PurringPulsar

Stardust 06 In the imp: yup, hairspray, just like last year. Wet on skin: now the flowers start to come out and the hairspray scent diminishes. Dry on skin: it's almost identical to last year's, when it was fresh. This has now turned to that 'retro perfume' of powdery white musk and soft floral notes of hyacinth, tuberose, hints of ylang and dry sandalwood, with hints of smoky poppy and tobacco flower and a splash of bubbly. It's just like what the 05 version was when I first tried it (now the smoky notes are more dominant). After a while: like the 05 version, the florals merge and the drydown is much smokier and drier, with the tobacco flower and poppy taking the lead, with a background of white musk and sandalwood and just the barest hint of crisp champagne. After a couple of hours it's predominantly opium poppy and hyacinth with hints of tobacco flower and musk. Verdict: this version of Stardust is identical to last year's. Although the 05 version has aged a bit and now the poppy and tobacco notes are stronger, giving a more opium-like scent, this version smells like what the 05 version was like when it was fresh. Starting off with hairspray which thankfully morphs into that distinctive perfume of powdery flashy white musk and champagne, with sharp heady blooms of ylang and tuberose with tobacco and poppy, with a hazy, smoky drydown of tobacco flower and opium and perfume wafting in the air and lingering on skin. It's the smell of a party, but much nicer-the booze and smoke scents are much more sophisticated than they'd be in reality (and that's a good thing). It is the scent of New Year's Eve, of hairspray and glam rock, 70s perfume, smoke, drugs and rock and roll, and I love it. However, since it is pretty much the same thing as Stardust 05 (I think it's a little more poppy and hyacinth than 05 but still…), which I have ample amounts of, I don't need a bottle. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Maybe the decant, but I already have two bottles of 05 and I'm fine with just two bottles. If you like this, try: Languor, Vechernyaya, Bon Vivant, Euterpe, Opium Poppy

Lycaon In the bottle: oh, this is nice. Sweet, dark, green, a little musky, wild, resinous, slightly olive-y. Also smells like cake-less, darkened Haloa. Wet on skin: whoa, incense! Now the resins and spikenard really come to life. Dry on skin: mmm, wow. This is dark, deep, mysterious and feral, but also has a gorgeous, resinous church incense feel to it. The olive leaf, frankincense and myrrh are very similar to Haloa, a bittersweet and oily-fruity scent with a hint of sharpness. The musk is dark, animalistic but not civet-like. The spikenard and patchouli enhance the incense like feel whilst adding a slightly dirty, earthy feel to the scent, and I can just about detect the ginger, which adds warmth, but this is the warmth of a wolf's coat of fur, wild and almost dangerous, yet oddly alluring. After a while: I'm amazed at how this now starts to give the effect of warm fur. There's a real scent of something feral but in the best way possible, like a warm fur coat, the pelt of an animal wrapped around a wild yet handsome man, but there's nothing 'gamey' about this scent. Just that effect of fur and musk and rich patchouli and resins. Now I get the resemblance to Schwarzer Mond (the patch smells aged here too). I see where others say this smells like a hug from a lover, it's comforting, strong and powerful. There's also a pleasant greenish-fruity note reminiscent of Tzadikim Nistarim, no doubt the spikenard and olive, this is much darker and deeper…but it has a lemon or wine like scent to it, like Haloa did. The drydown to this is a soft scent of wooden-resinous incense smoke clinging to warm animal fur. It smells really smoky and soothing now, almost mossy, almost velvety, a little dusty, with a herbal-lemon-pine-olive aspect to it, the cypress seems to smell almost like pine or fir in here. It seems the frankincense has returned…I love the frankincense note Beth's been using recently, it has a wonderfully smoky quality, like the resin when it smoulders. At the very end, patchouli takes the lead, adding a gorgeous mellow base to the scent. Verdict: this is such a fascinating fragrance. It's a combination of notes that are feral and savage, yet also comforting and warming, and also deep, mysterious and incense-like…and yet these apparently contrasting themes seem to work very well in here. Wonderful notes of resins and regal perfumes, like spikenard and the frankincense, myrrh and olive from Haloa, give an impression of richness and fit nicely with the aspect of Lycaon as king-and as human, whilst the black musk, hot ginger and deep patchouli betray his animalistic nature, his wild side. However, behind all this lies something tamer and less ferocious, the warmth of fur, a deep, smooth incense-patchouli-musk, and over time, the notes merge to form a velvet-soft drydown, like a 'fuzzy' Schwarzer Mond, the sort of scent I want to nuzzle up to on cold nights. A lovely contrast to Wolf Moon (maybe I should try layering them!) and definitely a keeper, I'm glad I have a bottle. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Definitely. This is an unusual and unique 'winter warmer'. If you like this, try: Haloa, Black Forest, Czernobog, Wolf Moon, Oblivion, Tzadikim Nistarim

Wolf Moon 07 In the bottle: hey, it's Beth's famous snow note! It's like Skadi etc but a little more pine-y and with a darker, sweeter undertone. Wet on skin: the snow note, pine and juniper are strongest now. Dry on skin: oh, this is lovely. It's very similar to the other Snow scents, with that distinctive accord of evergreens, menthol, ozone, aquatics, and sugared citrus that is so distinctive to Beth's winter scents. This one is less feminine than most other scents that are either named after snow goddesses, maidens, moons or bunnies. This is has a strong pine note and a hit of juniper which gives a wilder, more evergreen scent to it, almost along the lines of Talvikuu, but I also get a similarity to Schwarzer Mond (well, this is a moon scent) covered in snow. There's a sweet, deep mix of black musk, tonka and amber underneath it all. After a while: now I smell the orris, that dusty, pale, powdery note which, with the sandalwood, enhances the whiteness of the snow scent, underneath the snow and pine, as well as the amber and musk, but of course, the winter air/snow note dominates. It now resembles the Darkling Thrush, but darkened, not as gentle and calm as DT, the juniper and pine add a sharp edge to this. The drydown is juniper-dominated, a dry, sharp, icy evergreen scent, with pine and winter air still major players in here, but bits of orris and the barest hint of a Bitter Moon-like tonka note at the base. The cedar and sandalwood are also prevalent and add a drier aspect to a scent which started off smelling slushy. I wish I got more of the amber, musk and tonka though… Verdict: this, to me, smells different to the original WM. Whilst the original was smokier, darker, muskier and with a scent of bonfires and evergreens (from what I remember), the new version is dominated by Beth's famous snow note, that instantly recognisable mix of ozone and aquatic with evergreens and candied citrus which gives the impression of cold icy slush. This seems to lean towards the more masculine end of the winter scents spectrum (many of the snow scents have been quite feminine by name or notes) thanks to the presence of strong pine and juniper notes, but there's a pale, woodsy and sweet background contrasting with the icy evergreens. It definitely evokes a cold snowy night in the woods, the icy silence broken by the howl of wolves. It's a very pleasant, unisex scent, very natural and outdoorsy, a nice mix of cold, woody, evergreen and musky-sweet, though I do wish the amber and other sweeter notes had come though more at the end. Since I have many of these snowy scents already, I don't need more of this, but I'm definitely keeping the bottle as I like this scent a great deal, and I prefer it to the previous Wolf Moon. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Yes! It's a nice addition to my collection of snowy scents. If you like this, try: Snow Maiden, Loup Garou, Death of the Gravedigger, Dublin, Snow Bunny, Snow Moon, Darkling Thrush

