Ghost of a Rose

In the imp: Looks like clear, pure rainwater. It does smell watery, with some ozone but not so much that it is sharp. It's fresh and pure rather than sharp. On me, wet: Much the same as in the imp, and now I can also pick up a little saltiness and a hint of citrus - grapefruit, maybe? It's a beautiful scent, very light and refreshing, and not at all men's cologney like many ozone and aquatic scents are. Like standing next to a waterfall in a bed of wildflowers. I can see why some reviews have mentioned the original Clairol Herbal Essence Shampoo and others Love's Rain scent. It is similar to those, especially Love's Rain. But not an exact duplicate of either. Those were some of my favorite scents ever - I used them both often. I miss them, and in this I think I've found a good replacement! On me, just dried: It develops a bit of a floral note once dried. Drydown: The fragrance remains consistent as long as it is detectable, which is not as long as many other BPAL oils. My teenage son (without knowing the name of the scent or anything about it) said that it smelled like the creosote bush scent that makes the desert smell so wonderfully fresh after a rain. He also said that he likes the way this one is not so strong and overpowering as most essential oils. I like to wear it in my scent locket to give it a bit more throw and longevity. I've got to get a bottle of this! My rating: 5 stars

In the imp: Clear, almost colorless oil - maybe with the faintest tinge of green? Smells just like the description: tea, herbs, and flowers. On me, wet: The herbs and peony are strongest. There's just a hint of lemon, too. I'm not getting a definitive tea scent, more like just a bit of green bitterness that would be closest to green tea. On my, drydown: The herbs and tea vanish pretty quickly, leaving behind almost a single-note peony. It does evoke dryer sheets, but nice floral-scented ones that are quite pleasant. This scent is light and not as long-lasting as some. It would be great in a scent locket. Verdict: It's not the Holy Grail of an authentic black tea scent for which I quest, but it is a lovely scent that I will enjoy wearing. My rating: 4

This was a lab frimp that I never would have thought to try - the description sounds too aggressively masculine for girly-girl me. But it goes to show why the lab includes random frimps with our orders, because I really liked it a lot! What a great surprise! In the imp: A clear, peach-colored oil. Mmm, this is nice: wood, spices, and an undertone of musk. On me, wet: Same as above - wood is the main note. It's not at all aggressively macho like I had expected from the description. I'm not getting any saltiness or fishiness (such as from the kelp), either. On me, just dried: Just mildly sweet wood and musk with a hint of spice. Gentle, warm, and lovely: a perfect unisex blend. It's definitely aged wood and old spices, without the sharpness of freshly-cut boards or the heat of fresh spice. Just like the description says for those things. I'm not getting any leather or kelp, though, which is fine with me. I'm thinking that since this is worn, not new, leather, its scent might be merging with the musk so that they are indistinguishable. After an hour: It's now developed a mild smokiness that melds beautifully with the wood scent. After a couple of hours: The spice notes gradually become more dominant as the wood notes fade, making the scent lean more towards masculine. But still not so much that I wouldn't enjoy wearing it myself. I really like this blend a lot, and would totally fall in love with a man who smelled like this . . . My rating: 4 stars

In the imp: Clear, colorless oil. Ah yes, the very vivid and authentic scent of a just-picked rose. Just what I've been looking for! On me, wet: Same as above, with a little greenery. So real I can almost see the full-blown blossom on its stem. On me, just dried: Yes, there is a bit of green sharpness that makes this rose smell impeccably fresh. Absolutely gorgeous. After 1 1/2 hours: The sharp/green/fresh notes have evaporated, but there is still a beautiful classic rose scent on my skin. Verdict: This isn't your grandmother's rose perfume: it's brighter, fresher. (Although you may need to reapply it from time to time or wear it in a scent locket to keep the fresh green note going strong.) And it's a very realistic rose scent. I've already ordered a bottle! My rating: 5+

On me, Oberon at the tail end of drydown reminds me a lot of Chanel No. 5's ending notes. While fresh, though, Oberon is much more flowery (but also beautiful.)

