JazzieCazzie

I received this as a frimp awhile back, not sure when. Would not have ordered it because tea and lemon both tend to be rough notes for me, and milk is often a problem too, though I love ginger, honey and pepper. IN THE IMP: Tea and lemon are the two predominant notes, with what I assume is the linen giving them an especially "clean" vibe. Dabbed very tentatively on wrist and after the second dab, the bathroom contractor arrived so I never got to put it in the crook of my arm. WET: Very pungent on the tea and lemon front. Sweetness from, I think, the vanilla rises right behind it. Had to jump in my car and head down to the bathroom/kitchen supply store to buy a missing drain pipe. Used that opportunity -- well, was forced to use that oportunity -- to consider the drydown as it was very strong and it was a closed car. DRYDOWN: The vanilla amped big time as it dried down, mingling with the tea and lemon. Eventually, the ginger and pepper rose but not nearly enough to offset what is, to me, a slightly nauseating scent. OVERALL: I can totally see why people would love this, if they love the smell of tea and lemon. Many people do. But I don't. Which is weird, since I love ICED tea with lemon. But I can't stand HOT tea, nor the smell of HOT tea with lemon. Go figure. It smells exactly like it sets out to smell. It's just something that I have a sort of odd aversion to. On a scale of 1-5, a 2. It's not bad. It's just not good FOR ME.

For me, I have certain "notes of doom" (even if they're scents or flavors I like in real life!) and one of them is orange, which usually turns into nasty Triaminic syrup on me ... but I was lagniapped with an imp of Jabberwocky and it was shockingly great on me! I probably still would not voluntarily purchase a blend with orange in it, but am glad I was given this ... it was a keeper for me!

Working my way through retesting, revisiting and reviewing every scent in my collection and am down to my final 5 (for now, anyway ... about to place an update order) in preparation for finally creating a comprehensive swap list. Purchased my 5 ML bottle of White Moon upon its release but stopped writing reviews, pretty much, in 2006 so this is my first review of the scent. This was tested from a decanted imp from my own bottle. IN THE IMP: Though I'm not great at being able to differentiate among a field full of flowers, I'm pretty sure that the predominant notes for me in the imp are the wisteria and the musk, by process of elimination. Dabbed on one wrist and in the crook of that arm. WET: A truly glorious white floral (counting lilac as white for the purpose of this review). It's very light and yet still richly lush and complex. The addition of the sandalwood and musk give it an added dimension that keeps it from being too soapy floral for me, lily notwithstanding. I don't get much lilac from it. DRYDOWN: I'd say it has a little bit of "generic perfume" in the drydown but that's not always necessarily a bad thing. There are so many notes that it's hard, when dry, to pick out a singularly predominant one for me. I get more floral than, say, sandalwood or musk when it's dry. But it's very lovely. OVERALL: Definitely a reason it's been a keeper all these years. Not something I'd reach for every day but definitely one that when I wear it lifts my spirits and makes me feel pretty. On a scale of 1-5, a 4.

I have had this on my "I need to try this one of these days" lists for awhile but since it was undecantable I had to wait until I could find someone willing to sell a decant. Which was last month. Thinking this may be an aged imp but not sure if it was from a decant circle to start with or the seller decanted it from a more recent bottle. IN THE IMP: Headshop headshop headshop. I know that the "smells like a headshop" term is used liberally on here but this is the most headshoppy scent I've ever tried. Not that that's a bad thing. Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm. WET: Super-de-duper headshop. I'm not sure if it's the patchouli, which many tend to associate with headshops but which I usually equate with nursery school paste (also not a bad thing, by the way). There is also something very deeply fruity here, a quality which 9 times out of 10 would be a dealbreaker for me but which works in this case. I love ginger, but I'm not getting my usual ginger read here, rather ginger as it morphs and blends with other notes. DRYDOWN: A very sweet and slightly candy-like floral headshop. I actually really love this. I think it needs to be worn in small doses but I love it. OVERALL: This is unusual and unique and strong. It reminds me a lot of one of the Sephiroths in its combination of spicy fruity floral but I can't recall which one. I wouldn't buy a big bottle of it because it's just a little too strong, but I will absolutely use up this imp. On a scale of 1-5, a 4.

