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In the vial: Floral/honey, then a tartness. The myrrh is sharp but the other notes are slathered over it like peanut butter on a matzah. Wet: Strong myrrh. Almost every other note has vanished completely, but there's something sweet at the back of my throat. 20 minutes: There is sweetness underneath, but the myrrh still predominates, and it's more bitter than any other myrrh scent I've had so far from BPAL. Still, I can't seem to stop sniffing it. One hour: The myrrh has faded some now, and it's better balanced with the other scents. I really like this combination of sweet and bitter, and it's quite powerful on me. But somehow it seems almost wicked, in a way that some of the more overtly sensual fragrances haven't. Four and a half hours: As time has gone on it has worked its way up my list of favorites. From about two hours on I was convinced. I love this scent! It reminds me of "Hetairae," except that the sweetness is better balanced by the bitterness of the myrrh. I can easily believe the hype about its being inspired by an ancient formula. But if I were going to wear it for a special occasion I'd have to target the time I put it on quite carefully. I think it needs two hours to age on me.

In the vial: Orris and something floral. This smells very white to me. Wet: Extremely ethereal. It's barely there. Twenty minutes: Sandalwood and a delicate white floral, not heavy at all. I can make out the orris too. No amber, no patchouli, no vanilla. One hour: Still mostly sandalwood and orris, with background white florals. Two hours: Sandalwood and orris still This is quite understated, a little dry and sterile for me although there is nothing at all unpleasant about it. Five hours: Still some faint white scent. Patchouli, amber, and vanilla never materialized. Fail. Upon retest (I so wanted to love this one!) I got nothing but orris.

In the vial: Jergens original hand lotion, and "Kabuki." Must be that dark cherry note! Wet: Interesting. I get the verbena clearly, a light citrusy herb. But mostly it smells like fruit with cinnamon on it. Where did the cinnamon come from? Twenty minutes: Where does that spice come from? Is it some weird confluence of patchouli and cardamom? The fruit has calmed down a bit, and I still get the verbena. It kind of smells like crunchy candied apples, it's so cinnamon-y. Two hours: Patchouli-fruit, with the verbena note still there. It's not nearly as strong as it was for the first hour. I like it pretty well. Four hours: Patchouli-fruit. Keeper. Five hours: Still yum.

In the vial: Cool resin; this one smells more like vanilla extract than any other BPAL vanilla note I've smelled. Wet: Vanilla and a thin resin, like myrrh only not so bitter. Twenty minutes: This has an odd, cutting aroma I associated earlier with vanilla extract. It's almost like high-proof alcohol. There's still vanilla and resin, but the sharpness dominates; it's almost citrusy, acidic. One hour: Much less sharp, but still there's that bite. I just don't think the Snake Pit is for me. Two hours: The sharpness is finally gone, and it's quite warm and sweet now. This is how I expected it to smell: vanilla and resin. There's a trace of some spice in it, too, something I associate with coffee, maybe cinnamon or nutmeg? Three and a half hours: Mostly vanilla now, with an impression of tired baked goods. I think this is over now. Seven hours: Smells like an empty cookie wrapper now.

In the vial: Sharp and sour at first, then resolving into myrrh and smoke after it hits the air. Wet: Warm, smoky, dark, it definitely smells like something sappy that's been roasted. I sort of get "used marshmallow roasting stick" off this one, only minus the sugar. Twenty minutes: Still pretty much as described: bitter resinous smoke with an appetizing trace of cinnamon. Hour and a half: Smoke, resin. Barely get the cinnamon now, but it still smells appetizing. And there's something else in there, it seems to me, something almost floral or maybe patchouli-ish. I'm definitely keeping this one, but I'm not sure I need more than an imp of it. Three hours: Patchouli-myrrhish. It smells good, but not strong. Will split a bottle with a friend.

In the vial: Delicious! It smells like fruit with some very fragrant flower that I've smelled growing on a tree, maybe the plum blossom. Wet: The resin comes up first, but the floral is still there. Not nearly as sweet as I'd expected from all that fruit, but it smells good, like a restaurant I once went to in the Smokies that specialized in wild plum recipes. Half an hour: Pleasant, still smells like a restaurant. Raspberry dominates, but gently. I can make out the patchouli now, too. One hour: Still fruity, but dryer now. It's a nice blend but I think the raspberry has beaten out the pomegranate, which will make it a fail on me. Two hours: Now the raspberry has fallen off some, I can smell the pomegranate. There's patchouli, that floral I think is the plum blossom, and something else. Faint frankincense base smells almost herbal, maybe that's the wood? Three hours: Still fruity on a frankincense base, with a patchouli overtone. Five hours: Patchouli and a little fruit. The imp will suffice.

