Ghost of a Rose

In the imp: Oil is clear and a light beige-yellow in color. It smells like a bright, classic perfume with plenty of florals and some lemon. On me, wet: Same as in the bottle right at first. But within a couple of minutes, the balsamic woods come out to change the entire character, making it a little sharper, less girly (yet still very feminine - womanly rather than girly), and more unique. But the woods aren't too strong or astringent. The florals are still the main game, which keeps me loving this. Fairly light and delicate; very formal and elegant. After 10 minutes: Same as above. The lemon is very subtle and flowery rather than fruity - definitely lemon balm rather than lemon fruit. I like that. The woods help to ground the scent. The grey amber is a gorgeous overtone floating above everything else. After 20 minutes: A little drier, but no less beautiful, and still very bright and joyous. After 30 minutes: The amber is going a bit powdery, like it always does on my skin. But I don't consider that a bad thing - it's not baby powder but a shockingly expensive luxury body powder. (I'd LOVE to have some of that.) Otherwise, much the same. After 1 hour: Same as above, but significantly weaker. After 2 hours: The same beautiful scent, but now quite faint. After 3 hours: As light as it was to begin with, and as quickly as it began to fade, I am pleasantly surprised to find that the fragrance still lingers. It is now all powdery - but lovely - amber. After 5 hours: I'm surprised again! I thought it would all be gone by now, and the amber is. But with the amber gone, a faint trace of the classic perfume fragrance still lingers on. Verdict: Very sophisticated and formal for a floral perfume, like an exclusive designer scent but without the chemical whang. The fragrance stays pretty consistent after the first few minutes. Utterly, drop-dead gorgeous. Damn, I wish I'd gotten a full bottle before it went down. There were just too many imps to try, I didn't get to it in time. Note to self: Do wear this in the scent locket, to make it last as long as possible. My rating: 5 stars

A contemplation of death: fragile vanilla blossom with polished oak, bitter clove, frankincense, myrrh, and green cognac. My imp is a decant from the lovely and generous spiresinthesnow. In the imp: Oil is clear and light yellow in color. It smells like a men's spice cologne to me - clove is the primary note, with wood, incense, and a teeny bit of cognac. On me, wet: The cognac is much stronger on me, making this a clove-and-cognac fragrance with the other notes as accents (although no vanilla is discernible yet.) It's a very intriguing and unusual combination, and the two notes blend beautifully. After 20 minutes: The clove has taken control again, and the cognac, wood, and incense notes are evenly balanced as secondary players. Still no vanilla, which is fine with me. And there's a distinct and very beautiful smokiness, like fine pipe tobacco. Also a distinct soapiness, like a men's bar soap. After 30 minutes: Same as above, although it's beginning to lighten up. After 1 hour: The soapiness has gone away, and it's lovelier than ever. After 2 hours: Now the incense, clove, and smoky notes are all about equal and the overall scent is much softer. A bit of vanilla hovers in the background. After several hours: Just some incense with a hint of vanilla remains. Verdict: These particular notes are just gorgeous together and I can't stop sniffing my wrist. And it keeps on getting better and better (smokier and softer) as time goes by. But it's too unisex/masculine for me to crave a full bottle. I'd adore this on a guy. Who would have thought, with "lace" in the name? I'll certainly enjoy using my imp, though! My rating: 4 stars

A celebratory scent, spicy and joyful. This is the nation flower of Spain. It symbolizes the suffering of Christ, the passion of lovers, and the laurels of victory. In the vial: It really does smell rather like real carnations. It isn't a typical floral scent; being far less sweet than other flowers, and spicy - somewhat like cinnamon and cloves but not nearly as strong. There's a strange, almost rank, overtone that I'm not sure I like. I feel the same way about the scent of real carnations, so that further proves its authenticity! On me, wet: On me, there's also a green note that makes it even more realistic. In fact, the overall fragrance on my skin is WAY more realistic - amazingly so! - than it was in the bottle. After 10 minutes: Less green and also less spicy now. Which means the rank note I don't like is more dominant. It's also going plastic. That sounds worse than it really is - this is still a very lifelike carnation. I just hope it doesn't keep going in the same direction. After 20 minutes: It didn't. Instead, the spiciness increased and has now significantly overtaken the rank note. The spiciness is closer to clove than to cinnamon. After 30 minutes: Alas, now the plastic note has taken over. But the other things are still there, too. After 1 hour: Pretty much the same as above, but less plastic. It smells even less typically floral than it did in the bottle and at first on my skin. After 2 hours: Now most of the plastic as well as the rank overtone has gone, leaving a very warm and lovely mild spice scent. After 3 hours: Same as above. After 4 hours: Very soft now. It has sweetened a little, otherwise is the same mild clove scent. My verdict: This doesn't so much morph (which you wouldn't expect from a SN anyway) as it does cycle - different aspects take turns dominating, but overall the fragrance stays pretty consistent. I don't like the scent of carnations as much as I do other flowers that smell more "floral", and I feel the same way about this perfume. However, it is pleasant enough and deserves high praise for authenticity. I especially enjoy it in late drydown when it is spicier. It will be a nice occasional change of pace from my more typical florals, and would be lovely layered with them. My rating: 4 stars

