theseagrows

this was an iffy choice for me, because pear, currant and honey don't always work on me, and i am not into very fruity or sweet scents, but i think the "rose musk" is what drew me in. i thought it'd balance itself with those nicely. when first applied i think i'm getting rose, pear and currant for the most part. something in this smells almost leafy or green to me, but i'm not sure what that would be. now that it's dried down, it's a really cloying fruity scent with honey and florals. way too strong and sweet for my tastes, so i will have to swap this.

the only iffy thing here was the honey, but everything else i was really excited about, particularly linden blossom, which i love but rarely (if ever?) see in BPAL scents. hmm at first this smells almost piney or fir-like on me. it literally smells like a christmas tree. to the point of, i am wondering if i was possibly decanted the wrong scent? this does smell very yule like but not how i thought this combination of notes would be. after reading some above reviews, i think a few of us are in the same boat... ETA: now that it's dried down, it smells completely different and quite good! it's a honeyish scent definitely, with something almost vanilla-almondy scented but it's definitely not almond.now this is very pretty! just not sure i can wait through that pine-forest part in order to wear it, but i will try it again.

whoa, this is an interesting scent. it's a very earthy, herbal smell. kind of reminds me of the smell of a natural grocery store. i think i am mostly getting camphor and carrot seed?? this definitely smells like an herb i've smelled before, but i cannot place it. unless that's the niaouli talking...not sure what that smells like, besides a woody scent, after googling it. this scent is really interesting, but it's not really very me.

ahh boneflower is tuberose...that explains it. i really love oakmoss and olive blossom and get really into trying scents with those notes, so i had to try this one. before i knew boneflower was a tuberose, i figured this would be a really white, pale scent, but it's much more of a sweet floral. thanks to the tuberose. i do smell the oakmoss supporting in the background and it's lovely, but i think the tuberose may be a bit too strong for me in this, even though i am a floral lover.

this smells very perfumy and sophisticated when first applied. i get mostly rose, mums and leaves, i think. it's like a fall scent with added florals. i think i get the leaves most strongly at first, combined with the chrysanthemum. later on the rose and amber are more apparent, and the linen comes through. this is very beautiful. i kind of overlooked it the first time i tried it but now i am really loving it.

i'm not sure how i missed this one before, as i often like sugary-vanilla florals. maybe it was the comparisons to snow white, which turned rancid on me (BPAL's milk note does not like me.) this actually smells like a cakey smell plus rose. it's a bit too foody for my tastes, but i could see wearing it occasionally. my skin is really amping it, and if i smell it closely i get a bit of a headache.

ooh, i finally tried this tonight for the first time, though i've had it awhile. i don't recall the perfume offhand, but i think this is a bit more subtle. i also found it kind of unisex, like pretty universal, as in many people could use it and enjoy it. so pretty and warming, yet subtle and not overwhelming and super moisturizing as always.

ooh i like this. it seems to be a bit of a morpher though. at first it's lavender, benzoin and orchid, me thinks. frankincense can go weird on me, but it's not here, so it must be subtle. it smells REALLY good for the first 15 minutes, but now a scent is coming through that has a kind of gross, burnt smell? wth? unless it's the frankincense and benzoin going wonky...it's definitely not one of the florals, both of which work on me. i think i'll have to re-try this soon and see if i like it or not, because it seems to be a mixed bag.

i like tobacco, but am not a big honey fan. the tobacco in this is powerful, and i think the honey is subtler, but adds a sweetness that just isn't for me.

samhain 2005: hmm, i've never tried any of the samhains before, so i'm glad i get to try one! this smells like apples, spices and something weirdly herbal or earthy? i can't tell what that note is though, maybe the damp woods?? i am not a huge fan of apple or autumnal scents, so this isn't really my kind of thing, though i do like wearing autumn scents briefly in autumn! however, i don't think this one agrees with my skin chemistry. it's spicy and my skin is amping something in this that just doesn't smell that great on me. not sure what it is though.

got a sniffie of this in a swap. what can i say that hasn't already been said? it's deep, sweet and resin-y to me. red musk works quite well with my skin, so this smells very good. it smells closest to smut on my skin, of the red-musk heavy scents that i can think of. it' s very deep and sexy.

this is a spicy-resinous carnation, very warm and sensual. i am a lover of carnation scents, so i really love this. as i took a bath, i thought to myself, that lush's potion lotion would go good with this. potion is more soft and floral, and less deep and resiny, but they would definitely compliment each other because of the carnation, which smells similar.

starts off as a very bright, yellow scent, and marigolds do come to mind. it's very strong, floral, leafy and a bit herbal. kind of reminds me of a shampoo/hairspray scent...so maybe there is some ozone in here? i think initially it's all marigolds, chrysanthemum and leaves. i do not detect any of the other notes. after about 10 minutes, it is still very strong and marigold-y. i don't see this settling down much, but remaining strong and perfumy for quite some time. it has A LOT of throw on me. oh! i just realized it smells like calyx prescriptives on me. like, almost exactly! i used to love that scent when i was younger, but now it's far too strong and green for my tastes. i'll have to swap this one.

