stellans

Oh, yes! Lovely, lovely grapefruit: my 2nd-only-to-lime favorite citrus note, and this note doesn't sting your nose with the bitterness of the rind, oh no, just the tastiness of the tender fruit. The white tea (no tannin here!) and very light, sweet appleblossom are wonderful additional notes in this blend, each lending a particular smoothing sweetness. I don’t smell any ginger, but that’s my own personal skin chemistry: either it dominates or it disappears. This blend is light and refreshing; perfect for a warm spring or hot summer day, with moderate throw and stay; this rates a 4 of 5 stars to me.

I’m not big on cream notes (Chaste Moon is one of the few exceptions), but in this blend the cream accord doesn’t slap me in the face like, say, Milk Moon does. Instead, it provides a smooth base from which the rose and orchid can play nicely with the musk, all to make me feel cherished and loved. Nothing strident, nothing forceful...just soft and gentle loveliness. Absolutely perfect for a slow, lazy Sunday with Mr. Stellans...

To me, this smells of a spring breeze blowing through freshly washed curtains and stirring the lovely bouquet on recently polished table. I don’t smell much floral at all, and there is a definite aquatic note, but there is something deeper underneath which only really comes out as the oil settles in with my skin chemistry. From reading prior reviews, I was afraid this would turn all men’s cologne/aftershave on me, but it didn’t! The aquatic note was just enough to keep it fresh; the very slight citrusy tang (verbena, I think) is only there to brighten the woody notes, and lastly, the deeper part ...I can’t quite identify it (sandalwood? Maybe.) but it’s very, very nice. This is something I will wear again, especially on hot days -- it’s that refreshing, and I love it.

I opened the bottle, and was overwhelmed with the strong medicinal smell. I almost closed it right then and there without even dabbing a bit on my skin, but persevered. It stayed medicinal for what seemed a lifetime; finally, it tamed down to a very nice sweetly herbal blend that I actually like, but man! I don't know if I can make it through the medicine phase every time I wear this Bat! I'm thinking that maybe the Juniper/Juniper Berry notes listed are mixing in a not-too-good way with the sassafrass to make that medicinal smell; if so, it's not likely to get better with age. However, the loveliness of the herbs and fig notes as it blends with my personal chemistry is very nice indeed, and the throw is moderately good, plus the staying power is good -- so I am hanging on to this bottle. It doesn't do too well in my Forbidden Brides locket, where there is no skin contact to help it morph, however.

WHOA! I'm slapped hard with <i>green</i> (???) lavender and citrus! The two herbal giants of this blend are fighting it out on my skin while the other notes seem content to remain as spectators only. And unfortunately for me, verbena seems the most likely to come out on top in this grudge match, because while I am a huge fan of lavender, verbena (like most citrus notes) amps up on me to an unbearablely serrated edge to my nose. As the oil melded with my skin chemistry, I kept sniffing and hoping for...what? I don't know but I got it: the amber (which doesn't always behave on my skin) and the peach sneaked up and took over! Yes...as the oil dried down, both the lavender and verbena took themselves off in a...snit? Who knows?... and let the amber and peach play gently together, then fade into nothingness. And this all happens within a 2-hour span. So far in my Wufu experience, only Bat of Wealth has exhibited any long staying power, but this Longevity is second, at least, and it smells good on me. 3 of 5 stars for this Bat.

Bright strawberry immediately makes me smile when I open the bottle, and that alone makes me glad I have this particular Bat. Even when applied, the strawberry continues, only now the slightly smoky incense note of frankincense comes out to play, and it is even better than just the plain strawberry note. Unfortunately, though the throw is moderately good the staying power is totally nil. As in, it doesn't last beyond the first 30 minutes of application on me. Darn it.

When opening the bottle, I got a strong blast of...berry??? Hey, I was expecting pomegranate! Then I dabbed some on, and was immediately calmed down, because there was my longed-for pomegranate -- along with lovely patchouli and a bit of bergamot as well! Yum, yum, yum! As my good friend, The_Witching_Hour said, this is what Agony of Heartache should have been, but just missed the mark (imo, the citrus notes did something strange in that blend). The throw is medium, not overpowering but not gone, the stay (so far) is quite good. It's been a couple of hours since first application, and so far no diminishing in its lovely scent. The patchouli and bergamot keep the pomegranate from being too sweet, and the pomegranate keep the others from being too 'earthy,' and will make this blend acceptable to many who might otherwise dislike it. And upon drydown, a bit of the heliotrope mentioned peeks out, thereby completing this scent experience in a wholly delightful way. 5 of 5 stars! (Please excuse the slight dip into formality; I'm reading Pride and Prejudice again.)

