kwelge

2005 version, from ebay. Apparently, my skin *adores* amber. Good thing I do too! Bottle: Amber, plus something slightly... creamy? Wet: Amber with some sweetness. Less spice than The Lion, I think it's closer to the florals of Brisingamen (both loves of mine). Also some sort of creamy note. Might be the tonka? Dry: Ooooooooh, I LOVE this. This stays slightly creamy, slightly floral and perfumey amber. Happy and relaxing vibe, medium throw. Good lord, I'm glad I gambled on this working out on me -- I have a bottle coming from the Yule update this year, and can't wait to see if it's the same!! Verdict: HOARD scent. --- ETA: 2006 version from lab A little more powdery than the 2005, probably due to aging. However... a warning. Apply LIGHTLY. I applied the normal amount of 1 drop to hands and neck, and ended up with this overpowering, golden smell wafting up and around me for the next several hours... and I was in a semi-crowded place. I'm a little worried that I might've caused one lady's coughing fit, though she said she'd had a cold for a few days. Verdict: Good, but I'll need to cut this one with some carrier oil to make it wearable -- I don't want to cause coughing fits in people around me! One bottle'll do me, and I may imp some out.

Ever since I started my BPAL addiction in late June, I wondered what the whole deal about Samhain was, especially since I'm super-patchouli-shy. Not big on smelling like a dirty hippie, and I've had it smell pretty dirty on me in other blends. BUT I ordered a bottle to see what everyone was going on about. Looooooove. Starts earthy, smoky and slightly musky, goes woodsy and appley. Ends up as apple cider and pumpkin pie, with a little smoke. YUM. My SO and family strongly second the love.

Bottle: Wow, caramel apple! Wet: Crisp, juicy green apple under sweet caramel... second the reviewers mentioning butterscotch. Dry: Mostly caramel/butterscotch, a little apple peeking out occasionally. Verdict: YUM. BPAL will make a foody out of me yet!

Bottle: Incense, maybe some floral -- rose? Wet: Oh lord, FLORAL. I think there's some incense somewhere... Dry: OW. Headache, prolly brought on by the intense intense florals. Dear lord, why? Later: Eventually the florals put down the sledgehammer and give my poor aching head a rest -- but that's one baaad hour. It evens out to a rather nice, mellow, incense and rose/floral scent. Verdict: Uncertain. I wanted to like this one, but I don't know if I can withstand the SUPER FLORAL stage. :/ Worth another try, then it goes to swaps.

Bottle: Oh lord, please don't be like Jack (too buttery/foody). On: Hey, there's pumpkin, but it's not straight up foody -- it's tempered by some sweetness, grounded by something. Maybe that's the Egyptian amber or other fruits? Dry: YUM. I can do this kind of foody. Definite pumpkin, but with a nice balance of amber from the Lion and slight spice. Seems to be a bit ephemeral, but excellent fragrance. Verdict: Definitely glad I got a bottle. Might consider getting another before she departs. The Queen was worth the wait! ETA: I can't spell. >.<

Frimp from lab! Hooray! Was too timid to order it myself. In the imp, it's a strong cherry-almond. Wet: More cherry-almond. Drydown: Oooooooh. I'm definitely getting fruit -- berries? But it's a dark, languid blend, there's something toning it down. Not sure if that's smoke or incense. Maybe some sweet spices too? Not too sweet overall, I really like the balance between darkness and sweetness. Verdict: Intriguing blend, sorry I can't identify it any better. This is definitely an OMG blend. Sticks around for quite a while too, with medium throw. I just hope the boy likes it, 'cause I think I'm in love. On the bottle list.

On first try, I found myself thinking, "Why does this smell so familiar?" Liked the scent, especially the cool sparkling minty-grapefruit, but couldn't quite get it. Until tonight, when I put on a dab and asked the Sam to take a sniff. Response? "Toothpaste!" Minty-fresh I like, but not on my skin. :/ Shampoo scent was mentioned above, sounds like a good idea.

Wet: Yeah! Strong-ish wafting spicy sweet goodness! Dry: Where'd it go? Ahh... it's become a lovely dry, slightly creamy, spicy-sweet skin scent. Has some real lasting power too, since it's still strong on my skin ~8 hours later. Verdict: Love the scent, wish it was a tad more waft-y, but it's safe to wear to work 'cause I know I won't knock people out. And I hear it only gets stronger with aging.... so that makes it a bottle candidate.

YUM is the first word that comes to mind. This turns into honey and rose/orange blossom on me. Strong honey and headiness in the wet phase, dry-down brings out the florals. I think the sandalwood's keeping it grounded, but I can't pick it out. Melds together very nicely on the skin. Verdict: I LOVE you, Jezebel. On the bottle list

Imp: ginger. Wet: Where'd it go?? I can barely smell it! Dry: Faint ginger and honey, maybe a little cream? Verdict: Spot on for a very faint version of my The Thymes Ginger Milk Whipped Body Cream. Love love love the lotion, especially in winter. However, I don't need a weaker version. Nice to meet you, but you're going up for swaps!

