Beaver Moon 2011

[Iceblink]

Lavender honey cheesecake.

 

The wet stage of this Beaver Moon was definitely cheesecake and honey--SO sweet but creamy and good. I got all of the lavender in the drydown and it was crazy strong and herbal. A little too much! But lavender lovers will want to seek this out.

[ChloeKEvil]

Mmm, this is lovely.

 

I don't get strong lavender from this one at all- it's distinctly there when I apply it but the drydown is entirely honey and creaminess, though there is a 'clean' quality to it that I suspect could be the remains of the lavender. I also feel like I can almost smell a cinnamon note, sometime? It reminds me of the crust of cheesecake, but I'm not really certain it's there.

 

Anyways, this is a simple but beautiful scent, golden creamy cheesecake. I love it.

[Blood onmy hands]

I usually like lavender and enjoy bpal's cheesecake blends, but this is a mess on me. I feel like there's something wrong with my bottle. It smells like a harsh, soapy, chemical lavender that has been set on fire. I've never smelled anything like this from bpal's lavender notes, so I'm really confused. It smells like a harsh chemical, is the best way that I can describe it. As it starts to dry down, it's better in that it's tolerable, but it's like the sharp, musky part of a men's cologne with no other notes rounding it out. A very clean, sharp, manly smell. Where is the cheesecake and honey?

 

I'm so disappointed with this blend...

 

ETA: Apparently there are two versions of this blend.. one that smells as advertised (like lavender, honey and cheesecake) and one that smells like the version I unfortunately got (awful and nothing at all like lavender, honey or cheesecake). I'm really unhappy about the fact that there are two versions to begin with, and the lab hasn't gotten back to me or anyone I know addressing the problem. I feel like this isn't at all what I ordered, and I would have rather received a refund than this blend, if they ran out of the cheesecake version. I've had this happen to me a lot over the last two years, where I've received different versions of the same scent in the same LE run (Shadowy & The Sublime being my biggest disappointment), and it's really turning me off of bpal. I feel like I can never trust that I'm getting the right scent or the same scent that I think I'm ordering. I expect more consistency than this, especially for the high-ish price point and expensive shipping. It's expensive to order these little luxuries, and I feel like the lack of consistent product is insulting and disappointing...

 

ETAA: I've picked up three bottles of this now and all three smell hugely different from each other...

Edited August 3, 2012 by Little Bird

[calivianya]

I don't remember when I received this bottle. Maybe it was two or three weeks ago, maybe a little further back... but two or three weeks has already changed this so much it's almost unrecognizable in a very good way. When I first got it, I got mostly sharp lavender with a little bit of sweetness on the dry down, but not much. Now, wet on my skin, this is an intense blast of well-balanced lavender and cheesecake. The dry down is pure rich, sweet cheesecake with slight flavors of honey and lavender. I'm not usually a fan of foodie scents, but holy crap! The lavender balances out the richness of the cheesecake/honey combo enough that I find it wearable. I am really pleased I have a bottle.

[megank4]

very much lavendar at first, reminds me a bit of Lilith Victoria. Fades a bit, then get a bit of honey and not too much cheesecake. Very nice though.

[orata]

So much lavender. SO MUCH. TOO MUCH. It is backed with some cloyingly sweet cheesecake and maybe a tiny whiff of honey, but the overall effect is a sharp, bitter, almost medicinal cloud of lavender with a powerful throw, rather than the creamy cheesecake goodness hinting at lavender that I was hoping for. (I don't smell crust or anything, just LAVENDER and a little cake.) I guess I don't like lavender as much as I thought I did! I think I have the cheesecake version rather than the incense version that people have been discussing, but I still don't like it.

[Ondine]

I have tried two bottles of this now. The first I bought directly from the Lab: It was harsh, astringent, no lavender. This was before I realized there was a batch variation. Once I found that out, I tried another bottle because at first I thought it must have been my skin chemistry. The second one is lavender and cheesecake. Bizarre. I have had batch variation type bottles before but never QUITE like this.

