PurringPulsar

Valentine of Rome In the imp: mmm, a beautiful slightly floral-fruity incense. Wet on skin: the myrrh really comes out on the skin, and it’s dark and smoky with a bit of sweetness. Dry: oh, incense! I love incense so much and this is another beautiful incense scent. The frankincense and myrrh have a lovely ‘churchy’ smell to them, and this is enhanced by a note here that smells uncannily like candle smoke! I have no idea what it is but the candle smoke note here is gorgeous. The frank and myrrh in here remind me a bit of Haloa, with a reddish tinge (the blood accord, I think-different to dragon’s blood, blood accord comes out as more of a dark fruity metallic scent on me) and a cypress note. It also reminds me of Heavenly Love and Earthly Love. The olive blossom adds a light sweetness to it all. After a while: this gets smoother, lighter and sweeter. There’s a powdery aspect to it which I like, it’s almost like ashes, and the smoky candle scent has also become stronger, the myrrh now has a slight smouldering scent to it as well. This is a gorgeous scent. The blood note is identical to Chilling Cellar’s, it’s dark and red and wine-like with a metallic undertone that really works (and smells remarkably like metal, but not in an offputting way). This is now a bit like what I hoped the Cracked Bell would smell like-whilst I love CB, this is truly a ‘smoke, incense and blood’ scent. But the incense is strongest, especially the myrrh note. The drydown is like a lighter, drier Haloa, smoky myrrh and olive blossom (which smells a bit like olive leaf in here, but more floral) with a hint of redness. Verdict: this is yet another magnificent incense scent from the Lab. I adore the frankincense and myrrh scents, all with a sacred feel evoking churches and temples, yet each of them are different and have their own character. The beautiful resins in here are lifted by that wonderful olive blossom note which I’ve come to realise is a new favourite of mine, and darkened by a blood note, another note that I am really warming to, especially as it smells less like blood and more like dry red wine (and in my bottle of Valentine, there’s a hint of clove to this scent which I adore!) this is a new favourite in my collection of resinous scents, it reminds me of Haloa but drier and less sweet, smokier, slightly woodsy as well. It smells stunning when fresh, and I just know this is going to age wonderfully. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Yes-I have two bottles. If you like this, try: Haloa, Heavenly Love and Earthly Love, Chilling Cellar, Cracked Bell, Midnight Mass, Minotaur, Pit and the Pendulum

A new year's blessing! Peony, China's national flower, with bamboo for flexibility, plum blossom for perseverance, courage, and hope, tangerine for wealth, lychee for strong family relationships and peace in the home, orange for happiness, pine resin for constancy, golden kumquat and quince for prosperity, narcissus and King mandarin for good fortune, coconut for longevity, and candied melon for good health, with a splash of blazing red of dragon's blood... to help you scare away the rampaging Nian. Earth Rat In the imp: bright sweet fruit! I smell melons and oranges. Like a fruit salad! Wet on skin: yes, this does remind me of Fee, only with citrus added! Dry: this is gorgeous! It is less citrussy than Fire Pig, this is full of melon and I also smell a bit more lychee in here than in FP. I do smell hints of the flowers but thankfully they are not too strong. For now, I really like this. It reminds me of Fee meets Tanuki, a melon and citrus scent with a sweet undertone and just a hint of flowers. Bright, happy, a scent that speaks of spring and summer. After a while: as the melon’s juicy scent calms down, now I smell more in the way of plum blossom. Not good news because PB is one of my flowers of doom, it tends to turn bad on my skin. It’s turning soapy and cloying, but it’s not too bad in here-maybe because the other notes, possibly the lychee and pine, are keeping it fairly restrained. But I don’t like this scent as much as before. It’s a bit soapy, not as sparkly as before. the drydown is very floral, peony and plum blossom, with a hint of coconut. But I must say that the PB in here is a lot better behaved than usual. It’s only a tiny bit soapy, it isn’t turning wilted or like floral bananas, like it usually does. Actually, this is now a pleasant spring scent with an Asian flair to it, but with coconut hinting at summer. The scent does turn to pure blossom eventually, and it’s a bit too cloying for me. Verdict: at first, I love the bright, lively melon scent this has. Happy and sweet and fresh, this is a delicious fruity fun scent of summery coconut and juicy melon and lychee. It reminds me of Yemaya and even of Fee, and I adore Fee…but I’m not so keen on what the Rat turns into. As usual in scents with plum blossom, that note amps up and takes over with it’s cloying and overripe/wilted scent. However, I think the melon keeps this rampant floral restrained, so it doesn’t amp to ‘doom blossom’ proportions as usual, but overall this scent isn’t a favourite, despite the promising introduction. I think I’ll stick to Yemaya (and my beloved Fee) for my melon fix. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Not really. If you like this, try: Yemaya, Fire Pig, Tanuki, Budding Moon, Peony Moon, The Spell of Amorous Love

In the imp: pine and a hint of sweetness, something floral too. Wet on skin: pine and juniper, with vanilla and florals just detectable under the evergreens. Dry: hmm, this is really intriguing. It smells very pine-y, and it’s a really lovely pine note, with a bite of juniper to it. underneath it I smell floral notes-can’t distinguish them just yet but I just about make out jasmine (and it doesn’t seem to be a bad jasmine note) and rose, a citrus hint of bergamot, and sweet vanilla. I then smell lily of the valley, and this note is soaping this scent up a tiny bit, making the pine note in here a little soapier than usual (usually terebinth is a rich resinous pine on me), but other than that, this isn’t bad. It’s very unusual-a floral and evergreen scent which is very unique. After a while: damn. It seems the lily of the valley/jasmine and pine mix reminds me too much of pine cleaning fluid. It’s the combination of soapy flowers and pine that does it. It reminds me a bit of TP’d Trees now, though I prefer this greatly…it’s a lot more sophisticated, but the lily of the valley is turning rather waxy as well, and I don’t smell the vanilla any more. The scent then settles into a mix of waxy but not too unpleasant lily petals and juniper. An intriguing and different mix of floral and forest-y notes. It’s not bad, actually, but I wanted vanilla, rose, benzoin etc, as well as the lily and pine/juniper notes. The scent swings from floral to pine-y every now and then. After a few hours it smells mainly like juniper, with a bare hint of flowers. The drydown is a really lovely warm spicy-sappy pine scent with vanilla, the kind of pine note I love…in fact it reminds me of a floral version of Capricorn 07, and I love that…but I prefer Capricorn because of the lack of soapiness in the first hours of wear. Verdict: this is such an unusual and multifaceted scent. it’s not often you see mixes of evergreens and lush flowers, and this is such a scent. it’s like a mix of winter forest pines with tropical floral notes, hints of lily and rose and just a faint trace of vanilla. But since this scent contains lily of the valley and jasmine, it was inevitable that this scent wouldn’t be too nice on me, and as expected, the flowers turn a bit soapy. It smells like a much nicer version of TP’d Trees, flowery pine and softness, but I’m really not keen on the soapiness. I do like the drydown better, when the scent is a gorgeous pine resin-needle scent, and I love how different this is, but ultimately, it’s not a keeper. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Not really. Not crazy about how soapy the flowers get here…I love the drydown though. If you like this, try: Moon of Ice, Stranger in Camp, Capricorn 07, Wolf Moon 07, Noche Buena, Kubla Khan

