Search the Community
Showing results for tags 'Yule 2016'.
Found 114 results
-
A brittle wind of eucalyptus blossom, spearmint, and icy elemi. Origin: Straight from the Post Initial Thoughts: I have started pestering Puddin' and the goblins for a minty hair gloss as my bottle of Lightning Storm begins to run low. Something cool and crisp for those hot summer days. This sounds like what I'm looking for. In the Bottle: Cold and greeny. Spearmint and eucalyptus and a little woodsy. Promising. On Wet Hair: Very odd. It's still a cold scent, but I think I must be getting 100% elemi - it's cool and woodsy and there's not a hint of mint or eucalyptus anywhere. After Blowdrying: Some of the eucalyptus comes back and a hint of spearmint, but it's still mostly a cool woodsy scent that's not evergreen or Christmas-tree. Verdict: I'm going to have to think about this one. It's somewhat cold, definitely bleak, but doesn't have any minty bite that I was hoping for. Guess I'm pinning my hopes on the current Lunacy or an eventual Lick It hair gloss.
-
Black coffee and smoked vanilla bean with deep indigo opium petals. In The Bottle: The black coffee is front and center, definitely the same, strong coffee note from Bah!, with the vanilla adding a nice place for the coffee to land. The opium is there in the background, less invasive than I thought it would be. It might change out of the bottle though... Wet On Skin: The "indigo" part of the opium is key here, this is no soporific red poppy, no. This is a rich, deeply hued opium that almost would be an incense, except it's lacking ANY smokiness. It's smooth without becoming an overbearing floral. At this stage the coffee has taken a definite back seat and the vanilla has left the building. Dry Down: The vanilla makes a return! It's acting as a sweet and creamy balance to the opium, creating a scent that is rich, yet light enough for daytime wear, and manages to be neither floral nor foodie, even though the ingredients are one or the other. The more I wear it, the more it's strangeness grows on me. The two notes might seem to have nothing in common, but these odd attractors are creating something lovely and deep and pretty feminine, without reading as a "perfume" perfume. The coffee at this point is more like an afterthought, waaaaay in the background, adding just a sliver of raw sugar into the mix. In All: Medium throw, an eminently wearable scent. I got it for the coffee note but am not at ALL disappointed with how it turned out!
-
Marshmallow cream, sweet fudge, vanilla shortbread, and confectioners sugar. First, what an awesome label. Removing the bubble wrap, I could already smell this one. Faint soapy sweetness, like Boo. In the bottle: Cookie!! Wet: White chocolate brownies??! Dry: It's slightly plasticky on me now, as expected from being straight out of the mail and me being straight out of the shower. It still reminds me of Boo but more buttery, butterscotchy than Boo. I was really hoping the fudge wouldn't be an overpowering chocolate note so I'm glad it isn't, though I wouldn't mind it coming out more. I need to try this again, but since I'm impatient I dabbed some on my sweater for a test that wouldn't mix in with the body wash on my skin. It's similar to the sweeter facets of Mouse Circus. It is mostly marshmallow, but with more yummy, cakey things underneath. An easy to wear sweet scent that could layer with many things (like Stekkjarstaur)! I hope I can bring out more yumminess on my skin, because this is already a favorite.
-
Edvard Munch Ribbons of wild plum, French lavender, and calla lily rolling over hills of thick snow. This one is gorgeous! It's rich purple plums, and cold,cold florals. The plums are juicy, moderately sweet but not sugary or reminiscent of honey either. The florals are just the right touch! They strike me as white and barely-there pinks and yellows. I don't get the snow note, but I'm sure it's what is causing the 'cold' effect on this scent. A very unique Yule!
-
It sifts from Leaden Sieves – It powders all the Wood. It fills with Alabaster Wool The Wrinkles of the Road – It makes an even Face Of Mountain, and of Plain – Unbroken Forehead from the East Unto the East again – It reaches to the Fence – It wraps it Rail by Rail Till it is lost in Fleeces – It deals Celestial Vail To Stump, and Stack – and Stem – A Summer’s empty Room – Acres of Joints, where Harvests were, Recordless, but for them – It Ruffles Wrists of Posts As Ankles of a Queen – Then stills it’s Artisans – like Ghosts – Denying they have been – White frankincense, pale dry patchouli, white sandalwood, and a tuft of coconut-white snow. This is lovely. Soft frankincense, wood, with the barest hint of patchouli...it definitely makes this dry. The snow is not prevalent at all...it's it's just snow...with barest hint of coconut. I hope this will age well.
