dementia_divine

I have a decant of the 2013 version. In the decant: I am mainly getting a somewhat sweet floral with the other notes lurking in the background. Wet: The floral is still prominent, but the other notes are emerging as well. This definitely has a “perfume-y” quality to it. Dry: This is still quite perfume-y and a bit sharp. It's a dark floral blend. It's very well blended, so it's difficult to pick out individual notes in this. Something in it reminds me of something, but I can't pinpoint what that is. Verdict: This isn't bad, but it's not really me (I prefer sugary florals). I don't really see myself wearing this one again.

In the decant: Lavender. I love lavender, so I am looking forward to this! Wet: This lavender is familiar. Is it the lavender in TKO, minus the awesome marshmallow-y sweetness? *goes to smell TKO* No, I don't think so. I am sure I have sniffed this lavender note before, though! Drydown: Slightly resinous lavender. The benzoin seems to be making more of an appearance the longer I wear it, and it is helping to sweeten up the blend. Dry: Well, this was unexpected. Perhaps the oudh started peeking out some more, because it seems to be somewhat masculine, and a lot more resinous than it was before! Verdict: I had high hopes for this, but I prefer my lavender mixed with sugary notes (as opposed to other herbs and resins). I may test this again, but it has turned a bit too masculine for my liking. No bottle for me.

In the decant: Slightly sweet pale florals with a touch of greenery. Wet: Same. Dry: It pretty much stays the same, except slightly sweeter. I am somewhat reminded of The Silver Stream (which I didn't like), but this isn't soapy at all. I think there might be an aquatic-quality to this that makes me think of that blend. Verdict: This isn't a bad floral blend if you like pale florals. I wanted to try it due to the daffodil note, which doesn't seem to pop up very often. This is nice, but I don't think this is bottle worthy; however, if there ever happened to be a sugar or marshmallow single note, I would LOVE to layer it with this. (If such a single note does pop up before the Proserpines go down, I would definitely order a bottle of this so that I could layer them both.) (Also, I'm glad to discover that narcissus works on me, so that means that it was likely just the violet that ruined A Farewell to False Love for me.)

In the decant: Lightly sweetened frankincense. Wet: It is getting sweeter on my skin, and I am enjoying it thus far. I definitely get why people are bringing up benzoin. This is lovely. Dry: Ah, I just cannot stop sniffing this! The bourbon vanilla really complements the frankincense. This is just made of win! The sweetness in the blend actually reminds me of the drydown of Lush's Twilight perfume (but with resin instead of lavender, obviously), which is probably why I keep thinking of benzoin. Verdict: I am enjoying this a lot more than I thought I would. The bourbon vanilla and frankincense notes are so lovely together! I think I need a bottle of this.

In the decant: Frankincense. Wet: Strong frankincense with a slightly menthol-like quality. Dry: It pretty much stays the same. It's very strong and woody. It reminds me of an old wooden chest or an old bookshelf. Verdict: Not really my cup of tea, but I'm glad to have tried it.

I think Shanghai is wonderful! You might like it if you also like green tea and honeysuckle. The crisp, clean scent of green tea touched with lemon verbena and honeysuckle. If you like green tea, but aren't very fond of honeysuckle, Embalming Fluid might be for you. It is not as strong as Shanghai (on my skin), but it's a nice, refreshing, lemon and green tea scent. A light, pure scent: white musk, green tea, aloe and lemon. Happy Baby in a Long Dress was limited edition, but I've seen it in a few sales threads on this forum. It is very lemony! Lemon sugar and lavender buds. And, of course, Lemon-Scented Sticky Bat would be a great option for you as well!

This one is very similar to Shanghai, with its green tea and lemon notes. However, I think this one was stronger on the lemon at first. It is a nice, light, refreshing scent, and it's perfect for the summer. It does not have much throw or lasting power, though, and faded after a few hours. This is one that definitely needs to be reapplied to last throughout the day. I already have a bottle of Shanghai, so I won't upgrade my imp to a bottle. I think that Shanghai has more lasting power (although it sometimes needs to be reapplied as well, it doesn't end up becoming non-existent on my skin at any point -- the same cannot be said for Embalming Fluid). I also prefer Shanghai because of its honeysuckle note (which I adore), but this would be a great substitute for those who like the green tea and lemon in Shanghai, but can't do honeysuckle.

In the decant: Sickly sweet, like a caramel-coated sticky bun. Wet: Same, but it seems like it is even sweeter now! It definitely smells 'sticky.' Drydown: It stays in that sickly sweet sticky bun phase for a while. It's strong. In fact, it never stops being in-your-face sticky bun on me, but there is a musty quality to it that makes me think of sticky buns in an old lady's house. I definitely get the 'cobwebby' note in this one. Verdict: This is just... not for me. I won't keep the decant.

Note: I do not own the original Miss Spink, so I cannot compare the two. In the decant: Something sickly sweet and floral. Wet: The sickly sweetness is present, but the floral has intensified. Later: The floral is still dominant. It is really strong. I don't know if it is the floral that is sweet, or the other note, but I'm not liking this. Drydown: Okay, the floral has mellowed out... finally! This is a sweet floral blend. I am somewhat reminded of violet, although I doubt violet is actually in this due to the notes of the original Miss Spink blend. I am not fond of violet, so something in this blend smelling reminiscent of that note is not a good thing, and I think that's why I'm not enjoying this. Verdict: This scent is definitely not for me. I don't plan on keeping the decant.

Note: I have not tried the released version, so I cannot compare the two. In the bottle, it's definitely a tart green apple with a snow note. The apple and the minty snow note are very prominent on my skin when first applied. The apple is sweeter when it is wet on my skin than it is when it is dry. Later: The apple is crisp, tart, and there is a bitter undertone. It's as if the skin of the apple is present in the scent. Drydown: The apple and minty snow notes are still present, but they are a lot softer. The musk is the most prominent note now, with the other notes residing in the background. I would say the musk is the strongest, then the snow, and then the bitter apple. However, that really varies -- the scent I'm getting from the crook of my elbows (which is a lot stronger) is not the same scent I am getting from my wrists. Curiouser and curiouser! I think I actually prefer the wet phase to the drydown. I love apples, and I love snow notes, so I am glad that I have a bottle of this. While it is not one of my favorite BPAL apple scents (I think that is mainly due to the fact that it's green apple instead of some other apple variety, and it is somewhat bitter), I'll definitely hold onto my bottle.

This is definitely an aquatic floral. I don't really know how to describe it, but it's strong. I don't think that it's terrible, but it's not really me. Unfortunately, I put this on, and my boyfriend said that it smelled like flowery poop. He elaborated on that and said that it smelled like somebody tried to cover up some poop with a bunch of flowers. I don't get the 'flowery poop' association. There is a bit of a soapy quality to the floral. It is slightly sweet, and I can detect some greenery in this as well. I usually like florals, but I can't say that I really like this one. As I said before, it's not terrible, it's just... not really my kind of scent.

I was really excited to try this one, mainly due to the snow note. In the imp, I could detect a soft mint, the 'glass' description, and a bit of a soapy-vibe. On my skin, I still get the soft mint, I can envision the glass of a snow globe when I sniff my arm, but there's a slightly soapy vibe still. I am pretty sure that there is a floral in this, and I'm not sure if I like it. I am generally fond of florals, but I just really wasn't expecting one in this particular scent. It's probably the floral contributing to the slight soapiness I am getting from this scent. (That said, I don't know what the 'glycerin' note is supposed to smell like). Furthermore, when I think of a snow globe, I don't think of florals at all. I'm kind of disappointed, actually, because I was expecting more snow and less... this. *edit* All of the snow is gone now, and all that remains is violet. I am not fond of violet, so that explains my dislike of the floral note! I thought there might be violet in this earlier, but I wasn't sure... well, I can definitely say that it's violet now. Verdict: I will not upgrade to a bottle, and I don't think I will hold onto the decant.

This was the scent that I was looking forward to the most from the last Coraline update, and it does not disappoint! In the decant, it seems somewhat reminiscent to Bliss, with a brownie-like quality, but the brownie-like quality isn't nearly as strong as it is in Bliss. On the skin, that brownie-like quality disappears, and it's the most wonderful, rich, creamy hot chocolate (made with milk, and any marshmallows or mounds of whipped cream have turned into a frothy foam near the top of the cup). I wouldn't say that it has great throw -- it has medium throw for the first few hours. After a few hours, it stays rather close to the skin. It's lighter, it's creamier, and there's less chocolate. But damn, it is GLORIOUS, and so realistic! This is definitely bottle-worthy, and I'm sure it will be fantastic in the winter! *edit* Grammar.

Note: Patchouli and I rarely get along, so normally I would have passed on this, but I decided to get a decant and try it out anyway. In the decant: I mostly get a musty vibe. Wet: I would say that it is VERY true to its description at the moment -- all of the notes seem to be very well blended, because I can't really pick out the patchouli! Dry: There is definitely a musty, heady, resin-y vibe. It's still true to its description. I can envision an old wooden trunk, or a really old bookshelf. This scent reminds me of another BPAL scent I have sniffed before, but I can't pinpoint exactly which scent that was. Verdict: This is a lot more pleasant than I thought it would be (especially since the patchouli didn't end up being the dominant note on me)! It's not something I would normally wear, though (I generally dislike wood-dominant scents). That said, I may end up getting a bottle of this, anyway... my boyfriend loves it! *edit* Several hours later, it is a bit sweeter, probably due to the bourbon vanilla in the blend.

In the bottle: Butterscotch. Wet: The butterscotch-like sweetness is quickly fading, and ginger is becoming the dominant note. I don't know if there is cinnamon in this (I think there might be), or if the ginger is just really, really strong, but it started burning my skin in the elbow area and on my neck, leaving it visibly red, and I had to wash it off. I decided to leave it on my wrists, which didn't seem to be bothered by it, just to see if the ginger would calm down and allow the scent to morph into something else. When the sweetness fades (and that happens really quickly on me), it's basically just, I AM GINGER, HEAR ME ROAR. Dry: Ginger is still the dominant note. I'm sure there are other notes in there, but I'm not familiar enough with them to detect them. I'm mainly getting 'spices.' Verdict: Ah, Dwarven Ale, I had high hopes for thee. Alas, we were not meant to be.

I bought the plaque for my boyfriend, hoping he would also like the scent. I knew from the scent description that it would not be for me, so I didn't test it. My thoughts on this scent are from getting him to test it (although he did so reluctantly). In the bottle Me: Wow, that is some STRONG patchouli! Fans of the Sumatran Red Patchouli will probably love this. I personally can't stand patchouli. Boyfriend: Old tequila. Wet Me: It is still very patchouli dominant. Earthy and smoky. Boyfriend: *not liking it* Dry Me: The patchouli is still the dominant note, but it has calmed down a bit, and I think some of the other notes (not sure which ones, though!) helped to round out the scent in the end. Boyfriend: *still not liking it*

Wow! This is one very sweet atmosphere spray! The 'popcorn and nuts coated in molasses' note is the dominant note in this blend, and it is really strong! I sprayed two sprays in my livingroom yesterday evening, and it lasted for several hours. Every time I walked down the hallway toward the livingroom, it was BAM! in-your-face sweet popcorn! It lasted for several hours. In fact, I could detect traces of it when I walked into the livingroom this morning. I can't really detect any of the other notes in the blend, but I suspect that they add to the warm, sticky-sweetness of the blend.

Origin: Decant from TrailerTrashPrincess' decant circle In the decant: Well, this smells like something oddly familiar. 'Tis Froot Loops (or some variety of fruity cereal when it is dry)! Wet: Froot Loops! Dry: The Froot Loopiness lasts for a really long time, and then it begins to morph into something completely different after a few hours. The ginger and the wood notes become the prominent notes, and it stays rather close to the skin (unlike the Froot Loop phase, which was a lot stronger). Verdict: I didn't buy a bottle of this because I thought it would be woody for me...and I was wrong! I don't love it enough to hunt down a bottle, but I may buy one if I see one pop up for sale one day. I actually enjoy it in all of its Froot Loopy glory!

