PurringPulsar

Splatter Comedy In the imp: this sh*t is bananas, B-A-N-A-N-A-S! This is a fun synthetic banana flavouring, not a real one. Wet on skin: now I smell caramel, custard and pie crust. But also a scent of burnt rubber and metal. Dry on skin: oh my, the chainsaws are roaring here! The scent of burnt rubber and metal and smoke and grease. I can still smell banana cream pie here, without a doubt, but this fun, sweet, foody scent is aggressively cut through with mechanical notes of metal and grease. It reminds me of the metallic and burnt scent of Mechanical Phoenix but it smells even more authentic here. So much so that it smells like someone is eating a banana pie in a garage! But there is something sinister to the mechanical scent, it smells burnt and harsh and contrasts wildly with the light hearted scent of the banana custard. And despite this, it’s still such an unusual juxtaposition of notes, the combination makes me chuckle. After a while: still that smoky greasy dirty scent of rusty chainsaws and burnt rubber, the garage/mechanic’s workshop scent, with a much creamier and sweeter pie scent. The banana is still there but it is quieter now, I actually smell more of a vanilla custard and caramelised sugar with buttery crust scent here. It still contrasts with the burnt mechanical scent, which smells much too genuine for me to pull off-it really smells like a garage, it is uncanny! It’s a shame, as I like the pie scent! Verdict: this is a really weird scent but I find it really hilarious! it smells just like it says it does-of banana cream pie and chainsaws. It smells strongly of banana marshmallows and pie, but then the chainsaw notes of greased metal slice through it harshly, and before long it smells like burnt rubber, mechanical grease and dirty metal. But with banana pie. Only BPAL could pull that off. It’s not often a scent makes me giggle purely because of it’s scent, but this does, the combination of banana pie and metal is so odd and so wacky, it doesn’t take itself seriously. I cannot wear the scent as it really smells of burning rubber and garage, but I love the novelty factor here. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Not really but it was great fun trying it! If you like this, try: Banana Peel in a Graveyard, Mechanical Phoenix, Phoenix Steamworks, Shango, The Blockhead

Oceans of Love and Millions of Kisses In bottle: sharper orange blossom than Khrysee, but this has a lovely tea-like thing to it. On skin: the honey note is really interesting here! Different to the sharp, acidic honey I got from Tomoe Gozen and disliked, this is sharp (though that’s more of an orange blossom sharpness, a citrus tang) but the scent is a lot gentler, and has a kind of beeswax or honeycomb thing to it-actually, I think it’s more like beeswax because this isn’t a sticky sweet honey. It’s a dry, almost crumbly honey scent, and yet it reminds me of a herbal tea of some kind…I know camomile isn’t listed but this gives me the impression of a warm, sunny, mellow tisane made with orange blossom, camomile and honey, with maybe a hint of tea as well. It’s golden and makes me think of the honeyed light at the end of a summer’s day, the golden tone of evening sunlight. It’s a very soothing scent. It’s beautiful enough to wear all over as a body oil and a lovely scent to wear layered with other scents like Khrysee or anything with notes like honey, amber, camomile, hay, orange blossom…this has so much potential. A simple yet beautifully effective golden scent.

Sunbird In the imp: spicy frankincense, myrrh and smoke-this smells incredible! Wet on skin: oh my goodness…now I smell musk and herbs and vanilla and saffron! Dry on skin: wow, this is stunning! Spices, resins, heat, fire, smoke, sweetness, herbs, musk and the evocation of the ancient past and faraway places. Interestingly it’s also quite familiar. I smell something fruity that reminds me of apple! Like sweet apple tea, with exotic ‘bazaar’ spices and herbs. But then I smell it again and I smell rich red musk spiced with saffron and deep sweet myrrh and frankincense with cinnamon and sandalwood, and a waft of sacred kyphi from the ancient temples of Heliopolis, and a hot breath of desert wind across sun scorched stone. And then it smells like warm pine forests and scrubby and pungent herbs, Mediterranean landscapes in the August heat, hints of dry grasses and hay and sap and smoke. This scent takes me to so many places at once. I have no idea why I get apple from here but it’s an apple note that actually works on me! After a while: the scent then loses that intensely spicy scent and the apple note, and seems to mellow. The whirling and heated complexity calms down and the scent becomes more languid and mellow, like the golden light of evening. The musks and resins become stronger but I also start to smell what could be camomile now, as well as a sweeter scent which I’m guessing is a blend of vanilla, saffron, amber and heliotrope. I say heliotrope because it reminds me of the likes of Sportive Sun, Labores Solis, Red Moon etc. but this has more spice, musk and incense to it. I also think there may be carnation here, but I am pretty sure that the dominant note I get is camomile…now it reminds me of another kind of tea, camomile tea, but with sun-warmed skin and passionate red musk and wafts of spicy smoke and ancient ceremonial incense. This then settles into a gorgeous mix of red musk, saffron and camomile! (btw I never got any vetiver whatsoever from this.) Verdict: this is a scent that truly blew my mind-a wonderful, masterful blend evoking the sun in all it’s glory and aspects-as supreme deity, as giver of warmth, light, happiness and also bringer of torrid heat and fire. This evokes holy resins and deserts, like a pyre of smouldering spices and resins, hot dry sunlight, Egyptian incense, Middle Eastern bazaars, cosy cooking herbs, summer holidays, and sexy exotic musk all at once. It also brings to mind the heat and the hustle and bustle of spice markets and shops selling curiosities and exotic knick-knacks as well as herbal remedies. It makes me think of places I have been and places I have dreamed about. This heated firestorm of scent is fevered and exciting and takes my mind on multiple journeys and brings to mind many moods and images. This is my favourite of the phoenix-themed scents that Beth has ever made. I bet aging is going to make this even more incredible. I am glad I have three bottles! Emoticon rating: :love!: Is it a keeper? yes. This scent is spectacular. If you like this, try: Priala, Ra, Ahathoor, Great Cry in Egypt, Scherezade, Labores Solis, Fire Phoenix

