Ishtar

On me, Val San Retour is so complex that it is almost impossible to describe with words. It is watery, foresty, misty and so much more than that. It is mysterious and beautiful. This is exactly what Val San Retour smells like on me: The picture was taken in the Foret de Broceliande. The castle in the background is Comper castle, which now houses a cultural center dedicated to Arthurian lore. The lake is the one associated with Lancelot. Val sans Retour (San Retour if you prefer the medieval spelling) is a few kilometres north from there. I unfortunately did not get to see it since I was with my mother and she tires quickly. The whole Foret de Broceliande is a magical, enchanted place. I want to go back and explore every single path. OK, end of hijack! As others mentioned, Val San Retour is not the longest lasting oil. It faded after 4 hours. I would nevertheless highly recommend it to anyone who likes fresh, outdoorsy scents, any lover of all things Arthurian and anyone who, like me, loves forests but is not too keen on overly green scents

Knowing the level of skill and artistry that Beth puts into her other blends, I suppose I should not be surprised that her single notes are truly fantastic. Still, I cannot help but marvel at how refined and wearable they are. This vanilla is no exception. It is rich and creamy, yet elegant and subtle. I usually find that other parfumeurs' single notes are actually caricatures of the scents they are trying to recreate: they're loud, they try too hard, they become hyperboles rather than evocations. There is none of that here. Just the wonderful scent of a nice plump vanilla pod I am kicking myself for putting off trying the single notes for so long. I actually ordered this imp before the single notes were discontinued, but had I known it would be so good, I would have been stockpiling bottles before it got pulled down from the site. Oh well. At least I was lucky enough to try it.

Even though this single note started off smelling a little like suntan oil, this stage did not last more than a few minutes. As soon as it started drying, it turned into the most delectable coconut milk scent ever. Soft, warm, delicious It seemed to get a little stronger and creamier after complete drydown, like coconut cream is more concentrated than coconut milk. Yet, it never got cloying or artificial smelling, which is rare for coconut scents. This is absolutely delicious. Had I tried it before it got discontinued, it would probably have gone on my 5ml list as it is subtle and refined enough to be worn by itself. I am really glad I got to try it anyway, if only because now I know what a true coconut scent should smell like. This is officially the standard against which all other coconut scents will be mesured from now on

In the vial, this smells indeed just like coffee, a mild or medium blend, not a dark roast. Stunning. On my skin, interestingly enough, it starts off smelling like... bread fresh out of the oven. A soft, buttery, totally delectable scent The buttery note intensifies for the next 10 minutes. I almost smell like a croissant dipped in cafe creme! However, this "breakfast" stage does not last. The buttery note disappears, leaving a straightforward coffee smell on my skin that wafts and lingers for quite a while. A very appetizing single note that I must use in my aromatherapy diffuser in the morning when I don't feel like dragging myself out of bed!

Block Buster, as a scent, is a major shape-shifter on me. The first few times I sniffed it in the imp, it smelled, well, really unpleasant. Sharp and animalistic. I promptly shut the imp, thinking it was strictly for ritual use. And I moved on to all the other shiny, "instant gratification" imps in my order. Then last night, I peeked into my box and Block Buster was the last untested imp. I decided to give it a try, after all. If I really hated it, I could always wash it off, it is not like it was going to kill me, right? So I applied, ever so sparingly and... miracle! Block Buster literally bloomed as soon as it touched my skin, pulling notes of spices and sweet flowers from out of nowhere, or so it seemed, for it certainly smelled nothing like it did in the imp! Joy! Awe! I am overjoyed to discover that I can wear this, because I can definitely use some help in the job search department and I think my main problem is precisely that I am not making the most of the opportunities I have. I will keep you updated, but since I recently got some very good results with some of the Voodoo blends, I have no reason to doubt Block Buster will work as well

Even though everyone seems to agree that Water of Notre Dame is a green scent, I actually got a fresh citrussy note during the wet stage. It reminded me of a more aquatic Phobos, with the same soft creamy lemon note. Lovely. Now that it is dry, I get even more aquatic connotations and a hint of that herbal/slightly soapy note that features in many Voodoo blends. This is indeed a very soft and calm scent. I cannot really comment on its effectiveness since I feel relaxed and serene tonight anyway; we will see if it helps me get a restful sleep. A definite keeper either way

