Love's Philosophy

[dronzeka]

Vanilla, saffron, and cream.

Sigh. Vanilla candle. There's a nice little zing from the saffron, I'll grant you, but the vanilla is very ordinary and a little waxy/plastic-y. I was hoping to be wowed, but sadly, I'm not. Stupid skin!

[kelpsoda]

In the bottle: sweet, sweet vanilla icing.

 

on skin: mellows out into an unfortunate artificial vanilla scent. not unpleasant, but not what I want to smell like either.

 

ETA: on second try, I'm getting the wintergreen lifesavers smell. Is that the saffron? I seem to be amping it like crazy. I actually like the mint better than the vanilla I was getting before, but it's a bit strong. I wonder if aging will tone it down any.

Edited March 7, 2008 by kelp

[empi girl]

I love this, so much that I did something I almost never do, and bought a second bottle.

On me, when wet, it's a sweet vanilla caramel. In fact, I was driving to work and realized it smells kind of like a caramel steamer (steamed milk with caramel). I think it's the saffron that turns the vanilla into caramel for me. And underneath it all, there is the faintest edge of coolness, like mint, but without being discernable as mint. I don't think of this as foody, though, caramel steamer comparison notwithstanding! It dries to a soft, creamy scent, with that tickling of mint hidden underneath.

 

It stays beautiful all the way through. I don't get plastic, icing, anything cloying.

[ClareN]

I had really low expectations for Love's Philosophy after reading all these "wintergreen/buttercream/vanilla candle" reviews. I don't like wintergreen, don't like overly foody scents, and I am picky about vanilla. Yet I actually love this scent. Shocking, I know!

 

In the bottle, this smells like the scented markers I had as a kid, in a pleasant, nostalgic way. It smells like the mixture of smells you got if you colored in a whole picture with all the different scented markers.

 

On my skin, the wintergreen jumps out at me right away, but it is not as off-putting as I'd expected. It is cooling and refreshing, and with the vanilla rounding it out in the background it reminds me of Tokyo Stomp, which I like a lot. The wintergreen scent backs off after ten or fifteen minutes, and I'm left with a cool, simple, almost spicy vanilla scent - more gourmand than foody. I expected this to smell like sickly-sweet icing and I'm very pleasantly surprised with how non-foody it is. It smells like a more vanilla version of Snake Oil without the musk, spices or patchouli. I am surprised that there aren't many other Snake Oil comparisons in these reviews, since they have a very similar vanilla-cola feel to me.

 

The lasting power is amazing - I'm still getting whiffs in the air around me after 8 hours and more.

 

I think Love's Philosophy will be perfect for layering and I suspect it will also age beautifully. I am glad I ordered two bottles and am even contemplating a third!

[Moryssa]

When I first started looking at BPAL, vanilla was one of the things that I just *knew* I was going to like.

Then I discovered that while I love vanilla in candles and oil burners, I really don't like it in perfume. Very few of the vanilla-y scents have been mild enough that they aren't making me nauseous.

 

Love's Philosophy was one that I tossed in at the last minute on my decant order. Everyone was swooning at the very idea of it, so I figured "What the heck. I'll try it, see what the big deal is, and if I don't like it, I'm sure I can swap it."

 

I got my decants, and I've decided: YOU CAN'T HAVE IT! IT'S MINE! MINE!MINE!MINE!!!

 

*ahem*

 

I definitely get the slightly-minty note that others mentioned. It's not really *mint*, though, so much as it's the *impression* of mint. I can't really pick out the individual notes at all, and it doesn't really smell like vanilla, per se... to me, the overwhelming impression is of yellow cake batter. :9

 

I'm not a foody person at all. I don't really want to smell like I'd dumped a glass of Irish cream on myself (Misk U) or like a Fruitcake. However, I want to start licking my own arm when I'm wearing Love's Philosophy.

