I made my first order from the Black Phoenix Alchemy Lab at the end of June, after weeks of pouring through the descriptions, and trying to narrow down my choices. I had actually heard about BPAL a few years ago, from a few livejournal friends, but the range of scents slightly overwhelmed me, and I just didn't know where to start. But I finally decided to bite the bullet, and dive in - and I'm so glad I did! Imagine - I could have been addicted to this stuff years ago! Well, my credit card is glad I wasn't anyway.

The first order I made was naturally, all imps. Future posts will have some reviews or thoughts about some of the oils, but for the time being, just a list.

Ophelia: Wistful and vulnerable: lotus, water blossom ivy, stargazer lily and white rose

Juliet: Sweet pea with stargazer lily, calla lily, heliotrope, honeysuckle, white musk and a touch of fresh pear

Helena: Rose amber, calla lily, night-blooming jasmine, water lily, and white rose

Pontarlier: The legendary birthplace of the Green Fairy. Swiss ferns, lilac, blackcurrant, Gallic rose and lavender with a dollop of sugar and absinthe

Alice: Milk and honey with rose, carnation and bergamot

Eat Me: Three white cakes, vanilla, and red and black currants

Mouse's Long and Sad Tale: Vanilla, two ambers, sweet pea and white sandalwood

The Queen of Hearts: Lily of the Valley, Calla Lily, stephanotis and a drop of cherry

Tiger Lily: A feisty bouquet of golden, warm, gently honeyed lilies

Two, Five and Seven: A huge bouquet of squished rose petals: Bulgarian rose, Somalian rose, Turkish rose, Damascus rose, red and white rose, tea rose, wine rose, shrub roses, rose, rose, rose…

…and just an itty bitty bit of green grass

The Unicorn: A misty, almost luminous perfume: wispy linden blossoms, white flowers, and a touch of sweet herbs

Moon rose: A crisp, pale, almost translucent rose dusted by moonflower and midnight dew

Dragon's Milk: A truly fae nectar! Dragon's blood resin and honeyed vanilla

Magdalene: A stirring yet gentle perfume. The scent of love and devotion mingled with an undercurrent of heart-rending sorrow. A bouquet of white roses, labdanum, and wild orchid

Brisingamen: A glittering mantle of rich golden notes: five ambers, soft myrtle and apple blossom, myrtle, and carnation

Endymion: A sweet, wistful blend of d'Anjou pear, Lily of the Valley, bois du rose and white musk

The Lady of Shallott: The scent of calm waters just before a raging storm, limned with achingly-beautiful blooms, an icy scent, but somehow warm, and mirror-bright: bold gardenia, crystalline musk, muguet, water blossoms, clear, slightly tart aquatic notes and a crush of white ginger

Eve: The spirit of temptation, the essence of lost innocence. Apple blossom, rose, ylang ylang and golden honey

Iambe: Her scent is one of comfort, beauty and joy: Sudanese amber, patchouli, rose, gardenia, gladiola and white tea

Kali: This perfume is a blend of the sacred blooms of cassia, hibiscus, musk rose, Himalayan wild tulip, lotus and osmanthus swirled with offertory dark chocolate, red wine, tobacco, balsam and honey

Kurukulla: The Tibetan goddess of love and wealth. Her scent is a harmonious, sweet, enchanting blend of three lotus blooms and three roses

Nuit: Her perfume is starry and crystalline, a jewel-clad and glittering paean to night: dazzling white musks, white rose and night-blooming jasmine with the soft moss of moonlit meadows, a waft of Egyptian incense, and a gentle breath of moonflower

Pannychis: Night-blooming jasmine, moonflower, cardamom, sandalwood, black currant, ylang ylang, frankincense and lily

Calliope: Hers is the scent of creative inspiration, and it is a boon to writers, poets and arbitrators: lavender and bright mint with bergamot, verbena, thyme and a touch of sweet orange and warm almond

(Ordered: 22-June, CnS: 30-June, Received: 10-July)