BPAL- SONG OF NATURE IMPRESSIONS

BPAL SONG OF NATURE REVIEWS/THOUGHTS

I wanted to post a review on this for the first moment I got them from the mail but I couldn't make my mind in some of these if I really like them or not. The main reason I got these is the nature theme. I love the sea and I could stay just watching the weaves for hours.

I don't know if other perfumer have made scents inspired by the creatures of the sea again but I did find it very inspiring and original. I love the artwork as well. For the look of these bottles and the notes I realize that Beth put a lot of care into these.

1. Desmonema: White amber and mimosa with tendrils of Italian bergamot, myrrh, green tangerine and green patchouli, sheer coconut, quince, and vetiver.

Demonema the giant jellyfish! When I first read the description, I found the combination of notes quite intriguing. The sourness of the tangerine, bergamot and quince, the sweetness of the coconut and the resinous amber and myrrh combined with the earthy patchouli and vetiver

From the Bottle: I get vetiver, patchouli and sour tangerine and bergamot. The bergamot here is strong and real. I love it

Wet: The vetiver is still very strong and makes the perfume very earthy and I don't know if this note is suitable for a jellyfish really. I see here why some people may not like this because vetiver doesn't have as many fans. The quince is a very clever addition and makes the whole sweeter.

This is a complex perfume and everytime I put my nose close to my wrist I smell something different.

Dry: The vetiver is getting softer now and the coconut becomes more obvious. I still get some sourness but isn't overpowering or annoying. The drydown is a green, powdery and a little bit sour patchouli

All in all I can't decide how I feel about this perfume but it's definitely unique!

2)Epibulia: East Indian Mango, cassis, blackcurrant, orange carnation, sugared coconut, and Maid of Orleans.

Belongs to the Siphonophores species. Similar to jellyfish. I got a half bottle of this because I love the smell of cassis and I was hoping that this will take me to France, where is possible to find anything with this fruit: Ice creams, liqueurs etc.. I still have a bottle of a liqueur which I use with white wine!

From the bottle: Mixed fruits and jasmine. It reminds me of a fruity bubblegum.

Wet: Mango, orange, jasmine.

The cassis and the red currant are there too but the jasmine and the coconut are taking over.

Dry: Drydown is a juicy jasmine with a hint of creaminess from the coconut.

Overall,it's a very nice summer scent. Nothing spectacular in my opinion as it does smell like a conventional perfume but I really enjoy wearing this when the weather is hot.

3)Octopus: Pale moss, white kelp, sea buckthorn berry, ambergris accord, Somalian frankincense, rose geranium, and salt.

How cool is to have an Octopus named perfume in your collection! Well I thought the same lol!

This is my favorite of the three perfumes I bought, When I smell this from the bottle is fresh and salty. On my skin it doesn't change too much. The strongest note is the aquatic / ambergris accord mixed with the rose geranium. It last at least three hours on me! It fits it's name perfectly and I love it!!!!!!

Arcana-Shiver

PERFUME: Shiver Perfume Oil

COMPANY: Arcana

AVAILABILITY: Valentine’s 2011 part of The "Shiver Ensemble" series

The "Shiver Ensemble" is a series of four perfumes that play on the mystery and magic of words, evoking the movement from winter into spring as the cold and darkness falls away to reveal new life. And as a symbol of that life - honey, a note all of these perfumes share.

OFFICIAL DESCRIPTION: An armful of pale flowers: tuberose, royal jasmine, jasmine sambac, white osmanthus, gardenia, muguet, and narcissus; honey, chilled peppermint, and smoky frankincense.

FROM THE DECANT/BOTTLE: From the decant I get a lot of peppermint which I love especially in spring!

WET ON SKIN: Sweet honey, peppermint and pale flowers.

DRY DOWN: The flower notes are so well blended that it’s difficult to take them apart. I get gardenia and muguet the most. The peppermint note stays quite a while. The frankincense it’s lovely here. Light and smoky pairs very well with the honey note. 

FINAL THOUGHTS: I really like this but I wont need any more than my decant. All in all, it’s very easy to wear. It would be perfect for a hot summer night like the ones we have here in Greece!

PERFUME: Courtly Love

COMPANY: Possets

AVAILABILITY: Permanent

OFFICIAL DESCRIPTION: The slow stately thromb of courtly love as the man adores his lady and shows his love every day. Coconut (here used more as a serious element rather than a novelty) dances with apricot and a light kiss of vanilla and a very sweet, not stinky, jasmine to make a honey-ed note stand out. Swoony nice.

BEFORE I SMELL: I got this as a froppet in a Posset order. I think I asked for Fabienne to include this because coconut, vanilla and Jasmine? YES!

FROM THE DECANT/BOTTLE: Tropical coconut, jasmine and sweet apricot. Imagine apricot marmalade!