Her Voice In the imp: a fresh and crisp scent of hyacinths and lilies. Beautiful, but will it be nice on me? Wet on skin: agh, now it seems to be going very sour and sharp! Dry: a strange mix of sour soapy flowers, sharp bitter greenery, and a promising hint of sweetness at the back. This is one of those fresh floral scents that despite smelling beautiful in the vial/bottle, smell terrible on me. There’s a hint of the ‘florist shop green’ scent to it, but that’s going very bitter on me. The hyacinth note that I smell is very true and genuine, but it’s drowned out by the bitter stems and screaming floral notes…I think it’s the lily of the valley and honeysuckle that are doing bad things on me…maybe also the tiger lily. Because the lovely notes-rose, vanilla amber, beeswax-are not detectable at all. After a while: this gets even more bitter, not as wet and dewy, now it smells like dry wilted flowers and leaves with a bitter, harsh feel, and a bit of soap. However underneath those unpleasant notes, I smell the vanilla and beeswax. I wish those could come out a bit more…the floral/greenery in here overpowers those sweet notes too much. But this scent is teasing me…every now and then I get a honeyed vanilla amber that rises up in little wafts and I smell it in the scent’s throw, but when I sniff my wrist, all I get is bitter wilted flower stems and dead hyacinths. The scent does get a little better over time. The bitter dry grass/stems/flowers scent still hangs around but now I smell more of the amber and beeswax, with more beeswax than amber, but I smell them both, a golden scent glimmering under the greenery. The amber really comes out after a few hours and it is gorgeous and sweet, thanks to the vanilla. but that bitter green scent is still there, but it’s not as bad as before. Eventually the scent loses that bitterness (after about 6 hours) and then it smells a bit like O meets To Helen with a hint of Mouse’s Long Sad Tale, a lovely honeyed amber with a hint of floweriness. But I much prefer To Helen and Mouse’s Tale. Verdict: sadly, this scent is a bit of a cacophony on me because of all the flower notes in here that turn bad once they hit skin. Lilies, honeysuckle, something harshly green like bitter stems and wilted grass, it’s really not good on me, at least for a few hours of wear. It does become a bit acceptable after a while when the notes I love (amber, beeswax) come out. The bitter green-soap-floral scent still sticks around, but the glowing sweetness of the vanilla amber and the honeyed scent of beeswax add a golden softness to the scent which I like, especially when it resembles Mouse’s Long and Sad Tale with added honey. But it’s not enough to make me keep this scent…I don’t think it’s worth waiting through hours of floral doom for that golden drydown when I can get something similar from other scents I much prefer. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Not really, despite smelling lovely at the end. If you like this, try: Poisson D’Avril, Hi’iaka, Noche Buena, Witch Queen, Oval Portrait, Mouse’s Long and Sad Tale

Lover’s Parodies of Sumo Holds In the imp: there is some darker oil at the bottom of the decant. The scent is a really lovely tangerine. Wet on skin: ginger? I have no idea why I smell spices in here, but this is spicy tangerine. Dry: tangerine, spices, and myrrh. Not sweet opoponax, but something that smells like deep bittersweet aged myrrh resin, sticky but a lot drier in scent than opoponax usually is. It’s a rich spicy resin topped with sweet citrus. Then I realise that the combination of resin and ti leaf in here smells very similar to Ligur, only this time with a fruity scent to it, not a smoky one. The amazing thing is that for now, I don’t smell any floral notes. After a while: this is really unusual in that the jasmine isn’t even showing up here, let alone turning nasty on me! I smell a hint of velvety tropical flower petals, I think that’s the pikaki, but it’s the resinous notes which are strongest here. As well as tangerine, this scent is almost all about the opoponax. This note has a really dark and aged feel to it, and there’s even a hint of something almost boozy to it, like it’s been macerated in wine. This is the same deep smoky moody opoponax as the one in Ligur. A wonderful ancient myrrh scent with hints of spice and smoke, a faint trace of tonka and benzoin for sweetness. I’m also amazed as to how long the tangerine is hanging around here. The bitter, dark and haunting opoponax still dominates the scent long after the tangerine leaves, and I just about smell the flowers trapped under the thick smoky resins. This is a really intriguing scent! Verdict: this one really took me by surprise. I was expecting a very floral scent with hints of citrus and resin. But what I get is actually very strong resin with a splash of citrus and a very gentle floral undertone. In here, after an intro of spiced tangerine that lingers for longer than usual, the opoponax rules supreme, and it’s dark, rich, bittersweet and smoky. I love it when opoponax and benzoin do this, and it reminds me of a drier Event Horizon with a hint of Ligur and a spicy orange scent. the flowers only come out at the end. I like this more than I expected but it’s not my favourite dark resin scent. I think the flowers make this smell a bit weird on me, a bit more bitter than usual? But it’s not the ‘jasmine of doom’ reaction I was fearing. Not bad, and very unusual and different. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Maybe, but I have other opoponax/myrrh/benzoin scents I prefer. This smells a bit strange to me? If you like this, try: Ligur, Vampire Tears, Event Horizon, Butterflies and Plovers, Three Gorgons

