lizabelle

This one is fascinating. Most of the Apiary blends I've tried so far have been heavy on honey, but in this the oleander is more prominent. I wasn't sure what oleander smelled like beforehand, but it's floral and sharp, as well as slightly watery--somehow this reminds me of the kind of zing I associate with radishes. Just before it settles it seems to want to go to soap, but it never quite gets there on me, which is a relief. The honey is the same as in the other Apiary blends, light and beautifully floral, and once the oleander calms down a bit it has that same earthy, almost chocolatey quality of Deadly Nightshade Honey. Not bad at all.

Very dark green and spicy, in a camphorous sort of way. It doesn't remind me of pine, exactly, but it feels related. There's a sort of black pepper edge to it that makes it feel very masculine to me; I get no floral notes out of this at all, so there's nothing to soften up the harsh green character. It also has almost no throw on me, so I'm thinking something here just doesn't like my chemistry.

I thought for sure that this would work on me, compared to other more aquatic blends. Sadly, I guess "ocean mist" really doesn't like my skin, because all I get out of this is fancy sea salt soap. There's maybe a tiny touch of patch and leather, but they're far in the background and hard to pick out. I guess the rest of the pirate blends (other than Anne Bonny) are just not going to be for me.

I think this scent is the end of me trying BPAL wasabi blends. They never seem to work out, and they never quite smell as they're supposed to. I do smell horseradish in here, but there's also a strong minty quality that I can't place. The heliotrope is soft but noticeable, and the rooibos makes it a little fruity, but they blend with the other notes in a way that reminds me of scented deodorant. Definitely a pass for me.

This is incredible! The notes didn't look like what I usually like, so I wasn't expecting much of anything, but this is such a morpher on me. I get a lot of the rosin, which shows up as a very cuddly, soft resinous note. The leather in here doesn't read "black" to me at all; this is well-worn, well-loved leather. Most fascinating to me is the hemp note, which is a perfect match for the hemp cords I made jewelry out of as a kid. It's so spot-on I'm even getting the taste of them, but I'm pretty sure I'm imagining that. There's a vanillic quality in this that makes it surprisingly pretty and feminine on my skin; I'll definitely be getting a bottle.

I get a lot of dry wood and musk out of this, with not a whole lot else at the start. There is a hint of the herbs from Yggdrasil as it warms up on my skin, which is lovely, and there's something sweet and almost haylike too. It does start out a bit more masculine than I tend to like, and the strong, sharp musk stays constant throughout, but it might just be worth it for the drydown. As far as more masculine blends go this is easily one of the most unique ones I've smelled.

This imp is definitely aged, although I'm not sure exactly how long; the peach has all but disappeared, the spices have intensified, and the oil is now a very dark brown. At this stage it's very similar to Pumpkin IV 2014 (a favorite of mine), with a sort of spicy molasses sweetness over rich, cooked pumpkin. The clove and nutmeg are just about equal here, but the nutmeg tips the balance and it's more sweet than sharp. Because I already have a bottle of Pumpkin IV I don't feel the need for a bottle of this right now, but once I run out of that I think this will become a staple for me! For now I'll definitely keep this imp, as it has aged beautifully.

I wasn't sure what to expect with this one, because of the wide variety of notes (some of which are temperamental on me), but I think it's going to become a favorite. For those familiar with the Fae Forest atmo, this is similar, but with a slightly sweeter floral/woody quality under the berries in comparison to the pine/berries combo. It has the same sparkling feeling as Fae Forest, and has decent throw without being overpowering. What's more, this might well be the only honey perfume I would consider wearing in the summer--it is hot here today (80+ degrees F), but even in this weather it doesn't go overly sweet or floral. Very well-balanced, very pretty.

I had to try this one, both because I love the character and because I am also a Liz. I was hoping it would be a favorite, and I think it just might be! From "soft vanilla" I wasn't expecting something as warm or resinous as this; it almost comes across as woody when it mixes with the smoke. The leather is very subtle, almost more like suede in the way it forms a soft base under the other notes. All together it almost smells fruity, woody, and then smoky (just at the very end of the sniff), and if you tried to convince me there was some kind of stone fruit or a bunch of resins in here I'd probably believe you. Very complex and deep but also soft and feminine. Probably a bottle for me eventually.