In the vial: The florals and the strawberry are about equal. It's kind of a strange combination that comes out a bit plastic, but it's not unpleasant. On me, wet: Right at first, it's much the same as in the vial. I really like the florals especially. I'm not so sure about the strawberry. It smells too artificial, and I'm not a fan of foody perfumes anyway. After 10 minutes: The foody notes are already starting to edge out the florals, to my dismay. From the many flowers in the description, I thought this might be the floral Lunacy I've wished for. There are florals here, but the foodiness is more than equal to them. After 20 minutes: Same as above. After 30 minutes: The chocolate has come in and the florals are now well in the background. The overall scent is teasing me with its familiarity, but I can't quite put a name to it. After 1 hour: I've got it! This smells exactly like a banana split. It's the strawberry, chocolate, and vanilla. I swear I can even smell the banana - that could be the honey, or maybe just the power of suggestion. After 2 hours: The scent is still the same, just softer. After 3 hours: Much the same, but it has faded more and turned more plastic. After 5 hours: Almost gone. Just a faint whiff of a plastic/artificial strawberry note and a bit of chocolate. In the perfume locket: Wet: Flowers and strawberry. After 1 1/2 hours: The chocolate is the strongest note now, but I can still discern the florals in the background. After 2 hours: It has become the chocolate/strawberry/vanilla banana split scent that it also developed into on my skin. But the florals haven't completely disappeared. They are more noticeable when I sniff the locket right up close. After 1 day: The scent stays quite consistent, with the floral notes sticking around to balance out the foodiness of the chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla. As expected, it never develops the plastic overtone that is characteristic of my skin's reaction to certain oils, red fruits especially. In the locket, the fragrance stays fresh all day. Verdict: I like this best right at first when the florals still have a definite presence. After that, it is delicious and fun to sniff, but not something I'd wear as a perfume. I don't really want to walk around smelling like I've been eating banana splits all day. I prefer it in the perfume locket, which retains the floral top notes and the freshness of the scent. This is a lovely and fun blend, but even in the locket it is a little too foody to rate 5 stars from me. I'm still glad to have a full bottle, though. My rating: 4 stars

In the imp: Oil is clear and a golden dark yellow. At first I smell 80% jasmine and 20% incense, but almost instantly it morphs into an intensely green and herbal scent instead, without a trace of either jasmine or incense. Fascinating - I can't wait to see what it does on my skin! On me, wet: Jasmine is decidedly the dominant note, but here it coexists simultaneously with the greenery (mosses, grass, and/or herbs), which almost equals it in strength. And the earth note is far more obvious than it was in the vial. Especially after a couple of minutes, this is virtually a balanced triad between the jasmine, greenery, and soil notes. After 10 minutes: Still much the same, although the jasmine is gaining over the other notes. After 20 minutes: Same as above. After 30 minutes: The jasmine is starting to fade, so that the greenery and earth notes are now equal to it again. And I seem to be picking up a hint of other florals now, although not strongly enough to identify what type of flowers they might be. They add a nice touch. After 1 hour: At about 45 minutes,, the greenery and earth notes vanished so that the scent was pretty much all jasmine, with just that hint of other florals. But now a bit of incensey spiciness is starting to also peek out as the jasmine continues to fade. What's left of the jasmine is now even soapier than it normally is, and rather plastic as well. This isn't my favorite phase for this blend. I hope the incense base notes will come out more strongly to rescue it. After 2 hours: As it turns out, it is the other florals which first come to the rescue. When the jasmine dies down, their beauty is finally able to shine out, although they remain very soft. I think gardenia might be one of the other flower notes that smell so pretty. As it gets closer to the 2-hour mark, the incense notes do become more of a presence, yet they stay in the background. After 3 hours: The fragrance has stabilized as it gradually fades. It settles into a blend of lovely mixed flowers with a subtle accent of incense. The incense never does become a leading player in this. After 5 1/2 hours: There is a faint trace remaining of mixed florals, a little incense, with perhaps just a wisp of smoke. Verdict: The jasmine is too strong in this to rate a bottle-worthy 5 stars. But overall this perfume is quite nice, especially in late drydown when the gardenia and other florals take the stage. I'll keep and enjoy my imp. My rating: 4 stars

ETA: 2012 edition In the vial: A lovely scent, lighter and more feminine than most of the Lunacies. It's green, herbal, with a touch of florals, and something bright, almost lemony. Grass is the only specific note that I can identify, since except for peat, I don't know what any of the other things smell like. (Unless bog rosemary smells like regular rosemary?) And at this point, I don't notice any peat. Not knowing what most of these things smell like makes this fragrance difficult to describe, but I'll do my best. (NOTE: I checked online, and bog rosemary is unrelated to regular rosemary and smells nothing like it. The name comes from the resemblance of its leaves to those of rosemary.) On me, wet: Even more herbal on my skin, with a trace of earthiness. Within two minutes, the throw has already weakened significantly. After 20 minutes: Up close, it smells a lot like a traditional perfume. There is a tiny bit of an aquatic note (the frost on the peat?), which together with the ambergris, contributes to the impression of a designer perfume. From further away, the fragrance is sweeter, more herbal, and more flowery. - stronger on the herbals than on the florals. This is excellent for hot weather. After 30 minutes: No noticeable change. There's an undertone that I can't describe or identify, which is very unique and a little animalistic - maybe the ambergris? This is a highly complex fragrance. After 1 hour: Same as above. After 2 hours: Virtually gone. I also wore this simultaneously in my perfume locket. There, it smells less like a classic perfume - sweeter, more floral, and more natural, than it was on my skin. Even in the locket, this is relatively lighter and more short-lived than most BPAL blends are in the locket. But that's not necessarily a bad thing - a lighter and less lasting scent is just what I prefer for hot weather. Verdict: Another one of my favorite Lunacies, due to its theme, lightness, florals, and more feminine mood. Contrary to the description and in spite of the inspired mix of ingredients, this doesn't make me think of bogs at all; being too light and fresh-smelling for that. Which is kind of a shame, as I am intrigued by the idea of a scent that smells like a bog. But I love it anyway, for other reasons. Perhaps this is more of a heath-and-moor (with just a bit of bog) kind of scent. I never did notice any peat. But I'm probably thinking of the fragrance of burning peat instead - I've never smelled freshly cut peat up close. (Wish I'd thought to do that when I had the chance!) My rating: 4.5 stars

