PurringPulsar

In the imp: smells like a dewy garden! Crisp wet greens and flowers. Wet on skin: the ivy comes out most, and perhaps the nasturtium too. It’s all green and garden-y. Dry: wow! This is a garden in liquid form! It’s very, very green, pure chlorophyll, crushed leaves, stems, grasses, everything good and green in here. The ivy, damp grass, nasturtium and some herbs are the foremost notes, with hints of soft dewy flowers here and there-but they don’t smell ‘floral’ as such, I don’t smell rose, gardenia or heliotrope just yet. Just an amazing GREEN scent of mushed up leaves and stems. After a while: the flowers don’t show up much in this scent-occasionally I get a hint of something floral but really, they are very subtle and not heady. Indeed, the scent is still heavy on the ivy and nasturtium, and the grasses and herbs, maybe with hints of morning glory and other creeping vines. I now get a crisp, clean, springtime flower petal scent, almost like that of daffodils or camellias. The overall scent is a lot fainter now but hasn’t lost any of the fresh dampness that it had at the beginning. After a few hours, the scent is much fainter and doesn’t have as much complexity as before, but it’s a very pleasant ivy scent, fresh and deep green, just like the ivy growing in my mum’s garden…with a layer of something fresher, wet and green, which reminds me of aloe. It’s also airy, like clean unpolluted air with the scents of mist and plants lingering in it. I want to take deep breaths of this. Verdict: no chickens to be smelt here. At first this was an amazing explosion of GREEN! It smelt just like the garden in the picture-not so much the smell of flowers, but very much the smell of the leaves and stems of all the plants, covered in dewdrops. It’s a fresh, cool scent, like a garden in the early morning, just before it gets warm and there’s dew everywhere, and the scent of greenery is all around. I smell lots of ivy winding through this scent, and the nasturtium is very strong here, sometimes there are hints of petals and herbs, but the florals don’t show off, and the best thing about this scent is how natural it smells, how genuine it is, and the way that none of the notes go off on my skin-instead the scent fades off gently (I wish it didn’t fade so fast though) into a soft mix of deep green ivy and airy dampness, a peaceful and serene scent of soothing green. I’m not sure if I need a bottle but I’m very impressed at my little ‘garden in a vial’ so I’m keeping this. I think it’ll make a lovely room scent too. (and yay for another gardenia scent that works on me!) Emoticon rating: (though this one really needs a chicken emoticon...) Is it a keeper? Definitely keeping the imp. If you like this, try: Envy, Arachne, Orpheus, Aeval, Asphodel, The Ghost

In the imp: iris, frankincense, and dry camomile, and a little bit of spicy wood…no gardenia yet. Wet on skin: oh wow, this is pretty. Soft white flowers with a spicy background. Dry: this is what I’ve always wanted to smell with gardenia. This smells like true gardenia, the most wonderful and realistic gardenia scent, nothing sharp, acrid or ‘mutated burnt celery’ about this gardenia at all, just full, creamy, tropical blooms, it reminds me of Tahitian monoi oil. The deep purple-powdery iris and golden-herbal camomile support the gardenia beautifully. But this flowery layer has a gorgeous background of amber and gently smoky frankincense, and a fantastic spicy wood scent. Is this agar-wood, the legendary oude? It certainly smells a bit like the oude note from Possets Orion, exotic and spiced and rich and incense like, but with flowers on top. This is a stunning scent! After a while: eventually this becomes a smooth, soft, creamy gardenia scent. there’s a hint of spicy incense and oude at the base but the gardenia is the star of this scent now, and it smells very much like tropical blooms, like sniffing a true gardenia flower, it makes me smell like I’m in Tahiti. This is the kind of gardenia I love! After a long period of almost pure floral, the wood and frankincense notes begin to show up again under the thick mass of gardenia petals. Verdict: I never thought I’d fall in love with a BPAL gardenia note since many BPAL gardenias (apart from most LE’s with that note) smelt awful on me, until I smelt this. I adore the gardenia in here to bits, it’s everything I hoped gardenia would be. No sharpness or acrid celery or screaming burnt greenness here. This is like sniffing a true gardenia, heady and exotic and full bodied. And it even smells like monoi oil, and I’ve been looking all over BPAL for a monoi-like scent, and this is it. And the other notes here are just as beautiful-the iris, the camomile, a delightful frankincense note, and the wonderful rarity that is agar-wood (oude!), which adds a mystical, rich, incense-spicy woody note under the gardenia. Despite the sometimes ‘tropical island beauty’ scent that I get from the gardenia, this really does fit such a wonderful sculpture, the gardenia is feminine, lush, and white as marble, and the frankincense and oude incenses smell heavenly and gloriously exalted. This is a stunning scent-in that it’s a gardenia scent I love, and with that incense background it smells truly magnificent. I hope that this gardenia note is used more often in future blends. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Definitely! This is now my favourite gardenia scent. I might get a bottle some day. If you like this, try: Euphrosyne, Hanging Gardens, Sacred Whore of Babylon

The Cup of Death In the imp: melon? I’m getting herbs, lavender and for some bizarre reason, cantaloupes. Wet on skin: whoa, this has gone dry and almost scrubby, gritty like dried grasses, and with that odd melon/cucumber note. Dry: this is a very unusual scent. I think the herbal, ‘dried grass’ notes I’m getting here are the yarrow and myrtle? The woods are very strong and enhance the dryness of this scent. I don’t get much peach, but I get a little lavender. There is an odd watery-cucumber like note at the back. Overall, this is the scent of a wooden chest of rosewood and sandalwood filled with dry grasses and herbs. It’s intriguing. After a while: the almost astringent herbal scent has calmed, and the woods are more prevalent now. I also smell the peach blossom, which is very similar to the fruit on me, with myrtle and lots of rosewood now. It’s not the ‘really rosy’ rosewood, maybe the sandalwood is stopping this wood from smelling like roses like it usually does, but the dry fragrant woods are very strong and warm at this point. Eventually this fades to pure rosewood and dried grasses…it now smells very similar to Libertine, a herbal rosewood scent with myrtle and peach taking the place of the camomile. Sometimes a greenish note peeks through the dry, dusty woodsy scent. But overall, this scent eventually dries down to soft muted herbs in a wooden box…or maybe a wooden coffin. It also reminds me of attics. Verdict: this is a very unusual fragrance. After an odd burst of melon at the start and momentary flashes of peach, the scent is predominantly that of wood and herbs, and the scent is very dry and almost faded and dusty in feel. The woods are very rich and warm, and the myrtle and yarrow smell like dried bundles of grass or medicinal herbs. The scent often reminds me of wooden boxes, antique wooden chests, lying somewhere in an old attic. It’s very evocative and atmospheric as a scent, woods and herbs and forgotten memories. I like it, but out of Salon II’s two ‘peachy scents’, I much prefer Cupid Complaining to Venus-although this almost feels like an older version of Cupid Complaining. It’s very unique though. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Not sure. It’s a little too herbally dry but it’s quite an interesting scent. If you like this, try: Séance, Chesed, Magus, Libertine

