bristlecone

The Lady of the Snow, Winter Ghost, Snow Queen. A chilling, haunted blend of bergamot, lemon verbena, sandalwood and jasmine. Smells like a cross between two Lush bombs: Avobath and Youki-Hi. I love it! I guess I can see the Lemon Pledge comparisons, but on my skin it's just fresh and bright and citrusy. I'm happy I finally tracked down a bottle.

This didn't leave a huge impression on me when I first bought it, but today was a very warm day here (only supposed to hit 72 but I think it got much, much warmer) and I had a 2-hour class in a stuffy room. So F5 made the day a lot more comfortable for me. Wet, it smells like a lime lollipop dipped in powdered laundry detergent. I know, that sounds gross. But it smells soooo good. As it dries I get a bit of the mint, and a lot of the seaspray and green tea. I never really get much white musk. This smells very unisex to me. I'm not sure why some people think it's so masculine, but to each their own. And it's not at all overpowering, which is key in hot weather.

A friend sent me a decant of this ages ago, along with a bunch of other Demon in My View scents, and this is the first time I've tested it. Wet, it smells a bit like... a root beer float? Kind of sweet and vanilla-like. But a little fresh too, from the flowers. Not completely foody. Dry, the red musk comes out. All I can really smell any more is red musk and vanilla. I don't smell any amber at all, and usually amber is quite prominent on me. It's nice, but I never would have picked it out for myself, either pre- or post-testing.

I'm craving spring-y scents lately so when a friend sent me this as a frimp in a swap, I was all over it. In the vial, I thought I smelled lilacs and something "purple". Once I checked the notes on the BPAL site, I was able to pinpoint all three, at least while it was still wet on my skin. As it dries, the sweet pea becomes dominant and gets a little soapy. At least I'm pretty sure it's the sweet pea, since Annabel Lee did something similar. However, it doesn't bother me much. The water lily is slightly musky but sweet, and the carnation smells like... carnation. I really like this. I'd consider a full-sized bottle if I didn't already have too much perfume. It reminds me a Tiffany stained-glass window- one that's full of blues, greens, and purples- catching the afternoon light on a lazy Saturday.

In the bottle, it's a pale yellow-green scent. Kind of like Ochosi but without the moldy overtone that I got from that scent (thankfully). Wet, it gets juicy, green, and almost cucumbery. I'm reminded of Tulzscha at one point. Then the cedar starts to poke out... like at least one person has already said, it's a bit like pencil shavings. In the drydown, it's mostly floral. To make yet another comparison to another BPAL scent, it now reminds me strongly of Destroying Angel. I'm terrible with words lately so I guess this is the best review I can pound out today. In short, I like this. *Addendum* I just wanted to say, now that I'm trying this for the second time, that I also get the same BO note that HonorAlexandria noted. It's pretty brief in the middle stages of the scent (maybe 10-15 minutes) and I'm guessing it's the cedar, but I could be wrong because I've never had that problem with cedar before. Since it's temporary, I don't mind putting up with it, but I could do without it. Second, I've had this on for about four hours now and while I still think it smells like Destroying Angel at this point, it's also turning slightly citrusy/watery. Some note in here has apparently waited until the very last minute to make its appearance, but I'm glad it did, because I smell fantastic right now, if I do say so myself.

I didn't order a bottle of this because I was worried the cardamom and/or cinnamon would burn the hell out of my skin, like the last scent I tried with cardamom (Alone). A friend sent me a decant so I could test it out. And I'm kind of sorry now that I skipped it. I dabbed some on this morning and I did get a tiny bit of tingling behind one ear right after application, but it didn't develop into full-scale irritation. The scent starts out as cinnamon-orange. I was tempted to dismiss it as a potpourri scent, but then the amber musk came out and gave it a sexier edge. I couldn't detect the tea leaf, but beneath all the warmth, there is a certain coolness, which I think might be the cherry blossom. This is a great comfort scent for those who don't like to turn to foody fragrances to fill that niche. The perfect choice for a cold, gray day like today.

When this is wet, it reminds me a lot of the scent of Lush's Avobath ballistic, but sweeter. Very bright and citrusy. I also get a bit of a bubblegum scent, which is probably the lotus. As it dries, it smells a lot like a refreshing glass of strawberry lemonade. I never smell pear or white wine. I don't remember what heliotrope smells like, so no comment there. Unfortunately, the lasting power isn't all that great. But aside from that, it's a nice scent for when you need a fruity pick-me-up.

I can see why this is so popular. I refrained from buying it right off the bat because the description just didn't tell me enough. But when I heard people describing it as a minty Snow White, I knew I needed a bottle. Wet, it definitely bears a strong resemblance to Snow White, but with the greenery on top. It's minty, but not a sharp peppermint- more like a garden mint, which is unexpected. There might also be a dab of cucumber in there, but I'm not sure. Dry, the green notes wear off and I can still smell Snow White, but sweeter. This is mostly creamy almonds on me at this point, whereas Snow White has a plasticky tang (which somebody else mentioned above) that seems to be absent here. It's almost foody at this point, like frosting or marzipan. I don't know what else to say here, and it looks like everyone else has covered it pretty well. If you like Snow White and similar scents, you need to give this a try.

