PurringPulsar

Somnus In the imp: herbal lavender. I think thyme and basil may be in this as well? Wet on skin: still herbal lavender. Dry: hmm, this is a potent herbal lavender scent, almost sharp, very powerful. It’s like a dusky cloud of soporific scent, knocking you out with its dark, smoky lavender aroma. There’s a slight undercurrent of olives there but it’s predominantly deep, dark lavender… After a while: the scent is less lavender and more like…olives. Yes, olives. I don’t know what’s causing this but I get a definite olive oil scent here…maybe it’s some other herbs causing this? I’m not getting the same sleepy feeling that Temple of Dreams brought on but I’ll go to bed soon and see what happens. The scent after a while becomes a dry jasmine-honeysuckle greenish drydown. The morning after…this doesn’t work on me. I hade one of those scary night chokes where I woke up feeling like I couldn’t breathe and that my throat was blocked up. That was horrible…I was thinking ‘shit, I could have died if I woke up a bit later!’ not sure if it was the Somnus but I didn’t sleep very well that night at all. Verdict: as with other sleep related BPAL scents, this one is very lavender-y. this lavender is powerful and deep, a heady cloud of strong herbal lavender, mixed with other herbal notes. However, on my skin, lavender doesn’t last long, so when that fades, I get an odd scent…olive oil. Like lavender stalks macerating in olive oil, this is what it smells like, before morphing to sharp green floral notes. A very strange scent, not as nice as Temple of Dreams smelt on me, but that’s not the point. With the Somnium range, it’s all about the zzz-factor. So I tried this on the night when I needed maximum sleep for an early morning and a hard day…however, I didn’t feel that it worked for me sleep-wise. I got one of those ‘sleep chokes’ and had problems sleeping after that. I think I’ll stick to Temple of Dreams as my favourite Somnium so far.

Hellion In the imp: ooh, this is like a darker Snake Charmer! I smell plum here, possibly with musk and sandalwood. Wet on skin: now I smell the sandalwood even more-and it is scorched, indeed. It smells like smouldering sandalwood incense with hints of nag champa, patchouli and juicy plum. Dry: whoa. This stuff is incredible. This is, to me, Snake Charmer’s evil twin. Dark, fiery, smoky and with a smidgen of rebelliousness, this scent is predominantly the scent of incense, burning and smouldering away, giving off clouds of fragrant smoke. Dry, burnt sandalwood with a dark musk and hints of nag champa and patchouli incense, with the juicy sweetness of plum and a hint of narcissus adding a lighter touch to an otherwise blackened and brooding scent. I love the way this smells just like good quality incense in the process of burning and filling a room with scented smoke. After a while: the incense scent strengthens more, the plum fades away, so now the scent is sharp burning incense with a hint of bonfire, but the musk adds a smooth layer underneath it all. I think this will be a great autumn scent. Then after an hour, or so, the scent smoothes out into that wonderful ‘smoky autumnal fruity musk’ drydown I have smelt in a few other, totally random, BPAL scents (even scents without smoke/incense, musk or fruit notes). Only this time, this fruity musk is smokier. This reminds me somewhat of Hunter Moon, only more incense like, darker, and with hints of plum. Then it reminds me of Hunter Moon meets Snake Charmer, but without SC’s vanilla sweetness. Verdict: this is Snake Charmer on fire! Another one of the Lab’s wonderful incense/plum scents, this is a dark, smouldering, smoky scent of burning sandalwood, dark musk, patchouli incense and a juicy plum note softening it all out. Then for a while it smells blackened, charred and almost like a fragrant bonfire, before going into that fruity smoky musk stage that I get in a lot of BPALs…this scent will be really nice in the autumn. Whilst I still prefer Snake Charmer as my favourite in this family of ‘exotic, incense, musk and a bit of fruit/sweetness’ scents, I really like this and will treasure the decant I have.

Tempest In the imp: fresh, slightly salty, pure ozone. I quite like this-it’s like rain on the sea. Wet on skin: interesting, the scent gets a bit peppery now. That’s really odd. I also get a metallic scent. Dry: what an intriguing, unusual scent. At times, this is fresh, airy, slightly salty and wet. Rain falling on a stormy ocean, cold winds lashing your face. Very evocative of a coming tempest. At times however, it reminds me of celery, white florals, pepper/spices and something familiar…photocopying machines? wtf??? It reminds me of the ozone scent above certain electrical objects, heated metal and electrical currents warming the air and giving it a distinctive scent. Well, it seems Beth has nailed the ozone note in here very accurately-a bit too accurate for comfort at times… After a while: I’m afraid this ozone note doesn’t like me. usually ozone turns to soap if it wants to make a bad reaction, but this is just bizarre-it’s almost like warm plastic and heated metal, it smells like ‘office ozone’ like what you get around computers and photocopiers. Now that is weird. I wanted the rainy ocean scent I had before! The drydown is a weird mixture of fresh salty ocean breezes, hot metal, and now chalk or plaster. This ozone ain’t agreeing with my skin at all. Verdict: ozone notes are very hit or miss on me. I love Urania and Sea of Glass, like Nyarlahotep, didn’t like Storm Moon. This is another ozone that I’m not keen on. Not because it goes soapy, but because it smells very chemical on me…in the imp I get the wonderful ‘rain on the ocean’ scent I hoped for, but on the skin the ozone smells like the real ozone produced by photocopiers and other electrical appliances (yup, this ozone note sure is realistic, but in this case, it’s a bit too realistic for me!)…it’s that heated metal and plastic, with a hint of plaster and chalk on drydown. Shame really, because it had potential before my skin decided to ruin it. I'm not disappointed though since I never really liked storms anyway (I know, I'm in the minority here). Off to swaps.

Queen Gertrude In the imp: wisteria and a watery, greenish floral that may be chrysanthemum, but I’m not certain. Wet on skin: wisteria and a sharp greenish floral scent which reminds me of florists-yup, I think it’s chrysanthemum…or is it delphinium? Dry: as soon as the scent dries, the violet pops up, makes itself known, along with the wisteria. There’s also that fresh, dewy, greenish floral note which adds a sharp bite to the scent. It’s a moist floral, I’m always amazed at how a lot of BPAL florals smell so fresh and dewy, this is one of them. After a while: hey, this is softening up! The violet and wisteria are smoothing out the sharp, wet chrysanthemum and delphinium notes, adding a soft, powdery ‘purpleness’ to the scent but with the sharper floral notes still sticking around. I like this scent now. Over time, one of the floral notes in here develops a sweetness reminiscent of ripe fruit, with the violet and wisteria covering the scent in a gentle dusting of dusky purple. The scent no longer has the sharpness of the wet stage…I think it’s growing on me! And then the scent settles nicely. It’s not too sweet now, just a lovely wisteria-violet scent with a hint of fruity floral to it. Verdict: this is another pleasant violet scent. At first I wasn’t sure, as there was a floral note there that I feared would either go the sharp or the soapy route, but the violet and wisteria prevented that from happening. When wet/just dry, it was the scent of violet, wisteria and a biting, yet watery and fresh floral that may be chrysanthemum. But then the violet and wisteria joined forces to calm this floral note down and after the scent had undergone a fruity stage, the drydown is a pleasant dusky sweet violet scent which is very enjoyable. Not one for a bottle, but I’ll keep the imp of this, as I like it.

Blessings of Isis In the imp: light patchouli with a bit of sweetness, and maybe a hint of, dare I say it, civet? My nose must be off…I also get resinous notes, and something smouldering and incense like, and some vetiver. Wet on skin: patchouli, sandalwood and vetiver are now the dominant notes-and also something sweet. I also get a hint of incense. Dry: hmm, interesting. I don’t get the sweet, fruity kyphi incense scent I was expecting, but I do get incense-with sandalwood, frankincense, myrrh, vetiver and patchouli, and possibly some cedar, smouldering and smoking on an ancient censer. It’s a scent that reminds me of bonfires and autumn, but it’s warmer and more shadowy. It’s a dark, mysterious scent. I also get civet here. Luckily I’m one of the lucky few who can tolerate this feral little note in small amounts, like in here-I’m not getting a ‘bad breath’ reaction. But I swear there’s civet in here. This does resemble a less animalistic, more incense like Fire of Love, actually, which seems fitting with the scent’s purpose. After a while: holy civet! I’m getting a load of civet from this after 30 mins…with the dark undertones of smoky incense and vetiver. This incense/vetiver scent reminds me a little bit of Djinn, it’s very smoky and bonfire like. This intense civet then goes down, replaced by intense, dark vetiver with the scent of the ashes of the remaining incense. I’ve noticed a lot of TAL scents have a base of vetiver, I’d be interested in knowing the magickal qualities of this particular note. The drydown after a few hours is a dead ringer for Helping Hand-warm, dark vetiver and tobacco. It’s quite a comforting scent. Verdict (scent): warm, dry, woody, darkly resinous, smoky, unisex and a little bit animalistic, that’s what this scent is like. Totally not what I expected from an oil named after this great mother goddess…but Isis is a goddess of many facets and aspects. The scent seems to fit in with the oil’s purpose, it reflects Isis’s darker and more sexual aspects as opposed to her 'divine mother' aspect. I get dark resins, ashy tobacco and vetiver in here, the scent is very smoky indeed. And then there’s the civet adding a feral twist to the scent. This scent does have something sexual about it in both scent and feel, and to me it’s a cross between Fire of Love and Helping Hand-both scents and purposes. Scent wise, I like it, it’s an interesting scent but to be honest, I was a little bit taken aback by it-it wasn’t what I was expecting. It’s not for me. Purpose wise, right now I don’t need this oil for it’s intent as I am not in a relationship that has faded and needs rekindling, and smelling this oil has made me realise that this scent isn’t meant for me just yet. So I’m putting it up for swap or sale to someone who needs it more.

Tombstone In the imp: strong, sweet vanilla with woody notes of cedar, and possibly balsam. Wet on skin: vanilla and cedar, with the balsam (which I think is a fir note) adding freshness. Dry on skin: oh yeah, I like this a lot. This is vanilla, raw and rugged, with a solid dry base of woody cedar and balsam notes…I smell something else in here that I can't put my finger on, maybe it's the sassafras? (I'm one of the few people who hasn't drunk root beer before, I'm afraid to say!) the vanilla in this scent is identical to the single note I tried, it's sweet, deep, and slightly foody, in here it reminds me of vanilla extract and ice cream-it's very strong! I love the way the vanilla and cedar go together in this, vanilla always plays nicely with wood scents. After a while: this smells almost identical to Velvet at times…only with grittier, less gentle notes, with the sandalwood replaced with cedar. But the scent which dominates is pure, sweet, powerful vanilla. I think I'm getting a bit more of the sassafras at this point as well-or is that the balsam? Well, after about an hour or two…where's the cedar? The balsam and the sassafras? It's pretty much all vanilla now. Pure vanilla SN, and very foody vanilla which has incredible throw. Which is nice, but I was hoping the other notes would stick around to add more complexity. Verdict: not many BPAL vanillas amp up on me, but this one does, in a big way. It's not a bad thing, I like vanilla a lot, but I was hoping that the other notes weren't crushed by the vanilla…this scent started out very interestingly, with rich sweet vanilla on a base of dry rugged cedar, and the balsam and sassafras flitting through every now and then. But then the vanilla takes over and that's the only note I can smell-and it does get overwhelming at times. It also happens to smell very much like the Vanilla Bean SN which means it will be a good substitute when my imp of VB runs out. I do like it, but it's a lot more vanilla-y and foody than I expected.

Sepulcher In the imp: very sweet floral-I'm assuming that's rose and lily. Wet on skin: whoo, this is heady, but in a good way. Rich, dewy floral notes. Dry on skin: ooh, I like this. This smells like a bouquet of white lilies from the florist's-powerfully fragrant, mixed with the strong scent of rose and they merge to become one dominant floral note. The grass note adds a lovely hint of green to the scent, making the flowers smell fresher and more alive. There's a nice moistness here, almost like the flowers have been drenched by rain, and it's almost mournful at times-this is a funeral bouquet placed on a grave on a rainy day. I don't get any juniper, which is surprising since that's usually quite a bright, high pitched note that always peeks out of a scent. After a while: the lily then moves away from the rose, and the scent gets drier and a bit greener. The drydown scent is of dry lily petals, clean, papery and white. Verdict: this is a poignant, heady, emotional floral scent, which is predominantly the scent of rose mixed with highly fragrant lily. It's quite a melancholy scent, there's a lot of feeling in this, the floral notes sing on my skin, but it's a sad song, almost mournful. The lily note is made even more real by the presence of grass which adds a greenness to the scent which gives the impression of a bouquet from a florist's shop, or a bouquet lying on a wet layer of grass, as there's also a moist fresh feel to the scent. I really like this scent, only a drop is needed as the scent is potent and has a lot of throw. I don't need a bottle but I'm glad I have a decant of this gorgeous floral scent.

The Perfumed Garden is Fairy Jasmine/Alkmaar in BPAL form. That is all. I got a Rock Star reaction from the most unexpected BPAL ever...Allegory! That was weird, but I liked that. Despair also smells a bit like Dream Cream at times.

Parlement of Foules In the imp: rich, resinous rose. reminds me of All Saints, I think the primary resin is myrrh. Wet on skin: myrrh and rose, a combination of notes that works fantastically. Dry on skin: oh, this is lovely. A good strong myrrh note, smoky and resinous all at once, like church incense, with hints of frankincense, and other resins both sweet and smoky, and a delightful, full bodied yet gentle rose. This is now like Midnight Mass meets All Saints or Rose Cross. It seems very appropriate for a medieval scent. After a while: still rose and myrrh, I think those two notes have become the main players in this lovely fragrance-those two notes make this scent slightly reminiscent of Thanatos but without the mossy, gloomy, deathly aspects of that scent. I love the white rose note (it's the same one as the rose in Penthus and Magdalene), it's such a rich, heady, full bodied rose note, and it goes very nicely with the background of deep myrrh and hints of other gently smouldering resins. Verdict: rose and resins are a wonderful match. I adore scents like Rose Cross, All Saints, Magdalene and Thanatos, so it's no surprise that I love this too. A lovely dark smoky myrrh mingles with a fresh, rich, fully bloomed white rose note, with other resinous notes joining the party. It resembles the above rose-resin scents, but it's also quite different because to me, it's also like Midnight Mass with added rose-which is a fabulous combination. The roses and resins complement each other wonderfully, and the scent is romantic and serious, yet courtly and elegant, with a definite medieval vibe to it. I am very impressed with the Lupercalia scents, and this is another favourite from that collection.

The Perfumed Garden In the imp: sweet and fruity with a hint of floral, sweet apple and jasmine with other gentle notes which bring to mind a sunlit garden. Wet on skin: oh wow, this gets richer, sweeter, more fragrant…fruity, floral, and a hint of herbs. Dry on skin: wow, this is lovely. I smell strong sandalwood, musk and sweet myrrh mingling together very nicely to provide an exotic backdrop for the jasmine, sweet apple, and another sweet fruity note that might be the quince. The thyme adds an interesting hint of something herbal to it all…I'm amazed at how well blended this smells, all the notes merge into a wonderful harmony of scent which is sweet, rich, complex yet balanced. It brings to mind relaxing a sunlit oasis full of varied plants, flowers and fruits all exuding delightful fragrances, the scent registers as light green and sunny yellow with hints of white and pink/purple in terms of colours. After a while: oh my goodness. I smell Fairy Jasmine. Yup, that's right…I get hints of Lush Fairy Jasmine/Alkmaar/Silky Underwear in here! Which is a good thing-I love FJ. I've been looking for a BPAL jasmine scent which smells like those Lush scents, and this is it. The Moroccan jasmine note in this is probably one of BPAL's nicest and truest jasmine notes…I think it's a note that even people who don't like BPAL's regular jasmine will like. So now, the scent is like FJ/Alkmaar with a more exotic sandalwood incense background and also a hint of fruit and citrus to it. Verdict: this garden scent is a horticultural hit! A beautiful, well blended, mellow blend which to me, is the scent of a paradise like oasis providing respite and sanctuary to weary travellers. It's a wonderfully warm and exotic scent with it's notes of incense-like sandalwood and myrrh, with hints of myrrh, and delightful jasmine (I adore the Moroccan jasmine in here), yet it's also fresh and light, with juicy ripe fruit notes of quince, apple and citrus. The drydown is just as lovely-not least because it's a dead ringer for Lush's Fairy Jasmine (and I've been looking for a BPAL equivalent of that scent, and this is it)! this is another one of the more underrated Lupercalia scents which I have fallen head over heels for and I might want to hunt down another bottle through swaps…

Depraved In the imp: sweet, round, lush ripe apricot with hints of earthy patchouli depth. Wet on skin: the apricot gets juicier and tangier, still with patchouli. Dry on skin: wow. It's a simple, yet unusual combination but I think it seems to work. Earthy, dirty patchouli, smoky and dark, contrasts nicely with sweet, plump, ripe apricot, an apricot bursting with juice. It's delicious! After a while: I find that the patchouli simply deepens and enhances the ripe, rich scent of the apricot even more. This isn't hippy apricot that I expected, it's more like an autumnal apricot scent, the patchouli adding it's smoky, pleasantly dirty scent to the sunny apricot note. What I like about this is that the apricot isn't too sweet. Verdict: patchouli and apricot may seem an odd combination, but in this scent, they work really well. the patchouli adds depth and earthiness to a wonderful apricot note which smells so real, so sweet and succulent, sun ripened and bursting with juices. The two notes play very nicely together and the patchouli isn't too noticeable here, it works nicely as a note that enhances the lush apricot-which, thankfully, isn't over-sweet. I think this would be a nice scent for late summer-early autumn, it has aspects of both seasons to it. It's not a favourite of mine but I like this a lot better than I expected, and I will keep the imp.

Black Forest In the imp: dark, sweet pine, like pine resin, and a hint of juniper. Wet on skin: dark and forest like scents of pine and juniper, with the shadowy sweetness of black musk creeping in. Dry on skin: whoa. Black Forest lives up to it's name, it's very dark, deep, mysterious, like a spooky forest filled with pines, there's the sharp bright juniper note, and then there's the black musk, swirling and smoky, sweet. I keep thinking of the Forbidden Forest outside Hogwarts when I smell this. After a while: the black musk is strong now, and I think I can smell ambergris. There are still hints of pine lingering, maybe a bit of cypress, but it's mostly musk and ambergris now-sweet, deep, haunting, the scent of a magical forest…ah yes, this is ambergris, which I sometimes confuse with normal amber, but I can definitely smell it in here. There are hints of danger and shadowy mystery in this scent. Verdict: if there was a scent that summed up the Forbidden Forest of Hogwarts, it would be this. Dark, slightly sinister, swirling, enigmatic, where anything could lurk in the shadows-you are told you shouldn't explore it, but you want to, you know you want to…at first there's a big hit of pine and juniper which then gives way to smoky, sleek black musk and glistening ambergris. It does indeed bring to mind a forest on a moonless night where the shadows are more extensive and all pervading-there's hardly anything light to this scent, save the hints of piercing juniper. This scent will certainly tempt you into the woods, luring you to it's dark, shadowy, mysterious core…I really like this scent-especially the drydown. I'm not sure how much I'd wear it (I think it would be even nicer on a man) but I'm keeping the imp.

Le Serpent Qui Danse In the imp: sweet sugared violet, sweetened by vanilla. Wet on skin: oh good, this gardenia note doesn't seem to be reacting badly, since the scent is violet and vanilla with a hint of true gardenia flower. Dry on skin: this is really nice! I love the combination of vanilla and violet, the notes go very nicely together-the vanilla sweetens the dusty violet so nicely-makes me think of violet petals covered with sugar! There's a touch of dry gardenia that isn't going icky on my skin, and adds a nice contrast to the sweetness of the vanilla-violet by adding a bit of sharpness and a little aspect of white floral. After a while: this softens up nicely, with all the notes merging into a gentle floral vanilla, like candied violets covered in vanilla sugar. Verdict: finally, a catalogue gardenia scent that I really like and doesn't go wonky on my skin! maybe it's because of the violet? I also found that Veil which also has gardenia and violet in it also doesn't go sharp. whatever it is, I really like this scent and the gardenia note isn't of the evil variety. This has a pleasant candied violets scent, the violet combining very nicely with vanilla to make a sweet, pleasant scent, slightly dusty (like icing sugar on violet petals) and very pretty. The gardenia adds a nice white floral touch to it all. I don’t need a bottle of this but I like it and will keep the imp.

Kyoto In the imp: cherry-almond with a hint of anise. Quite sweet, almost like candy, but not in a bad way. Wet on skin: cherry and anise…like sugared cherries and liquorice. Dry on skin: I like this, this does smell a bit medicinal at times because of the anise (always reminds me of Bonjela!) but this is indeed, a sweet, gentle scent. The cherry note, although it's candy like, is quite nice, and I think the sandalwood is adding pleasant and cosy dry warmth to the scent. It's a serene scent, yet youthful and pretty…makes me think of a young geisha in a pink kimono resting under the cherry blossoms-it's a very pink scent. After a while: mmm…it smells a little bit like Lush Sakura soap now! That, with a hint of spicy anise, cherry candy and sandalwood. I like it but I'm not that keen on the anise note here…however I love the calm, soothing feel of the scent, like lying on the ground allowing the cherry blossom petals to fall on you and cover you with a layer of pink. Verdict: if Neo Tokyo is modern Japan, neon lights, futuristic and metallic, this is old Japan, serene and delicate, visions of cherry blossom petals falling from trees in springtime. This scent is a pink cherry candy scent with anise and a lovely sandalwood background…it's calm, gentle, innocent-and very Japanese, makes me think of a dreamy young geisha in a pink kimono with a faraway look in her eyes. I really like the cherry blossom aspect this scent has as it reminds me of Lush Sakura…I'm not so keen on the anise note-it reminds me too much of medicine especially with the candy-sweet cherry. It's a nice scent but I'm not sure whether I'll keep it or not.

Khajuraho In the imp: a sweet, slightly heady, incense-y floral scent. I think the rose is most obvious here, maybe tuberose as well. Wet on skin: once it hits skin, a dry, slightly tart scent comes out, almost like nag champa incense. I also think I can smell the sandalwood? There's something a bit fruity here which I can't recognise. Dry on skin: mmm, this is truly gorgeous! The tart scent I got when wet has toned down and the scent is very smooth now. This is lovely-it's like floral incense wafting through a lush garden, like the smoke from a good quality joss stick mingled with the scent of fragrant blooms. Very exotic. Sandalwood and champaca (nag champa?) create the lovely incense effect, with floral notes like crisp rose and tuberose adding their lush richness to the scent. I also get a wonderful sweetness here thanks to the honey, amber and vanilla, and possibly the date (that's probably what the fruit like note is). What a delightful, sumptuous scent! After a while: it's odd, but there's an incredible fruitiness to the scent, sweet and very ripe-it reminds me of the ripe lush fruity scent of Hanging Gardens but in here it's more of a ripe fruit with heady floral notes and a background of incense and fragrant sandalwood. I'm guessing this is the date? Then after about two hours, the scent softens up and becomes predominantly sweet sandalwood. Verdict: this is a lush, rich, extremely exotic scent reminiscent of incense wafting through a tropical garden filled with flowers and fruit. Sandalwood and nag champa with full bodied rose and tuberose, with sweet amber, vanilla and subtle honey and fruity date make for a gorgeous scent. it's warm, mysterious, decadent and sumptuous. It's the kind of scent I'd expect to waft from a spice/perfume/incense stall in an Indian market-it has something 'joss stick' about it without being 'headshop', this is good quality and sophisticated incense. The scent gets fruitier and 'riper' upon drydown. Another hit from the Lupercalia update.

Smut In the imp: red musk. Deep, rich, sweet red musk, almost like pure musk with a hint of something sugary which at first sniff, reminds me of chocolate, but it may be vanilla with a touch of booze. Wet on skin: the musk note darkens a bit, a smokiness starts to surface. Dry on skin: holy fuck. This is intense, and quite incredible. It's no longer the pure red musk I got at the beginning. Now I get a slight whiff of vanilla caramel with a splash of booze, but above all, a dark, dark musk…blacker than the other black musk scents I've tried-this one is like a black hole of scent, that's the best way I can describe it. Smoky and deep, it pulls you in. However, after that dark, dark musk, I get the most wonderful 'after smell' of sweet sugared skin musk that hit your nose about a second or two after the initial sniff-kind of like Snake Oil. That is amazing. This is raw, sexual musk of the darkest, most full on kind. It's wild, feral musk, almost dirty but not civet like at all…and do I detect a bit of rubber? It's odd but doesn't distract or smell too bad, and I've got to say, it's very fitting with the theme (at least it's safe smut that's going on here!) After a while: this dark, smoky musk is only noticeable when I smell my wrist close up. A way from my wrist I get a wonderful vanilla-booze with exotic musk scent that is definitely similar to Snake Oil. It's very sweet, sexy, and very potent stuff. The red musk scent has also returned. The drydown of this is a wonderful, deep, divine musk scent. I'm wondering if this is the legendary Siberian musk that I've seen mentions of? if so, I can see why people like it-it's damn good stuff! Verdict: this really does live up to it's name. This is full on, no holds barred, sexual musk overload with rich, sensual vanilla. It starts off as red musk, but then I get the dark musk. This isn't the sweet black musk I'm used to-this stuff is the darkest, most intense musk note ever, like a black hole pulling you in, you can't resist it's attractive force…but then, slowly, the vanilla-sugar and light booze rises to the surface and wafts, along with a red musk note…the result being like Snake Oil, only much more potent and with more of musky punch. I even get a little bit of rubber, which is very fitting with the name (safe smut!) This stuff isn't subtle at all…not something for a first date or a family gathering, no way! I'm glad I got a bottle, because this is fantastic stuff-not something for every day, but when I want to feel sexy in the most blatant way possible, this is perfect. I love teh Smut.

Moscow In the imp: a true floral explosion! I think jasmine is strongest here, maybe lily of the valley and rose as well. Wet on skin: still strong jasmine with a hint of citrus and amber. This is reminiscent of the other uber-floral Wanderlust scents like Venice and Versailles. Dry: this is gorgeous. For now, I don’t smell much rose, but what I do get a lot of now is jasmine, citrus fruits, a bit of carnation, amber and possibly a touch of musk. It’s a very floral scent, and that’s a very good thing…this is a glorious rich floral scent, a full bodied bouquet of fragrance, yet it has a lovely freshness to it, almost an effervescence, probably due to the citrus, with a bit of ‘spice’ from the carnation. After a while: it’s not long before rose starts to come out and add depth to the bubbly citrus-jasmine, bonding with the musk and amber to form a rich velvety layer for the other floral scents to rest upon. Before long, the scent develops a lot of throw and becomes less citrusy, and it’s become a full bodied, heady jasmine-based floral with lots of throw! It’s not for the floral haters out there-this is very strong stuff. However, I love floral scents, so I’m very fond of this. I think the musk adds a heavy depth to the scent. This is grown up and feminine, and very sophisticated. Verdict: another one of the decadently floral Wanderlust scents, on the same lines as Venice and Versailles, this is a rich, lush, full on and opulent blend of fragrant floral notes rounded off by amber and musk and given a nice (but short lived) tang by citrus notes. This is very heady, a powerful floral scent which wafts like crazy and is not at all subtle-it makes a statement, albeit a sophisticated one. I love florals so I really like this-although I know there will be some days when I will find this too heavy to handle-and this is definitely not one to slather as it may get overwhelming-one drop or swipe of the imp wand is strong enough. I will keep the imp of this scent but won’t need a bottle just yet.

Dragon’s Blood In the imp: pure dragon’s blood-that clear, red, bittersweet and unusual scent. Wet on skin: sharp, red yet slightly floral dragon’s blood. Dry: apparently this is pure dragon’s blood, but what a complex single note this is. It’s red-very red-a vivid clear red fitting the colour of the oil itself. It’s also dry. There’s a definite bitterness to it, yet there’s a slight, almost fruity, sweetness to it-at times it reminds me of cherries. Like real blood, this scent has a definite metallic aspect, it’s quite uncanny. There’s also a slight hint of floral to it which is, indeed, reminiscent of lilac. And this note is also warm, almost spicy. This is a fascinating and unusual note to get to know. After a while: it gets a bit fainter, and not as sharp as the initial scent, it’s now a lot smoother, more reminiscent of lilac, yet still retaining it’s clear, red, metallic scent. Verdict: dragon’s blood is a unique and unusual scent, hard to describe with scent-describing words, but the best I can do to describe what it smells is to say that it smells clear, bittersweet, warm, metallic, a bit spicy, a tiny bit floral, and very red. I’ve smelt many blends with dragon’s blood in it, but even as a single note scent, it is very complex. I like it and I will keep the imp for layering purposes, but I don’t think I need a bottle just yet.

Séance In the imp: rose! This is a crisp, fresh, sweetish rose, almost on the lines of Rose Red, but with a hint of wood. Wet on skin: dewy sweet rose, rose wood and a bit of hazelnut. Dry: this is gorgeous! It’s sweet, warm, soft and entrancing…I love the rosewood note in here, it’s sweet and dry, a woody note with a definite scent of rose to it, thought that may be enhanced by the rose leaf, both notes combine to create a scent like a real rose bloom. There’s a nice fresh dewy aspect which contrasts nicely with the dry warmth, and I love the hazel note in here, it adds a pleasant nutty note to the scent. After a while: still that delightful, sweet, dusty rosewood with a hint of hazel, only a lot fainter, but it still lingers nicely. Verdict: I am very fond of Beth’s rosewood note, as it smells very much like roses (the flowers) even though I don’t think rosewood isn’t actually related to rose (correct me if I’m wrong). In here, the rosy and woody scents of this note are strong, creating a warm, dry, slightly dusty (in a pleasant way) and delightfully sweet scent with real dewy fresh rose note-this might be enhanced by the rose leaf. It reminds me of rose Red but much sweeter and muted. The hazel adds a very nice toasted and nutty scent to the overall fragrance. I was pleasantly surprised by this scent, and the more I smell it, the more it grows on me. Understated yet gorgeous.

Grand Guignol In the imp: boozy apricot. It’s like apricots steeped in strong alcohol. Wet on skin: boooooze. This is what happens when apricots get drunk. It’s not too bad though. Dry: what the? I get something burnt in this scent now. Like the brandy’s been set alight, like on a Christmas pudding! It smells a bit like burnt wood as well. The fruity apricot scent, however, is very fresh smelling, like a plump ripe fruit. It’s sweet and full bodied. But I’m not really keen on the burning brandy note I get in here. After a while: this is really weird. The burnt note in here really does smell like charred wood, it reminds me of one of those very rare sandalwood/myrrh/incensce with a hint of sweetness scents that goes to sawdust on my skin (the reaction here reminds me of what Black Lotus turned into on my skin) and there’s a definite fruity strong booze scent to this. Like a wooden barrel of brandy that’s been set alight. The apricot note has faded away considerably, or has just merged with the brandy and turned darker and boozier. Verdict: I wasn’t expecting to like this so much as strong boozy scents are hit and miss on me. I think this scents confirms that I can’t do brandy scents. Despite the promise of sweet, plump apricot, the brandy note in here turns to fruity burnt wood on my skin…like sweet alcohol that has been stored in a wooden barrel and has been set on fire! It’s not too bad as a scent but I’m really not keen on the burnt scent this turns to on my skin. Off to swaps.

Despair In the imp: rose, camomile and lavender. Reminds me of Lush’s In the Nude. Wet on skin: Dream Cream! That’s what this smells like…it smells just like Lush’s Dream Cream with it’s lavender-camomile-rose scent. Dry: still slightly Dream Cream-ish, but now the rose note is much more noticeable, and the lavender has gone down. The rose note is deep and dry, and the camomile is also there (this camomile sometimes smells a bit like Helping Hands). I also get the wood notes-rosewood and sandalwood add a nice dry base to this scent. After a while: this scent is very dry…it’s pleasant though. I like the rose in here, very traditional, and the camomile still lingers, but I think the woody notes are a bit stronger now-especially rosewood, which enhances the smell of the rose. After about 30-45 minutes, sandalwood and rosewood are the strongest scents in here. This fragrance is also very faint-I have to go right to my wrist to smell it. It’s a dry, empty scent with a hint of something old fashioned and sadly nostalgic about it. However, the sandalwood adds a slight hint of reassuring warmth. Soon after, the rose note returns to the scent. It’s like dry rose petals scattered on fragrant wooden planks with a hint of dust. Verdict: at first, this scent reminded me of a lot of Lush products! It smelt a bit like a fusion of In the Nude, Dream Cream and Helping Hands. However, when on the skin, it moves away from those scents into something drier and more sombre. Wistful hints of floral notes like dry rose and camomile give way the dry, dusty scent of sandalwood and rosewood. It’s one of those traditional, nostalgic scents evocative of faded memories…but the unfortunate thing is that it’s very faint on me, and doesn’t seem to last long on my skin. I like it, but there are other rose/sandalwood scents that I prefer to this, so I may swap my decant off.

Machu Picchu Sweet tropical fruits burst through deep, wet rainforest boughs, enormous steamy blossoms, over thin mountaintop breezes, mingled with the soft, rich golden scent of Peruvian amber. In the imp: mmm, smells like a colourful rainforest! There are green damp notes here with sweet fruits and hints of floral. Wet on skin: the green rainforest boughs are strong here, with scents of tangy fruit. Dry: oooh, I really like this. Like Manila, this is another scent which captures a damp, humid, tropical jungle scent perfectly, though this one is much fresher, greener and with tangy fruit notes…I’m not sure what fruits are in here-maybe mango? Grapefruit? Kiwi? Papaya? I can’t guess from first sniff but these are tart fruit notes, possibly something citrus in here and I’m also pretty sure that there’s mango in here. There’s also the green, deep, wet scent of the rainforest greenery. However, I also get a definite cool breeze sensation from this scent, a soft breeze tempering the sticky heat of the jungle-to me, this breeze note is not really a blatant ozone note, but more of a ‘feeling’ than a scent. I don’t get florals and amber yet though. After a while: holy moly, this scent has done a backflip. Before it was all tart fruits and green leaves, but now it’s sweeter, softer and smoother…it’s like breaking out of the dark shadows of the rainforest into a sunny clearing. The scent is now of glorious sweet fruit (I think mango is one of them, maybe guava is in here too-and something reminiscent of peach), soft heady flowers, and possibly the amber adding depth and richness. The scent is bright and golden now, sweet and lush. I think there may be frangipani/plumeria in here-I get that heady, creamy floral scent-but I could be wrong. Hints of greenery and cool breezes still linger, and the scent is now a lot warmer and smoother. This stage lasts through to the drydown, though sometimes the tangy fruits return every now and then. Verdict: at first this is another one of those tropical scents which evokes the heat and humidity of the rainforest, though this one has a coolness to it that freshens the scent, it has dark green notes evocative of the thick foliage of the rainforest, and tart fruit notes. But then, suddenly, after about 20 mins, it all changes. The scent then sweetens and becomes golden and bright, smooth and sweet, with a gentle layer of yellow fruits, heady blooms, and amber. This is my favourite part of the scent-it’s gloriously exotic and warm. I’ve not been to Machu Picchu but I know my dad has, and I gasped in wonder when he told me about it and showed me pictures of those amazing Inca ruins. I know that if I ever go there, I’ll definitely take this scent to enhance the experience. This scent is my new favourite of the ‘tropical’ scents, the perfect fragrance to escape the winter cold. I may have to get a bottle soon.

Sed Non Satiata In the imp: honey! That’s the strongest note, but there’s something darker underneath. No peanut butter-at least not yet. Wet on skin: ah, now I get the peanut butter effect! How odd. It’s like honey and peanut butter, but I don’t mind too much-I love peanut butter (to eat, that is). Dry: nuts! It really does smell like peanut butter now, with honey on top. Something that is nice on toast, but strange as a perfume-though certainly not disgusting. However, deeper sniffs breaks this scent into separate notes and it moves away from peanut butter into something sexier. I get cognac adding a hint of booze to the honey scent, and possibly some deep, dark myrrh and musk, geranium and a tiny hint of tuberose. I think this is growing on me and it seems to improve over time. I love the honey-myrrh sweetness this has, and the honey note in this is delicious. After a while: after half an hour, I realise that the ‘nutty’ scent is actually patchouli, and it smells more like patchouli now, so it’s like golden sweet honey drizzled all over patchouli with hints of myrrh and I can make out a lovely skin musk underneath. I don’t get blatant florals though they can just be detected. After one hour…oh my. This smells really gorgeous now. Golden honey adds it’s sticky sweetness, patchouli and myrrh gives the effect of clouds of incense smoke, and there’s a wonderful warm musk, and now the tuberose is stronger, and it rounds the scent off really nicely, making this a gorgeous mixture of sweet, incense like, floral and musky notes. As far as ‘sexy honey’ goes, this one is much better than O. Verdict: this is an unusual scent but it’s one that is growing on me. Yes, I am one of the people who got the peanut butter effect when I applied it, but it wasn’t as bad as I expected-and it does fade away and the scent becomes more sensual and seductive and smells truer to its description. The honey note is wonderful-not too sharp, it’s sweet and golden and wonderful. Underneath that I get deep, smoky patchouli and myrrh and a hint of smooth skin musk, with just a touch of floral and booze to round it off. So, though this starts off smelling like something you’d put on toast, it then evolves into something decadent, rich, complex, intriguing and sexy, and the drydown is incredible. I’m keeping the imp and seeing what happens when this ages, and I might consider getting a bottle…

