Ghost of a Rose

In the imp: Oil is clear and a light, bright yellow color. The fragrance is berry and a gorgeous true orange blossom. On me, wet: Right at first, it's the same as in the imp. After a few moments, the berry takes charge, and I can also detect a note of the other florals. The rose is not a strong presence - it's there, but it blends in rather than being a specific note like the orange blossom is. This is more berry than floral, but the florals are strong enough to keep it from being foody. After 10 minutes: The berry continues to strengthen, and is turning a little plastic-y. Berry scents always do that on my skin. The florals are fading, but there is still an undertone of realistic fresh petals. After 30 minutes: Alas, now pretty much all (slightly pastic-y) berry. Nice enough, but it's the vanished florals I really love. They haven't disappeared completely, but almost. After 1 hour: Same as above. After 2 hours: All berry. After 4 hours: A whiff of berry remains, with faint spicy undertones of frankincense and sandalwood. After 5 hours: Almost gone. Verdict: I'm in ecstasy for the first 10 minutes, but then it turns foody (berry.) Based on the skin test, I won't be needing a full vial, although I will keep and use the imp. I'm going to try it in my perfume locket to see if the initial gorgeous orange-blossom-with-other-florals note will last longer. In the perfume locket: At first, it's a beautiful fragrance of the mingled flowers, more equally balanced than in the imp or on my skin. The orange blossom can be detected, but to my disappointment, it isn't the leading note that it was in the imp and wet on my skin. Maybe it will come out more with time. Berry is present, but behaves itself as a discreet background note. After 30 minutes: Yay, the orange blossom is indeed now the main note, and as gorgeously realistic as it was in the imp! After 1 hour: Orange blossom still holding strong . . . this is convincing me that I do "need" a bottle after all . . . After 4 hours: Same as above. After 6 hours: Now a lovely mix of all three floral notes, with a hint of the berry. After 24 hours: The same, but now with the addition of the incense notes. In the locket, this is beautiful at all times. The berry is there to add accent, but doesn't overwhelm the other scents. Apparently it was my skin that amped the berry. My rating: 3 stars on my skin 5 stars in the perfume locket

My imp is a decant from the lovely PhantasmMystera. In the imp: The oil is a light, bright yellow color with a golden-brown sediment at the bottom - mix well before using. The scent does remind me of snow, clean linen, and maybe some citrus? It's difficult to pin down, but lovely. On me, wet: A camphoraceous note (eucalyptus? or pine?) comes out right away, that I didn't get in the imp. It's sharp, but not overpoweringly so, and it blends quite nicely with the citrus-y note. The linen is here, too, although to me it smells freshly-washed-and-ironed rather than dusty. So far I'm not noticing any rose, although there's something here that's more feminine that the pine and citrus would indicate. After 10 minutes: Ah, there's the rose, beautifully complementing the clean linen and pine. There's still that fruity note that is either too faint or too unusual to identify as lemon, grapefruit, orange, etc - just a gentle impression of citrus. I notice that one reviewer mentioned red berry - that could be another possibility. It's too subtle to tell for sure. After 20 minutes: All of the same notes are still present, but the clean linen one is quickly taking over. It isn't a generic fabric softener scent - something very similar, but so much nicer. The other notes add some gorgeous nuances. I don't get any dust note at all, and the rose is very delicate, fading into the background of the clean linen scent. After 30 minutes: The camphoraceous pine is gone, leaving the exceptionally beautiful clean linen blended fragrance. There is something about this that is indeed very pure and innocent, evocative of a little girl. In fact, a little girl could wear this, but somehow it's not too childish for a grown woman. It doesn't make me think of the little match girl, though (one of my favorite stories as a child - it always made me cry.) This little girl is cared for very well indeed - tenderly and lovingly, with her clothes so freshly washed and ironed. After 1 hour: Same as above, but lighter. From then on, the fragrance remains consistent as it gradually fades away. The longevity is about average for a BPAL. This is going on my wishlist for a full bottle! My rating: 4 stars