In the imp: Oil is clear and a light yellow color. I smell patchouli, and not just any patchouli, but the one I loved so much and remember so vividly from high school back in the 70's and have been searching for ever since. I've tried many other patchouli oils since, and they just aren't the same. But this one is. I wish the description listed the ingredients and specified what kind of patchouli it is so I could look for it in other blends as well. There are other things in this too, less obvious, that I can't identify. I just know that it's more complex than a single-note patchouli. On me, wet: Still mostly (by far) that specific type of patchouli that I love so much. With some other incenses or resins. And just a touch a something bright, almost lemony. And an even softer touch of florals? I totally love this! It's patchouli the way I remember it, but ratcheted up to a whole new level of elegance and complexity. After 10 minutes: The lemony top note wafted away quickly. And the scent is becoming more woody (perhaps sandalwood?) as it dries. And I'm starting to pick up the faintest hint of pine or fir. Those aren't usually my favorite notes, but here they are too subtle to be sharp like they usually are. Very lovely with the wood and patchouli. The patchouli, alas, is already losing some strength, but it's still around. I have hopes that it will stay - patchouli usually is quite long-lasting. It's getting a little smoky, too - could there be a bit of vetiver in this? I can relate to the earth note that some reviewers have mentioned - I think it comes from the patchouli and/or vetiver. After 20 minutes: There's still a trace of floral, but it's receding even farther into the background as the smoke and woods take over. They've become equal to the patchouli. After 30 minutes: This is now less of a patchouli scent and more of a wood-and-smoke one, with a bit of incensey spiciness. I'm having memories of a cedar hope chest, so cedar must the one of the woods. I'm still thinking sandalwood is another. After 1 hour: The smokiness has lightened up considerably, allowing the patchouli to come out more. Now the patchouli, wood, and incense notes are about equal. After 2 1/2 hours: I think there may be a bit of amber or some such incensey resin coming out to sweeten the scent a little now. Otherwise, it's the same as above, but softer. Quite lovely. After 4 1/2 hours: It's soft and subtle, but I can still clearly smell incense and amber. The patchouli is almost gone. After 5 hours: Surprisingly, the pachouli is a major contender again - I guess the other notes faded out enough to let it take one last bow before the final curtain. After 16 1/2 hours: I can still smell a faint but beautiful scent - mostly amber, I think, with just a little pachouli. Verdict: I'm normally more of a flower person, but I MUST have a bottle of this! It's gorgeous and long-lasting on my skin, but I think I'd love it even more in the perfume locket in order to retain to top notes longer, since the first several minutes was my absolute favorite stage of this. My rating: 5 stars

Right at first, the jasmine is the star, with magnolia coming in at a close second. I adore florals, but jasmine isn't my favorite due to its soapiness and the way it overpowers everything in its path. But here the magnolia is strong enough to keep the jasmine from being too terribly obnoxious. I also pick up a bit of Spanish moss, and maybe a little tobacco way in the background. I like this a lot, but would prefer less jasmine and more magnolia. After about 30 minutes, the jasmine has subsided, making this a truly gorgeous fragrance. The lightening up of the jasmine allows the honey to peek out slightly, but I don't specifically notice the musk. I could still smell it faintly on my pillow two days later - magnolia, moss, and honey. I never did notice any vanilla, which is fine with me. I would love to have a full bottle of this! My rating: 5 stars

I love this, both the gloss and the fragrance! Scent: One of my favorites of the hair gloss scents - it ties with my previous fave of Frankincense Clove - and maybe even goes it one better. It's more subtle, and blends better with my fragrance oils. And like that one, it isn't too foody. This scent also lasts longer than the Frankincense one. Gloss: This does add shine to my hair without making it look greasy. And I especially love that the gloss helps to detangle it, too, when combing. My hair is extra long (hip length), thick, and somewhat curly, so it is very tangle-prone and I need all the help I can get with that. I always use a spray-on, leave-in detangler, but this works even when the detangler doesn't. When I use this, it takes less time to comb out the tangles and there is far less ripped-out hair stuck in my comb when I am finished. Like others, I too have noticed that if I put it on dry hair, I should use much less to avoid a greasy look. One spritz into my hand (then rub my hands together and wipe it into my hair starting at the bottom and working my way up) for the right side of my hair, and one for the left side is enough, even with my long hair. On wet hair, I can use much more without making my hair look greasy. (I use 8 sprays, 4 on each side, for my very long hair.) The scent also lasts longer this way, perhaps because I can use more of it. My rating: 5 stars

