puck_nc
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Everything posted by puck_nc
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I so wanted to love Snowblind. I wanted a gentler version of Lick It, one that wouldn't clear my nostrils when I wore it. In the Bottle: Heavenly! A lovely buttercream with a tantalizing undertone of mint. Wet: Oh, this is exactly what I'd hoped for! A gentle mint comes to the front, high and clear and oh-so-sweet with the vanilla and cream in the background! Drydown: It holds for ten minutes. For twenty. At the 30-minute mark, after I've written my notes with triumphant glee, I sniff once more... And I am crushed. My husband says it's coconut (which he hates). I am smelling soapy plastic and it's getting nastier by the second. Verdict: Snowblind has taken my skin chemistry, chewed it up, and spat out the pieces. Off to eBay with you!
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I bought it from the Lab for the gorgeous description. I love florals, I love the smell of ice and snow. Surely a winner! In the Bottle: a blast of chill and snow, with strong evergreen and faint florals. Promising. Wet: PINE! EVERGREEN! I feel like I'm sitting on a branch of my Christmas tree. My husband remarks that I smell like Pine-sol, though I don't get that. Drydown: This one is taking forever to morph even a little. While I wait, I regret that this isn't the scent in-bottle...it would make a wonderful room scent at this stage. Eventually some 30 minutes later, florals start peeking out but it never loses the cold, chilly scent of the trees. Verdict: I think I'm going to hold onto this one and try again in a week or so. I'm not ready to give up on it.
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AAAUUUUGH!!!! I have finally found a scent that broke my heart. I love roses. I adore roses. I am in love with scents like 25&7, Moon Rose, Rose Red, Ace of Hearts, Bearded Lady... This sounded like yet another wonderful blend to choose from in my arsenal of rose scents. Origin: Fresh from the Lab In the Bottle: Rapture! A mature, tantalizing bouquet of rich red roses. Wet: Um, ew? What is that? It's green, but not a good green. It's moldy, sour, like collard greens being cooked on a stove (I hate collard greens). Please let this go away! I can't smell my rose at all! Drydown: Rotted leaves. Stale collard greens. It's getting worse by the minute! Not even a hint of floral to be found! Verdict: Crushed, I will send this off to someone on whom it blooms properly.
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Origin: Part of my Yule order from the Lab In the Bottle: It's candy canes! It's sugar! Wet: MINT!!! Yum, but MINT!!! It's chilly on my skin, it's clearing my sinuses. More spearmint than peppermint, I think; it's sharper than a bottle of peppermint oil that I have. Drydown: The mint stays and stays. The sugary vanilla note joins in for a bit, but it never tempers the mint. And myt skin is STILL chilled where I applied it! ETA: Three hours later, and I am wearing Antique Lace with just the softest touch of mint. Still beautiful! Verdict: I'm very glad I threw in a bottle of this with my order. I may have to nab another before the Yules go away.
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Origin: Swapped for an imp on the forums. In the Bottle: Lemon tea, then the floral notes rise. Wet: I'm getting strong rose and carnation, with a hint of the tea. This is good; in other blends with tea it turned into Lemon Pledge on me. Drydown: Very light and pretty, though the tea distracts me a bit for some reason. Verdict: Hmm...it's all right, but I have many scents I like better. I think this one will become a lotion for a friend's Christmas present.
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Origin: Got it in a swap here on the forums In the Bottle: A high, sharp scent with some floral undertones. I think I'm getting mostly lavender and lemon balm here. Wet: First I get a blast of lavender, then the honeysuckle, all on a bed of other flowers. Drydown: Ooh...nice and lushly floral but cool, somehow. How odd...and how lovely. I get the feeling I'm in a chilly cave, but surrounded by flowers growing in it. Verdict: I like it!
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Origin: Decant bought on LJ In the Bottle: Cookies! I can smell vanilla and spices and a faint touch of citrus. Wet: Ew...this is like the dough stage of the cookies on me...but kind of unpleasantly sour. Drydown: The sour note hangs on. My husband sniffed my wrist and flat-out said, "The food scents just don't work on you." Verdict: This will be a room scent at best for me. I may send the imp to the swaps to find a better home, though.
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I'm a huge fan of roses and have been slowly working my way through every BPAL with a rose component that I can get to. My current top five BPAL rose scents are: (1) Two Five & Seven: this is for the days when I want a burst of roses, all in full bloom as if I'm walking through a garden of them. (2) Moon Rose: this is a very gentle rose, for days when I don't want a strong perfume. (3) Ace of Hearts: a hint of spice and pepper make this one a nice going-out blend for me. (4) Rakshasa: with the sandalwood & patchouli, this is my get-in-the-mood blend. (5) Rose Red: this is a special-occasion scent for when I want something fresh and clean.