Origin: TrailerTrashPrincess' Decant Circle I bought a decant of this because I thought that I might like the mint, lime rind, and juniper berry, but I was worried about the khus. In the bottle: IN YOUR FACE MINT, lime rind, and something grassy lurking underneath (the khus). Wet: "Hey, look at me! I'm all mint and lime!" The mint is VERY intense and tingly (almost unbearably so). Then, the khus (a.k.a vetiver -- I hate vetiver) became more prominent on me, and now when I sniff it, it reminds me of farms, and really grassy green tea that ends up smelling and tasting like hay (I'm not sure if the khus and the matcha are probably contributing to that, or just the khus). Song of nature, indeed! Dry: All of the mint seems to have gone away, and the once strong scent stays rather close to the skin now. I don't really know how to describe it now, the khus is still there (but not nearly as strong), and it's an herbal scent. Verdict: I was tempted to wash this off at one point. I knew that I wouldn't want a bottle of this as soon as it reached what I refer to as 'the nasty-ass farm phase.' If you really dislike vetiver (a.k.a khus), stay far away from this one!

This is definitely an autumn scent. The spices (especially the cardamom) and musk are really strong in the bottle. Wet: The spices dominate, especially the cardamom, and I'm reminded of Indian food. Dry: The spices have settled down a bit, and the scent is reminiscent of Masala Chai tea. I thought I would love this, but it didn't end up being my cup of tea.

Ah, Wild Dandelion, how I adore thee! I used to pick dandelions and rub them on my skin when I was a little girl, so I knew I had to have this. It smells like a field of dandelions! It is definitely a fresh dandelion flower. It is very green. Oh, and it is very strong. It's not like holding a bouquet of dandelions in your hand. It is like rolling around in a field of dandelions. I love this, and I wish I had ordered more than one bottle. *edit* Grammar.

I am not a fan of patchouli, so I'm not going to give my review of this, but I thought I should share my boyfriend's thoughts on it. I bought a bottle for him because some of his favorite scents contain patchouli. In the bottle: Chocolate and patchouli. Wet: Intense earthy patchouli. Dry: Fresh turned earth. I thought he would love this, but alas, 'tis not so! I guess he only likes patchouli when it is blended well with other notes. He put some Scherezade over it, and liked it better that way, but he's not overly fond of the single note itself.

I bought this because it is a floral single note, and I tend to love florals (save for jasmine and violet). I didn't know what Sweet Pea smelled like, but I decided to try out a few imps containing that note to help me decide whether or not I should order a bottle (Mouse's Long and Sad Tale, Juliet, and Titania). After having a pleasant experience with the imps, I decided to order a bottle, as I didn't want to miss out! I am SO glad that I ordered a bottle of this. It is such a lovely, sweet floral. I do get a touch of greenery from it. It's simply wonderful. I think I may need another bottle! This is really great on its own, but I think I may layer it over Mouse's Long and Sad Tale because I tend to amp the sandalwood note in it. Alas, it doesn't have much staying power on me, but I do live in a dry climate. If you are contemplating throwing a bottle of this into your next order, and you happen to be a fan of florals, do it!

Uncle Brian is, by far, my favorite of the Pickman Gallery: A Tremulous Song scents, and this wasn't something I had expected at all! I am generally not fond of fruity scents, and when I read the description, I thought it sounded like it would be too sweet, but I was curious, so I ended up getting a decant. I am so happy that I did! I now have two bottles, and a third bottle on the way. I'm wondering if that will be enough! I can detect all of the notes in the description, and the cotton candy seems to become more prominent over time. This is such a wonderful, summertime scent!

I love apple scents, so I'm glad that I went straight for a bottle! This is definitely a green apple. It goes on pretty strong for the first hour or so, and though the throw isn't as strong after that, the scent itself didn't fade on me, and I still got whiffs of it throughout the day. Last time I wore this scent, it lasted for at least 10 hours on me. My boyfriend said that it reminded him of apple-flavored candy. I can see the apple-flavored candy comparison, although this blend does not smell like an artificial apple scent to me. I don't get any soapiness from this blend, and I think it will be a great summer scent!