-
In Latvia, the Ziemassvetki, or Winter Party, is a celebration of the birth of Dievs, the Sky God and Supreme Ruler of the Latvian pantheon. The two weeks prior to the Ziemassvetki is Ve?u laiks: the Season of Ghosts. Candles are lit to honor the gods and a fire is kept burning throughout the Season, burning away the unhappiness of the previous year so men's spirits can be renewed. At the feast of the Ziemassvetki, places are left as a courtesy to the ghosts, who arrive by sleigh. A scent created to burn away sorrow: bergamot, frankincense, rose geranium, ginger, lemongrass, and blood orange. I bought Season of Ghosts, because I know there is some sorrow coming up for me that I'm really going to want to burn away. Winter is always a difficult time, but this one is sure to be one of the worst. In the bottle, first sniff is sort of soapy, but with something soft and warm. The oil itself is very dry. ... or maybe that's my skin. Wet on, it is not so soapy now. i can definitely smell the rose geranium and the lemongrass. This isn't really bright and citrussy, though it definitely does have citrus. something is sort of dusty, maybe that's the frankincense? I think this will actually work! Yay. A soft scent for sad days.
-
Cherubic spun sugar with a hint of lemon, sparkling peach, and floral tea. I don't know what else to say except that this smells exactly like the Snow Angel perfume but in HG form! Bright, cheery lemon with just enough peach and sugar-I've never gotten any floral tea from the perfume and that still rings true with this HG-I'm thinking of getting a back up bottle! Hmmmmm now I wonder how much pleading I need to do to get a Fee HG this Winter
-
Wine spilled across freshly pressed table linens, a wilted holiday bouquet, and a furtive hint of whiskey and baked bread. I was so intrigued by this, and I'm not even sure why! I do love dinner parties and the smell of ironed linen. Wine usually gets too noisy on me and I don't like gourmand stuff...but I bought a bottle untested? Okay. In the bottle, the cakey/bakey/bread note was quite strong, Eat Me-like with the berryish wine note. I wasn't going to give it the honour of First Tested, but I spilled a couple of drops so I decided to make this Deipnophobia night. On my skin, the baked goods calm right down and I get barely a whiff of wine--that's really good, since the Lab's wine note often gets cloying on me. The linen dominates, with wisps of subtle whiskey, wine and bread. It's more of a perfumey "linen" note than a photorealistic slightly-scorched smell of ironed linen, but I'm really loving this. Are there florals? I can't pick them out, me. The bread reminds me of the yeasty sufganiyot note in Chanukkiyah (which I also got another bottle of in this order). Nom.
-
Utagawa Hiroshige Snow-dusted ti leaf, winter-white cherry blossoms, gilded ylang ylang, and hinoki cypress. the ylang ylang and hinoki cypress can easily ruin anything as they are so pungent, so i was nervous with this blind bottle... in bottle: every component is evident and swirled in perfect harmony. application: starts off w a sharp blast of ti leaf above the floral, w the hinoki cypress as a base. ti leaf recedes and the cherry blossoms beautifully appear on a bed of bonzaii needles. the ylang is elegant and a supporting note. verdict: i am happy i have a bottle... do i need another to age? though the hinoki is not overly herbal or menthol-ish and the ylang not pungent. i cant shake the strong base of cypress needles and snow, as much as i love everything else. something childish like sweetarts+ cherry blossom in here makes it a keeper for me.
-
Fear of Beards Definitely bad news if you live in Silverlake, Williamsburg, or the Mission. A tangle of patchouli, upcycled leather, artisanal honey, and a couple of oils youve probably never heard of. First on this one? That's new! In bottle: It's a lot of patchouli, very woodsy. Applied, Wet: Very, very woodsy and almost all patchouli. I'm not getting much of the honey, but the leather is underneath trying to cut through the patch. It's almost a little tangy. It's not unpleasant, but it's not me. This is definitely a more masculine scent, and I'll be honest, I bought it to try & be somewhat ironic - I work at a company filled with men & their hipster beards. I would *love* to smell it on one, in particular ... Editing to add: Aaah ... there's the honey. It's finally come out of hiding, tempering everything else blending quite nicely. The drydown is really quite wonderful.
