vividdreamer

I'm with Leopard in that I have no idea what a sugar-plum is. A plum coated in sugar? A candied plum? A prune? *shrugs* Wow. I like this...a lot. Which isn't really all that surprising, considering I ordered a bottle unsniffed, based solely upon the notes (and the name). And yet it *is* a bit suprising, because it doesn't smell a bit like I'd imagined it would. When applied (heavily) and still wet, I definitely smell Watermelon Jolly Ranchers, or some other similar red/pink hard, sweet candy. *sniffs again* Okay, specifically Watermelon Jolly Ranchers, without a doubt. Then, as it dries, things begin to soften up and even out, mellowing a bit. There's still the Watermelon Jolly Rancher in the forefront, but there are other notes sneaking up behind it, trying to dance their way into the scene and add a bit more depth. I *think* I smell plum, and there's definitely sugar there, though it doesn't really register with me as "vanilla infused" yet. Eventually, it does seem to transition into something more grown up, and I'm really glad, because the Watermelon Jolly Rancher phase just doesn't work well for me. Maybe it's the vanilla, the tiare, or the amber (or all three), but other notes comes out to play that mellow and round everything out into a really pretty sweet scent that has a bit of throw but not enough to be overpowering. I can totally see this one being appropriate for all seasons. Depending on how it ages, I may or may not need another bottle.

Ditto everything Omoidasu said. My favorite Starbucks drink of all time, bottled.

I knew when I ordered this that it wasn't something I'd wear frequently, but having been a Louisiana native all my life (and yet never spending a Halloween in New Orleans, wah!) I had to get it, even if I was scared by "the distinctive scent of the Mississippi." I'm normally not one who likes aquatics, and the Mississippi...well, it doesn't smell all that great (to me). Sniffing the bottle, I was a little scared. I braved through and put it on my skin, and as it passes through its stages: first REALLY aquatic, then lemony, then a bit of the earthy mossiness, and finally back to this beautiful, almost lemony sweet scent that I've smelled all my life, I called my best friend. Me: "What does Sweet Olive smell like?" Him: "It...it smells like, you know, sweet olive. It's all over the place there. It's got these..." Me: "Teeny little white flowers?" Him: "Yeah. Why?" Me: "'Cause I just got a perfume called 'Halloween in New Orleans,' and that's one of the notes, and it's pretty much all I smell. It's really cool." *sniffs arm again, noticing how everything has melded together* "It smells like being out by the lake with Sweet Olive growing everywhere. It's supposed to smell like Spanish Moss, the river, and Sweet Olive...and it really kinda does." Him: "Does it smell like Halloween?" Me: "No, not at all. But I like it. It smells like home." Him: "I want a bottle!" So...yeah. That's my review of this one. Totally nostalgic and definitely staying with me, even though it doesn't smell a damn thing like Halloween.

Not much that I can add here. Pink, sugared, butter cake-y goodness. With sprinkles. It has a little bit of a cherry/berry sourness at the beginning, but that wears away and it just ends up smelling fluffy and pink. I love it, but it doesn't last all that long on me (and I'm a slatherer). Thankfully this is one my 4 year old daughter can wear as well--she loves smelling like "rainbow cupcakes" (her words, lol) as much as I do!

When I saw the description of this, I knew I had to have it. Tell me that red musk--especially with honey--is in a blend, and I usually have to try it. Sometimes it can go horrifically wrong, like in Smut and Blood Kiss--those smell too animalistic and "musky" for me--but I love it in Snake Oil, Snake Charmer, and Womb Furie. In fact, one of the reasons I really wanted this was because I'm about halfway through my last bottle of Womb Furie, and I figured they'd be pretty similar. They are. But for some reason, this is just....oomph. This is dead sexy, but soft. I put it on and immediately swoon, and as it begins to dry and meld with my skin chemistry, I just keep swooning. There is a very, very brief period where it threatens to go to Play-doh, but that passes quickly enough, and I'm left with exactly what the description states, "a creamy, sensual, honeyed red musk." And it is GOOD. Man, is it good. I've been buying BPAL long enough to appreciate the artistry in everything Beth does even if it's not my cup of tea, but it's blends like this that completely fuel my fire and make me want to shout from the rooftops. There's no way you can find a scent like this in commercial perfumes, no matter how hard you try. They'd take this and add fifteen more notes and alchohol (of course) instead of recognizing this for the simple, perfect, beautiful scent that it actually is. I'm in love with The Infernal Lover, and she's in love with me. I need three more bottles!

