ivyandpeony

I think Aeronwen is the fig blend that even people who don't like fig should try - in fact, even if you think you don't like one or all of the elements in Aeronwen, you should at least give it a try. It's one of those blends that, for me, was impossible to imagine what it would smell like, and it's hard to compare to any other blend. But it is absolutely fantastic!

your resident moderator loves you for doing it! So many of the chocolate and cocoa blends are decidedly foodie-yummy to the point a guy might run away, but I wonder about that April 2007 version of Thirteen. Not to send you on a crazy goose chase through the swaps forums if you don't have it on hand, but it was very different than its cousins to me - deeper, more herbal and less sweet. Intrigue is a very unusual cocoa blend (description: black palm, with cocoa, fig and shadowy wooded notes), another one that is dry and nothing like candy. And maybe The Great Sword of War? It has a lot of serious fans! The notes are mandarin, tonka, saffron, black tea, cocoa, tobacco leaf, red musk and five classical herbs of conflict.

Celestia, have you tried Love-in-Idleness? I think it's one of the unique sweet florals, it's hard to put my finger on what gives it its personality, but it's lovely. Regan may seem like an obvious choice, but if you haven't tried it, it's such a pretty orchid and vanilla combo and the whole is greater than the sum of its parts (I know there's stephanotis in it too and I suspect there might be another flower or two.) =) Another one that might seem obvious is Juliet - it has the pear note that you're craving as well as a variety of gentle sweet florals. A little different from what you specifically requested - but something that you might like - Kitsune-Tsuki is such a pretty floral with a sweet hint of fruit. (The notes are Asian plum, orchid, daffodil, jasmine and white musk.) On the harder to find list, but worth trying - Beth's original Black Moon from two years ago is a very nice pear-floral combo and although the Lune Noire that arrived this year is beautiful, this first incarnation was a lighter and gentler perfume IMO. Once you've made your way through your must-try list, I'd suggest making an effort as many orchid blends and lotus blends as you can squeeze in. Lotus has a reputation of smelling like bubblegum but I find that Beth offsets that effect and uses its sweetness to an advantage in many, many perfumes (and I like the smell of bubblegum every now and then )

They were The Queen's Salon and Door 13.

Ars Moriendi is a great category because there seems to be something for everyone. I love the poems that inspired so many of the scents in this one, too. The florals in A.M. are some of my favorites. Eternal is gorgeous if you like florals - white rose is one of my favorite rose notes and Eternal reminds me of a big bouquet of white flowers (yet not a "white floral" perfume, it's a bit different than that). I also like The Ghost, it's a chilly floral with an undertone of greenery from the ivy note. And The Reaper and The Flowers fits in this floral family - again, there's a green note but this time from fresh grass, there are lily notes with that gorgeous white rose again. Thanatopsis is a hidden BPAL treasure, IMO. It was the first dark, woodsy scent I ever fell in love with (I arrived at the gates of the Lab in love with fluffy flowers and white musk). Although they aren't scents I wear often, there's something that gives me a twinge of nostalgia about many in this category. They have that simple quality that I call "old school BPAL" where Beth combines just a few notes in such a beautiful result. Haunted, Nocturne, Les Fleurs de Mal and Darkness are examples of that quality to me. And everyone has to try Embalming Fluid! It is so light and pretty although boys can wear it too It's crisp and clean without being overpowering like any kind of commercial perfume you can think of. And how much fun is it to tell people the name of your perfume when you are wearing it?

I decided to merge the separate threads on clove scents and clove cigarette scents due to the extensive overlap of discussion between the two of them. Enjoy your clovey scents for fall, everyone

I don't have any pictures handy (had to send my laptop to rehab) - but if you see a reference to a photo of "tarted" or "tarty" imps, that's what the picture will be. I'll see if anything turns up in a board search though. =)

I will put on my thinking cap for that one, eyeska (I haven't smelled Aquae yet, just Aeris and Terrae). I can say that of the bath oils I've tried, whether GC or LE, I'd gladly welcome any of them if the Lab released them as perfume! Luxuria and Castitas are beautiful, I loved the Yule LEs last year and the Inquisitions were especially yummy. I would propose that if you liked L'Estate bath oil you should try Tamora &/or Aglaea for to surround yourself in a golden cloud of peachy-amber. And if Luxuria bath oil makes you swoon, you should slap yourself if you haven't tried Mme. Moriarty yet.

TwilightEyes, your gallery of labels is fantastic! Thank you for putting it together and sharing it with us. I think my Liliths order will be here today and now I'm wondering which label I will have for Lilith V. I loved the labels on the 2005 Halloween LEs, when the Lab used vintage Halloween postcard images for Samhaim and Devil's Night.