 

--M

[RobotBunny]

I am one of the wintergreen Love's Philosophy-ers! However, I keep trying it (I reallly want to love this one dangit ) and I've noted that through the incredibly long-lasting wear time of this one, I actually get over the wintergreen hump after several hours. (Although, in defense of the wintergreen, at least it's not like one of those car air-fresheners, but decent-smelling! )

 

Last night, it took nearly EIGHT hours to calm down! That was insane! But today, it was only about an hour and a half to two hours before it hit a rather interesting dry stage. I get a hint of vanilla, but only if I get very close, and definitely a lot of warm saffron. It's very interesting and not exactly what I expected, but it is quite nice!

 

I would die for the buttercream/vanilla icing scent that some of you are getting, but I'll take what I can get here!

[impadua@aol.com]

Darn! I wish I might have recieved one of the minty ones, because I am so disappointed in this scent.

It sounded so good.....and just isn't.

Not for me, anyway.

[azhriaz]

I tested this one on my skin and on fabric, because BPAL vanilla and cream generally don't work well with my chemistry.

 

The wintergreen note is very prominent. It does go away after a while and I'm left with a sharp plastic vanilla on my skin. Typical. Occasionally it morphs into something that reminds me of a delicious vanilla chai, but it's fleeting.

 

On the fabric the vanilla works much better. I definitely see a similarity to Snake Oil, but with more vanilla and less spice. It's still more sharp than creamy though. I think that's the saffron.

 

I'm glad I got a decant of this. I would have been tempted to buy a bottle in the hope it would actually smell like vanilla, cream and saffron, but it wasn't to be.

[the_cat_goddess]

I've been really holding my breath for this one! Now I didn't look at the notes to do this review...

 

In the bottle: Creamy without being sour at all, sweet with an odd note in the background that is kind of fruity but not really defined.

 

Wet: Still creamy, like the soft enfolding creaminess in the original Milk Moon. A woodsy background with brief spikes of... menthol? Still a slight, undefined fruitiness.

 

Dry: An odd wintergreen scent is coming through the creaminess, and I don't like it now... Wintergreen? From a little further distance away it has a rootbeer scent.

 

30 min: Kind of a creamy, woodsy scent with an odd wintergreen backdrop. Having to fight not to wash this off. I'm sad!

 

Reviewing the notes: vanilla, saffron, and cream. I definitely got the cream, and I guess the saffron is what is bringing in the woodsiness. Oddly, I think the vanilla mixed with the saffron is creating the wintergreen that I'm getting. All in all: not a hit.

 

Edited to add: I just went back and read other reviews. I guess wintergreen is a pretty common note in this. : (

Edited March 8, 2008 by the_cat_goddess

[Lyrical]

In the vial: Thick, custardy vanilla.

 

Drumroll please .........

Wet on skin: nope - no mint/wintergreen here! It smells like a creamy vanilla dessert.

 

Dry on skin: no - still no trace of mint/wintergreen. It's less foody than I expected - it doesn't smell like something I'd actually eat, but it's very creamy and definitely vanilla.

 

It faded fairly quickly, so I slathered on some more, at which point I noticed a slight hint of something green. Definitely not mint, but cool and herbal, and it adds a touch of freshness. I really like this, despite the comparatively short wear length.

Edited March 8, 2008 by Lyrical

[Jilara]

Mmm, all creamy vanilla, and....oh, wait, there's the saffron blooming out as it dries! A friend says it makes him think of gourmet coffee creamer, and I have to admit he's got something there. Lasts pretty well. A very pretty vanilla scent.

 

Said friend tried some on him, and with his chemistry, it goes to something like a vanilla latte. Must be all the coffee he drinks...

[theseagrows]

this is a creamy vanilla with the barest hint of saffron. it turns slightly plasticky on me, as foody scents often do. it smells almost exactly like the original midway on me. will probably keep my imp but not get a bottle.

[LadyCrow]

In the decant: Vanilla cream, with the tang of saffron keeping it from being sickly sweet.

 

Wet: The saffron is strong with this one.