oooh this is one of the halloweens that's working for me! it is SO pretty on my skin. it definitely is one of those pale, slightly powdery skin scents, reminiscent of a couple of the vampire scents from 2010. if there is any red musk in this, it truly is a dribble (or less) because i can barely detect it, way in the background. i'm not sure what scents are most prominent, as i am not overly familiar with elemi and wormwood, but i think i am mostly getting the skin musk, violet, white tea and myrrh, with a tiny hint of red musk. very tiny, but it's there. this scent is very "perfumy" to me, but once it settles down a bit becomes softer and more powdery. bottle-worthy for sure!

hmm, my skin chemistry is disappointing me with this one :/ it's mostly wood and sandalwood on me, and woods can be iffy for me. it's very powdery and i really don't seem to get much tea rose at all, except a very subtle hint in the background. it's mostly powdery with a hint of sharpness from the wood. oh well. i get excited over tea rose scents, but should remember to stay away from them with this much wood!

i am really ambivalent about this one-i just cannot decide if i like it or like it a lot. it's very pretty, but may be a bit too strong? i don't normally like cocoa, but i think the other notes in this add a nice blend, so that it doesn't overwhelm or seem to foody. maybe i would only like this in autumn/fall? i do have to say, thsi would be a gorgeous scent for a candle. i would LOVE if my room smelled like this. it's very elegant. ok, after writing this review, i've decided i do really like it, but that it's a bit strong, and i will have to use it sparingly. i may even need a bottle. will re-try it shortly to be sure

in the vial this is mostly lavender, but on my skin, the fig and amber and musk blooms. i love this one! thankfully the black currant is subtle and does not turn plasticky on me. wow, after being on my skin for awhile, this is really gorgeous it's like a violet-lavender-amber-incense. soooo nice! i will definitely keep my imp, but not sure i need a whole bottle. on the fence about that.

this starts off very woody and resiny, mostly sandalwood and oudh, i believe. then later on the tobacco and florals come out, and this becomes a smoky, yet powdery floral-resin scent. very dark and pretty. i wish the carnation was stronger, but still this is quite nice. essentially it's tea rose, tobacco and maybe labdanum on my skin. i will definitely keep my decant. eta: ooh ooh, the carnation came through! (one of my favorite notes) and it's lovely! reminds me a bit of gypsy queen, but less rosy and heavy. definitely a keeper.

WHOA floral!! i love florals, but this is very strong and sweet.it's pretty much gardenia, muguet and maybe a hint of sandalwood on my skin. perhaps in the drydown it will mellow out and be nice, but this stage is far too strong for my tastes. maybe if the white musk was stronger and there was less gardenia, i could do this scent, but right now it's too strong and is giving me a bit of a headache.

this is a fruity-honey-smoky pumpkin scent to me. i am not a huge fan of honey, pumpkin or fruitiness, but i do like pumpkin scents occasionally in the fall, to go with the season this is a nice punpkin scent, but seems less foody to me, and more honey-fruity? i do get a note of plasticness, that i often get with foody scents. it's no different here. i probably wouldn't get a whole bar, but i am glad i got a sample to try, and it will be nice for fall.

honey often doesn't work on me, but i love pretty much every other note in this, so i decided to give this a go! this scent is actually sweeter than i thought it might be, so maybe my skin amps honey? i am getting a mostly honey-rose-tea scent from this, it's nice! sibyl is kind of reminiscent of the tea party scents to me, and this reminds me a bit of maiden, though there is no carnation, i think the rose-honey smells similar. the more i sniff this, the more it is growing on me! at first, i thought might be too sweet, but now i think this is perfect for certain moods and is very pretty. also, with the drydown is getting prettier and rosier yay!

this is resins and florals on me. something is turning mildly leadlike in this, which is usually frankincense or sandalwood, but that isn't listed here. luckily, this fades after awhile, and i am left with a white floral-ginger scent, but a soft, white floral, not the strong kind produced by jasmine or ylang ylang. this is a bit powdery, and i feel it is a "classic" scent. kind of reminds me of one of my grandmother's signature scents very pretty.

i like this a lot! it's mostly amber, fig and vetiver, i think? the vetiver or patchouli is turning a bit lead-like though, which is the only downside. after awhile, the lead-scent calms down a bit, and this is all amber and fig. softness with a hint of sweetness from the fig. very nice! not sure it's bottle-worthy, but i will hold onto my imp.

hmm, this is an interesting scent. it's very potent on me, too much so. it smells very cologne-y and kind of masculine. i guess i am getting the balsam, resins and jasmine the most? though i'm not positive. none of the notes smell very familiar. the weird thing is, that at one point, it smelled exactly like smoky skin. as in, the way my skin would smell after i've been smoking (i've quit for the most part now), but that's really what it smelled like! now it's back to this strong and somewhat cloying perfumy scent, and i don't like it. i think i liked the smoke stage the best, because it was nostalgic for me.

i was iffy on this one, but the words "amber-laden incense" really got to me! plum almost always goes plasticky on me, but not in this! well, slightly, but nothing like usual. plum victory! other than that, this is is a warm, soft scent with a very subtle plum hint. i don't even think i can smell the jonquil in this? very pretty, and i will keep this because it's a plum scent THAT WORKS!!