Arden Ivy

Sugared patchouli, snowy vanilla, and snowflakes. So I would name original Silkybat as not just my favorite HG, but quite possibly my favorite scent of all the BPAL/BPTP I have tried. So when I saw this, I knew I was grabbing a bottle. In the bottle, it smells like Silkybat and something lemony, to my nose. I'm not familiar with the lab's snow scent, but that may be it. Once applied, it's mostly what I believe is a snow scent. Silkybat is there, but it is definitively under a pile of snow. It's less sugared than Silkybat, to my nose. So I find this more reminiscent of snow and patchouli than anything else. I can tell it's related to Silkybat, but they are definitely more cousins than siblings to my nose. It's the snow smell that lingers in your nose when I take a whiff. It's definitely pretty, but I don't know if I would reach for it when I have the original around. I would say it was probably my Silkybat expectations that are keeping me from full-on loving this. If you live for the Lab's snow note or haven't tried Silkybat, I can't imagine someone not liking this.

Terebinth pine, fir balsam, frozen sap, blackcurrant, and vetiver. This was exactly what I was hoping it would be! A dark, woodsy forest scent brightened up by juicy sweet blackcurrant! Everything works so well here. It reminds me of the most inviting woods you can imagine, like when you hug a tree, it hugs you back. Actually that might actually be a terrifying thing to happen so never mind. I was debating between this and Blue-Spruce and Snow-Capped Pine for the pine scent I knew for sure I was getting this Yule Season, and I couldn't imagine being happier with my choice. EDIT: Oh snap I'm the first one! Take that, middle school gym class.

Well, depending on her Chemistry you could try hunting down some Mornings in New Orleans. It was pure chicory on me, but most got Coffee and Milk and Pastries.

Got this as an imp in a decant circle. 8th BPAL tried It is definitely purple. I'm not sure how I feel about violets, but I think they like me. This was a mostly floral scent, just a hint of incense. Lots of dark purple, juicy dribbling fruit and powerful flowers. It is very pretty, mysterious, and fairly strong. I wouldn't classify this as a wet or dry scent despite the incense.

Received as a frimp from ObliqueRed's decant circle. In the bottle it smelled like dirt, and I figured this would be one of those novelty scents where there's a solid concept behind them, but not necessarily a wearable one. Since it's an atmosphere spray and not a perfume oil I suppose "wearable" doesn't apply. This is fun. I sprayed my sheets with a bit and it is nice. Spot on for a mad scientist lab. It is dark and mossy and damp and ever-so-slightly incensed. Very glad I decided to try it despite my initial hesitation.

Decanted by Obliquered. 4th Post item tried. In Decant: Lavender and fig. Lavender usually smells very masculine to me, but not so in this bottle. Very pretty, and girly. On wet: Lavender and vanilla and fig. It's dreamy and warm. This smells like how sleeping on a purple cloud would feel. One hour later: This is perfect. This is the first BPAL thing where the moment I smelled it, I knew I had no choice but to grab a bottle. Perfect perfect perfect. It's lovely Vanilla and lavender and fig with a hint of sandalwood. I love this.

Decanted by Obliquered. 2nd Post item tried. In Bottle: Is this....tootsie rolls? Yep. I thought I was nuts but this straight up smells like a tootsie roll. Wet: A woody tootsie roll. It's turning a little medicinal on me as well. It's a bit sugared, but the chicory is drowning out any real pastry note, and I can't find the coffee. Curse you, chemistry! One hour later: The sugar has sweetened it considerably, but it's still chicory. It doesn't smell bad, but I was most looking forward to this for the coffee, so it seems we're simply not meant to be.

Decanted by Obliquered. 3rd Post item tried In bottle: Holy smokes how did they fit a cocnut cake in this tiny little decant? Wet: Coconut cake, coconut cake, delicious and creamy coconut cake! Very coconut cake. I'm not getting rum here, so if you are turned off by the idea of booze notes, I don't think you have anything to worry about here. Dry: Huh. Turns a bit waxy on me, but still smells quite nice.

Decanted by Obliquered. 1st Post item tried. In Bottle: Nutty Ice cream. It is very reminiscent of butter pecan. Yes. On wet: Very sugary, with an almost nut extract scent. Yeeeesssssss. Dry: The powdered sugar really comes out. This is powdered, sugared nuts. Right before this came out, I thought my skin ate it and was ready to call it a loss, but it came back with vengeance, and that vengeance was sweet. YEEEEEESSSSS. This is delicious, and I think would make an awesome layer-er. It does come and go quite a bit, though. Perhaps I should try applying it with a heavier hand.