 

Drydown: Yep, wintergreen Life Savers jump out of the vanilla. Does this mean that if I chew my arm, I'll see sparks? I haven't read through all of the reviews prior to mine, but if anyone's compared it to Tokyo Stomp, that would make sense to me -- sweet, fluffy vanilla cream, like the best cake frosting in the world, then changed by mint. Only this is a different mint, dryer -- thankfully mellowing out after a bit. So now my English-major brain is picturing Godzilla Versus Shelley, in a monster/poet smackdown. And it's weird.

 

Verdict: Predictably, the giant monster wins that one. I'll age my imp, but I expected something really different from this based on the listed notes.

[isyche]

Love's Philosophy on me smells exactly like storebought vanilla frosting, and it's really strong...I don't get mint or saffron out of it, just a buttery/chalky sweet vanilla.

 

I like some foody scents, but this was too much FROSTING! for me...I tend to prefer more subtle/natural and less sweet things.

[steffanina]

Love's Philosophy-

 

In Bottle: HOLY CRIPES BETH MADE A DR. PEPPER SCENT.

 

Wet: Creamy wintergreen minty softness! More Life Savers wintergreen than Dr. Pepper once it's on.

 

Dry: For a while we're back to Dr. Pepper! With a hint of suntan lotion. And then the dry-down is very creamy and less minty. Very interesting! I could come to like this one, but I'm not sure yet.

 

Overall: I want to try this some more. The dry-down is great.

[willowtreeling]

I smell creamy vanilla soda:) or white cake-and it doesn't have the weird cake-y/ waxy note that Channikayah had. it's nice but doesn't knock my socks off. i don't get that wintergreen tinge people are talking about, but I do get a sort of dry smell, similar to the wintergreen lifesaver smell I got off of Snow White.

The lasting power isn't very long. I don't wear simple vanilla scents much these days, but I like this one and Midway.

[lefthandmade]

Mmm very nice in the bottle, rich and creamy.

 

As I put it on I'm expecting it to turn stale like some foody scents do on me, but this one doesn't. It's just sweet and caramel-y, probably held a little in check by the saffron. Oh I like!

 

After it's dries it remains wonderful with caramel/vanilla coming off my skin.

It stays pretty close though. I have to put my nose all the way to my wrist to smell it, but that's just nice. It reminds me a little of MIDWAY but this one is even better.

 

I'm very happy I bought it.

[ImperatrixMundi]

How can this smell so much like wintergreen for the first fifteen minutes? Ugh.

The initial intense wintergreen fades quickly when the vanilla takes over but a chalky hint of wintergreen is still left after an hour. The vanilla scent in itself is not overly foody but creamy and warm. It also lasts long. But that fake wintergreen impression. It just kills this scent.

[LadyLuckDoubt]

In the Bottle

Yummy, sugary, creamy vanilla and yep, the warmth and deliciousness of saffron. This is EXTREMELY sweet, and reminds me of Jessica Simpson's Creamy perfume, which I love. I have high hopes.

 

On Me

Sadly, it's not to be. Within seconds of applying a drop of this stuff to the back of my hand, it's gone effing rancid on me, smelling like fake vanilla mixed with that plasticy smell of cheap crappy plastic toys which one suspects are made with toxic substances dangerous to small children.

 

It also lingers like no one's business, and in desperation to get it off, I licked my hand. It doesn't taste very nice, either.

 

I can't believe my skin DID THIS. Seriously... I had a similar reaction to Hellcat, which went to nasty-smelling old-lady perfume on me (think fake Chanel No. 5-- I don't like the real version let alone the knock-offs) and I thought that was as bad as it would get. But this was worse... it was stronger.

 

 

I'm totally swapping it or selling it. So many people seem to love this one, and it's definitely not getting any love here (and I'm sure I could get something I WOULD love, too).

[ladyxbones]

So this is my first review, but I am wearing Love's Philosophy again today and each time I wear it and browse the forum I feel compelled to share how much I love it!