This light resinous blend is pretty indicative of its name, IMO: the cedar could be that of a casket; the coconut, sweet peace of release; and the spices sound like those once used in wrapping cloths. All together they make for a really nice scent...which unfortunately has practically no throw and doesn't last beyond its first hour following application. Not much scent escapes even my White Rabbit scent locket, though it does last longer there than on my skin, and the cedar is a bit more prominent. 1 out of 5 stars

The Great He-Goat, Francisco Goya. Haitian vetiver, Egyptian amber, carnation, black musk, pomegranate, patchouli, and smoked ginger. I knew when I bought this bottle unsniffed from a fellow BPALer via eBay I was going to love it, and I was right. Patchouli is one of my 10 ten notes, and I love vetiver and pomegranate and sometimes carnation too. Black musk and ginger can both play tricks with me, but not in Great He Goat! At first sniff, the patchouli is all whoa! Love me, I command you! Then the vetiver stands up to be counted, and makes patchouli share my nose: let's call it a draw between the two. I never really get to meet pomegranate or carnation in this blend, but the amber and musk temper the two big guns in this blend to a sexy combination that just doesn't stop, and I mean that seriously. It has great throw and fantastic stay: my scent wafted to me gently from my wrists or my locket (but never overpoweringly), and I didn't have to reapply all day long; plus the q-tip tip in my Cheshire Cat locket is still going strong. Patchouli-vetiver strong, but the amber/musk is there too, just more subtlly. 4 of 5 stars for Great He Goat; if the pomegranate had come out to play, I think the 5th star would have been won.

Garden Path With Chickens, Gustav Klimt. Damp grass, ivy leaves, morning glory, daisy, rose geranium, heliotrope, white gardenia, climbing roses, peppery nasturtium, phlox, begonia, verbena and sun-warmed herbs. I've waited till now to write this review, because this blend reacted a bit differently to my skin today than it has in the past; there was an underlying watery note that I hadn't perceived before, though this might be an aging thing? Anyway, my prior notes when worn last indicated lovely grass and herbs, slight floral, which all hold true today...but then there's the water. Granted, the official description does start 'damp grass,' but this is more water-logged than damp! But I like it. I like how it smells like my garden after a short spring shower; after the grass is mowed; and after I bury my face in my little herb pots. This is a gorgeous blend, even if it did shift on me since last time I wore it, and I love it. I just wish it had more throw and a better lasting time, because to smell it at all I have to bury my nose into my skin and it wears off super-fast. It didn't last much longer in my Forbidden Brides scent locket, either. Bottom line, though, is I love it while it lasts, even if it's not for long. 2 stars out of 5.

Today, a bright not-too-warm sunshine-y day, was a perfect day for this blend! The lightness, the green and the lilac of it provided the perfect accompaniment, and I love it on me and in my scent locket (Three Daggers today). I don't get any cherry at all (thank goodness), and the musk isn't terribly prominent either. What I smell mostly are the lilac, bamboo and green tea incense notes, and they are wonderful separately...but together they are amazing! The throw isn't very much, as I must bury my nose in my wrist or raise my locket to my nose to really smell it, but Mr. Stellans asked what I was wearing this morning when he kissed me goodbye, so the throw is just fine for my purposes! The staying power is pretty phenomenal; I didn't reapply until just a few minutes ago, and I first put it on this morning around 6:00. That's pretty impressive, IMO. Very happy to have a bottle of this, I'm giving it 3 stars out of 5 possible. Yum!

a whole lot of nothin’ -- indiscriminate floral-type notes, with a hint of the Orient, but nothing really jumps out at me, and the combination is unremarkable. At least, that’s how it is today. This will be another ‘put up and test again sometime’ bottle. What IS it with the Salon’s imp/bottle differentiation?

On first sniff, it's all lovely violets with a darker undernote of iris, which is exactly what I was hoping for! I love violet, especially the Lab's not-commercially-oversweet version, and iris has long been a favorite. I was worried about the amber, which has a tendency to go either plastic or powder on me. Luckily, Lucretia does neither but stays true to the violet and iris for the whole time I have it on. The vanilla musk is really not so much in evidence, though the wood note does begin to come through upon drydown, I get no citrus at all, and only the slightest whisper of sage. I like this blend, and wish I had more than 3 decants collected in a rollerball bottle.

Light and girly, a touch cologne-ish, but not too much. It's very nice, especially for a warm day. I really rather like this blend, but I identify it too solidly with my older daughter, as she's claimed it as her 'signature scent.' I think I'll cede this bottle to her, and call it a day.

When I tried my imp of this Salon blend, it was pure love: I got a fresh cold balsam-like scent (the opoponax?), backed by myrrh, and a hint of frosty earth. This morning from my bottle? Pine-Sol! I couldn't believe the change, so I am chalking this one up to skin chemistry playing tricks on me, and hoping for a better result on a later date. If not, then this will appear on my sales page at some point, I guess.

The clean, pure scent of rosemary and fresh white florals with a sliver of ozone characterize Parsifal on my skin. I wish I'd worn this scent on a warmer day, because I think the coolness didn't showcase this blend as well as a warm day might have. In any case, I enjoyed wearing it, the ozone didn't rear up and give me a headache, and the florals kept nicely grounded by the rosemary. I'm glad I have a bottle of this one.