Yes! (from a lifelong Arizonan.) And the rain scent would have to have the creosote scent that makes the desert smell so beautiful after a rain. I've been wishing that Beth would do the desert creosote bush scent. One of my kids' teachers used to make and sell a refreshing body spritzer that was a simple tincture of creosote in water. It was fabulous - smelled just like desert rain. She doesn't make it anymore. I wish I knew how, I'd make it myself, because I really miss it. An essential oil would be even better, because the water tincture scent only lasted until it dried. The BPAL creosote is something else entirely, the nasty black tarry stuff that clogs chimneys. And some mesquite, and acacia blossoms . . .

This lab frimp turned out to be a spectacular winner! Thank you, thank you, labbies! In the imp: A clear, light yellow oil. The orchid is all I can smell. And oh my goddess, is it beautiful! I can already tell that this will be a favorite. On me, wet: Same as above. All orchid, and gorgeous. I can't wait to see if the other notes come out on drydown. But I'd love it even if it stays just the same as it is now. The white musk might smell similar enough to the orchid that my nose isn't sensitive enough to separate it out. On me, just dried: Ah yes, there's the juniper berry to add a bit of sharp spicy nuance to the orchid. I'm surprised that I'm not getting any patchouli - it usually hogs the limelight! After a few hours: I never did get much of a patchouli note. What I think is the white musk did become a little more apparent on drydown. Although the orchid remains the dominant player, the overall impression becomes more like a classic and very elegant perfume. In fact, at the end, the final note reminds me of the lingering scent of Chanel No. 5 after it has been on the skin for a while. (And yeah, I always did get a bit of a soap impression from Chanel #5 so I can kind of see where some of the other reviewers are coming from. But I love nice-smelling soaps, I love Chanel #5, and I love this!) Verdict: A gorgeous and fabulously elegant blend suitable for the most formal occasions. To me this seems ultra feminine, in spite of the name and the other reviews. I can't really picture a guy wearing an orchid corsage, which is the image I get from this blend. (The corsage, I mean, not the guy.) It's interesting how different my take on this is from many other reviewers. This is one of my favorites and is immediately going on my shortlist for a bottle! My rating: 5+

In the imp: A clear, very pale yellow. The scent is a bright, sharp, fresh, realistic lemon; just like cutting into an actual lemon. It's not a sweet scent, maybe even a tad salty. On me, wet: Now I'm picking up some green - the aloe and the green tea. It's a very nice combination with the lemon. On me, just dried: As it dries, the musk starts to peek out a little, adding a tiny bit of sweetness and almost a floral kind of note. Yet this is still a very fresh scent rather than a sweet one. I'm not generally a big fan of citrus scents, but this one is quite lovely. It's a lively, invigorating, happy kind of smell. It would be a great choice for a hot summer day. I really like it that this has the scent of real lemons, not that cloyingly-sweet, artificial lemon extract smell that you often find in perfumes from other companies. After about 20 minutes, it is now somewhat sweet, and starts to lean towards a men's cologne scent, but not obnoxiously so. It's unisex. After a couple of hours: It keeps the citrusy men's cologne scent, but loses any hint of sharpness and becomes soft and mild. My rating: 4 stars

In the imp: Clear, pale peach oil. The scent is sharp and spicy - ginger, pepper, and - yay! - black tea. I've been looking for a BPAL that has a true black tea scent as its main note. Could this be it? The spices are stronger, but the tea is definitely there. The spiciness (and even a mysterious tang of lemon) makes this remind me more of Earl Grey rather than plain black tea, even though there's no bergamot in this. On me, wet: The same notes as in the imp, with the addition of sweet milk. The tea is still there, but it's not so much a strong black tea as it is a mild, sweetened, milky tea. It's a lovely fragrance that is so well- blended and complex that it's hard to identify any specific note; what I call a designer scent. If I didn't know what particular scents were in it, I'd never be able to guess. It's almost floral - that must come from the clean linen. On me, just dried: Now it's lost the spice and tea notes, gotten a lot sweeter, and has morphed into 100% dryer sheets. To me, that's not a bad thing. I love the scent of good-quality dryer sheets. It will be interesting to see what happens as time goes by, since the fragrance has changed so much already. After an hour: Still smells like dryer sheets. After 2 hours: Still mostly dryer sheets, but they are fading and letting some of the milk and honey peek through again. Ultra feminine, especially on drydown. A very nice scent, but not the Holy Grail of Tea that I was looking for. Not recommended for those who don't like the smell of dryer sheets. Try this in a scent locket to retain the tea and spice notes. My rating: 4 stars

