theseagrows

not sure what i'm smelling here, i think it's black tea, bergamot and peru balsam with a hint of patchouli. no vanilla to be seen. this is a very dry tea scent, like dried tea leaves before you steep them. i am used to tea scents that are more like tea once you steep it, and i think i prefer those to this. this scent is very dry and leans more towards earthy and masculine on me. the vanilla seems to never want to come out!

this smells very "perfumey" in the vial. on my skin, i think i'm getting mostly blonde tobacco, it's sort of clean and...masculine? which doesn't make sense given the title, but my skin chemistry is known to be difficult at times after a few minutes, maybe a tiny bit of honey comes out, but this is mostly a clean tobacco scent on me. maybe some magnolia? i dunno, i am having issues smelling all the notes in this one. definitely not what i was expecting though.

this is one of the lupercalias i've been most looking forward to. at first it starts out all amber, oudh and labdanum (i think), just kind of resiny, but not quite as warm as some ambers i have smelled in the past. after a minute or two, the rose seems to peek out, but it's not a velvety rose, but more of a green one. uh oh, something in this is turning quite sour on me probably the oudh or labdanum, or maybe just the rose. rose seems to work very well on me and not so well, but it often depends on what it is blended with, almost as if certain notes sour it up more, and this is what is happening with this scent. after it's been on for about 15-20 minutes, it smells better. the sourness has toned down, and the musk is coming out more, but the oudh is still making the rose smell a bit wonky on me. eta: ok, 30-40 minutes later and this smells really good on me! the rose oudh has softened and it's like a beautiful musky rose, what i was hoping for! i'm just not sure i can make it through that first phase every time, but i really like this now.

at first: holy ylang ylang! yes at first it's all ylang ylang with hints of fig and vanilla...not sure if i'm smelling orchid yet or not. after it's been on my skin awhile, the ylang ylang completely disappears and it's a milky orchid scent, i am getting that kind of "plastic scented doll" scent from this, which reminds me of the strawberry shortcake dolls from my childhood. not sure why though, as it's usually plum type of notes that do that. maybe it's the fig? not sure. this is kind of nice, but i think i will pass on getting a bottle.

Beeswax, frankincense, dried rose petals, and a dribble of wine. 2014 version: first let me say, where was i in 2010?! i am surprised that i didn't try this scent then. it's a resiny rosy-wine scent on me. thankfully the beeswax/frankincense isn't overwhelming, since they are some bpal notes that sometimes don't work on me. i really can't detect much beeswax, if any, at all. thus far the frankincense is behaving, though i think i detect a slightly lead-like scent coming through, as bpal's frankincense can do on me. this is a dark dusky scent, and the roses and frankincense seem to fight for dominance and the wine moves more into the background as this dries. i also think the beeswax peeks through more as well. this has a similar feel to gypsy queen to me, but that has a stronger rose scent to me, while this is heavier on the beeswax, and gypsy queen is more complex and spicy.

alright, i'm not sure what the culprit is, but something in this is going sour and wonky on me. i suspect it is the red sandalwood. sandalwood in small amounts is fine, but i think in large amounts, it turns sour smelling and lead-like and then my skin amps it, yay. i can smell it mixed with the rose, but not really any of the other notes. damn, i had high hopes for this and i am fairly sure if the other notes were more dominant, that i would've liked this better with my skin chemistry. unfortunately, sandalwood and i sometimes don't get along.

this starts out with a zing of an effervescent light floral, and quickly the amber and honey come through. after the mimosa calms down, it becomes more honeyed and it's very light and beautiful. i think this is perfect for summer or spring. if you love honeyed florals, this might be for you.

i think i am mostly getting the rice flower, beeswax and the mixture of tea rose and tuberose, which oddly, smells like neither. there is also something a bit green and aquatic, which must be the abalone accord and white moss. something in this smells kind of dusty to me? maybe it's the rice flower. this is ok, but too fruity/sweet/aquatic for my personal tastes. i think if it had been more tea rose/white cream dominant, it may have worked better for me.

i knew this one would fall in the hit or miss range for me. i love rose and i think i usually like magnolia, but sometimes WHOAFLORAL scents are just a bit too much without something to ground them or warm them up a bit. that plus bpal's woods sometimes go wonky. anyway, with that disclaimer out of the way, this starts off as what i think is mostly magnolia with rose and mahogany in the background. it's kind of a velvety floral scent. then the other woodsy notes and olibanum come through. i really don't sense much vetiver in this at all, or if so, it must be very subtle. after awhile, i began to sense the waxiness of the florals that GinnyMoonbeam mentioned. after awhile the notes seem to blend seamlessly, and it becomes a very dark, perfumey floral, and i think at this point it's mostly magnolia, oak and olibanum that i detect. it's a very pretty dark floral scent, brings to mind deep dark red and purple. though i like this scent, i am amping it quite a bit and am not sure i would wear it regularly.

this is a pretty, light tea scent, perfect for warmer weather. in the beginning it reminds me a lot of ebisu when first applied. i swear i get some nectarine, but it's not in the description. it's a slightly sweet, watery tea scent, very pretty and light. i'm not sure about the amber incense or sandalwood, this does seem golden, but not in a smoky way. it's mostly just citrussy tea on my skin. almost a duplicate of ebisu with my skin chemistry. i want to try this next to ebisu and compare. i definitely think ebisu is more strongly a nectarine scent, but there is definitely a similarity. after being on my skin for awhile, i detect a very slight plasticky note, which probably comes from the yōkan, since sweeter fruits tend to do this on my skin with bpal scents.

all i smell in this is lavender and cloves, maaaybe some other subtler herbs, like rosemary? but on my skin it is mostly clove with a lavender background that seems to fade off a bit so it becomes a mostly clove scent on me.

