The Dormouse (Mad Tea Party)
Bottle: Lemon and tea, in that order.
Wet: This is lemony with a capital L. It's standing very close to the border of that land called Pledge.
5 min: Pledgey-ness has faded, but I still mostly smell lemon. The tea smell is there, but it's more like dry tea, not brewed tea, and it's hard to find with all the lemon.
30 min: The lemon has continued to fade and now is back stage. In front there is a complex tea. Several different tea aromas working together, a little hint of lemon on the back. There's a touch of some smokey Oolong in there that's kind of nice.
Conclusion: Strangely there isn't supposed to be any lemon in this. According to the lab it's a blend of teas, a hint of herbs and some peony. Does peony smell like lemon? Or is one of the herbs lemongrass? In the end I'm not sure exactly what I think. I kind of like it, but I'm not sure that I like it for myself. The peony might explain why after a longer period of wearing I could smell a light floral around the tea, once the lemon faded out for me. This one will get another wearing for sure.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Amsterdam Review
This morning's review is brought to you by the letter T.
Amsterdam (Wanderlust)
Bottle: I get a light scent of watery florals.
Wet: Reminds me of a floral department, not smack you in the face strong, just like a fresh bouquet of flowers.
5 min: I smell tulips and fresh clear water, like a clean pond or fresh rain. I'm quite digging it. If I didn't have to leave for work I wouldn't be able to stop sniffing it.
30 min: Well crap, the honeymoon is over. Now it smells like what I remember Caress soap smelling like. I asked Jeff what he thought and he said it smelled like a commercial soap that was trying to smell pretty.
Conclusion: While I don't dislike smelling like soap, I'd rather soapy smells actually come from my soap. The good news is that after an hour and a half it was totally gone from me. I couldn't tell that I'd ever applied it. This imp should probably move along to another home, maybe someone else will have better luck with it.
Amsterdam (Wanderlust)
Bottle: I get a light scent of watery florals.
Wet: Reminds me of a floral department, not smack you in the face strong, just like a fresh bouquet of flowers.
5 min: I smell tulips and fresh clear water, like a clean pond or fresh rain. I'm quite digging it. If I didn't have to leave for work I wouldn't be able to stop sniffing it.
30 min: Well crap, the honeymoon is over. Now it smells like what I remember Caress soap smelling like. I asked Jeff what he thought and he said it smelled like a commercial soap that was trying to smell pretty.
Conclusion: While I don't dislike smelling like soap, I'd rather soapy smells actually come from my soap. The good news is that after an hour and a half it was totally gone from me. I couldn't tell that I'd ever applied it. This imp should probably move along to another home, maybe someone else will have better luck with it.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Coming Attractions: BPAL sniffs
Just ordered the following BPAL imps:
1. Alice (Mad Tea Party)
2. Lightning (Bewitching Brews)
3. Sudha Segara (Bewitching Brews)
4. Envy (Sin & Salvation: The Seven Deadly Sins)
5. Sea of Glass (Sin & Salvation)
6. Baobhan Sith (Diabolus)
Reviews to follow!
1. Alice (Mad Tea Party)
2. Lightning (Bewitching Brews)
3. Sudha Segara (Bewitching Brews)
4. Envy (Sin & Salvation: The Seven Deadly Sins)
5. Sea of Glass (Sin & Salvation)
6. Baobhan Sith (Diabolus)
Reviews to follow!
Friday, September 12, 2008
Severin Review
I feel a bit timid posting after E.D.'s reviews. Maybe in time my reviews will grow up to be such works of art, but in the meantime I'll muddle through. I have been terrible, and not written down a single thought on any of my scents. So I'll be testing them all again, in no particular order to document the experience as best I can.
Severin (Ars Amatoria)
Bottle: First there is lemon and then a hint of tea. The lemon is mostly a sweet rindy smell, with a tiny citrus sting.
Wet: It's a kind of a musky meyer lemon scent. Not musky in an animal musk way, maybe dusky is a better description. It's got none of the sharp sting, or bright lemony aroma of the bottle.
