reina

This is gorgeous, but it fades so quickly! clean and feminine, the coconut adds a wash of white light to this cool scent. it's gone in 30 minutes, though. Too bad. I'm keeping it as it's a special one for days wearing white jackets with silver satin blouses. Someone said this is very work-safe. I agree, it's just the right scent to accompany a white pantsuit.

Whoa, nelly! this starts off with a KICK. the flowers are really strong and grow smokier in time. eventually the drydown is the opium smoke, bittersweet and dark. I'm not sure I detect the lily anymore - it was tres forte in the beginning! I was sure there's myrrh in there but no, it's the opium. This is a real grown-up scent. I don't know if it's me, but I'll certainly give it a couple more tries. this is for a woman who wears her hair and dresses black and tight, and seems to have been born wearing deadly burgundy lipstick. A real femme fatale.

Strangely enough, I'm getting from this a scent of good old-fashioned laundry shampoo - the kind that's used for delicates washed by hand. A man wearing this would smell like clean laundry. It's not masculine at all, nor is it particularly feminine. it starts off pretty strong - almost aquatic which I guess is the juniper - but eventually dies down into that clean laundry scent, doesn't morph much. It's lovely, but not really "me". I'd love to smell it on a man because a man smelling clean is really sexy.

I'm glad to have tried this one. You see, O and Snake Oil, to my nose, are sisters. But whereas Snake Oil becomes all playdoh and powder, cloyingly heavy and sweet (to the point of nausea), O is the same sweetness but in wearable form. The honey adds depth to this, and tempers the blend just enough so it doesn't cause that overkill nausea of SO. It wears close to the skin, and I see how people describe this as "carnal". No dreaded Jizz scent, thank heavens. I'm not sure how "me" it is, but I'll keep the imp and keep trying. I have feeling it may grow on me with time.

I got this as a frimp with my order, and I never would've chosen this on my own. Now that I smell it, it would do unbelievably well in shampoo or body wash. it's sweet but not too much, not exactly "green"... Juicy, definitely. Great summer scent.

This reminds me so much of a lily petal I picked up from a sidewalk 2 years ago. It smelled like a whole flower.I'll need to try wearing it in a slightly larger amount to see if it doesn't turn to soap. I love the smell, it's really rich and not too sweet. It has depth. I'll add more to it as time goes along

This blend has been there to support my frazzled nerves during some really bad days, and I'm wearing it now on the second day of my period - yesterday I was flipping out completely, my emotional reactions completely out of proportion, and it went on until today... until about an hour ago when I decided to dab a little bit of Van Van on me. It's such a comforting scent. it's very sweet, milky and lemony at the same time, verging on too much of a good thing - but never crossing into the realm of nauseating. This is STRONG. a dab will last you a whole day... great staying power and lots of throw. it works, and it works WELL. Extremely well. It turned days of living hell, days I was dreading at work, into days that breezed by quite easily, and often helped with PMS. I'm glad to have this imp. I'm not sure I'll get a big bottle of it because it's so strong all I need right now is just an imp, but it's a treasure. out of 5: 3 for scent, 6 for efficacy.

I have a broken-hearted friend who went through a slightly Romeo and Juliet-esque story, the kind that make classic films. Obviously it's hugely painful if you're in that situation and not just watching a film. so it's been 18 months since and he still hasn't gotten over it. There's no way they'll ever get back, his family has said the final word - and that's it. Yikes. Anyways, what notes or oils can give him a slight nudge in the direction of getting his happiness and positivity back? Whatever, if it's a purifying cleansing blend, or happiness booster... I think Van Van works wonders, but I'm not sure he'll take the smell.

loved seraglio, although to me it's more orange peel, marzipan with candied peel on the top. then the rose kicks in and it becomes soapy. YMMV. Xiuhtecuhtli (aka "how do you spell this?") is one of my faves, it's the first BPAL I've tried and it works equally well on girls and guys. it starts off heavy on a citrus-resin thing and fades to a creamy floral. yum. Would love to try Jezebel, sounds like a creamy thing. Anyways, there you have it.

