Ina Garten Davita

Nuit, named for an Egyptian goddess is pronounced "Noot".

First Impression: Incense and lots of it. Second Impression: Gypsy Queen is heavy on the incense, not the burning incense smoke, but the actual sticks, cones and powder. Resinous, powdery and a bit spicy, I'm also getting what is reminding me of La Petit Mort, perhaps that the "body warmed" bit. The neroli, rose and carnation are blending rather than vying for attention. I don't get any bergamot. Lots of amber here, warm and powdery. Final Analysis: Incense and amber lovers take note. You need Gypsy Queen.

First Impression: Cocoa luscious! Second Impression: My skin is hating the fig, cocoa, pomegranate combination. It's gone sickly sweet, cloying and overripe. Final Analysis: Freak Show smells so lovely in the bottle. Such a bummer.

Fire Eater is drop dead gorgeous, but very unlike the prototype that I sampled in the circle. I can't stop sniffing my wrist and I'm having a heck of a time trying to pin down the words for a review. There is a passing resemblance to The Living Flame, but Fire Eater is slightly more masculine by comparison. A warm, red floral but so much more. There is some type of light musk lurking here. And something that is reminding me of fresh, green cardamom pods and/or fresh coconut juice underneath the warmth and musk. Fire Eater is going to be a perfect "cool autumn night" fragrance. If you didn't order it, you should. If you love The Living Flame, you must try this. It's one of the best of the collection.

I had sampled and fell in love with Bastet's Laughter, but didn't want to review it until I had my own bottle in hand while being able to contemplate it for a time. First Impression: Sweet and fruity! Second Impression: Scent-wise, this reminds me of Juicy Fruit gum and Razzles candy gum. It's a wonderful happiness inducing and nostalgic smell. Final Analysis: Bastet's Laughter is candy coated laughter in a bottle. Whether you use this for ritual or not, a smile will result the moment the cap is removed. I promise you that.

First Impression: Powdery and potent. Second Impression: I can see the comparisons to Antique Lace but for only about a minute, because once the violets bloom, that's it. The vanilla can't hold it's own with these super-powdery violets and the other heady blooms. Very unlike in scent and feeling to the violets in Veil. This is a very heady, even headache-y blend, which drove me to a fit of sneezes. After I washed it off, the vanilla-violet with a trace of amber scent is still clinging to my skin. Final Analysis: Very pretty, strong, with lots of throw and staying power, Bearded Lady is just too much scent for me.

First Impression: Leather. Second Impression: Leather is one of the notes that can ruin a scent for me and it just did it again. It overpowers all the other notes until the several hours later, when I can just barely smell all the other goodness playing together. Final Analysis: I should have known better, but I took a chance.

First Impression: CANDY!!! Second Impression: Oh, how wonderful! This scent is LUSH's Creamy Candy Bath and Rock Star Soap and all sorts of sweet and creamy pink-white-purple swirly-girly goodness. Final Analysis: So craveable, delectable, lickable and delightful. Must have more!

First Impression: Mmmm, juniper. Second Impression: Juniper is so fleeting for me, I wish it would stay around a bit longer. The woods are soft in this blend, soft and sweet. My skin always amps up sweetness and Himerus becomes a sugar coated wood/musk/floral blend. It's very nice. Final Analysis: This fades really quick on me, but the drydown is very pleasurable.

First Impression: Heavy jasmine. Second Impression: Sometimes jas loves me and sometimes it doesn't. In that case, it's the latter. Jasmine dominates and my skin amps it up so much, too much. Final Analysis: Too potent and heady. Not for me.

First Impression: Dragon's Blood, oh that color! Second Impression: French Love is a bloomer, it starts off with the dragon's blood playing alone. But then as my body heat starts to warm the scent, POW! This morph's into an amazing sweet, red floral with a touches of patchouli grounding it. The longer it dries and blends with my chemistry, the more addictive it gets. Final Analysis: To call this sexy/sophisticated/seductive just won't do. Perhaps a few of these might capture the essence of French Love...alluring, attracting, attractive, beguiling, bewitching, captivating, charming, come-hither, desirable, drawing, enchanting, enticing, fascinating, flirtatious, inviting, irresistible, magnetic, provocative, ravishing, siren, specious, tempting.

All the notes playing in sexy, sweaty, rippling muscle heaven like the volleyball scene in Top Gun. This is the scent that makes me want to slather Rob from head to toe and then sniff and sniff and sniff until my head pops off. That is all.