Harikata In the imp: a light floral honey. Wet on skin: still floral honey, now with a bare hint of ginger. Dry: mmm, this is a very pretty cool dewy floral honey scent. the floral aspect of the scent has a cool, almost watery scent to it that makes me think of pure mountain stream water strewn with petals, this reminds me of Vaskakajja. But the floral here is different-it’s vanilla flower and osmanthus, and the osmanthus is gentler than usual. The ginger is very subtle, and the honey is a mix of sweet sticky honey and sharper ‘O’ honey. This scent is almost a twin to Itaso Kansei, although the honey in here is not as sweet, and the osmanthus is not as intense. After a while: this is what I hoped I’d get in Itaso and Brides of Dracula. No overpowering osmanthus, but a very balanced mix of honey and sweet flowers. There’s something almost innocent to the floral notes, not blatantly sexy, this is more of a gently sexy scent. I am tempted to call this white floral scent ‘virginal’, but then look at the artwork again and cast that thought out of my mind! It still has the cool pure floral scent from before, I could see this as a great summer fragrance. Another word that comes to mind when I smell this is ‘silky’, it’s a very smooth floral scent tinged with honey. At times this reminds me of a much gentler, more coherent version of Mad Kate. (Sane Kate?) The floral note, after a while, smells like what I want many jasmine scents to smell like on me. At this point the scent reminds me of Regan, a beautiful soft honeyed vanilla orchid. The more I smell this, the more I love it. Verdict: this is one of the most beautiful honeyed vanilla florals out there! At first it has this amazingly cool, pure scent to it, a flowing floral scent with a clarity like crystal clear water. It also smells exotic and indulgent. Then the scent warms up a bit, sweetens, the flowers then tone down a little and the honey and vanilla really show up and makes this smell a bit like Regan-if Regan was from Japan, that is. It’s a vanilla orchid tinged with honey and musk with a very calm osmanthus which doesn’t amp to high heaven on me. It’s beautiful, sophisticated and very feminine scent, smooth as silk sheets and just as sensual. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? I have a bottle. If you like this, try: Itaso Kansei, Vaskakajja, Regan, Mad Kate, Spirit of the Komachi Cherry Tree, Kindly Moon, Brides of Dracula, Al Araaf, To Helen

Castitas In decant: the most sublime creamy vanilla ever. On skin: oh my, this is gorgeous! It reminds me strongly of something I’ve smelt elsewhere-maybe a kind of moisturiser or sun cream (and I don’t mean that in the coconut-scented way) of some kind? It smells like creamy soft sweetness, vanilla ice cream with a hint of floral. Yes, this does smell like sophisticated ice cream, and I love that. The rice flower note does prevent this from smelling like a purely foody scent, adds a little bit extra to it. The cream is not sour at all, nor is it buttery, and the vanilla is soft and fluffy but has a rich, indulgent undertone to it (probably because it’s Bourbon vanilla, the finest of all). The floral note smells almost tropical, for some reason. This smells so much nicer than Chaste Moon, I must say. CM had a weird soapy smell to it, but this doesn’t. It just smells like a summery vanilla cream scent, warm and sweet and cuddly. This just gets smoother, sweeter, creamier and softer as it develops on the skin. The perfect vanilla flower scent. This is what I wanted Love’s Philosophy to smell like. I want to try this in the bath next, but I also think this will be amazing worn as an after-bath body oil, a wonderful background for many BPAL scents, especially the vanilla or creamy ones. Oh, the layering possibilities of this oil are endless! I think I will need a big bottle!

Night Thoughts In the imp: lilac and cool air. This is stunning-it smells like a lilac bush on a spring night. Wet on skin: the scent now has green stem-like notes, and I smell a greener cedar note than usual. Dry: this has the potential to turn bad and bitter-soapy on me, but I hope it doesn’t because for now this is unbelievably pretty. It smells like a dewy garden on a spring night. Cool air and dew, crushed grass and lilac, and hints of orange blossom. The blue musk and ozone combine to form the night air scent, whilst the herbs smell grassy, and the cedar adds a woodsy base. Something in here reminds me of Night’s Pavilion, even though the two scents have no common notes. After a while: thankfully, this scent doesn’t go down the bitter, soapy path I feared it would. This is what I want my lilac scents to smell like-real lilacs blooming and the scent wafting in the breeze. Now this scent is a mix of this very genuine lilac scent, a greenish cedar, a touch of grass, and a beautiful blue musk with a very nice ozone note. This is so gorgeous! The herbs come out more as this scent progresses, but the musk seems to stop them from smelling too bitter-green. There’s an airy ethereal feel to this scent that I just love. The scent that remains on my skin is rather faint after a few hours, but it’s a lovely ozone and musk mix, still airy, still a bit green, with a hint of neroli. Verdict: I’ve been looking for the perfect lilac scent, and I think I’ve found it. Usually lilac scents smell bitter, wilted and harsh. But not this one. I think it’s the blue musk here making this work…because this smells like lilacs on a night breeze. Such a natural lilac scent. There’s also ozone here, which I normally dislike, but this ozone is an airy one which is beautiful, cool and fresh. The herbs smell green but not soapy-bitter like grassy notes can do, the cedar adds a solid woodsy background. The blue musk just completes it and enhances it, that ethereal, sparkling musk. I am so glad this works on me because the poem is beautiful, and I love the night/star themed BPAL scents, and this is another wonderful night scent to add to my collection. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Yes! I’ve not had a lilac BPAL work so well on me until I tried this. If you like this, try: Night’s Pavilion, Yvaine, Nuit, Melancholia, Virahotkandita, White Moon

To Helen In the imp: honey and a soft powdery sweetness. Wet on skin: mmm, honeyed amber and that cool sweet ‘opal’ scent I get in Black Opal. Dry: now I smell the moonflower and a bit of the ozone, but as far as ‘electric ozone’ goes, this isn’t bad at all-usually electric notes turn horrid on me. But this is lovely. It reminds me of the ozone in Aeaea, I think-that deep blue scent. Only this time it’s not mixed with watery/woody notes, but with honey, floral and even mineral notes. The beeswax note smells less like wax and more like honeycomb, and the moonflower adds a lovely crystalline floral aspect. The white amber is fabulous…but it’s the opaline notes that are really interesting. It’s that same powdery-sweet mineral scent from Black Opal, only this time with blue ozone and golden honey notes. I don’t really smell roses in here. This is a really beautiful scent. After a while: this gets even nicer as the slight sharpness of the ozone and honey tones down a lot, and the scent becomes really smooth. Now I smell more of that delightful amber, as well as more of the powdery opal scent, and now the honeycomb smells sweeter. The ozone is still there but it’s not misbehaving at all on my skin…it adds an edge to this otherwise totally smooth scent. This just gets smoother and smoother until it is a beautiful and feminine scent of soft powdered honey mixed with luminous amber, a dusting of minerals (this smells like wet rocks-how does Beth do that?) and a hint of flowers and the gentlest breath of ozone. This now reminds me of a more grown up version of another favourite Poe-themed scent, Al Araaf. Then the scent turns to the most gorgeous soft warm powdered vanilla sugar wrapped in white musk! As of late I’ve been getting this reaction to a lot of scents, not just in BPAL, it could be a skin chemistry change, but it’s a positive one and I love it! In here this scent is mixed with honey dust. Verdict: this is such a fascinating scent and one I thought the ozone note would totally ruin, but it’s really beautiful! The electric ozone, normally one of my bane notes, doesn’t smell electric at all, just sharp and airy. But it’s the beeswax, opal notes and amber which really make this stunning. The beeswax is like honey, very strong, and the opaline notes, of course, smell like the mineral vanilla-musk I love in Black Opal. I also smell a touch of bright moonflower, and the amber is so gorgeous here, sweet and luminous. It’s a wonderfully unusual scent-sumptuous honey and amber, gentle flowers, and the scents of sweetened minerals and night air. A masterful blend, one I shall be wearing a lot of. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Yes and I need a bottle or two. If you like this, try: Black Opal, Al Araaf, Spirit of the Komachi Cherry Tree, Kindly Moon, Brides of Dracula

