Ghost of a Rose

Thank you for the frimp, labbies! In the imp: Wow, this is surprisingly feminine and floral and bright. It reminds me of White Shoulders or some other classic perfume like that. I was expecting something deep and dark and mysterious - perhaps a masculine incensey smell - from the description. Which would have been interesting and nice, but for me this is even better - truly beautiful! On me, wet: On my skin it's much more interesting and complex. And yes, mysterious, although still beautiful in a sparkly, happy, kind of way. There is a note of fruitiness (from the spikenard), which isn't foody at all. And a bit of saltiness. Together with a lot of sweetness from the florals. It doesn't smell like White Shoulders anymore, but is something much more unique. I can't ID any other of the notes because I don't notice any frankincense yet, and I don't know what the other things smell like. I totally get the spiritual purity. Pathos and suffering, not so much. Although the saltiness could be tears. But overall, this scent conveys sunniness and optimism to me. But then, it does say joy and grace in suffering, and I do get the joy and grace part! After 15 minutes: Pretty much the same, although the brightness has settled down somewhat. There's also a strange coppery undertone which for some reason I associate with the olive, but that doesn't seem to make any sense. Nor do any of the other ingredients seem to indicate a metallic note. Very mysterious! I am ambivalent about the coppery note - on the one hand, it is interesting and makes this fragrance very unusual. But on the other hand, it's a bit off-putting, like a hint of the smell of blood. I definitely love all the other notes in this blend. After 40 minutes: Softer, and maybe a little powdery now (which is actually pleasant for the additional softness it adds), but still basically the same fragrance. After 1 hour: The saltiness and most of the metallic note has gone now, which makes it smell like White Shoulders again. From there, it fades away without any more changes. I never did specifically smell the frankincense. My rating: 4.5 stars (Edited to correct a typo.)

I feel so lucky that I got to try this unreleased scent! It was a frimp in my BPTP order. I mostly smelled vanilla, with a nutty undertone that might be hazelnut. After about 20 minutes, when I went back into the room, there was a light lingering scent that wasn't foody - more like musk and florals. I like the drydown a lot, but the initial, stronger, fragrance was too foody to be one of my 5-star favorites although it is pleasant. It would be a good scent especially for the kitchen or pantry. When I sniff the top of the used spray nozzle, I can detect vanilla, musk, and florals, in that order. BTW, I really love the keychain-ring cap on the sample vial. I hope that BPTP will be selling these. (Pretty please?) They would be great for carrying around to banish unpleasant smells wherever I might be. My rating: 4 stars

In the imp: Clear, light beige oil. Fresh scent with a very light lemon note and florals. On me, wet: I really like this. The florals are stronger than the lemon, but they are well balanced. It's very clean, fresh, sweet, and light. On me, just dried: It's rather like a light classic perfume. I'm picking up some rose, which is lovely with the light lemon. l like it that the lemon is so light, not overpowering like it is in most blends that use it. There's some baby powder, too. I like the scent of baby powder anyway, but here it is especially nice because of the way it keeps the fragrance so soft and light. After 10 minutes: The lemony note is already evaporating, leaving mostly dry amber, rose, and baby powder. I see a picture in my mind of young ladies going to church dressed in their Sunday best. I agree with the laundry soap/dryer sheets impression, but I do like the smell of those; and this is a very pretty, more upscale, version. After 30 minutes: This scent is remarkably consistent, both in the notes and the throw. There's just a teeny bit of spiciness - not the intense spiciness of something like clove, but a gentle spiciness that could be carnations. After 1 hour: Pretty much the same as above. It's fading a little, the sweetness is a little less, and the spiciness is a little more. But all of these are very subtle changes. After 8 hours: There's still a bit of powdery amber scent lingering. Verdict: This perfume is young, gentle, ultra feminine, and beautiful. And it is one of just two or three BPAL blends that lasted 8 hours or more on my skin, Its powdery dry mood and lovely light scent would be the perfect antidote for the yucky sweatiness of a hot summer day. My rating: 5 stars

I had to get this one because I love that painting. In the vial: Ooh, so very beautiful. A designer scent - one in which there are no obvious individual notes but instead it is a unique scent which is just itself. Sweet, feminine, unusual. I think I'm getting the musks, amber, florals, a honey-like note which is probably the helichrysum and/or amber, and incense the most strongly. I guess that's everything but the tobacco! I can't differentiate between the various types of musks and incense. It all blends seamlessly together. On me, wet: The oil is a dark amber color on my skin, but the color quickly disappears, leaving no trace on my skin. (I would take care not to let it come in contact with my clothing or other fabrics while it is wet, though.) It smells much the same as in the vial, except that now I can also identify the violet-like scent of orris. And yes, a faint undertone of tobacco. This is very sophisticated, elegant, and smells outrageously expensive. It would be amazing for a formal event. It's interesting how feminine this is - from the ingredient list I expected a unisex or even a masculine fragrance. But the femininity better suits the work of art that inspired this. On me, just dried: A bit of spiciness comes out. The scent is now leaning more towards the incense notes, and thus it is becoming warmer in mood. Yet still very formal. After 25 minutes: The spiciness/incense/tobacco notes (which remind me of the snake in the painting) continue to strengthen and have now slightly overtaken the florals. A bit of sharpness has also developed - unusual for this to happen on drydown, those are usually top notes. And I have no idea which ingredient it's coming from. It's almost like clove or menthol. The sharp note sticks close to the skin. From a few inches away, the fragrance is a gentler wood/incense note with some florals. After 45 minutes: The scent is now predominately wood, but it's a highly balsamic wood (like pine) rather than the gentle warmth typical of sandalwood. That's due to the sharpness. And there's a bit of frankincense. The florals have faded, but still have some presence. After 1 hour: The scent has faded quite a bit and is now rather faint. What remains is a gentler wood note than previously, and sandalwood. The florals have gone. After 2 hours: Practically no scent is left - just the faintest hint of amber. This beautiful, elegant, and ever-changing scent doesn't last for a long time on my skin. Reapply every couple of hours or use a scent locket. My rating: 5 stars

