PurringPulsar

Death of the Gravedigger In the imp: smells like the other snow scents-Skadi, Snow Bunny, Snow Moon-and also Dublin. It’s that citrus-pine-menthol snow accord. Mmm. Wet on skin: still snowy, slushy citrus-pine, but slightly more earthy. Dry: this smells like a darker, earthier, greener variety of the winter snow scents. It smells almost like Snow Moon without the flowers, with more of a pine/fir note to it. Cold and chilly, and slightly sweet. I can’t smell the resins yet, but I can make out a tiny amount of soil, but it is covered with a lot of snow. But I love those snowy scents anyway so it’s all good. After a while: there’s something decaying to this scent. Not in a bad way, but I certainly smell decay here-like decomposing leaves, fruits and woods, that sweet, fermented scent, the scent of autumn covered with winter (the piney snow scent still going strong here). Eventually this earthy decay starts to remind me fermenting fruits in soil and snow. I just hope it doesn’t turn to rotting fruits (fermentation I can handle, but not downright rotting) I still can’t make out the resins though. The soil note here seems different to the ‘rained-on soil’ ones in Penny Dreadful, Death Cap, or Queen of Clubs-this is much more like good compost and wood chips to me. The snow note eventually thaws away to reveal more of the fruity soil scent with hints of pine. The disappointing thing is that I still can’t smell those resins! The scent thankfully never goes rotten and the drydown is actually a very pleasant wine-like scent. Like very chilled wine, with the snowy bits still lingering. Also some tart berries thrown into the mix. I also get a dark scent, almost incense like, maybe that’s the myrrh trying to show itself at last? Verdict: out of all the winter scents with that pine-citrus-menthol scent evocative of snowy forests, this is the darkest. Skadi was the ultimate snowy-spice, Snow Bunny was effervescent, fun and lively, Snow Moon was a beautifully glacial floral scent, and this is the earthy, decaying variant on the snow theme. Under this heavy layer of snow, there’s a soil note that’s much more decomposed than the usual wet soil-this is like decayed plant matter-mainly bark, leaves and fruits, and this fruitiness eventually ferments to wine in this scent, wine with a hint of pine and snow. At times I thought this decayed fruit and evergreen scent would turn rotten like it did in Hemlock, but it didn’t. It’s a very unusual scent, very evocative of death, decay, coldness, but in a very different way to Cloister Graveyard-this is much more shadowed, and CGitS is full of light. It’s a shame the resins don’t really come out as much as I hoped they would though. I like this scent but I prefer the lighter snowy scents-I’m still unsure of the decaying note I get here. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? The imp, possibly. It bears a resemblance to many of the winter scents so I may get some once my Snow Bunny/Snow Moon runs out. If you like this, try: Snow Bunny, Snow Moon, Talvikuu, Nocnitsa, Dublin

Cloister Graveyard in the Snow In the imp: smells just like Nuclear Winter. Ozone and mint. Wet on skin: very similar to Nuclear Winter and Ice Queen. Dry: this is gorgeous. It is very, very similar to Nuclear Winter, only with the musks of Ice Queen. The white musk notes are fantastic, spreading a serene, soft white blanket over the icy ozone and mint. The mint note is greener and less sweet than the usual peppermint scents, and there’s a wetness to it, like cucumber, which I also got from NW. I can just about smell frankincense but it’s very faint. It’s all about the snow in here. After a while: this gets greener and cooler, despite the mint disappearing. The musks also get stronger, adding an almost warm feel to contrast the cool icy ozone scent. This is a beautiful scent, it’s like walking through a silent graveyard in winter wrapped in the finest fur coat. It seems to stay like this for a long time, though the white musk seems to get stronger, a little sweeter as well, before become just cool white musk with a soft, fuzzy feeling and, strangely, a little hint of warmth. Verdict: I’m so glad I’ve found a GC alternative to Nuclear Winter and Ice Queen. This smells like both of them, and yet it is different. It has IQ’s white musk but doesn’t have her floral-fruity notes, and whilst it has a similar mint and watery coolness, it doesn’t have the sterile, desolate feel of NW. It doesn’t morph much, just retains that wonderful icy musk, with a hint of slushy watery coolness to it all, and the ozone doesn’t turn to washing powder on me. This scent speaks of serenity, of silence. It’s a scent of the seasonal death symbolised by winter and the calm, icy stillness it brings. It feels contemplative and meditative, and despite its cold icy mint-ozone, there’s a smooth, slightly frankincensed white musk that covers the scent so gently, and it feels almost reassuring, or hopeful. A beautiful, evocative scent, and another olfactory work of art from the Salon. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Will keep the decant, and buy more once my Nuke Winter and Ice Queen run out. If you like this, try: Ice Queen, Nuclear Winter, Talvikuu, Cold Moon (all LE, this is the GC substitute)

Silence In the imp: a greenish-floral scent with a hint of crushed leaves, a sharpness reminiscent of a crushed plant stem. Wet on skin: the reedy, crushed stem scent gets stronger, and I smell something that reminds me of a perfume I've smelt elsewhere. Dry on skin: this is a very intriguing fragrance, very complex and cool. I can now smell the sweetness of peach creeping into the scent. This smells of a medley of green notes all crushed together with lightly scented petals of iris and plum blossom, with a hint of sweet peach and ethereal blue musk. This scent does describe the name beautifully, it is serene yet cold and withdrawn, subtle and quiet. It brings to mind the starry night of the painting, cool and dewy/frosty. After a while: the scent eventually becomes centred around the peach, which is gorgeous in here, with the clear scent of moonflower. There's a background of blue musk, almost ozone like and airy, and a greenish sandalwood note, and the soft powdery lotus root, as well as the light floral note. I was predicting that this would resemble Budding Moon but this actually reminds me more of Peony Moon with peach instead of peony, it has a similar aquatic-woody-green thing to it. It's soft, and beautiful. I definitely see a resemblance to Nuit with the blue musk, but without the florals from that scent. It seems to fade fast, I'm getting something slightly sharp on the drydown that I'm not sure about, but it could just be my nose being distracted by the smell of cooking. There's now something crystalline to the scent as well. Verdict: this is such a wonderful, evocative scent, truly fitting to the painting. A starry blue musk with crushed green tea and iris stems, soft lotus root, sandalwood and a fabulous juicy peach note-this is probably the freshest and coolest, the least sweet, of the peach scents. Beautifully constructed, very much a work of art. It doesn't have much throw, but that fits in with the scent's name and theme, I think, it smells light and cold, withdrawn, contemplative and meditative, a solitary, subtle, silent scent. One for those quiet, lonely, thoughtful moments, I think-and I have loads of these moments. I'll think about getting a bottle-it does fade quickly and might need frequent reapplication, I need to try it again. But the first couple of hours of this scent are magnificent. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? I'll try this again, I think I need a bottle. If you like this, try: Peony Moon, Fae, Aglaea, Budding Moon, Nuit