Sapphics In the imp: mossy grey amber with resins, a soft misty-grey coloured scent. Wet on skin: mmm, mossy and softly amber-y! This reminds me of another BPAL but I can’t say which right now. Dry: mmm, this is gorgeous! I think the scent this reminds me of is Lyonesse, or Death and Life Completed? Maybe with a hint of Roux Ga Roux? It smells really interesting. The moss, a soft powdery grey-green scent, is dominant, followed by the sweet-powdery grey amber. There’s a gorgeous myrrh undertone to it as well, a hint of deeply sweet tonka. I also smell something almost reminiscent of crumbly grey stone? The muguet is subtle and adds a hint of white floral, but for now it’s not turning to soap! This is a very unusual but sophisticated scent. After a while: it’s so hard to describe this scent, but the overall feel I get from this scent is of a dark grey or blue-grey colour, the colour of old stone flecked with moss, or rain clouds above white flowers, it’s almost melancholy but not quite. It’s heavy on the myrrh, which is of the powdery and sweet variety (no bad thing) and with a dusting of moss, and the grey amber in here is like the amber in Death and Life, which I love. This is the darker, silvery sister of Lyonesse and Haloes. The muguet note really completes the scent. Normally I dislike this note but I love it in here-it adds a floral element that really works. Over time this becomes smokier as the myrrh really comes into it’s own, and the tonka is wonderfully dark and sweet and shadowy here. Now there’s something pleasantly dusty to this scent. And now I realise what this reminds me of most of all…Eshe! The myrrh in here, as well as the dustiness and hint of floral, really reminds me of Eshe. Maybe a bit sweeter and mossier. The moss also reminds me of the soft purple-mossy scent I get in Robin Goodfellow. This gets richer and myrrh-ier and I also smell something like musk to this. It now comes across as a very grown up scent. Verdict: this is a sophisticated, rich and beautiful scent. There’s a feel of something both classic (as in it smells like a classy vintage perfume) and classical (in that it brings to mind images of Greek statues when I smell it-I think it’s the moss and powder notes evoking images of stone), and all the notes merge in a scent of silvery blue-grey, it’s a scent that’s a little bit resinous, a bit floral, a bit musky, a bit mossy, a bit smoky…but all of it merges so nothing stands out and it’s a very seamless blend. The myrrh and powdery amber are dominant, with moss and muguet (which works in here!) also coming out at times. Definitely bottle-worthy and one which will age wonderfully, I think. (I don’t get hairspray from this scent but at times it does remind me of Stardust.) Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Yes-one to get a bottle of. If you like this, try: Lyonesse, Death and Life Completed, Eshe, Roux Ga Roux, Stardust, Robin Goodfellow

The Clod and the Pebble In the imp: old cedar, rose and patchouli, reminds me of a mix of Wanton and Pulcinella. Wet on skin: cedar and patchouli, with a hint of spice and sandalwood. Dry on skin: mmm, now it smells a tiny bit spicier and the rose pops out a little more. this is a spicy cedar and patchouli scent with rose and a bit of sandalwood incense. the cedar note smells aged, it’s the note that reminds me of antique chests, a really rich wood note. The rose note is also gorgeous, as is the sandalwood and the hints of spice. The patchouli is also very strong, and the whole scent is earthy and dark but not dirty. This is a classic wood-rose-patchouli scent. After a while: the cedar, so dominant before, has mellowed, and now the scent is a really balanced mix of woods, patchouli and rose with a sprinkling of nutmeg. Not as strongly clove-y as El Amor, but this is quite similar. This one is heavier on the woods and rose. It smells really nice, a shadowy woody rose with warmth and depth. Over time it smells a tiny bit more like incense (I think that’s the sandalwood) and the patchouli becomes stronger as well. at times I swear I smell a hint of resin or smoke to this. The scent does get fainter-or at least, everything except the patchouli does. The patch is tinged with hints of spices, woods and incense, but it is close to the skin. Verdict: this smells like an old cedar chest full of rose petals, cloves, nutmegs and sandalwood chips. It’s like I’ve opened this ancient wooden box up after many decades or centuries of it being closed, and I’m inhaling the scent of all those spices and woods and roses that somehow have still retained their scent. It’s so rich and deep and dark and mature, earthy but not dirty. It’s a scent that smells a bit exotic, a bit antique, unisex and a bit like a scent I’d find in incense with the sandalwood and spices. It’s a lovely woodsy rose scent with the nutmeg and clove adding warmth to it. I like this a lot but I’m not sure if it’s a favourite in the woody-spicy-rose scents, I think I prefer Baghdad and Parentalia, or El Amor…I also wish this lasted a bit longer on me. I do like this one though…it’s a lot nicer and not as masculine as I expected it to be. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Maybe, maybe not. It’s a lovely scent but I prefer others on a similar theme. If you like this, try: El Amor Y La Muerte, Wanton, Rakshasa, Pulcinella and Teresina, Parentalia, Baghdad