In the vial: Very resinous, but not specifically myrrh-like. Don't notice any rose. Wet: Myrrh immediately, and another resin that's sweeter, I don't know whether it's the frankincense or the amber. There's floral, but this is mostly spicy resin. Twenty minutes: Wonderful blend of resins: aromatic, sweet, bitter. Not much noticeable rose, though. One hour: This continues to smell wonderful. From time to time a hint of rose peeks through, but it's mostly a bouquet of resins that balance one another out very nicely. Two hours: Still yum, although something has gone just a bit sourish. This is probably the best resin-based BPAL I've tried so far. Five hours: Faint warmth is all that's left. This one's definitely a keeper. I'll need a bottle. It's like "Schwarzer Mond" on me, only sacred rather than profane.

In the vial: Peach, floral, and dark chocolate. There's a bitter note too, probably the ambergris. Wet: Peachy chocolate with something very sweet-floral beneath. Twenty minute: Where did it go? Barely-there chocolate and the ambergris, but it's so subtle I can't believe I just put this on a short time ago. No peach, no patchouli, no neroli? No honey??? One hour: Whew! That scared me. Now I get something like "Imp": patchouli and peach. The neroli is very noticeable, and the honey's there. Even the ambergris is noticeable. The cocoa is the least noticeable of the bunch, but I expected that. At least it no longer smells like a peach truffle! Two hours: This is a lot like a much more civilized version of "Imp." It doesn't have nearly the aggressive throw of "Imp," though. I'm wearing this one, whereas I often feel that "Imp" is wearing me! I like this very much but haven't decided whether I need a bottle of it or not. Five hours: Pretty much gone, but I had meetings and couldn't monitor when it went away. I tested it three times, by which point I was completely overwhelmed. I want a bottle of this.

In the vial: Tangy floral, just a little sweet. Wet: Warm and sweet (the Snake Oil?) with tangy floral. It's got some of the aromatic elements of linden blossom but isn't as sweet. Half an hour: Tangy floral still, over warm and sweet. It's almost citrusy in its tang. Two hours: Less tangy, but a little more of the linden is peeking through. Very subtle, reassuring; I'd wear this near a baby. Three hours: Still sweet and gently linden. Possibly the most understated floral I've tried so far. Six hours: Still lindenish. That's amazing, that it could be so low-key yet so persistent. I may have to keep this imp after all.

In the vial: Sharp, sweet, fruity, pungent. This smells like Pennsic to me! (Maybe the pomegranate?) Wet: Spicy, fruity, pungent. This one is maddening; it reminds me of something and I can't think what. Twenty minutes: I think it's the combination of fruit and the smell of smoke that makes it smell like Pennsic. It's like fruit juice that's been boiled down over a fire. Fascinating; I could have a lengthy relationship with this one! One hour: Still charmed by the elusive, smoky, yet foody character of this one. I just can't get enough of it! Still smells like firepit plus fruit. Two hours: Smoky fruit, but a little sweeter than before. Four hours: There's only a trace of fruit and smoke left now. Finally, I can explicitly catch the musk and patchouli, and even a snippet of vanilla bean. I've liked all the phases of this. Bottle time!

In the vial: Vanilla and something that smells like scented tobacco, followed by amber and carnation. This may be too foody for me. Wet: The vanilla recedes quickly, overcome by cedar. This smells very woody and sharp right now. Will tiptoe away quietly and give it time to develop. Twenty minutes: Sandalwood, cedar, musk, and a bit of resin. Where did all that caramely vanilla go? Somehow, this smells sort of masculine to me. Two hours: Got busy and stopped paying attention. Amber, myrrh, cedar, hey! This smells good now! It's still a little woodier than I wanted, though. Three hours: Amber, vanilla, musk, myrrh, cedar. The wood has died back some. Although this smells really nice, it's still a little more vanilla than I wanted. Four hours: Not much change. I still like it, but it's too vanilla. I don't think I'm going to need any more of it.

In the vial: Orange, ambergris, and something warm beneath. Wet: Amber-orange, strong ambergris, and then the lilac blossoms. This is going to be complex. Half an hour: That's interesting: lilac first! Then orange, ambergris. Then there's a blend of other things all at about the same intensity. I expected to like this, but I expected it to be more resinous. Two hours: Still notice the lilac first, but it's only a smidgen ahead of the resin. Very nice, with just a touch of something bitter (either the ambergris or the wood, I don't know) to balance it out. I'll keep this, at least for a while. Three hours: Lilac still outpacing resin, with orange right behind. This is a really great, unexpected kind of blend, different from my other amber blends. Four and a half hours: The aura it gives off is orange, but mostly what I smell is lilac. The resin is what holds it together, I think. I usually can't wear lilac scents, although I love the flower, so this is quite welcome. Six hours: Still a hint of lilac over a light base of resin.