Cupid Complaining to Venus In the imp: honeyed peach. Sweet and sticky golden honey over sweet white peach. Wet on skin: this is gorgeous, like Thaleia with peach instead of apricot. Dry: this is so good! It’s peach and honey, with hints of thyme and fig and apple blossom, maybe a touch of sandalwood but mainly a herbal honeyed peach scent. It is very similar to Thaleia (the peach smells a bit like apricot), and also reminds me of my beloved Honey Moon, but with peach replacing the flowers and with a touch of sharper honey, like the one in O. this scent is very pretty indeed. After a while: now this smells like honeyed figs and peaches! The fig note has crept in and it smells less like the usual green fig note, and more like a sweet dried fig soaked in honey, and served with peaches. The honey also smells a bit sharper, and more crystalline now, not as nectar-like or sticky. And there’s a gorgeous undertone of sandalwood to it all. This gradually fades to the scent of honeyed fruit and sandalwood-but with more honey and wood now. It’s like fruit flavoured honey (but not an artificial scent at all) smeared all over sandalwood. It’s a warm and golden sweetness, and there’s a very mellow, relaxed feel to this, like chilling out in the afternoon sun. It makes me think of summer holidays even though it doesn’t contain the usual ‘summer holiday’ notes. It seems that the sandalwood and dried apple blossom petals seem to come out more after a couple of hours. Verdict: this is a delightful honeyed fruit scent which really took me by surprise. It’s like Honey Moon with peach, a cousin of Les Bijoux, or Thaleia’s older sister. The scent is of golden, translucent honey drizzled all over peaches and figs (the figs come out more at drydown) with a hint of thyme and a lovely background of sandalwood. It’s warm and sunny and laid back, yet delicious and cheerful. The ‘honey absolute’ here is one of my favourite BPAL honeys (I think this a note extracted from real honey) which is the perfect balance of sweet and sharp, and the fruit notes are lovely-the scent is sweet but not sickeningly so. This is a very relaxed scent and brings to mind lazy summer afternoons…I have no complaints about this scent, I love it more than I expected, I’ll get a bottle once I finish my imp. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Definitely-and I may get a bottle once I’ve finished my imp. If you like this, try: Thaleia, Tamora, Les Bijoux, Imp, Lilium Inter Spinas, Strangler Fig, O

TKO FizzyBoom Now, I’m one of those very few people who wasn’t keen on TKO (the oil)…sadly it turned to burnt rubber vanilla on me which was so heartbreaking. However, I love the TKO bomb so much! The scent is like a fluffy duvet of lavender with a bit of vanilla, both when the bomb is dry and when fully dissolved in the water. No burnt rubber here. The bomb fizzed very nicely, leaving a very slight froth and making the water very soft, smooth and milky. It’s a very luxurious bathing experience, and the scent in the water was nice and strong. I stayed in there until my skin went all prune-like, which seemed to take longer in this bath, probably because of all the nourishing oils. And I slept really well. I went to bed earlier than usual and had a lovely undisturbed sleep and woke up without problems either. There were a few weird dreams but apart from that I’m very impressed with the TKO bomb and will get more-they are a fantastic insomnia cure! Come to think of it, I’d love to see TKO lotion or body butter as well. Emoticon rating:

In the imp: cool mint and a hint of sweetish rice wine. Wet on skin: mint, rice wine, cherry blossom and a little bit of ho wood (I recognise the scent from having sniffed the essential oil, it's like rosewood with a kind of camphor-ish note). The mint is cooling my arm! Dry on skin: oh wow, this is prettier than I expected! It does smell very similar to Hungry Ghost Moon (but without the complexities of the citrus and vanilla and ginger etc) with it's rice wine and ho wood, but with added black tea, and I get a hint of cherry blossom which is surprisingly good. After falling in love with Bakeneko, it seems cherry blossom may not be as bad as I originally thought. I now wonder if this blossom is in Snow White because I do get a similarity here as well! And even the calla lily is behaving and not turning to soap…wow! The scent is very serene and pale, and very cool. After a while: this sweetens dramatically. I think the rice wine and cherry blossom are doing this…but still, no soap. The scent is a pretty and light, almost sugary and pink, cherry blossom tea and ho wood with rice wine scent. Very delicate and ethereal, and indeed, it's ghostly. The scent becomes creamier and sweeter as it dries down, to give an almost fluffy scent of pink and white, like soft white snow and the first blossoms of spring, it is a cool scent. The ho wood is very soft and soothing, and I start to realise that this wood, and the rice wine, were very noticeable in Hungry Ghost Moon. The scent becomes a little bit dry and more woodsy, and even smells a little bit like sweetened rice (as opposed to rice wine) now. It's a very pretty fragrance. Verdict: another scent that makes me change the way I feel about cherry blossom! I was a little scared of cherry blossom at first since so many blends with that note went wrong on me, but it seems this blossom wasn't the culprit, as I love it in Bakeneko, and I like it in here. At first it's a chilly wintry mint scent and I get a slight resemblance to Snow-flakes, but on the skin this is very similar to Hungry Ghost Moon, the rice wine and ho wood really showing themselves, and for once I can pick them out and recognise them. The scent is soft and fluffy and white like snow and pale woods, but then the scent seems to change from winter to spring as the pleasant sweet pinkness of cherry blossom starts to bloom in the scent. It is so peaceful and calm-think Japanese gardens in spring where cherry blossoms carpet the ground like snow. The scent is light, delicate and indeed, it is ghostly and luminous. I'm also surprised at how creamy and gently sweet the scent is, almost comforting, and the calla lily didn't even show up-or at least, it didn't turn bad on my skin. This will be nice for the warmer months. I prefer Hungry Ghost Moon but when I run out of that, I might get this as a good replacement. But I'm surprised at how good this smelt on me. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? maybe…I do prefer HGM and this seems more of a spring/summer scent to me. If you like this, try: Hungry Ghost Moon, Kyoto, Aizen Myoo, the Fox Woman Kuzonoha, Snow White, Snow Flakes

In the imp: LILAC!! It's pure lilac. Just like sniffing a blooming lilac bush in May. Wet on skin: still lilac, but now I smell the narcissus and cypress. Dry on skin: lilacs and narcissus. It smells like spring! The ylang, stargazers, and a garden-like floral that may be delphinium wind their way around the scent of wet lilacs and narcissi on a rainy spring day, with a pale woody base anchoring the flowers. But for now this smells like a garden during a spring shower, rain drenched lilacs, in a way there is a quite melancholy feel to it, grey skies and mournful floral notes similar to those of White Moon. After a while: this has turned to almost pure lilac, with a trace of narcissus. It doesn't have the freshness of when this scent was first applied, it's not as wet and dewy, they've turned a little bit sharp now. But it's not as bad a reaction as I feared-this isn't a lilac blend that 'screams' on my skin with acrid sharpness like some do, the lilac still smells true and genuine. It's like I've brought the lilac blooms out of the garden and now they are in a vase, away from the scents of the garden. The drydown is still pure lilac, maybe with a little bit of ylang, but mainly lilac. Verdict: I thought Whitechapel was the lilac-iest of the lilac once the lime had toned down, but now I think this is the most lilac-scented BPAL of all. at first, it's like going out into the garden in the rain and sniffing a freshly bloomed lilac tree full of fragrant purple blooms. Little hints of lily and narcissus come through, but it's mainly fresh wet lilac. One of those scents I'd call 'bottled springtime'. It does seem a little melancholy as a scent, either the image of flowers dripping with rain under a gloomy sky, or the slightly wilted scent it gains as it dries (but thankfully not too wilted-this lilac stays true on my skin and doesn't turn to sharp sour hell), and reminds me of the Funereal Oils. It's almost all pure lilac by drydown, like a sprig of lilac which is starting to wither slowly but still retains a gentle fragrance. This is a more wearable version of White Moon on me, I do like it but I'm not sure how much I'd wear it. It's one of the better lilac scents though and I'm impressed at how purely lilac-y it is, it is very pretty indeed. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? maybe, maybe not. If you like this, try: White Moon, Whitechapel, Les Fleurs du Mal, Nocturne, Purple Phoenix, Villain

