alyelle

In the imp: sweet florals and grass Wet: This is... odd. Yes, there's grass and myrtle, but there's something else besides that and the musk that my skin chemistry does not like. It gives off an almost chemical smell, similar to an old alcohol-based perfume I once used (Sohum's Amber Noir). And whatever this note is, I amp it to buggery. Two hours later, after a shower, I could still smell this and there were lingering traces the next morning after I woke up. Sale/swap pile, no question. Since I washed it off after a short while, I'm not able to speak for the final dry down - but given that it was hanging around the next day, I feel pretty confident in saying it lasts FOREVER. The throw, both while I wore it and after I washed it off, is pretty strong. Stars: ★★

In the imp: Vanilla tea, like a little sister to Dorian. Wet: More amber and oudh than tea or vanilla, very resin heavy. No booze from the bourbon (thank goodness, because it usually doesn't like me much) but I was hoping for a bit more sweetness from this. Dry: I've worn this twice now and it dries down to something pleasant but ... forgettable. Nothing at all like the scent I first sniffed in the bottle; it's sort of like some of the early Ars Amatoria/Bewitching Brews that had handfuls of notes in each one but on me turned into a nice but kind of generic fragrance. I can't see myself reaching for this very often, so I'll probably toss it into my sale/swap pile. Life: around 6 hours; throw: medium. Stars: ★★★

In the imp: Gardenia ♥♥ Wet: Pure gardenia. Nothing else. It's like my grandmother's old gardenia plant, covered in blooms and dripping wet after a summer rain. Dry: Still just gardenia. Only gardenia. I adore this and am buying a bottle immediately. Life is around 5-6 hours, throw is quite strong but not overpowering. Stars: ★★★★★

Imp: GLORIOUS APPLE. Wet: apple, with a warm tinge of honey and a subtle hint of cardamom. As it dries, it develops into something that smells vaguely like my tanning oil - I assumed it was coconut, but now I'm wondering if that doesn't have cardamom scents in it too. Either that or there's some cheeky coconut in here. Dry: if there was any question about it, it's now been proved - I amp honey to high heaven. By the end of the day, this was pure, unadulterated honey; the apple and spice had worn off several hours before. It's lovely, yes, but not one I feel compelled to own. Maybe if it had stayed appley (though I've already got more apple blends than you can poke a stick at). I do like a good honey fragrance, but I have others that are better on me and less over-powering, so I'm happy to just keep my single decant of this one. Life is excellent, 12+ hours; throw is strong, right to the end. Stars: ★★★★

I wouldn't normally buy anything with lemon, after having experienced what Lolita and Whitechapel did on me, but the rest of this sounded so lovely that I ended up just getting one of everything from my decanter. And boy am I glad I did. In the imp: aquatic florals and a touch of sweet lemon Wet: sweet, still very aquatic (and now I know for sure what lotus does on me; I've only ever had it in busy blends and have never been able to discern it amongst the other notes) with a sugary top note. It's almost, but not quite, like a bathroom product. Almost. Dry: colours, more than scents, are what I get from this in the end. Or maybe that's just my synesthesia talking. In any case, it's definitely a blue scent to start, turning to steely grey through the dry down. If I didn't know better, I'd assume there was musk here - I'm guessing what my nose registers as musk is the combination of sugar and amber. Thankfully I get no lemon whatsoever from this, and the final touch of ozone on the top note is a beautiful homage to the namesake. Life: good, 8+ hours Throw: medium to strong Stars: ★★★★

Imp: Soft fruits. Wet: Pear and plum, sweet and fruity for a few minutes before turning into a soft, floralish soap/laundry powder. Dry: After a while (a long while), this burns off a bit to reveal a sweet, fruity note. However, the soapy undertone is always there and while it's not exactly unpleasant, it's not really anything I was hoping for from this. Lifespan and throw are both average and, in my experience, this one doesn't age as well as most of the others. Certainly the longer I keep my imps, the more soapy they become. Stars: ★★

