PurringPulsar

Midnight Mass In the imp: beautiful, beautiful sweet incense. Frankincense, myrrh, and something else…amber or benzoin maybe? Wet on skin: ohhhh…gorgeous resinous-incense loveliness. Dry on skin: still as beautiful as ever. A delightful mix of resins and smoky incense notes. I know there's frankincense and myrrh here, but there are loads of other things. I'm getting a woody note or something slightly green in a wooden way (sandalwood or cedar?), a sweet resin which may be amber or benzoin, possibly some labdanum, and I'm getting a definite smoke scent, and it reminds me of candle smoke as well as smouldering incense. It does bear a similarity to Cathedral and Aureus, but it's unique and ever so pleasant in it's own right. After a while: there's a honeyed 'golden green' myrrh note in here which reminds me so much of Anubis, strangely enough. I'm pretty sure it's the same myrrh component. I also get a dark smoky background and a sticky resin background. All the notes seem to have balanced out nicely but the myrrh is the prominent note, I think. The final drydown of this scent is reminiscent of autumn air with bonfire/incense smoke wafting in it, with the scent of dry autumn leaves, and a hint of something sweet and slightly fruity which reminds me, oddly, of fig. Verdict: this is a wonderful incense scent, along similar lines to Cathedral, Aureus, Penitence etc but different to those, and possibly more complex. It also reminds me of Anubis, I think they share the same myrrh note…whether this smells like true Catholic incense, I cannot say, but it does smell 'churchy' to me! It's both dark and smoky, and golden and glowing at the same time. I get the traditional resins of frankincense and myrrh here as well as a blend of other ingredients I do not recognise but I can take a stab at guessing what they may be-amber, benzoin, labdanum, something woody, and also candle smoke. Whatever this contains, it smells beautiful, sacred, holy-and even though I'm not Christian/Catholic any more, I am in love with this scent and can't wait for my bottle to arrive.

I'm the total opposite, because amber never goes powdery on me, not even the lab's...it always smells sweet, golden and translucent. I must be lucky. The lab uses different amber blends which may react differently with different skin chemistries-I'm most familiar with the Egyptian amber(that's the one with the golden luminous scent, on me), but there's also black amber, Peruvian amber, and many more...I'm not too familiar with those but I tried one blend with black amber and it smelt different to normal amber-deeper, I think. Don't give up! There may be an amber note that works on you!

Yuletide 05 In the imp: pine/fir and cinnamon. I think this is a truer pine-cinnamon than last year's, which was a tad soapy/candle-y on me, but I'll see what my skin thinks. Wet on skin: oh dear, I think this is getting soapy on me… Dry on skin: ah, now, it's not too soapy. It seems to have stopped short of smelling like pure soap. Now it smells like Christmas trees and cinnamon and cloves. I do get a bit of last year's 'Badedas at Christmas' scent, but this one's a bit stronger on the spices, and the pine/fir note smells both of bubble bath and Christmas trees. Like last year, I get absolutely no berry scent from this whatsoever at this stage. And it does still smell like a candle scent- a good quality candle, that is. After a while: the notes seem to have fused together, a smooth, slightly soapy, a bit candle like, pine and spice scent. Not dissimilar to last year's in fact. No berries here. Verdict: to me, this isn't the scent of holly berries, but the scent of a lovely Christmas candle, with notes of pine, cinnamon, clove, maybe fir too. A very festive scent. it's very similar to last year's though I think the cinnamon note was a bit stronger at when wet in this version. Like last year's version, this scent would be more suited to a room fragrance than on my skin. I'll keep the imp though.

