Koumori

My first impression in the bottle and on initial application is of buttered rum flavored Life Savers. It mellows out a bit once it's on, but it's definitely a powerful scent, probably best not for everyday (so it figures I put it on first thing on a weekday morning). This is not a scent that fades into the background! Boozy, sweet and voluptuous. I'm just not sure whether I have enough occasions that call for such a scent.

Elizabeth, I received my re-sent package today. I'm so sorry that this has happened to you, and I hope this is the last of your troubles with the post.

Elizabeth used to put stopper tops on her bottles so that you could shake out a drop or two at a time. She doesn't do it anymore because some of the oils, especially Snake Oil, are so thick that it takes a fair amount of shaking to get them out, but I liked them and have found that she'll still do that by request if you ask when you place your order.

*sigh* Well, that just bites. I'm so sorry this had to ruin your vacation. Really, it's okay if I don't get my stuff - I don't want you to have to pay again for something that clearly isn't your fault, and I'll just place a new order later.

It's a very sweet scent, but it does what it's supposed to do for me. I don't care for fruity scents that are *really* ripe/winey, but the anise and musk really work to round out the scent - I sometimes catch myself thinking I smell almond in it too. It's a juicy, sexy, haunting smell, and on me it lasts all day.

I wear Snake Oil, Oberon, or a light application of Thanatopsis or Samhain to work at my desk job.

Koumori, I love Icon. I haven't found a scent like it yet, not even the one Auntie P recommended as a good replacement (though nice enough in its own right.)

 

However I'm lucky enough to have most of the Icon range tucked away for special days...so I'm not panicking...yet...

Lucky you! I didn't know they'd discontinued it until I went to buy a replacement for my.. empty.. bottle.

Anybody remember Icon? I haven't quite managed to find a BPAL scent that completely recaptures it - anyone have better luck than me?

I know Blood Rose is proving to be very popular, but this is another one that just isn't "me." I get a very strong rose initially, but as the day wears on, it becomes much more strongly fruity on me, and I just don't care much for fruity. I suppose that's the wine coming through; I don't detect much of a resiny scent upon drydown. This does last all day, though.

I don't think this one worked with my chemistry, either, as I got the same sort of synthetic "Lemon Pledge" scent, without enough of the other notes to really alleviate the effect. I do love citrus scents, but I'm afraid that they just don't "take" on me. Neither the jasmine nor the sandalwood was really prominent enough to mellow this scent into something else for me.

This one is a little strong for me. The myrrh note seems to come to the fore on me, and myrrh is one of those scents that I don't like to smell all day, as I find it a little too sharp and heavy. This is a deep, dark, exotic scent, definitely makes an impact but not for everyday.

This is a very fruity scent in the vial, but once it's been on me for an hour or so, the peach and the other scents come to a nice harmony. I love amber scents, and I like the way the amber and peach play together. It's a light, pleasant scent that I would definitely associate with summer. I may put my sample away until the weather gets warmer and see if I like it better then, but while I find it pleasant, it's not a must-have for me.

Interesting - on me, the myrrh note comes to dominate. Not to the extent of smothering all the others, as cinnamon tends to do on me, but I definitely get more myrrh than flowers. Unfortunately, myrrh is one of those "sharp" scents that I really don't want to be smelling all day long, so this is definitely not a big hit for me; but I gave my sample to a myrrh-loving friend, and she can't get enough of it! I *might* wear this at night or for a special party, but it's not to my taste for regular wear.

I'm also going to recommend Access, though unfortunately I don't know how much it costs. It's far from a perfect program, but it's what I use to track faculty and interlibrary loan requests at my librarian job, which means it gets heavy duty use, all day, every day. Of the major database options out there, it's probably one of the better ones for keeping simple records as it's easily searchable, and once you get past the learning curve you can create some very powerful and specific search queries. 'Course it's a Microsoft product so as always, YMMV.

Looks like "Rosalind" made it into the new update.. maybe check that one out?

