kind?) ... but soapy just isn't what I was going for here ... hopefully on drydown the notes will start to float through for me. DRYDOWN: Still soap. I smell clean but not ylang-ylangy or clovey or patchouli or even myrrhy. *Le sigh*. REVISITED AND RE-REVIEWED MAY 2013: I was intrigued re-reading the notes here and checked my review to try to figure out what didn't work for me the first time. Decided there was nothing that was a dealbreaker, and in my new and not-necessarily-improved body chemistry, it was worth giving another shot ... especially since I learned that the ylang-ylang "clean" smell I noted is the scent of Prell shampoo, which I adore. IN THE IMP: Absolutely lovely combination of floral and incense. Perfect balance. Applied to wrist and in crook of arm. WET: Ohhhhh yes. The ylang-ylang amps immediately with the patchouli and clove right behind it. Wet, this is divine divine divine. DRYDOWN: My only "complaint" if you can call it that is that it dries quickly and very subtly without much throw. But it just absolutely delicious. Indeed it's clean but not soapy on me anymore. OVERALL: I love this to pieces and it will go on my wishlist for more imps and perhaps a big bottle. I think the minimal throw issue can be solved in two ways ... apply more generously and pop some between the girls, always a good place for wet throw. On a scale of 1-5, a 5

I had a really good feeling about this one based on the notes, all of which I love, and I was right on target ... IN THE BOTTLE: That wonderful sharp and spicy and slightly woody scent that is present in so many of my favorite BPAL scents. Because I was double-dipping my last two testers in hopes of placing an order this evening (which I did, my biggest ever!), I only applied this to my left wrist and crook of my arm. WET: Just the perfect combination of woodiness and spiciness that really cuts, for lack of a better word. Strong and delicious and a bit pungent. DRYDOWN: Really delicious. One of Beth's finest sandalwood scents and to me this is one of her strong points anyway ... A definite keeper, I ordered another two imps of it!!! REVISITING AND RE-REVIEWING IN APRIL 2013: Going through my entire BPAL collection, A-Z, reviewing items I haven't reviewed and revisiting reviews of old. Interesting to see what's changed and what hasn't. This is an old imp though not, I'm sure, the original imp from 2004! IN THE IMP: Oddly, the first ... and second ... sniff from the imp is slightly sour. Pungent might have been on target in that first review. But the resins and spices of the blend overpower that and I forge on. It's just odd for that moment. Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm. Just in case. WET: Ahhhhh. Now that's the Sin I know and love. All traces of sour or pungent dissolve and instead the minute the oil hits my skin it's good sweet sandalwood, comforting amber, sweet cinnamon, evocative patchouli. Resiny, slightly spicy and pencil shavings. DRYDOWN: It gets sweeter as it dries and is a lovely before-bed scent to send me to dreamland. OVERALL: Still a favorite. I love Beth's resins. On a scale of 1-5, a 4.8

I'm not sure if this would qualify, but I would try Nemesis. The top/primary notes aren't fruity but the fig gives it a definite kick. I am a very anti-fruity person (I love fruit it just smells awful on me) and this is the only one that really truly works on me ... it's like spicy subtle fruit. The other one I might try is Tzadikim Nistarim.