Shoggoth In the imp: lemongrass, lime, and a hint of coconut. A refreshing and sweet scent. Wet on skin: lemongrass, lime, coconut and something sweet.. Dry on skin: this is so gorgeous. It does remind me of TAL Milk and Honey, but also of the Carnaval Diabolique scent. This is the lighter version of CD. It has a citrus scent of lemongrass and lime (the lemongrass is prominent but isn't as aggressive as usual) with a creamy coconut base, with hints of light musk and floral notes underneath. The green coconut note, so different to the usual coconut scent (greener, creamier and fresher, with a coconut water scent to it) has a lot of throw. This scent brings to mind Thailand, I think, with its lemongrass and coconut scent. After a while: eventually the lemongrass loses it's grip on the scent (whilst still lingering), letting the other notes through. I now can smell the white, gentle flowers, I can't pick out the individual notes (I think I can smell green-tinged spring flowers though), but the sweet creamy green coconut is still there. I can't make out the amber here but then again I'm not familiar with 'white amber'. It may be that lovely sweet note I smell here, though. But then, I smell the most wonderful sweet floral scent after a few hours. It seems like the scent has settled into a gorgeous scent of soft floral notes (I think I get waterlily?), the coconut, a hint of the lemongrass, and the amber. Is this the white amber I'm smelling now? If so, then holy hot diggity damn, this white amber stuff is so good. It seems almost like delicious nougat or marshmallow, a sweet of some kind. Very well blended and balanced. White and fluffy and dusted with pink and green. Verdict: when I first saw this scent's note description, the words that popped into my head were 'iridescent pastel'. And this scent definitely is iridescent and pastel coloured. Baby pinks, pale greens, primrose yellow and pale violet in a swirl of shimmery white. This scent is the lighter, daintier version of the darker Carnaval Diabolique, but with a gentler mix of springy floral notes and gentle amber replacing the opium-musk laced flowers of CD. The lemongrass is initially very strong but it does fade away over time to let the other notes out. The coconut is the star of the scent though, a fresher coconut meat note which has a lot of throw. Then the flowers and amber mix at the end to form a delightful finale of sweet fluffiness. This also seems to have a similar feel to Hungry Ghost Moon, without smelling identical-it's a complex 'citrus and sweetness' scent. Very unique and different. I think I'll be getting more of this for spring. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Oh yes. I need a bottle soon, maybe for the warmer months. If you like this, try: Carnaval Diabolique, Hungry Ghost Moon, Namaste, Snow White

All Souls In the bottle: this smells like a buttery Eat Me, or a fusion of Eat Me with MB Closet, buttered fruity cake. Surprisingly buttery but not nauseating…I hope this goes the way of Eat Me and not MB Closet. Wet on skin: the butter starts to fade as it hits the skin, and resins, woods and dry cake are apparent. Dry on skin: oh yes, this is good. I'm no longer getting butter but what I am getting is wonderful. A fantastic resin-incense, very similar to Midnight Mass or Cathedral (frankincense and myrrh etc) softened by crumbly sweet sugared cake and a hint of raisins. The cake and incense go together surprisingly well, it's an unusual mix of foody and resinous that really works. I also get a hint of dry polished wood, either cedar or sandalwood. After a while: this sweetens a little, and the woody aspect of the incense starts to come through more, along with a gorgeous currant and the sweet, sugary cake. The frank n' myrrh are still hanging around at the back. The throw is impressive. Then I get a scent of squashed currants, or currant jam, with the dry, woody incense. I see why some people say that there may be rose here, but I think it is actually rosewood. It smells quite woody, like there's sandalwood and rosewood polished with resins, and lying on top are currant cakes dusted with sugar. It also smells more myrrh-y now, and I get a slight Parlement of Foules resemblance as well. The drydown I get is a soft, dry, sweet, well rounded incense. It's much drier, slightly smoky, definitely woodsy, but still with that element of sugar, which is now part of the incense. But then something really unexpected happens at the very end of the scent, after many hours. It smells like amber and nag champa! I'm not kidding, I definitely get nag champa and something sweet and deep, like amber, in here. Verdict: I love cake scents. I love incense scents. I wasn't sure what both foody and incensey scents would be like blended as one, but this scent works. This is the perfect mix of sugary cake, fruity currant, resins and incense. they all come together in here without clashing, they just work harmoniously, especially upon drydown. The scent is very similar to Midnight Mass meets Eat Me, but more complex…the incense is a mix of resinous frankincense and myrrh (with emphasis on myrrh) and with woody incenses, almost like good quality Indian incense, like sandalwood and nag champa. There's a rosy note here that may be rosewood. These woods lend a dry, smoky, almost dusty aspect to the scent, the resins add depth and structure, and the cake sits nicely in the middle, it's moist currant-raisin scent perfectly mixed with generous helpings of sugar. But of course, the incense prevents this scent from becoming too foody. This gets better and better over time and I really need to get more of this wonderful, unique and innovative scent! It's the perfect addition to my incense/resins collection and also to my cake scents. Yum. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Oh yeah. I'll need to buy more bottles. If you like this, try: Eat Me, Cathedral, Penitence, Midnight Mass, Al Azif