I get lots of citrus at first, with some sandalwood and a touch of amber below that. As it dries, though, I get something that smells like... barbeque smoke? That can't be right, but it's what I'm smelling. (I guess "Hunger Moon" is an apt name?) I'm not in love with it right now but I don't hate it either. I think I'll probably need to give it another chance. *edit* After a few hours, the smokiness goes away and it's back to citrus. Thank goodness!

I get a lot of lavender at first, with hints of the other floral notes. The amber and musk start to kick in about half an hour after application. It's a pretty simple scent on me, but elegant, feminine, and a bit old-fashioned. I believe this is what my Chaos Theory III would have smelled like had Beth decided to throw in some amber and a little extra musk. It also reminds me a lot of Bat-Woman, and a little bit (just a little) of Enraged Bunny Musk and Buck Moon. For those who are scared of jasmine... I never really smelled it here.

At first, this reminds me a lot of other snowy BPAL scents, particularly Nuclear Winter. However, it changes on my skin to something that's almost warm and amber-like, which I was not expecting. Aside from the big dose of ylang ylang that I'm getting, it doesn't even strike me as a floral scent. And I can barely smell the berries. I think I like it, but I honestly thought I was going to be blown away, and I'm just not. I'd be interested to see how it layers with Nuclear Winter; maybe that will create the "cold" feeling that I was hoping to get. *edit, 2/28/07* I've tried this again and maybe it's just a temporary skin chemistry thing that messed things up the first time, because I totally smelled the berries the second time around. I liked it much more on the second wearing. I'm sorry for doubting you, Snow Maiden!

I second the Pontarlier suggestion. It's in the Wanderlust section. When I saw this thread title, that's the scent that immediately came to mind.

This is a difficult one to describe. I get the grape cough syrup smell at first too, though it stops short of being a turn-off; in a weird kind of way, I almost like that it smells like cough syrup. Which surprises me. Anyway, as time passes, other notes start popping up. I couldn't identify any of them for sure, but I think I can identify the fig, because there's something in there that reminds me of Hanging Gardens. I get little whiffs of random florals here and there as well. This had great throw and lasting power on me. I put some on yesterday morning and could still smell it in the evening. In short, while this scent isn't exactly "me", something draws me to it. It fascinates me, and seems to love my skin chemistry quite a bit.

This is an odd one... In the vial, it's herbal, almost minty. It stays that way on the skin for the first 15 minutes or so. Then it starts smelling almost... fuzzy. Like peach fuzz, though it's not fruity. (I never get any fruitiness from this.) In the final stages, it smells like the same florals that are in Night Gaunt. I like this, but I probably wouldn't go out of my way to acquire a bottle. It reminds me of other scents that I already own and enjoy more.

This reminds me so much of a certain etailer scent I tried a few years back that it almost scares me. The only note they have in common, as far as I know, is the pumpkin. But the resemblance is uncanny. Aside from that, this is sweeter, creamier, and fresher than I expected. I anticipated loads of spice and didn't get it... but that's okay, because I'm not sure I wanted loads of spice in the first place. I don't think it "belongs" anywhere other than autumn (I don't see myself dabbing this on in the middle of spring, for example), but since I only have an imp, I don't have to worry about using up a whole bottle anyway. I'm really glad I got to try this!

I ordered a whole bottle of this on a whim. It just sounded appealing to me. I don't think I'll order whole bottles of GC scents on whims anymore. Ochosi just doesn't like me. (Was it something I said? I can change!) In the bottle, this smells... moldy and mildewy, or something. I think it might be the shea. This continues for several minutes after it's on my skin. Dry, it's better. I get a very soft, pale, pulpy wood. It makes me think of a wooden crate. I get a slight green note too. The problem with this scent is that by the time it starts smelling good, it's so faint that I can barely smell it. And since the worst part is at the beginning, I'm not sure if it's going to smell much better in my oil burner- I'll probably just get the moldy shea scent and not the nice woods. Oh well. You win some, you lose some.

I can never remember what lilies are supposed to smell like, so I can never remember if it's a note I like... if that makes any sense. So I tried this with an open mind. Anyway, I really like it! Something about it reminds me a lot of Evening Star, but I don't think Evening Star even has lilies. They are both sweet, clear, "round" florals. I agree with the people who think Cobra Lily has some dragon's blood in it. There's definitely something a bit resinous and syrupy, especially in the drydown. Mine is a medium-yellow color, not bright red, so maybe there's some variation from batch to batch. Lasting power is excellent for me, and throw is pretty good too. I shall treasure my frimp. *edit* Evening Star does have lily in it after all.

This is a sheer, almost phosphorescent white floral. It's gorgeous, but unfortunately it seems to have almost no throw or lasting power on me, and I thought I slathered it pretty liberally. I put it on about an hour ago and I can still smell it in the crook of my elbows, but not on my wrists. That said, though, it will probably be a great scent for wearing to work, or any other situation where you want to wear perfume but don't want everyone within a 20-foot radius to be able to smell you. It's very understated and demure.