[surlygurl]

This decant must be one of the "musk" variations that people are talking about. I get no lavender and no cheesecake. What I do get is a near clone of Apatrophia from the 2011 Lupers, but without the soap and a touch sweeter. It's quite nice for a clean musk blend.

[lilyliza]

This is pretty much lavender honey cheesecake, like it says. When I first put it on, I get a blast of cinnamon and crust that overpowers everything, then lavender overpowers everything, but eventually both settle down into a nice blend. I wish I got more cheesecake than I do since I like creamy notes. It's nice and comforting, but it doesn't really grab me.

[Dark Alice]

This is the lavender incense version. It's just lovely. This goes on with a strong lavender and incense with the barest hints of sweetness. It's almost like there was supposed to be cheesecake and honey in this...but it didn't quite make. I just love it. And this will be worn quite a bit during the winter months.

[ForestHermit]

I usually like lavender and enjoy bpal's cheesecake blends, but this is a mess on me. I feel like there's something wrong with my bottle. It smells like a harsh, soapy, chemical lavender that has been set on fire. I've never smelled anything like this from bpal's lavender notes, so I'm really confused. It smells like a harsh chemical, is the best way that I can describe it. As it starts to dry down, it's better in that it's tolerable, but it's like the sharp, musky part of a men's cologne with no other notes rounding it out. A very clean, sharp, manly smell. Where is the cheesecake and honey?

 

I'm so disappointed with this blend...

 

ETA: Apparently there are two versions of this blend.. one that smells as advertised (like lavender, honey and cheesecake) and one that smells like the version I unfortunately got (awful and nothing at all like lavender, honey or cheesecake).[...]

 

Pretty much this.

In the bottle it's harsh, very harsh. Chemical even. Bathroom cleaners that arn't even particularly floral or sweet. No lavendar. Defintly no cheesecake.

 

On wet there is still no lavendar, no honey, perhaps a hint of cheesecake? Very colonge, not even musky or insense-ey.

That quickly passes, drying into a sharp distinctly male colonge. Crisp, not unpleasant, but not unrelated to something commercial. Perhaps 'Axe's third cousin. I am not pleased, it doesn't even smell like something I would want my mate to wear. Let alone wear myself.

It was suggested I e-bay the bottle but I can't bring myself to do so. I think it would be ripping someone off :/.

[crebbsgirl]

Well, this is more of an astringent lavender than I was anticipating! But the honey and cheesecake soften this considerably. It's also not nearly as foody as I thought it would be. As it dries, this sinks closer to the skin, and it becomes a really snuggly kind of scent. I actually really love this.

[zankoku_zen]

Lots of lavender, softened by honey and cheesecake. It's like a sugary sweet lavender cake.

 

PASS.

[milo]

Wet, this is very promising. I normally find lavender will make a blend cool. Here I'm getting a warm lavender and cheesecake. It dries to a sickingly sweet graham cracker crumbs with a touch of cream cheese that is quickly going plastic doll head. The lavender is there, but it is not the lavender I know and love. It's just getting overpowered by the crust and cream. I'm assuming this is the cheesecake version, and I'm wishing I got the other version if there is such a thing. I was looking forward to this, and it's just a big disappointment.

Edited January 31, 2012 by milo

[SurrealReality]

Wow.... that's quite a batch variation!

 

First Bottle (the incense version)

 

In the Bottle: very smoky incense and a generic men's cologne. Absolutely no cheesekcake or honey to be found.

 

On my Skin: The lavender reveals itself, but the scent stays pretty much the same

 

The exact opposite of what I was hoping for

 

Second Bottle (the cheesecake version)

 

In the Bottle: LAVENDER with a little honey and perhaps a crumb of cheesecake (but I have to really concentrate to notice it) . I was hoping for less lavender and more of the other notes, so I'm getting worried....

