arabella

First Impression: Chocolate-orange. Dries down to: Now, I'm definitely getting sandalwood and the orange has faded away. Additional Comments: I think it's the myrrh that gives this the "orange" note and I really like the interplay of cocoa and sandalwood but I can't sense vanilla at all. This reminds me of a sandalwood fan I got from my grandmother when I was very young - it was my favourite gift for a long time. This is what that fan smelled like. I love the way the cocoa tempers the sandalwood and keeps it from becoming sharp, as sandalwood usually does on me. When this imp is gone, I'll probably have to replace it with a bottle. Lasted: Several hours. Rating: 4 out of 5

First Impression: Creamy vanilla. Dries down to: Vanilla pudding. Additional Comments: I was so glad to see this back in the G.C. as it was discontinued when I first stumbled upon the Lab. This feels too soft to be dry flowers and, if it's linen, then it's old, well-worn, beautifully embroidered linen. If you could touch it, it would be a cashmere quilt. I would put this in the same category as Snake Oil and Alice - all comfort scents for me. Lasted: This one lasted a very long time on me, too. Anything over 2-3 hours is rare and this one was still going strong after 12 hours. Rating: 5 out of 5

First Impression: A faint, delicate floral tinged with citrus and berry. Dries down to: This one doesn't change much. Additional Comments: I was quite surprised by the notes in this one. On me it's much more "enticing" than "lurid". I think it's the black currant that gives this its heart and transforms the lavender. It's rich and creamy but not at all heavy. Yet another lovely and unique creation. Lasted: 3-4 hours. Rating: 3.5 out of 5

First Impression: Exotic, herbal and soothing at the same time. I definitely detect lavender. Dries down to: It stays very light and airy. Additional Comments: Although I'm familiar with some of the others, the lavender is the only note I can actually pick out, and only at first. This is another very well-balanced blend. I was afraid it would turn soapy but there's not a hint of suds here. I find it to be calming but not boring - it gives me the same feeling that I get from looking at a beautiful view. I'll enjoy every drop of this one. Lasted: A couple of hours. Rating: 4.5 out of 5

Feminine sexuality in its rawest form. Palmarosa, red sandalwood, attar of rose, patchouli. First Impression: Patchouli and some type of wood. Dries down to: Hints of rose emerge from the heart of the wood. After a couple of hours, only the sandalwood remains. Additional Comments: I like that the rose is sedate and I like this patchouli and I think it's the red sandalwood that makes this one work. While not a fave, it's nice enough that I'll keep the imp. Lasted: Overnight. Rating: 3 out of 5

First Impression: A dripping, sticky, juicy fruit - like overripe figs. Dries down to: A light floral with a hint of sweetness. Additional Comments: This is yet another interesting combination of notes. There's several florals - but not the more common ones - along with a glazing of honey, chocolate and wine (which was the "fruity" note to me) on their petals. Fortunately, the honey behaves and the tobacco was not at all obvious to me. This one's absolutely gorgeous. Lasted: A couple of hours. Rating: 5 out of 5

First Impression: A unique resin-y floral. Dries down to: One of the loveliest scents I've ever encountered. Additional Comments: I wasn't familiar with Dragon's Blood until I got hooked on BPAL. Now, it's one of the, if not the, best notes on me. So far, there's not a scent "starring" BPAL's Dragon's Blood that I don't like - and, most of them are "loves". This one, in particular, is absolutely gorgeous. Lasted: Several hours. Rating: 5 out of 5

First Impression: Lily-of-the-Valley plus other unknown florals. Dries down to: A perfumy floral - but in a really good way. Additional Comments: Normally, this would be too perfume-y for me but, for some reason, I'm really drawn to it (One of the things that really stuck in my memory from my trip to Hawaii was the black sand beaches - this scent evoked that memory instantly). I'm not sure what all the tropical florals in this one are but I definitely recognize plumeria. The dominant note seems to be the white ginger and it really gives this blend its character. It verges on "soapy" but never actually crosses the line - quite fascinating. Lasted: About 2 hours. Rating: 4.5 out of 5 (Would have been a 5 if only it lasted longer).

First Impression: Sweet floral - lotus, maybe? Dries down to: A delicate spicy floral. Additional Comments: I was way off here. I'm testing Othello at the same time, so I'm probably picking up rose from it. This one's nice but very light and short-lived. Not worth the effort on me. Lasted: About an hour. Rating: 2.5 out of 5.

First Impression: Almond. Dries down to: The almond settles down when it's joined by citrus and patchouli. Then, clove peeks her head in, leaves and returns with vanilla. There's so many distinct notes in this one that keep coming and going that it should have been called Sybil. Additional Comments: I often find spicy scents can turn a bit musty on me but there's a real freshness to this blend. What an intriguing combination of notes - a harmonious yet powerful blend. I'm not familiar with myrrh and vetiver as to their specific smell, so I can't say I'm aware of them. This will be a great oil for days when I want something different. Lasted: Overnight. Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Arabian musk with two roses and a bevy of Middle Eastern and Indian spices. First Impression: Rosy musk. Dries down to: A disciplined rose - absolutely stunning. And, it has great throw. Additional Comments: I'm totally in awe of this one - finally, a magnificent rose I can wear. I'd be interested to know what spices are in this - I can't identify any of them but they contribute beautifully to this masterpiece. I'm so happy I've finally found a rose that loves me and I can stop searching. Lasted: Overnight and then some (and scents usually don't last long on me at all). Rating: 5/5

First Impression: Metallic, spiced resin - and, maybe, some type of incense and/or patchouli. Dries down to: A slight hint of powder blankets the blend turning it very delicate. Additional Comments: I'm sure there must also be amber in this one. It's a seemingly frail scent but has a lot of endurance - like the end of the sunset with the warmth leached out of the sun. It's okay but not anything I'd ever wear. Lasted: Several hours. Rating: 2 out of 5

First Impression: A smoky floral. Dries down to: The violet becomes much more obvious but still stays smoky. In addition, a spicy note emerges. Additional Comments: The clove is an interesting pairing with the violet but I'm not sure how I feel about it. It works in LUSHs Skinny Dip but this isn't similar to me at all - the smokiness is the most prominent note and I'm not getting the tonka bean whatsoever. This one just didn't do it for me; so, I'll use up the imp and be done with it. Lasted: Several hours. Rating: 2.5 out of 5

First Impression: A sharp floral - violets and some others. Dries down to: No discernible change. Additional Comments: This is a battle-ready floral blend - very aggressive - a masculine floral, if you will. I love violets (when I'm in the mood for them) and wisteria but don't care at all for chrysanthemums and I'm not familiar with delphinium as a scent. The mums kill it for me so I think I'll stick with Ultraviolet for my violet fix. Lasted: About three hours. Rating: 2.5 out of 5

First Impression: Heavy water, mint and something earthy but slightly sweet. Dries down to: Stays much the same. Additional Comments: This one is very interesting. The juniper lends the character to this and the lotus gives it the hint of sweetness. It's not one I'd normally wear but it's a definite keeper. I'll probably use it at night to fall asleep by because I find it oddly comforting. Lasted: 1-2 hours. Rating: 3.5 out of 5 (would be much higher if it lasted longer)

First Impression: Men's cologne. Dries down to: This reminds me of a very well-known cologne my husband used to wear but I just can't pinpoint it. Additional Comments: I can't pick out any one note. I really like this and will have to work on getting my husband to wear it (He's so not into this whole oil/scent thing.). But, if he won't wear it, I'll use it as a room scent or figure out some other way to take advantage of it. Lasted: A couple of hours. Rating: 4 out of 5

First Impression: Jasmine, that was quickly dipped in fresh lemon juice, floating around in the bayou. Dries down to: Now, something that feels like lilac is poking through - but it isn't lilac. I find this blend fascinating and really quite like it. Additional Comments: I think the honeysuckle/lemon combination combo is coming across as lilac. I'm not getting any individual spices out of this but it's such a complex blend. I've really grown to love jasmine in the proper blend and Elizabeth gets my applause for that as I would have bet against that ever happening. This one was a very pleasant surprise. Lasted: 2-3 hours. Rating: 4 out of 5

