puck_nc

White musk, winter plum, pine wood, benzoin, orchid, and stargazer lily. Origin: Straight from the Trading Post Initial Thoughts: This was the only one of the Four Seasons that didn't have a deal-breaking note in it, so I was much relieved when it turned up as my quiz result, eliminating my need for abject begging. I am a huge fan of stargazer lily, and white musk is one of the musks that doesn't amp badly on me. In the Bottle: This is absolutely beautiful. The pine creates a wonderfully chilly feeling, and the lily and benzoin are lurking in the background as subtle hints of sweetness. Even if it turns to cat pee on my skin, I'm likely to keep the bottle and use it in my scent locket, it's that pretty. Wet: The plum has come roaring out, adding a nice fruity element to the wintry mix for a moment. Then it backs down to meld with the rest...I'm getting a cold blast that's just a little more piney than it was in the bottle. Drydown: Hmm...the chilly edge has faded quite a bit. I now get a lot of the plum and florals with the musk and benzoin combining for a rich darkish sweetness. It's still quite lovely, but it doesn't shout "Winter!" the way it did in the early stages on me. Verdict: Like I said, I'm keeping this for the scent locket alone. But it is a beautiful scent on my skin as well.

Origin: Straight from the Post Initial Thoughts: After trying the perfume oil, I knew I had to try other formats of this lovely spicy scent. Application: I usually do a sniff-from-the-bottle test, but the last few days have been crazy busy and I just reached for it this morning. After 8 or so spritzes on wet hair, massaging it through, and blow-drying I was in a lovely cloud of foody spices with a light foundation of pumpkin. Duration: This one is giving CVBT a run for staying power. I could smell my hair just walking around all day and at least one person commented on my room smelling like something baking. Verdict: Total keeper, but perhaps I'll spray a little less than my usual. ETA: Um, yeah...totally the most staying power I've ever experienced. I got in the shower this morning and the minute the hot water hit my hair, I was in a cloud of cinnamon and ginger and nutmeg bliss.

Origin: Bottle LXXXI, straight from the Lab Initial Thoughts: I tend to avoid the Chaos Theory experiments because I have so many deal-breaker notes. But as I was filling my cart, it was still there. And Puddin's voice whispered, "It's on your hair, not your skin..." And then a bottle jumped into the cart. In the Bottle: I pulled off the cap and the first impression was some kind of musk, leaning toward the masculine side. Unscrewing the top for a better sniff produces a smoky note, maybe some evergreen, and a splash of something fruity. It feels very autumn-y. Spritzed on Dry Hair: Um...wow. Burning charcoal briquettes. Did I get Single Note: Bonfire? Or tobacco? Strongly ashy smoke and maybe just the faintest trace of that fruity-orangey note. Verdict: I will of course try again in the morning with my usual application on wet hair and blow-drying. If it stays the way it is now, it's most definitely an evocative scent, but not one I would reach for. I'd look to swap for someone else's CTHG that runs more to my tastes. ETA: And now, a couple of hours after applying, it's gone a bit more toward the woodfire than tobacco or charcoal, and there's now also an underlying sweetness to it that makes me think of one of my favorite Halloween blends (Halloween from Possets). Might have to ponder this one some more. ETA2: Traditional application of spritzing on wet hair & massaging through produces the same morphing of a stage of charcoal smoke setting into a much more pleasant woodsmoke. However, the tantalizing underlying sweetness of yesterday is not there. I think it must have been leftover Peach & Vanilla Orchid HG contributing. So if anyone got a pretty floral HG and would rather have a woodsy smoke HG, meet me in the Swaps forum? ETA: Sold!

Origin: Straight from the Post Initial Thoughts: At first when I was looking through the update, I was thinking "No more bath oils!" as I have an embarrassing amount of bottles in my shower right now. But then someone pointed out the "single note" characteristics of the bath oil descriptions and I took another look. I love phlox along with most other floral scents and that was enough to convince me to grab it. In the Bottle: Sweet and floral in a classic perfume sense - it really makes me think of a rich sophisticated perfume from decades ago. This reminds me of a perfume my mom wore when I was little and in this case that's a good thing. On the Skin: The faint suggestion of alcohol that made me think "perfume" goes away and leaves behind undiluted glorious summery floral. I think if this doesn't overpower in the shower tomorrow that I could be coming back to buy another bottle or two.