Nonae Caprotina In the imp: fig and yogurt. Yup, this smells like yogurt to me, which is sour but not yucky sour milk. Wet on skin: rich fruity yogurt with fig. Not bad! Dry on skin: figs and milkiness. The goat’s milk is interesting. Yes it is a little sour, but not in the way that it makes me recoil. This is a sourness that reminds me of yogurt. It is a little richer than the usual milk note and the more I smell it, I swear I start to get the slightest hint of mild cheese. Not strong cheesy stinky cheese, but more of a soft creamy white goat’s cheese scent. However this still reminds me of yogurt, and there’s a lot of fig in here. The fig also smells very sharp, a little sweet, but this is a tangy fig note. No myrrh yet. This reminds me strongly of Milk Moon 07 as well. After a while: the fig becomes stronger, the scent loses the initial creamy scent and becomes a sharp sour fig. It still smells quite pleasant but the fig is a little too sharp for me, I was hoping for a softer fig note. It still reminds me of MM07, without the honey and pomegranate notes, this is more straightforward. Verdict: this isn’t too bad. It is a little too milky/dairy for my tastes but it’s not as rancid as I feared. It smells a little bit like a fig yogurt. The fig isn’t a deep brown fig but a greenish one that is tangy and tart, a bit leafy. It does remind me of fresh figs though, drenched in goat’s milk yogurt. The myrrh on the other hand is nowhere to be seen (smelt?) which is a shame…it then turns a little sharper at the end and the scent also doesn’t last very long on me. I prefer creamy scents that aren’t too ‘dairy’ (with Milk Moon 07 being an exception) and sweeter fig scents so this isn’t a keeper. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Nope. If you like this, try: Milk Moon 07, Carnal, The Sea Foams Milk, Obatala

Boot Hill Spray Recently I’ve had an odd craving for leather scents and this satisfies it perfectly. This smells like a brand new pair of knee-high boots, kinky boots, sexy boots, one of these days these boots are gonna walk all over you! It smells like rich sensual black leather. A lot more like the leather in something like C Auguste Dupin than De Sade. Whereas Saloon 10 was too heavy on the thick, sticky tobacco and booze notes, this is a much nicer, purer leather scent to me. It’s incredibly realistic; in fact it reminds me of the smell of the leather shops in Florence…sophisticated yet raw leather. However sometimes I smell a little bit of the ‘hill’ as well as the ‘boot’ in this scent, a little bit of grassiness and earthiness under the leather. I think there’s a little patchouli as well? I’m really tempted to spray my shoes with this scent so they always smell like new shoes! I really hope that this scent, or something similarly leathery, becomes available some day!

