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BPAL Madness!

Monster

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Everything posted by Monster

  1. Monster

    Under the Harvest Moon

    In the vial this is GORGEOUS. It almost reminds me of Lilith Victoria, light....with musk. On my skin the grey amber is the first thing I notice (I'll agree with the person who says it smells like ambergris). A few moments later, as it dries the grey amber melts into my skin and takes a backseat to the beautiful musky, crunchy leaf notes. The lavender in this is very mellow and behaves well on my skin. It's pairing with the vanilla giving it a "Lilith Victoria" feel. I'm not detecting any rose at all. In the final drydown phase, Under the Harvest Moon is a beautifuly sweet, pale musk scent with just a hint of dry leafy notes. I wouldn't call this a floral blend at all, the musk notes are dominant on my skin. GAH! This is absolutely gorgeous. I passed on a bottle of this after reading the reviews. o_O I really wish I had listened to my gut on this one.
  2. Monster

    The Last Rose of Summer

    Hmmmm...The Last Rose of Summer is primarily a sandalwood/rose scent on my skin. The sandalwood (and probably the orris) give the rose a dusty quality. As this dries more my skin amps the rose. The resins are COMPLETLEY upstaged by the rose at this point. The rose is saying "I'm the last damn rose of summer! I won't die! I won't!" I've been taking chances with rose scents lately since Ysabel and Red Rose (Unity set) worked out so great for me. Last Rose of Summer is a bit too floral for my tastes though (surprisingly, seeing as how there's so many wonderful resin notes in here). I'll have to pass this one along to a better home. Oh well! If you're a fan of rose/sandalwood combinations this will be your favorite scent!
  3. Monster

    Velvet Pink Kitty

    A lovely forum member provided me with a frimp of this Velvet Pink Kitty smells like it should be part of the Atomic Tiki Lounge series (which I love!) Wet on my skin this has a burst of boozy and refreshing gin notes, a moment later the gin almost completley disappears and is replaced with a deliciously sweet pink, candy-like strawberry scent VPK dries down to a lighter smelling, boozy version of Strawberry Moon 2005. Gah! This is wonderful. I think I might have to track down a bottle of this.
  4. Monster

    PL176

    The wonderfully fabulous bookandbroom provided me with a bit of this. Thank you m'dear! PL176 is BIG ASSSSS oranges! It smells like stright up orange essential oil at first and, as it dries something else starts to bloom in the background (orange blossom perhaps?) I agree with everyone else when they say there's a bit of "creaminess" to this (almost similar to a creamcicle...but heavier on the orange). This is bright, sunny, citrus and happy. It sort of reminds me of the orange essential oil bathroom spray (I know that sounds gross but it's the kind made with real oranges and actually smells really nice). Unfortunately citrus notes don't last too long on my skin but this does smell really lovely while it's there
  5. Monster

    What do bottles and labels look like?

    OMG OMG OMG OMG!!!!!!!!!!!
  6. Monster

    Your Best-Bet "Must Try" Enabling Scents

    URD! Umm...yeah...I just had to throw it in! (of course) I'll also add White Rabbit, Pervesion, Bewitched, De Sade (leathah!), and The Red Queen
  7. Monster

    Autumn Scents - recommend the ones you love

    I wear White Rabbit a lot in the fall I think it's becasue I wore it to the big State Fair ("The Big E") the first year I tried it and just associate it with all things autumn ever since. Samhain (of course) is my other favorite fall scent. I start wearing that towards the end of October though. I tink Zenobia is going to be my early autumn scent this year....or anything with a lot of clove in it like Clemence.
  8. Monster

    Thanatopsis

    Wow, there must be a lot of musk in this, the color is a really dark, rich brown color. Very pretty! In the imp this smells of musky juniper. Whew! This is bright and strong! On my skin I'm getting fresh, earthy notes (Christmastree-like) with a very dark, brooding black musk. Mmmm As this dries it turns into a thick, pine resin scent on my skin. This smells like I just rubbed my wrist up against a damp pine tree. I absolutely LOVE this! I bet this would smell gorgeous aged a few months to a year. Thanatopsis is very masculine smelling to me but works well on my skin. I will be wearing this one a lot in the coming cooler months
  9. Monster

    The Miller's Daughter

    In the imp, this is a lot of rose! On my skin this is mostly rose and a very powdery amber. As it dries I'm detecting that very odd hay note from Hay Moon that disagreed with my skin. As it settles a bit more I'm smelling something that reminds me a lot of Sea of Glass (the "tear-soaked" part?) The rose note is still very strong in this one and blooms even further as this dries on my arm. Thankfully, as it settles in the strange hay note completley disappears The Miller's Daughter ends up being a powdery amber rose on my skin. This is very pretty, femenine and perfect for rose lovers. I'm not sure this one is for me. I really enjoyed testing it out though
  10. Monster