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Origin: Imp from a decant circle In the Bottle: pies baking...cider mulling on the stove. I'm getting annoying whiffs of PP#2...I think that imp leaked just a little in the package. Very much the Thanksgiving kitchen. Wet: I get a flash of pumpkin, then the spices take over for a while. Drydown: My three-year-old tells me I smell like cookies baking. Lots of apple and a very strong presence of sweet cinnamon. Verdict: I'm not sure I like it on me, but I think this will be a great scent for my oil burner.
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Origin: Imp from a decant circle In the Bottle: Spicy, sensual, intoxicating. I can find the pumpkin and the sandalwood; since I have no idea what orris smells like, I'm thinking it might be the spicy note. Wet: LOTS of sandalwood. Drydown: Interesting...I get a musk-like combination, without the MUSK!!!! that I would normally get from a blend with real musk in it. It's very sexy. Verdict: Me likey! Can't wait for my bottle of this!
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Origin: Imp from a decant circle In the Bottle: Well, I get pumpkin and I get pomegranate. But unlike my Persephone where the two notes of pomegranate & rose complement each other, here the notes clash to me. Wet: Ew, this is very tart. All pomegranate at first. Drydown: That citrus note stays, and does not go well with the pumpkin for me at all. Verdict: Well, with five different scents it was quite likely I wouldn't like at least one. This is the one.
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Origin: Imp from a decant circle. In the Bottle: Very nice. Strongly woodsy and pumpkin-y. Of all things I feel like I'm in Hagrid's garden in the third Potter movie, behind the pile of giant pumpkins, next to the Forbidden Forest. Wet: Wow, very green! The ivy comes out strongly and I like it. Drydown: The pumpkin warms it up a bit, but this remains a very cool, green, foresty scent. I almost get an impression of mint, of all things. Maybe that's the galangal? Verdict: Lovely! It will make a great autumn room scent, and it works great on me!
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Origin: Imp from a decant circle In the Bottle: CHOCOLATE! Maybe a bit nutty, but very, very chocolate. Wet: Ooh, nice! Rich, dark, sweet, nutty. It's like some decadent holiday dessert. Drydown: It stays dark and rich, with neither the pumpkin nor chocolate taking over. I like it, I think, but I'm not sure how much. Verdict: I'll keep the imp for sure. Not sure what I'll do with the bottle I have coming.
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The legends around this scent are amazing. I only discovered BPAL this past summer and quickly became aware of the coveted status of this particular scent. While the description alone didn't immediately capture my interest, the general desperation to acquire the scent did. Origin: Scored off eBay when no one else wanted to pay to have it mailed from England, I guess. In the Bottle: Wow, that's nothing like I imagined! It's all sweet and floral and faintly powdery, with nothing of the dust and old-lady preconceptions I had. Wet: Is there some violet? I'm getting a bit of the acrid sharp reaction I usually get with violet, but it's very faint; violet often just takes over such scents on me. It's a bit faint, light, oh so sweet...is that wisteria? Something is tantalizingly familiar. Drydown: It's staying very sweet...but not really candy-sweet or fruit sweet. It's so pretty... After a while I open up this thread to add my opinion and glance at the previous reviews. Vanilla! That's vanilla I smell, but it's not at all a foodie scent. Verdict: You'll pry this imp from my cold dead hands! *starts haunting eBay and the sales forums*
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Origin: Purchased on LJ forums. In the Bottle: alcohol, cream, nutmeg...yes, I can verify that this does indeed smell like eggnog. Wet: All spices and cream. Drydown: The nutmeg dominates on my skin. Verdict: Oh, I'm hanging onto this one for a room scent during the holidays! And I hope it comes back for the upcoming Yule update!
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Origin: Swapped for it on LJ In the Bottle: Lots of rose with a crisp edge from the narcissus Wet: Whoa, lots of narcissus and just a little rose! A sharp, high scent. Drydown: Well, I don't think I care for narcissus, but it certainly swells like pride does. A good olfactory portrait of the sin. Verdict: Definitely not me. Back to the swap pile!
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Origin: Swapped for it on LJ In the Bottle: Vanilla and flowers. Very, very vanilla. Wet: Still very vanilla, with an undertone of pale flowers. Not bad. Drydown: Hmm...either the orchid or stephanotis starts smelling like baby powder. I bet it's the stephanotis, since I think this is the first time I've tried something with that note. Verdict: Well, it's not for me, but it's a pretty scent in the bottle. I think I'll try making a lotion of it for someone else.
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Origin: Part of an auction lot In the Bottle: Sweet! Juicy Fruit gum in a bottle! Wet: Fruit! Sweet fruits with just a little tang of citrus...this is what I would have hoped for in Fruit Moon. It's very happy-making. Drydown: Ew! Just like that the sweet dried up and left household cleaner in its wake. I am definitely not happy now Verdict: It's so good in the bottle...and so bad on me. If I learn how to use the TALs properly I might get more at that point.