Sheela Na Gig I can't see a topic for this, so I thought I'd start one...I was gifted with a tiny sample of this from a very, very generous and wonderful forumite! And as I am a nitpicky spreadsheeter, I actually have the notes list for this scent! A sensual hazelnut vanilla with ylang ylang, angelica, knotted clover, and pearly everlasting. In the imp: I can smell the hazelnut…and a floral note, maybe the everlasting? Wet on skin: now it goes really grainy, like a wheat note, or barley? Dry on skin: this is really nice! It’s a nutty, grainy sweet vanilla boosted by soft floral notes. There’s a grainy scent to it that reminds me of Dana O’Shee. The vanilla is really gorgeous, and the hazelnut doesn’t have that overly foody quality, it smells here like unroasted hazelnuts, or hazelnuts that have just been de-shelled. The ylang-ylang is a lot softer here than usual as well. I think I smell the clover here, making that grassy hay-like scent, not sure what pearly everlasting smells like. After a while: this mellows so nicely. At one point it smelt oddly like dry pasta, but that stage has gone now. It’s still dry and grainy but also has that wildflower and windswept grasses thing going on, all underscored by that sexy warm vanilla and hazelnut blend. It adds richness whilst the flowers and clover make this a bit outdoorsy. Over time the nutty vanilla becomes the dominant note and it has serious throw! It becomes a sensual vanilla with hazelnut and a hint of sweet grass. Verdict: this is a really gorgeous unique vanilla, and I feel so privileged to have tried it! it’s a lovely blend of warm decadent vanilla with a soft grainy-hay dryness and enchanting hints of wildflowers, boosted by the richness of hazelnut and the heady ylang. This actually has a similar feel to other Irish/Celtic scents like Singing Moon and Dana O’Shee, and Leanan Sidhe to a lesser extent. Something about the blend of floral and grassy notes here that reminds me of that. Except this is also very different because of that delightful vanilla-nut combo. It gets sweeter and warmer at drydown, and even though I only got a tiny amount to test, it doesn’t matter because even a small amount has tons of throw! It’s very different to other BPAL vanillas and is yet another excellent non-gourmand use of this note by Beth. I know that I’d love to see this scent, or something like it, become widely available to us all one day! I'd love to get more of this! Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? I think so! Though I also feel tempted to pass it on so I can share the love and spread this beautiful scent around the BPALverse!

Taphophobia In the imp: thick black amber swirled with dirt. Like Yorick with the amber/resin amped up. Wet on skin: I think this may be labdanum. It’s a particularly ambery version. And it still smells of soil. Dry on skin: sweet black resins and dark rotting earth. There’s a treacly scent to the resin, but not in a molasses way, but more like in the dark and smoky scent they have, and the viscous feel they have. I now smell myrrh/opoponax as well as black amber and labdanum. There’s also the earth from before, I smell soil and rotting moss and also some patchouli, maybe even some spikenard. This isn’t fresh rained-on soil, but the earth from deep underground. After a while: spices? I think there is galangal in here. That’s because it turns a little curry-like and autumnal, which I also get with the galangal scents. It reminds me of that slightly spicy scent that some autumn leaves get when they decay. However it still smells strongly of mushy dark loamy earth crammed with resinous labdanum/benzoin. After a few hours of wear, the shadowy patchouli and spikenard notes are strongest. There may also be a little bit of blood accord, as I get a touch of rusty metallic-ness to it. Verdict: this is an intriguing scent. It’s like soil mixed with resins, or a darker version of Yorick. I really like it-especially for the first hour, when the resins rule the scent. It smells like a wonderful sticky labdanum-amber with styrax/benzoin and spikenard, as well as moss and patchouli and other deep earth notes. It does turn a little spicier at drydown as a galangal note comes out, slightly reminiscent of rotting autumn leaves, and a hint of blood. It’s a lovely take on the burial-themed scents but I’m comparing it with one of the Putrefication prototypes which smells quite similar, and I think I prefer Putrefication-this one turns a little masculine at drydown and loses that amber scent from before. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? I like it but I swapped it off.

Baigneuse does mean bather in French. (baigner means to bathe, etc...)

I love red Mircalla! She reminds me of the beautiful Warrior Queen labels. And the Girl is gorgeous. Interesting that there are different labels for the vampires-is that just for Mircalla and the Girl, or are there other vamp/Halloween alternate labels out there?

Boadicea In the imp: I smell vetiver here, but I also smell vanilla and orange blossom. Wet on skin: vetiver fades into the background as feisty leather and sexy sweetness takes over. Dry on skin: mmm, this is gorgeous. This is smouldering and sweet and feminine and powerful all at once. Normally leather is a problem note on me but in here it is fantastic, it is a really kick-ass scent. The vanilla and neroli and amber blend together so beautifully to add a lighter, sweeter gentler scent contrasting the smoky leather that actually reminds me of Khrysee. I do not smell dragon’s blood, but I think I smell a tiny bit of fig and oak. And the vetiver works here too-the vetiver adds a nice smoky, slightly charred undertone to the scent, almost like a reminder of the cities she burned down. If the leather and vetiver stay as they are, this could be my new ‘power scent’. After a while: oh no, the leather is overtaking. For some time, the leather note seems to dominate the scent, and threatens to dominate all the other notes…it has already dominated the vetiver, whatever next? Thankfully the sweet vanilla still adds its gorgeous soft scent to it all, and I can smell hints of fig now, as well as the gorgeous Khrysee-ish neroli and amber combination. Eventually this settles on smelling like the most gorgeous amber-vanilla incense, with hints of patchouli, vetiver and fig at the background. This scent is really growing on me! Verdict: yup, I think I’ve found my power scent. At times I was unsure of the leather and vetiver but then the amber, orange blossom and vanilla come through, and it smells stunning. It’s like a more confident and powerful Khrysee-like Khrysee riding a chariot with spikes on its wheels, covered in woad, ready for battle. This scent rouses the Aries side in me. Fiery, impetuous, strong willed, this scent does not suffer fools gladly, does not take bullshit. And it makes me feel empowered. This is a scent I would wear whenever I feel like kicking ass, or burning down London (because believe me, much as I love my city, there are days when I feel like doing that!) or any time I really need a self-esteem booster. So I have my Queen scents for different purposes-Zenobia for whenever I want to feel mysterious and sultry, Semiramis for whenever I want to feel sexy, Ysabel for feeling sophisticated and mature, and Boadicea to stand my ground and show people who’s boss! Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? I have a bottle. If you like this, try: Khrysee, Aeronwen, Tintagel