Got in the OLOP decant circle based on a bunch of intriguing notes. IN THE IMP: First whiff is decidedly herbal, combo of rosemary and pepper. The aftertaste, so to speak, is something more soft and resiny, probably the sandalwood. Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm. WET: The peppery herbal component is the predominant note on me at first but the sandalwood rises quickly to soften it and round it out. While Dragon's Blood usually amps on me hard and fast, it is more of a background note for me in this blend. Ditto the ginger. DRYDOWN: I really, really love this as it dries. The ginger and DB come up just enough to be noticeable but they're not super strong. It's a very, very CLEAN scent rather than any other category I could pick out ... not floral, not resiny, not woody, not spicy. Clean and herbal. OVERALL: I like this a lot a lot a lot but would probably not buy a big bottle. It's a very head-clearing scent and a grounding one. I feel like it's as much of a TAL sort of blend as anything. I think it would be a good scent to apply before I go on a distance training walk or something like that. On a scale of 1-5, a 4.5

Purchased an imp of this during a February "impapalooza" spree from the Lab based on the notes listed and was, shortly thereafter, lagniapped an imp in a swap or purchase as well. Not positive which one this was tested from since the lagniappe was in pristine shape. IN THE IMP: Holy sweet frankincense. This could be single note. And that would be fine with me. Dabbed generously on wrist and in crook of arm because, well, it's fabulous right away. WET: OMGOMGOMGOMGOMGOMG. The joy of a "new to me" scent being so absolutely perfect right away is just fantastic. Lovely, lovely frankincense (I am a bad Jew, I guess, to love this churchy incense as passionately as I do!) very predominant, with a few background notes (my nose wanted to say cocoa or chocolate even though that's not in the blend) that complement it perfectly. I definitely get the spicy carnation and the lush heliotrope but they're not "in your face" at all. DRYDOWN: This is divine. The calm soothing vibe I always get from frankincense remains true and the spicy carnation gives it just enough oomph to make it complex and vibrant. I was afraid that the chamomile and/or angelica would give it a potentially soapy floral drydown but that was not a problem at all. Instead, the florals gave it a lovely soft bed to lie in. EDITING Just to add ... maybe it's a skin chemistry on a given day thing but the second time I wore this, it went much more heavily carnation on me on the drydown. I happen to love both frankincense AND carnation so that is not a problem for me at all ... simply want to point out to carnation lovers that this might be very much up your alley, especially if you couldn't get your hands on the Spanish Carnation SN! OVERALL: This is absolutely an addition to the short list of GC big bottles I must have. On a scale of 1-5, a 5 for sure.

Purchased an imp of this from a Lupercalia decant circle because I was lured in by the amber and musk notes. Don't believe I'd have recognized or been able to identify ambergris or orris. IN THE IMP: Am guessing this is what either ambergris and/or orris smells like because it is a completely unrecognizable scent for me. I'm not sure what to think. Dabbed on wrist and in crook of one arm. WET: Still completely alien to me. No trace of amber or musk. No idea if this is what ambergris smells like or what orris smells like or what a combination of the two smell like. Slightly creamy and very powdery and sweet but a feral sort of sweetness. Not resiny. Not spicy. Not floral. Not woody. More like plastic and mustiness. DRYDOWN: More perfumey and high-end soap and getting more of a creamy almost-floral I can't put my finger on. Sadly, no amber or musk ever popped for me. OVERALL: Well, I rolled the dice without paying too high a cost and came up snake eyes. No big deal. I am sure there will be people out there that love this and one I finalize my swap list, hopefully I'll find them and/or they'll find me and everyone will be happy. Into the swap pile with you, Eyes. On a scale of 1-5, a 2.