Hmm.. are you looking for a scent that's particularly evocative of the character, or scents that would have been available/common in period? Old Venice sounds definitely worth a try; Chypre is very "olde-timey" to my nose; Endymion has a wistfulness that might fit with the Sidney story. I wouldn't lean too heavily on the "sexy" end of the spectrum, though you might give Vixen a try as well. I'd thought that Elizabeth was going to put out a Rosalind at some point, but I don't see it on the site right now. Of the Illyria scents, Katharina or Viola might work.

I liked Three Witches in the bottle, but I have a little problem with all of the BPAL scents I've tried that contain a strong note of cinnamon. Cinnamon is one of those scents that, on me, will "take" to the point of drowning out all of the other notes in a fragrance, and sadly this was no exception. Even the normally strong scent of clove vanished on me within an hour, and I ended up smelling like cinnamon red-hots.

Of course, any fragrance called "Ophelia" would have to be heavily floral. I don't usually care for a lot of florals, but I have a longstanding policy of giving every sample I receive a try to see how it works with me. This one isn't overwhelming, isn't too sweet, is cut a bit by the ivy into something a bit greener and aquatic. I won't be buying a full bottle, but I'll use up my sample, which is saying a lot for something as flowery as this one. A light, sweet daytime scent.

This one has a very sharp edge to it, doubtless thanks to the eucalyptus, which makes it difficult for me to wear - it's a cool, almost metallic scent, and although I think I'd like to smell like this, it's not something *I* actually want to be smelling all day, if that makes any sense. It definitely doesn't fade into the background - this violet does not shrink!

Everyone's chemistry is different!  Try before you buy!

 

ALWAYS sound advice!

 

Luckily, my chemistry loves Snake Oil. And so does my SO. And so do I! I do get a lot of the sweet-vanilla, but the sweetness is sultry rather than cloying. I can't place the spices exactly, but they're exotic and sexy, and yet I still don't feel self-conscious wearing this to work. I can't say I've experienced increased attention from anyone while wearing it (I haven't with any of the supposedly aphrodisiac scents, though others have - darn the luck) but I do love this scent and find it dead sexy. More so when combined with #20 Love Oil, which I sometimes do.

This scent did not work for me. I don't like very strong florals, and I don't like sweet scents, and this one is both. I received it as a sample, and my policy is to always try a scent on even if I don't care for it in the vial - I've been pleasantly surprised that way. Unfortunately, this was the first scent I've felt the need to wash off. It is *very* sweet, like melted candy. Definitely not me, but it might make a good clubbing scent for someone else.

I ordered a sample of this one hoping for a nice "medieval"-smelling scent I could wear with period costume. While I don't know how medieval it is, I do know that I like this scent very much. I don't like too much floral in a scent, but I don't like too much sharpness either, so ordering a mainly-floral scent is always risky for me. The florals here aren't overpowering; the violet and lavender are unprepossessing, and on me, they ride over the musk scent in a way that provides a very pleasing balance of both, and I ended up ordering a bottle. It's a lighter perfume, great for everyday wear.

EDIT: A note from your friendly neighbourhood review mod! If you're looking for reviews of the Twilight Alchemy Lab blend also named Chypre, they're here. --Shollin

This is another one that I received as a sample and will DEFINITELY be including in my next order. I want to bathe in it. This really feels like a scent that can be gorgeous on either sex, a soft scent touched with both floral and herbal elements. Sensual, but also strong and powerful; nature with a backbone. Every time I think of an adjective for it, I can think of another that almost contradicts it; so this is a very complex scent, mysterious and altogether wonderful. I love it.

I love the warmth of this scent. It really does speak of old exotic ports.. besides which, it just plain smells yummy. It's a gentle, sensual, warm-breeze kind of scent.

Thanatopsis is, so far, my all time favorite BPAL scent. The musk helps keep it from becoming too piney, and I think the way it's described in the catalog ("deep, solemn earthen scent") is very accurate. On me, it lasts and lasts and I never get tired of it. It's sophisticated and mature. This is my everyday scent. (And I have a blouse that will smell like it forever because my bottle happened to be the first one that arrived without a stopper-top on it and I didn't notice until I'd upended it over my wrist.)