Malediction In the imp: OMG VETIVER OF DOOOOOM. This is the vetiver that amps, I know it. Dark and murky and foreboding. Wet on skin: vetiver is all I smell, the patchouli is only just barely there. Dry on skin: ye gods, this is one helluva pure, vicious and voracious vetiver scent. Heavy, dark, brooding and moody. Smoky, gritty and with an odd sweet/incense scent at the back. The patchouli just enhances the earthy, murky scent of the vet, but apart from that it's pretty a single note of the darker, deeper, sinister vetiver. After a while: it doesn't change much. it just stays as pure, intense, all-powerful vetiver. I am VETIVER and I pwn this scent and I will pwn your skin where you applied me for the next few days whether you like it or not. Mwahahahaha! Verdict: there's vetiver, and then there's VETIVER. I like vetiver, no caps. The lighter variety that is found in scents like Bitter Moon and King of Clubs and a few others I can't remember now, the type of vetiver that doesn't amp like crazy and doesn't stick on my skin for a week. Malediction, however, contains VETIVER. VETIVER, in caps, is evil. It takes over a scent like nobody's business. It amps up on my skin. It's dark and murky and viscous and vicious and gritty and smoky and ashy, it's a scent that is as heavy as lead. It isn't a bad scent itself, but I wish it didn't take over on my skin…and the worst thing about VETIVER is the way it stays for ages and ages on my skin, resisting showers and scrubbing for at least four days. (Bad news if I want to wear a light, pretty, sugary scent the next day. Best get my steel wool out...) This scent is pure single note VETIVER, where patchouli doesn't even get a chance to show itself properly because VETIVER is stealing it's glory. The description 'evil incarnate' is spot on. The scent isn't disgusting (there are interesting incense and tobacco like tones to the scent) but it's just too VETIVER-y for me, and one that's a little too masculine. Off to swaps you go! Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? no. If you like this, try: Saturnalia, Sloth, Hurricane, Bloodlust, Brimstone

Water of Notre Dame In the imp: a slightly greenish-floral-aquatic scent. Very unusual but pleasant so far. Wet on skin: rose! Now I smell a watery rose scent, maybe some lavender, among the green aquatics. Dry on skin: this is nice. It smells like a garden of wet flowers. Raindrops on roses, as the song says, is the predominant scent here, but I also get other, whiter floral notes and some green leaves, some herbs, and a soapy-medicinal undertone to it all which I think is High John, as it reminds me of that oil. Unfortunately I'm not so keen on this sharp soapy scent which is getting in the way of the lovely wet roses and mushed up grasses that I smell. (The rose and green herbs scent here reminds me of Venus.) After a while: oh dear. No more dewy roses. It now smells like cheap soap. Like the stuff that comes in pump dispensers in public toilets. it's a waxy floral with a weird chemical undertone. the roses cling on for dear life and a little lily of the valley shows up, but it's public toilet soap all the way. Verdict: this started out ok, but I really don't like what this scent turns into. At first it's wet roses and white flowers and leaves and grass with a pretty aquatic note. however there was that soapy-chemical undertone reminiscent of High John the Conqueror, and then this took over the scent, consuming all the nicer notes and turning this scent into pure soap on me. I smell like a public loo, a clean one thankfully, but that soapy floral scent is not something I like at all. I didn’t notice anything particular happening in way of effects. So this is a definite swap for me. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? No.

Jacob's Ladder 06 The meeting of Heaven and Earth: golden amber, galbanum, benzoin, ambrette, rockrose, costus and tonka. In the imp: a faint, but beautifully sweet amber, which doesn't have the intense incense feel of 05 yet. Wet on skin: oh, wow. It's a sweet, soft, almost liquid amber scent, it's a much purer amber note than last year's…but there's a hint of spices and other oriental notes in the background. Dry on skin: mmm, wow! This smells quite different to JL 05, I must say. It's like orange and amber, golden, soft sweet amber with a hint of something almost like citrus to it. And yes, I agree that this is very similar to the amber in Schwarzer Mond. In fact, this is like the lighter counterpart to SM, without the patchouli and darker notes from that scent and with the golden amber taking centre stage, and a definite vanilla-like undertone of benzoin and tonka which feels almost milky or creamy. A hint of the other spicier notes from JL 05 are there in the background but they are not as strong. After a while: the amber develops a real 'milky vanilla' scent and becomes stronger yet smoother. It also develops a hint of the spicy dryness of last year's, a slightly piquant undertone of sharper incense notes and a dry, almost woody, hay like or dusty undertone, but not as much as last year. The benzoin-amber and tonka still rule the fragrance. there are times when the spicy notes in here, for some reason, start to remind me of saffron and cardamom, and mingling with the creamy-milky amber, it gives the effect of kulfi (Indian ice cream)-which I ADORE! I know this is a crazy skin chem thing but I love it. Verdict: this is surprisingly different to last year's JL but it's such a beautiful scent nonetheless…so beautiful that I might need a couple of bottles of this one too! The old JL, which has aged wonderfully, has become a divine sweet golden amber scent with overtones of spice, resin, smoke, musk, incense and a dry, golden background which makes me think of sand or desert stone. It's a glorious spicy amber with intensity and a feel of shimmering dry heat to it. The new JL on the other hand, whilst still being warm and golden and luminous and sunny, is much softer and has the amber, tonka and benzoin as the dominant notes, and the amber is sweeter and more syrupy and a little milky and foody in here. So, whilst last year's now smells like a desert, this one smells like a dessert! The spicier notes from last year are much gentler in here and there's an almost vanilla-like creamy aspect to the amber, and this reminds me a little of Lyonesse. It's also reminiscent of the amber in Schwarzer Mond, but without the darkness of that scent. And it's surprisingly gourmand, I think 'ambrosial' is a good word to describe it. So despite it not resembling last year's scent (which is a favourite), this one is fantastic as well and I now don't know which version I prefer! And I bet this will age wonderfully as well. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? definitely. Maybe one to stock up on. If you like this, try: Jacob's Ladder 05, The Lion, Bastet, Hymn to Proserpine, Aureus, Ozymandias, Brisingamen, Lyonesse

