glass_cat

Well, I'm one of those people who can't not try a BPAL that's as talked about and sought after as Snow White is -- especially when it's something I'm honestly interested in for the concept as well. I do well with most BPAL scents, as I have very agreeable skin chemistry, so I expected to like this. However, I honestly had no idea I would like it as much as I do! The minute I sniffed this in the bottle, I was blown away by how lovely it smelled -- something akin to a plate of Nilla wafers sitting next to a vase of lovely, white flowers. I agree with the impression that this is a "colorless" scent. There's nothing I smell about it that's anything other than pure, innocent, and white. It also smells just as beautiful on as it does in the bottle, and the scent lasts and lasts which pleasantly surprised me. I'm used to having scents like this one fade to nothing an hour or so after applying, but at 7 in the evening, I can still smell it even though I put it on this morning. It dries down to mostly mild florals and vanilla/coconut -- a scent combination that reminds me of freshly shampooed hair. I'm not sure how "wintery" it really is to my nose, but it definitely very much embodies Snow White for me. I smell coconut, almonds, and a hint of something that smells like vanilla -- a combination I equate with the qualities of sweetness and innocence. I also honestly felt I smelled Snow White's apple when I first put this on, although I no longer smell it after wearing it for hours. There was also a faint hint of some sort of greenery or woods, which I normally don't like but absolutely love in this since it's so mild. Overall, I would definitely say that Snow White lives up to all the hype. It's a beautiful scent that I feel could honestly be worn in any season and for any occasion. Definitely one of BPAL's must-try masterpieces!

Count me in for another "chocolate cherries" impression. This smells exactly like those wonderful chocolate-covered cherry cordials to me. Exactly. As a matter of fact, I can practically taste one right now just from the smell. I'm not really picking up much else, although I think I might smell a little dragon's blood in there. Normally if dragon's blood is in a blend on me, it amps up to the point of drowning out everything else, but this is not so in this case. It kind of hangs out in the background, keeping this from being a scent that's 100% foodie for me. Overall, I really like this blend and am pleasantly surprised but it. I've noticed it in the general catalog before, but nothing in the description really jumped out, grabbed me by the throat, and screamed "try me". I suppose that's why I love frimps! They're my chance to try things I otherwise wouldn't. Love-Lies-Bleeding smells like something I would want to dig up to wear on Valentine's Day. It is sweet, pleasant, a little playful to my nose, and very pretty all around, but it's not quite like any of the other BPALs I have. It doesn't morph on me at all, staying fairly constant from the time I apply it. The more I smell this, the more I really think I do like it, actually. It's quite possible that this will wind up on my bottle list one day soon. We'll see how attached to it I become. This scent is definitely worth a try if you like fruit-and-chocolate scents in any way shape or form, however this seems like the type of scent that might appeal to even those who don't if they're not put off by sweetness in a blend. It's really different and intriguing. Definitely at least worth a try.

Thankfully I get nothing of the plastic phase some people are reporting with the Candy Butcher, although I did get a brief hint of something that reminded me of Crayola crayons at first before it had a chance to dry down. It wasn't unpleasant though, hard as that might be to believe. Once this blend does settle down, it is predominantly rich dark chocolate paired with something creamy that smells a bit like vanilla. I also get a hint of something nutty hanging around in the background... maybe almond. (Perhaps that's where someone else's peanut butter cookie impression came from.) I find I'm reminded of that sinfully rich Chantico chocolate drink that Starbucks used to have in the winter time ages ago. I loved that drink, and I miss it... the scent and the warmth of it just as much as the actual flavor. However, I'm also picking up something almost floral in this as well. It helps it feel less like I just happened to have had a cocoa recently and more like I'm wearing some very heady and elegant perfume that just happens to smell a lot like chocolate, which is my overall impression of this. Candy Butcher is so heavy and rich that I almost think of it as a winter scent though. I don't know how much wear I'm going to be able to get out of it now that the warm weather is here. It will be wonderful for bedtime, and to wear when I'm hiding inside during the thunderstorms we get in the summer though. This is too beautiful a scent for me to not look for some kind of excuse to wear it at least semi-frequently. It's absolutely beautiful... at least on me. Definitely a must-try for those of you who love chocolate/candy scents!

