PurringPulsar

Queen of Clubs In the imp: wet soil! Yup, it smells a bit like wet earth with sweet fruits-pomegranate and currant. Wet on skin: whoa, this really does smell like cool damp soil, but that's no bad thing-it's quite nice actually! The fruit notes add a lovely sweetness to it all. Dry on skin: still earthy, but now the fruit notes deepen and ripen, the crispness of pomegranate is strong here, and I can make out the myrrh and incense notes, with vanilla adding a nice sweet touch. This is surprisingly nice! After a while: I can smell the rose now!! It smells like rose petals strewn on damp soil, like you've planted a new rose bush. I think there's also a bit of a dark or smoky scent, which could be the incense, and there's also a sweet vanilla-amber scent, with juicy currant. It's much sweeter now. Oh crikey, after an hour or two, the drydown is incredible. Vanilla can either be fantastic or cloying on me-in here, it is divine! And it mingles so nicely with the rose, and is probably enhanced by the myrrh and amber. Verdict: this is a totally different perfume to the ones I usually wear, but I love it! I was reluctant about the 'earth notes' but the soil scent is actually really nice. There's a lovely fruit note here, sweet and juicy, with incense deepening the scent and a little bit of rose and vanilla rounding it up. The notes develop as time passes, the scent sweetens and becomes fuller, with a wonderful drydown. This works surprisingly well on me, and feels both fresh and earthy, and quite complex and multifaceted. I love it.

Hamadryad is my perfect autumn scent-it's like an autumnal potpourri of cinnamon, wood chips, tree bark and moss. And also Tintagel. Mabon is fantastic for early autumn. I thought Bewitched was autumnal as well-it's the blackberry scent, I think. March Hare is late summer-early autumn to me.

Definitely Tum, to me it was honeyed grape with a little spice. I like it! (In fact, the latest reviewer says it smells like Welch's!)

Chaos Theory DXVI (516) From a swap with OriginalWacky In the imp: holy moly, this oil is BLUE!!! That is weird. I wonder where that colour is from? Anyway, the scent…it's like sweet coconut candy with mint, and a refreshing, probably ozone-y or marine smelling edge. It reminds me of the coconut scent of Milk Moon without the sour smell. Wet on skin: mmm, this is nice! This is like Milk Moon-with the coconut milk and mint, but instead of the sour milk that I disliked, there's a bit of ozone. Not stormy ozone, but marine ozone-which I like. It's like the spray of breaking waves. Dry on skin: this smells like summer on the beach, drinking coconut milk by the seashore. A fresh mint and oceanic ozone and sea spray and a bit of coconut. Very refreshing and perfect for summer, and very cooling. It reminds me of holidays on tropical beaches. After a while: the coconut scent strengthens. It has a milky aspect which is like sweetened coconut milk or cream. There's still a hint of sea spray and mint, but now coconut is the dominant note. After a few hours, I have coconut milk and something that reminds me of lotus! (Maybe it's blue lotus-considering the oil's colour?) I love this CT... Verdict: this is a gorgeous summer scent, and it's the first ever blue BPAL I've encountered-and the colour matches the scent. This is a marine aquatic fragrance, which is like summer on a tropical island of blue skies and bluer seas. You've just been surfing, diving, swimming in the ocean, and now you're sitting on the beach and you crack open a fresh coconut and drink the milk inside. This is what it smells like. Coconut milk (which smells startlingly like it's come from a freshly cut coconut) with marine ozone and a little bit of sea salt cooled down by mint. It's perfect for summer and makes me think of beautiful beaches and holidays to far flung exotic islands. I love it, and I'll cherish the half imp I have of it. Chaos Theory CCCLXXXVIII (388) From a swap with OriginalWacky In the imp: another harsh chemical cleaner smell! Dang it, I'm getting a bad run of these CTs! This too has a floral background. Wet on skin: yeesh! A lot of the CTs I've tried seem to share a common note-and it's one that disagrees with me completely. A harsh, medicinal, antiseptic like smell. Here too, there's that soapy floral scent. Another one that, unfortunately, reminds me of just-cleaned bathrooms. At least it smells clean! Dry on skin: still that chemical scent that I don't like, still that soft floral scent that attempts to break through. Yup, it seems almost like a clone of those other CTs, which seems impossible-unless my skin is being a bitch?? After a while: after half an hour, the lovely floral scent is now strong-and it's really nice. I think it could be jasmine or honeysuckle. If it was just that in the perfume, I would like this CT better. Verdict: I don't know why, but three of the CTs I've tried all have a harsh scent like chemicals coupled with a floral background that just smells like antiseptic or cleaning product. Yes, this is another CT I don't like, and even if it does have a nice drydown, which it does, I just can't handle the chemical scent. I'm intrigued to know what it is though. I'll have to swap this one off.