Lagniapped with a goblin squirt of this and am truly afraid that I am going to have to go onto an atmo-buying binge. Which I can't afford. I've now tried four (via lagniappe and frimp) and LOVE three out of the four ... I totally get the "dirt" comps but to me, the first sniff is beautiful wet dirt in my backyard, right after that first warm spell when it is fresh and springy, and right after an afternoon rain. It makes me want to go do some gardening (and I'm not a very good gardener ... I always end up with overly-pruned bushes and a sore back). ... Then it morphs into precious, precious resins and incensey lightness, one of my favorite "blends." This. Is. Fabulous. ETA: So, I did hubby the favor of getting him his favorite "garlicky kale" salad from Whole Foods and two days later my car still smelled like garlicky kale, so I brought my squirt to Shana to use as "car freshener scent" ... and in that space, it REALLY smelled like Anne Bonny! Which of course is a good thing because that's one of my favorite BPAL scents. So yeah, the squirt is staying in the car now. I have already begun a small collection of BPTP precious for my soon-to-be-new bathroom (starting major renovations on Monday which are sure to bring about 2-3 months of hell but then years of bliss) ... the smaller of the two will be, technically, "the guest bathroom" (now that The Girl has moved 2000 miles away, even though in my mind it will always be "her bathroom") but in theory it will be "my bathroom," since it will have the soaking tub (pulling up the other tub and replacing it with a steam shower because we're old and creaky). I've already gotten hubby to buy me a BPTP candle AND bath oil with which to launch it properly when it's finished, and shelves for my bath goodies ... now it will also feature a small seaglass vase which will hold my atmo sprays.

Like Tartchef, the original Aries 2004 is one of my Holy Grail all-time favorite BPAL scents. I'm down to just one full imp of it (see my review of the 2004 version here) ... and while I was a huge fan of the original celestial series, I admit that to a large degree I was not as enamored of the 2007 reboots of several of my original favorites (like Taurus, Leo and Scorpio). But after re-reading the notes in Aries 2004 and Aries 2007, despite the departure of my precious frankincense, I was still intrigued to re-try the "new" Aries (I had a bottle upon release but it was part of a big destashing). I love dragon's blood and honeysuckle, so was curious to give it a retry. The bad news is it's still a distant second to Aries 2004, but the good news is that I DO like it quite a lot if I treat it as an individual instead of a reboot. IN THE IMP: Wow. That is a lot of pepper. Pepper pepper pepper pepper pepper. And I like pepper in a blend (in wine AND perfume) but this is surprisingly strong, especially given the other notes which tend to be powerful. It's also interesting to see the color, a deep dark amber, compared to the very pale gold of my old imp. Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm. WET: It's still massively peppery -- someone compared it to pizza and I wouldn't disagree -- but the dragon's blood amps up quickly as it is wont to do with my body chemistry, and coupled with the honeysuckle it's very flowery pepper. The pepper, though, sharpens the floral sent and keeps it from being TOO flowery. I get zero ginger here. DRYDOWN: It takes awhile for this to dry down and, basically, cool down and settle. But when it does it's worth the wait (kind of like hot soup). The combined floral of the DB and honeysuckle really intermingle beautifully with the pepper and I think I even do finally detect the opoponax and ginger. It's less salty (I don't know why pepper goes salty on me but whatever) and slightly medicinal in a good way. OVERALL: While it's no Aries 2004, this new/old Aries is still a keeper. Oddly, to me I find Aries 2004 a "cold weather" scent and Aries 2007 a "warm weather" scent. On a scale of 1-5, a 4.5.