The Passionate Shepherd To His Love In the imp: wonderful dewy greenery. It smells lovely but could turn to soap on me. Wet on skin: green green grass, with a hint of carnation and something like lily. Dry on skin: this is a lovely fresh green scent of crushed ivy and clover. It really does smell like clover, and green grass. It’s so evocative of the countryside, wildflowers and clover and fields. For now the green notes don’t seem to be turning too bitter, but it could change. There’s a touch of carnation to this which adds warmth. After a while: it seems the green notes are turning against me, as expected. It smells less bitter than most green scents, but I still get a scent of bitter stems and soapy flowers in here, along with the clover and mushy grass clippings scent. I don’t smell rose or carnation now. The scent doesn’t go too bad though, it stays bitter but isn’t screaming soapy death on me. It smells a little bit more pleasant at times, reminiscent of the grassiness of Garden Path with Chickens, but I prefer that scent. The drydown is reminiscent of Green Phoenix, but a bit more bitter and almost soapy-floral. The clover still hangs around but the bitterness isn’t really my thing. Verdict: at first, this smells like a meadow! A really lovely fresh green scent full of clover and grass with hints of flowers, such a pretty scent and so natural. Sadly, a lot of green grassy scents tend to turn bitter and soapy on me, as One to Tie taught me. And this one turns bad after an hour’s wear, when the grass note does indeed turn to unpleasant soap and waxy white flowers with wilted stems. Not nice. It’s not too bad though, as far as green-floral scents that turn soapy on me goes. But if I want grass and flowers and summer breezes, I’ll stick with Garden Path with Chickens. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? No…it’s sad when the green grass scents turn bitter on me. If you like this, try: One to Tie Two to Win, Glasgow, Garden Path with Chickens, Her Voice, Green Phoenix

The Presence of Love In the imp: sour grapefruit and a hint of the jasmine which turns bad on me. Wet on skin: grapefruit and jasmine, like Biggercritters but without the vanilla. Dry on skin: grapefruit and jasmine, and a hint of rose. In fact, the rose is taking over…but it’s the jasmine that rules supreme. And it’s not the kind of jasmine that plays well on me, sadly. The grapefruit, a note I normally like, is very acidic in here, not bright and tangy in a pleasant way. And the jasmine has that bitter undertone I dislike. This has a feel of cologne to it as well, it smells like floral cologne, very perfumey. I don’t smell much white musk or amber. however, the rose could change this scent for the better, I can smell the rose note surfacing. After a while: the grapefruit fades and the rose is there, but now the jasmine smells wilted. Damn, why must my skin be so unkind to a lot of BPAL jasmine notes? It’s not the gorgeous jasmine in scents like Biggercritters or Hony Mone that I love. It turns what could be such a lovely floral note into a bitter and acrid mess in here. I don’t even smell any white musk or amber…just a sour rose overpowered by harsh jasmine. Verdict: I wish my skin chemistry could love all jasmine notes like it did when I first got into BPAL. This has the jasmine note that my skin dislikes and turns to a sharp bitter scent like dead jasmine and something a little bit chemical. I smell grapefruit, and it’s not the bright, lively grapefruit I love, but something that smells very sour. The rose is lovely, but where’s the musk and amber? this has too much ‘bad jasmine’ for me to appreciate it, so I passed it on. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? No, the jasmine in here is not good on me. If you like this, try: BiggerCritters, Helena, Perfumed Garden, Phantasm, New Orleans, Eos

Love’s Philosophy In the imp: call me crazy, but this smells just like Snowblind! Vanilla and mint! Wet on skin: ah, now I get the feared wintergreen that everyone talks about…to top it off, it smells a bit like plastic too. Dry on skin: wintergreen and vanilla! Not mint any more, but a very medicinal wintergreen that reminds me of that awful medicated toothpaste my mum used to use! But with vanilla. I don’t get anything remotely Underpantastic in this scent, I don’t even smell the warm spicy saffron…I do get vanilla cream, but it’s laced with wintergreen, and I don’t like that. And the vanilla still smells plastic. After a while: thankfully the wintergreen does disappear completely after 15 minutes. And I’m left with a warm gourmand vanilla. And it’s quite nice…but it’s not exciting me as much as I hoped. It’s got an annoying plastic undertone that I’m not too crazy about. It’s not as rich or refined as other BPAL vanillas tend to be, at least, it isn’t on my skin. I find it to be a bit flat? It is a comforting scent though, and I think it may be nicer when layered with another scent. The scent is a soft milky vanilla at the end, not too different from before, but now it’s a bit too sickly sweet for me, and not as nuanced or complex as other BPAL vanillas like Snake Oil, Underpants, Antique Lace etc. It seems a little bit ‘plain vanilla’ to me, literally! Verdict: this one was a disappointment for me as well. I got the wintergreen reaction, and I really didn’t like that. Thankfully it didn’t last but the vanilla I got at the end, whilst sweet and fluffy and foody and definitely agreeable, it didn’t excite me like other BPAL vanillas. The vanilla here is not the gorgeous vanilla I loved in Black Lace or Underpants, or the sexy Snake Oil vanilla, but a really ‘vanilla’ vanilla, plain and bland (and I must say, I really don’t using this word to describe BPAL because I love Beth’s art so much). It is one dimensional to me, and a bit cloying, with a plastic note that I rarely get in BPAL vanilla. This is the first vanilla from BPAL that I would describe as ‘meh’, and I feel bad doing it (even more so than reviewing a scent that my skin chem totally screws up). I suppose this would be a better scent for layering, maybe age will bring out some complexity. But as vanilla goes, this one is not my thing. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? I may just keep a little to see if it ages, but I’m not crazy about this. If you like this, try: Tokyo Stomp, Golden Priapus, Lick It/Again/One More Time, Tombstone

La Vita Nuova In the imp: a crisp apple scent. Just a hint of bubbly and a hint of floral. Wet on skin: now it’s turning to soapy apple. This doesn’t bode well… Dry on skin: apple soap! Dammit! Why must most apple or apple blossom scents turn so bad on my skin? I don’t smell the rose, I smell very little lemon balm here and the champagne note, which I usually like, smells too sharp and sour in here. The apple blossom smells too much like a floral-apple washing up liquid or soap scent. It’s almost reminiscent of Delirium, but much soapier. After a while: ok, the soap’s got worse. Now it’s gone bitter as well. A bitter apple blossom scent that smells slightly wilted. I think I only like apple blossom when it’s weighed down with heavier or sweeter notes, like the amber in Brisingamen. But otherwise, it just goes nasty and sharp on my skin, like many apple notes do. This just turns into a sort of soapy champagne scent over time. I hoped this would be lovely and sparkly and bright, but it was not to be. Verdict: why oh why must my skin hate the apple notes? Or at least, most of them, especially where apple is the main player in the scent. And apple blossom seems to be worse on me than apple fruit-because it smells like apple-scented washing up liquid and floral air freshener. I get none of the other notes…maybe a bit of champagne and lemon, but no rose. Apple blossom takes over this scent and turns so bad on my skin in here, just soap, soap, soap…not my thing at all. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? No. If you like this, try: Delirium, Hesperides, Bon Vivant, Shattered, Ladon, Eve