I. LOVE. THIS. I knew I would...not only because of the notes, but also because I have a particular fondness for these moths. This is the perfect representation of them...it actually *smells* yellow and pink. Like pink lemonade. Tart, sweet and juicy and fabulous for summer. It's very, very strongly sweet and tart at first (which is awesome), and then the candy floss starts to peek out and soften things up again. A definite keeper, and backup bottles will be needed. ASAP.

Wow, apparently my skin chemistry is really weird. Firstly, this is SUPER strong on me. Unbelievable throw. And it smells like licorice and leather, with a bit of spiciness. None of this coconut goodness, no honey, no creaminess...it's a great scent, but screams "MASCULINE!" to me. I think it would smell killer (ha ha, pun intended) on the right guy.

When I first opened my bottle, I had a deja vu moment. "Oh, this smells SO familiar...what is it? What does this smell like?" I still have no idea, but it does remind me of something. In the bottle, it's spicy, but not overtly so...I almost think I detect clove or something in there. I feel like I can smell a bit of greenery somewhere in the background, but it's absolutely, positively NOT a "green" scent. On the skin, I definitely get a bit of skin musk ( ), a tiny bit of honey-sweetness (but not much at all, and definitely NOT the "sexy honey" of O and Womb Furie), and *maybe* something a bit milky. This is definitely a scent that sticks very, very close to the skin, and the more I huff it the more I am reminded of something soft and furry. I really, really like it. It's not something for everyday, and it's not a sexy scent. It's warm and cozy and comforting, and it does remind me a bit of babies/children, though I don't smell baby powder at all. It's one of those that almost smells like you're wearing nothing at all, but people want to nuzzle you anyway because of your own personal body scent. A keeper--not only for the smell, but also because the bottle is SO. FREAKING. ADORABLE.

This is fantastic. Gorgeous. Well, not exactly "gorgeous," because it is so simple, so sweet, so pretty. Oh, you want an actual review? Okay then. In the imp, this is almost strictly butter. The first thing that came to mind was the Buttered Popcorn Jelly Belly's, because there was that sweet buttery goodness. Now, I love buttery scents sometimes--Jack, for instance, is very buttery on me, and I love the butter in Knave of Hearts. Then, on the skin, the butter starts to fade into the background and I smell a bit of the warm bread and white sugar, along with tea. As it begins to dry, the tea note comes to the forefront, and it is a WONDERFUL tea note. I can see the comparisons to Earl Grey...there is a hint of bergamot or something similar, but with loads of milk and--of course--sugar. For some reason I often shy away from tea blends even though they often work well on me--Bakeneko is one of my favorite BPALS, and I love Dorian too. After awhile, everything melds together into a warm, creamy, delicious mix of notes that smell absolutely amazing. This is light and airy, yet incredibly comforting. It has great throw in the beginning, but after being on the skin awhile it starts to snuggle in closer and doesn't want to leave. It will be PERFECT for spring and summer, but just as wonderful in winter. Bread and Butterfly is an all-weather type of scent for sure. It makes me feel girly and feminine and beautiful, and I want to go put on a yellow and white gingham dress and twirl about in the sunshine. LOVE. Need bottle STAT.

I knew I was going to love this from the second I read the description. It's the only Luper that called out to me at all (which is odd, because normally this is one of my favorite collections). When I first opened the bottle, there was no mistaking what scent I was smelling...it was very obviously Snake Oil and O together. I swooned a little, because those are two of my favorite BPAL's ever, and together they are damn near...orgasmic, just as the description says. The only thing I don't really like about Snake Oil on its own is that I do have to age it for months before it really becomes wearable. Womb Furie doesn't have that problem at all...it's perfect straight from the Lab. As a matter of fact, I actually received a bottle of Snake Oil in the same order, and tested them side by side just to make sure. The fresh SO was very, very bitter and almost a tad astringent--if I were new to BPAL and tried fresh SO, I would probably wonder why there's so much hoopla about it. It just really isn't a very pleasant scent when it's fresh. Aged, however, it becomes an entirely different creature altogether. In contrast, Womb Furie was sweet and rounded and rich--all the things that you get from aged SO--but with an added "oomph" from the honey. To my nose, the honey in this is EXACTLY like the honey in O--it's sweet and a little dirty at the same time--and after awhile on the skin it turns a bit powdery, but not at all powdery enough to be off-putting. It gives the Snake Oil the added sweetness that you get after a few months of aging, and it also elevates it to something different and maybe even (dare I say it?) BETTER. This scent is languid, slow, delicious sex in a bottle, and I'm about to go order two more because I can only imagine how incredible it will be after it ages.