    The Grindhouse

    THANK YOUUU to the lovely forum member who frimped this to me in a recent swap Wowowow this is goorrrgeeoousss! The Grindhouse goes on as fruity red musk, with just a hint of spicyness from the clove with a gentle bouquet of floral notes in the background. I really can't pick out the floral notes individually (my skin usually amps rose, I'm not sniffing any in this). This has a grown-up perfume quality to it without smelling commercial or "sharp" (if that makes any sense at all ) As it settles into my skin, all of the notes melt together creating one, glorius red musk scent (it sort of reminds me of a more floral version of The Ifrit). If you're not a fan of floral notes, don't let this one scare you! It's not an overly floral blend at all (more red musk than anything). I just love this one The Grindhouse is going right to the top of my "must buy" list.
  11. Monster

    #20 Love Oil

    This is lavender with almond. On my skin this smells strongly of sickly sweet citronella candles. This smells medicinal, balmy, herbal and unpleasant. Inhaling this deeply, I get a cooling effect in my nostrils...could there be menthol in this?? There are few few BPAL oils I have to wash off or violently disagree with my skin chemistry but, unfortunatly this is one of them I will pass it on to someone else.
  12. Monster

    Queen of Spades

    In the vial: Purple fruits and myrrh. Wow, this is very viscous oil Wet: Rich plum and blackberries with a sharp floral note (cyclamen) and smoky incense. Oh this is just gorgeous. Right now it's reminding me of a smokier, more resin-based version of Purple Phoenix. Dry: This just gets better and better as it dries. The sharp floral note I sniffed while this was wet has subsided. I can still smell floral notes but they're very mild...waayyy in the background. This smells like sweet, plummy incense. This is rich, exotic and a really sophisticated smelling perfume. I would wear this every day if I could Overall: I said it in my KoC review and I'll say it here, I REALLY hope this cards series reappears in the Mad Tea Party section one of these days. I would love to get my hands on the whole set.
  13. Monster

    King of Clubs

    In the vial: Rich earth with sweet almond Wet: Gorgeous wet dirt (just like QoC) with smoky vetiver, tobacco and a sharp moss note. The almond keeps everything in line, just adding enough sweetness to prevent the King from turning to a Dictator on my skin Dry: As it dries the musk and amber provide a dusty, powdery bed for all of the smoky/earthy notes to lay on. I'm not really detecting any leather in this at all. Gah! I can't stop huffing my hand...this is gorgeous. I really need to track downa bottle. Love love love Overall: KoC is a perfect companion to QoC (which is one of my favorite perfumes....ever). This is a rich, earthy musk of Maybe this whole cards series will pop up in the Mad Tea Party section one of these days? Yes? Yes?
  14. Monster

    Albedo v5

    Thank you thank you to the amazing BPAL Goddess who provided me with a sniffie of this! In the vial: Coconut lemongrass! I LOVE these two notes together. Wet: Yup, coconut lemongrass with a bit of of a sun tan lotion thing going on...I like it though, it makes my skin smell sun-kissed The comparison to The Star is good, it's like The Star minus the lime + lemongrass. I actually like this one a lot better. Dry: This hasn't changed, it's just straight up coconut lemongrass on my skin. Magic Hands Workshop used to sell a coconut lemongrass salt bar (which has been discontinued...and it was my favorite) Albedo reminds me a lot of that. This is a nice, sunny, happy, tropical scent. Love it! Overall: I really hope this one makes it to the GC. I would love to slather myself in this during the warm months. I will cherish my little sniffie
  15. Monster

    Storyville

    Thank you to the VERY generous forum member who provided me with a sniffie of this....you know who you are In the vial: Vanilla...wood...musk (?) Oh sweet jeebus This is going to be good. The oil color is a wonderful warm orange color. Wet: Very similar to the Monsterbaits! This smells like a pair of MB:Underpants was thrown into a MB:Closet. This is a sexy, spicy, vanilla mixed with wood notes (sandalwood?) and some resin (amber? a hint of patchouli? some musk?) Everything synapse in my brain is firing off and shouting OMFG LOOOVEEE! All of the notes are well blended in this one...it's hard to just pick out one. Dry: This just melts into my skin and works oh so well Storyville dries into a vanilla musk with woody resin notes. Really, that's the only way I can describe it. This is a rich, gourmand (not overly foody) perfume with a dash of spice. I can see why everyone loves this so much. Why oh WHY do all of the amazing scents have to be so rare?! Gah! Overall: Beautiful, sexy, delicious...all of the above...I'll take two please! I'm so happy I was able to try this but DAMMIT why do I have to love it so much?!
  16. Monster

    The Crumpet Rebellion

    Thank you to a very generous forum member for providing me with a sniffie of this!!! Out of the vial: Spice cake! Wet: Spice cake with currents and blackberries! This actually smells like something I used to wear all the time years ago. I wish I could remember what it was...it's so so familiar though. Dry: As this dries is becomes a lot spicier. I agree with the person who said they're detecting another fruit note, like pear. I'm smelling something similar to pear as well. This is like a fruity tart with butter crust sprinkled with allspice, clove, cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg. I think there might actually even be a black tea note in here. This really invokes images of tea parties with trays stacked high with all sorts of delicious goodies. Overall: Well, I know what all of the fuss is about now This is drop dead delicious. I hope Beth resurrects this in the future, I'd love to wear this on a regular basis during the cooler months.
  17. Monster