La Fee Verte In the imp: lemon! This is a greenish herbal lemon scent. It’s not as absinthe-like as I expected, I don’t get the boozy anise note from the BPAL Absinthe. Wet on skin: honeyed lemon! This is like a lemon herbal tea sweetened with honey, it’s lovely. Dry: oh, I like this! This is herbal, lemony, fresh, effervescent, slightly boozy (but in a clear, cool way-I think that’s the wormwood) and with a hint of honey and musk in the background. It does bear a similarity to the Absinthe scent but it’s much nicer-there’s no anise here, but there is a lovely herbal lemon (Melissa? I think this is lemon balm?) and other green notes, it’s a scent that makes me think of summer, and has a nice ‘fizzy’ feel to it without it smelling like soft drinks. I am getting hints of Antique Lace-style musk (no vanilla yet though) behind the lemon herb scent. After a while: after 30 mins-1 hour, this scent is now very fresh, crisp and cool. I get a hint of clean linen to this scent-but not that of the soapy kind, this is more like Antique Lace’s linen note, along with the lemony scent. It’s a breezy, airy scent, it reminds me of ozone at times, but it’s different. I think that’s wormwood-it added a coolness to Absinthe which was clear, airy, transparent and a bit alcoholic. I also get something reminiscent of Black Opal, which I think is the musk, and the honey note adds its golden sunny sweetness to the blend. I also am starting to detect the vanilla; however this blend isn’t very sweet overall-it’s more of a bracing, bright scent. Over time, it moves away from fresh lemon and clean breezy linen towards a more exotic scent…vanilla and sublime musk with honey and a hint of spice. It reminds me of Antique Lace, Dorian, Black Opal and Morocco (which is no doubt due to the Moroccan spices). The blend still retains its effervescence and breeziness, and its slightly tangy lemon and ‘clean linen’ scent. Over the course of the next few hours, the scent moves from clean-lemony to vanilla musk then to honey and then back to vanilla musk... Verdict: this is really lovely stuff. A bright, fresh, carefree blend of herbs, lemon balm, the slight alcoholic coolness of wormwood and a nice twist of honey, with a wonderful undertone of lightly spiced vanilla musk. This is a sunny, light hearted and airy scent, to me it fits not only the absinthe theme (the scent is similar to the Absinthe BPAL, only without anise and more complex) but it fits the image of a sprightly green fairy in flight amongst herbs on a summer’s day, but this fairy leaves her enigmatic scent of vanilla-musk and exotic spice behind as she flies. The blend goes through several stages-first, the effervescent herbal lemon stage, a summery scent of greenery and gentle tanginess. Second, the ‘clean’ stage, cool, bracing, reminiscent of clean linen left to dry in the breeze, with a hint of musk peeping through. Then the drydown…this is where the scent fits in with the vanilla-musk/spicy musk classics of BPAL-it reminds me of a combination of Black Opal, Antique Lace, Dorian and Morocco. This is my favourite part-it’s a gorgeous vanilla musk with hints of honey, spice and clean lemony linen. I wasn’t keen on Absinthe but I am very fond of this scent-I may not need the entire 10ml, but I love it nonetheless, and this will be something I will be wearing a lot in summer.

Foundation of Fortune In the vial: mmm, smells like mild ginger tea. Sort of like an earthier, non-milky version of Sudha Segara. Wet on skin: the ginger scent warms up, a slight lemon scent appears, and also an earthy scent can be detected which might be vetiver. Dry on skin: this is an interesting scent-a dry, solid, earthy ginger scent with a hint of tea. It reminds me of dry mud, dust or clay with ginger root shredded on top, with a hint of dry grass and tea leaves, and I'm pretty sure there's vetiver here-the light greenish lemony variety as opposed to the dark, gritty vetiver that amps on my skin. I suspect there may be patchouli here too. It's not a scent I'd wear as perfume-but this is not perfume so that doesn't matter. It's a nice scent though. Now to see if the magickal effects take hold… After a while: yup, I was right-there seems to be patchouli here. I smell a soft patchouli now with a touch of lemony vetiver. This scent is also a little bit leathery, reminds me of the inside of a worn leather purse, appropriately enough. Verdict (scent): this is a pleasant scent, earthy, dry and solid, with warmth lent to it by ginger, a hint of tea, and a patchouli drydown with a light lemony vetiver background, as well as a slight suede-leather note that reminds me of my mum's suede purse! Not something I'd wear as a perfume (I think it would be a lovely masculine scent though) but it's a nice smell nonetheless, and this is a scent with intent so it's not about what it smells like, it's what it does that counts… Magical effects: well, funnily enough, soon after applying, my mum has a chat to me about sorting my finances out, opening a savings account, and putting some money in there to gather interest and to save some for a rainy day…not sure if that's the FoF working or a coincidence, but it's fitting. I'll have to see if this does bring some steady riches my way, so I'll hold on to what I have of it and see what happens.