5 min: I smell lemony leather. Like a leather coat that was rubbed with lemon peel. Maybe a little juice accidentally squeezed out, but not much. I can find the tea scent if my nose searches for it, but it's very much in the background. Not much throw to this at all.
I missed the 30 min mark, because of work. After 1 hour I can still faintly smell lemon, maybe tea, and maybe leather... I'm disappointed with how quickly this is fading away.
Conclusion: Not enough throw to satisfy me. In the end I was unable to discern what I was smelling, but I really do like it. I just wish I could smell it without my nose touching my wrist. Now someone is stinking up the place with some BBW product, so now I can't hardly get a whiff at all. Further experimentation is required, and based on other reviewers it may get stuck on Jeff to see what happens. I could see it possibly working well as a gender neutral scent.
Severin (Ars Amatoria)
Bottle: First there is lemon and then a hint of tea. The lemon is mostly a sweet rindy smell, with a tiny citrus sting.
Wet: It's a kind of a musky meyer lemon scent. Not musky in an animal musk way, maybe dusky is a better description. It's got none of the sharp sting, or bright lemony aroma of the bottle.
5 min: I smell lemony leather. Like a leather coat that was rubbed with lemon peel. Maybe a little juice accidentally squeezed out, but not much. I can find the tea scent if my nose searches for it, but it's very much in the background. Not much throw to this at all.
I missed the 30 min mark, because of work. After 1 hour I can still faintly smell lemon, maybe tea, and maybe leather... I'm disappointed with how quickly this is fading away.
Conclusion: Not enough throw to satisfy me. In the end I was unable to discern what I was smelling, but I really do like it. I just wish I could smell it without my nose touching my wrist. Now someone is stinking up the place with some BBW product, so now I can't hardly get a whiff at all. Further experimentation is required, and based on other reviewers it may get stuck on Jeff to see what happens. I could see it possibly working well as a gender neutral scent.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Tara's BPAL Sniffs
As of 9/11/08
BPAL Imps
The Red Queen
The Dormouse
Alice
Severin
Eve
Amsterdam
5ml
Blue Moon (June '07 lunacy)
BPAL Imps
The Red Queen
The Dormouse
Alice
Severin
Eve
Amsterdam
5ml
Blue Moon (June '07 lunacy)
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
BPAL Reviews
When I received my last shipment of BPAL imps, I actually took the time to record my first impressions. My poor noz is currently incapacitated due to the evilness that is ragweed, so I cannot provide any updates, but I thought I'd go ahead and post my initial sniff-reactions.
Dana O’Shee
Bottle: Thick. Smells like almond extract, sweet and just a wee bit boozy like a amaretto. Bright, but creamy.
Wet: cream and almond extract. Rich and a bit bright. Very sweet.
5 min dry: Softens up a lot. Boozy, almond extract fades quickly. Still a bit of almond, but not so pungent.
30 min dry: Really softens. Somewhat honeyed, but the creaminess has lifted. Definitely a feminine scent. I was afraid it was turning to powder on me, and I hate that baby powder smell, but it stopped just shy of baby powder.
Conclusion: Cotton blossom. That’s what it smells like. Not a bad smell. Just shy of powder, slightly floral. Sweet, but delicate. A slight boozy almond & honey scent wafts through occasionally, but doesn’t take over, just lingers and fades in and out. Very feminine and so-subtly flirty. Intriguing scent. Great weekender or spring scent. Will wear again.
Shanghai
Bottle: Wow, it’s like an angry lemon punched me in the face.
Wet: Bright! Lemon tea extravaganza. Very clean. A little too clean…like Pledge.
5 min dry: Lemon Spooj!
30 min dry: Interesting. The Pledge has gone. It’s like Lemon, the brassy, sassy younger sister came storming in, trying to get everyone’s attention by showing off her tits and dancing on the table tops. Then her more sophisticated and sensible sister, Tea, stepped in and subtly and tactfully escorted her to the drunk tank and, thus, saved the evening from complete disaster. Feminine, but not flirty or sensual in anyway. Clean and functional…and sensible. Great green feeling without any grass. Doesn’t have a lot of throw, but morphed into a pleasant bouquet of teas, bright greens and subtle citrus.
