Miyabi

For use when all the f&*cking noise is getting to be too much. A particularly useful reset after social media, especially when you’ve read the comments. Place a few drops on a white candle and a drop on your palms and let it gooooooooo. The components include French lavender, frankincense, steam-distilled Roman chamomile and hops flower. It smells of a gentle lavender (v. Peace, which is pretty much knock-you-out lavender). I tried it at one point as instructed--dressing a chime candle and anointing my palms, and while I didn't feel a rush of peace, I did feel better afterward. I'd like to try putting this on my palms and going for a walk, since that's usually how I decompress from my day.

I get baby powder and a whiff of cookies, but not a whole lot of rose.

Maybe it's just my nose, but I don't get honey--I'm getting herb touched melon. Which is not what I was hoping for this to smell like.

I get a whiff of lavender, but it seems to be mostly champaca to me. It's OK, but it's also not a "me" scent. May need to resell.

Oh, this is perfect. It smells exactly like Dana O'Shee, right down to the buttery almondy goodness. So glad I sprang for a bottle, because now I can smell like almond croissants whenever I want!

I really wanted to like A Grateful Heart--roses and honey sound so lovely together. Unfortunately, on me it's very heavy and smells like Razors in a Doll's House minus the weird note that made me cough to the point of gagging. Really sad. Might sell...

I have to admit, I didn't get much lilac from this, but a somewhat potpourri smell instead, maybe with some white tea. It does dry down to a sweet floral, but there's still not a whole lot of lilac. Will keep the imp, at any rate.

The honey note starts out as very prominent, with a bit of chilliness here and there, and some blink-and-you'll-miss-it mint. On the drydown, though, it feels very much like a honey single note, and maybe a little bit of sourness I wasn't expecting. Definitely keeping the imp, but I'm not sure this warrants a bottle for me.

I don't get any black tea; I get woods with a touch of vanilla. It's a very nice scent, but probably not for me.

FWIW, I really liked Salt Phoenix. I don't know if the lilac note lingers, but it's very, very prominent at the beginning.

I've just put it on--it's pure lilac on me. (Granted, I have a cold, but I can still smell some things.) I love it, but maybe I'll do another test when I'm better to see if it's a "me" scent to wear, but it does smell like springtime, and that's wonderful. EDIT: oh, upon reapplying, I can smell a little salt and lilac. It's very in your face at first, almost too strong. But on the drydown it mellows into something really pretty--almost like a lilac version of Chaste Moon 2010, with that iridescent crystalline note. I'm not sure if that's the jasmine or the osmanthus, but a bottle is definitely in my future.

This. This is the apple scent I have been looking for. It's got a touch of cinnamon, but also goes APPLE on me. I was afraid the grass stain would overpower things, but it just helps keep the pie from smelling cloying, and just really nice and clean. I love it, and I'm glad I got the bottle.

Sadly, I don't get any cider--just autumn-spiced butterscotch. Still lovely, but not the crisp cider I was hoping for.

Develops concentration and creativity, and amplifies communication skills. I kind of have yet to test it out for efficacy--when I tried to get some words down, my physical tiredness beat it out, sadly. >_> It does smell curiously like lavender in the bottle--the cinnamon doesn't come out until it's on the skin, and even so, it's not sweet at first. It's a sort of heat that you get from sitting in a sauna. If you could capture the scent of heat, this would be it. I'll need to get an oil burner for this, though--while it's fine on my palms, it burned my forehead for a bit. (I'm also considering trying out Self-Expression and/or Nine Muses, eventually.)

Soothes frazzled nerves, brings serenity to the heart and tranquility to the home. The first thing I get when I sniff it is a lot of lavender, softened with some other florals. I can't tell you what, though. As for the efficacy: I anointed myself with it like you're supposed to do with Nocturne, and it was, in fact, quite peaceful! This fall/winter I'm going to be working a lot, so I suspect I'll be using it quite a bit (especially with the Absolution bag!)

I got a bottle thanks to my BPAL NYCC fairy, ltrittipoe. I'm not getting a lot of apple here, but I'm still super delighted with it. It really does have that fizziness to it, and maybe a touch of sweetness that's the apple? It smells a bit like a local soap produced here in MI that's called "Ginger Fizz" and smells like honest-to-God ginger ale, bubbles and all. So glad I have the bottle. I might just wear it when I need to feel as bubbly, like at potlucks or other social gatherings.

I bought this as an imp; to me, it smells like a simpler, dressed down version of Chaste Moon 2010, which is a scent I love. It's clean, soapy white florals all the way on me. As for the efficacy, I can't speak to that yet--I did the ritual with the white figure candle and chakra points because I'm trying to move on from trauma suffered from an abusive relationship. That was yesterday. I meditated for a while, and then let the candle burn all the way out. I don't feel any drastic calming effects--maybe less negativity if I turn my head and squint. It doesn't seem like the effect was supposed to be gradual, based on the reviews. I will say that when I anoint my chakras and go to bed with it, that I sleep very, very soundly, so that's good, at least. But I might give Peace a try?

Very, very similar to Skadi, with the pine and eucalyptus notes. I was hoping for more of a berry undertone, but so far, compared to Talvikuu, The First Soft Snow, and Snow Bunny '08, this is the closest. Definitely a winter scent, and while I'll always miss Skadi, I'll cherish this one.

2008 version: smells like hair salon chemicals at first, but on the skin it morphs/blossoms into an awesome sweet pine, with just a hint of berry. It's Skadi-esque, but much less in-your-face without the eucalyptus/menthol. I remember ignoring it because I thought, wow, um, Snow Bunny, but it is really cute and really clean, and I'm glad I got it!

Oh, yes. YES. The first apple scent from BPAL that hasn't gone weird on me! In the bottle (that was nicely chilled thanks to Michigan weather), it smelled like fresh apples with a touch of cinnamon. Wet (and on clothing) it still retains that tartness, but the cinnamon comes more out to the forefront. Dry, it's a lot like cinnamon red hots before my skin just eats it all. I'm really glad I sprung for the bottle! Apple scents never worked out on me before, but this is just gorgeous. EDIT: Need to be careful with this one, though--not sure if it's the cinnamon or whatnot, but it makes my skin flare up if I use it too much. I might use it to scent my hair, though...

At first it smells like a generic floral, almost too sweet, but then it mellows into something wonderful. I get what Beth means by crystalline musk--usually I can't stand musk because it goes all weird on my skin, but here it does smell clear and sweet and innocent, like a calm twilight meadow with fairies and unicorns. I...I may need more. We'll see, because this scent is just so gorgeous, and I don't know if there's anything out there similar!

a little strong at first, like Skadi was, without the tart berries to cut through. It dries down to a nice spicy, piny wonderfulness, though, not at all sharp. This is like Skadi's more sophisticated sister.

I was hoping for a girly aquatic, but the florals just came surging through on my skin! Sad. D:

It...was a little strange. At first it was way too heavy, and then it had a somewhat pleasant skin smell that was twisted. I'm pretty sure if it wasn't as heavy on the florals I'd probably like it.

It's very berry-like, which made me think, 'oh, I might not like this,' but later, there's a coldness that really offsets any overly candy sweetness. I really like this one! It's up there with Lick It!