Kind of shocked I never tried this or at least never reviewed it ... it's possible that during my early BPAL-ordering days I'd yet to discover the joy of Dragon's Blood. But a more recent review of GC scents landed this on my wish list and the lovely and generous Joyfulgirl gifted me with an imp of it in an order so here I am, way overdue to add the singing of its praises. IN THE IMP: Patchouli sneaks out first with its sharpness, followed by the red of Dragon's Blood and musk. It's not floral in the imp but rather hot and angry and slightly feral, for lack of a better word. Applied to wrist and into crook of arm. WET: As is its tendency, the dragon's blood JUMPS out first, floral and hot and red with a slight burn possibly from the cinnamon, though my skin has toughened up over the years and it's just a tiny sting. Those are the two notes that amp first but the patchouli and the musk join in quickly, giving the scent a strength, a depth, even an anger. DRYDOWN: Odd how this blend is more evocative of emotions than images. As it dries, there is something slightly metallic to it, rather than the usual slightly floral vibe I get from DB. It's not comforting, like DB and musk and cinnamon tend to be, but very grounding. It's a hot outdoors scent and yet also an indoor smell. I am not making sense here but just blame it on the Bloodlust. OVERALL: This is a very, very powerful scent. A great scent but one I feel needs to be used with care. Maybe it's just me before my second cup of coffee, but I feel like this could be a TAL even more than a BPAL. On a scale of 1-5, I give it a 4.6 because I'm a little scared of it. But it is absolutely a keeper. Now just use your power for good, little Bloodlust.

My last entry from the Ts as I move into the final stages of testing, reviewing and revisiting every BPAL scent I have ... purchased a bottle of this on the forum a few months ago, and am testing from an imp I decanted from said bottle. IN THE IMP: A light and slightly fruity chocolate, though there are no fruits listed in the notes ... someone else described this as Pink Chocolate and I'd say, at first sniff, that's a great description. Applied on wrist and in crook of arm. WET: Light, slightly spicy and more chocolatey than chocolate ... not sure if that makes sense but it does in my mind. It's sweet and sort of gourmand-y, a little nutty and light. DRYDOWN: I keep thinking there is something SO familiar about this scent and I finally realize it smells like a chocolate Tootsie Pop. OVERALL: For whatever reason, it doesn't really work for me, although there is not a single note in this that I don't like. I think if I could have turned it into two different blends -- one with the cocoa, honey, vanilla and even the saffron to make it different, and one with the dragon's blood, galangel, opoponax, frankincense, myrrh, amber, patchouli etc. etc. etc. I'd have had two fabulous keeper scents. Instead, I have a scent that was really interesting to test-drive but will, in the end, go onto my soon-to-be-comprehensive swap list. On a scale of 1-5, I give it a 3.5 for effort.

Working my way through my BPAL collection, I come to the end of my Ts and into the homestretch, almost ready to finally create both a comprehensive swap list and a comprehensive (though surely growing) wishlist. As part of my hyper-organizational prep, I read through all of my OLD reviews (admittedly, I no longer have many of the scents I reviewed for one reason or another), and remembered how very, very much I loved the original Taurus, as you can read here So, reading these reviews and being a huge lover of Ferdinand the Bull, I thought, okay, so maybe rose is the only note that remains the same, but I still want ... no, NEED ... to try this. And was fortunate enough to find a forumite selling a bottle ... it is from that bottle that I decanted the imp I tested here. IN THE IMP: A deep and slightly fruity floral. Complex and striking but definitely not the light and lovely airy spring scent I loved way back when. Applied some to my wrist and into the crook of my arm. WET: Deeply purple, maybe the violet creating that image in my mind. The violet is definitely amping in the crook of my arm while my wrist just smells ... perfumey. For a brief moment I get a brief throw of something more like the apple blossom, that springy and light scent, but it's quickly overpowered by rose, which is never a good sign for me. DRYDOWN: Soapy, clean, flowery, perfumey. Not getting any mint, I don't think, though that could be what is giving me the soap vibe. OVERALL: Sadly, this is just very very very perfumey on me. A nice perfume, but a perfume that I could get in a store. I think it's the rose that does it. It's also very clean and soapy to me. It's not quite a wash off but it is very definitely not a keeper. On a scale of 1-5, a 2.5.