Origin: Straight from NYCC thanks to a fabulous fairy. Initial Thoughts: I have become a major hair gloss fan since my first venture into its realm with CVBT gloss. Of course the tiare would catch my eye on this list. Bergamot is not a favorite note, but I appreciate the way it can balance a scent, as it does in Nectar. I like vanilla orchid very much. I have no qualms with green apple. In the Bottle: Extremely sharp green apple on the first sniff, and maybe a hint of the florals on the second sniff. The bergamot is probably hand-in-hand with the apple, egging it on. On Dry Hair: While it's possible the morning's CVBT is also in play, the first spritz and rub and brush into dry hair produces a heavenly balance of sweet floral and bright apple. The apple is no longer sharp as it is in the bottle, but freshly picked. Again, I'm not detecting any citrusy zing of bergamot, just the crisp apple and flowers. I want to keep huffing this lock of hair for more. I will come back to edit for any differences brought on by my usual application of gloss onto wet hair and rubbed in before blow-drying. But if it stays true I am already in love. This will be a great alternative or replacement for when my minty-citrusy Lightning Storm from the Hallowenches runs out. Might have to keep an eye out for more on the forums.

Origin: Direct from NYCC through a darling fairy. Initial Thoughts: I have been happily exploring the newly-discovered "white" side of things like patchouli and frankincense, things that I long avoided because the usual ones amp so badly on me. I love gardenia, I'm good with jasmine. The biggest worry is the rose, as rose often turns rancid on my skin. In the Bottle: Rose and gardenia. A very airy, "proper" floral. Wet: Welcome, frankincense, Will you behave and not amp as your darker cousins do? Will you let that lovely vanilla and jasmine come up beside you? You will? Thank you! Drydown: The florals resurface, mainly led by the gardenia. But thank goodness, the rose is behaving! It's all smoothing out into a mature but gentle floral with a hint of musky spice from the frankincense. Verdict: I like this one. A nice Victorianesque floral.

Origin: Straight from NYCC thanks to a lovely fairy! Initial Thoughts: I am quite fond of pear, like apple at times, and like a dab of star anise or clove. The ambrette seed is the only worrisome note. I connect it firmly - rightly or wrongly - with amber, which is a problem note for me. In the Bottle: Pear and sweet apple. Very light and spring-like and fruity and delicate, with maybe a touch of clove peeking out. Wet: There's some pear, and I think the anise, but the ambrette seed or possibly the honey is rising to the top quickly and isn't settling down. It seems to be clashing with the pear rather than blending with it. Drydown: The whatever-it-is, the honey or ambrette, is continuing to dominate, although it has settled enough that I can pick out the fruity notes again. The clove and anise are at best accents or totally blended in. Verdict: I'm going to have to ponder this one. I don't love it straight away, but I feel like I want to. And yet there's that something that just doesn't seem to be sitting quite right on my skin. It is a lighter scent, a good potential work choice, and I agree with the gender-neutral potential mentioned above. I'm just mot sure it's me.

Origin: Bought at NYCC by a wonderful fairy! Initial Thoughts: I have had some success with champagne notes. I will always stop and pay attention when carnation is involved. I haven't been doing much with room sprays, but I suddenly have two bottles and a small handful of goblin squirts hanging around my computer desk and now this one... In the Bottle: First sniff is ALL the champagne ALL the time. The second sniff shows a hint of spicy carnation lurking about. In the Air: Spicy-sweet carnations and sparkling fizz.I was afraid that there wouldn't be enough carnation from the previous reviewers, but it is most definitely there. Verdict: This is a lovely, refreshing scent. Glad I got it. But now I'm afraid I may have a worse BPTP problem than I had before...

