Ishtar

Yes, Tiphareth definitely has some medicinal undertones, but not unpleasantly so. After drydown, the one note that strikes me is tree sap. This is a smell that I try to avoid as much as possible as it can make me sick in a matter of seconds, but here I do not seem to be getting any such reaction, much to my relief. I can see myself wearing Tiphareth when I am in the right kind of mood, but I think it will mostly be a ritual oil for me. There is a depth and an aura of power to it that will be most interesting to work with

Oooh, gorgeousness! This amber lover is in smooth, warm, spicy heaven! Wow, wow, wow. There is something in the spice that makes it smell rather masculine to my nose, but it is all the sexier for it. A really sensual, lazy, yet regal scent. I cannot quite put my finger on it, but it intensely reminds me of something- or more likely of someone. I know this scent. I know it by heart. Anyway, with or without associated memories, The Lion is simply gorgeous. Another instant favourite.

In spite of my love of tea and of tea scents, I never got around to ordering The Dormouse before. Here I am trying it for the first time and wondering why I waited so long! Right after applying, I do get some citrus/bergamot notes, but rather than Earl Grey, The Dormouse reminds me of bergamot-scented white tea. It does not have the astringence of black tea nor the fresh and slightly "roasted" note of green tea. Compared to other blends like Old Shangai, this is not your zingy, crisp tea scent. This is on the gentle, cozy, comforting side. I think it will be lovely on a quiet rainy day ETA nearly a decade later: well, if I ever needed proof that my skin chemistry has changed, this is it! I tried The Dormouse again, and it went straight to soap. Nothing but sharp, almost acrid, soap. Hrm. This is really interesting (if a bit unfortunate!).

I loved the concept behind Silk Road as soon as I read about it and I had to order it right away. I am glad I did, because it is both very nice and very interesting. Having said that, it is next to impossible to describe. Just like the countries along the Silk Road were and still are fascinating crossroads between cultures, this scent is a whirlwind of notes competing for attention, each contributing its riches, each adding its own twist to the mix and constantly reinventing the whole blend. Somehow, miraculously, it manages to avoid chaos and cacophonia. No one knows how or why, but it works. What better way to illustrate the Silk Road, really? Oh, but you wanted notes? OK, here is what I can smell- without any guarantee of accuracy, in order of apparition: mandarin, maybe tangerine. Tea. Cinnamon. Aromatic herbs. More cinnamon. Maybe a touch of musk. After complete drydown, Silk Road reminds me of a more complex and less spicy Hamadryad. I quite like it and will have to give it many more tries to exhaust its countless facets and layers...

Yet another beautiful rose blend by Beth! I love both rose and frankincense, so no wonder I really enjoy Rose Cross. The rose and the frankincense are very well balanced. The frankincense is in a supporting role here: it grounds the blend and gives it substance without becoming overpowering or bitter as is sometimes the case. It is actually easy to forget that there is any frankincense in Rose Cross and simply see it as straight rose. It is a rather dignified rose, however, that on me is most comparable to Spellbound, only much lighter and without the sultry darkness. Lovely

Rosalind was an extra imp sent by the Lab with my latest order Very citrussy and fresh in the imp, Rosalind turned first grassy, then fruity on my skin. Reminiscent of a lighter, more lemony Bewitched, this is a very nice blend... that suddenly goes *poof* after 15 mn, never to be heard of again Call me old fashioned, but I like it when my scents take the time to say goodbye before leaving. The idea of grass and berries was quite appealing, but I will stick to Bewitched

Yum! Even though the Sephiroths are probably not meant as perfumes as much as ritual oils, I am really enjoying them a lot and Malkuth is no exception. It is a little pungent and quite tangy out of the imp, but as soon as it settles down, it turns into a wonderful fruity/woody/spicy blend. It is hard for me to pinpoint any individual notes, though. If I had to guess, I would say pomegranate/sandalwood/cinnamon, maybe? Whatever is in Malkuth, it achieves a small miracle in that everything in it speaks of the earth without smelling earthy. As it dries down, the cinnamon becomes more prominent without affecting the overall balance of the blend. Malkuth is a warm, grounding, intensely dark red scent that gives me the same feeling of depth and safety I so love in The World. Beautiful.

After not being able to wear Dublin, I was growing a little weary of masculine, Celtic-themed scents, but Oisin restored my faith in Irish fragrances I could probably wax poetic about the crispness of the white musk, the softness of the blossoms and the slightly mysterious vibe surrounding the whole thing, but I will keep it short: from the moment I open the bottle to when it completely fades away, Oisin in sex in a bottle. There. The only downside to this fantastic blend is that it fades rather quickly, which means that I mostly use it at night, layered with my shea butter lotion. My Oisin-scented dreams turn out to be most interesting and on the graphic side, predictably enough given my very, very soft spot for Irishmen I certainly do not regret getting a bottle of this unsniffed

Here we are again, on the search for the elusive perfect BPAL violet scent and hoping that this will not be another miss (don't I sound quite like Charlie Brown on his pitcher mound at the beginning of a new season? ) There is something about most violet scents I tried so far that turns overly earthy and gritty on me. However, it looks like Le Serpent qui Danse is going to work on me. This is not sweet at all (somehow I always expect that candied violet smell), but it is much smoother than most other violet blends. The earthiness is there, yet it never gets overwhelming. I cannot smell the vanilla per se, even though it is probably what makes Le Serpent so smooth. Gardenia brings a spiciness to the blend that keeps intensifying as it settles down. The final stage ends up being a tad too peppery for my taste, unfortunately From the name, I think I expected something more exotic, swirly, alluring yet dangerous... I have a feeling this would layer very well with single note vanilla, or maybe even Snake Oil. Might just as well keep vanilla-scented reptiles together

Let me preface this by saying that my skin usually does not agree with BPAL's mint note, which is a shame as I love mint. Mojitos are one of my favourite drinks and I have been known to drown lamb under mint sauce in a way that used to make my French parents recoil with horror But I digress. My very first sniff of Juke Joint was not all that promising: in the vial and wet on my skin, all I could think of was vaguely mint-scented cleaning product. Hrm. Come on, Juke Joint, I know that you can do better than that! Ah, this is more like it: as it dries down, the mint starts coming through. I still do not get any booze or sugar, though. After complete drydown, a sort of ambery note shows up and slowly drowns the mint in its powderiness. This is by no means unpleasant, but it is not outstanding either. I guess I was expecting something much crisper and fresher. I will have to try Juke Joint again as it does not look like it quite found its pace on my skin the first time around. I will come back and edit if there is any significant improvement.

Ma che bella! Florence, oh, Florence! You seduced me right off the imp... I was very much looking forward to this scent as I love all the notes in it, but this is far better than my wildest expectations. Right after applying, the berries are immediately recognizable, but they are not the bold, juicy, almost over the top berries one gets from, say, Bordello or Jester. This is a subtler, mellower fruit note with a grown-up, sophisticated feel to it. It blends perfectly with the amber and a wonderful woody note that is present from the onset. My skin greatly amplifies woodiness so this note might not be as noticeable on other people. I am basking in this glorious fruit / wood combination. It is only after complete drydown that the iris comes through, adding a very nice spicy/earthy accent to the blend. Woodiness is still the most prevalent note on me, in an Intrigue meets berries meets iris sort of way. Florence is refined, sophisticated and sensual at the same time... seriously beautiful may be a good way to describe it. Another stunning creation

Eos was a little sharp in the vial, but as soon as I applied it turned into a soft, really pretty floral on my skin. It is not always a good sign when I find a scent pretty, as prettiness alone is usually not enough to keep me interested. I tend to tire of florals rather quickly. But Eos has something else, something more that I cannot quite pinpoint. All I know is that I keep sniffing my arm and the more I smell Eos, the more I like it. While most florals are white or pale pink scents to me, this one makes me think of a soft, subdued yet glowing yellow. Beautiful and very refined. Half an hour into drydown, Eos gets absolutely stunning as each floral note becomes distinct from the others and perfectly recognizable: here is the jasmine, the highest note as usual, this is the glorious honeysuckle and there is the buttercup, rounding the blend into a gorgeous creaminess. Need I say that I am in love? Once again, hats off to Beth's recent creations. This is the fifth or sixth scent from my latest order that goes straight on the bottle list!

Eggnog was one of the few Yule LE's I did not get, thinking that it would be too similar to Hellcat. Plus, I had already fallen madly in love with Gingerbread Poppet and I thought that one holiday foody scent was enough. It is my lovely friend and fellow forumite Chin who gave me an imp of Eggnog. All I can say is that in the first stages, Eggnog is dead on. It has everything: rum, spices, cream, sugar, ... mmmh! Admittedly, it is really, really sweet, but what else can one expect? This is eggnog, not Perrier with a zest of lemon, right? It is only after one or two hours that the rum note loses its edge and the powderiness others mentioned starts coming through. Now this smells more like the non alcoholic eggnog you can buy in the dairy section at the supermarket. It is still delicious and terribly fun. I have not worn Eggnog a lot as it is a very playful and season-specific blend, but I sure did enjoy it a lot. If it comes back this year, I may well get a bottle: it would be terrific for holiday crafts. Highly recommended to anyone who likes eggnog and sweet foody scents

Dragon's Musk left me wide-eyed with wonder when I first tried it. I could not believe how good it was. I am violently in love. Of course, I love both dragon's blood and musk, so I reckoned this would be a keeper, but I certainly did not expect it to be so lovely. There is a freshness to this blend and a hint of saltiness that prevent it from turning too sweet. The musk lends it a beautiful softness and a tranquil air of unaffected sexiness. I just gave my bottle of my beloved Dragon's Milk to my mother and I am going to replace it immediately with a bottle of Dragon's Musk. This may well be my favourite draconic scent. Stunning.

Oh, this is just great! I was surprised at how floral and smooth Dragon's Blood was. Both from the description and from previous experiences, I would have expected something much heavier and probably fruitier too, but this is admirably balanced. It makes sense, though, when comparing it to other Ars Draconis scents: here is the floral note of Dragon's Milk, and here is what makes Dragon's Tears so smooth in spite of its saltiness. I never would have ordered it myself (thank you Lab for the imp!), but I am truly impressed with it. As a perfume, I still prefer the other, more layered draconic blends, however, I bet Dragon's Blood would be gorgeous in a scented lotion or as a scented soap. *Wanders off plotting much Dragon's Blood scented craftiness*

Let's admit to it: I had very low expectations when I tried Debauchery. Between the presence of the oh-so-controversial civet and the majority of negative reviews, the plan was to suffer through 20 mn of nastiness in the interest of science and reviewing and then disappear behind the shower curtain to scrub Debauchery off. Well, it was a rather pleasant surprise. I am not going to say that I loved this blend, it is way too dark, murky and earthy for me, but I am pleased to report that the civet behaved itself. *Pats civet on head* Yes, there is something sexy about Debauchery and there is something disturbing about it too. It is all about excess and hedonism. Yet another blend that brilliantly lives up to its name. It is not something I could really wear, though.

Well, it looks like I am rooting for the underdog here, but I for one really, really liked Binah as a perfume. The wet stage was all resin and incense: not incense smoke, mind you, which is a good thing as smokey scents can make me a little queasy, but very aromatic, very high quality hand-made incense that you almost feel like nibbling on instead of burning. There is a spiciness to this blend that gets stronger as it dries down. I keep thinking of clove, but there is also a floral note that is developping alongside the spice, so it may well be carnation or even geranium that I am smelling. Whatever is in it, Binah is a beautiful, layered, complex blend on me. The more I smell it, the more I enjoy it. It strikes me as a very sacred, very cerebral scent, yet it is not austere at all. It is actually quite warm and centering. I am seriously considering a bottle, all the more so that it tends to fade rather quickly on my skin. It would also make a lovely room fragrance and, of course, a perfect ritual scent

Three golden ambers, bright musk, peach wine and myrtle. Aglaea was extremely fruity and smelled distinctly boozy in the vial. The wet stage was a fun, sparkly, bright yellow peach extravaganza that had the bubbly quality of peach cider. The musk and amber imparted their typical powderiness to the drydown, which faded to a soft yellow, intensely sweet peach scent. I suspect that many people might find it too sweet for their taste, but it faded fairly quickly on me, so I did not have time to tire of it. Aglaea is a sunny, happy scent that screams summer. I must admit that I was a bit unsettled by its juvenile, giddy side. I would have expected something much more dignified to embody Splendour. Another try without preconceived ideas about the concept is in order!

At first, Aeval was very fresh and slightly sharp, an interesting mix of floral and herbal with a faint medicinal undertone. As it dries down, the musk and tonka warm up the blend, imparting a light powderiness to it. After complete drydown, some of the herbal sharpness comes back, verging on soapiness, but not enough to become unpleasant. Aeval is a nice spring fragrance, but it is nothing outstanding on me.

Whitechapel had been on my wishlist for the longest time, but I kept getting distracted by other new, shiny things and always left it out. Of course, after hearing Hypothermia singing Whitechapel's praise for months with a fervour usually reserved for religious proselytism, I had to order it. Well, I am not disappointed in the least. Far from it. Actually, I am in love. In the imp and wet, Whitechapel is a burst of crisp, fresh lime, softened by the lilac. Delicious, refreshing and uplifting. The musk comes out to play during drydown, imparting further softness and creaminess to the blend. The lilac never gets overpowering and, oh miracle, the citrus actually lasts! After several hours, a gentle, half-powdery half-tangy musk remains on my skin and surrounds me like a cloud. This is beautiful. I never would have thought that my nose and brain would be perverted enough to find a serial killer scent comforting, but there you go. Soft, clean and comforting. Needless to say, this goes straight on my big bottle list. It will be perfect for summer and it is fantastic as a bedtime scent year round

When I first tried Dublin, the comparison that immediately popped into my mind was: the masculine version of Glasgow. The same greenness cutting through the sweetness, the same airiness, the same 'mist over vast expanses of land' scent. Now what I love about Glasgow is its precarious, beautiful balance between sweet and herbal. Unfortunately, I did not find quite the same balance in Dublin. It is definitely much sharper, heavier on the pine and without the berries to soften the blend. I am afraid this is too masculine for me to wear. Dublin is nevertheless a great scent, even if I cannot pull it off. I see that it has been compared to Skadi, which has indeed a similar feel to it and which I love. Dublin is just a touch too piney and too sharp for me. A shame as I have a passion for all things Irish and I was really excited about this blend. Oh well. I guess I will go drown my sorrow in a good pint of Guinness now...

Decadence got such unanimous rave reviews that I was very much looking forward to trying it. Thank you Lab! In the vial, this smelled like your typical almondy/spicy BPAL: very similar to Eclipse, with a hint of Three Witches for the cinnamon. After applying, the almond immediately morphed into a fruity scent. At first, out of habit, my nose thought "Oh, this is the old almond-morphs-into-cherry trick once again!", but after sniffing my wrist more carefully, it turns out that it is orange that I am smelling. Interesting. After a few minutes, a definite booze smell comes out of nowhere and the cinnamon note gets stronger. This is all becoming very mulled wine-esque, but in a lighter and fresher way than, say, Tintagel. Festive but not Christmassy. Half an hour into drydown, probably exhausted by such a busy first stage, Decadence decides to settle down and turns into Black Phoenix-Lite, minus the cherry. It also reminds me of a Lush product that I used to get fairly regularly, but the name escapes me. I will edit if I can remember what it is. Although Decadence did not really enthrall me the way I hoped it would, it is a very enjoyable scent. I think it would also be a good introduction to BPAL for people who are new to it (provided that they like foody scents), as it has that "quintessential BPAL smell" to it. If it is released, I think it has the potential to become a classic

It took me many tries to make up my mind about Come To Me. I suppose that deceivingly simple is a good way to describe it. I usually dislike green, aquatic, soapy scents. Come To Me is all three. Predictably enough, the first time I tried it, I did not enjoy it. Yet I did not put it in the Swap pile. Something in this blend compelled me to try it again, and again, until it worked. And it did work, albeit in a strange, roundabout way: yes, it is green and definitely soapy, but much smoother and fresher than most scents in this family. It is weird and it is wonderful. I don't like it yet I love it. Upon drydown, the aquatic soapiness calms down and gives way to a lovely crisp watermelon/cucumber scent with some citrus and floral notes coming through. I am enjoying this more and more, it will be perfect for summer. It is a keeper, after all. Even if Come To Me does not sound like your cup of tea, do give it a try, you might be in for a pleasant surprise!

Yet another of these blends that seem to smell very different on different people... On me Iambe wasn't all that comforting and certainly not fresh. It was a thick, deep, fruity sweet scent. If it were a fabric it would be dark golden-brown velvet. Not unpleasant by any means, but rather on the warm and heavy side. While the patchouli and tea were the top notes right after applying, the drydown brought out the amber (which I love) and the gardenia, which I am not overly fond of. Unfortunately, the floral note somewhat clashed with the lovely amber/patchouli combo and never really seemed to find its place in the blend. I am afraid that between the heavy sweetness of the initial stages and the lack of balance of the drydown, Iambe is not quite for me. I can see how it would be beautiful on the right person, though

Another Paypal question... is it possible to order the Lunar blends and pay with an e-cheque? I completely forgot to transfer funds to my Paypal account last week and now it is too late for the transfer to take place before the update (I am in Canada and transfers almost take a week). So if I want to order on Friday, I will have to send an e-cheque. But since orders are only put in the queue when the cheque clears, does that mean no Pink Moon for moi? Or should I send my payment tonight and hope it clears by Friday? (just kidding!)