Cake Smash

[suki]

The third of our Bean scents commemorates Bean and Brian's birthday! September 2nd marks the day that Little Lily came into our lives, and Brian spent his birthday in 2008 watching me huff and puff through labor!

Happy birthday, Brian! You are the best brother, uncle, and brother-in-law that we could ask for! We love you so much!

Little Bean, you are our soul's sunshine and our heart's joy. We love you, little Lily. Your mom and dad love you more than words can say.

Happy birthday, Virgos big and small!

Red velvet cupcakes with cream cheese frosting against a backdrop of Snake Oil, Dorian, and Doc Constantine!

to the mods: i looked and looked, so if someone else started a thread on this scent, by all means, add me to it!

so, i got to try the proto bottle of this a while back, not knowing the list of notes or anything, but i definitely knew there was cream cheese frosting involved

and lots of it!

while the sweet frosting aspect is absolutely in line with Beaver Moon '05, the Red Velvet Cake makes this scent something all it's own.

as a big time foodie, i knew pretty instantly that this scent would be a hoard-necessary situation, and i've been on pins and needles since i tested it, waiting for it's sweet release.

fear not, fellow BPAL-ers! this one is total love!



:wub:

ETA:
got the actual, final version in the post today. i found it was actually a bit different from the prototype i tested. whether that's me mis-remembering (it WAs over a month ago, afterall) or that it is actually different, i cannot say.
but this one seems a bit more on the cake (crust?) side of things, less about the frosting, which makes me a little sad. on the plus side, the proto eventually had a dry-down to pure sugar on me, as -sadly- many sweet foodie oils do. this one does NOT do that, and that makes me really happy.
finally, while i don't personally detect any of the Snake Oil, we all know that SN in particular gets loads better with age, and i have a strong feeling this will be no different.

in other words, *STILL* total love. Edited September 19, 2009 by VioletChaos

[RaeiNarcissus]

I would say that the backdrop of Dorian, Snake Oil, and Doc Constantine take more of a front seat with this one. I spent a good part of this evening trying to find the red velvet cake with the cream cheese frosting, and I kept getting a Dorian/SnakeOil/DocConstantine blend, with a lift of a little bit of cake as I pulled my nose away. It's not terrible, it's a bit nice, but it wasn't what I was expecting, and that was cake.

[ClareDeLune]

Definitely cream cheese frosting. I like it and I definitely couldn't stop smelling myself, but I feel like I instantly gained 10 lbs when I put this on. Not for me.

Long wear length and pretty big throw.

[Aldercy]

In the bottle, Cake Smash is extremely realistic cream cheese frosting. If I didn't know that's what it was supposed to be I might have said "buttercream" for lack of a better description but been frustrated and puzzled for days trying to figure out what it really smelled like. It's crazy accurate.

 

On my skin, it deepens up a little. The cream cheese icing is still the top note, but a dry, dark cake scent appears as well. It's not buttery or too sweet. And it's neither white nor chocolate. I smell more Dorian (in the form of tea) than any of the other base notes, but the Snake Oil could appear more with age. I've never tried Doc Constantine, but it doesn't seem like it's hugely prominent either. If anything, they're just providing a really nice deep foundation for the cake and tea.

 

Even though I applied plenty, it's not strong after it dries. It's a gentle... floaty... scent. Very comforting, and I think I will really love this one in cold weather.

 

Very glad I got a bottle. Happy first birthday, Lilith!

Edited September 19, 2009 by Aldercy

[mamoyer]

A delicious cupcake with cream cheese frosting in the bottle. Almost boozy, it was so rich.

 

Then on my skin, it's dry, crumbly red velvet cake with a bit of frosting. That sounds bad, but it's really not. It's delicous, and it's the first BPAL cake scent that hasn't turned plasticky on my skin. This is DEFINITELY a red velvet cake. It's beautiful, and I want to roll in it. I can't smell any Snake Oil, Dorian, or Doc C at the moment, but maybe once it ages up they'll come out. This is a wonderful blend, and I'll likely want another bottle before it comes down!!!

[blueroses]

I've always avoided the foodie scents because they tend to go spectacularly wrong on me, but I gave Cake Smash a chance because I've been branching out and it had such good reviews. I also figured it could only be a good thing for me that the scent was anchored by Snake Oil and Dorian (although I don't like Doc Constantine).