The Sluggard In the imp: lavender and monoi! This has the same gardenia as Tiki Queen! Wet on skin: fruity gardenia with a resinous-herbal touch. Dry on skin: this is really nice. There’s a lavender note here that’s herbal and a bit dirty, in a pleasant way. Under it I smell rich gardenia, very monoi-like, a tropical bloom filling the air with scent. It has a fruitiness enhanced by juicy sweet pear. And then there’s frankincense, which in here is stunning and a lot deeper than the one in, say, Christine. The combination of frankincense and gardenia reminds me of Ecstasy of St Theresa. And then another comparison comes to mind-Lune Noire. The pear, floral and resin blend here reminds me of LN, and I love that. After a while: the lavender fades, leaving that glorious monoi tiare scent behind, gilded with frankincense and labdanum resins and with that gorgeous fruity pear making it sweeter. I don’t know what thistle smells like, so I don’t think I can smell it. it now reminds me less of Lune Noire and more of Tiki Queen with added resin. The drydown is a sublime sweet gardenia which reminds me of vanilla and jasmine (good jasmine, that is) with a resinous backdrop and also a dry, brittle, hay like scent which may be thistle. But I can’t get over how wonderful the tiare-like gardenia note in here is. Verdict: this is surprisingly beautiful! I was expecting this to be a dirty-earthy herbal resin scent with a smidge of floral and fruit, but the gardenia just glows here. and it’s the best kind of gardenia, the monoi tiare variety which smells like holidays in Tahiti and grass skirts and flowery garlands and paradise and all that. This sluggard seems to be lazing about on exotic islands, taking long holidays chilling out in tropical climes, it seems. The resin makes this even more beautiful and this actually smells like what I wished I could have got from Marae-gardenia and incense. This also happens to be a great replacement for when I run out of Lune Noire, the frankincense and floral blend with pear is similar, though a little headier. An unexpected hit from the new MTPs! Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? yup. I’ll use up the imp and maybe get a bottle. If you like this, try: Lune Noire, Tiki Queen, Marae, Ecstasy of St Theresa, Christine

Tabella In the bottle: fig and resins! Mmm! Wet on skin: lots of fig, and it’s quite a sharp fig…I also smell ginger, herbs and resins. Dry on skin: oh, this is gorgeous. It smells like beautiful resins and warm herbs surrounding a heart of fig. the fig is a bit sharp, but very pleasant. I can smell the golden and wonderful resin notes, bright frankincense and sweet benzoin. I smell sharp notes of ginger and bergamot, a bit of sage, a hint of smoky tobacco flower, and soft olive blossom with it’s slightly fruity-oily-floral scent. everything works together really well. After a while: this gets better! The fig then goes all mushy (but still has a hint of something sharp about it) and even a little musky, reminds me of the musky fig in Aeronwen. Only this time it’s got herbs and lovely resins. These seem to add a golden, glimmering scent to the fig. I smell more of the olive blossom too, I love that note, and it seems to enhance the soft, almost creamy scent of the fig. The drydown of this scent is a delightful scent of soft musky-powdery fig backed up with olive blossom. It’s really beautiful. The frankincense adds the perfect touch of incense to it all, I think some of the smokiness also comes from the tobacco flower. Verdict: as this has aged it has become a gorgeous sophisticated bergamot perfume with undertones of resin and fig. the ginger, olive blossom, fig and bergamot make this snappy and fresh, quite sharp (I myself would rather it was a tiny bit sweeter) but with a feel to it that’s very mature and classy, refined. Something about it also reminds me of the Roman-themed scents like Angeronalia and Ides of March. And underneath it are the resins. The frankincense is really lovely here, and the tobacco adds smokiness and makes it a little more incense-y but not overwhelmingly smoky like tobacco can usually be. The drydown is a lovely fig gilded with bright olive blossom and frankincense. Really lovely. It would be even nicer though if the fig were sweeter and maybe of the mushy brown-red-purple variety (not the green type I get here) but this is certainly a keeper. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? yup, the bottle. If you like this, try: Sagittarius, Aeronwen, Intrigue, Luperci, Banded Sea Snake, Ides of March