In the imp: A clear, bright pinkish-orange oil, with a beautiful true rose scent. I don't notice the amber or musk at all. On me, wet: Mostly rose, but if I think about it I can smell the amber a little, too. Rose and amber are an inspired pairing! I don't know if I'm also smelling the red musk, because I don't know what it smells like by itself. After 30 minutes: Still mostly all rose. And heavenly. This might be just the thing to replace my beloved (but now discontinued) Tea Rose oil from The Body Shop. After 1 1/2 hours: Now the amber/musk notes have equal weight with the rose. This is absolutely gorgeous: on my shortlist of most-favorite-scents-ever. Utterly rapturous, just like it says. I so need a big bottle of this. After several hours: The fragrance is lasting for longer than most of my BPAL scents do. And now it is 100% amber. I love this blend in all of its phases! My rating: 5+ stars

In the imp: This oil even looks like something from paradise! It's a beautiful clear, pale violet-tinted oil. The smell is strong and super sweet: first almond and then toasted coconut especially, with an undertone of figgy fruitiness. On me, wet: Pretty much the same, but nutty rather than fruity. Overpoweringly-strong and cloyingly sweet right at first but it settles down very quickly. On me, just dried: It transforms completely as soon as it has dried, into a sweet, creamy perfume scent! The strong almond/coconut has largely disappeared, leaving behind just a hint of nuttiness. It must be the fig leaf, milk, and sandalwood I'm mostly smelling now. I haven't noticed the honey specifically, but that's undoubtedly where the sweetness is coming from; along with the fig, which is more noticeable now that the competition from the almond and coconut has gone. After 45 minutes: The nuttiness comes out more strongly over time. For a while, the perfume notes are still there with enough weight to balance the scent and keep it from being too foody. But eventually the nuttiness (which makes me think of hazelnut rather than coconut) takes over and becomes the last lingering note. Verdict: I'm kind of ambivalent about this one. It is interesting - both in concept and in the way it morphs so much. And all of its manifestations are pleasant. But it is a little too foody most of the time for me to wear very often as a perfume. It isn't as in-your-face-eat-me as some, so I might enjoy wearing it from time to time as a change from my usual favorites. But most of the time, I'd probably prefer it in the oil warmer as a room scent for the kitchen. My rating: 4 Thank you for the frimp, labbies!

In the imp: Clear, light golden yellow oil. Smells exactly like butterscotch hard candies or butterscotch chips. Makes me want to eat it. I'm not getting any note of booze. On me, wet: Ah, now there's the rum, more like rum extract flavoring for foods rather than real rum. Butterscotch is still dominant. Yummy! On me, just dried: The butterscotch lightens up as it dries, and the sharp alcohol scent of real rum comes out, with just a touch of butter in the background. After a while: The boozey sharpness has gone, but otherwise it still smells like a fairly true buttered rum. After several hours: There is still a faint but sweet and tantalizing scent of butterscotch or butter-rum candies. Verdict: I love this! It's very fun (with all of its changes, and with the whole concept) and utterly delicious. I wouldn't wear it as a perfume, though, at least not out in public. I don't want to smell like food - or even worse, like alcohol. But I will enjoy wearing it at home; and I'll especially enjoy it in an oil warmer as a room scent. It will fill the kitchen with mouthwatering goodness! My rating: 4 stars Thank you for the frimp, labbies!

In the imp: Clear, colorless oil. Smells exactly like cutting into a ripe, juicy, fresh cucumber! Aahhhhh . . . On me wet: There might be more to this than meets the eye . . . er, nose. Could that be just the barest suggestion of florals that I'm smelling, hiding underneath the cucumber? And maybe some freshly cut grass, too? Drydown: The fragrance remains consistent as long as it lasts. When I was in high school, I used to collect fragrance oils. (Obviously I haven't changed much since then.) The minute I opened this one, it brought back vivid memories of a Cucumber Oil that I had. It was one of my favorites, and like this one, it was a very authentic cucumber scent. This one, however is a little different - it seems more nuanced, thus lending weight to my theory that there are some secret mystery oils in Squirting Cucumber. Squiring Cucumber also reminded me a lot of The Queen's Croquet Garden room spray. And when I tried smelling them side by side, sure enough, they are extremely similar. (Nice - I've been looking for a perfume with that scent and never would have thought of this one as a possibility.) Yet The Queen's Croquet Garden is decidedly grass, while this is decidedly cucumber. Amazing! In any case, this is one of my favorite scents - not just from BPAL but from anywhere! I don't like foody scents as perfumes, but this is nothing at all like the fruity or bakery scents. It's incredibly refreshing, green, and clean: the perfect antidote for a blazing hot, sweaty, summer's day. I see a bottle in my future . . . My rating: 5 stars

