Meg

In the bottle: Pure citrus. I think there's lemon, but certainly not just that. It smells like lemon pips, actually, with a bitter side to it. Wet: Very much the same as in the bottle. It's citrusy, yellow and a bit green. Drydown: This doesn't morph much, and it really makes me think of an aromatherapy oil. It smells strongly of citrus, and also a bit green and slightly waxy, a bit like... glycerine soap. I think that there's orange in this as well as lemon, it's extremely zesty. There's also a touch of herbiness, possibly citronella and... I wonder if there isn't some honey. Overall: Well, it's full of energy, I'll grant it that! Unfortunately I don't really like the drydown. I thik it's citronella, and it smells a bit sickly. I think that it does give you energy, but for me it would probably work better in an oil burner, because on my skin all I get is citronella and it's not very nice. Pity.

In the bottle: Patchouli, red musk, vetiver and a hint of spice. Have I already mentioned I *hate* red musk? Wet: Mostly patchouli and a bit of cinnamon and... the red musk comes out, yet I don't retch. Drydown: This is very well blended. I can't make out the dragon's blood, but I think it lends a slightly spicy and resinous quality to the blend, and tones down the red musk. I can smell the vetiver on the edge of the blend as well as the patchouli, they ground it and also give it a bit of a "headshop" feel. I also get the cinnamon, which is a warm but bitter cinnamon. Not red hots, more like bark. Overall: I'm pleasantly surprised by this, at least in the beginning. The patchouli/vetiver/cinnamon mix is very pleasant indeed, and I'm not getting much dragon's blood. But... after a few minutes, red musk stomps *everything* down. It becomes rubbery, gross and unpleasant and kills all the other notes one by one, except for a tiny dash of cinnamon that stays on bravely, and a bit of dragon's blood. So I'll have to swap this away, but I found it much nicer than I'd anticipated. At any rate, it corresponds to its name very well - it's certainly a conqueror!

In the bottle: Orange blossom... with a hint of something weird in the background. Wet: Still orange blossom and... oh yes, it becomes a bit spicy. I wouldn't have thought that this was the smell of rosmary, though, it's possibly a bit of spicy rose. Drydown: I do get some rose, but it's quite in the background compared to the orange blossom that stays at the front. I think it's a white rose scent, and it sort of grounds the orange blossom. Then the smell dries down into something... well, slightly funky, and pretty dark. Overall: Unusually austere and solemn, with a hint of mischief. Unfortunately my skin seems to hate orange blossom. It smells nice in the bottle, but as soon as it's dried on my skin, it goes pretty funky. I also think that the rosmary note is what I associate to "cow dung smell", so... um. No. Oh dear, and then the rose mixing to that - it reminds me of a detergent that holds extremely bad olfactive memories for me. Goodbye, Catherine. I'm sad it didn't work out.

In the bottle: Nearly pure mandarin. Wet: Wood and mango and orange. Nice! Drydown: It's a pretty discreet smell once it's dried down - I had to reapply. I get some nice tangy mango and orange together, and it's grounded by the sandalwood and white musk. It smells very slightly green, which is pleasant. There's also a juiciness to it from the mango, which really smells just like a mango tastes, nummy! For a while, the mango dominates completely, then it lets up and reveals the bone-white sandalwood underneath. Overall: It's a tangy, energetic scent that will make the day of fruit lovers. It doesn't last very long at its fruitiest stage (mango), though, and quickly declines into sandalwood. If only zombies did smell that nice, but honestly I'd doubt it very much!

In the bottle: Bitter almonds and... something boozy. Wet: Hazelnut comes out, along with a sweet, honey scent. Drydown: Still lots of nut, I think it smells bitter like walnut rather than hazelnut, it's probably that "wicked bite" of the description. Very slowly the honey mead seeps through, but the scent still doesn't get very sweet. Overall: While the texture is indeed soft, I get a lot of bitterness and not much sweetness. The buttercream didn't deign come out to see me, and all the nuts were bitter. This reminds me a bit of "Gluttony", in a less buttery version. I wasn't a fan of Gluttony, and I'm still not particularly enthused by this.

In the bottle: Orgasmic! Green tea and jasmine, I think, absolutely gorgeous together. Wet: Still green tea and jasmine. This is my favourite jasmine note, the "wet" one rather than the powdery one. Drydown: Lovely, lovely lush jasmine with hints of green tea. It reminds me of a floral Embalming Fluid. I don't get much lemon verbena, and the neroli is playing nice for now - I'm afraid it'll go funky. Apart from the jasmine, I can't pick out any other notes, but I know for a fact that this isn't pure jasmine because it has a soft, citrusy quality to it Overall: A beautiful, delicious scent. I'd want to drink it. It's one of those rare, beautiful jasmines that doesn't go all powdery and that just smells lovely. An absoute keeper, really delicious if jasmine works out on you.