Pisces 08 In the bottle: a deep, mysterious moss with opium and spice. Wet on skin: now the opium really comes out, with a slightly citrusy spice. Dry on skin: whoa, this is quite something. It’s a haze of narcotic notes dominated by the opium, an otherworldly and dreamy incense. I think I also smell the hemp, which doesn’t smell like weed but certainly reminds me of khus. I think grains of paradise are spicy, and this does have a spicy scent to it. the passion flower and wisteria make this a little bit floral, whilst the moss adds a green, moist and slightly powdery scent. This is a fascinating scent. it reminds me of Kanishta with the jasmine replaced by wisteria. It’s a purple scent (I keep thinking ‘purple haze’ when I smell this, lol). After a while: I think I seem to be getting on better with wisteria notes. First Aquarius smells lovely on me, and now the wisteria here also smells really nice, not wilted. It’s become stronger, the soft flowery scent rising out of the opium mist. I also smell a bit of the moss too. Oddly, it smells a tiny bit salty or aquatic, reminiscent of the sea now? I don’t know why, but it’s fitting for Pisces. I also smell something musky and fuzzy here, and it’s a little bit sweeter too. The opium smoke clears away and the scent becomes a lovely floral-mossy scent with a touch of ethereal incense lingering, and a seaweed-like scent. Something about the scent evokes not the smell of fish (thank goodness) but the appearance of fish, slippery scales flashing in the waters of a clear blue sea. This scent makes me think of mermaids. Verdict: this is a strange, fascinating scent…a little mysterious and evocative of swirling shades of purple and blue and green. I gave this two test runs-the review above describes the scent when fresh, but I tried it again, aged a year and a bit, and it has changed a little-it has a fresher scent to it, almost like an aquatic note has fully materialised in the scent, which is fitting. The seaweed note and sea moss scent I got is also stronger which seems to fit with the whole theme, and I also get a coolness which is almost minty, and almost like anise. it also reminds me very much of Roux Ga Roux, the same mossy wisteria scent, but this is a little cooler and saltier in feel. It’s a very fitting scent for its sign, swirling and mysterious and dreamy, but also hard to grasp, at times it is hard to figure out exactly what I smell-is it moss, or florals, or spicy smoke? an intriguing fragrance! Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? a little-I preferred it when fresh, but it’s still one of the nicer watery-themed scents. If you like this, try: Opium Poppy, Darkness, Roux Ga Roux, Shanghai Tunnel

Season of the Inundation In the imp: gorgeous soft sweetish floral soil. Wet on skin: oh, this is sweet! But so nice too…it smells like sweet rich earth. Dry on skin: now I can smell spices and resins mingling into this scent, but the overall scent is of rich fertile soil with a sweetness to it that is almost like a nectar. Is that melilot? I don’t know what it smells like but the scent is imbued with a delicate nectary floral, soft and pretty. And the soil note is awesome-it reminds me of other earth notes but I think this one is a little muddier? It also has that slight hint of river to it, slightly reedy, a little wet. It’s not a rained on soil scent. The cedar is also strong here, it smells like a strong deep wood. The spikenard, myrrh and hyssop add a dry spicy scent. I can’t really smell a snow note, but I wasn’t really expecting to smell one in here. After a while: something in here smells like aniseed? Not sure what it is, maybe the hyssop? I like it…but I also love how the scent has developed. The wet muddy scent isn’t as strong but it still lingers a little, but the overall scent is more of a spicy sweet incense (myrrh and spikenard and something almost like saffron) with drier soil, along with lots of cedar. This cedar is really lovely because it smells really dark and old, aged perhaps, and it brings up a vivid image: ancient cedar boats travelling on the Nile. Like the sun boat of Khufu, but loads of them, and these are party boats cruising the flooding river in celebration, some of them burning incense as an offering. There’s a joyful yet meditative feel to the scent. And then this eventually settles into what must be the nicest cedar incense scent ever…warm deep aged cedar with a soft haze of incense and a spicy scent, slightly dry and very golden, which seems very evocative of Egypt to me…a little desert-y, a little bit spice-market. And then the earthiness returns, this time in the form of spikenard, and something that may be patchouli. At this point, it reminds me of Mr Jaquel, but without the amber. It’s the same hyssop and spice and ‘scent of antiquity’ vibe. Verdict: this is a fantastic representation of Wep Renpet in scent. It is celebratory, and reverent, and full of life and fertility. It starts off as the rich wet Nile silt covering offerings of flowers and sweet resin, and a woodsy scent of cedar and balsam wood. Something about this scent almost reminds me of Diwali, it has a similar festive-yet-sacred feel, only this time relocated from India to Egypt, and with the sweet fruit and florals replaced with rich earth and resins. The drydown is possible the best cedar scent from BPAL, aged cedar of a pharaoh’s boat anointed with spices and sacred oils, sailing down the Nile as the sun blazes down, between the desert and river. It is stunning, beautiful, evocative, and perfect. I knew Beth wouldn’t let me down with her interpretation of the Nile inundation festival…in fact she surpassed my expectations. I can’t wait to see what other Egyptian festivals get scent-ified! Emoticon rating: :love!: Is it a keeper? yes-I will stockpile this one! If you like this, try: Nefertiti, Penny Dreadful, Mr Jacquel, Magus, Diwali