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Aunt Caroline's Money Bag
puck_nc replied to kmasden's topic in Prosperity, Success, and Good Fortune
This was part of my alchemylab auction winnings on Live Journal. In the Bottle: I get a combination of spices and citrus. Wet: It's an orange full of cloves! I'm wearing an orange full of cloves! Then some darker element comes into play...is that chocolate? Drydown: Ah, cinnamon emerges. And then sort of takes over. Verdict: It's definitely not a scent I'd wear normally, but I wonder about its ritualistic purposes and if I can learn to use it properly. -
This was an impulse purchase, after hearing from a couple of people that it was a great autumn room scent. Origin: Bought a 5ml off LJ In the Bottle: Very woodsy and smoky with incense. Deep green and mysterious. Wet: Very green and evergreen. I get some herbs coming to the surface and whiffs of incense. Amazingly, the incense isn't taking over. Drydown: Hmm...the fir is gone, leaving smoky herbs in its wake. Verdict: I'm torn a bit. It's not quite evergreen enough for me as a room scent and it definitely doesn't thrill me on my skin. Maybe I'll decant it out and keep one imp.
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If it said rose anywhere, it went on my must-try list. Origin: Decant bought on LJ In the Bottle: Creamy, sweet, lots of the bergamot giving it a citrusy twang. Wet: The rose, she blooms. This is usually a good thing for me. Drydown:The rose is dominant for me, but the other notes make it feel very much like a child's perfume. It's delicate instead of robust, pretty instead of beautiful. Verdict: Not bad. I may pick up another imp in the future, but this one is off to the swaps. My tastes run a little more bold.
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This was an impulse purchase: I saw "floral" and "limited edition" and snagged it. I second that the label is amazing. In the Bottle: Ooh, lovely! Rich dark florals with a lovely sweetness. I feel like I could get drunk just sniffing! Wet: Hmm...there's violet in here, I think. I'm getting that sharp and acrid smell that means violet has hit my skin. But like Bearded Lady, it only lasts a few seconds and quickly fades in favor of other notes. In this case I think I'm getting vanilla and rose. Definitely rose. Drydown: Wow, that was a quick fade! It's an odd combination of a light scent made up of dark flowers. Then I go through a powdery stage later. Then the sweet note starts creeping back in, strengthening the scent a bit. Verdict: Definitely using this in my scent locket. Debating creating some perfume or lotion to try and make the scent last longer or avoid that faded-to-nothing stage. But I'm very glad I bought it! Curse these limited editions that I adore!!!
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The name of this moon refers to the color of wild ground phlox, a primary component of this Lunacy Blend, which is one of the most widespread floral signposts of springtime in North America. This Lunar blend is soft with phlox, tulip, daffodil, dogwood and muscari, dusted with pink sugar, carnation and honey, and a touch of the first strawberries of the season. Origin: decant purchased on LJ In the Bottle: A crowded floral, covered in honey. Wet: The sweet really comes out, just drenching the mix of florals with sugar and honey. Drydown: This fades pretty quickly on me I do get hints of strawberry as it disappears into my skin. Verdict: It's such a pretty scent, but I'll have to use a scent locket or try mixing it into a perfume to see if it will last longer.
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The Goddess of Persuasion, Seduction and Sexual Wiles. A member of Aphrodite’s retinue, she is also Aphrodite’s daughter and sister to Tyche and Eunomia. Lusty myrtle and jasmine with red sandalwood, stargazer lily, and clove over an opulent, rich bed of warm musk and bourbon vanilla. Origin: Frimp from the Lab In the Bottle: sweetly musk. This bodes ill. My skin tends to take any hint of musk and run away with it. Wet: Yep, musk. I get faint traces of vanilla and a whiff of flowers, but it is quite definitely musk. Drydown: Hmm, interesting. The musk is still there, but not so strongly. Now I'm getting jasmine and lily. Verdict: Well, alone it doesn't grab me. The musk does lie down much better than most BPALs with musk notes. Smelling it, I was longing for a rose note to mimick my beloved Bearded Lady, which led to an experiment in layering. I think I'll be keeping the imp; whether I buy a bottle to layer with 25&7 remains to be seen.
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I love honeysuckle, so I really wanted to try this. Origin: Fortuitous frimp from the Lab. In the Bottle: Hmm...definitely lemon tea. Light and sunny but thin. Wet: Whew! Lemon Pledge! Drydown: The Pledge calms down and it becomes light, lemony tea again. But the honeysuckle never shows its face. Verdict: Into the swap pile.