My imp is a decant from the lovely PhantasmMystera. In the imp: Honey, fig, and patchouli are what I smell in the imp. Maybe with a bit of rose. On me, wet: On me, I smell the same notes from the imp, and the jasmine as well. For once, the jasmine doesn't take over like it usually tends to do. All of the notes are superbly balanced and blend together very beautifully. I don't notice the almond, unless it might be the almond flower rather than the nut (and the adjective "white" leads me to think that it is, since all almond nuts are the same color as far as I know.) After 10 minutes: The throw has already lightened up considerably, and the notes are merging into a designer fragrance in which it is difficult to identify any specific ingredients except a mild jasmine (slightly soapy, as jasmine always is.) So jasmine did emerge as the primary note, but not in such strength that it cancels everything else out. Besides the blended designer scent and the jasmine, I can also pick out just a touch of patchouli if I think about it. This is an intriguing and very unique floral perfume, difficult to describe. After 20 minutes: Jasmine is still the main identifiable note, but as it fades I can again detect the honey and fig. There's a pleasant, almost clove-like, spiciness from the patchouli. I can notice rose if I really try, but mostly it blends in with the jasmine. The same may be true for the white almond - I can't tell since I don't know what almond flowers smell like. It is elegant, ethereal, and light - perfect for something like a tea party or church. After 30 minutes: Same as above. After 1 hour: Enough of the jasmine (and other florals) is gone that the honey and fig notes are now equal to it. After 3 hours: The jasmine and most of the other notes have evaporated, leaving the honey and fig. After 9 hours: There is still a distinct presence of a beautiful, natural, honey scent. Verdict: Very amiable and lovely! And long-lasting as well. I do want to get a full bottle. My rating: 4 stars

My imp is a decant from the lovely PhantasmMystera. In the imp: The oil is clear and is a beautiful and unusual pinkish-copper color. My initial impression of the scent is peppery mums and carnations, with dry leaves. On me, wet: For the first few seconds, it is the same as in the imp. Then the rose note shows up and the scent becomes sweeter. There is a nice equal balance between the peppery florals/leaves and the sweeter rose. After 4 minutes: This blend changes quickly in the first few minutes. Now the rose, together with the clean white linen, is dominating. But the peppery flowers are holding their own. After 15 minutes: Now the peppery mums and carnations have taken over, especially the mums. There's even that slight skunkiness that mums have - maybe it's the skin musk. The clean linen in the background balances that. After 20 minutes: In another sudden change, the overall fragrance is quickly turning perfumey. It's clean linen/perfumey, with the peppery flowers still there in the background. The skunkiness/skin musk was short-lived and is now completely gone. After 30 minutes: Pretty much the same, except that the notes are now blending more, and the bit of peppery sharpness is settling down. Both of these things make the fragrance seem softer. I can detect the skin musk again just a little, and now also a very faint hint of clove from the carnations. After 1 hour: This just keeps on getting lovelier. It's now mostly perfumey clean linen, perhaps with some rose and definitely some clove-like carnation which keeps this from smelling anything remotely like dryer sheets. The peppery mum is almost gone, and I'm starting to pick up the first wisps of the amber bottom note. After 2 hours: The same beautiful scent, but faded. After 3 hours: Very subtle, clean linen and amber. After 4 hours: Pretty much gone. Verdict: Interesting and unusual floral scent that gets better and better as it lingers on my skin. It doesn't go through the dramatic total changes that some blends do, but it is constantly changing in smaller ways, veering back and forth like a teeter-totter from one note to another. Although not an absolute top priority, I would really like to get a full bottle if I can afford it. My rating: 4 stars

Wild hemlock and juniper berries scattered in the snow beneath leafless trees bedecked with glittering icicles. My 2011 imp is a decant from Mellifluous. In the imp: Oil is an orangey-brown, and contains threads of brown sediment - mix well before using. It smells like juniper berries with pine. On me, wet: When exposed to air (on the wand and on my skin), the scent becomes much sharper - a pungent, balsamic pine. It does smell like an evergreen forest in the cold of winter. After 10 minutes: Pine and juniper. There's something else, but it is so overpowered by the evergreens that I can't smell it enough to identify it. Maybe something a little foody? Perhaps it's the vanilla that some reviewers have mentioned. After 20 minutes: The sharpness is settling down, which allows the mystery note to come out just a little more. It's almost cake-like, with some vanilla and sweetness. And maybe a bit of fruit. It reminds me of pineapple upside-down cake. Yeah: Christmas tree and juniper berries, with a hint of pineapple upside-down cake. Strange, but pleasant enough. After 30 minutes: The same. This is a unisex blend, leaning towards the masculine. At about 45 minutes: The pine and juniper notes vanished very suddenly and almost completely! The scent is now all vanilla and pineapple upside-down-cake, and thus unisex rather than masculine. How interesting is that? It's a bit plastic-y - like artificially-scented plastic toys, but my skin always does that to vanilla and fruity notes. After 1 1/2 hours: All vanilla with a hint of pineapple. Not even a trace of the evergreens remains. After 2 1/2 hours: A gentle and plastic-y vanilla note lingers. Verdict: This is two perfumes in one. For the first 45 minutes, it's a masculine Woods in Winter. Then it totally transforms, into a foody vanilla and pineapple-upside-down cake scent. Neither one is really my kind of thing (I prefer feminine florals), but this is pleasant enough, especially the evergreen top notes. I'm not sure how the cake scent relates to the concept of Woods in Winter, but never mind. The initial fragrance is so evocative of winter, and the transformation so intriguing, that this deserves four stars at least. I don't need a bottle, but I will keep and use the imp. My rating: 4 stars