Shake well before using - there are globules of an amber-colored oil in this that do not dissolve and blend in to the pale yellow watery fluid. A deep and dark smoke-and-incense scent; with just a tiny smidgeon of sweetness (the myrrh and opoponax?) that makes it stand out from other such blends. Perfect for a man cave, a guy's car or the car of a woman who loves incensey unisex fragrances, or the library room of an English country manor. It is dignified, introspective. As befits its name, there is a sacred mood to it that would also make it ideal for religious places and spiritual practice, such as prayer, meditation, rituals, holy days, etc. It invokes quiet and peace. For the altar, I think of this as belonging to the elements of air and fire due to the smoke and incense. With the copal of the Aztecs and the frankincense from India, among the many other notes, this temple could be anywhere in the world, although it has an exotic Spice Road vibe - I think of Morocco, Marrakesh, or Katmandu. And there's nothing in the least evil about it. It's beautuful. The throw has a spicy character. I don't know where that comes from. Up close, the strongest notes are first wood, then incense. This blend is not typical of my usual preference for girly florals. But it is so beautiful and evocative that I love it anyway, and wil use it with pleasure and respect. The longevity seemed about average at first, as it greatly decreased in strength after a few hours. However, a couple of days later I noticed that the bed linens I had sprayed it on still held a soft incense fragrance that was even lovelier for having lost the smokiness and masculine feel. My rating: 5 stars Later ETA:. I love Ocean Dreamer's association of this with Aragorn. She or he nailed it!

In the vial: Vivid fresh strawberries with vanilla sugar. Sniffing it is ecstasy, but I don't really want to smell like strawberries have been squashed and smeared all over me! On me, wet: The strawberry top note is slightly less strikingly realistic than it was in the bottle, but strawberry is still the main theme. And now I can smell the honey and grasses, also a touch of cream (the milky dandelion sap?) After 10 minutes: Pretty much the same as above. There might also be the teeniest whisper of floral waaaay in the background. After 20 minutes: The strawberry is already going a bit plastic. Red fruits always do that on my skin - so it's me, not the perfume, that is to blame. After 30 minutes: Same as above. After the plastic-y strawberry, the next strongest note at this point is the honey. After 1 hour: The strawberry is really plastic-y now, and honey is the only other thing I can detect. After 2 hours: Same as above, but now barely there. Verdict: For me, this works best in my perfume locket due to the reaction with my skin that makes red fruits smell like plastic. In the locket, it retains the lovely fragrance that it had in the vial and during the first 10 minutes on my skin. It is mouth-wateringly delicious and amazingly realistic, but too foody to make it into the 5-star bracket for me, at least not for wearing as a perfume. I do love sniffing it, though! My rating: 4 stars (Edited for grammar)

The scent of loss, love and the echo of time without end: sorrowful violet and chamomile with muguet, white geranium, calla lily and tea rose with a hint of autumn leaves. In the imp: Oil is clear and a light bright yellow. Beautiful! Lots of flowers, especially rose, lilies, and violet. On me, wet: The rose is no longer evident as a specific note, and there's something almost spicy here - probably the geranium, which also gives it a touch of a herbal greenness. But mainly, a mixed bouquet of gorgeous flowers - especially violet and muguet - just like in the imp. After 30 minutes: Same as above. This has a lovely, ultra-feminine, and dressy feel. It would be perfect for tea parties or church. It would also be suitable for formal occasions if you don't care for designer-style aldehydic perfumes, as it is a bit more sophisticated than many floral perfumes. Too girly for the office, though. After 1 hour: The spiciness has increased, but just a little. This blend is quite consistent. After 2 hours: The spiciness has continued to increase slightly, and it is a little more like a classic perfume, but overall it is still consistent, although considerably faded now. Verdict: Longevity on me is slightly shorter than average, but acceptable. I don't get any autumn leaves from this. To me it is more of a fresh green spring-and-summer scent, although from the 1-hour mark on, the increasing spiciness does make it feel more autumnal in mood. But there's no dry, papery note that I would associate with leaves in the fall. No problem. I always adore floral perfumes, so this is right down my alley! I'd love to get a full bottle of it, if only it were still available. Sigh. Verdict: 5 stars