The Penitent Magdalene In the bottle: so faint…but what I'm getting is a sweet, golden flower scent, with a hint of musk. I think that's immortelle, with lily of the valley. Wet on skin: a honeyed almond scent, reminiscent of Dana O'Shee and Queen of Sheba, begins to surface. Dry on skin: this is such a gorgeous scent! This is like a floral, lighter Queen of Sheba. There's a gentle, golden honey-almond, but backed up by greenish-white, springtime scent of lily of the valley and smoothed by the musk, with the sandalwood at the back. I think the immortelle gives the scent a dry-golden-hay scent, but I'm not sure. There's a little hint of soap to it, which I sometimes get from LotV, but it's not a bad soap, this is good quality soap. I just hope the soap scent doesn't take over… After a while: it gets whiter and a little bit soapier but still very nice. Now the scent is a soft white floral with something pollen-like to it, clean and pure, with a hint of golden musk/amber. I now get a slight resemblance to Et Lux Fuit. Eventually I get a soft, powdery white scent with honey and amber dusted on top with woods and flowers. It is very pretty, and reminds me very slightly of La Fee Verte but not as honeyed and not as lemony. Normally I don't like white powdery soapy scents but strangely, I like this. The scent develops a clean and slightly airy scent after a few hours. I get an impression of white cloth in the breeze, but without a strong detergent scent, this has the scents of spring flowers and leaves and a hint of clean skin (the musk) clinging to it. The woodsy notes add an impression of dryness. The amber comes out now and again, adding a hint of sunlit gold to the scent. Verdict: despite this being a little soapier than I expected, I really like it. I don't usually like scents which have that soapy feel to it but I really like this-it's light and fresh and golden and clean, very pretty. It's like a springtime version of Et Lux Fuit, that same golden-white feel, only slightly greener and with lily of the valley. The honey, amber and almond are very subtle, every now and then they can be detected (amber in particular comes out a lot), and this scent morphs gracefully whilst always keeping that innocent and pure clean scent. This is a beautifully crafted scent and one of the better LotV scents, but I think I will appreciate it more when spring comes. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Bought a bottle and will keep it. If you like this, try: La Fee Verte, Queen of Sheba, Dana O'Shee, Lyonesse, Et Lux Fuit, Pele

Lilith In the imp: dark, sweet red wine. Wet on skin: wine and roses, with a hint of musk. Dry: wine and roses and musky myrrh! I like this. The first note to hit me is a rich red wine, boozy and sweet with a hint of tartness, with fragrant rose, and a resinous and very dark musky base. But mainly wine and roses. This reminds me of Blood Rose, only darkened, or leather-less Wanda. This scent is powerful, commanding, it’s got a load of throw. After a while: this stays very constant, not morphing much. Just dark wine and roses (with the emphasis on the wine) with that depth of musk and myrrh. The wine note has a real bite to it, a slight acidity which adds character but doesn’t smell like vinegar. And the throw is still very strong. Eventually the strong wine tones down and out comes a soft, deep, yet slightly powdery musk-myrrh-rose drydown. This actually reminds me of Phantom now, but with a drier, slightly smouldering myrrh note. This gets better after many hours-it develops a lovely powdered amber aspect. It's long lasting and improves over time. Verdict: this is what I was hoping I’d get from Blood Rose. This is wine and roses with oomph. This scent packs a big punch and for a couple of hours it wafts like crazy. The wine note is very, very strong (in other words, don't drive when wearing this scent!) but it’s a very nice wine note, which mixes nicely with the rose. The myrrh and musk just help to deepen and enhance the wine and roses, and they come out more after a few hours. I really like this scent-so far it’s my favourite of the rose-myrrh-dark musk scents (along with Arabian Nights). This is a very powerful feminine scent, confident, dominating, also dark and enigmatic, and intoxicating. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? I’ll keep the imp. Maybe a bottle some day. If you like this, try: Blood Rose, Phantom, Wicked, Wanda

Endymion In the imp: lily of the valley and sweet pear. Wet on skin: sugared pear and lily of the valley. Dry: this is so pretty! The scent is a watery fruity floral, a very pleasant lily of the valley (which so far isn’t soaping on me) with a sweet, sugary pear note-like pear covered in sugar syrup. I also get the rose in the background-or is it rosewood? I do get a slight hint of wood to this, I must say, and the white musk binds it all together. This is a fresh, dainty, springy scent. After a while: this doesn’t change much-it does lose it’s watery feel and becomes more lily-centred, but still remains a well balanced mix of lily, rose, pear and musk. A bright white scent, and with no soap yet. It does have a slight waxy-green scent which I sometimes get with lily of the valley but it’s not bad. It does get drier and sharper on the drydown after about 4-5 hours though, and I’m not as keen on it as before. Verdict: this is a very pretty scent, light, youthful, innocent, sweet, spring-like. It’s mainly lily of the valley and pear, dusted with sugar and with a hint of dew, but there are undertones of rose and bright white musk as well. A clean, fresh scent, what I like about this is that the soapy scent I sometimes get with LotV doesn’t appear until much, much later. I do like this scent but it’s not a favourite-I might want to try this again in spring, this seems such a springy, warm weather scent to me. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? maybe If you like this, try: Belle Epoque, Thalia, La Belle au Bois Dormant

Pele In the imp: a pretty, but ever so light, lily of the valley with something green. Wet on skin: green, sharp flowers. There’s an odd chalky/waxy tone here. Dry: hmm, interesting. The words that come to mind are ‘fizzy flowers’. It’s a lightly floral scent but there’s a background of something effervescent, tart, reminiscent of the slightly sharp taste that sparkling water has, and the odd ‘wet plaster’ note I got from Chiroptera. It’s not as rich and powerful as I expected for a tropical floral, but eventually after application the scent is beginning to bloom and under the strange fizzy scent I can smell richer blooms coming through. After a while: the heady florals I was hoping for never fully appear, there’s still that scent that, at this point, reminds me of fizzy aspirin. There’s something to it that reminds me of a pill fizzing in a glass of water. And wet plaster and cardboard. The muguet note is still there, but I can’t get over the aspirin/Alka Seltzer associations. Eventually this develops a scent which reminds me of a component of Midnight on the Midway, but I much prefer MotM to this. There’s that waxy petal scent to it that I’m not keen on in here. Verdict: this was a little bit of a let down. I was hoping for a wonderful bouquet of tropical flowers, but instead I get a very watered down white waxy flower scent with a disturbing undercurrent of fizzy hangover pills, tonic water, wet plaster and damp paper. It’s very thin on my skin, it doesn’t seem to have depth or character, which is very un-Pele-like, I think. Shame because this had potential, but my skin decided to ruin it. Swap. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Probably not. If you like this, try: Endymion, Come to me, Muse, Midnight on the Midway

Hmm, that's really odd. My recent order contained a 5ml of Tzadikim Nistarim. And it came in a blue bottle! It also had an old papery label which makes me wonder if it's an older bottle from a batch of TN that was mixed ages ago?

Loviatar In the imp: a sexy, wonderful combination of leather and sweet red musk. Wet on skin: sweet amber-leather with musk. Dry: holy crap this is so good. This is such a sexy scent. The leather is wonderful as usual, the musk is seductive and warm, and a little bit feral in here. The amber and myrrh add their dark resinous sweetness to it all, rounding off the blend, and I think the myrrh even adds a little smokiness to it all as well. After a while: eventually the warm leather becomes much more dominant, the red musk does die down a touch without disappearing, and I can smell the myrrh at the very back. It seems this myrrh isn’t the sticky, dark kind, it could be the light, dry, more burnt variety but it works so well in here and latches on to the leather so it doesn’t smell burnt at all, just smoky. However, I think hormones may be screwing up because last time I tried it, the musk and amber came out a lot more upon drydown. Today I’m getting an almost De Sade/Spanked effect…loads of leather. HOWEVER wait a few hours and then the ambery drydown I loved so much has indeed come-only later than expected. It's a perfect balance of rich amber and leather with musk binding the two notes together. Verdict: I remember trying this at the Meet n’ Sniff and loving it. Back then, it was a very equal balance of all the notes with more musk and amber around the leather at the end. I thought that I would need a bottle straight away! I tried it again for reviewing, and though at the start it has a fantastic feral red musk note to it, the drydown is a lot more leathery than I expected. It’s nice, a smoky leather with a hint of sweetness, but it lacks the wonderful musky amber I got last time, it’s almost all leather. The wonderful amber-leather-musk drydown does eventually come, but it takes longer than expected. This could be hormonal though. I still like this oil a great deal-especially after a few hours when it is delicious-but I’m not sure if it’s my absolute favourite of the leather scents (Dee and Bow and Crown hold that position) so I’ll try this again and see. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? I’ll definitely keep the imp, and think about a bottle after a second try. If you like this, try: De Sade, Doc Constantine, Whip, Wanda, Bow and Crown of Conquest, Lust

Tezcatlipoca In the imp: mmm, cocoa. Deep, rich, dark chocolate. Wet on skin: now the patchouli comes out-it’s strong in here! Still chocolatey. Dry: now the incense comes out-piercing resins, probably some copal in here since I get a definite similarity to that other Aztec oil that begins with X. I also get that blend’s floral notes and similarity to Angel. This is a darker, richer, more chocolatey version of X with patchouli and I love it! I can also smell leather at the back of the scent. After a while: eventually the chocolate note smoothes out, and becomes one with the leather and earthy patch, with the copal incense and flowers on top. It’s a lot more rounded now, not just a perfume with a chocolate coating. There are times when this smells almost like chocolate cake/brownies and perfume, which I love! There could be something almost like vanilla to this, or a sweet floral causing this. And at other times, it’s a chocolate-patchouli scent with a hint of floral. There’s also something here that reminds me of the orange note in X, and this gives the scent a ‘Green and Black’s Mayan Gold chocolate’ scent-MG is one of the few dark chocolates that I like. Eventually it settles down to spicy orange chocolate and patchouli with a hint of leather. Verdict: this is another example of the way cocoa can be used in a scent without it being very foody. This innovative scent joins cocoa with patchouli and leather, and also an incense-floral-perfume scent, and it works! This reminds me of the X oil, with a similar perfumey feel to it, but darkened. There are a few ‘chocolate brownie’ and ‘Mayan Gold’ moments in this scent which I really like, but most of the time it’s a unique and delicious mixture of cocoa and patchouli and copal-based incense. I still prefer Great Sword of War as my ‘complex cocoa’ scent but I like this a lot. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Will keep the imp. If you like this, try: Xiuhtecuhtli, Velvet, Bliss, Great Sword of War

Schwarzer Mond In the imp: intense, dark, yet effervescent. A mix of patchouli, resins…and Coke (could be a reaction between the bay rum/pimenta and one of the resins?). Wet on skin: the amber comes out once it's on my skin, the fizzy aspect tones down a little to let the patchouli and resins out to play. No more Coke. Dry on skin: wow, this is stunning. So dark, so rich. The patchouli note is amazing here, and very prominent. The fact that it's antique, aged for a very long time, means that it is more delicious than regular patch, and doesn't smell like hippies at all. The resins are fantastic and they all seem to mesh together so well-the black amber is the most dominant (smells like my Tunisian amber perfume, in fact), with opoponax and myrrh. I get a slight herbal-balsamic tinge to the scent, which I think is from the zdravetz and terebinth, but that's just a guess. The musk is deeper and darker than I expected and rounds off the scent beautifully. There's even a slight hint of Noir to it all. After a while: now the scent has two parts, depending on where I smell it. Far from the wrist, wafts of black amber and opoponax are smelt, darkly sweet and resinous. Close to the wrist the scent is drier, smokier, with more patchouli, black musk and myrrh, and the balsamic notes. This really is the epitome of mystery and darkness in scent, the only light provided by this scent is the flickering, faint light of a candle-and yes, I do get a little hint of candle smoke from here, as well as old books and muted, lingering ritual incense. This scent is now very warm, and it's crazy but sometimes I get a slight 'toasted' feel to it all. This contrasts with the coolness of Black Moon. The end scent is a wonderful amber note, pure Tunisian amber, which wafts like crazy. Mmmm... Verdict: again, wow. I definitely agree that this is the yang to Black Moon's yin, though having said that, the scent is very unisex, and I love it. Much darker and more profound than Black Moon, this scent is indeed as the description implies, a very secretive fragrance, thoughtful and introspective, with a feel of ancient, arcane secrets being guarded. Again, I agree with Goth Hobbit's association with the Magician tarot card. This scent is of the occult, that of a powerful and handsome magus or alchemist (of course), shrouded in mystery. The scent brings to mind a very ancient incense blend, both in it's burnt and unburnt states, it is packed with wonderful rich resins like sweet black amber and opoponax, dark myrrh and something slightly more herbal which may be zdravetz, and the most incredible patchouli note ever. Like Black Moon, there is nothing else quite like this in BPAL and this is a true masterpiece in the form of perfume, a real work of art-a scent that shouldn't be just worn, it should be appreciated, experienced, and meditated on. And yes, this would make an amazing ritual oil too…and wearing both Black Moon Rising oils together (yet on separate wrists) is a powerful, moving scent experience and I really see how complementary and contrasting both scents are. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Definitely. Multiple bottles (well, two in reality) If you like this, try: Voodoo, Omen, Dee, Al Azif, Oblivion

Black Moon In the bottle: a beautiful, sweetish nocturnal floral with a watery feel. I smell orchid and blue lotus. Wet on skin: once on, a gorgeous jasmine note comes out, along with greenish notes. Dry on skin: this is beautiful. An ethereal, misty yet heady floral, with a hint of dry greenery and darkness. The black orchid is prominent here, it's rich, creamy floral tones mixing gorgeously with a very well behaved jasmine note. There's a hint of blue lotus (which doesn't smell bubblegummy, but rather a pale, fresh, tangy and watery floral) and some greenish notes which I think may be calamus and mugwort, as well as a dry, papery note which may be massoia. The pear just adds a hint of tart, watery fruitiness but doesn't take over. The crystalline musk adds to the scent's glistening feel. I don't get much cucumber, surprisingly. But everything else is just amazing. After a while: eventually this scent becomes more rounded, fresher, lighter and even more wonderful. The orchid is still the central note but it's now equal with the lotus. Comparing it with one of my lotus perfumes from Egypt, I do get a similarity here, only Black Moon is darker and orchid-y. The musk is wonderfully light, slightly tangy and fresh, almost perfumey but not quite, it adds a 'night air' feel to the scent similar to the light/white musks in other night scents do. The scent glitters but there's always that darkness there, that impenetrable mystery cloaking the scent like a veil. There's a coolness to the scent, like the cool of the night, shivering and breezy but not too cold. The end scent is light, crisp blue lotus with musk, lingering softly on the skin. Verdict: wow. This is a stunningly beautiful floral scent with nothing harsh, headachy or sharp about it. This fits in with all the other nocturnal floral scents, and is probably the darkest and most mysterious of the lot. Feminine yet distant, she is magnificent and glittering, yet veiled, and possibly divine…this scent is otherworldly. I really agree with Goth Hobbit's comparison with the High Priestess tarot card, this really does seem to match the card's symbolism. The scent is of a well balanced mixture of ethereal, dewy flowers-heady and smooth black orchid, jasmine attar, fresh blue lotus, and also a little bit of tangy pear, and sparkling musk. This scent is complex, it brings to mind dark blues, purple and black, lapis lazuli crossed with onyx and a touch of amethyst. A moonless night full of stars. There is nothing else quite like this in BPAL and this, along with Schwarzer Mond, is a true masterpiece in the form of perfume-a scent that shouldn't be just worn, it should be appreciated, experienced, and meditated on. And yes, this would make an amazing ritual oil. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Oh yes. Multiple bottles (well, two in reality) If you like this, try: Nuit, Bat Woman, Urania, Night's Pavilion, Shadow Witch Orchid

Hecate In the imp: whoo, heavy almonds. This reminds me of Bastet. Wet on skin: dark, heavy amaretto. This is very boozy almond liqueur! The almonds do get more nutty though. Dry on skin: as the almonds gradually fade away, I'm left with a deep, dark, sweet black musk with resinous, sticky, exotic myrrh underneath. This actually reminds me of Haunted, with a hint of the myrrh note that I've smelt in things like Wicked, LPM and Phantom. There's an almost amber like feel to this as well. I still get a hint of nutty (not cherry like) almond on top of it all. After a while: this is still very similar to Haunted. It's less golden than Haunted, and has a slightly oily feel to it (no bad thing). It reminds me of a less complex Black Phoenix as well. this is actually quite a sexy scent, I think. It's warm, smooth, sleek and has a real 'skin scent' to it, with a delightful myrrh note. There are times when it does remind me slightly of baby oil. Eventually it turns pleasantly powdery, a soft, sweet, myrrh-musk powder. Verdict: after the strong, boozy almond fades, this smells very much like Haunted with myrrh instead of amber. It has a similar smooth, slightly powdery resin-musk scent, sweet and exotic and deep. It's a lovely fragrance, uncomplicated in it's components but I really like the interaction of myrrh and musk, it's also the base for a lot of other scents in BPAL, I think (some of which are favourites, like Khephra and Arabian Nights). I like this but because it's so similar to other more complex scents, I may or may not keep the imp. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Might keep the imp. If you like this, try: Haunted, La Petite Mort, Khephra, Bastet

Chaos Theory III: MCCLXIV (1264) In the bottle: this smells a lot like Mme Moriarty! That same patchouli-cedar-tobacco, with a hint of sweet fruit. Wet on skin: yup, it's like MM, but with a stronger woody patch note. Dry on skin: fruity patchouli with a strong wooden base. It's almost identical to MM, but I think this one has an actual cedar note to it. I also smell a lot of plum, or berries/currants, or pomegranate, in here (it's a red fruit note) which is a good thing. Not sure if this has vanilla or musk like MM though. There's also a metallic-papery-leathery scent to it which makes me think of money in a leather purse. I also smell a mossy undertone. After a while: there doesn't seem to be any vanilla-plum-musk peeking out of the patchouli-wood accord I have here. It's still that cedar-tobacco-patchouli, a powerful, almost masculine scent, which is also smoky and deep. There's a 'perfumey' note over the top of the patch, sharp and fruity…it could be a cranberry or pomegranate note. The more I smell it, the more I think of cranberries, actually. It still has the money-like smell to it. Eventually this ends up smelling very similar to my other CT which smells very masculine, only less blatantly manly, and with a cranberry note to it. No musk, no vanilla, but maybe some plum, it sweetens and gains more of a fruity scent at the end, less like Snake Charmer, and more like Hellion. Verdict: this is just like Mme Moriarty without the vanilla musk. It's the same 'patchouli leaf' base, but with a little more wood and smoke, and a fruity, tart top note which smells just like dried cranberries. I think Beth's got a brand new accord to play with (a patchouli-based one, probably) recently because I've never smelt this in the older BPALs and yet most of the CTs I've tried, and Mme Moriarty, have it. I do like this cranberry-patchouli scent but it does get a little too masculine at times, and I much prefer MM because of it's Snake Charmer-esque base of musky vanilla plum, which this scent lacks (there's something plummy to it, but it's not as nice as MM). I might swap or sell my bottle. Emoticon rating: Chaos Theory III: DCCXII From a swap with Reedsong In the imp: mmm, musky! there's a light musk in here, and a sweet note, and something woody. Wet on skin: yup, that's probably the lighter, sharper version of Egyptian musk here-it has an almost perfumey top note to it. Dry on skin: a light white/blue/Egyptian musk with a slightly aquatic-citrus-floral feel to it (it's very much a 'perfume' smell), and a pale woodsy note which reminds me of Manhattan so it might be teak, with a sweet, vanilla or amber undertone. This is almost like Manhattan with a spritz of fresh feminine musk perfume and more amber. This is the third CT scent so far that reminds me of something sophisticated you could find at a department store or posh perfumer's…there's even something almost like alcohol to it but without the headache-y sharpness. After a while: suddenly this turns very Nuit-like on me, which is a good thing. Maybe the musk in here is 'blue musk'? It's so fresh, airy, sparkling and 'starry'. Or maybe it's white musk with a night air note, as now I also smell a hint of WM (very much like my SN) as well. This is like Nuit without the flowers, with woods and vanilla/amber in its place. It's such a gorgeous smell! Then after that this no longer reminds me so much of Nuit, but of Black Opal. Not as blatantly 'rocky', not as powdery, but with that cold, damp, slightly ozonic, slightly mineral note that makes me think of caves. This is a darker Black Opal now, but with that chilly musk note. Eventually this turns into the most amazing scent-the scent of a cold, crisp, star covered winter night, with a sweet undertone and a white musk feel. I love that night air smell so much-it's one of those ozones that never soaps out on me. This is different to the other CT I had that reminded me of a starry desert night-this is damper and dewier, with a feel of wet rocks and a squishy forest floor with wet leaves and wood (cedar and teak?) and something that may be fern. There's even a little hint of smoke…there could be some patchouli in here, as one of the Lab's patchouli notes gives an earthy, almost leafy scent, and this scent also has a passing resemblance (very slight) to the woody-smoky note from Mme Moriarty. Then it loses it's night air scent but still hangs on to it's cool musk, and vanilla starts to creep in, joined with the cedary patchouli-tobacco note from Mme Moriarty, and some woods. This is like MM with a cooler, lighter musk in the place of the heavy red musk. It feels more velvety now. But there's still a coolness there, reminiscent of Ice Queen's musk. The wood (now very much a cedar scent) is left over with remnants of vanilla and musk at the end. Verdict: at first I think 'ok, this is perfumey but pleasant', a breezy light musk over sophisticated woods and amber/vanilla with citrus. But then it changes dramatically. It becomes a changing, morphing journey through realms of scent which seem almost like something from a dream. First it starts off in an urban department store, and then moves out into the cool of the night into cleaner, more open space. Whilst still keeping the fresh musk note, it then transforms into the scent of night air, a cool white/blue musk, then transforms into a Black Opal variant. Then it gains the night air note again, it's like coming out of the cave into a starry night in a forest, with the airy musk and wet rocks and non-coniferous forests. All the time with that sweet undertone. Then it moves from the cave into a warm room filled with incense and the scent of vanilla perfume clinging to heavy curtains. But the windows are open and the breezy, wintry musk still can be smelt, like a draught in the house. A wonderful, complex scent journey. I only have a drop of this and I will treasure this incredible fragrance well. Emoticon rating:

Vicomte de Valmont In the imp: this reminds me of men's perfume. Or soap. Or both. Wet on skin: men's aftershave. Can't remember which brand though. Dry on skin: man, I smell like a man! This is just so much like aftershave…I can't tell what the notes are because they are all blended into this very perfumey overall fragrance. it's a fresh green cologne scent with a slightly sweet-aquatic base. I think I can make out the orange blossom, geranium, musk, sandalwood, moss and ambergris, but the scent most of the time is just like men's perfume. After a while: it loses it's cologne edge after a few hours, and the drydown of this is mossy man's perfume, slightly sweet, green, and with a hint of orange blossom. But it still reminds me of something a guy should wear, not me. it also reminds me of the drydown of Wilde. The drydown becomes mossier until it fades. Verdict: this is one of those BPAL scents which smells very masculine, not really unisex. A lot of BPAL 'manly' scents can be pulled off by me but this is just too much of a guy scent for me. it's pure aftershave on me. Sophisticated men's cologne. All the components blend together to make one scent of men's perfume, no one note stands out apart from orange blossom, and moss at the end. If I had a boyfriend right now I'd give this to him but for now it's off to swaps. Emoticon rating: If you like this, try: Wilde, Casanova

Crossroads In the imp: JASMINE! yup, one of those twilit blooms is jasmine…maybe honeysuckle. This reminds me of Luna and New Orleans. Wet on skin: I immediately smell the dry earth-so different to the wet soil notes, this is gritty and dusty. I also smell some herbs and something peppery. Dry on skin: jasmine and dry, dusty earth, a hint of something sharply green and cold, a little hint of resin, some herbs. Dirty jasmine. What an unusual scent, but I do like it. It reminds me of another jasmine scent, and I can also smell lilac in here. It's like fragrant flowers scattered over dry soil with herbs (sage and thyme maybe?), there's also some moss, and something which smells cold and almost dewy…a very intriguing combination. I hope this jasmine doesn't turn sour after an hour (that rhymes!) After a while: yeah, the jasmine does go a little bit oily-smelling here, the drydown is an odd scent of greenish jasmine, moss, dust and an odd oily note. The green, olive like scent I get here grows and becomes a little rancid over time. not so keen on this now. However, after about 4 hours, this changes for the better. I get something almost like violet, and the jasmine sweetens, loses that oily scent a little, and though the scent is gritty and scrubby close to my wrist, the throw it has is sugared powdered jasmine, which is very pretty. Verdict: this jasmine-centred scent is like a dirtier New Orleans without the spiced lemons, like dirtier Luna without the almond, and even has a hint of something Melisande like about it, maybe it has violet. It's a scent of dirt-covered jasmine with a weird mashed together collection of oily green notes on top of dry, gritty soil and moss. It's a very unusual fragrance, and I quite like it at first. I'm not keen on the dry, sharp, olive like green scent I get at times though, but the soft sweet jasmine throw is quite lovely. I don't think I'll keep it-it's not one of the nicer jasmine scents on me, I have others I much prefer. Emoticon rating: If you like this, try: New Orleans, Luna, The Moon, Twilight