A tribute to New York’s 21 Club on West 52nd, formerly the speakeasy Jack & Charlie’s Puncheon Club. This is the scent of the perfect martini. I got a frimp of Twenty-One with my last order, and I was thrilled. I'd been curious about it, but was hesitant about actually ordering it on purpose. I took it for a spin the other night while I was sitting around with my fiance watching Clark Gable movies. He's intrigued by my BPAL collection and isn't afraid to sit with me when I'm wearing something new that could go either way. This really does smell like a martini... one made with gin as opposed to vodka. It's fresh, cold, wet, and clean. Everything that makes a martini a nice experience. I really enjoyed wearing it, and I'm sure I'll wear it again. My boyfriend absolutely loved the smell of it, too. However, I don't think I would ever actually... oh, I don't know... wear this anywhere outside of the house? On me it doesn't smell like a perfume based on a martini. It smells like I've been actually drinking quite a few of them, and I'm not sure I want to make that impression, per se. However, that is definitely my only complaint. I love Twenty-One. It's worth trying for the novelty value alone.

I got this as a frimp with my last order as well. Usually when I first get my orders, I give all the frimps a tentative sniff right away so I can kind of decide what I might be in for and when might be an appropriate time to take them for a spin. I wasn't sure what to think of Malice. In the imp, it actually smelled kind of masculine. I almost gave it to my boyfriend for his stash instead, but I decided to try it first to check. The notes seemed like something that would work better on me than him. Patchouli is kind of one of those notes that I don't really love. I can deal with it in a blend if it's not too stong, but I'm definitely not one of those "oooo PATCHOULI" people. When I first swiped Malice on, all I could smell was patchouli, so yeah... I didn't expect to like it too much. After it had a chance to settle a bit though, it got much sweeter. The patchouli was still there, but instead of making the blend smell too dusty, it deepened it a bit and helped make it feel "malicious". After it settled even further, I could smell mostly the ylang ylang and the myrhh on me. The patchouli almost completely took a hike, which actually kind of disappointed me because I thought it really added something to the blend as a supporting player. At this stage, Malice smelled sweet, thoughtful, and languid. It's pleasant, but I'd love to smell more of the clove to spice it up a little. Damn skin chemistry. Overall, I do like this blend, and I will certainly wear it again. This particular scent is the type of thing I really enjoy wearing to bed or to relax, because I did find it quite calming despite the fact that it's supposed to embody malice. However, on me it's a bit heavy for the warm weather we're starting to get, so I doubt I'll be wearing it out of the house much. Big bottle? Nah. I like this, and I'll finish my imp, but I have similar blends that I far prefer and already possess bottles of. It's a very nice, pleasant scent though. Despite the apparent lack of any rose notes, it actually reminds me most strongly of Ouija and Rose Cross, two of my very favorite GC scents.

When Lucy Westenra first came out, I was very new to BPAL, so I wasn't ready to start taking chances on LE's yet. Otherwise, I'm sure Lucy Westernra would have been one of my first purchases. The character Lucy Westenra is a major motif in my life. People compare me to her, send me things that have to do with her.... you get the picture. Of course there is Lucy's Kiss in the general catalog, which I have and adore, but I've always wanted to score a bottle of the LE Lucy Westenra as well. I mean... there are two BPALs based on one of my favorite literary characters. How could I not want both? Needless to say I was thrilled to win a bottle on eBay recently for a very reasonable price. Lucy's Kiss, with it's innocent Victorian lady blend of linen and rose, always made me think of Lucy before she was turned into a vampire. Lucy Westenra makes me think of her after she was turned into a vampire. There's something in it that is quite aquatic, and it makes it smell incredibly clean and fresh, reminding me of Lucy's original spirit. However, the heavier florals, the blood orange, and something vaguely spicy and funereal that I can't quite identify make this smell like the bolder, blood-thirsty Lucy. This is still very much the scent of a beautiful, dignified, Victorian lady, but it's a lady that's been around the block and learned a thing or two about the dark side of life. After it's been on a while, Lucy Westenra dries down to a heavy-ish floral aquatic. I will need to remember to apply it with a light hand in the future, but I absolutely love it! It reminds me of Black Dahlia, actually, and that has been my go-to BPAL for days I'm feeling vampy for a very long time. I like that I now have an alternate for those days. I'm definitely glad I purchased this. I can tell I'll be wearing it often.