Prague In the imp: soft, sweet, sugared flowers covered in melon juice and honeydew nectar. So pretty! Wet on skin: this is gorgeous, like melon-scented spring blooms with dew and hints of green! Dry on skin: what a pretty fragrance this is! it's a fresh, bright, sweet floral scent, light and dainty, with an unusually melon like overtone to it. I smell hints of greenish lily of the valley and maybe calla lily, but it's mainly a mix of flowers I can't identify with melon. It reminds me of Flower Moon, but dewier and greener. The snowdrops and crocuses I'm familiar with have no scent, so I'm not sure what I'm smelling here other than the lilies and maybe the leaves of the flowers, other than it's a lovely scent. After a while: hmm, I'm not sure about it a little while later. This is just skin chemistry speaking so don't take this review badly. The flowers start to smell rotten, with a slight undertone of rancid sweat. It's not obvious but I smell it as a kind of funky 'after-smell' after the initial hit of candied flowers which is rather distracting. This 'funky' undertone fades and then returns every now and then-there are times when this smells like a lovely light flowery scent, like fragile spring blooms (the melon like scent has faded), but at other times it smells 'off' on me. The drydown is a soft dry petal scent, of pale sweet fruity lilies and papery flowers. Verdict: I'm torn with this scent. It starts off with the most gorgeous scent of sugared flowers, like the sweetest nectar over the most delicate flowers, the smell of petals dusted over sugar sprinkled melons. But then, something in here turns bad. At first I dismiss it but then I can't ignore the slight, yet noticeable undertone of rotten flowers under that lovely layer of sugared petals. I have no idea what caused this reaction-it can't be the lilies since the worst they do is go soapy, but not rotten. Maybe it's snowdrop or crocus? I don't know but it spoils what could have been a gorgeous springtime floral scent. It reminds me of the reaction I got with the Hermit, a very pretty floral scent which smelt rather 'off' at drydown. I could try this again at another point in my cycle, or keep it for locket wear only, but for now I'm putting it in my swap pile. Shame really, it was so promising at the start. Emoticon rating: starts off but then becomes Is it a keeper? Not sure. I love the wet/just dry scent but that weird scent it has on me is offputting. If you like this, try: Flower Moon, Yemaya, Danube, Rosalind, Leanan Sidhe, the Hermit

Happy New Year to all of you! I really hope 2007 is a kick-ass year, in more ways than one-in my studies, my social life, my creativity and my hobbies. I want to make resolutions but it seems just calling them 'New Year resolutions' means that they will be broken ten minutes later. Call it a jinx, if you will. But anyway, my goals for '07 include: -Studying harder and much more than last year, especially in maths. -Looking for jobs early so that I can save up money to help when debt-time really hits me, and also for nice things like holidays, gifts, and indulgences like BPAL. -Putting more money into savings, though that's hard, especially considering today's Wallet Armageddon... -Selling off the stuff I really don't need on Ebay, like that pair of jeans that I got one Xmas and never fitted me, they're as good as new... -Trying to get my writing and arty muses back so I can write and sketch loads more than I did last year. -Socialise a little more, especially with guys. I'm pitifully shy in real life, and I need to get my arse off that computer chair and get mingling a little. And go to more student union clubbing nights or go to the union bar more. -Keeping that temper under control, and those uber-emotional/panicky moments need to be restrained too. -Do more active stuff, like swimming, dancing, or even gym... Now, let's get to business. BPAL style... BEST START TO THE YEAR EVER! Wow, what an update! The mother of all updates. The update to end all updates and the road to sweet-smelling debt...I thought the first CD instalment was amazing. I thought the Order of the Dragon and Halloween update was breathtaking. But this just blew my socks off and blew my mind and my Paypal all at once. It was just so good...and there's so much that I WANT RIGHT NOW, no decants, give me bottles! But alas, with Xmas and all that, my bank account is crushed...but these scents are up for ages! I just had to get Bakeneko since I love all things kitty-shaped and I want one of the Japanese scents to become a top ten scent. It has cherry blossom which can ruin a scent on me but hopefully that will be cancelled out by the wonderfulness of cinnamon, cardamom and tangerine tea with amber and musk! I love the concept of Faces of the Heroine, even if I can't pronounce or spell the names! But I love the combinations of exotic notes present in that series. In fact, I really like the whole Indian theme that many Lupercalia scents have this year, the incense blend Chintamani-Dhupa sounds particularly interesting with so many notes I've never encountered before! But the best bit of the update of course was the Freak Show itself. I knew it would be good but I wasn't expecting it to be so magnificently, gargantually, fantastically wonderful! I adored the previous lot of CD, most scents there were hits on me. But these new scents look even better, more complex, more unusual, with loads of unique notes and combinations. And then there are those Snakes. I'm so intrigued as to what Snake Oil with mint tea will be like. Or SO with acai berry and cardamom, or SO with teak and bamboo, or SO with aquatic moss, or SO with tropical flowers and tangy fruits...and I can't wait for cinnamon SO and mandarin SO and chocolate SO. And I wonder what that Anaconda will smell like? Hope and Faith were destined to be mine from the moment I discovered that they were Londoners like me and that they contain sugary flowers, and I can't wait to get my hands on them. And Priala the Human Phoenix looks like it will be divine, like Chimera's cinnamon-myrrh, but better. And what would a Black Phoenix carnival be without a phoenix? And of course, the cherry on the cake was the fact that two freaks are from You-Know-Where, and one of them is a MUMMY! (Must hoard loads of bottles of them!) That was probably what made this update not just wonderful, but utterly perfect, well for me anyway. But it goes to show that this Carnaval series is truly incredible and epic, and it's for everyone. Be you a foody fan, or mad for musk, or even a flower fanatic. It's for vanilla whores and spice girls. It's for incense addicts and aquatic adorers. It's artistic and beautifully told. It appeals to everyone, no matter where your interests lie. It even hits our fears-of clowns, or snakes, or spiders, or death itself, what lies in the shadows, the unusual and disturbing and mysterious...and it makes us confront those demons through means of scent-and perhaps, through this, to discover what could be their inner beauty. It is truly all encompassing, the whole world-and then some-within a travelling fair, all within little bottles of beautiful fragrance... I can't wait for Carnaval Diabolique-The Movie! (I can dream...but you never know!)

