PurringPulsar

The Sportive Sun In the bottle: a soft almond flower, with amber, this reminds me strongly of the Penitent Magdalen. Wet on skin: now the heliotrope and cedar come out. Dry on skin: mmm, this is nice! It's strongly woodsy and gently powdery at this point, but it's not a very manly cedar. This is a very warm, strong scent, golden and soft, yet solid. The cedar is a powerful base over which the delicate floral notes play, warmed by the presence of amber. It's a very solar scent, glowing and bright, it feels confident, yet with a gentle feel of powder. After a while: the cedar calms down a little and the amber and florals are a little stronger now. I like the powdery scent this has, it is like powdered sunlight, a bright gold-white scent. The heliotrope is delightful in here, it is the strongest note now, when usually this flower is very soft and retreats to the back of a scent, in here it is at the front, it's soft vanilla-like fragrance is so lovely. It is like the heliotrope-amber combination from Red Moon that I love. The almond flower adds a hint of something gently nutty, and I swear there's something almost spicy or incense like, a little smoky? The powder does settle down into a more rounded floral scent, with a hint of tropical frangipani peeking through, and a little more of the amber. The scent is still golden and dry. I also smell something pale and papyrus like, probably the calamus? There are times when a bitter scent pokes through, almost like dragon's blood, but not quite. It's not unpleasant at all and doesn't last. This then becomes a bitter almond scent, before turning to a lovely golden heliotrope, reminding me of Eclipse with amber instead of vanilla. The almond flower returns at drydown, amplified by the cherry-like quality that heliotrope has, followed by the amber which finally shows itself in full at the very end. Verdict: another gorgeous interpretation of liquid sunshine. Different to the sparkling citrus of Sol Invictus and Et Lux Fuit, and with less spice than Sol and Leo, this is a sophisticated solar scent. it's a warm powdery woodsy floral with a golden amber sheen. At first the cedar is dominant, and it's a lovely warm wooden scent which feels nice and strong, a grounded sunshine scent. I like the cedar that is in recent BPALs, it isn't overly masculine, it's more an exotic fragrant wood scent. The fragrance then moves towards a delightful powdered bright floral mix where the gorgeous heliotrope takes centre stage, very much like Eclipse but not as gourmand, and with a lovely amber glow behind it all. The scent brings to mind depictions of Apollo, radiant and surrounded by sunbeams, almost marble-white, yet lyrical and poetic, a classical fragrance. Almost sophisticated at times, but with a shining aloofness to it. Even though Sol Invictus and Ra will always be my favourite of the sunny scents, this one is definitely worth keeping two bottles of-I have a feeling the amber and cedar will make it age nicely. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? yes! Both bottles! If you like this, try: Eclipse, Sol Invictus, Ra, The Sun, Sol, Red Moon 07, Ahathoor, Penitent Magdalen, Et Lux Fuit

Calico Jack In the imp: sweet fresh laundry! I fear the Detergent of Doom reaction. Wet on skin: holy crap this is EXTREME washing powder! Dry on skin: yep, washing powder and leather and a spritz of manly sporty perfume. This is like Jolly Roger, but a little sweeter and with something almost like citrus to it. I also smell a hint of kelp, and the dreaded ozone, underneath, but no musk, no woods and the spice notes here are almost like a spicy cologne or aftershave scent, though at times I smell something like ginger. It's not as 'oh noes, I'm being attacked by a washing machine' as before and has a little more complexity, but it still smells too much like men's sporty perfume and clean laundry. It's a manly version of Port Royal. After a while: ok, it still smells like 'eau de sporty pour homme' meets 'ocean breeze fabric conditioner' but now I smell the spicy musk. It reminds me of the gingered musk from Port Royal, which in turn reminded me of Devil's Night, and that spice was what I really loved in PR despite that scent also having a soapy aquatic note to it. The aquatic note is stronger and manlier in here, but at least there's a hint of lovely ginger to stop the scent from going all generic on me. I get a slight Thunder Moon vibe from this scent after a while, still with that spicy ginger and now, a hint of wood. It's a similar woodsy ozone cologne scent to TM, but not as mossy or electric, but still with that feel of aftershave and a hint of something outdoorsy and tempestuous. The ozone in here is a lot 'rawer' as well, more rugged. The wood and ginger-musk does get stronger with time, which I like. Verdict: I really wanted to love the BPAL pirate scents, but sadly most of them have an aquatic note which instantly 'detergent-ifies' on my skin, and smells more squeaky clean than a pirate should smell! This one has that aquatic note, also familiar from Jolly Roger. In fact, this is like the woodsy leathery washing powder of JR meets the ginger and woodsy-musky spice of Port Royal. I love this musky ginger scent I get in here, it smells like Devil's Night on the high seas. But for most of the scent, the freshly laundered ozone-aquatic dominates-it is very, very washing powdery in here. And it turns 'electric' on me, which is bad news because that means it smells like dryer sheets. I wanted to love this swaggering and rugged rogue of a scent, but he's much too fresh and sporty smelling for me-not piratical enough, I'm afraid! Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? I'm afraid this scent will need to walk the plank…or be swapped off. If you like this, try: Jolly Roger, Port Royal, The Sailor's Den, Sunrise and Sea Monsters, Kataniya, Thunder Moon

Lysander In the imp: caramel? What the? This smells like those smoky caramel blends, with herbs added. Wet on skin: lime, smoky pastry, blackberries (the non-catty variety) and herbal greenery. Dry on skin: hmm, this is weird, because this reminds me of Mr Nancy. Not just because of the lime which is very strong now, but because there's a scent of buttery smoky baking going on, almost caramelised but not sweet…it's like the pastry note in Jolasveinar. I also smell the lilac, which is a nice variety, a lilac cologne like in His Station and Four Aces. I also smell blackberry leaf, which is a green blackberry note that smells like brambles, not cat pee, and reminds me of Queen of Spades or Bewitched. I also smell something very herbal, which I think, is the myrtle. I don't get much violet. After a while: hmm, this tonka smells like champaca to me, which is odd. Normally I love tonka, when it gets all rich and sweet and gorgeously sexy like in Perversion, but this one is strange, and reminds me of overripe fruit. It reminds me slightly of Vaskakajja (sp?) now, creamy yet almost cloying, but it is surrounded by caramelised lime cologne, and something suspiciously like pipe tobacco. The myrtle may also be the note which smells almost fermented, it reminds me a little bit of Hemlock or the Hermit in here, a similar 'sweetly decaying herb' smell. I don't have problems with other blends with myrtle though. I don't know, but this blend isn't sitting right with my skin. The odd fermented scent does seem to leave, and then I get a soft airy tonka (which still smells like champaca in here) and now I also get some violet. Now the scent has a slightly silvery-lilac scent to it. There's also some of the smokiness I got before, which could be benzoin incense, and a little lilac too, but it's now a very faint scent. Just a trace of sweet violet herbs and smoke. There's something oddly vetiver-ish to the lilac not, it smells a little like the drydown of Bad Luck Woman Blues now, vetiver and lilac cologne with a touch of caramel and greenery, though not as intense. But it is dark and smoky. Verdict: this was totally different to what I expected. I was hoping for something almost like Sybaris, maybe a little more dapper and suave, but this just smelt a little jumbled up on me. First it smelt like smoky buttery pastry, borderline caramel, with lime. Think Mr Nancy but not as sweet, and with a green note of brambles overgrowing in a herb garden. it was interesting but not what I expected. Then it turned into an odd fruity-floral tonka, with violet and fermented herbs, before changing back to something caramelised and then eventually ending up smelling very much like Bad Luck Woman Blues, but less complex. Almost like there's vetiver or tobacco here. the tonka here is unusual in that it doesn't seem to work on me. This scent seems a little disjointed on my skin, the components don't mix well, they seem to combine in a slightly mismatched way, it's not certain or defined on me. It's not my thing, really. One to pass on. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? no. If you like this, try: Mr Nancy, Sybaris, His Station and Four Aces, Bewitched, Bad Luck Woman Blues