First Impression: Earthy, creamy floral. Dries down to: As it dries, the rose becomes increasingly apparent but remains soft. Additional Comments: I don't know what cactus flowers smell like but I have liked every blend they're in. I'm guessing they're adding the "juicy-ness" here. The rose is nicely contained in this one - probably, by the vetiver - for quite a while and it never really becomes totally overpowering. I can't pick out the chrysanthemum at all. Overall, it's a nice scent that improves with time until about the 1-1/2 hour mark, at which time it becomes a bit too rosy for me. Lasted: About 3-4 hours. Rating: 3 out of 5

First Impression: Cherry Jell-o. Dries down to: A light sprinkling of cinnamon appears on top of the jello. Additional Comments: I don't care too much for this one. It's fruity and spicy but very bland - almost as if the spices used were from the back of the cupboard and had been there a while and the fruit was underripe. On checking the components, the wine is the fruit note I'm getting and most of the rest of the notes are the "spices". Dragon's Blood usually works better on me than this. On the whole, it's not a bad blend - just boring. Lasted: Less than an hour. Rating: 2 out of 5

First Impression: Aquatic floral. Rose? Iris? Violet? Dries down to: Much the same - quite soft and pretty. Then, rose really asserts herself and after about 1/2 an hour turns totally soapy. Additional Comments: I thought this was going to be a pleasant surprise - a rose that didn't try to scratch my eyes out - but, alas, it was not to be; she just took a while to satisfy her need to torture me. Such a shame because the first fifteen minutes was wonderful. Lasted: Several hours. Rating: 2 out of 5

First Impression: Vanilla, Grapefruit peel, flowers. Dries down to: A light, sparkly scent - perfect for spring - like candied grapefruit peel and tiny flowers. Additional Comments: Well, I missed the mark completely here. The combination of apricot and orange blossom is what I'm getting as grapefruit - and I'm definitely getting pink grapefruit plus the pithy part of the peel - and the musk is so soft that it feels like vanilla. Another winner. I like the slightly bitter edge to it which keeps it from being too "girly". Lasted: Overnight - although, by then, it was almost all flowers. Rating: 3.5 out of 5

First Impression: Chocolate (cocoa, though, not the sweet stuff) and incense. Dries down to: The chocolate diminishes in intensity and the incense turns sweeter. It also feels like there's a touch of currant or wine in this. Additional Comments: I never guessed patchouli - I wish I knew what kind it was. There's no fruit or wine so it's the leather and florals rounding it out. This is lovely in a very unassuming way - a shy, natural beauty vs. an in-your-face diva - it's one to keeping coming back to rather than getting an overload and tiring of it quickly. The balance of notes is absolutely perfect on me. Lasted: About 3 hours. Rating: 4 out of 5

First Impression: Lighly smoked resin. Dries down to: Feels like frankincense but mellow, without any sharp edges, making me think there's definitely amber in here also. Additional Comments: More than some of the other incense scents, this one reminds me of high mass, which is comforting to me. This is what I had hoped Midnight Mass would be. It's the scent of incense wafting from the censers during mass. Lasted: Quite a few hours. Rating: 3 out of 5

First Impression: Aquatic floral. Dries down to: A soft, fresh floral with a hint of berry - like a garden after a spring rain. Additional Comments: This is a very delicate floral and the berries give it a bit of volume. It feels "pure" to me and is quite pretty although delicate and short-lived. I can see wearing this out to an afternoon tea. Lasted: A couple of hours. Rating: 3.5 out of 5

First Impression: Pale green, like a mild aloe vera, with a tinge of spring flowers. Dries down to: A lovely, very light floral. Additional Comments: The plum blossom and peony simply blend together and get a dusting of the lotus root, musk and ginger. It's hauntingly pretty but doesn't hold my interest, nor does it last long. I'll wear it on days I don't want to feel like I'm making a statement. Lasted: About an hour. Rating: 3 out of 5