This is just gorgeous, both in the bottle, and on my skin. It's a soft, creamy, floral musk that somehow smells SO familiar to me but yet can't place. I can't easily identify any of the notes--the carnation is definitely there, and I suspect that the rose is too, but I generally don't do rose well at all, and yet this is perfection on me. The musks, amber, and vanilla round it all out into something so smooth and beautiful that I just want to huff the bottle (and myself) all day long. I may even try to grab another bottle, if I can. I really, really like this one, and it's unlike anything else in my collection.

Bottled Summer gloriousness. That's what this is. It's fresh and green and sweet and earthy all at the same time, yet those notes--notes that you wouldn't think would actually make a perfume smell *good* enough to wear, but perhaps it would be nice as a room scent--somehow transform into a light, fresh, beautiful fragrance. I ended up with four bottles, more than I've ever gotten of any other BPAL, except Snake Charmer Res.* I LOVE this for those days when I feel like it's "too hot to wear BPAL" because especially right now, in the 103 degree Louisiana humidity, this is just perfect for making me smell fantastic if we're outside grilling or drinking a beer...and it's almost as if I'm not wearing any perfume at all. I just smell like the best parts (to me) of being outdoors in the summer, and that's awesome. I'm DYING to make this into a body spritz, but I'm scared I'd screw it up and end up wasting my precious Planting Moon. *(Though, to be honest, I think I might have gone a bit overboard, because surely three is enough, right?)

Let me begin by saying that I barely have any idea what half the notes in this actually smell like individually. But, because someone else compared them, I have Smoky Moon on my hand, and Lune Noir on my arm. There's definitely a similarity (besides the obvious: they're both GORGEOUS) but Smoky Moon has this incense-y, intoxicating bit to it that's missing from Lune Noir. It's like Lune Noir with an extra dose of awesome. Love. Love, love, lovelovelovelove. I could wear this anywhere and get compliments, because it's just that perfect. Sophisticated enough for work, sexy (oh, so sexy) enough for a night out, and beautiful enough to wear around the house or when taking the kids to the doctor. Absolutely glorious. I am SO GLAD I got two bottles.

I really love this, and have been slathering with abandon. It's much more dark chocolate than white to my nose, with a background of Faith's sugared violets. I love chocolate (though I don't always love wearing it, and the Lab's chocolates are hit and miss with me) and I love violets, so I expected this to be a winner with me. And it is. It varies with the day, though...the first day it was fabulous on me, the second it smelled a bit sour. Today it's delicious again. I don't know if the time of the month has something to do with it or not, but I'm so glad I got a bottle of this one.

OH. MY. GOD. This is seriously the best blend I've smelled from the Lab in a long, long time. Maybe ever. Here is the description: In the bottle it smells okay. Not as strong as I'd expected. But once it's on my skin the bourbon vanilla just blooms and mingles with the caramel and sandalwood into something that is absolutely fucking gorgeous. It's rich and deep and dark and almost foody but not quite. The sandalwood and patchouli anchor it to keep it from smelling like food, but there's plenty of syrupy sweetness there too. Every once in awhile I catch a whiff of the caramel from Red Lantern (which I also like but can be overwhelming) but it is infinitely better. GUH. This is so sexy! I want more bottles. And now I want to try And There was a Great Cry in Egypt, because I've heard it was fantastic too. I've only tried a couple other Salons besides this and neither of them wowed me, but this is perfection.

Chanukkiyah and I have had a tumultuous relationship. When I first got my bottle, I hated it. Yeah, it smelled slightly foody, but there was something that kept putting me off. I think it was the olive oil/beeswax and fruits, because something just seemed too heavy and sticky and a little rancid. So I put it up for Swap/Sell, and I waited. And waited. And...no one really seemed to want it. It's been sitting there in my BPAL chest, gathering dust, because I just didn't like it and wasn't willing to give it another chance. I'd decided that I'd finally found a foody BPAL that I didn't like...at all. But then tonight I grabbed it for some reason, and sniffed. And...wow! That's sweet and sugary, a little maple-y, and I can smell the fruits way in the background. Fig! I love fig! So I slathered some on, and it was almost a magical experience. To my complete surprise, it smells REALLY nice on me. The brown sugar and fig are all sticky sweet, but the pomegranate gives it a bit of zing. And instead of smelling oily and gross, the beeswax and olive oil work to round all the notes out and bring everything together. They're still there, no doubt about it, but they just add mellow out the other scents and make them harmonize really well. This is smooth. Smooth and rounded, and really, really nice. I keep huffing my wrist and applying more to get that initial bit of pomegranate, because it works SO well here. After the oil dries, though, it's all brown sugar and fig, sweet and comforting and caramelized yumminess. I'm glad I kept it, and I'm so amazed and happy that it aged so well. I'm going to *try* and leave it alone until cooler weather, but it smells so good that I'm going to have trouble keeping my hands off the bottle. Incredible, really, what a few months of aging can do.