In the imp: Clear, colorless oil. Right up close, the scent is a strong and unusually sweet lavender, with an undertone that for some reason reminds me of candied cherries - the real ones, not the artificial cherry note of the BPAL's. Not maraschino cherries, either - I mean the delicately-flavored kind you put in fruitcake. From a few inches away, it's the lotus I smell. Definitely interesting . . . has possibilities . . . On me, wet: At first, just plain single-note lavender. Which is something I love, so that's fine with me. As it starts to dry, a teasing hint of spice peeks out. After 30 minutes: As in the vial, I can only detect the lotus if I sniff my wrist from about 3 inches away. Even then, it is quite faint. Its main contribution is to tone down the lavender and add sweetness. The spice is more noticeable and is now starting to give the lavender some real competition. It is an interesting juxtaposition with the lavender's own sharp spiciness. After 1 hour: The lavender is now gone. The spice remains, and the lotus is finally coming into its own, although still not equal to the spice in strength. Verdict: For lavender lovers only! Lavender is the star of this show. It's one of my favorite scents, but to my great regret I am highly allergic to the pure essential oil. It burns, and my skin develops fiery red welts where the oil touches it. But I was fine with this. I'm delighted to have found an authentic lavender scent that I can wear! I also like the added touches. Until the lavender fragrance evaporates after about an hour, if I didn't know the other oils were there I wouldn't have noticed them. But they do add subtle nuances, and they extend the life of the scent on my skin by lingering on long after the lavender is gone. I really like this a lot! My rating: 4 stars

Smell sanctified! A blend of pure, pious frankincense and graceful myrrh. This was a frimp from the lab. I was happy to get it, as I liked the concept and had been thinking of ordering an imp sometime down the line. In the imp: Clear brown oil. Smells somewhat incensey of course, but not as much as I had expected. It's almost more like tobacco. I'm guessing that the myrrh is the strongest of the two ingredients in this blend, because it only smells slightly like the frankincense incense sticks I've often used. (I don't know what myrrh smells like.) On me, wet: Pretty much the same. It's surprisingly subtle, not at all the overpowering headshop smell I expected. It's not a sweet scent, maybe even a little salty at first, although it is becoming just a tiny bit sweeter as it dries. Kind of woody, and it's still making me think of tobacco. After 1 1/2 hours: The scent is still the same, just a little softer. This is a pleasant scent, but it doesn't wow me. It would be ideal for spiritual practice. I'll save it to wear for meditation and ritual. For ordinary use as a personal fragrance, I think it would appeal more to men. My rating: 4 stars

In the imp: Clear, brownish-amber oil. Lavender is strongest, with the resin and the sharpness of ozone also making their presence obvious. I don't pick up any currant. On me, wet: I love this! Very elegant and beautifully balanced so that no one particular note overpowers the others. Even the lavender is sharing the spotlight equally. Now I do get just a hint of currant - just the right amount to add interest without making this a fruity scent (which I wouldn't like.) After 30 minutes: Musk is strongest now, but everything is still so well-balanced that fragrance doesn't come across as musky overall. It really doesn't smell like anything in particular, just its own gorgeous self. The black currant only made a cameo appearance and is gone now. I would have missed it entirely if I wasn't paying attention. Wow, this is a rare (for me) non-floral scent that makes it into the 5-star category. I'd put it in the incense family of scent blends, but the musk and resins are so well balanced with the other notes that it isn't in the least reminiscent of head shops or temples. I don't relate to the description at all (and that's a good thing.) This is anything but shocking - it is classy and understated (in mood, that is - the strength/throw/longevity is average.) So much so that you could wear it anywhere, to any type of activity. And it would work equally well for for both women and men. I'm thinking that maybe in a scent locket (which would retain the initial sharp ozone note) it might lean more towards a masculine scent. My rating: 5 stars

I really love the concept of this, since going to tea houses and tea parties is one of my favorite things to do! In the vial: Very sweet. I can pick up cake and the apricot jam from it the strongest. Next the tea (a little), and cucumber. I'm not getting any marzipan. On me, wet: Too sweet and fruity to smell like Earl Grey tea as I had hoped, so it's a little disappointing. But nice, though. The various notes are so well blended and balanced that it's hard to differentiate any specific scent. On me, just dried: The cucumber is coming out more strongly now, although the overall impression still mostly sweet and fruity. After 30 minutes: Again, it's hard to identify any particular note. Sweet, cake, maybe some black tea. Subtle. After 1 hour: Faint vanilla/white cake. My rating: 4 stars

In the vial: Not too sweet, especially at first, but then some sweetness creeps in. Wood is the dominant note, with some herbs, a little grapefruit, and some spiciness of ginger. This is a very complex scent, so it's difficult to pick out any of the specific ingredients. Beyond the wood and herbs, I had to look at the description and try to smell each thing individually in order to detect any of them. On me, wet: Pretty much the same. Spicy, woody, unisex, not too sweet, with a just a hint of citrus at first. The grapefruit is coming out strongly as it starts to dry - very realistic and delicious! On me, just dried: The grapefruit note is holding out longer than it usually does on me. At this point, the scent is mostly grapefruit and wood. But the wood and the subtle nuances of the other things keep this from being too fruity or foody for me. (I don't like to wear fruity or foody scents as perfumes.) After 1 hour: From a foot or so away, the throw is vanilla. Up close, the blend has somehow morphed into something vaguely pineapple (which isn't in it. Weird.) Usually I get the base notes of sandalwood and musk on the drydown, but with this, I'm not getting them at all. Later ETA - After 2 hours: Now I'm finally picking up some of the sandalwood and musk. Those, along with the vanilla and "pineapple", are now pretty evenly balanced. I was really interested in the concept of this blend, especially after having read Peony In Love by Lisa See, which explores the concept of the hungry ghosts (among other things.) Beth has done a great job in realizing the concept. This is a complex, sophisticated, and attractive unisex blend. My rating: 4 stars