This is one of those ones I was eager to try, but wasn't quite sure how I'd really feel about it once it was on so I decided to forgo wearing it out to dinner last night in favor of trying it today when I was basically home alone with no one to offend if things went horribly awry. I really didn't know what to expect from this one when I first unscrewed the cap and gave it a sniff. It smelled very green. Now, I tend to really like the herbacious or grassy versions of "green" -- for example, I loved last year's Ides of March -- but piney or mossy greens are definite no's on me, and unfortunately in the bottle this smelled like the latter. Still, I give every scent a full chance before deciding once and for all, so I dabbed some on despite my fears that I might wind up smelling like a Christmas tree all day. This smelled totally different on -- much more complex than I was expecting. The greenery smell faded into the background almost immediately and a very warm, deep combination of incense and spices came forward instead. Now that I can really get excited about! After Valentine had a chance to settle down a little bit, he smelled a lot like some kind of wonderful, spiced cake -- or perhaps even a nice mulled red wine -- although I really wouldn't classify this as foody at all. The incense in this makes the scent as a whole feel dark, brooding, and even a little "churchy" a la Rose Cross or one of those, and I love that. Overall, the previously tried scent Valentine of Rome reminds me of most is Winter of Our Discontent, which I just adore. I actually wear that one almost all year round if the weather isn't too warm, and I've actually been looking for a similar scent to love. I think this one is it! Definitely try it if you're a fan of Discontent, too.

I've always really liked BPAL's wine scents, and recently I've been really into Neil Gaiman, so when I found myself with a little extra money to throw at the lab after my birthday, I couldn't resist picking up a couple of the Stardust scents. Obviously Fairy Wine is one of the ones I picked. I was already fairly certain it would work well on me, and it sounded like it would be a very nice scent for spring. I was right about it smelling spring-like and sunny, and I noticed that right away when I unscrewed the cap and took that first tentative sniff and proceeded to dab a little on. The dandelions are detectable right away. They make this scent feel very bright and warm. I can also definitely smell the wine right alongside something sweet and foody. Overall, this scent makes me feel like I'm sitting in a meadow on a perfect spring day washing down some angel food cake with a few sips of champagne. I definitely feel like the wine is champagne because, as someone above already said, there is a definite effervescence to this. It really smells fizzy... somehow. That aspect of this reminds me of another BPAL scent I love wearing in the warmer months... Bon Vivant. However, it isn't as undeniably sweet and fruity as that one. Fairy Wine still has a pleasant sweetness, as well as a hint of foodiness, but it feels "grown-up and fun" as opposed to "young and fun", which was the impression I got of Bon Vivant. This might be a nice scent to try both for those who loved Bon Vivant and similar scents, as well as those who almost loved it, but found it just a bit too sweet for them in the end.

Hmmm... this is a very interesting aquatic indeed. I've had good luck for the most part with BPALs aquatic blends, so I figured this would be nice on me when I got a chance to give it a try. As others have said, this has a very prominant grapefruit note, and it's definitely the first note that jumps out at you when you smear this on. It's a strong, tart, sour grapefruit though. No sugar on top, if you get what I mean. I personally don't consider it a bad thing though. I personally really like sharper citrus scents and wish there were more of them out there in the world. I also pick up salt and something green and damp that I can't quite put my finger on. The overall feel I get from this is "fresh but menacing" and that interests me quite a bit. Most of my other aquatics.... like Sea of Glass and Selkie.... are "fresh and bright", so I like that this one is different. I really couldn't say at this point if I would purchase a larger bottle of this or not. It will just depend on how often I reach for my imp and whether the scent continues to grow on me over time the way some of the other Arkham scents have. I do really like it though, and I will certainly be finishing my imp. However, I do see where this wouldn't be something that appeals to everyone. It's one of those ones that's either you or it's not.

