[Multi} Reviews
A few more recent reviews including the latest VD scents...
HOLIDAY MOON: When the moon is full, mankind is one. Bamboo pulp and oude with green and white tea.
In Bottle: Tea and lemon
On Skin: Very floral, a bright white lily. Still a tea note and something very yellow and citrus, a lemon. The bamboo is so fresh and wet. A very pretty scent that opens my eyes right away. This scent smells very asian, I get asian imagery and am also reminded of drinking lemon tea at a teahouse. The throw is strong and the scent has great staying power. I think it’s beautiful, but not something I would wear personally. I’d prefer to smell it on someone else. It’s a bit too bright and tart for me. I do love that it’s an extremely different blend in the Lunacy series.
HELLION: A scent for all rabble-rousing, nose-thumbing reprobates: black plum, champaca flower, dark musk, patchouli, narcissus and scorched sandalwood.
In Bottle: Sweet patchouli
On Skin: Oh no, the patchouli is taking over this one. My skin and patchouli always seem to be at battle. This patchouli is very dark. With the musk and sandalwood, there is a dark woody and smoky note. The plum helps sweeten it a little, but it doesn’t hide the telltale note of patchouli that bugs me. While it is an interesting scent, it’s not one I’d wear. But I do like the mood it creates. After about 15 minutes, the scent starts to melt into my skin better. The patchouli isn’t as strong, but is still more of an incensey blend. I’d really like my husband to try it if he can get past the initial strong patchouli. After an hour, it becomes a beautiful, warm soft scent. WOW! But it only lasts about another hour and vanishes. If this had better throw and longer staying power, I think I’d get a bottle.
LA FEE VERTE: A variant on the absinthe theme. Sugared wormwood, hyssop and melissa with calamus, angelica and Dittany of Crete, blended with a Bohemian perfume of vanilla musk, honey absolute and Moroccan spices.
In Bottle: A sweet yet sour drink
On Skin: Hmmm… I am super excited for this one. I like the original Absinthe scent of Beth’s, but it was never a wearable scent for me. It just didn’t fit me, even though I like it on other people. This blend has the absinthe note, very green and sour… the florals bring an elegant feel, like drinking absinthe in a five star resteraunt. The honey sweetens it just the right amount, but still allows that trademark “tang” to poke through. The vanilla musk is sweet too, but offers a subtle musky base. Finally the spices, they seem more herby than sweet. I smell a bit of a soapy edge to this scent which I’m not to fond of. This is a complex scent and I love to sit here and smell and play with it, but I don’t think I’d wear it too often since it doesn’t quite fit my chemistry and personality. But it could be a special occasion or party scent, it would create great conversation. After an hour it develops into the most delicate and pretty scent. I really do love it. It’s nothing I’d wear every day, but I love how it’s such a different scent for me. I need it for my collection for sure.
LUNA Celestial: CLEANSING - PURIFICATION - IMAGINATION - DREAM WORK
EMOTIONAL GROWTH & HEALING - MYSTERY - VEILING - DECEPTION - IMPULSE
CAPRICIOUSNESS - BEWITCHMENTS - GLAMOR - DELIGHT - PLEASURE
In Bottle: Toxic fumes
On Skin: Yes, that’s a terrible way to start a review, and I hate to say anything like that about a blend of Beth’s… but what is that??? It smells like noxious chemicals to me. After a minute or two, the scent tames itself and a cherry note surfaces. This scent seems to be for so many purposes, and most sound pretty good. I’m going to try it out at work tomorrow and see what happens. As it develops, there is a strong floral, sweet and syrupy. Very pretty, and both golden and purple in feel. I have heard people say jasmine and ylang ylang and I’d have to agree with those guesses. A bit too floral for everyday wear, but like I said, I’m going to try it out for it’s true purpose and intent. EDIT: I wore it today and I didn’t have anything obvious happen to me… but people did seem to be a bit nicer and talkative.
SMUT: What a great freakin’ word. BPAL LOVES TEH SMUT! Three swarthy, smutty musks sweetened with sugar and woozy with dark booze notes.
