Abbie

In the bottle: Hmmm... a sweet fragrance that I actually like. V. nice. To me it smells like burnt sugar with just a hint of lemon... not at all musky. First on: The warmth of my skin brings the citrus forward some more. This is very soft and tangy. Weird thing: I always sample these in the morning while getting ready for work, and all the "sensual" scents seem to make me want to go back to bed. This one is no exception. Dry: Soooo subtle. Soft musk, sugar, and citrus mingle together, so that every time I sniff it's a little different. Overall: I'd put it on the big-bottle list if I didn't have WAY too many on there already. Maybe someday...

In the bottle: Orchid. I'm not much good at notes but this is definitely a tropical orchid. Very sweet, summery floral. First on: I don't know where everyone else is getting the linen, cotton, and fabric softener scents. Perhaps I am purchasing the wrong sort of fabric softener and detergent, because if it smelled like this, I would do a lot more wash. Dry: It's really quite sweet, with the crisp floral note going bye-bye. Probably not for me overall.

In the bottle: A lovely, refreshing floral. I have no idea what sweet pea smells like, and this doesn't seem to have the spiciness of carnation, nor the heaviness of lily. Hmm. It is aquatic. Sort of reminds me of Lightning, somehow. This is more what I picture for Ophelia than Desdemona. A very "young" scent. First on: I can get a bit of the spiciness now... my skin certainly seems to bring carnation forward. Still very nummy. Dry: Weird thing, when I bring my nose up to my wrists I can't smell this at all, but yet the fragrance still surrounds me in a miasma. This one might be for the big-bottle pile. I'll have to compare it with Lightning to be sure

In the bottle: A very rich, heavy, languid scent. Heavy on the musk. Sort of a classic musky women's cologne: reminds me of all those heavy perfumes all the girls used to wear back in the eighth grade. Underneath, a strong rosy floral. First on: Musk. That's pretty much it. This definitely meets up to its name. You can't imagine a virtuous type smelling like this. I still get the roses but they are very subtle and smoothly blended in. You do not notice them unless you actually think about picking apart the notes. Dry: Develops kind of a weird chemical odor after a while. It's a shame, too, because I was liking it up until this point. Overall, probably not a keeper.

I just picked this one up yesterday at the Denver area Meet n'Sniff. Let's try it (and you all can sing along!). In the bottle: Tangy! One of the few BPAL fruity fragrances that I have cared for so far. A subtle creamy sort of tangyness... maybe like a fruit tartelet than fresh fruit. First on: My skin brings out the citrus (yay!) and I'm getting pretty much full-out neroli. Dry: I like this one a lot more on than I would have thought. It stays well and is teh g00d citrus. Party.

In the bottle: A refreshing smell, very foresty. It reminds me of the pine woods of the mountains here in Colorado on a hot summer day, but who knows: maybe the world tree really does smell just like that, I dunno. VERY strongly herbal. First on: It subtlizes (love inventing new words) a lot on my skin. This is green... green grass, light herbs. I can't pick up any particular notes that I recognize but v. nice. Dry: Very refreshing. Overall I like this one a lot more than I would have thought just from the bottle.

In the bottle: Limes, but sweetened up to lime popsicle levels. A bit dry and powdery. Young women who sat upon the graves of suicides might wear this:) First on: A more intense lime zest scent is coming through. I wouldn't call this too masculine at all. It does make you smell like a margarita, though. The powdery candyish smell is still there. Dry: Aaaaand... it's gone. In about half an hour while I did my hair and makeup. This one fades on me FAST. Overall: Not a keeper. It smells too sweet and powdery. It definitely evokes Whitechapel, though: a gentleman vampire would totally wear this to cover up the smell of the blood and dirt. ETA: Okay, I'm a spaz. I was thinking Whitby, where Dracula menaces Lucy and Mina. *Whitechapel* is famous for Jack the Ripper. Ignore all the vampire references. Teach me to try and be literary.

In the imp: This is very well-blended... it's hard to make out any particular note. There's lavender, and, well, other stuff. To me it doesn't smell villainous at all: this is James Bond's cologne. It's very fresh and springlike. First on: The muskiness comes through and takes it down a notch, bringing up a vague sweet floral which I suspect would be the lilac. Still makes me think of James Bond. I can just picture this scent walking up to me in a bar and saying in a british accent "Might I buy you a drink?" and then I would try to shoot it with a gun which I have tucked into my garter belt. Not that I'm free-associating or anything. Dry: This is getting more and more masculine and musky the longer I wear it. Still not picking up the lime. Overall: Nice but a bit butch for my taste. And I like my bf in lighter scents, so I don't think this one will be a keeper.