And There Was A Great Cry in Egypt is gorgeous! It gets better and better with age, too. (the notes are dark myrrh, white sandalwood, amber, hyssop, frankincense, honey, cypress, red musk, cardamom and saffron.) I didn't realize that The Haunted Palace had red musk until I did a search, but I did know about the amber - not sure if Dark Delicacies is still selling the Poes and if so, if they still have it in stock, but it is a favorite blend of mine too. I tried Midnight Kiss the other day in a fall preview frenzy and you might want to put it on your list, too - it's chocolaty red musk with a rich amber base. The Ecstasy of Passion is another one w/amber and red musk (one of my to die for scents too, I love it) but it is just so hard to find these days... if the opportunity presents itself, then I'd grab it, but I wouldn't make myself crazy hunting it down or spending a fortune. Life's too short and there will be something else that comes along that you will love just as much!

Good thread, Juushika, we didn't have one yet And I know there are lots of people, myself included, who love the unique sprays that don't have perfume counterparts! (I guess Samhaim and Sugar Skull are the only ones that you could feasibly buy spray + perfumes of in the current season and they won't be around permanently). The Queen's Croquet Ground reminds me a bit of Two, Five and Seven. And I am happy that L'Estate perfume smells very similar on my skin to L'Estate spray in the air around me, it's so beautiful

You definitely should take some time to look over the Aging BPAL thread in BPAL Chatter - there's a lot of discussion of specific blends that get better and better with time over there as well as info about which individual notes age the best. Some of the general things people have found: Very delicate floral notes often fade (the one that immediately popped into my mind is linden blossom, which is in The Unicorn - a beautiful ethereal floral that I found became very light and weak after I owned it for a few years, sadly). Citrus notes are also notoriously shortlived in perfume terms. They tend to lose their brightness and depending on what they're combined with in a blend, may seem to disappear. But I have found that dominant citrus notes can occasionally become richer and sweeter in some cases when they've lost that brightness - lime becomes more like a lime LifeSaver or orange like orange marmalade. Notes that age beautifully include patchouli - if you are a fan of patchouli, I think you'll appreciate the spicy, raw edge that a fresh BPAL patchouli can have, but as it ages it gets smoother and sweeter. All the resins seem to age wonderfully as well, so try blends with myrrh, frankincense (a.k.a. olibanum, boswellia), amber (my personal favorite), styrax, opoponax, rockrose, ambergris (the Lab uses a botanical resin blend to mimic the scent of this), galbanum, tolu balsam, and/or gum mastic (and I am sure there are other resins I am forgetting that people will add to this list). Any blends with incense listed as a note should have some resinous components that will help it age well. I don't know a lot about the different wood notes, but I do find that sandalwood blends age very nicely too. I also think most vanillas age well, becoming richer and losing any hint of plastic they might have had when new and fresh (luckily I don't find that effect to occur very often, but I know some people suffer from it quite often and I sympathize.) Spicy blends usually get richer and more delicious over time too. I know you are new to BPAL, but you may not be new to perfume in general and you may know of some notes that you already like - do you have any favorites that would help us narrow things down for you? ETA: Thank you eyeska!! I was working on this and had to take a phone call, so your post went up between the time I started and the time I posted. Very good info!

I love when people enable their moms! I also love honeysuckle, whether it's growing in my yard or in BPAL bottles. Here are my opinions on the ones you suggested: Lolita : This one ends up a little candy-sweet to me instead of being a pretty floral and I ended up passing the imp along with no regrets. Twilight: This could be a good choice for your mom! The jasmine can be a little bit bossy though and could overwhelm the honeysuckle, depending on her chemistry. It's good that you are going to get to try it first. Chimera: Like AEris, I get a sugar cookie-cinnamon bun vibe from this much more than a floral vibe. It is beautiful, but if you are looking for something in the floral family I'd pass on it. Parthenope (CD): Although the honeysuckle is not the dominant note, it does show up and this is a beautiful and unique blend! The other notes give the florals a sweet-earthy base. Juliet: A favorite of mine, whether it's fresh from the Lab or aged Very pretty, feminine and sweet, I also think it's a good choice for someone who is new to BPAL. Hermia: I love Hermia, but I don't get lots and lots of honeysuckle from it - it ends up a spicy peppery amber on my skin. New Orleans - might be one of the honeysuckle-est blends of all! Of the group you asked about, I think I would pick it. However, here are a few of my favorites for you to consider too: Eos: thirding the rec! It's got loads of honeysuckle and not a lot to compete with it, it's sunshiney and pretty. I think I'd pick it over NO too, it is a less sharp scent. Shanghai: I like it because it is crisp and clean, yet has sweet honeysuckle to girl it up. Schlafende Baigneuse (from the Salon): this is one GORGEOUS floral. The notes are skin musk, white cream, honeycomb, yellow rose, King mandarin, chrysanthemum, golden amber, honeysuckle, and wide-throated yellow monkey-flower accord. I adore this blend! I'd create a new scent category for Eos and Schlafende, in contrast to "White florals," and I'd call it "yellow florals:" a little less sharp and a little less heady, a little more sunshiny and sweet. Vampire Tears: I think this is still available on the site - I love this because it bridges the gap between hard-core floral scents like New Orleans and the crisp clean Shanghai. The notes are wisteria, white grapefruit, neroli, green tea, jasmine, white ginger, honeysuckle, iris, and tonka. The Oval Portrait: May be hard to find, it sold out fast when it was offered at Dark Delicacies. Honeysuckle and spicy florals with a creamy vanilla background. Notes: honeysuckle, carnation, stargazer lily, bluebonnet, vanilla musk, and rice flower. Good luck, I am sure your mom will love whatever you decide to get for her!

