sophia_helix

Ack ack jasmine! Don't know what I expected from the description, but still. The notes in this are so simple that if you know you like jasmine or honeysuckle, you'll definitely like this.

Wet and in the bottle there's the lovely, crisp, not too sweet apple note that I was hoping for, since apple scents usually smell really fake-sweet to me, along with that deeper, more disturbing blood-like note others have mentioned. Toss in some florals and it's a very heady and interesting scent. But the throw faded quickly, and then it turned into a sort of fresh cologne scent which took me a little while to place, since I haven't smelled it in three years... Numb! Yeah, one of the least-liked LEs ever. Kind of like watery violets. Eventually it faded down to the flat, metallic smell that's the end result for me with wintery BPAL scents and often the lunacies. It's one of those scents that's so nice in the bottle and for the first few minutes that I'm tempted to keep it, but I'll probably end up swapping it (or perhaps finally investing in a scent locket).

Really pretty and green -- I get the creaminess of plums and currants and the sweetness of cherry blossoms and green tea. It reminds me of Budding Moon, Frumious Bandersnatch (though without the spicy/potpourri notes) and Kitsune-Tsuki, though it has a very nice and different freshness. Unfortunately it fades fast and turns into something almost identical to Kitsune-Tsuki, and, well, I already have a bottle of that. The wet stage is really lovely, though (I think it's the currant that adds that extra tart note I love).

Very pretty, but the lilac is a little too overwhelmingly sweet for me. That combined with lily is almost all I smell, barring a hint of cedar around the edges. I think I'll give this to my mother, who adores lilac.

Oh, rats. The opening notes of this were heavenly -- verbena and anise, wonderfully sour-sweet-sharp -- but then it dried down to a musky fennel that's making me slightly sick. Not a hint of iris anywhere, alas. And I'd hoped for the first few minutes that this would be an Ultimate Keeper, because I love lemon and anise together so much.

Mmm, I really loved this one -- it was the most Christmas-like BPAL scent I've ever tried, and I've tried everything else up till this year. A wonderful fresh, cold, outdoorsy scent, with some wildflower sweetness and spicy cookie-smell on top. It wasn't cloyingly sweet or too astringently cold, just a perfect mix of the two. It did get a little cloying and stale as it dried on my skin, but I think I will actually purchase a bottle for oil-burning purposes instead because it would make such a wonderful room scent. My favorite of the Yules so far.

This started off very rich, woodsy, warm and smoky on me. Gradually, though, a too-sweet smell bubbled up, very perfumey and sickly, which I think may be the balsam. However, it also reminds me of Voodoo when the tart lime-pine had worn away, so I think the myrrh and clove are adding to the scent (and I would swear there was vetiver in this if I didn't know better). I don't get fresh greenery out of this at all, but something syrupy and a little spicy. It might also be the musk and the mandarin orange, though, since those can go bad on me. Basically, this is something I've gotten from several of the "haughtier" BPAL perfumes, and it's not a scent I enjoy, so I'm off to swap. Edit: Reading some other reviews, yes, this reminds me of Black Phoenix, and also kind of like La Petit Mort and Snake Oil, and Hexxenacht, and basically every scent labeled "skin musk" that's gone wrong on me. So if those scents were overpoweringly powdery and sweet on you, you might want to avoid this for chemistry reasons.

Hmmm, at first there was a coconut hint of Snow White in here, along with soft florals, but then it reminded me much more of the watery mint of Nuclear Winter, which I didn't really like. There's a sharp, metallic edge in here too, and I don't think my skin plays well with too much of Beth's snow/ice notes. I'll stick with Snow White, I think, for my creamy-cold scent.

Just because this is from a definite scent family, I feel like the way to review it is to compare to the others. So... the same pine and minty-edged coolness of the others. Less fruity than Ice Queen, more watery than Skadi but not as watery as Nuclear Winter, less birchy than Snow Moon, less sugar-sweet than Snow Bunny. What Snow Maiden brings to the table is a floral sweetness, which I really love, actually. The first few minutes were heaven, and then it turned into more of the pine-mint I've come to expect from any BPAL with "Snow" in the title, but the flower bouquet stuck around in the background. I'll hang onto my imp at least, and perhaps wear it with Snow Moon or Skadi on the other wrist for comparison before I decide on a bottle purchase. But it's delicate and lovely, for those who like this type of scent.

This smells kind of fruity and alcoholic on me, and almost foody, with a sort of syrupy note. I don't get the smokiness of opium or sandalwood at all, and it reminds me of "red" scents like Midwinter's Night, with maybe just a hint of spice. I'm not wild about it, because I wanted something a little darker and stronger, so I'll pass it along.

Oh, very sweet and fresh and nice, a men's cologne with just a hint of tea. I put it on my husband and instantly envisioned him in a starched white collar and cravat. He'll definitely be wearing this to Dickens Faire this year; it's perfectly period.

Spearmint gum, straight up. I think it's the juniper. Over time, it seems like some flowers or other greens might want to peek in and play, but it never happens -- spearmint all the way to the bitter end. It reminds me a lot of the TAL Temple: Druidic, actually, so if you like this you'll like that.

I tried this on my husband, and oof -- far too leathery, much like Loviatar on me. No vanilla and just the tiniest hint of pear. He said it reminded him of a barber shop, so off it goes.

Wow, is that ever sweet. I get a hint of apple, but mostly it's pure butterscotchy sugar, more suited to a candle than my skin. Eventually it dries down to a slightly stickier version of Red Lantern, minus any hint of smokiness. It's nice, but a little too simplistic for me.

At first it's the oily, spicy musk of Smut, but as it dries it softens and becomes more golden. I can pick out amber and patchouli for sure, and a hint of what I think must be myrrh, given that it's got that same "cola" note as Voodoo did. It's sweet, rich, and lovely, and I'm quite surprised that this is Brian's creation because ordinarily I'd say this has Beth all over it. (Although... I guess the same might be said of Brian. *ducks*) Anyhow, it's quite delicious, and a nice counterpoint to the cool, heady florals of Black Moon. I like this type of resinous skin scent, so my imp is a keeper for sure