Midwinter's Eve 05 In the imp: this has the same berry, sugar plum and 'watermelon candy' scent I remember from last year. Wet on skin: still sugar plums, but this one's a tiny bit sharper and tangier. I get a scent reminiscent of candied citrus. Dry on skin: oh, pretty. This is similar to last year's but I think this is a bit nicer. This smells a bit like candy floss/cotton candy! It's a fruity sugar scent. This isn't the deep, juicy plum that is usually used in BPAL plum scents, this is a lighter, sugary plum, sweeter and 'pinker' (that's the only way I can describe it) than a normal plum. I get no flowers from this scent, just fruity sugar. It does also resemble a candle, but it hasn't turned waxy (last year's dried down to candle wax on me.) and I must say that it also reminds me slightly of Aunt Caroline's Joy Mojo! After a while: the sugared plum scent grows stronger. It now smells like plums that have been soaked in fruit syrup have been sprinkled with sugar. However the scent isn't cloying-it's light, dainty, candied and pink. As I said before, it's the fruit note from ACJM (or Bastet's Laughter, for that matter), but this time in a more festive form. No sign of candle wax yet, I think this one may be nicer than last year's. Verdict: this version of Midwinter's Eve is similar to last year's, but so far, it's nicer on me. To me, this is the festive equivalent of Aunt Caroline's Joy Mojo, it seems to share a note with that scent. the plum note used here is not the ripe, juicy, deep purple plum I smell in many other BPALs, this is a pink, syrup soaked and sugar covered plum lying on a bed of candy floss. I don't seem to get flowers here, just fruity sugar. Far from being melancholy and deep, this scent is fun and sprightly, sweet and dainty, the scent of the sugar plum fairy, I think. I don't need a bottle but I'm keeping the decant I have of this.

Lick It In the imp: mint! This does smell exactly like a candy cane-you can smell the sugar in this. Amazing! Wet on skin: gorgeous minty goodness-but now I'm getting that vanilla scent, and yes, it resembles Black Opal! Dry on skin: I love this! First thing that hits your nose is a refreshing blast of peppermint that clears your head. I think this would work wonders on headaches. But underneath the mint, is a gorgeous sugary vanilla musk, reminiscent of Black Opal or Antique Lace, but much sweeter and lighter. This vanilla musk adds depth and uniqueness to the scent-it smells like a candy cane, but much more interesting. And I've noticed another thing-it has a cooling effect on my skin-and I've just come out of the shower! After a while: the mint has faded, leaving behind that gorgeous Black Opal scent of vanilla and musk, but this time slightly fresher, thanks to a tiny amount of leftover mint. Verdict: this is possibly one of the loveliest mint blends ever, and a proof that a blend that's predominantly mint can make for a fabulous perfume without smelling like chewing gum or toothpaste. In the imp, it's pure candy cane in a liquid form, but on the skin, it changes. The peppermint is cooling on the skin, refreshing and good for clearing a clogged up brain, I think. But underneath the minty coolness, is a beautiful vanilla musk scent which is similar to the likes of Black Opal and Antique Lace. This is what makes Lick It such a fabulous scent-it's that vanilla musk layer underlying the mint. I think I'll need a bottle…because of it's cooling action on the skin, I think it will be wonderful for summer!

Goona Goona In the imp: patchouli, and something sharp and a bit sour? Wet on skin: oh my, is that geranium I smell, surfacing from the patchouli? I think it is…this is the first time I can actually smell a prominent geranium note in a BPAL. There may be rose in here too, maybe lavender? Dry on skin: whoa, this is now a good strong geranium scent, with a bit of patchouli, and maybe a little hint of rose and a lemon herb like lemongrass. But mainly geranium-that slightly herbal, slightly lemony, and with a rich, full, almost rose like scent. This may even be my mum's favourite-Bourbon geranium. After a while: now it smells more like rose. it's also slightly herbal and dusty/powdery and dry at this stage. I think the geranium is lingering a bit. There may be orris or sandalwood in here as well. It's also a bit sharper now. Verdict: such a shame that this was discon'd, because this is, so far, the only BPAL I've tried with a good, strong, prominent geranium note. It smells like my mum's Bourbon geranium oil, and it's the dominant note in this blend-though there is also some patchouli and possibly rose or lemon verbena/grass, and maybe sandalwood too. The drydown is a sort of sharp rose with herbs. I love the smell of geranium (always reminds me of mum) and I'm glad to have tried this scent. I'm hoping it's positive effects will take hold-I may need to give this another try before I send the circular swap on (this is part of the discontinued swap circle) to test out the scent's intent.

Blood Rose In the imp: sharp wine and rose, with a dragon's blood note that reminds me of red musk. Wet on skin: I swear there's red musk here, the scent now reminds me of Spellbound with wine. Dry on skin: oh wow, this is quite nice, I think. The dragon's blood note smells almost like red musk in here-maybe that's what happens when it combines with wine? However it doesn't smell as musky as it was in the imp, it now smells more like dragon's blood. I can also smell the tart twang of wine here, with a rose note that is starting to blossom on my skin. It smells not too dissimilar to Spellbound. After a while: this really, really smells like a sweeter, fruitier Spellbound with dragon's blood and wine seemingly mimicking red musk. I'm surprised, but it's a very nice surprise! Verdict: another lovely rose scent from Beth. The rose isn't the dominant note in this-it's very nicely balanced by dragon's blood and wine, all three notes seem to share equal parts in the overall scent. interestingly, I get something similar to red musk from this scent, I'm assuming this is the components reacting together on my skin-and the result is a scent very similar to Spellbound-maybe a bit fruitier and more dragon's bloody, but I'm surprised at the red musk like scent I pick up in this scent. This is rich red and voluptuous, indeed. I'm not sure if I'll get a bottle as I do actually prefer Spellbound to this, but I might keep the imp.