Hamadryad In the imp: mmm, slightly cinnamon-y! There's also something reminiscent of woods and bark here. Wet on skin: not bad! It has a slightly ginger or root beer-y smell, but there's also a dry woody smell, reminds me of tree bark. And there's a bit of spice. Dry on skin: wow, this is nice! This smells like dry cinnamon sticks with other woods and tree bark. It's got an autumnal feel to it, I swear I can even smell dry leaves in this. It's spicy and dry, and warm and woodsy. I can't smell the flowers, but I can smell the woods and a hint of lichen on the bark, which is not as bad as it sounds! After a while: something in here is reminding me of mulled cider, even though it's not listed as a component…it's like a spiced cider scent. I can also detect a little bit of oak moss! Verdict: I've found my perfect autumn scent! This is a lovely blend of dry woods, spices and leaves. Think of an autumnal pot pourri made from cinnamon sticks, wood chips, dry leaves and chips of bark with a sprinkling of spice (and with no horrible synthetics)-and this is what it would smell like. There's a lovely strong cinnamon scent, like cinnamon sticks, and a dry wood scent that is makes me think of tall trees in the autumn sunset, with leaves swirling all around, and a little bit of moss. It's a wonderful blend and I'll be wearing a lot of this, especially when summer ends.

Chaos Theory CCCLXXXII (382) From a swap with OriginalWacky In the imp: oh dear, this one smells really harsh and medicinal, quite chemical. A bit like something antiseptic. Wet on skin: dang it, it really is like antiseptic! There's a really harsh, sharp, chemical scent here that doesn't agree with me at all. In the background, something sweet and floral attempts to break through. Dry on skin: still that chemical scent that I don't like, but there's a soft floral background. It reminds me of another CT that I tried and disagreed with, but I think there could be a different floral here. It seems like jasmine or lotus, or gardenia, or maybe plumeria/frangipani?? The floral gets clearer and creamier, attempting to push away the barrier of that nasty scent that masks it. After a while: that's more like it. It's now become a soft, white floral scent which may be jasmine, gardenia, lotus or honeysuckle, or a mixture of all or a few of these. It's lovely now. Verdict: this is another CT that has a medicinal, harsh note that I can't stand. It reminds me of antiseptic or cleaning products. But, like the other scent that was similar, this one also has a floral scent that attempts to redeem it. It's a gorgeous creamy floral, very full and smooth that gradually gets stronger and pushes the 'antiseptic' scent to the side-it could be jasmine, maybe frangipani. After about half an hour, the scent is a nice, soft floral with no annoying medicinal smell. If it was just that floral drydown and nothing more, I would like it better-I just can't handle the first 30 minutes of this scent, so I might swap it.