In the bottle: Coldness. It's the cold in a bottle. Wow! With some greenery, like ivy. Wet: Same as in the bottle, a fresh, watery scent, like ice. It's just not describable with words, it smells of the cold. I think that there might be some very discreet flowers in there, too, and greenery. And then it warms and I think I can smell black musk under all that coldness. Drydown: It develops into a delicious, discreet scent. It's slightly spicy and a bit musky, and I'm pretty sure that there are some flowers thrown in there somewhere. Yes, I do think I can recognise a bit of pine, as in Yew Trees, and then a downright sharp, bitter wood note comes through from time to time. And finally a cold berry note comes up, and it's gorgeous - between blackcurrant and redcurrant. Hmm... Overall: A truly beautiful blend, that makes me regret not having known BPAL a year ago. It's extremely evocative of that really cold part of the year, and the wet stage is fantastic. The drydown is surprising, too, a bit like the faint warmth you'd get if you were sleeping with a pack of wolves in the dead of winter - body heat, wood, pine needles, berries and snow. It morphs a lot, and it's stunning.

In the bottle: Mostly lavender, like an aromatherapy oil. There's also a slightly orangey scent to it. Wet: The orange becomes stronger and the lavender has completely disappeared. There's also a slightly nutty scent in there, but I can't put my finger on it. Drydown: There's still quite a bit of citrus here, bright and happy, probably orange or mandarin... but I wouldn't exclude lemon, either. The lavender blends with it in a very subtle way, so that I can't pick it out as a separate note. In the background I get a scent like nutty cinnamon biscuits, really delicious, nearly foody. It mixes harmoniously with the citrus scent. Overall: A delightful blend. I really wouldn't have thought that cinnamon could go with citrus and lavender, but it does. It's particularly invigorating and uplifting, and I find that it clears the head and helps concentration. It's very much Mercury in that respect, it's something that I use for long studying sessions, when I feel my mind's giving out. Besides, it smells yummy, which is a huge plus.

In the bottle: Cinnamon. Both red hot and kitchen variety. Wet: Same as in the bottle, but with the red hot cinnamon winning. Eep. Drydown: There's a metallic scent in there as well as the cinnamon. Ozone, perhaps? The more I smell it, the more I have the impression of smelling metal with a cinnamon afterscent. There's also a slightly orangey scent and I think a bit of clove, and it ends up being rather sweet. It's quite an aggressive blend, much more so than Mars. Overall: Eccentric, paradoxical? Yeah. It has a cold element, the metal, and a warm element, the spices, and the mix of the two actually works, which is completely unexpected. It smells cold, to me, despite all the usually homey spices. It's a rather good representation of Uranus, which is a planet that I've always pictured as a bomb just waiting to explode. The red hots and the ozone manage to give that feel.

In the bottle: Eep, what on earth is that?!! Smells like violent lemon cleaning product with a candy sweet note. Wet: Still quite lemony and aggressive, and still the scent of a cleaning product. Drydown: Wow, my washing up liquid has the same smell as this. I get really tart, I wonder if there's juniper in there, because it smells acidic. There's also something sweet in it, but I really cannot get the concept of washing up liquid or toilet cleaner out of my mind. It somehow smells of artificial apple to me, rather than pomegranate. Overall: Extreme disappointment. Okay, so I don't drink, I don't know what a Martini smells like. However, I wouldn't put anything in my mouth that smells like this stuff. It's acrid and it smells very artificial. Ugh!

In the bottle: Lovely pink rose and horrible lotus. This will be... er... interesting. Wet: Tea rose and the aquatics of lotus. As it dries down, the lotus comes out more. Drydown: A very soft scent of white rose and fruity, juicy lotus. It's actually not half as bad as I thought it was, because I hate lotus with a passion. Still, the aquatics in the lotus make me dizzy and headachy. The rose seems to come and go, but it does mix well with the lotus, and as the scent develops, the rose becomes stronger. Overall: It's quite a pleasant blend, and it's true that it's harmonious. The roses and lotus form a crisp, slightly greet but sweet ensemble. It reminds me a bit of Parlement of Foules, with the white rose and a slightly resinous scent. Still, the lotus note bothers me, so I wouldn't keep it.

In the bottle: A dry, hot, smoky and dusty scent with a perfumy base. Wet: At first, the same as in the bottle, then it disappears and only leaves a slightly soapy scent. As it dries, the original hot smoky scent comes back, but there's really a soapy element to it. Drydown: I don't get much more than slight incense, soap (still) and some dust now. It dries down to a powder, which is very appropriate for the stone. But the smell is really very discreet, it's hard to describe it. It would be the smell of dust and long-gone smoke in a tomb. Then it becomes sweet, and I'm reminded of Scarecrow. Overall: Yes, it's very much like Scarecrow in its cologney component. It smells fresh and like a perfume, and on me it goes insufferably sweet. There's a very strong atmosphering component, a hardly describable scent of heat, stone, dust and smoke. But when the cologne takes over, it all goes to hell. Would probably work better one someone whose skin doesn't make everything go sweet.