Festival of Anuket In the imp: fresh, effervescent, almost fruity water. Wet on skin: a spray of cool refreshing water…I can almost hear the splash. Dry on skin: goodness me, could this be an aquatic scent that actually works on me? This might well be! This smells like a cool spray of refreshing sweet water. No soap, none of that ozone-y crackle, and no salt. Just a bright spritz of pure water. Or a scent that evokes fresh water, as it not only smells aquatic, but I can smell what may be a fruit element-not sure what fruit but it’s almost like citrus, but almost like melon or cucumber as well. There’s probably also a floral note here, maybe waterlily, or a citrus blossom? I can’t really smell the gold yet, but the scent brings up vivid images of blue sky, bright sunshine reflecting and shining through off droplets and fountains of pure, drinkable water. And the joy of such a gift of water on a hot day. After a while: the initial watery scent does tone down but the bright, fresh scent remains, and by now it becomes a little bit more of a traditional clean scent, almost linen, but stopping short of smelling like soap/washing powder. There’s a tiny bit of something pleasantly metallic, in a Metal Phoenix/Robotic Scarab way, which I really like. I also smell a possible musk, a white or blue musk, as well as more of that fruity/floral scent that reminds me of Robotic Scarab, I think this may be part of the gold note? there’s a little sweetness, maybe white amber? The scent turns into a very pleasant clean sweet fresh scent, very much like Dirty, but a lot nicer than Dirty. Verdict: at long last, an aquatic that works on me! It seems that this a rare find, a water scent that doesn’t turn to washing powder o’ doom on me. I found my miracle sea scent with Aeaea, but this is my miracle freshwater scent. It’s not just the scent, but also the images this scent evokes. The scent brings to mind the gift of cooling, sweet, pure water in a hot climate or a desert…like an oasis, this is the scent of water as a blessing. And it feels so joyous and festive, and I get the image of dancing water, fountains and waterfalls, and of sunlight glistening on dancing drops of clear water, playful and inviting and carefree. The scent smells of clean and clear water but there are also hints of bright clean musks, subtle fruits and floral notes and just a hint of gold. It’s perfect for summer, so refreshing as a scent and a concept. Not to mention that this is perfect in this oppresive muggy heat currently plaguing London…I think I will stock up on this one. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? of course! If you like this, try: Sturgeon Moon, Sea of Glass, Water Phoenix, Dirty, Sundew, Torture Queen, Metal Phoenix

Set In the imp: dragon’s blood? This is worrying. I smell dragon’s blood, not red musk. Wet on skin: dragon’s blood, and lots of it. this does not bode well. it smells a little lilac-y. Dry on skin: I smell other things now, which are promising. I smell incense, a crumbly dry incense ash with hints of redness and spice scent, reminiscent of Great Cry in Egypt. I smell sand here, and arid desert air, a la Ozymandias. There really is a sand note here, dry and gritty and hot. This lacks the slight sweetness and amber I get from Ozy and Great Cry though. I don’t smell vetiver here, at least, not now. but the predominant note here is undoubtably DRAGON’S BLOOD. I agree that Set should smell red, but I was hoping it wasn’t this particular red note. And already the DB is voraciously gobbling up the other notes and turning to red lilac chemical soap on my skin. After a while: and now it turns sour? Even DB doesn’t do that to me. Maybe there is another floral note in here which is not faring well with my skin? it still smells predominantly of dragon’s blood. I think there’s red musk, but it’s less of the sweet fruity kind and more like a dry ‘blood musk’ to me. This feels a little chaotic on my skin, and uncomfortable. It reminds me of Wrath and Mars. The incense notes are fading, but I still smell the sand, it smells abrasive now…it brings to mind a sandstorm at sunset. Fiery red sky and hot blowing sand gusting in my face, almost suffocating, and drying too, the god of chaos manifesting, exercising his power. I love the image this evokes-very fitting for this god-but could do without the DB, which smells soapy at times. Though thankfully this dries down to that hot sand with incense ash scent, it still smells a little sour for my likings. Verdict: I was really eager to try the Set scent ever since I heard about it, but this prototype isn’t doing it for me. Why? Two words: dragon’s blood. I’m surprised that no one seems to have mentioned this…to me the lilac or wisteria mentioned in other reviews is none other than dragon’s blood, that red, strange, tricky resin which my skin, sadly, amps to crazy levels. So I never get anything remotely like red musk scents I love like Scherezade, Spellbound etc, though at times this does remind me of a couple of the Egypt blends, but overall it smells very similar to the Contract of Theophilus of Adana at the beginning, that dry dragon’s bloody incense scent. having said that, there really is a proper desert feel to this scent, hot and harsh, arid and scorched, a little bit tempestuous like a sandstorm…with overtones of spice and incense ash. It’s appropriate for Set, but it doesn’t seem to work on my skin. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? maybe a decant…but it’s too dragon’s bloody for me. I hope the released version of Set is more of the red musk affair the other reviews mention!

