lizabelle

Oh my goodness. I was afraid this would be too many flowers in one bottle for me, and I'm so happy to be wrong. It starts out with a burst of flowers--I think mostly honeyed peonies--and something like strawberry cotton candy. It's one of the foodier florals I've worn, and it absolutely does smell pink. Cotton candy pink. Funnily enough, while I've had almost all these flowers in my garden and can picture what they look like, I don't necessarily know what they smell like! Suffice to say that all the flowers in here form a harmonious, perfumey (and yes, rather heady) bouquet with just a hint of a green note at the base and honey and spun sugar sprinkled on top. Truly wonderful.

Vanilla orchid is one of my favorite notes (although I haven't encountered it much in BPAL yet), so I had to snatch up a bottle of this. Surprisingly enough I don't find this to be overly sweet, or even super creamy. It's recognizably floral but also has a strong vanillic undertone with a bit of a boozy bite. It's reminiscent of some of the bourbon vanilla notes the lab does, plus a darker sort of floral. It's very pretty, but I don't think I'll be hoarding it like I expected to be.

I've actually tried this before, but back then I didn't know there were BPAL forums (or how obsessed I would eventually get with BPAL). It smells slightly different than I remember, in this case for the better. It starts out with a lovely citrus/amber blend, which begins as an interesting blend of lemon and grapefruit but settles into a soft powdery grapefruit. The leather is present from the get-go, softer than the "black" should suggest. The teak is dark and rich but still not overpowering. This is a good deal more feminine than you might guess from the notes (although that could be my chemistry at work), soft and sweetly powdery, but decidedly warm and with a classic leather/wood/resin base. The amber in this is beautiful and very prominent, which doesn't often happen with my chemistry. I like this considerably more now than when I first tried it, and I'll probably get a bottle eventually. It's definitely a perfumey blend, very complex and well-layered, and it smells expensive.

This is primarily apricots and syrup to me--I don't get a lot of orange blossom, which is odd as almost every white floral amps to some degree on me. It's similar to Four Seasons: Winter without the orange, so those who are worried they'll run out of that one should try this! As a whole it's more perfumey than I expected, smooth and lightly sweet, and has decent lasting power.

I expected to love this, as I love numerous other BPAL blends with both those notes in them, but somehow the combination of the two together is not doing it for me. The throw on this is enormous and I find it overpowering (doubly surprising as neither of these notes usually amp on me). The ginger is sharp and very perfumey, and the tea fades into the background and adds even more to the perfumey aspect. It's sort of a honeyed spice scent, very light in tone but powerful. I'm going to get my mom to try this one and will update this review when I do--these notes do well on her and I'm guessing it's more her kind of scent than mine.

Oh, I'd hoped to like this. The coconut is prominent and creamy, but there's a strange men's-cologne vibe underneath (you know, the musk/lime combo I absolutely loathe). It's very sharp and very masculine to my nose, which I'm guessing is a quirk of skin chemistry based on how other reviews for this read. I had to scrub it off.

Fascinating--I'm having some kind of scent memory, smelling this, but I can't place it. It's a very deep amber, dry and powdery. There is definitely something grassy about this, in a pleasant and slightly sweet way. I'm finding myself wishing it had a bit more throw, or maybe a bit more spice. This seems to be a lot of people's favorite amber blend, but I'm not sure it works with my chemistry as much as I'd like.

This is absolutely luscious! The light, floral honey I love from so many of my favorite BPALs returns, accompanied by a deep, dark blackberry smell. There's a definite tartness here, even sharper than regular blackberries and almost reminiscent of rhubarb. I can totally buy this as a poisonous blackberry scent. Yet another from the apiary that will probably end up in my collection.

Hmm. I'm a bit on the fence on this one, mainly because it's so strong; it has a huge amount of throw. The coconut is powdery, possibly thanks to the addition of orris, and the sandalwood is very dry and wood shavings-esque. The overall effect is very masculine, despite the notes list, and I think it would suit someone more masculine better than it does me.

I don't really get why this one isn't working on me, and I'm actually very disappointed about it. Tuberose and lilac are two of my favorite florals, and I tend to like violets too. Together, though, they're blending into a weird, sharp, fruity-floral air freshener kind of scent. Definitely not for me.

2006 version: I was generously frimped this with a recent forum purchase; I had been curious about it before but doubted I would get my hands on any any time soon. This is a wonderful blend, not really floral or citrusy or resinous but the best of all of those notes. It reminds me of Van Van in the way the citrus and amber blend to be almost one note. The florals are surprisingly soft and add a little sweetness without overpowering. This is indeed a sunny scent, but the kind that could still be worn in winter. If this ever gets rereleased I'll be all over it!

... Black Annis' perfume is a mixture of damp cave lichen and oak leaf with a hint of vetiver, civet and anise. Pardon my pun; this is indeed a black anise. The vetiver and civet are strong and sharp, and the anise is gooey without being overly sweet. It has a good amount of throw and staying power. It actually has a strong woody character to it, and I can imagine someone more masculine could easily pull this off. It actually reads more like something designed for a man to my nose! I have to say that something in here puts me off, and I don't like it as much as I expected to. It's definitely sharp and bold--I don't usually consider myself retiring when it comes to scent, but this is really an attention-getter.

Minty! Very, very minty. I got this because of the ambergris and opoponax, but I only smell the ambergris as a faint whiff right after application that disappears fast. I think the cypress is turning into mint on my skin, possibly with some of the musk. After the cypress fades there's not much left, and I'm thinking this is one of those weird ambers that makes things disappear on my skin. A shame, because the notes sounded fantastic.