Imp: Green and wet, all tea and woody sage, with barely a hint of berry. Wet: Sweet, so very sweet. Where the imp was herbal, this is pure fruit (blackberry and plum and raspberry all rolled into one) and sugary musk. Dry: The tea emerges through the berries first, about 15 minutes after the initial drydown; a couple of hours later, the sage and herbs start to appear. The whole thing is delicious to the point of being edible. This is, for me, the height of English berry-picking season - fat, shiny blackberries under a stupidly blue sky, sweet clover and bumblebees, and purple stains all over your hands. The throw is medium to strong (stronger as it ages), and the lifespan is pretty decent - at my last wear, I could still smell this 14 hours after application. One of my all time favourites, and one which I will always keep a bottle (or two) of. Stars: ★★★★★

I've been aging this for what feels like decades (in actual fact, a few years) in the hope of improvements, but I think it's time to let go and move on. Imp: Initially very promising - ginger, herbs, a mellow moss, and a sweet black tea. Wet: Ginger and lemon, turning very quickly to talcum powder. Dry: Unfortunately the powder dominates (and ever more strongly as it ages). The tea is discernible with effort, and every so often a lemony hint wafts up - which thankfully never amps into the usual headache-inducing lemon I get with verbena based scents - but most of the time it's a generic, if somewhat upmarket, talc smell. Never unpleasant, but equally, never noteworthy for any reason - and with a pretty weak throw. Overall a miss for me. Stars: ★★½

A freebie I've been trying on and off since 2009. I don't much care for the early stages on me - they're not something that I think suits me at all - but this is such a long lived scent, and so nice by the end of the day, that I'm constantly torn about whether or not I like it overall. Imp: Very strong on the clove and amber notes, with overtones of sweet cherry Wet: Amber (as always, it amps like wildfire), vanilla, and honey Dry: Once the honey and amber dies off a bit, the cherry emerges - though at first it's very sickly cough syrup cherry, not blossom. I'm constantly disappointed that I get no vetiver; that's usually another note that amps on me and one I quite like, as it grounds the sweeter blends really well. The red wine/musk combination is also noticeable and probably what puts me off about the early stages of this; both musk and wine are hit-and-miss on my skin, and here, they're tending strongly towards a miss. By the end of the day - and I mean a good 10-12 hours after application - this has morphed into a wonderful amber/poppy/cherry blend that I really quite like. I wish I knew a way to speed up the process of reaching that stage, because it's a solid 4 stars. The earlier stages are probably a 2 to 2.5 on me, and defintiely not something I'd choose very often. I doubt I'll ever buy it, but I've yet to get rid of it when the lab sends a freebie, so I suppose that says something.

In the imp: Lavender and cotton blossom Wet: Very, very light - lavender with traces of bergamot and vanilla if you really sniff for them. Dry: Still light, and almost exclusively cotton blossom, with a trace of bergamot and woods. I expected more vanilla from this, since I amp it so heavily, and like some of the other reviewers, will be aging this to see if it brings out something other than cotton blossom. I've worn scents with that before and they always go a wee bit 'laundry powder'; this one's no different in that respect, though the lavender keeps it just out of the realm of soap. I've never tried TKO so I can't compare it on that score. What it does remind me of (though in a more abstract way than olfactory) is Lady Una. And I sometimes use that as a sleep blend, so perhaps this one might get put to use for the same purpose. It certainly won't be one I'll wear as a day perfume, as it's just too light to make much impact. Life is average (6-7 hours) but throw is minimal. Stars: ★★★½

In the imp: Musk and peat. Wet: Heather and a note very reminiscent of clover, peat and moss, and a very light undercurrent of wood. Dry: In the initial drydown, I get dusty peat, soft musk, and dewy heather, like a cool breze over sun-dappled moors. Later it softens to florals and spice, and on me, smells very similar to Eve - which is probably what that reminded me of when I tried it, and actually helps me isolate what it is in Eve that I'm amping so nicely. Life is 9+ hours (and was still quite noticeable before I had my shower; my best guess at actual lifespan would be 12-15 hrs); throw is medium to strong. Very very pretty, and when my decant runs out, I will probably consider tracking down more - or hoping for a re-release amongst future Yules. Stars: ★★★★★