In the imp: This is a hot smell. I can pick up Eucalyptus, or maybe pine? Some sort of resinous tree, definitely. And old-fashioned men's shaving soap. This is a very masculine fragrance to me. First on: Okay, is it wrong to find my own smell unspeakably sexy? Because that is how I feel when I put this on. I am totally going to apply this to the bf and rip his clothes off. Ahem. Maybe I was wrong about the eucalyptus, since now I'm not picking up any particular scents. This fragrance is all man. Cowboy man. Actually it reminds me of an ex-lover, all tobacco and sunshine and engine oil and drugstore aftershave. I probably shouldn't mention this to the current bf when I ask him to wear it. Dry: It softens a little but remains much the same. Overall: Yee-hah! This is one of my favorites so far. Definitely a big-bottle choice.

In the bottle: Well, minty, to be honest. It's VERY light and subtle, and even "minty" doesn't quite describe it. A very refreshing fragrance. First on: This smells like diapers on my skin. Not dirty diapers, but the sort of babyish smell that clean, disposable diapers have. And looking over the reviews I appear to be the only one who thinks anything close to that Perhaps something is going on with my nose. Dry: Very soft and babyish, without distinct notes (unless osmanthus is this soft powdery sweetness). Not at all what I expected. Overall: Pretty okay, a little childish. I won't be getting a big bottle but I'll use up the imp. And I'll try another controlled sniff later on and see if it's something up with my nose.

In the imp: omgwtf myrrh No frankincense scent, at least that I can detect with my mediocre nose. Sweeter and heavier than Cathedral. First on: This is a very sweet, dreamy blend. The frankincense scent is hardly noticeable, at least on my skin. Kind of heavy for my taste. Dry: Very spicy and warm. I would not consider this incense at all. Just spicy. Unfortunately much too heavy for me

In the imp: Not too promising, actually... I'm getting a scent I would describe as "lilac" which is probably the narcissus, and a strong acrid undertone. No roses. First on: Um, yeah. More of the narcissus fragrance, but there's a really nasty undertone to this. Some other people have said "cat pee" and "gasoline", but neither of them seem to quite be it on me. Oh, lord, it's isopropanol. (aka rubbing alcohol) I can pretty much guarantee that's not in there unless it was used as an extractant so I'll just have to chalk this one up to body chemistry. Dry: More of the same. This one is just not a winner. It's a shame, too, because the lilac smell is quite nice, there's just this ick underlayer. Swap pile!

In the bottle: Very sweet, but not cloying, and dry, but not powdery. Seems a winner so far. I would not have immediately guessed "rose" from this blend... it's a definite spicy floral, but rose doesn't leap to the forefront. First on: This is really subtly blended... I can't pick out any individual notes. It's delicious, though, and I do mean "delicious" in the "mmmfood" smell. Like a good moroccan restaurant. Dry: More of the same. This one's definitely a winner.

In the imp: *blinkblink* Okay, that's nothing like what I was expecting. I was thinking a mild floral. When you get your nose right up to it it smells like a particular kind of antibiotic we used to get when we got strep as children... fake satsuma flavor. Not that this is necessarily a bad thing. I once bought a satsuma bubble bath at the Body Shop because the scents were reminiscent. There's an undertone of rosewater: not roses, rosewater, which is quite different. First on: This is sweet, but not in the cloying way that a lot of Beth's "fruity" fragrances have been on me. Still the satsuma fragrance, but a lotus and rose are coming through. This is an odd blend of the two, though: my brain can instantly identify them, but they don't smell like I'm used to with those notes. Dry:This ended up being more lotus than anything else. Schizo scent. Kind of appropriate for Ophelia, eh? For a freebie I quite liked this one... I won't put it on my big bottle list, but I'll definitely wear it again.

In the imp: Mmmmm... delish. Spicy. I am not getting figs at all, but more of a cedar smell. Well, maybe figs. It reminds me of Christmas: all the smells of the rich foods, the sweets, the tree. First on: The cedar comes much more strongly to the front. I'm not so sure I like this on... I don't particularly wish to smell like expensive mothballs. Dry: Gad dang it's like I was raised in a cedar closet. It's not so bad, but this won't go as one of my favorites.

In the imp: Burnt sugar, like that bubble-gum flavored toothpaste they use to clean your teeth at the dentist's. First on: Boy, I just can't wear fruit fragrances. I shouldn't have bought so many, I guess. They're just too sugary for my taste. The myrrh is coming out really strong... this fragrance has a lot of throw: I don't apply much but I can smell the stuff on my wrists from arm's length. Dry: This is more musky and spicy than sugary at this point, but it's just too old-ladyish for me

In the bottle: This is a lot stronger than I was expecting. My brain was going Water=watery but it is a very intense fragrance. There's citrus, lilac... and something that my mom used to buy in a body oil for sunburn. Dang it, what was that stuff? This is delish. First on: More of the mystery scent. Is this what everyone means by ozone? Am so ignorant about notes. Still very nice, but almost eye-wateringly strong on. Dry: It gets a bit more subtle dry, but it still has a good strong fragrance with lots of throw. Weirdly, I use a deodorant with a "Water" fragrance, and when I applied it after putting on Lightning it smelled much more sweet than normal. Lightning is definitely intense. Overall: Lovely! But I might try diluting this one down and making a body spray or lotion.

