PurringPulsar

Lotus Moon In the bottle: soft, sweet, light, slightly creamy lotus, with just a bare hint of opium smoke. Wet on skin: still a soft, faint lotus, but I think it's getting stronger… Dry on skin: now I can smell the pine! This is a gorgeous pine-it's not a Christmas tree/disinfectant smell, this is like crushing pine needles in your hands under the shade of the tree they came from. it's a very green pine, to me. The lotus still lingers sweetly, with that rich opium surrounding it nicely like a darker veil (this is a scent where the opium is gorgeous) and I can just about make out the rose, rich and red, under it all. This scent is very pretty and light right now. After a while: now the lotus is slightly drier, soft and almost creamy in feel, with the rose at the back and still a hint of opium. This is not bubblegum-sweet lotus in the slightest. The scent is now dusty, wispy, almost dreamlike, but with a hint of something deeper thanks to the pine (which now does smell like resin) and a soft rosy base with some amber. In fact, yes, now I do think that the amber and lotus are interacting in the same way as they did in Bastet, because I get a very slight similarity to it now. The lotus gains more sweetness after 1-3 hours. This is really nice, and there's a feel of powder to it (which is a good thing here) which forms a soft undertone for the sweet, crisp lotus scent. I can't smell as much pine now, it's predominantly floral and amber now. Then after a few hours…yup, that's Bastet alright, that lovely merging of amber and golden lotus, only without the deep spices and musk, but this retains a delicious warmth and I love this phase of the scent. I smell a bit of rose (it also has merged with the lotus) but not as much pine and opium. Verdict: this is a very pretty, light, dreamy scent. It is, at times, almost like single note lotus, enhanced and lifted by other notes, and at other times, I can smell the other note components clearly. This is a sophisticated, clean, dry lotus note, not a trace of bubblegum here-I think the rose grounds it. It's not the slightly moist, sweet lotus I'm used to but this is very nice-I love the way the blend shapeshifts and each note merges with the lotus and then moves out again-it's very ethereal and dreamlike. The pine was strong at the beginning and then at the end the amber comes out to play. A gorgeous scent-I really like this and though it's not the true love I was hoping for, I have a feeling it might really grow on me. Emoticon rating:

And There Was a Great Cry in Egypt In the bottle: dark, deep, resinous, spicy, incense-y. It is very reminiscent of some other Egyptian themed BPALs, and it reminds me somewhat of a darker, less dusty Ozymandias. Wet on skin: I can smell the heated, dry saffron and the golden, piercing frankincense most now… Dry on skin: oh wow. Now the red musk has surfaced, and this smell is just gorgeous. Stunning. I agree very much that this is similar to Scherezade (which is a very good thing!) only this one is more complex. I get a lovely dryness thanks to the woods, and the frankincense really shines in here, giving a fabulous incense feel to the scent, with the spices adding warmth, and the musk and probably the myrrh giving the scent a rich depth. Surprisingly, I cannot smell much honey in here…it's a very subtle honey note, I think. After a while: ah, I think I can smell the honey now! It's just about there, I can detect it very slightly. I also get the telltale golden sweetness of amber. The scent is still a beautiful mix of musk and spice and resins and woods, all wonderfully balanced now into scent that is warm, dry, and incensy. It's a scent with luxurious, red-gold tones. It also reminds me of a richer, deeper, less airy Ozymandias-where that was the Egyptian desert in full daylight; this is a magnificent sunset over the desert. Then, it darkens, becomes a bit drier and woodier, with the saffron as the most dominant note, with hints of woods (sandalwood adding a soft, gently powdered feel, cypress adding a hint of green), myrrh and musk. It is very much like Scherezade at this point, with a little bit of Bastet and Ozy. And then, after a few hours, I get that wonderful drydown I get with musk-sandalwood scents…all smoky and warm and a tad powdery/dusty, only this time with saffron. I love the way this scent shifts constantly. Verdict: this is well worth all the coveting. So exotic, mysterious, very evocative of Egypt and the middle east, this is the kind of combination of wonderful scent you could find wafting from ancient temples and desert bazaars, a beautiful, haunting mixture of spices, resins, woods and musk. All the notes work very harmoniously with each other and the result is a warm, sun-touched scent which is dry and also luxurious, very rich and deep and complex without being all over the place, with a drydown of soft incense smoke-this is a very unisex scent. This scent does bear very slight similarities to scents like Ozymandias and Scherezade but still has something unique to it thanks to it's heavy resins and woods. this scent has not let me down-it surpassed my expectations. Emoticon rating:

I adore the Wanderlust series! The scents are beautifully evocative of their names (and in some cases, smell nicer than the cities they are named for-I'm glad London doesn't smell like it actually does but certainly evokes the feel and atmosphere of their namesakes!) Here are some highlights of mine from my Wanderlust Airways World Tour, your pilot is Beth, let us take your nose on a nice flight... Baghdad: wonderfully exotic sandalwood-rose-amber incense, it's gorgeous, dry, mysterious and I love it. Bengal: honeyed chai. Cinnamon buns dripping with honey. Deliciously spicy. Cairo: fruity tangy incense, with a sunny, dry, energetic feel, sums up the city of Cairo and Egypt as a whole-the heat and the chaotic hurly burly, the exotic feel it has, and a slight dusty drydown. Hollywood Babylon: gorgeous, decadent, sexy and glamourous red musk and fruit scent. Sweet and sugary but with a cheeky and raunchy side to it. This is exotic yet brazen and flashy, it's fantastic. London: a stunning yet simple scent of tea rose-this traditional floral is ever so English, but anything but grannyish, in here. Manila: so humid it's uncanny (how can Beth capture climate in a scent? Amazing!), with that muggy jungle scent with lots of banana and forest scent. Morocco: beautiful, exotic, comforting and warm-soft carnation paired with creamy sweet musk on a soft bed of spiced sandalwood…this is probably my favourite Wanderlust. Silk Road: a wonderful, complex and innovative spice scent-cardamom and cinnamon, with greener notes of tea and possibly bamboo, I get ginger and sandalwood too... I can't wait for Beth to add new scents to this line!