Kumiho In the imp: it's one of those refreshing white tea scents. Wet on skin: ditto above. Dry on skin: now I smell the ginger warming it all up but complementing the tangy, fresh tea note. This reminds me of Baobhan Sith, but also of other non-BPAL tea fragrances. It's nice, an uncomplicated blend which is quite a 'classic' in the perfume world. It's bright, moist, fresh and tart. After a while: the sharpness does tone down a bit but it still smells the same, a soft white tea scent. nice and subtle, but with presence. It seems to be fading quickly. After about 3-4 hours, there's barely a trace of it left. Verdict: this is a very pretty, fresh, light scent, it's not fussy or complicated, it's a classic light tea scent, but it doesn’t wow me. It does smell a bit too much like the usual tea perfumes I've smelt elsewhere. I've seen so many perfumers do their 'white tea and ginger' scent. It's nice for Beth to do a take on this theme though, and she does it well. It's just that now I prefer more complex, unusual and different tea scents such as Gennivre, Dorian, Tweedledee etc, this is more like the sort of scent I prefer in lotions/body mists/shower gels. It also fades fast…after a few hours, there's nothing left on my skin. I think I'll swap it. It's nice when it lasts though. If you like this, try: Shanghai, the Dormouse, Spirits of the Dead, Embalming Fluid Emoticon rating:

Voodoo In the imp: sweet vanilla-almond with an earthy undertone and lime. Reminds me of Baron Samedi. Wet on skin: here comes the vetiver, along with a fizzy lime note and vanilla, almond is fading. Dry on skin: I smell something very similar to Coca-Cola here, with lime. As the advert says, put the lime in the Coke, you nut. I like this a lot…it's effervescent, it sparkles, but it's very dark. It's sweet thanks to the vanilla and clove, the lime note is bright and mingles with the pine, but underneath is the dark, grounding scent of patchouli and myrrh with a gritty base of vetiver which doesn't take over. Very nice so far! After a while: eventually the 'Lime Coke' scent fades and the vanilla, vetiver, patch and myrrh come into their own. This reminds me of the likes of Organ Grinder, Sloth, Omen, and Baron Samedi, but nicer. The vanilla adds a wonderful creamy sweetness which the myrrh enhances, the patch is subtle yet earthy, the pine adds a little hint of something evergreen without smelling blatant, and the vetiver works really nicely with it all, adding it's greenish, smoky, ashen scent to it all. The drydown is so nice, a delicious, gently smoky fusion of Sloth/Omen and vanilla. I get a 'vanilla incense' feel from this which is delicious, and the vanilla and vetiver combination is very nice indeed. This stuff lasts. I still smelt it the next morning. Even a shower didn't shift it. Ah, the tenacity of vetiver, how I both love and hate it-in this case, it's definitely a good thing. Verdict: out of the patchouli-myrrh-vetiver scents, this is my favourite. This is a sweet and dark scent which is warm, rich, intense and unisex. At first it smells like Lime Coke, complete with fizz, but then this fades and the scent becomes a vanilla dominated incense scent, with vetiver ashes at the base. This is lovely for the cooler months, I think, thanks to it's warmth, creamy sweetness, it's hint of pine and dark smokiness. This has serious staying power-lasts ages on the skin-not one to be used lightly, and has loads of throw. Not one for a bottle yet but the imp will be kept for now. Emoticon rating: If you like this, try: Omen, Sloth, Tombstone

Santa Muerte In the imp: roses and sharp 'mums, with an oddly fruity scent underneath. Wet on skin: this is really odd, because I get a fruity scent, like blackberry/currant when I first smell this, but with roses. Dry on skin: roses, chrysanthemums, and blackberries. I have no idea where the blackberry note is coming from but I like it. Maybe it's the cactus flower, the only note here I'm unfamiliar with, that's turned berry like on my skin? I can't smell the vetiver yet. This isn't too bad, it's like crushed flowers with an earthy base. After a while: eventually this becomes a very pleasant fruity-rose scent, like raspberries or blackberries all mixed up with rose petals, with the barest hint of vetiver adding an earthy base to it. Then it becomes a mix of rose and mums, still with berries but much more red-pink and floral, like crushed petals and squashed berries. The final scent that remains is of dried red rose petals. Just the barest scraping of vetiver-this isn't a 'scary vetiver of doom', this is subtle but grounding. Verdict: this was a surprisingly pleasant scent on me-predominantly rose, but with an odd (but very nice) berry note-where this came from I don’t know, but I really like it. The chrysanthemum adds a sharp greenish touch and the vetiver is barely there-a rare feat for this notorious note. this is a very pretty berry-rose scent on me, fruity and juicy and floral, crushed berries and petals. It's nice, but it didn't blow me away like some other scents can do. Nice but not enough to keep. So it's off to swaps. Emoticon rating: If you like this, try: Zombi, Thanatos, Netzach, Lucy's Kiss

Swank In the imp: tart, crisp citrus and pomegranate. I'm reminded of a citrus soap with Pomegranate SN, and something lightly boozy. Refreshing! Wet on skin: fruity and sharp, but almost candy like. Dry on skin: this is quite nice…it's a sharp, fruity scent which smells like pomegranate with a few other sharp fruits, some berries and citrus. There is a slight 'candle' scent to it which is not bad but it's not as natural as most fruit/pom scents I've tried from the lab. It also reminds me of those sour fruit sweets-I can smell sugar, but also a sourness, it's very tart. So intense that it makes my throat tickle! The martini note behind the fruit is subtle but just adds to the overall refreshing scent, a clear, sharp booziness. After a while: no longer the fresh fruit cocktail it was before, this really smells like a generic fruit candle on me with some sour candies thrown in for good measure. Not a true pomegranate on my skin at all, this, unfortunately, smells artificial on me. Like one of those fruit/berry-citrus candles, with a very, very sour note-not merely 'crisp' as the description says, but downright acidic. Verdict: 'candy-candle' is probably the best short description I can think of for this. It smells like those fruit candles, and also fruit sweets. Not a nice, fresh, genuine fruit scent, it doesn't even smell like pomegranate on me. Just a mix of artificial fruit flavourings. There's an acidity to this scent which is so intense, even more so than the citrus scents. It's not as 'ugh' as vinegary sourness but it's a tang that makes my nose and tongue tingle. You know that sugar-like stuff they sprinkle on sour sweets, except it's not sugar because it tastes very sour? That's what it reminds me of. It's a fake-smelling generic sour fruit candy-candle scent. It started off ok but the drydown isn't very nice on me at all so off to the swaps it will go. Emoticon rating: If you like this, try: Twenty One, Persephone, Jester