This is very peachy in the bottle. On my skin, it smells a lot like the now-discontinued Plumeria scent from Bath and Body Works. If I concentrate, I can pick out some individual notes (the peach flower, moonflower, and musk), but many others refuse to step forward (I can't smell the vanilla or beeswax at ALL). All in all, it's a creamy, pastel fruity-floral that I think Beth referred to as "velvety" somewhere in this forum, and she was right. It's maybe a bit too sweet for me, but I think I'm going to like it.

No reviews in two weeks? Well, here goes. In the imp vial, this almost smelled like a felt-tipped pen. I was a little worried. When I dabbed it on, I figured out that the inky smell was probably the woods, and it was much less inky on my skin (the fact that I could smell the flowers at this point helped). This would probably be a great scent to give to someone who doesn't normally like perfume and couldn't name a single note they might be interested in. No one note sticks out and it's completely non-perfumey. The florals are not at all heady. I'm surprised people are describing this as sweet, because it's anti-sweet to me, which is a good thing. The tree notes are not too dark or heavy (which is a relief, considering how cypress sometimes behaves on me). It's like opening a window and letting a breeze sweep the scent of fresh wildflowers into your house. It's also the kind of scent that someone who likes that just-showered feeling would probably enjoy, because it's very clean. As it dries, I think I get something a bit resinous. I want to say it's amber, but that note isn't listed. Very pretty. If you like soft florals with a woody background, you should check this out.

I don't know if I can say much that hasn't already been said, but I really like this. It walks a fine line for a few minutes there, almost becoming too menthol-y for me (Snow Moon, a similar scent, didn't work at all for me because the menthol-like fir completely drowned out all the other notes). I guess if I had to find something negative to say about this scent, it's that while it's in the middle stages, it reminds me so much of Talvikuu (a scent I already own) that at first I wasn't sure if it made sense to keep both. However, Death of the Grave Digger seems to head in a different direction as it dries down, probably because of the myrrh. And now I'm starting to feel all warm and tingly, like I did with Dublin... another scent in this general "family". I just love the slushy/evergreen/cold scents.

Maybe I'm insane, but this smells like honeysuckle and musk to me. I was so sure I was dead-on with the notes that I had to look it up, and was surprised that I was actually quite wrong. A few people have mentioned ointment, and I think I can see where they're coming from, but for some reason it doesn't bother me too much. Aeval will probably never be one of my favorites, but I'll keep the imp. I bet it will make a fantastic spring scent.

In the vial, this instantly reminds me of two other scents: Aizen Myoo (yuzu) and Tweedledee (kumquat). However, it also reminds me of a big, plump, ruby red grapefruit. A grapefruit that's at its peak of ripeness and is sitting on your plate in two halves, just waiting for you to grab a spoon and dig in. It's delectable. On the skin, there's still plenty of grapefruit, but the florals are apparent as well. I have no clue what flowers they are, but they smell white and icy. "Snow-dusted" is an apt description. Lasting power is so-so... considering it's a citrus scent, I'm happy it lasted as long as it did (maybe 3-4 hours on my skin). Throw is decent, but not spectacular. But that's okay, because this is a fantastic scent and the clear "star" of my latest order. I think I need to upgrade my imp to a bottle.

When I first got Lotus Moon, I tried it once, then sort of forgot about it. I don't know why- it just didn't grab me. Today I decided I was going to give it another chance since I had been neglecting it for so long. Wet, this is almost juicy and fruity. It's definitely rich and sweet-ish (the lotus?) As it dries, I can smell the rose otto, and the pine resin, and maybe the amber. I don't really know what opium smells like, so I have no clue if I'm smelling it. If I had to pick a color to associate with Lotus Moon, it would probably be a coppery pink. Something about it makes me thinks of sunsets. I put this on before leaving for class and I could barely smell it indoors, but it was a sunny day and I walked part of the way to school, and the scent really ramped up as I got warmer. I kept catching whiffs here and there, and it reminded me so much of something I've smelled before. I have no clue if it's another BPAL scent, a fragrance from another company, or something I've smelled in nature, but it kept triggering a deja-vu feeling. I guess I'll figure it out eventually. Overall, a great scent! Not my favorite, but I find it very appealing.

A song of love and madness: two roses, tolu balsam and ambergris with vanilla, labdanum, tobacco leaf, carnation and tonka. I thought I reviewed this one already, but maybe not. Better late than never. This was one that I ordered on a whim last summer, despite a nagging suspicion that I might not like it. I should have listened to that nagging suspicion. Many people have commented that this was straight rose on them... I only wish I had that problem, because I like rose. I did get quite a bit of that note at first, but then something akin to rotting wood came out. I've assumed that it was the ambergris, since I got something similar (but nowhere near as bad) out of Cathode, but after reading these reviews, I suspect the tobacco leaf had something to do with it as well. I ended up selling my bottle to someone who hopefully enjoyed it more than I did.