The Reaper and the Flowers In the imp: white lilies, chrysanthemums and dry roses. Wet on skin: dry chrysanthemums and lilies. Dry on skin: very pretty. This really does smell like a funeral bouquet. It's predominantly 'mums and white lilies, with a hint of warm, spicy carnation and rich rose petals underneath-I smell it all here, flowers, stems and leaves. Maybe even a hint of the grass the bouquet is laid upon. It reminds me strongly of Sepulchre, but with added 'mums and carnation. After a while: the sharp dryness of the 'mums seems to have faded a little, as well as the greenish lily scent. Now the gorgeous white rose note, warmed up so nicely by carnation, comes to the front, with the dewy, waxy-papery lily at the back now. It's now a deep and velvety yet slightly melancholy floral scent, it's very well blended though and with that lovely spicy sweet carnation touch to it. The rose note becomes drier at the end and the 'mum comes out again to join it after a few hours. Verdict: this is like going to a florist's and burying my nose in a bunch of flowers. It's a very realistic bouquet scent bursting with floral notes, but these are mournful in nature. It starts off smelling strongly of lilies and chrysanthemums, but then moves into a gorgeous rose stage. I adore Beth's white rose note, and it is fantastic in here, where it bonds with a delightful carnation note which adds warmth, and the result is a floral scent which is almost like velvet with petals strewn over it. It's my favourite of the funereal florals so far, not one I need a bottle of right now but I'm keeping the imp. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Just the imp. If you like this, try: Sepulcher, Santa Muerte, Maiden, Alice, Hymn, Les Fleurs du Mal, All Saints 06

Caliban In the imp: salty sea air with dry palm, a tropical scent. This smells like one of the marine-themed Lush products, maybe Sea Vegetable. Wet on skin: wet jungle greenery sprayed with seawater. Dry on skin: I like this. This smells really like a tropical island-lush, thick greenery, dry palm leaves and bark, and sea air. There's a hint of dryness to it, like a mat made of dry palm leaves lying on the beach, like sun bleached driftwood, it also reminds me of sand. I don't smell wine here. It's not as wet smelling as I expected-it's not the sea itself, more like the air coming off the sea. Warm and salty and with the scent of beaches and jungles to it. A mysterious desert island. I think this could be considered a 'Lost' scent. After a while: now I smell the wine. It reminds me of the wine in Nosferatu, a soft wine note with a greenish scent at the front, this time provided by the fern note. The sea air and the palm (which smells very much like the palm in Manila) are still there. The sea air note is very good here-smells genuine and doesn't turn to washing powder on the skin. Eventually this dries down to a scent I can only describe as smelling like skin, sand and salt, with a hint of something almost moss like, like a sea moss note. It's very pretty, and evocative. Eventually it becomes pure salty sea moss, like the moss note in Yemaya and Lyonesse. Verdict: at a time when most marine aquatic scents turn to salty washing powder or soap on my skin, this is such a pleasant surprise. It really does smell like a beach on a tropical, unspoilt island paradise. I can smell it all here-sea air, sand, palm mats and traditional island huts made of palm fibres, and a hint of thick green jungles at the back. The sea air note is wonderfully genuine, like a salty breeze on a hot day, and it smells more airy than aquatic, and dry, like the sand of the beach rather than the waves lapping up on it. A hint of wine passes through momentarily, like watching a sunset on the beach whilst enjoying a glass of sweet red wine, and the drydown is a soft, slightly mossy/lightly musky scent of salt and sand sticking to warm skin. Whilst I prefer Yemaya and Lyonesse as my beach scents, this is incredibly evocative, and just perfect for summer, or any dreary winter day when I want to transport my nose to an exotic desert island and lose myself… Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? yes, the imp. This makes me think of summer holidays! If you like this, try: Sea of Glass, Manila, City in the Sea, Olokun, Jolly Roger

Szepasszony In the imp: a fresh, tangy, fruity-floral ozone cologne with hints of melon and citrus. Wet on skin: rain! This smells genuinely like fresh breezy rain on soil with the addition of cool citrus and flowers. Dry on skin: I like this! It's very ozonic but it doesn't seem to be the 'evil ozone' that smells like electrical appliances or pure washing powder on me. I smell white flowers and fruits, as well as a sense of coldness, fresh and windy and piercing. It does smell a little like something I'd wash my clothes with, but in a good way. It's like Dirty, one of the nicer 'clean laundry' scents, but this has a feel of cologne to it, it's refreshing and cool. I get hints of wet soil underneath as well. After a while: this smells like a perfume I've smelt before, or maybe a combination of perfumes. It smells fresh and almost mainstream, a mix of bright sharp airy citrus/cologne notes (I swear I smell orange blossom in here) and pale flowers with ozone. It's a very springy scent to me-it's almost reminiscent of Amsterdam, for some reason. It smells like there's a sharp light musk in here as well. Verdict: it seems to me that rain is one of those ozone/aquatic notes that actually smells very nice on me. This is a very pretty, a clear, refreshing and uplifting scent, like a mountain breeze. This is like an April shower, cool and fresh, with springy floral notes all around. There's also a cologne like citrus note which smells almost like orange blossom at times. It's also one of the more 'perfumey' BPALs, in that it smells almost like something you'd get at a perfume counter, like one of those feminine 'sporty' perfumes, but in the best way possible. It is very clean as well, like white, just washed linens drying on the line, but without smelling too much like detergent. I don't need a bottle but I like this a great deal it's a very springlike scent which I'll keep for warmer weather-it's got a real feel of freshness and coolness which will be lovely when it's hot. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Yes, the imp. One of the better ozone scents. If you like this, try: Tempest, Lightning, Dirty, Amsterdam

Currently smelling of: Snow Flakes for that whiff of idealised festive weather (we never get snow these days-not until January anyway), plus a dab of Sol Invictus, because he's the real reason for the season... This year I had the smallest amount of presents so far. Mainly because my main present was an iPod. Yay! Finally I get my very own antisocialising machine (that's what my dad calls it)! I'm very pleased with my iPod and can't wait to put all my music onto it. Apart from that, I also got chocolate, a lovely knitted hat (usually knitted stuff at from relatives at Xmas is a bad thing but not this!), a little bit of money, and the compulsory gift of underwear. This year, it's been a very relaxed Dec. 25, no rows, no stress, just a delicious non-traditional Xmas dinner (turkey and sprouts? No way.), generous amounts of wine, and the Best Mince Pies In The World made by my mum-no other mince pies will do. Now I'm looking forward to the Doctor Who Christmas special, which will make this day end very nicely, I think. Merry Christmas/Yule/Hanukkah/(insert winter holiday here), Seasons Greetings, Happy Holidays, whatever you celebrate (or have celebrated) at this time of year, make it a good one and enjoy yourselves! *hands out more of the Best Mince Pies Ever to all*