Longing In the imp: smells like a golden powdery sweet musk with a hint of geranium. Wet on skin: oh, I like this, soft sweet musk contrasting with warm spices and herbs. Dry on skin: mmm! This is really nice! It’s not what I expected at all, I thought this would be a rather masculine scent from the notes, but it smells beautifully unisex and a lot gentler than expected. The golden musk is the star of the scent, a warm and sweet powdery musk which glows, and has hints of amber. fringing it are notes of rosewood (a particularly nice rosewood), frankincense, geranium and a hint of bay rum which is nice and herbal in here. I also smell a touch of cinnamon, but not too much. The geranium is fantastic, reminds me of the same scent I got from the Stress Relief Elixir, but not as strong. And I do love the golden resinous warmth of the frankincense. After a while: the golden musk is fantastic in here. The scent is now dominated by the rosewood and the musk, with a layer of subtle spice to it. This is such a lovely fragrance…there’s something cosy yet luminous about the musk, and the rosewood reminds me of that note in the Winter of our Discontent, slightly spiced and a bit rosy, but not floral. The scent becomes a gorgeous and contrasting scent of mainly rosewood and musk, the wood being dark and rich and slightly bitter (in a good way), and the musk being light and sweet and powdery with a hint of something like amber. Actually, I think I know why this musk smells familiar to me…it reminds me of the musk in Morocco. I may be the only one who thinks this but the rosewood-musk reminds me of the sandalwood-musk in Morocco. Verdict: this one really surprised me…I thought this would either be too masculine or really beautiful, and thankfully it’s the latter. I love how strong-and how wonderful-the musk note in here is, it reminds me, at times, of Morocco, only a bit more powdery and with a rosewood note replacing the sandalwood. The cinnamon warms it up nicely and the frankincense and geranium are so lovely in here. I don’t get any bay rum here, just a glowing, cosy and cuddly scent of luminous musk framed by woodsy-herbal-spicy notes. I love this one. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Yes, I have a bottle. If you like this, try: Winter of our Discontent, Eclipse, Resurrection of the Flesh, Faustus, Parentalia, Fascinum, Morocco, Lyonesse

Parentalia In the imp: mmm, herbal incense. I smell marjoram and frankincense here. Wet on skin: now I smell rose and something sweet and balmy mixing with the herbal incense. Dry on skin: mmm, this is gorgeous! I love the dry herbal scent this has from the marjoram, it reminds me of the scent of a perfect summer’s evening on holiday somewhere warmer than here. Then there’s the frankincense, which is fabulous in here, and underneath I smell a woodsy, slightly powdery rose (powder in a good way) with an exotic spicy and slightly sweet feel that reminds me of Baghdad. I think it’s the violet making it powdery but though this smells traditional and has a feel of age, it doesn’t smell too old fashioned for me. After a while: the initial herbal-resin scent fades a little, and the slightly powdery scent of rose, violet and woods is now strong. It smells ancient and exotic, the rose is wonderfully strong now, contrasting nicely with the cedar. It now reminds me slightly of Pulcinella and Teresina, but without the thick resinous scent I got from that. This smells a little bit dusty at times, but also noble and strong, with a vintage feel to it. The scent then turns to a pleasant powdery scent of soft sweet rose and violet with a woody undertone. Verdict: this one surprised me by how beautiful it was. I was expecting something old fashioned and maybe a bit masculine, but it’s actually a really lovely unisex scent which is traditional in a very good way. First I get a blast of marjoram, mixed with frankincense it makes a fantastic herbal incense, and it made me realise how much I love those dry Mediterranean-style herbal scents. this then changes into a lovely rich woodsy scent of cedar and rose, it brings to mind a box of fragrant wood filled with old rose petals, like a keepsake or heirloom from a distant relative. It’s a strong, solid scent with a feel of something vintage and classic, and a has lovely balmy warmth to it. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Yes, I got a bottle of this one. If you like this, try: Arcana, Baghdad, Wanton, Marie, Pulcinella and Teresina, Scales of Deprivation, Clod and the Pebble

Madame Tracy In the imp: traditional rose-violet perfume…it’s a little bit sharp. Wet on skin: now I smell the geranium and a little bit of lily. Dry: not bad! This is a very pretty, if a little bit traditional, rose-violet perfume warmed up with gentle geranium. The lily of the valley isn’t turning too soapy yet, and it’s not as sharp and biting as Marie when it comes to rose-violet scents. It’s quite lovely but maybe a little old fashioned for me? After a while: now this gets soapy (the lily of the valley, I think) and a little bit too dusty and stuffy for me. There’s a floral note here I can’t identify (ume? It’s the only one on the notes list I’ve not smelt before) which is turning to something disturbingly like potpourri on me, and it’s very strong and sharp and dusty and old-smelling. And it smells a bit like public toilet soap. The violet is also overtaking. This perfume is mature, but a little too mature for me to pull off-I much prefer Atrocious Attic, which has that gorgeous creamy sweetness softening the dusty flowers. It then turns into a dry, thin scent of potpourri and dry rose petals with a spritz of air freshener…not the kind of floral I like. Verdict: this was really bad on me, sadly. I thought the rose, geranium and heliotrope would make this at least wearable on me, but something in here goes really bad and fake-smelling on me. it’s not the violet, even though the violet here is not the sweet version I enjoy but the dusty-musty one I don’t like…but there’s something in here that turns to really bad soap on me, I’m guessing the lily of the valley. It smells like air freshener, an artificial and cloying floral scent with a dusty potpourri scent to it. And it’s a shame because I really like the character it’s named after! Oh well, it could be worse. It could smell like Brussels sprouts! Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? No. If you like this, try: Atrocious Attic, Marie, Victoria, Hymn, Monna Vanna