Patchouli, Sandalwood and frankincense, was there any doubt at all that I would love this scent? None whatsoever which might explain why my excited tiny fingers got so excited that when they uncorked the imp and dabbed a bit on my wrists, they then proceeded to drop the WHOLE IMP ON THE CARPET!!!!!!!!!!!!! *le sob* ... the good news being that at least my dressing area smells heavenly. The bad news being that there is only one-third of an imp left (but it got scribbled madly onto the next wish list which will be ordere by the end of the week and will be a lollapalooza!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) Not sure how well I can describe this except to say mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm. Woodsy patchouli sandalwoody goodness. Deliciousness. Something I would slather myself in and bathe myself in and make a lotion of and a powder of an a candle of and a car freshener of. REVISITING IN FEBRUARY 2013: Wow, more than eight years since this review. This must have been one of my earliest purchases. I will say that though my imp box has dozens and dozens of scents in it, the "overall scent" to me is very Anne Bonny (much like we talk about the "Lush store" scent which is not one scent but an amalgamation of many) ... maybe because these three notes are among my favorites. ACQUIRED: My own decant from a 5 ML bottle purchased from lab. Definitely more recently than eight years ago but not sure when. IMP: Sharp, resinous, golden ... for some reason I always have trouble defining or identifying resin notes (other than Dragon's Blood) as specific notes, but rather see them as images and words. APPLIED to wrists, crooks of arms and cleavage ... since I am re-reviewing one of my all-time favorites, I feel safe in applying liberally and lavishly. WET: This is a scent that remains very true to its scent in the imp when it's on. The best way I can describe it is strong (in terms of evoking images of strength) and clean and medicinal in a good way ... I'm pretty sure it's not the patchouli because i don't get "head shop" from it but rather peace, relaxation, health and, above all, a sense of being comforted. It's a lovely golden aura. DRYDOWN: None of the scents really morph on me, they just blend together and into my skin. There is no mood so bad that Anne Bonny doesn't make it at least a little bit better. Don't laugh or think I'm weird, but I love applying this when I'm wearing a nightgown, because then when I wear it again it envelops me in its peace and relaxation (I will tend to wear nightgowns a few times before washing them, barring spillage of being gross). I do think it's ironic that a scent honoring such a strong and powerful woman has such a comforting and peaceful effect on me. I just wish I could describe it more accurately ... Lab, please don't ever stop making this!

It never ceases to amaze me how different scents work so differently on different people, or how the same apparent notes will combine differently on me in different vials. Now that I have set a new land-speed record for using "different" in one sentence ... I have found that I like most BPAL rose scents when they are combined with other notes I love, and I love cinnamon so I was interested to see what would happen with Harlot. I have also found that most of the time the rose scents have major staying power on me and hit early and hard, while cinnamon notes come on later during drydown. IN THE BOTTLE: A lovely light rose, no trace of cinnamon, but that didn't surprise me given what I said about drydown tendencies. Applied with the applicator top to wrists and crooks of arm. Could barely smell it at all, surprisingly, so went for the finger tip and reapplied to same spots as well as pulse points on chest. WET: Must be my chemistry, but even with a pretty generous application I could barely smell this on me at all! Just rose, a nice light one as I said, very very pleasant. I just wish it were stronger. DRYDOWN: It simply disappeared before it even got to the cinnamon. It is noon, I put it on around 9:30 and I can't smell ANYTHING. It's too bad because I really like it, but doubt I would buy a big bottle because of how much I would apparently need to make it stick. However, I do have a vial of Silentium Amoris and plan on trying 3 Witches in all its cinnamony glory tomorrow or the next day, so maybe if I layer them I'll get something close to what this is on other people, LOL!!!

OK, I admit I am probably not bringing much new to the party here but on my quest to review every new scent I try, here goes ... IN THE BOTTLE: Rose rose rose rose rose. Wrists only for this one, a little rose can go a long way on me. WET: Beth does some amazing things with roses and can make even scents that are primarily rose very complex (all those different roses in Spellbound, for example). But to me, this is as close to a single-note rose as I've tried. I like rose just fine, but compared to many of the other BPAL rose scents this is just a little dull ... I suspect that is why this was discontinued. DRYDOWN: About two hours after application I finally get a little zing of the ylang-ylang on my wrists (and to be honest that is the only reason I ordered this ... I'm not that big a rose fan but j'adore ylang-ylang). VERDICT: I would never wear this alone, but I think it would be a great scent to layer with something else that needs a little ... dare I say it? ... rose!

Two reviews? ONLY TWO REVIEWS??????????? Hmmm, maybe it is SO unpopular that the lab has a few extra 5 MLs sitting around even though it's been discontinued ... I ordered this based on the notes, knowing I LOVE ylang-ylang and sandalwood and usually like rose when it is combined with notes I love ... I had no idea what to expect from oakmoss. IN THE BOTTLE: It was so glorious I almost dropped the damn thing. I am absolutely transported. What did I do wrong, oh lord, to have two scents I have fallen in love with on this last order and both are discontinued (this and Scorpio)??? I exuberantly daubed on wrists, crooks of arms, behind ears and in cleavage. WET: This is the most lovely lovely lovely floral. I'm thinking the ylang-ylang is what sets it apart for me, even though it is apparently a minor note. The rose is there but it's a sweet, light, spring garden rose as opposed to, say, a Spellbound rose (which I like too). EARLY DRYDOWN: I am just dancing around like a ballerina, light on my feet and in love with this. I have only one kind of weirdness in the drydown scent ... there is something a little odd and slightly foody that I can't quite place my finger on but it might also be remnant of an earlier scent. Or maybe it's drydown of oakmoss??? This is just a marvelous spring floral. Glorious. How utterly devastating that it is gone ...