Intrigued by the Lab's honey notes, I wanted to try as many of this sub-line as I could. So far, though, only Hemlock Honey has been a winner. Purchased this imp from a forumite earlier this spring, and with this testing, I am down to my last three Ts in my trip through the BPAL alphabet and that much closer to finally having a comprehensive swap list AND wishlist! IN THE IMP: Strong and a little off-putting, it's definitely sweet but stuffy. I can't tell before application if the tobacco is more of a pipe tobacco or a cigarette tobacco. Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm. WET: Now I think it's pipe tobacco, though the fact that it's mingled with such sweet honey may be leading my mind to the wrong assessment. But it's very, very strong and stuffy and not pleasant. Not smokey, it just feels like being stuck in a back room that has been so "smoke-filled" for so long that even without anyone smoking there now, all of the furniture, etc. is just infused with it. DRYDOWN: I tried to let this dry down enough to get a fair read and complete review but confess I didn't last long before I had to wash it off. It was making my throat and chest close up. OVERALL: I think at this point the only remaining Apiary line scents I'll be trying will be Oleander and possibly Deadly Nightshade. On a scale of 1-5, about a 1.3

I am completely and utterly puzzled that this would be my first review of Twilight. Waaaaay back when in early 2004, when I was turned on to the wonder that was BPAL, I remember spending hours -- literally hours -- reading over all of the scent descriptions and making notes so I could place my very first order of THREE 5 ML bottles, based strictly on the notes listed. The three I narrowed it down to were Envy, Veil and Twilight. While Envy was wonderful when wet, it didn't play nicely with my body chemistry when it dried down. Twilight and Veil, however, transported me to another wonderful world ... so much so that for the longest time I assumed I was a "floral" girl (of course, it turned out after hundreds upon hundreds more blends tested than I am more of a resin girl, but whatever). So now, finally, nine years later, here is my first review of Twilight. I only have an imp now, one I got from the Lab. And yes, big bottles of Twilight AND Veil will be on my wish list for my next purchase (hoping to see if I can get hubby and daughter to combine for Mother's Day to give me a conceptual gift certificate to the Lab so I can buy a few new goodies). IN THE IMP: I love how the lavender creeps out first and truly defines the name of the scent, that color of the sky during l'heure bleue, just as the honeysuckle and jasmine saunter out to join it. Dabbed to one wrist and into the crook of one arm because it doesn't look like I have much left in this imp and want to make it last at least a few more weeks. WET: To me, this is one of the most divine and evocative scents of the BPAL canon. Maybe that's because it (and Veil, which is not dissimilar) were my first two BPAL loves. I can see, I guess, why there are people who find it too too too floral or find jasmine gives them a headache or whatever. But for me, it is a three-way marriage of three of my VERY favorite floral scents and they co-exist perfectly on my skin. OVERALL: I have decided that I simply have to have big bottles of this and Veil again. Harkening back to my beginnings. Sometimes a girl just has to feel floral and sensual and beautiful and that is how Twilight makes me feel. Even the WORD Twilight glimmers. On a scale of 1-5, a 5.

Working my way through my BPAL collection, retesting, revisiting and reviewing from A-Z and so, clearly, I'm coming to the end of this experiment as I reach my imp of Thanatos. I purchased this from the Lab in February, I believe, choosing it based on its notes and am really, REALLY surprised that it had escaped my attention before this ... usually, sandalwood and incense and benzoin would be enough to lure me in and let me take my chances with the rose component. It's from this imp that I tested: IN THE IMP: Very light and lovely and sharp, sandalwood and incense and benzoin. No florals. Dabbed on one wrist and in the crook of arm. WET: It amps quickly into a light "cola" note, one I love, but a little sharper and less fizzy than the ones I associate with scents like, say, Third Charm or Schwarzer Mond. I do get a little more of a floral hit as it amps and floats up ... floral/sharp/resiny scent. It's like Third Charm on steroids. DRYDOWN: I like this. I do I do I do. It's pretty true to the scent in the imp and wet on my skin, and it has everything I like. But there is just something about it that makes it hard for me to decide does it go into the keep-and-wear box or the swap-box and finally, being true to myself, it goes to the swap box because I DO have several scents much lke this one but with just a little more soft resiny scent and a little less sharp or floral scent, and so those are the ones that will get the love. OVERALL: People would love this. People should love this. It's a well blended and complex and lovely scent. On a scale of 1-5, about a 3.9.

