chapatti

First whiff: sweet, dark, slightly fruity. Very well blended - the dragon's blood is detectable, but not overwhelming at all. I can also smell the red musk. Drydown: it keeps on dark and syrupy without getting cloying. The fig (it smells like dry, candied fig) and black currant waft around, it's very pleasant. Strangely enough, the scent doesn't really feel "strong" or "vital" whatsoever to me, on the contrary - it feels mellow and... languid? That's what sloth would smell like to me, actually. As it goes, the fig and current gain in intensity, on a soft, slightly resiny note. Verdict: quite nice. I don't know how often I'd actually wear it, but it's a very pleasant scent. 7.5/10

Powerful, commanding, blazing with strength. First whiff: ...dragon's blood? It's got a very short-lived, soft cherry-ish top note, followed by a soft, slightly herbal floral very similar to a muted lily-of-the-valley. Drydown: still soft, muted lily-of-the-valley. I can understand where others get the soap impression, though it doesn't really smell soapy to me. Verdict: it's a nice enough scent, but a bit too bland for my tastes. Give me my dragon's blood in Dragon's Milk please! 6/10

First whiff: oh, what a delicious orange top note! It's lovely and juicy (weirdly enough, it smells more of orange itself than orange blossom to me), and there's a minute incensey note in the background. It reminds me a bit of Xiuxchtchtwhatsitli, and by extension, T.Mugler's Angel. Drydown: ooooh I like this! Still very much slightly incensey orange, no change, just that, and it's luuuuurvely! A few hours into it, the orange tames up a bit and melts with the patchouli - and actually, I was fearing the patchouli from the description, but this red patchouli is very soft and mellow, not at all like dark patchouli. Verdict: Not something I'd necessarily wear everyday, but very, very nice. A must-have if you like orange, for sure! 8/10

First whiff: first time I tried it: stroooong cassia - it does feel like cinnamon, but it's much sharper, almost medicinal... and it's absolutely all I can smell. Second try: CASSIA, a hint of mandarin/tobacco. Not quite as one-dimensional, but well... Drydown: er, it becomes very, very faint, almost a skin scent. After an hour or so, the sole way I can smell it is to crush my nose against my wrist?! It just keeps like that, extremely faint cassia/cinnamon, with a vague mandarin and tobacco in the background. Verdict: meep? What's going on here? The list of notes is splendid, yet this is CASSIA ATTACK then almost nothing. Color me very puzzled. 6.5/10

First whiff: yowzers! I... just wow. This is sweetness concentrated in liquid form. It would send Willy Wonka himself into a diabetic coma. I don't know how this is possible, even sugar doesn't smell this sweet! I can smell the strawberry (more like a strawberry ice-cream note than the fruit) and the sweet pear (there's a tiny sparkling tang there), with a hint of sweet pea. Drydown: OK, frankly, this is totally out there and more than a bit artificial smelling. This being said, I'm really liking it :3 The tangy note develops and counterbalances the sweetness nicely, it's delicious like tart candy, and boy does it have throw! After a few hours, the strawberry is completely gone and it's all tangy tart sugar with a hint of pear and sweet pea. All in all, it's a very hard scent to describe - I guess it most smells like a white pear preserved in syrup - sweet/tangy pear, extra sweetness with syrup on top. I never smelled the honeycomb, by the by, and the vanilla only becomes detectable after many hours (yes, because Pink Phoenix lasts forever: I've put it on over 12 hours ago, I slept on it, and it's still going strong!) Verdict: honestly, I should hate this, as it's, well, oversweet, unsophisticated, one-dimensional and a bit artificial... except I totally don't My first reaction was much along the lines of "what the bejeezus?", but it's grown on me so much - third time I'm trying it, and I keep coming back to it! I'm betting a little girl would go ga-ga over this puppy 8.5/10

First whiff: PINE! Strong pine, very fresh, with a slight sour note. There's something I can't identify sparkling behind it, too. Drydown: still pine, thankfully without that horrible sour/aquatic note from Snow Bunny. There's a slight hint of... berries(?) and a soft flowery waft, too. As it goes, the pine stays true, while the flowers take a frankly fruity note, it doesn't scream FLORAL GALORE at all, contrary to what the list of notes would have you believe. The resulting scent is quite pleasant, very winter-y. Verdict: I don't like pine, so of course I'm biased. But for a pine scent, it's quite nice and much better than yucky Snow Bunny but that's not hard anywayz yuck yuck. 5/10

Picture this: *opens the imp and dabs on wrists* *sniffs* *whimpers* *shrieks* *repeats in a delighted mantra: "it's just like cheesecake! IT'S JUST LIKE CHEESECAKE!"* First whiff: ... yes, that's dead-on cheesecake! The slightly sour note, the light sweetness, the spiciness of the crust, it's all there and I'm enthralled and elated and swooooon Boy, this is foodie heaven bar none! Drydown: the sourness of the cheese part goes away quite quickly, which is too bad, I loved it. The spices also mellow out quite a bit, to be gradually replaced by a thick, sweeeeet vanilla. It's not quite as nice as in the beginning, but still extremely pleasant in its own terms. After hours, the spiciness comes back, and the lingering scent reminds me a bit of Graham crackers (speculoos even, for fellow Belgians). Oh goodness. Verdict: ...you know, I had no idea that my goal in life was to actually smell of cheesecake, but yeah, it seems like it I adore this scent. ADORE it. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be off sniffing my wrists some more 9.5/10

Ladies and gentleman, behold the amazing Miss Cherry, as she transforms into... SUPER SOAP! Soap, soap, soap, that's all I can smell! That's crazy, really. I've had other blends end up taking a soapy tone (why, hello, Nemesis!) - but turn into pure, unadulterated soap? There must be a note in there that doesn't agree with me, but I can't see which one. I'm amazed as to how this is possible at all! Verdict: ...... soap? 4/10 on me. Don't like the s... yeah, that

2005 version First whiff: Oh, the top note is delicious! Sweet, sweet cookie smell, with a - as everybody said, a boozy note that makes it actually smell close to egg nog, the drink, not last year's LE Drydown: Unfortunately, on me, it pretty quickly goes the burnt sugar way, like Misk U and Gluttony before it. That's not faiiiiir! At first, the burnt/musty sugar behaves, then becomes overwhelming. For brief amounts of time in the next hours, it vanished and left way to the actual, delicious cookie smell, but then the burnt sugar caught on and that was it. Verdict: I'm heartbroken, as it was absolutely scrumptious in the bottle. If you're a foodie and your skin tolerates the sugar note - go nuts, this is sweet cookie heaven! 7.5/10

First whiff: A bit herby/medicinal, with a soft waft of flowers (??) underneath. Drydown: The medicinal/flowery vibe keeps on, with just a teeny tiny hint of mango. I was hoping for tropical fruit extravaganza, but this sure isn't it - apparently, my skin is making the lavender and sage stampede absolutely everything around them. Actually, it reminds me quite a bit of the herbal note in the Voodoo oils with, at the end of the drydown, a slightly powdery note similar to white sandalwood (I assume it's actually the red musk, but it smells nothing like the red musk in Scherezade or Spellbound). Verdict: Meh. Not what I was expecting at all. 6.5/10

First whiff: In the bottle, it is absolutely divine, like a sharper Bengal, oh my! As soon as it hits my skin, though, it's a patchouli party, and... only Patchouli's invited, alas. It's, well, sharp, rasp and woody. The cardamom is also a little noticeable, but, WWF-style, the patchouli's got it in a Jackknife hold and just won't let go Drydown: A couple of hours into it, fortunately, the patchouli relents and mixes equally with the cardamom, creating this deep, sharp, sophisticated woody-oriental, not for the faint of heart but really beautiful. The rest of the notes don't really develop on me, they're more of a soft base for the patchouli/cardamom. Come to think of it, it reminds me quite a bit of Organza Indécence, for what it's worth. Verdict: too strong for me, but if your tastes go towards this end of the perfumery spectrum, you'll love this. It's a glorious scent, really. 8/10 for artistry, here!

First whiff: weird! There's clearly honey, but... what is that "something else"? Drydown: ...OK, I know what the something else is. You know, when people said this smelled of sex in the reviews, I took it as a metaphor. Yes. Of course, now that I'm trying it... I have to say O does indeed smell of, well, actual sex, drenched in honey. It's the real deal here, people. I don't know what exact component creates this feeling, and I'm not sure I want to know Overall: it's, er, interesting, but honestly, as much as I like bolder, sexier scents, I'd rather avoid smelling of sex itself 6.5/10

Oh goodness, how is this even possible? First whiff: all the spices jump up at your nose at the same time; the cinnamon is really detectable, but it's deep and almost woody, not Red Hots at all; the rest of the spices is so well blended that they're hard to tell apart, with a little waft of something resembling a sharp... chamomile, to my nose? Drydown: the spices go on and on, perfectly blended, while the honey develops under them, without ever taking over or becoming cloying - if anything, it feels "dry", absolutely not syrupy. It does remind me of a rich, delicious chai tea, that wafts around you for hours. It's delicious, exotic without getting over-the-top, gourmand but not strictly foody, lush and hot and intoxicating and CAN YOU TELL I'M IN LOVE, PEOPLE? (oh, and, since we're between us - sexxxx in a bottle, y'all, I swear. Talk about things that make you go hmmmm ) Verdict: what could I add? Top 5 material, and 10ml-worthy, no doubt! It's amazing and it's catalog - what's not to like? 9.5/10

...I swear, I could almost copy'n'paste my review of Zorya ^^ The jasmine is actually OK, not overpowering at first, but it soon amps up, even though it never quite goes the baby diaper route. None of the lovely other components (especially my BELOVED VANILLA *weeps*) really show up except as a vague overlaying pepperish note, and I'm left with this very department-store style perfume that is quite elegant, but not special in any way. Verdict: if jasmine works for you, this will probably be fantastic. On me, though... I'm definitely giving up jasmine blends, even if the entire rest of the notes look amazing, it just won't work. Curses. 6.5/10

First whiff: Delicious, marzipan-ish sweet almond! Drydown:The almond runs hiding in the background WHY GOODNESS WHY IT WAS SO GOOD?! The rose shows up and just keels over on my skin, turning into dried-up, pot-pourri rose petals. The (dry, too) orange peel mixes intimately with it, along with a hint of sandalwood. By this point, it turns into a powdery and ever-so-slightly soapy scent that does feel ancient - but actually, it smells much more like a 19th century, Victorian perfume to my nose, than a Middle-Eastern scent. Eventually, the "dried" aspect of the scent vanished, but it took hours. Verdict:I had high hopes at the start, but much like Nemesis, the soapy-rose-from-beyond-the-grave act totally ruined the scent for me. Alas. 6/10

First whiff: Lovely, slightly powdery amber. Drydown:Ah. There's something in there that's not agreeing with me... on top of the strong amber note, there is now that almost bitter overtone that stays for hours, with a hint of something orangeish - not like a nice, fruity orange, more like an old orange rind... and a layer of pepper on top? Urgh Verdict: I was really looking forward to this one, but the overall effect on me was quite unpleasant. Oh well. Swaps. 5/10

First whiff: It reminds me strongly of a Hermès perfume that, of course, I can't pinpoint right now. Very well blended, with jasmine and white musk as most prominent notes. Drydown: Here's the strange part - normally, I suffer from Teh Jazmin Curse , i.e., jasmine tends to play a baby diaper act on me. But here? The jasmine actually smells like a flower, which is a nice change As time goes, the jasmine amps up a little, but isn't totally overpowering. The spices show up, but in a very mellow, unobtrusive manner - all notes combine beautifully into this elegant, slightly cold floral... that I feel I've smelled a dozen times. Actually, this is the one BPAL that I found most like a haute couture, alcohol-based perfume. Beautiful, but not very distinctive. Verdict: Elegant, very French couture - and very not me. The reason I switched to the dark side BPAL was specifically to not smell like this. It would be a perfect choice as an "introduction" into BPAL. 8/10

First whiff: Very sweet dragon's blood, in all its cherryish goodness. Drydown: The honey and vanilla quickly mix with the dragon's blood, with the honey being veeeery sweet but subtle in its honey-ness (i.e., it smells of sugar more than honey). Actually, as it goes, it turns more and more into straight-out vanilla sugar, ending up one-dimensional and unsophisticated, but delicious, candy-sweet and comforting like a warm, fuzzy blanket. Verdict: Soft, unassuming, sweet, warm and comforting. This would be the perfect scent for a little girl... and for those times when a grown-up needs a hug I love it! 9/10

First whiff: NOSEGASM! Outrageous, wonderful, fiery cinnamon that made me moan out loud Drydown: The cinnamon sloooowly mellows out, while a hot sweetness amps up more and more (I'm assuming it's the copal, the honeysuckle is barely detectable). A couple of hours into it, it's turned into a - well, loud, cloying, peppered sweetness, with a tiny tiny bitterness in the background - but mostly sweet and hottt. And boy, does it go on and on! I lost count after twelve hours, and it was still going strong. Verdict: Totally out there and in your face, sharp, fiery, Leo-esque. Gorgeous. I'm in love, y'all. 9.5/10

First whiff: Mostly a very in-your-face bitter almond... but there's not supposed to be any almond in this, right? Drydown: the almond quickly fades away, and the oat and milk come up. By this point, it's nice, sweet and comforting... but a couple of hours into it, the weirdest thing happens: all sweetness just vanishes, and I'm left with a weird "hollow" / "empty" note. I can't for the life of me identify this - it smells like water tastes, if you see what I mean (I had the very same thing happen with 13, by the by). By this point, yeah, I don't like it all that much anymore. Verdict: Alas, I wanted to jump in on the Dana love and smell of marzipan, but this was not to be. As I seem to be the only one to have the "hollow note" problem, I'm assuming it's some bizarre chemistry reaction. Stupid chemistry. *kicks it* 6/10

First whiff: Butter! -er, wait, ...butter?? Yup, the very smell of melted butter. I'm not that sure I want to put that on my skin now... but, experimental purposes, right? Drying down: Phew! The butter was but a flash in the pan (tee-hee, butter, pan, get it? Yes, I'm hee-lay-ree-us ) So, after the thankfully short butter assault, what I'm quickly left with is the exact smell of a pumpkin pie just out of the oven. A warm, sweet pumpkin scent, with all the spices, and I swear I can even smell the crust of the pie. It is... alright, I'll never claim again that I'm not a foodie. It's warm, yummy, comforting and homey - in one word, lovely, and I adore it. Also, it feels homey to me, but I've heard more than once that studies showed the smell of pumpkin and/or apple pie was actually the scent men found most arousing, and THUS I SHALL STICK TO JACK FOREVER. As it goes, the spiciness slowly vanishes to give way to a mellow cooked peach scent. Not quite as gorgeous, but still very pleasant. Verdict: Lovely! I noticed that it might be the BPAL I wear most often these days, because it's so all-around nice and comforting. 9/10

Oh goodness, I love this! First whiff: Dried figs and dark cocoa powder, with the pomegranate sparkling brightly underneath. The sweet/sour juiciness of the pomegranate 'n' bergamot is contrasting with the darker, slightly powdery figs/cocoa, but both are balanced, they don't clash at all. Drydown: the pomegranate slowly recedes in the background, and the dried fig (it's not juicy at all) and cocoa powder (with a hint of tonka) become more prominent and linger on. Gorgeous. And it doesn't scream "food!" either - the cocoa is dark and luscious, totally not in a HELLO I'M A HERSHEY BAR, DON'T YOU WANT TO EAT ME? way Verdict: It is an unusual scent, and the first time I wore it, I just "kind of" liked it, especially considering I was dubious about chocolate in a perfume (I prefer eating chocolate thx)... except it grew on me, and I adored it by the third time I tried it. It's warm, sweet without being cloying, slightly dark with a minute hint of powder. LOVE. This went on to be my first upgrade to a bottle, as there's no way I could have done with just my lone imp! 9.5/10 The one month later edit : I think this may well be - all right, not n.1 EVAR, because the Black Goat owns my soul, but a very, very close n.2. Gorgeous.

Heh, on the drydown, Akuma was almost pure raspberry juice on me, very very true to the real fruit! How skin chemistry can make a scent vary, really

Scherezade! It's dry, spicy gorgeousness (very much red musk), and it seems from the reviews that a lot of people who liked Morocco also liked Scherezade. Besides, it's mentioned regularly in the "scents to knock men off their feet" thread, so, you know, it's a must-have

Ancient Greek perfume? As an archaeology student, it's impossible to pass! First whiff: Yup, it's Greek all right. More exactly, it smells like that awful Greek wine, retsina. It doesn't smell bad, mind you, just dry (white, to my nose) wine and dry herbs. No golden honey or sweet flowers here. Drying down: The retsina smell amps up like mad, while the honey doesn't come up at all (and that's weird, considering how honeyrrific Blood Kiss goes on me). And two hours in... uggggh, what is this now? Alas, I know this smell well. Cat pee. And it's the gift that keeps giving, too. I could still smell that, er, peculiar odor the next morning. Verdict: I can't believe this. The concept was so interesting, the reviews were so good, I was so looking forward to Athens, and then have it turn to, well, be-herbed pipi de chat... be darned, wonky chemistry! Passing this imp along to a more loving home. 5/10