edenssixthday

Psithyristês - This is a very pretty floral. The first note I notice is the tea rose backed up by the plumeria. I'm pretty surprised at how mild the lily of the valley is, but then as it begins to dry down, the lily of the valley definitely becomes more noticeable. I tend to love blends with both orris and ambergris in them, but I don't smell either note in this blend. I'm guessing there's just enough of each to ground the floral and keep it from floating away into the ether. As the oil dries, it becomes very much a lily of the valley and tea rose scent -- slightly high pitched from the lily and kind of dry from the tea rose. It seems fairly traditional and almost Victorian.

Mule Skinner v1 - From the name alone, I thought for certain this was going to be something either meaty or leathery or sweaty -- i.e., just plain gross. But it's not! When I smell it wet, there is something slightly acrid about it, and something chemical-smelling like nail polish remover (but I get that from Pumpkin King and Scarecrow, so YMMV), but there's something really sweet and delicious underneath. Upon a second sniff of the wet oil, something about it reminds me of Mad Sweeney. and I realize that acrid scent is actually whiskey. So it's whiskey with something sweet and fruity beneath. As it dries down on my skin, it turns into a deep wine-like scent, maybe berries and whiskey? I really don't know, but it's definitely alcoholic and it's definitely fruity-sweet in a semi-dry way and it's really awesome.

Tony - The smell of a busy laundromat is one of my favorite smells in the world -- all that detergent soap and dryer sheat and so much fresh cleanliness. And that is exactly what this reminds me of -- a busy laundromat. The soap smell is definitely the scent of strong, harsh detergent, and it's not something I'd wear as a personal fragrance, but the scent is dead-on, and I absolutely positively LOVE it. It would make an awesome laundry-room or linen spray.

Eat Me v6 - This is a kajillion bazillion times better than the GC Eat Me, which on me, is completely destroyed by the stinky black currant. This prototype version is awesome, though. The only real foody blends I tend to enjoy and can wear are those that are loaded with rich, white cake and this is definitely delicious white cake, but there's a thick layer of amaretto running through the cake, and it's so incredibly delicious. What a great combination! If this had been released as the GC, I'd undoubtedly wear it regularly and consider myself a "foody" scent lover.

Sky City (After) - This is the type of scent that smells god-awful to me when it's wet, but has the potential to really blossom on my skin. Sure enough, I love what this does on me! It's the scent of scorched cedar and blood, and there's something sweet and spicy that distinctly reminds me of clove gum. The longer it's on my skin, the more it smells like burnt wood and clove. Oh, it's delicious!

Sky City (Before) - This is a clean, green scent. I don't usually like green blends and I usually can't stand anything with dandelion in it, but this evokes an incredibly strong scent memory of a time in my life when I lived in New Orleans, and for some reason, it makes me think of the first boy I was ever desperately head-over-heels in love with when I was 12. When I smell it, I feel all the good things about being twelve years old and experiencing the first blush of love. If for no other reason, I love this blend for that.

Eden v7 - I strongly dislike the released version of Eden because fig is just a raunchy note on me. But this prototype is drop-dead gorgeous. It is almost entirely coconut and sandalwood and maybe the tiniest drizzle of honey. It's really, truly, incredibly gorgeous...quite possibly one of my favorite prototypes.

Eve v2 - This opens up as a bright, crisp, green apple and then it quickly becomes soapy-apple and rose, or maybe it's apple and soapy-rose. Either way, it's soapy and doesn't work on me.

IXHV37 - This is the heavy, buttery scent of baked goods -- croissant? Scone? Something delicious! There is the definite bitter fruit note of either black currant or blackberry. Sadly, the gourmand/foody part of this turns to dusty plastic on my skin, as almost all gourmand notes do, but once it dries, there is the distinct scent of soft florals. Several hours after applying, the plastickiness of the gourmand notes has burned off and what's left is a sweet, floral note that definitely smells like a type of rose and maybe a hint of a soft lily, like calla lily. It ends up very pretty on me.

IXHV4 - This is the scent of a cup of rich, dark-roasted coffee, sweetened with a teaspoon of sugar, and the slightest drizzle of cream to temper the heaviness of the roast. It is an awesome coffee scent and should be released. Now!