 

In the bottle, Cake Smash smells like the cream cheese frosting of the description, but once it on it smells like ... something I'm not sure I've smelled in the real world, but would be wonderful if I could find it. Like ... Halloween or fall cupcakes, maybe. A heavier, spicier cake with light frosting, definitely reminiscent of cool-weather baking.

 

So my initial reaction was that I absolutely loved it, but my enthusiasm is a little tempered now because the Dorian really comes out and overtakes the scent. An hour after applying, Cake Smash is immediately recognizable as Dorian, although a spicier, cake-ier version. I like Dorian, luckily, but can't help but wish the cake stayed around a little more.

[Ravenclaw79]

When I opened the bottle, this smelled delicious -- the most perfectly accurate, realistic cream cheese frosting scent ever, exactly like opening a can of frosting and taking a whiff.

 

But on my skin, the frosting and cakey undertones went away, and what's left is the scent of "generic BPAL" -- it's the smell of my box of swappable imps, apparently the perfumey notes that are meant to be underneath the cake smell. I'm really hoping it's a hormonal thing (took the last pill of a pack today), and I'll hold out hope until I try this again in a week or two. It was lovely wet, but then, blah.

[Gin]

Cake Smash is red velvet cake in the bottle, but on my skin, it's a near-identical but lighter version of Beaver Moon 2005. I get no Dorian, no Snake Oil, but a few hours in, I get what can only be Doc. I love the concept, the label art... but I've got a massive stockpile of Beaver '05 and am not sure I need this, too.

[Xanon]

In the bottle I smell the red velvet cake and frosting and a little snake oil.

 

Wet I get the spice from snake oil, a bit of lemony tea from Dorian and some of the sweet from the cake. I have no idea what Doc smells like, so sorry to anyone who is interested in that particularly. At this point when I put it on DH said that he smelled peanut butter, but up close (literal wrist to nose) he got the spicy cake that I smell. I found that interesting.

 

Dry this smells like the Chaos Theory V: O series... but with out the honey! (which for me is SQUEE worthy! If you have read some of my other reviews, you know honey goes squiffy on me.) Its foodie and spicy and I really like it.

 

7.5 out of 10

[unlaced]

In the bottle: cream cheese frosting!!!

 

Wet: I'm kind of reminded of Beaver'versary, it has a cakey element + cream cheese. I don't really get any of the SO, Dorian, or Doc Constantine while it's wet.

 

Drying/dry: Ah, now some of the Dorian is creeping in, but it's adding a tea and musk (and a bit of lemon) element underneath the cake that boosts it rather than detracting. Aaaand there's the spice from the SO. Nice. Not overpowering.

 

All in all, it's cake and cream cheese frosting with a bit of other stuff mixed in.

 

Love!

Edited September 21, 2009 by unlaced

[opticnerd]

This smells exactly as I thought it would. Its similar to Beaver Moon 05/Beaver'versary with the sweet creamcheese frosting. But its lighter. And a little less sweet. The Dorian/SO/Doc backdrop is subtle. It almost smells like whatever the backdrop in Eat Me is to me. It just makes it a little lighter and less sweet, but none stand out. If I were to smell this scent, without knowing the notes, I could pick out something cakey and sweet creamy frosting, and wouldn't know for sure that there was any SO, Dorian or DC hanging in the blend. Its a really lovely cake scent! I love that its just a bit more wearable for me than Beaver 05 which can make me smell like I've been baking all day. This one just smells like I've got a cupcake up my sleeve.

[cfrancesca]

I'm loooving Cake Smash!

First I gotta say how cute Lilith looks on the label, she looks like she's having a blast! Such a cutie!

 

In the bottle it's definitely a delicious buttery cake with cream cheese frosting. It does smell somewhat like Eat Me (which I love)..

When it dries it gets more complex, I can smell a little bit of musk, smoke and a tiny bit of fir from Doc Constantine. I wish it wouldn't change so much on my skin because I love the way it smells in the bottle! I'll try it in my locket.

 

And I may have to have another bottle...

[Iceblink]

Wet: mmm red velvet cake can I have extra frosting on my slice, please? Thanks!!