WET ON SKIN: Deep and sticky jasmine notes combined with the stickiness of the coconut. This does remind me of a suntan lotion and I am immediately transported to a beautiful beach!  

DRY DOWN: I could smell this for at least 5 hours! The vanilla it’s the strongest note on the dry down. To me it’s mainly vanilla-coconut-jasmine.

FINAL THOUGHTS: YES! Definitely bottle worthy!

IF YOU LIKE THIS YOU WILL LIKE:   I really enjoy toasty coconut scents and the scent of a suntan lotion So, I layer this with a body cream from Make Me Smooth in Beach Bunny:

Sweet and creamy, long and lush, the Beachy Bunny scent is so darn fine, it will bring out the Beach Bunny in all of us. Creamy, slightly toasted Coconut (think tanning oil Coconut-mmmmm yum!) smothered in a Marshmallow and Cotton Candy Accord.

Summer came to my house a little bit early!!!

Haus of Gloi!

My Haus of Gloi stash!

Hi guys! I had the flu all the past week and that’s why I haven’t made any reviews:(

 My sense of smell was so weak the past few days… I missed all my scented stuff!

I am much better now so I thought to continue my collection series with a HoG post!

My trio of comfort: Sweet potato treat Pumpkin butter, Hearth sugar exfoliant and Parkin perfume.

When I am feeling a little sad or I am stressed out foodie scents is what I reach of the most of the times. These scents go so well together that I am using them regularly that way.

Hearth sugar exfoliant: As you can see I am almost out! This is the 7.5oz pot and I have it for a year I think. I love the consistency of this scrub. It’s not harsh to the skin. This one has cranberry seeds too. I love the touch of color that these ones give! It leaves you moisturized but not oily. I could say that it almost washes away clean. The scent, not only feels the bathroom but it stays on my skin. Sometimes I can notice it even after I put my body cream on.

The warm glowing center of any home. Autumns last apple pickings, warm bread, orange rind, various fire roasted nuts, cracked black pepper all nailed down by an oozing sticky benzoin.

The skin of the red apples combined by the warm bread is the first thing I smell. In use the orange rind and the black pepper become more obvious. It’s a warm scent. Perfect for when it’s cold outside.  Very similar to Guy Fawkes by Paintbox Soapworks.

Sweet potato treat Pumpkin butter: I love this formula! It sinks to the skin immediately and it leaves me feeling so soft at the same time. Using this product you don’t even need to put perfume on! It’s so strong and it stays for hours! Also, a little goes a long wayJ

For me, this is the epitome of holiday comfort food: Sweet potatoes with mild spices, butter and brown sugar baked off with marshmallows.

It smells exactly like it’s advertised. Sugar, marshmallows and Sweet potato with mild spices. Yum

Parkin Perfume: Glorious ginger cakes celebrating Guy Fawkes Day! Brown sugar, black treacle, oats, a peculiar blend of white spices tossed with chopped roasted chestnuts and coated with the lightest of icings.

I am curious what the white spices might be. White pepper? Anyway, I love this and I wear it regularly. I have it for two years and still smells perfectly good. This and Gingerbread Whorehouse from Possets are my favourite ginger perfumes.  On dry down I get sugary oats and I really like that note. Stays for hours on me which is always a plus!

These three perfumes compliments each other so good and they are making me smell eatable!

Narcosa: A thick haze of tonka and black vanilla, three jasmines, tuberose and ylang ylang.

I started with the small body butter but I couldn’t resist buying the perfume as well. I love this one so much that I might buy another one when it becomes available again!

Heavy on the ylang ylang, it’s one of the best white flower- vanilla interpretations that I have in my collection. Sweet and feminine to the Max!

Come Hither: Based off of traditional herbs and roots used in Hoodoo to draw and attract a lover, or entice the one you've already ensnared! Bourbon vanilla, tonka bean, a touch of rose oil, Queen Elizabeth root, three threads of saffron and a bit of honey to sweeten the whole deal.

This is on my bottle wish list for over a year. It smells like sugared rose petals in a whipped cream bed drizzled with a teaspoon of honey.

The  pumpkin butter is great for layering with other rose blends in my collection.

Milk Maid: Flushed, but demure. Fresh milk, clean linens, pale musk and pink sweet pea blossom.

Yet another pumpkin butter. Now you know, I have a thing with body creams! This one doesn’t smell milky to my nose but musky with a hint of floral. The pea blossom is so beautiful! It reminds me a little bit of peony too. This is so easy to wear and to layer with other scents that I am almost out! Really nice scent.

Odette: sun dried linens, tuberose, ginger lily and white musk.

I don’t get a lot of flowers from this. Linen and white musk are the notes that my nose pick out the most. I like it though and I could buy it again in a bath and body product but not in perfume.

Lassi: Cool, fresh mango cream, Tunisian orange blossom absolute, black ginger to ground, splash of green tea and a soft squeeze of lime juice.