In the vial: Sharp green, with that olive note. Wet: Vanilla, of course, with astringent, tanniny green notes. Twenty minutes: Strong vanilla, but not cloying due to the tannic greens. It doesn't smell foody, which is a bonus. One hour: Too oakmossy for me now, although it's not as sharp and unpleasant as some versions. The vanilla is pretty much overwhelmed by the green and tannin. Two hours: Sour tannic. Fail.

In the vial: Patchouli, pine, vanilla. This smells great! Wet: Lots of pine, but the resin and honey are rising to meet it. Patchouli and vanilla are lessened. One hour: Delicious warm, sweet, playful blend. I smell honey, vanilla, pine, patchouli, and unidentified other things. It's got more throw on me than many, kind of like "Mme Moriarty." Three hours: Yum, this one likes me. It's patchouli and pine and vanilla with resin and something very sweet. I'm definitely going to need more than a half-imp of this one.

In the vial: Tangy, woody, a bit sweet. Wet: Herby at first, then fruity-woody. Then the resin starts to come up, and it smells like it's going to be mostly myrrh. Half an hour: Sharp wood first, then myrrh. Amber-musk also present, and something sharp. This almost entirely lacks the sweet I expected the fig to provide. Instead, it's dry and almost astringent, although complex. One hour: This has turned into the typical amber-musk-myrrh blend on me, but with one difference. I don't know if it's the tarragon or the redwood, but there's a strong tangy bite to this one as well. Still very dry, but nice. Two hours: Sweeter now. That dry pungency has died back some, and the orange and fig are more obvious now. I like it better this way. Three hours: Warm sweet amber-musk; familiar territory. This one smells more vanilla-ish than some, although there's no vanilla listed. Five hours: Sweet and amber. Amber lasts forever on me, but apparently so does fig.

In the vial: Rose and related herb-rose fragrances. Don't get any resin or ylang ylang, although the gardenia is peeking out. Wet: Still rose, but less herbal. This one smells rather like the ubiquitous red climbing roses in the Southern town where I grew up. Everybody had them, even though they kind of smelled astringent. Twenty minutes: Strong rose ensemble (several rosy notes) and gardenia, but the myrrh keeps it from tumbling over into sweetness. Two hours: Now that it's aged and blended, I really like this one. It's sweeter than some rose blends I've tried, and not as biting as the ones with more of a myrrh presence. And fortunately, the red sandalwood hasn't soured on me yet, the way it so often does. Three hours: Mmmm, this is nice. There's that rose-jam element like in "Two, Five, & Seven," the one I associate with damask roses, but there are other sweet florals too. I'll have to consider getting a bottle of this. Four hours: This one really blossoms the warmer my skin gets. On a warm summer night I think it would be intoxicating!

In the vial: Caramel honeyed cream with a sweet and rich base. This is the first really foodie BPAL scent I've actually wanted to eat. Wet: Caramel recedes, and a floral amps. I like it much better as a perfume now! Twenty minutes: Wow. I can make out pretty much every note of this individually, but the totality is kind of indescribable. Caramel-teak-honey-musk is the best way I can describe it. It's fascinating, foodie, and I'm not sure I'd want to smell this way often, but it's really interesting. Two hours: Honey and cream on a teakwood table, with a side of amber. It's very nice, but I think I'd rather be on the other end of this scent, i.e., sniffing it on somebody. I keep sniffing at it, though, as I go about my day. It's very beguiling. Three hours: Amber-honey with something else, maybe the cream? Still smells wonderful, but I don't think I need more than the partial imp I have.

In the vial: Definitely food-ish. Floral bonbons, or maybe a cocoa-flavored cocktail. Chocolate, orange, vanilla, herbs. Wet: Chocolate, followed closely and overtaken by alcohol (bourbon?). It kind of reminds me of Sabra, the chocolate-orange liqueur, only with herbs. Interesting; I wonder where it will go from here. Twenty minutes: Resinous vanilla over musk. The chocolate has dialed way back. There's an herbal undertone, but I can't tell what it is. Where did the orange go? It kind of smells like a really savory marshmallow now, hardly a wolf-man kind of image! Five hours: Got busy and couldn't track the details of this one. But it never really developed after the drydown. It's stayed warm vanilla-musk, a very pleasant and obscurely comforting scent but not something I need to wear.