In Bottle: Sweet musk
On Skin: Ok, I love musk and this just boils over with muskiness. Wow sex appeal! Anyone who smells this on you will be panting at your side. The musks are the leading notes for sure, but there is a pleasant warm sweetness as well. That’s the sugar I’m assuming but it’s so sweet it almost smells like a warm vanilla sugar. The booze note is luckily not too boozy. I was worried we were going to get the Sugar Skull 05 booze, but it’s not like that at all. It’s something darker and more mellow. Overall, I love this scent. There is one slight dirty note that I don’t like much, maybe a light patchouli? But it stays in the background so I don’t get to upset with it. After about 15 minutes, the sweetness subsides and it’s mainly just a beautiful skin musk. I can see comparisons to Snake Oil, but it doesn’t have the spiciness that Snake Oil has to me.
RED LANTERN: A tribute to the opium den cum bawdyhouses of Shanghai in the 1930’s. Golden amber, blonde tobacco, Sudanese black coconut, rich caramel, black currant, white opium and delphinium laced with a sensual blend of Asian spice.
In Bottle: A non-fruity Sugar Skull
On Skin: Ok, so it smelled like a Non-fruity Sugar Skull in the bottle, but when I put it on, wow it morphs! The coconut is in the front and I think it smells a bit dirty, maybe that’s the difference between a normal and black coconut? The caremal sweetens it and makes the scent smell slightly toffee like. The tobacco is very, very light so if you’re worried about that being a strong note, it doesn’t seem to be at all on me. The spices are quite pretty and give a very exotic flair to this sweet scent. The amber provides a nice warm and golden base, holding the scents together but not overpowering them. Overall, an interesting scent but not one of my favorites. It’s a little too soft and subtle for me. I like the in-your-faceness of Smut better.
KHAJURAHO: This is a blissful, euphoric blend based on an ancient Indian love potion: honey, date palm, tuberose, davana blossom, amber, white sandalwood, vanilla bean, Damask rose, and champaca flower.
In Bottle: Woody floral
On Skin: The sandalwood jumps off my wrist followed by some extreme florals. This scent is quite strong at first. The rose is quite noticable, a bit tart. The honey is there, but sweetening the background, not the actual dominant notes. After 10 minutes, it still seems to be quite woody and floral, not really me. It also takes on a slightly green note which is pretty and lightens the scent up a bit. This is a very pretty feminine scent. It’s quite heady so I prefer small whiffs instead of breathing it in deeply.
BUDDING MOON: Budding Moon shines as Spring moves with its first breath, and this scent expresses that burst of life-affirming joy through an olfactory interpretation of Huang Quan’s flower-and-bird paintings. Plum blossom, peony, lotus root, Chinese musk and a hint of white ginger.
In Bottle: Floral ginger
On Skin: Whew! At first it is super strong and sour. An extreme bright white/yellow scent. This is a floral scent to an extreme. I’m not really into florals so I’m a bit scared off by this Lunacy but I’m going to wait and see how it develops. The notes in this scent I don’t know individually very well, so I can’t really pick out what is dominating other than a floral note. I don’t smell plum, but plum blossom is quite different than the fruit I’m sure. After about 10 minutes, the musk comes forward which helps take the sharpness of the scent down a notch which is very nice. The ginger gives a nice spice and also helps contarts the extreme floral. I am reminded of a florists shop, lots of flowers grouped together and fancy bouquets. The florals are more white and airy though, not thick and syrupy like some flowers like honeysuckle and such can be. A very feminine scent, I don’t see this on a man at all.
MERCURY Celestial: EXPANDING the INTELLECT - QUICK WIT - MENTAL AGILITY - COMMUNICATION - TRAVEL -CALCULATION - ANALYSIS - LEARNING - TEACHING - GAMBLING - STUDY - CREATIVITY -MAGICKAL ACUMEN - GOOD CONVERSATION - CHANCE HAPPENINGS - ADAPTABILITY
In Bottle: Floral and spicy
On Skin: I smell cinnamon right off the bat, it gives me the “nose-burn” like it always does. I also smell a bitter floral… others have said lavender, but it doesn’t smell sweet enough to me. I smell hebs again, another medicinal note. I see this as a good scent for inspiration and keeping alert. It is very potent and makes my eyes water a bit. I can say for sure that even though I like the intent of this oil, the actual scent is too much of a turn off. I really, REALLY don’t want to smell like this. Yeah… hmmm… must wash off… :(
VENUS: Blissful Love - Romance - Passion - Grace - Beauty - Joy Good Luck in Love and Money - Kindness - Affection - Artistic Inspiration and Success - Harmony - Reconciliation - Sensuosity - Charm - Elegance - Delight
In Bottle: Bitter floral
On Skin: Rose pure and strong. I’m thinking a pink or yellow rose. Somewhat herbal as well, I smell a medicinal note... quite sharp and minty. I really like the uses for this scent so I may keep an imp of it just for days I need a little “help”, but it’s not a scent I really like the scent of and would wear as a normal perfume. Extreme feminine scent, I can’t picture this on a man at all. Very, VERY strong with quite a bit of throw.
