PurringPulsar

Drink Me In the imp: mmm, butterscotch! This smells like a lighter version of Mitzvah, I think, only a tad creamier/fruiter. I definitely smell custard here too. Wet on skin: now, a nutty scent appears on the skin, and the scent reminds me of caramelised pecans! Dry on skin: this is delicious! Now I can smell cherry coming through-combined with the nutty note, it gives the impression of almonds, or marzipan. But the scent on my skin now is a wonderful mixture of sweet foody scents. It smells of vanilla custard (exactly like the one my mum makes!), caramelised pecans/almonds, cherry tart with marzipan on top and crispy pastry, butterscotch toffee, a little bit of spice to round the scent off…I don't get pineapple yet and thankfully I don't get turkey either! I can detect a little bit of toast, but it's not as overwhelmingly buttery as I feared. In fact, I love this scent so far! It's warm and rich and yummy. After a while: coffee? Yes, now when I sniff close to the wrist, I get a lovely creamy coffee note, surrounded by nutty caramel. But the throw off my wrist is amazing-it smells just like real home made custard made with fresh vanilla pods, or good quality vanilla ice cream. Mmm. Then, soon after, the buttered toast makes more of an appearance! And it's not as bad as I was expecting-I thought the butter would turn a bit sickly and loud (think Shill) on me, but it smells like genuine buttered toast here-toast with butter all melted over it, which I love. Buttered toast and nutty toffee…it's almost like Gluttony at some points, but a bit creamier. The scent alternates between toast, toffee, coffee, nut and custard stages through it's duration. I don't get much fruit here now, just the really 'fattening' notes! There are times when this scent smells like vanilla ice cream served with a nutty toffee dessert, or praline ice cream! After about 5 hours, I smell my wrist and finally...the pineapple turns up. It now smells like pineapple trifle! Verdict: this is so much nicer than I was expecting. From previous reviews, I was worried that it would be too buttery or rich on me, but though it does have a butter note and is quite a rich scent, it's tuly delicious. It's very well blended, and the food notes in here are uncannily authentic smelling-for example, the custard note smells just like my mum's vanilla custard-I can smell the real vanilla pods infused in rich creamy custard in here, and at times, it takes on a vanilla ice cream feel. There's also a nutty note that reminds me of caramelised pecans and praline, a little bit of coffee and spice, and some pastry notes, lots of caramel, and a bit of hot toast with melted butter oozing nicely on it. I don't get too much fruit (just slight hints) and there's no turkey to be found. At times it smells like Gluttony, but with a creamier side thanks to the custard. It's delectable and wonderful, and it's a perfect representation of Alice's 'Drink Me' potion. This is the way to smell like a million calories and not put on a pound. Emoticon rating:

Loup Garou In the imp: fresh, piercing, nose-clearing eucalyptus and juniper! I could use this when I have a cold… Wet on skin: still that shrill blast of juniper and eucalyptus. Dry on skin: there's a hint of something sweeter coming through, and a little hint of dry cypress, but this blend is dominated by the pine-like piercing scent of juniper and cool eucalyptus, a scent both forest-y and ice cold…and also quite medicinal. My sinuses would love this if they were bunged up. It's not a bad scent but for now, it smells more like a cold remedy than anything else. After a while: it's less eucalyptus-y now, and has faded a lot…the scent is now the remains of juniper on a soft cypress wood base. I get a little bit of warmth behind it-the galangal maybe? It's a very faint scent now, but quite pleasant. And after a while I get a soft, very faint scent of…sandalwood? Where does that come from? Did the cypress magically morph into sandalwood? I don’t mind though…I really like this stage (yum, sandalwood!), I just wish it could be stronger. Verdict: this was an unusual one. At first it smelt piercing and sharp, that mind and nose clearing scent of eucalyptus and juniper, a bright jolt of scent…but it smelt a tad medicinal, like something I could use to unblock a cold-clogged nose. But the drydown smelt a lot nicer…like sandalwood, funnily enough. Not sure if that's the cypress mixed with galangal or what, but it was a dead ringer for sandalwood and very pleasant indeed-but so damn faint. I had to do some serious close wrist snorting to smell it…which is a shame. I'm not sure whether to keep this or not-it smells nice but doesn't smell strong enough for me to really like it. Emoticon rating:

Bayou In the imp: eek, this is very sharp! An acidic sharpness with a dark, gloomy scent behind it. Wet on skin: the sharpness is more bearable now, like grapefruit, with moss! Why is it that 'dark aquatics' turn to grapefruit on me? The same happened with Danube. Dry on skin: mossy grapefruit! A very interesting scent, this may be tangy and citrus like at times but it's also very dark and murky. Perfect for a swampy scent-it's humid and misty with a little hint of decay. I get lots of damp moss here, along with the squeezed 'grapefruit' (or is it yuzu? It reminds me of the sharper, more bitter smell of yuzu) and an aquatic scent-it's very fresh and wet. I get a little bit of cypress as well, a hint of dry wood under the wet moss, and a hint of light floral. After a while: still mossy. It's not as sharp and grapefruity now, now it's a shadowy dampness, waterlogged moss with cypress and lots of wetness. It's a very dark scent, makes me think of a muggy summer night by a lake or marshy wetland area. Verdict: humid and misty, warm, steamy and gloomy, and very evocative indeed. There's an odd grapefruit scent to it at first, but apart from that, it really does have a swampy feel to it. The main note is the moss, which smells very damp indeed, like moss covered in drops of dew, and there are hints of florals and cypress here and there. I'm again impressed at how Beth has captured the climate in the scent, a real feel of wetness, like vegetation dripping with water, mist lingering over swampland, and a real sense of murkiness. It's quite a pleasant scent as well, lazy and laid back, the scent of one of those summer nights when it's too hot and humid to do too much but also too uncomfortable to sleep in…it's also one of the mossiest scents from BPAL. No need for a bottle yet, but I might keep the imp of this. Emoticon rating:

Imp of the Perverse In the imp: since the imp I have contains so little oil I don’t know how much I can put on the skin…in the vial, it’s roses. Slightly boozy dried roses. Nothing too scary yet! Wet on skin: old roses, slightly wilted, with a bit of dark cognac. Dry: hmm, this isn’t as nasty as I feared! But then again, I do like my roses. It’s very rosy, but the scent is of dry roses, wilted ones, not fresh roses, with cognac. It’s almost like a makeshift rose perfume made by soaking dry rose petals in alcohol…the cognac note is quite strong here, it’s dark and boozy and is balanced by the dry, concentrated rose scent. Nothing scary like sulphur, urine, compost or mouldy veg here-this smells exactly how it is described. After a while: the cognac-rose scent gets a little bit darker, murkier, and the rose seems to fade a bit to the background. It does smell a bit more ‘stagnant’ but it’s not too unpleasant. Verdict: this is actually not a bad smell on me! The reviews scared me a bit, but on my skin, this smells exactly of what it says it smells like-roses and cognac. Or, roses macerated in cognac. The roses in here are not fresh, bright, dewy roses like a lot of BPAL rose notes are, these are dried, almost wilted, but just before they go completely off they are preserved in a bottle of strong cognac. It’s dark, it’s boozy, it’s potent stuff, it’s very rosy indeed (in fact, it reminds me of a certain type of rose oil I smelt once-it smelt a lot drier and concentrated and more ‘old’ than the other rose oil next to it) but it’s not a horrible scent in any way. But then again I’m probably lucky since I love roses anyway. It’s not my favourite rose scent, but I’m glad I got to try this. Emoticon rating:

Kingsport In the imp: barley water with salt. Yes that’s right. You know that Robinsons orange/lemon squash that is usually served at children’s parties? This smells like it, but with salt. How odd. Wet on skin: still that sugary lemon/orange soft drink smell, but with sea spray underneath. a strange scent, but I quite like it. Dry: hmm, this is like sweet, cool, lemonade mist drifting over the choppy sea. I can’t describe this any other way. It’s a mix of that almost citrusy ozone scent with a hint of sugared effervescence, with salty ocean waves crashing on the beach. It’s misty and humid, and I also detect hints of white floral. At times it reminds me of Sea of Glass, but whilst that was crystal clear and serene, this is cloudier and with a feel of spray, yet also warm…but it also makes me think of clean laundry on the beach, drinking lemonade at the seaside. After a while: now I get a scent of laundry, a sweet clean laundry scent, like Dirty’s floral-fruity fresh washed linen scent, but with a strong lemonade note and misty marine ozone. I quite like this! Verdict: this was a weird one, but quite pleasant! It smells like a diverse mixture of misfit notes-orange squash, sea spray and clean laundry with lemonade, sugared florals and ozone! It’s sweet and salty, fresh and humid, warm and cool-a scent full of contrasts. But, despite the oddity of such notes being together, the combination smells quite nice. It’s a summery and refreshing sea scent, not as crystalline as Sea of Glass and a lot more ‘muggy/foggy’ in feel, but the scent of lemonade on the beach with just-cleaned beach towels is just perfect for summer. I’m glad I have a decant. Emoticon rating:

Dunwich In the imp: a faint hint of mossy aquatics. A bit like Bayou, but lighter and less sharp. Wet on skin: marshy! This really does smell swampy, I can smell rough swamp grasses and reeds with misty notes and grey woods and moss… Dry: this is very interesting! It really does smell like a swampy sort of scent, but not a stinky stagnant pond smell, but a more pleasant marshy, wetland scent. There’s a very light tinge of ozone-aquatic here evoking fog and mist, and I do get the woods-they are skeletal, indeed, and covered in moss. There’s a lovely ‘reedy’ smell to this which I really like-it’s almost like grass, but moister, yet, strangely enough, it also smells dry. And I think the bog lilies may be a kind of water lily? There’s a gorgeous fresh white floral scent to this, an aquatic dewy floral, reminiscent of waterlily perfumes I’ve smelt before, and I really love that note in here. After a while: this becomes a lot fainter after a short while. I get the dry reed scent lingering nicely with that lovely white lily note, resting on a base of pale, colourless woods and aquatics. It’s a very unique fragrance and I really like it-I just wish it were stronger. (It’s also one of the few ‘murky aquatic’ scents that doesn’t go to grapefruit on me!) Eventually it fades to a very faint but very nice scent of dry reeds, almost like papyrus…with traces of aquatic lily. Verdict: this is such a wonderfully unique perfume, so unlike anything I’ve smelt before. Concerning other ‘swamp/marsh’ scents, I thought Bayou was a bit too overwhelmingly humid and moss-citrus for me (though very evocative of the name), and I do love Penthus for it’s ‘roses by saltwater marshes’ scent, but this scent is one of the loveliest wetland scents I’ve come across. There’s a fantastic and authentic ‘reed’ note to this, and it’s interesting in the way that it’s grassy, dry, moist and aquatic all at once. I get hints of driftwood as well, dry and bleached. I also smell a soft mist note, and the ‘bog lily’ note is lovely-it’s like white waterlilies, fresh and dewy and bright. The only downside to this scent is that it’s very faint after a short while. But it’s a surprise hit for me-I wasn’t expecting to enjoy a swampy scent so much. I wish there was another BPAL scent like it-it’s like nothing else I’ve smelt. Emoticon rating:

Mantis In the imp: the tang of fresh cut herbs and neroli with amber sweetness. Wet on skin: tangy green herbs, similar to the herbs in Verdandi and Buck Moon and a few others, with a soft amber-musk background, and a hint of something almost like perfume. Dry on skin: mmm, this is pretty! I get a lovely sweet amber-musk-patchouli scent, almost like Imp's but without the peach scent, and with the sharp herbs and the tangy citrus-floral scent of neroli adding freshness and tartness to the scent. For some reason, the overall scent almost has a 'sugared lemon/orange' feel to it, a mix of citrus like sweetness and tartness which works very well, and the patchouli adds a lovely depth, a shadow to counteract a very bright scent. I'm also wondering if one of the 'crushed herbs' is tea…I know it's not technically a herb but I smell tea here, I think. Possibly lemony herbs as well. There's also something almost 'perfumey' about the scent-it's something that would work well as 'mainstream perfume', but that's a good thing-it's very well blended. After a while: oh, wow. Musk and amber! the sharp herbs and neroli have retreated, and now the amber and musk, merged as one, become the starts of the scent. the scent is less sharp and less citrus like now, it's a lot smoother, warmer, a sun-warmed golden sweetness and softness, with a touch of something exotic to it, a little bit of patchouli in the background. Beautiful! Verdict: this is a lovely scent! at first it's surprisingly citrus like, a blend of tangy orange like neroli with crisp green herbs, possibly some tea or lemon herbs in there, with the sweetness of amber softening it all. Though this is nice, the drydown is even more delightful…that's when the musk mixes with the amber and the citrus scent fades a bit, and the amber-musk scent dominates and makes for a wonderful scent, a scent that is sweet and downy-soft, golden and warm. This is beautifully well blended, so much so that it wouldn't smell out of place as a sophisticated commercial perfume, yet it still has that special BPAL feel to it. This is a very good everyday scent-it's both fresh and bright but with a soft sweet musky amber undertone to it. I may get a bottle some day. Emoticon rating:

La Belle Dame Sans Merci In the imp: neroli! Lots of orange blossom here… Wet on skin: still neroli, and now I think rose is creeping into the scent… Dry on skin: mmm, not bad! The scent is mainly orange blossom, maybe orange fruit as well, with a little bit of rose. It reminds me of Catherine and Bess but without the rosemary…though there's a slight herbal scent now to this, possibly camomile? I think there may be a little bit of jasmine but I'm not sure yet, there is a greenish scent here as well. But it's mainly orange blossom and rose. After a while: eventually the orange blossom takes a step back and now the rose takes centre stage. it's a bold, yet traditional rose, with a hint of citrus to it…it's not a dry rose though, but there is a hint of bitterness behind it, reminiscent of citrus peel. Then I get rose and a hint of green, with hints of orange blossom. There's also a definite feel of powder to the scent-no bad thing. This to me seems very similar to Bess, but not as sunny/warm/fruity as that scent, this one's a bit more faded. I get none of the aquatics everyone mentions though. Verdict: this is quite nice. To me, it's a less sharp/herbal Catherine and a more muted Bess. It starts off with orange blossom/neroli, which then moves into a soft, powdery rose scent. A full bodied rose with a hint of fruit, it's also quite a bitter rose, but softened by the sweet powder notes. It's a very pretty scent, but I do prefer Bess which is similar to this, but a bit more complex. Emoticon rating:

Storyville Thanks to Blood onmy hands for letting me try this! In the imp: mmm, cocoa and ginger! This smells delicious, a bit like a softer version of Shub with added chocolate! yum! Wet on skin: chocolate ginger with hints of nuts and woods, maybe some vanilla as well…and coffee! Dry on skin: dear gods, this is really delicious! Think the woody vanilla-cocoa of Velvet merged with the sweet, incensy, lemony ginger of Shub Niggurath, with hints of tobacco and coffee! this is a wonderful scent, indeed. It's warmly spicy, sweet, slightly smoky, decadent and rich. there may also be a touch of rum to this, as after a while I get a deep booze note to the scent, maybe it's bay rum. I also get the lovely scent of cinnamon in here. The musk, if there is any, is very discreet for now (not Smut like at all) and there's a delightful vanilla-brown sugar sweetness smoothing the scent down. After a while: eventually, this becomes the lovechild of Shub and Misk U. A muted version of Shub's spicy ginger with a background of dark caramelised coffee. This is goooood. Then it becomes a smoother scent, a soft vanilla musk spiked with ginger and dusted with cocoa and a hint of coffee, giving the impression of a gingerbread mocha. Verdict: this is fantastic stuff! Why do I always fall for the rarities? This is a lovely mix of citrus like ginger and sweet warm cinnamon crackling away with a dusting of nutty chocolate praline, a splash of mocha mingled with rum, vanilla and caramel. A decadent and delicious scent, indulgent and comforting, this is one of those 'must resist urge to eat wrist' scents. This is even better than Gluttony as the 'ultimate chocolate foody scent' since it's not as overly rich and there's a lovely spicy side to the scent to stop it becoming cloying. This scent is just as wonderful as I expected, and since I don't think I'd be willing to sell my soul on Ebay for a bottle, I'll cherish the precious little half imp I have. Emoticon rating:

Doc Buzzard Thanks to Jenpo for letting me try this! In the imp: no pickles, but I do get lime. Lots of lime, and also a masculine cologne base, with resins…and bay rum. I'm sure there's bay rum in here. Wet on skin: now some dark wooden notes creep into the scent, and it starts to become green. Still the lime, resin and bay rum cologne remain. Dry on skin: ooh, this is nice. This is such a unique, complex scent…I'm not sure exactly what's in here, but I can guess…there's something sweetly resinous here-I'm thinking opoponax or labdanum, or maybe benzoin? It's a sweetish scent, and very dark, but with a definite resin feel. There may also be some smouldering myrrh in here, I get that characteristic incense scent from this, it's rich and deep. So yeah, lots of resin and incense here. I also get woods, possibly cedar, dry and also smoky, maybe a touch of sandalwood? This gives it a hint of 'dark green-brown', an earthiness. Maybe some musk too. I think there's also some moss here, enhances the greenness of the scent. The lime/bay rum scent still lingers, though not as strongly. This is masculine but not too much-I really like it. After a while: this then smoothes out so nicely into a smoky resin-wood musk scent with a bright, high note which may be frankincense. the scent is very resinous now, but with that smoothness and woody earthy scent, and a bit of fresh musk, it to me is very autumnal in feel-it also reminds me of another BPAL or two, maybe a mix of Devil's Night with one of the incense blends…yes, come to think of it, it's very similar to Devil's Night, only more incensy and dark. I think there may be a tobacco note at the base of the scent-or maybe patchouli. Over time as the scent develops more, I think it that the deep earthy note underneath is patchouli...now I get a hint of honey-less Luperci to this, Verdict: what a fascinating scent! This is one of those unisex, earthy, incense and autumn smoke that has that trademark 'Beth touch' to it-it's a scent that can only be from BPAL. In the vial, it smells like masculine perfume, a deep bay rum and lime scent. Once it hits the skin, resins and woods come out to play, and the blend's complexity is apparent. I get a load of resinous scents, sweet ones and dark ones, a few brighter resins too, all smouldering gently on a background of dry, earthy woods, moss, patchouli and fresh, airy musk. the drydown is almost like Devil's Night-a smoky depth with light tangy musk, with a bit of sweetness. This is a lot nicer than I was expecting-it does smell a bit masculine, but not so much that it makes me smell too butch (but I'm sure a guy would smell drop dead sexy in this). I'm very glad I got to try this rare scent- I won't need a bottle, but I will be keeping my sample! Emoticon rating:

Eve In the imp: soft honeyed rose and ylang-ylang. This honey is sweet and gentle, not the sharp honey I get in some scents. Wet on skin: I’m getting a floral I’m not 100% familiar with, which I think is the apple blossom. I also smell ylang and honey. Dry: oh, this is such a pretty fragrance! Now the rose has come out in force. It’s honeyed rose-much rosier and less sharp than Jezebel’s-with heady ylang-ylang and a hint of a dry, light, springy floral which must be the apple blossom. This is a gorgeous scent, it’s warm and sunny, youthfully floral and with something innocent about it. I adore the honey-rose this has. After a while: after about ten minutes, the scent isn’t as sweet and full as before. It’s now become a lot drier, a tad harsher. It reminds me of dried rose petals with dry blossom petals surrounding it-it’s not that fresh rose scent I had before, the rose has dried and wilted. It’s not a bad scent, but it’s not as lovely as before. The ylang-ylang is very piercing now (it’s not exactly the chemical scent others say this note has, but it’s almost like that now, it seems ever so slightly reminiscent of alcohol), and the honey’s gone. It now smells like a drier Silentium Amoris. This stage lasts until the scent fades completely. Verdict: at first, I adored this scent! It was a gorgeous rose with soft honey and the other florals lingering pleasantly in the background. It was delightful! However, this stage didn’t last. The scent then became very dry and almost dusty in scent, like the fresh rose that was before had wilted a bit, and the ylang-ylang also becomes very dominant at this stage. This stage of scent isn’t unpleasant as such, but it’s not as wonderful as the first stage, which was fleeting, unlike the dry, old rose stage that lasts until the end. I might keep the imp of this, but it’s not my favourite rose scent. Emoticon rating:

Delight In the imp: ugh, vinegar! No, I’m not kidding, this smells like vinegar! I’m a bit scared to put it on my skin, it smells sour and unappealing… Wet on skin: still a bit sour and vinegar-y, but now I think I’m getting hints of floral coming out…maybe the tuberose? Dry: hmm, not bad! No more vinegar. This now smells like a soft, almost incense like floral. It smells like floral joss sticks from India, with an almost champa like feel to it. There’s tuberose and jasmine here-I don’t get much of the rose (I think it may be adding a hint of something tart to the scent though), maybe I can smell the frangipani but the scent is a well blended sultry floral, humid and exotic, with a hint of nag champa. It seems evocative of a sultry summer night with heady blooms on the breeze. Strangely, there’s also a hint of salt to it-maybe this is a floral-scented summer night by the sea? After a while: a very soft, almost barely there, scent remains after an hour. I now get a hint of rose, with a little bit of sweet frangipani, I think, with a white floral background. But it’s ever so faint! Verdict: here’s a good example of ‘don’t judge a scent by its imp!’ In the imp, this smelt very off putting-like vinegar! I didn’t want to put it on my skin but I’m did, because the scent changes dramatically into a very pleasant, subtle floral. An exotic and sultry scent, it reminds me of Indian floral incense burning on a humid summer night with the scent of the joss sticks mingling with the scent of nocturnal blooms. It’s not too heady, it’s more like a wisp of scent. It does fade incredibly fast on my skin though, leaving just a bare hint of white floral. It’s a nice scent but too short lived and the vinegar scent it had first kinda freaked me out… I’ll stick with Khajuraho for my Indian floral incense scent. Emoticon rating:

I stink of: Black Hellebore, and Heaven and Earth's Bunny at the Door I'm really not looking forward to next Tuesday. I have my first exam-it's 'contemporary physics'-that's all 20th century physics including quantum, relativity and nuclear/atomic physics. It's going to be a three hour long one, and I'm already scared...however, past exam papers are so helpful. I used to prefer revising through reading, and whilst I still do this, I find doing questions, writing, calculating and practising is more effective. But it's also so monotonous...at least some concepts I was unsure of are sticking in my head. Now, for more studying...*snorts TAL Concentration* At least I have a holiday in Crete to look forward to in the middle of June!

Burial In the imp: sweetish juniper! It’s almost like pine in here… Wet on skin: now I can smell the patchouli, dark and earthy under the piercing juniper. Dry: mmm…now this is starting to remind me of something very familiar. Yes, that’s right-it smells like Lush Tramp! It’s that same foresty patchouli, but with sharp, bright juniper, so it’s not totally identical to Tramp, but very close. And I’m quite a fan of Tramp, so I really like this…even though it’s a little bit more masculine. After a while: rose??? Yes, now I’m smelling rose here! That’s not a bad thing at all since I love rose, but I wasn’t expecting any in here. It’s rose and earthy, dusty patchouli. This scent now smells like dry earth (not wet soil-this is crumbly, dusty dirt) scattered over dried rose petals. Verdict: at first, of all the BPAL scents rumoured to smell like Tramp, this is the closest. It’s not identical, this scent is actually a more masculine, piercing, almost medicinal version of Tramp, it’s not as dark and doesn’t have the moss, but the earthy patchouli and forest scent is very close. But then it changes and an unexpected rose note pops up, and it smells like an old funeral bouquet of roses, dry and dead, on top of dry, dusty earth. Very evocative. I do like this scent, not enough for a bottle, but I will keep the imp. Emoticon rating:

Black Hellebore In the imp: a very pretty floral. It’s quite heady and ‘perfumey’ but in a good way. Wet on skin: mmm, this is lovely. I think the floral note is almost like peony, with a hint of ripe fruit. Dry: gorgeous! This is a beautiful fragrance-heady rich floral with a hint of fruitiness to it. It is indeed a peony scent, much richer and deeper than Peony Moon, with a hint of rose to it. There’s a sweet note that reminds me of fruit, not sure what kind of fruit though. There’s also that crisp, tangy ‘spring blossom’ scent to it as well, with a bit of green. There’s a definite dark feel to it. After a while: it’s not long before the scent becomes headier and more like classic perfume in feel and the throw increases. There’s now a hint of something tangy underneath, a note I can’t identify but which reminds me of expensive perfume. The fruity peony scent still remains, but the scent also darkens even more. This is a very sophisticated scent now, something that feels mature. The drydown is that deep floral, now with some dark, earthy, ashy notes, probably tobacco and/or vetiver, possibly a little cedar or something woody, but it’s not very smoky, it’s more like a dark, slinky scent with a tinge of something reminiscent of good quality men’s perfume. This must be the green, rooty scent mentioned in the description. Verdict: I like this one a lot better than I was expecting. I get no herbal green earthiness until the end. First this is a rich, powerful floral scent, deep and heady, a scent reminiscent of peony and sweet ripened fruit with a hint of green and tart rose to it, and an undercurrent of classic perfume, which strengthens upon drydown. Over time the scent darkens and becomes more mysterious and sophisticated, at the end the floral note is then covered with earthy, gritty greenish notes-yet these are smoothed out with that 'posh perfume' note. This is a very grown up scent, there’s definitely something classy about it, but also quite dark. I’ll be keeping the imp of this because I’m not sure about the drydown (it’s almost like men’s perfume by the end) but I love the burst of rich heady flowers I get at first. Emoticon rating:

I stink of: Ozymandias (this is so beautiful second time round-there's an almost Antique Lace-like quality to it, like AL in a desert breeze, with Egyptian musk behind it) I'm a little bit surprised I wasn't picked on in the wank thread...I'm not sure whether I should be glad or sad about that. If there was a comment like 'OMG that stupid little yeahbutnobut/miss isis uk should go mummify herself or something if she's so into Egypt yada yada yada' would have probably made my day but really and truly, that thread did sicken me to the core. My self-torturing, curious side of my brain makes me want to go and read it more and it does become more laughably immature the more I read it. But seriously, comments like name calling and bitching about people's weight or saying that their av sucks belongs in primary school, not what should be an adult community, and the few moronic comments about Beth remarketing the same blend under a different name/using premade blends/lying about natural blends...the words 'horse', 'flog' and 'dead' come to mind. My campus is under invasion by these really weird bugs. Not the usual wasps and flies and occasional mozzies I see every summer, but daddy-long-legs. These aren't the gangly, clumsy, somewhat farcical bugs that come out during the autumn, but a new breed altogether-these things fly elegantly, land perfectly on windows as opposed to the usual flailing of legs before landing, have markings like a wasp, and have huuuuuge legspans. I mean, huge-like the width of a tennis ball. They freak me out. It also makes me wonder if that urban legend about daddy-long-legs being the most poisonous creatures on earth is true...thank goodness they aren't able to use that poison because of their lack of sting or fangs! In a week or so, I have my first exam. It's about quantum physics, nuclear physics, and relativity. Nice brain-scrambling stuff. I need to get revising a bit more-it's a truly fascinating and mind boggling module, but the maths involved in quantum makes my head throb so much...must stop forum-ing. Must begin studying.

The Red Queen In the imp: dark, woody cherry-almond. Wet on skin: this reminds me a bit of Hearth 04’s cherry wood note. It’s deep, woody and a tad smoky. Dry: now the woods come out to play-I think I’m getting the mahogany. It’s a sweet, dark wood-and yes, it smells almost like furniture, but that’s no bad thing. There’s an almost dusty feel to the scent. I get the sweet fruitiness of cherries as well, a little bit of currant behind it all. This is a very unusual scent. After a while: this smoothes out nicely. I’m now getting that soft mahogany wood smell with cherries, a brown-red scent. In fact, I swear that at some points it smells like cherries in chocolate! Or a chocolate cake with cherries? It’s lovely and sweet now, less dusty and less dry, and a bit creamy. Verdict: this was a very interesting, unconventional scent. It starts off very dark, heavy and woody, with a dry, dusty feel-yet it is richly fragrant and fruity, the scents of mahogany and cherry making for an unusual fragrance. The drydown is even nicer-not as dry as before, smoother and sweeter with chocolate like tones to it, and with a fruity, creamy feel. I like this a lot better than I expected so I will keep the imp. Emoticon rating:

Stargazer Lily In the imp: beautiful lily!!! This smells really gorgeous. It reminds me of Black Lily, only lighter. It doesn’t have the ‘spicy’ scent of stargazers, but has a hint of greenness. Wet on skin: the green note sharpens a tad on my skin, and now I get the impression of white lilies and green leaves. Dry: not bad! It’s not as ‘wow’ as it was in the vial as now it’s a little bit sharper and much much greener, but it’s still a lovely scent. However, it doesn’t really smell like a stargazer lily-to me, this actually smells like honeysuckle at some points. And there’s a lot of green to the scent-like stepping into a florist’s full of lilies and leaves. It does seem to become less sharp after I put it on the skin though, the flower is coming out. After a while: it’s not stargazer on me now-it’s lily of the valley mixed with honeysuckle! That’s no bad thing, but I was hoping for stargazer lily…the scent is very green and crisp, almost tangy now, and also a lot drier. Verdict: whilst this is a lovely scent, this isn’t stargazer lily to me. Stargazers have a complex, heady, rich, sweet, and spicy scent. But this is more like a mix of white lilies, lily of the valley, and honeysuckle…a fresh floral with a lot of green to it, touched with dew. It’s not a bad thing-I’ve heard that the true scent of stargazer lily is very difficult to replicate as a perfume, which is a shame…I’ll still have to keep searching for my holy grail of stargazer lily scent. But this is a nice SN, though it’s one of those notes I prefer as part of a blend, rather than on its own. It does smell gobsmackingly beautiful in the imp, though… Emoticon rating:

The Apothecary In the imp: sharp green tea and grass, with some tangy herbs. Wet on skin: fresh green tea and grass! I like this. Dry: not bad! This scent is green to the extreme! It’s moist and fresh, with sharp notes-tea and herbs-rounded off by the mosses and a dewy touch of grass and the warmth of ginger. This scent is zingy and springy, full of life and freshness. I love the wonderful moistness of this scent, it’s like dew (how does Beth do that?) and there’s a touch of fruity sweetness from the fig. After a while: I wonder if there’s some sage here? I’m getting that soft, deep green, herbal scent from here…the ginger has warmed up nicely and I can really get the fig now, that fruity-earthy-tangy green scent. And I love the grass! Over time, it seems that the mosses, grass and fig are becoming the centre of attention in this scent. And that’s a good thing. At the end…I swear I’m getting vetiver. Where’s that coming from? I swear my skin loves to detect supposedly non-existent vetiver in scents. But that’s no bad thing, since this is a light vetiver which blends nicely with the fresh moss. At this point, the scent becomes a little bit more masculine. Verdict: I wasn’t sure whether I’d like this-I was worried it would be too sharp or masculine, but it’s actually a really lovely scent. A pleasant take on the theme of a green scent, it’s a fresh, tangy, moist mix of tea, ginger, grass and fig with a soft backdrop of moss. It smells dewy and refreshing, a very good scent for summer. At the end, I do get an unexpected vetiver note, but that could just be my weird skin. But this is a very nice scent and I will keep the imp for now. Emoticon rating:

Amor In the imp: almond, almond, almond! With a hint of cherry. On skin: when wet, it’s still almonds (very bitter, boozy ones-not sweet like Bastet or Eclipse’s) with a hint of something alcoholic. This does remind me of Decadence. When dry it turns to orange! Yup, I now get oranges, fizzy oranges to be precise-almost like Orangina! Fizzy oranges with a hint of rose in the background, and some spice-possibly pepper. This is quite nice-it reminds me of Parfum Maroc by B&I, and also a little bit of Seraglio (only less rich/woody) and Decadence (though less foody/boozy), though this is far more orangey. There’s also something almost wet, not quite aquatic, but giving the feel of water or juice. However, with it’s watery, effervescent feel, also reminds me of bathing in Lush Bollywood! Verdict (scent): this is a lovely, lively scent! It starts off with boozy almond but then becomes a fizzy orange with a hint of gentle rose and spice, also a little bit of cherry and something watery. This isn’t a sexy blend as such but it’s playfully amorous and very flirtatious in feel. As for whether this works-well, I’ll update the review when I try this for it’s purpose. But I’m glad it can be worn as perfume. Now, I’m wondering if this scent will prompt a spontaneous hug from the guy next door?? Emoticon rating:

Venom In the imp: oooh, rich sweet jasmine! This is lovely! Wet on skin: still sweet jasmine, slightly fruity thanks to the berries, with just a hint of resin and lime. Dry: mmm, I quite like this! It’s sweet jasmine but with a cold bite to it, there’s a cool, airy, slightly green note here-maybe it’s the galbanum? Probably, because I smelt something similar in Marquise de Merteuil. The lime is barely there, but I really like the opponax resin scent underneath the jasmine, it’s not obvious but it deepens the berry-jasmine and makes it richer. This does have a very sophisticated feel to it. As to whether it smells like Poison, I can’t say since I’ve not smelt that, but it does feel like it could make a good ‘posh perfume’ scent but without being blatant about it. After a while: for about two hours, wafts of deep jasmine come off my wrist and surround me with scent. It’s so beautiful! After two hours, the scent on my wrist is a lot warmer, and softer, almost musky…a resinous jasmine scent, dark and exotic, sultry and sexy. Verdict: This is a wickedly good scent, I really like this a lot-it’s got a fantastic jasmine note-rich and deep and heady, very similar to Cabaret’s to my nose-it’s similar to Tunisian jasmine which I adore. The sweetness and intensity of jasmine is enhanced by berries and opponax and cooled by chilly, piercing galbanum. This scent is sophisticated and grown up, and quite sexy! It makes me feel grown up. It’s such a shame this has been discontinued, seemingly indefinitely, because this is a fabulous scent and I will cherish the imp I have of it. Emoticon rating:

Embalming Fluid In the imp: fresh green tea and lemon! Tangy and bright. Wet on skin: green tea and lemon, very, very tangy indeed. Dry on skin: now I get a hint of another green note, less tangy but still fresh, this might be the aloe. This is a very pleasant scent-it's a classic green tea and citrus scent, a refreshing and tart blend. it does remind me of other green tea non-BPAL perfumes but I think the aloe note is making this a bit different…yes, it's aloe alright, it smells so clear, green and cool! After a while: the tea note mellows very nicely and the scent gets greener, probably thanks to the aloe. I get a little hint of musk, but it's so subtle-it's still tea dominated. It also smells like a tangier, less floral Berenice. Over time it gets more and more green and aloe-y, with musk grounding the scent nicely. Verdict: this, of course, smells more lively than it's name implies! This is fresh, tart and light, a bright and tangy blend of tea and lemon at first, sunny and zingy. It's a scent that really wakes me up (not what you'd expect from a scent called Embalming Fluid! Though it does smell like Spirits of the Dead as well…) and it eventually dries down to a green and fresh aloe-musk scent, a bit like Berenice without the lily and linen. This is a really nice scent, uncomplicated and clean, and it's a good BPAL take on the classic fresh green tea theme. I do prefer some other tea, lemon and musk scents better but this is nice enough to keep the imp, it's a good everyday scent for summer. Emoticon rating:

Iambe In the imp: a sharp-ish, fresh, fruity floral scent. I think I get gardenia. Hopefully not the evil type. Wet on skin: the gardenia goes sharp, as usual, but it's not as bad as usual… Dry on skin: not bad! This gardenia does go sharp and dry on my skin but not evil and acrid-the overall tart scent is probably a combination of it and tea. But underneath it is a lovely rose-patchouli blend, reminiscent of the rose-patch from Nemesis, with a lovely amber sweetness. There's something almost fruity about this scent, for some reason, almost like pomegranate! I know it's not listed as a note but I'm getting a pomegranate vibe from this-that sweet, red, and also tart scent. After a while: the rose and amber merge nicely with the patchouli to form a deep, rich and earthy rose with a touch of sweetness, reminiscent of the rose in Queen of Clubs and Nemesis. The tartness of gardenia tea is still there but has toned down, and a scent almost like citrus has appeared. The 'pomegranate' scent returns at the end, and the scent develops an almost musky/earthy undertone. It's that fruit-floral-earthy-musk drydown I love so much that I've found in other BPALs, only with the tang of tea on top adding an interesting edge to it all. Verdict: this was a pleasant surprise, this is a very pretty, light, and joyful scent with a surprisingly fruity aspect to it. it's both tart and sharp but with a lovely sweetness to it, it's juicy and fresh and here's the surprising part-it turned to pomegranate on me! Yep, that's right-pomegranate with a hint of citrus (that's the tea). But deeper sniffs bring out the rose and amber with a light cover of gardenia and tea on top. This is another scent where the gardenia reacts not too badly on me-it does sharpen on my skin but that just adds to the tart fruit side of the fruit. The drydown is that lovely earthy fruity-pomegranate scent with an almost musky feel to it, and it reminds me of a mix of Thaleia and Queen of Clubs' drydowns. I like this a lot-not enough for a bottle but the imp is a keeper, and I think it will be a nice early autumn scent. Emoticon rating:

Caliph's Beloved In the imp: cinnamon! This smells very much like Bengal without the honey. As right now, I have no man in my life, and therefore no sex life, I'm just testing this for now and keeping the decant for when the right time comes… On skin: it's such a shame this can't be used as perfume, because this smells so beautiful to me. Think Bengal with the honey replaced by amber and with added cardamom, with a hint of musk and red sandalwood. A wonderful, golden scent, warm and sensual, reminiscent of spice markets in the romanticised Arabia of the 1001 Nights...it's such a gorgeous scent, incredibly exotic, and very sexy indeed, I definitely have nosegasms when I smell this! Right now I have no man in my life, but I definitely want to use this when I do-I wouldn't be in the least bit surprised if I got laid when wearing this! (Review will be updated if needs be.)

La Flamme In the imp: spicy! It's that slightly savoury 'voodoo spice' mix, with a bit of cinnamon (I think) and musk. This oil so very, very dark. On skin: when wet, there's a slight metallic feel to this scent, I also smell some cloves? It seems this oil is staining my skin! But when dry, I get a deep, rich musk. I think it's red musk, with a definite spicy feel to it. It's warm and fiery, deep and rich. This smells very hot indeed (is there a hint of chilli here? I still smell cloves, or maybe carnation) and slightly sweet, maybe a hint of something tangy and herbal-fruity? Yes-it's lemon, but of a herbal kind, either the balm or the grass. The combination of spicy lemongrass/balm with red musk is an unusual, but delightful combination. Over time, it sweetens nicely (is there vanilla here? maybe tonka or benzoin?) and the musk becomes more prominent. There may be a touch of patchouli here too? The scent is definitely akin to the likes of Snake Oil, Scherezade, Lust and Smut. Verdict (scent): this scent does fit the name-a warm, sensual, red flame of a scent, sparkling and passionate. A unique blend of deep, sexy musk, with tangy lemon balm/grass and hot spices. This is a truly gorgeous scent and I'm glad this oil can be worn as perfume. As for it's purpose, I'm afraid I have no lover to test this stuff on yet, but from it's scent, it seems like it can definitely do the trick! (will update this if needs be.)