CD: Blue Pumpkin Floss v3 - This scent reminds me a lot of last year's BPTP Pumpkin Pie Bath Oil. It's very heavy on the pumpkin -- a sweet, foody pumpkin, not the typical buttery, squashy pumpkin -- and on the cinnamon. It seems more "regal" like Pumpkin Queen, as opposed to the more quotidian annual pumpkin patch blends. I can see how some pumpkin lovers would go nuts over this, but it's a bit too cinnamon-spicy for my taste, I'm afraid!

CD: Tilt v4 - My nose doesn't pick up on the overwhelming fruitiness the other two reviewers note with such enthusiasm. Rather, I smell fresh, crushed mint leaf. Kind of like drinking a fresh mojito without the rum or lime. The mint leaf is definitely the scent of fresh-from-the-garden mint, and not the scent of sweet, candycane peppermint. It's a note I have never encountered in a BPAL blend before, or if so, it wasn't so uniquely distinct. Behind the strong, fresh mint scent there does seem to be a subtle blend of mixed fruits -- unnamed tropical fruits. I can't pinpoint any of the specific tropical fruit notes the previous reviewers mentioned, but the overall feel of the scent is very tropical. It's like eating a tropical mixed fruit salad with lots of freshly cut mint leaf mixed in. It's so refreshing and delicious that I can't stop sniffing my skin. This would make an awesome summer scent...or a fabulous winter scent when you need a tropical break from the snow and cold. Once it dries down it's fairly subtle on my skin, but I still love it. I really hope that when Tilt is released, it's not changed one iota.

Earth Ox - This is predominantly the scent of super-ripe and sweet honeydew and peaches. The dragon's blood is the next most dominant note and provides a lovely resin base for the cacophony of fruity notes in this blend, the citrus notes in particular. I love this scent. It's similar to Earth Rat in its fruitiness, but different in that this scent seems more grounded. I love them both and would be hard-pressed to choose a favorite. Thank dog no one's making me choose. This is really lovely...and delishus.

Strawberry Moon v4 - This is the same thick, jammy strawberry that's used in the Mother Shub's She-Goat Chocolatier Truffle: White Chocolate, Strawberry, and White Pepper. It's completely unlike the strawberry used in either release of Strawberry Moon. I don't smell any notes other than thick, gooey, sticky strawberry jam. It's delicious!

Bathtub Gin - I love BPAL's gin scents, so I was sure I would adore this one. When I put it on, it's a very dry gin scent, heavy with juniper and only lightly spicy. As it dries down, it becomes quickly evident that this gin blend does not work with my skin chemistry. Something in it (wormwood?) is turning incredibly "dusty" on me and completely overwhelming the other notes with it's dustiness. Within 20 minutes, the only thing I can smell is dust. I'm afraid this isn't going to work for me at all. For a lovely gin blend, I'm going to have to stick with my beloved Twenty-One, I suppose.

The Volstead Act - This is all sherry and pineapple on me. I love the Lab's booze scents, and this is no exception. It's definitely a fun, fruity drink and now I want to find a recipe and make some myself! The throw is pretty strong, so as with all of the Lab's booze scents, I prefer not to wear it to work, but this would be fun for hanging out on a warm summer day or wearing to a party.

The Anti-Saloon League - I love this! Love it! Love it! Love it! It's one of my top 3 scents of 2010. It opens up with a perfect balance of sarsasparilla and cream. It's sweet and delicious, like a root beer float. The cream perfectly balances out the sweetness of the sarsasparilla. The scent is so pretty. I don't usually like foody scents, but this one is awesome! On my skin, it lasts and lasts and I get gorgeous wafts of an almost vanilla-like sweetness around me. It's really wonderful and I'm so glad it didn't turn to plastic on me as I feared.

Banned in Boston - On me, this is dark and heavy, and I could swear there's both leather and paper in this scent. It's a grungy scent, not remotely sexy, just kind of dirty and dry. It's really hard to describe. I kind of like it, but it's not sweet enough for me.

 

Boomslang v2 - The chocolate in the proto is much more subtle than the chocolate in the released version. The Snake Oil dominates the blend with the chocolate giving it a delicious boost. I don't particularly care for the released version, but I'd wear this prototype regularly if I had more than a little bit of it. For a Snake Oil lover who is not a chocolate scent fan, I really love this one.