SILENTIUM AMORIS: Unspoken love. Inspired by Oscar Wilde's poem. A scent brimming with pathos and memories of longing and loss. Rose touched with ylang ylang."
In Bottle: Rose
On Skin: While in the bottle the rose seems strongest, on my skin the ylang ylang amps up right away. The rose is super tart and the ylang ylang fades into a lighter, sweeter base note. I think it’s either a white or yellow rose and very fresh. It gives off a green/white note. For fans of rose and rose blends, this is a perfect scent. It is discontinued though I just found out. The throw is quite strong, you will have people thinking there is a rose bouquet in the room somewhere. I see this as a more formal and elegant scent since it stands so straight up and makes itself known. Not a soft rose at all. I don’t like rose scents personlly since they go all “old-lady” on me, so I think I may to pass this one on.
QUIETUDE: Peace, serenity, tranquility, silence.
In Bottle: Lemon water
On Skin: A very light lemon/lime, not too yellow, green or juicy. More like when you drink a glass of lemon water, a little tart but very refreshing. It reminds me of laundry, maybe a fabric softener… yes that’s it. Lavender fabric softener. I normally don’t like lavender but I know it does help me sleep if I difuse a little of it in the air. It’s nice and it does feel relaxing in small doses, maybe I could scent a sachet with it. If I breathe it in too deeply it’s a little artificial and not as nice. I’ve smelled a few other Panacea blends lately and they really are growing on me. I’m going to use this tonight before I go to sleep and see if it aids in my rest.
HOLIDAY MOON: When the moon is full, mankind is one. Bamboo pulp and oude with green and white tea.
In Bottle: Tea and lemon
On Skin: Very floral, a bright white lily. Still a tea note and something very yellow and citrus, a lemon. The bamboo is so fresh and wet. A very pretty scent that opens my eyes right away. This scent smells very asian, I get asian imagery and am also reminded of drinking lemon tea at a teahouse. The throw is strong and the scent has great staying power. I think it’s beautiful, but not something I would wear personally. I’d prefer to smell it on someone else. It’s a bit too bright and tart for me. I do love that it’s an extremely different blend in the Lunacy series.
HELLION: A scent for all rabble-rousing, nose-thumbing reprobates: black plum, champaca flower, dark musk, patchouli, narcissus and scorched sandalwood.
In Bottle: Sweet patchouli
On Skin: Oh no, the patchouli is taking over this one. My skin and patchouli always seem to be at battle. This patchouli is very dark. With the musk and sandalwood, there is a dark woody and smoky note. The plum helps sweeten it a little, but it doesn’t hide the telltale note of patchouli that bugs me. While it is an interesting scent, it’s not one I’d wear. But I do like the mood it creates. After about 15 minutes, the scent starts to melt into my skin better. The patchouli isn’t as strong, but is still more of an incensey blend. I’d really like my husband to try it if he can get past the initial strong patchouli. After an hour, it becomes a beautiful, warm soft scent. WOW! But it only lasts about another hour and vanishes. If this had better throw and longer staying power, I think I’d get a bottle.
LA FEE VERTE: A variant on the absinthe theme. Sugared wormwood, hyssop and melissa with calamus, angelica and Dittany of Crete, blended with a Bohemian perfume of vanilla musk, honey absolute and Moroccan spices.