Conclusion: This is something I’d wear in the summer, especially to the office.
White Rabbit
Bottle: Wowzzah! Strong, bright and sharp. This bunny has one hell of a rabid bite. Lot’s of tea notes and something a little underneath that I can’t quite identify, as it’s overpowered by the tea. Very perfumey.
5 min dry: sweetens down. Tea with honey.
30 min dry: still bright, strong and perfumey. Tea & honey. Not a lot of cream in that tea either, though there is a subtle richness to the scent. I can’t smell anything distinct as pepper or ginger, but there is an ever-so-slight spice to the scent. Very sharp-tongued socialite kind of scent. The tea is still very dominant.
Conclusion: I don’t dislike this scent, but I’m not sure it’s entirely me. It’s a little too bright for my personality. Does have a bit of a laundry detergent smell. Will take further experimentation.
Loup Garou
Bottle: I was running through a pine forest free and wild...and got smacked in the face by one of the branches. Pine is the mistress with whips and chains and eucalyptus her assistant. So far appropriately named, as it's got a lot of bite.
Wet: Wow. So cool to the skin it burns. I smell like a bloody xmas tree.
Drydown: Wow, the pine really sweetens down. Not in any type of floral or honey sweet, but in a natural sap sweet. A lot of wood in the pine, reminds me of being in the spruce woods of Scotland. Dark green scent, very fresh and natural smelling, not like Pinesol at all. If fact, you could move this to the funeral oils and rename it “Pine Box”. Fades quickly.
Conclusion: Definitely more of a masculine scent, as the sweetness to the pine is reminiscent of a boy's cologne (but not too overpowering). Quite pleasant with a bit of rugged intrigue. If I encountered a man who smelled the way this imp smells on me, I’d mount him on the street. Ahrrrooooooo!!!!
Pool of Tears
Bottle: Umm…lavender soap?
Wet: The initial lavender smell backs way the hell off. Salty ocean scent is breaking through. Mmmm...I love salt. Very watery and sweet but not too soapy.
5 min dry: Salty soft florals. A slight ozone aftertaste but does not overstay its welcome. Drys to a slightly masculine scent on me. Light sweet with a bit of ozone sour and ocean saltiness. Not a bad scent. I love aquatics, but they always go soapy on me, and this one is behaving so far. It looks promising.
30 min dry: Wow. I’m really diggin’ this bpal. It’s doesn’t have a lot of throw, but it hasn’t morphed into poo either. That wonderful salt water sweetness remains. It harkens an image of overcast skies at the beach, with a bit of floral sweetness. The salt and sweet give it a gender natural tone, but what a nice tone. No fucking suds in sight. Wish it didn't fade so quickly
Conclusion: This one is a keeper.
Dana O’Shee
Bottle: Thick. Smells like almond extract, sweet and just a wee bit boozy like a amaretto. Bright, but creamy.
Wet: cream and almond extract. Rich and a bit bright. Very sweet.
5 min dry: Softens up a lot. Boozy, almond extract fades quickly. Still a bit of almond, but not so pungent.
30 min dry: Really softens. Somewhat honeyed, but the creaminess has lifted. Definitely a feminine scent. I was afraid it was turning to powder on me, and I hate that baby powder smell, but it stopped just shy of baby powder.
Conclusion: Cotton blossom. That’s what it smells like. Not a bad smell. Just shy of powder, slightly floral. Sweet, but delicate. A slight boozy almond & honey scent wafts through occasionally, but doesn’t take over, just lingers and fades in and out. Very feminine and so-subtly flirty. Intriguing scent. Great weekender or spring scent. Will wear again.
Shanghai
Bottle: Wow, it’s like an angry lemon punched me in the face.
Wet: Bright! Lemon tea extravaganza. Very clean. A little too clean…like Pledge.
5 min dry: Lemon Spooj!
30 min dry: Interesting. The Pledge has gone. It’s like Lemon, the brassy, sassy younger sister came storming in, trying to get everyone’s attention by showing off her tits and dancing on the table tops. Then her more sophisticated and sensible sister, Tea, stepped in and subtly and tactfully escorted her to the drunk tank and, thus, saved the evening from complete disaster. Feminine, but not flirty or sensual in anyway. Clean and functional…and sensible. Great green feeling without any grass. Doesn’t have a lot of throw, but morphed into a pleasant bouquet of teas, bright greens and subtle citrus.