In the vial: I mostly smell green apples - Granny Smith? - with maybe just a touch of florals. I'm disappointed, as I expected a single note to be just the flower, without the addition of the fruit. (Unless maybe apple blossoms - unlike orange blossoms - do carry some of the fruit scent? I'm not that familiar with apple blossoms - apple trees don't grow where I live. But other apple blossom perfumes I've used had no trace of the fruit.) It's beautiful and I love sniffing it, but I don't want to walk around smelling like any kind of food. Well, I'll give it a try. On me, wet: Even fruiter. But I have to admit, it is an utterly realistic fresh apple. And then, within a minute, a bit of slightly sharp floral starts to peek out. It stays well in the background, though. After 10 minutes: The floral has continued to strengthen, and is now more of a presence. It is a dry, powdery (in a good way) kind of floral - no longer sharp. I like this somewhat better as a perfume now. It is still more fruity than floral, though. After 30 minutes: Some of the fruitiness has gone, but my skin seems to be doing weird things to this, because it doesn't smell like flowers, either. Just a strange, artificial kind of smell. With an undertone of motor oil. After 1 hour: Same as above, although I'm picking up the apple fruit a little more - perhaps because the other things are fading? After 2 hours: All apple (fruit). No trace left of the floral note. At least it's back to a normal apple scent anyway, no more of that unpleasant chemical-and-motor oil odor. After 3 hours: It has settled into a stable fragrance of apple fruit as it gradually fades. It's weaker now, but definitely still around. I then tried this in my perfume locket, in order to avoid the strange-smelling chemical reaction with my skin, and also to see if the floral aspect would remain longer that way. At 20 minutes: It is all fruit. The floral has yet to develop, but that's not surprising. I've found that fragrances tend to go through all the same phases, but FAR more slowly, in the perfume locket as they do on the skin. (And without any detrimental interactions with the skin, obviously.) At 30 minutes: I started to pick up just of hint of florals around the 30-minute mark. At first they are very soft, but after about a few minutes, I get the same slight sharpness that I noticed on my skin. At 45 minutes: Lots of gorgeous floral, yay! Almost equal to the fruitiness. I love it at this point! The fruit note makes a lovely accent when there is enough floral presence to keep the overall fragrance from being foody. Af 7 1/2 hours: I suspect that the throw might be more fruity, but up close anyway (to me while wearing it), the floral is still holding its own. Which means I'm still loving it. For me, the perfume locket is definitely the way to go with this. On a side note, while still wearing the locket, I went to bed on sheets that had been sprayed with Erebos Atmospheric Spray many hours earlier (maybe even the night before, I don't remember when I did it.) The combination of this with the faded Erebos is absolutely STUNNING! After 14 hours: Now decidedly more fruity than floral, as when it started out. My rating: 3.5 stars on my skin, 4.5 stars in the scent locket This would also make a great room scent for the kitchen; or an air freshener in the fridge (I crumple up a paper towel into a small glass jar, drip some oil onto the paper towel, and put the jar uncovered in the refrigerator.)

OMG, this is stunningly gorgeous! It is lavender without the astringency or medicinal note that is often characteristic of lavender. It is lavender softened by bouquets of other heavenly purple flowers. There's also something in here that is bright and sparkly, almost lemony, except not foody or fruity. I don't pick up any vanilla for the first half hour, but around that time the sparkly/lemony note disappears and a gentle warm undertone of vanilla takes its place, contributing even more softness to that of the purple flowers. I'm not of fan of vanilla-based perfumes, but here the vanilla is discreet enough to add softness and warmth without foodiness. I never do notice any of the melon or cedar; nor do any of the flowers except lavender stand out as a specific note. But that doesn't matter. This is perfect exactly as it is. Perhaps the melon is the sparkly/lemony note. And I could see how a small amount of cedar could blend in seamlessly with the lavender note. So they might be adding subtle nuances without being strong enough to identify. Sprayed into the air, the fragrance is very light and short-lived. But sprayed onto bed linens, it has just the right strength to pillow me within a cloud of peacefulness and bliss that lasts for many hours. Verdict: This just blows me away. I adore lavender, and have many lavender-based scents. But this is one of my top 2 or 3 favorites ever. I've always loved the combination of rose and a little vanilla with lavender, and this blend takes that to a whole new level of beauty. It would be a great choice for those who don't normally like lavender but are willing to give it a try, since the lavender is so gentle but distinct in this. Not for those who don't like florals, though! I wasn't planning to buy any full-size atmospheric sprays at this time since I already have several. But I MUST get a full bottle of this! My rating: 5+ stars ETA: After reading the other reviews, I see that I need to make it a priority to try TKO! I'd love to also have a perfume that smells like this!

In the vial: The sharpness of pine, lavender, and some peppermint is what I notice first and most strongly, with some wood coming in behind that. With a bit of floral sweetness (especially magnolia) on the side. On me, wet: On my skin it is immediately sweeter, with some orangey bergamot now adding to the astringent notes. Within a minute, the woods come out more strongly. I'm still noticing all of the notes that I initially detected in the vial as well. This is very complex and sophisticated. I especially like the lavender and magnolia top notes, although the juxtaposition of those with the peppermint and pine is a little strange. They co-exist, rather than blending. Something in here is also contributing a jasmine-like soapiness - I'm thinking it is the lavender-magnolia combo. After 10 minutes: The heavier wood notes are garnering more attention, although the astringent top notes still dominate. The Dragon's Blood is there, but I have to think about it to notice it. I'm surprised that it isn't a stronger presence, in a blend with Dragon in the name. I'm glad that the florals are still around, although they are fading. After 20 minutes: Mint, lavender, and pine - in that order - are what I notice first. The heavy woods are surprisingly less strong than before - I'd have predicted that they would grow stronger as the astringent top notes faded. There's some smokiness mixed in with the woods. And the florals haven't given up yet, yay! This isn't what I'd call a floral perfume, though, especially at this point. The magnolia softens the sharpness of the top notes and the darkness of the smoky wood, rather than being a distinct presence. After 30 minutes: A sharp lavender and pine note comes first, followed by the warm softness of magnolia, which has surprised and delighted me by making an encore. A little spiciness of incense is beginning to show up in the background, adding to the new warmth of the scent. After 1 hour: Most of the magnolia is gone now. But the lightening-up of the astringency and soapiness, together with the increasing spiciness of incense notes adding warmth to the smoky woods, keeps this as lovely as ever. Maybe even lovelier. The lavender is still around, but much softer. After 2 hours: Very soft now. Mostly spicy incense, with a little wood and lavender. After 3 hours: I thought most of the throw had wafted away, but someone just now commented that it was nice to walk behind me, because I smelled so good. After 4 hours: A faint but distinct whiff of incense. After 10 hours: I can still smell a trace of resin. Verdict: Although I've mentioned florals and magnolia so many times in my review, don't get the wrong impression. They are a fairly subtle accent, not the main theme. This is still a unisex fragrance like the other Lunacies. But the touch of flowers makes it one of my favorites of the Lunacies. My rating: 4.5 stars

I was a little concerned that this would have the BPAL artificial cherry-candy note that I don't care for, but I took a chance in hopes of getting a true floral cherry blossom instead. And I love the concept and the Japanese-themed notes. As it turns out, I don't detect either cherry fruit or cherry blossoms at all. But I was also interested in the other ingredients, and I do notice the green tea especially, and also the mild woodiness of the bamboo. Since the green tea note is the strongest note, this goes perfectly with the sheets on my bed, where I sprayed it - they are the exact color of matcha tea. The fragrance is not sweet at all, which surprised me. In fact, it is almost salty, with a seawater undertone. This isn't boozey, either, although I do pick up something like sake without the alcohol. To me this smells like a men's cologne - it reminds me of how my sons smell when they come out of the bathroom after showering. It is quite pleasant, but not really my thing. I would love it if l could smell realistic cherry blossoms in addition to the other notes. This is a light fragrance, even when I sprayed it around very generously. And the scent doesn't last as long as some of the other atmospheric sprays. It lasts longer when sprayed on fabric than when sprayed into the air. My rating: 4 stars

Beautiful! At least at first, I don't get any orange at all, which is good because I was a little concerned about the orange note. But it's all gorgeous florals - I can definitely smell jasmine and ylang ylang especially. After about 10 minutes, the musk comes out, with just a touch of orange to make it interesting without making it foody. It remains mainly a floral scent. My rating: 4 stars

In the imp: Oil is clear and a pale straw yellow in color. Both honey and oleander blossoms are very distinct and realistic in this. Absolutely gorgeous! On me, wet: The floral dominates, but the honey is still a strong presence. After 10 minutes: Same as above. Ummmm, I'm loving this. After 20 minutes: The floral has overtaken the honey. That's my favorite note in this, though (I've always adored the fragrance of oleander flowers) so I still love it just as much! After 30 minutes: Same as above. After 1 hour: The notes have switched roles, with the honey now taking the lead. But the honey is lovely too, and the oleander is still there, so I'm still loving this. After 2 hours: Mostly honey. After 3 hours: Softer and all honey. After several hours: A gentle and very pretty whisper of honey lingers. Verdict: I totally love this during all of its stages. A full bottle is definitely going on my wish list! This lab frimp was a real winner - thank you, lab pixies! My rating: 5 stars

In the vial: Sour red cherry hard candies, and nothing else. Ugh, I don't even like the candy, much less want to smell like this. But I'm always willing to try anything. On me, wet: Exactly the same at first. After 2 or 3 minutes, I start to pick up a boozey note, although it doesn't smell specifically like amaretto. After 10 minutes: All of a sudden, most of the cherry just got up and left, taking much of the throw with it. And also the sweetness. Now it smells boozey, buttery and oddly musky. With just a trace of remaining cherry, now very artificial and plastic. It's something of an improvement, but strange. Not even really foody at this stage. After 20 minutes: Now what's left of the cherry note has turned into black cherry rather than sour cherry candies, which is much better. But unfortunately it's still very plastic. My skin does tend to do that to red fruits. The butter is gone, but the booze and musk are still there. But no amaretto or even almond, just the tiniest hint of nuttiness that smells more like hazelnut to me. No vanilla, either. The muskiness is at least as strong - perhaps stronger - than all the food notes combined. Which to me is actually a good thing, since I don't like foody perfumes. (So why did I get this? I do love both black cherries and amaretto, and a pudding made of them sounded soooo delish. I wanted to sniff it, although not necessarily wear it on my body.) After 30 minutes: Same as above. After 1 hour: Much the same, except that plastic is now the dominant note. After 2 hours and 15 minutes: Same as above except that it's now rather faint. Note: As always, I wrote the review before reading other reviews so that I wouldn't be influenced by them. Now, after reading the other reviews, I'm delighted that others also mentioned musk and buttery notes! So it wasn't my imagination! Verdict: This blend morphed dramatically in the first 10 minutes and from then on remained stable, with only subtle changes. As for how much I liked it: meh. This didn't smell anything like real Black Cherry Amaretto pudding, in any of its phases. I never did detect any vanilla, either. It has some interesting notes at certain moments, but it never really comes together. And the strong note of plastic puts me off. Normally that problem can be overcome by wearing it in a perfume locket instead of on my skin, but I don't want to do that with this one, because a locket would retain the strong top note of sour-cherry-hard-candy for a long time, and that was my least favorite phase. It might make a good room fragrance in an oil warmer, especially for the kitchen. I'll try that and see if I like it that way. Meanwhile, I'm only giving it a 2-star rating.

In the vial: A fruity floral, but very unusual! Dry, cool, powdery (it doesn't smell like baby powder, it just reminds me of the dry, soft, ethereal texture of powder.) I can distinctly smell most of the notes listed - carnation, bergamot, non-specific fruits, coconut, and musk. The orangey bergamot note combined with the sweetness reminds me too much of Syrup of Ipecac for me to really like this. I enjoy the musky florals and the cool dry powderiness of it, but would prefer less foodiness and a lot less sweetness. I'll see how it goes on my skin. On me, wet: Right at first it is much the same, but a warm note of clove from the carnation quickly develops. The orange is much less evident. The powdery floral/musk is still lovely. It's less foody without the orange, although an undertone of red fruit remains. After 10 minutes: I like this far better now than I did in the vial, without the cloying sweetness and the orange. But it's still a bit too much on the foody side for my taste. The cranberry has strengthened and is equal to the powdery floral/musk. This is indeed an exotic fragrance with a somewhat Asian mood although not incensey. After 20 minutes: Same as above. Interesting how this has gone from a cool scent to a warm one while still maintaining a fairly consistent overall character. So far I haven't noticed any peach - does Chinese peach smell different? After 30 minutes: Cloves, flowers, musk, with a little red Lifesavers fruit candy in the background. And I'm finally noticing some peach, which goes great with the other notes, especially the clove. At 1 hour: The fruits and flowers are fading, but still around. They are most noticeable when sniffed from a couple of inches away, and at first. If I keep sniffing, and/or smell my skin up close, the lead players are the clove and musk. Some amber is starting to show up. At 2 hours: The notes are blending together more, with individual notes - even the clove - harder to pick out. Except for the amber, which is now the dominant note. The dry, powdery trait is more evident, and the fruitiness has largely evaporated. The throw is closer to the skin, and the strength when sniffed up close is soft but distinct. At 3 hours: Only a wisp of amber remains. Verdict: Quite nice after the first 10 minutes, and especially after 1 hour. But too sweet and fruity to rate 5 stars for me. My rating: 4 stars

ETA: ROSE RED 2011 In the vial: Just like it says - the perfect fresh rose. Vividly realistic, a beautiful single-note rose scent. On me, wet: The aquatic note is more evident on my skin. It is lovely together with the rose. And there's a hint of greenery as well, contributing to the freshness. After 10 minutes: Same as above. After 20 minutes: Same as above. It smells like the rose in The Queen's Croquet Ground (BPTP Atmospheric Spray), which I love. After 30 minutes: The aquatic and greenery have died down, and something like an earthy note has appeared. The rose has gone a little plastic (it's my skin causing that) but is still very lovely. After 1 hour: The throw weakened very suddenly and significantly shortly after the 30-minute mark. The supporting-role notes have also faded away, but so has the plastic. It must have been coming from one of the other notes rather than the rose. Now the scent is a fairly soft single-note rose. After 2 hours: A very soft and pretty single-note rose scent still remains. After 3 hours: Faint but definite rose fragrance. This really doesn't morph much. The changes I've mentioned are subtle, and the rose note remains consistently dominant throughout. My rating: 5+ stars, a new top fave! I'm so glad to have a full bottle!

In the vial: Drop-dead gorgeous! Honeysuckle with greenery. On me, wet: On me, the herbal notes of moss and ivy are strongest at first, but the honeysuckle quickly catches up, and I do pick up an undertone of saltwater. I'm in ecstasy - the beautiful strong florals that I always love, with the greenery and ocean spray adding an extra boost of lightness and freshness. I already know that this will be a favorite. After 10 minutes: The greenery has developed a subtle zing of bitterness, which nicely offsets some of the sweetness of the honeysuckle; as does the saltwater. This is sheer perfection. After 20 minutes: No change. I am strongly reminded of the original Love's Fresh Rain Eau de Toilette from the 1970's, with its turquoise blue color. I adored that scent. But I was always frustrated that it vanished almost immediately on my skin. This is so much better - the gorgeous fragrance sticks around. And it lacks that piercing whang of isopropyl alcohol which characterizes cheap cologne. After 30 minutes: Same as above except that the throw has softened a little. After 1 hour: Same as above. Its freshness makes this a lovely scent for hot weather, especially now that it has lightened up in strength. After 4 hours: Although now quite soft and close to the skin, the same heavenly fragrance is still there. My rating: 5+ stars

In the imp: This sounds like a dream come true for me! Love the concept, love the notes - orange blossoms AND rose, two of my biggest faves ever! The oil is a gorgeous pinkish-copper color. The first thing I smell is honey, and then . . .oh no . . . damn! . . . orange. Orange fruit, that is, not the heavenly and completely different fragrance of the orange flower. Adding the scent of orange fruit to anything labeled "orange blossom" is one of my pet peeves, and perfumers do it more often than not. I expected better from BPAL. This is more like orange-flavored cough syrup. Well, I'll give it a try. On me, wet: Yep, orange cough syrup. Exactly. After a few seconds, some rose comes through, but against the background of orange cough syrup, all it does is add to the sickening sweetness. It helps a little to think of it as orange-and-rosewater Turkish Delight instead of cough syrup . . . but that still isn't a fragrance I'd want to wear. After 10 minutes: It has lost the cloying sweetness, but what's left turns out to be no better. Now it smells old and stale. Roses are there, yes, but old and stale ones, yuk. After 20 minutes: The fruity orange top note has floated away, which is some improvement. Now the rose note is coming through strongly. But blending it with honey is not a felicitous combination. The honey (perhaps together with a trace of sandalwood) gives the rose a sweetish note of decay. I never thought I'd say this, but here is a rose fragrance I'll be happy to pass on. After 30 minutes: The scent continues to improve as the rose strengthens into something closer to a single note. But even now, there are so many BPAL rose blends that I like soooo much better. After 45 minutes: The sandalwood is picking up, with a faint and pleasant hint of spiciness. But overall the combination of that with the rose and honey still smells old and stale - and at this point, plastic as well. After 1 hour: Now pretty much all rose and sandalwood, the scent is finally pleasing. But not so wonderful as to be worth tolerating a somewhat unpleasant hour for, especially when other BPAL rose blends smell gorgeous right from the start. After 2 hours: Basically the same as above, but a little plastic. Verdict: I never did smell any actual orange blossom scent at all, just the fruit. Nor the true rose fragrance of fresh petals, either. This was such a disappointment. It's not even worth trying in the scent locket - that would just preserve the orange-syrup note, extending the phase that I liked the least. I'm not normally a believer in letting perfumes age, but since sandalwood is one of the few oils that actually does improve with aging, maybe I'll try this again next year to see if I like it better then. Although by then, the rose oil will probably have lost much of its scent. We'll see. My rating: 2 stars in the first hour on my skin, 3 stars after the first hour

In the imp: Oil is a very pale yellow, almost ivory. Grassy, herbal, with a distinct note of earth. If I keep sniffing, I can pick up some flowers and a teeny bit of rum. On me, wet: On me, the rum is much stronger - equal to the dirt - and somewhat buttery. The grassy/mossy note comes next, then the florals which are non-specific to my nose. And there's something here that is almost lemony. The mood is light and fresh, although the throw is fairly strong. In spite of the rum (I don't notice the bourbon, but then I'm less familiar with that), this is probably just a little too flowery to call it unisex. I like it. After 10 minutes: The rum top note fades quickly, leaving the earth, grassiness, and florals to dominate, with that lemony undertone which is fainter now. After 20 minutes: Sadly, some of the florals have also faded away. But the mostly grass-and-rich-earth scent that remains (together with a trace of the florals and that hint of lemon) is still quite nice. After 30 minutes: The scent has faded significantly and very suddenly, just within the last ten minutes. It has become light in strength as well as in mood. That mysterious lemony note is gone. It's now all grassy moss and dirt with a touch of florals. But a teeny bit warmer - perhaps the lightening-up of the dominant notes has allowed some warmth to peek out from the remaining hidden traces of bourbon and buttery rum. After 1 hour: Very faint now, and more mossy than earthy. Otherwise much the same, still with a bit of floral character that is now somewhat reminiscent of a classic perfume in late drydown. After 2 hours: The scent is gone. Verdict: Feminine, but not in-your-face girly. Mainly grassy moss and earth, with a touch of florals; and fairly consistent over time. While not exactly "cooling," this is light and fresh enough in mood to make it a lovely fragrance for warm weather. It's not particularly long-lasting, but that might be a positive in hot seasons, when a long-lived fragrance can seem annoyingly heavy after a while. I especially would like to wear this in a perfume locket, to preserve more of my beloved florals longer, together with the complexity contributed by the rum top note. My rating: 4 stars

In the vial: Chocolate, with non-specific flowers. On me, wet: The florals are equal to - and maybe a little stronger than - the chocolate. I like this. On me, after 15 minutes: The florals are still there, but the chocolate is definitely taking over. After 30 minutes: Still the same, including the strength/throw. The flowers and chocolate are nicely balanced - it isn't too foody, nor aggressively floral (for those who don't care for florals - personally I love them, the stronger the better.) The two main themes complement each other and blend together beautifully. This would also be a lovely fragrance for Valentine's Day. After 45 minutes: The honey is coming out more strongly, becoming a distinct presence rather than just blending in with the chocolate. The scent has gone a bit plastic, but not enough to make it unpleasant. It's probably my skin causing that; it seems to happen with many sweet foody notes. After 1 hour: It has begun to fade, becoming slightly more plastic as it fades. But still quite nice. Otherwise much the same. After 2 hours: Very faint. Only a trace - mostly of chocolate - remains. After 3 hours: As faint as it was an hour ago, I'm surprised to find that I can still smell this on my wrist. The warmth of chocolate is particularly distinct, but the overall fragrance is much the same. After 4 1/2 hours: A weak but pleasant note of chocolate lingers on. Verdict: I don't like foody perfumes, but I really like this feminine scent. The florals balance the chocolate out beautifully, making it a nice all-purpose fragrance. The scent stays quite consistent - all of the changes I've mentioned are subtle - until so late in drydown that it is virtually gone anyway. My rating: 4 stars