Cake Smash gets interesting as it dries--the Snake Oil and Dorian kind of take turns saying hi (I've never tried Doc. C. either so I can't say if it's here or not), then about an hour in this becomes...perfumey cake. ITA that there's something a bit Beaver Moon 2005 about this! I'm going to have to reconsider it in about 6 months, since the SO factor here means this is going to age incredibly, but it's pretty tasty right now too, and the Dorian/SO added to the cake keep this from making you smell purely of baked goods. Not quite what I was expecting, but very nice.

[MeiLin]

In the bottle: REALLY sweet. Oy. An intense foody, more intense than I usually like. Cream cheese frosting, which I love, but don't know if I want on my pulse points.

 

Wet: Eek! A little bit of almond! Then, cream cheese frosting and Snake Oil. I love Snake Oil. The latter's vanilla really amps with whatever is making up the cupcake notes.

 

Dry: ZOMG this is going to age like gangbusters, but it's pretty good as-is. This is a sweet Snake Oil to my nose; as it dries, the Snake Oil retreats a little and the cupcake scents come back. But it's not obnoxiously sweet thanks to the boys' scents. On later drydown, this smells like the love child of TKO and Snake Oil, even though I'm not getting lavender.

 

Verdict: Surprise! I really didn't think I'd like this, but it's awesome, and I can't wait to see what it smells like when Lilith turns two.

 

[AnArtfuldodger]

I should preface this by saying that I had my first ever BPAL spill incident this morning when opening this bottle to test it. Cake Smash all over the coffeetable (about 1/4 of the bottle spilled out, and I rushed to grab a toothpick to sloooowly edge the pool of liquid to the edge where I dribbled it back into the bottle, because dammit, I was not going to lose it, and now it's moooostly all back where it belongs...but let me tell you, when you spill this stuff, well.....my living room now smells like CAKE CAKE CAKE CAKE CAKE).

 

Okay! So!

 

In the bottle/living room: Very rich cake, the chocolate is subtle and fudgey, not cocoa powder at all (nothing like any of the Lupers that I tried from the Chocolate Box, which is good since those went ick on me), and I can grab a hint of that rich frosting too.

 

Wet on skin: Cake + frosting still. This isn't the Eat Me cake though, it's much less...heavy. This is rich, but not heady/heavy, if that makes sense. The frosting comes alive on me too.

 

On the drydown: I *think* I catch a hint of the Snake Oil, but it's barely there, because usually Snake Oil is a BLEH scent on me (BPAL blasphemy, I know *hangs head*) but here it just adds the tiniest other layer of depth to the scent, and really smooths it out. I haven't ever sniffed/tried Doc Constantine so I don't know if that's what I'm getting instead of Snake Oil (could be), but Dorian's my one true love and I'm not getting any of that, for the record.

 

Final verdict: Yum! It's a good subtle cake scent on me, not like HOLY SHIT I TOOK A BATH IN CAKE like Eat Me is on me -- I like it. Om nom!

[Andrea912]

Delivered to me one hour ago...

 

Wet: Yup; red velvet cake and cream cheese frosting.

 

Drydown: Oh baby; the warm resins in the snake oil and the sweet cream of Dorian is lingering behind the smashed cupcake; it's divine!

 

If you love super cakey sweet scents like Beaver Moon, Beaver'versary, etc., this scent is for you!

 

I lurve it...

[tarotgirl99]

In bottle: this is Beaver Moon 05's real emergence. No strawberry, just the exact scent

 

Wet: Beaver Moon 05, how I love you still

 

Dry: This must be Doc Constantine coming to visit. He has taken over the room (my arm). He has eaten all the cream cheese frosting off the cake. He has eaten all the cake!! And I am left with the smell of teak wood, with barely a whispered memory of the frosting. I want my icing back! I want my cake!

 

I would take Dorian or Snake Oil, but not...this.

[pinkusmaximus]

I was excited about every scent in my most recent order, with the exception of Cake Smash. I was expecting it to be utterly foody and way too sweet and was preemptively mad at myself for ordering a blend I knew I'd probably dislike just because the reviews were all squee-y. AND THEN...