Roadhouse In the imp: a sharp greenness with a touch of hops. Wet on skin: honeyed dandelions, spilt cider and beer. Dry on skin: hmm, this isn't too bad! I was expecting this to smell like BEER! But it doesn't-it's actually a pleasant dandelion mead! It reminds me of the mead note from Litha, but with an extra spike of green from the dandelions, and a hint of beer from the hops. I'm keeping an eye (or nose) on the hops note (and the tobacco) because it threatens to turn into 'that drunk student stink', cheap lager and ciggies. But for now, it smells like a jolly dandelion mead scent, just a touch of beer but not much, grasses and weeds, smelling less like a roadhouse and more like a midsummer festival… After a while: BEER! It really does smell like a pint of beer now. I smell like a pub. A pub after the smoking ban. However there's a pleasant honeyed aspect to the hops, it still has that mead vibe, but the dandelion has fades so it's lost the outdoorsy scent it had before. And I don't really like the idea of smelling like beer! I know many lads who do though…maybe this could enable them? This beer phase is strong and offputting but luckily it fades leaving a nice honey mead scent behind. Maybe a touch of the lightest tobacco, but it's more tolerable now. I never got any hemp in this scent. Verdict: I was apprehensive about trying this because I had a feeling it would smell of beer. And I was right. However it's not all beer, there are also some nice moments of mead and dandelions. it smells light and summery and jolly, crushed grasses and weeds (not hemp, but dandelions!) a summery and celebratory scent very much like Litha. But then after the mead has gone round, out come the pint glasses and the cans of lager! It then moves away from smelling like a pagan festival and now more like a pub garden. It smells so disturbingly like beer it's quite scary! Needless to say, it's not my thing. I think I'll pass it on…I liked the honeyed dandelion scent, but the hops are much too strong and boozy in this one. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? no! If you like this, try: Litha, One to Tie Two to Win, A Bold Bluff, Gluttony, Osun

Bat's Blood In the imp: floral dragon's blood. Wet on skin: floral dragon's blood but now with a hint of sweet spice. Dry on skin: dragon's blood with lilac, but also with a soft sweet layer reminiscent of the honeyed vanilla in Dragon's Milk, or the sweet ylang-musk in French Love, or heliotrope, or tonka. I also smell something like a creamy spice, like clove. There's always that bitter, sharp red bite of dragon's blood, but it's sweetened and softened a little. Hmm, interesting. They do say revenge is sweet. After a while: the dragon's blood now consumes the lovely sweet notes, and develops that odd 'crayon' scent I got in Dragon's Milk. Any oil which is bright red usually means that the DB will amp like crazy, and this is no exception. It reminds me of AhDuno at this point, but a little bit sweeter. In fact, this is what I was expecting from AhDuno, but that one was pretty much dragon's blood SN. Then the sweetness comes out again, that soft Dragon's Milky sweetness with a floral-spicy scent, now reminiscent of carnation. It seems the DB and the sweet spice are battling to see which scent wins and becomes the dominant fragrance on my skin. At one point it smells like red crayons, and then like sugared lilacs, and then back to dragon's blood. Verdict: dragon's blood, especially these days, is one of those scents that can amp like mad if there's too much of it. Some scents with it, like Red Moon, are perfect, but too much and I smell like colouring pencils or crayons. This has too much DB for me. Though the supporting notes are very pretty-I can't say what they are but there's something sweet, something floral, something spicy too. Maybe carnation or a spice note (clove?) and vanilla and heliotrope or lilac? Whatever it is, it is pleasant, and was what I was hoping to get with AhDuno. But in the end, the dragon's blood takes over and becomes a little too aggressively dominant for me to enjoy this as perfume. One for swapping/selling, I think. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? no-again, it's too much dragon's blood. And I don't feel experienced enough to use it for it's voodoo purpose either.

Death and Life Completed In the imp: a soft lemon balm with herbs and woods. Wet on skin: the lemon balm is strongest, followed by cedar and juniper. Dry on skin: now I smell the amber, reminiscent of Lyonesse and Bat Woman, a slightly sharper and muskier amber than usual which mellows after a few minutes. This is surprisingly nice. It's a lemony-herbal scent on top of a layer of gentle woods, with a bare hint of floral. I can't really pick out anything specific apart from lemon balm and woods with a balmy, smooth layer of amber and a hint of spice from the carnation. The overall scent is sombre yet also warm and soothing, and very subtle. I swear I smell rosewood/ho wood here even though it's not listed-must be the other woods reacting with other notes. This reminds me of Polyhymnia. After a while: mmm, now I smell more of the carnation. I love the new carnation that Beth uses, it's spicy and sweet and warm, and in here it has an almost peppery/nutmeggy aspect. Now this smells like Pink Moon's more serious older sister. I also get a hint of hibiscus, like the petals used to make tea. It then turns into a soothing sandalwood and cedar scent, a wooden scent with a golden-blushing layer of spice and sweetish amber. It's so well blended that nothing sticks out too much, everything just melds together really nicely. It smells almost comforting at times. The lemon is gone now. Then something wonderful surfaces. Is it the grey amber and sandalwood? it might be because now I get a hint of Lyonesse to this. That wonderful mossy yet sweet amber scent with a pink-golden aspect and a lovely woodsy base. The amber is much richer now and merges with the carnation to make a truly delightful scent. This then turns to…rose and vanilla, of all things. I have no idea where the rosy vanilla scent comes from but it is so gorgeous-reminiscent of Monna Vanna and Hope, with a hint of Séance. The vanilla/amber then slowly dominates the 'rose' and makes it smell remarkably like Possets Frou Frou, which I love. Almost like pure vanilla extract with amber and sandalwood. Verdict: I wasn't expecting to love this as much as I do, I was expecting an austere and heavy wood scent with a similar feel to the Ars Moriendi oils, a melancholy scent. But this smells more like a celebration of life's warmth triumphing over the stillness of death. The woods are strong but they aren't overwhelming, they are a nice, reassuring, firm base for some beautiful notes-like delicate lemon balm (one of my favourite kinds of lemon notes), a beautifully spicy and exotic carnation scent and a delightful, rich amber. It starts off reminiscent of Polyhymnia, a studious and earthy scent with a lemony overtone, but then morphs into a spicy-amber-woodsy-floral scent with vanilla like nuances. There are times when the golden-pink scent of sandalwood, amber and carnation, and a hint of moss and cedar, just glows, really glows, off my skin, it has surprising throw, and is startlingly beautiful. I just love this drydown so much. I'm surprised at how much this scent has grown on me-I was definitely considering keeping this in imp form, but the drydown is glorious enough to warrant a bottle purchase. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? definitely the imp…maybe a bottle in the future. If you like this, try: Polyhymnia, Pink Moon 07, Bat Woman, Queen Alice, Winter of our Discontent, Lyonesse