Ysabel Bath Oil In bottle: CARNATION! Think Lush Potion carnation. On skin: and now here comes the frankincense! This is magnificent. And then the benzoin kicks in, and this is the sweet benzoin, and it merges so beautifully with the frankincense and adds a stunning sweet resin aspect to the incense scent here. This is a much bolder, spicier carnation than usual from BPAL, and it absolutely kicks ass. It’s one of those red, frilly ‘flamenco skirt’ carnations, the ones with the really clove-y scent, fiery little flowers, and I love that scent. And yes, there is a passing resemblance to Lush Potion, but this has loads of incense too, which makes this different, and I am a compulsive resin-head so that makes me very happy. Frankincense and carnation are a dynamite combination, especially with a little bit of sweetness from the balsam and benzoin. As this dries down the carnation calms a little and develops a gorgeous and slightly creamy undertone and I smell what could be the Peru balsam, an almost vanilla-ish background. At one point, funnily enough, there is a scent to this that reminds me of the wonderful spicy sweet floral fragrance I remember smelling when I visited the gardens of Alhambra…which is where Ysabel changed the course of history! It brings back memories of my visit to Granada anyway. The scent does fade a little fast (which I notice with a few bath oil scents, which doesn’t surprise me because they are less concentrated than perfume oils) but the subtle spiced frankincense/carnation that lingers is so lovely. I am certainly keeping the bottle I have of this, I think this is wonderful as a perfume or as a layering scent (can’t wait to smell this with Pink Moon, and of course Ysabel perfume), it’s too beautiful to waste on a bath! (btw the backup bottle I have of this smells completely different-it’s more incensey, and there’s something to it that reminds me more of rose than carnation. It's nice but I prefer the carnationy version!)

Copper In the imp: GINGER! No one has mentioned ginger yet? But this smells just like ginger beer! Wet on skin: fizzy and lemony ginger ale! Dry on skin: ginger ale. This smells like a perfect summer drink-fizzy, tingly and spicy Jamaican ginger ale, with its contradictory blend of hot spice in a cool drink, topped up with tangy yet sweet lemonade. The ginger that the ale is made from is the real deal-proper roots, maybe a bit of dry ginger powder too but mainly fresh roots. And the lemonade note is very strongly lemony, which I love. I don’t smell metal here. Just ginger beer and lemonade-the best picnic drink. After a while: still ginger beer. The lemonade has faded a little but the ginger is still as strong as ever. It reminds me of lemony Shub, but lighter and more effervescent. A bit like a blend of white and red gingers with something sweet underneath. I also think I can detect some pepper now. Maybe pink pepper? This is fizzy spice. Still no metal as such but it does evoke the colour and sheen of copper. Verdict: this to me is the perfect ginger beer scent. it smells like chilling out in the garden on a summer’s day with a glass full of cold ginger beer, which despite being ice cool, has a hot flavour to it from the spice. And this ginger beer is topped up with lemonade. I love both the ginger and lemon notes in here. the ginger smells like real roots, the lemon smells like real lemons, and the scent overall is tingly and effervescent, and a little sweet as well. the scent loses that lemon note over time to become a purer tangy ginger scent with maybe some other spices. but overall, it is ginger beer and lemonade, simple as that. and I love it. I’m not sure if this is the perfect ‘copper’ scent, but I would love something like this to be released one day. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? definitely. I love ginger beer!