Haloes In the imp: oh my…this is gorgeous. Sweet creamy glowing vanilla with something else, maybe amber. Wet on skin: now I can smell hints of lily, tonka, woods and maybe apricot, a little bit of ginger. Dry: a little greener, a little more floral, but still gorgeous. I smell more of the oak now, as well as the lily (please don’t go soapy on me) but surrounding this green, springy scent is a smooth sweetness that just glows. It’s a wonderful merging of vanilla, amber and tonka with sandalwood which is seamless, nothing stands out, and it’s very sophisticated. The tonka makes this very grown up and classy in scent. There’s something to this which is along similar lines to Fairy Market (but with different notes), this mix of ethereal sweetness with a green touch. After a while: ok, now I adore, and I mean ADORE the scent that I smell when I smell this from a distance. It’s a halo (naturally) of sweet gorgeousness-a mix of vanilla, amber and tonka so smooth that you can’t tell them apart. However when I smell my wrist, all I get is dry green oak! Hmm, what’s up with that? However, that oaky stage does die down after about five minutes and now when I smell my wrist I get that magnificent vanilla sweetness there too. Oh yes, this is love! The oak adds a hint of dry greenness but underneath it is that warm, slightly creamy, and rich vanilla-amber-tonka. Something about this now reminds me of Lyonesse, but without the moss and musk. I can’t stop sniffing this! This gets sweeter, lovelier and more tonka-scented over time. It’s just a divine mix of vanilla and tonka given a golden sheen by the amber and with a dry oak backing and a hint of floral. It smells so well blended. It definitely has a classic perfume feel to it too, and that’s a compliment. Verdict: this is a new favourite. One of the most beautiful BPAL scents of the vanilla-amber theme. Sweet but not cloying, floral but not soapy, luminous with amber, warm vanilla and deep tonka with woods and flowers and apricot adding more complexity. At first I fear that the oak will ruin this for me but then that note fades a little and then the scent becomes a really seamless blend of the amber, vanilla and tonka. This scent, as the name implies, glows off the skin, and has incredible throw, it’s like I’m radiating a beautiful sweet aura of fragrance when I wear this. This smells almost like something expensive and masterfully crafted that would normally cost the earth, it is so well blended and so well balanced. It feels luxurious. It’s also very different to other BPALs with amber, vanilla and tonka, this is unique. I don’t think a half-decant of this scent will be enough, I need more! Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Yes-I want a bottle of this asap! If you like this, try: Glowing Vulva, Mouse’s Long Sad Tale, Fairy Market, Tamora, Lyonesse

Egg’d Mailbox In the imp: yup, this does smell like sweet custard! And maybe even meringues! Wet on skin: now it smells a tiny bit floral? It’s very pretty! Dry: this is a very pretty scent indeed! No eggs, but definite hints of eggy desserts like custard, meringue and flan. However, it’s not all foody. There’s a floral edge to it, which has hints of carnation (which boosts/is enhanced by the slight hint of spice the scent has) and a sweet Asian floral (cherry blossom or rice flower perhaps?), but also a brighter, sharper, fresh floral which is a tiny bit metallic, almost hinting at the perfumey scent I get from the metal scents. But the custard/flan scent gives this a fluffy, creamy, sweet scent. This is really lovely. After a while: oh, this gets better. That floral/fresh perfume scent is a lot more subtle now and this scent has gone back to it’s creamy stage. It smells like vanilla custard and crème brulee (but I don’t smell caramel) but there’s that hint of carnation to it which is so lovely. I also smell a sweet fluffy something (can’t say what) which reminds me of Marshmallow Poof, only a little bit creamier and without that odd ‘doll head’ scent I got from MP. But this seems like a sister to MP, almost like the naughty version of the Poof. It’s a warm scent too, with that spicy hint of clove/carnation, maybe even some nutmeg too (hmm, perhaps there’s some eggnog here too?) It’s very unique and I can’t think of many other scents that smell similar, actually. The scent moves between smelling of carnations and eggnog with interludes of custard. It’s really delicious but not sickly sweet. The drydown is a soft powdered sugar scent like crumbly meringues. Verdict: the description for this scent sounded least appealing. But this is my favourite of the Trick or Treat 07 scents! of course it doesn’t smell of egged mailboxes, it smells like the loveliest mix of custard and flan and crème brulee, with a touch of meringue powder. All the loveliest egg based desserts, hints of vanilla and spice, a splash of eggnog, and even some carnation (that could be a clove note, but it smells more floral to me) to stop the scent from being too foody. This is such a fun scent, a highly original and delicious gourmand scent and I’m so glad I was able to swap for a bottle of it! Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Yes, I swapped my Poof for it, and I’m really pleased I did.

Mistletoe 07 In the imp: Christmas tree, just like the last version…but this one is sweeter. Wet on skin: Christmas tree with hints of something vaguely floral or fruity? Dry: mmm, smells just like a Christmas tree. Warm pine needles, fir needles, spruce needles…it’s evergreen but without snowy coldness. This is a tree inside a house waiting to be decorated. There’s something else to it which I didn’t get last year…other notes I can’t identify but it’s a bit lemony, a bit floral, a bit sweet and I also fear it may turn a little soapy… After a while: ack…pine soap! This doesn’t turn to gorgeous pure fir tree, nor does my skin eat this up like last year. Now it smells like pine cleanser, with a nasty washing powdery scent to it, a little lemony and soapy…almost like powdery ozone. No, this is ozone…I even smell that crackly electric smell in it. This now smells like Slobbering Pine without the moss. The pine/fir scent fades away and this turns into pure ozone-y detergent, even with that ‘burnt air’ scent I smell around office appliances, the kind of scent I’d expect with stormy scents, not a festive mistletoe one! Verdict: I really liked Mistletoe 05, because it smelt like pure essence of Christmas tree, and nothing else. It was short lived though. This one lasts a lot longer on me, but is nowhere near as nice as the 05 version. This smells like lightning-struck mistletoe on me! Yup, fir notes mixed with ozone…and ozone that turns straight to washing powder on me. Now theoretically, Christmas tree scented washing powder would be a wonderful idea…for washing powder and clean linen. But sadly, not for my skin. I sold my decant to someone who would appreciate the scent better. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? No. If you like this, try: Snow Storm, Slobbering Pine, Yew Trees, Jolasveinar, Shivering Boy, Old Moon

Autumn In the imp: decayed autumn leaves and osmanthus. Wet on skin: a truer autumn leaf scent than that of October, with osmanthus and a little bit of rose. Dry: mmm, this smells like autumn rain! There’s a lovely watery quality to this scent which makes me think of raindrops hanging on tree branches, and the leafy note is strong, but very different to October’s, there’s no cologne to it, and it smells more genuinely like autumn leaves. There’s also a melancholy floral scent to it, the last roses of the season, with a hint of sharp osmanthus. I also smell the sandalwood, which is not as warm and spicy as usual, this is more like a natural barky wood scent. After a while: now I smell a clear, yet woodsy scent. it’s odd to describe but imagine that wood was glassy and transparent…that’s what I get here, a woody green scent which is clear and watery, a little mossy, leafy and floral. The osmanthus is stronger now but doesn’t amp on me like it sometimes does. This reminds me of Ouija now, but also of the Twisted Oak Tree-the woodsy scent with that watery sheen over it reminds me of TOT but without the harsh wintergreen I got from that scent-this is what I hoped TOT would smell like, actually. It reminds me of an oak tree with leaves falling, bark, leaf, wood and soil. The scent’s green, watery woody scent becomes stronger over time and it really does smell like a much nicer, less medicinal TOT to me. Cool and rainy and with an earthiness, and also a melancholy feel to it. Verdict: this really does smell like autumn, much more than October did. Though it’s a more floral autumn scent than usual, with the rose and osmanthus notes, the autumn leaves note in here is much more genuine, I think, than October’s…it smells just like mushy wet leaves, and there’s a woodsy note that smells less like sandalwood and more like oak. There’s also a pure watery scent-maybe part of the osmanthus note-which evokes cold clean rain falling on those leaves and trees. It’s not my favourite of the autumn scents as the osmanthus and oak amp a little bit too much for me, but it’s another beautiful scented interpretation of a beautiful season. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Not sure. I prefer Death of Autumn when it comes to smelling of autumn, but this leaf note in here is very true. If you like this, try: Ouija, October, Ivanushka, Death of Autumn, Rakshasa, Destroying Angel, Twisted Oak Tree