Eshe In the bottle: oh, this is gorgeous. A dusty sandalwood base with herbs and beautiful heady flowers. Wet on skin: whoa, dusty herbs aplenty, but with hints of flowers and myrrh. Dry on skin: oh wow, this is really good. Really good stuff. The dusty herbs over sandalwood and myrrh that I get her reminds me very slightly of Carfax Abbey with the flowers of Black Moon, but also of Shroud. I get a feel of linen, but not the freshly laundered linen note I'm used to, but aged, desiccated linen made in a time before long washing powder, which has absorbed the fragrance of resins and herbs, against a sarcophagus of pale, fragrant wood. Over it a gorgeous jasmine note (the Moroccan variety is one of the jasmines that works wonderfully on me) and a hint of orchid, and a slight perfumey tone lent by the narcissus. After a while: this is a very dry floral, which is appropriate for the theme of this scent. The narcissus is much stronger now, it smells like dry petals, with dusty wood and linen and just a smidgen of myrrh. I'm amazed that it really does smell dust, and old too…the flowery notes are very sophisticated though, deep and rich. There's almost a hint of wispy smoke to this, maybe from the myrrh, which adds a shadowy aspect to the scent, but it also reminds me somewhat of opium. It reminds me so lightly of Darkness now, but not as heavy or overwhelming. It is very mysterious and beguiling. The end scent is very much a papery, dry, yet smoky and deep scent of myrrh and dusty flowers, mainly paper-whites and jasmine with a hint of smoke. It reminds me of Chrysanthemum Moon for some reason, but without the mums, musk, ginger, or whatever that note was that turned rancid on me…it seems like the sandalwood turning more incense like now as it sometimes does. And just before this scent fades away completely, a glint of something like amber (the myrrh?) glimmers through the dry papery flowers momentarily, like a flash of gold from some forgotten buried treasure in the dust. This sweet resin note is lovely, whatever it is. Verdict: who could have thought smelling like a mummy would be this good? That's the reason I bought this-I have a great track record with Egyptian scents, and it would be so great telling everyone I smell like a mummy (and watch their reactions) but of course, I don't want to smell of 3000-year-old dead flesh. And thankfully this scent is fantastic. It is like some amazing mix of Black Moon, Carfax Abbey and Shroud at first, blending dust (how does Beth bottle the essence of dust?) and sandalwood with a covering of warm herbs and heady blooms of jasmine, orchid and paper-whites, with the smoky shadow of myrrh lurking behind. But amazingly, I also get a feel of linen from this-dry and faded, absorbing the scent of incense, one could imagine this is the linen used to wrap mummies. This is the scent of death, but the flowers and herbs within the linen-like notes smell very alive, very rich and warm, at first, before becoming drier and mingling into the dusty wood, linen and myrrh. The drydown is of dust and wood with almost like wispy incense smoke that seems to have lingered for ages, with dry narcissus petals and a gorgeous resinous myrrh note underneath. The scent is old but not old fashioned, it has a dry, ancient feel to it but with a grown up and classy blend of flowers to give this scent a little bit of life and sophistication. I really love this stuff-definitely something to wear next time I go to the British Museum. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? I'm going to stockpile this scent! Of the two Egyptian Freaks of the 13-in-1, this one's my fave. If you like this, try: Shroud, Carfax Abbey, Nuit, Anubis, Black Moon, Darkness, Chrysanthemum Moon, Ozymandias

Bakeneko In the bottle: I can smell this outside the bottle, because this tricksy feline marked it's territory all over the bubble wrap-it leaked! Bad kitty! But the smell is gorgeous…a dusty 'furry' sweet musk with a hint of cardamom and cherry blossom. Wet on skin: dry cardamom and cinnamon! And even a hint of almond/cherry? Dry on skin: wow! This is so gorgeous! And it may be the first cherry blossom scent I've fallen for- I smell that note but in here it's not got any troublesome notes to spoil it-so maybe cherry blossom isn't so bad after all. This is a wonderful mix of spicy tea leaves with the barest hint of tangerine-like spicy orange chai tea bags-it's very dry as a scent. And underneath it is a soft warm layer of amber-musk, and a sprinkling of cherry blossom petals over it. This is very much like Bastet, only this is less golden and more pink-orange-tan coloured in tone. And there's something furry about it, like nuzzling up to a warm kitten, which I adore. After a while: this stays very stable-the throw increases though and the cherry blossom and cardamom tea are stronger now. It really does smell like a mix of dry leaves and spices used to make spicy orange tea, or like silks or fabrics from Asia in colours of pink, orange and gold, which have soaked up the scent of spices. It is dry and warm and the furry amber-musk is still dominant, now it's even more so. Velvety soft, ever so feline, it reminds me of the feeling of cuddling and stroking my cat and the purring that follows. The drydown is a gorgeous, warm and dry amber-musk with a dusting of tea, spice and the barest hint of cherry blossom which adds a delightful 'pink' hue to the fragrance. It's like a chilled out cat basking in the sunset. It's soft and exotic and reminds me of exotic tapestries and spice markets, and I even smell a hint of incense. Now it reminds me less of Japan and more of India. Then it turns to a 'second skin' scent with a tinge of spicy dust or even moss, very similar to that of Lyonesse, oddly, only this is less 'beachy' and more 'fuzzy'. The cherry blossom makes a comeback at the end, and adds more of a pink blush to the amber-musk skin scent. I also agree with the comment about it being a little bit like Devil's Night too, but without smoke or booze. Verdict: I love Bastet, and this is what happens when Bastet turns Japanese. And the result is fantastic. How on earth does Beth capture the 'essence of cat' into a bottle (without resorting to cat pee or civet, thank goodness)? Like Bastet, this really does have a feel of purring cat fur…I think it's the amber and musk combination, there's something warm and velvety about it that I adore. This provides a purrfect (groan!) background for the spicy tea-I don't get much satsuma but I do get lots of spice and dry tea leaves, predominantly cardamom and a trace of cinnamon. The cherry blossom is what really surprised me with this scent-it smells gorgeous in here, like soft sweet pink blooms, and not soapy at all. I love this, it smells dry and soft and makes me want to nuzzle up to my wrist, like I would with a cat…I imagine a graceful yet cuddly oriental feline basking in the sun. The scent becomes more exotic and musky as it dries down to a delicious amber musk with a touch of cardamom. This fragrance makes me purr, it is comforting and soft and snuggly, but also seductive and slinky. Much like a cat, really. And I'm kicking myself for not getting more of this, especially since I'm quite addicted to all things kitty-shaped… Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Yes! I now want to find more bottles…I'm regretting getting just one! If you like this, try: Bastet, Kyoto, Alone, Bengal, Phantom Calliope, Devil's Night

Judith Victorious In the imp: buttery roasted chestnuts with a hint of flowers. Wet on skin: roast chestnut pastries and flowers…why on earth does this smell like Jolasveinar? Dry on skin: now I get a hint of mandarin but it's not very strong. This is mainly chestnut blossom, which in here is a blend of floral notes with roast chestnut smoke and chestnut paste, and the magnolia is probably adding more of a floral tone. I smell something almost spicy to it, like pepper or saffron, as well as a hint of lily of the valley which isn't soaping out yet. It really does smell like that French sweet chestnut paste, but with a fresh and almost cool floral note, and the weird thing is that the scent of foody smoke mingled with cool white flowers make this scent very similar to Jolasveinar. What an unusual scent! After a while: it's still a smoky, foody floral fragrance, with a spicy nutty feel to it (I swear I smell saffron and pepper in here-why am I getting momentary flashes of curry?) with the smoky chestnut and flowers contrasting. I now smell the golden musk underneath it all, a smooth, shimmering layer. This scent does indeed bring to mind smoky browns and bright gold and smooth white. I definitely smell more magnolia now, and with the smoke, it reminds me a little bit of Trick #1. It seems to stay pretty stable on my skin, not morphing too much, still that odd mix of dark, rich chestnuts and cool, fresh, almost aquatic perfume-y flowers, with musk and spice running through it all. But it's quite a strange perfume. The lily of the valley really has behaved itself though. The chestnuts seem to smell more burnt over time, still clashing with the flowers. Verdict: this is one of the most unusual scents I've ever encountered. It's an odd, slightly conflicting mix of smoky-nutty-gourmand and fresh white flowers on me, with hints of spice and musk. The chestnut blossom smells like roast chestnuts and sweet marrons glaces, a foody scent which reminds me of Christmas, contrasting wildly with heady white floral notes of magnolia and lily of the valley. I think the smoky, nutty, Christmas associations of the chestnuts and the cold flowers in this scent are what make this remarkably similar to the drydown of Jolasveinar, on me anyway. But it's a very bizarre combination of scents-on the one hand you have rich smouldering chestnuts and sweet chestnut paste (it's a foody smoke with a little sweetness but no caramel) and then you have the fresh, perfumey flowers on the other. Both sides seem to clash but they don't quarrel, they seem to hold an uneasy peace in this scent-both chestnuts and flowers smelling equally strong, no overtaking by either side, but yet they don't seem to mingle very well-there's a slight dissonance here, at least on my skin. It's a unique fragrance that I've not smelt in many other places-certainly not outside BPAL-but I don't think I'd wear it much-it's a little too contradictory for me! But if you like Trick #1, this to me seems a good replacement for that scent thanks to the smoky sweet magnolia. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? I'm not sure. Probably not-it's a bit of a confusing scent! If you like this, try: Jolasveinar, Hearth 05, Trick #1 (if you can find it!)

