Soniadevi

Velvet is SO BEAUTIFUL! What an utterly divine way of balancing out chocolate: by adding sandalwood vanilla and myrrh. Lush, woody, resiny cocoa. This is not a foodie scent to me: it showcases the cocoa in a way that could make you feel that cocoa was a scent first, and a food second, and not the other way around! Seriously, I could not be without this scent. I am not a fan of chocolate (eating or smelling) in general, but this is FANTASTIC! It's so utterly elegant, it makes me feel wonderfully grown up and cosy all at the same time. Also really nice for perfuming my hair...

I can t even begin to describe how much I love this scent! I m a rose lover, and this is just that: a big, juicy rose. Red, fruity, heady, ROSE! Definitely my go to scent when I want a rose hit!

Black Musk and Cinnamon. A match made in heaven. It's like a dry spicy Haunted! I love this!!! SO glad I bought a bottle Given the notes, it was a no brainer anyway. It's almost as though my collection was incomplete before, because I didn't have a good dry spicy musk. Here you go, like magic, Beth presents us with the perfect formula. This will be wonderful as it ages too. And great for layering. The possibilities are endless. Seriously, what are you waiting for? Don't wait till you have to hunt it down once it's gone!

Stunning has been used a lot here, and with good reason. This is such a wonderful coconut scent. Sweet and dry, husky coconut, like an incense made of sugar canes and those brown coconut fibers. I love this! It's like a "Dark Tropical" to me, as in, usually you see tropical as being turquoise sea and bright sunshine, pina coladas and all that. This is like the natives version, sexy Hawaian inviting you to their midnight ceremony, campfires, moonlight, and raunchy unbridled passion, oiled bodies intertwining in the heat and glow of the fire, chanting in the background, hot love in the foreground...

Voluptuous darkness indeed! This is BEAUTIFUL! I was surprised to see more people had not jumped on this one, given how few reviews this has, so I was a little tentative but decided to take the plunge because I just adored the sound of the notes combined. I was not dissappointed. It's a lovely darkly romantic scent, very gothic! It's dark roses, dark green leaves, in the dark night air. It conjures images of meeting your handsome lover in the dark for stolen kisses (and more...) behind the rose bushes. The honey lends the sweetness of those black rose kisses, the patchouli gives you passion, and the vetiver and helichrysum combine to offer a secret dark green hideaway for the lovers. I could go on and on like this, but it could get indecent. The nostalgia of forgotten dreams, of the hopes of young love, between beautiful people, full of poetry, wells up inside me like a repressed desire that became overwhelmed with the mundane. This scent takes me back to all those gothic fantasies, and that's exactly what I was hoping it would do... WIN.

I bought this based SOLELY on the reviews, because everyone was going so mad for it I felt I would do myself a disservice not to comply... I have not read American Gods, so no idea about the concept. First on my hand: Very floral. What's all the fuss about? A few moments later: things are heating up in the kitchen... I smell spiciness... Dry: It's very alluring. I cannot place it, nor can I tell what I'm smelling. It's very dry, has a sharpness to it also, but in the background. Knives? I can smell that dark skin/red lips impression. I'm not sure it's me though. I might have to give it some time to age a bit, perhaps try it some other time when I'm feeling sexier, or in summer for when I fancy a summer night sexy scent. Overall impression: I wouldn't say I love this right now, but it's not bad. I might love it later, who knows.

Divine mercy: sweet winter berry, orange blossom, frankincense, golden sandalwood, angel’s trumpet, and red rose. I tried this blend the other day, along with all my other blends, and just thought hmmf...dunno. My nose must have been overloaded. Tried it again today: All the notes listed above blend perfectly together. The frankincense and sandalwood are most prominent on my skin at first, then the flowers emerge, followed by the sweetness of the berries. The whole effect is of a swirling of different notes, like the skirts of the lovely grandmother , offering solace and joy to the little girl as she sweeps her up in her arms. There is nothing but love and beauty in this blend, and I am so very pleased to have purchased a bottle! I can see myself wearing this blend a lot, as I love it's warm woodiness, it's feminine floral edge, and brilliant fruitiness! Another five star rating from me!