-
Soft, sugared shortbread and warm cocoa. After falling in love my first bath oil, I have high hopes for this. (Straight out of the mail) In the bottle, I smell what is listed. Such a warm scent. As it's drying on my skin, the prominent cocoa reminds me of El Dia de los Reyes. I wish I was getting more shortbread, but there is a light yummy cookie-ness under this. I would so love to take a bath in this when I get the chance. Super cozy!
-
Snow-speckled white chocolate and fir needle. Well, I don't have much to say... This is going to one of those pop-up christmas tree stands set up in an abandoned Sonic parking lot, where the tree-monger is bundled up in two layers of coat and has an old, weatherbeaten touk that has seen better days. He's trying to be cheerful, but hours of standing on hard concrete with demanding hipsters who are bemoaning the lack of symmetry in the trees or the haggling down the price of his long-harvested, patiently grown crop wear at his soul. You overhear an innocent family conversation between two trenchcoat, tweed-scarved gentlemen and their fully REI-clad daughter, Ava. "Richard, honey, don't you think Ava would love this little threadbare tree, it's so Charlie Brown." Todd pats the top of the diminutive, skanky little tree. It shudders and loses a few needles. Richard's eyebrow raises. "Todd, you know I want something a bit more grand, more traditional." Richard gazes lovingly up at a magnificent but utterly impractical seven foot Douglas. Todd rolls his eyes, it's always about size with Richard. Looking just a bit miffed, he turns to his daughter and asks her, "Hmph. Ava, what would you like?" The little girl wearing the poofy purple Polartec that she'll outgrow in two months blinks up at all the trees towering overhead. A little snow, but just a hint, is flurrying into the square. The man with the touk coughs impatiently. It's possible he only has one functioning lung at this point. Remembering the artisanal hot chocolate she had at Vosges as part of her fifth christmas celebration with her fathers, her eyes light up and she knows exactly what she wants. "I want the little tree!" Richard's lips pull sideways in a tight line. Todd knows exactly how to get his way. Just like his mother. He's reaching for his wallet when Ava tilts her head to one side and adds jubilantly, "I want the little tree dipped in white chocolate!" Both men look a bit stunned. The treemonger coughs again. Todd says, "Wait, what? Honey, you know that's not-" The treemonger puts up a single gloved finger to silence the dads, lets out a great big sigh and trundles towards the shed, where he keeps his economy vat of 50 pounds of white chocolate simmering exactly for this purpose. ... TL:DR This is a super unique scent. Very weird. Wet, it's all fir, very realistic needles, the very slight powdery resin rubbing off on your fingers if you inadvertently touch a glob of sap, leading to stickiness and much cursing. As it dries, the chocolate starts to rise to the surface, but the scent retains its needly-fir essence. In the end it's still predominantly a 'nature' scent, it doesn't veer to me into foody territory, but neither does it avoid it completely. There's a richness, cocoa-butteryness, almost shea-butter depth beneath the fir so it's not a pure essential oil type scent. It's definitely not unpleasant, but it's... super weird. Like exactly the type of strange hipster thing that may happen with a bit of off-the-wall imagination. It totes smells like a bough of a christmas tree coated in white chocolate drizzle. Tickling at the edges is a hint of maybe a eucalyptus like snow-note, but as above... just a slight sprinkling. That may also be the top-notes of fir... but I can get a bit of a cooling note mixed in here and there.