This is much softer than I expected, but in a very nice way. I agree that this is a mossy citrus scent, possibly with a touch of dirt in there. The blackberry is also present, but in the background, and it blends with the grapefruit into a single fruity note. I don't get any wood or blood, or any of the heaviness the description suggests. There's a sweetness here that I wasn't expecting, and a hint of tartness. I actually love tart/sour notes in perfume, so this is a winner for me. Earthy, fruity, and surprisingly light and springy.

Oh my goodness, this maple note! It smells like leaves, but less, well, dead than the dead leaf scents. There's definitely a hint of syrup here, too, and I smell the ti prominently. The cedar, pine, and mosses are much softer, with cedar being the most prominent of those but still staying in the background. They give it a lovely earthiness, but there's sweetness too; upon first sniff I almost thought I smelled chocolate. Right now I've paired it with the Dark Chocolate/Whiskey/Caramel/Cardamom truffle from this year and they blend surprisingly well. ETA: This is by far the longest-lasting hair gloss I've tried. More than 24 hours later I can still smell it! This has happened twice now, so it's definitely not a fluke. After about the 6 hour mark it settles into maple sugar and stays there for ages. Gorgeous.

I'm so glad I got a bottle of this, although I'm starting to regret not getting more than one. Of all the glosses I've tried so far this is one of the best when it comes to throw and staying power. That said, it's not at all overpowering; the ambergris does that lovely salty-sea thing and the tobacco is incredibly perfumey and doesn't resemble pipe tobacco at all. I used to not get why people love tobacco scents so much, but this sold me on them. The sandalwood isn't super-prominent but shows up a little in the background and helps blend the other two notes together. This is so pretty and very versatile. I'll be using it lots.

This is a darker honey, which blends with the vanilla until they're almost one note. It's the kind of boozy vanilla I love, and it goes perfectly with the other notes. Underneath is a softly earthy but much smoother oudh than I expected. The overall effect is well-blended, perfumey, and beautiful. I have several scents that are similar in character to this, but I'm tempted to get a bottle. It's just so nice!

I'm glad I got a decant of this, because it's horrible on me. All heavily smoky incense. I love chrysanthemum notes, but I get almost none out of this. The carnation is heavy and strong, whereas it normally gets swallowed up by other notes on me. The overall effect is heavy and overpowering, not at all a springy incense scent like I hoped. I'll pass it along to someone else.

This is a pretty, light, sweet scent. The green tea and orange peel are present in equal measure, and the honey is similar to the one in Hetairae/Les Bijoux but a little stronger and darker. The bergamot adds a little kick and the hay smooths everything out. I don't get any cypress out of this, and I'm starting to think my skin eats it. That or the hay is overpowering it. Regardless, this is lovely. I don't think I'll get a bottle, but I'll probably keep the decant.

This is much fresher than I would have guessed from the notes--the absinthe is heavier on the mint and the anise than most BPAL absinthes. The clove and patch are soft and serve more to enhance the absinthe than anything. I like it, but since I already have the GC Absinthe and it has more throw on me I probably won't get a full bottle.

Pretty, pretty, pretty! This scent is all jasmine white tea on me, which happens to be my favorite kind of tea. The tea note is similar to the one in Dormouse and the jasmine is similar to Winter Jasmine SN (both favorites of mine). There is a hint of muskiness when I get close, and the leather is present but very soft. Think your grandmother's leather gloves that she wore nearly every day for 20 years. The latter two notes only come out after the scent has warmed up quite a while on my skin, and the whole thing has very little throw. I may try it in a scent locket to see if I can coax a little more out of it.

I blind-bottled this after seeing one review (thank you, Numanoid!), because foodie scents are dear friends of mine and cardamom is probably my favorite spice smell on earth. I'm very much glad I did, because this is incredible. I actually smelled my wrist and whistled in admiration. Yet again the lab blows my mind with the things they accomplish. Much like an actual truffle this is all about the center on my skin. The chocolate is present but it's just a hint on top of everything else; it is, however, gorgeously dark with a bitter bite to it. The whiskey is aromatic and sharp, actually more perfumey than boozy. The caramel is rich, gooey, and smooth and acts as both heart and base, and the cardamom weaves through everything and enhances the spicy/aromatic qualities of the whiskey and the sweetness of the caramel. A definite winner for anyone who likes these notes.

This starts out with a huge whiff of apple and a surprisingly soft lavender, with the vanilla cream gradually amping as vanilla tends to do on my skin. It smells like both vanilla and milk, and is slightly foody but in a comforting kind of way. There's just a touch of spice at the end of the sniff, which I think is both the bergamot and the patch. They're soft, not at all overwhelming, and overall this is a beautiful feminine scent. It strikes me as the your-skin-but-better kind of smell, which surprisingly enough I didn't have yet. I think this one might be it for me! I may have to get backups.

The opening to this is gorgeous; the oudh and frankincense blend together to form a single, earthy incense that's one of the best things I've ever smelled. This combo needs to be in everything! Iris usually goes off on me but it looks like this one won't. There's a soft floral over everything with a bit of green stem bite to it, probably helped along by the "steel." I don't actually smell that note but the contrast between the others gives the impression of something sharp, if that makes sense. It does get rather powdery on me, but not in a way I dislike; it strikes me as something you might smell in a church, or an incense someone might burn at home during prayer or meditation. This is a really unique scent, and fits both the concept and the artwork beautifully.

2016 version: Wow. I immediately get why this is a favorite for so many people! Snake Oil isn't that great on me (shockingly, as it sounds like it should be a favorite), but this is amazing. It borders on being a honey single note, but with that said it's a deep, animalic honey. There's a booziness to it that makes it very heady, and it's probably a good thing that it stays relatively close to my skin or else it could easily get overpowering. Extremely sexy, come-hither kind of scent.