Whoa... definitely apply your Thunder Moon with a very light hand. After wearing this all afternoon, I personally now think of it as Tempest's older, more outspoken, slightly tomboyish sister, so yes... this is an clean, fresh, ozone-y aquatic, but it's an incredibly strong one, even for me who is a diehard "rain scent" lover. The person who described this as "sporty" hit the nail right on the head. It is that, and when freshly applied, Thunder Moon most reminds me of some type of bracing, "sporty" bar soap like the ones my dad used to use when I was younger... something along the lines of either Coast or Irish Spring. It's very "cologne-y" and a lot more masculine than I think I was personally expecting from a lunar oil. However, I'm one of those people that doesn't mind the more masculine blends as long as they don't have that "uber-aftershave" undertone to them that a couple of the more manly BPALs have to my nose. This doesn't smell that way to me. It's just very fresh, soapy, and... well... "sporty" really is a good word for it. The "soapy" element to this will probably turn a lot of people off, but I'm one of the ones who actually likes that, so it's more refreshing to my nose than anything else. After I had this on a while, the soapy-sharp ozone smell started to settle down a little bit and I began to be able to detect some of the other notes, which I honestly couldn't do when this was freshly applied. I definitely smell the amber now, and I think that's really what makes this a warmer weather storm as opposed to a cool weather one (like my beloved Tempest). I also detect some damp woods and florals as well, although I couldn't tell you which ones specifically. Very nice effect though! Thunder Moon really was a surprise. All the lunar oils I've personally tried so far have been much more understated and delicate as a rule. This was a much stronger, louder scent than I was expecting, but it's no less beautiful and complex than any of the others for that. I'll just have to remember to apply sparingly next time. Either way though, this really does bring to mind the electric energy of summer thunder storms, which is what really sold me on it in the first place. It will be something I love to reach for on days like today when it's hot, muggy, and cloudy out... especially if I want to get my juices flowing enough to work on artwork or some writing.

God, what a delicious scent! I've heard the raves about this one here and there around the forum, and they are certainly very well deserved. I'd been meaning to try this for a while, since it looks like it had all notes that work really well on me, so I was really excited to get this as a frimp with my Blue Moon. The predominant note in this for me is definitely the vanilla bean, although it's considerably sweetened by the amber and the peach blossom. The sandalwood adds some depth to this and keeps it from being too light and unassuming. Overall I get the impression of honeyed fruit... perhaps served over vanilla ice cream... although I certainly wouldn't classify this as "foody". (Yeah, I know. Could that last sentence be any more contradictory and confusing? ) This will make a beautiful blend to wear to bed or to dab on when it's hot out this summer. It does stand apart from my other "vanilla-ish" blends as well, since it's deeper and has more "oomph". My sole criticism of this scent would be that it doesn't (to me anyway) embody the character of Tamora from Titus Andronicus very well. Tamora was very cold-hearted and cruel, so I feel like her scent should have been more sinister. Tamora the perfume feels very warm and inviting.

I remember being jealous when I read the "scents that are stalking you" thread on here and heard someone post about being totally stalked by Ouija. I was thinking: "Come see me, Ouija. I want to try you!" It must have listened, because it showed up as a frimp with my bottle of Blue Moon yesterday. I'm officially taking it for a test spin today as a reward for cleaning my bathroom this morning, since it was a scent I've been wanting to try for so long. I agree with the people that are insisting that Ouija is a bona fide Victorian scent. It is that indeed, and it actually does make me think of one of those old seance rooms that you see in the movies sometimes. I definitely smell lots of rose, but almost equally I smell dark, dark wood. I'm also pretty sure there is a hint of tobacco in this, because when I first swiped it on, I faintly smelled something in this that was akin to dill pickles (what tobacco does on my skin until it has a chance to dry down) and now that the blend has had a chance to dry down, I smell... well.... normal tobacco along with the roses and woods. There are also some other light florals in there and something that smells a little like smoky incense. Overall I'm given the impression of having just shown up for a Victorian seance. I can smell the wood panels on the walls. I can smell the floral perfume the ladies are wearing, and I can smell the pipes the men smoked earlier in the day. It's a very cool impression, especially since I've been doing the "Dark Victorian" thing even before there was such a stereotype as "goth", don't you know. I'm not sure I need a full bottle, since I have tons of rose BPAL already, but I will definitely be using up my imp and happily keeping any others I might be frimped in the future. Ouija, you can stalk me anytime!