A Farewell to False Love In the imp: heavy thick lavender. Maybe with some violet. Wet on skin: lots of lavender, and something a little bit smoky. Dry on skin: lavender incense and narcissus. The lavender in here is not a soft gentle type, but an intense and slightly soporific lavender like the ones in the sleep scents. it smells like it’s wrapped up in opium smoke, even though there’s no mention of that in the notes. The narcissus is definitely there, a crisp yet sophisticated scent which is slightly perfumey and slightly springy. I have no idea what balsam of Peru smells like but I think it may be what’s making this smell deep and smoky? I also smell a hint of violet, a gentle and pretty violet. After a while: once the lavender fades, the scent is a bitter, melancholy narcissus. It smells a bit wilted and not as nice as it can be, but it lends an atmosphere to the scent. The violet is still there, but also not as strong as before. I think, underneath the narcissus, I smell what could be the balsam, it’s an interesting scent that’s a bit spicy, a bit smoky, a tiny bit sweet and almost incense-like but not quite. Then the narcissus does something odd…it turns into a wilted scent which has a hint of cloying sweetness to it. I’ve not had narcissus do this before. It reminds me of what my skin does to lilac and plum blossom, only this time with a hint of dark smoky perfumey floral which has opium-like tones to it. It’s a strange scent and I’m not sure I like it. Verdict: I’m not crazy about this one. The lavender intro was nice, with a smoky lavender incense scent with hints of the sweet violet note I like and some narcissus and balsam, but then when the lavender goes, the narcissus goes really odd on me…all bitter and wilted, like a dying flower. It’s a thoughtful scent, melancholy and dark, but I’m really not keen on what the flowers in here are doing, smelling like dead blooms on my skin. I’ll have to bid this scent farewell and pass it on to someone else. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? No. If you like this, try: Old Scratch, Gaueko, Kalaharantrika, Darkness, Melancholia

The Spell of Amorous Love In the imp: green tea and plum blossom. Wet on skin: here comes the sake! With tea and blossoms, this is the quintessential Japanese scent. Dry on skin: now the juicy red tartness of currant adds a fruity scent to it all. This is very pretty! Tangy green tea and currant, gentle cherry and plum blossom and a boozy twist of sake. It’s very evocative of Japan, and it smells light and sweet but also crisp and sharp because of the currants and green tea. The plum blossom, as usual, is bound to overtake this scent…it’s already starting to smell a little too sweet. After a while: damn you plum blossom, why must you always do this? Yup, as expected, the plum blossom turns sickly sweet, and also smells like it is wilting in here. The sake note is also turning strange on me, it smells almost like gin now (what the?) and there’s no sign of the currant in here now. The scent ends up smelling like two blossoms, one which I love (cherry blossom-it was Cheshire Moon that really made me love this floral note) and one which I don’t like much (wilted plum blossom) with a hint of red currant. Verdict: a lot of the Japanese scents don’t work on me because of one note that almost always does bad things on me-plum blossom. And this one has loads of it. It starts off nicely as a very Asian blend of tea, sake and cherry blossoms, a gentle, graceful and evocative fragrance. But then plum blossom bullies the other notes into submission and turns cloying and overpowering. The scent ends up as cherry and plum blossom, and I wish the cherry blossom could come out more because this is one of my new blossom loves. But plum flower won’t let that happen. So this one will be passed on to someone who’ll appreciate the scent more than me, with my plum blossom hating skin. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? No. If you like this, try: Tanuki, Budding Moon, Kyoto, Earth Rat, Lantern Ghost of Oiwa, Fire Pig, Cheshire Moon

Butterflies and Plovers In the imp: violet! No orange or amber, just violet and patchouli. Wet on skin: now I smell the orange! But violet and patchouli are still dominant. Dry on skin: gorgeous fizzy blood orange and mandarin mixed with powdery violet and a dry patchouli that smells like dusty earth. There’s a hint of tart nectarine too. This actually reminds me of a less heavy version of a Countenance Foreboding Evil, which is probably due to the orange, ylang and patchouli mix. The orange is then blocked out by the mandarin, which wants to be the dominant citrus in here and smells just like mandarin should-freshly peeled and juicy. Then I smell something almost like hay or straw…no idea what that is. I don’t smell amber yet. This reminds me of Clio now, but I prefer Clio because of the parchment scent. After a while: where’s the amber that was promised? Now it reminds me of Clio even more, but a bit less dirty/earthy, and with a lot of violet. I’m not crazy about this kind of violet though, it’s not a sweet violet like La Befana, but a dusty ‘old smelling’ violet, it smells a bit dusty and grey, and wilted. One of the citrus notes-which I normally love-has turned to a strange dry peel and straw scent. Underneath is the dry patchouli. This seems to fade fast…or at least, all but the patchouli seem to fade away from my skin quickly. No more orange now, very little in the way of nectarine or even violet…now I just smell the slightest hint of patchouli. Verdict: I was hoping this would be like Angeronalia but with a more violet-y feel and a lovely amber background, but it wasn’t on me. This smells like a lighter Countenance Foreboding Evil on me, without vetiver but with a very musty violet in it’s place, it’s not the gentle sweet violet note I like. The citrus notes are lovely, but they are soon drowned out by the smell of dusty flowers and dry dirt from the patchouli, and there’s no amber showing up at all. I was disappointed by this one-and it didn’t last long on me either. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Not really. If you like this, try: A Countenance Foreboding Evil, Angeronalia, Clio, Le Serpent Qui Danse, Ultraviolet