Chaos Theory LXXVIII (78) From a swap with Laochodia. In the imp: omg cinnamon!!!!! This smells like cinnamon and orange-it smells like Christmas! Wet on skin: still cinnamon, which is lovely, but there's also something herbal, spicy or slightly boozy in the background. there's an almost medicinal feel to it, kinda like a hot toddy to warm you up in the winter. Dry on skin: cinnamon, yum! And also something that could be ginger beer or tea. This smells like chai tea without the milk, with ginger added. This smells like a warm, comforting winter drink-perfect for the cold, rainy unseasonable weather I'm having now! It is reminiscent of the Lion, but warmer and spicier. It's got a fabulous spicy bite! It also has an effervescent quality that reminds me of Lush's Hot Java. After a while: damn it, this is delicious! This is the Holy Grail of spice blends! It's sweet, warm, spicy, and comforting. I think there's also cardamom, pepper and nutmeg here, mingled with the cinnamon and ginger. It has a sparkling quality, it reminds me of those little sparkler fireworks, those little sparkling sticks you wave around, gentle yet fiery. I wish this was released as a regular or LE scent! Verdict: this is my absolute favourite out of all the CT blends I've tried. It smells like chai tea!!! Yup, this smells like black chai tea with cinnamon and ginger and possibly some pepper. There's a wonderful cinnamon kick in this scent. This is a warm, cosy blend that makes me want to snuggle up with a hot toddy when it's cold and rainy outside. It's perfect for winter and Christmas, and will be the scent I reach for if I have a cold, since it makes me feel so warmed. I will cherish this little decanted imp, my most treasured of Chaos Theories, and my perfect chai tea blend (that is, until Bengal comes along.) (Previously reviewed by sihaya09.)

Midway In the imp: yum yum holy frickin' yum. This smells so sweet-like coconut ice and candy floss and toffee apples and fried doughnuts. Funfair food! And the smell reminds me of something from childhood-a hint of those scented rubbers and a perfume/lotion I used to use. Wet on skin: I can smell something that reminds me of coconut-or coconut ice. But there's also something disturbingly plastic or dusty…oh no… Dry on skin: oh no…it's sweet and candy-like, but there's also something unpleasant that reminds me of dirt and dust…I'm hoping this doesn't last. Damn you, skin chemistry! However, it does remind me of the dusty ground of the funfair. I think it might improve, I hope it does, because I love the sweet top note of this! After a while: please don't fade…I think my skin is eating this scent (it must be hungry for funnel cakes!) as it seems fainter even after 5 minutes! The dusty note is much more bearable though, and I love the sweet scent that hovers above my skin, it's just so yummy! After 15 minutes…wait a minute-is that toffee apples I smell? Yay, it is! And I can smell the sweet candy floss, and possibly the funnel cakes. Now I'm beginning to like this. And the throw's improving!! After 30 minutes…yum yum this is so nice! I can smell the toffee apples, candy floss, coconut ice, marshmallows, vanilla ice cream, and fried doughnuts now! This scent is making me hungry! However, the scent is not a cloying, full on sweet greasy smell, it's like the scent of funfair food wafting on a warm breeze. there's also that hint of dusty wood or dried grass that makes it a tad more realistic-it's like I can smell the fair itself as well as the food. After about an hour, it still retains that sweet scent-it changes though from marshmallows to candy floss to vanilla ice cream to funnel cakes/fried doughnuts to toffee apples all the time! It's like walking through the fair and smelling the food from the different stalls. It does, however, have a dark undertone-which fits in well with the whole idea of 'Carnaval Noir'! At one point, the scent has a metallic aspect, which reminds me of the scent of the metal after you've held on to the bars of a rollercoaster or some other white knuckle ride, which is very fitting. And now the drydown is like candyfloss and marshmallows. Oh gods I want to lick myself. Verdict: in the imp, it smells WONDERFUL. An amazing blend of the most yummy sweet funfair food. But on my skin, it develops a dusty note that I'm not keen on, but then the scent fades away…but then, it returns with a gentle scent of toffee apples and candy floss, the throw improves, the scent warms up and it becomes delicious and sweet once more. Midway is to summer what Snow White is to winter. Both have similar effects on my skin (lovely in the bottle, strange when wet, fades slightly when dry, but after a while they smell nice again and become delicious) but of course, they smell totally different. This is a fun and indulgent foody scent that reminds me of Alton Towers, Brighton Pier, and my local fair (but without the stink of hot dogs and diesel!), it's very sweet but it's also soft, and not cloying or sickly. I might have to cave in and buy a bottle-even if I just buy it for sniffing the bottle or for the fantastic label-but now I love this scent and the way it brings up pleasant memories of funfairs and theme parks.