This was a lab frimp of something I never would have chosen myself, and what a great surprise! (Thank you, lab!) In the imp: Oil is a clear light brown, almost like dark amber. The first whiff brought me the strong and unmistakable odor of smoke - ugh, just like the description. But then . . . when I keep sniffing, I smell wood as well. It's actually rather gorgeous: like a campfire, or a fireplace that's burning the kinds of woods that are treasured for the beautiful scents they generate when burned. On me, wet: Pretty much the same, although on me the wood is stronger than the smoke. But I can still smell both clearly. And could that subtle spiciness be a touch of black pepper? On me, drydown: The fragrance remains quite consistent. It does develop just a touch of of sweetness eventually, but it's only a slight change. After 2 hours: Holding up nicely, with no change in the scent - it's just a little softer. After 18 hours, I can still smell it faintly on my skin. Verdict: Very unusual, intriguing, and quite pleasant as well. A lot of people would probably say this is a masculine scent, but I like it too much to give it over to the guys. I love campfires and the real wood-burning fireplace in my home just as much as any man does! And there's none of that prickly sharpness that men's colognes have. This is amazing - and soft and warm and cozy. It would be especially nice for winter. I'm keeping it, and I'm wearing it! My rating: 4 stars ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Take 2 A different lab frimp from a different year, aged about 6 years In the imp: Oil is dark brown, slightly opaque, thicker and more viscous than most BPAL oils. Sniffing the wand, my first thought is, "vetiver and patchouli." It smells quite lovely to me. I'm one of those people who likes both of those notes very much. But when I think of industrial smokestacks, I smell it differently. It nails the concept perfectly. (A lot of that has to do with the smokiness of the vetiver.) I can easily switch back and forth between a beautiful perfume and industrial waste. How incredible and interesting is that?! . . . And it gets even more interesting. I was reading the reviews to get some ideas of what notes to "look" for when someone mentioned rolling the vial to mix in a bit of sediment that had settled out. I usually do that before testing or wearing, but had forgotten to, and it had been sitting for a few days. So I rolled the imp, and sniffed the wand again. What a surprise! It was a completely different perfume! This time, almost a single note cedar. No smokiness or patchouli. And also lovely. So before I've even applied this, I already have three different perfumes in one, all gorgeous. I've loving this even more than before! On me, wet: 10:55 am Mostly the cedar, right at first, but very quickly the smokiness kicks in. At 5 minutes: Cedar and smoke. There's just a wisp of something else, something gentle, warm, and a little sweet. Vanilla? At 10 minutes: Same as above. At 20 minutes: A little sweeter. The sweet note is the brown sugar, molasses, caramel, or dark vanilla that reviewers mention. It could be any, or several, of those, maybe with some cardomom. If I sniff it long enough and hard enough, I get a bit of spicy tingle in my nose. I called it black pepper before, but ginger seems more like it. Later ETA: On subsequent wearings, I definitely get a gingerbread cookies vibe. Probably with some cardomom as well. At 30 minutes: The wood and smoke have lightened up, and the sweet note is more of a presence. This is a little like spice cookies baking, but the woodsmoke keeps it from being too foody. And there's that barely-there touch of patchouli again. Something about this is deeply satisfying in a way I can't describe or explain. It makes me happy. More than that, even - it is blissing me out. At 45 minutes: This is one of my top favorite perfumes ever. And to think that I saved it for last, out of all the imps in the box, because I thought I wouldn't like it! (I had forgotten about trying it before.) At 1 hour: I've changed my mind about this being masculine. The sweetness and gentleness of the foody note balance out the more masculine wood and smoke notes. Even unisex doesn't quite describe it. "Universal" might be a better word. Because I can't imagine ANYONE not loving it. The scent seems to have stabilized at around 30 minutes, and has not changed since. The brown-sugar-and-spice note blends so beautifully with the woodsmoke. This is unbelievably gorgeous. Peace and serenity in a bottle. At 2 hours: Same as above. At 3 hours: The same scent, but lighter. At 4 hours: Same as above. At 5 hours: There is less smokiness now, and some amber is starting to show up, adding its sweetness to the brown sugar and molasses. At 7 hours: A beautiful sweet and powdery amber, with the faintest hint of cedar. At 9 hours: All amber. At 14 hours: Wow, my wrist is still fragrant. The fragrance is soft, but clearly there and recognizable as this perfume. The amber is gone, and it has returned to the characteristic scent it had earlier. Now so blended that it doesn't have individual notes, but still with the same character. I'm so impressed. Comparing the two batches, it is striking how the sweet brown-sugar-and-spice aspect was virtually absent from the first imp. It adds a whole new, richer and deeper, layer to the blend, lifting it out of mere prettiness all the way to sublime. Is the difference due to variation between the batches, or to the aging of the second imp, or just that I didn't notice that note the first time? And isn't it interesting that such a small thing makes such a huge difference? Predominant Notes: Cedar, vetiver, brown sugar Character: Woody and Smoky, a hint of foodiness, warm and cozy, unisex My rating: 6 out of 6 stars

Unfortunately Cake Smash was quite cloying on me as well, and Dana O'Shee was definitely more milk-oriented (plus it had almonds, which are insta-death). Thanks for the recs though - going to give Detestable Putrescence a shot! Ghost - I haven't smelled Love's Rain, but if you want a green aquatic Caliban is quite good. It's sort of like wet grass and flowers, which is ages away from its description (the scent of the salty seas, bittersweet wine, palm and tropical ferns) but seriously. It's not that funky at all. R'lyeh also might be a match if you're looking for the citrus component. It's another one that sounds scary (a hellishly dark aquatic scent, evocative of fathomless oceanic deeps, the mysteries of madness buried under crushing black waters, and the brooding eternal evil that lies beneath the waves) but almost everyone gets grapefruit + aquatics. And finally, when you said "aquatic musk" I immediately thought of Y'ha-nthlei. It's not foresty, but the sweet ambergris mixed with the watery notes make it very dreamy and musk-like, while still maintaining a citrus and sea-like kick. It's one of my favorites. Thank you, Balame! I'll give all 3 of those a try. I know what you mean about ones that sound scary. I got a frimp of Smokestack and I was almost afraid to open it! I saved it till last and finally tried it yesterday. It turned out to be amazing and really rather gorgeous!

