puck_nc

Origin: Straight from the Post Initial Thoughts: I've been on the lookout for another hair gloss that would convey "cool" the way Lightning Storm did, since I expect we'll never see Lightning Storm stocked again. With eucalyptus and blue musk, I thought this might do it. In the Bottle: Very pine. It gives a strong men's cologne impression. On Wet Hair: All the pine and all the eucalyptus. It puts me in mind of Christmas, a chilly tree scent, but not as strong as some of the other BPAL/BPTP "Christmas tree" scents. After Blow-drying: This one's a fader on me. There's a bit of the musk and a bit of the eucalyptus. but I have to hunt a little for it. On the bright side, perfect for work. Verdict: I will probably use this bottle and I will enjoy it. I'm not sure I'll need another, because I have entirely too much hair gloss for one person.

The national flower of Puerto Rico. The proceeds of this scent support the Hispanic Federations Hurricane Maria relief fund. They have a stellar four-star rating on Charity Navigator, and one-hundred percent of the money that they receive go towards relief and recovery for people imperiled by Hurricane Maria. Origin: Straight from the Lab Initial Thoughts: It's floral, it's for a good cause, I'm gonna investigate. And my investigation found it is related to hibiscus, a flower I love and don't see enough of in perfumes. In the Bottle: A full blast of hibiscus! A bit of white floral to it, a bit of greenness, but lovely tropical hibiscus. Wet: A bit more green-y at first, with some generic flower-shop overload thrown in. Drydown: Excellent. Both the green and the flower-shop back off and leave a rich, tropical hibiscus in their wake. Verdict: I love it. If you love hibiscus or tropical florals, you should try it.

The pure, gentle dreams of the innocent: French lavender, white pear, white sandalwood, and Italian bergamot. Origin: Straight from the Post Initial Thoughts: I like lavender, sandalwood, and pear. Bergamot is okay. There is nothing to fear in this and potentially plenty of good for another lavender-based gloss once my Lilith's runs out. In the Bottle: Lavender and bergamot, with a hint of sandalwood. On Wet Hair: Lavender, sandalwood, and a hint of pear. After Blowdrying: Mostly lavender, but the other notes make it soft and sweet without really presenting themselves. Verdict: A quiet and pretty scent, good for the workplace.

Sniffing from the bottle just now. I'll edit in a full review after I've had the chance to apply it to wet, clean hair. In the bottle: this strikes me as much more pie than peach. I'm having to sniff around to find the peach behind an impression of pastry and a wave of gentle spices. We'll see what it does in my hair. ETA: I did a side-by-side with Sugared Peach bath oil from Dragon*Con a few years ago. With that comparison, the fruit of Peach Pie is more prominent, with a tangy crispness to suggest fresh fruit. The bath oil is much more syrupy-sweet. Applying: Lightly sugary peach. Drying: A hint of the pastry comes out, along with some gentle spices. If you've tried Apple Pie, this has some of the same spices, but they're a backdrop, not a feature. Wearing: This has decent throw, but not strong throw compared to some of the other hair glosses I've tried. Verdict: Gently foody. I like it. I will probably keep it, but since I also have Peach, White Ginger and Cubeb I'm not sure I need a backup.