The Gibbous Moon In the bottle: oh yeah, this is a lunar scent, like Blue Moon but less complex. And lots of cucumber. Wet on skin: moonflower and cucumber, a very crisp lunar scent. Dry on skin: mmm, this is very pretty! This is like a simpler version of Blue Moon, almost like a lunar oil base. Cucumber and moonflower are the primary notes, but I also smell a lovely fresh hyacinth note which smells just like a freshly bloomed hyacinth flower covered in dew. There's also something reminiscent of Cancer 07, which may be the orris. I get a hint of lily as well. This reminds me of Midnight mixed with Squirting Cucumber as well. A crisp, cool and pale scent. After a while: is there a hidden lettuce component here? I now get a hint of the dark green, dewy lettuce I got in Cancer. I smell more of the cucumber now, as well as the moss, which is almost like Spanish moss but not as swampy…for some reason this moss seems more salty and marine? It's not as floral now either, it's a little greener at this point. Eventually it turns to moss, cucumber and lettuce resting on subtly scented white petals with a bare touch of orris (a very subtle orris-usually it is very powdery). It's less wet now, but still crisp and bright and moonlit. It does smell a little bit like there's a sea breeze in the scent, just a bare hint of salt or even seaweed (where's that coming from?) which is interesting. It's the moon reflected on the ocean. Verdict: yet another lovely interpretation of liquid moonlight by Beth. It has that distinctive 'BPAL lunar oil' scent to it, the crystalline scent of moonflower mixing with cool wet cucumber, but with hints of other florals and greenery gently mingling. The scent is pale white lunar blooms with soft green notes and even a hint of something marine, but not soapy. It is like Blue Moon without the herbs and woods, or Black Moon with lighter floral notes…it's an uncomplicated but beautiful moonlit scent, silvery and ethereal as Beth's moon scents always are, refreshing and slightly wet, cooling and soothing, and evocative of the moon over the sea. a very enchanting scent, it's not my absolute favourite lunar scent, but I love it a great deal, and it is another wonderful evocative fragrance capturing moonlight in a bottle. It also contrasts the Sportive Sun nicely. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? definitely one bottle. If you like this, try: Blue Moon (any), Midnight, Squirting Cucumber, Cancer 07, Moon Rose, Nuit, Black Moon

If anyone's wondering, yes, the labels for the Snake Pit-or at least King Cobra-have now changed. I got KC in my recent order and it looks like a painting of a cobra, different to the photo that came before. I'd take a picture (along with my Yvaine and Fairy Market labels, also gorgeous) if my camera wasn't broken...

Red Moon 07 In the bottle: mmm, red musk with citrus and heliotrope! Wet on skin: red musk and orange! I also smell the floral/herbal notes. Dry on skin: oh yeah, this is good. This reminds me of things like Spellbound and Hollywood Babylon which I love, red musk and amber really showing off in here. Damn, I love red musk, and amber, and both mixed together. I can hardly smell the dragon's blood but the orange is lovely and tangy, and the heliotrope is gorgeous, a soft and powdery vanilla-fruity floral which is really prominent here like it was in the previous Red Moon. But in here it's not dragon's blood that dominates, but wonderful red musk. I also smell hints of the other florals, and the sunflower note is very much like the one in the Salon scent, Sunflower, which I love. After a while: the orange is gradually fading but the glorious red musk-amber is still ruling this scent, a heady, warm, languid scent which brings to mind a vivid red-orange sunset (or moonrise) at the end of a sweltering summer's day. I love the smoothness of this scent, it smells almost luxurious. The heliotrope is fantastic in here, boosted by the musk and the sunflower. The dragon's blood is just right in here-not too much to take over but enough to add that extra hint of red to the musk. Now it reminds me of Blood Lotus with heliotrope replacing the lotus, but with the same dragon's bloody musk. After a while I get a note of dry grass and hay and sunflower seeds coming out of the musky red haze, which enhances the 'late summer' feel this scent has. I get more of the herbs, with the golden scent of camomile in the lead. I don't know why but I also smell mimosa at this point. Verdict: I loved Red Moon 04, but this version blows it out of the water with a huge blast of red musk, baby! At first it is a truly glorious combination of orange, red musk, amber and heliotrope, warm and sexy and rich, sweet and warm and glowing. The red musk was fabulous and smelt as rich and full bodied as usual, and also added more oomph to the heliotrope which is usually a faint note. the amber was wonderfully round and sweet as ever. There was just the perfect amount of dragon's blood-enough to add a little more redness, but not enough to amp up and make it smell like crayons (which is what many DB-heavy scents have been doing of late). The drydown has an interesting grainy-seedy scent to it, like a harvested field with sunflowers and grasses and camomile, but is not as rich and smouldering and red as before. Nevertheless, I love this scent a great deal and am glad that I have two bottles! This is a perfect scent to evoke those lazy, hazy, late summer evenings. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? hell yeah! If you like this, try: Spellbound, Hollywood Babylon, Eclipse, Blood Amber, Dragon's Reverie, Sunflower, Blood Lotus