Three Gorgons In the imp: tangerine and mandarin…orangey citrus! A little hint of pepper…it's like Kunstkammer. Wet on skin: now the smoky tobacco comes out, but it's still tangerine/mandarin dominated. Dry on skin: a fantastic combination of peppered oranges, dry tobacco leaves, and a beautiful amber base. No evil vetiver to be smelt so far-I think this vetiver is of the nice variety. For now I get lots of citrus fruit covered with pepper, the mandarin and tangerine are bright and effervescent, like buck's fizz, the pepper adds warmth and sparkle, and the tobacco adds a hint of dry smoke. I can't wait for the amber to really show off. After a while: eventually the zing of the citrus tones down a little and the mandarin/tangerine merges beautifully into the amber…now it smells like a creamy orange-amber scent with a hint of peppered smoke. It also smells remarkably similar to Kunstkammer, but without the 'cherry ice lollies' note I got from that scent. The citrus notes seem to cancel out the amber's sweetness for now, but all the resinous depth is there. I love Beth's Egyptian amber note. After about an hour, it seems the citrus note seems to have latched on to the amber and thus, it lasts an incredibly long time in here. It has a 'sherbet powder' feel to it, but the amber is starting to show itself a little more, becoming deeper and sweeter. The pepper isn't as strong, the tobacco just adds a hint of dryness…and there's hardly any vetiver. The end drydown of this scent is very much like Three Brides, that same mandarin amber but without the flowers, and I smell an almost moss-labdanum or ambergris type nuance to the amber, and it starts to remind me of Jacob's Ladder. It's gorgeous. The amber is really shining now. The vetiver adds just the right amount of grit and earth to the scent without taking over or even showing itself too much. Verdict: this is a delightful orange-amber scent. I was a little bit scared of the vetiver but thankfully, this is the kind of vetiver I like-discreet, respectful, and not maniacally taking over the scent, in fact, I can hardly smell it most of the time. This scent is ruled over by citrus and peppered tobacco at first, the mandarin and tangerine fizzing away happily with their bright zingy scent, before calming down and letting the amber come through. It's not long before Egyptian amber becomes the star of the scent, a radiant and golden amber which melds wonderfully with the citrus and then really sings on my skin at the end, where the scent is like a slightly tangier version of Jacob's Ladder. Rich amber, orange and glittering gold are the colours of this scent, fitting with the colours of the scent's painting. This is gorgeous and I also find it to be a good substitute for Kunstkammer, and it's worth waiting for the amber drydown. I'm definitely keeping my imp and maybe one day I'll get a bottle. I love those amber-dominated scents. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? the imp, for sure. Maybe a bottle later. If you like this, try: Jacob's Ladder, The Lion, Three Brides, Carceri D'Invenzione, Kunstkammer

Hunger Moon In the imp: hey, it's Beth's famous snow note! I remember you from Wolf Moon! Only this time it's more lemony thanks to the citrus and verbena. Wet on skin: the greenness of the sage comes out, as well as the lemon-herbal tang of verbena and a touch of citrus, mingling with the wintry ozone. Dry on skin: iced citrus! This is the scent of lemons in the snow, frozen pines with a touch of green sage. This has the famous 'BPAL snow' note to it, which is already citrus-y, but with an added lemon kick to it. It's bright and sharp and clear as a winter's moonlit night. The sage adds a down to earth herbal touch, and the sandalwood adds a nice dry background. I think I detect a hint of sweet amber. But it's mainly lemon snow. (Not yellow snow, which thankfully this doesn't smell of…lol). And I do agree with the statement that it is the winter equivalent of Hungry Ghost Moon-I also think it is the winter equivalent of the Scales of Deprivation (herbal-lemon resins). After a while: the verbena and citrus in here are surprisingly long lasting! The snow/pine note is still the strongest note, with the bright lemony notes on top, maybe a little amber as well. the scent is cold and yet bright, like winter sunlight, bright upon the snow, but offering little warmth. The moss note adds a smooth powdery finish. The pine/snow scent of course is the longest lasting note on me, with hints of juniper peeking out, and with that soft mossy powdery base thanks to the oak moss. Now the promise of amber I got first isn't there any more. This scent fades into a fragrance of pine needles falling upon frozen moss. Verdict: it seems this winter, the moons seem to smell very snowy. I'm glad I took a chance with this and it's ozone note, because this is one of the ozone notes that works very well on me-it's the well known 'snow' accord, that distinctive slushy pine-citrus fragrance. This smells like the sequel to Wolf Moon-it is gender neutral and very wintry, but HM is a little less wild, a little more empty, and less dark, but with a definite similarity to the moon that came before. The verbena (which doesn't turn soapy in here, yay!) and citrus add a lemony spark to the first stages of the scent, the sage adds a little greenness, the moss adds it's gentle powdery fragrance, especially at drydown. I was hoping for more of that white amber-I get glimpses of it at the beginning, but then it fades, and I'm hungry (geddit?) for more! the scent does have a feel of emptiness and stillness to it, the scent of a cold winter night or winter day, but there is a promise of spring to it, given by the scent's greener notes. I do like this scent a lot more than I expected considering it has verbena and ozone-I do like Beth's snow scents…it's just that I have so many and a lot of them smell very similar at drydown, this one included. I like it but I might sell it because I do have a lot of winter fragrances I might wear more. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? I'm not sure-I like it, but I have so many of these pine-citrus-snow scents! If you like this, try: Snow Maiden, Snow Moon, Snow Bunny, Darkling Thrush, Death of the Gravedigger, Dublin, Mag Mell, Hungry Ghost Moon, Embalming Fluid