Imp: Hrrrm? Is that cinnamon? Doesn't smell like it, smells like... wintergreen? Time to read the reviews and make sure I'm not losing my mind. Wet: MENTHOL! Now with tremendous throw! My sinuses are certainly clear now. Clearly, I'm in the wintergreen crowd. So... batch problem? Or skin chemistry problem? Dry: The tremendous menthol throw is gone after 30 min to 1 hour, so I don't smell like the Halls super-strong mentholated cough drops Dad used to use. Now it's a subtle mint plus floral, I think, and a little warmer than the cool menthol blast stage. This part is ok - actually pretty. I think I'm getting some woods/moss in the background. Verdict: The second stage is interesting, but I don't think it's worth the menthol blast to my sinuses. I'd only use this when sick, so it's going to swaps.

Given the fabulous reviews here, I was super-excited when I managed to find a bottle on ebay. Figuring 'Hell, why not? Worth a try!' I got it. Foolish, foolish me. Wet: Oh god. Awful. Can't put my finger on it. Cloying and kind of 'funky' smelling. Second try I finally figured it out: it's EVIL PEANUT BUTTER!! Or very close to it, with a 'mildew-peanut butter-y' smell. I so wanted to love you, Blood Moon! Dry: The awful mildew smell finally goes away after 30 min-1 hour, but then it's so faint. I get a skin scent of spices and herbs -- I wanted YOU to be prominent! Not the awful mildew smell! Verdict: Clearly a no go. Will be going up for swaps. Someone else will love it...

Imp: Is that.. pineapple? And peach?? So confused. Wet: Slightly sweet, golden PINEAPPLE!! YUM! (I ADORE pineapple. I find it slightly weird to smell it on myself, though. Dry: The pineapple-y scent is tamed a little by something more solemn and also golden -- maybe the olive leaf or some wood note? Not sure, but it's herbally/leafy. The two notes kind of cycle - one sniff is pineapple, the next is the more restrained note. Interesting! Verdict: Still kind of confused, but this is cool. How brilliant! Might be worth a bottle later, but definitely keeping the imp for now.

Imp: Water with a bite of ginger, slightly sweet. Wet: Water with more ginger, definite sweetness. Floral starts peeking out. Dry: Soft blend of florals, water, and a little hint of ginger. Another lovely light floral! Verdict: Alas, my skin eats it. :/ Probably not a bottle candidate, but planning to keep the imp.

Imp: Sharp water notes. Wet: Clear, sharp water with throw! Dry: Softer, quieter, skin scent of clear blue mix of water and flowers. Lovely light floral + aquatic. Verdict: Really nice, will probably keep the imp. Wish it lasted longer on my skin though, which keeps it from the bottle-worthy list.

Frimp from lab! Thanks for getting me to try new things, guys. Imp: Wet: Oh god, BO + SOAP! I didn't think that was possible... but something is familiar, in a very bad way. Dry: A little smoke, overcome by Drury Deodarant SOAP!! Now I remember where I've smelled this before... Incolite is right on the money. I so wanted to like this one, after hearing about the plummy violet purple goodness. Alas, jasmine strikes again, under cover of "night-blooming flowers" -- woe to this new bpal-er. Alas, 'twas the mugging villain again and I knew it not! At least I know to avoid this incarnation of jasmine in the future. Verdict: SWAP.

Imp: Definitely citrus. Wet: Yup, that's grapefruit all right -- fresh and astringent. Ooo-ee! Dry: Hey, refreshing citrus tea with a little spice and faint tinge of floral. It's got waft and staying power, too! Could still smell it ~5 hours later. Verdict: My skin ate Shanghai and Kumiho, but LOVED this one. Maybe it preferred the grapefruit? In any case, this is now THE spring/summer scent for me. Definitely going to get a bottle sometime in the winter to prepare for job interviews in the spring. Love all over here -- Beth, you are AMAZING.

Frimp from lab -- thanks guys!!! Imp: Whoa. Strong... something. Some herbs in the background? Wet: Oh god, barely dabbed on and I feel it's gonna eat me. Hell, this has throw! Something is strong and sharp and maybe a bit soapy - oh shit it's not that note in Nyx, is it?? Whatever that was, the jasmine or the myrrh, clocked me over the head and mugged me! Dry: Becomes less weird-soap-like, more complex and sweet. I'm smelling honey! And kind of a resiny feel -- must be the myrrh. And a hint of almond. Interesting. Verdict: I'm intrigued. Will keep the imp for now, continue testing -- I'm not sure how I feel about it! So confused. Not sure if it's really a me scent, either. Thankfully, I think this helped isolate that myrrh is all right for me (go resins!), but jasmine is the headache-inducing thug-scent for my skin.