Leo 07 In the bottle: mmm, sweet and sugary-foody. I see what others mean by it smelling of frosting, but it's not buttery (thank goodness). It smells like spiced sugar and amber. Wet on skin: fizzy? Why am I getting some kind of fizzy drink from this? A sort of lemon Coke smell? Dry on skin: now I smell the walnut. This is very nice now. It's lost it's initial blast of smelling like a soft drink, but the amber isn't really showing off as much as I hoped. Maybe later? Now it smells like citrus, a sort of effervescent lemon scent, along with hot saffron and walnut bark, which smells like a walnut husk to me. There's a bare hint of smoky frankincense as well. I think the amber in here is like my batch of Egyptian amber that has a slightly lemony-spicy scent to it, as opposed to my E-amber that smells like a lighter, translucent golden amber. After a while: now it smells like cool iced tea (camomile tea?) and lemonade in a desert oasis. Clear, golden and sparkling, and warm. The frankincense is being quiet in here and the walnut has calmed down too. Now it's all about glittery lemony saffron, olfactory gold dust mixed with sugar, and a clear golden sweetness like sunlight. It brings to mind sunshine shimmering off sand. The amber is lovely but not as upfront as I hoped it would be. There's also that exotic oily quality which I also got in Cleopatra Testing Poisons. Then the frankincense shows up! Now I can smell more of the piercing resin, and there's a wine soaked, olive leafy, buttercreamy-gourmand quality to it that reminds me of Haloa. It also reminds me of Lycaon at this point, with that hint of lemon. This sure is a fascinating scent! The drydown of this scent is a lovely golden sugary scent like amber covered in sugared cream swirled with syrup, with a dash of citrus, nuts and spice. I can smell more of the lovely Egyptian amber at this point-it’s not as strong as it was in the Lion, this is more of a gentle kitten of a scent now…and I smell more of the walnut once more. Verdict: this smelt totally different to what I expected, but I really love this one. Less of a proud lion and more of a playful lion cub, I think of young Simba when I smell this. Overall this reminds me of a CTIII scent I got last year which smelt like a sort of fizzy drink with spices, amber, and a feel of desert heat, with a creamy amber drydown. An interesting mix of clear golden coolness and hot solar notes. The effervescence of this scent was a surprise, but I like it-it smells like powdered sunlight mixed with lemon sherbet. At times it even smells creamy and sugary with a touch of saffron buttercream. And yet with it's youthful fizz and moments of smelling almost gourmand, it still manages to smell exotic and glowing, thanks to the frankincense, and the wonder that is Egyptian amber. I was hoping for a little more of the amber, I was expecting it to be the star of the scent like in The Lion, but it's in the background in here, but it definitely shows itself, with that beautiful golden shining sunny sweetness ever present. Now I wonder if my prediction about the zodiac scents which are not in my chart working on me is coming true…because I love Leo a great deal, even if it isn't the Egyptian amber-fest I hoped for. I'm sure it will get lovelier with age as well! Emoticon rating: (there's no kitty emoticon, or any emoticon that expresses 'rrrawwr!' so this will do!) Is it a keeper? yes-both bottles! I was hoping for more amber and frankincense but this is very good. If you like this, try: The Lion, Three Gorgons, Bastet, Cleopatra Testing Poisons, Haloa

Spirit of the Komachi Cherry Tree In the imp: sweet blushing cherry blossom, almost sugared. Wet on skin: a soft lavender note comes out to mingle with the sugary cherry blossom. Dry on skin: now I smell a bit of the honey too. This is unbelievably gorgeous! The cherry blossom is the star of the scent, and it smells fluffy and pink and sweet and innocent. The pear sweetens it up with it's almost syrupy fruity scent, whilst the slightly bitter scent of lilac joins the cherry blossom. I smell lavender honey, but this honey is so gentle and sweet, not a sharp honey, this is like the honey note in Itaso Kansei, or Al Araaf, or even Dana O'Shee. This is almost like Al Araaf turned Japanese, I think. After a while: there's a moment when I think 'oh no, the lilac is turning soapy!' but then that quickly fades. Now this really does smell like Al Araaf, but with a definite emphasis on cherry blossom. I wonder if there's CB in Al Araaf? It's almost marshmallow sweet, fluffy and pink but very graceful, not childish. The lilac in this scent is very well behaved now. The sandalwood adds a nice grounded base to it all. This is like Kyoto with honey replacing the anise note I wasn't crazy about in that scent. The scent eventually settles into the loveliest honeyed cherry blossom scent ever. The honey becomes much stronger at drydown and develops a slight tang that I get in other honey scents. Verdict: I never thought I loved cherry blossom so much until I tried at least three more recent scents that had this as a main component, and loved them. This is a beautiful scent which highlights cherry blossom in the best way possible, boosting it's gentle, delicate sweet pinkness with supporting notes of lavender honey (a true delight of a honey note) juicy pear and sandalwood, and a hint of lilac. It is a soft, fluffy, sugary and very pink scent but not blatantly sugared. The lilac in here is so nice-not wilted smelling at all. What surprised me was the way it reminded me so much of Al Araaf-it's the combination of a light honey note with dainty blossoms. I love Al Araaf so now I know what to get when I run out. The scent is very graceful, youthful and feminine, but not your usual girly scent. This makes me feel young and cheerful and is such a springtime scent, and fits the painting perfectly. I will definitely get a bottle some day, but since it smells like springtime, I think I'll wait until April to get more of this. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? yes! I might get a bottle for spring. If you like this, try: Itaso Kansei, Al Araaf, Kyoto, Lantern Ghost of Oiwa, Neo Tokyo

Fox Fires on New Year's Eve at the Garment Nettle Tree at Oji In the imp: watery cherry (real fresh cherry, not cherry sauce, maraschino, glace or whatever, but juicy fresh cherry) and lilac. Wet on skin: rice wine, a floral reminiscent of Tamamo no Mae, bamboo, lilac, bark and cherry. Dry on skin: oh, this is beautiful, so unusual and fascinating. I get a watery, dewy feel from this scent, like wet cherries (the pale red-yellow ones, not black) and rained-on lilac, as well as bamboo. Something about this reminds me of the unidentified but gorgeous floral in Tamamo, maybe the rice wine and tea also remind me of that scent? The wetness of the scent is contrasted by what might be the nettle bark, which is a dry, green and scrubby note, woodsy but definitely barky too, right down to the greenish powdery lichen you get on bark. I also smell thin smoke from the incense wafting through. It's not a very sweet scent. After a while: the gritty scrubbiness of the bark has toned down a lot now, letting the graceful notes of bamboo, cherry, a very soft lilac and rice wine show themselves a little more. The notes seem to merge into each other now, but there's still that impression of trees covered in dew on a cool spring night, with the moon shining. The incense is very soft, like Japanese incense sticks burning and letting their subtle smoke drift through the serene landscape. The scent then becomes a little bit more fruity as the wet cherry shows up a little more. And then the rice wine turns to rice milk, the scent becomes a little bit creamy and bamboo-y. The notes change and the blend morphs nicely. Verdict: this seems to have a similarity to that other Japanese foxy scent, Tamamo No Mae, but it is also very different. The two scents seem almost like sisters, or two sides of the same coin. There's a similar floral-musk feel along with rice wine, tea and gentle incense, but the peach-like scent is replaced with cherry, lilac and bamboo, and this is less sweet than Tamamo. This one is also more complex, more narrative, it changes more. It's an unusual scent, very intriguing and ghostly as well. the cherry note in here is so different to anything I've smelt in BPAL-because it smells like actual pale-coloured cherries should. There's also a dry bark note and a hint of lilac, with a lovely smoky aspect from the incense. this is one of those scents that's also very artistic, almost conceptual, and beautifully done. It's not a favourite-the nettle bark can be a little too scratchy-smelling at times and the lilac sometimes turns bitter, but I'm keeping what I have of this interesting fragrance. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? the imp, because this is a very unique scent. If you like this, try: Tamamo No Mae, The Fox Woman Kuzonoha, Hungry Ghost Moon, Lantern Ghost of Oiwa, Kyoto

