PurringPulsar

The Scales of Deprivation In the imp: soft lemon, sage, lavender, and labdanum-this labdanum note smells just like the rock rose in my garden, the smell of the leaves on a warm day. Wet on skin: now I can smell the frankincense, and the scent becomes a lovely, warm, resin-herbal scent. Dry on skin: this is nice. A soft, warm, balsamic and herbal scent, with lemon, herbs and resins. It seems quite a Mediterranean evening scent, it's the scent of warm evening air filled with citrus and herb scents, in here this is combined with resins-warm frankincense and labdanum, and soft lavender and a little bit of sandalwood. I really like this, it's warm and comforting to me, the scent of summer evenings on holiday. After a while: this scent is very soft, quite faint, on me, but I really like it. It really does remind me of holidays in Greece and the south of France. And the frankincense is gorgeous-adding just a touch of incense, wafting through the fragrance. This is a very smooth, balmy scent. I don't get much vetiver here-it must be a very light variety. But I do get lots more labdanum on the drydown, after a few hours it's a honey like scent with a hint of amber and musk to it. Verdict: far from being a deprived, famished scent (though this is a quiet, subtle scent with a hint of emptiness and openness, it's also peaceful) this scent is incredibly pleasant to my nose, mainly because it makes me think of summer holidays. It has a scent to it that makes me think of Mediterranean evenings-it's is warm, balmy, and herbal, with a little lemon and some lovely resin notes to it. It reminds me of being on holiday and going out in the evening when the heat had calmed a bit, the soft golden light of the sun going down, the dry and dusty pathways, the chirping of crickets, the shrubs, herbs and fruit groves, mountains and hills in the distance and the sea nearby. This scent, to me, is calm, quiet, almost meditative, very subtle. It's not something I need a bottle of but I'm keeping the imp around just for the good memories it evokes. Emoticon rating: If you like this, try: Death on a Pale Horse, Arcana, Nero, Calliope

Ogun In the imp: melon and tobacco! What an unusual combination! Wet on skin: now I smell some honey, still a lot of melon, and some juniper with the tobacco. Dry on skin: this is such a strange mixture of notes but it seems to work! I get sweet, juicy, light melon drizzled with a tart note of honey, a hint of gin that reminds me of Twenty One, and a dark, smoky undertone of tobacco. This is very different to anything I've smelt before. After a while: gradually, the honey note starts to become dominant, there's less melon now, and less gin…the scent has become a wonderful honeyed tobacco. It's gorgeous, a deep, smoky (but not too much), dry cigar tobacco sweetened so nicely by honey. I still get just a bare hint of fresh melon but I really like the honeyed tobacco scent I have here. The honeyed tobacco scent lasts for ages and it's so nice! Very comforting, I think. It's not too masculine either. Just the scent of good cigars (unlit) and soft honey. Verdict: this, at first, had one of the most unique combinations of notes ever-it's something Beth pulls off so well though, I must say. Fresh, juicy wet melon with dry, dark tobacco, a piercing and clear gin note and honey? Now that's not something you get in everyday perfume. But eventually this changes and the scent becomes a delightful honeyed tobacco. I was surprised as to how much I liked this scent of cigars and honey but I find it incredibly pleasant-it has a 'kindly grandfather' feel to it, for some reason. Warm, deep and soothing, but sweetened by a wonderful honey note. I won't be needing a bottle just yet but for the lovely honey tobacco scent, I'm keeping the imp. Emoticon rating:

Urd In the imp: patchouli incense with a hint of something sweet. Wet on skin: now I can smell the grape coming through, but the scent is still patchouli dominated. Dry on skin: ooh, I like this. I smell grape juice-or wine, perhaps, which is the muscadine note. And then there's a ton of patchouli, but this is good stuff-it's earthy and rich and dry. The nag champa adds to the hippy feel and gives a real incense note to the fragrance-dry and smouldering, and smoky. I don't know what cereus smells like on it's own but there's a sweetness here that I've smelt in Zorya and DDLM, so that must be it. After a while: soon, this scent starts to smooth out, the grape strengthens a little, and I get that wonderful smoky-fruit-musk drydown, only with patchouli instead of musk. It's a soft, smooth, autumnal scent now, a delicious wine note with smoky, almost musky patchouli and nag champa, dark and mysterious but very nice. Then the grape fades and I'm left with the smell of (clean) hippies. Patchouli and nag champa. My mum might love this, I think it will bring back loads of happy 60s memories. Verdict: what a unique fragrance, taking a hippie fragrance of patchouli and nag champa and adding grapes to it…it seems strange but it works here. the muscadine goes nicely with the dry, dark, patchouli incense, before becoming that gorgeous 'autumnal earthy smoky fruit' scent that I get in a lot of BPALs, this is something to wear during the cooler months, when the leaves are falling all around. The end stage of the scent is very strong on the patchouli and nag champa and yes, it smells like hippies and headshops…but that's a good thing. I like it but I wish it was a little bit stronger on me-it's a little bit faint at times. But this is one of those few BPALs where the patchouli really does stand out-in other scents it's in the background but here I really notice it. Emoticon rating:

