grashopper8

Wet, this is a strong cake-foody scent, but as soon as it dries down, the cake note evaporates and a resinous incense note remains, kind of like a dry, dusty myrrh.

Meh, I'm not really feelin' this one.

2.5 out of 5

Crisp, cold, icy, but I don't want to say it's sharp. There's something strangely soft about this, actually. It's like the dead of night - still, frozen, midnight air - looking up into the sparkling night sky, and staring into a soft halo of moonlight through a wispy cloud.

I can smell the pine, but not as pronounced as it was in Old Moon. The lunar oils and eucalyptus are lovely.

A beautiful Winter lunar blend!

4.4 out of 5

I don't think the vetiver in this blend is sharp, pungent, overpowering, or anything like that. I find that the vetiver in Samhainophobia is actually nicely blended, understated, and sweetened.

Mostly, I smell autumn leaves and mulling spices, like apple-cider-cloves. The patchouli and vetiver smoke up the background, but I think they play quite nicely together when they're being so well-behaved.

It's really perfect for the concept, and it smells like a dusky night in late autumn. I'm impressed, I didn't expect to enjoy this as much as I do. It's not as "Autumn Candle" smelling as Samhain, it's darker and more intriguing.

Excellent.

4.2 out of 5

YUM!

This reminds me of Haloes, but with sassafras instead of teak and sandalwood.

A fascinating blend, very well done.

Me wants roots beers.

I have to admit, it gives me a bit of a headache, though.

4.1 out of 5

Dirty!

This is an earthy, mossy blend. The Spanish Moss and Patchouli completely prevent the other notes from reaching my scent receptors.

This smells like dirt. It's interesting, but I just don't like it. I want it off.

2 out of 5

I was expecting opium resin, not bright poppy flowers, so I was taken aback at first whiff and had to re-read the description.

Well, this is a zingy, high-pitched, fresh, green floral. I don't get honey or juicy redness, really, just a sharp loud floral. It smells a little like dryer sheets.

I much prefer Her Voice for my honeyed, fresh floral fix, so I will pass my Tincture imp along.

3.2 out of 5

Wow, this is a strange one. It's unique and familiar at the same time.

Wet, it's all pine trees, but it dries down with a fierce complexity.

It's warmly herbal, with powdery sage and spice. Something about it smells a lot like my grandmother's house.

It's fascinating and evocative, a work of art. It's not something I would choose to wear as perfume personally, but I can tell from the reviews that it will meld with others' personalities perfectly!

3.9 out of 5

Aquatic and citrusy, but with a strange compliment of sweet florals.

I'm not sure about this one, I really don't go for aquatics most of the time. A success for the concept, though!

3.2 out of 5

This smells artificial and candy-ish on me. I don't like it at all, it smells cheap. Sorry!

My first impression is that the ylang-ylang jumps right out at me!

After that, I can smell the powdery musk, lavender, and lilac. There's also a note in here that reminds me of Singing Moon, so I'm assuming that it's Beth's moss note (that I'm finally becoming able to recognize as such). I can't pick up on mint at any stage, and the sandalwood is a background note. Most notably, I can't for the life of me pick violet out from the bouquet!

Overall, Violet Ray is a powdery floral on me. It's a little over the top, a little high-pitched to my nose. I'm not sure it's right for me.

2.8 out of 5

I don't smell much violet in this at all. Maybe it's just me, but I can barely detect it. The scent itself is pretty low-key, but I think that the sugary sweetness is a little dominant over the violet.

It's nice and subtle, but I love violet and I was hoping for a little more of the floral. It's a bummer for me, because the sweet note has a buttercream vanilla swirl that I think is lovely.

I'm glad that I sampled it before the Carnaval leaves for good, but I don't see myself needing more. I prefer Ultraviolet - the cool mint note brings out the fresh greenness of the violet, and I'm not sure how much I like Faith's juxtaposition of warm vanilla sweetness with violet.

3.7 out of 5

A sweet, creamy, almost musky rose scent. As it dries down, a swirl of light vanilla comes through. It's a little cloying for my taste, but it fits the description perfectly.

Enjoyable. Again, it's not me, but it's nice. If someone else walked by wearing it I think I'd like it more. I'm just picky when it comes to rose, and today's not the day for it, I guess.

3.5 out of 5

My first impression of Desire is that it reminds me of the Dungeon room spray. This is definitely a good thing!

It starts out with apple and musk, then develops to let the hint of patchouli come out along with the crisp rose note.

I like it better wet than I do after it dries down. It's very unique and sexy, but I feel like it's too intense, even for me. It just overwhelms my senses, it's like eating too much chocolate or something.

3.2 out of 5

Yeeeahhhh....... *Deep yoga breath* OOOooooohhhhhmmmmmmm

This lunacy is destined to be yearned after and coveted and hoarded and treasured. I am sooo glad that I have a 5mL to clutch to my chest while making shifty-eyes!

To me, it smells like the Lush honey lip balm: sweet, glistening, gooey, golden, honey-cake yummmm.

It has the same honey note from Hony Mone, without the disagreeable (to me) jasmine and almond.

Honey lovers, rejoice! You are gonna love this!!!

4.8 out of 5

I think that Hay Moon is dominated by amber, and it has a hint of lemony-aftershave as well. The amber is turning a little powdery on me, which it usually does when it's fresh. After a few minutes, the softer honey note peeks out, almost a honey musk....

The overall effect really does give the impression of sweetgrass hay, but the amber is so loud that I think it overpowers the blend. Even still, it's a very attractive scent, and I'm really happy that I went for a full bottle.

I really like the smell of Hay Moon in the bottle, and because I know from experience how fickle new amber can be (and how incredibly perfect it becomes when it's aged), I'm going to hold on to my 5mL for a long while to see how time treats it. I predict that I'll appreciate it more when it's had some time to mature.