Ace of Hearts In the imp: sweet, honeyed florals. Probably rose, freesia and orchid. Wet on skin: oh wow, a really heady floral. Rose and orchid! It's got a fresh, tart, moist aspect-apt for it's water associations. Dry on skin: this is lovely! It smells a bit like lily, which is unusual, but nice because I love lilies. The rose in here is tangy and tart, and the scent overall has a fresh feel, like a huge bouquet from the florists. This is heady and uber-floral, not that I mind, since I love floral scents, but also smells freshly picked and dew covered. After a while: the rose now smells very deep and heady, brings to mind the image of velvety red petals. I think the freesia and orchid are dancing on top of the rose, but I can't smell the lotus yet. I love the way I can pick out the individual flowers here though. After about half an hour, it suddenly softens and fades a bit...I'm worried this might mean it fades very fast on me! But the scent is now less heady and is softer and more delicate. It now smells like more exotic blooms-probably the orchid and gardenia. Verdict: this scent reminds me of a book called the Solitaire Mystery, which has a character called the Ace of Hearts-she was the most beautiful of the playing card people, and represented the midsummer sun. This is what she would smell like. This is a heady, feminine bouquet of fresh flowers, but it's got a interesting tartness, almost astringent but not unpleasant at all. The flowers in here smell real, like real flowers from the florists, it's a complex mixture of red pink and white florals, sweet and fresh, tart and tangy, and so lovely.

Santa Eularia Des Riu In the imp: lavender, orange blossom and citrus. Wet on skin: still lavender, citrus (possibly lemon and/or orange) and orange blossom. This is a lovely scent that reminds me of the Mediterranean. Dry on skin: there's something in here reminiscent of Lush's Therapy and something from L'Occitane-it's the lavender and orange/orange blossom. This is a nice soft floral scent, slightly herbal with a nice sharp citrus tang-piquant is the right word. No jasmine yet, but the orange blossom is very strong. It reminds me of cologne. After a while: still citrus and orange blossom, but I think the jasmine is just coming out, adding a smooth light white scent, like freshly bloomed jasmine flowers. Something about this scent reminds me of freshly washed sheets drying in the sun. I must be lucky that not only does jasmine smell nice on me, it doesn't amp up on my skin either! Verdict: this is a lovely, light, fresh scent of tangy citrus fruits and soft flowers-lavender and orange blossom, with hints of jasmine peeking out in the drydown. It has a cologne-like quality and is a carefree and breezy, sunny and smiley scent. This is a perfect perfume for summer, especially if I go on holiday to the Med.

Chaos Theory CCCXIX (319?) From a swap with Cricketshay. In the imp: pepper. Yup, lots of pepper-probably black pepper. I think there's something floral as well, and some dragon's blood (the oil is red) Wet on skin: still very peppery. There's a hint of floral, which might be rose. Dry on skin: mmm, this is nice! This is a spicy floral, flower petals and dragon's blood resin covered with ground pepper. An unusual combination, but it seems to work. I'm not sure what kind of flower is in this, it could be rose. I think I smell the dragon's blood here too, which, sometimes on my skin, takes on a clear 'floral' like smell. After a while: the floral note gets stronger, and I have a feeling it could be jasmine or honeysuckle, maybe mixed with rose-it's now less of a 'red' floral and more of a white light floral scent. Still very peppery as well. After two hours-yup, it's jasmine alright! Which is no bad thing since I love it…and the pepper makes it more interesting. Verdict: another fascinating scent of chaos. This one is hot and spicy, with the instantly recognisable scent of ground peppercorns. It's mingled with dragon's blood and a floral note, and the drydown after a few hours is a lightly peppered jasmine. A wonderful scent, soft florals contrasting with spiky, hot pepper. If something similar was added to the BPAL catalogue, I'd probably buy more. Chaos Theory CCLXXX (280?) From a swap with Cricketshay. In the imp: I think there's camomile in here. But there's also a note that reminds me of…toilet cleaner. Wet on skin: there are two parts to this scent-a fairly pleasant scent that reminds me of soap (probably Pears or Dove) and an unpleasant, sharp not that reminds me of cleaning products. Dry on skin: I think the soap note is lily of the valley and/or camomile, maybe jasmine, I can now smell it has become more floral, and more pleasant, it's a soft, powdery white floral. But that sharp 'toilet cleaner' note remains! I really don't like this. I hope it improves. After a while: this reminds me, unfortunately, of those soaps you get in public toilets. There's a sweet floral, like a blossom scent with white powdery florals, but there's that chemical scent that really disagrees with me. It's more bearable, but it's still not me. After a few hours, it finally becomes lovely. A soft, sweet floral with a hint of something fruity which I think is pear. It could also be lotus, which I love. Verdict: this CT did not agree with me at all, I'm afraid. There's a soapy soft floral that attempts to redeem this scent, but there's also a note that is harsh and almost chemical smelling that reminds me of bathroom or toilet cleaner. I really don't like this, I'm afraid, and my skin is really amping the cleaning product smell. The drydown, however, is lovely, but I can't handle this scent for an hour before it changes to that nice drydown. Hopefully someone else will find this better, so I'm swapping it. (Last reviewed by Digital_Hypoxia.)