Meskhenet In the bottle: frankincense…but I think I smell gardenia in here? I don't get why since it's not listed. Oh please, I really hope not…but it does remind me of Night's Pavilion, which I love. Wet on skin: frankincense! There is a hint of something almost gardenia-ish (burnt petals) but it's mainly a clear, bright frankincense note, smouldering and smoky and peppery. Dry on skin: this is an intriguing scent. It's mainly frankincense, in fact, it's very similar to Midnight Mass (especially the 05 version). Really powerful resin scent, a mix of frankincense in resin form and it burning as incense. (Olibanum is another form of frankincense, which explains the 'double-whammy' of frank notes here) Golden and dry and warm, like strong sunlight. I wonder if there's a trace of myrrh to it as well, even though that's not a listed note. There's a green dry scent to it, which is definitely the palm fronds. It reminds me of the dry sandy palm note from Caliban, only here the sands that dust these palms are not of the beach, but of the desert. I get a hint of green hyssop, maybe even a bit of reeds too…is that papyrus I smell? I think it may be. A crisp sharp floral flits through, probably hibiscus, but there's something almost gardenia like to it-but not as evil as some gardenia notes can be. After a while: as the frankincense begins to mellow out, it loses it's piercing, almost spicy resinous scent and becomes smoky-it's like incense that has burnt out and now, just it's smoke lingers. Under the smoke is a fascinating mix of aquatic reeds, reminiscent of Dunwich, dry palm, and a hint of dust or sand. However this scent has an interesting contradiction-it is both wet and dry. The river reeds are cool and green, giving a feel of water without any actual aquatic notes, but the scent has aridity. It also reminds me of those 'Blue Nile' fragrances, but without the floral and aquatic notes they have. Indeed, this seems to be a scent of the Nile and the desert. Wow. And it smells even more strongly of papyrus now, a mix of fresh green reeds and the dry golden dusty paper. When smelling this I get images of papyrus papers, dry petals and golden palm leaves buried in the sand or in a dusty tomb. It shares a kinship with Nefertiti, in that it doesn't smell identical but shares a similar mood and feel…though the orris in here now smells like the iris in Nef. Indeed, the drydown is very similar to Nefertiti with it's wet reedy iris and a dry background, but with added palm and tart hibiscus. It's a gentle scent of sunlight and sand and cool river water, with an light and airy-even feathery-aspect to it. After a few hours the scent is pure papyrus on me-I love that scent, just like sniffing a sheet of Egyptian paper. Whoa. Verdict: this is a fascinating fragrance. At first I was unsure about it but this scent is really growing on me. It starts off with a strong, almost harsh, frankincense note, intense and piercing, with a base of palm leaves, before smoothing out into an intriguing mix of incense, water plants, palms and hibiscus, papyrus paper and desert sand. It's one of those perfumes that captures a mood, a time and a place…namely, Ancient Egypt. It's a scent of the contrasts between the Nile and it's lush wet greenery and the arid heat of the desert, papyrus paper covered in funereal prayers fluttering in the breeze, the smouldering resins of frankincense wafting from ancient temples, and the commanding and harsh light of the midday sun. Yet there's mournfulness to it, almost hollow and empty, tomb-like, melancholy. Yet it is moving, haunting, also wispy and feathery. Mysterious and very 'visual' as a scent, it really fits the picture and it's emotion, and the description…and evokes the timeless land of the pharaohs where the vulture maiden flew from before landing in the Carnival tent. It's not an everyday scent but it's evocative and ancient feel makes this a remarkable and unique fragrance, and a true scented work of art, it feels like a scent to meditate on and contemplate. Beautiful. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Of course, there's something stirring-not to mention highly evocative-about it, so I'm stocking up. If you like this, try: Nefertiti, Anubis, Midnight Mass, Ahathoor, Penitence, Caliban, Dunwich (if you can find it!)

Holy jumpin' Jesus on a pogo stick. Beth has pulled out all the stops yet again with another bank breaker! The worst thing about these last two updates? Too many scents have been 'must get bottle NOW and don't bother with decants'! It's bad for my student loan, really. But it's so good to see so many wonderful scents that grab me either through notes, descriptions, names, associations or artwork (in the case of CD). Now this new Gaiman series has enabled me in the reverse, so to speak...in other words, I need to read his books. Even Beth herself enabled me to read his stuff on the NA Lush forum! If I still have enough money left, then it's off to Amazon to get American Gods... (Maybe this is a sign of obsessive fangirlishness but I get goosebumps when Beth replies to one of my posts! She's more of a celebrity to me than any of the losers on Reality TV ever could be!) CROW MOON Love! notes: white musk, possibly winter wind Like notes: violet, cedar, evergreens Huh? notes: wintersweet, green-barked dogwood, primrose, snowdrop, and lenten rose hellebore bouquet Iffy notes: verbena (though I think vervain is different to lemon verbena?) I really like the way this is mysterious, dark and wintry, but with hints of spring flashing through it. A lot of these are notes I don't recognise, but this could wind up smelling a little bit like the Raven. I just hope that this foresty-wintry scent doesn't go the way of Carpathian Mountains, but it may well go the way of Snow Moon, Skadi etc. OBOROT Love! notes: frankincense, earth Like notes: fir, pine Huh? notes: Greek mountain tea flower, sandarac, ravensara Iffy notes: sea spray, moss (if it's the Spanish kind) This blend looks so atmospheric, so dark, when I read the description I got an image of some kind of ancient ritual taking place on a dark stormy coastline, wild animals peering out of the woods and strange incantations. I have no idea how this will smell apart from maybe dark, wild, moody, and a tad incensy. Hopefully not soapy or uber-mossy. FIRE PIG Love! notes: lychee Like notes: peony, bamboo, tangerine, orange, pine, kumquat, quince, narcissus, mandarin Huh? notes: pussy willow (think un-dirty thoughts, think un-dirty thoughts...lol) Iffy notes: plum blossom, dragon's blood I just love the concept of a Chinese New Year scent (I'm looking forward to the Ox!) and this looks like a bright, glittering firework of a scent, sparkling with yellow, peach, orange and pink shades of citrus and flowers and sweet delicious lychee, with a red sheen of dragon's blood. It looks fun, vivacious and celebratory. ENRAGED GROUNDHOG MUSK Love! notes: cardamom, vanilla, musk Like notes: chocolate, caramel Iffy notes: cherry How can I refuse? Is the lil' fuzzy hog pissed off because he can't find his shadow? Or because the same day keeps repeating itself-well, that would make anyone enraged! Naturally, cardamom and vanilla sold me, and I hope the chocolate cherries behave, and that the musk is along similar lines to the Bunny or the Buck... BILQUIS Love! notes: honey (crossing fingers that it will be the honey from Queen of Sheba), myrrh, rose, ambrette, musk Like notes: fig leaf, almond, apple Iffy notes: lily of the valley Swoon. I love Beth's exotic middle eastern orientals, blends that evoke seductive desert queens and sand dunes in the sunset and all that...and I adore those 'opulent rose orientals' where rose and loads of golden/sweet/resinous/musky notes mingle so harmoniously. I'd be interested to see if this resembles the Love Potion blend, Queen of Sheba, as it seems a few of the Gaiman scents seem to be variants on similar-named/themed scents in the rest of the catalogue. I think this will be QoS made even sexier and more delicious-in fact, this looks like the lovechild of Queen of Sheba and Les Bijoux. Hopefully the lily of the valley won't soap this scent out of what looks like perfection. MAD SWEENEY Like notes: oak Iffy notes: whiskey! I'll try a decant of this just for the experience but if Beth says this is almost pure whiskey, I'll take her word on that. I'm sure it's a great conceptual scent but smelling of pure strong booze ain't my thing. It's definitely not a scent I'd wear on a driving test!! MAMA-JI Love! notes: cardamom, spices, nutmeg Like notes: flowers (depends on what type) If I wasn't br0ke I'd get a bottle of this STAT. I can't resist cardamom, and with nutmeg and spices? Me wantee. I'm intrigued by the flowers. What kind of flowers will they be? Probably Indian ones (but hopefully not champaca, aka Banana Blossom of Doom) but my guess is that they could be similar flowers to the ones in Kali, as this is a Kali scent too. (I get the feeling that these different scents with similar names/themes/alternative names evoke different aspects or characteristics of the person/deity/creature/character, and I love that.) I loved the flowery drydown of Kali, so that with added spice sounds fantastic. And if it's in Beth's favourite list, that's got to be a good sign! MR. IBIS Love! notes: papyrus, vanilla, Egyptian musk Like notes: sandalwood Huh? notes: aleo ferox, African musk Oh yeah. Egypt, baby. And Thoth! As if adding Egyptian Freaks to the CD was bad enough for my finances, now she had to go add Egyptian gods to her Gaiman line! Thoth is one of my favourite gods, I have an affinity for him, what with his connections to science and writing...and I've been waiting for Beth to make a Thoth scent and now she has! And it has papyrus! But I adore the smell of Egyptian papyrus paper, the golden, reedy, dry aroma that I smell on my countless gorgeous papyrus paintings. If Beth captures that scent in here, I will die of happiness. And I've also been waiting so long for another scent with Egyptian musk-as Beth's E-musk note is one of the best, especially the stunning musk in Debauchery (which would have been a favourite were it not for civet) and I hope that musk, or the one in Bastet, shows up here. I'm also curious about the aloe (hopefully it's like the fresh green aloe note I like) and vanilla is always good. This was a no-brainer-instant bottle purchase! MR. JACQUEL Love! notes: amber, patchouli, spices Like notes: hyssop What the? MORE EGYPT? *paypal goes splodey-boom* And it's an Anubis-inspired scent! Oh my dog god!! I get the feeling this is going to be even better than the Excolo Anubis which I adore but it's not really an everyday scent-this one looks delicious. Amber is a favourite, as is patchouli (I wonder what North African patch is like) and I adore the combo of amber and patch, I'm wondering what those embalming spices will be like-will they be like the herbs in Anubis, or more spicy? This was another instant bottle purchase. I now wonder if there are more Egyptian god characters in American Gods...I've heard there's a Horus based character and someone mentioned a Bastet character too (correct me if I'm wrong)? I can't wait to see what else is added to the Carousel! MR. NANCY Love! notes: cookies Like notes: tobacco, lime Iffy notes: bay rum I wonder if the Sugar Cookie note in here will be like Sugar Cookie 04, which was the most wonderful cinnamon biscuit ever, or like SC05 which was a more buttery, less spicy, boozier affair (which went burnt on me though)? I'm hoping for the former, but it could be a completely different cookie note...I have faith in Beth to make a delicious lime cookie scent which will smell fantastic on my skin. The addition of tobacco is intriguing, and the bay rum may or may not make this smell too masculine. SPIDER Like notes: ginger, nutmeg, mandarin, bergamot, lime Huh? notes: artemisia Iffy notes: vetiver This one looks very masculine as a scent, like a citrus cologne with that gritty vetiver base. That's one of the notes that could be too much for me, depending on whether it's good vetiver of EVIL VETIVER OF DOOOOM. However, the nutmeg, mandarin and artemisia (wormwood? mugwort? tarragon?) remind me of Winter of our Discontent, which I loved, and the ginger could add a little kick. I'd be willing to try a decant but I think this is more of a man's scent. So I bought The two Moon scents regardless (I have a feeling I might not like them but they could be miraculously good on me, who knows?), the Egyptian American Gods, Bilquis and the Blazin' Piggy, and they all have to put up with the Grumpy Groundhog who's also joining them on their transatlantic flight. Talking of which, I think my Hunger Moon/Spicy KitTea has landed at home! I am really, really looking forward to trying the, along with my Mummy and Vulture, and my Salons! A great week for BPAL all round! On non-BPAL related news, my coursework is nearly finished! I'll get more, no doubt, but I'm not procrastinating as much as I used to