This weekend, Trump attacked the US Constitutions guarantee of freedom of speech and took aim at the football players who are peacefully protesting police brutality, inequality, bigotry, and racism. Hes calling for a boycott of an entire sports league to force the firing of African American athletes and their allies for speaking out about racial injustice. Taking a kneethis isnt a protest of America itself, its flag, or anything that this country stands for. It isnt disrespectful of the US military. On the contrary, it is the acknowledgement that we as a country can do better, that we must do better, and that we must renew our commitment to fight for equality and justice for all. By speaking out against institutional racism and racial injustice, against violence and bigotry, whether it be by taking a knee, locking arms with teammates, refusing to walk out onto a playing field until after the National Anthem has been sung, editorializing on social media, or making protest perfumes, we are honoring our communities, our neighbors, and our nation by attempting to amplify the voices of those who are often not empowered to speak. It is possible and necessary to love this country and also expectand demandthat we do betterthat we recognize injustice when we see it, and do what we can to fight it. Thats real patriotism. We have fought for America with all of her imperfections. Not so much for what she is but for what we know she can be. Mary Bethune This is the scent of apple pie, as American as it gets, and a smudged grass stain. The proceeds from every single sale of this scent will benefit the NAACP. Origin: Straight from the Lab Initial Thoughts: The concept alone made me very very glad to be a BPAL customer and the description was certainly worth trying. In the Bottle: Yum! Rich, spicy apple with a dash of green grass to keep it from being totally cloying. Wet: The grass comes out on me first, and then the pie. I didn't get the sense of crust/pastry in the bottle, but it's coming out on my skin. Spices linger and the apple is there if you sniff hard. Drydown: It settles into a gently spicy sweetness. I can pick out the apple if I work at it. I can't pick out the grass other than a fresh edge to the whole scent. Verdict: This is super nice and I may grab another bottle in my next order if it's still available. It's a good fall scent without being overpowering.

A flute of topaz-gold wine, a pop of champagne, a waterfall of slouching wisteria, and a cluster of pale white lilies. Origin: Bought from C2E2 through a lovely fairy Initial Thoughts: There is not enough wisteria in BPAL products. No deal-breaking notes. Had to try it. In the Bottle: Very sweet, heady florals. All the wisteria and some of the lily. On Wet Hair: I get more of the champagne and lily, cutting out some of the overwhelming sweet of the wisteria. After Blowdrying: I think the wine emerges - there's less "fizz" to the scent - but the florals remain in effect. Verdict: I'm glad I have this. I was hoping for lots of wisteria and I got it. A good spring and summer scent, though perhaps a little too present for work.

While this scent is fresh, crisp, refreshing, and redolent of spring mornings, it also possesses an ancient timbre: this is the fragrance of the apple orchards of ancient Herculaneum. Origin: Straight from the Lab! Initial Thoughts: First, YAY for single notes! Second, I have found that I tend to enjoy the blossom scent more than the fruit (Peach Moon's peach blossom was divine, orange blossom tends to play nice for me, etc.), so getting an apple blossom accord was a no-brainer. In the Bottle: A beautiful green floral apple with a bit of wood in the background. Fresh and springlike. Wet: Nice! The apple blossom jumps out strongly, a little sweeter than in the bottle. It's skating to the edge of a candy scent, almost like a Jolly Rancher Sour Apple, but not quite. My husband claims that he smells something artificial about it--I don't get that. Drydown: The candy undertone fades back to the more pure floral apple blossom, with just enough leafy/woodsy background notes to give the impression of walking in an orchard. Verdict: Love it! I am so happy I have a bottle!

Crystallized glittering shards of lightly spiced pumpkin sugar. Origin: Straight from the Lab Initial Thoughts: I love me some Pumpkin Spice Everything hair gloss, but it is STRONG. I have to be very choosy about when to wear it because it WILL make my husband sneeze. I am hoping this will be a quieter version that I can wear more often. In the Bottle: A very sweet version of pumpkin and spice. Side-by-side sniffing says there's more sugar and more vanilla in Pumpkin Sugar compared to Pumpkin Spice Everything which definitely has more of the "spice" vibe with nutmeg and cinnamon. Wet on hair: The vanilla is really coming out for me. So much so that it goes through a plasticky stage. After blowdrying: It softens back to real vanilla, sweet and gently cinnamon over the pumpkin. Verdict: This was almost exactly what I was hoping for. The scent is gentler than PSE and something I can probably wear any time I want. If you are a fan of all the pumpkin things, you should try it. I got two bottles and will probably get more in my next order.