Mag Mell In the imp: sweet lemon with herbs and a little bit of amber. Wet on skin: lemon verbena is strong here…but the amber is sweetening it. Dry on skin: VERBENA! this is lovely, but surprisingly intense-one sniff and I could almost taste it at the back of my throat! Whoa, strong stuff. It's very refreshing and awakening. It's intensely lemon-herbal, with tart verbena with a mix of grass and sage for greenness, and also a spike of spicy ginger (when I saw 'white ginger' in the notes, I expected the Hawaiian floral variety, but this is definitely spicy ginger root) which plays well with the verbena. But underneath it all, a gorgeous amber note sweetens the sharp notes, and attempts to temper the blend. It's good so far but will the verbena play well or turn soapy/oily on me over time? After a while: eventually the verbena tones down and thankfully doesn't turn bad on me. what does happen though is that a soft, fresh, ozone-floral scent comes out, a clean scent which isn't too soapy but smells moist and cool…it's the rain note! It's lovely in here, not 'detergent' or 'dryer sheet' or 'evil ozone', and it mixes with the amber and grass so nicely! After about an hour and a half, I'm amazed at how much this scent has smoothed out. No longer the piercing herbal lemon scent, this now has become a delightful floral amber. The rain note here is one of those ozone-aquatic notes that really works, and it reminds me of the lovely clean, bright floral scent I got from Dirty, but with the sweet roundness of amber improving it. I never expected amber and fresh rain to work so nicely together. It's also very warm, probably thanks to the ginger. I definitely agree with whoever made the comparison with Litha, but I am also reminded of Mantis. Verdict: at first, this is an explosion of lemon verbena that almost knocks me off my feet, it's so strong! An invigorating and sunny scent, chock full of verbena, a base of green herbs/grass and ginger, but rounded off with a delicious amber note. The colours this scent evokes are bright yellow and green. But then the rain moves in and cools things down, smoothes things out…in other words, the rain note- which on my skin is a soft ozoney fresh floral-calms the feisty verbena note down and the sunny amber note works beautifully with it. The drydown is like Dirty with wonderful rich amber, but there's something to this reminiscent of Mantis (herbal amber with a smooth drydown), but with less musk, and also a slight reminiscence to Litha. I think I will need to get a bottle of this for spring…after the overwhelming verbena, the drydown is really worth waiting for. Emoticon rating: If you like this, try: Mantis, Litha

Tanin'iver In the imp: mmm, cassia. This smells like Red Phoenix. Wet on skin: smoky cassia, fruity dragon's blood, a hint of patchouli, and even some mimosa. Dry on skin: wow, this is amazing. The scent overall is dark, dry, smoky and spicy but with fruity tones to lighten it. The dragon's blood is prominent but it's really good in here, it bonds well with a red musk note which is made fruity by pomegranate. The cassia isn't as strong as before but it's there. The smoke note wafts through the fragrance, with a hint of dry patchouli and myrrh at the base. A hint of mimosa lingers over it all but doesn't clash. And yes, it's very much like Red Phoenix. After a while: eventually this becomes less dragon's blood heavy and more like spicy smoke with a fruity red musk background. A haze of cinnamon incense over a brooding red core. Very nice. It's still very dry as a scent, not as full as Blood Moon but there is a similarity to Blood Moon here. But after about 3 hours, it fades away and becomes just faint dragon's blood. Where's all the complexity gone? The spicy musk? I just get a scraping of DB now. Verdict: at first, this is wonderfully multifaceted, a mix of dry smoke, spicy cassia, fruity musk with a little dragon's blood. I thought it would be a great substitute for Red Phoenix when I run out-though this is more of a 'red dragon'…a very complex scent that, with its hot, fierce, smoky feel, is certainly apt for a dragon! But after about 2-3 hours, it just fades away, leaving only a hint of smoky dragon's blood. No myrrh, no cassia, no patchouli, no musk, just DB. And a very faint one at that. this was such a shame after the wonderful start this scent had. I still prefer my Red Phoenix and Blood Moon to this, and if I want single note dragon's blood, I have Dragon's Blood. Oh well. It was nice when it lasted. Emoticon rating: If you like this, try: Red Phoenix, Death of Sardanapal, Wrath, Mars, Blood Moon, Telltale Heart

Manhattan In the imp: crap, my imp broke. But this smells really good-a fresh citrus cologne. Wet on skin: fresh citrus perfume with a hint of mint and tea. Dry on skin: mmm, I really like this. It's less like cologne now, more like citrus peel. Like fresh lemon and grapefruit peel. A little tea as well. I'm surprised that it's a little faint on me though, I can't really smell the leather, just the tangy, bright notes. But this smells very pleasant-a refreshing and tart citrus blend with just a little hint of sophistication. It's a little faint though… After a while: ah, now this is strengthening up nicely. The citrus has died down, the tea is still there, and now I smell a smoky leathery scent with a hint of green and teakwood to it, possibly some orchid in the background. The smoke is greenish and incense like. This now smells like a very upscale, unisex, well-blended and sleek perfume but without the sharp sting you get with perfume counter scents. This is a lot more 'modern smelling' than the other city-themed scents, it speaks of glamour and glitz but also has a pleasantly gritty undertone that brings it down to earth. The problem with this scent is that it's rather faint on me, despite the leather. then after two hours, the teak really shows up-the scent becomes very woody indeed, but it's a gentle wood. There are also times when the amber really shows up as well. The drydown is a scent reminiscent of pale wood and dry grass. All the time, the scent is very subtle and, surprisingly, the leather never becomes dominant. Verdict: I really like this, on me, to start with, it is a gorgeous natural citrus tea scent before it morphs into a pleasant, subtle leather-smoke-citrus-wood scent, a unisex perfume. It seems very classy and very modern, a sleek, urban scent with a smokiness wafting through it. Very fitting for it's namesake, I think. There are some moments where I really smell the teak (a first for me and teak scents) but the leather is so discreet-on me anyway. I like this scent enough to keep the imp but I'm not certain about a bottle yet-I wish this scent was much stronger on me-it lacked the confidence and power I was hoping for. But it's such a unique fragrance with nothing like it in BPAL, not even the likes of Severin come close, and I like it a great deal. Emoticon rating: If you like this, try: Theodosius, Dorian, Bow and Crown, Severin