mistressfizz

I was cleaning my dresser and found this long forgotten bottle! And I'm glad I found her, as this is really lovely on me! It's a very soft, faint rose and not heady or blooming. It's more of a pale, taupe, suggestion of rose, resting just barely, lightly, over a bed of vanilla amber. I don't get a strong snow note at all, it's definitely a cool scent, but not "chilly" or "minty" in quality. I have a feeling this has settled in the past two years. It is a grounded, gentle, solemn scent.

The bar is a beautiful deep rust color, with caramel and black swirls. I bought the version with silk. It lathers really nicely in the shower and leaves my skin feeling clean without being too dry. I was not expecting the exfoliating bits - my sensitive skin does not do well with exfoliating pieces in most soaps and this was no exception. I had to be very delicate with pressure, otherwise my skin actually got scratched up while using this. The Dirty scent is soft and relaxing. It was quite subtle and my family didn't even notice I had used the soap. Some soaps have a very strong scent and the entire bathroom smells like it after you shower. That did not happen with this soap. It was very faint once I dried off and did not linger. If you're comfortable with exfoliating soap and want something unobtrusive, this is pretty good. Alas, the scrubby bits were not for me and I wish I had known it was exfoliating soap before I bought it.

This is a winning combination! It starts very strong on the pumpkin spice, a heady, blunt instrument of clove and nutmeg. Those spices do settle when drying on my skin, and a warm, languorous vanilla, flavored deeply with spice and musk, comes out.

This starts off creamy and musky, with a hint of minty coolness. The snake oil component seems to dominate, although it is lighter in this blend and not as spicy. As it dries, I mainly get vanilla musk. Pleasant and nice to have a more gentle snake oil version.

Bursting bubbles of self-luminous pumpkin spice! I'm a fan of the spicy gingeryness of Shoggoth, so I was super excited to try this one. Sniff: It's very light and faint, a bit crispy. Wet: An earthy muddy spice. I get hints of cinnamon and dirt. Dry: This turns really sharp spice when dry, it's actually a bit noxious. I think the wet phase is nice, but I had to wash off the residual when dry.

The Theoi Nomioi are the gods and spirits of the wild: the countryside, the pastures, the forests. Under their auspices, untamed nature thrives, the beasts of the wild feast and multiply, the mountains reach to the heavens with their stony, snow-capped fingers, and the forests grow thick and dark with mystery. Sniff: Crisp, hint of ozone, lush pine forest Wet: Faint and subtle, more ozone. Definitely mountain air. Clean, dry, with a swirl of rich, wild woods. This leans towards a classic male cologne in the best way possible. Dry: Ah, the woods become more prominent after time. But it stays crisp and clean, it's a bright woodiness, not like furniture or resin, but fresh and sweet. It's very pleasant and well balanced.

Faded leather saddle with a curl of smoke and incense. The leather is not the sharp vinyl kind, but more along the Lab's fuzzy line. As it dries, it gets more dusty and faint. It's very well blended and quite pleasant.

Whoa, this is a cinnamon bomb! This is also the first time a BPAL oil has actually physically stung me. Basically, all I got was a huge dose of cinnamon, then I had to wash it off. When I sniffed it a bit more carefully after the skin test fail, it's definitely predominantly cinnamon and some sweet notes underneath. I don't get any rose. This is definitely not for me.

The mahogany note dominates when wet. It's bright and fresh, a woodsy cologne that pops. It almost borders on pine. As it dries, the myrrh comes into the picture and this scent becomes a lot more complex and deep. The longer I leave it on, the more earthier and smoother it gets. It reminds me of intricately carved wooden panels in a Victorian mansion. Even though it's only got two main notes, it's very evocative and probably one my favorites from the 2017 weenies.

Cathedral is one of my favorite GC scents. The addition of pumpkin spice imparts an interesting texture. This is mostly my beloved woodsy rich incense, with a swirl of creamy meaty sweetness. There actually isn't much spice. I like how strong and bold it is, like fresh pumpkin and fresh dark woods carved together. As it dries, it settles into the almost sandalwood-like, peaceful dusty notes which I love about Cathedral. Great if you're a fan of woodsy, sweet incense!

Cinnamon vanilla cake! Bakery fresh and yummy. Creamy and warm, with a really pleasant bite. When it dries, it leaves a soft vanilla whisper. I like how the cinnamon is assertive, but does not overpower. This is more like a cinnamon cupcake, I don't detect any earthiness + spice that's like a chai blend. Great if you want something not too sweet, not too spicy, but still seasonal foodie.

Sniff: Honey and vanilla sweetness. Almost cloying. Wet: OK, this is really hard for me to describe. It's quite beautiful and reminds me of a regency sitting room. It matures and morphs over time. It retains a soft sweetness, but there's a dry, warm resin which emerges. And also a slightly high pitched, tart and woodsy citrus. And I also get hints of spice. And hints of powder. And hints of leather. It's a complex incense, not overpowering but definitely a strong presence. Dry: Creamy incense, with a bitter undertone. Maybe just a tad of powder. This lasts quite a long time on me and is really lovely.

This is for the 2016 version. It starts off mostly rose, of the juicy, fresh red variety. A soft white musk creeps in. The rose gets powdery, the musk intensifies to a higher pitch. And then it's ROSE MUSK all the way. I was hoping it would be more rose than musk, or that the musk would be warmer. I think it's not quite for me.

Sniff: Rich and sweet, without being too cloying. It's got a honey base and earthy tea notes on top, warm and thick and delicious Wet: All the notes here are well balanced. I agree with previous reviewers that this is a very cozy scent. It's an abstract oil painting with warm, comforting brown tones and gentle sweet golden trim. It's quite pleasant and agreeable, like an old friend paying a social call. Dry: This doesn't last very long on me. About an hour later, I can detect a slight musky honey tea lingering on my skin, and it's actually really lovely.