    Blue Phoenix v2

    An amazing forum member provided me with a whole bag of prototype/rare sniffies...I'm very excited about this one! In the vial this smells like blueberries and vanilla. As this dries on my skin some spicy and possibly...floral (??) notes start to come out. I think I smell a bit of cinnamon and freesia? The vanilla and blueberry are still there but more in the background just adding a sweetness to the overall blend. This is really mild with a sweet, gentley spicy floral thing going on. I really love Blue Phoenix but it is just barely there. I'd love more cake and blueberries...and lots more cinnamon crumble! The random floral note was a nice surprise though, it makes it wearable and not-so-foody. Very nice!
  18. Monster

    Sunbird

    Out of the vial: Sharp, bright, almost astringent smelling moss and...citrus?? Wet: Sandalwood with a hint of cinnamon, herbal notes and possibly cedar? (or maybe that's just the sandalwood playing tricks on my nose) Dry: This gets better and better as it dries. Sunbird is drying into a warm, dusty sandalwood scent on my skin...with just a hint of spice. I love this. Overall: Warm, glowing, earthy and bright...Sunbird is gender neutral to me. I was scared when I first sniffed this out of the vial but it's dried into something absolutely wonderful on my arm. I need to track down a bottle of this. Resin and wood scent lovers need to try this!
  19. Monster

    How do you apply your BPAL oils?

    My husband does it this way and he makes me nervous everytime...but the method works well for him! If I were to attempt such a thing I'd likely end up dropping the bottle in my lap or something
  20. Monster

    Aquatics - scents of the ocean, the sea

    I'm a big fan of The Deep Ones and Sea of Glass. I typically don't like aquatic scents (I find they go to dryer sheets on my skin) but those are two I really enjoy Sea of Glass - Upon the Sea of Glass, glowing with the perfection of spiritual union and the radiance of true wisdom, rests the throne of God. A scent of inimitable purity, crystalline grace, and limitless light. The Deep Ones - Black algae, drooping seaweed, salty brine, and crushed coral. I hope that helps!
  21. Monster

    Lovers in a Ricefield

    In the bottle: Sweet plum Wet: On my skin this is a GORGEOUS milky plum scent with just a hint of spice from the nutmeg. Dry: As this dries the sandalwood comes out a lot more adding a nice woodsy base to the sweet, milky plum scent. I haven't opened this bottle since I purchased it and I'm really glad I decided to keep it around. Overall: Beautiful! Sweet, slightly fruity, comforting and delicate. I'm not too much a fan of the Shunga series, I usually only find one I really like each year. Lovers in a Ricefield is my Shunga love this year
  22. Monster

    Treat #1

    Yum! Treat #1 smells like watermelon Jolly Ranchers Actually, I think this may be the first watermelon-based BPAL scent I've tried! This is all watermelon hard candies with just a hint of lime. It's super sugary sweet and totally delicious. It's not something I'll wear every day but I'm really happy to have got hold of a partial 5ml of this Resisting...tempation...to...NOM my arm....
  23. Monster

    Agapē

    In the bottle: Sugared apples! Wet: Apples, fruit, sugar...oh my! This is delicious. There's a soft whisper of sweet pea and carnation, just enough to prevent the fruit and sugar notes from smelling too sweet on my skin. Dry: This dries down to a lovely sweet, sugared apple smell. It's gentle, pretty and oh-so-delicious. Overall: I'd say this is the springtime sister to Punkie Night. Agape doesn't have a lot of throw and it only lasts a couple hours on my skin before fading completely (which means I have to bring it along with me during the day and reapply after a while) but it's worth it since I love the way this smells so much
  24. Monster

    Formula 54

    A lovely forum member sent me a sniffie of this with a recent swap. Such a sweetheart! In the vial: Wow...this actually has a "lipstick" smell...mixed with musk and the faintest hint of a dusty rose. Wet: Powdery rose and musk with a smoky dance of tobacco in the background. The cognac only adds a hint of sweetness to this...I'm not getting any clove at all. Dry: Wow! This is so freakin' good! F54 sort of reminds me of a less earthy (boozier) version of Queen of Clubs. It has that same smoky/musky rose feel to it without screaming ROSE on my skin. I never get a strong clove note, just a hint of spiciness. This smells like what I would imagine the inside of a Bordello to smell like. Actually, I think this scent probably should've been called Bordello! Overall: Sex in a bottle! F54 lives up to the hype. This is exactly the sort of scent I would wear all the time. I REALLY hope Beth decides to ressurect this one (and as I recall, it was in a funky-shaped cobalt blue bottle as well...it'd be nice if she used that again). I will hope and dream for the rerelease of this. Love this one! Love love love!
  25. Monster

    Lear

    Almost alllll cedarwood on me with a bright, fresh kiss of sage. I'm not getting any bay leaf. This dries down to a soft single cedar note on my skin. Very simple and really nice!
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