-
The first soft snow! Enough to bend the leaves Of the jonquil low. Heavy drifts of snow blanketing winter's narcissus. I want to start by saying I just love snow scents. So pretty much any BPAL that smells like snow, I will love, and have loved. <b>In the Bottle:</b> Very similar to other snow scents (mainly Snow Moon, Snow Maiden, and Snow Bunny). Pine, sweet powdery white snow, and light delicate florals. But this is the purest form I've smelled. Snow Moon had a bit of astringent in the background and Snow Bunny is heavier on the pale white floral. But this is purely snow and flowers, just as the description says. Lovely!! <b>Wet:</b> Smells the same as in the bottle. Doesn't morph at all. <b>Dry:</b> This is the fastest fading snow scent I've tried so far. The prettiest and lasting the least amount of time on my skin. But it stays true for that 1/2 hour! <b>Overall:</b> This is by far my favorite snow scent. I just wish it lasted longer. I'd get another bottle of Snow Maiden or Snow Bunny before getting another bottle of this, though. They all smell similar, but the other two last longer on me.
-
Petrified woods bound in a rigid leather cord. strong and strange. leans manly. while there's a bit of light leather in the background, what is prominent is mostly a mishmash of other notes...the woods? I assume--and I'm sorry that my nose hasn't yet sussed out which and what woods/wood notes are present. there's something green and almost herbal as well, as thought the woods are closer to fresh branches still alive and green in the center rather than petrified. very unique and intriguing, although not really my style.
-
Honeyed black tea, rich mahogany leather, and a tuft of chocolate truffle. Oh! Am I first? I was desperate to try Tea and Music, since my highlights of 2016 have been spending a lot of time with my favourite band, and long chats over tea (often about said band) with some of my closest friends. So when they came together in a scent, I had to have it. At first sniff, it's so well-blended that I can't pick out individual notes, but my first impression is that it's evocative of being wrapped up in a completely innocent hug with a hot guy (not to say it's a 'masculine' scent, it's quite neutral). That is literally the image that came to find in the first second or two of sniffing the bottle. On skin, I start to be able to pick out the honey and chocolate - the leather is there, but as a kind of background warmth and depth. I can't really single out tea in the same way I can with, say, Theodosius, but I suspect it's contributing to the 'just can't quite put my finger on something here' mystery of this scent. It'll be interesting to see how this one evolves with aging. I find this very soft in the drydown - but I LOVE it, so it will be slathered!
-
Winter cherries and a slush of merry snow. His Own Heart Laughed is an interesting scent. I was hoping it would smell like a cherry slushie, and I was both right and wrong. In the bottle: Smells like a mixture of Snow White and bright red cherries. If only it stayed this way! On dry skin as a moisturizer: There's a more medicinal hint to the blend, as often happens with cherry scents. In the bath: Surprisingly green! It's like the red cherries were attached to holly boughs! After the bath: It doesn't last very long on my skin at all. There's just a vague fruitiness left behind if I smell very closely.
-
Loaves of bread, piles upon piles of sweet Yule pastries, and a shower of cinnamon, cardamom, and clove. I already expected this to be my favorite thing ever, because I love the smell of bread and bakeries. Unwrapping it, I get the delicious spices that remind me of Exotic Bazaar. Can I die now? This is amazing. This isn't the weird straight-up bread scent of my dreams, but I expect this to be a hit for many. Can it always be winter, because I want my room and life to smell like this all the time. Ok. I didn't think the sweet Yule pastries would be so amazing. When I was hoping for bread out of this, I was hoping the pastries wouldn't be too prominent or sweet. BUT OH BOY. In the immediate spray, the sweet pastries combine with the spices to make something that just puts me in heaven. When it's dry, I mostly get the spices again that remind me of Exotic Bazaar (probably my 2nd favorite atmo behind Pumpkin Spice Flan...and now my 3nd favorite behind Baker Shops). The pastries aren't as strong, and there may be some buttery bread underneath. So good! I'm excited to see how this settles/ages.
-
Red patchouli, sage leaf, Darjeeling tea, smoke-scarred sandalwood, green tobacco, and oud. I wasn't around when this was released in perfume form years back, but the reviews motivated me to snag a decant. it's divine! above and beyond my expectations. the heart of everything is a lovely patch/tobacco/sandal, a lil' bit smokey yes but also lightened by the tea and sage. definitely got that "classic bpal" thing going on. I keep running my fingers through my hair just to smell them. lovely and complex and addictive.