Honestly, I didn't expect to like this all that much. From the notes it sounds kind of soft and airy...which it is, but there's also a definite backbone (very fitting, I think!). The wood/paper aspect is the strongest here, very dry and slightly spicy. There's a resiny richness to the wood that you don't normally find in the "blonde" category, although there's nothing heavy about this. The musk sweetens it up a bit and adds more to the dry/papery tone, and there is indeed something slightly bitter hanging out in the base that balances the rest of the scent out. I'll definitely be keeping my decant and will probably end up with a bottle.

This is one that's caught my eye at least a dozen times, but something stopped me tracking down any to try until I was offered a bottle in a swap. I like it so much more than I expected--this is the fire scent for those who think the others in the GC are too much. I love Djinn, for example, but would probably never wear it because of how strongly it smells of smoke at the beginning. In this one the smoke is strong at the beginning, to the point that I'm mistaking it for vetiver, but it sweetens up quickly thanks to the cassia, cinnamon, and likely the myrrhs themselves. I love myrrh and this is a beautiful example of it: rich, sweet, and earthy, with just a touch of spice that's clearly not cinnamon. The cinnamon in this is subtle and doesn't overpower at all. The drydown is lightly spicy, sweet, and warm, and has a gentle throw. This is one that's fascinating to smell as it morphs, and it helps that I like all its stages! Will definitely be keeping this bottle.

Honestly, I'm not sure I knew what labdanum smelled like before I sniffed this, but now it's really obvious as a component in several of the classic perfumes I've smelled. It starts out as nothing but deep, dark, slightly sweet resin on me and then gradually gets smokier and darker. It's incredibly well-balanced; nothing in here is "too much," even though all of these ingredients could easily take over a scent if given the chance. It's one of the deepest, richest scents I've ever worn, and I'll be keeping my decant!

This is much darker than I expected, probably because I'm amping the orchid and resins pretty heavily. On me there's no tea or musk, and I don't detect any rose, either, but the orchid(s?) more than make up for that. They blend with the resins into something almost plummy. It gives the impression of stillness and darkness: the comforting kind that helps you fall asleep. Unfortunately, after a while this develops a strange tone that reminds me distinctly of nitrile gloves, so I don't think I'll be keeping the imp; I'll have to keep looking for an orchid BPAL for me.

So far I love all the BPAL pumpkins that I've tried, and this is no exception. At first I get a lot of the pumpkin pie spice aspect of the allspice (weirdly, without the pumpkin itself). As it warms the ginger and cream become much more prominent, and pumpkin finally appears--a lovely pumpkin pie. The ginger remains the strongest note here, and the cream aspect almost makes it seem more like a custard dessert, or at least a slice of pie topped with ice cream. It's wonderful.

This one sits very close to the skin on me, and while I thought it would be a favorite, unfortunately it just doesn't have enough oomph for me. It definitely does smell papery and floral, almost like perfumed stationary, with a deep resinous tone underneath and something sharp rounding it all out. My skin is just drinking this, though, so I can't go into much more detail. I guess I'll have to pass this on.

Green tea, oakmoss, red sandalwood, bamboo reeds, myrrh, and chrysanthemum blossoms. This is a great gloss--I'm thinking it'll become a favorite for me. There's a fruity quality to it, which I think must be the sandalwood and bamboo mixing. They're almost juicy, which is not something I think I've ever said about sandalwood before. The chrysanthemum and tea (and maybe the bamboo, again) keep the whole thing fresh and light. The notes in this may sound heavy but this is definitely a soft, springy scent. It also lasts an impressively long time; I still smelled it clearly at least 8 hours after spraying.