White tea and gardenia softly glowing with opal iris, white musk, and lavender. Origin: Straight from the Post Initial Thoughts: I love gardenia and lavender. I can do white musk. Nothing against iris and tea. Worth a try. In the Bottle: Very strong in the lavender department, with some tea in there as well. If it stays like this, it has potential in my bedtime routine. On Wet Hair: I get a huge blast of lemon from somewhere, and then it settles into lavender and gardenia. After Blowdrying: It ends up a pretty quiet scent. The tea emerges and and has the florals dancing all around it. The musk is a soft note in the blend. Verdict: If you're looking for a sophisticated floral that isn't too powerful to wear to work, this might be it for you. I'm definitely keeping my bottle - we'll see if I need a backup.

The burnished gold of dappled autumn sunlight. Origin: Straight from the Post Initial Thoughts: I can't believe how much Puddin' listened to us as we brainstormed for Weenie polish colors. This one looked like it might be a gold version of Unseelie on the website, so I jumped. In the Bottle: As advertised - burnished gold with that lovely undertone of glitter. One coat: I thought at first that this might make a good layering option, but I think the base is a bit too gold to work. More expert hands than mine may find differently. Two coats: This one stays very true to the bottle, maybe just a slight tilt toward bronze. Verdict: It is lovely. I could see myself wearing it in the fall and at Christmas.

What else could possibly be more lickable at Yuletide? This is a candy cane perfume, minty, sweet and sugared. (Don’t lick the hair gloss, don’t lick your hair, don’t lick anyone else’s hair.) Origin: Straight from the Post Initial thoughts: How many bottles can I afford? This is one of my top five BPAL scents of all time and I have been hoping for a HG version for years. In the Bottle: Sweet and sugary vanilla mint, just like the original. On Wet Hair: The mint is STRONG at this stage. Which is fine by me - it helps wake up my brain. After Blowdrying: Wow, this one seems to have nearly vanished. A little sweet vanilla, a trace of mint. I'm a bit surprised, given how strong it was before. Verdict: I'll try again and see if it keeps fading in my own hair. On the one hand, I do want it to be a bit stronger. On the other hand, what I have now is subtle enough for the workplace.

Clove and carnation in an excellent balance, bringing each other out. I get very little chill or snow from it. I so wish it were a hair gloss!

Not at all fishy; rather, quite Springy! Innocence spiked with a little bit of foolishness: Lenten rose, crested iris, windflower, primrose, moss phlox, belladonna lily, cherry blossom, blue crocus, daffodil, hyacinth, and dewy tulip with a touch of sugar blossom and honey. Initial Thoughts: The 2007 version is a lovely floral that I like to wear in springtime. The added notes are in general nice to me. Worth a shot. In the Bottle: A light and cool spring floral. Perhaps the lily and hyacinth are ahead of the crowd of flowers. Whether it's due to the aging of the 2007 version or the presence of more notes, the new version is less sweet. Wet: Light and airy florals, an impression of citrus from somewhere, and the honey creeps in quickly but stays subdued. Again, it's less sugary than the 2007 version. Drydown: The Lenten rose is not being a skanky-bad rose on me and there's very little morph. Fresh flowers sprinkled with honey. It is lasting longer than the 2007 version, which vanishes into my skin rather quickly, leaving only the barest impression of honeyed floral. Verdict: I'm very glad I snagged a bottle.

Origin: Straight from the Post Initial Thoughts: The Lab and Post went through a phase of scents that were basically super-sweetened florals. I became a fan. Of course I was going to try this. In the Bottle: Very sugar-sweet with an undertone of soft floral. Wet in Hair: Still sugar-sweet, but a little greener or fresher. I am now thinking of sugarcane more than just sugar to go with the sweet floral. After Blowdrying: I do get a creamy element, as sailthetethys mentioned above. It is very delicate and feminine and gentle enough to wear to work. Verdict: I like it and may spend some Christmas money getting another bottle.