-
Welsh cakes and ale with a smattering of dried lavender. In the bottle: Sweet baked smell with the faintest wafts of a boozy note and lavender. Wet on skin: The lavender pushes its way to the forefront, that baked smell lingering behind it. The ale is there too, but you have to pick it out. Dry down: Toasty baked lavender goodness, kind of like scones almost but not especially sweet ones. With lavender sprinkled on top. Verdict: I liked this a lot. It's a very cozy, comforting sort of scent, a curl up on the couch in a warm blanket with a cup of tea and good book on a rainy day type smell. Calming and homey without being dull, to my mind.
-
A branch of holly on a cold, clear Christmas morning. Fresh. Green. Holly. Chilly and vibrant. This will be beautiful in summer too as doesn't seem to convey "snow" and, of course, isn't a "Christmas tree" pine or spruce scent. I will probably dab this on as a perfume too. Update: happy to note it is long-lasting on me and is still there after a couple washings.
-
And cares long, long, forgotten: joyful sugared carnation and vanilla freesia. Oh my. If you love carnation and vanilla do not let this pass you by. This is the carnation perfume of my dreams. It is a true carnation and, while I don't smell freesia yet, the vanilla is prominent. I don't often smell vanilla when it is listed, but here I smell it. Lovely. Stunning. I love it. Eta: I just wanted to say that I get absolutely no honey here, not even a vibe (I cannot wear honey) just for those of you who cannot wear honey and are interested in this scent. I know honey is not listed as a note but whenever I read a review where someone so much as mentions honey I run...
-
Fear of Happiness Gibbering chitters of laughter, gleaming grinning mouths peeling open like a knife-slash: high-pitched lemon peel and pink pepper, white orris, and garish tangerine. OMG. This smells like candied lemon peel and lemonheads. It is lemon, lemon, lemon, and it is divine. This is no weak and retiring lemon. The pink pepper and tangerine seem to give the lemon some background strength and staying power. Seriously. Lemonheads.
-
Fear of Church Suffocating clouds of shroud-thick frankincense and myrrh, sepulchral tolu balsam, black labdanum, and a sin-sick thread of jasmine sambac. Wow, this is strong and heady! On application I immediately smell tolu balsam, labdanum and jasmine sambac. The jasmine is more than just a "thread" on me, so either I amp it or there's a lot of it here, but despite the floral note, this gives off a dark, heavy almost brooding impression - "shroud thick" is a fitting descriptor. The jasmine is sweet, not the kind that goes sour on me, or that smells like soiled baby nappies; it's sweet, but not to the point of being cloying. Myrrh comes forward a bit as it dries, and now I can tell there's frankincense in here too (though barely), but it's still pretty jasmine-dominated, though that note does settle down a lot by final dry-down to let the resins through. Despite the jasmine, I'd say this is just this side of gender-neutral (well..I think I can pull it off as a guy, anyway). I'm liking this more, the more it dries down, in fact I like it a lot. It's dark, resin-heavy and with jasmine, and really damn good!
-
Slushy white mint, vanilla cream, lemon drops, grapefruit, and yuzu! Yellow Snowballs Floof is basically the perfect adult cotton candy. I wanted both flavors, but also wanted to make sure I'd like them, so this one seemed a better place to start. The citrus mix is at the forefront, and yes, it's not just lemon- the grapefruit and yuzu are delicious and in perfect harmony! I get none of the mint, but the vanilla cream pulls the whole thing together, making for a really yummy treat! Based on this experience, I plan on getting a jar of the other one, and shall have no regrets about it!
-
Dark myrrh, black cypress, fir pitch, and a shuddering sliver of white mint. Puddin is such a wonderful tease, and this was one of Puddin's wonderful teases right before he unleashed the 2016 post yule scents. Violent fit of trembling is a bottle of beloved notes: I adore cypress, evergreen forests are magic to me, peppermint is a mood brightener and myrrh is a base note in many favorite bpals. wet this opens with the cypress and the fir. there is a cool brightness, but I wouldn't think to look for mint in this if I didn't see it listed. this dries down to a deep unisex cologne, more myrrh than fir. it feels a little gritty but not dry. it reminds me a little of german expressionist horror, which I love, for being dark with that touch of evergreen. violent fit is delicious.
