dementia_divine

In the decant: I can detect all of the notes in this. The champaca magnolia and the white honey are the most prominent notes, but the tobacco and the vanilla are definitely present. The combination of the white honey and the tobacco in this remind me somewhat of Fallen Woman hair gloss. Wet: The champaca magnolia, the white honey, and the tobacco make an appearance. However, floral becomes far stronger than the other notes. That said, it isn't nearly as strong as the champaca note in Arise, Lift Up Thine Eyes and See was when it hit my skin. I think the combination of the white honey and the bourbon vanilla must be taming the floral. The tobacco is still present, and I'm finding that I really enjoy this note when it is mixed with florals and a sweet note (like in Fallen Woman hair gloss or Summer Lace). Dry: Champaca magnolia made less sharp by white honey and a strong tobacco note. As time goes on, it continues to mellow out, and the vanilla makes itself known. Verdict: This would pair really nicely with Fallen Woman hair gloss, so I am considering ordering a bottle of this!

In the decant: Strong mint with mandarin in the background. Wet: Mint and mandarin. The mint isn't nearly as strong as it seemed to be in the decant. It's a soft mint. I can't really say that one note is stronger than the other. When I inhale deeply, I get the warmth of the mandarin followed by the coolness of the mint. The green tea leaf is lingering in the background. Dry: This dries down to a bitter mandarin and mint scent at first, but after a while, the mandarin becomes the most prominent note, with the memory of the mint in the background. Verdict: I won't be needing a bottle of this one, but I am glad that I was able to try it!

In the decant: The lavender is the dominant note, but there is a hint of plum blossom and rice wine. Wet: The lavender is the dominant note, but I can detect all of the notes (including the ginger that I wasn't getting in the decant). It is mostly lavender and rice wine at first. The notes, from strongest to weakest, seem to be as follows: lavender, rice wine, white ginger, and plum blossom. However, the plum blossom is starting to emerge more the longer this sits on my skin and ends up becoming one of the dominant notes. Dry: Plum blossom is now the dominant note, followed by lavender, and then rice wine and ginger. Alas, it is starting to give me a headache. Verdict: Although I'm a fan of lavender, I guess I prefer it mixed with sweet notes, and I'm not very fond of the plum blossom. I won't be keeping my decant.

In the decant: The mimosa is the most prominent note. Wet: I'm mostly getting mimosa from this. The scent reminds me of candy... perhaps a candy necklace? Or maybe it is Sweethearts, Sweet Tarts, or candy wafers? It has been a long time since I've had any of those types of candy, but I know this scent reminds me of one of them. Dry: Mimosa and a hint of honey in the background. This one is strong! Verdict: Oddly enough, this might be too sweet for me! It really does remind me of candy. I don't need a bottle of this one, but I'm glad that I was able to try it.

In the decant: This is odd, because each time I sniff the decant, I get something different. On the first sniff, I get this blast of unexpected citrus. On the second sniff, I get intense sandalwood followed by the citrus scent I mentioned earlier. Hmm. Wet: Lots of candied lemon! I'm not really getting anything else from this at the moment. After a few minutes, the candied lemon scent is still at the front of the blend, and the resins are lingering behind it. Dry: The aforementioned lemony scent and some booziness thanks to the sake note. Verdict: This isn't bad, but it isn't 'me.' I won't be getting a bottle, but I'm glad that I was able to try this! *edit* After a while, the booziness went away, and now all that remains is a very light lemony scent.

In the decant: Extreme green tea! I can't smell the agarwood or the tobacco in the decant. I can smell a hint of them if I inhale really deeply, but mostly, it's just the green tea note! Wet: The green tea note is the dominant note on my skin. It stays that way for the first few minutes, stomping all over the other notes. Then, the agarwood and tobacco start to peek out. The agarwood adds a somewhat resinous quality to the scent, and tobacco adds a bit of smokiness. The green tea is still the dominant note, and the tobacco comes in second. Dry: Smoky green tea. Verdict: This is nice, but I prefer the green tea and honeysuckle combination of Shanghai, so I will not be needing a bottle of this.