Working my way through my BPAL collection, reviewing, revisiting and in some cases -- as in this one -- trying something for the first time. Received this as either a frimp from a Lab order or lagniappe in a swap/purchase within the last month or two. Am pretty sure it's a frimp judging solely on it being in pristine condition. IN THE IMP: Green and clean. Quite soapy. Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm. WET: I admit I have no idea what hyssop OR life everlasting is or what it's supposed to smell like, and "herbs" can cover a lot of possibilities so I didn't have any expectations regarding this. It's not unpleasant when applied but it is WAAAAAYYYYY too soapy for me, and slightly metallic. DRYDOWN: It stays soapy and green and herbal. I get a tiny hint of the Clairol Herbal Essence scent (which in and of itself I loved) but its offset by other notes that really don't work for me at all. The drydown is way more aquatic than herbal and I am not a fan of aquatic. OVERALL: Definitely not me. Very strong, a lot of throw, and not my style at all. On a scale of 1-5, about a 1.5

Another vote here for Shub. The gingeriest of the gingeries! But not too sweet.

Working my way through my BPAL collection and realizing that the Ts may well be my favorite "BPAL letter." Shocked I have never reviewed Tushnamatay before this. Testing from an imp I decanted from my 10 ML bottle. So yes, clearly, a very aged scent IN THE IMP: Like so many others, I just can't put my finger on what this scent is. I'm getting sandalwood and cedar and something else resiny. Applied to wrist and into crook of arm. WET: The scent is absolutely 100% true to what's in the imp when applied ... in other words, oftentimes with BPAL there will be notes that I don't sniff in the imp but which become apparent as soon as it touches my skin, but this is exactly what it smells like in the imp. I think the note that I think is cedar may be the most predominant on me. DRYDOWN: It fades from my wrist very quickly but lasts much longer in the crook of my arm, and the scent remains faithful to what it was in the imp/bottle. OVERALL: I absolutely love love love this scent even though I'm still not quite sure what it is ... I resorted to cheating and reading the reviews and am sort of relieved to find that I am not the only one who finds it SO familiar and yet, without the list of notes, can't put my finger on it. Funny thing is my husband thinks everything I wear smells like sandalwood -- except for this. (I am wondering if perhaps he doesn't know sandalwood as well as he thinks he does, or just thinks that headshops smell like sandalwood). He did think it smelled like cedar though. And I am feeling pretty sure there is some cedar in this since that is a note that is pretty faboo on me. I don't meditate or do yoga or anything (in a perfect world I'd like to, I just don't) but this is definitely a calming, grounding and peaceful scent. On a scale of 1-5, a 5.

Working my way through my BPAL collection alphabetically, revisiting and reviewing and re-reviewing where necessary every scent I own, sorting out a comprehensive swap list and adjusting a wish list ... also getting a much better feel, by doing this all at once, of the notes that seem to be winner-winner-winners and which ones are ... well, not. Third Charm was one of the very few bottles I own that I got to sniff before buying ... after my first trip to Dark Delicacies in January 2012, where I spent hours sniffing every bottle and coming away with three, this time (I go out to WeHo every January to visit my daughter) I came armed with a list of scents I wanted to try that had been released in the previous year and Third Charm was on it. The plan had been to buy three bottles but I got sidetracked by the amazing BPTP candles and had to have Shub and Dragon's Blood, leaving me with enough for ONE bottle ... and as soon as I sniffed Third Charm, the decision was shockingly easy. This review comes from a decant imp from the bottle purchased in January 2013. Obviously, not really aged yet. IN THE IMP: COLA!!!!!!! (I love the cola scent). INCENSE!!!!!!!! Applied pretty liberally to both wrists and both crooks of arms since I was about to go out for the evening, something I rarely do these days. WET: Incense and cola, truly one of my favorite combos. Some woodsy notes, some very deep floral notes way at the bottom, but overall incense and cola. DRYDOWN: Coca cola and incense. That is honestly ALL I get and it's all I want. It lasts a good long time. I sniff my arms frequently during dinner. And I may actually say, randomly, a few times "DAMN I SMELL SO GOOD." OVERALL: This. Is. Just. So. Damned. GOOOOOOOOOOOOD. It is absolutely a top 5 for me. I definitely get, with my own body chemistry, the Scherezade comps (which, not coincidentally, is ALSO a top 5 scent for me). And, just as luckily, I DON'T get Snake Oil from it at all (I respect and admire Snake Oil but it doesn't work that well on me). I think if I were in a place where I needed to pick ONE signature scent from the BPAL domain, this would be very much in contention. It's one of those "good any time, anywhere" scents on me. On a scale of 1-5, obviously a 5.