Right now, I'd rate it a 3.8 out of 5.

I'm seconding Gibbous Moon : -)

Ok, I have a question and I hope this is the right place to ask.

 

I have been looking between atomizers/spray bottles and rollerballs, and am not sure which to get. Does anyone know which is better for the BPAL scents? And out of curiosity why?

 

Thank you for any info you can give me!

I would suggest rollerbottles over sprays, because BPAL perfumes should be applied directly to the skin - they are oil-based. If you were to spray oil, it not work very well (atomizers are designed for less viscous [thick] liquids, such alcohol-based perfumes). The oil would probably squirt out in a stream and leave nice oil stains on your clothes. If you want to be able to spray BPAL, be prepared to dilute it with alcohol so that it is thin enough to spray evenly. However, changing the concentration of the perfume can sometimes slightly change how you experience the scent itself - it might smell a little different than the pure oil.

Rollerballs are much more convenient. You just swipe the applicator across your skin where you want to scent yourself (your wrists, neck, wherever), and the oil slides on in a nice, controlled layer. It's like putting on lip balm, very convenient and easy. So, rollerballs are my vote. Everyone's got an opinion, so there's mine : -) Welcome to the BPAL madness!!

I still have found no better way than using the little thing inside the cap. I've tried coffee-stirrers, but I always end up with too much oil. And upending the bottle on my skin gives me too much also. I do it every once in a while if I'm testing something and I really want to get the full experience. But really, two or three dabs from the cap are just the right amount. With imps, I swipe once, re-dip, and swipe again.

The coffee stirrers are sucking up too much oil due to capillary action. The thinner the straw, the stronger that force becomes. If you used fatter drinking straws, they may not take as much oil per dip, because although they are wider, the oil won't travel far up the straw.

All that aside, I'm guessing that you'd be happier keeping your cap-dabbing method because it's easier and already works for you.

However, if you want a "cleaner" method for, let's say, testing something you don't know if you're going to keep, you can still use those coffee stirrers - just cover the opposite end of the straw with your thumb when you dip it into the oil. The air in the straw therefore will have nowhere to go, so the oil can't displace it, and only the outside surface will get coated in oil. Instant dipping wand! It's cheaper than a wand cap, disposable, and has less risk of contamination.

Myself, I just dump the shit on! (Unless, of course, I'm testing something new.) I upend the bottle on my wrist and schmear it on my neck and wrists. I upend imps, too, and it takes several times before I get enough. If a scent is strong, I'm much gentler with it, but I find that most BPALs don't have an overpowering amount of throw.

I wish I wish I wish I had a time machine. Where's my flux capacitor?? Seriously??!!!

This scent is just delicious! Soft, pretty gardenia, and there is something a little coconutty going on, yesssss.

I won an imp from ebay, and I'm so sad that I can't ever hope to own more than the precious drops I have now.

I will save this lovely scent for a special occasion. Maybe I will wear it on my honeymoon....

5 out of 5 (as I expected)

In the imp, there is a sour quality to the scent. However, on the skin, Queen Mab starts out as a lovely, dry, powdery floral. The orchids are beautiful, the jasmine isn't harsh or stinky (something that's happened to me many a time), the rose is not easily picked out and well-blended.

I agree with starwild, who said that this reminds her of the floral version of Sea of Glass. Good call!

It's fresh and sultry at the same time. It may be perhaps a bit too "safe" and "perfumey" for me to wear it often, but it's got a lot going for it.

Like, but not love.

3.5 out of 5

Wet, this is creamy, buttery, sweet autumn pumpkin.

After some chemistry mingling and dry down, the sage comes out - a burly, full sage. The sweetgrass also joins in the party.

As others have noticed, the pumpkin actually fades quite a bit after the initial drydown, and sits in the background as a supporting role.

I guess it could be nice, but something happens in there that gives a slight body-odor note. I don't know what it is, but it's totally unappealing on me.

Off for frimpage!

2.5 out of 5

Gorgeous.

Creamy woods, with a hint of zest from the most gorgeous ginger note Ever. Perfectly blended, every note blends into a symphony of perfection. It's so lovely, so beautiful, so perfect. I love this scent sooooo much! So much that it broke my inner thesaurus.

Try Haloes if you like Glowing Vulva at Ryogoku Bridge or the Antikythera Mechanism. It's in the same gorgeous family.

This is the kind of scent that makes me love BPAL even more! Is that even possible??

Smells like a drugstore aquatic scent. Bleh.

Fresh, floral, soapy, and altogether unremarkable. Certainly, this was created with fine essences but blended with an eye-rolling sarcasm. Although it's kind of "nice" smelling, it's also completely empty. Hilarious, Beth! I'll frimp it along so others may experience Eau de Celebutante.

2 out of 5

The floral and citrus really do dominate this crisp scent, and the tea is almost in the background, settling the whole thing down and rounding it out.

It softens as it dries down, still smelling clean but less sharp.

I like it a lot, and if I was more often drawn to "clean" scents I'd hold on to it - but I don't reach for this genre of perfume very often, so I don't need many choices. Wensleydale will do it for me when I want fresh and soapy, and Gennivre satisfies my need for tea (and honey hehe).

3.8 out of 5

I was frimped an aged imp of Juke Joint (I can tell it's been around for a while because it has the old label back, before the phoenix logo was being used). So, this review is based on an imp that's really aged.

Wet, it smells minty and a little woodsy. As it dries down, it smells powdery and incensey.

It's pleasant, but it doesn't stand out to me as something that I'd use to express myself, personally.

Glad I tried it though. I wonder what it smells like fresh?

3 out of 5