My imp of the 2011 version is a decant from Mellifluous. In the imp: Oil is clear and a golden yellow. There are traces of a brownish sediment at the bottom of the imp - mix well before using. It smells exactly like its color: butterscotch hard candies. "Way too foody for me," is my first impression. On me, wet: Still butterscotch candy, although the scent is a bit more complex and nuanced on my skin. I can pick out the grapes and pomegranate in the background. As it dries, the butterscotch begins to fade and I can better smell the fruits and especially the cake. After 10 minutes: This has morphed a lot in the last 10 minutes. The butterscotch is gone. The foodiness has toned down considerably, and I am beginning to pick up the non-foody notes of myrrh, frankincense, and olive leaves. I like it better now. After 20 minutes: The incenses and leaves are now balancing out the cake and fruits nicely. The spiciness of the frankincense is evident, which livens up the blend. After 30 minutes: The cake, myrrh, and frankincense notes have merged seamlessly into an unusual designer scent in which it is difficult to identify any particular note. Nice! It has already faded into a more subtle, lean-in-close kind of perfume. After 1 hour: Not foody at all anymore. The frankincense has developed a gentle bite of spiciness which is stronger than the food notes. But it's still a designer blend rather than an incense-y one. The cake note serves to tone down the incense, and the overall effect is unusual and quite lovely. After 2 hours: Delicate and perfumey, with incense notes. Verdict: I'm glad I gave this a chance. I liked it much better than I thought I would, based on my initial impression of overwhelming foodiness. The foodiness lightens up considerably after the first 20 minutes, and from then on this is quite nice. I don't need a bottle (I'm more of a florals person), but I'll keep and enjoy the imp. Reminder to myself - don't wear this in the scent locket! I don't want to smell like butterscotch candy all day! My rating: 2 stars for the first 10 minutes 4 stars after 20 minutes on my skin

This perfume is a traditional Roman Catholic sacramental incense, most often used during a Solemn Mass. Traditionally, five tears of this incense, each encased individually in wax that has been fashioned into the shape of a nail, are inserted into the paschal candle. This is, of course, represents the Five Wounds of Our Risen Savior. Symbolically, the burning of the incense signifies spiritual fervor, the fragrance itself inspires virtue, and the rising smoke carries our prayers to God. My imp is a decant from Mellifluous. ETA: I have the 2011 version. In the imp: Oil is clear and a dark orange color, like medium-dark amber. It smells (surprise, surprise) like incense, perhaps with a touch of patchouli. On me, wet: The scent is warm and dignified. Besides the hint of patchouli, there is also a very faint trace of pine or some such balsamic note, and some sweetness that is almost floral. I don't recognize this incense at all - it is something completely unfamiliar to me (having been raised as a Protestant.) I have been to Christmas Eve Midnight Mass services a couple of times, as well as funeral masses, but don't remember anything like this. Nor have I smelled anything similar in headshops or with any of the many kinds of incense I've burned at home. I am surprised that I don't detect the familiar notes of frankincense and myrrh. Very intriguing. And yes, it does evoke a spiritual mood. As if it should not be worn casually, but reserved for sacred occasions and rituals. After 10 minutes: The sweetness/floral note has strengthened. In fact, this is considerably sweeter and more flowery than most incense, even ones with floral names. It's almost cloying. It's possibly rose, but strange - something quite different from the typical tea rose scent. It makes me think yellow rose. Thirty years ago I used to have a fragrance oil that smelled exactly like this, and I think it was called Yellow Rose. And perhaps there's another floral as well: could it be lily? - the heavy scent of funeral wreaths? It has an aspect approaching the sweetness of decay. This is not at all what I expected! After 20 minutes: I don't smell the incense, patchouli, or pine-like notes at all anymore, just the heavy floral sweetness. It makes me think of a funeral mass rather than the Christmas Eve Midnight Mass. After 30 minutes: The cloying sweetness has settled down, and now it smells more like natural flowers. There's still a faint undertone of rankness, but that is a characteristic of real lilies. The flowers do make sense (if I'm right about what they are), since both roses and lilies are associated with the Virgin Mary, and lilies with funerals as well. After 1 hour: Same as above. This is still a floral perfume rather than an incense-y one. After 1 hour and 15 minutes: Ah, now I'm finally picking up the spiciness of frankincense. It provides a very lovely balance to the flowers. After 3 hours: A gentle note of incense remains. There is no trace left of the florals. Verdict: This blend has special kind of beauty that is heavy and somber. It's not a perfume to be used casually, or for work. Florals are my favorite fragrances, but even for me this is a little overpowering for about the first 30 minutes. But the concept of a most solemn and formal religious occasion is superbly realized, and this would be perfect for such an event. Use sparingly. I don't recommend wearing this in a perfume locket (due to the strength and because it is enhanced by time on the skin.) It might be amazing in an oil warmer, as a room or altar scent for rituals and other spiritual practice. Will I get a full bottle? Yes, if I can afford it. It's not one of my top priorities, but I would like a bottle if possible. My rating: 4 stars