Continuing my journey through the T region of my BPAL collection, en route to a complete retesting, revisiting and reviewing of my precious. Surprised I never reviewed this, one of my faves. This testing camp from an imp decanted from my own original 5 ML of this from around its release. IN THE IMP: Moco-chocolata-yaya!!! Chocolicious! And other things that represent mostly chocolate with a kick. Applied to wrist and into crook of arm. WET: Chocolate incense! Or incense-y chocolate! No harshness of leather (or at least how I've found the leather note in other blends to harsh my own BPAL buzz) and minimal flowers. Just chocolate and incense. DRYDOWN: It gets a little smoky and I actually figure out that what it smells like, to me, is bacon-chocolate!!! BACON CHOCOLATE! Yessssssss. OVERALL: I'd forgotten how much I absolutely love this scent, and it's sort of sat dormant in my box (or wherever I've been storing my BPAL in the past, though always the requisite cool dry places). Now that I've been reminded, it will get much more wear though it's not really an "every day" kind of scent. I think this would be a hugely popular scent in the commercial marketplace right now, since it seems designer gourmet chocolates are all the rage. And Beth does a magical job with chocolate scents. On a scale of 1-5, a 5 for sure.

Working my way through reviewing every scent in my collection, A-Z, so you can tell I'm getting close to the end here ... got a bottle of this via the Forum earlier this year and am testing from a decant from said bottle. IN THE IMP: Light, woodsy and herbal, and ever-so-slightly creamily fruity. Dabbed on one wrist and in the crook of my arm. WET: Yes, very definitely a "creamy fruitiness" which is more creamy than fruity. I am guessing it's the olive blossom, which gives the herbal green woodsiness more of a roundness, for lack of a better word. DRYDOWN: Sadly, I am not getting the fig which so many people have commented on ... I say sadly simply because j'adore fig. The scent overall is very complex and interesting and it really really really reminds me of another BPAL scent. Others have mentioned possibilities but what I keep thinking (and can't confirm because I don't have it) is Hanging Gardens ... anyone else smelled the two and can compare? The drydown is reasonably true to the wet smell, creamy and light and green and slightly fruity. I would add that the one note that rises on drydown and was not really noticeable to me when wet is the tobacco ... not pipe tobacco like, say, Tombstone but rather unsmoked cigarette tobacco. It reminds me vaguely of my dad who was a Camel Unfiltered man. OVERALL: I like this, I like this a lot, but I don't LOVE it. There is some component in it that makes me ever so slightly queasy. As a result, I expect this will be going onto the swap list that will, hopefully by May 1, FINALLY be ready to roll out. On a scale of 1-5, a strong 3.

