Schmoozy

With Hay absolute I am reminded very briefly of Hay Moon, until the pumpkin rind enters the picture. It feels warm, and sunny, and the twisting vines give off a sweet, light floral feel. Maybe not so much floral, but more green. I get the metallic note but it is nowhere near as metallic as egg'd mailbox, more like mechanical phoenix. Overall a needle in the haystack is a beautiful sun kissed, green pumpkin laying in hay with a touch of metallic.

Overall I am just amazed at this years pumpkin patch. So many begin as a buttery pumpkin and then the other notes come into play and the pumpkin melds so beautifully with everything else. # 4 is no different from the others. I was worried about the honey, as we really don't get along, but I can barely detect it. Thank goodness. Smoky vanilla and the cherry tobacco is what sweetens this for me. I wish I could smell the pine, but alas it is hiding from me.

Holy citrus pumpkin. This is really refreshing. Kinda foody, but more drinkable than eatible. I can detect everything seperately, and then I huff again and am simply blown away by how it all blends together to makes this pumpkin blend, cool, citrusy, and well rounded.

First Sniff: Buttery pumpkin with a hint of leather and teak. On Skin: Buttery pumpkin melding with leather. Teak and orange and a little black musk round out this blend. It is hard for me to realize that the pumpkin does not last. It leaves behind it's butteryness and spice and combined with leather and orange, makes this very unusual. Drydown: Although the pumpkin fades, this just keeps getting better. The tonka and orange, a bite of black musk and teak amp beautifully on my skin. Final thoughts: Ahhh, totally bottle worthy. A decant will not be enough.

First Sniff: Pumpkin Spice with a dallop of mango. On Skin: The pumpkin in this blend reminds me of Jack. Not so much a "wham" in your face pumpkin, but the spice and butter I associate with Jack. Mango combines really well with pumpkin, softening it, and persimmon and coconut give it a certain depth that makes this possibly my favorite pumpkin this year. Final thoughts: I really enjoy how the coconut is the last note I can smell from this blend. A tropical vibe that screams fall. How ironic.

First Sniff: Earthy and boozy with a slight vanilla note. On skin: Hello bay rum. Wow, not what I was expecting. It is masculine, and peppery/spicy. There is a herbal quality to it, and with the addition of vanilla this scent is all over the board. Drydown: The tobacco note comes out and along with masculine Bay rum the spicy/peppery vanilla quality has toned down. Final thoughts: Sweet, but masculine. Hellbound starts off weird, but as it goes through it various morphing stages, it turns into this really stunning blend.

First Sniff: Sandalwood and roses, with a hint of beeswax. On Skin: Roses, glorious roses. After you get past all the rose, there is a stunning combination of florals mixed with sandalwood and frankincense. It is spicy, warm and delicious. Drydown: This only gets better with wear. The florals along with rose give way to sandalwood, and it settles so beautifully on my skin. Final thoughts: I am going to have to pick up a bottle of this. My decant simply will not be enough.

First Sniff: Orange custard cake with a hint of anise. On Skin: I adore how this starts off foody, but immediately the anise note takes over and gives this cake a bit of bite. I can barely detect funeral flowers. Drydown: The custard/cake notes remain in the background, while the orange and anise become more dominant. It is spicy with just a hint of floral. Final thoughts: I love it. It is foody, but has a kick. It's the perfect foody blendy, as it is not to sweet and actually sticks to my skin and lasts.

Autumn leaves scattered among blades of grass. There really is no better description than that of the name of this scent. It literally is the smell of a blade of grass. Sweet, green, wet and ripe. Absolutely beautiful.

First Sniff: Wet, plump bamboo, lotus and wisteria. On Skin: Soft sweet florals, touched by wet bamboo followed by air. I adore Beth's bamboo scents, and this is stunning. It is crisp and wet, and I want to say lush, but this isn't a spring scent. I can see how it encompasses the coolness of Autumn. When the night's are cooler and there is frost on the ground in the morning, but yet the blooms of summer are still full and robust. This is that scent. Drydown: This doesn't change at all. It remains crisp and the bamboo is really dominant. The florals linger to the back and I am left with a feeling of sadness, as fall starts to fade, blooms die, and it gets colder outside. Final thoughts: I have to get multiples of this. Weenies usually are not my thing but Autumn Coolness is a not so surprising winner that I covet.