Decanted by Mellifluous. 6th BPAL In Imp: Like breathing in cold autumn air. Mint and leaves and chill. Wet: Oh okay something is going to dove soap on me. Minty Dove soap. With something unpleasant underneath. Could be my first experience with notes turning sour. Something here isn't working. One Hour Later: This would probably be gorgeous on others, but on me it's minty soap left to mildew. No cocoa in sight. Ah well. Win some, lose some. EDIT: So I never washed this off, and at about five o' clock I started smelling something amazing. Seriously, it is white cocoa and crumbly leaves and is lovely. I suspect this is how it would smell on most people, it just goes wonky on me. Such a pity, sniffing what could have been.

Decanted by Mellifluous. 5th BPAL In imp: Dark, fruity, smoky. Not getting much rose, or amber. Wet: Incense. By far more than anything. The red fruit is definitely juicing it up. I do get a hint of green, but only on the very end of the whiff. Kinda rosey, kinda musky, but very red. Not a bright red, however. More like a maroon. One Hour Later: Much more rosey, but still dark, fruity and incensey. I don't get much vanilla, but I do get some powdery amber in the background. You really have to huff, though, because as others have stated it really blends together. The green from the wet stage isn't here, as far as I can tell.

Decanted by the Mellifluous. 4th BPAL Tried In Bottle: Pumpkin, pumpkin everywhere it's pumpkin. On wet: Spice spice spice! Not overwhelmingly so, however. It's mostly allspice, but the ginger milk tempers and moistens the spice so it isn't as heavy and dry as it was for Pumpkin IV on me. I keep catching whiffs of the black tea. The pumpkin is present, I believe, but not at the forefront. Dry: Spiced, creamy pumpkin tea. For not having any obvious sweet notes, it's still sweet. I can pick out each note, and none of them overpower the others. I think I'm getting more milk than some of the other here. I was hoping for a pumpkin chai tea latte, and this is pretty close.

Decanted by Mellifluous. 3rd BPAL Tried In imp: Patchouli and straight bourbon, I think. Not very sweet. On Wet: Straight patch with a bit of vanilla. I'm getting a hint of cinnamon in the background, but it's very mellow. I'm not detecting honey. One Hour later: This one dries very quickly. I probably could have put "30 minutes later". The honey comes out a little more, but overall it is nearly identical to the wet stage to me. Never having tried Banshee Beat, I can't give you a comparison there, but this doesn't sweeten up much on me. Not much to say on this one. I really get mellow patchouli.

Decanted by Mellifluous. In Bottle: Kind of astringent, but also very feminine. First Applied: Ooooh. This is very interesting. I don't think it smells heavily of white florals. They are there, but it smells equal parts sultry and innocent and feminine and smoky with a hint of green. Very complex. After an hour: I want to repeat pretty much everything Laurel wrote. It smells expensive and is very well blended that I can't decipher individual notes, although this may also be my lack of experience. I think this would be insanely perfect on a bride-to-be. Witch Bride could not be a more accurate name. Does not scream "floral" at all to me, but rather just a lovely, complex scent that is chilly without being cold, like an unapproachable woman that keeps throwing "come hither" smiles. It is gorgeous. I'm not sure if it is me, but I am definitely glad that I got to smell it because it really is lovely. As my second ever BPAL, this speaks heaps of promise on what is to come.

So this was my very first ever BPAL, Decanted by the very nice Mellifluous. As it is my first, I might not be as good at picking out scents as some, so forgive me. In Bottle: Very sweet, heavily glazed spice bread. Kinda like the candles, but, you know, good. First Applied: It's not very sweet at all. I would definitely agree with DarthArwen when she called it a dry spice. I don't get any pumpkin or honey. I think I'm mostly getting Oudh. Maybe it's because I'm all "Ahhhhh first BPAL ever" and I keep huffing my wrist, but it's a little too spicy for me. However, both my little twin sisters came wandering in proclaiming my room smelled great, so there's that. I guess that would be a good indicator of its throw. After an hour: The honey came back, I believe, because the dry spice is now damped with an almost mapled sweetness. No pumpkin I can detect, though, but as this is my first I might just not familiar enough to recognize the pumpkin note. Resembles the smell in the bottle much more, but not entirely. Nice, but I'm not sure I like it enough to sit through the very heavy straight spice stage.