Cobra Lily In the imp: juicy, fruity lily. Lily with a berry or grape note perhaps? I love the colour of this oil! Makes me wonder if there's dragon's blood in this. Wet on skin: oooh, this is lovely. I'm now getting a sweet, syrupy fruitiness along with lily. Dry on skin: I like this! It's a fruity lily scent. I'm not getting spice from here yet-just a full on lily (possibly stargazer? It does remind me of Peitho's lily) and a sweet, nectar like fruity note. I'm getting a little bit of a citrus like bite, but the main fruit note is sweet, syrupy, juicy and red. I think it may be a grape or wine note? Or maybe some kind of berry-maybe strawberry? Or maybe cherry? Pomegranate perhaps? I'm not sure but it's a red fruit, and this scent seems to match the colour of the oil itself, I think. I don't get much dragon's blood from here. After a while: there are two aspects to the fruity scent in this-one is tangy and tart, the other very sweet, very ripe, coated with sugar. I'm also wondering if there's a rose variant in here as I'm getting a scent reminiscent of the fruity rose note from 2 5 and 7. I'm also wondering if there's a red wine or grape juice note here too? There's also something which, according to my wonky skin chemistry, smells a bit like bananas and strawberries! In between this fruity conflict of sweetness and sharpness is a bit of lily. It's a strange scent, but quite pleasant. The drydown of this is a light fruity-floral scent which reminds me of the Living Flame, I think. I wish I'd got the spices others mentioned though. I also smell the lily note a lot more now than I did before. Verdict: this was not what I was expecting, though it was an enjoyable scent. I didn't get spicy lily from this, but I did get very fruity lily. A mix of tangy and sugar-sweet fruit notes, to be precise. It's a very red scent-but more of a pink-orange-red, very much like the wonderful colour that the oil itself has. I'm not sure what the fruit note is, but it smells almost like nectar at points, it's very sweet and ripe in smell, but with a tart bite to it. It does also bear a slight similarity to the Living Flame. I do like it, but I was hoping for spices, which I don't seem to get here. It's a nice scent but I'm not sure if I want a bottle.

If anyone has access to a digital camera and the Come and See and Muses bottles...pics please?

Eternal In the imp: soft, dewy, white gardenia. Maybe some stephanotis in there as well. Very pretty-I'm also hoping this isn't the 'evil gardenia' that goes acrid on my skin! Wet on skin: oh dear-it's going a bit sharp now… Dry on skin: yup, the gardenia has gone a bit harsh on me, but it's not as bad as some gardenia reactions. In here I can tolerate it. So now the scent is quite tangy and sharply green, but not too unpleasant-I think it will mellow. There are some promising scents in here like soft stephanotis in the background-but I'm not getting the heliotrope and rose I was hoping for yet. After a while: the sharp gardenia does mellow, leaving a pleasant floral scent behind. It smells more like a good gardenia scent now, with a little tiny bit of rose, though not much. It's a bit soapy though. Still none of that lovely heliotrope and the rose isn't as strong as I was hoping it would be. Verdict: this isn't a bad scent, but it's not a favourite. I've come to realise that I get on better with the gardenia used in LE scents (Haunted Palace, Honey Moon, All Saints, Alone…*swoon*) than the one in catalogue scents, as the latter tends to go quite sharp on my skin. It does that here, but not as badly as some gardenia scents. When it does mellow though, it's a bit soapy and bland on my skin-I was hoping for nice strong rose and heliotrope notes, but it was not so. And it smelt so nice in the imp too…it's going to swaps, I'm afraid.

Stardust In the imp: holy hairspray Batman! This really does smell like hairspray, it's uncanny. But it's also worrying me-I don't mind the scent but do I want a perfume that smells like hairspray? Well, I'll let my skin decide! Wet on skin: still a bit hairspray-ish, but now some delightful floral notes are creeping out-things like hyacinth, tuberose, maybe some daffodil? Dry on skin: now the white musk explodes into life! No longer hairspray, the scent is now that of a real 'retro perfume' kind of fragrance. It has a powdery white musk with a nostalgic perfume background, but there are little bits of fresh floral flitting through every now and then that break up the scent and make it different, and stop it from being flat or generic, adding personality to the scent. These floral notes come out even more as the scent reacts with the skin over time. I can smell dewy fresh tuberose and hyacinth, a bit of ylang and jonquil, some sandalwood, and a tang of champagne. After a while: eventually the scent settles down into a lovely soft white musk scent with a hint of flowers and bubbly. It's very soft and smooth now, not as flashy as the just dry stage, but so pleasant! This is my favourite stage of the scent-so different to before, but ever so delightful. At one point of the scent I also get a slightly smoky floral note which might be the tobacco flower. Verdict: this is like a scented time warp…a very retro scent that does seem to come straight from the 70s. At first it smells exactly like hairspray-so accurately it's scary. Luckily it doesn't smell like that on the skin-when it hits my skin, at first, it smells just like white musk and a perfume I've smelt before-not sure which but it's quite nostalgic. Then, as the scent warms up, floral notes flash though the scent and there's a bit of champagne in the mix, before settling down into a gorgeous smooth scent of soft musk, a bit of floral, and a little hint of champagne and tobacco-and I adore this drydown stage. I wasn't sure if I'd like it, but I've really warmed to this fragrance. And yes, I'm definitely wearing this on New Year's Eve!

Baobhan Sith In the imp: sharp, citrussy tea. No doubt that's the grapefruit here, maybe the ginger as well. Wet on skin: whoa, this is a sharp, sharp scent. Very tangy indeed! Dry on skin: interesting. This is a very tangy and zingy citrus tea scent, reminiscent of a green tea and grapefruit drink I tried once. I think I also get a hint of warm ginger underneath it all. I also get a light floral sweetness-the apple blossom? I'm not familiar with that note but I'm guessing that's what this is. This is a bright citrus-tea scent, very fresh and tart. Would be nice for spring and summer. After a while: still tangy grapefruit tea, but now I also get something dusty and grey. I have no idea what that is but I'm getting a hint of something wispy and ghostly behind the tart scent which seems to fit the scent's description, but even that doesn't damage the initial freshness of the scent. At this point, it reminds me of Spirits of the Dead, which I love. Verdict: I finally get to try the Sith, another well loved discontinued scent…this is another one of those zingy pale tea scents, and the tangiest, sharpest of the tea scents I've tried. Thanks to the grapefruit and ginger, this tea scent has quite a lot of bite! It's very tart and quite astringent, very tangy indeed. It's bright, fresh, and good for spring or summer. The drydown is a lot calmer-the tea note remains along with something dusty and ghostly which may or may not be apple blossom. It's a nice scent, but to me, it resembles Spirits of the Dead, which I already have, and I much prefer SotD to this because it's not as sharp. I'm glad I tried yet another legendary discontinued scent but I'm not going to pine for it.

Thanatos In the imp: roses soaked in deep, rich resins. Wet on skin: whoa. This is a profound scent- myrrh and possibly some benzoin, mixed with a dark rose note and other things I can't quite grasp. Dry on skin: now I get a moss note that creeps up. This is reminiscent of Zombi but it's more mysterious, it has lashings of resins/incense that makes it smell much nicer than Zombi (which smelt too much like it was decomposing for me) and more along the lines of All Saints 05. The rose note is strong but it's nicely balanced with bitter myrrh and sticky sweet benzoin. This is one incense blend where the brightness of frankincense isn't featured to lighten the fragrance, this is deep, rich, dark and mournful, and it smells quite wonderful. I get something vaguely herbal or olive like which I think might be the 'Greek incense'. After a while: this improves as time passes, because the rose strengthens fabulously on my skin, blending with the myrrh to give a lovely rose incense scent. I think the myrrh is not as sweet and a tad darker than other myrrh notes, this one is different to other scents with myrrh and rose. I think I get sandalwood now, as well. Verdict: this is what happened when Zombi and All Saints 05 had a lovechild-Thanatos was his name. A truly profound blend of rose, resin and incense, with a bit of moss thrown in for good measure. Funeral incense blended with grave blooms and mosses, this scent is deep, dark, almost melancholy. And I like it a lot. This is so much better than Zombi to me, thanks to the resin notes, which are bittersweet and rich, surrounding the rose-moss scent in a thick scented layer. It's an amazing scent-I'm not sure if I'd get a bottle of it yet but I will keep the imp and consider it!

Shattered In the imp: citrus candy! That must be a combination of grapefruit and lotus. Yup, it's very much a lotus scent. Which is good, lotus is lovely on me. Wet on skin: now the mint comes out, cool and breezy. Still the lotus dominates the scent. Dry on skin: this is gorgeous! It's minty fruity lotus! A light, almost candy like scent, it's sweet, fresh, bright, slightly tart from the grapefruit and champagne, and very, erm, bubbly. This is a cool fragrance, like a candy scented breeze, feels cool against the nose. And the lotus note in here is delightful as ever. After a while: the scent isn't as fruity and bright now…in fact I'm a bit worried it may turn to soap! I don't usually get that from lotus scents though. It's nice, but a bit dry and almost soap like, but not too bad, and almost like candy. Verdict: I'm a rare breed-one of the people who likes lotus and it's candy-cute scent. This is another lovely fragrance with this note that I enjoy. Similar to Glitter, this is another fruity lotus scent, this time with a cool blast of mint and some citrus and light booze notes from the grapefruit and champagne. This scent is almost like candy, or like chewing gum thanks to the mint, but it's not quite-there's always something interesting there to prevent it from turning into a mundane smell. It does veer towards soapiness at the end, but not off-puttingly so. I really like this but not enough to pine for a bottle-I prefer Glitter, Blood Lotus, Ace of Cups, Al Araaf etc as my lotus loves. I wouldn't mind tracking down an imp of this though!

Chypre Violet, neroli, lavender and white musk. A late Medieval European blend, based on a formula allegedly worn by Charles V. In the imp: strong violet and lavender. A pale purple scent, slightly dusty/powdery. Wet on skin: reminds me somewhat of a milder, lighter Bluebeard. I like it. Dry on skin: the violet scent darkens a bit, the lavender still goes strong, white musk is pretty much bonded with the violet note. I don't get much neroli, which is surprising, since that note usually amps up on me like crazy. The overall scent now reminds me of Peace or something from Lush. After a while: still the same, except I think the lavender fades, making this scent predominantly violet with maybe a smidgen of white musk. This musk is the remaining note on final drydown. Verdict: this is a pleasant violet scent. It reminds me of Peace and Bluebeard, and also something from Lush, probably a cross between WnD and Gratuitous Violets. It's nice scent, very violet-y and with a complimentary musk note, and it's also one of the few scents where the neroli isn't that prominent. Not bad, but not something I'd pine for.

Eidolon In the imp: the same bergamot-verbena combination from Yuki Onna, but with sage instead of jasmine. Wet on skin: very tangy, very lemony but also quite herbal and with a bit of greenness. Dry on skin: this is a very lemony scent. More of a herbal lemon scent, like citronella, than fruity lemon…it brings to mind the colours green and yellow. To me, this is the more gender-neutral compliment to Yuki-onna. I don't get much cedar here, it's blotted out by all the herbal lemon verbena. Maybe once that fades, it will come out. After a while: dang it, it's turned to lemon soap. It now smells like washing up liquid. Still no cedar. Oh well. Verdict: at first, this seemed to have potential to be a nice citrus-herbal blend, with a strong lemon-citronella scent reminiscent of Yuki-Onna, but this time with sage. But then after an hour, my skin turns against me and it starts to smell like I've been washing dishes. Yup, smells like lemon soap, washing up liquid. What a shame. At least I won't be pining for this discontinued scent.