First Sniff: I think I may have a mislabelled sugar skull?? On Skin: Sweet, caramel, strawberry, and brown sugar... I really am getting a sugar skull vibe that is hard to shake. It's a little sweeter, maybe stickier? Drydown: The sweetness fades away, and I am left with a hint of berry and caramel, and a pleasant musky note that really meshes with my skin chemistry. I can see the comparision to Sugar Moon. Final thoughts: This one is odd. I really like it, but it isn't anything like the notes from the description. I am going to have to retest at a later date.

First Sniff: Almond, coconut and sandalwood. On Skin: Sweet honeyed figs, coconut, greens, and sandalwoo. There is a touch of almond in the background. I can't believe how comforting this scent is. Besides comforting, can I just say I feel very sexy as well. The sex appeal reminds me of O. It must be the honeyed almond milk. Slightly foody, but there is this presence of green from the fig leaf. Drydown: For the most part sweetness from honey can be a hit or miss. Thankfully, the honeyed almond milk and all it's sweetness, fades fast and drops completely to the background. I am left with fig and coconut and sandalwood. Final thoughts: A beautiful, comforting scent that makes me feel like the most sexiest woman alive in my grannie panties and flannel nightgown.

First Sniff: Chrome, Gardenia and Ambergris. On Skin: Mmmm, beautiful. Vanilla white tea, amber, chrome and gardenia. This is crisp, fresh, and slightly masculine. I can't believe how much I love the smell and feel of chrome. It almost gives off an airy/ozone scent. Dry Down: While the gardenia simmers down, Vanilla musk, white tea and chrome remain very dominant, and together they morph really well. Final Thoughts: This remains crisp, bright, masculine but pretty. Definitely bottle worthy.

First Sniff: Spicy Musk. On skin: Gingered musk, heady, thick, with mums dancing around, even though their crushed. Drydown: It has gotten spicier, and muskier and the mums are still dancing. This is absolutely beautiful. There is a sweetness and foodiness to it that must come from the ginger. Final thoughts: Great Throw, long lasting blend, that is unusual and very pretty.

First Sniff: Cool, sweet floral with a touch of cedar and musk. On Skin: The feeling that spring is in the air. Cool, airy, an hint of floral. There is not one floral that is dominant, a spring bouquet, that is more green and leafy than full of flowers. White musk and cedar, combined with violet, and a leafy green bouquet. Drydown: This doesn't morph much. It gets a tad bit sweeter, and the bouquet of florals seem to bloom slightly with primrose and snowdrop branching out. I love white musk and the combination with cedar makes this ever so sweet. Fianl thoughts: Truly a coming of Spring oil. This has light, sweetness and growth. Great throw, and long lasting.

First Sniff: Ozone, gears and grease. I smell B. On skin: Wow. This smells like my husband. It's oily and masculine. Metallic and manly. Wait...do I detect a blast of floral?? Drydown: This is amazing. It smells like B's jacket, oily, but clean at the same time. Final thoughts: A keeper. Unisex, but at the same time, more masculine than anything. A perfect scent to slather on my pillow and binky, when B's away. smirk...

First Sniff: Sweet grapes, almond and carnation, On skin: I definitely smell burgandy wine grapes, mingled with dragon's blood, almond, tonka and carnation. The sweetness comes from red musk and mimosa, and there is a dry quality to Blood Phoenix. Dry Down: The wine grapes along with red musk and dragon's blood, seems to get a heavy, thick scent and Feel. The sweetness of the musk simmers while Neroli and tonka are more dominant now. I can't smell carantion anymore and the myrrh is trying to make an appearance. Final Thoughts: Overall a lovely blend. I was worried at first with the sweetness and florals, but as it dried down they went away and I was left with a heavy, heady red wine tinged with dragon's blood, red musk, tonka and neroli.

