Invidiana

This was an unexpected winner for me. I feared it would end up uber-manly De Sade or Iago style with the leather, but it's very wearable and unisex rather than masculine. I've now come to the ocnclusion that my skin must play up any sweetness in the tobacco note because under the smooth leather I get something sensually smoky, musky (that would definitely be the "gritty musk" which thankfully isn't so gritty on me) and a bit sweet. There's no rust or machine oil to speak of at least on my skin. I may be conjuring things up here but I swear there's a tinge of something cherryish, almost like wearing a black leather jacket with cherry Chapstick. Whatever it is it's undeniably sexy and definitely something to wear when you're going out and want to feel like you're on the prowl.

I think I put off reviewing this one for so long because I wanted to be able to fully capture it in words, but words are exactly that so here goes. At first I get a bright citrusy note which must be mandarin orange backed by something vanillic to get a vaguely "creamsicle" effect like others have described. It may seem that's what it will stay as, but it begins to morph right away. The citrus gradually fades to the background allowing for a glorious creamy note--possibly rice milk as a previous reviewer mentioned, maybe a type of cream note that isn't buttery--to emerge. Whatever it is the creamy note has a light sweentes to it but isn't overly sweet. I'm wondering if the vanilla in this, because there must be at least one type of vanilla element, is a vanilla orchid similar to the one in Opuhi, which is almost foody but not quite, though not fully floral. As it dries down further I get a gentle sandalwood and musk. I'm thinking that the musk must be a skin musk though there may be white musk in there too, which may also contribute to the vanillic feel. The combination of all these elements is just gorgeous; sophisticated but not stuffy, sweet but not saccharine, soft but not faint, sensual but not smutty (though I do love my smutty scents too ). Even though it isn't a heavy scent it has great staying power, lasting about 8 hours on me. It really is a treasure worthy of saving to wear on all the right occasions.

Simple but wonderful; fizzy champagne and buttery vanilla cake with tons of sugary vanilla frosting. It might seem these two might not go together, but unlike White Chocolate Martini in which the gin and white chocolate notes seemed like two separate things constantly butting heads on my skin, this one is an equal balance of not-too-dry champagne and luscious cake. Seriously, I thought that the name implied it would be champagne and metallic cardboard like actual party hats so I was pleasantly surprised.

This is in the same vein as the released Boo, except a bit more buttery and with something citrusy; I'm guessing it's tangerine as opticnerd said, possibly even a bit of grapefruit? It's like the thickest, richest, fattiest vanilla frosting wtih a hint of citrus flavoring. I also feel it's more buttery and a bit less sugary than the released, and I don't really get a linen note like in the released either. Overall it's gloriously foody and addictive!

This is like the outdoorsy brother to Rivet Goth. When I first smelled it wet I feared it would turn into the same ubermasculine leather as De Sade (I think everyone knows about my "love affair" with De Sade by now hah) but it's totally wearable. It's like a soft, well-worth dark brown leather as opposed to the black leather of Rivet Goth, with a soft wood in the background and a similar hint of underlying sweetness. I'm thinking the sweetness in this may actually be due to some sort of sweet resin that blends seamlessly with the leather. Maybe there's even a bit of tonka in this? It's really sexy and also unisex. Like Ranger, this was a surprise leathery winner!

To me this smells almost exactly like the perfume, though understandably less aged since the perfume was released a couple years ago, and a little heavier on the cream and amber as others have noted but still gorgeous. It makes for a heavenly bath and layers well not only with its perfume counterpart but any woody, vanilla or resinous blend, so it's very versatile.

Daisy nailed it; this stuff is like evil cotton candy. There is plenty of cotton candy/vanilla goodness but with something musky beneath, which makes me think of wandering down a midway at night. Something just made me think of night air on the midway as opposed to daytime. It's so lovely I'm hoarding the little I have only for times that I'm desperate for it and am positively begging and pleading for some iteration of this amazing stuff to be released!

Quick background on the name: the Mary Celeste is a famous ghost ship that counts itself among the ranks of vessels such as the Flying Dutchman. Though the crew of the Mary Celeste were all competent sailors, the ship was found completely abandoned en route to the Strait of Gibraltar, all food and cargo on board. The mystery remains unsolved to this day. So what does this ghost ship smell like? If you like Jolly Roger, you'll swoon for this. Also, if you're an oak lover like I am... This is like walking onto a creaky old ship with aged planks of deliciously smoky oak, possibly with some teak which is another favorite wood of mine. It can't possibly be cedar because that amps to eleventybillion on me while this is really warm and rich. When I say "aged" I mean that I'm imagining wooden planks whose scent got deeper with age, not rotting wood. The wooden planks here are juxtaposed with the incredibly lifelike scent of seaspray, salty and aquatic but very fresh like actual sea air, not cologney. It's extremely well-blended; the wood and seaspray scents remain distinct but also harmonize seamlessly. Definitely one of the most unique scents I've owned and a surprise winner!

Nevermind the creepy critter it was named for, this is a positively droolworthy vanilla-tonka musk. Wet I get vanilla straight off. This vanilla is reminiscent of the Antique Lace/XCDL13 vanillas except not with any linen notes like the former and not as boozy as the latter. I'm thinking it might even be that almost foody type of vanilla orchid that I love in Opuhi. As it dries down I get that distinct warmer and muskier vanillic note of tonka bean that emerges and takes the forefront. I'm guessing the tonka is an interpretation of the warm hazel color of these insects. The musk I recognize as that amazing BPAL white musk, which gives it a certian fresh and airy quality that is also soft and sensual. There is nothing soapy here even though it has a certain cleanness about it. A gorgeous scent for a very odd-looking bug!

I went on a passionfruit dig, and while I can't seem to find one that's mostly vanilla and passionfruit, here are two GCs and also two LEs that aren't too difficult to find: Golden Wave: Tangerine, gin, passion fruit, guava, and tonic (I know it's fizzy and not creamy like the LaVanilla one you're describing but you can definitely smell the passionfruit) Rangoon Riptide: Pineapple, mandarin orange, raspberry, passion fruit, and rum (the booze is not insane) Blue Moon 2009 (Beth's): Mugwort, Calea Zacatechichi, Orchid and frankincense, musk, exquisite woods, moonflower, Madagascan ylang ylang, Florentine iris, Greek cypress, green tea absolute, palmarosa, cucumber, Clary sage, lavender, lemon balm, and passion fruit. (tiny hint of passionfruit but a lovely scent--I was first to review this one!) Agape: carnation, apple, sweet pea, vanilla cream, passionfruit, sugar cane, tonka, and guava. (alas carnation doesn't like my chemistry but you may have better luck) Fruit Moon 05 and Velvet Tiki also have passionfruit in there, but a) it's not very obvious and b ) they're both pretty difficult to find. Exotic fruit notes do tend to pop up in summer LE blends, so maybe it will wave hello somewhere in the coming months.

I can't put my finger on what this reminds me of, but for some reason it brings back the few good memories I have from high school. It might have been some delicious-smelling strawberry lipgloss from Sephora that's been long since discontinued (and the lipgloss comparison is intended in the best way possible). I get lots of the sticky glaze moreso than the cheesecake, which I'm guessing is probably going to come out more with age. The tartness of the candylike--but not cloying--strawberry balances out the peach, which I'm glad for because peach on its own can sometimes get too sweet on my skin. This puts me in a happy place.

This strikes the perfect balance between shadowy florals, dark fruits and undertones of warm musk and wood. The teak in this is does not clash with the fruits but instead compliments them and adds warmth. I love that this has sugar cane because it not only sweetens the blend just enough but gives an added depth, the same kind you get when you compare Sugar in the Raw with standard white sugar. Despite the handful of florals this is by no means one of those screeching florals that triggers sneezing but a rather enigmatic and velvety one. For anyone afraid of rose, there is really only the slightest hint of rose here, and nothing sharp or dry. On me the final drydown is musky, sweet and alluring.

Try The Clock Strikes Midnight from this past Yule! It shouldn't be immensely hard to find. I know it's got blackcurrant which looks as if it would take over but it's actually mostly wisteria and blue musk (at least on me), very ethereal and dreamy. It's definitely my favorite wisteria blend by far.

Let me cut to the chase: if you've tried Bath & Body Works' sweet pea, this beats the hell out of it. It's a burst of fresh pink flowers that dries down to a sweet (but not cloying), slightly candylike floral. The candylike quality is really just an undertone that is an aspect of the actual plant itself, not "added sugar" to the scent at all. This is a pink scent that still evokes the color pink without being sickly sweet, and brings a breath of spring to the air whenever I smell it. It's a really pretty and fresh and feminine I've fallen quite in love with, and this is coming from a person who insisted she didn't do florals a year ago.

I do love this one; it is soft sweet snow as advertised, minty but not too minty, ozone somewhere but not blasting, and with sweet vanillic undertones. There definitely has to be some of that beautiful BPAL white musk in here, which could account of the tinge of vanilla, or a nonfoody vanilla, or both. Whatever it is, this is definitely not a wintry ozone assault on your nostrils; rather, it's the olfactory version of a winter wonderland.

I am positively leaping for joy at another BPAL apple blossom scent that doesn't go to cheap floral soap on me. Actually it starts off wet as that apple shampoo I used to use in junior high, but dries down into a lovely feminine floral honey scent with just a hint of mint to give it an airy and refreshing feeling. An unexpected winner which I can see as ideal for those summer days when you feel like you're wilting.

I was really hoping to love this one because of the first four notes listed, but with my luck I ended up amping the last three, mate and carnation more than anything. I can't stand mate. I tried yerba mate tea once and promptly spat it out. That said, what happened with this but after the initial confusion of notes in the wet stage, the mate came blasting out in a lemony-medicinal type of way followed by carnation to eleven. I could barely smell anything else. Ugh.

This one really isn't for me; I was hoping the blackcurrant and violet would amp but I mostly get green tea with a bit of mandarin. If you like green tea scents, though, I can defintiely recommend it from an objective point of view; it's definitely a more complex green tea.

This is like Gingerbread Poppet on clouds of vanillaed marshmallow cream, like Marshmallow Pumpkin's Yule counterpart. As it dries down the vanilla and marshmallow notes actually become more prominent than the gingerbread on me, but for the record I do amp vanilla (not like I actually mind). The gingerbread doesn't disappear into a trace of spice like some gingerbread scents do, though; it holds its own. There's really nothing more to say except it makes me want to eat my wrist.

Comforting warm woods and that lovely beeswax I recognize from The Lights of Men's Lives, thick and rich with honeyed overtones and a bit of something vanillic. I think I detect some amber in here as well, probably part of what makes up the "scent of gold coins". It evokes a schoolhouse of days gone by without actually smelling like an old house (that one's reserved for Copulating Mice on me). This is one of those scents that warms up the imagination even if it's freezing in reality.

Yummmm, this is like an entire candy store jammed into one 5ml bottle. It's like a blast of sweet sticky sour stuff, mostly tart and fruity like Sour Patch kids, gummies, etc; I don't get too much peppermint. Screw Christmas, this is ideal for any time of year!

Rose, carnation, and jasmine...this was one of those I wanted to try more for a how many ways of wrong can this go moment. Sure enough, there went the jasmine turning to cat pee on me, then the rose making it sharp cat pee, and hella blasting carnation. Too bad I can tell there's some really pretty vanilla flower and lavender under there but all in all it was pretty disasterous.

I think this would be ideal for anyone skeptical about rose who wants to test-drive it. The rose isn't sharp or loud, just soft white rose on a bed of sweet resins, though mostly rose.

I think Little Bird nailed it by saying this one is like layering two different scents that are great on their own but odd together. I too love BPAL gin (Blue Fire!) and white chocolate blends but the two together just don't seem to mesh on me. It's like the fizzy, tangy gin is constantly at war with the creamy and sweet white chocolate and they won't just settle down already. I think if there was some sort of fruit in there it may have worked better.

Wow did this ever make me sneeze. Most BPAL jasmines go to cat pee on me, but after trying this I think Grandiflorum is the worst offender. I would probably ooze cat pee from 50 feet away if I actually wore this. Take that jasmine and add rose to it, and it becomes sharp cat pee. My skin doesn't do this one any justice whatsoever.