zankoku_zen

2013 version I get blueberry on wet, and dries to a blackberry predominant slush. There's something that smells almost 'piney from the slush note' and its a very Christmassy blend.

Rich, heady classically feminine violet. Which on me turns a bit powdery. But its a powdery, white floral that puts me in mind of violet pastiles, slighly soapy, and a tinge of iris. There's a 'old lady'/comforting aspect to this single note.

Deeply fruity. This is dark, blackcurrant and figs with a hint of licorice. mr. zee_zee went "What smellies do you have on?", and has requested a bottle. Good thing I like it too.

Strong, slightly swampy aquatic. This smells a little different from the Spanish Moss 2012 note - perhaps richer is the best way to describe it? There's something almost 'stony' about it, and it makes me think of dank castle stones, and green, dewy moss growing on them.

I love both Ice Queen and Snowy Mountains & Kingfisher, and definitely looking forward to testing: Almond Blossom: almond blossom, hoar-frost, and snow-wind Go to Sleep, Darlings: Kiss-soft clouds of spun-sugar snow Winter Stars: starry blue musk with mugwort, white mandarin, rockrose, and snow

Cedar, sandalwood, and a touch of sweetness. It's a really golden WOODY blend on me. I am amping the hell out of the cedar in this one. *sigh* So if wood is your thing, and you can handle cedar (which obviously I can't), give this a try. In it's defense, typically cedar is straight up pencil shavings but in this case it actually smells like a freshly made plank of cedar wood or if you had been chopping into a cedar tree.

This was my experience as well. It smells like a yellow, sharp floral. I don't know if its the spikenard + floral honey, but it seems to veer straight into cat-pee jasmine territory. Skin chemistry fail!

This does remind me to the Rat King +moss +aquatics -dirt. It's mossy, stagnant water, and manly aquatics. Very atmospheric, but not sure I'd actually want to spray my place to smell like this!

Foodie vanilla and amber. Honestly, there is something that reminds me to Serotine Bat, with the vanilla + amber combination but it's much more straightforward. If you like foodie vanilla blends, or sweet amber blends, give this a whirl.

Warm, dusted cinnamon on frankincense. Frankincense lovers take note! This one is deep, warm, resinous and comforting. The cinnamon adds to it, making it a golden, comforting blend. Warm, golden, cinnamon.

Sheer light peaches and spicy incense. I only have 1/2 oz atomizer of this and it's glorious. In alot of ways, the balance between sweet and spice is the same as in Silkybat (except with different elements), which I find very wearable. I typically only spritz 1 -2 times, and my hair smells FANTASTIC.

DeSade, is that you? Okay, so this one is a black leather note that isn't totally chemically, but it's still like shiny new black leather. I get hints of juniper, amber, and honey, which soften the black leather up... some. But my original impression sticks. This is DeSade, but less scary. Like he's dressed up for the holidays. He's making an effort to be less... well, DeSade and much more pleasant. And while I applaud the effort, overall, it's still too much BLACK LEATHER for me.

Red musk, geranium and a hint of tobacco. So this is a geranium + red musk blend, which is pretty. But still, red musky. Red, pretty, sensual.

Ginger, lemon poppyseed cake. This is much more 'cake' and foody than the previous incarnations I have tried, 2006 being more of a sugar ginger candy, whereas this is more like cake + ginger dusting on it. Tasty, and while pleasant, it doesn't tug at my heart strings.

Sweet, heady jasmine. This jasmine behaves (ie - does not turn into immediate cat pee), but blooms bombastically on my skin. If you enjoy jasmine, give this a whirl.

Orange peel, sharp frankincense, and galbanum. This one is a sharp resin on me, and smells both golden green. There's a slight smokiness after it dries, but overall this is not a blend for me. PASS.

Moss, myrrh and violet. Wow, this is very pretty. I'm usually not into violet blends at all, but this one is resin + violet. I think the moss element keeps it from going too powdery on me. I get a light tinge of pine, which actually makes this blend very Yule-friendly. Huh. Will BPAL wonders NEVER CEASE. This is a 'dark' violet blend, and I think the myrrh makes this quite sexy and grown up.

White amber, white moss and frankincense. This one is a light, resinous blend with a white vibe. It's mainly an amber blend, but with touches of moss and frankincense. While being gender neutral, I can see a guy really appreciating this one as a perfume since it smells resinous without being overpowering, and its not a heavy resin or has no sweet elements to it. At least to me.

Incensey plum. In alot of ways, this reminds me to Diable en Boite, but its more tobacco plum + vetiver. Occasionally I get whiffs of geranium. This is a dark, incensey blend. If you like plum, give this a whirl.

Incense, vetiver and oudh. It's a smooth, incense blend. As it dries, there's a slightly red-tinged vibe to it, which reminds me to a Shunga. There's a slightly sharp note on it that I catch on occasion, and I wonder if its the red tea. I have come to notice that BPAL tea's note can be kinda iffy on me.

Slightly chocolate pumpkin latte. It's tasty, but not for me.

Lush tuberose, lilac and hints of carnation. Sadly, tuberose is a giant bully and turns this blend into something that smells like hairspray. Boo. Hiss.

Dark, almost oily violet. I get the opium, violet and vetiver and incense smoke, and it smells almost like a violet version of a Phoenix Steamworks scent. In the sense that I get almost a gleaming, oily, shiny surface that resembles a violet. It's like a violet made out of gears, mystical parts and darkness. If someone was looking for a steampunk violet blend, give this a whirl. ETA: Now that this has had a chance to age, Nevar smells like the violet version of Pallas Athene, which ended up being a surprise hit for me. It's a dark, resinous blend with enough violets to keep it feminine.

This really reminds me to the Sugar Plum Fairy, minus the plum. This is sweet, sugary candy with a fruity jolt. Very wearable for a candy scent, and utterly apropos for a young girl. Too sweet for me, but now I totally want some candy!

Classic pink bubblegum indeed! This actually smells slightly to sugared watermelon bubblegum to me, which makes me think of BubbleYum and Bazooka Joe. AND THEN THE ROSES MAKE AN APPEARANCE. Sugary, pink roses. *FLAIL*