Monna Vanna In the imp: very faint! Almost nothing, but I smell rosewater in here. Wet on skin: ah, now the scent blooms. Rose and violet are most obvious. Dry on skin: interesting! This strikes me as being a traditional or historical floral perfume, along similar lines to Marie, but more complex. The rose, rosewood and violet are dominant, but there's a tangy bite of currant adding a juicy fruity touch. I also smell mimosa and a hint of lily (not too much though), and the gardenia in this scent doesn't do the nasty thing on my skin (I think the gardenia notes in Salon scents work nicer on my skin than most). There's the barest hint of vanilla sweetness. After a while: oh, now I smell the vanilla, it smells so lovely with rose! The rose note here has a watery quality to it which makes me think of rosewater, cool and fluid, and the scent isn't as powdery as I expected it would be. The rosewood forms a nice solid base for all the flowers, and adds a feel of age to it, the note is faded and a little bitter, but the overall scent isn't as dusty or old fashioned as scents of this rose-violet-floral genre can sometimes be. And the vanilla makes it very pleasant indeed. The rosewood gets stronger in this scent, taking over the rose itself and developing an unusual nutty-smoky scent. The violet, vanilla and mimosa are now more apparent as well. The bitterness of the rosewood is contrasted by the gentle sweetness of the vanilla. Eventually I get a scent that reminds me of the Siamese Twins, the sugared rose of Hope and the violets of Faith, with rosewood and mimosa and now gardenia. I think it's that wonderful bourbon vanilla which reminds me of the sugared note in those scents. Now it smells like the older, more demure sister of the twins. The drydown is more of the creamy vanilla-rose and less of the austere rosewood. This is really nice! Verdict: this scent could have gone either way-turned to old fashioned 'granny perfume' like some scents with rosewood, violet and rose can do, or turn to one of those gorgeous rose-based complex floral-oriental scents. This walks the line between the two but then goes firmly into the 'wonderful complex rose' category when the vanilla comes out and works wonders on the scent. At first this scent is grand and rather haughty, like the painting, but very complex and not dry or dusty at all. It was rose with currant and violet and rosewood, a nice traditional scent with a surprisingly juicy rose note. There were a few moments when I thought the rosewood would take over and make this scent a little dusty and musty with a hint of sourness, but then that quickly faded as the vanilla took control and turned this into a wonderful vanilla-rose along similar lines to Hope. I can always count on Bourbon vanilla to make things better…the rosewood was now calmer and the rose and vanilla merged into a delightful finale for this fragrance. I'm not sure if I need a bottle as I do prefer Hope, but I'm keeping the imp. This scent gives off a nice feel of opulence and luxury without smelling stuck-up. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? the imp, for sure. If you like this, try: Marie, Séance, Helena, Viola, Hope, Faith, Le Serpent Qui Danse, Venice, Melisande

Schlafende Baigneuse In the imp: tangy rose and mandarin, a pretty cologne like floral. Wet on skin: a gorgeous honeyed yellow floral with a chrysanthemum note. Dry on skin: mmm, this is very pretty! It's a golden-white floral scent, a lush bloom with honey. The chrysanthemum has that distinct sharp dryness and mixes nicely with the scent of dry rose petals. The honeysuckle mixes with another lush yellow floral which must be the monkey flower. I smell the honey and the cream (which is lovely, not sour at all) and the smoothness of pale skin musk binds it all together. It's not as tangy now. After a while: the floral notes merge and sweeten any anything that was sharp or dry smelling before is now gone. Now this is a honeyed floral scent which is almost like orchid, sweet and with something almost fruity to it, and definitely creamy. It's like sweet nectar-filled flowers floating in honeyed cream. Now it reminds me of Milk Moon 07 with the fruits replaced by flowers and without as much milk-nothing sour here at all. The skin musk is also very strong now, with it's distinctive velvet-powdery paleness, and I get a similar peachy scent with the florals and musk which reminds me very slightly of Tamamo No Mae, but creamier and without the tea and Asian notes. The only problem with this lovely and delicate scent is what others have mentioned-it is faint and does fade fast. Now it is just a soft skin scent of powdered creamy sweet flowers, luminous blooms with skin musk, but it's one I have to sniff close to my wrist to smell. It is so pretty though, a soft skin-musky honeysuckle scent. Verdict: this is what I wanted Eos to smell like. This is a gorgeous yellow-white scent which definitely suits this sensual painting of golden cloth and alabaster skin. A softly honeyed mix of flowers floating in sweet cream, it smells of roses, honeysuckle and something else that could be that accord with the wonderful name-wide throated yellow monkey flower!-with a soft downy base of skin musk and a lovely cream note which doesn't do the sour milk thing, but makes me think of a floral ambrosia. It's luxurious yet feminine and delicate and gentle, it gets smoother with wear. The only problem with this is that it is very soft, a little faint, one to really sniff close to the wrist to smell, and it does fade away rather fast. But I do like it enough to keep the sample I have…maybe I'll get more some day, because this is a delightful scent. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? definitely the imp. If you like this, try: Eos, Ostara, Litha, Et Lux Fuit, Les Bijoux, Tamamo No Mae, Milk Moon 07

The Smiling Spider In the imp: clove! This is the clove-iest BPAL I've smelt, it's clove soaked in patchouli. Wet on skin: wonderful smoky clove and rich patchouli. Dry on skin: wow, this is good. It's dominated by patch and clove, warm and spicy and rich and deep, with the musk adding even more richness and a sensual, feral touch, and a hint of mahogany and something smoky as well. I've never smelt a clove cigarette (don't laugh), let alone smoked one, but I'd imagine they smell something like this. After a while: this is like clove incense now, smoky and dark, with the shadow of patchouli ever present. I love the clove in here, it smells very true, that piercing spice with a creamy and sweet undertone. Like in the old Three Witches, it develops a hint of milky chai, but the patchouli and now slightly more animalistic musk prevents this from smelling too foody or cosy. Now I get a hint of Minotaur thanks to the musk, but without the golden resinous sheen. Indeed, I get a Schwarzer Mond vibe after some time, like SM with resins replaced by clove, but a similar patchouli smoky scent, this then changes to a darker Port au Prince scent. The patch-musk and clove seem to swap places every now and then, sometimes clove is dominant, at other times it's the black musk. the mahogany really comes out after a few hours at drydown, a spiced musky wood. The scent lasts and lasts and lasts…the next morning the patchouli is still there and has turned a bit fruity, like Hellion. Verdict: whoa, this is good stuff! This is the cloviest clove of all, mixed with the most powerful patchouli. The sweet creamy yet biting scent of this gorgeous spice is given a wonderful earthy-shadowy backing of patchouli, and this is patchouli with a punch, really strong stuff. The musk and mahogany help to darken the tone of the scent even more and the musk comes out more at the end, making for a sexy and smouldering scent, swirling and brooding. This is pure tangible darkness in scent. Thick, rich, atmospheric and moody darkness with substance. This is unnerving yet oddly approachable-much like the scary critter in the painting. This is smoky and mysterious and intense-definitely a goth scent-and a simple combination that works well. It already smells wonderfully richly deep right now and also sticks around for ages on the skin but I can just imagine how incredible this will be with a bit of aging…this is a little too dark for everyday wear but for the colder months? This will get a lot of wear then. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? the imp, definitely. Maybe I'll get more when my imp is done. If you like this, try: Dracul, Minotaur, Count Dracula, Three Witches, Port au Prince, Hellion

