Mountaingrrl00

The wintergreen/birch/cola/root beer topnote that has put me off a couple of "dry wood" oils is present here, but there's enough softer wood peeking through right away that I'm able to get past the initial turn-off. The sharpness doesn't last long, and it's worth waiting a little while for the much longer phase of true wood and incense. The blend becomes lightly sweet, in a woodsy kind of way, with a spicy incense that's unusual and very beautiful.

 

This really works well as a Wanderlust blend. It takes me to a totally new place.

I didn't get much berry from this one. To me it smells like soap - elegant soap, to be sure, but soap nonetheless. I expected heather to smell more herbal, when I think it's actually more of a floral note here. I don't usually have a problem with Beth's rose oils, so I'm going to say it's the heather with that soapy/powdery quality.

I can tell there are some lovely fruit and wood scents in here. The deeper smells - fig and palm in particular - hold their own, while other fruit smells are less distinct. I have a hard time with multi-florals, though. They just smell too perfumey. I think I would love this oil without the florals, but with them, I will need to swap this imp.

I'm partial to BPAL's ambers, and this is no exception. This is warm without being cloying, and the apple adds a bright/tart dimension. The herbs keep it from smelling too much like standard apple-spice. I find it very wearable for everyday.

This is a little heavy for my taste. I think it's the tobacco leaf that's overpowering the other elements. Otherwise I'd like it - it has the rum smell I like so much in Jazz Funeral. Or maybe it's the flowers? It does feel quite masculine to me, even with the flowers. There's an underlying bitterness and seriousness to this scent.

The incense in this is so beautiful, resiny-spicy and smoking through the cocoa and leather. If there's wine in here, I'd be surprised, as every other wine scent has gone bad on me. Maybe a touch of rich fruit - currant? The overall effect is strong, sexy and comforting. It's not a loud scent, but it is enveloping, with lots of lasting base notes. I have to keep sniffing my wrist and other application areas when I wear this. It would probably be an excellent seduction scent.

I'm not usually crazy about florals, but Nocturne is a definite exception. These are three of my very favorite floral notes, blended to perfection. Bitter violet, creamy tuberose, and airy lilac balance each other so beautifully. I love this violet most of all. I love this to wear on a rainy day or to bed. There's something earthy here too, as well as the wistfulness many have mentioned. For a scent with just three notes I can identify, this has a lot of depth. Yet it's not heavy. It's just right, and among my favorites of about 100 BPALs I've tried so far.

This one falls into the category of "scents that broke your heart" for me. I was so intrigued by the dry woods, herbs and ash in the description. There is a note in here that I think is also in Vinland - something high-pitched that sort of reminds me of wintergreen. I have a visceral reaction to that note. I couldn't even try this on. So there's a full imp for someone this will work on.

This is a sandalwood-patchouli scent that makes me feel strong and grounded. It's understated and unisex, not perfumey or cologney at all. It's like a really good Indian incense without the smoke. Just pure, high-quality oils. One of my favorites.

This really appealed to me in the bottle - very light and airy. It smells just as it's described on the Lab's website. Unfortunately, when I put it on I got a headache, so I'll need to swap this to someone who doesn't share my sensitivity to what's probably an ozone or aquatic note.

This is a pretty, light, soft gingery scent. From the description, I was hoping for something more unusual, with some additional spices. Sudha Segara is nice enough, but doesn't wow me like I thought it would. I'll keep the imp for adding a touch of a spicy layer to other scents - but it won't last long, as I need to slather and re-apply to get any effect from this.

I'm a fan of woody scents, and the palm in this one is nice and deep. I also get cedar, fig, and a hint of coconut. There's no cocoa that I can discern.

 

This is a good tropics-invoking scent with some strength. It's similar to Manila, but less complex. I'll keep the imp for layering.

I liked this in the imp. It smelled sweet and sparkly, really fun, like the fruity kiddie colognes I used to wear. I actually like fake strawberry, and this is good fake strawberry. I only wish it smelled that way on my skin. The champagne note was chemical-smelling and headache-inducing, and I had to wash it off.

Block Buster's another one to consider. It's a good wake-you-out-of-doldroms oil, and works well as a room scent.

Abberlaine, I'm thinking your brother might do well with some of the lighter oils. St. Germain comes to mind, as does The Dormouse.

On me, the wood notes are quite prominent. I was pleasantly surprised by their richness - there's a dark smell which I think is the palm, similar to the wood in Intrigue. There's also a sort of sassafras-like smell that's a little brighter. The banana leaf is sweet at first, but natural - not at all fake-banana. I didn't get a lot of floral, just more of an overall hot-and-humid smell. I even get a bit of tropical earth along with the plants.

 

This wears really well - not as the sweet novelty scent I thought it might be, but as something I'd wear to an evening event or to sleep in. Very impressive!

I'd say Aizen-Myoo. It's more citrusy and less green than Calyx, but similar. I prefer Aizen-Myoo, myself, and your aunt may too. It definitely lasts.

I love citrus scents and already have a variety of citrus oils on hand for mixing my own, so Aizen-Myoo had some work to do to stand out for me. It succeeds by having a distinctive, long-lasting citrus note (yuzu and satsuma!) backed by a beautiful array of persimmon, black tea, and cherry blossom. This is so refreshing and unusual - assertive, mysterious, tart, bitter, light and strong all at once. One of my favorites.

I like citrus at such times, especially Aizen-Myoo.

Mmmm, creamy-fruity-glittery musk. It smells like having a kiddie cocktail in an adult bar. I like to put this on after I've had a day of being a grownup. It lightens my mood. It does have considerable staying power, but the super-sweetness fades to more of a warm evening scent. This is my second-most-frequently-worn scent so far. It's next on my 5ml list.

This smells like a rose that's bright red with a bluish tinge. There is a sharp note in the bottle that calms down on my skin, but the smell is still very fresh, almost edibly so. I think I smell a hint of raspberry, just a tiny bit of fruity tart-sweetness. I liked wearing it to work. It's light enough for that conservative environment, but I felt refreshed every time I smelled my wrist. I could almost feel the dewdrops tickling my nose.

This is yet another serendipitous frimp from my most recent lab order. The woods and mosses in here are just gorgeous, and beautifully blended with touches of savory herbs, warm citrus and bright lavender. I sometimes sort my imps into categories - woodsy, sweet, floral, etc. - and I really had to think with St. Germain, because no one element dominates. To me that's a refreshing quality. It's subtle and mature - a strong-silent-type scent. It does fade on me more quickly than I would like. I may try this one in a scent locket.

I like dirt, and I like Malediction, but I don't think Malediction smells like dirt. It is very earthy, though.

Jazz Funeral: Boozy Dirt

Crossroads: Jasmine Dirt

This was a frimp with my most recent order, and I think that whoever was responsible for choosing this for me really knows my tastes. This isn't for everyone, but I love it. I was wearing a SN vetiver scent fairly often pre-BPAL, and Malediction is similar, but better, rounder and just a bit sweeter. It's like a damp summer forest with hardwoods, lots of sharply green plants, and yes, the woodsmoke scent is there too. It's long lasting, but without a lot of throw, so I can smell its deliciousness on myself without offending those who might not share my scent preferences. I don't know why I didn't think to order this for myself. Thanks, Lab!