Suspiro A Latin word that means to sigh or draw a deep breath, that also suggests longing, desire, yearning, and a passionate wish. Ylang ylang with white plum, white orchid, jasmine, calla lily and lily of the valley. In the imp: jasmine and a host of other white flowers. Wet on skin: jasmine, with a hint of fruit, lots of white flowers. Dry on skin: very pretty! This reminds me of another jasmine/night flowers themed scent-either Pannychis or Morgause. I get a little bit of plum adding a sweet juiciness to the scent. The jasmine and lilies are quite dry, almost sharp, in this scent, but they aren't too sharp, this scent is very pleasant. I get a little bit of ylang that gives the scent a heady feel. After a while: this scent has become fruitier, all of a sudden. There's also a greenish scent that has popped up within the floral notes. The fruity note at times smells like banana or wine, and then it smells like plum, it's an odd note, but not too bad. The ylang is a little bit more noticeable now-I think that may be what's enhancing the plum note. This fruity stage doesn't really last though, and the scent then becomes a greenish floral which is rather faint. It's also a bit sharp and bitter now. After a few hours I'm left with a faint but sharp greenish scent which I'm not keen on. Verdict: this was quite pretty for the first few minutes it was on-plum and white, nocturnal flowers-it was very nice but this stage didn't last. It went through some odd, banana-wine stages before fading and leaving a not-so-nice greenish scent on my skin. it had the potential to be lovely but my skin doesn't like it much. Up for swap. Emoticon rating:

Desire In the imp: sharp neroli, but with a darker, sweeter, musk-patchouli-vanilla background. Wet on skin: this sweetens as the musk starts to creep forward, and I can just about make out the apple. Dry on skin: oh wow, this is amazing. Complex, dark, sexy and mysterious. I get the sharp, fruity notes of apple, bergamot and neroli contrasting with the darker backdrop of sleek black musk, patchouli and vanilla, and a hint of wood, which must be the teak. The rose is barely there but I can just about make it out. It's a very interesting combination, very unique. After a while: it's not long-maybe about five minutes-before the scent becomes even nicer. No longer a scent of clearly contrasting note layers, now I get something even nicer…apple musk. It may seem an odd combination but it works, oh yeah, it works. The apple note-which smells like the gorgeous apple in Verdandi-has merged wonderfully with the dark patchouli-musk and vanilla wraps around it all (and of course, vanilla and musk are scent soul mates). I get little hints of rose around the edges but for now I adore this sweet, vanilla-apple-musk scent I have here. It's so unique and I've not encountered such a note combo anywhere else. Wow. Then the scent takes on an almost caramelised feel (although it isn't caramel-scented, it just sweetens and darkens so nicely) and all the notes are even smoother and more delightful. The late drydown is a deep, seductive vanilla-musk with just a bare, bare hint of patchouli. Verdict: this is a scent that really took me by surprise, in a good way. I knew it would be nice, but not this good. Desire is the sexier version of Verdandi to me-it has the same sweet, gorgeous apple note, but it's paired up with a sweet black musk and vanilla, and this combination is so irresistible. I've never smelt apple and a darker musk together in a perfume until now-and they work fantastically together. And the vanilla just makes this scent even more delicious. This scent is very biteable, sensual and also very unique-I think I will need a bottle of this. Emoticon rating:

Seraphim In the imp: wisteria! With a little bit of Rose Cross's rose-frankincense. Wet on skin: wisteria and resinous rose. Dry on skin: this is very much like Rose Cross or All Saints but with added wisteria and lily. it's not bad but there's something about it that's going weird on my skin-it could be the wisteria doing that as I know the flowers can have a slight bitter scent to them…though BPAL wisteria is usually nice on me. But it also could be the lily? I don't know. It smells like salty olives and something rotting on me, and a little bit of pickle. It's not particularly nice-something about the way the notes interact that I don't like, despite the fact that I can smell the nicer rose and frankincense underneath. After a while: it does eventually settle down and it's a lot more pleasant-it's not as dissonant. The wisteria and dry sandalwood seem to work nicer with the resinous rose note, it's quite nice at this point, but I'm not in love with it just yet. And then the scent becomes much nicer upon late drydown. The rose and sandalwood merge so nicely to form a rosy and woody note that is soft and warm, with a little bit of frankincense lingering, and wisteria clinging on to the edges. Verdict: I really didn't like this on my skin at the beginning-it smelt really off and the notes just didn't seem to co-operate very well, everything clashed and conflicted. Not exactly angelic behaviour. But it does improve over time-but it takes a lot of time (about 2 hours) before the scent becomes a pleasant rose sandalwood combination which I really like. it's very pretty, warm and woody at this point, but I really couldn't bear the first dry stage of this scent so I think it's one for swaps. I prefer Hymn, Rose Cross and All Saints to this. Emoticon rating:

Goneril In the imp: cedar and herbal geranium. It's not a bad scent so far… Wet on skin: geranium! I really like the geranium in here-it's very prominent and that's something I don't usually get in other BPAL geranium scents (apart from Rage). Dry on skin: lemony geranium and a hint of…hair dye? I smell a very pleasant geranium note, not the full, wonderful rose geranium or Bourbon geranium I love, but a lighter, more lemony variant. But there's a scent in the background that reminds me of hair dye or some kind of shampoo they use at hairdressers. It does remind me of being at the hairdresser's. I do get hints of cedar and lily, loads of geranium, but there's something here that smells like hair dye, sort of chemical and odd, which I'm not really digging. After a while: hair dye, or one of those salon-brand shampoos, or hairspray. Chemical and soapy. I still smell lemony geranium but this seems to be sucked into the hair dye/spray scent that I dislike. Verdict: I was hoping to give Goneril some love. But it turns out she doesn't want my love. There's a very pretty geranium note here-very much a leading note at first, a rarity for BPAL geranium scents where this note always stays at the back, but not here. unfortunately this smells like hair dye or one of those salon shampoos. And it's not a nice shampoo scent but a harsh, chemical scent. it smells so much like some kind of hair product, it's uncanny. But I don't like it as perfume. So it's off to swaps. Emoticon rating:

Euphrosyne In the imp: it's the jasmine-gardenia combination from Honey Moon! Now, I love those two notes in HM-and I'm hoping this gardenia is the same as HM's since it doesn't go evil on me. Wet on skin: it's like Honey Moon with vanilla replacing the honey! Dry on skin: this is gorgeous! As I said, it's Honey Moon's floral notes with vanilla, and I love that. the gardenia in here, I must say, is gorgeous-it smells like a true gardenia flower and doesn't turn to a sour mess on my skin. I think it's the same gardenia as HM's. The combination of vanilla and jasmine is to die for. I can't really make out the rose yet but that doesn't matter since I'm loving the jasmine-vanilla-gardenia scent I'm getting. After a while: this gets better! The vanilla is becoming stronger and it's such a delicious vanilla-soft, creamy, almost powdery, and it goes so nicely with the heady florals. Beautiful. Verdict: I've been searching for a GC scent which smelt similar to Honey Moon, and despite some stunning scents among the honey BPALs, I didn't find anything like HM. But then I tried this, which despite having no honey, has the exact same floral combination (jasmine and gardenia), and I love it. It smells like the flowers in Honey Moon with vanilla, which is a fantastic combination to me. It's heady, sweet and sultry, has tons of throw and is very feminine, the jasmine is rich and full bodied (I think this is one of the nicer jasmine notes), and the gardenia in this works on my skin! This is a fabulous scent-it's certainly not for the jasmine haters as this flower has a lot of presence here but I adore this-it's my favourite of the Graces and one to get a bottle of once my Honey Moon runs out… Emoticon rating:

The Pool of Tears In the imp: aquatic lavender. The deeper scent of lavender with a lighter, brisker aquatic note. Wet on skin: salty ozone-aquatic, fresh and almost peppery in tone, with lavender. Dry on skin: not bad, but very, very ozone-y. This is a fresh, breezy aquatic note, though it's very airy, and not as salt-watery as I expected. I was hoping for something like Penthus, but this aquatic is more like the ozone in Tempest, a fresh, sea sprayed rainy/stormy scent with a hint of clean washing, and oddly, something reminiscent of pepper. Behind it all is a hint of white floral, probably sweet pea, or a white lily note. Thankfully it's not turning to the nasty 'photocopier ozone' note I got in Tempest, thanks to the florals. After a while: now I see what others mean when they say scents turn to 'dryer sheet' on them. I'm getting that exact effect here-a crisp ozone note which has a real 'freshly tumble-dried' feel to it, with whiter than white clothes thrown in for good measure-and even a hint of the static electricity that sometimes occurs when drying (yup, it's storm ozone alright). It's not a bad scent-it does bring to mind fresh, warm, dry laundry, all warm and fluffy and clean, but I wanted salt water and flowers, not Eau-de-Laundrette. After a few hours, I do get hints of the fresh ozone that I liked in Urania, but event that doesn't get rid of the dryer sheets scent… Verdict: I was really hoping this scent would be a cross between, say, Alice and Penthus-maybe with Alice's rose and carnation with the same wonderful salty water note from Penthus, or maybe the lovely marine note from Sea of Glass. But instead, it's all ozone on me. And dryer sheet ozone at that-this is the first scent when I really do smell tumble-dried clothes, as opposed to clean linen drying in the breeze. This scent is less like floral tears, and more like electrified thunderstorm air with a good portion of clean laundry. It's not a bad scent but it's not what I was expecting…it also reminds me of Tempest, which I wasn't keen on, so this will probably go up for swap. Emoticon rating:

If you like Tushnamatay, you might like Ahathoor-it's got a similar incense feel, but it's spicier and warmer. You could also give Cairo a try-it's fruity incense, warm, spicy, exotic, resinous... I agree with Sin-there's something very exotic about it, it's spicy and warm and sensual. (I've said 'spicy and warm' a bit too much in this post...)