 

I decided to try it on my skin...and I love it. There's an initial blast--and I do mean blast--of sweet cream cheese icing. On me, it lasts no more than 5 minutes. Then, suddenly and as if by magic, the fragrance completely shifts gears and becomes a delightful Snake Oil-vanilla hybrid, like girlier, lighter Snake Oil with a little extra sugar. It's not really foody at all--I would never describe this as "cakey" if I didn't know what it was.

 

The throw is only medium and the staying power is much less than that of Snake Oil, but I don't care. It's a lovely, comforting, girly blend that isn't too much of anything--not too sweet, not too strong, not too MUCH (as Snake Oil can sometimes be, love it though I do). I would feel perfectly appropriate wearing this to work, on a date, at bedtime, or curled up on my couch. I may even order another bottle.

 

Of course, now I'm in big trouble, enabling-wise, as I've been positively reinforced for trying a blend against my better judgment. Greeeeat.

[angelicruin]

Sniffing the bottle, I could have sworn this was Beaver Moon 05 or Beaver'versary.

 

On my skin, it's yummy cream cheese frosting & red velvet. I get a lot of Dorian in this and a little Doc Constantine. I'm not really picking up the Snake Oil right now, but I usually have to wait for Snake Oil to age a bit before it stands out on my skin.

 

I bought 2 bottles of this and am happy I did so. It really does make me think of birthday cake.

[teamilk]

There's cake in this? When it was wet on my skin, I could smell the sweetness and it was amazing, it was exactly what I thought it was going to be! And then it dried and something smokey and masculine peeked through and took the majority of the sweetness away! There's still some cake somewhere, but it's not as much as I had hoped.

 

When it comes to cake, I think Eat Me works better for me.

 

Sad! I was so looking forward to this, I thought I was going to faint when it was announced! I love the name and the bottle art is adorable! I'm so bummed.

[TrailerTrashPrincess]

sadly, i'm pretty certain that the released version isn't the same as the one i tried (and loved) at DSWC.

 

the Cake Smash scent i tried at DSWC was all yellow cake batter and buttercream and zomg full of yum!

 

the bottle i got from the Lab is more of Doc Constantine & Dorian with a little bit of cake and a sprinkle of Snake Oil.

 

but once it settles in on my skin? it may as well be Beaver'Versary. so strange! i'll test it again in a few days and see if my opinion changes....if so i'll update this review then.

[tuesdaynexxt]

Absolutely delicious!

I wasn't holding my breath thinking I was going to love this one, but I do. Last night, wearing it before rechecking the description, my impression was Beaver Moon '05, with more cake. The drydown on me is very vanilla. Trying to decide if any of the big 3 background scents is really discernable, but I'm going to say not really.

 

What it is, really, is delicious!

[hkhm]

bottle: snake oil and cakey sweetness.

 

wet: this is all cupcakes once applied. the cream cheese note is so realistic i'm shocked. cupcakes with cream cheese icing, spot on.

 

dry: as this dries, you can start to pick out the snake oil, the dorian and a whiff of doc constantine. it's still mostly cupcakes though.

[tunedtochords]

I did not like this in the bottle. The cream cheese frosting note hit me in the face and it seemed sour, like it had gone bad or something. I could smell cake, though, so I thought I'd give it a try. And yay, so glad I did. Wet, it's still sort of sour, but the cake comes out and it's lovely. As it dries, the cream cheese frosting settles down and blends with cake, and later, I get the vanilla tea of Dorian, mmmm. Don't smell any Snake Oil or Doc, but like others have said, perhaps SO will come out with age? All in all, I reeeeally like it.

 

Okay, this has become one of my favorites since I originally wrote this review. It has lots of staying power, and the Snake Oil amps quite a bit on me. So it's cakey Snake Oily Doriany goodness. Just got back from a party where I wore this and got so many "Ooh, you smell so good!"s that I lost count. Am having to use massive amounts of restraint to make this bottle last.

Edited November 26, 2009 by TunedToChords

[boxinghelena]

On me, Cake Smash smells exactly like Eat Me but much lighter. I really have to slather myself so I can smell it. I may need to order another bottle because the scent is so light, I'll use it up really quickly. I love love love Eat Me, so anything that smells like it, I have to buy.