arabella

First Impression: Coconut cake. Dries down to: The coconut and cake disappears almost immediately and it becomes a very dry scent - more like coconut husk. It's probably the cassia amping up on me. I don't get any cocoa at all. Additional Comments: I was hoping for more of a fresh coconut scent, since I love coconut, but this is more of a stale, very dry scent - like an abandoned coconut shy booth at a long gone carnival. It's not horribly awful but I don't really like it. Lasted: A few hours. Rating: 2 out of 5

First Impression: Blackberries. Dries down to: Blackberry jam pastries. Additional Comments: Surprisingly, this one is better than I expected. It's a very true blackberry scent. I don't get much 'cakiness' at all, which is good because sometimes 'sweet' notes turn to very burnt sugar on me. The bourbon gives it a bit of depth and keeps it juicy and I only get a very faint hint of cocoa. Lasted: A couple of hours. Rating: 3.5 out of 5

First Impression: Fizzy fruit juice - almost feels like white grape juice mixed with club soda. Dries down to: Fruit (primarily peach) ambrosia with soft marshmallows. Additional Comments: I like this one - it'll be very nice for the summer, light and refreshing - like a fruit gelato with whipped cream on top. The florals are very subtle and just serve to decorate the "plate". Lasted: Surprisingly long on me - overnight. Rating: 4 out of 5

First Impression: Spices and amber. Dries down to: Mellows out a bit but the scent doesn't change essentially. Additional Comments: This one stays true throughout except that it becomes creamier and sweeter with time. It's so nice to have a spicy blend without cinnamon or cloves in it. I love almond, cardamom and lotus. Amber is one of my 'holy grail' notes - it always seems to work on me. I'm not as familiar with saffron and myrrh but they certainly don't detract from this scent. Definitely another keeper. Lasted: A few hours. Rating: 4 out of 5

First Impression: Gorgeous spring florals - violets and/or iris and maybe, some others. Dries down to: Thankfully, stays much the same. Additional comments: I can't pick out the neroli or sandalwood; the sandalwood, especially, surprises me because it normally amps up on me. The musk grounds the blend beautifully. This is one of the nicest florals in the BPAL repertoire - it's clean and bright and not at all old lady-ish - a definite Top Ten candidate. Lasted: A couple of hours. Rating: 4.5 out of 5 (would be higher if it had more staying power).

First Impression: Pine and citrus, with maybe a hint of underlying florals. Dries down to: Strong pine overtakes everything - almost as if it's heavy on pine resin. Additional Comments: The little bit of citrus, initially present, disappears quickly and it's just the pine that remains - definitely, not one for me. Lasted: An hour or so. Rating: 1.5 out of 5

First Impression: Creamy spices. Dries down to: Becomes richer and deeper. Additional Comments: I'm very pleased with this one. I don't get the bad effect I usually get from honey, which can sometimes make me really nauseous. The cinnamon doesn't go crazy on me either. The peppers, clove and ginger, along with the skin musk, must be the "magic keys" to this one. All the notes blend together beautifully and it smells like "marzipan spiceberry" to me. A definite keeper. Lasted: Several hours. Rating: 4.5 out of 5

First Impression: Slightly fruity, slightly floral. Dries down to: Sloe gin fizz. Additional Comments: This was another inspired frimp from the Lab. I really like this one. It's plummy without the fruit smelling overripe or too sweet and has a hint of fizziness to it. The floral combo is perfect with the plum and the musk gives it a grown-up feel. A great summer scent. Lasted: A few hours. Rating: 3.5 out of 5

First Impression: Wood and ozone, showered with mint. Dries down to: The mint tones down ever so slightly and blends in with the wood and ozone. After a while, a drift of smoke wafts in and, finally, it turns soapy. Additional Comments: Reading the description really surprised me (happens quite often to me with these blends). I get the mint but not even a hint of sweetness or booze. To me it feels like I've walked into a room where the wood floors have just been refinished and there's a row of pots with fresh mint on the window sill. I wish it were more of a mint julep scent on me. Lasted: An hour or so. Rating: 2.5 out of 5

First Impression: A dusty, subtle evening floral - almost a cross between lotus and iris. Dries down to: Stays the same. Additional Comments: This is what it is. If you like orchids, this is absolutely lovely - a great, everyday scent. It takes me back to Hawaii - being on the beach after sunset and just smelling the air. Lasted: Several hours. Rating: 4 out of 5

First Impression: A hint of fruit with musk and amber. Dries down to: The fruit obviously becomes peach, strengthens and then, the patchouli joins in. Additional Comments: This isn't my favourite peach blend - I prefer Aglaea and Fae - but it's quite nice. The patchouli gives this a serious presence and makes it more of a grown-up scent, one more suitable for the boardroom than a romp in the park. Lasted: A couple of hours. Rating: 3 out of 5

First Impression: Oily, resiny, herby. Dries down to: Initially, it stays much the same and almost has a gasoline-mixed-with-fertilizer feel to it, along with a bit of mint. Then, after about 1/2 hour, it morphs into an absolutely gorgeous scent. The gasoline-type smell disappears entirely and becomes almost amber-like with the appearance of the wine and floral undertones. Additional Comments: This one caught me totally by surprise. I had initially rated it quite low but, since it was a frimp, it wasn't really a disappointment, just another scent to try. Then, it almost magically changed, very suddenly, into an earthy, rich, fresh scent - almost like dawn breaking after a night sleeping in the cemetary - that I couldn't get enough of. I'm really glad I didn't wash it off right away. I'll have to be in the mood to suffer through the initial stage, but the end result is well worth it. Lasted: Overnight. Rating: 3.5 out of 5

