BPAL: The Last Yule Decants
The Frimps:
BAYOU (Wanderlust): (Company says:
Ordered:
ALMOND BLOSSOM 2013 (Yule, LE): (Company says: Something must be reassuring to the almond, in the evening star, and the snow-wind, and the long, long, nights: almond blossom, hoar-frost, and snow-wind.)
In Bottle: Extremely Snow dominant with a kiss of almond blossom to sweeten it. This is way too much mint for me just in the bottle, so I won’t be skin testing. This snow note is very mint and ozone, and does give a snow-wind and frost impression.
FAUNALIA 2013 (Yule, LE): (Company says: The scent of a thick, starlit, unspoiled forest, with a burst of wild musk, opobalsamum, black bryony, mandragora, and hemlock.)
In Bottle: Caveat: I am not familiar with all these notes. Balsam and wood dominant, with musk in well blended support. The poisons have a delicate green, herbal feel to them, but I can not tell you which is which. They do have a dangerous feel to them in aggregate. Wet: Really rich and interesting on the skin. The musk become dominant with the balsam in close support. The herbal poisons twine all through it, greeting a wild, green, over grown witch’s garden feel to the whole thing. It is beautiful and fiercely untamed. It is not a comfortable smell. There is a component here that reminds me of the lab’s fizz note or possibly their ozone. I am wondering if one or more of the notes I am less familiar with is in or related to something in those accords. Could this be the starlight in the description, mayhap? Dry: Woody balsam, with musk and an herbal edge.
GINGERBREAD VILLAIN 2013 (Yule, LE): (Company says: Gingerbread fougere, with hints of lilac, lime, and citrus musk.)
In Bottle: Strongly gingerbread dominant, with a bit of citrus bite, and a touch of musk giving it an unexpected roundness. The lilac goes well with musk and fougere to give an unexpected hint of sex appeal. Wet: The ginger really pops on the skin. The scent is incredibly well blended, the rest of the foodiness and supporting the delightful ginger, and the sexiness winding around the edges. Dry: Fast fading, alas!
LIKE BROOMS OF STEEL 2013 (Yule, LE): (Company says: Sharp metallic slices of snow and freezing wind with a faint hint of cellar dust, burlap, and apple.)
In Bottle: Lots of the minty snow note, beautifully blended with it’s apple support, with touches of vaguely dusty burlap. This is way too much mint for me, and it’s very likely peppermint. The dominant mint is way too strong for me to skin test, but it really does go well with apple.
THE MAHOGANY TREE 2013 (Yule, LE): (Company says: Sweet wine, sparkling laughter, warm companionship, and the song of night-birds under a canopy of rustling mahogany: robin-red currants, soft nighting.)
In Bottle: Brightly currant dominant with wine support on a canvass of mahogany. The mahogany is understated, but lovely. Wet: I really love the current. It’s so bright and cheerful. The wine is still in support and goes really well with it, but is more distinct on the skin. I’m not generally good with wine notes, but I might just be able to carry this because they go so well together. The mahogany is gentle but absolutely lovely with the currant. For my taste, I’d rather more mahogany and no wine, but I really like this and it’s a good design. Dry: Red Currant, mostly.
PICTURE BOOKS IN WINTER 2013 (Yule, LE): (Company says: The wild joy of story time on a frosty winter morning: the well-loved, well-worn leather of old fairy tale books, the sweet mustiness of antique paper, fae glimmers of twinkling crystalline flowers, and a chunk of Scottish Tablet.)
In Bottle: This is a lot sweeter than I expected, as I was not previously aware of Scottish Tablet as confectionery. Given the recipe, I’m calling this Scottish Tablet dominant as creamy, sugary vanilla not quite fudge is exactly what I smelled when I opened the bottle that sent me to google to figure out what was going on. (Me: This smells like fudge without the chocolate!) The flowers are delicate and compliment the confection well. I’m calling them marginally stronger than the lovely parchment smell that blends really well with both stronger notes. Normally, leather stands out, but here is is soft and very appropriate support to the paper. Wet: It’s still Tablet dominant, but barely. The parchment is now a strong second. There is a hint of frost on the pale and unusual choice of flowers. As it warms, the leather quickly moves into dominance over all. My skin really amps leather, so YMMV. I was fascinated by how unusual it was in the bottle, it is much less unusual on the skin as it turns into a classic leather furnished library scent, with a kiss of sweetness and the ghost of frosted flowers. This is exactly the sort of thing I like, but I mourn the delicate beauty of it in the imp. Dry: Powdery Scottish Tablet.
THE VISIONARY 2013 (Yule, LE): (Company says: Lush, honeyed red musk twined with heart-thrilling white musk on passion-warmed skin against a backdrop of raw, iced peat, common heather, and hearth wood.)
In Bottle: This is a whole lot of scent. I’m calling it peat dominant with strong musk support and a kiss of minty ice. The wood grounds it and the more delicate heather wreaths the peat. Except for the heather, everything here is strong and distinct. This is well designed, but overwhelming to me. Wet: The Mint and Wood really sing. I’m calling the Mint dominant. The musk is second, and the wood third, but again, everything is so strong it overwhelms both me and the peat. It’s simply tpoo much with all the amping, t6hough it would likely work on someone with gentler skin chemistry and different sensitivities who really likes minty ice accord. Dry: Mostly Peatand musk with a touch of ice. I like it best on the dry down.
Winners: Gingerbread Villain
Runners Up: The Mahogany Tree, Picture Books in Winter
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