I haven’t used this one yet but on cold sniff I get lime and mango cream the most. Can’t wait to start using this one this summer!!!

Mango Sticky Rice: Sweet mango, coconut infused rice and toasted sesame.

I don’t buy or like fruity scents very often but this one is an exception. I haven’t smelt anything like it before! I got mango, sesame and a green note that reminds me of coriander but it can’t be that. The coconut gives creaminess to the whole. Perfect for warmer weather!

Ghost Puffs: This is almost a marshmallow single note. Simple and easy to wear. It doesn’t stay hours on me and it has low sillage but I love it anyway.

Ceremony: Dusty beeswax candles, frankincense, myrrh, mastic, spikenard, pale honey, a pinch of tobacco and faded musk.

This is easily on my top 10 perfumes. I love it so much and I can’t understand why HoG didn’t bring this one back. I will guess that the ingredients were too expensive to remake it. Mastic is one of my favourite smells in the world but I don’t see it to be used in perfumes that often. It’s one of the most expensive resins in the world. Here in Greece we use it to scent our pastries and it’s delicious. I am so happy that I didn’t wait and I bought a bottle right away.

It’s a resinous blend that stays hours to the skin.  It’s warm from the beeswax and a little bit powdery from the frankincense. I don’t get tobacco or honey. In fact, I breathe deep every time I wear it to enjoy the mastic and the resins.

I hope I will see similar scents from HoG in the future!

Do you have a favourite scent or product from HoG?

Scent of the day-33-

PERFUME: Nightmare

COMPANY: BPAL

AVAILABILITY: Pickman Gallery: Torment & Reverie (9/8/11-11/13/11)

OFFICIAL DESCRIPTION: Vanilla-soaked linen accord with lavender, opium poppy, Moroccan jasmine, golden amber, white honey, and blackened fruit gums.

BEFORE I SMELL: I have to confess, this painting is a little bit scary! I am wondering how it smells like! Just look into the demons eyes and that Shadow...

FROM THE DECANT/BOTTLE: Lavender, almond and jasmine

WET ON SKIN: The lavender fades away and I am getting jasmine the most. The blackened fruit gums are definitely blackcurrant based. That note reminds me of a Ribena juice! I don’t get honey or vanilla.

DRY DOWN: It’s mostly fruity jasmine on my skin. On dry down I can identify the Lab’s linen note but it’s not at all over powering. 

FINAL THOUGHTS:  I will use up the rest of my imp before I go to bed tonight. It has a calming effect on me. I would have never imagined That an incubus or a nightmare will smell so good!

IF YOU LIKE THIS YOU WILL LIKE:   A nocturnal  Reverie- Bpal

Sacrifice-Ajmal

PERFUME: Sacrifice

COMPANY: Ajmal

OFFICIAL DESCRIPTION: A fragrance designed for the emotional intelligent woman. She is a quietly confident woman who is caring and understanding. Jasmine lends it floral fortitude enhanced with aqua notes that lend the fragrance an Aqua – Floral top. Orange blossom and vanilla combine to provide a Floral – Musky heart. The base is reinforced by amber and musk to provide woody, musky element

MY THOUGHTS: This is a gift from my father. He travels a lot and he buys me perfume whenever he cans!

Upon the first application I smell the alcohol and I am not used to it. It fades immediately thought.  Like the description says it start with an aquatic jasmine note. The ambergris is there and it’s beautiful saltines. The orange blossom and the jasmine are the core ingredients but this isn’t a soliflore but a musky scent.

As it dries down it smells like a musky vanilla with a hint of orange blossom. I also get something like a very sweet berry note, but it isn’t listed.

To conclude, this is a well made perfume but not unique by any means. I would wear this in a job interview.

IF YOU LIKE THIS YOU WILL LIKE:   Amor Amor Perfume by Cacharel but this is fresher with the additions of pink grapefruit, mandarin and blood orange

Black Sphinx- MMS

PERFUME: Black Sphinx

COMPANY: Make Me Smooth

AVAILABILITY: Available all year round in various products!

OFFICIAL DESCRIPTION: Japanese Magnolia and Lotus slither with precision over Jasmine and Black Amber. Florals gone to the dark side.. Deliciously dark and mysterious

I got this scent from MMS 4 years ago in a body cream and I loved it. I couldn’t use it by fear that I will finish my small tub and I will be without it! I couldn’t order more that time because the company closed and then opened again in Australia.

Last year , Nancy( the owner) re-opened her business back in Canada. I asked her if she will remake that scent again and after a while she did!

FROM THE DECANT/BOTTLE:  White florals. I smell fresh magnolias and lotus the most.

WET ON SKIN: Jasmine! I love jasmine! It doesn’t mask the other notes thought.

DRY DOWN:  Heady white flowers and powdery amber. Amazing.

I wear this scent when I want to feel elegant and chic. I am getting lots of compliments when I am wearing it so, I could say that it’s a crowd pleaser.