Makes washing eight tentacles as easy as washing one! NOW SUITABLE FOR BIPEDS, TOO! Keep those suckers and knobs squeaky clean and smelling fresh! Lush coconut, ambergris accord, sweet rice milk, Siamese benzoin, white ginger, and orange pekoe. Origin: decant from a D*C circle Initial Thoughts: I am growing rather fond of BPTP bath oils, even though I never take a bath (the tub in our house just isn't big enough for a proper soak). I will use them post-shower to smooth on my wet skin and make it soft and nicely scented. But many of the bath oils have a death note for me and I seized a chance to try this one. In the Bottle: Very sweet and rich. Coconut and rice milk with an energizing shot of ginger and a stinging little poke of orange. On the Skin: After a luscious post-shower wave of rice milk and ginger and that tease of orange, this settles down into mostly coconut and rice milk on me. It's so soft and gentle it's almost like a skin musk, like me but enhanced. Unlike my Polar Bear Plunge with its shivery mint or the shock of citrus in Exhibit Hall Fatigue, I could use this before going to work and not worry about offending someone with an overly sensitive nose. Verdict: I think I'm going to have to keep a lookout for bottles of this at the Post or on eBay. Because I will most definitely use up this decant.

Origin: Straight from the Lab Initial Thoughts: I have had great success with a variety of pumpkin BPALs over the years. I like a foody pumpkin. I like spice. There was no way I was going to resist trying this one. In the Bottle: ALL THE SPICE! It's a big huff of cinnamon and nutmeg and allspice and ginger and whatever else gets tossed into a pumpkin pie. There's a soft foundation of something - I'm going to assume it's the pumpkin, but I'd also believe it if you told me it was butternut squash. But this is mainly the Thanksgiving end of the spice rack. Wet: Now it's a noseful of ginger more than cinnamon. There's a tantalizing edge of something familiar, something that makes me think Christmas spice, almost like eggnog...perhaps nutmeg or allspice, both of which I add to my nog. There's also a less-than tantalizing itch starting where I applied it. Drydown: The power of the spices calms down, but if there's any pumpkin, it's not coming out to play at this point. The itchiness hasn't gotten unbearable, but it persists. Husband's verdict: "Clove perfume?" Son's verdict: "Pumpkin perfume?" I think the husband is right about the clove, but that the son is associating the scents that get called "pumpkin" this time of year. Verdict: More than anything else, it's the itchy feeling that makes my decision. I'll probably go for a BPTP candle or hair gloss or atmo spray with this scent, but probably not keep the perfume. ETA: Just for grins, I tried layering PSA with Jack, which is a strongly pumpkin scent on me. I put the Jack on first, then the PSA before rubbing my wrists together. That seemed to take care of the itching problem and also turned it into a gorgeous foody fall scent, a pumpkin-all-the-things aroma. Guess I'm keeping the bottle after all!

Origin: massive Dragon*Con decant circle Initial Thoughts: If this had been a perfume I would have said no because hay is not a favorite note and rose more often than not hates my skin. But this is hair gloss. Perhaps rose will behave on my hair. But perhaps not. So I went for the decant. In the Bottle: Oh, wow. Vanilla peach as a nectar-drenched flower rather than a food and gorgeous. My second huff detects the hay, but it's an accent rather than a feature. Not really detecting the rose at this point. If it stays true I'm going to need to hunt for a bottle... In the hair: Oh, man. My first try is on dry hair - I usually apply it to damp hair and then blow--dry - and it's nothing like it is in the bottle. I'm getting dry, dusty hay and what seems to be the orchid and rose, also dusty. After a while I think the peach starts to come out a bit, but it's hard to tell. On the plus side, the dreaded skanky stink that usually happens when I meet rose isn't present. On the minus side, I don't think I've ever had a hair gloss morph like this. Verdict: I'll try again in the morning with my usual routine of applying to wet hair to see what happens. At worst, I may experiment and see what a hair gloss does with a scent locket. ETA: I noticed when I went to bed that my test tress of hair had mellowed a bit and had a bit more sweet peach to it. This morning the wet application produced a more balanced scent between all the notes: not nearly as dusty-dry on the hair last night but not as sweetly floral as in the bottle. There must be something about the decant bottle that funnels the sweet notes, because I did put some in a scent locket and got that same four-note balance as I did in my hair. So my final verdict is that it's very pretty but I'm not so in love to be desperate to find more.