My imp is from a decant circle. I'm glad I got the chance to try this before springing for the price of a full bottle! In the imp: Vanilla and white flowers. It's kind of a strange combination - the sweetness of the vanilla gives the florals a hint of the sweetness of decay that makes this seem the tiniest bit skanky to me. Like cut flowers that have been in the vase too long and are starting to brown and wilt. On me, wet: Slightly less sweet on me, but otherwise the same. After 10 minutes: Leaning away from the florals and more towards the vanilla. I know that this is one of BPL's most popular scents, and I usually adore florals, so maybe it's just me, but I don't like this all that much. That tinge of rankness bothers me. And I'm not a fan of vanilla, either. After 15 minutes: The scent has picked up some coconut and maybe a breath of pineapple, but is still mostly vanilla with an undertone of florals. And it has become super plastic-y, without losing any of that note of sweet decay. After 30 minutes: Little change. If anything, the note of decay has strengthened and developed a musty aspect. There's some of the marzipan that others have mentioned. It reminds me of being on a diet where I had to drink skim milk every day. I don't like milk - especially skim - so I flavored it with Equal sweetener and almond extract to make it bearable. Not a great memory. It was okay, but I'd so rather have skipped the milk and had some real marzipan instead. This gives me that same sense of artificial almond flavor. After 4 hours: The skanky note is completely gone, and most of the plastic smell as well; leaving a scent that is now 100% pleasant, but also 100% foody since the floral note has also vanished. It's mostly vanilla and coconut, with some marzipan and a hint of pineapple. After 8 hours: No further change as it gradually fades away. There is still some fragrance left on my wrist. Verdict: I don't like this. Too foody, and with that skanky "off" note as well. I won't be wearing it, but I think I will keep the imp for future reference. My rating: 1 star

My imp is a decant from the lovely Mellifluous. In the imp: Oil is clear and a dark golden yellow with a pinkish tint. The scent is woody, with a balsamic tang and a bit of peppery sharpness. It does smell amazingly like dry leaves - more of Beth's voodoo magic! On me, wet: Right at first, I get a touch of the fruitiness of the currant, which is unusual in that it isn't at all sweet or foody. Then there is the woody/balsamic/peppery fragrance that I noticed in the imp, in equal balance. This is a highly unusual and very intriguing blend. After 10 minutes: Pretty much the same, although it is settling down and losing some of the sharpness. The dominant note now is the balsamic woodiness. After 20 minutes: The same, except now with a whiff of smoke as well. I'm betting there's some vetiver in here. After 30 minutes: The currant note is becoming more defined as the woodiness settles down. But the lack of sweetness prevents this from being anywhere near a fruity scent. After 1 hour: I don't notice the currant anymore. But now there's a distinct note of cinnamon, which goes beautifully with the wood and smoke already present. The wood is mellower, having lost the pine/balsam sharpness entirely. I'm liking this even more. It's a holiday type of scent, rather than the dry leaves it was before. It has moved from autumn to winter - brilliant! After 2 hours: Cinnamon is the star, followed by wood and a touch of smoke. After 3 hours: Mostly cinnamon. After 5 hours: The cinnamon note is still noticeably there. Verdict: This is an interesting unisex fragrance at all stages, and is a brilliant concept that succeeds to an amazing extent. I like it best after the first hour, once the cinnamon note kicks in to warm up the scent and invoke a holiday spirit and pleasant memories. It's worth the price of a bottle. My rating: 4.5 stars

My imp is a decant from the lovely Mellifluous. In the imp: Oil is clear and is an unusual pinkish-orange color. The scent is a beautiful floral with a touch of redwood and currant. On me, wet: I smell the floral note first, then in just a few seconds the redwood kicks in as the strongest note, with the floral running at a close second. I can also detect the clove. This is beautiful! - an unusual floral perfume. I'm already smelling a bottle in my future . . . After 15 minutes: Peach blossom and clove, so gorgeous. After 30 minutes: Clove is now the primary note, with redwood second and the floral in the background together with a hint of fruitiness from the currant. After 1 hour: Already quite subtle. Clove, floral, a little currant. With just a touch of tobacco and musk. After 2 hours: Almost gone. All that remains is a breath of clove. Verdict: In spite of the tobacco, hemp, and spice, this is a feminine scent due to the predominance of the floral note. It is beautiful and unique, but doesn't last long on the skin. Reapply often, or wear a scent locket. My full bottle has already been ordered! My rating: 5 stars