Hermes In the imp: lavender, possibly cinnamon and clove or ginger. It reminds me of something from Lush-maybe Dreamtime. Wet on skin: still lavender and spices, warm spices that may be cinnamon and clove. This is a very deep, herbal-spicy scent. Dry on skin: mmm, spice! I love the warm spicy scent this has, backed up by lavender, and possibly other herbs. This is a lovely scent…it reminds me slightly of Paris, but with warmer, less sweet spices. After a while: cinnamon! This is just like Three Witches, but with added lavender. I love the dry cinnamon bark in this, it's almost festive smelling. This eventually becomes pure cinnamon and clove, the exact same drydown as TW! Verdict: as a budding writer currently suffering from terrible writer's block, I'm hoping this blend kick starts my muse into action. Whatever the effects of this, I love the scent. it's lavender with a wonderful warm spicy blend of cinnamon and clove. Think the spices of Three Witches but with lavender added, or a drier, less sweet version of Paris. I love this scent, and hopefully it's magical effects will take hold. I want a bottle!

Bastet's Laughter In the imp: sweet bubblegum-no doubt lotus, as this is a sacred Egyptian flower. There's also a bittersweet fruit smell like citrus peel. I have no candles to put this on, so I shall try it on the skin. Wet on skin: mmmm, yummy! This is a lovely, sweet fruity blend. There's a scent of candied orange or lemon peel, or pink grapefruit, in this, as well as the sweet floral scent of what I think is lotus. Dry on skin: this is lovely! I think there may be apricot or peach in this, but there's also a deeper sweetness here with a slight bittersweet twinge-but this is no bad thing, it makes the scent more interesting. It smells just like candied fruit peel-I don't like the taste of it, but I love the scent! This is a sunny, warm scent, so gorgeous. I think I can smell a tiny bit of lotus there too. After a while: there's now a scent in here that reminds me of the lovely smoky scent of a blown out candle. I'm pretty sure there's apricot here as well-spiced apricot jam. And still the scent of candied citrus peel, and a hint of candy floss on top. It's so sweet, you can't help but smile. Verdict: I love this Egyptian themed scent!!! It smells fruity, sugared and sunny. It has a playful, youthful and mischievous feel to it. It smells like candied fruits with apricots and a bit of lotus. This blend is full of optimism and makes me want to connect with my feline side. I wish I could obtain a bottle. I may try this on candles and see what happens...

Al Azif In the imp: sweet, dark, spicy incense. I swear I even smell a little bit of dark rum or whisky! Wet on skin: this is a really dark resinous blend with a twist of booze and some dry spices and woods. Dry on skin: dark, sweet, sticky resins. There's possibly some really dark amber in this, and some myrrh-dark myrrh probably. There are also some dry woody or spice notes in this. And there's a booze note-not sure what kind of booze, but it reminds me of Miskatonic's Irish cream note, or perhaps of dark rum. It's a very sweet scent-there may be some treacle in here as well, a really dark sugar scent, slightly maple-syrupy. After a while: this is complex, there are many resin scents in this, but they blend together into one, sweet mass of resin and I can't pick them out, that's how well blended this is. There's now a lighter, and, dare I say it, slightly floral top note in this. There's also a sweetness, which is much like bourbon vanilla-or maybe even bourbon liquor. After an hour or so, I can smell a little bit of patchouli, with a molasses like topping. Verdict: this is a really interesting scent-it's complex, unusual, and very dark. It's incense-y and resinous, but of very sticky, dark, treacle like resins, as opposed to dry, smoky resins. Very sweet and viscous smelling. It has a little hint of strong booze, possibly rum or whisky. And there's a spicy note in there, or perhaps some woods. It's very intriguing and does fit the description well (even though I've never read Lovecraft), but I'm not sure if it's my favourite incense scent, but I do enjoy the fragrance.