Ravenous In the imp: patchouli with a light hint of orange blossom. Wet on skin: more orange blossom comes out now, along with the patchouli. Dry on skin: this isn't bad! It's a nice duo, a nice contrasting pair of notes-sharp, tangy, bright orange blossoms with darker, smoother, earthy patchouli. I've noticed that this red patchouli is less dark and 'dirty' than the black variety, it's a lighter patch, but it still lends its earthy depth to the scent. Orange blossom adds a fruity note dancing on the top of the overall fragrance-I've noticed that BPAL orange blossom tends to smell much like orange fruit, or tangy orange sherbet. After a while: oooh, something incredible has happened. It seems the two contrasting notes have fused to form a note that is neither patchouli or orange blossom, but is similar to both and yet different. The scent now remaining on my skin is a light, soft, slightly downy or powdery, gentle coating of something almost along the lines of white musk or violet, but with the fruitiness of orange and the depth of patchouli hanging in there. It's like smelling a brand new, undiscovered species of flower. Verdict: this one really took me by surprise. Sometimes BPAL orange blossom/neroli amps up on my skin, or turns to soap, or goes really sharp, but sometimes it's really nice-like in here. There's a nice light patchouli note adding depth and darkness to the scent. At first I thought 'hmm, nice. A simple combination, but nothing special' but then the notes merge, and as they do, a remarkable metamorphosis happens. The remaining scent on my skin has elements of orange blossom and patchouli, indeed-and yet there's something else to it, almost a light floral scent, and something very reminiscent of white musk! I love this stage of the fragrance and it shows another aspect of BPAL's magic-even the simplest combination of notes in a fragrance can be wonderful and even complex. I'm so glad the Lab included this as a frimp, I wouldn't have chosen it before but I'm glad I've tried it! (and yes, after reading reviews, it does seems like a softer version of Karma!)

Yuki-Onna In the imp: lemon verbena, bergamot and a hint of jasmine. Wet on skin: citrus! This is a lovely sweet jasmine-citrus, reminiscent of New Orleans without the spice. I like it a lot. Dry on skin: this is lovely, really lovely. There's a strong lemon scent here, slightly lemongrass-y (the verbena) and slightly tea-like (the bergamot) and the sweet, floral jasmine softens and sweetens the tangy citrus scents. It's very pleasant, light and feminine, fresh and zingy. I don't get sandalwood yet. After a while: huh? Where's all the citrus gone? The lemony loveliness? The scent fades fast, leaving a faint, dry, slightly green jasmine-sandalwood scent. No more tangy citrus. Verdict: at first, this was a lovely tangy citrus scent with jasmine, with verbena and bergamot with a sweet heady jasmine in the background. Very full and lush, reminiscent of New Orleans but without the spice. Unfortunately it fades pretty fast on me, the scent it leaves behind is nice, but a bit dry smelling and very faint. It's a lovely scent to begin with and I enjoyed that stage, but I'm not going to pine for this discontinued scent-but I do feel privileged to have tried it.

Ode on Melancholy In the imp: lavender and I think I get wisteria here. It's cool and slightly moist. Not tearful but it brings to mind windows streaked with raindrops. Wet on skin: oooh, wisteria comes out even more now, with soft lavender. I think there's a cool white musk here, possibly sandalwood. No rose yet. Dry on skin: this is a beautiful scent. To me, it brings to mind a greyish light lavender purple colour, and rain soaked lavender and wisteria, it's got this slight moist or fresh feel to it, with a soft downy coating of slightly salty (tear streaked, indeed) white musk and dry sandalwood, lightly dusty and nostalgic. An emotional scent. I'm surprised I'm not getting any rose yet, because I usually almost always detect the rose in any scent containing it. After a while: still no rose, which is surprising, but I'm getting a lovely drydown here-a cool, slight airy, fresh white musk. it's a tad floral, but not as much, it's now more of a soft, slightly chilly white musk, light and pleasant. Verdict: this is a lovely fragrance, quite emotional, definitely not a happy scent but not overly sad either…it's more like a contemplative sorrow, dwelling on life's more melancholy moments. It's a gentle floral scent, lavender and wisteria with a cool, airy white musk. the scent has a sense of moisture, makes me think of rain covered flowers on a cool day, it's quiet and serene and introverted. It keeps to itself, like the slight welling up of tears that cling to your eyes but don't fall from them, you keep them hidden from others. A pleasant, muted scent, not sure if I'd get a bottle of it but it's another example of poetry in scent, it conveys feeling through fragrance.

Penthus In the imp: rosy incense. No salt yet, but I just get this gorgeous resinous rose! Wet on skin: ah yes, now I do get a hint of salt here…something briny like the sea. Still I get lovely rose with incense. Dry on skin: oh wow, this is interesting…I'm now getting a greenness, slightly watery, deep-green and fresh, I think that may be calamus though I'm not familiar with this scent-if that's what it is, then it's lovely! The scent makes me think of a saltwater marsh…reeds growing in brackish water, with a rose garden nearby, and an ancient temple burning incense. There's a definite saltwater smell here, like the sea. But then there's that rose, gorgeous rich rose with incense surrounding it-slightly smoky and slightly resinous. This is a really unusual but fascinating scent. The strange thing is that I think this, despite the strong rose, would be nice on guys as well as girls, thanks to that salty-fresh green smoky vibe it has. (hopefully this doesn't give the impression that I have a thing for effeminate guys!) After a while: I think the calamus (I think) is getting stronger, I now get a soft, dusty reedy scent, green and almost woody but not quite. Rose still hangs in there, as does the salt note, and I get a nice veil of smoke over the overall fragrance. Verdict: this is such a unique and wonderful scent. I don't know how Beth captures salt in perfume but by Jove, she's done it well here! It smells like the sea, really briny, and with the calamus's reedy green scent, it brings to mind a saltwater marsh. There's also a delightful rose scent, strong and full, and an incense note that is half-resinous, half-smoky. One of those different scents from the norm that Beth does so well, and I think this would also be good on men as well as women. I'm unsure if I'll get a bottle, but I definitely might consider it, this scent is growing on me.

Gaueko In the imp: oooh, lavender and nag champa. Hippie lavender! Wet on skin: yup, still nag champa and lavender, possibly a little bit of tobacco coming through as well. Dry on skin: smoky incense-y lavender, very deep, dark and swirling. I get more tobacco now, and possibly a little hint of sandalwood, not as much nag champa now. It's quite an intoxicating scent, mysterious, almost headshop-y but much more profound than that-it seems almost narcotic and hypnotic, definitely a scent of the night. The lavender in this packs quite a punch, the tobacco smoke wafts heavily, and this is a scent that I think would be very nice on a guy as well as on girls. After a while: the lavender begins to fade, letting the sandalwood come through-it's a very smooth sandalwood, very dry and warm, and indeed, slightly charred-it smells a bit like it's being burnt as incense. I still get tobacco (which sometimes smells a bit similar to smoky vetiver on my skin, I've discovered) and the nag champa returns to the scent, and I get a hint of deep resin sweetness from the labandum. After a few hours I get, bizarrely, a moss like scent. After a few hours, I get a lingering incense scent, slightly hippy-ish but pleasant. Verdict: another interesting and unique fragrance from the lab. This smells like a kind of good quality joss-stick incense, but that's not a bad thing…a deep, heavy, dark smoky scent, very heady, strong and almost narcotic in scent. It really is a scent of the night, very purple black…lavender is very strong at first before the scent changes into something more smoky and incense like, lots of tobacco and smouldering sandalwood with a hint of something mossy-and of course the nag champa, which adds something hippie-ish to the scent and only accentuates it's incense-ness. It's a nice scent but I do have other lavender scents that I prefer. I do think this would be good on both sexes.

Yeah, I want to see photos of: Snow Moon Come and See The Muses BPTP scents The Phoenixes and do the Resurrected scents have nifty labels too?

Bon Vivant In the imp: fizzy sweet strawberries! This smells like a strawberry flavoured soft drink. Wet on skin: I think the champagne note is coming out now, and the strawberry note is so sweet, yet a bit more tangy now. Dry on skin: mmm, this is quite nice! It's very sweet but not cloyingly so, thanks to that tart crisp champagne note. The scent is light, fizzy, bright and lively, fruity sweet and, ahem, bubbly. It smells like someone added a big shot of strawberry syrup (like when I eat a bowl of strawberries covered with sugar, I get this red sugary juicy syrup left) to champagne. In fact, this scent has given me an idea for a new party drink…I think it will go down a storm for new year's eve (the scent and the drink, that is). After a while: this stays pretty much the same, except I think the champagne note gets a tad stronger and a bit drier (as in, wine-dry) in scent (damn, it really smells like bubbly!), with sweet strawberry candy still hanging around. Verdict: this is a very pleasant scent. BPAL's strawberry note is very, very sweet, like sugar coated strawberries, but the champagne in this adds a nice tangy crisp effervescence that tempers the sweetness of the strawberries. The scent is light and lively, not cloying or over-sweet, fruity and fun. I think it would be very nice for summer as well as for parties of all kinds-it even makes me want to add some strawberry syrup to some bubbly as a BPAL inspired party drink!