Formula 54 In the imp: I managed to nab a bit of ‘the legend’ off Edensixthday. The scent is a boozy, smoky, oddly fruity, musky scent with something almost dragon’s blood like to it. Wet on skin: tobacco flower, fruity rose and dark musk with a metallic bite. Dry: mmm, wow. Now the rose really comes out to play. It’s a rose wrapped in smoke, alcohol and musk, blood red petals and sharp thorns with a hint of fruit and spice. The cognac is also very strong now, but this is a totally different animal to the Imp of the Perverse. Whilst the Imp wasn’t awful on me, it just smelt like cognac-soaked roses. this smells like rose splashed with cognac and garbed in wafts of seductive tobacco flower and dark musk. The clove in here (I think?) has a metallic bite to it, it’s not the sweet creamy clove but something a little less innocent… After a while: holy moly, this has transformed into kirsch. It smells like cherry liqueur! I know the cognac gives the impression of booze but I have no idea what’s making it smell like cherry…but it’s a very realistic kirsch scent, with added smoky tobacco and musk to it. The tobacco flower in here is less wispy-smoky or incense like than usual, it smells more like smouldering tobacco leaves, but thankfully not like cigarettes. After a brief cherry moment, the rose returns, it smells like grown-up crimson red blooms and booze and smoke. I even smell a hint of lipstick now! But the scent gives an overall feel of crushed red velvet accented with cognac and slinky tobacco. It still smells slightly fruity though. And then I smell another surprise note that I don’t expect. Incense. Or more precisely, Indian incense, possibly even nag-champa. That could be the tobacco smoke, but when I smelt wafts of something almost reminiscent of joss sticks, I was surprised to find it was wafting from my wrist. And indeed it smells like more fragrant smoke now. This scent is quite a morpher! It then becomes a tobacco-dominated rose-tinged incense smoke scent on me…I’d love to find incense that smelt like this! And then the musk comes through a little more. I love the way this changes…after a few hours I get a pleasant nutty-woody tobacco-rose scent. Verdict: I can see why this is so rare and coveted, it’s one of the most unique, changeable and intriguing BPALs out there. Smelling like more than the sum of its parts, the tobacco, rose, musk, clove and cognac show themselves off in their own ways before the scent changes and another note takes prominence…and even then it seems other notes seem to pop up, like cherry liqueur and nag champa, to add surprise and unexpected dimensions to the scent. The scent moves from scents of booze and smoke to rose petals on velvet and clouds of exotic incense. It changes and pulses, it is seductive, glamourous, sensual and sophisticated yet shrouded in intrigue. It has a similar feel to scents like Wanda, Blood Kiss, Sed Non Satiata, Glasya and many of the ‘sexy and dominant woman’ scents from BPAL, even though it smells completely different-this scent is powerful but not fierce, this scent is tempting and beguiling, but with a feel of feminine confidence. I don’t think I’ll beg for bottles or sell my soul on Ebay but I’m very happy with the small amount I have of this prized fragrance-it really was worth a try and will be cherished. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Of course. It’s a small amount but I will keep it, for sure.

I don't normally say much on blogs here these days...but I'm so glad that I'm not the only person with normal hearing who watches English-language TV with subtitles! I thought I was the only one but I'm very happy to see that I'm not. I sometimes find it hard to catch words when people who don't speak clearly or who speak too fast say something, or when there's talking when there's loud noise or music in the background...so subs are great for that!

The Raven In the imp: a soft powdery violet with the scent of iris and tangy neroli underneath. Wet on skin: violet and iris. This smells like Black Pearl with violet. Dry on skin: violet and iris, the two notes intermingle very nicely. This is a pale, ghostly scent, very powdery and dusty. The violet gives a silvery and old fashioned scent, the iris smells almost like orris here as opposed to the almost fruity purple scent that some iris notes have. The sandalwood accentuates the dustiness and dryness of the scent, with hints of neroli here and there. I don't get musk yet. After a while: now it smells just like those Parma Violet sweets. You know those little purple sweets that taste of sugary violet? This is exactly what it smells like now, right down to the chalky powder of the sweets themselves, and even a hint of 'fizz' provided by tangy neroli. I don't smell any dark musk here at all. Just powdered pale violet. It seems a little too cheerful for the name and theme… Eventually this 'Parma Violet' scent becomes a very pretty violet dusted over a warm, soft sandalwood. Now this is more like it! Less sugar and more of the ghostly and dry scent I get first. It's possible that the musk may be adding depth but it's not noticeable. The drydown is a surprisingly warm sandalwood-violet scent with just a hint of dark musk. Verdict: at first, this is all violet. Maybe a touch of orris-like iris enhancing the violet, but this is violet, powdery, dusty, pale and aloof, almost melancholy and faded, nostalgic. And then it moves away from this almost sad, faded scent into something unusually cheery-the scent of Parma Violet sweets, violets and sugar and powder and fizz. Not what I expect from a perfume called 'The Raven'. However, the drydown was much nicer when the fizzy neroli faded to leave a gorgeous violet-sandalwood fragrance, dusty and old and ghostly, and feathery-soft, with the shadow of dark musk behind it, a much more raven-like scent. I like this scent, especially after a couple of hours, but I'm not sure I'd wear it much, it smells a little old fashioned at times and sometimes a little too much like sweets…it's conflicting. So I think I'll swap/sell this. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Maybe not. If you like this, try: Ultraviolet, Dance of Death, Le Serpent Qui Danse, Black Pearl, I Died for Beauty, Morella