First Sniff: Soft forest mist with a hint of rose. On Skin: A whimsy forest scent of mainly pine, and alder. It feels slightly wet, and as it dries down, the white rose seems to poke it's head through the mist. Drydown: This is so soft, and gentle and while I love all types of wood, the notes of alder leaf and misty forests are not at all overwhelming. Even rose which has a tendency to overpower everything is just as faint as the wood. Final thoughts: Stunning, soft and really gentle. Wonderful, but light throw, that is not powering my senses. A new but old favorite.

First Sniff: Juicy, sweet bamboo reed. On skin: BooBam is a fresh, sweet and extremely juicy bamboo with a hint of hibiscus. There is a wonderful green quality that screams spring, and for some reason the sweetness feels very fruity. Drydown: The hibiscus is the major note now, and the bamboo has faded into the background. The wet, plump feel of bamboo is still evident as is the greenness. Final thoughts: Beautiful. Great throw, and I love the similarity to Holiday Moon.

First Sniff: Cinnamon and clove with a touch of vanilla. On Skin: Pretty much a spicy vanilla with pine. The cinnamon and clove mingle together so well, and the addition of pine makes this yummy. Drydown: The pine goes away after some time, but pretty much stays true to the spicy vanilla scent on application. Final thoughts: This is going to be wonderful in the winter, and it will be interesting to see how it cocktails with sugar cookie, El dia de Reyes or any yules for that matter.

First Sniff: Exotic, spicy Vanilla. On Skin: Starts off earthy with a touch of herbal spice. It is dark and mysterious. Drydown: Vanilla and spice, with a herbal, medicinal vibe. Final thoughts: Absolutely beautiful.

First Sniff: Wet, sweet, juicy snake oil with bamboo. On Skin: Fresh cut bamboo combined with wood. The bamboo is sweet, juicy and plump. Habu is green, woodsy and very beautiful. I love how the black musk compliments the notes of snake oil, making it slightly sweeter than it usually is. Drydown: Green, almost light herbally snake oil with bamboo and a touch of wood. This doesn't change morph much on me, and besides Green Tree Viper, this is definitely one of my favorite snakes. Final Thoughts: What else is there to say. Cooling, crisp, fresh snake oil. Yum.

First Sniff: Earthy, gingered Snake Oil On Skin: Dry, spicy cinnamon, touched by ginger. Unlike the first sniff, I can't detect snake oil, except for it's spice which is overpowered by cassia. It's Earthy, but at the same time there is a certain sweetness to it from the dry cinnamon. Drydown: Doesn't really morph much, and it does get a lot better than the initial application which was a little overwhelmin . Most of the notes blend well together, and become muted. There is snake oil, but it lingers behind. There is something in this that reminds me of Big red gum, or red hots. Final thoughts: Warming, comforting, and extremely spicy. Perfect for upcoming seasons, and aged I predict will be a hot & spicy little number.

First Sniff: Calla Lily and Snake Oil On Skin: Mainly wet calla lilies and muted Snake Oil. It is fresh, clean and sweet. Drydown: This doesn't really morph. The florals all blend together to produce a sweet, clean, spring scent. Lilies and linden blossom are the dominant florals and unfortunately snake oil is barely detectable. However, there is still the sexiness and spiciness aspect of snake oil mixed with the florals. Final thoughts: Fresh, floral, clean and playfully sweet. A different and muted, but still extremely comforting snake oil. Reminds me of Dirty, Antique Lace and Wensleydale.

First Sniff: Creamy, mint green tea laced with Snake Oil. On Skin: Starts off as a creamy vanilla mint with a small dose of chocolate. In the background snake oil appears and I can detect a whiff of green tea. Drydown: The mint appears to disappear and and I am left with a green tea snake oil, heavy on the vanilla. Fianl thoughts: A beautiful, summery and soothing version of snake oil. I would definitely have to say that this everything I love about BPAL. A classic scent combined with some of my all time favorite notes.