In the decant: Damn! The myrrh is the most prominent note in the decant. The rose is present, but I am mainly just getting myrrh from this. Wet: The myrrh is the dominant note. The resins and the rose in this remind me of other resin-y rose blends that have emerged lately, like Ossa Arida, The Future Ball, and Little Pythia. Dry: The blend is no longer sharp. It is now sweeter, and I think that can be attributed to the amber honey. Nevertheless, it is still a resin-y rose blend. Verdict: If you're a fan of the resin-y rose blends I mentioned above, or just happen to like the combination of rose and resins, you will probably like this. However, the myrrh is too prominent in this blend for me. I won't be needing a bottle of this one.

In the decant: The cherry blossom seems to be the dominant note, followed by the pink rose and the lilies. I was hoping this would be a sugary floral, but the honey doesn't seem to be very strong in the decant. Hopefully that will change once it hits my skin. Wet: As soon as it hits my skin, I get the cherry blossom and rose notes. I thought the rose was threatening to overtake the cherry blossom, but actually, the lilies claim the center stage. At this point in time, the lily note is the strongest, followed by the rose note, and then the cherry blossom. I'm not getting much honey from this at all. It's more of a floral blend than a sugary floral blend. I was hoping to get more of the cherry blossom and honey from this, but I suppose I will have to stick to Reflected Vulva as far as the cherry blossom is concerned. Dry: The aforementioned florals and a hint of the cherry blossom. Verdict: Too much floral, not enough honey! This will not be a bottle purchase.

In the decant: This smells really pretty. Thanks to the simplicity of this blend, I can now pinpoint Bulgarian Rose as one of my favorite rose notes. This is the rose note that I really like in Two, Five, and Seven. I am not too familiar with white amber, but I can tell that it is there. The rose and the white amber go really well together. Wet: The rose and the amber aren't really competing for dominance. There is the sweet rose note that I love mixed with a really pretty amber scent. The amber is not powdery. Dry: My favorite rose note blended with an absolutely lovely amber note. Verdict: This was actually one of the scents I culled from my original decant list, but I asked my decanter to waitlist me for it at the last minute, and she was able to make a decant for me after all! :] I'm so glad it turned out that way, because this is such a beautiful scent! I will definitely be keeping my decant, and I may end up getting a bottle of this one.

In the decant: The champaca flower is the dominant note, followed by the golden amber. This combination of notes reminds me of BPTP's House of Unquenchable Fire atmosphere and linen spray (with more champaca and minus the awesome other notes). I'm not getting any of the vanilla note in the decant, so I hope it emerges on my skin! Wet: The champaca flower is the most prominent note, and the amber remains the second strongest note. I really hope the other notes make an appearance, because I don't want this to be a champaca-dominant blend. The blend seems to be getting slightly sweeter the longer it sits on my skin, but the champaca is still the dominant note. Dry: The vanilla has made itself known. Huzzah! I am also getting a hint of the nutmeg. However, the champaca remains as the dominant note, and the amber is still present. This scent stays close to the skin. Verdict: I like the drydown of this scent, but it is so faint that I really have to press my nose to my skin in order to smell it. I don't think I need a bottle of this, but I'm glad that I have a decant!

In the decant: I was hoping I would mainly get green tea and apple blossom from this, but the wood note is the most prominent. I'm not sure if it is the bamboo or the golden sandalwood (or both). The green tea and the apple blossom are present, but the woody notes were rather prominent on the first sniff. After further sniffing, I would say the green tea is the most prominent note, followed by the woody notes, and then the apple blossom. Wet: Green tea, apple blossom, and a woody component. The apple blossom is becoming stronger the longer it sits on my skin, and I am glad. It is now mostly apple blossom, followed by green tea, and a hint of woodiness. Dry: Apple blossom, bamboo, and green tea. It is very faint and stays rather close to the skin. Verdict: After Reflected Vulva, this was the Shunga I was most looking forward to. I like it, but I don't love it. I will keep my decant, and likely give this a full day test before the Shungas come down, but it is so faint that I doubt I will need a bottle. *edit* The longer this was on my skin, a vegetal quality started becoming more prominent. I think it was the bamboo. I wasn't particularly fond of that phase, so this definitely won't be a bottle purchase.

