hepkitten

Through a barter, I got some of this...and it's just *okay* on me. The saffron/sandalwood/rum combo is doing something odd and unappealing...off to swaps!

Priala HATES me. All I get is flat cinnamon bark and something that smells like my nemesis, vetiver. (Perhaps one of the myrrhs goes that way on me too?) I was so excited about this one, but...no.

This is so, so amazing in the bottle. But my BPAL amber curse is multiplied by five with this one...I smell like five kinds of gross sweat when I wear it. (Dangit!)

Wow...a very true, lovely aquatic that smells like the sea. It didn't morph on me at all, and it has great throw. However, it brings back a vaguely-remembered sense memory that's not entirely comfortable, so I'll be passing her on.

I'm having a completely different reaction to this than I thought I would...it's definitely a smoky herbal, and it feels really soothing and comforting now. Many of the heroines smell exactly like their descriptions on me...this one, however, doesn't. I agree with Heavenlyrabbit that this feels more like a Panacea. This blend is very subtle and complicated; I feel like I'll need to spend time figuring it out.

With these notes, how on earth does this smell so fruity? Must be the champaca flower...but I swear that I smell actual fruit. This is far more sweet and tropical than I had imagined it being...I'm not sure if it's for me, but I like it.

Resins, incense, sandalwood, and honey...simply lovely, although it fades very quickly on me. (And it makes me hungry for Indian food, which is a problem when you live in the middle of nowhere and don't cook well!)

Lots of caramel, some bourbon vanilla, and a little bit of sandalwood underneath. YUM!

Lots of verbena, with a hint of iris. Lovely for warmer weather.

Beautiful sandalwood, a touch of honey, a wisp of spice...and amber that immediately turns to stale sweat on me. Ah, crap.

Oh. My. GODDESS. This blend is amazing. I definitely smell the sharpness of the anger, but it's balanced by something round, sexy, and womanly (possibly rose otto and neroli?). I also smell the saffron, but I'm not completely sure what role it's playing. This blend is unbelievably sophisticated in the blending of elements; it reminds me of Black Moon in the sheer virtuosity of its composition. Beth is a genius, and I need a vat of this oil.

I agree with the above review. This is very green and sharp, and the lavender is very much on the fringe. However, with all of this said, I really can't figure out why in the world this almost reminds me of nag champa. Is there a common note I don't know of? It would be a lovely warm-weather perfume, as long as you like the sharpness.

At first, this one is almost entirely cedar and undefinable herbs, on me; however, it opens up into lilac, cedar, and an undertone of herby bite. As it settles, the lilac comes out more and more. I can smell the longing here, but there's a sharpmess too, as though she's on the verge of anger. Really interesting.

Oh, I love this one. It's creamy rose, with a background of musk and something subtly exotic but unclassifiable. Definitely floral, however...I agree with those who said that if you really dislike florals, this isn't for you. But if you'd like to try one, this might be a good entry point, as it has some other things going on.

Excellent question, Medvssa...I'm actually wondering if at least some of them are in the Locust family? I have a good friend still in the area, and I just emailed her to ask.

This is another one that I can't believe I haven't reviewed. I love the Lab's honey, but it's frequently too heavy on me. Here, though, it's perfect. The light scent of honey remains throughout with a bit of floral and herbal in the background to keep it from being cloying. It's liquid sunshine and happiness in a bottle.

I'm getting a PhD in Rhetoric and Writing, so I'd hang on to this no matter how it smelled. Luckily, it's wonderful. I get orris root and white sage at the base, with the lemon and honeysuckle floating on top. As it dries, the orris and sage dominate, though a bit of citrusy sweetness remains. I wear this to teach in all the time...it perfectly evokes the properties of this muse.

Stormy, dark plum. Not the light, sweet plum that I've experienced in other blends like Bathsheba, but a ripe, heady, almost bloody plum. This one is a conceptual triumph, but the ozone and spice are combining in really bad ways on my skin. Bah.

Very green...I can definitely smell the living trees here. I also get the warm, juicy berry scents. This perfectly nails the concept; I can't picture wearing it as a fragrance, but it would be lovely in an oil burner.

I'm so glad that a kind swapper traded me for this! If Bulgari's Green Tea scent decided to hang out at a Bath and Body Works for a day, this would be the result. It has that lovely crispness and freshness of green tea, but there's a sweet, fruity note underneath. In some ways, this is one of the more "commercial" blends from BPAL that I've tried, but in this case, that's not a bad thing.

Muted floral with a waft of citrus...truly one of my favorite things I've ever smelled from the lab. Sunny and lovely. However, then the poison rears its head...the SECOND this touched my skin, I got huge welts. I have no idea why, but this scent does not like me at all...I actually swapped it so I wouldn't accidentally get any on me.

I really wanted this to work on me, but all I got was very heavy, very masculine clove and leather. However...I gave it as a gift to a very genderflexible friend, she put it on, and she and her girlfriend immediately began necking on my couch. I thought I was going to have to get a hose to get them off each other...they swear that they were overcome by the power of the BPAL. Very good, but not on me.

This is another one of the scents that I can't believe I haven't reviewed, as it's one of my all-time favorites. I'm basing this on the original, although it sounds just like the new reviews...yay! My skin loves dragon's blood. Loooooves it. So that's the dominant note that I get from Glasya, but the musk, patchouli, and civet all swirl in to give it a bit of a bite. After that, the rose just peeks out, keeping it from being too heavy. This scent is amazing; I actually had a professor stop lecturing and compliment me on it mid-class once. Thank you, Beth, for bringing it back, even if only for a while.

How on EARTH can I not have reviewed this? One of my absolute favorite oils. I get cinnamon, with some clove and vanilla from this scentwise. (It layers beautifully with Bathed and Infused's Cremasse.) But the scent is only the beginning...there's a real warmth and comfort that comes from this, as well as a kick in the pants. It's like having your best friend or your mom sit down with you, give you the love and reassurance you need, and then poke you with a sharp stick to get you moving in the warmest, fuzziest way possible.

Unbelievable stuff...like serenity made liquid. I get a bit of clove and herbal, along with vanilla. I've used it for battling my depression, as well as a nasty bout with bronchitis that turned into pneumonia, and it's worked wonderfully every time. Highly, highly recommended.