Oohhh, I love Titus Andronicus with a passion! In the imp and wet, it is definitely masculine, fresh and crisp. The general feel reminded me of my beloved and sadly departed Chypre, even if the notes are different. 10 minutes into drydown, a lovely powderiness appeared, which is always a good thing in my book. Once completely dry, Titus Andronicus smells almost exactly like Haunted, which happens to be my absolute favourite BPAL. Maybe a touch crisper and more masculine, but just a touch. I love it. It's wonderful. My boyfriend *must* try it. I think this would smell absolutely stunning on him

Once again, BPAL taught me not to judge a book by its cover, or a scent by its description, for that matter. Ulalume was sent to me as a freebie, for which I am grateful. I would never have tried it anymore, as it was on my "No, never, are you kidding?" list. I am usually not a fan of aquatic notes and cypress dowright hates me. However, I'll try any BPAL once, so I decided to be brave and to apply it. For the first few minutes, I smelled like a pond. A mossy one. Verrry mossy. I was already sighing and wondering why I even bother with aquatic notes, when all of a sudden, the lilies decided to speak up and turn Ulalume into something wearable for me. Thank you lilies! They did an excellent job of shooing the moss, taming the cypress and turning the blend into a soft aquatic floral that was quite enjoyable. This is subtle, soft and elegant. Very nice

Apparently my skin decided to do it all in reverse order, since in the vial and wet, I did not smell any cherry in The Red Queen. Not a drop. What I got, and tonnes of it, was dark waxed wood. Now I usually like wood notes but here they were almost overpowering. After drydown, The Red Queen mellowed somewhat, thankfully. The cherry started coming through, which was not necessarily a good thing, though. It made the whole blend feel significantly darker, almost angry, before turning to an almost medicinal smell. Off with the imp!... to the swap thread

The first time I smelled Blood Kiss in the imp, it was all vetiver and cherry. Not good news, since I really dislike vetiver and cherry can be hit-and-miss on me. When I eventually tried it, the first thing I noticed was that the scent in the imp was totally different for the harsh, cloying smell I remembered from five days earlier. It actually smelled pretty similar to Sacred Whore of Babylon. Weird. On my skin, I can smell vanilla, clove, cherry and honey, in that order. No vetiver and no poppy, thankfully. Occasionally, the red wine will show up for a few minutes then goes back into hiding. It is quite nice, maybe a touch too peppery for me when I sniff my wrist. I far prefer the soft, sexy scent that wafts from my skin. Not sure yet if I will keep the imp, as there are so many other scents that are just perfect for me, both "aura" and "up close", but I definitely enjoy Blood Kiss

In the vial, Sacred Whore of Babylon was very smoky, a note of which I am not too fond. Luckily, on my skin the smokiness immediately disappeared, to be replaced by a very strong and sweet floral with a hint of spicy vanilla. I waited and waited for the blend to settle, thinking that the floral note was going to mellow as it usually does. No such thing happened. Sacred Whore actually stayed exactly the same before, through and after drydown. I am a little puzzled by this blend. I like it. I truly do. It is a very nice floral with an underlying creamy sweetness, which are notes that I usually enjoy. Yet this is something of a guilty pleasure, because there is something about it that is... I don't want to say vulgar, maybe over the top would be a better way to say it. It is a powerful scent, but it is not what bothers me so much as its loudness. I might enjoy it as a room scent ot toned down in a lotion, but this is too flashy for me to wear as a perfume.

I might be completely off, but to me there is a citrus/lavender note to Ra that is especially noticeable during the wet stage. As it dries, it becomes warmer and warmer. Yet Ra never gets hot, thanks to this fresh note that is like a merciful early morning breeze on the Nile river before the heat becomes intense. This is a bright, triumphant scent with a slight powderiness and a resine note to it (frankincense?) I think Ultraviolet perfectly nailed it when she wrote that Ra is a yang scent. That is exactly what it is: energetic, bright, outwardly, a definite "masculine" feel but without the traditional notes associated to masculine scents. I absolutely love this and now that I got to try two of the Stations of the Sun, I will order the other two. Those are fascinating scents.