In the imp: The apple blossom is the strongest note, followed by the other florals, and then the honey. Wet: The apple blossom is the most prominent note on my skin, and I am loving it! I think the honey is adding a bit of sweetness to it. The rose and the ylang ylang are in the background. The apple blossom note is beginning to lose its 'apple' aspect and the blossom is becoming more prominent. At the same time, the rose is starting to make more of an appearance. Dry: A faint apple blossom and rose scent. *edit* About an hour and a half later, it is predominantly a golden honey and rose scent that still stays pretty close to the skin. Verdict: I like this one, but I wish it had more staying power. I have plenty of apple and rose scents that have more staying power, so I won't be needing a bottle of this one, even though this is rather pretty. I'll definitely keep my imp, though!

In the imp: I'm mainly getting lavender and resins from this. Wet: Lavender and resins. I am getting some gardenia and pear as well. The more this sits on my skin, the weirder it gets. It is now an herbal, resin-y pear scent. I'm not enjoying it. It is becoming less sharp over time, and now it is pear dominant, with the herbs, resins, and florals in support. The gardenia and the herbal aspect of this blend is somewhat reminiscent to BPTP's Three Impossible Errands bath oil. Dry: It's a rather odd scent. There's a sweet aspect from the pear, an herbal quality to it, and then the floral and resin-y components. Verdict: This isn't really my cup of tea. I won't be purchasing a bottle of this before it is discontinued, but I will keep my imp of it since I'm collecting imps of all of the Mad Tea Party scents.

In the imp: A salty floral blend. I think there may be a lavender note in the floral component of this scent. I hope this ends up being more of a floral blend than an aquatic one. I'm generally not fond of aquatic scents. Wet: The salty tears are the dominant note. This note, combined with the floral note, makes the blend veer into 'soapy' territory. Okay, this is odd. The florals are more prominent now (although I am not getting any lavender on my skin), but this note, combined with the salty note, is giving me the impression of a bathroom cleaner. Oh no! Dry: The blend seems to have rounded itself out now, but something in it is still off-putting. I think it is the floral component of this blend. Verdict: I will stick to my sugary florals. I am going to keep my imp of this (as I want at least an imp of everything that has been in the Mad Tea Party collection), but I won't be upgrading this to a bottle.

I bought this because I love the combination of lavender and vanilla. In the bottle (when it first arrived): The blend is lavender-dominant in the bottle. It is not an herbal or medicinal lavender; it's a sweet lavender. I'm not sure what cotton blossom smells like, but I think I can smell a bit of what must be that note, and a hint of bergamot as well. I really like the scent of it in the bottle (but then again, I am a lavender fiend)! In the bottle after a week of settling: Sweet lavender, what I believe to be cotton blossom (although I am not familiar with the note), and a hint of bergamot and vanilla. I think I am getting a bit of the hinoki wood and oriental blossoms as well, but I am not familiar enough with those notes to know for certain. Wet: Lavender is the dominant note! It is a sweet lavender, and the vanilla is making it even sweeter. I am loving this thus far! This is not as sweet as TKO, and I think the cotton blossom adds a bit of a 'clean' element to it. The other notes seem to be hiding in the background. If I inhale really deeply, I can detect a faint trace of them, but the sweet lavender and cotton blossom notes steal the show. Dry: Sweet lavender, vanilla, cotton blossoms, and perhaps hint of the hinoki wood. Verdict: I am so glad that I ordered a bottle! I'm not sure I need a back-up of this one (as I prefer TKO and Capax Infiniti), but I'll definitely be keeping my bottle.

