OctoberGwen

This is pretty and does have a clean, slightly soapy quality. I don't know what magic Beth has worked here but both Fraggle scents I tried really do smell like...well, Fraggles. There's a childlike, fun quality to these scents that is delightful, but just not my style at all.

I love Beth's take on Autumn, and this fits wonderfully into that category along with Samhain, Samhainophobia, Elegy IX, and several others. I do have to be in the right mood to appreciate these scents; they are not for everyday wear. I, too get a bit of a vetiver vibe from Phoenix in Autumn - it's very sharp and woodsy and has ridiculous amounts of throw. Also, I adore the label.

Tattered Lace. The only Lace besides Red that I truly love. Growing up, my mother used to take me to flea markets, antique shops, and places like Old Sturbridge Village and Strawberry Banke all the time. She has always loved old things, and for some reason the smell of Tattered Lace evokes all those memories for me. It's not that it smells musty or fusty at all - in fact, it's quite fresh - but it definitely brings to mind a beautiful old steamer trunk filled with impeccably preserved linens. Definitely a sepia toned scent, but clean. A really interesting thing about the oil is that I can smell different components on different parts of my body. My wrists are all dark vanilla and the scent wafting up from my cleavage is definitely tea with a hint of cognac. I'm surprised (and happy) that the frankincense isn't clobbering everything else at all - it blends very nicely here. In the scent locket I get a hint of it, along with the coconut bark, the tea, and the vanilla. Yesterday I wore it on my body AND in the locket, and enjoyed all the different aspects of it. I think this will be a great scent for summer, as a departure from the tropical fruity/fizzy scents that I usually reach for when the weather is sweltering. It's true that it doesn't last as long on my skin as I would like, but it's certainly not an instant vanisher and it's great in the locket, too. Tattered Lace is a keeper for me, definitely, for all sorts of reasons.

I bought a bottle from the BPAL etsy shop and I'm very glad I did! I love the Lab's lemony notes, and lemongrass or lemon verbena is what's predominant here on me. (It's not juicy enough for pure lemon or even lemon peel, to my nose.) I also get a subtle creaminess and a hint of coconut on the far drydown. I definitely smell coconut in the bottle, and I'm hoping it will emerge more on my skin with age. Love this. A beautiful summer scent for me.

This starts off quite well on me: I don't normally care for the sharp quality of ozone, but here it lends just the right amount of crispness to the wet stage to make me think Juniper Hairstreak would be delightful on sweltering August days. Unfortunately, as it dries the cucumber and brown musk take over to create a strong melon smell that just does not agree with me. I'm glad I tried it, though. Edited to change "brown muck" to "brown musk". A Freudian slip?

The first time I tried this, I thought it was too perfumey - it really isn't, though. It's an intriguing combination of heavy woods, sweet vanilla orchid, and a hint of muskiness. The patch and tobacco must be grounding it. White Peacock stays just on this side of masculine, which is good for me as I dislike smelling like a man. I like it, and will use my imp. Fades to faintness fairly quickly, which is a shame, but it doesn't disappear completely. It just turns into a close-to-the-skin scent.

Well, dang. I really thought I'd love this because ginger and most BPAL vanillas and creams are all win for me. I'm starting to think that fig is not, though, and something about the fizziness here isn't working with the creaminess on me. I haz a sad.

Now THIS I need a bottle of. I might get two. Ruddy Daggerwing starts off very strong on the cacao and coffee, which I love. After a bit they both dial down quite a lot, which was initially a disappointment...but then I kept getting the most provocative whiffs of scent from my wrists. I can't really describe it except to say that it's slightly spicy, significantly gorgeous, and has a familiar quality. It's not tobacco-y per se, but I'm finding that tobacco lends a certain something to scents that I usually very much enjoy. I really love this. The Metamorphosis is quickly becoming a favorite update for me. ETA: I finally realized what the far drydown of this reminds me of: Playful Wooden Mallets! Which makes no sense at all, as they share no notes. Weird. EATA: I really wish this remained in the wet stage for me, with its gorgeous spiced coffee/chocolate scent. Alas, the drydown is very different, and while still nice, it's not distinctive enough on me to warrant a bottle after all.