Sugar Cookie 2011: Aahh, the elusive Sugar Cookie. After reading the reviews (and there were plenty!) my mouth was watering at the very thought of it! I had never had the pleasure of trying it before, so this is my first time Wet on skin: Sweet, spicy vanilla goodness. As it settles in: I smell a fluffy lemony note coming forth. It only adds to the yumminess. There is a certain sharpness about this blend which stops it from being sickly sweet. And it's BEAUTIFUL! I just want to smell myself all day. It actually makes me feel like real food could never taste as good. Overall: I am speechless at how wonderful this smells. If you are hesitant, grab yourself some, because this baby does not dissappoint! Rating: 5 out of 5 stars. I would give it more stars too... :wub2:

Preconceived notions: I bought this because I was hoping to recapture that wonderful smell of Christmas tree that I remember from my childhood. Wet in bottle: sweet pine . Wet on skin: very sweet pine. A few moments later: pure sugary pine sap, very sweet, very piney, with some sweet cedarwood supporting it all. As it dries down: this is like someone made some hard candy out of Black Forest to me. Maybe it's just me? Overall impressions: I can't believe how sweet this smells to me. I don't know if it's my skin chemistry or what, but I smell like a Christmas Tree that has been frosted quite heavily with powdered sugar. It's quite festive! Rating: 4 out of 5. I'm dissappointed that this doesn't even remotely smell like my childhood Xmas trees, BUT, the scent itself is quite beautiful, and once I've gotten over it, I will revisit. I think I also may be suffering from perfume overload, as I got my booty today and I have a headache from sniffing.

Preconceived notions: given the notes listed, I'm expecting something fresh, herbal, with a certain depth. Sniffed from bottle: fresh herby musk Wet on skin: fresh herbal floral musky pine. A couple of minutes later: I'm not qualified to review such a complex scent! The notes are whirling up towards my nose like a frosty nighttime forest! I can smell the orange blossom quite distinctly, over the pine and what I think may be the ambrette seed. There is a herbal quality to this, which I feel may be the clary sage with the ivy/tobacco. There is also a depth, made of that dark musk from Black Forest and the Oud? Honeysuckle lends a sweetness to the Orange Blossom, balancing out it's natural tendency towards astringency. On the drydown: Black Forest meets Catherine meets Sugar Cookie. Piney, high pitched floral, and sweet, sweet undertones! The Orange Blossom seems to have a certain dominance over this blend. It is grounded by a sweet musky tobacco. I cannot find the imortelle in here. Overall impression: There is definitely a sense of "frost", like sugar frosted pine boughs and a discarded bouquet of orange blossoms and honeysuckle, perhaps Snow White dropped them on the ground when she was running away from the hunter? (I'm talking of SW and the 7 dwarves here, not Snow White the BPAL scent). Her bouquet then frosted over too, and mingled with the scents of the forest. Rating: it's hard to rate because I don't understand it. I'm not sure when I would wear this, but I do like it. Maybe I'll rate it again properly once I get to know this a bit better. Credit to Beth though, it's very well executed. EDITED QUITE A FEW DAYS LATER: I have this to add. Now that I have properly worn it, it has become one of my top faves for the Yule update. I love the way this smells on me, and I have received a few compliments too I'm going to give this five stars for being quite the gorgeous, perfect holiday scent. I can see myself wearing this a lot on days out, as it has that sweet freshness that makes you want to go out and play. Exquisite blend. Another masterpiece from the divine Beth.

PINK SNOWBALLS 2011: Preconceived notions: given the reviews, I was expecting Snow White with some Rose. I love Rose, so that's fine with me. Sniffing from bottle: very delicate frosty vanilla. Wet on skin: More delicate frost vanilla. I smell no rose. Is my nose broken? A couple of minutes later: Where are you Rose? Oh wait, here it is: Rose peeks her head up through the gentle snowflakes that smell of fairy dust: "Did someone call me" she says in a sweet, shy little voice. This does not smell of Snow White in ANY way to me whatsoever. On the drydown: ok, this smells like Rose touched snowflakes. It's a pale pink scent. My boyfriend likes it, which is... Unheard of! He calls my BPALS my "stinks" (I know, right?) Overall impression: This is definitely rosy vanilla snow, with snow being the operative word here. A soft, delicate dusting of snow, like powdered sugar, over pale pink rose petals. It's excrutiatingly feminine and I love it. Pink Snowballs? Certainly dainty. Certainly unfit for flinging. Beth wasn't lying. In a way it almost reminds me of a floral Sugar Cookie. I can't wait to age this baby. Rating: 4 stars out of 5.