I am reviewing this as a moisturizer (and not as a product that has been used in the bath). This smells like something familiar (although not like anything I've tried in BPAL land). The black tea note is rather strong, followed by the vanilla orchid. I don't really smell the vanilla itself in the bottle. Oddly enough, I keep detecting something vaguely like a white fruit note even though there is no fruit note listed. It probably isn't a fruit note, but the combination of the tea and the orchid really reminds me of something, and I just cannot pinpoint it! Once it hits my skin, I get the scent of the black tea and vanilla orchid that I could smell in the bottle, but it isn't as strong. I'm not really getting the vanilla absolute on my skin at this point. The orchid is the most prominent note, followed by the black tea, but the scent just seems to be getting fainter over time. I have to really press my nose to my arm to smell this one. The scent doesn't really change. Alas, the vanilla absolute doesn't really emerge at all. It's a floral and tea scent. I will keep my bottle and probably use it as a moisturizer on the days I choose to wear Dorian, but I won't be needing any more of this. I thought this would be my favorite BPTP Luper when I read the scent description on the website, but unfortunately, the vanilla I was hoping for doesn't show up on my skin, and the scent is light.

Upon opening the bottle, I think, “Chocolate!” The cacao is the dominant note, but I can smell the coconut and vanilla as well. This smells delicious. Alas, it is not nearly as awesome on my skin as it was in the bottle. It isn't as chocolate-y on me, and I can see why someone might get suntan lotion for the coconut and shea notes, although it doesn't quite veer into that territory. The cacao note has become more prominent after this blend has been on my skin for a bit, but it is definitely a cacao note (and not the chocolate that I originally got from the bottle). After a while, the cacao note mellows out, and the vanilla cream makes more of an appearance, but all of the notes are still present. I will certainly keep my bottle, but I think the one bottle will suffice! *edit* Almost an hour later, the scent rounds itself out even further, and the cacao, vanilla cream, and coconut notes remind me of a Magic Bar without the crust. Yum!

When I first sniffed this in the bottle, it reminded me of something familiar. Eventually, I figured out what it is. The combination of the floral and the tobacco reminds me of Summer Lace (one of my favorite blends, although it contains a different floral note and a caramelized tobacco note). I can detect all of the notes in this. When it first arrived, the white honey note was the most prominent, but when I sniff it now, it is a rich, creamy scent of the florals, white honey, and then the tobacco. In my damp hair, I can smell all the notes as well. The white honey seems to be the strongest, followed by the camellia, and then the tobacco. The tobacco in this does not make my hair smell like an ash-tray, for those who are concerned about that. It really does remind me of Summer Lace with a different floral note, minus the fruity notes and cognac, and with white honey in place of the vanilla cream. In other words, I love it! I can't stop sniffing my hair! As my hair dries, the tobacco seems to be coming out more, adding a somewhat smoky quality to the scent (without making one smell like they are a smoker). I will definitely be keeping my bottle, and I may buy another before it goes away.

In the bottle: It has a candy-like quality to it that might somewhat reminiscent of a note one would expect from apple-flavored hard candy. That said, it is not a candy-like green apple scent like Rapunzel in Ballpoint. It reminds me of Golden Delicious apples! Golden Delicious apples are my favorite, and I am so happy to have a scent with a yellow apple note! It is definitely a wonderful sweet (not tart) apple scent. Wet: When it hits my skin, the candy-like note is there for a few seconds, but then it is becomes the scent of a sweet, juicy yellow apple. I am loving this! It is strong, too! Dry: It seems to be getting somewhat sweeter over time, and I am wondering if this syrupy sweetness can be attributed to the birch. I am not familiar with this note, but I am pretty sure it is not coming from the apple note itself (and I know it isn't the apple blossom). Verdict: I adored the scent of this in the bottle and in the wet phase. Once it is dry for a while, it becomes less like an actual apple and more candy-like. The boy says that it smells like Jolly Ranchers and that he can smell it from across the room. I wouldn't compare it to a Jolly Rancher, but it does remind me of something, although I can't pinpoint what that something is at the moment. I will be keeping my bottle, but I will probably use this in a scent locket to prevent it from going too sweet on me. I'm also curious as to how this will age.