Aged for 4-5 years, in my (very cool, very dark) imp storage box. Imp: (sniffed blind) amber, florals, and something vaguely alcoholic. Wet: amber and florals, and now that I've checked the notes, I understand the alcohol traces; at least three of the blends I've recently tried with carnation smell alcoholic in the imp. Weird. Strangely I get no apple - that usually amps on me - and as I've never tried anything with myrtle before, I can't really pick that note out. Though I think it might be what's stopping the carnation turning into its usual soapy note. Dry: As this dries down, the carnation does turn ever so slightly soapy (alas, poor myrtle), but after two hours, this is pure amber. On me, it smells identical to Mouse's Long and Sad Tale - which I always keep a bottle of, so I doubt Brisingamen will make it into my permanent collection any time soon. Life is excellent, around 12 hours; throw is initially strong but wears down to medium once the florals burn off. Stars: ★★★½

In the imp: Freshly treated wood and apple blossom Wet: Apple, pure and simple. Crisp, red apples, and sweet pink blossoms. Dry: A softer apple than the wet stage, with an undercurrent of astringency that warms up to a polished wood note over time. The throw for this is pretty light on me, but it's fairly long-lived, upwards of 8 hrs. (I should probably mention that for this, and every other review I post, "upwards of" generally means "was still on when I had a shower and would have lasted longer but for the soap".) It's not my favourite apple blend, and I prefer Pomona as a replacement for The Hesperides, but it is quite lovely and well worth the test. Especially if you like to have eleventy milllion apple scents at your disposal - which I may or may not do. Stars: ★★★½

In the imp: Cypress and pine, with dark undercurrents of patchouli. Wet: Overwhelmingly pine, yes, but the honey soon kicks off too, and results in a vaguely eucaplyptus scent. More than anything, it reminds me of Vicks Vapor Rub, which I don't actually find unpleasant, but it's slightly weird and not at all what I was expecting to happen here. Dry: much, much better. The patchouli and honey sweeten up as this warms on my skin, and the pine settles into a dry, dark forest floor. There's an odd sensation in that the honey and patchouli never really blend - I keep catching whiffs of one, then the other, like I'm wearing two different perfumes on each wrist. Over the top of it all is a soft hay-like note which I know is the tobacco, and it's the exact tobacco note I always want, but rarely get. The throw for me is very strong, and life 10+ hrs. A lovely blend, and I want to echo what kakiphony said about the pine - it is a tricky scent, but one I personally happen to love. This is my latest in a long line of BPAL pine-based scents and definitely one of my favourites. (Probably still beaten by Black Forest, which might be for the best, given that it's not a limited release...) Stars: ★★★★

In the imp: Jasmine, myrrh, and the faintest trace of honey. No rose at all, and weirdly, no traces of cardamom at all (that one I can always pick out, even in tiny quantites, on account of how much chai I drink) Wet: As ever, the rose notes amp after literally two seconds. There's an undertone of jasmine and amber, but 90% of this is dewy pink roses. Dry: I'm wearing long sleeves today, so I did what I never do with rose blends - applied double. This could have been a disaster. Happily, it wasn't. The rose does continue to dominate, but unlike so many rose blends I've tried in the past, it never turns powdery or into potpourri. On me, it amps to extreme degrees after exercise - I went jogging after I finished teaching for the day, and it was like running through a rose garden at the height of summer. Throw is medium-strong; life 7hrs+ (I'd assume it would have hung around longer, but the post-jogging shower put an end to it.). I really do like this, and am very surprised by that fact. But I don't think I like it enough to want to track down more, and I'd have loved something that didn't turn into almost pure rose. It's a shame the cardamom never came out to play. Stars: ★★★½

Imp: Musk and gum. Kim tells me it smells like Hubba Bubba bubblegum. Wet: Champaca, cognac, and musk. This is actually what I'd been expecting from Stardust (and kind of what I like to imagine stardust smells like). Dry: As this settles, the gum arabic re-emerges, but it never manages to dominate over the champaca. And thankfully the musk never becomes musk lollies, which is a Very Good Thing. I can't really detect the davana, and the tagetes (which I had to google; I've only ever heard them called marigold ) are very very light. Almost impercetible - and probably a good thing, as my skin doesn't always play nicely with dominant florals. Throw is medium, which surprises me for a scent so delicate; life is 4-6 hrs. And I utterly love this, I will be buying more. Stars: ★★★★★