So I finally received my bottle of the famous and coveted Blue Moon today and am wearing it for the very first time as we speak. I must say that I honestly expected to love this the minute I first read the list of notes in the description, so it doesn't surprise me that I really do love it now that I have a chance to actually wear it instead of just covet it from afar. It smells a lot like what I was expecting as well, having drawn on my experiences with other BPAL lunacies and also these particular notes in other blends. Blue Moon as I perceive it can best be described as a light floral with a slightly aquatic feel to it as far as category goes. This is quite complex, as well as flawlessly blended, so I really can't pick out one note from any of the others with any certainty. Mostly what comes to mind when I try to analyze this is an overall feel. Some of the reviewers upthread mentioned that this smells "peaceful" and "serene". I'd definitely call those descriptions well put, because that's exactly how this feels to me. It reminds me of walking at night in a state of complete and utter contentment without a care in the world through some impossibly beautiful natural area... probably one that has a lake or a river nearby. I love that feeling... that complete and total calm that comes around... well... once in a blue moon and this blend really encapsulates that for me. I can tell already that this is going to be one of my go-to blends for when I want to relax, unwind, and try to let go of my troubles and my stresses. Overall, Blue Moon falls into the same mental category for me as White Moon, Asphodel, and some of the other wistful light florals that I so dearly love... especially for this time of year. It's light with medium throw and wear length the way those are, and it actually smells similar as well... at least as far as they smell on me combined with my skin chemistry. It's delightful and most definitely a welcome addition to my BPAL collection. Worth every penny.

This is truly a beautiful scent. It pains me to think that I wound up with a bottle of this completely by accident. I actually ordered Blue Moon, but due to a mix-up at the lab, they accidentally sent me this instead. I offered to return it to them, but they told me to keep it in compensation for the mistake while I waited for them to ship me my Blue Moon. Well... color me lucky, because this is delightful, and I actually think it's my favorite of the recent LEs I've personally tried, so the Blue Moon mix-up must have been fate looking out for me. Tamamo is so soft, light, and feminine. Something about it also feels happy. I feel myself cracking a smile each time I sneak a sniff of my wrist. My boyfriend went absolutely nuts over it, too! It's also very long-lasting, still lingering and noticable hours after it's been applied. Normally the lighter scents aren't on me, but this is an exception, so Tamamo is basically perfect all around. I don't know that I'll be much help at helping to identify notes with this one. Most of them I didn't even recognize the names of in the description, so it would be anyone's guess as to whether or not I do or don't smell them in this blend. (That was my main reason for passing on this in the first place... having absolutely no mental picture of how it would smell.) I do smell the ginger quite prominently though, and ginger works very well on me. I've yet to meet a BPAL ginger I don't like. It's soft in Tamamo though... not sharp and overpowering the way it can be in blends like Shub, especially when first applied. I also smell very gentle florals and light fruits. Someone above mentioned peach? I smell something peach-like as well... perhaps apricot? Overall, this is a sweet Asian-inspired "fruity floral". It's soft and pretty and happy... there and detectable without being cloying or overpowering. A perfect summer blend! I'm so glad I wound up with a bottle of this. Yay for happy accidents!!

I'd like to second or third the recommendation I saw for Asphodel. Also... if you can find some... how about Et Lux Fuit? That smells very daffodil-y to my nose.