The Lion In the imp: mmm, spicy amber! Cinnamon! Yum! Wet on skin: wow, this is lovely! Amber! And there's wonderful spice note with cinnamon. Dry on skin: this is lovely! This is an amazing spicy amber scent. It's a really 'clear' and translucent scent, brings to mind the image of crystalline amber resin. It reminds me of a drink of sorts-root beer or ginger beer, perhaps? Or iced tea with spice? Possibly the latter. I know there's cinnamon here, and there's possibly some other spices and herbs as well. After a while: It sweetens up really nicely-and develops a more 'liquid' aspect, like the scent of a really delicious spiced ice tea drink on a warm summer's day. Yup, I agree with other reviewers that it smells of tea-but that's no bad thing-it's making me want iced chai tea (does that stuff exist? If not, then why not?) It's warm, but has a refreshing aspect too, a certain clarity, a translucence, glowing and bright. I'm wondering if there's a bit of musk here too? Verdict: this is a warm and luscious amber scent, accented by spice. It's clear, liquid or crystalline amber, sweet and warm with a spicy twist. Truly lovely. I love the cinnamon in this, it is so nice with the amber, it reminds me of the cinnamon-amber combination in Sin that I love. This is a gorgeous scent that makes me wanna roar with pleasure! Rwarr!

The Queen of Hearts Lily of the Valley, Calla Lily, stephanotis and a drop of cherry. In the imp: almond? That could be the cherry though. There's also some heady florals underneath the cherry scent. Wet on skin: the almond/cherry vanishes, and leaves a soft white floral scent-lilies. Dry on skin: lily of the valley! I love that scent…my mum has a patch of lilies of the valley in the garden and they always smell so nice. There's a little bit of tartness and moistness in this scent, which makes the lily seem more 'real'. The lily in here reminds me of Kostnice-it's that same raindrop covered bloom scent. After a while: the blend is sweetening now, with a note that could be the stephanotis. I've smelt this flower for real, it has a soft, sweet scent, delicate and slightly powdery-like a muted, tempered down jasmine. I think I can smell it here now. Verdict: this is a very nice, heady, feminine blend of white lilies. Soft and powdery, slightly moist and full bloomed, this is almost pure lily on me at first. It's very pure and fresh, like a real blooming lily, with the lily of the valley note flitting through. Then the stephanotis comes out from hiding, and adds a nice, delicate touch to the fragrance. It's a gorgeous floral scent, not sure if it's a favourite though, but it's another uber-feminine floral that I enjoyed trying out. I might keep the imp.

Peace In the imp: mmm! Lavender, and possibly violet and lime. It actually smells like an organic natural shampoo I use!!! Wet on skin: lavender! This is a really nice, fuzzy and cosy smell, very herbal, and very soothing. Very 'aromatherapy-like'. Dry on skin: holy shit! This smells EXACTLY like Lush's Waving Not Drowning! (And also Playdoze, and Sleepy Head.) I love that calming, sleepy lavender scent in that bath ballistic, and this perfume is almost identical! I'm wondering if there's the ylang-ylang, fennel and cardamom that the Lush scent contains! This is lovely! After a while: now a more violet-y scent rises up from the WND smell, adding a light, delicate, powdery sweetness to the blend. I think there may be a spice of some kind (cardamom?) because the scent has a very warm feel. Verdict: I love Peace-why? Because it's the perfect compliment to the Lush sleepy blends-WND, Playdoze and Sleepy Head. It smells identical to them, on me anyway. This is a wonderful, soothing, unwinding blend of lavender and warm herbal notes, possibly some violet too. I'm wondering if it has the other ingredients of WND as well. This is perfect to go to sleep with, especially after a long bath. Please Beth, release the Peace!!! Edit: just when I thought I was loving this, after a few hours it goes a bit burnt on me. There's a weird smell that reminds me of charcoal. What a shame...it was so nice before!