Conclusion: This is something I’d wear in the summer, especially to the office.
White Rabbit
Bottle: Wowzzah! Strong, bright and sharp. This bunny has one hell of a rabid bite. Lot’s of tea notes and something a little underneath that I can’t quite identify, as it’s overpowered by the tea. Very perfumey.
5 min dry: sweetens down. Tea with honey.
30 min dry: still bright, strong and perfumey. Tea & honey. Not a lot of cream in that tea either, though there is a subtle richness to the scent. I can’t smell anything distinct as pepper or ginger, but there is an ever-so-slight spice to the scent. Very sharp-tongued socialite kind of scent. The tea is still very dominant.
Conclusion: I don’t dislike this scent, but I’m not sure it’s entirely me. It’s a little too bright for my personality. Does have a bit of a laundry detergent smell. Will take further experimentation.
Loup Garou
Bottle: I was running through a pine forest free and wild...and got smacked in the face by one of the branches. Pine is the mistress with whips and chains and eucalyptus her assistant. So far appropriately named, as it's got a lot of bite.
Wet: Wow. So cool to the skin it burns. I smell like a bloody xmas tree.
Drydown: Wow, the pine really sweetens down. Not in any type of floral or honey sweet, but in a natural sap sweet. A lot of wood in the pine, reminds me of being in the spruce woods of Scotland. Dark green scent, very fresh and natural smelling, not like Pinesol at all. If fact, you could move this to the funeral oils and rename it “Pine Box”. Fades quickly.
Conclusion: Definitely more of a masculine scent, as the sweetness to the pine is reminiscent of a boy's cologne (but not too overpowering). Quite pleasant with a bit of rugged intrigue. If I encountered a man who smelled the way this imp smells on me, I’d mount him on the street. Ahrrrooooooo!!!!
Pool of Tears
Bottle: Umm…lavender soap?
Wet: The initial lavender smell backs way the hell off. Salty ocean scent is breaking through. Mmmm...I love salt. Very watery and sweet but not too soapy.
5 min dry: Salty soft florals. A slight ozone aftertaste but does not overstay its welcome. Drys to a slightly masculine scent on me. Light sweet with a bit of ozone sour and ocean saltiness. Not a bad scent. I love aquatics, but they always go soapy on me, and this one is behaving so far. It looks promising.
30 min dry: Wow. I’m really diggin’ this bpal. It’s doesn’t have a lot of throw, but it hasn’t morphed into poo either. That wonderful salt water sweetness remains. It harkens an image of overcast skies at the beach, with a bit of floral sweetness. The salt and sweet give it a gender natural tone, but what a nice tone. No fucking suds in sight. Wish it didn't fade so quickly
Conclusion: This one is a keeper.
E.D.'s PWNED Sniffs (BPAL)
As of 09/10/2008
BPAL IMPS
Absinthe
Baku
Black Lily
Dana O'Shee
Dragon's Milk
Dublin*
Glasgow
Hetairae
Kabuki
Kali
Loup Garou
Masabakes
Neo-Tokyo*
Pool of Tears
Shanghai
Snake Oil
White Rabbit
Mad Sweeny (5ml)
*discontinued
BPAL IMPS
Absinthe
Baku
Black Lily
Dana O'Shee
Dragon's Milk
Dublin*
Glasgow
Hetairae
Kabuki
Kali
Loup Garou
Masabakes
Neo-Tokyo*
Pool of Tears
Shanghai
Snake Oil
White Rabbit
Mad Sweeny (5ml)
*discontinued
Getting the Ball Rolling
First things first, this is the list that started the idea to create this shared blog.
This list was originally scribbled on paper, and then posted for posterity on my now defunct live journal account back in February of 2007. Me and E.D. went through reading tons of BPAL reviews and decided that these were the scents that sounded most appealing to us.