Midnight Mass 06 In the imp: mmm, the same, gorgeous, resinous frank n' myrrh based incense as last year's. Wet on skin: mmm, here comes the myrrh, lovely and rich, with the golden, sharper frankincense. Dry on skin: beautiful stuff. This is almost identical to last year's when it was fresh. Gorgeous frankincense and myrrh with some other resins, but here I think I can smell woods too, maybe red sandalwood and rosewood. Possibly some rose as well? It reminds me of All Souls without the sugary cake. Maybe a little bit more myrrh than last time. After a while: the myrrh becomes honeyed and greenish-gold and rich. It reminds me of the myrrh in Anubis, there could be some balsam fir here too (I got this impression with fresh MM05), and at times the myrrh is like the one in Great Cry in Egypt. I also get a definite deep wooden note at the back, either a rich sandalwood like the one in Anne Bonny, or a cedar note. It's deep and dark and lovely. It's very much like the 05 version, but a bit more woody-it leans towards resembling Cathedral. The drydown at the end is a soft, muted, powdery wood and a hint of sweet resin, maybe amber. It makes me think of the ashes of incense after they've burnt fully and the scent just lingers gently. Verdict: this reminds me of what MM05 smelt like when fresh-wearing them side by side, it seems the 05 version has become smokier and more 'smouldering' in scent with a hint of something almost peppery to it. One of the myrrh notes has come out a lot more, the frankincense has developed a more piquant quality to it and there seems to be a rosy note at the base. MM06 on the other hand is drier, smoother, less 'spicy', with a stronger woodsy backing, with a softer, deeper myrrh note, almost along similar lines to All Souls and Cathedral. It's like there's a soft, gently ashy fragrant wood like sandalwood or cedar wood to this. It's similar to 05 but has it's own character to it, which makes it worth another bottle purchase. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Yes, I'm getting a bottle because both 05 and 06 are gorgeous for their own merits and I'm a big incense/resins whore anyway! If you like this, try: Midnight Mass 05, All Souls, Cathedral, Penitence, Anubis, Pit and the Pendulum, Haloa, Aureus

Herr Drosselmeyer 06 In the imp: the same smoky cherry-almond scent from last year's HD and Hearth 04. Wet on skin: sweet, dark marzipan with caramel and treacle, and tobacco. Dry on skin: now the freshness of crisp linen comes in. this is very similar to 05's version, almost identical, but for now it seems a little lighter, less heavy than last year's. it also has a chewy, sugary feel to it as well, like some dark treacle based dessert. The leather, tobacco and woods are still there, but it seems this one is a little less masculine and less dry than last year's. After a while: the sweet pipe tobacco gets darker and heavier and smokier over time, it becomes the dominant note now. It's like tobacco covered in dark, almost burnt caramel. The woods and leather provide a lovely background. The drydown is almost identical to HD05, and also very similar to Ogun's honey tobacco scent but with treacle in place of the honey. Verdict: this is almost identical to the 05 version, although maybe it's a little sweeter, more sugary, less heavy but with a bit more tobacco than the last one. It's a very fine scent, but like the last HD, it's a little too masculine for me so I'm probably going to pass it on. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Not really, I already have a little of the 05 version. If you like this, try: Herr Drosselmeyer 05, Perversion, Ogun, Count Dracula, Elegba

Intergalactic In the bottle: I think I smell gardenia in here. It's a white floral with a dry, peppery undertone. I really hope this doesn't screw up on me… Wet on skin: noooo! Evil Gardenia! It now smells of white flowers with a hint of melon and Evil G's 'mutated burnt celery' odour. Dry on skin: this scent is making me cry. Really it is. The dominant note is the gardenia, and it happens to be the gardenia note that hates me, not the nice one from Kindly Moon. It's turned to an acrid, dry, harsh, greenish, peppery celery scent that smells burnt and nasty. Underneath it are hints of better flowers, soft white blooms, but I get none of the delicious fruitiness other reviews mention. Just gardenia. A pox on thee, skin chemistry! After a while: the Evil G's remains linger on my skin, now I also get a hint of white sandalwood, light myrrh (it reminds me of the dry, charred scent of Black Lotus, but less incense like) and some soft white dewy flowers, maybe orchids. Possibly an ozone-aquatic note as well, which gives the scent a feel of being spaced out and sparkling. There may be a hint of white musk too. The scent becomes a dry, ethereal white floral with white sandalwood at the end. Verdict: this probably my biggest ever BPAL heartbreak, and it actually made me wonder what I did to deserve such a terrible skin reaction to this scent. A rare scent with a cool name that I swapped a bottle for, with glowing reviews that made me want it. I really wanted to love this. As a lover of all things spaced out and as a student of astrophysics, I admit I got this just for the name. But I had no idea that it contains my nemesis, Evil Gardenia, and it's not in bearable amounts like in Sacred Ho or Hanging Gardens. No, the gardenia here is the main player and like in Has No Hanna, she does the Dalek thing and exterminates all the other notes, taking over the fragrance in her evil, villainous way. This continues for about an hour. After that the scent becomes a little more bearable, a pleasant starry floral white musk scent with a hint of 'out of this world' ozone, and a backing of dry woods and thin peppered incense. But I just can't tolerate about an hour's worth of malevolent acrid celery and pickled petals on fire on my skin. This scent has made me so heartbroken-I suppose the bright side is that I can let others try this rare, exclusive fragrance. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? I will decant this out so others have a chance to try this rarity.

It's funny how the older you get, the more stressful this time of year becomes. As a child, the Christmas season was a time of perpetual happiness and gifts and fun. Now this innocent perspective is tainted by batterings to my bank balance (well, some of those batterings are inflicted for slightly selfish smelly reasons ), the stress of wrapping, cooking, decorating, writing cards etc, the ordeal of dealing with shops, streets and tube trains heaving with crowds, the dilemmas of what to buy for people (I have a lot of 'hard to buy for' people in my family), hoping that the presents my relatives have in store aren't too embarassing, the fear of accidentally embarrassing myself in front of relatives (but gone are the days when I had to sing for my presents. I was forced to sing what I sang at school choir. Without accompaniment, totally solo, almost in an X-Factor style. Thank goodness there aren't any Simon Cowells in the family. But that was the most cringe-making part of Xmas for me) and so on. But even so, I still love the festive season for many reasons. The sparkly lights everywhere-even the tacky displays can induce smiles, the fact that putting baubles on the tree is quite fun (straightening it, on the other hand, is a bitch of a job), writing cute messages and giving little gifts with cards, the cheesy songs that always get me singing along no matter what, the smell of satsumas and roasted chestnuts all around, chocolates always seem to taste better at this time of year (I know, I probably have weird taste buds, but I think it's true), learning the fascinating pagan background behind many beloved Xmas traditions and customs, fragrancing the house with spicy incense and oils and wearing gorgeous Yule BPALs to really get into the mood, generous alcohol consumption, scoffing loads of home made mince pies-and only home made ones will do, and of course, prezzies. I'm getting an iPod this year. Yay for expensive toys. Thank goodness I don't have to sing for it...

