populuxa

First, I tried to identify exactly what Dragon's Blood is. I think it is true cherry with a twist of spice. In the bottle this was the strongest. As it dried, the saltiness sprang to life. Maybe just a trace of plumeria in there? It doesn't have much throw. This is going to sound very odd - but it's like having a cherry-cinnamon sno-cone on the beach in August.

Overall this is very clean and lovely! There is something slightly fruity/citrusy in the bottle that sticks around as it dries. Its an elusive scent and hard to explain - its an aquatic but a rainy aquatic rather than an ocean aquatic.. It does have that heady ozoney smell before a big storm, but its tempered by something powdery sweet, like flowers waiting to get rained on.

The scent is very comforting - the ginger is more warm and less sharp than in other blends. Unfortunately, as lovely as this blend is, it is way way too faint. It's totally gone in less than an hour. How disappointing!

This smelled like caramel popcorn in the bottle! As it dried, the sweetness mellowed quite a bit. It is like halloween as a child: the spicy smell of candles burning in carved pumpkins, a bag of sweets, and a warm home filled with the smells of baking. Yummm!

Fantastically bright and clean. It's invigorating! I really love the almost cut-grass tang of BPAL's green tea note, and it blends nicely with the verbena. The jasmine definitely takes the astringent edge off the verbena, softening the lemony edge with a sweet floral. This a perfect, refreshing scent for the summer heat.

In the bottle: sweet white floral juciness. Dries rather sickening. I love plumeria but this blend just does not work for me. The pear is overwhelmingly sweet, the champagne sours everything. There is also something powdery, like confectioners sugar lurking underneath.

This is a little overpowering for my tastes, although it is a very successful "Oriental" sort of fragrance. It's a crisp fruity white floral in the bottle. I love the juicy mandarin and mango, which are sadly trampled to death by the stale powderiness of musk and sandalwood.

The herbal and musk notes blend beautifully with the berries, to create the delicious scent of a wild blackberry bush growing along a darkened forest path. There's something a little brooding and dangerous about this scent (the dark musky undertones?) that makes it quietly mysterious.

A sharp citrusy herbal in the bottle - I guess this is the neroli but it smelled more like verbena to me. It didn't really smell like any fruit in particular. After it dried, it was all orange and raspberry. It has the very natural fragrance of fresh fruit, rather than the candied sweetness I was expecting. Pleasant but I wish it had a little bit more gusto! Unfortunately, on me it was very faint to wear, with the neroli giving off the most throw.

This a very bright, summery scent. The heliotrope wafts around on top, muddled with musk. The peach and bergamot give it a sweet, fruity undertone. It has a very pleasant strength - not too overpowering, but not too faint

 

I to test this next to Tamora because initially they seemed very similar. Fae is definately sweeter with less chill - something about Fae just radiates innocent flirtation. Personally, I prefer Tamora, but Fae seems like a bright, feminine scent that would suit just about anyone.

Girlie Perfume? Really? Wet, this was sharp and chilly like fresh snow. Dry, it was coconut and evergreens - a combo that doesn't exactly sound tempting but that is actually really soft and fresh. Smells like Christmas!

Everything about this scent is super-cozy-warm. The sweet jasmine and myrrh, and the FIG! Oh the fig sings a nice song all around me. It's a warm, freshly watered garden. The tang of the cintron and apple peel is there, with a lovely bed of florals lingering in the sweetness. It's a great warm-up wintery scent.

A rich floral Aquatic in the bottle. I thought I would really like it. Then, without warning the roses they went on a killing rampage, obliteraing anything in their path that smelled nice. Those stupid roses! Now, I smell like an old lady. And it is not subtle at all.

This is the perfect jasmine blend. The lime really perks up the jasmine, taking the edge off its aggressive floral sweetness. It's surprisingly cool and fresh! A breath of spring!

Tangy. Almost lemony, really. I don't get much of the spicy warmth I usually associate with ginger. It's bright and sweet but, unfortunately, it fades almost instatntly.

Lightly incensy and spicy. Sweet but not at all overpowering. This is a fantastic one if you are looking for something a little different, but don't like the heavy richness of most incensey blends.

Nutmeg-O-rama! This smells like an antique store. The sweet, dusty smell of old, valuable things. Sweet in the bottle, but spicy and peppery on. Watch out, though, it is very strong!

Wow! I almost wrote this one off without a sniff because of the rose, but I honestly cannot smell it except when it breezes up and peeks out occasionally, like a single rose in a freshly picked bouquet. Exceptionally fresh in the bottle. A clean, light floral - I'm glad I gave it a chance!

This one was a total surprise to me! A warm, heady floral in the bottle. Keeps its strength as it dries. A lovely herbal quality, with a slightly salty note wafting above it all.

The jury's still out on this one. I adore both apricot and clove - and March Hare is very distinctly those two notes. However, I also smell like a giant Yankee Candle. Delicous, yes. A little tooooo delicious & foody for me to go around wearing it all day.

YUMMM! - Honestly, I am not usually into foody scents too much but this is awesome. It's dark dark cocoa and warmth. Just, YUMMM.

Finally! My quest for a fantastic heliotrope scent is over! On me, the heliotrope proudly wafts up and around with its cool powdery sweetness. It's only when I sniff right against my skin the warmth of the vanilla and amber appears. After a few hours, the notes balance out more evenly, and the warmth creeps more towards the surface. Delicate and sweet -- so lovely!

A bawdy, gleefully wicked and unruly scent: Kentucky Bourbon, sugar and a sprig of mint.

 

I ordered this, a little nervous that with the alcohol+mint combo I might end up smelling like mouthwash. I was so wrong! It's awesome! In the bottle it is definately very minty, but it dries down to a warm, almost smoky blend topped with fresh, sweet mint. I don't know how something can smell smoky and fresh at the same time, but this does. This creates a scent that does something like ... "Oooh! How pretty! ... and I am also up to no good!"

Initially, light and chilly! It really does smell like snow! Maybe slightly coconutty-peperminty? It *is* whisper-faint though. I think you'd really have to dump it on to smell like much. Something went metallic on me though, and after a while that's all I can smell! Sadness! Otherwise this is a delightful, breezy scent.

Mmm. . . my favorite scents always very vividly evoke a pleasant memory.

 

This one is floating down Itcheetucknee, a natural spring in Florida. It's crystal-clear icy spring water in the oppressive heat of a Florida summer, damp moss along the shore, fresh tree-filtered air, and sunshine breaking through the canopy.