IN THE BOTTLE: Brown, dirty and spicy. I know the woody is in there but it doesn't hit me right away like a pile of pencil shavings. Applied reasonably generously to wrists and crooks because I have good history with all of these notes. WET: Woody, sweet, spicy and even a little chocolatey in a muddy way. Slightly medicinal but pleasantly so. And the lovely familiar scent of pencil shavings that I've come to associate with my favorite BPAL wood/resin scents. DRYDOWN: The cinnamon comes to the top on drydown and blends really nicely with the other notes. This is probably not something I would buy in a bigger bottle simply because it is quite similar to Kathmandu which I already have on order ... but since I love this particular BPAL family, it is something I will keep using happily in its imp until its gone.

IN THE BOTTLE: Though no such note is listed, I was hit with a scent of lemons. Not the "Lemon Pledge" yuckiness that ruins stuff like Embalming Fluid for me, but more like lemon drops, something that has been sweetened ... maybe more like "Love's Fresh Lemon" (currently in my daughter's high rotation but she is 14). I also get the sandalwood and patchouli wafting around that but no rose yet. Applied lightly to wrists and crooks of arms. WET: The lemon (or whatever it is) note is still predominant for the first 10 minutes oro so until drydown. EARLY DRYDOWN: To me, this is just okay. I like it but I don't love it. I like all the notes in it and love sandalwood but to me it is so lightly blended that nothing really grabs me. It's sort of "Spellbound Lite" which is probably great for a lot of people who find Spellbound too strong. It's pretty, woody, floral but offhand I can't see it being something I'd choose to reach for ahead of some of my other BPALs of a similar genre. LATER DRYDOWN: I like this enough to be willing to try applying it a little more heavily or perhaps adding in a second scent that has some cinnamon/cloves kick ... I have yet to try my Harlot or 3 Witches and am thinking that maybe one of those would layer nicely with this. Because I DO LIKE IT, I just don't LOVE it. it is interesting to note, though, that it seems a few people who got bottles since the fall mention the citrus note that was never mentioned earlier ... has there been a tiny new note added to the mix, I wonder???

IN THE BOTTLE: I'm getting worse and worse at being able to place any specific notes as I smell the bottle, just more of a "I like it" or "I don't like it" vibe ... and this was definitely an "I like it" vibe. Applied to wrists and crooks of arm. WET: This is exactly all the notes it says it is and if that makes it sound busy, you're right! It is delicious and spicy and flowery and green all at once ... I can definitely see the Flowertub comparisons which have abounded here. There is also something somehow elegant and sophisticated about it, though ... a real "perfume" perfume. I keep thinking maybe something my mom wore? And there is something very familiar and reminiscent of my teens but I can't place it. DRYDOWN: As soon as the drydown begins, the cinnamon and nutmeg rise to the top which is great (they are always somehow base notes for me). I smell briefly like a fruitcake (not that I have not been called that before). This is a great scent ... VERY strong, be forewarned. And because of that it is probably not something that would be an everyday scent for me ... it's constantly reminding me that it's there. I did figure out what it reminds me of ... don't laugh but it definitely is reminiscent, to me at least, of Charlie. And while that may turn some people off, Charlie was the first cologne I wore when I started "growing up" and feeling like an occasional teenager with eclat, maybe when I was 14 or 15 (before I discovered Andiamo). EDITING THIS A FEW MONTHS LATER ... Going through my stash and trying to cull it down to scents I know I will wear regularly and scents that I can put in a very nice one-time-only swap bonanza list and decided I hadn't tried this since the first time, a 5 ML AND an imp notwithstanding, so I gave it a second go ... I think the Flowertub/Gavarnie comps should have been a warning for me. I like the list of notes in both but I don't particularly like the combination. This time I got NONE of the cinnamon nutmeg, which were the notes that most attracted to me ... but again my first sense was "adult lady department store perfume" ... not the kind they spray all over you if you're not diligent (to be honest, Emblaming Fluid always had that vibe for me) but rather the kind they probably keep tucked away because it is too expensive and sophisticated to spray all over the teenyboppers roaming the aisles. I still get some Charlie vibe (I wish I knew which note that was) ... but truly I don't think I will wear this again. And since it is quite popular, it shall go in the swap closet and find a new home in March or April. This is actually only the sixth 5 ML I've ordered unsniffed that didn't work for me ... with a box full of more than 20, that's a pretty impressive record (the others, if you care, were Sudha Segara -- too light, liked the actual scent, wish it had more bite; Rakshasa; Samhain, Snow White and Skadi and I don't really count the LEs because they're, well, LEs ... PLUS the Skadi was a swap for the Snow White so maybe it only counts for 5???)

