Lyrical

In vial: a fascinating combination. At first sniff it was lemony, then aloe, salty sea spray and mint emerged! Wet on skin: mostly mint, tea and sea spray over pale musk, but undeniably refreshing! Masculine? Very unusual. Dry on skin: minty musk - not what I was expecting at all! A gentleman's cologne. Extremely short wear length - there's not much left after an hour!

This is the most recent incarnation. In the imp: cocoa and patchouli - I like this a lot! Wet on skin: the cocoa oil is thick and dark, and lies in thick globs in the otherwise clear oil. It's definitely chocolately, in a dark, cocoa way rather than the blancmange some chocolate notes become on me. There's musk here too - dark, earthy musk and patchouli. Dry on skin: deliciously dirty musk and dark cocoa. Not my usual thing, but a very enjoyable scent to wear for a change!

A lot like Egg Nog, but with a little more body and the golden syrup note from Sugar Cookie mixed in. This is a simple but very nice feel-good foody scent.

In the vial: no individual note leaps out at me, but it's pleasant and well-blended. Wet on skin: mostly clove, with red musk and a bitter, resinous note. Dark, smoky and exotic. Dry on skin: bitter clove and resins. I never did get vanilla.

I was gifted a tiny, tiny drop of this, just enough to test on my skin. I didn't think it was my sort of thing, judging by the notes, but it was much prettier than it sounds! Very sweet and inoffensive, not even particularly dry, but almost syrupy! I can't match this with the description at all! In fact it was hard to pick out any notes. But I wouldn't say no to more of it!

In vial: sweet, tart and fruity - I get green apple and something tropical. Wet on skin: tart fruit over a faintly creamy base, brightened by light florals. Light and pretty! A fresh fruit salad with single cream drizzled over it! I don't get any sugar cane at all. Dry on skin: still tart apple, but the vanilla cream (as in Lady Lilith) is gradually creeping forwards, with a slightly powdery, softly musky feeling. This continues as the tart apple fades. This is a fun, bright, fruity scent that slowly fades into something soft, gentle and pretty.

In vial: rather nice, in a dark, masculine way. I bet it won't work on my skin, though. Wet on skin: lemon and lavender in a fresh aftershave-type scent, but soooooo much better than any commercial aftershave I've ever smelled (which doesn't say a lot, because all of them stink!). I rather like this! Dry on skin: I like this a lot, but in theory rather than practice! I won't wear it because it's way too masculine!

In vial: a rounded opium scent. I like opium in general so I look forward to testing this on my skin. Wet on skin: rounded, juicy, dark and smoky - a grown up scent. Reminds me of Vechernyaya without the patchouli. Dry on skin: still the same. Sexy! After a while it becomes a little more spicy. I like this, although I don't think it's for the faint hearted!

In vial: a soft, red, calming rose pot pourri. Wet on skin: rich, red rose, well grounded with spice. Dry on skin: as roses go, I rather like this one. It's warm and not at all soapy.

In vial: rose and amber is pretty, but jasmine is lurking and threatening to ruin it for me. (Jasmine is not my friend.) Wet on skin: quite similar to The Presence of Love (rose-swirled amber and jasmine), but tamer and less fresh. A soft bouquet of flowers in muted colours. Dry on skin: very floral and not me at all.

In vial: green and herbal, with the freshness of tea and the roundness of fig. Wet on skin: a soft, dark green cologne, with a hint of sharpness. A muted woody note begins to emerge - fig? The sharpness evaporates. I don't know about an apothecary, but this makes me think of a mysterious forest, deep, shadowy and green. Dry on skin: soft, green and woody.

In vial: I can pick out plum, but the other notes are tightly blended. It's dark and rich and mysterious. Wet on skin: sweet, dark, fruity and sophisticated. "Regal, majestic, and somber" describes it well. It goes through a phase that reminds me of jasmine - I'm not sure what that note is, but I don't like it much. The richness of the fruit and myrrh are balanced by light floral notes. Dry on skin: it softens into a rich, fruity-floral myrrh blend, with a decent throw. I like this phase. Close to the skin it still has this jasmine-y thing going, but the throw is much nicer - a veil of purple, fruity myrrh that just gets better and better!

In vial: a soft, sweet, flowery vanilla, reminiscent of Antique Lace, with a gingery bite! Wet on skin: so pretty! Tropical and sweet, almost edible yet not like food! Ginger and vanilla are definitely present but it's also flowery and summery. It smells warm and humid, but also clean and pure like soft, white blossoms! Dry on skin: the same, but now also softly musky and just a little powdery. I LOVE THIS SCENT!

In vial: like Fairy Wine, Lady Una and Mead Moon rolled into one and mixed with red wine! Honey and vanilla are more prominent than the spices, and it's very fruity and gorgeous! I hope it won't go sour on my skin! Wet on skin: honey, vanilla, fruit and spices - WONDERFUL! More white grapes than red wine. Dry on skin: great throw! This is absolutely on a par with sought after scents such as Mead Moon and Pumpkin Queen. Still no red wine as such, but a PERFECT blend of honey, spice and juicy fruit. Orange and lemon peel are present but very subtle. I may need more of this!

The snow is the same as in Snow Bunny, but nicer (I guess that's probably because my skin isn't getting in the way and messing it up!). There's a slight sweetness, but I wouldn't call it cookies. When I went back into the room, I thought I detected a hint of clove.

What it says! The orange is definitely dried, not fresh, and it smells like a spicy orange pot pourri. Nice!

In vial: Love's Philosophy!!! With a sweet mint added to it. MMMMMMMMMM! Wet on skin: a very creamy, buttery mint. The vanilla is the same as the one in Love's Philosophy. The mint is fresh and smooth. Together, they really do make the perfect vanilla mint! Dry on skin: still a very creamy, buttery mint, perhaps a little less fresh now. I want more! After a while it becomes more buttery and less minty, but it's still yummy!

2005 version In vial: masculine sandalwood. Wet on skin: nose-ticklingly dry and woody - almost more sawdust than wood! Dry on skin: this reminds me a little of conventional perfume. There's also a slightly "dirty" note I'm not keen on. This is not a favourite.

2005 version In vial: very pretty, fruity pumpkin. Wet on skin: this is the most pumpkinny of the bunch. Light, fruity and pretty. Dry on skin: this reminds me of something light and golden in the GC, possibly Loralei. It's very pretty and wearable. Very short wear length.

2005 version In vial: nutty and earthy pumpkin - no cocoa. Wet on skin: rich, a little powdery, somewhat like hazelnut flavoured hot chocolate. The walnut is distinct too - the first scent I've tried with walnut in. Dry on skin: this one is yummy too. A lovely nutty blend, in which chocolate plays only a very minor role. The level of sweetness is perfect, and again, pumpkin grounds it nicely. It's very subtle and pleasant, but not spectacular. Very short wear length, but still faintly detectable close to the skin next day.

2005 version In vial: juicy apple with spice over a faint background of buttery pumpkin. Wet on skin: mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm! This is it! The apple/pumpkin scent I've spent a year looking for! Sweet, fruity, spicy, juicy, light and pretty. The pumpkin grounds it nicely. Dry on skin: soooooooo gooooooooood! Must get more...... I enjoy all the lab's autumnal scents, but this is my favourite. No Vicks Vapo Rub, no patchouli or galangal, no woodsmoke or damp leaves - just spicy apples and pumpkin. Heavenly! Unfortunately it's going a little sour now. Very short wear length. This starts out so well, but goes kind of sour milkish after an hour or so. (I tried the 2006 version, and that left big welts - otherwise it was the same.)

In the bottle: brandy, rum and sweet cream - like Christmas pudding! I've never tasted egg nog (it's not common in Europe), so I don't know what this is supposed to smell like! But it reminds me of Bailey's Irish Cream. Wet on skin: brandy and rum and cream - with a dash of nutmeg. Yummy! I can't smell any egg, but this is just as described. There's some vanilla here too - which combined with the cream, makes me think of Love's Philosophy. There's also a suggestion of Beaver'versary here. Dry on skin: a sweeter version of the thick, heavy cream note from Love's Philosophy, with vanilla and just a little nutmeg. The booze is fading into the background, but still detectable as a dark richness behind the cream. Fairly short wear length. Verdict: yummy!

In the vial: mostly cassia, but prolonged sniffing reveals cocoa and coconut too. It's foody without being a recognisable sort of cake. Wet on skin: cocoa and dry spice - like the sort of no-bake cocoa, sugar and coconut/oat balls my kids like to make, only with extra spice added. Nice, though like the others, unusual! Dry on skin: the dry spice starts to dominate over the cocoa and coconut. The coconut is very sweet, like the note in Snow White. This has the strongest throw of the three. It's really just strong, dry spice over a layer of coconut. Rather nice, but not amazing. After a while cocoa creeps shamefacedly back and tries to pretend it was there all along! But the throw is really quite similar to Snow White. ETA: While the dab on my arm didn't cause irritation, the larger dab on my shoulder had me itching all night and the next morning too! I guess that's cassia for you!

In vial: sweeet frooooty blackcurranty yumminess! Wet on skin: I get blackcurrant, apple, pear and something tropical-fruity that must be the pomegranate. And it is dusky. Was that a hint of musk? I thought it would be sugary, but instead it's quite sharp. Dry on skin: sharp blackcurrant and apple boiled sweets, with a dusting of powdered sugar. Definitely candy! It stays sweet and true for a long time, with medium throw. Lovely!

In the vial: my first impression is of other flowers and earth scents (which mostly smell slimy and rotten to me), but this is incredibly complex mix of sweet, fruity and perfumy notes, in which redcurrant and vanilla are the most prominent. Wet on skin: still that BPAL earth note (which still smells of slimy vegetation to me - my nose is clearly broken when it comes to this note) with redcurrant and foody vanilla. It smells of gardening! By no means unpleasant, but a little weird. Dry on skin: I like the redcurrant and vanilla, but the other notes feel a little odd. Rose starts to amp up after a while, which makes the scent more balanced and "normal". Nice, in fact! Further testing is required. Not much throw.