Mmmmmm...I can't believe I like this so much, what with the Spanish moss and the jasmine. I detect the orange and some well-behaved jasmine; a bit of woodiness, and a subtle mossy quality. It's very nice and I will definitely use up my decant.

I love this. I get primarily lemon and red currant grounded with white musk. There's a hint of Other Things in the background, but I detect no coriander, anise, or (thank God) cilantro per se. It has a beautiful depth to it. I will definitely use up my imp this summer. ETA: Later, this took on a strange quality in the far drydown: not plasticky exactly, but close. EATA: This is another Metamorphosis that I wish remained in the wet stage one me. I adore the iced lemon peel, red currant, and hint of white musk that I get initially, but when the other elements come out later it turns into something I dislike on my skin.

Aaaaaah. Since The Witching Hour is one of my favorite books, I just had to incorporate Invidiana's comparison here. With the rich tapestry that BPAL affords us, it's easy to forget how beautiful a pared-down fragrance can be. Great Vampire Bat is simply gorgeous: exotic, lush orchids and sweet smoky incense. It is, indeed, like sitting on the Mayfairs' porch on a hot, humid night. I like Usagi's jungle temple comparison, too. The drydown is all close to the skin sweet incense. A classic, subtle, sexy fragrance. (Thank you, fairy and fairy broker!! xoxo)

I love this. It's so unique and lovely and...private. When first spritzed, I get a lot of smokiness. After a few minutes it's all beeswax and honey, and mystery. To me, this is strictly a bedroom scent. It really does evoke a shadowed boudoir lit only with flickering candles and smelling of secrets. Beautiful. Big bottle for sure.

This is BEE YOU TEE FUL. I'll echo Herb Girl: I definitely smell the patchouli (I am also a fan), but amber is the star here. What a yummy combo, and this will go nicely with most of the scents I like to wear. Giant win. Thank God this is part of the catalogue - thank you, Puddin'!

Oh, this is beautiful. I'm not usually a honey fan (and sugar regularly turns to "bleargh!" when it hits my skin) - but wow, this bath oil just smells so soft, sweet, and feminine. Nectar, indeed. Like Poenari, I like my perfume to compliment the bath oil, though, so I may need to save this for nighttime bathing. I can't think of anything I have that would go nicely with this. Very glad I got the decant, but probably no bottles for me.

I'm really happy to have this, and I love the label! Thank you so much, fairy and fairy-broker. In the bottle, I get a ton of cocoa but on my skin it isn't showing up at all. I'm hoping this changes over time. I'm also not certain about the sarsaparilla - something about the far drydown says "incense" to my nose, but I'm not sure what that is. It's very woody, also, and there's an almost peppery quality to the woodiness. Oddly, the patchouli is not announcing itself, it's playing hide and seek. A very interesting scent, indeed. I'm keen to see what happens with a bit of age.

Daisies and dirt with a hint of orange marmalade, dry leaves, and crunchy old sticks. Me no likey. I only get dirt and grass, which smells great outdoors but in my house...not so much. That's okay, right? More for you!

I adore this and I also get the Samhain vibe. Elegy IX is a less intense version of Samhain; it's Autumn without the deep old world magic of Hallowe'en. I get no apple here, nothing fruity at all, in fact. This is all Autumn woods and leaves with a touch of woodsmoke in the distance on the far drydown. Beautiful. Thank you, Beth! Nobody does Autumn scents like you.

Playful Wooden Mallets proves that even if you think you hate every note in a scent, when it's BPAL you should probably try it anyway. This is gorgeous, and sort of genius in its simplicity. The black musk is smoooooooth and sexy, with just that hint of lemon in the wet stage. The cinnamon is the same dry, spicy cinnamon bark from my beloved Kypria atmosphere spray. Like crumbly dough - yes! That's a perfect description. It's like the texture of butter and sugar when you blend them with a pastry cutter. Hours later, there's just a trace of exotic-bazaar spice on my skin. Fabulous. It also works very well with my Snake Oil hair gloss and bath oil. Big bonus. I bought two bottles. I hope it's enough. I'm sure this will age really, really well.