My imp is a decant from the lovely PhantasmMystera. In the imp: ZOMG, love at first whiff! . . . An utterly gorgeous floral fragrance with honeysuckle and magnolia in the forefront and rose in the background. (I don't know what the other flowers smell like, so I can't ID them.) And just sweet enough without being too sweet. Swoon-worthy perfection! On me, wet: The rose is strongest at first, and within seconds the other florals kick in to create a heavenly balanced blend. This is going on my "Very Top Faves" shortlist right now. After 10 minutes: No change. This is not overpoweringly strong, as can sometimes happen with an all-florals blend. It is sheer elegance and femininity. It makes me think of the American South, especially sultry summer evenings in New Orleans - that must be the magnolia and honeysuckle. After 30 minutes: Magnolia is now the star, although the other flowers are still present as well. The scent has already become fairly subtle. After 1 hour: As lovely as ever. After 2 hours: Almost gone. Verdict: Drop-dead gorgeous floral fragrance. But short-lived on the skin - reapply often or wear it in a scent locket. I MUST have a full bottle of this. And hopefully even a couple of extra bottles for backup if I can afford it . . . My rating: 5+ stars

My imp of Yule 2011 is a decant from Mellifluous. In the imp: Oil is clear and a bright, vibrant, golden yellow. The scent is pleasant and very complex, with an unidentifiable sweet fragrance right at first, and then the piney note of juniper and an undertone of incense. On me, wet: The juniper dominates, with a lemony scent - probably the verbena - coming in second. Lemon Pine Sol cleanser does come to mind, but this is less pungent and far more complex, although I can't specifically identify any of the other notes. After 10 minutes: The lemon has edged out the juniper for first place, but this isn't your typical fruity lemon scent. It has a dry, woody aspect. That could partly be the juniper influencing it, but there's something else as well - perhaps the hemp and/or the thyme? I don't know what holly berry or mistletoe smell like, so I can't tell if I'm smelling those. There may be a very subtle nuance of florals, but this is not at all a floral-type fragrance; and I don't notice any rose at all. After 20 minutes: Pretty much the same. The lemon is developing a tiny hint of spiciness that may be the frankincense kicking in. After 30 minutes: The spiciness I noted earlier has now turned a bit rank and musty, but it's faint enough not to make the overall scent (which is still mostly lemon) unpleasant. After 1 hour: It's almost a chemical smell now, something like the smell of new vinyl, although the lemon and juniper are still perceptible if I think about it. As is the thyme, now. After 1 1/2 hours: Not so chemical anymore, but still kind of strange. Juniper and thyme, with a bit of lemon verbena. After 2 hours: Same as above. After 3 hours: Nothing left but a ghostly trace of frankincense. Verdict: Unisex. It's pleasant enough, but not really my thing. It doesn't smell like the Yule season to me, due to the lemon which I associate with summer. It brings up images of drinking lemonade during summer picnics in the juniper forests of northern Arizona. I liked it best during the first 10 minutes, when the juniper was the main note rather than the lemon. I'll have to try it in the scent locket, to extend the juniper top note. My rating: 3 and a half stars

My imp is a decant from the lovely Alethia. In the imp: Clear, colorless oil. The scent is mostly a buttery vanilla, with a little rose. On me, wet: The rose note comes out more strongly on my skin, which I like. Right now, the rose and vanilla/butter notes are about equal. I'm not sure I like the combination, it's a little plastic-y. I'll see what happens. On me, just dried: The rose becomes more and more dominant as the oil dries. I'm really liking this a lot now. The rose is very fresh and natural - so as it takes over, the plastic note is fading into the background. This doesn't seem like a chilly scent at all to me. The vanilla and butter make it seem warm and cozy. After 10 minutes: I really love this now. The rose and vanilla have achieved a lovely balance, with rose as the main note. After 20 minutes: The fresh rose has lightened up, making this plastic-y again. After 1 hour: Alas, all plastic. It doesn't smell like either rose or vanilla. A couple of days later: When I tried this in the scent locket . . . violá, no plastic. The plastic-y note was clearly an artifact of of my skin chemistry. I loved this in the locket! The fresh rose scent was stronger and longer-lasting, with the vanilla as more of an accent rather than a main note, which made the overall fragrance less foody and thus much more appealing to me. In the locket, the scent that I had loved on my skin at the 10-minute mark, was retained for the entire day. This might be a bottle-worthy blend after all - for wearing in the scent locket rather than on my skin. My rating: On my skin - 2 stars In the scent locket - 4 and a half stars Later ETA: BTW, I wrote and posted my review (as always) before reading any of the other reviews, and was very amused to see that the review above mine (strahlend's) says almost exactly the same thing as my first impression!