Kinnabari In the bottle: minerals and crushed metal and clay. Very intriguing. Wet on skin: this smell reminds me of paints for some reason…and clay too. Dry on skin: for some reason I just had a flashback of art class at school when smelling this…it smells of paints and clays and a hint of glue. Not the harsh, chemical, solvent paints and glues, but the softer scents of the kinds of paints and glues that you probably won’t get you high (not that I’ve ever done that, but you know what I mean). I also smell chalk here, and indeed, I smell the desert soil and dust mentioned in previous reviews. There’s a sharp note ringing through it that smells metallic, but also vaguely fruity/floral, as well as a little bit of sweetness. But overall, it smells of red dry dusty minerals. After a while: this scent makes me want to get arty! It really smells like pastels and chalks and paints and clay. It’s uncanny how mineral it smells, and it still smells ochre-y and chalky and red. But it also sweetens a bit. After a few hours, I smell something warm and dry but a little less unusual than the minerals, more familiar…I think it may be sandalwood. Or maybe musk, or both? But I think it is a wood. Verdict: one of the most unusual BPALs ever. Every time I think Beth has surpassed herself with odd notes (metal, blood, unusual fruits and veg etc), I always get taken aback by even more new, surprising, imaginative perfume notes she concocts…like the mineral scent this has. It smells dusty and red and clay-ish, a little like paint or art clay or pastels at times, it also smells very geological. This brings to mind shades of ochre and red. This brings to mind images of Ayers Rock/Uluru, the colours of flaming sunset in the Australian outback. Or maybe even images of the surface of Mars. This is uncannily mineral, unsettlingly so…how does she do it? This scent is incredibly unique, there’s nothing like it either in BPAL or in the whole scentiverse. I’m still working out whether I like it as a perfume, but as a conceptual scent, it’s fantastic! Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? just a decant-I can’t really wear this as perfume but this scent is so different and a little nostalgic so I want to keep a bit.

In the imp: pine, snow, and smoke…vetiver even? Wet on skin: fresh evergreens covered with snow, a bit like Frau Holle but darker. Dry on skin: interesting. This smells like an earthier, less airy version of Frau Holle. I smell the snow (more ozone-y than usual, very clean and almost soapy) and some pine or fir glazed with ice, I think I can smell musk too, and I do smell flowers. I smell violet, and some fresher, more delicate blooms. I don’t know what most of these flowers smell like but they are not loud flowers, these are quiet and cool. Under it all, a deep dark earthy undertone, which to me has nuances of vetiver, maybe some woods or patchouli too. After a while: this actually smells a little bit similar to Crimson Christmas now, only a little less soapy/ozoney and with less smoke. the snow note is fresh and strong and smells a lot more pine-like, a bit slushy too. the flowers are discreet but I think they are enhancing the pure snowy scent. there is a little bit of smoke though, a hint of vetiver and smouldering wood. Like a fire burning to keep the cold away…like that scent of smoke that is often wafting through chilly winter air. Verdict: out of the two winter goddesses of Yule 08, this is the darker, smokier one. The snow note is not as strong but it seems to be more of the ozone-y sleet note from Black Ice, though the flowers may be making it more of a fresher and sharper scent. and those flowers are very pretty, not soapy or bitter at all. But above all, it is a smoky, shadowy scent with a feel of winter bonfires to it. there’s probably a hint of vetiver in here, but it’s not obnoxious. I like it but I think I prefer Frau Holle, this one is a little too ozone-y and vetivery for me, perhaps. (I never got the chocolate that has been mentioned previously.) Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Not really. If you like this, try: Frau Holle, Crimson Christmas, Black Ice, Snow Maiden, Old Moon

I love how colourful the labels are this time round-the deliciously garish shades of the garden ornaments and the fiery orange with black of Labores, and the vivid ancient designs of Feast of the Greatly Revered Ones and Season of Inundation are wonderful!

I love the flamingo!

I am dying to see what the labels for the new Egyptian scents look like! (And the garden ornament scents too!)

Oh my gosh they are GORGEOUS!! Those look like the sort of thing I want on trading cards/postcards, like CD! Are the bath oil labels the same?

Mutant Hot-Rodders from Hell High In the imp: vetiver! And leather, and lime, and metallic cologne. Wet on skin: vetiver smoke-I’m assuming that’s the hellfire? And I smell the leather jackets. Dry on skin: I am amping the hell (ha!) out of the ‘studs’ note, as this has turned very ozone-metallic and masculine on me. The lime is less like fresh juice and more like lime cologne, tangy and leaning towards the sporty-perfume genre. I smell a little bit of leather, but it’s the hellfire that I really smell. It’s a dry, hot vetiver smoke scent, smouldering wood and heavy, gritty vetiver. Interestingly, I seem to smell black pepper as well…and something worryingly close to barbecue smoke. It’s a dark, sinister scent with that flash of zingy boyish cologne over the top. After a while: this smells more and more like Agnes Nutter now. Not as smoky, but the vetiver and metal notes dominate the scent. This seems more like a clean zingy metal than a rusty one though, and it still has that sporty deodorant scent to it, but with heavy and clingy vetiver underneath. Verdict: I knew from the notes that this wouldn’t be so good one me, I was right. Too metallic, too leathery, and with a little too much vetiver for me to handle. The leather is the glossy black and slightly rubbery variety that doesn’t do so well on me. The lime is nice but a little too cologne-y in here. But the two notes that dominated were the metal and vetiver/hellfire. I thought that metal studs would be quite discreet but in here the metal note amps to crazy levels, turning them into generic men’s perfume, for the first hour of wear. And then the scent dries down to heavy, oppressive vetiver. So not really my thing at all. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? no. If you like this, try: Agnes Nutter, Grand Inquisitor’s Heretic’s Fork, Brimstone