The unreleased blend, Peace, smells EXACTLY like Waving not Drowning. Yup.

Netzach In the imp: rose! I love rose!!! This seems similar to the Empress. Wet on skin: oh wow, another gorgeous rose scent. This is lovely! It reminds me of the Empress meets Lucy's Kiss. Dry on skin: I love rose. This is a lovely, warm, soft rose, heady and deep. There might be something slightly spicy, dry or woody in this, or maybe orris, or sandalwood. There's definitely something enhancing the rose note. It reminds me of Black Cat, or Lucy's Kiss. After a while: it pretty much stays the same-a powdery, heady rose, sweet but with a dry undertone. It's quite nice. Verdict: I can't get enough of these rose scents! This is another one of these. Very similar to Lucy's Kiss, this is a mature, refined rose scent, quite dry, nostalgic, like an old fashioned Victorian rose smell. It's a gorgeous fragrance, but I'm not sure if it's a favourite yet…I have many rose blends I prefer to this, so I probably won't get a bottle, but I might keep the imp.

Sin In the imp: a really dark, deep scent, almost like darkened red musk, but I think it's patchouli and sandalwood. Wet on skin: oh, now the cinnamon starts to come through! the sandalwood and patchouli are nice and dark in here, the amber adds a touch of sweetness. Dry on skin: cinnamon!!! I love cinnamon, and in here, it's mixed with patchouli and sandalwood and a nice background of amber, which is such an interesting combination! This is a rich, deep, exotic scent, it reminds me of this perfume I smelt somewhere when I went on holiday some time ago, a really nice, warm, exotic perfume. And there's something here that reminds me so much of red musk, or cherries. After a while: this was what I wanted Snake Oil to be like, had the vanilla not amped up and blotted out all the other notes. This is such a slinky, sensual scent…and I love the spicy bite it has. Verdict: this is surprisingly nice! This is a rich, exotic, dark, sensual blend of patchouli and sandalwood (and I'm pretty sure there's musk here) and amber, with a wonderful touch of spicy cinnamon. The notes in here are blended so well, and there's something about this scent that reminds me of another perfume I smelt somewhere before. This is a sexy, naughty blend and it makes me want to do bad things…I love it.

Sophia In the imp: lavender and soft florals. Lovely. Wet on skin: mmm, I can smell the lavender here, plus something slightly spicy. There are also some lovely sweet florals, like rose and jasmine, coming through. Dry on skin: oh wow. This is a beautiful, soothing blend of flowers warmed up nicely by a lovely spice note. The lavender doesn't overpower here; it's nicely balanced and well mixed with the other flowers. It has a mature air to it, dignified and mysterious, it fits the image of a goddess of infinite wisdom. After a while: whoa, I feel soothed, even quite sleepy. This lavender is pretty powerful even though it's not a prominent note now, I think this will be a nice bedtime scent. And the jasmine in this is lovely, so sweet and light, dancing on the top of the scent with the spices (and what lovely spices-is there cinnamon here?), with the lavender and a bit of musk at the bottom, and a nice crisp rose note in between. After 45 minutes, now the lavender's faded, and the rose and jasmine are there-and they smell sublime, almost luminous. Verdict: this is truly magnificent. This is a soft, yet potent floral scent with a very nice lavender note, with rose and jasmine, and some soft spices. This scent has a very calming, gentle feel to it, and yet it feels profound and mysterious. This will be lovely to wear to sleep, thanks to the lavender, but the other flowers make this even more interesting. This scent is very feminine, yet with a grown up and wise feel to it. The florals are well balanced and they all work together to create a soothing, magnificent scent.

