Lyrical

In the vial: fresh and light floral. Wet on skin: still very fresh and pale, and rather exotic. I'm not familiar with most of the notes, but one of them seems like jasmine! I never like these pale green florals! Dry on skin: it's sweet, juicy and tropical - and totally not me!

In the vial: rich, warm orange and patchouli, with a hint of myrrh and almond. Wet on skin: the oil is quite thick and gloopy! I can smell the Snake Oil but it's rich and smooth and briefly sweet, but the sweetness fades quickly (my skin always kills the sweet!). Predominantly spicy, orangy patchouli with a little almond. Dry on skin: this is subtle and rich, a dark golden colour, and much much nicer than either of the imps of Snake Oil I tried so hard to like! I believe it's an aged decant. Yummy! After a while the spicy patchouli of Snake Oil comes out more (I never did get vanilla from SO!) but it remains warm and golden.

CHAOS THEORY 3 STRANGE ATTRATORS DCXCVII 697 In the vial: fruity (is that cherry?) and a little sour. Wet on skin: sour fruit! It reminds me of Beaver Moon (strawberry and cherry cheesecake) without the cheese! The fruit is somewhat vague and indefinable - I want to say cherry, but it's not quite that. There's an element of spice here too. Dry on skin: it still reminds me of Beaver Moon and Bloody Mary. I think this has cherry and vanilla and something softly spicy in it, perhaps cardamom or carnation, but it's indistinct, and also rather faint. It's very nice, though! After an hour the fruit disappears completely and is replaced by a soft, greyish, musky spice with a hint of cream! Then a waft of the fruit returns, but it remains vaguely spicy, perhaps just a little bit almondy! I've never had one morph as much as this before! Every time I sniff it's different! It's very wearable, though! I reapplied, and this time it's warm, almondy amber, reminiscent of Bastet! Chaos indeed, but very nice! Last reviewed by ravenfeathers.

In the vial: it smells a lot like Black Pearl, which is a favourite of mine, but with the addition of orris (violet). Wet on skin: The orris is quite strong but surprisingly nice with the musk and coconut. It's cool and prickles my nose a little. Dry on skin: yes, it's a lot like Black Pearl. Smooth, sweet, musky coconut, with a slight fruity touch and a veil of soft violet over the top. I think I could wear this, although it's a little too candy-sweet.

In vial: very berry, but not one I recognise. Wet on skin: soft and light green. Now it's herbal rather than berry, but very fresh and pretty. Dry on skin: as it dries, the berry resurfaces and the colour goes from green to mulberry pink. Mmmmm - this is very nice indeed! Good throw.

In vial: just what the description says - Irish herbs and flowers, Gaelic mists, and nighttime dew. Wet on skin: so soft and light and sweet, yet with a chilly element underneath. Very fresh and delicate. Dry on skin: it's almost lemony. Still soft and light and pale and chilly. Pleasant! ... wait a minute - is that the dreaded soap? Well, I have to admit it's nice soap, but very definitely soap nonetheless. *sigh*

In vial: a soft, sweet garden flower, which is unsurprising because love-in-idleness is a pansy. Wet on skin: leafy and a bit earthy, as well as floral. It's the smell of weeding the garden! Dry on skin: ew. No. There's a jasminy note here I don't like. Or at least, it's an off note I associate with jasmine. Not for me, although other people might well enjoy it.

In vial: a sweet, pale floral. Wet on skin: it immediately becomes richer and deeper, although still light. I can smell violet and chamomile, and yes, autumn leaves! Dry on skin: it's an odd mix of herbs and garden flowers. Not unpleasant, but not something I'd wear. Short wear length and not much throw.

In vial: sweet and light, yet with a hint of warmth and richness. The "colour" is a deep, violet blue. (The actual colour is brown, as far as I can tell.) Wet on skin: sweet, light fruity-floral. Not as woody as I thought it would be, but pleasant. Dry on skin: this turns into something really gorgeous. It's hard to pick out individual notes, but it's woody and sweet without being at all heavy, and the musk is a light, soft one. The woods give depth and warmth and the "colour" veers from cool blue tones to soft, reddish brown ones. Beautiful! The throw is great, so you only need a tiny drop of this! Once or twice I have indeed got the infamous celery note, but mostly this is just lovely!

In vial: sweet and foody - like cheesecake with lemon and tropical fruit. Wet on skin: sweet, mild, fruity-jasminey, with a whisper of lemon and tart grapefruit. Jasmine isn't listed, but I swear I can smell it, or something very similar! Dry on skin: not nearly as nice as I hoped. Fruity jasmine. I can't make up my mind whether I like it or not. A drop of it on my T-shirt stays truer - foody lemon with a background of fruit and flowers. The lemon and grapefruit are beautiful, but the jasmine ruin it for me.

In vial: lovely, lovely plum - sweet and fruity, with a hint of amaretto. Wet on skin: the same - sweet and fruity - straightforward and pretty. Dry on skin: ooooh - I like this one! It's going slightly sharp, though. Lots of fruity scents that are sweet on other people seem to go sharp on me. This stays nice, though - just a bit fresher than before. As it fades it goes sweeter again. Throw and wear length below average.

In vial: smoke, honey and spice, but also green and herbal. Yum! Wet on skin: very leafy. The honey is distinct, the jasmine is behaving itself, and the vanilla, cinnamon and sandalwood are warm and spicy. Dry on skin: cinnamon dominates, keeping the jasmine firmly in its place, sweetened by honey and sandalwood. It's refreshing, yet spicy, with a decent throw. The leafiness has subsided and the colour is honey beige. Very pleasant and quite unlike any scent I've ever smelled before! But I think perhaps it's a bit too weird for me to wear much. ETA: nope, this one is definitely not for me! It makes me feel nauseous!