The Snow Maiden In the imp: Snow Moon's little sister! This smells like Snow Moon/Dublin/Skadi with a hint of the lemony scent of Snow Angel! Wet on skin: fresh snowy pine-menthol-citrus with a creamy floral undertone. Dry on skin: this really is like Snow Moon-a floral, snowy scent. This one's a little sweeter and fruitier thanks to the berries, which smell both sugared and tangy. The ylang might be what's making that heady undertone and I can smell the freshly floral and distinctive osmanthus. This actually reminds me of Snow Bunny, that fresh 'snow note' with tangy fruits and florals, a youthful snowy scent. There's a fruity-dry crispness to it that reminds me of white wine or cranberries. After a while: this seems to almost the bitter, olive like note I got in Talvikuu but it doesn't go too far. The scent is now frosty osmanthus with a hint of sugared, frozen berries. Soft icy flowers and fruit, it's very pretty and fresh. The scent then loses it's odd olive scent and becomes an airy, sweet frozen berry scent with a hint of iced juniper, maybe some pine and osmanthus too, and then at the end it's fruity ice with hints of osmanthus and juniper. Verdict: this is Skadi's cousin, Snow Moon's younger, more innocent sister, Snow Bunny's twin (SB being the loud, extrovert, giggly one and SM being the shy, retired and gentler one) and Talvikuu's girlfriend. Snow Maiden is a very pretty, delicate, glacial and feminine fragrance, containing the famous 'BPAL snow note' with its now familiar pine/juniper/citrus/ozone/menthol/sweet aquatic components. The frosty note, of course, is the dominant note, with the osmanthus peeking through and the berries coming out at times. Because of the berries, this scent is pretty close to Skadi but the florals make it more of a Snow Moon type scent. There are moments when the scent turns a little bit odd on me (so it's not my favourite wintry scent this time) but otherwise this is another lovely adaptation of the snow theme, and Yule just wouldn't be Yule at BPAL without at least one scent with that particular snowy note! Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Yes, just the decant. Smells similar to a lot of snowy scents I have which I prefer. If you like this, try: Snow Moon, Snow Bunny, Dublin, Death of the Gravedigger, Talvikuu, Darkling Thrush, Black Ice, Jolasveinar, Snow-Flakes

Snow-flakes In the imp: yes, it's like Snow White, but clearer, cooler, more transparent than white, with a crisp minty feel to it. Wet on skin: oooh, this tingles once it hits skin! It smells like mint and ice! Dry on skin: oh, this is gorgeous. The scent reminds me of something I drank when I was in Paris, called 'menthe a l'eau' (mint water) which is really water with sugary mint syrup added. This smells like that drink, with lots of ice, and a hint of the creaminess of Snow White. I'm amazed at how wet this smells, it really smells of ice and water and snow. After a while: the mint note sticks around for a surprisingly long time here! It still smells of cool, watery, sweet sugared snow, with a soft, velvety creamy/white musk aspect, and possibly a hint of cucumber. A slight aquatic/ozone note has popped up now and it's a good aquatic note, as it doesn't turn to soap on me. This scent brings to mind the colours blue and white, like icebergs, and strikes me as a very peaceful scent, of cold air with snow falling through, frozen landscapes under moonlight, and silence. It becomes even more airy and ethereal over time, developing a cool crispness and feathery lightness, with a creamy undertone. Previous reviews mention juniper and I realise I smell it here now, and that brings to mind Twenty One, which smelt like pure ice to me. This is a lot more wearable than 21 on me though. Verdict: in the absence of the beloved Snow White, Beth brings out Snow-Flakes for 06, and it smells like a cross between Snow White and Ice Queen, with a hint of Nuclear Winter/Cloister Graveyard's mint. This is a beautiful winter fragrance-it starts with a fabulous, fresh, authentically watery (cucumber?) scent with lots of mint and a little sweetness, sugary and wet and cool-this mint sticks around for a very long time. Then soft notes of air and ice and soft creamy sugar and musk come through and the scent becomes even more delightful-it evokes the enchantment watching snow fall, the serenity and silence it brings, and the sense of wonder as the soft flakes float down from the sky. Cold and desolate yet beautiful and haunting. It dries down to a lovely, delicate scent of pure winter air, clean and chilly, with a velvety white creamy musk underneath. such a stunning, well crafted scent, very fitting to the poem, highly evocative, and perfect not just for winter but also as a cooling, calming scent for steamy summer days. I'm glad I got a bottle and might need to stock up! Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Yes! And I might get more. If you like this, try: Snow White, Cloister Graveyard in the Snow, Nuclear Winter, Black Ice, Darkling Thrush, Jolasveinar, Twenty One

Lick It Again In the imp: like last year’s sugary mint scent, but with more mint. If Lick It was candy canes, this is Trebor’s Extra Strong mints. Wet on skin: whoa, this is mint to the max! It smells like I’ve rubbed a Polo on my skin! Dry: strong, nose-clearing, mind-clearing, bracing mint. This is more like a breath freshening mint than a sugary candy cane, it even has a hint of the slight chalky scent I associate with mint imperials, Polos and Trebors. I smell a hint of sugar but this is really fresh extra strong mints. It’s making my wrist and nose feel so tingly, which I really like. After a while: the mint scent in here stays a lot longer than the original Lick It, and the cool sensation lasts longer. Can’t wait to try this next time there's a heatwave. Now that the mint has faded a little, I smell a gorgeous vanilla scent with a hint of sugar and something reminiscent of the sandalwood in Underpants, as well as the powdery white mint scent from the start of the scent, which has a mineral feel to it like talc or chalk. Eventually this turns into a gorgeous, gorgeous, fresh vanilla-musk with a hint of something like white sandalwood and something like the cool mineral note in Black Opal. It’s a little stronger and paler than last year’s and more powdery, but delightful nonetheless. It’s like soft icing sugar dusted on my wrist. Verdict: at first, it seems to me that this has an extra jolt of mint, not sugar. The mint in here is much more powerful than the original, it’s like those extra strong mints, right down to the white chalkiness of breath mints. (Maybe it should be called ‘Suck It’! ) So minty that it makes my skin and nose tingle for a long time, and really does wake me up. The drydown is where the sugary jolt is more apparent-like 05’s version, it dries down to a wonderful soft touched vanilla musk scent, only this time there’s a dusting of white icing sugar, more mint, and the scent is even closer to Black Opal’s powdery vanilla and ‘mineral musk’ scent than last time, thanks to the scent’s chalky aspect. It also seems to have a hint of pale sandalwood or maybe a little caramel, something that makes the scent almost like Underpants. (Hmm, don’t get me started on the layering combo I’m thinking of! ) I loved last year’s LI and this year’s is different enough to warrant another bottle purchase-and definitely one to reserve for hotter weather, since this rivals Tulzscha for the title of ‘ultimate tingly-cool BPAL’. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Yes! I’ll get a bottle, it’s very similar to LI05 so I only need one, it’s perfect for summer. If you like this, try: Lick It 05, Undertow, Black Opal, Black Ice, Cathode, Antique Lace