So obviously, this is the kind of scent that's different on absolutely everyone, but I thought it would be fun to track my experience. I expected much darker and heavier, but this starts out light, sparkly, and pretty. I think I can pick out lime, champagne, and ambergris, which make a sharp, citrusy, fizzy combination. It should be its own scent, because I'd wear it all the time. Over time the lime dies out and the champagne/ambergris combo sticks around (seriously, can I have that combo in at least 10 scents? gorgeous), and then something herbal and gin-like comes into the mix. After that the sweetness dies out and is replaced by the ozone-y note the lab does (mixed with that gin), mixed with a buttery bitter almond like in Hecate and some soft herbaceous and woody notes. Finally it settles into a slightly sweet musk/amber skin scent with just a touch of that bitter almond. Overall it sits rather close to the skin and morphs a lot (and quickly). I get the feeling it might smell different to me on different days. I like it much, much more than I expected to and I'll be getting multiple bottles. Just by the nature of the scent it might be completely different in a year, but even if it smells the same on me I bet it'll age beautifully.

This one was some serious throw, and while I barely even touched my wrist it still seems like I put on too much! Regardless, I rather like this. The raspberry is somewhere in between a hard candy raspberry and a freeze-dried raspberry--very tart, but there's some sweetness too. The patch in this makes it smell expensive; it's not the same patch as in Fake News, but reminds me heavily of the one in Miss Dior! For once the orange blossom is more of a background player to the other two notes, adding a little bit of a sweet cream/honey kind of tone. I'll definitely be getting more of this.

Ohhhh goodness. This somehow manages to smell both like chocolate-hazelnut and mocha all at once. There's a tiny thread of caramel in there, too, but mostly it feels like a rich, multifaceted chocolate. The lab does chocolate so beautifully, and this is so foodie it actually smells like the real thing. I'll definitely be getting a bottle or two!

Another Snake Oil variant that goes weird on me. The funny thing is, the original isn't bad per se on my skin--just not one I would buy multiples of or wear very often. This starts off well, with a sort of salty, roasted-hazelnut thing going on over the dark musks of Snake Oil. Then something changes and it's like weird, sharp, chemical soap. I can still smell the nuts, oddly enough, but the actual Snake Oil has vanished! My skin must really not like it much.

Huh. This is completely unlike what other people describe on me, but I still like it a lot. Something in here is almost fizzy, and reminding me of ginger ale--maybe the freesia? I don't have much experience with freesia either as a flower or a note, but I don't hate what it's doing here. When I get in close I smell daffodils, delightfully and perfectly captured, and when I back off I smell a soft, powdery honey. Very pretty and totally unique.

So, I blind-bottled this. And got a backup without sniffing. The reviews were just too good to ignore, and, well, I adore lilac. Luckily after testing it I can say I love it just as much as everyone else. The lilac is strong and heady, and mixed with the honey it's almost boozy. The cream notes smooth it out a bit and bring out the natural creaminess of the lilacs. The amber and cardamom are both there, but just tiny hints at the end of the sniff, making it sweet and a little spicy. I will be wearing this tons, and I can't wait to see how it ages.

This is a surprise win for me! Admittedly, I blind-bottled a few scents in a panic right before Lupers came down (I wanted to try them all beforehand, but the timing just didn't work out that way). This was one, and it seemed like a risk because BPAL's coconut has never done me any favors. However, as a huge fan of Dee, I have to recommend that anyone who likes that should go find a bottle of this. It starts off very leathery on me, with a bit of tonka to tone it down. It's masculine, but a soft masculine (much like Dee). Over time the coconut, vanilla, and cashmere all make themselves known and blend into one harmonious whole. The other notes are present but more in the background. It's comforting and soft the same way Dee is, but it has a presence, too, and I imagine it'll stick around a good long time. I might have to see if I can track down a backup!

What a beauty. From the notes I was guessing I would love this, and I absolutely do. It's well-blended enough that I really have to sniff and think to get individual notes out of it, but I'd say the beeswax, patch, amber, and saffron are the most prominent, in that order. The pepper and myrrh add some spice and depth; this is what I'd call a golden-colored scent, but it has some darkness mixed in. It's actually rather spice-heavy, which I realized recently I don't have much of. I'll be wearing it lots!

This is gorgeous! Totally unlike anything I've smelled before. I wouldn't have guessed this was tobacco flower and crocus--to me it smells like getting right up next to a fresh, velvety red rose (yes, it smells velvety). The ambergris does its lovely salty-perfumey thing I love so much and gives the floral some edge, and the myrrh and vetiver darken things further and make this a truly mysterious, beautiful scent. I may have to get a second bottle.