Mmmmmm. Lovely. Decided on an imp of this after Brisingamen showed me the glory of amber. I'm getting the image of lightly sweet mirror cakes dusted with cinnamon and sugar, sitting in front of a sleepy golden Lion. Golden amber with nice spice to round it off for an hour or so, then its mostly an amber-y skin scent. Totally addictive. I'm definitely keeping this one!

From my very first order with BPAL -- I read the reviews and decided to chance it and order a 5 ml of Shanghai. Bottle: Lemon tea!! Wet: Lemony tea, with just a hint of sweetness. Nice and crisp. Dry down: Lemon fades a little, tea becomes slightly more prominent. Dry: Tea with lemon and a bit of sweetener. This reminds me of hot summer days in Texas, when Mom would make iced tea, then add a few slices of fresh lemon and a packet of sugar. It's very close to the taste of that tea. Lasts for a few hours, and it's a more personal scent -- it doesn't waft much at all (good in a hospital environment, where I work). Verdict: Ohh, I'm so glad I got a bottle. I'm not sure if I like this one or Kumiho better; I think they fit different moods. I see Shanghai more as an everyday scent, with Kumiho for the highlights -- presentations at work, days when you really have to be on and completely together. Mmmmmmm! These tea scents are fabulous!

A pick from my first order. I was looking for a nice, light, non-floral-y scent for the office/everyday wear. Bottle: Nice, fresh, restrained citrus with a hint of ginger. Wet: Mmmmm, light lemon and tea. Gingery note comes out on dry down. I looove this. Dry: Gingery tea, YUM! The scent doesn't last too long -- only a few hours at most. But it's so wonderful! Sophisticated and incisive. The imagery of the perfectly coiffed professional is right on the money. Verdict: Love this, strongly considering a bottle. If only it lasted longer!! I've tried Shanghai and love that too, and I think I'll be trying Embalming Fluid in the future.

Gift imp from lab (thank you!!). Again, good thing, 'cause I wouldn't have picked it. Bottle: Strawberry! Kind of sweet and boozy, though. I'm a little worried. Wet: Ooof. Like rotting, slightly moldy strawberries. Something dark under them - is that the poppy? I adore strawberries, but if I saw these in the store, I sure wouldn't be tempted. Dry-down: Wildness of that strawberry smell, tamed/darkened by poppy. Not quite as sweet this time (it was super-super-sweet melted candy smell last time I tried it). Dry: Still slightly boozy, unrestrained, darkened (poisonous?) strawberries. Interesting concept in a bottle. Well done! Verdict: People have mentioned both goth Lolita and little girl tea parties. This smell has more ominous foreboding in a somewhat innocent exterior than little girls' tea party to me. I can totally see this as the Maenads who tore Orpheus to shreds. I like it better this time than the last, but it's also that time of the month. I guess a third try is warranted before it goes to the swap pile, but it's not worth more than this imp to me; cool concept, but fruity/boozy is just not my kind of smell.

Gift imp from lab (thanks guys!!). Good thing too, or I wouldn't have ordered it. I'm a little shy around strong wafty florals + random incensey notes. Bottle: Nose wrinkle. One of these notes doesn't seem to bode well for me. I think I'm getting a hotel sharp soap, almost like bad deoderant smell. Like the bath soap that the Drury hotels used to put out. Wet: SOAP!!! Can barely pick out notes of floral. They're getting mugged and beaten over the head by the soap. Dear lord, is that what my skin does to myrrh?? Dry: still strong, sharp, deodarant-style SOAP!!! Verdict: Hm. It is that time of the month, so it warrants another go later... but this is *that close* to being the first on the swap list. I read so many good reviews on this, it makes me sick that my skin hates it - but if it fails the second test, someone else will love it.

Brisingamen was actually the second BPAL I tried. I hadn't been a perfume person before, either -- was lead to BPAL by a good friend and the descriptions hooked me. So, I can't really identify scents yet, but here's the general impression. Bottle: Mmm. Smell a little of the blossom, some amber; alluring, but not brick-bat style overpowering. Wet: Whoa. Stronger than in the imp. Apple blossom, plus other undefinable goodness. Maybe that's the myrtle blossom. Dry down: Lovely golden amber starts coming out. Becomes slightly powdery, in a good way. Dry: Ohhh. Golden, slightly powdery amber. It hangs around for a few hours, then it's just clinging to my skin. Verdict: I think I like this one. Need to try some other amber scents first, but this is definitely a bottle candidate. I just wish it had a little more waft -- I look a little odd with my nose <5" from my wrists! Caveat: This does NOT work on me at that time of the month. I'm trying it again right now, and the wet stage is somewhat unpleasant -- sharp soap? Ugh. Still slightly soapy on dry down, though it looks like the amber might pull through in the long haul. EDIT: 30 min after the caveat: Spicy-sweet amber!!! I'm guessing the spiciness is the carnation? I LOVE this.