I love the combo of patchouli, black tea and fig leaf that Beth used in the L'Autunno room spray (but with my wonky itchy skin, I wouldn't even dream of spraying something that's not skin safe on myself, don't worry ) I am definitely loving the tea-patchouli in Clemence, too. I hope this combo gets used more often! Iambe does list white tea and patchouli among its notes, but there's something in Iambe that clashes horribly with my chemistry - I think it either has to be the gladiola or it's something that isn't included in the description, because everything else is pretty much on my love-it list. Must be something potent to ruin Sudanese Amber for me!

So, has anyone tried all of the Pumpkins from this year's Pumpkin Patch offerings? I'd love to see a sort of capsule review of the patch as a whole and any comparisons to other BPAL blends (no matter whether they're GC or LE or what have you). It's not that I've hoarded the pumpkins from previous years, but even with single bottles, I've got 4 bottles from the first (2005-2006) batch and two from last year in my collection, as well as bottles of Pumpkin Queen and Pumpkin Smash and dribbles that I wish were bigger of The Pumpkin King and Pumpkin Cheesecake So I am questioning whether I need to add any more bottles of pumpkinny goodness to the herd. (or for fans of Mr. Show: It's pumpkininniny!) I pretty much ruled out The Shattered Pumpkin because I amp that soil/earth note like no one's business, I basically turn everything into Graveyard Dirt... but for those of you who have tried it, let us know what you think, too. There are tons of people who love that note and wear it beautifully.

That is right, ClareN. beachbabealways posted this handy guide back in June when the newest 13 went live - I thought it might be good to cross post it to this thread for the times that 13 questions come up. The new one she referred to was the June 2008 version with the green label: white chocolate, dark chocolate, apple blossom, honeysuckle, frankincense, allspice, nutmeg, black tea, tonka, and sandalwood. I personally haven't noticed a difference sniffing 10/05 and 1/06 bottles of the white label version - but I haven't finished my first bottle yet, maybe if I was wearing the '06 version I would notice a difference. The 1/06 version wasn't a reformulation but there definitely could be batch differences. It seems like as many people say they have noticed a difference as say they haven't. The Lab didn't mark the labels to differentiate the two, either, so unless you happened to do so yourself when you bought them (or got a bottle from someone who did) it complicates matters. =)

that's awesome! I have a squattle of the original Virgo - looks just like TheWitchingHour's squattle of Snow White. I keep it out of the regular herd (which is all alphabetical, natch, because hey, I'm a Virgo) because it doesn't fit in with all the other uniform bottles. I never got a clear corked bottle, though!

This is a gorgeous floral! I have a very good history with night-blooming floral scents in general, so I wasn't completely surprised that I like this one so much. It does have a soapy moment or two for me in between wet and drydown, but to me there's good-soapy and bad-soapy and this is a good-soapy, and it also goes away quickly. The floral notes rule The Witching Hour of the Night for me, making it heady, sweet, clean and cool. A definitely bottle purchase!

I just did a highly scientific study. I searched the Snake Oil review thread (664 reviews as of this posting) for the word "patchouli." I came up with a total of 84 reviewers who had included the word in their review of it. What this means... anyone's guess But maybe Snake Oil doesn't smell as heavily of patchouli as you might fear. Since it's a GC scent and you can so easily get an imp (and easily swap it if you don't like it) you might want to put it on your list and find out definitively if it will turn to patchouli on you!

I don't smell any patchouli in Snake Oil either - on me, whether it's fresh or aged, I get vanilla, spices and resins, all three of which become sweeter and deeper as it ages. But anyway, the Snake Pit blends that kind of turn Snake Oil on its ear the most are Banded Sea Snake and Cottonmouth and if Beth told us there was patchouli in either one of those, I'd eat my proverbial hat.

