yewberry

The description was so romantic, I hoped to love Scarecrow. Alas, I could only smell the cleaning products others mentioned. Then (ack!) lilies, thick and cloying. This is the first time I've ever had to rush to wash off a BPAL scent. Bummer.

I really like this one. The notes are so well-blended that it's difficult to pick them apart. Fortunately, the vetiver isn't out front, but gently in the background, supporting notes of frankincense and cardamom (a Pepsi-Cola note that always smells "fizzy" to me). The black patchouli is there, but again as a supporting note, creating a rich, sweet-but-not-flowery base. Complex, gentle, and actually lasts a while on me. Not much throw, but I didn't expect it with such a delicate fragrance. This one's for neck nuzzling, definitely.

I went walking on the bluffs around Burrows Channel in Washington Park (Anacortes, Washington) in the early fall. Emerging from the Douglas fir and madrona forest, I found myself suddenly in the open, high above the water, surrounded by wind-twisted Rocky Mountain juniper. The red clay soil was littered with dusty blue fruits, creating striking contrast. Then, equally striking, came the scent of the sea amidst a resinous waft of juniper. No offense to Ms. Parker, but closing my eyes and sniffing my wrist, I'm not at a nightclub, but on an ocean bluff overlooking the sparkling water, surrounded by ancient trees.

In the imp, it's mostly cedarwood. On my skin it's an almost 50/50 mix of sandalwood and cedarwood. Hints of frankincense peep out after a few minutes, but overall it's just cedar and sandal. I like to layer Velvet with Mandrake, and this blend reminds me of that, without the cocoa.

The scent of the wild, hauntingly beautiful Pine Barrens of New Jersey! Pitch pine with blackberry leaf, cranberry, cedar wood and tomato leaf. I'd already fallen in love with this fragrance when I decided to bring it with me on a car trip this summer/early fall. Opening the imp next to my husband (who was driving) provoked an "Oooooh, that smells niiiiiice." And this from a guy who generally hates anything but the most basic essential oil blends. Cedarwood and over-ripe berries on me. The tomato leaf note is there mostly at the beginning, mellowing at the dry-down. As others have mentioned, it's a strangely appropriate winter holiday fragrance, despite smelling thoroughly sun-drenched to me. Weird. I would also second the comment on throw--this one's amazing. The best throw of any BPAL scent I've tried.

Received this little gem in a swap. It smells pretty much like patchouli and cedarwood on me, though all stages, and doesn't mutate much. After about 20 minutes, though, I detect a warm, almost creamy anchoring note. Could be sandalwood (which I adore) and maybe some sort of flower? I love incensy blends, and this is right up my alley. A masterfully evocative blend.