 

I am totally obsessed with anything vanilla/foody, with the exception of overly-nauseating sweet smells, and was going to order a bottle of Snake Oil but then the Lupercalias came out and I decided to throw in Love's Philosophy instead last minute - needless to say I'm glad I did! I'm still pretty new to BPAL but my collection is rapidly growing and I've tried enough by now to know when I've found a gem.

 

I've worn a vanilla oil for the past few years that was given to me as a gift, so when I first smelled Love's Philosophy I knew I would like it but figured it was close enough to most of my collection that I really didn't need to start hoarding it. After trying it I couldn't stop sniffing my wrists.

 

This has AMAZING throw on me, and lasts longer than any BPAL oil I've tried. I don't get any plasticky smells, and while this is VERY vanilla, it is not a foody scent. I don't get cheap vanilla candle either, just smooth gorgeous vanilla with a warm contrast of what I imagine must be the saffron - I was a bit confused by the reviews of wintergreen, although during the drydown I do get a sharp scent which must be what everyone is talking about...then I realized the other day, this scent reminds me of my (late) grandfather's air freshener that was permanently trapped in the seats of his old Volvo! No wonder it's so comforting to me (it must've been a vanilla air freshener), and automatically I could see where the wintergreen would come in. This is a very well-rounded blend, and it makes me sad that some people have had little or bad luck with it since it works so well on me!

 

Also, my mother absolutely abhors all of my sweet, cake-smelling scents and always scrunches her nose in distaste when I put them on, but the other day in the car she went "something smells nice, is that one of your oils?" and when I replied yes, she went "I like it, you smell like a cupcake". Then while I was at my new job, my supervisor came in and went "something smells good, like vanilla, what is that!" and when I replied that it was me she said she could smell it when she came in and loved it! Score = 2!

 

I am definitely going to be ordering two more bottles while it is available. Rationally, I KNOW I will never even use up that much oil, but after wearing it out a few times it's quickly become one of my, if not the, top favourite scents - even considering how many different blends of vanilla I own, this one is just so gorgeous and perfectly balanced that I can't ignore that voice that says "Need more, must hoard!". Just in case..right?

 

5/5

[waffelo13]

*Sigh*

Foody BPALs and I usually get along famously, especially vanilla scents.

Love's Philosophy and I are not meant to be, within moments of application I get waxy, plastic vanilla.

Honestly, I'm quite heartbroken over this turn of events... it must be the cream note.

 

I'll try it again, maybe my skin was wonky that day - but I suspect it's going off to swaps.

[SeaLady]

Alas.

 

Wet, this is vanilla frosting, butter, and wintergreen.

 

On the skin, three out of three experts (ok, not experts, just my friends), get scented dolls. Like these or the strawberry shortcake ones.

Which is, actually, sort of nice. It's a very nostalgic scent, but I don't know if it's good enough for a bottle - because the plastic aspect of it gets pretty old after a couple of hours. I'll persevere and try it some more.

[moonarcana]

To be fair, I've given this one 3 tries before posting a review.

 

 

It doesn't work for me at all. I do like many of the sweet, creamy scents - but this is sticky frosting overload to my nose. Both when worn directly on my skin or in a scent locket. I'll keep what remains in my decant to try after it ages, and perhaps it will be fantastic and I'll wish I had gotten a bottle. That's how BPAL speculative purchases tend to play out for me anyway.

 

I'm glad others love it, but I'm just not feeling it.

[angelicdemise]

At first: Mint! With vanilla and a bit of cream underneath.

 

Dry-down: Sugary smell, but a bit plasticy on my skin. It's kinda vanilla-mint-ish.

 

A bit later: I'm noticing the wintergreen.

 

And even later: Vanilla candle.

 

I don't dislike Love's Philosophy, but I don't really love it.

[jade_starlight]

Oh, now this is nice. It's a soft, creamy vanilla without being foody. The hint of saffron gives it a bit of an edge without taking away from its feminine softness. This one is definitely a winner.