Origin: a massive Dragon*Con decant circle Initial Thoughts: I ordinarily don't look at the atmo sprays, because I already have too many bath oils and hair glosses, but this sounded almost exactly like last year's Sugared Peach bath oil that I love to bits. In the Bottle: Peaches drowning in sweet with just a hint of spices in the background. It made me think of the first time I experimented with making individual whole-peach pies with a cinnamon whipped honey, except without the pastry element. In the Air: Sweet, sweet peaches and that barest touch of something - cinnamon or cardamon or ginger, something with the tiniest fairy bite to keep this from being straight-up canned peach. Verdict: I do quite like it. I do expect it to last a while given how little I remember to spray the one atmo bottle and goblin squirts I have, but that's all to the good,

Origin: bottle bought through a massive D*Con decant circle Initial Thoughts: The first few times I tried a BPAL scent that was predominantly peach, it would be too in-your-face fruity for me. My first success was Peach Moon, which was peach blossom rather than fruit, and Peach V from last year's Dragon*Con ended up working very well as a superbly balanced peach tea scent. This one alone of the 2014 Peach Pit spoke to me because I often enjoy jasmine, I love vanilla orchid, I love peach blossom. And I have lately discovered that my white musk=good/dark musk=amp rule seems to apply to patchouli. So it's time to try white frankincense as well. In the Bottle: A rich and gloopy dessert of flowers. Jasmine and peach blossom drenched in vanilla and cream. This is gorgeous and I could just huff the bottle. There'll be some scent locket action with this one. Wet: Hello, incense! Aren't you just so light and pretty when you aren't amping to 11? And aren't you nice to let the other notes keep playing? Drydown: Both the jasmine and vanilla orchid have stepped up, simultaneously making the scent a bit sweeter and a bit airier/white floral. It has lost the luscious decadence of the bottle on my skin, but it's still a lovely, rather sophisticated floral. Verdict: Total keeper. And nice to know my journey through the white side of the musk/patchouli/incense family continues on a positive note. Time to watch out for white amber next...

What I have learned on my BPAL journey through the years is that patchouli amps on me. Any perfume that had patchouli in it would see the note stomp all over the others and leave me with a scent akin to "stale head shop". But so many of the blends are divine in the bottle. And then I discovered that when it came to musk, if the musk was "white" or "crystal" or "blue" it would play more nicely with the other notes and not amp all over the place. I adjusted my ordering habits accordingly. Fast forward to last year, and a sweet Lilith's Birthday blend called "Butterflies, Flowers, and Jewels Attending" (white patchouli with Provence rose, delicate freesia, pink tuberose, jasmine sambac, orange blossom, butterfly musk, vanilla orchid, and delicate spices). The white patchouli caught my eye, as it was the first time I could remember ever seeing white next to patchouli. I bit. And it was breathtaking. And now I pay attention to blends with white patchouli in them. Here is a link for the handful of BPAL blends that use it. Looks like it's mostly a limited-edition ingredient, but there are two current LEs with it: Yucca Giant-Skipper and Visions of Autumn VI.

Origin: bought from a fellow forumite Initial Thoughts: While I have grown to love some foodie scents, my eyes still tend to slide over scents with lots of foody notes when looking through an update. This was an impulse toss-in-the-cart when buying several items from another forumite, then it sat in my shower for months until I finally tried it today. In the Bottle: Sweet and gooey goodness of the autumn variety. On the Skin: As I started applying it I got a plastic impression for a moment - possibly the sugar of the marshmallow. But it faded pretty quickly, leaving a very sweet fall spice blend. I agree that this definitely has some cinnamon to it - it burned slightly on my freshly shaved legs and also on my nose when I unthinkingly swiped at it when leaving the shower. But the scent is lovely and not as heavy as I feared it might be. Verdict: A very nice addition to my collection and if it were to resurface I would buy more.

Origin: Straight from the Post Initial Thoughts: In the last year I've discovered a whole new avenue of notes I can play with. I learned early on that a dark/red/black musk would amp on my skin and steamroll the rest of the blend, but that white/blue/light musks work reasonably well. Then Beth brought out the *white* patchouli in Butterflies, Flowers and Jewels Attending and I found one of my all-time favorite scents. So patchouli is no longer an automatic deal-breaker the way it once was. And hey, there's iriis, mimosa, and vanilla to boot! In the Bottle: Gentle musk and patchouli, a nice sweetness, and an airy quality that could be the iris or mimosa. Very pretty. In my Hair: Applying it to damp hair, I got mostly the musk and vanilla. Once it was in, it turned a little more floral, but not hugely so. Now, 12 hours later, I can barely detect it at all. Verdict: It may be a matter of applying a little more, but if it remains a quiet scent it'll still do for work and help my hair stay shiny-soft.