This is a blast of ginger and clove, high pitched and strong. I can't really detect much orange or cinnamon. It's a bit too sharp for me, I think it needs something warm to balance out the extreme spice. I was hoping the citrus note would be stronger, as I love the smell of cloves and orange, but all I'm getting is overwhelming gingerbread spice. It's very seasonal, though, and if you want your room to smell like spice, this will get the job done!

Sniff: Oh, this is heavenly and so filled with my notes of love! I get warm spicy sandalwood and leather, beautiful wisps of incense, it's soft and warm and full of resiny goodness Wet: Gorgeous. It's beautifully blended, with sandalwood being the most evocative, followed by a dreamy swirl of warmth and softness and golden hazy veil. This is a temple visited by desert riders in well worn leather saddles, covered in sand and dust and sacred incense, with the spice and amber of their offerings carefully laid out under the quiet gaze of ancient deities. Dry: All the goodness lingers on my skin - sandalwood incense leather spice amber - all combine into an awesome warm and epic scent that is making me continually huff my wrist and arm. This is so wonderful and amazing on me, I'm so glad to have a bottle and will be treasuring this one for sure!

Sniff: Soft tea, snow, and florals Wet: This one is really well blended and hard to pin down specific notes. Overall, it's a pinkish white scent, snowy, light, airy, pretty, feminine, and graceful. The florals are gentle and sweet, mixed well with a chilly minty overtone. More than any of the other Yules I tested this year, this one really feels like "winter" to me - a peaceful, lovely winter of newly fallen snow and delicate blooms. Dry: This is all floral green tea when dry, slightly musky. It's still very graceful and lovely, and even though it's faint, it has long staying power on me.

Sniff: Icy, chilly, most definitely a "cold" perfume, with a citrus sharpness Wet: This has definitely got the typical Beth "snow" note features: chilly, slightly minty, wet and bright. I also detect an iron tang and whisper of sweetness. I like the metallic note here, it's distinct but not overwhelming and makes for an interesting blend. I don't really detect any clove or sandalwood. Dry: Ah, now this settles and I think the word "chalky" is really spot-on. At this stage, it's softer and a bit woodsy, the sandalwood comes out, making this lean towards powdery. There's just a tiny hint of spice, the clove making a muted appearance. I like the wet phase better, with the iron and cold notes being stronger.

Sniff: A light tea note, faintly sweet and dusty Wet: The sandalwood is coming out now, it is muted and not very sharp, it plays nicely with the tea. Overall, this is rather fresh and slightly woodsy. I think the orris is contributing a dusty, woodsy feel and there's a little creamy note, which I assume is the vanilla. It's very pleasant, light and airy without being too sharp, unassuming and gentle and peaceful. Dry: Mainly sandalwood, dusty with just a hint of sweet. It's quite pretty at this stage, although very faint and a tad generic sandalwood.

Sniff: Whoa, this is a spice bomb - the clove really stands out Wet: Definitely spices, with clove still being the dominant note. The vetiver lends more texture than scent, giving this a thick, dusky feel. It's not harsh or scratchy, and the darker base plays well with the warm spice. It's very atmospheric and sophisticated, a grown-up gingerbread, refined and subdued, not really too foodie Dry: Mmmm, smells like clove cigarettes and hot spiced cider. It doesn't have much throw, but hours later, I catch hints of it, wafting in a most pleasant way. This is delicious and should age quite well, and also would make a great holiday room scent.

Sniff: Spicy gingersnaps, undercurrent of leather Wet: This moves into cologne territory, the spices mellow and overall the scent lightens. It gets a bit more woodsy. Dry: Softens into a gentle, dusty tone. Hints of herbs, dry woods, much warmer than the wet phase. I really like this dry phase, it's definitely 'innkeeper' Kvothe, settled into a nice comforting dusk.

Sniff: Florals which lean towards soapy, a spike of ozone and hay Wet: Mostly florals, some sort of lily perhaps. It's right on the border of being soapy and powdery, but there's a green and wet note which pulls it back. I don't get a strong aquatic note, but it definitely smells fresh and clean. Dry: OK, this one is a morpher! Over time, the florals and green fade, and a gentle leather note comes out. It's now dusty and powdery, with just a grassy hint. The soapy impression is gone and now it's soft and dusky and actually quite nice. I'm definitely a fan of this dry down, it's much different than the initial wet phase!

Sniff: A hint of citrus and sparkle, smells like white musk, much lighter than expected! Wet: The musk becomes warmer, although it still remains mellow and brisk. It's like a mix between white musk and skin musk, not aggressive at all. It's quite mellow and has a hint of shimmer, as well as a tad of orange sweetness. Dry: This dries musky for sure, and the sweet orange note morphs into a slight spice. When dry, it's still mellow and a bit dusty, rather comforting. I thought it would be overpowering and strong, but instead it has depth and warmth. Very nice!

Sniff: Spice and sugar, sugar and spice. It smells delicious. Wet: Oh, this is so very complex on me! It's bright and warm, with lots of comforting spice. There's also hints of incense and just a touch of florals. The honey provides a nice sweetness without being musky. It smells like a bakery in the middle of a field of wildflowers. Dry: The staying power on this is pretty decent. My wrist smells like cookies and flowers.

Sniff: ALMOND. AND MORE ALMOND. Wet: Nutty, sharp, a bit vanilla sweet, but most definitely dominated by the almond. It's cloying at this stage, I had to shake the scent out of my head a few times. Dry: Gets softer and dusty as it dries. The almond burns off and leaves a lingering waft of leather and amber. I wasn't expecting the almond to overpower this blend so much. It would be nicer for me, if the elements were just a bit more balanced.