Sunflower In the imp: a juicy, golden, amber-tinged dry floral scent, warm and sunny with a hint of hay. Wet on skin: a honeyed amber with dry, sweet petals and hot summer hay. Dry on skin: wow, this is glorious! I'm not familiar with the smell of sunflowers but I've always imagined them to smell dry and seedy, not with much scent really…this is totally different. The amber is surprisingly strong here, in fact it is the dominant note, a rich sweet amber with a syrupy feel, surrounding a golden nectar-dripping floral note, smelling more like a lush tropical bloom than a sunflower. However, there is a dry background reminiscent of Scarecrow, of sun-warmed hay and straw in a harvested field. I smell none of the moss or the greenery-just dry golden hay and amber. It almost reminds me of the blends with myrrh, musk and/or amber in them, like Haunted. After a while: the amber now merges with the floral note, which smells amazing and so different to what I expect from sunflowers. It's almost like camomile with a lush floral background now, there's a honeyed hay and apples aspect in the scent now. Like amber and camomile and daisies with honeysuckle. I smell a little more of the dry stems now. I'm amazed at amber in here smells like a heatwave, it feels hot and overbearing, but you know how hot summer winds feel oppressive, almost heavy? That's what this evokes. Searing summer temperatures, reminds me of the 47C heat I experienced on holiday this year. But it still smells gloriously golden, big bright sunny blooms. The apple scent gets stronger with time, combined with the black amber it smells like Verdandi, though this is less autumnal. It has the same honeyed apples scent to it. Maybe there's camomile here? At the end there's a hint of the moss finally coming out, as well as something reminiscent of either Lush Tiptoe Through the Tulips or Summer Blues. Verdict: far from being a wilted sunflower like in the scent's painting, this brings to mind Van Gogh flowers, vivid yellow and gold and ochre. It evokes the visual of a sunflower filled field on a hot August day. The sunflower note itself is very beautiful-a lush golden floral note with a touch of dryness, more evocative of the appearance of the flower than its actual scent. The amber is good and strong here, and feels warm, thick and heavy, curling around the floral and grassy notes like lazy summer afternoon heat. The wilted greenery and moss are very subtle and don't detract from the dry, hot, sweet and sunny feel of this scent, it's another lovely interpretation of summer and sunlight in scent. This is like Scarecrow, but much nicer, a little more feminine and rich. I think I might get more of this some day, but it's one to wear sparingly, as like summer heat, it can get too overwhelming if there's too much of it! it's one of those oils which works with the heat as opposed to against it. But for now I'm keeping the imp and wearing it a lot-it's a great antidote to this summer which has been anything but scorching and dry Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? The imp, definitely. I might get more, this is unusual and unique, better than I expected. If you like this, try: Scarecrow, Haunted, Verdandi, Vipralabda, Et Lux Fuit, Red Moon 07

Kiyohime Changes From a Serpent In the imp: an odd mix of soapy sea spray with juicy sweet plum and lychee. Wet on skin: fresh cool seawater washing up over lychee syrup and sugary plums. Dry on skin: hmm, this isn't bad. The sea water is threatening to do the 'washing powder of doom' thing but for now this smells nice. It reminds me of something from Lush, but I can't remember what. Maybe Plum Duff (the plum) meets Big Blue (the seaweed)? It has a powdery fizzy scent reminiscent of a crumbly bath ballistic. The lychee, which I love so much, is very prominent in here, it almost reminds me of Tweedledee and Fire Pig with the citrus replaced by marine notes. I smell something almost like tea in here as well. Despite the pleasant 'Lushness', the salty ocean spray is slowly doing it's 'laundry' thing to the scent. After a while: yes, this does smell Lush, it still reminds me of Plum Duff/It's a Date more than Lurid did. I also smell a little Sea Vegetable here…it's like walking into a Lush store. I really like that, it's made even nicer when coupled with lychee. The plum blossom, however, is planning to take over the scent and turn it cloying and over-fruity. The plum fruit on the other hand is very nice, juicy and tart. The musk rounds everything up, it's almost like a white musk, but not quite. Eventually that lovely Lushness does fade and leaves behind a plum blossom scented laundry scent. The sea moss, a note I usually really like, smells weird in here, almost reminding me of rancid vegetable oil and talc. The PB doesn't smell too cloying but the aquatic note has gone totally washing powder now. It reminds me of Budding Moon now, but soapier and more powdery. Verdict: this one does that now familiar and expected soapy reaction that I usually always get with anything with 'sea spray' as a note. But it's actually quite pleasant, especially at the beginning. I love the lychee and black plum notes in here, they are sweet, juicy and fruity, succulent and delicious. and I really like the Lush vibe I get in the scent during the first hour or two of wear, it smells like I've been bathing in a Plum Duff ballistic, washing with Sea Vegetable, and then applying some Fire Pig when dry. This is when the clean, watery scent plays well on my skin. But then the bad soapy scent which I usually get with the marine aquatics then starts to creep into the scent, and the plum blossom starts to turn cloying. there's a weird smell to this at the end, like a strange powder rancid scent, that I'm not sure about. So despite the lovely first hour of this scent, I think I'll swap/sell it. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? not really. If you like this, try: Fire Pig, Budding Moon, Tweedledee, Fox Fires on New Year's Eve, Midwinter's Eve, Sunrise with Sea Monsters

Sunrise with Sea Monsters In the imp: the familiar detergent-like scent of oceanic notes mixed with flowers. Almost like Selkie. Wet on skin: washing powder! Oh no…I also smell the pear and freesia. Dry on skin: very, very powdery and clean. Yes, it's the dreaded washing powder reaction I get with sea scents. This one is especially powdery, it smells like detergent powder, clean and white. I also smell pear and freesia, a combination I remember from Agony of Longing, and the powerful, piercing floral that is osmanthus surging through the powder. I smell the green salty scent of kelp, but none of the amber or ambergris, which was what I was hoping to get from this scent. After a while: ozone? What the? I have no idea why I'm getting the 'electric' reaction here but this now reminds me of that crackling thundery scent that makes me smell like 'office ozone and drier sheets'. This is supposed to be a sunrise with gentle ocean mist, not a thunderstorm over the sea! It reminds me of Pool of Tears now, also not a stormy scent, but which did the dreaded electric ozone thing on me. The osmanthus is very ballsy in this scent, competing with the ozone to see which note should take over the fragrance, whilst all the other notes-freesia, pear, etc-still no sign of amber-hide away. There's just a hint of freesia after a few hours but the overwhelming scent of crackling dryer sheet ozone and perfumey osmanthus are the main players now. Verdict: I knew this would go either way, it had the potential to turn into a washing powder-fest, but was hoping this would be somewhat like Lyonesse thanks to the combination of amber and sea notes with florals. Sadly, this does what many other marine aquatics do and turns to a total soap and ozone attack once it hits skin. First it smells like washing powder (though the pear and freesia are very pleasant), and then it smells like electrified washing powder. It does the dreaded 'stormy' reaction on my skin, a lightning-laced dryer sheet scent, harsh and biting and boosted by the sharp, perfumey osmanthus. All the other notes run for cover when the innocuous ocean mist turns to a raging thunderstorm of scary ozone and soapy detergent as the sea monster rears up, and I never get the amber I hoped for. Not for me. This one is being sent to a new and loving home. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? no. If you like this, try: Selkie, Thalassa, Cancer, Dirty, Pool of Tears, Brides of Dracula, Kelly Pool