Smells exactly as described: newly-mowed grass with some roses tossed in. I love this! It is so fresh and so realistic. And very spring-and-summery. My rating: 5 stars

Out of all the lovely things in this, at first all I can smell is pine. It smells like Christmas! After a few minutes, the pine settles down and I do get some beautiful florals, aaahhh. Now it's no longer specifically Christmas, but it's still a cool forest kind of scent. Gorgeous. After about 10 minutes: I can smell both the pine and the florals. This would be great for getting into the Christmas spirit; or for a hot day when I'm longing for an illusion of coolness. My rating: 5 stars

Many thanks to the generous forumite who frimped me this vial! In the vial: The sharpness of a very realistic geranium. On me, wet: I am surprised that this is not a sweet scent, considering all the flowers that are in it. It's even sharper on my skin - almost like peppermint or eucalyptus - sinus-clearing, in other words. That is the main note, but I can also pick out all the the flowers. I really like this, although I think I'd like it even better without so much sharpness - it's really piercing. I have to admit, though, that it makes this interesting and very unusual for a floral blend. On me, just dried: Pretty much the same, but a little sweeter, and the sharpness is not quite as piercing. After 10 minutes: The sharpness is still there but it has settled down significantly, which allows the sweetness and the florals to manifest more strongly. The rose/ylang ylang/gardenia/tuberose/palmarose is an inspired combination. They compliment each other so beautifully. Of the florals, the ylang ylang is most prominent but only by a slight margin. They are well balanced. I really like how the other florals tone down the soapiness that ylang ylang usually has. After 30 minutes: The sharpness is almost gone now. The floral notes are still the same but softer - the fragrance is reminding me of floral honey. After 45 minutes: The myrrh begins to make an appearance, and it too blends beautifully with the flower notes. After 1 hour: Now I can pick up a faint undertone of sandalwood. It stands alone, rather than blending in with the florals like the myrrh does; but it is a nice addition to them, underscoring and balancing their sweetness. Also about this time, the scent fades very suddenly but doesn't vanish completely. After 3 hours: The remaining scent is sandalwood and powdery rose. After 6 hours: I can still smell it a little on my wrist. It's still slightly powdery, but now the scent has returned to the earlier floral note of ylang ylang as the star but with the other flowers present as well. (Later ETA): After 9 hours: The fragrance is still lasting! And now the rose has come out equal to the ylang ylang, maybe even a little stronger. I love this! Verdict: Don't be put off by the way it smells in the bottle, because after the first few minutes it smells totally different on the skin. I wouldn't really call this specifically a rose-based blend (although rose can certainly be detected in it) because the ylang ylang is the stronger note. This is a unique floral perfume because of the extreme sharpness of the first 20 minutes or so. After that (once the sharpness has settled down) it becomes really gorgeous and lasts much longer on my skin than most of my BPAL oils. My rating: 5 stars

(ETA: 2007 version, tried in 2011.) In the vial: It smells somewhat of roses, but there's also a very sweet chemical smell, something like aldehydes. On me, wet: It's not as sweet on my skin and doesn't have that aldehyde note. And I do smell the roses more now; perhaps it just needed exposure to air to bring out the scent. But it's not a fresh roses scent. It's like old roses and has a bit of skankiness to it. Like roses that have been in the vase too long without a change of water. Or a pile of cut grass clippings that has been sitting out in the heat too long and is starting to decompose. I'm thinking that my bottle might be past its prime and that this isn't what it's supposed to smell like, because none of the other reviews mentioned anything like this. The bottle I have is 4 years old, so the scent may have aged and changed. On me, just dried: The scent has gotten sweeter. There's still some of that rotting grass clippings odor, together with the old rose smell. After 10 minutes: It's gotten better. The rose note is coming out more strongly. But there's still a faint undertone of decomposition. After 30 minutes: It has already pretty much faded away. But nearly all of the skankiness has gone from the bit of scent that lingers. It's still an old rose rather than a true rose or fresh rose. After 1 hour: Now it is a pretty true rose scent, but very faint. Verdict: I adore all things rose (as if you couldn't tell ; ) and never thought I'd ever meet a rose scent I didn't love. It was okay, but I didn't love it, for the first 15 or 20 minutes on my skin. And even after that, this is my least favorite of the BPAL rose blends I've tried. It probably has something to do with the age of my bottle. I don't think it's my skin chemistry, because I've never had any rose scent turn skanky on my skin before; plus the skankiness diminished more and more the longer it was on my skin. I hope BPAL will offer a 2011 version this Yuletide so that I can try it fresh. My rating: As it is now, I'd give it 3 stars. But I'm going to reserve judgment until I can try a fresh bottle.