Tavern of Hell In the imp: a complex mix of lavender, tobacco smoke, hints of gardenia and orange blossom, and ylang too? Here's to hoping this gardenia doesn't turn to Evil Flower on me. Wet on skin: the gardenia starts to turn a little sour but then lavender moves in and snuffs it out. I smell lots of smoke now. Dry on skin: wow, what a complex fragrance! The gardenia in here has gone quiet, letting all the other notes come through. The result is a complex and many-layered scent of smoke, flowers, herbs, woods, and a hint of booze. I smell lavender and orange flower very clearly, along with a hint of absinthe and ebony (probably the dark wood note), tobacco flower is very smoky, melissa (I think that's lemon balm?) and coriander, with gardenia, and ylang adding heady floral touches and ambergris binding it all together. Dark, smoky and inviting, with hints of French cologne mingling with floral perfumes, and splashes of booze-at times the lavender is strong, other times the floral notes, and at other times smoke and then the herbs, woods and drinks are strongest. After a while: this blend is a real morpher. At times the lemony melissa and orange blossom seem to peek out. At other times I get a beautiful white floral scent, and I wonder if the gardenia in here is the 'good' variety I loved from Le Serpent Qui Danse or Euphrosyne. At other times, the gorgeous smoky floral scent of tobacco flower really shows, and I get glimmers of absinthe and spices on a backdrop of deep ebony and ambergris. I swear I smell cigars here as well, but non-flowery tobacco isn't listed…this is such an intriguing scent. This seems to give off wafts of a beautiful sweet creamy floral scent when smelt far away, but close to the wrist the scent is more masculine and cologne like, with a mossy base. This manly cologne is the longest lasting note, lingering after the smoke and flowers have faded, but accentuating it is the spicy greenness of coriander. Verdict: this is quite an amazing scent! I was expecting the gardenia in here to turn against me but I'm so glad it doesn't. In fact, the complex jumble of other notes makes for a fascinating and multifaceted scent, swirling and chaotic and changing, moving between masculine and feminine, and with many layers. It seems very apt for the theme and description, a scent evoking a wild night out in Paris, either in a smoky dark tavern, or taking in a show at the Moulin Rouge with a cigar and a glass of absinthe, the scent of men's aftershave mingling with the heady perfumes of the dancers and the smoke all around. A fragrance where lavender cologne rubs shoulders with heady gardenia and ylang-ylang, and seductive tobacco flower slinks through mingling with exotic woods and spices. It gives off a beautiful throw of smoky heady flowers and shape-shifts constantly. The only thing that stops this from being a favourite is that it smells a little too masculine at times, especially at drydown-like an upscale men's perfume-sophisticated, but a little too manly for me. but I'm definitely keeping this scent around, it's very well blended and unique. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? I'm keeping the imp. If you like this, try: La Fee Verte, Absinthe, Old Scratch, Casanova, Paris, Wilde, Vicomte de Valmont

Aged Sin is very similar to Schwarzer Mond. It's the patchouli-amber combination...once the patch in Sin ages a bit, it strengthens and starts to resemble Schwarzer Mond

My half-sister gave birth to a beautiful little boy today! I haven't seen him yet or seen any pictures but I hope to see my little nephew soon. I've been waiting for the birth for a long time since the baby didn't want out (too warm and cosy inside mummy's tummy!) and was a week overdue, I was worried for my half-sis...but not any more! From what I've heard, both mum and baby are healthy and happy, and I'm now an aunt! (or step-aunt, really, but still, it's so exciting!)

The Hamptons In the imp: a very sharp citrus scent. It reminds me slightly of the lemon cleaner I use to dust the house…but also of a smart cocktail, or pink lemonade. Wet on skin: what the? Cherries? I get a bitter almond/cherry scent appearing in the lime-cranberry scent now. Very odd. Dry: this is weird. It smells like a fresh cocktail made predominantly with lime, a hint of cranberry too, something sharp and clear and boozy…but I smell cherry pipe tobacco. Like a hint of Herr Drosselmeyer zipping through here. It may be a weird skin thing because this seems to fade away a minute later, leaving a very sharp, crystalline scent of sour fruit. This is Swank’s sister, it has that same feel, only instead of pomegranates, there’s cranberry and lime. It also reminds me of those alcoholic fizzy drinks-at least this does smell more like a cocktail for the time being, with a ‘clear booze’ note to it, like vodka or gin. After a while: this smells more like a G&T now, with a bigger hit of lime. It’s the gin scent from Twenty One with an added fruity tang. And then it morphs into pink lemonade! Or, more accurately, pink lemonade cut with gin. It reminds me of Snow Angel, but grown up and more boozy. However, like Swank, it does have that smell of those sour sweets and fruit candles that I disliked from that scent, only a little bit less acidic. Here there’s a sugar note counteracts the sourness-it’s very much like Treat #1’s lemonade sherbet scent. There’s a bitter juniper note at the base of this, which stops the scent becoming too girly and pink. Verdict: stupid non-scents-ical thought first. Every time I see ‘The Hamptons’ I think of that title appearing against a cloudy blue sky (and a famous theme tune starting to play), and then zooming towards a cartoon version of the luxury seaside pads of the rich and famous…you get my drift. Anyway. I’ve never drunk a cosmo before, but this smells like ‘alcopop’. Yup, it’s the smell of a student union night, what’s missing is the stink of cigarettes, cheap perfume and vomit (thank goodness), it’s fruity boozy drinks. Then it morphs into something a little more sophisticated, a gin and tonic scent which is like 21, but heavier on the citrus, you can smell the lime here. And then it turns to booze-spiked, heavily sugared pink lemonade. It certainly smells like a flashy cocktail at some points, but at other times it smells like artificially flavoured sweets with that sour stuff sprinkled all over them. This scent is conflicting to me-at times I like it and think it would be a good replacement for Treat #1 when I run out, but I don’t like the ‘sour sweets’ and artificial fruitiness I get at other times. I do like this more than Swank, but I think I’ll swap my imp. As alcoholic scents go, I think the wine scents work best on me, and maybe some rum/bourbon scents, or scents which have a booze component with lots of other notes, but not many of the ‘pure cocktail’ blends seem to be working on me. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? No. If you like this, try: Swank, Twenty One, Absinthe, F5

Circe In the imp: sharp gardenia with some sweeter flowers, maybe lotus? Wet on skin: the peppery bite of gardenia, maybe some black pepper too, with a sugary floral. Dry: interesting. Normally this is the gardenia I’d term as the ‘evil’ variety, it’s harsh and biting and a little acrid and ‘burnt celery’ at worst, but I can handle it in here, because another floral scent, maybe lotus or jasmine, is beating it into submission with sugar. So there’s spicy gardenia with something which could be pepper, and a sweet-sugary-nectar floral scent. I’m sure it is lotus, the more I smell it, though it may also be plumeria or frangipani. This reminds me of Sacred Whore and Hanging Gardens, where the ‘Evil Gardenia’ was in bearable amounts. After a while: the gardenia doesn’t fade like it did in HG or SWoB, I’m afraid. It sticks around and if anything, gets stronger, eating up the pretty sugared lotus fragrance that was trying to subdue it. it now develops that dry and acrid scent that I dislike from this particular gardenia variant, with just a whisper of lotus underneath. The eventual drydown of this scent is a dry, gritty gardenia scent (maybe with a grey wood note at the back?) with just a hint of aquatic lotus, but the gardenia isn’t as well behaved as I hoped it would be. Verdict: this contains the gardenia note that is usually my bane, but in here it wasn’t downright evil. It was a little nasty, but not at it’s most malevolent (although it did get worse at the end). at first it’s a very bearable scent, a mix of peppered gardenia and sweet, sugary lotus which I thought would at least become the dominant note, because I love a bit of lotus, and it’s candy-sweet touch seemed to soften the aggressive gardenia-at least for about an hour. Then the Flower of Doom becomes dominant, crushing the poor lotus and taking over the scent with a gritty, uncomfortable scent of dry, burnt petals and celery. Still, it’s not as bad as some gardenia scents were on me (like Has No Hanna and Lady of Shalott) but as far as discontinued lotus-gardenia scents named after ladies from Greek myth are concerned, I much prefer Pandora. This is going to swap. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? No.