yes this seems cool, musky and green in the bottle. on my skin it seems like musky greenery. there is something that smells almost minty, but it's not mint. i just can't place it, but it is definitely plantlike. it seems strangely calming yet invigorating when i inhale it. underneath it all, there seems to be a hint of a floral scent, but i can't place it. this smells like fresh ocean air when there are many good smelling plants around. at least, it's reminiscent of it.

this smells like lavender and something soft and maybe a bit musky or ambery? i presume there are other herbs in here as well. it's a very uplifting, yet at the same time grounding scent. i can definitely see how it could inspire confidence. it's soft and soothing but also gives a feeling of oomph and support. haha, i know oomph maybe isn't the most descriptive word, but that's the only word i can think of to describe it. i must be trying this more often! eta: after awhile longer, a slightly sweet floral begins to come through, though i can't tell exactly which one, maybe lily? it adds to the depth of the scent quite a bit too.

hmm, i am not getting any clove as others have gotten. i am almost wondering if i swapped with someone who had a mislabeled decant, because all i smell is apples and something a bit aquatic or watery. it seems like a fairly joyful scent, it's bright and fruity, but nowhere do i get any spices in this, in the vial and on my skin. though in the vial, it smells like apples + a medicinal scent, that scent is not present on my skin, it's just warm golden apples which are sweet and slightly tart.

got a frimp of this from the lab. it smells floral and a bit aquatic in the imp and at first on my skin. it quickly becomes a soft, slightly sweet blend of florals. i am not even sure which ones i'm smelling the most. maybe hyacinth? because i am definitely not getting any lily of the valley, though i thought lily of the valley and muguet are the same thing (?) this seems much softer than that. maybe it's hydrangea? not sure! it does seem lilyish, but not like traditional lily of the valley. sorry for my vague review! these florals are hard to pick out on my skin.

got this as a frimp from the lab. i am surprised by this scent honestly, it is not as aquatic as i imagined at all. it smells slightly sweet and slightly dusty in a way. i guess that's the salty brine and the coral, if i had to guess. i cannot pick out the notes in this. it smells fresh in a way, but it's not apparent what the notes are. after about 15 minutes a clean aquatic floral seems to be present, but i can't place it at all. i think people who like slightly clean aquatic scents would like this.

sometimes i forget the description of a note, or it's new to me, so i am saving them here for my own reference. ambrette seed the seeds have a sweet, flowery, heavy fragrance similar to that of musk. cistus Cistus essential oil is distilled from the rock rose plant, which is native to the Mediterranean region. It is more woody and herbaceous with a less-amber like aroma than labdanum, which is produced from the same plant. Cistus is used often in oriental and chypre fragrances. elemi Canarium luzonicum, commonly known as elemi, is a tree native to the Philippines, and an oleoresin harvested from it. Elemi resin is a pale yellow substance, of honey-like consistency. Aromatic elemi oil is steam distilled from the resin. It is a fragrant resin with a sharp pine and lemon-like scent. hyssop minty, green, honey-like. herbaceous.

at first sniff, this is very very pretty. it's a smoky-musky scent, but in a very subtle and not overpowering way. i think i am mostly getting the patchouli, vanilla, musk and maybe opoponax. it's very evocative and it's soft but smoky, and it's an intimate scent. i like this quite a bit

got this as a frimp. holy aquatic florals! this is STRONG and sweet and aquatic. in other words, everything i dislike in a perfume. i am amping this so much and it is just not me at all.

this starts off with tuberose and gardenia, with maybe the caraway supporting? there is something subtle in there that smells nutty to me. after a little while, the vanilla musk comes forth with maybe the...black velvet accord? there is something soft but rich smelling to me here, that smells floral, but it must be a mish mash of the florals with the black velvet, i am guessing. or it's a jasmine that's not going too wonky on me. this smells like a fancy soap to me, and i mean that in a good way. i really like this, i'm just not sure how much i would wear it. it's kind of an unusual scent and very pretty. eta: the longer i wear this the more i love it...bottle will probably have to be purchased.

starts off as a pretty velvety floral. i'm guessing it's mostly mimosa and magnolia starting off. as it dries the patchouli and oudh show up ever so slightly in the background, which is where the rose must be too, because i'm not getting much of it. with my skin chemistry, this smells just like another bpal i've tried, but i can't place it right now! after awhile the rose does come to the front more and by then it's mostly mimosa and rose with the sweetly musk background.

i tested the bath oil last night and i am testing the perfume oil today. wow, i love them both. this starts out as an almost purely leather note, but i can smell a hint of the musks, which come through later with the sugary rose. the rose isn't super strong in this, but is more of a background player, i'd say. this smells very sophisticated and sexy to me...glad they extended the yule scents, because i need to be buying one of these now!

finally testing this! i figured this was a very "me" scent, despite the fact that the lab's honey can go wonky on me, i was hoping the other lovely notes would balance that out, and indeed they do. this is a musky but sweet sugary scent with leather, very nice. it seems very sophisticated to me, and maybe just a touch old school, which i like. it's very opulent and fancy smelling to me. i am so glad i ordered the perfume this year, can't wait to try that next!

finally testing this! on my arm, not in the bath. it starts of all white chocolate, then the other lovely notes come out and it's quite lovely. a warm, white chocolatey- floral scent. cozy yet a little decadent. i am not a big fan of foody scents, but this is one i can deal with. the white chocolate isn't overly sweet and i love the other notes a lot too, so that helps. i can't wait to try this in the bath!

i just tried this on my wrist, and of course i just amp the jasmine which is kind of stinky and strong. i think maybe i smell some myrrh but it's mostly jasmine jasmine jasmine on me, and the lab's jasmine just doesn't do too well with my skin chemistry. alas, i will be swapping this.