This one reminds me of candy! Another reviewer mentioned a candy necklace... I think that's an adequate description of this scent. I mainly get the sugar and the lemon, and then the peach, and after it settles for a while, I get the floral tea note (but it isn't nearly as strong as the other notes). I really like it! I wouldn't say that it is a winter scent as it is probably better suited for spring or summer, but it's very nice. My decant is almost empty, and I will be needing a bottle!

This. Is. Amazing. It starts off as intense mint, but the vanilla is definitely present, and it reminds me of a buttermint. As it starts to settle, though, it reminds me more of a minty buttercream frosting on top of a cupcake. It actually has really great staying power despite it being a mint-dominant blend. I can walk into the room I've sprayed it in several hours later and still smell it. I even asked my boyfriend if he had sprayed some in one of the rooms once, but he hadn't -- it was just still going strong from when it had last been sprayed. Needless to say, it smells delicious. My boyfriend walked into our apartment one day asking what smelled so delicious, and he was disappointed to discover that it was the atmosphere spray and not minty buttercream cupcakes. This one is back-up worthy.

I have used this as an after-shower moisturizer a few times prior to writing this review. I concur with what others have been saying: this does not smell like the perfume oil. It is heavy on the snow note, which seems to be more minty and far less sweet than the perfume oil. While the perfume oil is a chilly vanilla rose on me, the bath oil is mostly minty snow with a (I hate to say it...) disjointed rose note. I shall have to elaborate on what I mean by this. When the rose does emerge, it pokes out and does not have the chilly vanilla snow of the perfume oil complementing it. This bath oil still layers well with the perfume oil, and would layer well with other snowy scents as well, but it does not make me think 'Snow White with rose in place of the other florals' like the perfume oil does. I don't dislike it, but it was certainly wasn't what I was expecting. I will keep my bottle, but I won't need a back-up of this one.

In the bottle: Definitely masculine, but more promising than I thought it would be. The lavender is prominent, but I can smell the clary sage, sweet oakmoss, and a bit of the leather as well. Wet: I am mostly getting the lavender fougere and the leather. The lavender fougere is the most prominent note. I'm not a big fan of leather notes, but I'm finding that I can wear this one. I can smell the polish as well. The blend seems to be getting sweeter the longer this sits on my skin, and the florals are starting to peek out now. Dry: Dapper, indeed! Mostly sweet oakmoss, clary sage, and a hint of leather. I hope that the bourbon vanilla comes out more as this ages. Verdict: This was a pleasant surprise! I will definitely keep my bottle, but I don't need a back-up.

In the decant: Well, I am not sure exactly what I am smelling. Something in this did remind me of a frozen river at first, and I can detect some woods, but the more I smell this, the more I just don't know what I am smelling! Moss? Woodsmoke? Pickles!? I need to stop sniffing my decant now. Wet: At first, I get something that registers as somewhat soapy to my nose – I am not sure if it is the snow note in this blend or the icy river. I definitely agree with those that have said this is rather masculine. I do get a sense of “grey” when I smell this. Dry: This turned into a rather soapy aquatic on me. Verdict: I'm glad that I was able to try it, but this just isn't my kind of scent.

In the decant: Sweet wine, currants, and resins. Wet: I am getting the sweet wine and currants still, but the resins quickly became the strongest on my skin. The sweet wine and the currants are lingering in the background. I am not getting any of the snow at all. Unfortunately, I don't seem to be getting much of the tonka, either. Dry: Fruity resins. Verdict: Not my cup of tea. I'm glad I was able to try it, though! *edit* I ended up using my decant in an oil burner, and it was a very lovely room scent with a decent amount of throw!