In the imp: Oil is a deep golden brown, like dark amber. The scent is rich, pure amber, sweet - maybe with just the teensiest touch of cinnamon and/or clove? On me, wet: Same as above. On me, just dried: The scent loses its sharp spiciness, its strength, and most of its sweetness very quickly as it dries. What remains is a soft, gentle version of the same fragrance. After several hours: The fragrance remains consistent as it slowly fades away. The longevity on me is about average for BPAL perfumes. Unisex, incensey. Smells exactly like a chunk of amber resin I used to have, that came from India in a carved, perforated soapstone box. This is very near to being (and in fact, may be) a Single Note. A beautiful, authentic, amber scent. There may be some cinnamon and/or clove, but it's so subtle that I'm not sure if it's really there or if I'm imagining it. I don't think I'd wear this to work, as it is too headshoppy. But I love it for casual events and especially for spiritual practice. My rating: 4 stars

In the imp: Oil is clear and colorless. Yep, wood and cherries. At first it's a nice black cherry scent, but then the artificial/candy/red cherry takes over. The currant may be there, but currant smells similar enough to cherry that it can't be separated out. On me, wet: The wood is slightly dominating the cherry, but it's a near-balance. This is beautiful, complex, and unusual. I like it that the wood is strongest, so that it's not a fruity/foody scent overall. So far I'm not getting any of the artificial cherry note that I dislike, and which usually overpowers everything else. On me, just dried: My skin definitely amps the wood. It is becoming considerably stronger than the fruits, which are now just a subtle note added to the wood. I love this! It's not at all the dreaded cherry candy that I feared. After 45 minutes: The fruits have now faded into just a generic sweetness, which, added to the dominant wood note, smells oddly similar to a woody vanilla. Verdict: A sophisticated, grown-up fragrance suitable for both women and men. Would be an excellent choice for work - it's not too strong, and comes across as very professional and dignified. My rating: 4.5. It only misses being a 5 because florals are my great love. But this comes in as a close second.

In the imp: Clean, fresh, green. Aquatic, floral, and herbal, just like it says. Kind of men's cologne-y. The oil is a clear light yellow. On me, wet: The flowers are most prominent, with a background of greenery and water. It's much less men's cologne on me. On me, just dried: The strength and throw lightens up very quickly as it dries. It's like a flowery classic perfume. I like it a lot, although it doesn't evoke any scent memories of Ireland for either me or my son. This is a very light fragrance, with none of the dark incense-y notes that many BPAL blends have. And no vanilla. I like that. I agree with the word "ethereal" that some earlier reviewers have said about this, which would make it a great choice for hot weather. It's lovely. After 1 1/2 hours: The scent is very consistent, but is mostly faded now to a soft, powdery hint of its former self. Slather it on, wear in scent locket, apply to hair, and/or reapply often. Later ETA: I forgot to mention that this scent has been tantalizing me with memories ever since that first whiff in the imp. I recognized it immediately. I KNOW this scent. It is really, really, REALLY familiar. It smells just like something I used to wear all the time, a long time ago. Maybe White Shoulders? It's been so long since I wore White Shoulders that I can't say for certain. My rating: 4 stars

I'm also looking for a BPAL scent that resembles White Shoulders, which is described as: Top- Neroli, Tuberose, Aldehydes Middle- Gardenia, Jasmine, Orris, Lily of the Valley, Rose, Lilac Base- Sandalwood, Amber, Musk, Oakmoss, Civet, Benzoin Someone asked about this much earlier in this thread, but I don't think the recommendation given at that time (in 2007) is still available. Can anyone recommend a scent that is available now? Thank you!

I'm looking for a BPAL scent that smells like Love's Rain. Anyone remember that? It was very popular in the 70's and early 80's. An online site said it had the following notes: * Mossy woods * Citrus * Greenery It was a beautiful scent but had little throw or longevity. I'm sure BPAL could do it better. Any ideas? ETA: I found another site that described it as "an aquatic musk fragrance for women. The soft accords of green florals, watery nuances play with the base of sweet smelling musk." It is still being made and sold (now by Dana), but I'd prefer the much higher quality of BPAL in a similar scent.