Right off, I smell pear. Lots and lots of pear, with a bit of citrusy-bamboo and a little green, but the pear is what takes over and reigns supreme. This is all right with me, as I adore pear notes, but I must admit Pear Single Note isn't what I expected in a Salon blend, LOL! I was really hoping for a bit more violet in this blend, and well, more <i>anything</i> than just pear, to be honest. Oh well -- I do love it enough to wear it, so it's good I have a bottle.

This is one of the prettier of BPAL's aquatic style blends, because the choice of floral notes is so wonderful. I was also surprised at how strong the violet note is, as well, because I love violets and totally expected the other notes (lotus, water lily, peony) to overshadow it. In any case, this blend works wonderfully with my skin chemistry, and doesn't turn into aftershave as so many aquatics do. Love, and I give it 3 stars.

wonderful incense blend, lighter than the Midnight Mass blends, but still with the smoky incense that I love. It starts out a little 'fresh' on my skin but quickly warms up to the smoky incense goodness, the kind one might like to enjoy during the day. It's not somber, but lively; not dark, but light; and finally, not cold, but warm.

With my luck lately, I was fully prepared this morning for the sourness of jasmine to overwhelm me and discover that yet another of my ‘private collection’ of the Retail Exclusive line hated me. WRONG! The beatuy of peach led the way for the smoothly blended glory of the florals in this perfume, and the smooth ness of cream was the base for it all. The only floral note I could pick out separately was Lily of the Valley; the rest are just there to help out. I also don’t get much of the tangerine or grape, but am perfectly happy with the peach. Oh yes, I am...I love peach!

oh, I don't understand this! When this was tried in a decant, it was pure sandalwood love on me, but now...now, it's <gasp> aftershave! I blame the amber... or maybe the oakmoss... or even the ginger. I just don't know. But I do know I'm putting this bottle away to try again another day. ETA 8/09: nope, still can't wear it. It's outta here!

A patchouli nutcase am I, and Lucifer definitely adds to the craziness! The sweetness of the fig does not in any way detract from the sexiness of the patchouli, nor does the amber -- and amber is not one of my favorite notes, because it usually will turn a blend to a nasty plastic mess. Not Lucifer! I love the underlying wood notes, which serve to make the patchouli more refined and even more welcome to my nose, and staying power is phenomenal. This is not your headshop patchouli; it is far smoother, far sexier, and far better than that! And I give this amazing patchouli blend 3 of 5 stars.

Leather, cognac, fig, ripe berry, and cream, stuffed into a plain brown paper bag. I ordered 2 bottles of this blend right out of the chute because I knew it was going to be big. And it is! It's taken me a while to get around to enjoying it (other than opening a bottle to sniff and test from a cap the day it arrived), so it's had a month or so of aging. The blend, IMO, has changed even in that short time -- it's also my opinion that this is one of those blends which, like fine wine, will get better and better with age. The berries, fig and cream seem to be uppermost to me, until it has a chance to meld with my own skin chemistry; then, the leather comes out, and there's a slight boozy note which must be the cognac. I don't get any of the 'brown paper bag,' but it's really not missed by me at all. If the leather hadn't shown up, I would have reviewed this as a very nice fruit blend, and sold my extra bottle. But the leather! the leather! It makes this blend special, I tell you! Insolent, domineering, and supple: the leather note is what makes this blend hoard-worthy.

Last night was my first wearing of Planting Moon, and it was wonderful! As others have said before, and far better than I, this is wonderfully green, garden-y, and with a sweet, moist dirt note which is enough to make you close your eyes and dream of being outside in the coolness of a late spring/early summer night. I wear a Lunacy every night, in alphabetical rotation, to fall asleep by, and I've kept a dream journal of sorts for quite some time now. It's interesting to note that different Lunacies tend to lead to different dreaming. Last night, I dreamt of my Great-grandmother's garden, in west Texas, a garden she got to enjoy for only a few short months every spring before the summer heat killed pretty much all of it. But she planted anew every spring anyway, for those few short months of enjoyment, and shared the love of it with me as well. This scent brings all of this back to me, and I dreamt of my Mom Beane last night, and woke up with tears in my eyes. But they were good tears. Never would I have thought a tomato plant, nor squash, nor pole beans, nor dirt for that matter would be components in a perfume blend I would so love. But so it is. This is such an extraordinary blend I almost regret only buying 2 bottles, and barely restraining my urge to hunt down and buy more just for hoarding. Really. I love it that much. Except for Snow and Singing Moons, I don't think I've had such a reaction to a Lunacy, though I have loved many others. This one is special, and I am grateful to have the chance to enjoy it. Thank you, Beth, thank you so much.

CCXI = 211 Not much Dorian-like at all (at least at first), but a musky melon scent...cool and refreshing. This is a deeper, more complicated melon blend than say, Yemaya, and is utterly lovely. There's also a bit of florals going on, but deep in the background, and not any sweet white florals, but something deeper and a bit darker. After a while, the Dorian creamy vanilla tea notes come forward a bit, but still the melony-musky-deep florals hold sway. I love this blend, love it so much! I wish the GC Dorian was this blend... Previously reviewed by OneTheyCallLuna.