In the bottle: Sweet, wet meadow flowers, full of nectar, shiny. Wet: A grassy smell comes out, a slightly powdery and sweet scent. I think I smell linden blossoms, too. Drydown: It's a very interesting, juicy mix. It's nearly fruity - possibly lemony - it's full of sweet nectar. It smells soft and dreamy, like lying in a meadow with clover and daisies. There's something dangerous and slightly unpleasant that sometimes wafts in and then disappears again. Overall: This is like a drop of pink, delicious nectar in a meadow. It smells juicy and delicious... and a little bit dangerous. It's really reminiscent of a meadow in summer, under the linden trees. It does get a bit oversweet and powdery at times, but it's a very pleasant scent that will be great for summer.

In the bottle: Earth and something quite sharp, possibly minty? Wet: it softens a lot, and earth notes start coming out. Drydown: Soil, dry soil like in Zombi rather than wet soil as in Graveyard Dirt. It slowly becomes both creamy and chalky. In the background, I really do think that there's a little bit of buttery mint in here. I can also smell a warm wood in here, very pleasant. Unfortunately it's really quite faint. Overall: I love the earth notes from the lab, but they have a ridiculously short lifespan on me. This is a rather warm earthy scent, comforting, but not terribly evocative for me. I like it, as a big fan of dirt scents, but it doesn't last long.

In the bottle: I think it's vetiver, and I can smell mushrooms. It smells very fresh and astringent. Wet: White mushrooms pop out through the fresh scent of vetiver. Drydown: There's a spiciness to this, and it smells extremely clean, astringent even. The mushroom becomes rather faint after a while, which is a pity because it's a lovely note, and when the mushroom's gone, I'm left with a cologne scent - perhaps there's neroli in this? It's slightly citrusy. Overall: This isn't what I expected - it's rather cologney, fresh and clean, and while it does remind me of freshly chopped mushrooms and their slightly astringent smell, it doesn't evoke anything much except for aftershave, which is a pity. I didn't smell any soil, and I wish the mushrooms would have stayed longer.

In the bottle: Melon! Lovely sweet honeydew melon! Wet: The greenness of the melon really comes out, but also something a bit heavy, probably the grape. Drydown: Ooh, this is interesting. The first time I put it on, it turned to slightly bitter melon. This time, it became grape juice, which smells delicious. It's a pretty green scent, thick with juice and warm, full of sweet aquatics. Hmmm, delicious! Very fruity, refreshing and summery. Yum! Overall: The description is perfect, I get both grapes and honeydew, which is a good thing. Except for my capricious skin (or nose) that likes this scent on an off depending on its mood, I really love it. It reminds me slightly of a much warmer Titania. It'll make a stunning room scent, when my skin decides it doesn't like it.

In the bottle: ozone and a sweet aquatic, I think. Wet: Ozone and the icy freshness of freshwater aquatics. It's slightly powdery. Drydown: Very sweet ozone, not really oceanic... perhaps slightly boozy. The aquatic note seems to have vanished and I get a rather fizzy scent. I wish there were more for me to say about it, but that's all I smell. But when it's on my mother - poof! I get a much more complex scent, with bitter orange and a slight hint of grapefruit. But on both of us, it settles into a very generic ozone-toilet-deodoriser scent after a while - disappointing. Overall: This reminds me irresistibly of Kingsport, which is probably going to be great for fans of that blend. It's a sweet, feminine ozone blend with some freshwater aquatics. On me it smells powdery and nothing particularly interesting, really - and certainly not gloomy. On others, it smells lovely. Damn my stupid skin chemistry.

In the bottle: Hot, dry grass in the sun. Wet: Same as in the bottle, the grassy scent becomes stronger. Drydown: This hardly changes between the bottle and drydown, which is very rare on me. I smell slightly citrusy grass and... heat. It's hard to explain, it smells like summer. Then after a while, the grassy smell disappears, and I'm left with a scent that's a bit like aftershave, fresh and clean, and slightly musky. Overall: A rather masculine scent that's stunningly evocative of dry heat in a field. You can nearly feel the hot wind. You'd expect a scarecrow to smell like that, hot and dry and slightly musky. However it's a bit too masculine for me to wear, and it evaporates pretty fast. It's better as a room scent, for me. It would be really great on a man.

In the bottle: Rose, peach and autumn leaves. Lovely! But... I can smell the aquatic note that doesn't like me. Wet: It becomes very discreet, and then I smell sweet fruits and aquatics that make me a bit dizzy. Drydown: For a while, the aquatics dominate so that I can hardly smell anything through them. Then the autumn leaves start coming through, the rose and the peach blossom. It becomes deliciously sweet, like honey, and I think that there's some grape in there. Overall: A very evocative, delicate blend. It captures autumn very well, and at the same time it's fruity and delicious. Pretty, feminine and sensual, and really perfect for autumn.

In the bottle: A bitter, teary aquatic, hmm! Fresh and lovely. Wet: Green and bitter vetiver, with salty notes. Smells rain that's freshly fallen on plants. It's also subtly spicy. It's fresh, but it warms up quite a bit to smell like a warm rain. Drydown: The drydown is very similar to the wet scent, but the vetiver lifts a bit and the teary, salty scent dominates. The vetiver gives it a spiciness and a bit of darkness, in fact it's a rather warm scent because of the vetiver. Overall: It's truly unisex, and a very beautiful use of the salty tear note and vetiver. Yes, it smells like rain, it's clear, it's fresh, and it's perfect to create the atmosphere of a thunderstorm. I think my skin amps vetiver, so I have to find how to wear it without it going play-doh on me, but it's definitely a keeper.

In the bottle: An extremely green, rooty scent, slightly bitter. I wonder if it isn't chamomile. Wet: Same as in the bottle, with a slightly bitter-watery element, like tears. It smells murky and dark green. Drydown: Chamomile, I'm pretty sure of it, or another slightly bitter herb, with a hint of aquatics. It's very pleasant. I think that there's also vetiver in here to deepen the scent. And very slowly, a sweet floral comes out of all that green mass, it's rose. A discreet, pink rose bud, peeking out of dark thorny thickets. As the vetiver moves back, it becomes stronger. Overall: It's a lovely, melancholic green scent. It reminds me of Hurricane, Venus and Water of Notre Dame, I think they share certain elements. It's a less powdery and floral Venus, a greener Hurricane, a rosier Water of Notre Dame. It's fresh and dark at the same time. And it smells a bit bitter, which seems fitting for a poisonous magical plant.

In the bottle: A very subtle sweet wet flower scent, a bit like baby's breath covered in dew. Wet: Sweet, wet greenery, you can nearly taste the bitterness of broken stems. Drydown: The greenery has gone, it's been replaced by sweet aquatic flowers, which means sneezing for me. The flowers are very soft, possibly plumeria - white flowers, anyway. There's a nearly fruity tone to this. And as it dries, it sweetens even more, to the point of becoming sickly. Oops. Overall: Definitely too sweet, and it's become soapy on me. I was hoping for a slightly colder, darker scent, and I really liked the green part when it's wet, but all I bring out is very sweet flowers. It reminds me a bit of Arachne and Leanan Sidhe, they probably share a white flower note. Too sweet, and the aquatic note tends to make me sneeze.

In the bottle: Fresh wet pear, and lily of the valley. Wet: Same as in the bottle, with the pear and lily of the valley fighting for dominance a bit. Drydown: The pear wins over the rest and lets out a subtle freshness. It's very light, and not particularly sweet, which is a good thing. From time to time, the lily of the valley wafts up again gently, as a soft reminder that it's there. Overall: A very subtle scent, which becomes slightly soapy from the white musk. It's not too sweet, and would probably work well on a man or a woman. I don't smell any wood notes, but it's very understated and it may need several tries before I get my head around it. It is wistful and soft, and a perfect summer scent.

In the bottle: Lovely, slightly creamy white flowers, but I couldn't pick any one out specifically. Wet: The flowers become very subtle on me, but I still feel them as pure white. Drydown: White, creamy flowers, so creamy that it's like there's coconut milk in them. It reminds me of a lovely floral body lotion. I really couldn't pick out a flower in particular. Generally I can recognise rose, but here it's too well-blended for me to be able to tell what's in there. Overall: A soft white floral, elegant, nearly majestic, and it could just as well be a wedding bouquet or a funeral wreath. It's sweet and creamy, very pleasant and rather clean-smelling. It goes from very subtle to quite pefumy, and it's certainly not for people who dislike florals. Very pretty.

In the bottle: Dark, icy aquatics, with a hint of a floral that might be freesia. Wet: Icy cold aquatics that give me a bit of a sinus headache, and something green. It smells like iced flowers. Drydown: Cold freesias. It smells like lovely flowers that are surrounded with ice crystals. There's a misty, icy scent around them that smells delicious. I don't care if it hurts my sinuses, it smells really great. There's something reminiscent of cucumber or melon in here too, which just adds to the yumminess. Overall: I bought this knowing that aquatics hate me and that I had every chance to hate it, but I hankered for it all the same. And I was right, it's a perfect representation of its description, and one of the rare sweet aquatics that I can really enjoy. It smells clean and cold and cutting and absolutely beautiful. A wonderful refreshing scent for summer.