Zounds, do I love this scent! Honey is hands down one of my top three notes and white rose is my favorite of all BPAL roses, so I knew that this would have to be a winner - cream may have let me down once or twice, but no problems here. The white rose is sweet and lush without being overpowering, the honey complements it perfectly and the cream swirls it all together and takes it to the next level. I had it on the back of my hand and I could hardly take it away from my nose for hours. I hope I don't use up my decant today waiting for my bottle to arrive tomorrow. This is like a more sophisticated version of Hope (not that Hope is plebian or something) - Hope is a pink rose candied with sugar crystals, while Katrina is a white rose floating in a bowl of cream and honey.

A unique scent - I pick up on a slight resemblance to White Rabbit as well (WR is a favorite of mine so that's wonderful) although it's more of the creamy-pepper notes than the tea. In fact, I get no wool, no muguet and very little tea from Ichabod. What I get is a sweet and wistful, creamy and slightly spicy beeswax I have no interest in figuring out why, I love it just the way it is and must have a bottle!

I think BPAL grass scents (and the discussion of them) kind of falls in two categories - fresh, green grass and drier grasses or haylike scents. I think what you're describing kind of falls in between the two, and as you are probably already learning, your skin chemistry will ultimately determine whether the scent that one person says is just perfect is also perfect for you! So I would definitely take a look at the threads that are linked above when you get a chance, you will probably get a few recs there in addition to the ones that you get here. Try everything that you can, and if anything is close but not quite what you're looking for, put it away for future layering possibilities. You may discover another scent down the road that will be the peanut butter to its chocolate Some of the scents that you might want to put on your list - lots of people get sweetgrass and hay from Van Van. Coyote has a nice sweetgrass note that you might like too. My favorite green grass scent is probably Garden Path with Chickens (I am looking forward to trying The Schoolhouse soon, though, I find that the Lab's dandelion note smells very much like fresh grass to me!) Even the green-grass scents that have floral notes end up smelling mostly grassy to me, so be brave and try Pontarlier, Rosalind, and Amsterdam. I'd second the suggestion about tracking down a decant or bottle of Hay Moon if you can. It was a very recent LE and I see it pop up on the swaps forums a lot - although I wouldn't say it's a love it or hate it scent, it seems like it didn't work out for a lot of people who thought it would be perfect for them, all of which adds up to it not being impossible to find like some LEs. Beth seems to like the hay absolute note she's discovered, she used it prominently in Hay Moon and Bezoar, so maybe we'll have more scents with that note soon, too.

I can't believe that I haven't reviewed Autumn yet - it was one of the great surprises out of the Traveling Exhibition for me and I really love it. I bought my bottle almost a year ago and a little age has made it even more beautiful. At first sniff, and when first applied, it reminds me very much of Samhain (although I haven't tried the 2008 version of this yet, I have tried almost all the others). But as it dries, it morphs into something unique and beautiful, a more feminine cousin of Samhain and some of the Lab's scents in that vein. The rose and osmanthus make for a sweet and balanced floral component that seems to replace the sweet fruit component that I find in Samhain. Overall, Autumn is a gorgeous spicy floral that I'd place in the Oriental family of perfumes - like many of the Salon blends, it is complex and resembles a traditional perfume more than many of the GC scents do.

I've owned this one for ages - I was lucky enough to acquire a bottle from RedWitche, who hasn't been on the forum in some time, but who shares a sign and birth year with me I love that this has that very old-school BPAL vibe that incites nostalgia in me, as some of the earthier blends from the early days of the catalog do. But where so many astrologically inspired perfumes are just the eathiest things that the perfumer could think of, dumped in a bottle, this version of Virgo has many more facets. The earthy patchouli and oakmoss are there, of course, but the narcissus is somehow earthy, sweet and floral at the same time; the rose adds more sweet and floral tones. I get a bit of brightness from the apple and musk, but this bottle has had a lot of time to age and mellow and it's more thick and heady than bright (which suits me fine). I would guess my bottle is from late 2003 or early 2004, it's one of those squatty bottles with a hand-lettered label in block letters and a reducer top, although I believe this one was around until late October of 2004. Now that Beth has yet another Virgo in her life, perhaps she'll revisit Virgo again and again - I believe that The Gladdener of All Hearts had a good bit of Virgo inspiration, since the money was on baby L. arriving towards the end of August or later (would there have been a frenizied reformulation if she'd decided to pop out prior to August 22? Maybe! Babies are unpredictable, especially first babies!) Anyway, I will happily make room for any future interpretations as well. I really cherish this one and the 2007 version turned the concept on its ear again.