Queen Mab, definitely! it's orchid, it's like a very sweet, luxurious bath product. pretty awesome and incredibly femme. how come no one mentioned Black Dahlia? that was OOOOOOF!!! cloying on me. incredibly sweet, to the point of sickening. Has it been discontinued? Kali faded to sweet florals and honey on my skin once dry. if you're not one to amp the choc or the wine, go for it! Dia de los Muertos is sweet and floral, but has a somewhat smoky-resin-ish note to it, as well as LOTS of brown sugar at first. Xiuhte wasn't too sweet on me, actually it started off a little gender neutral with the copal and orange hitting first. Then it fades into very light blooms that are creamy and awesome. I think there's Peony in it. oh! DELIGHT. Try that. sweet, heavy, heady to the extreme. pretty cool. Well, anything lotus or magnolia will work in terms of sweeeeeeetness. Orchid is sweetness that works on my skin. The other two really don't. Peony is lovely and sweet, but not extremely sweet so I'm not sure that qualifies.

my ex LOOOOOOOOVED Snake Oil. he couldn't stop sniffing that bit between my neck and my ear. mmmm... He also loved Snow White but Snake Oil took the cake. I always found SO a little too heavy and sweet. but anyways... there you go. Scents that make me feel sexy? mmmm... Xiuhtecuhtli did that to me for a while. The latest one I had a properly sexual reaction to was Phobos, but that's because I imagined the skin of a deadly sexy man. um... still looking for *the one*.

um.... I'm looking for the mouthwatering, luscious scent of JC Castelbajac, a sort of sweet, mature marzipan and vanilla that is never once bitter or overpowering. and I mean the Eau-de-Parfum version, in the red bottle, because the pink bottle version (EDT?) isn't the same at all... and now I can't find either, not the good version nor the crappy one. oof. Seraglio has the rose and citrus with the almond and no vanilla. it's also not nearly as gentle or subtle, although very lush in and of itself. I just want something that will be just as good or even better than Castelbajac. I know BPAL has it.

Well, one non-BPAL scent that I smell exclusively on women past their 60th b-day is Rochas "Byzance". I personally love the smell, although wouldn't want to wear it just yet. it's a classic sweet powdery floral. Any BPAL that smells like it will score highly in the "old lady" section. I don't know the notes in it though... let me see: http://www.basenotes.net/ID10212862.html I'm not sure what's in it, although I suspect a hefty amount of amber, vanilla, and white florals such as jasmine and lilly of the valley...

I LOVE Envy. It's a clean cologne-ish scent that will work equally well on both guys and girls. It's in the "exclusive spa" category in my book, like a very expensive shower gel. I think it's the lime zest and mint that give it sweetness, among other things. Again, gorgeous for summer. I´d also suggest Scarecrow, although it is not "herbal" in the fresh green sense, but more like a field of dry plants on a summer night. It's very dry, and would be more suitable on a man than a woman, IMO. However, I think it's worth a mention.

I would die to smell Phobos on a man. Oh yes. It's clean, sexy, yet smutty in the most subtle and proper way. I think it's the musk in it that gives that male sex scent once warmed on the skin, but the verbena and grapefruit make it so fresh and sweetly clean at first that, hell... Anyways, try Phobos... especially if the guy is into the "clean" scent family. I third Forspecial on the gender scent.

Received this imp through a swap (thank you Crazydiamond!) Oh, this one is interesting. Straight off while wet on the skin I get a strong bubblegum note despite the fact that there's no lotus in this. It is a rather powerful, pretty heady and very sweet scent. as it dries down I get a scent that reminds me very much of Lush Cosmetics' American Cream conditioner. So to all Shimmy Shimmy and AC fans, you may have found your holy grail. This imp is a keeper, although I'm not sure I'll wear it regularly. It's a little too girly-sweet for me, however pleasant. As for the throw, I'd say it's medium. it's still strong on the skin, and can be smelled from about 4 inches from the wrist. However it's possible that my nose has grown accustomed to it by now and it's stronger than I think. Strong scent, and all in all another good creation by Beth. Well done!

received this imp through a swap (thank you CrazyDiamond!) clean, citrusy... mmmm... definitely grapefruit in the beginning, and then it fades into a sweet musky scent with that note of sweet herbal something, I'm guessing this drydown is the combination of musk and verbena. Can I mention how calm and clean this is? and still that note of musk is giving my mind strange thoughts of ravishing any guy who wears this. Lethally sexy on the right man. the image I get is of clean masculine skin, a very attractive man who just stepped out of the shower with nothing but a towel on him. personally the drydown is a bit too much of that manly sex thing so I'm not sure I'll wear it regularly, but my next b/f is SOOOOOOOOO going to get slathered...