In the vial; I can smell the rose, and just a touch of vanilla, and maybe some tobacco, but this is so well balanced that all of the other scents blend seamlessly together and I can't differentiate the individual notes. It is a lovely and unique scent. On me, wet: On my skin, the rose comes out more strongly, making this even more beautiful. But this is still a very balanced blend - the rose does not overwhelm the other notes. I'm now picking up just a hint of spiciness from the carnation as well. And a bit of muskiness which is probably the labdanum. On me, just dried: It's already lightened up quite a bit. Noooo! Don't go away! After 10 minutes: It hasn't all gone away - just everything except the rose. I adore rose scents, so I still love it. But I also miss the additional nuances of the other notes. Maybe others will come out as drydown progresses. This is a particularly beautiful rose note. There's something a little different, gentler, about it that would tell me there's other things in it (if I didn't already know), even though I can't identify anything except rose anymore. After 30 minutes: All rose, and gorgeous. After 1 hour: Still mostly rose and fading, but a deeper undertone is developing. It must be the tolu balsam, ambergris, labdanum, or tonka; or a mixture of two or more of those. I'm not familiar enough with those scents to know. After 4 hours: It's pretty mild now, but still there. And still beautiful, now rose and carnation. My rating: 5+ stars A big thank-you to the generous forumite who sent this to me!

I was delighted to find a set of decants of this and its companion scent, White Rose, from another forumite! A big thank-you to her! In the imp: Oil is a clear, light golden brown. Amber and musk with rose. If I sniff the wand, the rose is the dominant scent. On me, wet: Again, rose is the dominant scent, but is closely followed by amber, musk, and clove; with tonka pulling up in the distance. Ooh, this is beautiful! On me, just dried: Clove takes over and now rose is second; then all the others. After 10 minutes: Same as above, but now with the addition of a slightly smoky tobacco, like really good pipe tobacco. So far I haven't noticed the fir. After 20 minutes: It's gone powdery, like spicy clove with rose-scented powder and a hint of smoky tobacco. BTW, I don't consider powder a bad thing. After 1 hour: The same as above, just softer. After 3 hours: Still the same, but more faded. After 4 hours I can still smell it a little. Verdict: I love this one! Rose is clearly noticeable, but some of the other notes share the spotlight equally with the rose. I never did pick up the fir, but that's okay because there are plenty of other notes to add interest to the rose. The clove and the smoky tobacco are a great combination with rose. And it lasts longer on my skin than many of the BPAL perfumes. My rating: 5 stars Later ETA: Layered Red Rose and White Rose were designed to be worn together as well as separately. On me, wet: The vanilla from the White Rose overpowered everything else when I put them on in equal amounts (1 drop of each.) So I added another drop of Red Rose and now they are nicely balanced. Vanilla, rose, amber, and musk are the dominant scents, but I am already picking up some of the spice from the Red Rose. On me, just dried: The vanilla is still the strongest, but the other notes have enough oomph to keep it from being obnoxious or overly foody. The musk and the spice from the Red Rose blend very nicely with the vanilla from the White Rose. After 20 minutes: The spice has come out much more strongly and helps to tone down the vanilla. I am liking this more and more as drydown progresses. After 35 minutes: Still getting better - now the vanilla has come into equal balance with the clove, amber, and musk. I prefer vanilla in a perfume to be a subtle accent in the background, though, not one of the main players. After 50 minutes: Now we're talking! The vanilla has subsided into the background just where I wanted it, and the fragrance is gorgeous now. It's clove, amber, and musk, with just a hint of vanilla and coconut to add creaminess. It's almost the perfect scent - if only I could still smell the rose. It never was the main note, and it got lost completely somewhere along the way. After 1 hour: It's gone powdery, but still very beautiful. In fact, I like the powdery aspect - it makes the fragrance softer, gentler, more feminine. After 2 hours: Still there, but much fainter. Verdict: I like this better than the White Rose alone, but not as much as I like the Red Rose alone, until an hour has passed. For the first hour on my skin, it's still too much vanilla - and it's never enough rose - for me. After an hour, I do like the layered combo even more than Red Rose alone. Next time I'll try 3 drops of Red Rose to 1 drop of White Rose. Or better yet: 2 drops of Red Rose, 1 drop of White Rose, and 1 drop of a strongly-rose-scented or single-note-rose oil to give the rose more presence. Although that might be waaay too much perfume. I should mix up my own custom scent of these in an empty imp and then just use a drop or two of it. My rating for the layered combo: 5 stars

I was delighted to find a decant set of this and its companion scent Red Rose from another forumite! In the imp: Clear, bright yellow oil. The scent is vanilla with florals when I sniff the imp. When I sniff the wand, I get a very bright impression - I'm guessing the benzoin? On me, wet: It has a lovely light, bright, and floral scent in the first seconds. Then the vanilla kicks in and it becomes a deeper, warmer scent. Vanilla and florals with the spiciness of frankincense in the background. The vanilla note continues to strengthen as it dries. On me, just dried: I'm not picking up any actual rose note, just some generic florals. I'd call this a vanilla blend, rather than a rose blend. It seems almost buttery - maybe that is just something my mind associates with vanilla? I can get a hint of the coconut if I try, but it's mostly submerged in the vanilla. When I smell my wrist, the color image I get is golden rather than white. But I do get the sense of purity, and I enjoy the cleverness of all the white ingredients in this. After 30 minutes: All vanilla and butter. I'm not getting any floral note at all anymore. After 1 hour: Pretty much the same. But the vanilla has lightened up a little, so that if I try really, really hard I can pick up the faintest hint of rose. I'm hoping for rose and frankincense on the final drydown. After 2 1/2 hours: The scent is very faint now. And yes, it's about half frankincense. But the other half is still vanilla. Verdict: Nice, but not really me. I expected a rose blend, and I barely picked up any rose note at all in this. I'm not a fan of vanilla-based blends. I don't dislike vanilla, but even in food I find it rather boring - best used as a base for other more interesting flavors rather than the only flavor (such as in the cakes and whipped cream for strawberry shortcake.) And I don't care for it as the main note in perfumes. The last thing I want is to walk around smelling like I've been eating cookies and white cake all day long. Still, this fragrance is pleasant enough, and I'm sure that the many people who love the scent of vanilla would love this. It will be very interesting to see what this is like when layered with the Red Rose as it was designed to be! My rating: 3 stars Later ETA: Layered Red Rose and White Rose were designed to be worn together as well as separately. On me, wet: The vanilla from the White Rose overpowered everything else when I put them on in equal amounts (1 drop of each.) So I added another drop of Red Rose and now they are nicely balanced. Vanilla, rose, amber, and musk are the dominant scents, but I am already picking up some of the spice from the Red Rose. On me, just dried: The vanilla is still the strongest, but the other notes have enough oomph to keep it from being obnoxious or overly foody. The musk and the spice from the Red Rose blend very nicely with the vanilla from the White Rose. After 20 minutes: The spice has come out much more strongly and helps to tone down the vanilla. I am liking this more and more as drydown progresses. After 35 minutes: Still getting better - now the vanilla has come into equal balance with the clove, amber, and musk. I prefer vanilla in a perfume to be a subtle accent in the background, though, not one of the main players. After 50 minutes: Now we're talking! The vanilla has subsided into the background just where I wanted it, and the fragrance is gorgeous now. It's clove, amber, and musk, with just a hint of vanilla and coconut to add creaminess. It's almost the perfect scent - if only I could still smell the rose. It never was the main note, and it got lost completely somewhere along the way. After 1 hour: It's gone powdery, but still very beautiful. In fact, I like the powdery aspect - it makes the fragrance softer, gentler, more feminine. After 2 hours: Still there, but much fainter. Verdict: I like this better than the White Rose alone, but not as much as I like the Red Rose alone, until an hour has passed. For the first hour on my skin, it's still too much vanilla - and it's never enough rose - for me. After an hour, I do like the layered combo even more than Red Rose alone. Next time I'll try 3 drops of Red Rose to 1 drop of White Rose. Or better yet: 2 drops of Red Rose, 1 drop of White Rose, and 1 drop of a strongly-rose-scented or single-note-rose oil to give the rose more presence. Although that might be waaay too much perfume. I should mix up my own custom scent of these in an empty imp and then just use a drop or two of it. My rating for the layered combo: 5 stars

In the imp: Oil is a dark amber color, appropriately enough! The first note I get is sandalwood, but then the sharpness of the neroli and bergamot kicks in and becomes much stronger. Bergamot is the dominant note. I did pick up the neroli, but it is a minor player, hidden underneath the stronger scents. On me, wet: The woody note of the sandalwood, along with the bergamot, are the most noticeable, but I can also detect the frankincense. As it begins to dry, the neroli and musk make their presence known but remain supporting players. On me, just dried: Woodiness is the main impression. This doesn't totally blow me away (I'm more of a flower child), but I do quite like it. After 1 hour: OMG, this is really beautiful now, with the musk and amber having taken over as the dominant notes, but with the sandalwood still going strong as well. After 1 1/2 hours: The fragrance has completely transformed. Now there is no woodiness at all; and it is sweeter, lighter, cooler. It's still not what I would call a cool scent, but it is no longer a warm scent either. I guess I would say it's neutral in temperature-mood now. Mostly musk and amber, but the sandalwood and frankincense are hovering in the background. The sandalwood now smells like its typical incense scent rather than wood. Gorgeous! After 2 hours: It's gone powdery, but in a good way and with the same notes as above. It seems that both musk and amber tend to do that on my skin but I'm not complaining. I love scented powders - even baby powder scent. This one is much more upscale, mature, and gender-neutral. After 3 hours: It's mostly gone. Just a lingering memory of baby powder and sandalwood, with just the faintest hint of smokiness. VERDICT: A lovely unisex blend. Upon reading the description, I expected an incense-type scent, but instead it is wood. It would be perfect for work, especially during the first hour on my skin, when it is dignified and the mood is professional, important, and powerful. It fits the name perfectly! After the first hour, I like it even more, when it is sweeter, cooler, and gentler - less of a power-player. My rating: 4 stars the first hour/5 stars after 1 hour ETA: I forgot to say thanks to the labbies for the frimp!

Thank you for the lovely frimp, labbies! In the imp: Oil is clear and pale greenish yellow. The first scent I notice is mint. Then the musk, tobacco, and sage. No caramel yet. On me, wet: Sharp and astringent. The tobacco is very strong, with the mint coming in at a close second. This is the most authentic tobacco note of any of the BPAL blends that I've tried. It smells exactly like a torn-apart cigarette. There is an underlying yet fairly strong men's-cologne scent, but the tobacco and mint make it distinctly different from any department store cologne for men. On me, just dried: Some of the tobacco has evaporated, along with most of the sharpness. They are both still present, but softer. Now the mint is strongest, but it is a gentle sweet spearmint rather than a piercing peppermint. And a beautiful floral scent is coming in - it must be the sage and white musk. The overall impression is leaning toward a more feminine fragrance. I can pick up the caramel now if I try really hard - it is very subtle, just enough to add a deeper nuance without any foodiness. After 30 minutes: Tobacco and mint, with an undertone of the florals. After 1 hour: Pretty much all tobacco, with a tiny hint of caramel, and maybe black musk? It smells a lot better than it sounds! The floral-like note never became strong enough, nor did it last long enough, to edge this into a feminine (or really even a unisex) scent; and now that note is gone. After 2 hours: Up close, the scent is the same as above. But the throw, and the scent hovering around my clothing, is all caramel. After 5 hours: The scent is still there, and even still seems to have a bit of throw. It's now a soft tobacco with hints of caramel. Like a really nice pipe tobacco. Later ETA: Of all the BPAL scents I've tried, this is one of the longest-lasting (maybe the longest-lasting) on my skin. Verdict: A masculine blend that I also like a lot in all of its phases, and will wear occasionally. I would love to smell this on a special man! My rating: 4 stars Later edited to add: 2018 frimp fresh from the lab. I'm beginning to realize that I don't care for mint perfumes. I love mint tea, minty desserts, fruit salads or tabouli with mint, and the fresh herb. In other words, I love eating it. I used to grow several varieties of it. But as a perfume, all I can think is that I smell like toothpaste. There's also a pipe tobacco vibe that is quite lovely to sniff, but I prefer to smell like a woman. Not that I think women shouldn't, or don't, smoke pipes. I just happen to love feminine perfumes. I would love it on a man. But without the toothpaste. More than 12 hours after application, a bit of frangrance still remains on my wrist. It's the pleasant baby-powder-but-even-better scent that white musk tends to finish with on my skin. Very interesting, and represents the theme so well. I'll keep it for occasional wearing around the house just for fun. But wouldn't wear it in public.

In the imp: A golden-yellow, honey-colored oil. Honey with herbs and florals. And butterscotch hard candies! On me, wet: Yep, butterscotch and honey, with the herbs and flowers in the background. On me, just dried: The butterscotch has lightened up and is creamier as well - now more like butterscotch baking chips. Some of the sweetness has also lightened. But it's still plenty sweet. Chamomile and rose are catching up. It's like a light, classic floral perfume with honey added. After 10 minutes: The herbs are gaining some strength, and now I'm getting a hint of the astringency that others have mentioned. But it's very subtle, as are the changes. Honey is still the first impression. After 30 minutes: Now mostly honey with the lightest of rose notes. A little more powdery, a little less herbal. 6 hours later, a beautiful scent that is 90% honey and 10% roses still lingers on my skin and clothes. Light and beautiful; yummy without actually being foody. Sunny and youthful but not childish or teenybopper. It would be great for casual activities and work. It seems like it would be universally appealing to almost anyone. Which is not the same as unisex - a man probably wouldn't want to wear this, but he would love smelling it on a woman. So pleasing and pretty. My rating: 5 stars ETA: Thank you for the frimp, labbies! This one was a big hit, and I want to order a bottle!

In the imp: Oil is clear and colorless. The scent is an unusually light and gentle rose. It has a teeny bit of fruity sweetness - not citrus fruit, something else, maybe currants? It's almost like black cherry, but I don't think that would fit the London theme, and currants would. And perhaps a touch of other florals as well. A bit of hazelnut in the background, and maybe some sweetened black tea? I'm really stretching my imagination here, as this is a very subtle and unique scent. I'm not sure about anything except the rose, and even that is different from most rose notes. One thing I can say for sure is that it is just beautiful! On me, wet; Pretty much the same, except that now the rose note is stronger although it's still less strong and less sweet than rose usually is. There's still that hint of mystery sweetness that seems fruity rather than floral. On me, just dried: Already it has become pretty much a single-note tea rose; albeit a dried rose potpourri rather than a heady bouquet of fresh roses. I adore this! It just might be my new top favorite. I don't see anything twisted, blackened, or wicked about this at all. To me it's gentle and old-fashioned, dainty and well-mannered. Just like an upper-class Victorian lady. After 1 1/2 hours: Now it's a papery rose. After 2 hours: A classic but understated tea rose scent. One of my favorites! I definitely want a bottle of this! My rating: 5+ stars.

Thank you for the frimp, labbies! This one was on my list to try, so I was delighted to get it! In the imp: Very pale yellow, clear oil. Has an extreme piercing sharpness with an unusual fragrance that I can't identify - it's like a wood, but much, much sharper. Even a highly balsamic wood wouldn't be this sharp. There's a undertone of maraschino cherry/almond, but it is salty rather than sweet. Although I didn't pick up any rose directly from sniffing the imp, after I've stoppered the imp back up there is a cloud of rose scent lingering in the air around me and the imp even though I haven't touched the oil or applied any yet. On me, wet: That sharp woody/balsamic(?) note is most evident, although thankfully it is not so piercing on my skin. There's also something that reminds me of lemon meringue, although it too is salty rather than sweet. The overall combination smells disturbingly similar to roach killer spray. On me, just dried: Pretty much the same, although now I think I am picking up some lavender as well. That would explain some of the sharpness. After 10 minutes: The bug spray note hasn't vanished entirely, but it does seem to be morphing into something closer to clove and cinnamon. The scent has settled down quite a bit and is already much softer. Again, I notice that cloud of rose fragrance all around me, although up close to my wrist, the rose is totally masked by the stronger notes. Interesting how the other oils are so much stronger than than the rose that they completely overpower it, and yet the rose has more throw. After 20 minutes: The scent on my wrist is now mostly clove, with some rose now peeking through in a rather flirtatious manner. After 1 hour: Clove and rose in approximately equal parts. After 2 hours: Just the faintest hint of rose. Wow, this is a complicated and intriguing blend! It seems to be a puzzling grab bag of notes from all over the board. I enjoy that - it is interesting and the overall fragrance is quite unique and mystifying. I'm ambivalent about the first 20 minutes of it on my skin. If I think about it one way, all I can smell is bug spray. But if I think about it another way - trying to analyze what notes are in it - then I rather like it. And I love the rose cloud that this surrounds me with. In any case, I definitely do like it after 20 minutes, when it is clove and rose. So all that makes it really difficult to give it a rating. It is a very confusing scent! I'm surprised to see lavender included in a Love Oil (if I'm right about that, and I feel fairly confident.) In aromatherapy, one of the uses for lavender is to damp down the libido and to turn away any unwanted sexual desires that others might have for you. But I do love the fragrance of lavender, so I can't complain about its presence in any blend! And this is certainly a hot scent, which together with the rose, makes perfect sense for a love potion. It will sure be interesting to see what affect this has on other people!. So far, I've only tried it at home, as I always do with new scents in case my skin chemistry does something weird with them. My rating: 4 stars (with reservations)

In the vial: Sandalwood and ylang ylang are the only notes I can distinguish. The rest merge seamlessly into a complex and sophisticated blend. On me, wet: Pretty much the same. The sandalwood/incense is strongest, but the ylang ylang is also making its presence known. On me, just dried: Basically the same, except that now I am picking up the amber note clearly. This is a warm scent, and even this early on, subtle and discreet. After 20 minutes: The ylang ylang has already vanished into thin air. There is still a faint floral undertone that may be the rose, iris, and violet leaf, although it isn't strong enough to identify them specifically. (Not that I know what violet leaf smells like anyway.) Smelled up close, it's all incense, but the floral note is hovering in the air a few inches away. After 45 minutes: Amber and sandalwood incense with a gorgeous powdery floral and a hint of musk. Feminine, and very classy. After 1 1/2 hours: Powder - not baby powder, but luxurious upscale floral-scented body powder for a grown woman. It has that understated quality of true elegance. After 4 hours: A faint lingering hint of amber. Verdict: I never did pick up the rose, so this isn't the rose blend I was hoping for, but this is a gorgeous 5-star perfume nevertheless. It starts out as a dignified and discreet incense-type fragrance, like something you'd choose for work; but then morphs into a very feminine floral fragrance. It's beautiful, soft, and understated, in all its stages. My rating: 5 stars

In the imp: Almond - not the almond of maraschino cherries, but the almond of Jergen's hand lotion. I've loved that scent for as long as I can remember. There's a faint undertone of orange - the peel, not the neroli blossom. On me, wet: Same as in the vial. On me, just dried: The almond dissipates quickly, leaving orange, gentle spices, and a hint of general florals at first, which soon becomes identifiable as rose. After 7 minutes, it is 100% rose. After 15 minutes, it is a softer rose. After 30 minutes: Rose with spices. After 1 hour: Rose with sandalwood and a touch of spices. After 2 1/2 hours: A faint lingering hint of sandalwood. Verdict: I love this! It has several of my favorite notes and is one of my shortlist favorite scents. I was not so sure about the orange peel, as I don't care for fruity orange in a perfume, but here it is subtle and short-lived enough to not be a problem for me. I do wish that the neroli note was stronger - I never noticed that at all. But that's a minor quibble - this is a gorgeous blend which is indeed sensual and luxurious! I'm glad I got a vial instead of just an imp, because I will want to wear this often. My rating: 5 stars

In the imp: Oil is a clear, orangey-amber color. The fragrance is mostly patchouli, with some incense and spice. A little skanky, is that the patchouli? I usually love patchouli. I notice that it smells different when I sniff the wand than if I sniff it in the imp. I've noticed that before with other scents. It must be the greater exposure to air that makes it smell different on the wand. The way it smells on the wand is usually the same way it smells wet on me, when first applied. In this case, it's mostly patchouli in the bottle, and mostly orange on the wand; with some incense and spices for both. On me, wet: Right at first - ugh, cat pee. I've seen this in other reviews but didn't quite believe it. (I thought someone's imagination was working overtime, or else they had weird skin chemistry. ) Well, now I do believe them! I'm not going anywhere, so I won't wash it off but will instead wait to see if it changes. On me, just dried: It does get better. Now it's mostly orange and spice. But there's still that undertone of cat pee. After 5 minutes: Up close, the skankiness is mostly gone, together with the orange - turned into spices and incense. But I still smell cat pee from a foot or so away. After 10 minutes: That unpleasant note seems to be completely gone, and now it's a nice scent of spices and incense to my nose. I don't trust what it might smell like to others, though. Everyone else in my house is asleep, so there's no one to ask at the moment. I wouldn't risk wearing it in public until I get a second opinion. Well, I can definitely say that at least this isn't foody or fruity! After 20 minutes: My 21-year-old son woke up and I asked him what he thought. He likes it, both from a couple of feet away and when sniffing it up close. He thought it smelled like lavender and flowers - huh? Well, as long as it's not cat pee . . . It must be the sweetness from the fruits that made him think of flowers, especially since there isn't any identifiable note of fruitiness. No doubt it's the spices - that piercing, sharp note - that reminded him of lavender. He also said that the scent seemed subtle and light from a couple of feet away, which is good to know. After 30 minutes: I'm liking it more and more as time goes by. It has softened considerably, into incense and warm spices with just a lingering hint of patchouli. After 45 minutes: It's gone a bit soapy - sandalwood and spice soap. That's just an observation, not a criticism. I like soaps with nice scents. After 4 hours: I can still pick up a faint fragrance of sandalwood. Verdict: Unisex. It actually turned out to be quite nice once it got past the initial 5 minutes of skankiness. This would be a good one for work. But I would be cautious about applying it in public due to that unpleasant first 5 minutes. My rating: 3 stars

Beauty, joy, pleasure and delight: devastated. This is the scent of the hopelessness, torment and despair of love. Lavender and wisteria, heart-wrenching pale rose, desolate white sandalwood and thin, tear-streaked white musk. In the imp: A clear, almost colorless oil, with just the palest tint of yellow. Wisteria and lavender vie for the starring role. I don't get any rose at all. (And wouldn't expect to pick up the bottom notes of sandalwood and musk yet.) On me, wet: Still wisteria and lavender, now maybe with a faint undertone of rose. It's a bit soapy, but I don't consider that a bad thing. It reminds me of a mild jasmine. I'm getting a bit of a burning sensation (I'm allergic to lavender oil, to my great grief), but it isn't enough to be painful and my skin isn't turning red, so I can live with that. On me, just dried: The rose comes out a little stronger, but it's still very much in the background. If I didn't know it was in this oil, I might not even notice it. If I try really hard, I can get the "old rose" note that others have mentioned. But on me it's really more of a floral dryer sheets scent. I'm beginning to realize that my skin loves rose as much as my nose does, and quickly gobbles it up. Unless the rose note is very strong, I smell very little or none of it. After 30 minutes: Now the sandalwood, and especially the white musk bottom notes have begun to appear, making this smell less like dryer sheets and more like a light, bright, classic perfume. On me, there is none of the melancholy from the description. Quite the contrary: I'm daydreaming of taking tea in a garden on a sunny but mild spring day. After 45 minutes: The sandalwood has completely taken over, and this is now a pleasant pure sandalwood incense smell. Now it is indeed dark and deep, but still not in a sad way, but rather in a spiritual and mystical way. Now I'm daydreaming of Buddhist temples dimly lit by candlelight, and my favorite headshop where I used to go for Tarot readings and black light posters, dimmed by the smoky haze of incense and marijuana. Verdict: This blend is a real morpher, and quite lovely in all of its incarnations. On my skin, it's not a rose scent. That disappoints me, since the rose note was what I was particularly interested in. It might be perfect if I layered on just a smidgeon of The Rose, Rose Absolute, or Rose Otto to make this a true rose blend. But otherwise I really like this a lot. I want to try it it my scent locket, too, to retain the top notes longer. I'd also put some on my skin at the same time in order to enjoy the sandalwood bottom note as well. I think if I smelled both the florals and the sandalwood at the same time (instead of them taking turns one at a time like they do on my skin), I would indeed get the impression of old dried flowers and melancholy. My rating: 4 stars

This frimp was a big hit - thank you, labbies! In the imp: Clear, bright orange oil. I smell rose and orange blossom, with a touch of apple. The orange blossom is the authentic flower scent that I love, without any taint of the orange fruit. Ooh, this is heavenly! On me, wet: Now I can smell the honey especially, and the peach, with just a bit of spiciness that probably comes from the frankincense. Alas, the orange blossom note vanishes almost instantly. On me, just dried: The honey and peach are still strongest, but I can also detect hints of most of the other notes that are in this blend. No particular note really stands out - if I didn't know what was in it, I don't think I could identify any of them. It's a beautiful and complex blend of all the notes that creates a unique, warm, fragrance that is just itself. After 30 minutes: Now this is almost all honey, with just the faintest hint of florals and maybe some myrrh. After 3 hours: The fragrance has faded and softened, but still has a definite presence on my skin. Now it is mostly sweet musk, with a slight whiff of honey. Verdict: This blend is one of my favorites! It's going on my wishlist for a bottle. For those who don't care for rose, it is a very minor supporting playing in this fragrance and barely makes an appearance. I never noticed the frankincense at all. Perhaps it was part of the bottom note that I labeled as sweet musk. Wearing this in a scent locket would preserve the wonderful top note of orange blossom (and perhaps a little of the rose.) But I wouldn't want to miss out on the middle and bottom notes, so I'd put some on my skin as well. My rating: 5 stars

In the vial: I smell sweet red wine, grapes, and plum. On me, wet: Plum is definitely the predominant note. Right at first, I can only detect the fruits, although there are unidentifiable nuances to tell me that other things are also in there. They keep the overall impression from being foody. On me, just dried: Once it starts to dry, the clove and a hint of florals comes out, with increasing strength as it dries down. After about 10 minutes, they've overtaken the plum and added the juniper berry and an undertone of pepper that I'm guessing is the saffron. A few minutes later, I can just barely notice the smoke - a gentle breath, exactly like the description says. After 20 minutes, the woods come out to play. At this point, the woods and spices are the main notes, but all the others still have a distinct presence. After 1 hour: The woods, spice, and smoke are the only notes still remaining. This blend is unusual for one with this many ingredients, in that I can discern almost everything listed. Usually with this many different notes, there are a few that stand out and everything else merges together and can't be picked out individually. It's also unusual and very intriguing in that for the first half hour, it transforms dramatically every few minutes. And it is quite lovely at every single stage. It's a unisex fragrance that is complex and warm; and it is dignified enough to be ideal for wearing at work. (The boozeyness is gone within moments after it hits the skin, so this wouldn't be a problem unless you were wearing it in a scent locket, where the top notes last. And its a yummy boozeyness, so as long as you aren't going to work, the scent locket might be just the thing!) The combination of oils in this is so appropriate for this time of year (September.) My rating: 4 stars

Thank you for the frimp, labbies! In the imp: Oil is clear and light yellow. Winey and cloyingly sweet. On me, wet: The extreme sweetness dissipates almost immediately, although it does remain basically sweet. The wine is still there, and now I can smell the leather and possibly the musk. This wine note seems closer to cherry than to grape. The leather smells clean and new. I don't notice the roses and violets - the sweetness is fruity rather than floral. This is indeed a sexy scent, although it doesn't smell like actual sexual musk to me, which is a good thing. On me, just dried: New leather and cherry candy. I totally get the dominatrix theme. After 45 minutes: The scent is now mostly gone. What remains is the faded leather dominating over the faintest wisp of flowers. After 1 1/2 hours: Only a very soft, powdery, floral with sweet musk scent is left. Verdict: This scent is a real morpher! It's pleasant, but not really my thing. I'm more of a flower child, and the flowers don't show up until after 45 minutes on my skin and even then they are quite faint. But it will be nice to have around to add some variety to my collection and I will wear it from time to time. In spite of the leather, I think this blend is sweeter than most guys would want to wear. So this is a feminine leather scent, and the name describes it perfectly. My rating: 3 stars

In the imp: Oil is a clear, light yellow. The blend is well balanced between cherry and florals, which makes this a more subtle cherry scent than the others I've tried. There is less of an artificial cherry or cherry candy impression. There is an almond note too, (as in maraschino cherries), and that too is not overpowering like it often is in other blends. On me, wet: Same as in the imp. So far, this is my favorite BPAL cherry blend. I'm not familiar enough with those flowers to pick out the particular flower notes, just a general floral scent. The flowers hold their own with the cherry so that the overall impression - while noticeably cherry - is not too fruity or foody. On me, just dried: The cherry note evaporates quickly as the oil dries, leaving behind a light and lovely scent of white flowers. After 1 hour: As the floral notes fade, the cherry note is again detectable. Yet it doesn't overpower the florals but remains in a nice equilibrium with them. Verdict: Yes, this is definitely my favorite of the BPAL cherry blends I've tried. The cherry note is more like the real fruit in this one, and it is well balanced with the florals so that the whole thing doesn't come off as too foody. My rating: 4 stars

n the imp: Clear, light golden-yellow oil. This is weird, but I get the scent of those dry, airy, white, square (like little pillows) mint candies that used to always be served at wedding receptions. It's not a strong mint scent - it's like the fragrance of the candies, not their flavor. This is a cross between that and the scent of Ajax cleansing powder. I can pick out the wood notes, but not any rose or other florals. This is nothing like I expected, and so far I don't care much for it. Hopefully the florals will come out on my skin. On me, wet: Nope, so far it's still the same as in the imp. On me, just dried: The wood has amped up a little, but overall this is still mint candies and Ajax. After 30 minutes: Much improved - now it is indeed the scent of wood and old, dried flowers. I do like it fairly well now, but am not sure it's worth the yucky first 30 minutes. After 1 hour: The scent is now pretty faint but quite lovely - dried roses. If only it had been like this the whole time . . . My rating: 3 stars