I can smell all the notes listed in equal measure, as they all bloom on my skin in a perfectly balanced way. My skin chemistry must be in perfect harmony with this scent, because it does exactly what I assume it was meant to do! I love this scent, it makes me feel regal. I want to visit the palace of Versailles NOW!!! I smell this and images of polished marble columns, silk covered walls and heavy red velvet curtains flash before my eyes. It's a very positive scent, like an affirmation of ones inner beauty, inner gloriousness...

I'm not sure where everyone is getting this patchouli note from... is my imp filled with something else? All I can smell is Amber. Pure, golden amber. Soft, powdery, golden, lovely, radiant amber. I love this SO SO SO SO MUCH! It's like a lighter version of Haunted, a softer verson of Jacobs Ladder, and just pure loveliness as a skin scent that is unassuming but comforting and kind of sexy for it's soft sweetness. I need a bottle! This is going on my next purchase!

The Golden Apple of the Sun: In the bottle: Golden Apple Wet on skin: Golden Apple with champaka flower - very strong! As it dries: the notes calm down and start to marry, the amber smoothes everything over a bit, and I can detect a bit of the tea/spicy carnation, like a slight tang. I cannot detect any frankincense or hibiscus, but then maybe it's the proportions, or the fact that my skin amps the other notes. It all ends up a gloriously rich and smooth golden apple scent, but without smelling of apple, which I know sounds a bit weird, but it's more like a conceptual apple than a real one- I definitly get the whole "Golden apple of the sun" vibe! I'm sure this will age nicely, giving the ginger a chance to surface a bit more. The review seems somewhat clinical, but in essence, the concept is yet again, perfectly executed by the genius that is Beth. I really like this, though it has surprised me, not smelling at all like I expected (but then, what did I expect??). It is definitely a floral fruity scent, but with a smooth and spicy background. It develops into something quite special if you leave it for a good 15 minutes. (I'm writing this live, so this report is coming through in real time )

Black Opal how I love you! This is definitely my new favorite scent by BPAL so far! It's just gorgeous, the most perfect soft vanilla scent, with something else, something deep and enduring, but soft and beautiful. It lasts all day and I want all my clothes to smell of it! I'm going to need more bottles... It's vanilla, soft, creamy, lovely, deep, romantic, luminous, and I don't know what else is in it but I love love love it!

BESS BESS BESS!!!!! I can't believe Bess doesn't seem to stand out to everyone as being extremely grapey!!! To me, BESS is pure Grape, but done in a way that it is a wonderful perfume that I want to smell of. The sensual, come closer perfume of grape, just as Welches purple grape juice is sweet to the tastebuds, if you know what I mean. If you love grape, get yourself an imp of this!

OMG DIVINE DIVINE DIVINE: THIS IS MY NEW NUMBER ONE!!! I get the hype, I really do! If you love Snake Oil, and you love honey notes, you'll ADORE this! Don't hesitate: BUY IT! BUY IT I TELL YOU!

At first it was too strong and then I put it on my skin, and driving all the way home from work I couldn't stop sniffing myself... It conjured up in my mind images of a caramel skinned woman with wild caramel coloured hair, wearing nothing but a sable fur coat and red, red lipstick, with long red claws... It makes me feel like putting on some bronzer and wearing fur (fake of course) as well! It reminds me a lot of Gluttony, but Gluttony with loads of booze, which makes for a pretty perfect world really, all things considered! This is one wicked scent! I'm so glad I have a bottle on the way! Yaaaaayyyy!!!

First impression: As much as I hate to admit it, this one isn't doing much for me. It sort of falls flat, it's floral yes, but the florals here sort of just wilt on me. It also has a bit of a creamy powderyness about it that seems a bit ugh! BUT: I have made it a rule to myself that if I don't really like something, it could be because my untrained nose was expecting something different. A lot of blends suprise me in a good way, but some not. This one didn't do much to start with, but I need to spend some time with it, try and appreciate the atmosphere of it. At the end of the day, it's a lavender/vanilla floral so how bad can it be? I will give it some time, maybe even some maturation might improve the situation. I'll put it in my pile of "try in a few months." Some blends change enourmously over the course of time, you only have to look at Snake Oil. AS IT DRIES DOWN, and after a about two hours of trying to get used to it: I still can't see why everyone loves it so much, but I am finding that soft feminine floral refined powdery sweetness that doesn't smell all that bad. There is something going on here...

I just received my bottle of The Perfumed Garden today, thanks to ebay!! Yaaay!! And after reading the reviews I was expecting an onslaught of Jasmine, but no, instead I got a divine, perfectly blended, subtly acidic fruity blend, wonderfully balanced, smooth and just LOVELY! I am so glad to have a bottle in my possession, not to mention that The Perfumed Garden is the first "naughty" book I read when I was a teenager, so it means something special... All in all, I would say that the apple and quince give the tartness, whereas the other ingredients just soften and smooth everything out, making it a glowing, subtle and beautiful orchard in which I can happily bask all day long... In fact it reminds me of an Omar Kayam poem: Here beneath the bough, A glass of wine, A book of verse, and Thou Beside me, Singing in the Wilderness And Wilderness is paradise 'enow.

I must admit, I'm a little stumped with this one! Starts of with a very gingery kick, but calms down fairly soon, becoming a smooth, sweet/sugary, warm, comforting scent. A bit like a combination of being snuggled under a cozy fleece blanket with a plate of gingerbread cookies and a mug of ginger grog to one side... Um, there is something I can't quite put my finger on though- is it the marshmallow cream? That particular ingredient can't quite find it's place in my little fantasy- I find that I tend to like a scent more when I can wholeheartedly embrace it, but when there is an ingredient that I cannot comprehend, I find it somewhat more difficult to give an impartial opinion. One thing I would say for sure though: it does not in any way remind me of ginger ale, there is no fizziness that I can detect. There is certainly a gingery hit at the beginning, but to compare it to ginger ale may be a bit of a stretch- having said that, everyone perceives scents totally differently, that's the beauty of it! Generally, I would rate this scent 3/5. Good for comforting, foody coziness, with a VERY lingering after effect- this scent stays put for HOURS.

Voodoo: sweet, spicy, hot hot hot! There is an earthiness and a freshness present, it's like another world, captured in a bottle. An intense world, full of a certain drunkeness, a delirium, a self satisfied sexuality. It reminds me a little of Snake Oil, I guess due to the presence of vanilla spices and patchouli, but there's something else. It's like Snake Oil went mad, escaped from it's bottle and went to some aboriginal festival. I love it. I don't know when I'd wear it, it's almost overwhelming! Maybe outdoors somewhere, as it's so strong it envelops you in an aura of heat, and you almost need to be walking outside to balance out it's effect. Of course, my opinion can only be subjective, but I love intense smells and this one is even more intense- it suprises me, excites me, and inspires me. Yes, yes, wrap me up in a world of smell, so I can dissappear inside it...

I am wild about mint smells myself, as they lend a certain freshness to a blend that is impossible to acheive any other way. I will be shortly ordering a bottle of Green Tree Viper (Carnaval Diabolique), as it sounds perfect- the mint scent I am searching for needs to have a mint fresh main theme, softened by some sort of citrussy note (bergamot sounds great) and deepened, made somehow sensual underneath it all- so Snake Oil base could be fantastic. COULD IT BE THE ONE? My MINT HOLY GRAIL? I don't want to get my hopes up too high, so I will have to just wait and see. So far, for the mint blends, I have tried: GENERAL CATALOGUE: Ultraviolet: more eucalyptus than mint I would say. Perhaps a little too sharp for what I am looking for. NOT IT. Juke Joint: sweet slightly minted bourbon (or is it bay rum? I can't remember) Nice, but NOT IT. Vicomte de Valmont: is there supposed to be mint in here? All I smell is mens cologne. NOT IT. Violet Ray: more violet than mint, nice, but sadly, discontinued, so no point talking about it. Shattered: no idea why people keep going on about it. More grapefruit than mint of any sort. Granted, it's a fresh, cool/cold blend, buy NOT IT. CARVAVAL DIABOLIQUE: Gennivre L'Artiste du Diable: Very sweet and honey like. The mint is an undertone, not the main theme. Very nice for what it is, but NOT IT. LIMITED EDITIONS: Yule 2010 Wintertime: More vanilla, less mint. Quite foody, not very minty. Has a freshness, but NOT IT (and again, I am talking in terms of mint, not rating these scents) Yule 2010: Waltz of the Snowflakes: another supposed minty blend. Lovely, beautiful, gorgeous in it's own right, buy the mint is not a central theme here. NOT IT. I have yet to try Lick it Vigorously, as alas, it was left out of my order. However, I have the feeling that candy cane mint is not what I'm looking for either. I like the sound of Undertow, but I fear with the juniper it might be a bit herby/spicy mint, not really the perfumey mint I am seeking. Pain contains lavender and pennyroyal. I have not tried it, but I know what both ingredients smell like, and I can't imagine it smelling anything more than medicinal (besides, that's all part of the allegorical irony of it- medicinal pain?) Now, let me just go on a bit of a tangent here: Some blends contain a touch of mint in the background, where it is not the central theme, but it does impart a lovely airy fresh quality to the whole, and the one that represents that perfectly in my humble opinion, is the no less than stunning blend BESS. But she is so beautiful, I should probaby review her separately. I will certainly let you know if Green Tree Viper is IT. I can only hope.

Blood kiss: OH MY GOODNESS. BPAL's scents are allegorical, and that is how they are best enjoyed. Blood Kiss NAILS the concept to perfection! It's a story told through scent, and you live it when you smell it! I can see it clearly in my mind: Jonathan Harker is trapped in Draculas castle. In his search for an escape, he goes wandering through the many cold, stone corridors and cobweb covered rooms. Finally he finds an underground lair, and the stone walls are damp and musty, with swaths of rich red velvet hanging from the walls. In this chilling room there are coffins lined up, and he can see they are all open. He comes closer and finds lying in one of the coffins the most beautiful girl he has ever laid his eyes upon. His blood runs cold as he quickly realises she is the un-dead, and just as he turns to escape the room, she is standing there in front of him, beckoning, luring him with her sweet, haunting voice. His head spins as she embraces him in her cold arms, then all of a sudden, she is kissing him, a deep, swollen, biting kiss, and his eyes haze over in a blood red mist, as he is transported suddenly inside this kiss, this sickly sweet kiss, too beautiful, too painful, too sexual, too bloody. He can feel the sharpness of her fangs and he can taste his own blood, and he is at once trapped and surrendered. So, in terms of the practical smelling experience: In the bottle: The frightening moment of realisation of her beautiful, vampiric, unescapable presence Wet on the skin: The biting shock of her sudden overwhelming kiss A little while later: The kiss has mellowed, the sensuality pours forth like a pitcher of the thickest, sweetest wine, and there is a sense of drunkenness. Drydown: Completely surrendered, the bloody memory of the kiss lingers, leaving behind it the warm sensuality and the bittersweet memory of the biting pain is overwhelmed by the soft, heady, sensual femininity of this exceptional blend. Conclusion: You have to be in the mood, but I couldn't live without this blood kiss. Don't be frightened by the first bite: this bloody kiss is one to enjoy unreservedly, and without prudishness. You don't wear this to seduce, you wear this to BE SEDUCED. Star rating: 5/5 - big bottle worthy.o

Beautiful lingering warm blended smells. For those who understand a little basic perfumery, you get almond or cherry scents using a lot of benzaldehyde. Benzaldehyde is a very strong top note that dissappears almost immediately (well, say about 30 seconds to a minute depending on your skin), leaving behind the soft almondey scent that plays nicely with a lot of other ingredients. Eclipse is a perfect example of how this "almond" note hits you when wet, but then adds something extraordinary to a very beautiful mixture of scents. The heliotrope and vanilla soften and round out the spiceyness, and the frankincense gives a richness. When I catch a whiff of this on my arm, I am addicted. I feel enveloped in a beautiful warm dusky light, a warm breeze swirling around me, softly and richly fragrant. Throw: good Staying power: good Star rating: 5/5 - this is because I can't help loving it, and I want to buy a big bottle!