Delousing Powder In the imp: this smells like soapy lemon cleaner, the stuff I use when dusting the house! Wet on skin: hmm, interesting, now I smell herbs? And also something like lemon cream. Dry on skin: not bad! This does smell reminiscent of things like lemon house cleaner, washing detergent, and the overwhelming feel is that of lemony 'shake-n-vac' powder meets Cif bathroom cleansing cream! It is creamy and lemony and powdery all at once, with that touch of clean fresh soap. However, this is a lot more interesting than mere cleaning products. I smell something herbal, something warm, maybe even resinous to this? Someone mentioned amber. I also smell posh perfume. After a while: the lemon scent tones down and the herbal smell increases. Makes me think of the more traditional delousing remedies, more specifically, like bathing in an infusion of certain herbs being used to kill the little itchy things…there's a warm, bubbly soapy feel to this that arises that makes me think of baths. I smell heady perfume mixed in as well, different to Privilege, this perfume is more of an amber-spice scent, I smell pepper or a similar spice here as well, which is unusual. It smells more like a posh dusting powder perfume than one to get rid of lice! The lovely spicy warmth is what remains, with very little of the original soapy scent. At the end it turns a little masculine, almost woody, like a slight hint of aftershave. It now reminds me of one of the bay rum scents. Verdict: I was expecting a really powdery detergent scent like Numb from this, but it was pleasantly different. It does remind me of various lemony cleaning products-at one moment I smell like shake-n--vac, at another moment I smell of Cif. But then the scent changes into something less soapy, less powdery, more herbal-incensy, and more posh. Like some kind of luxury cleaning product or bath foam, and then turns to a sophisticated soap scent, with a warm scent like clean towels spritzed with perfume. Overall the smell is gives a feel of warm fluffy cleanliness which seems more suited to a luxury hotel than a prison! It certainly fits the whole Paris theme, and it's a fantastic novelty scent. I like this one more than I thought I would…but thanks to it's resemblances to cleaning products during the first hour of wear, I'm not sure I'd keep it despite it's pretty drydown. It's a fun scent though, I'm glad I got to try it! Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? not sure-it's a lot better than I expected though!

Oh, I completely forgot Night's Pavilion! It's another LE but also another beautiful nighttime starry floral. I think that it is like the olfactory version of deep blue skies with stars, and night blooming dewy flowers.

I study astrophysics and I do love the starry scents. I was going to suggest what Oakmoss suggested, and also suggest that you search for the LE scent, the Evening Star.

Madonna In the imp: pomegranate! This smells just like pom juice, with a hint of floral. Wet on skin: pomegranate, crisp and tart and juicy, with a patchouli depth. Dry on skin: floral pomegranate! It's mainly pom and a white flower note, which may be orchid or angel's trumpet (probably the latter because it's different from most orchid scents), with earthy patchouli, the spicy-herbal scent of hyssop and a greenish, reedy-flowery iris note. This is very much like those fruity patchouli scents, lush fruity with an earthy rich base, and the pomegranate note in here is very genuine, it dominates the scent. It's like delicious pom juice, enhanced a little by other notes. After a while: mmm, this is smoothing out nicely. The pom loses it's bite, and merges into the patchouli. I don't smell much of the frankincense apart from a lovely smokiness. The floral notes in here are soft and velvety petalled, providing a nice backdrop for the fruit. This is now a lovely musky fruit scent, grounded and deep, surrounded by lush florals. It almost reminds me of Kanishta but with jasmine replaced by orchid, an autumnal floral scent. Very close to the skin though. The floral and fruity notes then merge to form a soft scent of tangy poms mix with cool white petals with that patchouli undertone. It is a bit faint though. Very pretty but I was expecting more oomph. It's a soft white orchid scent after a few hours. It's a very nice orchid-much nicer than the one in Gemini that turned against me, this is almost like the orchid in Vaskakajja but less sweet and cool. it is very subtle though despite the patchouli. Verdict: this scent, I think, has the best and most accurate pomegranate note in BPAL. At some points it smelt just like chilled pom juice, maybe with a hint of cranberry? But very authentic, juicy and crisp and richly red. I love the pomegranate-heavy stage at the beginning, rounded out by patchouli, which I've discovered seems to have an affinity for deep rich fruit notes. Sadly the pom stage fades too fast into a floral stage which, though very pretty, is very faint. It's a gentle white petal scent sprinkled with juice, but it doesn't have the oomph I hoped for, even with patchouli. I do like this a lot despite it's faintness and slight flatness-I think this is a scent that would benefit from a little bit of aging. Maybe that will bring out the patch and strengthen the notes a little more. I might keep my imp of this to see what happens over time. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? not sure. I love the pomegranate note in here but it's a little too soft at the end. If you like this, try: Mme Moriarty, Dark Delicacies, Great He Goat, Persephone, Kanishta, Lot and his Daughters, Gemini