Oceans of Love and Millions of Kisses Bath Oil - Why did this have to be released when I went through my short-lived I-must-exhibit-self-control-and-not-buy-EVERY-bpal phase? It's so unfair!!! Why? Because I just got a imp-size vial of it and it's GORGEOUS. I love it! I would slather it all over me every day if I had enough. I love the way the orange blossom and honey blend together, leaving it sweet, and floral, and slightly powdery, and very feminine, and just really, really lovely. Need more!

Mme. Moriarty Claw Polish - This is a stunning shade of red. It's a very classic red and makes me think of silver screen divas for some reason. The first time I wore it, I had time to put on one coat only, and then never had a chance to apply another one that day. One coat didn't look great, but only if you looked up close. The second day, though, it had already chipped and had significant tip wear. This is pretty normal for me, but it was worse than normal, probably because it was only one coat. After applying a second coat, the glossiness of the color really stands out. Both in the sunshine and in the shade, I can see my own detailed reflection in the polish -- double chins and all! Two coats is almost enough, but I think next time I wear it, I'll apply a third coat for full coverage. With two coats, there are a few spots (particularly visible in the sunshine) that seem "thin" -- they just don't seem to have the same depth and richness of color. Overall, this is a really beautiful blue-based red that is very sexy and classic.

Gun Moll - I am in love with this. Head-over-heels in love. I think this may be the best new scent in 2010 (IMO). When I first apply, it's predominantly opium poppy (!!!! a favorite note that I was hoping would be strong in this blend ) and tobacco leaf, with a powdery hint of amber, the gorgeous, sultry floral of night-blooming jasmine, and the faintest spicy hint of clove. As it dries down, the opium note fades significantly, leaving behind a scent that doesn't smell like any distinct notes, but more of a musky and slightly spicy warmth. The first thought I had when I smelled this was, "Whoa, people might stop searching so hard for Noir if they can find this instead!" They don't smell the same, but have enough of a very similar feel about them. I prefer Gun Moll. This is going to age gorgeously. I love it. Love it. Love it. Love it.

#154 - this is drop-dead gorgeous. It's a lovely base of amber with a healthy dose of tiare. It's so tropical and gorgeous. I don't have words for how amazing this scent is. If there's anything else in it besides amber and tiare, I have no idea what it might be. Who cares? This is to die for.

#183 - In the bottle, this is the most awesome smell! It's super sweet and pink Hubba Bubba bubblegum sweet. I could sit there and huff the bottle all day long. Sadly, my skin takes horribly to bubblegum and turns it into dust. But of course I have to try this on my skin anyway. Immediately under the vanilla-bubblegum scent is a bright flash of something green... it's not grass, and it's not flower stems... maybe it's melon rind? No... that's not it. I have no idea. And guess what? While I'm still trying to figure out the green thing, all of a sudden the dustiness starts to take over and pretty soon all I can smell is a heavy, heavy layer of dust over a sweet base of vanilla. Stupid skin chemistry. I can't wear any of the bubblegum scents. Someone who loves bubblegum would absolutely adore this. It really is an awesome scent.

 

#140 - My very first thought is that this reminded me of some liquid medicine I had to take as a child...but I couldn't quite peg it. It definitely wasn't the grapiness of Dimetapp. Finally, it hit me: it's the smell of liquid antibiotics. You know how for kids or pets, they'll give them a heavy, thick, liquid amoxicillin that has the pink shade of Pepto-Bismol and a smell/taste that's supposed to be cherry or bubblegum, but really just tastes like artifically-sweetened bitter antibiotics? That's exactly what this is. It's liquid amoxicillin. There is definitely some cherry in here -- black cherry, I believe, but I have no idea at all what the other notes are that are making this scent smell so medicinal. It's not bubblegum because it hasn't turned to dust on my skin. So yeah, aside from vanilla and black cherry, i have no idea what else is in this, but the effect is oddly intriguing since it's absolutely a dead ringer for liquid amoxicillin. It's not what I want to smell like, and yet I can't stop sniffing it in the bottle because it's such an interesting scent.

 

#4 - This smells like an east Indian restaurant. It's vanillaed curry. It's a pretty strange scent. It's way too foody in all the wrong ways.

Mountain of Bone - This is a great scent. It's definitely a fruity, white wine spritzer scent. The fruit is something tropical....maybe lychee? It's definitely wine spritzer without being boozy, it sparkles without being champagney, and the fruit is sweet and tropical and lovely. I like this a lot. It's perfect for summer.