In the vial: The scent is herbal and green - oak leaves - with wood. On me, wet: Right at first, it is sharp, medicinal, and camphoraceous - like eucalyptus. With a whiff of vanilla in the background. After 15 minutes: The eucalyptus quickly disappeared as the oil dried. It now is already completely gone, and with it, the sharpness and medicinal smell. Now the fragrance is sweeter and warmer. Wood, vanilla, hazelnut, a little earth and decay (just a touch of vetiver?) The wood note here is fairly soft. The hazelnut and vanilla are the primary notes. After 30 minutes: Pretty much the same, a bit more smoky. The notes are beautifully balanced. This is a lovely scent for cold weather. After 1 hour: Vanilla, earth, and wood; in that order of strength. After 2 hours: Same as above, but rather faint. Verdict: I really like this a lot, it is my favorite of the Lunacy blends so far. There's just something about the way the notes combine so beautifully together. And it keeps getting better and better as time goes by on the skin, until it wears off. I didn't any of the berry note at all, that some reviewers have mentioned. Which is a good thing - I don't think I would like that in this blend. My rating: 4 and a half stars

In the vial: Rose geranium and lemon verbena. Or lemon rose geranium. It smells like an aromatherapy blend rather than a perfume oil, as would be expected. On me, wet: More lemon, less rose. There is a slightly camphoraceous note hovering in the background - partly geranium and possibly something else as well. There's also an herbal characteristic to it. It's pleasant enough to be able to wear in public as a perfume, although personally I would prefer more rose and less lemon. After 20 minutes: The rose comes out a little more once it dries, although lemon remains the dominant note by far. It is an herbal lemon - lemon verbena or lemongrass or lemon rose geranium - rather than the lemon fruit. Although lemon isn't one of my favorite notes for a perfume, it seems very appropriate here, due to the association with the Sun. After 30 minutes: Much the same, but the lemon is becoming softer, which makes me like it more and more. There is another floral note in the background that I really like, but like the rose, it's very subtle. There may be a touch of mint. And maybe a whisper of amber. After 1 hour: I really like this now. The lemon has blended in more with the other notes and the scent is now much more complex. An incensey note has come out - the amber I noted earlier and perhaps also some frankincense. After 2 hours: Almost gone. A faint lingering whisper of amber, incense, and lemon. My rating: 4 stars

In the imp: Oil is clear and colorless. It smells exactly like men's cologne - so much so that I can't distinguish any individual notes. Men's colognes haven't changed much in the past 300 years, apparently! On me, wet: Pretty much the same, but I am getting a sense of fresh herbal greenness and orange blossom, maybe a bit of musk. Just slightly less sharp than department store men's colognes (which is a good thing in my book.) Basically a typical, generic, men's cologne. On me, just dried: Now a definite green note is evident - rosemary and moss. Some geranium, but no hint of rose to it. Just a little mint, but it's mostly providing sharpness rather than an actual minty fragrance. After 10 minutes: The same, a little softer. After 30 minutes: No change. After 1 hour: Still men's cologne, but most of the sharpness is gone. After 2 hours: Same as above. After 3 hours: Almost gone. Verdict: This all men's cologne, all of the way: too men's cologne-ish for me to actually wear. But I will keep the imp for its historical interest. I think my sons would like it, too, and I'll share it with them. It's very much like the fragrances that one of them favors. My rating: 3 stars

In the imp: Oil is clear, and brownish-golden in color. The scent is emphatically masculine: strong, dark, and metallic. On me, wet: There's something very sharp and camphoraceous in this. And maybe some patchouli and/or vetiver? Perhaps some kind of spice. Otherwise, nothing I recognize. And although it isn't a sweet scent overall, there's a note of cloying, almost skanky, beery, sweetness in the background. I totally get the dwarf connection. This is very unique - and appropriate to the concept - but I don't find it particularly pleasant. After 10 minutes: A rich soil note has come out quite strongly, which tempers the other notes and improves the scent quite a bit, and also makes it smell more leathery. But I still wouldn't wear this except maybe as a novelty. The spice is more evident. I think it's the spice and the the sharpness that gives so many reviewers the impression of men's cologne. After 30 minutes: Ah, much nicer now, and completely different from how it smelled at first and in the imp. Spice and fertile dark soil. A suggestion of smokiness. Most of the sharpness is gone, and it's now less aggressively male, more unisex. It's pleasant now, but still isn't really me, although I could wear it now and then for a change of pace. My adult son really likes it on me. After 1 hour: Now mostly spice, with a bit of smokiness and earth. After 1 hour and 15 minutes: The smokiness has taken over as the dominant scent, and the earth is mostly gone. There's still some spiciness. After 2 hours: Same as above. After 3 hours: It has become more men's cologney - Old Spice. After 10 hours: I can still smell it on my wrist. After 20 hours: I can still faintly detect it. Verdict: Ultra long-lasting, and I like all but the first 30 minutes of it. I think a guy might like it even more. Very dwarvish - especially during that first 30 minutes. Although I don't like the initial top notes, I'm still giving this a 4-star rating since that is such a small part of the life of the scent on my skin.

