My thoughts on the BPAL update (Marchen + Yule + Wind in the Willows)
(Note: this is only going to interest you if you share my obsession with a certain perfume oil manufacturer. And indeed, it's chancey even then. It may well only be of interest to me. I don't mind in the least. :) )
Oh hello, Yulies! I forgot that you were coming so soon! I see that you come bearing lots of foody and resiny and incensy goodness -- how kind of you!
But before I get to that...
ZOMG MARCHEN!!!
1. Belle Vinu sounds lovely, but I don’t know what osmanthus is. Must look that up. (Evidently it’s a flowering plant. That information is great, but helps me not at all. Not a deal-breaker, though, so I’ll probably want to try an imp of this at some point. I do so love when new stuff is in the general catalogue, so I can try it at my leisure.)
2. I’m intrigued by Prunella, but wary. Sometimes I can work fruity scents, but sometimes they’re too much for me; sometimes the cream note is lovely on my skin, but sometimes it goes icky.
3. Love the ideas of the Rumpelstilzchen scents. Would they necessarily be something I’d actually wear? Probably not. But, again, I love the concepts.
4. Ditto for the Sparrow with the Split Tongue scents.
Now...
YULIES!!!
5. Butter Rum Cookie (Rum-soaked butter cookies, crusted with sugar, soaked in almond and garnished with orange rind) sounds delicious. Now I’m hungry. (Seriously. Current cookie craving is through the roof. To the point where, in spite of how down-to-the-bone tired I am, I’m tempted to bake some cookies tonight. Maybe I’ll compromise and just buy some, though it won’t quite be the same.)
6. Frau Holle does not sound like my kind of scent at all (Snow-covered pines, witches herbs, bestial musk, flax, and ethereal flowers that represent both birth and death), but I love the concept.
7. GELT!!! Eeeeeeee! (A bounty of chocolate coins! Dry cocoa and golden amber!) I’m tempted to buy a bottle just because it’s fun, but I suppose I should try it first.
8. I’m intrigued by the Head of Holofernes (Dried blood, boiled wine, leather, galbanum, onycha, tonka bean, and pomegranate), but the wine and leather might be a bit much for me. Also, I have no idea what galbanum or onycha are. (Looked them up: they push the scent into “really awesome concept” territory, but also into “I really don’t think that would work on me” territory.)
9. Isn’t Jacob’s Ladder (golden amber, galbanum, benzoin, ambrette, rockrose, costus and tonka) one of the best beloveds from the past? I’m intrigued (I like amber), but I don’t recognize many of the notes listed. I’m like, hmm, yes, those are apparently words. Heh. (Looked them up: I am very on the fence about this one.)
10. This is the fourth incarnation of Lick It (Peppermint candy cane with an extra jolt of sugar), and I still haven’t tried it. Clearly I’m going to have to now. How can I resist “Lick It Like You Mean It”?
11. Lines Written Among the Euganean Hills (Skin musk, white sandalwood, balsam fir, frozen black berries, cedar, winter rose, and white amber) sounds lovely. Actually, it sounds vaguely reminiscent of the Winter Maiden bath oil from last year, which I have and love.
12. The Magi sounds right up my alley (An offering of frankincense, gold, and myrrh, with coriander, cumin, ambergris, white wine grape, and vanilla bean)... except maybe for the grape. Hmm.
13. Have to try Midnight Mass. Incense = love.
14. Mmm, Sugar Cookie.
15. Clearly I must try Visiting the Temple of Auspicious Fortune Alone on the Winter Solstice (Temple incense, rain, and dust).
Finally...
The Wind in the Willows: Good god, there’s more?
16. The Gaoler’s Daughter (Gardenia, neroli, and white peach with vanilla amber, cream, and honey): a definite maybe. As above, I’m wary of the cream.
So, to sum up, I’m definitely planning to purchase decants of Butter Rum Cookie, Gelt, Lick It Like You Mean It, Lines Written Among the Euganean Hills, The Magi, Midnight Mass, Sugar Cookie, and Visiting the Temple of Auspicious Fortune Alone on the Winter Solstice. I’m on the fence about Jacob’s Ladder and the Gaoler’s Daughter.
Oh hello, Yulies! I forgot that you were coming so soon! I see that you come bearing lots of foody and resiny and incensy goodness -- how kind of you!
But before I get to that...
ZOMG MARCHEN!!!
1. Belle Vinu sounds lovely, but I don’t know what osmanthus is. Must look that up. (Evidently it’s a flowering plant. That information is great, but helps me not at all. Not a deal-breaker, though, so I’ll probably want to try an imp of this at some point. I do so love when new stuff is in the general catalogue, so I can try it at my leisure.)
2. I’m intrigued by Prunella, but wary. Sometimes I can work fruity scents, but sometimes they’re too much for me; sometimes the cream note is lovely on my skin, but sometimes it goes icky.
3. Love the ideas of the Rumpelstilzchen scents. Would they necessarily be something I’d actually wear? Probably not. But, again, I love the concepts.
4. Ditto for the Sparrow with the Split Tongue scents.
Now...
YULIES!!!
5. Butter Rum Cookie (Rum-soaked butter cookies, crusted with sugar, soaked in almond and garnished with orange rind) sounds delicious. Now I’m hungry. (Seriously. Current cookie craving is through the roof. To the point where, in spite of how down-to-the-bone tired I am, I’m tempted to bake some cookies tonight. Maybe I’ll compromise and just buy some, though it won’t quite be the same.)
6. Frau Holle does not sound like my kind of scent at all (Snow-covered pines, witches herbs, bestial musk, flax, and ethereal flowers that represent both birth and death), but I love the concept.
7. GELT!!! Eeeeeeee! (A bounty of chocolate coins! Dry cocoa and golden amber!) I’m tempted to buy a bottle just because it’s fun, but I suppose I should try it first.
8. I’m intrigued by the Head of Holofernes (Dried blood, boiled wine, leather, galbanum, onycha, tonka bean, and pomegranate), but the wine and leather might be a bit much for me. Also, I have no idea what galbanum or onycha are. (Looked them up: they push the scent into “really awesome concept” territory, but also into “I really don’t think that would work on me” territory.)
9. Isn’t Jacob’s Ladder (golden amber, galbanum, benzoin, ambrette, rockrose, costus and tonka) one of the best beloveds from the past? I’m intrigued (I like amber), but I don’t recognize many of the notes listed. I’m like, hmm, yes, those are apparently words. Heh. (Looked them up: I am very on the fence about this one.)
10. This is the fourth incarnation of Lick It (Peppermint candy cane with an extra jolt of sugar), and I still haven’t tried it. Clearly I’m going to have to now. How can I resist “Lick It Like You Mean It”?
11. Lines Written Among the Euganean Hills (Skin musk, white sandalwood, balsam fir, frozen black berries, cedar, winter rose, and white amber) sounds lovely. Actually, it sounds vaguely reminiscent of the Winter Maiden bath oil from last year, which I have and love.
12. The Magi sounds right up my alley (An offering of frankincense, gold, and myrrh, with coriander, cumin, ambergris, white wine grape, and vanilla bean)... except maybe for the grape. Hmm.
13. Have to try Midnight Mass. Incense = love.
14. Mmm, Sugar Cookie.
15. Clearly I must try Visiting the Temple of Auspicious Fortune Alone on the Winter Solstice (Temple incense, rain, and dust).
Finally...
The Wind in the Willows: Good god, there’s more?
16. The Gaoler’s Daughter (Gardenia, neroli, and white peach with vanilla amber, cream, and honey): a definite maybe. As above, I’m wary of the cream.
So, to sum up, I’m definitely planning to purchase decants of Butter Rum Cookie, Gelt, Lick It Like You Mean It, Lines Written Among the Euganean Hills, The Magi, Midnight Mass, Sugar Cookie, and Visiting the Temple of Auspicious Fortune Alone on the Winter Solstice. I’m on the fence about Jacob’s Ladder and the Gaoler’s Daughter.