This is different from what I expected -to me sunsets in Egypt will always smell of the warm powderiness of sand and of hibiscus flowers. I suppose I also expected something a little darker, since Tum is the aspect of the Sun that makes the transition from the hours of the day to those of the night and has to get ready to fight and eventually defeat Apophis. Tum started off quite fruity and sweet on me, but it only took the grape note a few minutes to turn into a rather sour scent, almost vinegary, reminiscent of the mimosa note in Old Madrid. Thankfully this stage did not last. When the blend eventually settled, Tum ended up smelling more like spicy, honeyed incense than fruit. The drydown had an exotic feel to it that somewhat reminded me of all the spice smells wafting from the markets in Assouan. A highly complex and changeable blend, Tum is very well made and evocative. I canot wait to try the other Stations of the Sun

Rarely have I felt such a deep connection to an oil. You know that feeling when a blend is not only gorgeous, but also exactly like you imagined it, only a bit better? When it does not only smell good but also has something to say to you? That is what Vinland feels like to me. I love Scandinavian countries and, well, I chose Canada as the country where I wanted to live, so no wonder the concept of Vinland was so appealing to me. On my skin, Vinland was mostly fruity, without a hint of sweetness. It was also very airy, but certainly not in a gentle, breezy way. Think sharp biting wind and raging gales. Yet this is not a chilly scent. It is rugged without being harsh, with an inherent, completely natural and unspoilt beauty. The mix of flowers and berries almost brought tears to my eyes, as it took me back to the scents of the Skansen, a historical neighbourhood built on a hill in Stockholm. Damn Beth, are you on a mission to make me cry with nostalgia? First Yerevan, then this? When will the time machine stop? Needless to say, I will need more (lots more!) Vinland. It is beautiful, in a rather unusual way. The only other oil I could compare it to would be Glasgow, for the airy fruitiness aspect. Utterly wonderful. Thank you BPAL!

Cordelia was sent by the Lab as a freebie I was on a bit of Shakespearian kick this week, having tried Viola the night before and I must say that these ladies are both lovely. I had no idea what notes were in Cordelia when I first applied it. It was obviously a floral, a complex one at that: there was an underlying sweetness, maybe a faint hint of spice (carnations?) and a definite woodiness to it. Strangely, my nose thought it could smell violets, but I have always been obsessed with violets so I have a tendency to smell them everywhere! Now that I read the description, I am surprised that I could not detect lemon, green tea or musk as they are some of my favourite notes. I guess the florals dominated the wet stage, whereas woody notes were most prominent during and after drydown. A very nice, soft floral blend that I enjoyed a lot

After reading all the glowing reviews here, I was looking forward to trying Veil. Sandalwood, lilac, vanilla and myrrh are all notes that work well on me and at first sniff Veil was no exception. It was soft, elegant, reserved without being haughty. The wet stage was all flowers. The sandalwood only came through during drydown, which is also when Veil started turning a little musty on me. One hour after applying, the florals had lost their definition, giving off an old-fashioned feel and losing their appeal to me. A very elegant and soft scent that did not work on me but will doubtlessly be beautiful on someone with better skin chemistry

I have been looking forward to Yerevan since it came out. For sentimental reasons I have somewhat of a love affair with Armenia and I was extremely excited to see how the Lab would have captured the essence of such an old, complex country in a scent. Let's just say that I am not disappointed (understatement) Armenia is famous throughout Eastern Europe for its apricots, so it made me smile to get a big burst of ripe apricot as soon as I opened the bottle. Definitely appropriate. As everyone said, apricot is the most prominent note in this very fruity blend, but I never found it overpowering or cloying. Every now and then I got a hint of plum, pomegranate or musk that were the olfactory translation of the crossroads between Europe, Asia and Middle East that is Armenia. I assume that Nella will have tried Yerevan and I hope she loves it as much as I do, for it is a wonderful homage to her home country. Now if you will excuse me, I am going to go bask in my memories and shed a tear or two...

I had high hopes for this since vanilla usually works very well on me and I also love orange blossom. In the vial this was a rather sharp, dark scent. Hunger did not change much from wet to drydown and its most distinctive feature on me was smokiness. Not my favourite note. There was an underlying sweet fruitiness to the blend that was rather enjoyable, but not enough to cut through the thick smokiness. As for the vanilla, it never showed up. I see that several reviews compare Hunger to Snake Oil and that was my experience too. Unfortunately my skin chemistry seems to bring out all the incense and smoke notes in both blends. Oh well. Hopefully I will be able to give it to someone who will love it.