 

On my Skin: When first applied, the lavender calms down a bit, but it's still at the forefront. The honey is much stronger and I can definitely smell the cheesecake now. Things are looking up! In just about 5 minutes or so, the honey is victorious and swallows the evil lavender.... well, not completely. It's still there, but it's very quiet. A few minutes later, the cheesecake becomes stronger and is right there with the honey! Fabulous! I now have a honey/cheesecake scent, with just a smidge of lavender. I love it! It's actually reminiscent of Beaver Moon '05 / Beaver'versary (on my skin at least.... certainly not in the bottle)

[LizMarivi]

(The Cheesecake Version)

 

I was SO close to putting this bottle up for sale. lol When I put it on, it was like a bitter lavender with WAY TOO MUCH honey. Blech! So I would was it off. Then today, before going for a walk, I decided to try it again and damn... waiting for the drydown is TOTALLY worth it.

 

As it drys down, the lavender and honey give way to the cheesecake scent and O.M.G. - if I could lick it up I would. lol This is my first encounter with BPAL's cheesecake note... and I love it! And the longer I wear it, the better it gets. It stays close to my skin, but I barely put any on so I'm assuming it has decent throw. Just awesomeness.

 

This bottle, it stays with ME! heh heh

[yeahbutnobut]

Beaver Moon 2011

 

In the imp: strong lavender and a bit of creamy honey. This must be the cheesecake version.

Wet on skin: the lavender and honey go together really well, and the creamy undertone has hints of vanilla and crushed biscuits.

Dry on skin: mmm, this is definitely the cheesecake version and it is really good. The lavender is a sweetish, heady, almost ambery version, and it’s the dominant note here. The honey is more like a sweet glaze or a fluffy nougat scent-a bit like the white honey in Valse Finale or the Half Elf prototype. The cheesecake isn’t as strong and cream cheesy as the previous Beaver Moons (and doesn’t seem to smell plastic like BeaverVersary), but it has that same heavy vanilla cream and crushed biscuit base thing going on, and there’s even a hint of cinnamon. I think the lavender stops the cheesecake note from turning cloying.

After a while: I spoke too soon when I said ‘no plastic’. I now smell a faint hint of plastic. It’s a little hint of that ‘doll head’ scent that I get from other cheesecake scents. Thankfully it is faint and the gorgeous honey note is keeping it under control. I love the honey here; it reminds me of nougat or white chocolate Toblerone, it’s got hints of beeswax/honeycomb and cocoa butter to it.

Verdict: I’ve tried both versions of BM 2011, and I can see why people are going crazy over the cheesecake version. It really is good, and I’m not the greatest fan of sweet cream cheese/really creamy dessert notes. I love sweet lavender scents, lavender-vanilla combinations, lavender honeys…I think this is the nicest Beaver Moon so far because it’s not too cloying despite the obvious cheesecake base and a particularly gourmand sugary ‘whipped honey’ note. The lavender keeps the foody notes toned down a bit, and the honey here is so good anyway that even if the cheesecake does go a little bit plastic at drydown, I don’t mind. I’m certainly keeping what I have of this.

Is it a keeper? just the decant.

If you like this, try: other Beaver Moons, Victorian Garden, TKO

[vanilla323]

In the bottle I smell vanilla (cheesecake) and light lavender. On skin this is just so pretty and soft. Not usually something I go for I love strong scents. But there's something about the honey and lavender that sucks me in and calms me. And I don't like lavender usually either. This just comforts me. I wore it to bed once too and it was sweet dreams for me. Glad I was lucky enough to get the lavender cheesecake dream.

[poisondove]

Beaver Moon 2011

 

Every time a Beaver Moon comes out I am intrigued.

I get a bottle, it doesn't work for me, and it sucks.

This time around its lavendar...and I am so tempted.

Dare I go for a fourth disappointment?

 

Sniff: Its cake with a sharp edge

Skin: Its lavendar, sweet and sugary and very much like my TKO v.3. I think this might make me fall asleep

Drydown: The lavendar floats away and I am left with a creamy, slighly cheesey cake smell. Very soft, but very nice.