Yeah, it's ages since I've written in here... I need to find a way to keep myself occupied on Saturday evenings now that Doctor Who has ended. OMG what an ending as well...I was almost crying. HERE BE SPOILERS! (for anyone in the US that is) Spoiler DALEKS V. CYBERMEN!!! The ultimate deathmatch! But I think that extermination is much worse than mere deletion...I thought the Daleks were destroyed by the time vortex-possessed Rose at the end of the last series but it seems you can't exterminate all the Daleks! And Rose's final fate-that was really emotional. I won't say it all but the bit where the Doctor seemed all lonely and where his speech got cut off was very sad-we never got to hear him say he loved Rose, that almost got the tears going...until Catherine Tate (awesome British comedienne-of 'am I bovvered' fame) appeared and I almost cracked up. Roll on Christmas!! Ok, other news. Crete was amazing, and I would love to post some pictures here-I may do so soon. I also hope France win the Cup tomorrow. I can say that because I'm half French and I think the French team rock. I've also got myself a bit of voluntary work if I don't get the job I'm hoping for this summer-well, sort of. I get to work at the nearby cat shelter! I don't care if it's non-paid work, I love cats and being around those gorgeous furry things makes me very happy indeed. I get to work with some of the most beautiful kittens-some of them were climbing up my trousers and sucking my fingers! So adorable. And then there's the 'hugging cat' who jumps on the chair and puts its front legs around my waist, like a hug. These cats are either donated to the shelter or are found on the street and are nurtured by the staff and volunteers until they find new homes-and if I ever want to get another kitty, I can go and get one here! I really can't wait to get my Lotus Moon order as well. So much new BPAL on the way. I should technically be a very happy bunny right now but PMS is preventing that stupid pre-menstrual headache!

Baku In the imp: lavender and…anise? There’s something a bit spicy underneath the lavender. Wet on skin: yup, it’s either liquorice or anise here, with the lavender… Dry: interesting. This smells like Kyoto with lavender-I get that same cherry-anise scent from Kyoto, but here there’s lavender added to it. There’s an almost medicinal and cherry candy like feel to the scent, it’s rather odd when combined with lavender! At times, the anise (I think) smells piercing, clear and sharp, almost like a eucalyptus scent. This is definitely not one I’d wear as perfume but hopefully it will be a good sleep aid… After a while: after a while, the lavender fades completely, and I’m left with a soapy anise scent. It’s almost like Kyoto but more soapy and medicinal. I think I get a bit of cherry blossom in here. It’s not a scent I’m keen on, but I do feel sleepy right now…let’s see if Baku will keep those nightmares away and send me to sleep. The morning after: this didn’t really work. I didn’t sleep very well that night-but it did keep my nightmares away-I didn’t have any! But I didn’t have any particularly interesting dreams either. Verdict: scent-wise, this isn’t my favourite. It starts off quite interestingly, lavender and anise, but then it smells oddly like medicine and then it turns quite soapy, with a hint of liquorice in the background. An unusual scent and one is ok, but not my thing…it’s a bit too soapy and reminiscent of sore throat or cough medicine for me. it didn’t make any difference to my sleep either-I was still as insomniac as ever when I wore this to bed. But I didn’t get nightmares, so that worked…

Onieroi In the imp: lots of lavender, and a hint of jasmine. Wet on skin: the jasmine strengthens a bit now… Dry on skin: this is a very pretty and very nocturnal scent-warm, fuzzy, heavy lavender with sultry jasmine, and a touch of something slightly herbal (the mugwort? I don't know what it smells like though). It reminds me of Twilight, but a little bit more soporific in feel, and hopefully in effect as well. After a while: when the lavender fades, I'm left with a scent similar to the jasmine-sandalwood combination I loved in Peitho. This is a gorgeous deep jasmine anchored nicely by the wood-though this is much more herbal, and greener in feel, less like perfume, and more like an aromatherapy/working blend. And I feel the zzzz's coming on… The morning after…yup, I had some very fucked up dreams. Including one about a freaky cinema that were covered with Egyptian hieroglyphics and where you had to wear a gas mask to experience the film (which was also a huge console game) in 'touch dimensions' which means it's 3d that you can feel. This was one of those dreams that I seem to be trapped in, even when I was aware that I was dreaming, I just wanted to see what happened next so I tried to stay asleep. Another part of the dream involved BPAL and Beth, though the details of that are fuzzy. Verdict: scent wise, this is a very pleasant sleepy scent, lavender and a very nice jasmine-sandalwood background. it's a real night time scent, like the scent of a sultry summer night-almost like Peitho at times but not as nice as that. However, this is not something I'd wear as perfume…but as a sleep/dream inducing blend, whoa, it works. I had some weird dreams-and they were so strange yet so compelling that even when I was almost awake, I tried to make myself asleep to see what happened next in the dream-it worked for a while until the doorbell rung and that woke me up fully. These dreams were ones I got so lost in, even trapped in, even though I woke up in the middle of them and knew it wasn't real, the dream kept coming back. Pretty freaky stuff. I will keep this on hand whenever I feel the need to escape to somewhere truly far out when asleep… Emoticon rating:

Succubus In the imp: sharp, biting orange blossom and bergamot. Very sharply citrus. Wet on skin: still that dry orange blossom scent (it smells a bit nutty now?) but now I get mimosa. Dry on skin: hmm, not bad, but a very unusual scent. I don't get the cat pee scent from mimosa, it's a soft yellow floral on my skin, like it should be, and it is like that in here. There's a biting dryness to this scent, like dry orange blossoms on fresh mimosa. There's something almost hay like, or even seed/nut like, to this, don't know what that is, but it reminds me of sunflower seeds. The bergamot makes it sharper and with the orange blossom, gives the scent a real 'French cologne' feel. I don't get clove yet. After a while: now the mimosa is much more dominant…that soft, sunshine-yellow blossom scent, warm and smooth with a hint of something sharp to it, which is the citrus and orange blossom. My mum's friend has a mimosa tree which smells really gorgeous when it's warm, this smells like that, but with something dry and lemony. There's something almost soapy about the scent now-sometimes (not always), orange blossom does this. Verdict: I think I'm lucky with mimosa. This is the second mimosa scent I've tried so far and the one that's worked well on me-it doesn't go funky on my skin, it smells just like mimosa should-a yellow and sunshiny, a warm clean floral with a real 'pollen-y' feel to it and a hint of something almost like hay. The mimosa note is my favourite part of this scent-but I wish it was just a bit more dominant, as I get an odd dry note to it which at times smells burnt, and a bit of a citrus-soap drydown which I don't care much about. And I wish I got clove in here-there, but alas, none seems to show up. I'm not sure whether to keep this for the lovely mimosa note or to swap it off-I think it's a swapper for now because it hasn't truly knocked my socks off. Emoticon rating:

Red Devil In the imp: lilac and orange! This smells a bit like French Love, but spicier. It smells almost like dragon's blood, even though there seems to be none… Wet on skin: spiced orange and lilac. Dry on skin: smells festive! This is an unusual but pleasant mix of lilac or wisteria, almost dry in scent, with a lovely sweet spicy orange scent which also has a mulled wine feel to it. It reminds me of Decadence with it's spicy boozy pomander scent-there's definitely some cinnamon in here. In fact, I think I'm getting a scent reminiscent of Harlot here-rose and cinnamon, perhaps? I like this! After a while: yup, now this smells like Harlot with lilac. Maybe a touch of sugared orange as well, but mainly rose, lilac, and cinnamon. It's a hot, spicy, naughty little scent! After about two hours, it's less spicy and more of a dry red-lilac floral scent, like dry lilac and rose petals with just a hint of the spiced orange and cinnamon bark that came before. Verdict: this is, to me, a scent with elements of Seraglio (the spiced orange-rose) and Harlot (dry, hot, cinnamon and rose) with a huge dose of lilac. It has a spiced orange scent, sweet and reminiscent of Christmas, with floral notes of red rose and dry, springtime lilac. It's a pretty scent, with a feel of playfulness to it (the spiced orange makes the scent quite jaunty and festive). It's not a bad scent but I actually prefer Harlot to this-I think the lilac note turns too dry after a few hours. I also won't need it for it's purpose just yet. It's a nice fragrance but since I have similar ones, I'm swapping it off. Emoticon rating:

The Mock Turtle's Lessons In the imp: sweet apple! There's something almost floral here…wait a minute, I know this smell. Herbal Essences shampoo! This smells just like Herbal Essences! Wet on skin: still slightly shampoo like, but once it hits skin, it becomes more complex, iris and apple are more pronounced, I get a hint of booze (vodka) and something deeper and almost spicy? Dry on skin: what a lovely, laid back, refreshing scent! I get a very pleasant lime tang to the scent, with a lot of apple, and smooth aquatics which are almost like a gentle ozone-linen scent here, slightly reminiscent of Dirty. This scent is predominantly fruity and green-aquatic. The iris adds a hint of something floral-powdery, the mint is barely there but I can detect it's freshness, and there's an almost musky spicy depth which I'm sure is the ambrette (this is a plant musk, so that must be it). this scent is both cool and fresh, yet also warm with a little bit of something oddly spicy and deep underneath. very unusual but it works so well. I still get the Herbal Essences feel though not as much. After a while: I love the way the iris is smoothing the scent so nicely. It adds it's powdery yet deeply floral scent and binds the notes nicely. It reminds me of the deep purple iris from Morella. It's still that soft floral-apple scent with a hint of musk under it, with that aquatic-linen scent. Verdict: to me, this is what the Herbal Essences scent would smell like, if done Beth-style. And as usual, with Beth, there's always more to it than first meets the nose. It has that lovely floral-apple sweet scent that smells similar to the shampoo, but there's a little more complexity in there. The iris is both powdery and pale and also richly fragrant and purple, a very floral scent, and the aquatic-lime note adds a fresh, tangy, almost ozone/clean sheets feel to the scent, making it clean but not soapy. And there's something else I can't quite put my finger on but I'm sure it's the ambrette-it's a dark, sweet, almost spicy, and very much a musk like scent which really rounds it all off. I love that musk aspect. This is one of those scents that is both familiar and yet also very unusual and that's what I really like about this mad little fragrance. I might get a bottle eventually but for now I'll use up the imp. Emoticon rating:

Hymn to Pan I've had a real creative low for a long time now, when in the past I would take great pleasure from writing and drawing and sketching and messing around with Photoshop. I'm hoping to revive my creativity-there were little simmerings of inspiration under the surface, but nothing full-blown yet. I dabbed HtP on my wrists and inhaled deeply. The reviving minty herbal lavender scent felt cool on the skin, perfect after this heatwave. A little hint of grain and musk pops up. This is a jaunty little fragrance…I thought to myself. Then I get a delightful powdered sweetness, like vanilla. It's the vanilla-musk combo I love so much. Gorgeous scent, but does it work? I thought to myself. I picked up some paper and a pencil and then…I started sketching like crazy. You know in the new series of Doctor Who there's an episode with that creepy girl who draws all the time, pencil moving really fast? I was sort of like that at this point. (Except without the freaky child-capturing powers, of course.) HtP really cheers me up and causes a volcanic surge of creativity and general feel good moods when I wear it-someone mentioned 'the feeling of the party just beginning' when wearing this. That's what I feel too, only maybe in a slightly different way-this makes me feel in a party mood, that excited feeling before a big night out. I also suddenly got reminders and urges to want to do new things that I've not tried before…like for example, I was reading the newspaper and they mentioned a belly dancing class this week. I now want to do this class. It's ages since I've done any kind of dancing, save for drunken ones at parties. I now feel like I want to go out there and do things-like belly dancing. Or maybe music. Or a writing class, or art. I even came across recipe books and suddenly felt that I should start doing some cooking again. This oil makes me want to get out there and get my creative muse going in any way or form. Which is fantastic, since I have about three months ahead of me where I will have nothing to do if I don't get a job, so getting my artistic inspiration a boost now is something that was sorely needed. And I think HtP seems to be helping this happen. All I now need is a bottle and nothing can stop me! (Hmm. Maybe that's the oil's supposed 'rockstar debauch' effect coming into play here? whatever it is, I love it!)

Opium Poppy Opium teaches only one thing, which is that aside from physical suffering, there is nothing real. A bitter, soft, fragile flower. In the imp: opium! That smoky, perfumey, narcotic, sharp, dry, dusty floral scent, I recognise it from Languor and Darkness. Wet on skin: opium smoke, dry and nose-tickling, with that dark 'perfume' scent. Dry on skin: it's less smoky now, but it's very perfumey. It's a swirl of dark, narcotic scent, dusty and dry, almost fragile, yet with a lot of depth to it, a sophisticated yet mysterious scent. It's a little bit too much like posh perfume for me but it's a lot nicer on me than I expected, and less 'choking'. After a while: this is very much like Darkness on my skin-opium perfume all the way. It's a very 'oriental' scent, exotic and mystical, swirling heady clouds of perfumed scent. I could imagine this scent coming from a very expensive perfume. It becomes more of a heady floral than a smoky scent over time. Verdict: for the scent of a single flower, this poppy is very complex. This is a powerful scent-it's smoky, deep, rich, narcotic, incredibly heady and dark, with a definite 'expensive perfume' feel to it. At first, it's smokiness is dry, dusty, it tickles the nose. But then it becomes a deep, oriental floral scent-the sort of thing that, as my mum says, smells like something from a Parisian perfumery. Very sophisticated and mature, but it's not my sort of scent. Opium is not what I'd wear as a 'single note' scent, and it's one of those notes that can be stunning as a scent component (Red Lantern, Sleepy Moon, Debauchery before it turned to Evil Civet), or it can be overwhelming (Languor, Darkness-this scent is the opium from Darkness). I'm glad I've got to familiarise myself with this opium note, but it's something that I can't pull off on it's own. Emoticon rating:

Odin In the imp: dark black musk with herbs and evergreens, reminiscent of good men's perfume. Wet on skin: this reminds me very much of Thanatopsis, Dracul and Black Forest-it's a foresty musk… Dry on skin: this is really nice, though quite masculine. A deep, sweetish, slightly tangy manly musk which reminds me of good perfume, with a foresty note reminiscent of juniper or pine (is that elm?) and some dark herbal notes. I have no idea what amaranth smells like so I can't tell if I can smell it, but for now this is a deep, rich, fresh musk for the guys-but it's nice on me too. After a while: the musk has become more pronounced now-it's a dark, deep, sweet musk with a touch of something amber or incense like, like the musk of Dracul…it still has that 'manly' feel to it. I like the feel of herbal-resinous incense this has, along with the sweet black musk. This would smell sexy on a guy. Verdict: this is a lovely black musk scent-I really like black musk, it's dark, deep, sweet, swirling scent, very sexy and mysterious. This is one of those 'black forest musk' scents, along similar lines to Thanatopsis, Black Forest and Dracul, where black musk is paired with an evergreen like note or two. Odin is a tad more masculine but also grander, more sophisticated and refined, yet also with something incense like to it (amber and other resins seem to be in the mix), as well as dark green, balsamic herbs. It seems fitting for such a noble and important god, I think, such a well-crafted scent seems like a very appropriate offering-this is a scent which has presence and a lot of throw. I also think it would be very nice on a man (yum!) and I love the deep dark sweet musk with amber it dries down to, but I think this is a little to masculine on me to start with, so it may be swapped. Emoticon rating:

Ochosi In the imp: a sweeter, creamier version of Buck Moon's sharp herbs, with wood (spruce?) at the back. Wet on skin: sharp, green herbs and grass, almost like EBM and Buck Moon and Arachne, with a creamy shea sweetness. Dry on skin: mmm, I like it, though the herbs are very sharp now. it's a snap of tangy green plants and stems and leaves, with a dry wooden background reminiscent of cypress-I think it's the spruce wood, and a creamy sweet yet dry and scrubby scent which I think is shea as I get a similar scent in Obatala. This is a refreshing, bracing scent; it's like running through the forest, smelling the plants as they are crushed underfoot. And it is very much like Buck Moon, with shea instead of musk. After a while: the scent is less herbal-sharp now but it's a lot drier and with a 'grey wood' note, almost dusty, with a creamy, almost fruity sweetness above it, almost like green apple to my nose. It's an unusual scent, but I like it-it's foresty, but not in the usual way, this isn't a winter forest, or a forest floor scent, this is more airy and light. It's not as nice after about two hours-the scent becomes an odd dusty/plaster like and metallic scent with a hint of…cider? There are some woody herbal notes here but…dusty metallic cider. Weird. Verdict: this scent started out quite nicely-a fresh green scent, a forest themed scent with isn't evergreen or earthy, this is the scent of the plants of the forest and hints of the wood, with a soft, creamy shea note. It brought to mind running swiftly through the forest, crushing herbs underfoot, and leaving a green scent in your wake. I really liked this at first, but I am not very keen on the drydown this gave me-an odd, dusty plaster scent with a bit of overripe fruit and cider, a combination of notes that smells a bit weird. I will need to swap or sell this one, I think. Emoticon rating:

Obatala In the imp: oh, this is gorgeous! Sweet coconut milk! Nothing Milk Moon-ish here, just summery coconut. Wet on skin: mmm, coconut milk, sweet and delicious, with a hint of something almost woody/dry at the back-the shea? Dry on skin: coconut milk. This is a lot nicer than I expected-it smells like summer! A white, fresh, sugared coconut milk…but there's more. There's something a bit sharp and green and almost like wood? I'm not sure what that is, I'm assuming it's the shea-but this does calm down after application and the scent smoothes out and becomes creamier and milkier, but with a hint of freshness at the back-the water, I think. This is perfect, white coconut flesh, with sweet sugared milk (this is lighter milk than Milk Moon) and a splash of water. After a while: now I see why everyone is raving over this…this has become the most wonderful, summery, soothing coconut ever. It's coconut milk with sugared milk (yup, I get a slight dairy milk scent here, but not a sour one-this is chilled milk, the way it should be) and dry coconut flesh, and a little bit of creamy shea and cool water which makes the scent so fresh. Yes, it does have something to it which reminds me of suntan lotion, but that's no bad thing since that tanning oil scent makes me think of summer holidays and that always cheers me up. The scent also has a hint of soft dryness that brings to mind cloth…white cloth even, which is fitting for Obatala. Such a stunning scent. Verdict: I'm so glad I succumbed to the hype-this scent really deserves it. All the Milk Moon comparisons made me apprehensive since that was sour milk one me, but this isn't at all. this is the perfect coconut scent-the ultimate summer fragrance. after about five minutes or less on the skin, it becomes the most beautiful, creamy, coconut flesh and sugary chilled milk scent, with a hint of fresh water adding a delightful coolness, and a hint of dryness, like grated coconut or soft cloth. There's a hint of suntan oil to this scent, but that's no bad thing since it reminds me of an old French sun lotion which I adored the smell of, but as this is BPAL, there's a little bit more to this scent than just sun lotion-but this scent is undeniably summery. I adore this scent-it wraps me in a soothing, soft cloud of milky sweet coconut-it's very comforting. I will need to succumb to a bottle of this! Emoticon rating:

Shango In the imp: apple, banana and pineapple with a darkness underneath almost like red musk. Wet on skin: crisp apple and pomegranate with sweet mushy bananas and coconut, with the crackle of chilli pepper. Dry on skin: mmm, this is delicious! This is fruit salad, but intensified and with a real punch to it (and I'm not talking fruit punch here!) The first note I get is tangy, crisp apple with pomegranate and pineapple, with a little hint of banana underneath, a little coconut, and a definite warm pepper note. I'm pretty sure there's also a lovely red musk note anchoring all the fruits, blending them and making them sexy-but it's mainly peppered fruit, with a feel of tropical humidity. After a while: the scent smoothes so nicely! The banana's sweetness with something I'm sure is sugar cane (it reminds me of chewing on a piece of sugar cane, yummy) balances the sharper fruit notes, with the warm chilli on top, and the musk underneath. I love the sweet, rich throw this has. After a while, it reminds me of Hollywood Babylon and Blood Lotus, that same sweet red musk, though this time with banana and apple and chilli. It's also wonderfully creamy and smooth now-it's now like a fruit smoothie, not a fruit salad, with red musk. and then after a few hours it becomes the most divine, sexy drydown of fruit-enhanced, sweet red musk with coconut on top. Oh boy. Verdict: this blend reminds me of when my mum once ate a tropical fruit salad in Mauritius which had similar fruits to this, and it was covered with a chilli dressing. But the interesting thing was that when she was eating it, there was a huge thunderstorm, and she was eating this fruit salad whilst watching the lightning flashing over the sea-and Shango is the god of lightning. So this seems like a very, very fitting scent for him. As for the scent itself? It's amazing. This is deep, intense fruit salad with a jolt of crackling chilli pepper. Not a happy, sunny fruit salad, but something darker and thundering. It's sultry and sexy and powerful. I love the heated feel from the chilli, and I also get something at the base of the scent which seems very reminiscent of red musk-and I adore the combination of red musk and fruit! The drydown of the scent is to die for-red musk and fruit smoothie. This is a gorgeous scent all round, but because it's wonderful is very similar to two of my favourites (Hollywood Babylon and Blood Lotus), I don't think I'll need a bottle of it yet, but it's definitely something to keep in mind, and the imp is a definite keeper. Emoticon rating:

Oya In the imp: yup, cherry. Smoky cherry almond, with a bit of wine? Wet on skin: mmm, now I can smell the plum rising from the smouldering cherry… Dry on skin: this is interesting! to me, this is like the more feminine version of Hellion, or a darker, more mysterious Bandersnatch. There's plum in here-sweet and dark, but it's also a little bit sharp-like a true plum can be. Tangy plum with sour cherry-yup, that's it, I can smell sour black cherry in here as well. There's a smouldering darkness underneath, like incense, maybe some woody notes? I smell some warm dark spices too-maybe some clove, and a few others. I also see where people are getting the 'wind' note (how appropriate for Oya!), as I get something fresh above the stormy swirl of deep notes, almost like ozone. After a while: I think this has the same 'stewed cherry-plum' note from Bandersnatch, only it's not as sweet here. I now get a sharp, bright, almost perfume like note surfacing…it reminds me of something I've smelt in sophisticated perfumes-it's quite nice. I think there maybe some musk here too, probably the same musk as Hellion, and a similar incense scent-it also reminds me very slightly of the burnt woods and musk mix I got in EOM. I also think there's pepper in here-possibly black pepper. I also detect some green herbs. It's a very complex mixture of notes, that's for sure! It also gains that 'autumnal smoky fruit' drydown scent I get in other BPALs, which I am very fond of. I also get a little floral at this point, and it reminds me of Sheol, but with the earthy fruit vibe of Gomorrah, and the smoke of Hunter Moon. Verdict: this is a tempestuous swirl of chaotic, complex, and powerful notes. It's a deep, almost boozy plum, reminiscent of the stewed plum on Bandersnatch, with a dark sour cherry note, and a host of other scents including a background of woody incense, smouldering and giving off fragrant smoke, a little bit of something herbal and some spices (almost like clove, or even carnation, as well as pepper), some dark musk, a note that reminds me of sophisticated perfume, and even a little bit of something like ozone. it settles down into something more balanced, a deep floral-fruity-incensy-musk scent which reminds me of the drydowns of various other BPALs. This is a more intense, complex Bandersnatch and a sister scent to Hellion, on me. I really like it and I may keep the imp, but I do prefer Bandersnatch to this so I'll keep the imp but don't need a bottle. However, I think this is another 'autumnal plum' scent-whilst Bandersnatch is a sunny autumn day in September, Oya is a stormy autumn night in November. A very well crafted scent, it seems very fitting for the goddess it's named after, with it's stormy yet sophisticated mixture of notes. Emoticon rating:

Peaceful Home The scent: this is a lovely, pleasant scent-it smells like citrus herbs and lemon, maybe citronella, with geranium, rose and lilac. A peaceful, soothing fragrance. The intent: I thought that now that I've returned home from uni for the summer, I'd perform a little ritual to calm the household down. Even though it's just my mum and me living there, there are a lot of arguments between us, especially over household objects and possessions, tidiness, and just plain parent and daughter disputes. So, for this ritual, I dressed a light blue candle with this oil by rubbing the candle with the oil from the ends inward, saying to myself 'bring in peace and harmony to the home, let there be no more disputing' whilst visualising me being on easy terms with my mum and peace flowing into the home. The soft and pleasing scent helped to do this better, I think, and at one point, after lighting the candle, I felt a wonderful warm energy starting to fill the palms of my hands where the oil was (and my hands were a bit cold, previously). I used this opportunity to visualise this warm, healing, soothing energy surrounding the house and all the rooms in it. I feel more calm now after ritual, much more calm and at ease with everything and I hope the oil's intents start to take hold-will update with any results. The oil seemed to work-I think. For a week after I did the ritual, my mum was less argumentative and the disputes we had were very minor and were resolved faster than usual. But after that week, my mum returned to her usual grumpy self...I think I need to use this oil again-I think another way I could use it would be in an oil burner, to spread it throughout the house.

Tweedledum In the imp: mango! Gorgeous mango, sweet and juicy, with an earthiness behind it. Wet on skin: still mango, but now I smell the fig coming through, possibly tea as well. Dry on skin: mmm, gorgeous. This is a mango scent made greener by tea and earthier by fig and a very bare hint of patchouli. It's sweet, yet with a nice tartness and I love the depth this has-it's not just a fruity scent, it reminds me of those other two earthy fruit scents-Carnal and Depraved, only with mango. I really like this-the colour it brings to mind is a intense rainforest green-there's something exotic about this scent and makes me think of plucking a mango growing in the greenery of jungle on a tropical island. Very summery. After a while: the mango comes out more now, sweet and juicy and ripe. The greenish fig still hangs around, and I think there's a nice dark depth in the background due to the patchouli, but it's not a blatant patchouli, but it really grounds the scent. Verdict: I love the way that Tweedledee and Tweedledum contrast nicely and make for a fantastic fragrant double act. Dum is darker, earthier, more mature, and also a little bit sweeter, less sharp. The colour this scent evokes is pure deep green with just a hint of yellowish orange behind it-the exact opposite of Tweedledee, which was bright sunny golden-orange with a tinge of green. It's a very natural mango scent; it makes me think of mango trees growing in a humid tropical climate, with fruit ripening and falling to the damp ground- I smell it all there. It's such a summery scent, cheerful and vibrant, sweet and warm and it makes me smile. I love the Tweedles and plan to get bottles of both because these will become summer staples. Emoticon rating:

Tweedledee In the imp: fizzy! This sparkles with pepper and with tangy tea, orange blossom, and a fruit note which I think is kumquat. Wet on skin: the orange blossom and tea come into their own once on the skin. Dry on skin: this is a fun scent! It reminds me of another tea-citrus scent, can't remember which now, but this scent is lovely! Light, effervescent and fresh, I smell the bright sharpness of white tea mixed with the smoother floral-citrus tang of orange blossom, and warm pepper scattered through. the whole scent has an 'orange' feel, a citrus base which must be the kumquat. I like this a lot…it does remind me of orange fizzy sweets, but in a good way. After a while: the kumquat (smells like citrus peel now) and orange blossom are the dominant notes now. the scent is a lot sweeter and smoother now, it's almost like there's a white musk in here, merging and smoothing the notes out. I love it. Verdict: this is a fabulously light hearted fragrance, youthful and energetic in feel, sparkling with bright tangy notes. The scent fizzes like a refreshing effervescent drink or citrus candy, refreshing and both sweet and sharp. The tartness of white tea with a smoother, almost white-musky fruity floral note of orange blossom is given a sweet, bright orange feel by the kumquat and with a hint of spicy pepper warming it up. I love this scent because it's so happy and sunny and it's absolutely perfect for summer. I think I might need more of this… Emoticon rating:

Mouse's Long and Sad Tale In the imp: sweet pea! Gorgeous, gentle sweet pea. No sign of the amber or vanilla yet. Wet on skin: still sweet pea, it's a little bit greener now but I think I can smell the sandalwood. Dry on skin: now it's sweeter! What a lovely, pretty scent! The dominant note is sweet pea, that gentle, greenish springtime scent, but behind that I can smell a gorgeous rich amber depth, it's sweetness amplified by vanilla, but it's not an outright sweetness. I think the sandalwood adds a feel of dry warmth to it all but isn't too obvious yet. I like the way the other deeper notes ground the sweet pea. After a while: still sweet pea-dominated, but I really love what the amber's doing here. It's sweet, golden and, along with the vanilla and sandalwood, it prevents the sweet pea note (which can sometimes smell a bit funny on my skin) from going too waxy. Gradually the amber strengthens and then becomes equal with the sweet pea, balancing the floral greenness with it's sweetly resinous scent, with sandalwood behind it. I love this stage of the scent. Eventually the scent swings from sweet pea to the most wonderful amber sandalwood drydown-it's the Lion's amber but without the spices! I think I'm getting Egyptian amber here, mmm…this is so beautiful. Verdict: a beautiful, dainty, soft scent which has grown on me. Some sweet pea scents can be a bit soapy or waxy on me, but when other richer, sweeter notes ground the sweet pea note, this flower can be fabulous. Aeval was like that, and so is MLST. It starts off fluffy, pink and youthful, a pink spring floral, this mouse seems happy to me and not sad, and I am reminded of Angelina Ballerina (frilly mousy girliness), one of my favourite childhood books. Over time the scent matures and the amber starts to come to the fore, the little mouse grows up…the amber adds a wonderful sweet richness, along with vanilla, evening out and balancing the almost waxy greenish floral of the sweet pea. And then the scent ends with a stunning finale of glowing amber and sandalwood. This is a delightful scent which is so feminine and delicate yet with a nice depth to it. It's definitely a keeper as an imp, and I may get a bottle, but I'm not sure yet…but it's worth it for the drydown, which is so gorgeous! Emoticon rating:

Eat Me In the imp: mmm!!! Delicious sweet vanilla cake with currants. This has me salivating like crazy. Wet on skin: oh, this is gorgeous. Currant cake! Dry on skin: I can't believe how wonderful and also how clever this scent is. Sure it's foody and it definitely has a cakey feel but surprisingly, it's not blatantly foody. It's different to the outright super-sweet foodiness of the Closet Monster-it has a gentler, drier cake mixture, a soft, fluffy vanilla…but it's the currants that are working magic on this blend. They add a juicy, ripe, tart scent that counteracts the sweeter notes nicely and the currant note smells so true, so full and fruity, nicely sharp, freshly picked, and almost perfume like in feel (in other words this isn't as dessert-craving as some foodies, this is more sophisticated). The currant note also reminds me of other tart berry notes I've encountered, such as Lady Macbeth and there's even something about this scent which reminds me of Mabon! It has a sort of wine/booze like feel to it. After a while: whoa, this has throw! I'm getting wafts of vanilla-currant all around me-it's delicious! the vanilla has cranked up a notch, which is a good thing-the scent is now a wonderfully balanced mix of the tart, fresh currant and the sweet, rich vanilla cake. I love the vanilla cake in this-it smells very biteable but not cloying or overwhelming at all. Over time the vanilla-cake and currants merge even more so and the scent becomes so nicely rounded. Now this smells very lickable indeed. I must add that at the end of this scent's stay on my skin, I swear I'm getting something akin to Smut's drydown...a seductive vanilla with a twist of musk! Yes! This is aptly named, I must say! Verdict: Eat Me is Monster Bait Closet's more sophisticated sister. This is a stunning and innovative interpretation of the foody theme-in that it smells delicious and there are many moments when I want to eat myself, but the scent goes beyond foody and smells almost like a wonderful non-foody perfume blended with sweet edible notes, and I think it's the currant doing this. I love the currant note in here, it's not too sharp but tart enough to balance out the sweetness of the vanilla and cake, and adds a bit of fruity juiciness, like a rich vanilla cake topped with just picked berries. This gets even more delicious as it develops on the skin and the vanilla merges with the currants so nicely and something in here even hints at sexy musk. I think I will need to get a bottle because this is truly fabulous. And it's GC! Emoticon rating:

Wolf’s Heart In the imp: dragon’s blood, with a hint of floral, maybe lilac? Wet on skin: gardenia? I think I’m getting a gardenia reaction here-it’s going dry and a bit harsh. But it’s not a truly nasty reaction, yet. Dry: dry, biting gardenia, with the red warmth of dragon’s blood, and a hint of some other floral scents, I think I get lilac in here. The scent is a bit sharp, almost greenish from the gardenia, but the scent isn’t too bad so far-it may improve a bit more over time. After a while: the gardenia fades and become a tolerable ‘dry petal’ scent. now I smell more of the dragon’s blood and a little hint of something almost herbal, as well as wisteria (I think) and a little bit of a ‘tree bark’ scent, and a little bit of something metallic. It’s an odd scent, and not one I’d wear as perfume-this definitely is a ritual oil for me, not a personal scent. Eventually this fades to pretty much pure dragon’s blood. Verdict: I have tried this some time ago and I actually liked it better back then (maybe I had an aged imp?) but I wasn’t so keen on Wolf’s Heart this time round. There’s a dry/sharp gardenia like note to it which makes the scent rather acrid, and the lovely purple floral scent I got previously isn’t as strong here. And of course, as before, dragon’s blood is dominant here. It’s definitely not a perfume scent, but maybe I could try it for purpose? However, there are other courage-boosters (like Lionheart) which I prefer to this, so it’s a swapper. Emoticon rating:

Sweet Clove In the imp: clove, pure and simple. That gorgeous, warm, spicy and festive scent. This is the clove from Three Witches. Wet on skin: it’s not very strong on my skin, and is a little bit drier than the scent in the imp. Dry: dry clove. Just like sniffing a jar of cloves. There’s a hint of dry smoke about this as well, as well as a sweetness and a slight creamy or citrus/orange like scent. This is lovely, and reminds me of Christmas, mulled wine and pomanders, and also chai tea. It’s a very true scent but it’s a little bit too faint on me. After a while: this is gorgeous after about half an hour. It’s much smoother, less dry, fuller and sweeter, with an almost creamy feel to it. This is what made Three Witches (the original) so wonderful. Verdict: this is a straightforward clove scent, but such a genuine clove scent. It’s like sniffing a jar of the spice, or rubbing cloves on the skin. It’s quite a complex scent-as well as that warm, rich spice, there are hints of smoke and citrus to it, as well as a little sweetness (of course). A gorgeous, festive scent, lovely for the cooler months, the autumn and winter festivities. It starts off a bit faint, but then it warms up over time to become a fabulous, full bodied, smooth clove note. I love it, both on its own or for potential layering. Emoticon rating:

I stink of: Spellbound I'm burning: Wildberry Aromatic Teak incense (which smells oddly like Lush Bathos to me...) Done two of my exams already. I'm very pleased at how I did with my contemporary physics paper-just a a couple of questions confuzzled me but apart from that, it was all good. The maths paper was awful though. I don't think I did well on it at all. Oh well, I hope I do better on the Astrophysics exam this Thursday-it's the paper I feel most confident about. I'll be so happy when those mofos are out of the way! and I won't have to live in that dump of a flat with those idiotic arsewipes that I had to put up with for the last year... Finally, the weather's improved! I love it when it's all sunny and warm-not too hot, just pleasantly warm, the way I like it. I can go out in a t-shirt without freezing...and in about two weeks time, I'll be in Crete! Yay! I'll miss not having internet access (and forum access) but I'll be away somewhere away from home for a week or two, and I love Crete, one of my favourite places...hopefully I'll have a nice summer job waiting for me when I return. I seriously need a job, it's near impossible to get a 2 month summer job round here, all the part time jobs available are aimed at gap year students, it seems. But I need to be kept busy for the next two months and to, erm, fund my BPAL addiction!

The King of Hearts In the imp: lavender and cherry/almond. It reminds me of Queen of Hearts with lavender, for now. Wet on skin: I like the combination of lavender, cherry and rosewood I'm getting here…and I also smell white musk. Dry on skin: ohh, I really like this! I'm getting a wonderful light airy lavender and white musk scent, with a lovely dry woody base of rosewood. I don't get as much cherry now (it still hangs around though), nor do I get rose or red musk yet…just a lovely lavender musk, almost like Villain. Mmm! I love the white musk in here, it's got a wonderful airy quality to it. After a while: the lavender retreats and the scent becomes a woody white musk scent, with a hint of rose to it. The scent is very soft and smooth, and almost ethereal. Despite the presence of rose, this scent isn't too feminine, in fact, I think this is very unisex. It also reminds me very much of Ode on Melancholy now. The only problem with this scent is it's very faint…but I do like the smoky woody drydown I get at the very end of this scent's duration. I don't get any red musk from this scent at all though. Verdict: this is a very nice scent. A lovely lavender-woody-musk fragrance, it reminds me of Villain meets Ode on Melancholy, with a hint of Queen of Hearts' cherry to it. I love the white musk here-it's a gorgeous, light and ethereal musk, smooth and almost airy, and I love white musk paired with fragrant wood, like in here-it gives the scent a slightly smoky drydown. The lavender does fade after a while to leave that light woody musk scent, but there are two drawbacks. It is a bit faint and doesn't seem to last very long, and I was hoping for red musk to make an entrance and to add depth and staying power to the scent, but alas, it's nowhere to be found. But it is a gorgeous scent and I think it would be lovely on a man as well. Keeping the imp of this. Emoticon rating: