Dolly Dimple

That's one I hadn't thought of, but I might have to give that a sniff...

Sorry for resurrecting an old topic with an ever-so-slightly off-topic question, but is anyone able to suggest a BPAL blend that's similar to A*men (the male version of Angel)? I've been trying to convert my bloke to BPAL but he refuses to be weaned off that particular scent...

Blimey. Follow Me Boy is the scent equivalent of going out in a low-cut top and fuck-me heels. You don't know if it's really you, they don't know if it's really you, but damn, it'll catch their attention. This is sweet - sugary vanilla, then baby powdery vanilla, like Snake Oil without the spices (NB I love powdery notes), with a throw that you could detect from the other end of a sweaty tube carriage. It reminds me of French Love - I adored that scent, but there was something in it that gave me a headache that this blend doesn't have. It's not my usual type at all (I'm more a resins and musk lass), but there's something about this that makes me swing my hips, lick my lips and hold my head high, and that makes me think this might just turn into a 5ml. Just don't tell my husband

Swap from the lovely Bagfish Imp: mmm, spicy! When I was little my mother rarely wore perfume, and when she did, it was usually the less expensives ones like Tweed or Yardley. But she kept a little box of perfume miniatures, like Chanel or Guerlain, in her top drawer, and she'd bring them out for special occasions. The rest of the time, I'd sneak into her room and have a sniff of the bottles to see what 'posh perfumes' smelled like. This reminds me of that box - it's definitely got that 'classic grown-up lady' smell. Wet: oh no! Soap! Coal tar soap! But there's a hint of something spicy and warm underneath that gives me hope that this stage may pass... Half an hour later: Oh. My. Word. This is gorgeous. It reminds me of the amberiness of The Lion, without the sweetness of the grasses in that blend - it's dry and deliciously warm and incensy. It's one of these scents that, rather than smelling like perfume, makes it seem like it's your skin's glowing and smelling good unaided. Love this. Two hours later: disappeared! And believe me, I covered myself in that stuff. If I put my wrist right up to my nose and sniff hard, I can just about detect it, but otherwise it's completely vanished. 'Nothing beside remains', indeed. Verdict: if it had lasted longer, this would be a big bottle straight away, because it's stunning on the drydown - but it vanished so quickly. Maybe I should get a huge bottle and slather once an hour? Hmmm...

OK, please smack me down if I'm posting in the wrong place or this has already been answered, but what's the position with international shipping for TAL? (I emailed them but I'm just being impatient... ) Are the international shipping rates the same as the rates for BPAL (ie $9 for 4 items to Europe etc)? Ta!

I should have realised that the coconut would be the killer for me in this one. I can just about make out some of the tobacco note, but otherwise this is all a rather plasticky coconut on me. I let my brother have a sniff and he said I smelled like a car air freshener. Damn my body chemistry!

The Hesperides! Starts out very appley, but once it dried down it turned into a sweet warm caramel scent. You know Lush's 'Honey I Washed The Kids' bar? Like that.

I've been very very lax at reviewing lately. But I'm trying on Red Phoenix for the first time this morning, and this is one perfume that I have to declare my love for. I was a little bit uncertain because of the tonka and mandarin, two notes that don't usually work on my skin. But I think they must be the notes balancing out the red musk and plum - this really reminds me of Scherezade, but whereas that's all red musk on me (which I *love*), this is much more complex. The longer I wear it, the more citrussy it gets - again, this would normally be for me, but the musk stops it smelling like Orange Cif (my usual mandarin experience). I want to slather this everywhere! Really, really hope that this might make a guest appearance at the next anniversary... Overall, I'd give this 4.5/5.

Now, this is weird. Aquatic notes are usually hideous on me - sour, sharp, like fresh sweat on the turn. So this was one I'd have avoided like the plague, if the Lab hadn't chucked it in as a freebie. Surely by now I should know to trust the Lab's unconscious instincts?! Wet: Melon? Pear? Something light and fruity, definitely. Pleasant, but not really my thing... 15 mins later: oooh, there's that celery note from Wings of Azrael! Could it be...? 45 mins later: OK, evidently my nose or skin is wonky, because this now has the same dark sexy note I love in Wings of Azrael, which I was sure was myrrh. No longer really sweet, no ginger, still mildly floral (the gardenia?), but definitely myrrh. And definitely gorgeous. The two scents don't appear to have any notes in common, but they smell so similar that I'll need to try one on each wrist and play them off against each other.

It says a lot about my preferences that my favourite 'springy' scent has Dragon's Blood in it. But I think Dragon's Eye is a beautiful fresh floral, and I can see myself wearing it a lot in the next few months. I also love Zombi for its clear sharp note that cuts through the dirt. ETA: oh yeah! Wings of Azrael's a fresh one for me! I may be alone in this, but I get a celery note in it! Perfect for picnics in the park (before the wasps arrive)!

Oh dear, this provoked a reaction the likes of which I've only had with Debauchery before. Wet on, this is pure orange cleaning fluid. Or, as my bf described it, urinal cake. I'm not a fan of citrus generally, but this is the most artificial (to my nose) of all the ones I've tried - not something I would ever usually say of Beth's blends. And sweet lord, this is STRONG! I only put on a tiny amount and it overwhelmed everything else I was trying. I woke up in the middle of night, about five hours after application, and it was still pungent - I gave it a good sniff, and ew! It had turned acrid - like I had sprayed Charles Worthington's Big Hair hairspray on that spot on my arm. Not for me, I'm afraid.

As tends to happen with any scents with citrus in them, my skin chemistry amps up the lemon in this until I can smell nowt else. I'll occasionally put my nose up to it and get little whiffs of something softer and sweeter which I assume is the vanilla, enough to give a hint of what might be hiding under there, and then it's back to the lemon again. But those little hints are enough to persuade me not to swap it immediately, but to give it a couple of weeks and try again at a different time of the month. After all, what can you do with a White Rabbit but keep chasing it?

I'll second Blood Amber, which, alas, is so skinlike on me that it fades to undetectable in under an hour. While it's there, it's beautiful, though. And Bathsheba was another warm, sexy, second skin scent - not a lot of throw for me, so it's definitely one you'd have to get up close to notice... but if it's skin scent you want, I guess up close goes without saying?

Heh, I was always the one who said I'd never get hitched and I'm the first of my group of friends to do it... I think I'll be wearing Spellbound, because I just love the stuff and it makes me feel gorgeous. And Venice for the honeymoon, because we're off to Venice!

I don't know if it's the sage in this, but this smelled very masculine on me. I got the berries when it was still wet, but after it dried, this was all aftershave on me. Which is strange, because I've never had sage issues before. Ah well.