Winter of our Discontent In the imp: a gorgeous festive scent which is quite dark…smells like evergreens (probably the balsam) and mandarin with a hint of spice. Wet on skin: orange, spices and fir with a hint of rosewood and smoke. Dry: mmm, this is really beautiful. It gives off an air of ‘traditional Christmas’, think Victorian or Elizabethan/Shakesperean-era Xmas, but with a hint of something darker to it. The festive fragrance of balsam firs mixes with soft smoke and warm spices and orange on a base of gorgeous rosewood. I love Beth’s rosewood note, some rosewoods smell a bit odd but Beth’s smells like a woodsier version of rose, and the rosy aspect of this note increases gradually. After a while: at one point the scent goes a little sharp and I worry that it will turn sour, but then it softens. It smells of roses-I mean, rosewood, which here smells like roses and sandalwood (the cypress may be adding an even woodsier touch to it), sprinkled with nutmeg, a hint of fir and with a gorgeous deep undertone of smoke, myrrh and possibly musk. It smells a little dustier now, and does remind me of very good quality, naturally-scented Christmas potpourri (not the fake-scented cheap stuff). The scent seems to fade into spicy roses and wood with a hint of musk. Almost like a darker, more old fashioned, less foody version of the recent 13 reformulation. The drydown at the end of the scent is a soft mix of myrrh, rosewood and fir. Verdict: ironically, I find this scent to be the antidote to wintry discontent. More than anything else, this is the true smell of Christmas past. It’s dark and sombre at times, epitomising the darkness of winter nights, and yet there’s a feel of warmth and comfort to it. It’s a very traditional scent actually, it definitely evokes the Yuletide season in an age before electricity, shopping frenzies and commercialism, coming in from the cold to a welcoming hearth fire and candles and the aroma of comforting spices and roses, family togetherness and goodwill. In fact, I’m reminded of an old house in London which is decorated every December in the style of a Victorian (or older) Christmas. The rosewood is very strong, sometimes taking on the smell of roses, and the balsam, nutmeg, myrrh and musk notes are gorgeous, everything is wrapped in a lovely smoky layer, and the blend becomes woodsier and a little more resinous-musky at drydown. It’s not as masculine as I expected, certainly not villainous, I find it cosy and warm, and perfect for winter and the festive season. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Yes, I’ve got to get a bottle soon. If you like this, try: Séance, Thirteen Revisited, Velvet

The Music of Erich Zahn In the imp: dark, pungent vetiver and tamarind, like Nephilim, but with sweetness and spice. Wet on skin: this smells like a kind of sweet chocolate-nutty thing! I know, that’s crazy but that’s what I’m smelling here! Dry: chocolate nougat! I’m very puzzled but pleasantly surprised. This smells like an exotic yet sinister version of nougat. It smells like nuts (pistachios and almonds especially, though this smells nothing like bitter almond) mixed with dried fruits, chocolate, sugar and vanilla and topped with spices, This has the ‘nutty’ vetiver which tends to have sweet, chocolate like nuances to it, with the darkly sweet black musk and the gorgeous opoponax it makes it even more like some kind of dark, chewy, edible concoction. There’s a touch of spice, thanks to what could be ajowan, a hint of pale mimosa, and the tamarind isn’t going odd on me. After a while: the dark, nutty, smoky vetiver (it’s one of the vets that sticks for ages but it’s sweet incense-chocolate scent is very nice!) and the wonderful combination of sweet black musk and opoponax are now the dominant notes. The ajowan is still going strong-it smells like a cross between saffron and cardamom. The drydown is predominantly black musk and vetiver, a deep, dark, swirling mix with deceptive sweetness to it and a hint of tamarind. Verdict: this smells like evil dessert. And I mean that in a good way. The best way I can describe it is almost like baklava and other Middle Eastern and Indian sweets meets nougat meets Italian panforte meets Christmas cake with a hint of cocoa and vanilla. This is then set at the altar of some underworld deity in an underground temple, and you can smell the remains of the dark, earthy incense lingering from past macabre rituals. The musk and vetiver are the stars of the scent, with opoponax and newcomer ajowan playing fantastic supporting roles. The vetiver is strong but has a nutty, sweetly dark scent to it which I really like, and ajowan and tamarind add a lovely, exotic spiciness to it. The scent moves between sweet, spicy, dark, earthy and musky phases continuously. I like this so much more than I expected I would-it’s not one I’d get a bottle of but I’m keeping the imp. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Yes, for the imp. If you like this, try: Nephilim, Satan and Death with Sin Intervening, Typhon, Djinn, Czernobog, Oblivion

Black Ice In the imp: dark, cold, slightly aquatic-ozonic. Smells like a man’s perfume, but different to other ‘snow/ice’ scents. Wet on skin: cold, almost minty now, dark aquatic notes. Dry: mmm, now it’s sweeter, this smells a little bit like the mint from Lush’s Demon in the Dark soap, with added aquatic-cologne-ozone notes. it’s almost a salty aquatic scent, reminiscent of City in the Sea, but the soft, almost creamy mint scent adds an icy feel. it reminds me either of Frost or Cold Moon, but darkened. There’s a definite feel of darkness and dirt here, I can smell a little hint of asphalt but it’s surprisingly nice, not overwhelming or making me smell like I’ve been tarred. The vetiver, it seems, is of the lighter, softer kind, like in Bitter Moon. After a while: the mint-like scent lingers, now it reminds me of the pine-menthol component of Beth’s snow blend, but with a slightly salty, fresh aquatic note. At first I was a little puzzled as to why this smells salty and now I understand…I’m not sure if this is intentional, but I’m reminded of how they remove black ice from the road with huge gritting trucks full of salt. I love the way that even that is captured in scent! I’m amazed at how good the asphalt note is here, adding a real edge to this icy, watery, airy scent. At times, the ozone sweetens a little, it reminds me of the ‘rain’ note from other scents, but colder. Ah, so this is what the ‘sleet’ note is like, it’s certainly different from the snow note. And this ozone does have a bitter briskness like winter wind…again, I’m impressed at how Beth captures weather in scent. And I’m pleased that this aquatic scent isn’t turning to soap! At the end, it does seem to turn to a sort of fresh scent with a hint of crisp ozone and darker green vetiver at the base. Almost like fresh laundry but a little dirtier and grittier, leaning towards masculine. Verdict: what a fascinating scent. This works on two levels…it is a fresh, almost masculine-sporty aquatic, cool and airy and ozonic, almost like something commercial-but not quite. On the other hand it really is evocative of black ice-the cold, the slush, the scent of the road, the bracing winds of winter, even right down to a hint of saltiness from the gritters attempting to remove the cold, treacherous ice from the road. The minty, frozen aquatic note used here is halfway between the ‘rain’ note and the ‘snow’ notes, which seems apt for sleet and slush. The vetiver is perfect-not pungent or overwhelming but adding the right amount of earthiness. The asphalt note really took me by surprise-I was expecting full-on tarmac but I get just a hint of dark roughness with a hint of tar, which really adds character. It’s not something I’d get a bottle of-it does smell more like something that would be nicer on a man, but I’m keeping the decant of this unique and different take on a winter scent, and it works better on me than I expected. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Yes, for the decant. If you like this, try: Cthuhlu, Hurricane, Sea of Glass, Dirty, Jolasveinar, Numb

