Donnababe

First Sniff Sweet gorgeousness..... Drydown Very much like Haunted, perhaps a little softer. This is beautiful. After a While No change at all. Just lovely. Mellow, warm and comforting. Final Verdict Gorgeous. Perhaps a little similar to Haunted for a big bottle but I'm certain I'll buy further imps for layering duty.

First Sniff OK, crazily this is the first BPAL which has made me moan with pleasure! This is top quality milk chocolate teased with hazlenuts..... Drydown No more hazlenuts and more of a cocoa dusting rather than milk chocolate. After a While This has not altered at all since the drydown. This has very good staying power. Final Verdict Not cloying or sweet but not for me. I just don't think I can pull this kind of scent off. I had better success with Velvet. Perhaps I will try layering before I swap.

First Sniff Smoke and spice. Drydown A creamy floral is trying to peek through but it's being overshadowed by a fruity spicy waft of smoke. After a While Oh my. I'm finding the fruity smokiness of this *way* too strong and cloying. I'm guessing here but I think it's the orange that's the culprit. I'll try to wear this for the duration but if it says like this it'll be washed off. Final Verdict The cloying stage passed after an hour or so and the end result is nice but this one will be swapped. A pity as I had high hopes but at least my cashflow is eased (a teeny bit.)

First Sniff Sharp cool, greenery. Drydown Much the same but a tad sweeter. After a While I can smell the flowers now but it's impossible to pick out individual notes in this blend. This is still quite an aloof blend. I don't find this particularly inviting. Final Verdict This has grown on me a little, it's very pretty but I still don't find it warm enough if that makes sense. I will try again when perhaps my mood will be more forgiving. (Staying power - excellent)

First Sniff Sticky sweet fruit. Drydown Normally when there is jasmine in a blend it's the first thing I notice, at the moment I cannot find any whatsoever. This is a sweet scent of berries (I'm guessing from the Osmanthus) and a gentle candied rose. After a While Very little change from the drydown. Below average lasting power. Final Verdict I do like this but perhaps not quite enough for a big bottle. It's just a touch too sweet and the lastability of a scent is almost always a factor for me.

First Sniff Lime fruit gums. Drydown The lime faded within a minute or so and the jasmine took over. It's a nice sweet jasmine but that's all I can smell now. After a While Very little change from the drydown. Poor lasting power. Final Verdict I was excited by this initially but it turned into a Nothing Special. Pity

First Sniff Sticky, sweet lemon. Drydown This is a lot sweeter than I expected, at the moment it's a bit much. The lemon is dominant but there is a hint of tea. After a While This predictably faded very quickly, and all I got was a sickly lemon curd smell and no trace of leather. Final Verdict I'm really disappointed. I thought I would adore this one given all the glowing reviews. I may give it another go in the hope of detecting the leather but I fear it's destined to be swapped.

First Sniff Sweet custard. This is going to be interesting... Drydown Much to my relief the custard smell disappears after a minute or two on my skin. The vanilla is not cloying or sickly. The spices are there, faint and lovely. After a While This is a warm and very inviting smell. I'm reminded of pie crusts or danish pastries yet bizarrely I don't find this overly foody on me. Final Verdict This has crazy lasting power. I applied this mid afternoon and I could still smell it when I awoke the next day. By that stage hubby said it was a tad Play Doh-ie but luckily I didn't get that association. I'm so surprised by this one, I really didn't think I would like it. Vanilla is normally far too sickly but I find this so warm and beautiful. Thank you to Femke for the imp! I'm seriously considering a 5ml.

First Sniff Sage and lemon. Drydown Whilst I'm not too keen on the bitter sage, I love the Lemon Tea aroma this has. It's great for a sunny day like today. After a While Very much the same and a lovely 'Boiled sweet' lemon-ness but this fades far too quickly. Final Verdict Very nice, I'll certainly use the imp but probably won't get a bigger size.

First Sniff Warm amber with a polished 'bite'. No, make that a nip! Drydown This is my beloved Haunted with a hint of wood. After a While It mellowed after a time but otherwise not much change. Final Verdict Very nice but probably too similiar to Haunted for a big bottle.

First Sniff Greenery. Drydown More green than floral with a sharp aquatic feel. After a While The floral note does get stronger but I can't pick out the individual flowers and can't shake the aquatic element. It's weird how I don't smell any wood at all. Final Verdict Too harsh and sharp for me, I prefer warming, sensuous blends. Sadly, this does little for me.

First Sniff Sweet almonds. Drydown Slightly fruity (like boiled sweets) and syrupy sweet. After a While The white wine comes through quite strongly but it's basically the same. Final Verdict It's OK, but not a favourite.

First Sniff Sharp greens and a touch of lavender. Not as expected. Drydown This is much greener than I expected. It smells 'dry' and cold. No sign of rose or musk. Lots of frankincense. After a While Frankincense and at last, rose. It's warmed up a lot and feels so much more sensual now. Final Verdict I was ready to throw this into the swap pile until the rose made it's beautiful appearance. It's so soft and gorgeous. I really like this but will need to go through my new rosy faves before I make a decision about big bottles. (I so want one though....)

First Sniff Jasmine. Drydown I have no idea what magnolias smell like but I think I can smell them over the jasmine. It's a rich, smooth smell that banishes the initial sharpness that I usually hate before jasmine dries on my skin. I can catch a hint of rose, but only just. This is a light scent that reminds me of Pele. After a While Other than the fact that it faded quite quickly this hasn't changed at all. Final Verdict I really like this. I may have to compare this with Pele before I decide to buy a bigger quantity but it's a bottle of tranquil loveliness.

First Sniff Melting butter and hazlenuts. Drydown More butter and a hint of praline... A burnt caramel smell and a bitter chocolate hit......This one is very very strong and I only applied a little. Final Verdict Really not me. At all. I had to wash it off after half an hour, the sticky caramel/coco smell made me feel terrible (even my son said it was stinky. ). I wanted to like it but it's far too foody, smelling like a rich brownie is something that does not work for me. I've a feeling I'm going to have a similiar reaction to Bliss. I hope not.

First Sniff Strong, cool florals. Drydown I don't have a cule about what these flowers are meant to smell like. It's not a warm, or sensual fragrance like jasmine can be, it's a sharper, crisper note. The aquatic feel is coming through strongly. At the moment it's bit overpowering, like the feeling you get in your nose if you sniff flowers a bit too closely. After a While Just the same but not quite so heady. Final Verdict Really not me. I'm afraid I 'do not do' aquatic scents at all, they're always sharp and brash on me.

First Sniff Floral ginger! Not aggressive at all. Strangely alluring actually. Drydown Immediately on the skin it was delicious gingerbread, it's the bakery smell I was hoping for. After a few seconds the wet jasmine took over. I don't like wet jasmine. After a While Thankfully when the jasmine dries off Siren is lovely. The 'bite' from the ginger doesn't last long enough for me but it's still a bakery smell. The jasmine stops it from being overly foody. There maybe a touch of apricot and vanilla here but as it's such a smooth blend it's hard to pick out. Oddily though every now and again I get a hit of coconut! Final Verdict Very different. I like this a lot but I'm not sure I can pull it off. I look forward to trying it again. PS The colour of this oil is wonderful!

First Sniff Musty fruit - oranges. Next sniff, berries. Drydown It's like fermenting fruit. It's a lot darker than I expected it to be. The orange is dominant. After a While The raspberry is here! It's sharp and juicy and gives the scent a much brighter feel. Final Verdict A little too dark and brooding at the beginning. I much prefer Jester.

First Sniff Cucumbers! Drydown The cucumber/melon note is still the main note here. There is a sharp green smell which is possibly the ivy. I'm not familiar with any of the components here though. After a While It's a clean smell now. Not much greenery. Final Verdict Quiet and comforting. Maybe more imps in future.

Bat-winged, flame-eyed, and possessed of an unearthly, perfect beauty: the Daughters of Lilith, the Succubi, invade the dreams of men and lie with them in rapturous, unholy sexual union. The scent of their skin is bittersweet, dusky and terminally seductive. Mimosa, orange blossom, neroli and bergamot with a drop of sweet clove. First Sniff Hard to pin down... it's like aniseed, but not quite. Very bitter and aggressive. Drydown I can't stop sniffing myself. But I don't like what I'm smelling... I'm getting a dust like smell (think that's bergamot) with a hint of orange. This is going to sound odd but I'm finding this scent quite unsettling, almost creepy. I'm not sure how long I'll be wearing it. After a While The orange gets juicier as time goes on. The scent is more appealing now but I don't think I'll be able to wear this one because of how if feels early on. Final Verdict Not for me. The early stages freak me out too much. Pity.

First Sniff Juicy, red, fruit pulp. Drydown When it hit my skin initially it was just rose. Now the fruit is gradually peeking through. After a While Sweet rose and dribbles of sharp fruit juice. Final Verdict Very nice, but not 'stunning' enough for a big bottle.

First Sniff Very little aroma, it's very creamy. Drydown After applying this I panicked. I could hardly smell anything at all and I put lots on. From time to time I get clouds of a lovely sweet, clean smell. It's very light but it's there. I cannot stop sniffing myself! Hmmm.. I applied along my wrists and arms and placed a dash on my upper wrist (where you'd wear a watch.) I get the sweeter smell along my wrist and arms and a gingery note from my upper wrist! After a While Fading fast but still wonderful. Final Verdict I didn't know what to expect here as I was unaware of any of the notes but was eager to try it due to the reviews. As luck would have it Beth kindly included this as a freebie. Please forgive me for rambling but this is now my favourite BPAL! It's strange because it fades very quickly on me but I simply must have more and it's going to be 10ml! Gothabillywench has it exactly right, it's vintage lingerie. Or perhaps a really good quality expensive soap. I can smell rich, luxurious, silken lather. I love, love, LOVE it. Thank you Beth!

First Sniff Slightly sharp incense and resin. Drydown Well well...it maybe my screwed body chemistry but I can't smell the sweetness of Dragon's Blood Resin at all here. At the moment it's just musk and a 'dust on wood' feel. After a While There's a slight creaminess now but it's basically the same. Final Verdict Nice enough but no hints of fig or blackcurrant. As I suspect my hormones might be playing games I shall try it again in a few days.

First Sniff Lavender and grapefruit. Interesting.... Drydown A sharpness of citrus again, (but no redcurrant yet) and a whirl of sweet flowers that are too well blended to name. Liking it so far. After a While A touch of redcurrant, but only if I really sniff my wrists. Still floral and citrussy. Final Verdict Lasting power on this one is poor. The scent is nice but not nice enough for a big bottle.

First Sniff Almonds? Curse my stupid nose. After Application Creamy milk and spicy carnation. There is a touch of honey but it isn't overpowering. Drydown Aaaah, here come the roses! After a While It's a bunch of pink roses with a dash of white carnations swooning nearby. Final Verdict The scent has almost gone now but the final stage of Alice for me is a beautiful milky rose. I do find the middle stage a bit overpowering but it's nowhere near unpleasant. It's the palest, prettiest pink, it makes me smile and I need more......