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smellsgood2015-01-20 11:02 pm
sathari) wrote in smellsgood2015-01-20 11:02 pm
Entry tags:
Review: BPAL's Siren
So I actually have a few reviews for posting and probably will do so later on in the week, but OMG, I just had to squee about Siren at all of you.
The website description is: Bewitching, tantalizing and dangerously seductive. A thrilling, exotic blend — deceptively sweet, but spiked with malice. White ginger, jasmine, and a touch of vanilla and apricot.
In the imp: it was kind of cold and pale as a scent (the jasmine and maybe the white ginger?) but it wasn't sticky-sweet like their vanilla and fruit scents often are, so I figured I'd bite.
On me, intial reaction: ooh, glad I did! Something in my skin chemistry is strengthening the overall throw/effect of this; the ginger and jasmine are strong and sharp, still a little "pale-smelling" for my taste, but the vanilla/apricot are these great background notes that keep this from being too pale or sharp, though it is a near thing. I keep sniffing my wrist, trying to decide how well I actually like this; there’s almost an... aftersmell, the olfactory equivalent of an aftertaste, that’s much warmer and sweeter that I’m really enjoying. It is a little too floral/gardeny for me in its actual scent, but definitely not bad.
And then, within a couple of hours... the squee set in: because it is totally, totally, one of those sweet golden scents that I've shared my love for here in the past, another Osun or a Jezebel or a Morocco--- if I can bring myself to tolerate the initial stages of this scent, and if it proves to have staying power, this may become a new favorite. It's got that sweet spiciness that I always love, but... I think it's the jasmine?--- that adds this subtle fresh lightness to it. It is AMAZING, and what's really amazing is just how much it shifted on me, how much it went from, hmm, this is nice, to OMG DO WANT. I don't think I've ever had a scent change quite that markedly on me--- I've had plenty that wear off in different ways, or leave different notes behind, but this particular change is a new experience for me.
The website description is: Bewitching, tantalizing and dangerously seductive. A thrilling, exotic blend — deceptively sweet, but spiked with malice. White ginger, jasmine, and a touch of vanilla and apricot.
In the imp: it was kind of cold and pale as a scent (the jasmine and maybe the white ginger?) but it wasn't sticky-sweet like their vanilla and fruit scents often are, so I figured I'd bite.
On me, intial reaction: ooh, glad I did! Something in my skin chemistry is strengthening the overall throw/effect of this; the ginger and jasmine are strong and sharp, still a little "pale-smelling" for my taste, but the vanilla/apricot are these great background notes that keep this from being too pale or sharp, though it is a near thing. I keep sniffing my wrist, trying to decide how well I actually like this; there’s almost an... aftersmell, the olfactory equivalent of an aftertaste, that’s much warmer and sweeter that I’m really enjoying. It is a little too floral/gardeny for me in its actual scent, but definitely not bad.
And then, within a couple of hours... the squee set in: because it is totally, totally, one of those sweet golden scents that I've shared my love for here in the past, another Osun or a Jezebel or a Morocco--- if I can bring myself to tolerate the initial stages of this scent, and if it proves to have staying power, this may become a new favorite. It's got that sweet spiciness that I always love, but... I think it's the jasmine?--- that adds this subtle fresh lightness to it. It is AMAZING, and what's really amazing is just how much it shifted on me, how much it went from, hmm, this is nice, to OMG DO WANT. I don't think I've ever had a scent change quite that markedly on me--- I've had plenty that wear off in different ways, or leave different notes behind, but this particular change is a new experience for me.
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My favourite note is lavender (I love Paris and TKO), and I just can't deal with patchouli in any formulation, I get migraines and it gives me terrible headaches. I also amp green notes like WHOAH, to the extent that if a scent is described as "a beautiful bed of roses with the faintest hint of green grass ten miles off," it will smell like mashed decayed lettuce on me. I love the Illyria and Wanderlust and Mad Hatter lines, older stuff like that. I don't like the Lovecraft stuff in any form -- no way I want to invoke Cthullu. //shudders
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The only other lavender BPAL's I've tried are Nanshe (probably too sharp for you; strong lemongrass) and Bow and Crown of Conquest (which is a personal fave).
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But it works as described for me. It's supposed to be for dreams, and it truly does make me have vivid and memorable dreams. I don't enjoy dreaming, so I don't wear it at night any longer (I did it as an experiment over about a week because I didn't really believe it would affect my dreams), but I love wearing it during the day.
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Whether or not I enjoy dreaming depends on the content, but I am looking forward to trying it!
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