Wild plum, blackcurrant, honeyed green tea, wisteria, and a flutter of cherry blossoms. Origin: Straight from the Lab Initial Thoughts: I will always pay attention when wisteria is in the mix. I love that scent and there are not nearly enough perfumes out there that feature it. There were no deal-breaker notes involved, though tea sometimes works and sometimes doesn't. I'm hoping for yet another distinctive oriental floral like other Shungas I've fallen for in past years. In the Bottle: Plum and blackcurrant are the strong notes here, with the other notes playing background. Almost juicy and fresh. Wet: I think I'm getting the wisteria and some tea, but the blackcurrant will not be budged from its place. It's a little darker and sexier now than in was in the bottle. Drydown: On the one hand, I'm getting more wisteria and cherry blossom as the fruits back down. On the other hand, something is smelling really musty all of a sudden and I can't figure out what. Verdict: I think I'm going to sit on this one a few days. I am getting over the flu and maybe the meds I'm taking are monkeying with my skin chemistry. I think it's got the potential to be a lovely spring scent heavy on the fruit and I want to love it.

Origin: Straight from the Post Initial Thoughts: I like CVBT very much and was curious how this might be different even though they're the same notes. In the Bottle: CVBT is very vanilla and very tiare and very suntan-lotion tropical. Pickle is very coconut and very vanilla, but somehow not all that foody to me. Wet Hair: A little tiare comes out, but again the balance between the three notes is significantly different. This is gentler overall. After Blowdrying: Very vanilla, lightly coconut. Gentle enough to wear to work, in my opinion. Verdict: I'm very glad I got two bottles and may get another in my next order. If you wanted to love CVBT but found it too strong, give this a try.

A metallic bronze, glowing like oak leaves at sunset. Origin: Straight from the Post Initial Thoughts: When wishing for potential Weenie polishes, I mentioned wanting something like Oneroi in orange or bronze. Puddin' listened. In the Bottle: A very rich coppery bronze with a subtle glitter texture. One coat:This one really only needs one coat. I got a full, even coverage with just one round. It continues to be a lovely bronze, a couple shades darker than a new penny, with tiny twinkly glitter in it. Verdict: Keeper! And maybe another bottle for good measure.

Origin: Straight from the Lab Initial Thoughts: I like lavender and I like coconut. I'm a big fan of TKO. I'm also a fan of Lilith's Hair Gloss, which was lavender and sweet elements? If I remember correctly? In the Bottle: Major lavender. I agree it seems like the TKO lavender. Wet: Major lavender and a sudden pop of coconut. Drydown: The coconut stays in the background for me, keeping the lavender on the gently sweet side. Verdict: Glad I got a bottle. This can alternate with TKO sometimes.

Origin: Straight from the Lab Initial Thoughts: Honeysuckle? Gimmee! Water lilies? I like. Honey? Iffy. White sage? Well, it's white so maybe it won't amp. In the Bottle: Water lilies with a strong herbal element. So lots of sage. Wet: All the sage. ALL the sage. The water lilies are now kind of just an aquatic background. Drydown: Some honeysuckle finally peeks out, but it's still very much water lily and herbal on me. ETA: Okay, a while later I'm getting some actual honey out of this, but still no honeysuckle that I can find. Verdict: If you like herbal aquatic scents, you should try this.

Warm red wine spiced with cinnamon sticks, cardamom, vanilla beans, honey, clove, lemon and orange rind, bay leaf, and honey. Origin: Straight from the Post Initial Thoughts: My parents have a cider recipe that uses red wine and tons of spices. I love the scent. To be honest I'm not sure I want my hair smelling like wine, but I had to try it. In the Bottle: Rich red wine and orange and cinnamon and honey and... everything's just swimming around in there. On Wet Hair: The wine is strong. I can't wear this to work if it stays this rich of a spiced wine scent. After Blowdrying: Okay, it's balancing more and the spices are masking the wine base. That's helpful. Verdict: This has the best staying power of the Yule HGs I've tried so far. I could still get nice whiffs of spice and fruit late in the day. I think this one might be a keeper.