 

Yay! This one likes me...now I have to pray the bottle en route isn't going to be a fail.

[Lethran]

In bottle: Oh my God! It really does smell exactly like Lavender honey cheesecake. The cheesecake is dominant with honey a close second, and lavender a slightly weaker third, but really, they are all strong and distinct, yet work together well. Wet: The note reverse order on the skin with lavender strongest, honey in the middle, and the cheesecake drawing up the rear, noticeably weaker than the other two. The effect is really a lavender scent with a sweet, vaguely foody undercoat. I’m just fine with that as I love lavender and this blend is unusual for lavender scents. Dry: The cheesecake comes back as the honey fades. The result is still lavender dominant, but more balanced. I’m thinking this is cleverly constructed to allow the honey and cheesecake to cover for each other during their weak phases. This is genuinely lovely, and as someone who makes a lot of lavender backed goods, this is incredibly pleasing.

[ami226]

On the skin: There is a tiny bit of lavender here, but mostly what I smell is the honey! It actually smells almost exactly like these lavender caramel bars I've made. Those get dipped in chocolate though, but before the chocolate dipping they smell exactly like this!

 

Interesting, but not for me.

[whitsunweddings]

In the imp: Beautiful buttery cheesecake... and lavender. Does this dessert exist in real life and how quickly can it be on a plate in front of me?

Wet: The lavender is amping on my skin, and very nicely too.

Dry: I love lavender. I love cheesecake. I NEED A BOTTLE OF THIS.

Half an hour later: Alas, the lavender faded quite quickly, so I tried layering it with Paris (that pumpkin pie/lavender combination that's supposed to make the menz go crazy, hey hey? But with cheesecake!), but it just got eaten up. I'd still wear it as a bedtime scent, so am scouting for a bottle asap!

[populuxa]

OK, weird. When I got this bottle fresh from the lab it was sharp and cologne-y. It was out of rotation for a while, but I just started using it again and it has totally morphed into proper lavender cheesecake. Has this happened to anyone else? Really nice and not too buttery or cloying. I like it as a cozy bedtime scent.

[Mechanical Death]

*crosses fingers*

 

one of the first outright foody blends I have liked *so far*

 

I'm writing the review as I have applied it and it's drying. It's a lovely scent thus far. Fairly true to it's in bottle form.

 

In the bottle it smells like honeyed lavender-- true to the description. I get a bit of rich cream which makes it much more of a foody perfume and not so much a straight sweetened lavender.

 

wet on skin, immediately in turns much much sweeter-- the cream comes forth, I get much more honey and sugar. It *almost* smells like icing. I don't get cheesecake at all, which is what I was hoping for. phew! The lavender has taken a back seat immediately and I'm sad to see it quiet down-- I was looking for a lovely lavender blend.

 

However, quickly the notes start fighting for dominance. It shifts a lot, which keeps it interesting and from being to sickly sweet. I get loud blasts of sweet lavender-- not sharp or medicinal. It's very fresh, as it it is straight from the garden-- beautiful. Then it smells more sugared, like lavender candies. Quickly the honey and cream show up and the foody smell is back. It shifts like this constantly, from warm to cool and back again. It's actually quite refreshing and nice.

 

It reminds me more a lavender black tea with milk and honey than a lavender cheesecake. It's a warm perfume, but it has hints of something else herbal that create that shifting warm and cool note.

 

I've had it on for a good half an hour now, and it stays true to the description above. It still shifts between the prominent note --honey cream or lavender, and I love it like that. I think I may have to hunt down a second bottle. I wish I had jumped on this when it came out! *sigh*

 

My fiance loved it. He said it was very unique and wouldn't stop sniffing my hand. He also described it as a fall perfume and that it reminded him of halloween.

[TrailerTrashPrincess]

lavender? uh, no. honey? please, no. cheesecake? yes please! that said, i ordered it anyway. but it didn't work for me - too lavender-y.