I love this, both the scent and the hair gloss formula! Gloss: When used on wet hair, this does add shine to my hair without making it look greasy. And the gloss helped to detangle it, too, when combing. My hair is very long 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 worked even when the detangler didn't. On wet hair, I can use much more without making my hair look greasy. (I used 8 sprays, for my very long hair.) This results in the scent being stronger and lasting longer. Like others, I've noticed that if I put it on dry hair, I should use much less to avoid a greasy look. One spritz into my hand for the right side of my hair, and one for the left side is enough, even with my long hair. Fragrance: Unisex. I like this even more than the Snake Oil one (no vanilla in this one.) I always like white sandalwood a lot, and the fig blends with it beautifully. The scent doesn't last as long as the Snake Oil one, though. Using it in greater amounts on wet hair helps, but even then it lasts no more than a day, and not nearly as long as the Snake Oil one. But if you wash your hair every day, that's long enough. My rating: 5 stars

In the vial: OMG, is this drop-dead gorgeous! Light, beautiful flowers, especially freesia, wisteria, camellia, and orange blossom. In spite of the name, the jasmine stays in the background. On me, wet: First the flowers, just as in the imp. After a few seconds, a green, herbal note develops. On me, just dried: It lightens up considerably, especially the florals; making the herbal note more prominent. After 15 minutes: Now the flowers are dominating again, but they are fairly light, not at all overpowering for such a heavily floral blend. This is bringing back vivid memories of a little frosted clear glass pot of a silky white cream (a cream perfume? a lotion?) that I adored many years ago. It might have even been something of my mom's, when I was a child. I thought it was the most beautiful thing I'd ever smelled. And I still think so, with this same scent from BPAL. After 30 minutes: Pretty much the same, but even lighter. After 1 hour: Same as above. After 3 hours: Pretty much gone. Verdict: A heavenly scent, for flower lovers only! This blend is consistent rather than a morpher. It changes only a little in the first 15 minutes, and after that, not at all. It's on my shortlist of top favorites. I have so many perfumes that I've never bought a backup bottle before, but I just have to get a couple backups of this, to make sure I don't run out if it should be discontinued. The throw doesn't last long on the skin, so slather it on, reapply often, or wear it in a scent locket if you want a stronger and longer-lasting throw. My rating: 5+ stars

In the vial: Wow, this is complex and very hard to describe, except to say that it is exotic, lovely, and sophisticated. I smell banana (fruit) first, but the incense, lilies, and candle wax kick in very quickly to keep it from being foody. The coconut (meat) is there, but very subtle. On me, wet: Much the same as in the imp, but with another note that I can't identify - it must be the betel nut. This is a little more foody than in the imp, but still not really a foody perfume, with the flowers and incense so prominent as well. After 10 minutes: Pretty much the same, except that I'm now also noticing a green/herbal note which must be the banana leaves. There's something in this that gives it almost a vanilla-like aspect, but it clearly isn't actual vanilla. After 20 minutes: The incense and candle wax are coming out more strongly, making the overall scent perfumey, elegant, and oriental. The other notes are still present, too. After 30 minutes: It hasn't changed much in the last 10 minutes except that the candle wax continues to strengthen and is now one of the most dominant notes. After 1 hour: The incense is the strongest note now, with the lilies in second place. All of these changes are pretty subtle - this fragrance doesn't really morph. Instead, different notes dominate at different times, but they are all there all of the time so it is always fairly consistent. After 1 1/2 hours: Naturally, since I said that, it did suddenly decide to change. Up close, the scent is now mostly candle wax. But the consistent scent is still there in the throw, and in the background when sniffed up close. After 2 hours: Back to the more consistent scent. Perhaps the temporary change was due to a change in the room temperature, which did occur before I adjusted the thermostat. After 3 hours: The scent is quite faint. After 4 hours: It is pretty much gone. BTW, this was an awesome match with the Fig and Sandalwood Hair Gloss (BPTP) that I also had on at the same time. The two scents have a similar mood to them, of incense and exotic fruits. My rating: 4 and a half stars

In the vial: Jasmine and honeysuckle first, then some black tea (yay! I've been ISO a true BPAL black tea scent, unsuccessfully until now) with a little nectarine. On me, wet: At first, I just get the strong florals. I love florals, so that would actually be fine with me. After a minute or so, the nectarine and black tea notes come in just a little. Which makes this even better - a bit of complexity and interest added to the florals. I can barely detect the rose - it's getting swamped (pun intended, haha - this is a New Orleans blend after all) by the stronger jasmine and honeysuckle. After 10 minutes: Honeysuckle is strongest, then jasmine, rose, and nectarine; in that order of strength. I'm not noticing the tea anymore. No clove or cedarwood so far. After 20 minutes: The overall scent is gentler, and the florals are blending together more equally. And I'm just starting to detect the teeniest hint of clove. After 30 minutes: Even more beautiful. The florals are now perfectly balanced into an elegant classic-style perfume, with a bit of nectarine. The clove is still barely there. After 1 hour: Same as above. There might be just a faint whisper of cedar in the background, but it's not really a definite note, more just a nuance. After 2 hours: Quite faded, and now mostly a generic classic perfume scent. After 3 hours: Same as above, very faint. Verdict: I wouldn't call this either a rose-based or a black tea-based blend, as neither have a strong presence. That is a little disappointing since those are my two favorite notes in this. But it's not a huge big deal, as this is a lovely and elegant floral perfume anyway. I want to try it in my scent locket to see if it would retain the black tea note longer. My rating: 4.5 stars (rounded to 5 in Stash Manager)

In the imp: Oil is clear, and is a deep reddish amber color. The scent is super-sweet honey, almost floral in character. On me: For a while, I mostly smelled the honey, with just a bit of vanilla and amber in the background. It is a golden-brown kind of scent, and so sweet that to my tastes it is a little cloying. But still pleasant, and all three of the notes complement each other beautifully. Later on in the drydown, the amber takes over as the dominant note and I like it even more. The vanilla is there, but is never the main note, which is another thing I like about this. The throw and longevity are about average for a BPAL. My rating: 4 stars

In the imp: Oil is clear and a light bright yellow color. It's a beautiful rain scent, with just the faintest nuance of mint - not sharp at all. On me, wet: A bit men's-cologney at first, but not aggressively so. Aquatic. Just a teeny bit of ozone. More minty than in the imp, but still not sharp or overpowering. On me, just dried: As this dries, it loses the men's-cologne note and out comes the gorgeous rain scent that I noticed in the imp. After 10 minutes: Very light, beautiful rain scent. The mint, men's cologne, and ozone are virtually gone, at least as discernible separate notes. (I can still get a faint minty/ozoney sharpness if I sniff my wrist really hard and really close.) This now reminds me of Love's Fresh Rain scent, which I loved as a teenager. After 20 minutes: Same as above. After 30 minutes: Extremely light and subtle rain scent. All of the mint and sharpness is gone now, although there is still the faintest whiff of ozone. After 1 hour: Pretty much gone. After 12 hours: This was so soft and light that I expected it to wear off quickly, and I thought it did. But as it turns out, I am surprised to realize that I can still smell it very faintly on my wrist. I would still reapply after 1 hour because it gets so weak, or wear it in a perfume locket. But it is interesting how long it actually lasted! Verdict: I love, love, love this; but it is very subtle and the throw is short-lived. Wear some in a perfume locket as well as on the skin for more throw and longevity. My rating: 5 stars

In the vial: This smells very grassy - green and herbal. It reminds me a lot of The Queen's Croquet Ground room spray from the Trading Post. On me, wet: Same as above. After 10 minutes: It has now developed notes of wood and a peppery spice. And . . . a very realistic dry leaves scent - how do they do that? The grass has taken a back seat to these new notes, but it is still a definite presence. After 20 minutes: Now completely dry, the scent has become much softer, and the wood note has developed a bit of smokiness. After 30 minutes: Smoky wood, dry leaves, and peppery spice. The grassy note is completely gone. After 1 hour: Rather faint, but still there. It's sweet, mostly smoky wood with a little pepper. After 2 hours: Pretty much gone. Verdict: I like this a lot, but it doesn't last very long. Wear it in a scent locket as well as on the skin. My rating: 4 stars

In the vial: I smell lavender and incense especially; also musk, and amber. On me, wet: The first thing I notice is the mild sweet fruitiness of fig. Then a bit of wood. Within a few minutes the lavender begins to come out. After 10 minutes: Mostly lavender, with a little musk and perhaps some violet; soapy but pleasant. After 20 minutes: Lavender incense. This is the truest, most realistic incense note I've smelled from BPAL (or in any perfume, for that matter.) It's the beautiful scent that incense has before you light it and the smokiness takes over. To me, the smoke never lives up to the fragrant promise of the unlit incense. This perfume vividly captures the best part. The incense note has become strong enough to counteract the soapiness that the scent had for a little while. After 1 hour: Softer, still lavender incense, with musk. After 2 hours: The scent is almost gone. Just the faintest whiff of amber and perhaps fig, is discernible. Verdict: This is a beautiful fragrance, but not a long-lasting one. I never did notice the black currant note. I can't tell if the ambergris was noticeable, since I don't know what it smells like. I'll wear this in my perfume locket to make it last longer. My rating: 4.5 stars