Knecht Ruprecht In the imp: frozen almonds and green apple, and a hint of pine. Wet on skin: a very soft almond note, green crisp apples, pine and woods. Dry: marzipan and green apples, though knowing my skin, the almond will fade fast. And it does, leaving behind a delightful iced apple scent with a lovely pine/fir note and a hint of snow. Some green apple notes go odd on me but not this-for now the apple is staying true, it smells crisp and juicy and yet it is chilled, like the last apple of autumn frozen and kept fresh by the first snows. Smells of fresh Christmas trees and gentle woods peek through the iced apple scent. This is a gorgeous scent so far. After a while: the smell of pine and fir, maybe juniper too, now dominates the scent. I still smell hints of fresh apple which has an almost effervescent scent to it, but now it’s mainly the fragrance of evergreen tree needles covered with a hint of frost. Like an outdoor Christmas tree, the only decoration it has is a covering of snow. Soon, some woody notes come out, mingling with the pine needles. The apple wood and almond wood are almost like cedar or cypress, a dry, greyish-green wood scent, like fresh planks of timber but with snow and evergreens. There are moments when this sweetens a tad and the snowy scent becomes a little stronger but then it goes back to woods and cool pine/fir needles after a few hours. The pine note lasts a good long time here. Verdict: last year, I loved the ‘liquid Christmas tree’ scent of Mistletoe, but the scent lasted only an hour on me. this scent however, has a definite Xmas tree scent to it but lasts a great deal longer, and has almonds and apples, and woods and snow thrown into the mix. This is a wonderfully evocative scent, to me it’s like walking out of a house where almond based desserts were being prepared into a dark winter’s night. It is totally silent, the only sound is my crunching footsteps in the snow. First I walk through an orchard where snow-covered apples lie on the ground, preserved by the ice. Then I end up in forest of tall evergreens and firs and pine and I smell their needles and wood all around. This is perfect for this time of year and I think I might need to get a bottle. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Yes. I might get one bottle. If you like this, try: the Hesperides, Mistletoe, Black Forest, Yew Trees, Ladon, Jabberwocky

The Darkling Thrush In the imp: ohhh, this is the gorgeous icy scent from Ice Queen, Nuclear Winter, Kumari Kandam and Cloister Graveyard. Maybe with a hint of Skadi/Snow Moon’s snow. Soft and cold and slushy. Wet on skin: cold, minty, fresh and white snow with a hint of powdery orris. Dry: wow. This is beautiful. It’s minty and frozen and very cold, and also serene, a peaceful scent. It smells like cold winter air over a frozen lake, and there’s a hint of cucumber which gives a wet, slushy feel. Under it, I get slight hints of pale orris enhancing the feel of white snow this scent has, and there’s a hint of amber glinting through the scent, like winter sunlight through icicles. After a while: the snowy scent softens a little and it’s not as cold now. I detect a hint of ozone to it which seems to work nicely on my skin (it’s a ‘good’ ozone note) and now I smell the powdery scent of orris, a hint of violet and amber. It’s almost like the amber’s warmth is thawing the snow. The orris and violet are particularly strong at some points, fringed with wet ice and with that promising amber note underneath. The drydown is a beautiful mix of warm amber contrasting with cold ozone on top of powdery flowers. Verdict: it seems to me that every year, Beth brings out a scent with a distinctive, white, minty, ozone-y, wet and musky ‘snow/ice’ accord which I adore. In 04 it was Ice Queen, in 05 it was Nuclear Winter and Talvikuu, and for 06 it is the Darkling Thrush. This is a wonderful, peaceful, poetic and gentle scent, with an icy beauty to it like a winter morning with soft, blushing clouds in the dawn sky with frost and snow all around. I love the ice scent this has, this doesn’t smell of ‘darkness’ like the description says, to me, this has a lovely glow to it. The orris adds a pale white powdery scent which of course goes very well with the whole snowy theme, the violet is cool and soft and silvery, and the amber gradually warms up and sweetens the scent with its golden, luminous tones, like the first rays of spring sunshine melting the snow. This is a very moving scent, full of serenity, elegance and glacial beauty. One I need more of. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Yes! I’ll get a bottle, but just one since I already have Nuclear Winter and Ice Queen. If you like this, try: Cloister Graveyard in the Snow, Kumari Kandam, Nuclear Winter, Dublin, Snow Moon, Jolasveinar

Krampus In the imp: woods and leather, and a hint of smoke. It's almost like Spanked, but not as spicy. Wet on skin: the gorgeous musk starts to surface under the layer of leather and dusty woods. Dry on skin: oh yeah, this is good stuff. It's like a masculine companion to Loviatar with added woody notes and a definite feel of dust. I swear I even smell a hint of the clean linen note here. Red musk and sleek black leather on top of fragrant planks of dark dry woods, maybe cedar. I really like the wood in here, it's almost resinous, but it does smell a little bit masculine. But this scent definitely resembles Spanked, and even though there's no cardamom here, it smells quite spicy. After a while: I'm getting an odd, fresh pine-ozone note to this, which is very unusual. Maybe the 'dusty rags' could reading as clean linen with a hint of dust? But it seems to me like more of a cold, frosty, wintry type cent, which many of this years Yule scents have in common, and it does smell like pine or fir. I still smell the fragrant woods and leather and that wonderful, rich undertone of red musk. And then, after an hour or two…I get patchouli. Yes, patchouli. I have no idea where it's coming from (maybe musk/leather and woods combining?) but I get a very strong dark patchouli note, at this point, the brief fresh winter breeze/fresh linen note is gone, so it's woods, leather, musk and patchouli now. The drydown reminds me of Smut but without the sweet sugary vanilla scent I got from that, and with a deep patchouli note reminiscent of Schwarzer Mond. And then, it's pure aged patchouli. Verdict: this is Spanked for 06. It has that same kinky leather note and a similar spicy feel to it, but this is much more woodsy (with wonderful rich resinous wood notes coming through every now and then) and has a wonderful, almost feral depth provided by red musk. But this cheeky little festive guy has a few tricks up his sleeve. He whips me with a dusty rag that smells of fresh laundry, an unexpected cool zingy note that passes through momentarily. And then he pulls out the final surprise…a huge hit of patchouli. Dark, heavy and aged patchouli, and it's really good stuff. This patch note also gives this scent more of a resemblance to Spanked and also to Anne Bonny and Schwarzer Mond, and also, with the red musk, this seems like a more masculine cousin of Smut and Loviatar. This is such a fun, naughty scent, very sexy and dark and wild. It does, however, seem quite masculine to me, but it's the kind of masculine scent that I like. I might need to get a bottle-I have a feeling this will age wonderfully. Emoticon rating: :D Is it a keeper? Definitely yes, for the decant. May get a bottle. If you like this, try: Loviatar, De Sade, Anne Bonny, Smut, Count Dracula, the High Priest not to be Described