Got this imp through a swap (Thank you CrazyDiamond!) This is one of the better blends I've smelled in a LONG while. It reminds me of a certain perfume that I used to smell as a smaller child, in the 80s, but I can't put my finger on it. To me, it shares a similar feel with Dia de los Muertos, after the brown sugar aspect of DDLM has faded and the florals come out. The same rich floral note backed by another type of deep notes, some wood I guess, some smoke perhaps... Tavern of Hell is in the same realm, the same family. I can see how this may come across as masculine to some, it has a cologne-ish tone to it, but on me it's all woman - a strong, infinitely stylish woman. This is defintiely an evening scent, it's grown up without ever being old-ladyish, floral but not cloying, just very luxurious. I can see myself wearing it regularly. LOVELY! Great Job, Beth - you did it again!

Try Ayzen-Myoo, fruity with a floral edge, smelled to me like a kind of luxurious bath product.

I've been to a perfumery after work today, and found that I still ADORE Chanel's "Allure" eau-de-parfum. Allure for women has 2 versions, EDT and EDP. the EDT smells like straight alcohol, and the EDP smells creamy, floral and all around luscious. It only costs $175 a pop. To help a little with the notes, this is what their website says: this fragrance is layered into 6 facets, and each can come out more, depending on the person's chemistry. 1 / Fresh : Citron note. 2 / Fruity : Sicilian Mandarin. 3 / Timeless Floral : May Rose, Oriental Jasmine. 4 / Imaginary Floral : Magnolia accord, Honeysuckle accord, Water lily accord. 5 / Woody : Haitian Vetiver. 6 / Oriental : Vanilla from Réunion. My chemistry gives me a sweet, creamy floral with a real exotic edge which lasts 10 hours into wearing. This perfume won't stop. I don't think I'm getting much of veitver at all, but I do smell the floral notes and the vanilla may be the note that's sweetening it up. Did I mention luxurious? So... any BPAL suggestions?

if an uplifting scent is concerned, I highly recommend Iambe. try an imp. I also Recommend Sudha Segara for a very gentle, clean, comforting scent. Machu Pichu and Envy work wonders in terms of a fresh, happy, calm everyday scent, especially for warm weather. Very invigorating and not too sweet. I haven't tried any of the scents that you've listed except for Salome, and it didn't work too well on me... so I can't recommend much. However, I think that just by the sound of it, Love Lies Bleeding with the flower and sap notes may work in some way. May I ask what are the other imps you've got?

Iambe, all the way. I can't do gardenia, rose OR patchouli, and it still works on me. Try it.

XIUHTECUHTLI - I second the comparison to Thierry Mugler's Angel, although it's more similar to the peony ("pivoine") "Garden Of Stars" Angel more than anything else. Still, Xiuhtecuhtli kicks Angel's ass in any way you look at it. I find it much more wearable than Angel.

scarecrow smells like the air on a dry Jerusalem summer night, with the dry plants in the fields and the dew settling in and releasing their hay-ish scent into the air. very dry. I'm not sure this is what you're looking for. as for the fresh green stuff, I haven't tried neither the Dormouse nor Amsterdam, but I have tried Envy which is sweet, green and herbal yet not grassy. I've also tried (and loved) Machu Picchu, and it's green in a very different way. it's the image of a tropical rainforest. totally lush and abundant, slghtly sweet with a slight fruitiness to it. It shimmers.

Libertine. feminine, sweet, not girly, but gives an air of a woman who has the charm and wit to get away with murder. Black Pearl - Iris, Coconut, what else is there? it's light, sunny, smells like a posh cocktail and definitely suits the bill for unexpected note combinations. Macchu Pichu is unusual in the sense of lush jungle it gives, I love it for summer, very mellow, light and fresh. it gives a laid-back atmosphere. as for amusement, Iambe made me giggle my head off the first time I wore it.