In the vial and wet, Desire was very sweet. I usually enjoy sweet scents, but for some reason this was almost cloying to my nose. On my skin, a distinct fruitiness (I assume it was the patchouli) started coming through, together with some musky and woody notes. Far from grounding the blend and making it headier, this actually turned it into a nice, fruity sweet scent that ended up smelling rather innocent, in spite of the name. Nice but not outstanding on me. I think it will be a swap.

Ooh, Chimera, where have you been my whole life? Why did I wait until today to try you? Will you marry me? I have little to add to the very well-written reviews already posted, but I just needed to say that I am completely, utterly in love with Chimera! It is interesting to see how people compared it to several other blends, as on me it smells exactly like Dragon's Milk with a dusting of cinammon. Which to me means my absolute favourite BPAL of all times, only better. I am in awe I'll have a few gallons of this, please

Interestingly enough, I did not get any almond with Salome, except maybe a faint whiff well into drydown. To me Salome was primarily a smoky, incensey scent with an underlying sweet-yet-earthy thickness that had me wonder if there was any patchouli in it. Definitely an exotic, Middle Eastern kind of scent that I would have loved had it not turned soapy after drydown. It is my skin that is to blame here, as I can see how Salome would be beautiful on someone with the right chemistry. It almost worked on me. I will be adding it as a freebie to the swap I am sending out today, hopefully it will be spectacular on the recipient

As Allamanda said, it is all a matter of individual body chemistry. As you try more and more imps, you will be able to better identify the notes that don't work on you and avoid them. There are no "surefire" oils. My body chemistry did not agree with two of the most popular blends here. On the other hands, several of the less reviewed scents were spectacular on me. I had the same reaction to Old Paris as you and found since that I can't do lotus, even in infinitesimal doses. Amber and white musk turn powdery on me, which is a good thing since I love powdery scents, but you might want to experiment cautiously with them. You might also want to go through the reviews, they are really helpful. You will find that some blends pretty much react the same on everybody's skin (whether one likes them or not is then a matter of personal preferences), whereas others are highly dependent on body chemistry and smell quite different on each reviewer. Have fun experimenting! I hope your next oils will be spectacular on you!

Oh, I am in love! Thinking that I already had enough rose scents, I almost didn't pay attention to Moon Rose when it was released, silly cow that I am. Thankfully, Nenia offered to swap it and sent it to me in a lovely package full of little goodies. I can only chime in with the other reviews: Moon Rose is a straightforward yet gentle white rose, etheral and sophisticated. It is very feminine and ageless, neither youthful nor old ladyish. As several people mentioned, this is a blend whose intensity drops fast, which doesn't mean that it disappears, but that it fades into a very mellow, natural smelling rose scent. If you are concerned that rose smells overpowering or artificial on you, you can safely try Moon Rose, there is none of that here. I am afraid that my beloved Persephone will have to surrender its crown as bestest rose blend ever to Moon Rose. It is just that beautiful.

I got an imp of Feu Follet from another lovely forumite and I am really glad I could try it. Apparently my experience was a bit different from those described before, as Feu Follet went very powdery (but in a delicious way) the minute it touched my skin. It strongly reminded me of Haunted with a floral twist, which made me wonder if there was amber in this blend. Later on, the powderiness took a backseat to the floral notes and I thoroughly enjoyed smelling them coming out to play, one after the other. First, the jasmine. Then, the rose. And then, the heliotrope. I was basking in this floral gorgeousness when -poof! All gone! Without a warning. It had only been 30 minutes or so since I had applied it. A shame, really, it was so nice. Oh well, I can always reapply. I guess my only imp will soon be gone...

Wow, Viola is a gorgous floral if there ever was one! It manages to be both delicate and punchy, how does Beth do that?!? Just because of the name, I was almost convinced that there was violet in this blend, but I see this is not the case. The rose note is wonderful, creamy, soft but ever present. What surprised me most was that there is no musk in Viola, as it evolved exactly like white musk-based blends do on my skin, from fresh to powdery. It is probably the amber and the sandalwood that impart that mellow, creamy powderiness to the blend. Another keeper!