Received this as "lagniappe" from a forum purchase/swap. I really expected to HATE it since pretty much every single note in it is a dealbreaker for me, or darned close, but based on my anal-retentive project of trying and reviewing or revisiting every single scent in my BPAL collection to prepare my comprehensive swaplist, I forged ahead with caution. IN THE IMP: So many deal-breaking notes and yet ... on first sniff ... oddly not unappealing. Watermelon is the predominant note, not something I'd associate with what I want to smell like. But very recognizable and unique. Dabbed on my wrist and in the crook of my arm. WET: I'm shocked by the fact that I don't hate this. It's much more like fruit salad in a bottle than fruity perfume, the latter of which 9 times out of 10 makes me want to wash it off, retch or both. DRYDOWN: Alas, as it dries down the fruity stench rises for me. Not to the point of washing it off but definitely to the point to rapidly hustling it off to the swap box (actually, the lagniappe part of it since the imp I received was only half full anyway). OVERALL: I don't hate hate hate it and that's a lot more than I expected so I may give it a few more fractions of a point just for that. On a scale of 1-5, a 1.9.

Getting into the homestretch of my journey through my BPALs, A-Z, and already starting to prep the swap list that I will finally be able to post once I finish ... um, W. I have no X-Y-Zs. This was an imp I received as lagniappe in a forum swap/purchase. IN THE IMP: Sharp and clean and unusual. Not something I could put my finger on. Dabbed cautiously on wrist and in crook of arm. WET: A very "white" scent. Not rosy at all at first though that is usually a note that amps on me. I expected not to like this but I don't DISLIKE it. It's clean and sharp and slightly acerbic. Not resiny, not woody, not floral. Just ... sharp. DRYDOWN: Aaaaaand here comes the rose. Not in-your-face rose but more like tea rose. The other notes fade to the background but this isn't strong enough to be a washoff. OVERALL: I don't dislike this. I could keep it but probably would never wear it so instead it's off to the swap list. I think this would make a great bath oil, though. On a scale of 1-5, about a 2.8.

And with this review, I complete my trip through the Letter S as I near the end of my journey of reviewing and revisiting every one of my BPALs, A-Z, in preparation for a comprehensive swap list AND wish list, coming to a forum near you (really near you, if you're reading this post) soon. A little background ... I discovered the original (2004) Scorpio when the first batch of celestials were being taken off the site, and I ADORED it ... here is a link to that review, since these threads are separate ... 2004 Scorpio review However, reading the reviews for Scorpio 2007 intrigued me ... while the notes didn't sound the same, they DID sound like notes I'd like a lot, and it was being compared to some of my favorite blends like Schwarzer Mond (which I believe I revisited yesterday). I found a bottle on eBay and put in a bid, but during that span of waiting, a forumite was also selling a bottle so I bought that ... AND won the eBay ... so I now have two bottles of Scorpio. This review comes from an imp I decanted from one of the bottles. IN THE IMP: Surprisingly "perfumey" without a specific note being recognizable on first sniff. Hoping that upon application that will change. Dabbed on one wrist and in the crook of my arm. WET: A deep, dark brown musk with a slight burn. Woody but not really resiny to me. I'm not getting ANY dragon's blood at all (surprising, since that tends to amp on me and is a favorite note of mine), nor basil, nor opoponax, ... and certainly none of the spicy sultry sweetness I recall from the original. I admit to being disappointed. DRYDOWN: I've almost given up on this and then ... an hour or two later ... sniff the crook of my arm and ... divine. Kind of ambery and sultry and spicy. Really fantastic and worth waiting for. OVERALL: I panicked unnecessarily. Scorpio is different but still wonderful. On a scale of 1-5, a 4.6

Received a sniffie of this from a lovely forumite in a swap ... IN THE IMP: For a brief first moment, it's oddly acerbic and almost vinegar-like, but then the pure carnation rises out of the imp and envelops me. Dabbed on wrist and in crook of arm, reasonably lightly since there's only about an eighth of an imp ... don't want to waste the preshuss. WET: Strong, fabulous and divine spicy carnation. Kind of perfection. DRYDOWN: Fades down a little too quickly for my liking, but am sure if I had a big bottle of this, I'd be able to slather and it would last longer. The final faint stages have a bit of myrrh-like powder to them. OVERALL: It's always tough to write much about a single note because, you know, it's a single note. So either it's one you like or it's one you don't, but there's not that much to describe. SOOOOO. This is one I very much love. And hope I can somehow nab a big bottle somewhere somehow. On a scale of 1-5, a 5.