Origin: Straight from the Post Initial Thoughts: This sounded like it was exactly my kind of thing: lots of sweetness, lots of florals, and a touch of something like bergamot to keep it from causing cavities. In the Bottle: Very sugary-sweet flowers with a strong citrus zing from the bergamot. Yesterday when it was just unpacked with all the rest of the things, I thought it smelled like last Yule's Nice Glop (honey-coated honeysuckle & sugarcane). But that must have been the very hot weather and the proximity of the Phlox bath oil, because today that bergamot zing is much stronger. In my Hair: When applying it (again, just after using the sweet Phlox floral bath oil as a post-shower moisturizer) at first I had that overwhelmingly honey-sugar impression spraying it. But once I rubbed it into damp hair and began blow-drying, it took on a much cooler, herbal element. Now, 12 hours later, I can barely tell it's there in contrast to the faint Phlox leftover on my skin. Verdict: I need to try it without using the Phlox bath oil, but my general impression is that it's a likely keeper for using on work days.

Origin: Straight from the Post Initial Thoughts: I like Drink Me after finally opening a frimp and trying it for lulz, but had avoided Eat Me as being too foody and thinking currants had been the downfall in a couple of otherwise pretty scents. But after a few Lunacy polls of scents that were definitely too dark/musky/patchouli/dirt/etc. for me, I voted for Eat Me as a sort of protest vote, never realizing that it was that popular. And having voted for it, I decided I should follow through and buy it. In the Bottle: First inhale - rich sweet cake. Second inhale - dark fruity currant on top of the cake. It is indeed a yummy scent. Might toss an imp into my next BPAL order to see what this would do on my skin. Applying: I have straight and really thick hair, so I bend and hang my head, spritz the hair gloss on hair that's still damp, and use my hands to try and work it through. It usually takes me 6-10 sprays to get it all. Then I blow-dry it. While I was applying I expected to smell the gloss - that's what happens with my CVBT gloss and Lightning Storm. But I didn't really smell anything and when I held my wet hair to my nose all I got was the shampoo. Drydown: Again, I usually have no trouble smelling my other hair glosses all day long. But I have to sort of hunt for Eat Me in my hair against the shampoo (not a really strong shampoo, but a light citrus-fruity one). Every once in a while I'll find a lock with some sweetness to it, but there's no way I can say this is strong. I even tried asking my husband what my hair smelled like and he could only say my hair smelled clean. Verdict: Undecided. It's doing the usual job of making my hair nice and soft (but maybe not quite as shiny as the others?), but I'm not really getting the benefit of the scent this way. I'll try again tomorrow, but since I have a couple Butterfly hair glosses en route, I might look to give this a better home rather than overstock. But I'm definitely trying the perfume at some point.

Origin: Frimp from the Lab Initial Thoughts: It's a Friday. The mister and I have strawberry wine. Why not? In the vial: Cinnamon, clove, and a nutty undertone. Wet: Very cinnamon. I'm not getting a skin reaction that I can tell, but then I've dotted it very sparingly on my chakra points. I do feel a bit of heat around the heart chakra, but it's not uncomfortable. Drydown: The cinnamon gets richer, a touch more foody-sweet, I really can't pick up anything else. But I am enjoying the scent very much as I lift the neck of my shirt and sniff where the scent is trapped. Verdict: I'll edit in any results as far as intent. I would call last night a success... I have a smidge of Cinnamon SN and am tempted to try a side-by-side test of them.

In the Bottle: Rich sweet florals with a thread of fruity plum. In the air: A light gorgeous floral - I can pick out my beloved wisteria - that gently spreads through the room and stays very subtle. Verdict: This is the first time I’ve actually tried a room spray bigger than a goblin squirt. I think I’ll keep this one.