Experimental blend ('coconut Snake Oil') Both of these are sniffies received in a swap with edenssixthday (as freebies! Thanks!) In the imp: holy crap, this smells like kulfi. Yup, that Indian ice cream made with condensed milk, saffron, cardamom, almond and sometimes mango. That, and Snake Oil. This is creamy Snake Oil with a bit of mango and something nutty. Yum. Wet on skin: this definitely has the Snake Oil base, but there’s an unusual dry sweetness on top which, despite being dry, is also creamy. Dry: mmm, this is dried but creamy Snake Oil. It smells like the deep incense-vanilla-musk of SO, but on top is a dry, nutty scent, like powdered almonds and…coconut! Now I recognise what the familiar creamy but dry nutty scent is, its coconut. So this is ‘coconut Snake Oil’. And it’s good stuff. I think there’s also some saffron here that makes it even drier in scent, and maybe some amber and cardamom too. This still smells like an exotic Indian dessert but now it’s topped with coconut shreds. After a while: now the coconut and Snake Oil are very distinct layers of scent-the dry, light, toasted and shredded coconut on top, the deep vanilla and spice tones of the SO on the bottom. I recently tried the coconut SN, it smells just like that layered with SO, and it’s starting to develop a creamy sweetness. Eventually the SO seems to win and dominates over the coconut, but also mingles with it. so now it’s truly an almost even mix of Snaky vanilla-musk and coconut, and it also reminds me of a plum-less Snake Charmer at this point. After a few hours the coconut fades completely and the scent becomes pure Snake Oil. Verdict: this is the coconut variety of Snake Oil. It’s just like the coconut SN layered over Snake Oil. At the beginning, the scent has a hint of what could be cardamom or saffron, and it resembles a favourite Indian dessert of mine. Then the coconut comes into it’s own and it truly becomes a toasted coconut topping over the beloved Snake Oil base. The coconut, like the single note, is not the creamy milky type, but the desiccated scent of coconut shavings, but a creamy scent does appear upon drydown, and then the scent ends off as pure Snake Oil. It’s a delicious scent, an exotic coconut take on SO with foody dimensions. I like! Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Yes! I wonder if Death Adder might smell a little bit like this (though it might have less coconut and added vetiver.) Experimental blend (labelled ‘Cinnamon Snake Oil’) In the imp: it’s cinnamon alright. I can smell a hint of the SO base but it also reminds me of Chimera. Wet on skin: a gorgeous cinnamon-resin scent, like Chimera, but also reminiscent of Love Me. Dry: this is beautiful! It’s a cinnamon dominated, rich spicy resinous-incense scent with a hint of something fruity to it, like berries or mulled wine. It’s like Chimera meets Snake Oil meets Love Me meets Malkuth, with a hint of Three Witches. This is so good, and has a lovely warming and comforting scent to it, like the smell of Christmas baking, but it’s also very exotic, like a cinnamon incense blend, and the spice notes add a hot dryness to it. After a while: now it actually smells less like cinnamon Snake Oil, and more like spicy berries and mulled wine! It smells very fruity and ‘crimson’ now. It reminds me of Tintagel, only this is a lot nicer (on my skin) and is a lot richer. I get the impression of deep red holly berries here, mulled wine and red berries mixed with spices, it smells like Christmas to me. At the end, I smell dried cranberries and juniper berries coming through and it really does smell like super-charged Tintagel. But after a few hours, the berry scent recedes and reveals the Snake Oil base. It still smells of juniper berries and cinnamon, but now I get the deep, intense vanilla of SO coming through. Verdict: this is cinnamon, that’s for sure, but it’s not as Snake-Oily as I hoped it would be. However, it is very fruity, surprisingly so. It’s mulled wine and berries sprinkled in cinnamon. It’s the highest quality festive potpourri. It’s like sticky red berries soaked in mulled wine, it’s a true ‘winter holiday’ scent, warm, approachable and cosy. Perfect for the December festivities. However, there’s something deep and exotic to it…maybe some resins, extra spices, possibly even some Snake Oil hidden under the cinnamon berries. It’s like Tintagel with added oomph, the same juniper-mulled wine-berry scent, but sweeter, deeper and spicier. I’m glad to have tried this, a blend which I have dubbed ‘Santa’s Little Serpent’ (I’d love to see something like this come out next Yule!) Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Of course! I’m saving this one for next December.

Night Gaunt In the imp: CITRUS! It's all grapefruit here. Bittersweet grapefruit and maybe yuzu too (that caused the uber-grapefruit scent in Aizen Myoo). Wet on skin: like grapefruit peel rubbed all over my skin Dry on skin: the odd Franglais phrase that comes to mind when I wear this is 'le night-gaunt (gaunt de nuit?) mange le pamplemousse.' It's pure grapefruit and yuzu on my skin, with hints of kumquat. It's a zingy, zesty, tangy and bitter citrus-fest. Very much a summer scent or a wake-up fragrance (grapefruits always make me think of breakfast). It does remind me a little bit of TBS's grapefruit fragrances but this is a little more complex. It actually smells very similar to Aizen Myoo, but with twice the citrus. After a while: the citrus notes still remain (mainly kumquat) but are more muted now. now I get hints of the florals…the flowers in here remind me of Prague, mainly papery lilies, maybe a hint of blossoms too (possibly even the cherry blossom in Aizen Myoo). Unfortunately there's also an odd 'off/rotten' undertone to the floral background that I'm not keen on, which at times smells a little bit like overripe banana. There's also a bitter aspect to the scent that I'm not keen on. The scent fades into a soft plum blossom scent, it seems that there may be some lilies and other blossoms, like cherry or apple blossom, in here. It's a little soapy/washing detergent like, and there's something about the flowers that I'm not keen on, like they've wilted. Verdict: this scent is a sister to Aizen Myoo, I think, with it's theme of bittersweet, powerful citrus fading to a floral drydown. In fact, at first it's hard to tell them apart but I think this may have more citrus variety and more floral variety to it but otherwise they are very close. At first this was a huge explosion of citrus! Lots of grapefruit, made even more grapefruity by the yuzu, and with a hint of bitter kumquat. So much citrus that it almost overwhemed me! Almost like a grapefruit eaten for breakfast jumped out of the bowl and punched me in the nose before I attempted to sugar it! This stage is short lived and the scent that came after was less impressive-I wanted my citrus explosion back when the drydown smelt like slightly rotting flowers and blackened banana skins with my skin chemistry. It reminds me of the drydown of Prague (which also turned odd on me) mixed with Budding Moon (which went oddly banana scented) but without as much sweetness as those two scents. I might use the first stage of this scent as a room or locket scent for any time I need something awakening and fresh and sunny and zesty, but I prefer Aizen for that job. I think this'll go to swaps. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? I have other grapefruit scents I prefer so this one's going up for swap/sale. If you like this, try: Aizen Myoo, Cheshire Cat, Hungry Ghost Moon, Lustration, Tweedledee, Prague, Budding Moon

Coconut SN In the imp: a soft, almost 'suntan lotion' scent, but almost milk-like. Wet on skin: like many pure coconut scents, the scent gains a dry, greenish 'desiccated coconut' scent on the skin, but with a hint of coconut water. Dry on skin: coconut, pure and simple. This is raw coconut that has been shredded and desiccated. It's a greenish coconut, dry and almost coarse in scent, but oddly, there's also a 'wet' feel there like coconut milk or water, almost like dry coconut shreds soaked in or floating in coconut water. After a while: the odd green scent does fade a little and the scent becomes a scent of dry coconut shavings, or those coconut ice sweets with dry coconut shreds stuck together with sugar. It's a lot sweeter now and becomes a tad creamy as the hours pass. Verdict: this is pure coconut, the scent of summer and suntans and tropical drinks of coconuts with straws in them, the scent of fairground sweets and cakes dusted in desiccated coconut. It smells similar to many coconut perfumes I've tried, in that it turns dry and green on my skin, but it doesn't have the slight plastic scent that some coconut scents come with. I do like it and it smells nice and coconutty, but I prefer this kind coconut in blends, and I prefer the 'coconut meat' note from Obatala because it is richer and creamier and doesn't have the odd 'green' scent I get here. I'm glad I tried this though. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? not sure-I might swap it. But it's a good coconut note.