Jacob's Ladder In the imp: oooh, interesting. I get a herbal amber scent. How unexpected-but quite pleasant. There's a note here reminiscent of frankincense. I'm a bit concerned this may turn a bit masculine… Wet on skin: whoa, this is an intriguing scent…it's like a dark resinous scent glistening with bits of golden amber-something dark, deep and earthy with celestial flecks of light strewn through it! Dry on skin: oh goodness, wow. This is not what I expected from this scent, but it's so beautiful…I definitely get amber here, golden Egyptian amber, translucent and sweet, but I also get rock-rose, which isn't a floral scent, but the scent of labdanum resin. The scent is just like the real labdanum oil I smelt on a rock-rose plant-I rubbed my fingers on the leaves, and got this incredible dark smokiness. I get that in this scent. I also get a profound sweetness other than the amber, which I think is benzoin and tonka. The scent also has a deep rich earthiness to it, but filled with sparkles of golden sweetness and luminous resins. Like a sunrise, or like a dark room that has never seen sunlight before filled with daylight for the first time. It's a scent of the interplay of darkness and light, and indeed, of heaven and earth. It's very unisex-it's lovely on me, but I think this would be so sexy on a guy! I think this is also a fabulous meditation scent. After a while: this scent brings up a beautiful mental image. I'm sitting on a rock, my feet against moist cool moss and soil, my back leaning against a great tree, watching a sunrise or sunset over water. The dark blue sky has little flecks of could across it, and the sunlight that is fading or strengthening is lighting up these clouds in glorious shades of gold, and the same happens with the ripples of the water, gilded with sunlight. I swear there's also a slight saltiness or mineral component, or a mossy note to the scent, which only enhances the depth and complexity it has. Verdict: this really took me by surprise. I knew this would be good, but it turned out to be so different to what I expected. At first sniff in the imp, I got a herbal amber scent which, delightful as it was, I was slightly concerned that it would go all manly on me. Not so. On the skin, the amber shines through, illuminating the dark, earthy, smoky fragrance of mysterious resins. I get labdanum here, as well as possibly benzoin and tonka, and possibly some herbal or earth like notes. I love the way this scent has contrasts to it, and to me, this smells like darkness and light. It brings to mind a dark sky flecked with stars, a beam of sunlight illuminating a dark cave or ancient building that has never seen daylight, the fading light of evening playing on scraps of cloud and painting them gold as the sky darkens. This scent has elements of heaven and earth in it, true to the description, and it feels sacred and I think it would be amazing for both meditation and for everyday as a scent that turns heads and mystifies. It's also very unisex, wonderful on both men and women (and I would be head over heels if a guy wore this…) it's truly glorious and I'm glad I'm getting a bottle.

Beaver Moon In the bottle: ohhh. I'm not that familiar with the smell of cheesecake but I'm getting a delicious sweet creamy smell, so edible and yummy. Very cake like. Wet on skin: creamy, sweet, almost like marshmallows. Surprisingly complex too-now I'm getting a slight tangy scent-not vinegar, more like a citrus scent, and cinnamon! yay! Dry on skin: oh wow. This is delicious, delightful, and decadent. It smells like a creamy dessert dusted with cinnamon! Soft fresh cream, cream cheese do doubt-like a fromage frais, with warm, freshly baked spice-dusted sugar coated cakes, crumbly cheesecake base, cinnamon, buttercream and maybe some fruit filling too, adding a tangy twist to the sweetness of it all. Another scent that compels me to gnaw my wrist off! I never thought I'd like a cheesecake-themed scent, but the cream cheese note is very appealing here, it smells so genuine-you know it's cream cheese, not merely cream-but without being nauseating or too rich, which is amazing. After a while: still yummy, sweet, creamy and spicy as ever. Now I think the cupcake scent is growing, but the dominant scent now is a warm baked cinnamon crust made of biscuit crumbs, with a veil of sweet cream on top. It has amazing throw too. Verdict: Beth is on a roll with these Lunacies…this stuff is a huge surprise hit for me. I don't know what compelled me to buy a cheesecake scent as I don’t like eating it, but I'm so glad I did give in to the Beaver. This is a cheesecake scent, accurate and genuine, complex with all aspects of cheesecake catered for-spices, sugar, the baked cake base, a bit of something fruity, and the cream cheese. There are also cupcakes in here for good measure. This scent is sweet, warm, edible, delicious, comforting and such a pleasure to smell, and I'm stunned as to how much I like it-I was worried it would be too cloying or sickening but no. this is fantastic stuff and I proudly proclaim that I love the smell of my Beaver! (I really want to layer this with Gingerbread Poppet and/or Sugar Skull to make a cream covered mince pie scent…but as this is Beaver Moon, I dub the layering combination 'minge pies'!!! )