In the imp: Predominantly jasmine, with tiny hints of vanilla, bourbon and woods Wet: What I assume is vanilla, but morphng very weirdly - it smells more like tonka than any vanilla I've ever worn on my skin (and I've worn a whole lot of them). There's a nice woody base, more kashmir than cedar, and a sweet, almost wet-grass, overlay that doesn't really smell like hay or jasmine, but is obviously the two of them interacting. The tiniest hint of saffron starts to emerge after a minute. Dry: Honey and saffron come out as this dries down (the honey is the stronger of the two), and the wet-grass smell settles into a drier, earthy sort of fragrance, more like what I'd expect from a hay note. The woods amp up - again, kashmir dominant - and the bourbon/vanilla drop off to be just the barest traces of those notes, like they've been washed off and something else applied over the top. Life is around 5 hours, not as long as some of the other OLLA scents; throw is low to mid. Hal gets much lighter as the hours wear down, so I'd ether lather or prepare to reapply if I wanted this to last the day. It's very pretty, but I think I'm content with my decant. Stars: ★★★★

In the imp: Sweet florals, dominated by lily and primrose. Wet: Lily; wet greenery; top notes of primrose and the faintest undercurrents of tobacco and vanilla. Dry: I always want smoky sweet tobacco in these blends. Invariably I get sickly, gas-like green tobacco. The tobacco here is midway between the two - slightly acrid but not quite as bitter as usual. It's trying to win over the lily (which always amps on me, and usually turns to powder besides) but it's not having much luck. For the first hour this stays cool and green, like a dew-covered garden, and if I sniff carefully, I can pick out the moonflower. Eventually though, the lily has her way and like most of the reviewers above, I'm left with a pretty floral soap. I'm profoundly disappointed that I got no vanilla from this; I can normally count on my skin to amp that very well, and it might have kept that lily/powder in check The throw is surprisingly strong for a floral, the life 6-7 hours. I'll probably keep my decant to see how it ages, but I'm definitely not compelled to buy more. Stars: ★★★½

In the imp: Moss, myrrh, sandalwood and maybe a hint of rose if I sniff carefully. Wet: Moss (so much moss), honey, rose and rose water (yeah, I can tell them apart, it's so weird - like smelling Turkish Delight and a bunch of roses at the same time), the barest hint of saffron. I can't quite tell what's Eve and what's leftover traces of my Lush soap. Dry: Warm, sunshine-covered roses and sandalwood, dampened by the moss; a bitter hint of wood and saffron, and the slightest waft of dust. After a few minutes the rose starts trying to doing what it usually does on me, which is amp to high heaven and drown out any other note. Not this time. Hi, Irish moss, it's so nice to meet you. After several hours, Eve turns sweet and ... slightly fruity. In a very nice way. The throw is medium-strong on me; life is 9+ hours. A gorgeous scent, overall, and one I actually wish I'd bought. (I have such terrible luck with things I risk a bottle on that I've taken to ordering decants only.) I'm not yet as desperate for this as I was for Snow, Glass, Apples, but if anyone's got a bottle they're looking to rehome, I'd be delighted to hear from you. Stars: ★★★★★

I don't usually like BPAL's rose. I amp it, but I don't wear it well, and all too often I find myself smelling of migraine-inducing potpourri after ten minutes. I *do* love vetiver, but had I not bought a Lupercalia decant set, I would probably never have tried this. Bottle: vetiver and labdanum. A dark, smokey scent that I wouldn't have guessed contained rose at all if I'd not known it was there. Wet: Ah, and here's the rose now. Wet, red and dewy, the sort I absolutely love to smell in public gardens. It's followed by a smash of tar and vetiver. Judging by the reviews I've read, I must wear vetiver better than most. I'm profoundly glad for it in this case. Instead of sickly powder, I've got a deep, smokey, woodsy scent, like log cabins burning in a pine forest, and a faint waft of dewy rose underneath it, more memory than scent. Dry: This remains all spice and smoke after the initial drydown, with a very gentle undercurrent of rose that - shock of shocks - stays rose. No potpourri. No headaches. No washing my wrists twice or three times to remove the trace of nanna talc and drawer liners. This is a gorgeous blend, and if it returns next year (or in the future), I'll buy a bottle. Medium throw, but a shorter lifespan than I'd have expected, given how strong it is for the first couple of hours. Stars: ★★★★