First Impression: Mint. Second Impression: Mint and violet is not a good combination for me. I had to order all three of the Zorya just because, but I knew this one wouldn't work for me. And it doesn't. Final Analysis: Swap pile, stat.

First Impression: Heady night floral. Second Impression: I love night-blooming jasmine and this has it, but it overtakes the blend and none of the other goodies seem to come out and play. This is a very heady and sweet floral. Final Analysis: It can't compete with my beloved Nuit.

First Impression: Is that fig I smell? Second Impression: Sri Lanka turns into a combination of Silk Road and Nemesis on my skin. How odd. Incense, warm and sweet sandalwood and a good dose of sweet fig. I don't get any dryness or cedar. Final Analysis: Not at all what I was expecting. A beautiful scent, but I like to keep my Nemesis and Silk Road separate.

First Impression: Rose and amber incense. Second Impression: Slightly sweet, perfumey and resinous. Pretty, but not knocking my socks off. Final Analysis: The long drydown is rosey incense, similar to NK Rose Avenue. Nice.

First Impression: Lemon oil. Second Impression: If there is not vetiver in this blend, something in it is a vetiver mimic. Citrus, jasmine and a vetiver-like scent that is hating my skin. Final Analysis: I took a gamble on some notes I love, but it did not pay off for me this time. Can't win them all. Shame.

First Impression: Well, apricots, of course. Second Impression: But where is the brandy? I get the scent of biting into a tart, dried apricot. Final Analysis: Dried apricots sans brandy. Nice but not for me.

First Impression: Siberian musk and deep plum. Second Impression: In the bottle the Arabian musk comes right out which at first reminds me of Siberian musk single note. Egyptian amber, all soft and golden and a touch powdery mingles with dark and juicy plum, softened by the vanilla and the benzoin. As it dries longer, the coconut peeks out. The long drydown reveals lovely spices. Final Analysis: There is no doubt in my mind that my bottle, with Macha's gorgeous Snake Charmer label on it, is nothing but Snake Charmer. It's rich and sexy, a wonderful blend. I also want to add that it's not as much like Snake Oil as has been stated. Testing them side by side reveal a much younger, more sexully agressive relation rather than a twin.

First Impression: Graveyard Dirt and movie theater popcorn. Second Impression: Graveyard Dirt meets the buttery stages of Harvest Moon. As it begins to dry, the rich perfume starts to bloom and that buttery-ness is gone. The drydown is spot-on true to the description. It's morbid, evocative and gorgeous. Final Analysis: As I was contemplating Penny Dreadful, we were watching a History Channel show called "Death Cars" and a segment on the tragic death of Jayne Mansfield was highlighted. This perfume captured the essence so very well, it freaked me out just a bit. That aside, this scent is amazingly beautiful. I love it.

OH-bee-YAH, at least that is how Angela, one of the nurses I work with (who is from Jamaica) pronounces it.

First Impression: Sweet honey and fresh, fresh thyme. Second Impression: This is such a gorgeous and well blended fragrance, yet I can indentify many of the notes quite easily. I smell thick, sweet honey. The honey from O, the honey from La Petite Mort, the Honey from Athens. The jasmine is there, sweet and floral with a touch of ginger. All of this sweetness is tempered and grounded by the most wonderful and fresh thyme ever. Final Analysis: I can't wear most honey based scents and I was so hoping this would be an exception. Milk Moon was such a success, but with this blend, the honeymoon's over.

First Impression: Soft, sweet incense. Second Impression: This scent is precious and lovely. Reminiscent of the warmth, softness and powdery incense quality of Tushnamatay but with none of the woodsiness. Beautiful. Final Analysis: Really good staying power and stays through on a long drydown. So nice.

First Impression: The ultimate fig perfume. Second Impression: How can rich coconut and deep figs smell so green? I don't know, but it's an amazing combination. It's all been said before, this scent is dynamite. Final Analysis: This is the scent of paradise. A BPAL classic.

First Impression: Put the rum in the coconut and drink it all up! Second Impression: This is what I call a "bloomer", it starts out thin but as it warms and dries into my skin, the scent just blooms and becomes deep and rich. This scent is amazingly sweet, heavy and rich with toasty, caramelized coconut and clear rum that has been enriched with simple syrup. I don't get much tobacco from this. Final Analysis: I want an Elegba cocktail. This is the ultimate delicious fragrance. Perfect for a beach holiday.