A brittle wind of eucalyptus blossom, spearmint, and icy elemi. Origin: Straight from the Post Initial Thoughts: I have started pestering Puddin' and the goblins for a minty hair gloss as my bottle of Lightning Storm begins to run low. Something cool and crisp for those hot summer days. This sounds like what I'm looking for. In the Bottle: Cold and greeny. Spearmint and eucalyptus and a little woodsy. Promising. On Wet Hair: Very odd. It's still a cold scent, but I think I must be getting 100% elemi - it's cool and woodsy and there's not a hint of mint or eucalyptus anywhere. After Blowdrying: Some of the eucalyptus comes back and a hint of spearmint, but it's still mostly a cool woodsy scent that's not evergreen or Christmas-tree. Verdict: I'm going to have to think about this one. It's somewhat cold, definitely bleak, but doesn't have any minty bite that I was hoping for. Guess I'm pinning my hopes on the current Lunacy or an eventual Lick It hair gloss.

Origin: Straight from the Lab Initial Thoughts: I have a precious original tarted imp (handwritten tied-on label from the very first year or two of the Lab) of SN Honeysuckle which I love to sniff. It goes a touch soapy on my skin but is still mostly bright honeysuckle. Which is one of my favorite scents ever. Of course I was going to try a new single note. In the Bottle: Very honeysuckle, a little more green than the very aged original. Wet: Intensely floral but maintaining that thread of green like a vine tangled with other bushes. Drydown: It settles into a quiet rich honeysuckle. There's a hint of soapiness but not enough to detract from the scent. Verdict: A most excellent pure honeysuckle for fans of the note!

Origin: the first bottle was a decant, then I ended up with a full bottle, possibly from Etsy Initial Thoughts: I love peach. I like ginger and hope the fact that it's white will keep it from going too foody/holidays. I know not from cubeb. In the Bottle: Very peach and bright and fresh. Either the cistus is being citrusy or the white in the white ginger is being very bright. On Wet Hair: It gets a little less peach and a little more ginger-y, but still very bright. Now that I've read some of the other reviews, yeah, lemon makes sense. After Blow-drying: This one doesn't have much staying power on me. It's very faint ginger peach after I've dried my hair. Verdict: It's a lovely scent, good for summer, but doesn't last the way some others do.

Champagne gold holographic that twists and turns from hues of copper to blue. Origin: Straight from the Lab Initial Thoughts: It sounded pretty on the website. In the Bottle: Rose gold with a full rainbow in its shimmer One Coat: One coat almost gives full coverage. I can see the white tips of my nails if I look hard, but in shiny light they're almost invisible. Satiny smooth finish. Two Coats: Full coverage and super shimmery sparkle. Verdict: I think this might be a multi-bottle polish. It is amazingly rainbow sparkly and yet pretty subtle. ETA: Finally got pictures working again...

Origin: decant that was frimped to me in a purchase Initial Thoughts: I need to be selling rather than buying BPAL right now, which is why I haven't bought a bottle of this yet. But this was one of the few new American Gods scents that I had on my list and I am very happy to have the chance to try it. In the Vial: An initial wave of general sweetness gives way to pure strawberry. Not quite fresh-picked, but lightly sugared...as in definitely ready to eat. Wet: Ah, there's the fresh-picked part! Not as sugary, but very sweet strawberries. Drydown: I'm getting a little hint of musk from somewhere. If there's any musk used to create the blend, then my skin will amp it. So it shifts from fresh strawberries to a gently sexy strawberry perfume on me. Verdict: I have no objections to a gently sexy strawberry perfume. I think I'll be including a bottle the next time I order.