Hanami smells like spring to me. I absolutely LOVE it, even though I'm not generally a fan of florals. It's just so sweet and delicate and pretty and smells "pink".

It's really not my "normal" type of scent, but I absolutely LOVE BBW's (newish) Velvet Tuberose. (I think that's the name.) Hanami has sort of the same feel to me, for some reason, but is there anything else that is close?

So funny that many of us agree on the "golden" aspect of this blend, because that is *exactly* what I thought when I first applied it, even before I'd read other reviews. It smells golden. It's sweet without being toothachey, floral without being cloying, musky without being feral, and just all around gorgeous. I should have KNOWN to buy another bottle of this one...it's just absolutely beautiful on me. And I totally agree about the similarities to O--it's O with just a hint of currant (which I normally don't care all that much for), and everything works together wonderfully.

I absolutely LOVE this. I've gotten imps of this a few times, but I think I always sent them as frimps before giving Al-Azif a proper try. It's sweet, caramelly, delicous incense. I don't get any smoke or vetiver or anything harsh to this. It's sheer gorgeousness on my skin, and I love that the sweetness lingers on and on in contrast to the resins. Big bottle, STAT. (I so should have tested those other imps a LONG time ago!)

The chill waters of the Orkney coast, tea-leaved willow, honey-touched Grass-of-Parnassus, sea aster, and Scottish Primrose. Like everyone else has said, this one is a cool, melon-tinged aquatic. There's a definite hint of salt in there, and it absolutely reminds me of the ocean and summertime. I've never been much on aquatics, but I took a chance on this one based on all the lovely reviews. It's very nice--and VERY strong--but ultimately, it just wasn't for me. My Selkie went on to a much more loving home, thankfully!

I ordered Sapphics on a whim, because something about it just called out to me. There were a few notes that I had no clue about, but I wanted it anyway. And I am SO glad I did. I still don't know what half the notes in this smell like, because they all blend together so well on my skin that all I can smell is something beautiful. It's perfumey, but not overly so, and it just smells so...perfect on my skin. A little sweet, a little floral, yet grounded and earthy at the same time. I'm almost positive I'll be seeking out another bottle of this one.

Oh. My. Gods. When I read the notes of this one, I *knew* I had to have it. Amber? Tobacco? Coconut? Caramel?Spices? The only thing that worried me at all was the currant, but I hoped that everything else would overpower it because it sometimes turns sour/bad on me. When first applied, wet, it reminds me of booze. And then the other notes start to bloom and morph...and it becomes SO sexy and sultry and gorgeous. I can pick out all the notes (except the currant, thankfully), and it's just glorious. The longer it wears, the better it gets. I really think I need another bottle of this one, because as someone else said, this is what I feel like I'm *supposed* to smell like.

Wow, I'm glad I didn't order 2 of these. Ditto plastic. Ditto cheap vanilla candle. Ditto "HOW could this happen with such wonderful notes?" I can't decide between letting it age or putting it up for swaps. I'm SO glad that my other two Lupercalia purchases--Red Lantern and Sapphics--are gorgeous on me. And that's the irony of it all, because they were the ones I was worried about...I was *certain* Love's Philosophy would be 2 (or 3) bottle worthy!

So, I bought a bottle of Mme. Moriarty right after she came out, and used it a few times over a period of a few months before deciding to swap her away. There was something too "heavy" about it...the red musk was way too intense for me, the plum was too fruity...it just wasn't all I'd hoped for. Then, last week I decided to buy another bottle from someone to give her another shot. Oh. My. GODDESS. This is SO different from the bottle I had--so rich and *smooth* and sexy--that I almost couldn't believe it was the same oil. I contacted the seller just to ask if it was aged, and it turns out that it's about 9 months old. So THAT'S it! I knew from my first bottle that it would probably age well, but I was in the middle of my "I'm just cleaning out all my BPAL and going back to mainstream perfume" phase (STU.PID. Will never happen again!) so I swapped it. Man, what an idiot I am. This is *gorgeous*. Smooth, mellow, patchouli vanilla loveliness with just the perfect amount of red fruit. *sigh* I'm off to look for another bottle. I WILL have at least three of these before the Carnival leaves town.