In the bottle: And technically all over my hand, because I spilled it. Le sigh. This is the third in my first set of imps that is a "fruity" fragrance, and once again it is too sweet for me. This isn't the grape soda flavor of Lady Macbeth, and there's a definite cranberry tang, but still... First on: It's not too bad on, with a sort of bitter medicinal sent seeping through. The cranberry still is excessively sugary. Dry: This fades FAST. I can still smell something on my skin three hours later, but only when I get my nose right up to my wrist and take a BIG snort, and it's barely recognizable as the original fragrance. It's almost a light floral... which makes me think the perfume totally faded and I am getting my soap now.

In the bottle: This is somehow familiar... root beer? I can't think of what this smell is and it's driving me nuts. First on: I asked the bf. He said grape soda. AND THAT'S EXACTLY IT! Grape soda! Dry: Yeah, still grape soda. It's not a bad smell per se, but as a perfume? No. Overall: One for the swap pile.

In the bottle: Sweet. Toothachingly so. I'm pretty sure I'm not getting any of the iris, but there's definitely a berry smell. Slightly overripe huckleberries, I think. I'm not too sure about this one, now. First applied: The floral iris comes out, but it's still a background scent. This is REALLY freaking sweet. It's not a fresh sort of sweetness... it's still sort of presque pourri. Which is the french way of saying "ripe" but literally translated means "almost rotten". Dry: Dang it, so much sugary overripe berries. Why? Overall: This is the first BPAL I've tried that I actively dislike. It's a shame because I had such high hopes for it. I also kind of had this excessive sweetness with Bordello. Maybe this is a valuable lesson for me: no non-citrus fruits. One for the swap pile.

In the imp: This seems like a nice herbal. A little astringent. Normally I don't think of the same things as the description when I smell a scent, but this is definitely a native/western sort of scent. There's sagebrush, and the nose-itching smell of the Utah desert on a hot day. First on: Normally BPAL scents change a lot from bottle to skin on me, but not this guy. See above:) Dry: Well, gee, Coyote, if you aren't going to change much, there's not a whole lot of point in this review. I suppose maybe the musk and amber are coming out a bit more. This is a very warm scent overall Overall: This is definitely a bit butch, but since I wear men's colognes anyway, I like it. It's really soothing and mellow.

In the bottle: That's weird. Somehow the lab has captured the smell of wet rock. There's some sort of incensey fragrance that I can't pin down. Let's try it on! First on: This is a very christmas-scented incense... I am picking up frankincense and myrrh, definitely. And sandalwood. When I look at the other reviews, I see cedar, and I can see how that, but to me it smells more about the sandalwood. Dry: The strength of this scent fades fast... 45 minutes after applying it's a very subtle spiciness on. Overall: I'm going to go against the grain and say that this is a wonderful perfume, not just a room fragrance. Although I will have to try that too:)

In the bottle: Hmm... this Caterpillar is definitely more of the Jefferson Airplane "hookah smoking character" than I expected:) Very head-shop smelling, with lots of patchouli and incense. The only floral I'm picking up is the jasmine. First on: Mostly jasmine, with an appealing smokiness that I rather like. A lot of other people are describing this scent as "green" which I honestly don't get at all. Maybe my concept of "green" is really far off. Heh... This is definitely getting me into head-shop mode. "So, like, dude... why does green look like that? Do you think it looks the same to everyone?" Dry: Okay, now we're getting through more of the smokiness, and the jasmine is fading into the background. The lab definitely wasn't lying when they said "heavy incense notes". A bit of an undercurrent of soap, too... something like Irish Spring. Overall: Not at all what I expected, but quite nice. A little heavier than I would normally wear for daytime. It might be really great cut with something citrusy... I'll have to experiment.

This was a frimp from the lab... I typically order florals, incenses, and citrus, because sweet gives me the fear. But here goes. In the bottle: Bubble gum. Plain ol' pink Bubble Yum bubble gum. Under that kind of a bananary aroma... makes me hungry, but not something I necessarily would choose. On: What I interpreted as banana must be the plum note. The fruitiness is more noticeable now during drydown Dry: Okay, wtf is that medicinal smell? It's subtle but it's definitely there... oddly enough, this is the first part of this blend that makes me think of a bordello. It smells like an old-west general store, now. Overall: Sorry, no... this is a great room fragrance, but on it's just too bubble-gum for me.

In the imp: Definitely I get the lavender and verbena. It's a clean, refreshing smell... makes me think of the refrigerated flowers at a florist's First application: Whoa! Citrusy! The lavender is quickly reduced to a base fragrance allowing the neroli and verbena to shine through. There's something else in here that I can't put my finger on... not rosemary, not frankincense, although it's definitely more incensey than herbal. Dry: Has a definitely astringent note... not quite the same as the lavender. All in all, a very nice garden fragrance.