Long overdue review for my goblin squirt, which I have just used the last of freshening up our new house's linen cupboard. It's very tricky to isolate single notes from the blend - initially I get a eucalypt/mint smell, quite cold and damp, with just a hint of BPAL's winter snow note. Quite similar to Brooms of Steel, actually. Once the scent settles it rounds out into a warmer, earthy smell. One reviewer mentioned tonka, which I'd agree with; dabbing a tiny bit on my wrist results in a softer version of the notes I get from vanilla and tonka based perfumes. Overall, a beautiful scent and one I wish I had more of. Stars: ★★★★½

Imp: cool, sweet, decaying autumn leaves Wet: slightly spiced winds, a sharp green sap, maple (not foodie though, very plant-like) Dry: sweet, warmer than the wet stages, sunshine over freshly strewn maple leaves I thought this would resemble October from the description, and I agree with the initial reviews, it is just like a younger version of that scent. Warmer and sweeter, definitely early autumn before the bitter chill sets in. I actually prefer October on me, so I don't mind only having a decant of this, but if it comes back in the future, I'll probably consider a bottle (and if not, definitely another decant or two). Throw is pretty light, it wears very close to the skin, but the life is around my usual average, if not a bit better - maybe 6-7 hrs. Stars: ★★★★

Imp: A very complex blend! Apples, clove, tree bark and fallen wet pine needles; sugar and spice with a cold undercurrent of ozone. Wet: Pumpkin, spices, rain in the woods, apples and hazelnuts in cellar storage. A kitchen in winter, bright but cold, slowly starting to heat as spiced wine brews. Dry: A delightful blend of pumpkin and spices, more like pie than soup, with the faintest hint of apples 2013 version. I've not had the chance to try earlier versions of Samhain (there was always something in the 'Weenies I wanted more) but this year's blend is gorgeous. There was no stage that was unpleasant, and unlike most of the other patchouli blends I've tried, that note doesn't dominate; as you can see, I hardly get any, which is a refreshing change. I particularly love the odd 'cold but warm' feeling of the wet and early dry stage - it's the comforting feeling of being indoors with the brightest, warmest lighting when it's pouring outside and the whole world is grey. The throw is strong (don't put it on before bed) and the life is better than average, upwards of 8 hrs on me. Stars: ★★★★★

Lily of the Valley, Calla Lily, stephanotis and a drop of cherry. Imp: mainly lily of the valley, with a hint of medicinal cherry Wet: pure dewy green lilies Dry: a strange morphing process - first the powdery scent I usually associate with lily of the valley; then a moist green fragrance, almost melon-like; then a sweet, piercing combination of stephanotis (I assume; it's the one note I'm not very familiar with) and cherry. Freebie from the lab with my last order, and again, not one I'd have chosen. Lily of the valley is like rose on me - it usually becomes Your Grandmother's Talc within minutes. This one thankfully didn't. The cherry in the final stage was quite different too; normally I'll either turn a cherry blend into cherry blossom or cherry medicine. This was fruitier, and almost drowned out the other notes, but it rounded off over time, culminating in a gentle floral. Floral's not really my thing, but it was nice to try. Stars: ★★★

Imp: dust, apples, and the faint traces of ozone Wet: sweet and cold; more like apples in refrigeration storage than cellared burlap sacks Dry: a soft, sweet, almost powdery apple, with a dusty undertone that grows gradually fainter with time. Overall this reminds me a lot of Snow Glass Apples, but without the strong earthiness that has. The darker, dust scent here is almost imperceptible, except at very close range, and despite the snow notes the apples are sweeter and warmer. The throw is minimal, and the life probably a bit lower than average on me - maybe 3-4 hours. It's a lovely scent, just very delicate; reapplication is definitely necessary. I'm glad I tried it, I do love an apple-based fragrance, and it would be a pretty decent substitute for anyone unable to get their hands on Snow Glass Apples. Stars: ★★★★