Privilege In the bottle: green? This smells like a 'vegetable-y' green stem scent. In fact, it reminds me strongly of my galbanum essential oil. There's also a hint of cologne, citrus and sparkly flowers. Wet on skin: a floral cologne. Very perfumey, and still a bit green. Dry on skin: pretty floral cologne. Very fresh, bright, sparkling and tangy. I think it's the lemon blossom I smell, it is very much like orange blossom but a lot more lemony, that's definitely also because of the citrus notes. I also get the armoise, which I recognise from Agony of Loss. In fact, this reminds me strongly of one of those cologne like scents I used to wear when I was young. It could even be that this smells like my childhood scent, Tartine et Chocolat (which didn't smell of chocolate at all). I don't smell the heady exotic blooms yet, just the glitzy citrus notes and the greenish artemisia. After a while: this is like a feminine version of Spider at times, it has that same citrus perfume scent to it, only this one has flowers instead of spices. Now I can make out some flowery notes blooming underneath the cologne, either the tuberose or linden. Maybe even the tiare. I can't really smell the rose or vanilla yet. After an hour or so, I see where the 'empty' part of the description comes from…the citrus notes have vanished to leave a light tangy green-floral scent, which has a strangely hollow feel to it. It's not vacuous or substance-less, it feels airy and open. It's like flower petals floating in a perfumed void, it shimmers, but is a ghost of it's former self. It is actually very pretty though, but it has the same feel as the Agony of Loss, that sense of emptiness. This greenish floral cologne is what remains until drydown-it reminds me of the drydown of conventional perfumes, but without that 'tinny' feel. Verdict: this is probably the closest Beth will get to making a celebrity scent, and indeed, this does have that glamorous, sparkling and fizzy scent to it, like cologne and champagne, and it smells incredibly perfumey, like something I'd find on the high street. That's a compliment though because that's what it's supposed to smell like! It does reek of glitz and glamour and bling and fame, in a good way. I even get that feel of emptiness, but that doesn't detract from how pretty this smells. As 'celebrity perfume' goes, this is superior to most. I don't like the way that those perfumes are so flat, banal and one-dimensional. This one has interesting facets and morphs nicely, doesn't have that sharp alcohol that commercial scents have, and the notes stand out more. The first stage, where lemon blossom and citrus really shine, reminds me of one of my first perfumes that I ever wore, but that fades into a greenish, airy floral scent. I like this a great deal, but I was hoping for less cologne and more fullness from the flowers, and my beloved tiare was barely there. It does fit the concept very well though, but not too much to be offputting. Because of it's mainstream vibe, this is a great perfume to enable people with. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? one bottle, for sure! If you like this, try: Agony of Loss, New Year's Eve in Dogville, Lorelei, Spider, the Unicorn

Love and Pain In the imp: heavy, perfumey lavender cologne. Wet on skin: dry, perfumey tobacco and lavender. Dry on skin: this smells like a traditional gentlemanly perfume, it feels like the masculine counterpart to DPP Sitting Up With a Sick Friend. It has that same perfumey quality to the tobacco, with a touch of golden cologne, and heavy lavender replacing the rose note. After a minute I smell some copal here and the scent becomes more unusual, almost like heady incense, smoky and soporific. It smells like Gaueko, but more potent. After a while: the lavender fades but the tobacco still retains it's cologne like scent, a manly scent which smells very sophisticated. I smell none of the vanilla but I smell the golden copal which adds it's distinctive crumbly dry resin fragrance (and gives the scent a hint of King Cobra), and the musk may be adding more of a perfumey aspect. But it's not the vanilla-lavender-musk scent I was expecting. This is a lot more like something upscale and expensive. The tobacco is really strong in here, taking over with it's smoky dry leaf scent, different to the softer tobacco notes of Bachelor's Dog and Pinched. There's something almost leathery to it. I normally like tobacco but this one is a little too much like posh perfume to me. At one point there's a hint of burnt rubber to the scent which I really don't like. I have no idea where this comes from but it confirms that this scent just isn't me. The rubber scent doesn't last but the end drydown smells like something my mum wears, a faded and old fashioned perfume. Verdict: I was expecting this to be the ultimate BPAL lavender-vanilla-musk, a wonderful sleepy scent, kind of like a BPAL equivalent to Possets Ultramarine Blue, with added tobacco. But this was nothing like that-it was pretty much all tobacco, and tobacco cologne at that. There are not many BPALs which are too masculine or mature for me to wear but I do feel I am the wrong gender-and the wrong age-for this scent. the lavender is even more of a knockout than TKO, and hot on it's heels is a very dominant and perfumed tobacco. It's not the gentle, crumbly, comforting tobacco from some of my favourite DPP scents, but something stuffier and much more 'gentleman's club', it smells like a very expensive department store aftershave. It's very sophisticated smelling, I must say, like something high-end, and there's an interesting copal angle to it, but it smells too much like a 'posh bloke' scent for me, which I can't really pull off. I was hoping for more of the vanilla and musk to show up at the end but it didn't. Not my thing, I'm afraid. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Not really. If you like this, try: Gaueko, Kalahantrika, Arcana, Hellfire, Isaac, Sitting Up With a Sick Friend, Clio, Somnus

Mad Meg In the imp: whoa, scorched vetiver-the 'evil' variety! Wet on skin: oh, this is interesting, now it sweetens and softens nicely, with mandarin coming out. Dry on skin: mmm, this is actually quite nice! The vetiver is strong, but there's a wonderful spiced mandarin note to this. Like candied orange peel with chocolate and cinnamon! I also smell the dry earth and some almond too, but I'm surprised at how pretty this chocolate orange and cinnamon scent is. it almost reminds me of Christmas sweets and a roaring fire in the chimney on a cold winter's night, cosy and warm and smoky. Some vetivers tend to turn chocolate-like on me, this is one of them. The mandarin is wonderfully strong-usually this note is faint, but here it smells sugared and delicious. After a while: this becomes smokier and more charred, more vetiver-y and oddly, fruitier. There's something here which is almost like banana, pineapple or some kind of creamy fruity liquor! The mandarin is gone but the creamy cinnamon is still there, it reminds me of that lovely cinnamon chai scent from Pinched with Four Aces, but in here I get a hint of something which is bizarrely like bananas with pina colada! I have no idea why my skin is distorting the scent from a comforting scent of roasting spices to barbecued bananas with flaming pineapple cocktails…very weird. It's not a bad scent-it's a lot nicer than the vetiver overload I expected, that's for sure! It reminds me of Death Adder. The weird tropical fruit stage does go away, but the scent remaining still reminds me of Death Adder, sweetened vetiver with a lovely cinnamon cream scent over the top. I wonder if the Peru balsam is what is responsible for the sweetness? It's a sweet, almost amber-coated vetiver with a little spice and soft smoke wafting over it. There's that lovely tonka-like quality to the cinnamon that was in Pinched, but with the ashy, greenish-yellow scent of vetiver added. There's even a hint of something like saffron to this. The drydown before it fades is gentle dry grassy vetiver, reminiscent of those vetiver place mats my mum has, with a hint of myrrh. This vet isn't of the evil kind after all, it seems. Verdict: ok, this scent is heavy on the vetiver as expected, but this is actually really lovely. This is what I hoped Azathoth would be like, when it comes to woodsy mandarin vetiver. I was expecting a harsh, maddening, charred scent, but instead, I get a gorgeous creamy cinnamon-vanilla like scent weaving through the vetiver, almost like chai, with soft fireplace smoke and candied mandarin peel, all of which smell very festive. This immediately struck me as being a perfect winter scent. There are times when the balsam comes out and smells like resin or amber, and the fire scorched earth a lot gentler than I expected. The cinnamon bark note that Beth has been using in recent blends is fantastic. I like this a lot but ultimately the vetiver wins out, takes over as usual. There's even a weird 'pina colada' stage to this scent which I'm a little freaked out by. But I'm surprised by how pleasant this is. I don't think it's a bottle scent yet but I'm debating whether to keep the imp for the colder months or not. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? not sure-the vetiver does get strong, but it's one of the nicer scents in the 'pungent vetiver' genre. If you like this, try: Azathoth, Priala, Great He Goat, Two Monsters, Death Adder, Music of Erich Zahn