In the vial: Musky, with a sharp herby or evergreen note. Wet: Whew! Really musky-herby. I also get something that might be the ambergris. No amber or orange. Half an hour: Oooh, I like this one. It's very evergreeny musk, with the ambergris quite noticeable. There's something spicy warm that might be amber; I'm not getting orange, but there is a faint sweetness Two hours: Still very eveergreeny/herby, but something is going sour. There's a spicy amber bite, but it's heavier than usual, less sweet and warm than some. Three and a half hours: Men's cologne. Srsly. It's wonderfully evergreen-y and herby and musky, but it smells like a boy now. A fairly traditional boy, too, like something I'd smell in the mall. Oh, well. I didn't expect it would work on me; mostly I just wanted to try a rare scent. Fourteen hours: Still there. In the middle of the night I was sniffing at it, trying to remember, and I think I have it: stale, it smells like the "Brut" cologne my boyfriend used to wear when I was 14. It was due to him that I realized scent had something important to do with attraction: I loved the way he smelled, even without the cologne. But with it? Wow. No other man I have ever cared for smelled good in "Brut," and that's what this scent makes me remember.

In the vial: Herbal (geranium?), sweet, pungent, warm in that order. Wet: Very strongly herbal-woody, with intense bay rum on top. Smells like it's giong to be a man's fragrance. Half an hour: Wood first, then frankincense. The geranium is still very intensely there too; I can get cinnamon and bay rum, but no musk. Overall it is a pungent herb-wood over a warm spicy base. Two hours: Resin and wood, mostly. The herbal notes are very much in the background now. This is nice, warming, a little sweet. Three hours: Resin cinnamon rum. Yum. Four and a half hours: Resin cinnamon, still yum. Six hours: Nothing left but resin now, but still nice.

In the vial: Oooh, there's something just wrong about this one. Leather and coffin wood are what come to mind, although that's not exactly what I'm smelling. It's more like embalming fluid. Wet: Very different now. I get biting spices and a hint of some kind of floral underneath it. Then the patchouli chimes in. This has potential. Twenty minutes: I think the neroli has come out to play; there's an ethereal presence that wasn't there before. Other than that it's mostly clove with some lesser spice elements. It kind of smells like a spice merchant's store with carved wooden boxes and leather. One hour: Clove is still the dominant note. I think I would like this better if it were a little stronger on me. The blend of it has turned very pleasant, and my arm smells great, but it's not very powerful. The only thing I notice from more than six inches away is the clove. Two hours: Still very pleasant, although it's starting to sour a bit. Still not enough throw. Four and a half hours: Now it smells somewhat different: -- like musk, leather, and something else. It's definitely gone masculine, too. I would really like this particular incarnation of it, on the right man.

In the vial: Rose and patchouli, with something spicy underneath. Wet: The rose and patchouli are struggling for dominance. Underneath there's a strong woody base and a bite of clove on top. Half an hour: Whew! Roses! Underneath there's cedar, on top there's clove. It reminds me of soap. This is very strong and pungent, definitely more a Pebble than a Clod. Two hours: It's been mostly roses so far. I took a two-mile walk in the heat which seems to have calmed it down some. I can smell the cedar more now, and the sandalwood. The clove has dissipated. Where is the patchouli in this? Three hours: Not much change in the last hour, although it has soured a bit. Four hours: Rose mostly gone, now it's faintly patchouli and sandalwood. I'm kind of disappointed by this one; I guess I had big expectations, it being Blake and all.

First impression: this smells just like the "Loyalist Rose" perfume I wore to my senior prom! A moment to linger over a wonderful, bittersweet memory.... But alas, "Peacock Queen" fades very quickly and goes flat on me.

In the bottle: Tea, floral, fruit. Wet: Floral with an aromatic edge to it, and a bit of tea. It's like jasmine tea, only with another floral instead of jasmine. Twenty minutes: Sweet, floral, a little cloying but in a non-Western kind of way. One hour: Oooh, it's gone very subtle on me. I never have any luck with currant, black or red, but I was hoping for better with this one. Three and a half hours: Still pleasant, subtle and unusual. I like this one but might wind up shopping it around. Six hours: Over.

In the vial: Floral-evergreen. It smells dark green and cool. Wet: Jasmine and juniper, mostly, with something else green and sharp. I can smell other florals struggling to come out. Twenty minutes: A little headachy, but that might be the overcast weather. Warm and sweet on top, jasmine and vanilla. There's a more pungent floral beneath, I don't know what. The base is still sticky and blue-green but no longer smells like juniper. I have a feeling this one will develop further. One hour: Much softer and sweeter now. Vanilla jasmine over something green that might be bergamot. Two hours: Unidentified soft sweet floral (plumeria?), but mostly vanilla-y, with underlying faint juniper. All I can figure is that my skin does something weird when vanilla is involved, that it should dominate all these other strong scents. Five hours: The vanilla/juniper is still there. Oddly, I find that the longer I wear this one the more I like it. Fitting.