First Impression: Ozone, metal, hint of flowers - for a fleeting moment. Dries down to: Earthy and slightly minty - like a literal breath of fresh air. Additional Comments: This is a nice, refreshing scent. I'm not a big fan of mint but this one isn't "in your face" - it's just fresh yet rich. Whle I probably wouldn't wear this, I'd probably use it as a room fragrance. Lasted: Several hours. Rating: 2.5 out of 5

First Impression: Cotton candy with a twist. Dries down to: Flaky, buttery pastry, sprinkled with sugar, loaded with whipped cream and drizzled with wildberry juice and caramel. Additional Comments: This is one of the nicer "sweet" scents around, not cloying or burnt smelling like a lot of them turn on me. It's more of a luscious, decadent dessert. Lasted: Several hours. Rating: 4 out of 5

First Impression: Aquatic, ozone and maybe, musk. Dries down to: No change. Additional Comments: Reminds me of "high-end" dryer sheets. The listed notes came as a total surprise. I can't detect rose, amber or leather, which are, normally, quite obvious to me. I'm totally baffled by this one - yet, I think I like it. Lasted: An hour or so. Rating: 3 out of 5

First Impression: A dry, yet, creamy and rich floral. Dries down to: I'd guess the main note to be a bulb flower - probably, iris. There's also something sweet, almost like honeysuckle but not quite. Additional Comments: The sweetness is coming from the berries and the amber is really in its element here.. I'd be interested to know which spices are in this - maybe, cardamom? This one did not disappoint. Lasted: A couple of hours. Rating: 4 out of 5

First Impression: Sparkling fruit. Dries down to: The fizziness dissipates but the fruitiness remains - and it feels, primarily like pineapple. Additional Comments: I'm not at all familiar with the scent of sampaguita blossoms, narra, palm or banana leaf (although, I'd guess the latter two to be "green" smelling), but they combine nicely to provide a scent that is light but unmistakeably tropical. I didn't, however, get any woody or incense notes at all - I'll have to try this another time to see if they show up. This will be a good summer scent. Lasted: A couple of hours. Rating: 3 out of 5

First Impression: This is very different - I detect herbs at first. Dries down to: There's a hint of flowers coming through and something else I don't recognize. Additional Comments: Aaaah, the elusive civet - that's what I didn't recognize and, interestingly, don't hate either; at least, not in this blend, which is really intriguing. Iris has always a favorite note and the sage and orris ground the blend nicely. I don't know about getting a bottle but I do like it and will use up the imp. Lasted: A few hours. Rating: 3.5 out of 5

First Impression: Cold dirt. Dries down to: Gets colder and bleaker. Additional Comments: This one is simply too depressing for me. Lasted: Overnight. Rating: 1.5 out of 5

First Impression: Nougat. Dries down to: Quietly fades and gets muddy. Additional Comments: I don't know what kind of incense this is but it's very benign - almost wispy. It isn't offensive but it just doesn't do anything for me. Lasted: A couple of hours. Rating: 2.5 out of 5

First Impression: Oily jasmine. Dries down to: Improves slighly - doesn't seem as oily. Additional Comments: I don't get lavender out of this one at all. Too bad, because I like lavender and jasmine is very hit-or-miss on me. Maybe if the lavender were detectable, I'd like this, but, as it is, I don't. I will try it as a sleep oil, though, to see if it works and, if it does, that may justify my keeping the imp. Lasted: Barely an hour. Rating: 1.5 out of 5

First Impression: An airy floral. Dries down to: Stays much the same but fades considerably. Additional Comments: I'm not getting blackcurrant at all. I get the mint and tea leaf but not the mandarin or must,. This is the one Maelstrom blend I was most looking forward to trying but it didn't live up to my expectations. That's okay, though, there were others that pleasantly surprised me. Lasted: An hour or so. Rating: 3 out of 5

First Impression: Nutty crème brulee. Dries down to: A multi-layered confection. Additional Comments: Dragon's blood works beautifully as usual and the cocoa, spices and vetiver positively sing - another winner. Lasted: Several hours. Rating: 3.5 out of 5

First Impression: Berry and rose. Dries down to: Wine and wood. Additional Comments: The mental image I get is of wineglasses left around the morning after a party with varying amounts of wine still in them. Something is just not working for me here. I'm not a fan of heavily oaked wine and I guess that goes for oil blends too. Lasted: Several hours. Rating: 2 out of 5

First Impression: Sweet, creamy resin. Dries down to: A rich, creamy dessert scent with just a touch of sweetness - like a peppery custard rather than sugar candy. Additional Comments: This is a perfect symphony of notes and such a lovely surprise. Honey is almost always a no-no for me - it usually amps up and makes me feel queasy - and rose is very hit-or-miss. But here, in combination with all the other notes, the result is absolutely amazing. I think I'll have to get a bottle before it's gone. Lasted: Several hours. Rating: 4.5 out of 5