Oh hell no. Too sweet. Too cloying. Too honeydew melon! Not for me. *scrub scrub scrub*

This is a unique blend for sure. In the imp, I smell red currant and champaca flower, but it's completely different on my skin. When applied, I smell something very organic and raw, which is most certainly from the tomato leaf; it's a distinctive smell (as anyone who has grown tomatoes can tell you), and I definitely get it here. I also get a lot of pulpy-smelling apple. Since red currant is listed first I was hoping that would be the predominant note like it is in the imp, but on me this is all compost-y tomato leaf and apple. Sadly, apple is not one the few fruits I like to smell like. An interesting blend, and I'm happy I tried it. Just not for me.

I like this Tanuki very much; on my skin I'm getting golden musk and a sweet (but not overly so), very nutty scent. I happen to prefer bitter almond to the usual cherry variety, and it's really lovely with this sort of musk. It smells quite yummy and edible to me but not in the usual overwhelmingly foodie way. I have no idea what persimmon rind and ginko nut smell like but there is no "greenness" to the scent that I can detect - it's all sweet brown nutmeat and golden muskiness. No Kanban has little throw but is rather a subtle, "snuggle closer to me" skin scent. I think it would work well for environments where you don't wish to broadcast your perfume. I will definitely keep and use my imp.

This is the first scent I've tried that is absolute funk on me - no "it almost works" or "it's interesting, but not me" at all. Just sour, rancid YUK. It has to be the "honey wine", since wine almost never works for me and honey rarely does. Whew. *must scrub*

I love ghost stories and things haunted and haunting - always have. That said, I found Zombi deeply disturbing. I really cannot wear it and I have no wish to ever smell it again. Haunted made me feel very melancholy, to the point where after wearing it for ten minutes, I burst into tears for no reason. However, now that my grief over my father's death is not quite so fresh I may try it again. Crossroads is disquieting for a reason I can't really put my finger on, unless it's just my own interpretation of the associations. Come to think of it, this is weird because I find crossroad folklore quite fascinating. House of Night. I find this scent incredibly spooky, but in a way I enjoy. It is so evocative of that feeling you get when you're in a place that you just know contains echoes of the past in one form or another. Lucy, Kissed...I love the character and Beth has really captured her corruption perfectly, imo.

I've never reviewed this? So: guess what? I'm a cliché. *shrug* Snake Oil is my go-to BPAL. When I can't decide what to wear, I put on Snake Oil. When I'm going out for a drink and want to feel sexy and confident I put on Snake Oil. When I feel sad and crappy about myself I put on Snake Oil. If I have to face down somebody who intimidates me, I use TALs...and put on Snake Oil. Are you getting the picture? It's my comfort-food indulgence and it always gives me a lift when I put it on. I don't feel there's any occasion that is inappropriate for Snake Oil. I think it lends itself best to cooler weather, but even in the heat of summer I wait until nightfall when my bright and fizzy daytime scent has faded, and put on my Snake Oil. I've received more compliments when wearing it than any other blend. Nothing else in the world smells like it. It is my Holy Grail, found; my holy of holies, my One Oil To Rule Them All, my Precious. I love the powdery quality of the scent (and it is NOT baby powder-powdery, it is simply dry.) It smells like exotic bazaars. It smells like one of those ancient European sections of the city with cobblestone streets and mysterious, narrow little side alleys full of secrets. It smells like sex in a sumptuously appointed tent in the desert. If all other BPALs went *poof* overnight, I would miss all of those other scent journeys, but I could also live happily ever after with my Snake Oil.

There is something about the combination of red musk and tobacco that just makes me want to bite my arm - this and Red Lace both have that same deliciousness. Le Lethe is quite heady when first applied and then dries down into a very soft and sexy skin scent. The red musk stays detectable throughout but I definitely get the tobacco, hemlock, and salty skin musk as well as the beautiful black orchid, but nothing ever overpowers the other notes - they swirl together in a perfect dance. Di. Vine. This is gorgeous and I am going to need a bottle for sure. Thank God it is in the GC, I need more NOW!