Athens In the imp: honeyed wine! yup, it's a sharp scent, very boozy, and it really does smell like wine with Greek honey. Wet on skin: this is a very dry red wine here, tempered by honey's sweetness. Dry on skin: dry red wine, tart and boozy (though not sour like vinegar), with a crystalline honey note (it smells like genuine Greek honey) and a hint of something smouldering away at the back, like incense. Maybe that's the myrrh? It's not the deep, resinous, sticky myrrh that I love, this is an almost burnt, bittersweet, dry and smouldering myrrh scent. But it's not a bad scent for now-it certainly has an 'ancient' feel to it and the wine note is very true. After a while: the wine does tone down a bit now, becoming a sweeter, fruitier scent, it's a lot smoother now. It reminds me very slightly of a sharper, less spicy Tum, there's a very similar honey note here, it's sweet and soft. This scent does have impressive throw, though. It seems to stay very stable on my skin, it doesn't morph much but I'm glad that the burnt note does seem to fade away. It's a lot more balanced as a scent now as well. After a few hours, it becomes a little bit more honey dominated. Verdict: I'm glad this other Greek Wanderlust scent didn't go the way Delphi did on me-this is a lot better. The wine is very dry, sharp and tart but quite genuine in scent, and the honey note is very pleasant, a sweeter honey than usual. And it smells like my favourite Greek honey as well. I'm not so sure about the myrrh-usually I love it, but here it smells a little bit burnt, not as resinous as I like. It does improve very nicely upon drydown, when the sharpness becomes more muted and it's a very nicely balanced honey and wine scent. It's a very nice scent but I don't love it as much as I hoped I would-I do prefer Tum to this, which smells sweeter and less burnt. I think I might keep the imp though because I really like the drydown. Emoticon rating:

Hymn to Proserpine In the imp: mmm, softly fruity and slightly musky amber. Wet on skin: dark fruit preserve-probably plums, with a wine like edge, with honeyed amber. Dry on skin: now I can smell the pomegranate! This is gorgeous, I must say. A deeply fruity scent of pomegranate and plum, maybe with some berries/currants, a little bit of cherry, maybe even some wine, it gives the impression of a dark fruit preserve, with a sugary edge. There's something about this scent that smells like syrupy honey-which is a good thing, it's like honeyed dark fruit. Maybe it's the amber? If so, it's such a beautiful amber note-glowing and translucent, golden, sweet and resinous with a honey like aspect to it. It's almost jam like at times, but this is the jam of the gods! After a while: after about 5-10 minutes, the scent loses its slightly jammy scent and becomes even more beautiful than I expected. I started to catch wafts of a wonderful soft musk scent when I wasn't sniffing my wrist, and I sniffed my wrist and whoa. Beautiful golden amber with a light musk-I'm thinking of the white or Egyptian variety-with just a hint of fruit! This is a stunning scent-and I totally agree with the Morocco/Black Opal comparisons, because this does have a similarity, only this one is sweeter, and more golden and warm, thanks to the amber, and has a darkly fruity background. There's still a hint of honey to it. Then it becomes a bit more musky (or the musk note becomes fresher and a little bit tangy) and there's a real feel of perfume to it-but that's a good thing. This is a very sophisticated, womanly scent. There's also something about the drydown that reminds me of Eat Me-maybe there's a currant note among those dark fruits. Verdict: another stunning and beautiful scent that I need a bottle of. At first it smelt like a particularly luxurious toast topping, like expensive fruit jam with plums and berries and cherries with a hint of pomegranate, with honey on top. Which was all well and good but then the scent transforms into something even more wonderful. Gorgeous golden amber with a delightful, fresh and sun-kissed skin musk, similar to Black Opal, but with warm sweet amber instead of a cool mineral scent, and with hints of dark fruit remaining in the background. This is such a delightful scent-it's very well crafted, very grown up, almost like a good quality expensive perfume, but so much better. I need a bottle asap. I think this is going to become another BPAL classic! Emoticon rating:

Pluto In the bottle: unusual yet familiar. I smell clean evergreens with an ethereal ozone note, almost soapy or like men’s perfume…a little bit of something dark and earthy at the base, maybe some pepper too? Wet on skin: yup, this is gritty! I’m sure there’s a light pepper note-it has that ‘crackling’ quality and warmth I get from pepper. Dry: whoa, this is an intense, gritty and rather uncomfortable scent on me. I’m getting a sharp floral acridity reminiscent of Evil Gardenia, though it may not be in here-I’m getting lots more pepper now. I also get a dry, dark, dusty note. It’s earthy, almost, but not like soil or damp forest floor or patchouli earthiness…this is darker, more mysterious, deeper…it makes me think of dark rocks dug up from the earth, coal and metal ores and black minerals, with a definite metallic bite. Yes, this is the smell of the underground, the underworld, even. After a while: hmm, this smells very different to Hades but has a similar vibe to it, I think. Well, this is Pluto, after all, but it does seem to evoke the underground, darkness, intensity, minerals and metals…with a more pronounced veil of ghostly floral now, reminiscent of the narcissus in Hades. Maybe this is narcissus? It also smells much like gardenia. Still the scent of black pepper winds it’s way through the scent, adding a shadowy warmth. I also get a little bit of smoke to the scent. After a while, the scent that remains is a ghostly yet edgy floral scent. I’m pretty sure this is narcissus, with the remains of the other notes still hanging around. Verdict: this is such an unusual scent, but very evocative of Pluto, I think. Dark and intense, this scent is not something I’d wear but it does seem to represent it’s planet very well-this is a scent reminiscent of underground, with mineral and metallic notes to it that are so unlike anything I’ve smelt before…it really is a scent of the underworld. I also get a light floral, possibly gardenia or narcissus (or both) on top of these gritty black notes, and a definite scent of black pepper. This is not something I’d wear as perfume-it does go a bit acrid at times and smells so strange and not really a scent I’d wear, but as an oil with purpose, I think this will be fantastic. Emoticon rating:

Neptune In the bottle: orange blossom/neroli! Yup, nothing but that for now. It reminds me of Naiad without the lavender. Wet on skin: still orange blossom, but it’s a little bit tangier now. Dry: this is pretty…this smells very much like Naiad, only a little more complex. I get something almost like lavender now (it may be something else, but it brings the colour of lavender-purple to my mind), and a soft pale fresh floral behind the neroli, I’m guessing a waterlily note…I also get a little bit of something aquatic-a soft sea breeze note, I think. Very appropriate for Neptune. After a while: this has just become much more exotic and beautiful! Gone is the neroli and the ‘lavender’ note. I now get deep sweetness to the scent…almost like sugar or vanilla, but I don’t know if that’s what I’m smelling. Maybe it’s an amber variant (it’s not the usual BPAL amber, that’s for sure), or even benzoin? It’s also quite musk-like. But it really does remind me of Bourbon vanilla extract. I also get a deep, rich floral scent-I think that may be the source of the sweetness. I think I’m smelling a blend of orchids and lotus here, along with some frangipani! The scent of tropical island blooms. Yup, I think it’s vanilla with orchid (or maybe vanilla orchid) and frangipani/plumeria and a little bit of lotus/waterlily, a little benzoin resin at the base with musk. This is a stunning scent, and very grown up as well, it actually reminds me of perfume one of my old science teachers used to wear! The drydown after a few hours is…a wonderful, ethereal white musk! No…it’s not just white musk. I think it’s Egyptian musk! It has that airy, fresh, ‘amplified skin scent’ to it. And I love EM. I think there’s a hint of sweetness clinging to the musk. Verdict: yet another beautiful and well made planetary scent. This and Venus are my new favourites out of the scented solar system. This scent does seem to encompass Neptune’s attributes in scent-it’s a dreamy, ethereal, mysterious scent, the scent of mermaids and faerie glamour. It has neroli and a little hint of aquatic at first before transforming into a bewitching sweet floral scent with a sweet, rich note underneath which I can’t place but it reminds me of vanilla and sweet sticky resins bound with sophisticated musk, with heady tropical blooms above it. It's a scent almost like posh perfume but much more interesting, and a wonderful Egyptian musk drydown lingering on the skin, shimmering like an intangible mirage. It seems to evoke illusory glamour, an otherworldly scent which seems so beautiful that it can’t be real, can it? It seems to arise from the world of fantasy, of dreams…and it’s no coincidence that Beth, a Pisces, can make Neptune’s scent so incredibly evocative of her ruling planet! This is a stunning scent for perfume, and I bet if used ritually or purposefully it will work wonders. (Although I don't get why I love it so-my natal Neptune is not well aspected, and I have very little water in my chart…) Emoticon rating:

Delirium In the imp: dry apple with a little bit of lemon. I also smell another floral note, either camomile or lilac-but it’s not rose. Wet on skin: crisp green apple, sugared lemon, and dry rose petals. Dry: mmm, not bad! This is a pleasant scent, soft and pretty. There’s a very slight soapy/air freshener like feel to the scent at times but it’s not off putting in here. The apple note seems, at times, like apple blossom, and at other times it’s also like green apple peel. I really like the sugary lemon note in here-it’s not a tart citrus, but like sweetened lemon juice. Underneath I get dry rose petals. Oddly, I seem to be getting lilac in here as well. It’s strange, but I like it. After a while: lilac! I really am getting soft powdery sugared lilac with a hint of apple blossom and dry rose in this scent. It’s very pretty! It reminds me of Eve, only a little bit less dry than that scent, there’s a nice sweetness to the scent, like vanilla powder. The drydown after a few hours is a muted green apple. Verdict: this is a pretty little scent, and quite a mad fragrance as well. I expected it to smell of it’s notes, but whilst I do get those, I also get other notes cropping up when I least expect it-like lilac, ylang-ylang, camomile, apple blossom, powdery vanilla sugar…is this scent making my nose delirious? Interesting. It’s a fun fragrance and it’s light and bubbly and doesn’t take itself seriously, but there are times when this scent does smell a little too much like bathroom air freshener for me to really love it. Emoticon rating:

Malice In the imp: smells like Lust, without the musk. Must be the myrrh, ylang-ylang and patchouli. Not much clove yet. Wet on skin: mmm, love the myrrh and patchouli mix here, and the ylang isn’t too heady yet. Dry: mmm, I like this! Now the ylang-ylang is a lot stronger but it’s nicely tempered by myrrh, which darkens and ‘thickens’ this floral note. Yup, that’s some good myrrh action I’m getting here. I can’t really smell the clove directly but I think I can smell its influence on the blend-it’s quite discreet here. This to me is like musk-less Lust. I really like it…there’s something here almost like rose as well, but that might be the ylang playing tricks on my nose. It also reminds me of Phantom and one of the TAL oils as well. After a while: eventually the scent becomes a tad drier and earthier, probably due to the patchouli, possibly a hint of dry clove in there as well. The ylang and myrrh are still going strong. Verdict: this is a lovely, uncomplicated, and deep scent. It’s like Lust and Phantom without the musk note, with the earthy depth of patchouli and myrrh grounding the heady ylang-ylang note nicely. I quite like the combination of ylang and myrrh in BPAL. It would have been nice if the clove note was a bit stronger but I really like this scent-I don’t like it as much as, say, Lust, but I do like this enough to keep the imp. Emoticon rating:

Road Opener The scent: this is a very, very pleasant scent to me. At first it's very much a peppermint scent, very cool and fresh, only a little bit greener, more like peppermint leaves than peppermint sweets. Then I also got something that I think is geranium, and the scent ended up smelling a bit like Lush Aura Suavis, which I love. The intent: I am looking for a summer job. For students like me who are only off from June/July-September, it's near impossible to find a summer job and I have no idea where to look. So I thought this oil would be perfect to open some opportunities for jobs-be they existing ones (there are a few places that may consider me) or completely new ones. I dressed a green candle, visualising me finding job adverts in the local newspapers, or being accepted at jobs I have applied for, saying to myself 'bring opportunities, bring choices, bring opportunities for jobs and give me choices for things to do to keep me busy for the holidays'. I was amazed at the warm tingling I felt in my hands as I did this-a kind of intentional energy, it felt very powerful, very positive, empowering. This oil is powerful and has a lot of 'oomph' to it, I could really feel it. I then took a copy of my CV, dabbed some Road Opener on it, and placed it under the candle as it burnt, and placed my hands with the oil on it, so that my energy and that of the oil would flow into it. Hopefully something good will come out of this. I really like all the other suggestions for RO on this thread and might give them a try when I use this oil again. I think I will get a bottle.

Oh wow...Et Lux Fuit has the Ancient of Days as a label! (which seems fitting) And I love the little Phamished Phantom...please sir, I want some more!!

YES PLEASE! Especially the HGM and ELF ones!

Baron Samedi In the imp: almond…but quite a dark, almost burnt-woody or roasted almond scent. Wet on skin: yup, this is a very dark and nutty almond scent-and I think I can smell vetiver underneath? Dry on skin: now the almond fades and the scent is now of tangy, herbal, boozy and oddly effervescent bay rum, with the dark heavy scent of vetiver underneath. Whoa, that's some deep vetiver here. This is the heavy as lead vetiver that takes an eternity to come off the skin, I think. Intense and smoky and gritty, slightly sweet as well, but with the lighter, tangy scent of bay rum above it. This reminds me of one of my uncle's perfumes, or the vetiver oil my mum burns to fragrance the house. After a while: now it gains that lemony scent that I get in some vetivers, and there is a slightly sugared sweetness to the scent, almost like treacle (it's a dark sugary scent) but the scent is pretty much all vetiver now, perhaps with a little tobacco adding smokiness to it. Which isn't bad, I quite like vetiver but this is very powerful and I know that it will stay on my skin for three days despite much rubbing and scrubbing… Verdict: this one surprised me since I was expecting a light, refreshing spiced booze scent, similar to some of the bay rum scents I've smelt before, I was expecting something like the lovely Santo Domingo. This was not to be-after an almond introduction, this turned to Evil Vetiver on me! No cloves, no Christmas spice, just smoky vetiver with a touch of tobacco. Now, I don't find vetiver too repulsive or nasty as a scent but there's one type of vetiver oil which is exceptionally thick, dark, smoky and heavy and has incredible tenacity on the skin, and also has the habit of taking over a blend. that's the vetiver in here, alright. And it does blot out all the bay rum notes that I got at the beginning. It's not a bad scent-the vetiver has a nice incense like sweetness to it, but it's just a little bit too darkly masculine for me. Not to mention that it will take days of scrubbing to remove…I may swap this. Emoticon rating:

Dublin In the imp: yes, I can see why some people compare this to Skadi, because it smells very similar, with it's frosty pine scent. Wet on skin: yup, still that Skadi-esque winter forest scent, with a hint of citrus and lots of evergreen. Dry on skin: this is very nice! Although, as I said, it has a real similarity to some winter LE scents like Snow Moon and Skadi, this one is a bit warmer…definitely a citrus aquatic note to it but not as cold, this one is, as the description says, a misty forest scent, of damp pine and other evergreens-it is very green. I think I can just about detect some floral at the back but it's not too showy just yet. After a while: the soft green winter pine scent still hangs around, but now the rose is more prominent. Which is a good thing-I love Beth's white rose note, it's beautiful and rich and full, and I love the way it adds a different dimension to this otherwise evergreen scent. it's a sweeter rose than usual, and has a very pretty powdery feel to it. Verdict: I am so glad that I have found a GC scent with that same winter/snowy pine/fir note that I loved in Skadi, Snow Bunny and Snow Moon, although this one is more like Snow Moon thanks to the rose. This definitely has a citrus-evergreen-aquatic feel to it, a real 'winter forest' though it's not as icy as the winter LE's but there is a definite resemblance to them. I love what the rose does to it upon drydown-it's wonderful white rose, the richest and most gorgeous rose of all, and it is very evident after a few hours, like a rose nestled under pine and fir needles, and it's quite sweet and softly powdery in here. I don't think I need a bottle yet because of it's similarity to Snow Moon which I have a bottle of, but I really like it enough to keep the imp. Emoticon rating:

Beltane In the imp: green grass, wonderful grass with a hint of something sweet and herbal, slightly fruity, maybe some camomile too. Wet on skin: beautiful grassy scent, with a hint of herbs… Dry on skin: what a delightful scent! This is green and grassy and smells like a multitude of green plants and wildflowers, meadows in springtime, with herbs and soft floral notes and a hint of evergreen. This is predominantly grass, but I also get something sweet, though I can't tell what it is yet-possibly a floral note, maybe honeysuckle. I can smell camomile here, possibly some lavender, maybe a little hint of rosemary, possibly even some honey. This is a warm and lively scent full of the vitality of spring. After a while: the grasses are still there but now they are less sharp and are a lot smoother now and I get a gorgeous camomile-like scent behind it all, with honey. There may be musk in here, making this scent smooth and quite sexy with a hint of flushed skin that's been rolling in the grassy meadow…in fact, there's something almost Buck Moon-ish to this, only this is more of a daytime scent and the musk (if any) is softer and sweeter. It's much more floral and softly herbal, but still with that lively freshness to it. After a few hours, the scent has dried down to a beautiful soft sweet musk with a bare hint of grass and herbs. I love this stage of the scent and it also reminds me of Hymn to Pan…it also has a hint of something marshmallow like about it, which I love. Verdict: I wasn't too keen on last year's Beltane-though I liked the wet stage, the late drydown stage smelt too much like Raid bug spray for me. This, on the other hand, is so much better and has a drydown to die for! A vivacious and lively scent so evocative of the sudden bursting forth of life that occurs at springtime, an explosion of green grasses (what a fantastic grass note!) and many wildflowers. This is a celebratory scent, so perfect for a Beltane scent. And then the scent slows down a bit, becomes less energetic and much more laid back, smoother, and gentler. The grasses tone down, letting herbs and flowers come out and then at the very end…a delicious, smooth, sweet light musk. this, to me, is the daytime equivalent of Buck Moon, and I think Beth did very well to capture the very peak of the spring season as a scent. I love it and am so glad to have a bottle of it. Emoticon rating:

Litha In the imp: a warm, sunny, sweet yellow floral scent-I think I smell a good true honeysuckle note, as well as sweet honey. Wet on skin: a little hint of green pops up but still this scent keeps it's sunny yellow sweetness… Dry on skin: this is gorgeous! This is a beautifully well blended mix that smells like gentle sunshine. I smell a little bit of something wine-like and sweet, which is the honey mead. I love the honey note in here-it's very sweet and gentle, not a tart, sharp honey at all. I also smell something almost lemony, which may be a herb of some sort…I smell thyme, and also a beautiful true honeysuckle note-this is probably the nicest honeysuckle scent I've encountered. I also get a little spice, which must be from the carnation, and just a little bit of resin. But all in all, the notes are so well blended and work so nicely together in here. After a while: this really smoothes even more to become a lovely, more mellow scent now, a soft blend of slightly boozy (but not strongly so) sweet honey mead with honeysuckle and spicy florals (carnation and probably yahutli) resting on a balmy undertone of herbs. The resinous notes aren't blatant but I can just about make them out and they seem to bind the whole fragrance together…but if I sniff really hard I think I can just make out the frankincense. This is amazingly sunny as a scent-it's warm and has a very yellow feel to it. Eventually it smoothes out even more into a balmy, creamy, sweet yellow floral with a hint of pollen and fuzzy herbs with a hint of mead and spice. Beautiful. The mead comes out just a little more after that, and one thing about this scent that I really like is that the honeysuckle note here doesn't go funny on my skin after a few hours. Verdict: this is a perfect representation of the summer solstice in scent. at times this scent is lively and bright, a real celebration of the longest day of the year, at other times it is mellow, laid back and soothing. This scent brings to mind a vivid sunshine yellow, it is such a solar scent, bright, warm, happy and joyful. The mead note in here is fantastic, with sweet honey and one of the best honeysuckle notes I've smelt in BPAL, along with a myriad of other notes like spicy florals and soft green herbs and just a little bit of resin. The result is a wonderfully rounded, balanced and beautiful scent so representative of the start of summer, with a real sense of light and warmth to it. I'm very glad I have a bottle because not only is this evocative of it's namesake festival, it's also very wearable and so different to anything else. Emoticon rating:

Dragon's Bone In the imp: sharp, piercing dragon's blood with a hint of wood. Wet on skin: an almost medicinal d-b scent but with a dry, wooden undertone…it smells less like warm sandalwood and more like something drier and paler. Dry on skin: that's a lot better. The d-b loses its hold on the scent but still lingers, now allowing the woods to come out more. I can't really smell orris yet but I do smell sandalwood now-and it really is the paler, slightly green (as in, this is a young tree sort of scent) wooden scent. I also get another wood that I'm not familiar with but it does have a wooden furniture feel to it-maybe it's the blonde wood? After a while: ah, here's the orris! I can smell it's telltale powder scent at the back, a white, slightly floral, powdery scent which really does make the scent smell dusty and very pale indeed, but I still get lots of wood here. Very much a furniture-y/DIY wood scent with even a hint of sharp, almost chemical smelling varnish (probably the dragon's blood) but I also get a hint of candle wax/smoke-where on earth does that come from? Eventually this settles into a pleasant woody scent, which to my nose is reminiscent of cedar planks, with a bit of orris. I'm impressed at how dry this scent is-it's barren, dust-covered, left alone and forgotten. Verdict: this was a very unusual and extremely woody scent, dry and dusty, with a hint of sweet powdery orris. the dragon's blood in here is fairly strong (unlike Claw) and it keeps popping up now and then amongst the woods. the woody scent in here is a lot paler and a lot less dark and rich than Claw, which is understandable for the name, and the orris is very pretty. I'm not sure if I like this one enough to keep it-I prefer Claw as my woody d-b scent, and the wood in here smells a bit too much like freshly varnished furniture and dusty cupboards to me at times, though it is a unique and very aptly named scent-it's dusty whiteness is indeed evocative of dry, old bones. Emoticon rating:

Dragon's Claw In the imp: wood! This smells a lot more woody than Dragon's Bone-from the paler colour of the oil, I think there's a lot more sandalwood here than dragon's blood. Wet on skin: polished sandalwood. This is very wooden indeed…but very nice. Dry on skin: sandalwood with just the barest hint of dragon's blood. This blend is all about the sandalwood in all it's complexity. I get the dark sandalwood (I think it's red sandalwood) from Anne Bonny here, it is deep and just a tad spicy, with a hint of the greener, less rich white sandalwood. There's a hint of resin (d-b, no doubt) here which, like the frankincense in Anne Bonny, gives a feel of polished wood. It does smell a bit like a lumberjack's workshop though-so damn woody! After a while: mmm, it doesn't take long before this scent becomes really pleasant and less lumberjack-y. This scent is now a rich, warm, almost single note sandalwood. It's deep, it's smooth, and it's more than just wood here-it's got a nice complexity. There's something about it that smells almost resinous-and I don't mean dragon's blood…it smells more like frankincense. Whatever it is, it's lovely. After two hours, the wood sweetens a bit, and there's a lovely warm powdery aspect to it now. it's quite a comforting scent, it smells velvety soft. Verdict: this is much better than Bone, in my opinion. The sandalwood in here is wonderful, rich and deep and fantastic. This is the same wonderful sandalwood I got in Anne Bonny and Baghdad and possibly Velvet, only this time it's pretty much all wood with very little dragon's blood. This is a delightful and very wearable wood scent, very much a single note sandalwood scent which has a lot of layering potential. Not a bottle scent but a definite keeper for the imp. Emoticon rating: