Phaedra

Wet in the imp this smells like cinnamon. It goes on like a very dry cinnamon stick or cinnamon bark even. This is a faint blend. After a few minutes a very soft floral note begins to develop. It also smells a bit like apple at this stage. This ends up very dry, soft, and delicately sweet. It's not quite as woodsy in a forest way that I was looking for but is still nice. I'll have to try it again in cooler weather.

When first applied I get the coffeebean note but it is fleeting and fades within seconds. Then it smells like plain jasmine. After about 30 minutes a warm floral smell comes through- maybe this is the tonka? This ended up being mostly jasmine on me. I was hoping for more of the exotic notes to come through but they didn't. Oh well.

When first applied this smells slightly like bubblegum with something like patchouli in the background. It develops into plum with a powdery note. This is nice but fades too quickly on me. I was hoping it would work better for me as one of my grandmothers is named Sophia. Oh well, off to swaps.

This was a freebie from the Lab in one of my recent orders. It is a sweet floral- white florals and white grape maybe? There is a freshness to this blend. It has a familiar "perfume" smell. I'm not sure but it smells like green clover? Maybe some freesia with a hint of apple. This is feminine and pretty but not a must have for me. I'm swapping this one.

This is very soft, powdery and herbal. There is something in this that is similar to Baku but not as sharp. There's also a faint hint of spice. This is a soft and delicate scent that has a misty quality to it, similar to the misty quality of Moon Rose but without the rose note. I will have to try this a few more times to see if I want to buy a bottle of it or not.

I got this as a freebie from the Lab in one of my recent orders. It's interesting to note that a few of the other reviewers also got this as a freebie recently too. Not sure if that means anything or not.... Anyway, wet in the imp this smells like bubblegum. When first on it is sweet, a bit soapy, with a hint of herbal spice. It reminds me of tumbleweeds blowing by for some reason (although it doesn't smell like what I imagine tumbleweeds would smell like). The sweetness of this really does smell like pear but it starts to fade quickly. It becomes a light, clean scent with a faint warmth to it- cinnamon or ginger maybe? This softens nicely on the dry down. This is a very interesting and contradictory blend. It's nice but not really for me so I am swapping it. I am glad I got to try it though.

This is pure dark rose and patchouli. It reminds me a little of Delirium but is much darker than it. This doesn't change much while wearing and doesn't last very long on me. This is nice but there are other BPAL rose blends that work better for me. I ended up swapping this.

In the imp this smells like bubblegum. When first on it has a lemon menthol note. It is light and sparkling. After a couple of minutes I can smell the pear. This is just too sweet for me and is being swapped.

In the imp this smells very sweet. When first applied it smells like leather and perfume, sweet and floral. It reminds me of a "fancy lady department store perfume". It's okay but not really for me.

This is very fruity and sweet in the bottle. When first applied it is warm and a bit spicey. It's hard for me to pick out the notes here- there might be some fig. After a few minutes it smells like cinnamon. This develops into a lovely, complex and fruity blend. It reminds me of a cross between Hetairae and The Hesperides. The only downside to this is that it seems to fade somewhat quickly on me. I'm not sure yet if it's worth it to buy a bottle if it's not going to last on me. I'll have to try my imp a few more times before I decide.

This goes on sweet with a bit of resin- pine maybe? There's also a bit of spice, possibly cinnamon. After a few minutes it develops an almost aquatic note. The spiciness in this doesn't last long on me. After about 20 minutes it smells like violets and is very nice at this stage. Overall this has a sense of timelessness and aristocracy. I'll enjoy the imp and might buy a bottle at some point.

Wet this is buttery, almond and cherry. When first applied this smells like sweet cherry. After a few minutes a spiciness and warmth develops along with hazelnut. This dries down a bit peppery. This one is okay but is just too sweet for me.

Mmmm- this smells a bit like violet when first applied. After about five minutes the coconut starts to come through. This is very soft and sensual. After several hours the hazelnut comes through. This is very nice but I was hoping for a stronger, more tropical coconut blend. This is another one that I'll have to try a few more times to see if it's really for me or not.

This one starts out very light and faint. I can barely smell the mint. It has a powdery quality too at this first stage. After a few minutes the powdery note gets stronger and it smells sweet and floral with a hint of mint in the background. I don't get any bourbon note in this. After about an hour this sweetens and has a vanilla note. This is nice but not nearly as minty or boozy as I was expecting and much more powdery than I thought. I will try my imp a few more times and see if it really works for me or not.

This is bitter, peppery with a hint of nuttiness. After a couple of minutes I can start to smell the hazelnut. After about ten to fifteen minutes the oud develops and this is when I really start to like this blend. Oud is a favorite note of mine. This does have a dark quality to it when first applied but it mellows nicely. It seems to fade quickly on me but it could be that my imp is a bit old. I think this will be really nice to wear in cooler weather.

Ahh....what can I say about Dorian that hasn't been said already? Here's my take on it. Wet in the bottle this smells sweet, a bit citrusy and creamy. It has a "gentlemen's" aura about it. It goes on very light and fresh, milky and herbal all at the same time. It's a little hard for me to pick out individual notes as it is a very complex and unique blend. After a few minutes it starts to warm up and smells like- biscuits? It's also floral but not overtly feminine. I can also smell a hint of pepper that fades quickly and then the vanilla comes through and warms it up. This is very sexy but with a sophisticated facade. I can see why this is so popular among both men and women. Absolutely stunning!

When the Springtime in Arkham scents were first posted on the website, this one immediately appealed to me. I really like mint and the cucumber sounded very refreshing. Wet in the bottle this smells very crisp and minty, like iced peppermint tea. It goes on soft and minty. After a few minutes it sweetens and the cucumber starts to develop. This is a very cooling, refreshing blend and is perfect to wear in warm weather. I'm sure I'll be wearing this a lot in the coming months. If this was a color it would be a very pale, almost white green- like the inside of a cucumber. I'm so glad I ordered this one. Thank you for creating this Beth!

When first on this smells like spicy almond and cherry. It seems to fade quickly on me. There is also a faint hint of the mysterious "pencil shavings" in the background. (I'm not sure what that note is but I've had that happen with a few blends). This definately has a soft, feminine quality to it. It's nice but not quite as alluring as I had hoped (I bellydance as a hobby so the whole dance of the seven veils thing.....). I think I'll enjoy wearing the imp from time to time but don't need to buy a bottle.

Wet this is herbal and bitter. When first applied I get an almost menthol note which turns into sweet orange. This softens nicely but still keeps the herbal note in the background. I never really got rose out of this one. This is okay but not really a "me" scent. It also doesn't have much staying power on me.

In the imp this is a deep orange color (of course). It goes on very powdery and warm. It's not as sweet or strong as Bastet- which is one of my favorite amber blends right now. After a few minutes a floral note develops- jasmine maybe? This is nice but doesn't have much staying power on me. For now I'll still with Bastet for my amber fix.

I had trouble picking out the notes in this one. It does smell very clean, herbal and "wispy". There is definately a similar note in this and Baku (the only other dream oil I've tried so far). I'm wondering if there's chamomile in this. The first night I tried this it was the night before the Flower Moon/Milk Moon update. I thought I had trouble sleeping because I was excited about the update (yes I am a dork like that ) I tried it a couple of other nights since then and it seems like it actually makes me jittery and restless I am going to try it again and see if it really is this oil that is keeping me up. ***updated October 2005: Well I'm am thrilled to say that whatever was making me jittery the first few times I tried Somnus must have been something else and not the oil. I have used Somnus many times since I first got it and it ROCKS!!! I'm not a chronic insomniac but I do have nights where I feel restless and like my mind won't "shut off" and it keeps me awake. Somnus calms me down and puts me into a deep, restful sleep. I would highly recommend this to anyone who has even occasional sleeping problems. I love this so much that I just ordered a 5ml with my Yule/Beaver Moon order. Here's hoping that Beth will come up with even more Dream Blends.

When first applied, this smells like flowers and dirt, very earthy. After a minute or two there's a hint of citrus. This starts to intensify and makes this ironically smell clean and herbal. It's more like freshly dug earth than old stale dirt. After about 30 minutes this sweetens and smells like roses! I really like this one. It does have a sense of sadness to it but it's also quite beautiful and not as "dirty" as I thought it might be. This might be one for the bottle list.

This is fruity- pear, strawberry, melon? Oh- it's apple! This is also a bit woody and great for spring. These are pale yellow apples. This is very nice- light, fruity and feminine. I think I might need to get a bottle of this at some point. I also am drawn to anything having to do with ancient Greece. Luckily this one works one me (unlike Delphi which didn't).

When first applied, this is a very sweet, lush floral. There's a bit of spice to this too. It's a thick, wet smell. It's similar to Sacred Whore of Babylon but not as cloying. This is very womanly and sexy. As it dries down and mellows it reminds me of The Living Flame but with more of a vanilla note. I'm going to try this a few more times before I decide if I want a bottle or not.

This smells herbal, smokey and like new leather to me. There's also some hint of citrus that adds a sweetness to it. It definately smells warm which makes sense of course. The sweetness of this is surprising and makes it interesting. This would be nice to wear in cool weather. Very unique but not really me. I'm glad I got to try it though.