Initial Thoughts: White musk is doable. I like iris and apple blossom. We’ll see what the fruits do. In the vial: Very sweet and fruity but with a cool edge that evokes the dawn rather than a foody scent. Wet: Orange. Lots and lots of orange. I can barely detect anything else. Drydown: The musk amps as musk does on me, but not overwhelmingly. The other notes are a vague jumble of floral and fruit with a thread of the nutmeg. The whole thing has warmed up compared to in the vial. Verdict: There’s nothing in here that’s bad on my skin, but not a scent that grabs me.

Honey, mimosa petals, and white amber. Origin: Straight from the Lab Initial Thoughts: I have known for quite some time that when it comes to musk, I need the lighter side of the spectrum: white/pale/skin/crystal all tend to work well on me while black/red/brown/dark all amp to a hideously stinky level. I would get the same amping problem with patchouli, incense, and amber scents as well. I only recently learned that such a thing as white patchouli existed--thanks to Butterflies, Flowers and Jewels Attending--and that white patchouli smells nice on me. So when I started seeing white *amber* as well, I definitely wanted to try that, too. This was the first scent in that quest that didn't have other deal-breaking notes along for the ride. In the Bottle: Honey-drenched amber, with the mimosa creating an intoxicating floral zing. This is a sexy caramel of a scent without being the least bit foody. Wet: Hello, honey! For a moment I might as well be huffing a bear-shaped squirt bottle. Then the mimosa springs out with a burst of pink-and-green springtime. Drydown: I get the amber now, but hallelujah, it's playing WITH the other notes, not stomping all over them. It continues to be very come-hither, but with a light and playful tone rather than the in-your-face sense a darker musk or voluptuous rose would offer. Verdict: I am giddy at the thought of being able to explore scent families that I assumed were closed to me because of my skin chemistry. The fact that BPAL can still surprise and excite me like this going on nine years later is a real testament to Beth's genius. More white amber, please!

Origin: Straight from the Lab Initial Thoughts: I will always stop and take another look at a scent with magnolia. Grey musk will hopefully be light enough not to amp like a guitar and I know little of orris root. In the Bottle: Elegantly floral. My initial impression is that this is something my mom would wear and she went for classics like Chanel No. 5. There's the tiniest edge of something sour. Wet: The edge of sour blasts out and then fades quite a bit, leaving mostly magnolia and musk. Drydown: This isn't morphing a whole lot. That bit of sourness lingers and I'm trying to convince myself that it's a feature, not a bug. The musk is smoothing out the magnolia, reducing the greeny factor one would get sniffing a fresh magnolia and preserving that air of mature elegance. Verdict: I think I'll keep this one. I can think of so many places I might go where this slightly older and elegant scent would be a good fit.

Origin: Straight from the Lab Initial Thoughts: I love sweet pea. I like cherry blossom. I have no objections to sugared cream. It sounds girly enough for me. In the Bottle: Definitely an unexpected fruity character to this, given that my usual experience with fruit blossoms is that they are *floral*. This smells like juicy fresh fruit to the point that I can't tell where the sweet pea might be and the sugared cream is only there to suggest the idea of a dessert. Wet: There's the sweet pea! But it smells like it's dragged in a watermelon from somewhere. Very pink and summery. Drydown: The sugared cream comes out and I think this is what is giving the coconut impression. It definitely feels tropical. Verdict: I am waffles. In and of itself, it's a pretty scent. But it's so not what I was expecting and it doesn't seem to have that vibe of "Oriental" that I look for in the Shungas. I'll give it another go and see if it grows on me.

Origin: Straight from the Lab Initial Thoughts: I have had good success with several of the BPAL Oriental-themed scents, with plum and rice wine and such. I also like lavender and was curious about white ginger, having recently discovered that the white/light side of certain notes behaves well on my skin. In the Bottle: I agree that this is a very lavender scent to begin with. I think I get a hint of the ginger, but not much. Wet: Rice wine and ginger! A complete 180 from the bottle. Drydown: The lavender comes back out, but is now side-by-side with the other notes rather than in front. I agree that it's a bit like Needlework and I also find it a bit like an Oriental version of Butterflies, Flowers, and Jewels Attending with the light blend of spicy and floral. Verdict: I believe I'll hang onto this one.