In Bottle: A sweet yet sour drink
On Skin: Hmmm… I am super excited for this one. I like the original Absinthe scent of Beth’s, but it was never a wearable scent for me. It just didn’t fit me, even though I like it on other people. This blend has the absinthe note, very green and sour… the florals bring an elegant feel, like drinking absinthe in a five star resteraunt. The honey sweetens it just the right amount, but still allows that trademark “tang” to poke through. The vanilla musk is sweet too, but offers a subtle musky base. Finally the spices, they seem more herby than sweet. I smell a bit of a soapy edge to this scent which I’m not to fond of. This is a complex scent and I love to sit here and smell and play with it, but I don’t think I’d wear it too often since it doesn’t quite fit my chemistry and personality. But it could be a special occasion or party scent, it would create great conversation. After an hour it develops into the most delicate and pretty scent. I really do love it. It’s nothing I’d wear every day, but I love how it’s such a different scent for me. I need it for my collection for sure.
LUNA Celestial: CLEANSING - PURIFICATION - IMAGINATION - DREAM WORK
EMOTIONAL GROWTH & HEALING - MYSTERY - VEILING - DECEPTION - IMPULSE
CAPRICIOUSNESS - BEWITCHMENTS - GLAMOR - DELIGHT - PLEASURE
In Bottle: Toxic fumes
On Skin: Yes, that’s a terrible way to start a review, and I hate to say anything like that about a blend of Beth’s… but what is that??? It smells like noxious chemicals to me. After a minute or two, the scent tames itself and a cherry note surfaces. This scent seems to be for so many purposes, and most sound pretty good. I’m going to try it out at work tomorrow and see what happens. As it develops, there is a strong floral, sweet and syrupy. Very pretty, and both golden and purple in feel. I have heard people say jasmine and ylang ylang and I’d have to agree with those guesses. A bit too floral for everyday wear, but like I said, I’m going to try it out for it’s true purpose and intent. EDIT: I wore it today and I didn’t have anything obvious happen to me… but people did seem to be a bit nicer and talkative.
SMUT: What a great freakin’ word. BPAL LOVES TEH SMUT! Three swarthy, smutty musks sweetened with sugar and woozy with dark booze notes.
In Bottle: Sweet musk
On Skin: Ok, I love musk and this just boils over with muskiness. Wow sex appeal! Anyone who smells this on you will be panting at your side. The musks are the leading notes for sure, but there is a pleasant warm sweetness as well. That’s the sugar I’m assuming but it’s so sweet it almost smells like a warm vanilla sugar. The booze note is luckily not too boozy. I was worried we were going to get the Sugar Skull 05 booze, but it’s not like that at all. It’s something darker and more mellow. Overall, I love this scent. There is one slight dirty note that I don’t like much, maybe a light patchouli? But it stays in the background so I don’t get to upset with it. After about 15 minutes, the sweetness subsides and it’s mainly just a beautiful skin musk. I can see comparisons to Snake Oil, but it doesn’t have the spiciness that Snake Oil has to me.
RED LANTERN: A tribute to the opium den cum bawdyhouses of Shanghai in the 1930’s. Golden amber, blonde tobacco, Sudanese black coconut, rich caramel, black currant, white opium and delphinium laced with a sensual blend of Asian spice.
In Bottle: A non-fruity Sugar Skull
On Skin: Ok, so it smelled like a Non-fruity Sugar Skull in the bottle, but when I put it on, wow it morphs! The coconut is in the front and I think it smells a bit dirty, maybe that’s the difference between a normal and black coconut? The caremal sweetens it and makes the scent smell slightly toffee like. The tobacco is very, very light so if you’re worried about that being a strong note, it doesn’t seem to be at all on me. The spices are quite pretty and give a very exotic flair to this sweet scent. The amber provides a nice warm and golden base, holding the scents together but not overpowering them. Overall, an interesting scent but not one of my favorites. It’s a little too soft and subtle for me. I like the in-your-faceness of Smut better.
KHAJURAHO: This is a blissful, euphoric blend based on an ancient Indian love potion: honey, date palm, tuberose, davana blossom, amber, white sandalwood, vanilla bean, Damask rose, and champaca flower.
In Bottle: Woody floral
On Skin: The sandalwood jumps off my wrist followed by some extreme florals. This scent is quite strong at first. The rose is quite noticable, a bit tart. The honey is there, but sweetening the background, not the actual dominant notes. After 10 minutes, it still seems to be quite woody and floral, not really me. It also takes on a slightly green note which is pretty and lightens the scent up a bit. This is a very pretty feminine scent. It’s quite heady so I prefer small whiffs instead of breathing it in deeply.
BUDDING MOON: Budding Moon shines as Spring moves with its first breath, and this scent expresses that burst of life-affirming joy through an olfactory interpretation of Huang Quan’s flower-and-bird paintings. Plum blossom, peony, lotus root, Chinese musk and a hint of white ginger.
In Bottle: Floral ginger
On Skin: Whew! At first it is super strong and sour. An extreme bright white/yellow scent. This is a floral scent to an extreme. I’m not really into florals so I’m a bit scared off by this Lunacy but I’m going to wait and see how it develops. The notes in this scent I don’t know individually very well, so I can’t really pick out what is dominating other than a floral note. I don’t smell plum, but plum blossom is quite different than the fruit I’m sure. After about 10 minutes, the musk comes forward which helps take the sharpness of the scent down a notch which is very nice. The ginger gives a nice spice and also helps contarts the extreme floral. I am reminded of a florists shop, lots of flowers grouped together and fancy bouquets. The florals are more white and airy though, not thick and syrupy like some flowers like honeysuckle and such can be. A very feminine scent, I don’t see this on a man at all.
MERCURY Celestial: EXPANDING the INTELLECT - QUICK WIT - MENTAL AGILITY - COMMUNICATION - TRAVEL -CALCULATION - ANALYSIS - LEARNING - TEACHING - GAMBLING - STUDY - CREATIVITY -MAGICKAL ACUMEN - GOOD CONVERSATION - CHANCE HAPPENINGS - ADAPTABILITY
In Bottle: Floral and spicy
On Skin: I smell cinnamon right off the bat, it gives me the “nose-burn” like it always does. I also smell a bitter floral… others have said lavender, but it doesn’t smell sweet enough to me. I smell hebs again, another medicinal note. I see this as a good scent for inspiration and keeping alert. It is very potent and makes my eyes water a bit. I can say for sure that even though I like the intent of this oil, the actual scent is too much of a turn off. I really, REALLY don’t want to smell like this. Yeah… hmmm… must wash off… :(
VENUS: Blissful Love - Romance - Passion - Grace - Beauty - Joy Good Luck in Love and Money - Kindness - Affection - Artistic Inspiration and Success - Harmony - Reconciliation - Sensuosity - Charm - Elegance - Delight
In Bottle: Bitter floral
On Skin: Rose pure and strong. I’m thinking a pink or yellow rose. Somewhat herbal as well, I smell a medicinal note... quite sharp and minty. I really like the uses for this scent so I may keep an imp of it just for days I need a little “help”, but it’s not a scent I really like the scent of and would wear as a normal perfume. Extreme feminine scent, I can’t picture this on a man at all. Very, VERY strong with quite a bit of throw.
SILENTIUM AMORIS: Unspoken love. Inspired by Oscar Wilde's poem. A scent brimming with pathos and memories of longing and loss. Rose touched with ylang ylang."
In Bottle: Rose
On Skin: While in the bottle the rose seems strongest, on my skin the ylang ylang amps up right away. The rose is super tart and the ylang ylang fades into a lighter, sweeter base note. I think it’s either a white or yellow rose and very fresh. It gives off a green/white note. For fans of rose and rose blends, this is a perfect scent. It is discontinued though I just found out. The throw is quite strong, you will have people thinking there is a rose bouquet in the room somewhere. I see this as a more formal and elegant scent since it stands so straight up and makes itself known. Not a soft rose at all. I don’t like rose scents personlly since they go all “old-lady” on me, so I think I may to pass this one on.
QUIETUDE: Peace, serenity, tranquility, silence.
In Bottle: Lemon water
On Skin: A very light lemon/lime, not too yellow, green or juicy. More like when you drink a glass of lemon water, a little tart but very refreshing. It reminds me of laundry, maybe a fabric softener… yes that’s it. Lavender fabric softener. I normally don’t like lavender but I know it does help me sleep if I difuse a little of it in the air. It’s nice and it does feel relaxing in small doses, maybe I could scent a sachet with it. If I breathe it in too deeply it’s a little artificial and not as nice. I’ve smelled a few other Panacea blends lately and they really are growing on me. I’m going to use this tonight before I go to sleep and see if it aids in my rest.