Tempest - crisp, slight citrus, floral, water, ocean, clean
Lightning - storm air / ozone, less citrusy than tempest, gender neutral
Dana O'Shea - honey and grain
Sudha Segara - ginger, milk & honey
? Envy - mint that fades, green, grass, lavender
Pool of Tears - dainty, ocean, saline, ozone, light floral or linen
The Red Queen - cherry, sweet, woodiness
White Rabbit - Tea, milk, lemon, ginger, vanilla & pepper
Amsterdam - watery florals & green grass
Glasgow - heather, blackberry, dark and cool, not brightly fruity
The Hesperides - apple and honey
Shattered - cold mint citrus, aquatic notes, sharp, grapefruit, fades easily
Hellcat - buttery, boozy, marzipan, frangelico, heavy and sweet
Maenad - strawberry, sweet, heavy florals and candy
Nocnitsa - pine, lime, berries
Embalming Fluid - cool, citrus peel, lemon, musk, sweet (powder)
Hurricane - dark, swampy, woody, vertivert, tangy, slightly masculine
Undertow - pine, mint, fruit, spice, apples, candy
Bon Vivant - strawberry and champange
Hunger - vanilla, orange, sweet chocolaty, and strong
Tiger Lily - lilies, some honey sweetness appears as it dries down
Tweedle Dee - fruity cereal
The Apothecary - fruity and green, clean, tripple milled herbal french soap
Rosalind - bright green grass with tart berry and crushed wild flowers, a light scent
Shanghai - green tea, light lemon, clean, sunny and bright
Aizea-myoo - bitter and sweet, crisp, fruity, cherry blossom and tea
Calliope - lavender and herbs, citrus
Polyhymnia - starts lemon and fades to musky incense or woodsy
The Waters of Notre Dame - warm green, pond watery, calming, use sparingly for it is strong Loup Garou - juniper, eucalyptus, woody, pine-sol
Kumiho - white tea and ginger
Szepasszony - ?
And I think that eliminates the last reason for me to go back poking at that old journal.
This list was originally scribbled on paper, and then posted for posterity on my now defunct live journal account back in February of 2007. Me and E.D. went through reading tons of BPAL reviews and decided that these were the scents that sounded most appealing to us.
Tempest - crisp, slight citrus, floral, water, ocean, clean
Lightning - storm air / ozone, less citrusy than tempest, gender neutral
Dana O'Shea - honey and grain
Sudha Segara - ginger, milk & honey
? Envy - mint that fades, green, grass, lavender
Pool of Tears - dainty, ocean, saline, ozone, light floral or linen
The Red Queen - cherry, sweet, woodiness
White Rabbit - Tea, milk, lemon, ginger, vanilla & pepper
Amsterdam - watery florals & green grass
Glasgow - heather, blackberry, dark and cool, not brightly fruity
The Hesperides - apple and honey
Shattered - cold mint citrus, aquatic notes, sharp, grapefruit, fades easily
Hellcat - buttery, boozy, marzipan, frangelico, heavy and sweet
Maenad - strawberry, sweet, heavy florals and candy
Nocnitsa - pine, lime, berries
Embalming Fluid - cool, citrus peel, lemon, musk, sweet (powder)
Hurricane - dark, swampy, woody, vertivert, tangy, slightly masculine
Undertow - pine, mint, fruit, spice, apples, candy
Bon Vivant - strawberry and champange
Hunger - vanilla, orange, sweet chocolaty, and strong
Tiger Lily - lilies, some honey sweetness appears as it dries down
Tweedle Dee - fruity cereal
The Apothecary - fruity and green, clean, tripple milled herbal french soap
Rosalind - bright green grass with tart berry and crushed wild flowers, a light scent
Shanghai - green tea, light lemon, clean, sunny and bright
Aizea-myoo - bitter and sweet, crisp, fruity, cherry blossom and tea
Calliope - lavender and herbs, citrus
Polyhymnia - starts lemon and fades to musky incense or woodsy
The Waters of Notre Dame - warm green, pond watery, calming, use sparingly for it is strong Loup Garou - juniper, eucalyptus, woody, pine-sol
Kumiho - white tea and ginger
Szepasszony - ?
And I think that eliminates the last reason for me to go back poking at that old journal.
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