In vial: red musk, amber, strawberry and cherry. Wet on skin: lots of creamy red musk and sweet red fruits. It's the same blend of amber, red musk and heliotrope as Red Moon, but the strawberry and vanilla sweeten it beautifully. Dry on skin: a bit too faint - clearly I'm going to have to slather this one! The red musk and the fruits start to blend together very nicely. I like this a lot.

In vial: soft and golden. Almond is the predominant note. Wet on skin: sweet yet not cloying. Rich, golden and warm. Dry on skin: the amber is similar to the dry furriness of The Lion, but is sweetened by the other notes. Strangely enough, it conjures up an image of a cat, although I'm not sure why! It's dry, sweet, golden and spicy. Nice!

In vial: sweet, but less foody than I expected. It reminds me of another BPAL, but I can't quite place it. More currants than cake. Wet on skin: almost boozy - like currant wine. Dry on skin: I'm not getting a lot of cake, but there is an underlying sweetness beneath the currant wine. Quite a lot of throw, so you only need a little bit. Nice, and not too foody. ETA: it's like sponge cake soaked in sweet wine.

In vial: sour! Red wine, honey and rich myrrh. Wet on skin: still sour, but not for long! The red wine and myrrh are dry and powdery, barely sweetened by the honey. Dry on skin: I can't say I like this much. Red wine scents don't seem to work on me. But perhaps it will age well. I'll put it aside to test again another day.

In the vial: Thick, custardy vanilla. Drumroll please ......... Wet on skin: nope - no mint/wintergreen here! It smells like a creamy vanilla dessert. Dry on skin: no - still no trace of mint/wintergreen. It's less foody than I expected - it doesn't smell like something I'd actually eat, but it's very creamy and definitely vanilla. It faded fairly quickly, so I slathered on some more, at which point I noticed a slight hint of something green. Definitely not mint, but cool and herbal, and it adds a touch of freshness. I really like this, despite the comparatively short wear length.

In the vial: I think osmanthus is a lot like jasmine. A light, warm floral with honey and ginger. Wet on skin: osmanthus/jasmine, honey, ginger and musk. It's light and pretty. Dry on skin: very soft and pleasant, although a little too jasminey for me. It's a smell that reminds me of sex. Not much throw and fairly short wear length. The honey note is reminiscent of Hony Mone.

In the vial: fresh and fruity. Not entirely unlike Kitsune Tsuki. Wet on skin: tangy and fruity, with sweet flowers and fresh green tea. It's light green in colour. Dry on skin: soft and tangy and juicy. This is really pretty! But it doesn't last long, unfortunately - literally only a hour! When the tartness fades, all that's left is a vague hint of vanilla floral close to my skin.

In vial: Wow! Warm red musk and woody, spicy patchouli with a hint of lovely plum! Wet on skin: rich and boozy red musk and patchouli. The fruit is very much in the background. Dry on skin: Musk, fruit and patchouli, but not at all sweet. It's slightly smoky and the vanilla is a faint background note. Gradually, it becomes sweeter, fruitier and smoother. It's a subtle and mysterious earthy scent, and the colour is a rich red brown which gradually becomes more purple. The musk and patchouli notes remind me of Snake Oil, but the overall impression is quite different. After 5-6 hours it fades to vanilla.

In vial: almond essence, almond essence, and something a little woody. Wet on skin: cherries and smoke and orange(!). The cardamom is spicy without being heavy, and the verbena adds a lemony freshness. It's fresh and fruity and floral and I think I'm in love! Dry on skin: a wonderful, warm fruity-spicy scent, very much like Frumious Bandersnatch, only subtler and more complex! ETA: after further testing I really do love this one. The only problem is IT BURNS US, PRECIOUS! So I guess no bottle for me. another ETA: I've decided I need a bottle anyway. It's marvellous in my hair, where it stays very true - predominantly cherry and cardamom, rich, warm and wonderful!

In vial: light, sweet, woody vanilla floral. Wet on skin: golden, woody vanilla with a hint of spice. Dry on skin: good throw. Sweet, creamy vanilla, grounded by oak. Unfortunately, after a while a somewhat cloying note emerges - perhaps it's the apricot in combination with the woods and lily of the valley? This one left a very itchy patch on my arm - probably from the ginger.

In vial: similar to Et Lux Fuit, but cleaner, fruitier and sharper. Wet on skin: smoky opium, red musk and a subtle floral element. It's rich, warm and exotic. Dry on skin: a smoky, spicy warm floral with a nice amount of throw. The ginger is emerging now, mingling perfectly with the opium smoke and musk. Exotic, sexy, mysterious and grown up - this isn't a young girl's perfume - it belongs to a real woman! ETA: I really love this scent! It's both fresh and rich at the same time, and has become one of my favourite scents.

In vial: almond, apple and honey - a little sharp and thin. Wet on skin: the fig leaf, honey and almond remind me of Eden (which I love), while the red apple brightens it. I'm not getting rose or myrrh. Dry on skin: ah - there's the rose! It's there, but it doesn't take over. This is complex and lovely, neither too heavy or too light, with a decent throw. Well balanced. After a while it gets more like Libra, but it's fresher and also dryer than Libra. NICE!

In vial: strongly alcoholic and foody - like the best sort of Christmas pudding, or fruitcake doused in brandy. Wet on skin: very cakey and rich. I can smell the nuts and the buttercream in with the strong booze note. It's not so much a cake that's been baked, but the raw mixture for a really luxurious fruit cake, or perhaps a fancy cake with a nut base and an alcoholic buttercream filling. Or is it Mr Nancy without the lime and tobacco? Dry on skin: this is a lot like Mr Nancy. Sweet butter and rum. I won't be wearing it to work, but I will enjoy the imp very much, I think!