Velvet In the imp: mmmmmm! Chocolate brownies!!! Reminds me of 13 but this is more like milk chocolate. Wet on skin: the chocolate note is still there, but now I think I can smell the sandalwood, a rich, deep sandalwood. Dry on skin: oh, this is sublime! The sandalwood is rich and full here, sweetened nicely by the vanilla, cocoa and myrrh. This is yummy. It's also quite subtle, close to the skin, and indulgent. After a while: the vanilla is really strong in this. It has a tendency to overpower the other notes, but in here it works nicely, and is balanced out by the sandalwood. Verdict: this is the ultimate comfort scent. This is a really indulgent and delicious scent. the only problem is that the vanilla in this gets amped up a lot on my skin, but here, the sandalwood grounds it nicely. The cocoa and myrrh deepen the scent. It's very sweet and smooth, like good quality chocolate. I'm not sure if I'll get a bottle, but I'm definitely keeping the imp.

Shill In the imp: oh my word. BUTTER. And popcorn. But mainly butter. I'm worried now. Wet on skin: salty butter! It smells too savoury and foody as perfume-I love salty melted butter on my food, but not as a fragrance! Dry on skin: oh dear, the salted butter note is amped up to the max on me. I was hoping for popcorn, but I can't really smell it under all the butter. After a while: the popcorn starts to come through, but I'm afraid it's still too buttery for me. Verdict: I'm afraid to say this is way too salty and buttery for me. I was hoping for a more popcorn-like scent, but the salted butter just overtakes the scent. Now, I love butter as food, but not as perfume or room fragrance. But I am impressed at the way this perfume smells so real. Like I've spilt salted butter on my arm! I do eventually smell the popcorn, but I would have preferred a perfume scented with sweet, toffee-flavoured popcorn than salty buttered popcorn. Oh well, off to swaps.

Mata Hari In the imp: dry roast coffee! And also a flowery background, rose and jasmine. Wet on skin: roasted coffee beans and flowers. It's an unusual combination, but not bad. Dry on skin: I can smell the jasmine, rose, and sweet ripe fig. Still a hint of coffee, but this fades, and reveals a lovely blend of sweet flowers. There's something woody and dark, possibly the mahogany. I think the vanilla adds sweetness to the scent. Something about this reminds me of the florals in Kali. After a while: this is very heady indeed! It's also incredibly sweet. There's a hint of darkness provided by the mahogany and coffee as well-I don't know, but this seems a little bit distracting. I never thought I'd say this, but I think here, the florals are a bit too sweet. Maybe it's the vanilla misbehaving on me…it can be temperamental! Or maybe that's the tonka? Verdict: this is an unusual and intriguing blend. I love the floral blend in this, it's rich, heady and very feminine, and sweetened by vanilla and ripe fig. However, I'm not sure what to make of the coffee in this-it seems to clash slightly with the florals. But this does fade over time, to reveal a sweet flowery scent that is exotic and full-on. It's a lovely rich blend, but I'm not sure if it's a favourite yet. Maybe if it didn't have dry coffee and the vanilla was kept in check, I would love this more.

Honey Moon In the imp: warm, soft, fuzzy honey with a hint of green. Wet on skin: sweet honey with a nice sweet floral note coming through. The thyme adds an interesting herbal touch. And the gardenia in here is of the nice variety-it doesn't go funky on my skin! Dry on skin: mmmm! Now the floral notes really come through. There's jasmine there, and another white floral which could be white ginger but I'm not sure. There's probably gardenia in the mix as well. It's lovely though-very tropical smelling. And the flowers are drizzled with a coating of soft honey. This is beautiful. After a while: now another honey note comes through. This is the honey note from O, or from Honey SN. I can see what the description means by different honeys. I can smell about two or three varieties here. It now smells truly delicious, very sweet, and the florals are still there. It smells like liquid sunshine. Verdict: I am truly impressed by both June Lunacies. This one is wonderful. It's got a sublime blend of honeys, so warm and liquid, with delightful sweet florals and a nice twist of thyme. The honey note in here reminds me of an elderflower-honey cordial, and it's warm and sun kissed. This is a perfect honey scent for summer, and it's ever so feminine. I am so pleased I have a bottle, because this is lovely.