I have good news and bad news on the BPAL front ... The good news: I HAVE A NEW FAVORITE SCENT!!!!!!!!!! The bad news: IT'S DISCONTINUED!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ah, Scorpio, I hardly knew ye ... but I was lucky enough to be intrigued so by the notes that I did order a 5 ML so I am good for a little while anyway ... though no "official notes" were listed for this, the reviews mentioned words such as "spicy, green, musk, clove and cinnamon," all of which are notes in my favorite non-BPAL scent, Andiamo ... I am on the eternal search for a BPAL scent (or a few I can combine) to capture that essence so I ordered Scorpio even though I am a Libra ... IN THE BOTTLE: To be honest, this didn't do much for me one way or the other in the bottle. I couldn't place any notes, and it didn't seem very strong. I wrote down "spicy, sweet, sultry." Applied first time to wrists and crooks of arms but pretty sparingly. WET: As soon as it met my skin, the love affair began with a wham. It had a bit of a Chanel No. 5 vibe in terms of sheer sultry power but more sweetly spicy than floral. For the first few minutes there was a strong sense of something herbal in a backyardy way (for me, that means it smelled like one of the herbs my husband grows for cooking) but that dissipated upon drydown. EARLY DRYDOWN: Just an absolutely divine cinnamony spicy sexy sweet scent. I could not stop sniffing my arms and wrists. My clothes smell delicious. It has a little bit of Aries in it and a little bit of Veil, my two favorite BPAL scents previously. I applied some more before going out to Thanksgiving dinner, adding some cleavage scent as well ... and the same delicious response on my body. But one thing I had noticed was that the one note I didn't smell at all was the cloves ... until ... LATE DRYDOWN: I'm lying in bed after a long evening/night of in-laws. My arm is thrown over my face and suddenly, unbidden and unexpectedly, I get a major scent of CLOVE CIGARETTES, transporting me back to my teens. So the clove note for me was the very very endgame base note. A perfect ending to my evening. I am so in love with this scent ... I will be careful and sparing with my precious bottle of it ...

IN THE BOTTLE: Sweet and spicy at the same time but no notes that jump out at me as recognizably predominant ... it is definitely not what I expected ... it's interesting. Applied to wrists and crooks ... WET: I get a hit of something effervescent like ginger ale (the ginger, duh) mixed with a strong sweetness which is not cloying or overpowering. DRYDOWN: The gingery part fades, leaving a mild sweetness, slightly powdery (the milk?). This is really, really pleasant but that's it. It's nice. To me it's just not very interesting which is kind of disappointing. It may just be too tame for me as a keeper ... I plan, however, to try it as a bath oil which might be just the trick ... I have a 5 ML so if it works nicely in the bath, which I suspect it will, it would afford me several lovely evenings of soakage. REVISITED AND RE-REVIEWED MAY 2013: Received a frimp of this on a recent purchase so am retesting this from that imp. IN THE IMP: Still very light but there is something about the scent that I can tell is not going to work for me ... sweet and milky. Not sure yet what note is clashing with my tastes. Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm. WET: Maybe it's the fact that in the 8+ years since I last tried this my body chemistry has undergone a significant hormonal change, shall we say, but what was a light, non-overpowering and non-cloying sweetness in November 2004 is now a very strong and slightly nauseating one. I know it's not the ginger that's bothering me because I loves me my ginger. And it's not the honey. So I am going to guess that it's the milk, since I can't think of any blends that have had a "milk" note that I've liked, but I've never narrowed it down to milk being the offender before. DRYDOWN: As this dries, the scent gets stronger and more cloying to the point of "dreaded wash-off." Had I not known milk, I might have thought tea or some sort of fruit. And even post wash-off, it's still there, little bits of milky sweetness that kind of turns my stomach. OVERALL: I can absolutely see why people who like this kind of scent would love this. There is a whole genre of BPAL scents that don't work FOR ME that are super popular ... and I understand their popularity. To me, I could totally see this being a Mad Tea Party scent. On a scale of 1-5, a 1. Only because for me, washoffs are 1s. Sorry

IN THE BOTTLE: Very strong and powerful. Very green and red at the same time. I am not getting the rose scent at all in the bottle and can't put my finger on what the predominant scent is ... it's not bad, just different. Dabbed sparingly on wrists since I can tell this one is a kick ass scent. WET: Whoa there, big fella, here comes the rose scent. And I emphasize "scent." With most of the BPAL rose notes, it really smells like fresh roses to me ... this, I guess because it's dried roses, is more of a perfumey rose scent rather than roses themselves. VERY strong. DRYDOWN: This reminds me a lot of when I was a teen and Bloomingdales started hawking this "tea rose" scent, by dipping little wooden sticks in the scent and giving them out to unsuspecting girls in the store. We'd stick them in our pocketbooks and smell like tea rose for months. As such it is a very evocative scent for me ... BUT not one I'd wear ... too in-your-face. Not bad, just not me.

IN THE BOTTLE: Lemon sugar cookies! It is so deliciously mouth-watering that I apply double-daub to wrists and one to each crook of my arm! WET: If someone put lemon extract into snickerdoodles, this is what they'd smell like. Yummy, tangy baked goodness. DRYDOWN: The lemon/tanginess evaporates pretty quickly and morphs into the baby powder smell others have noted here ... and 9 times out of 10 I would say YUCK (I hate the smell of baby powder) ... but in this case it works beautifully and I can't stop sniffing myself. The other notes offset the cloying sweetness I normally associate with the baby powder. Unless this changes drastically in the next few hours, which I don't anticipate, this is DEFINITELY a keeper and goes on the January big-bottle list as well. Yum! REVISITED AND RE-REVIEWED IN APRIL 2013: Up to the Vs in my journey through my BPAL collection and am double-dipping today. The timing is fortuitous because, though I'm not generally a big fan of any fruity or citrus scents (other than pink grapefruit and fig), my two "lemony" scents came up together so they complement each other on opposing arms -- Van Van and Val Sans Retour. My Van Van is an imp I purchased during an impapalooza spree from the Lab earlier this year. IN THE IMP: Sweet sugar cookies with lemon peel. Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm. WET: Much like my first time through, I get the "LEMONY SNICKERDOODLES" vibe but this time I think I'm closer to being able to figure out some of the notes (and the Lab is probably laughing at me if I'm wrong on all of them). Definitely some lemon, probably more like lemongrass because of its sweetness. DRYDOWN: If my nose is anymore sophisticated than it was in 2004, here is what I'm coming up with ... lemongrass, possibly cinnamon, and I am PRETTY sure there is myrrh in here. That is one note that seems to have a pretty recognizable drydown on me, especially in the crook of my arm ... that sweet, powdery scent. Sometimes it gets wonky but not so much in this case. However, I truly would be shocked if it's not myrrh. OVERALL: I really, really love this but probably wouldn't get a big bottle. More like stocking imps. It's foody to me without being in-your-face foody, and if someone was looking for sweet lemon scents OR sugar cookie scents, I wouldn't hesitate to suggest it because it's not something they'd think of by reading the description. On a scale of 1-5, a good 4.

IN THE BOTTLE: A surprisingly fresh scent (well, surprising to me, anyway) ... I expected stuffy and late-night bar, but the dandelions gave it a real outdoors punch. Applied only to wrists ... WET: Field flowers and wine. Grass (the green kind, not the kind you smoke). The open road but also with that pungent hit of booze sneaking in and catching you unawares. Wild and outdoorsy. DRYDOWN: Sadly, as it dried down so did the appealing dandelion part of it ... it became more boozy and much more fruity, less grassy and green. Like a night at a roadhouse, you start out feeling just great about it but after awhile it gives you a headache and just gets overwhelming.