Meg

In the bottle: Stunning! The scent of wet earth in a forest, with mushrooms and moss. It's delightful! Wet: Same as in the bottle, with a strong mushroom scent. Drydown: It does smell like graveyard dirt, with all kinds of different kinds of soil and dusts, loam and chalky grounds, with a hint of dust and stone. I still smell mushrooms and moisture. It's so complex! It's literally like I *am* walking outdoors when I smell this. Overall: I love this! It's the most unbelievable scent, it just... aah!! So evocative! I can't stop gushing about it. I don't even know if I'd wear it, but actually I got some interesting reactions from people. For example, saying "it smells like earth, but *elegant* earth" or "I know this smell, but what is it?". Beth is a witch! I love this to bits, I think I'm going to have to find myself a bottle, if only to layer with other scents.

In the bottle: Blue-green, masculine and sea-like... ozone, I think, and something salty... it's hard to describe. It does remind me of "oceanic" air fresheners, at this point. Wet: It disappears?! No more ozone, nothing, except smoothness and wood notes slowly creeping out. It smells... creamy? Weird. Drydown: It's so clean. The ozone has come back very subtly, and some salt... everything is extremely subtle, really, I can't pick out any notes clearly and it's not overpowering. It's... calm. Weirdly I can *taste* the violet rather than smell it (!?), and... yes there is this iodine sea scent, the one from fresh seaweed. But you really have to look for it carefully to find that it's there. Overall: There's a really creamy component in this blend that makes me think of the silky texture of fine white sand when it's wet and you're walking in it. It does have a weird, sea-like scent, that I can't refrain from considering masculine - maybe because it's salty and resembles certain men's aftershaves to a certain point. But the blend is very subtle... weirdly it reminds me of suntan lotion. No specific brand, just applying suntan lotion on the beach. It's soft and creamy and still it smells of the seaside. And it has a lot of staying power, too!

In the bottle: tea, lemon and bamboo - very very green. Wet: same as in the bottle, with a very lemony - it's strong! Drydown: The lemon dominates for a while, and then slowly recedes, leaving a tea note, mostly green tea I think. It does have a smell of washing up liquid. I can't tell why it smells so lemony, but it's really a strong note. And when the lemony note lifts, there's a fainly plasticky sent behind it, perhaps the oude or a mix with the bamboo. It's something I've already smelled in shower gels. Overall: Not unpleasant, but I find it a bit too artificial. The tea turns to lemon on me, and the bamboo doesn't smell very pleasant on me, sickly sweet and plasticky. It's actually not even that green, which is a bit disappointing. Nope, I'm not seduced by this one. It smells like soap or shower gel on me. I'll keep my beloved Embalming Fluid instead.

In the bottle: Sweet and spicy amber, with a touch of sweet herbs. Wet: The amber warms up nicely, and there's a clear hint of cinnamon here. Not red hots, but brown cinammon, my favourite. Drydown: This is deliciously simple: warm amber and cinammon, which becomes increasingly sweet with... vanilla? Hmm. Very soft, very enjoyable. Overall: At last, cinammon that works on me! I'd been looking everywhere for the right cinammon, and there it is! It's not Red Hots, it's sweet with something like vanilla, and it's delicious - it would nearly be foody, if it wasn't for the amber to give it a golden glow. Absolutely a lion's regal blend, I love it.

In Hermetic alchemy, brimstone is one of the Three Heavenly Substances, one of the primary alchemical Priciples. It represents the strength of will and the vigor of passion, and it is a symbol of the process of fermentation. A smoky, gritty blend, husky and gray. In the bottle: Smoke and burning! Oof, this is a dark perfume. It reminds me of Djinn and Yog-Sothoth. Wet: Much the same as in the bottle, smoke, ashes, burning wood, it really smells like something that was on fire. But, uh-oh, Play-Doh! However, it seems rather appropriate... burning plastic probably does smell like that. Drydown: It dries down to an acrid smoky smell, it still smells like it's burning when on the skin - actually it's a bit irritating for the nose and throat. And there's the sulphurous note I'd been looking for, it smells like firework smoke, and is the essential part of Brimstone, in my mind. Overall: Works perfectly as a really burning, chemical scent. It doesn't just smell of burning things, it has a... perhaps minty tinge? Djinn was lemony, this is minty, rather, and it's got quite a bite. It sometimes veers near Play-Doh-ness, but it comes back just before. Actually it smells faintly like gasoline. Very very firey. I quite like it, though I don't think I'd actually wear it. I bought it because a favourite TV character of mine is rumored to wear a home-blended gunpowder scent, and this is probably the colsest thing I could find.

In the bottle: Light and very sweet flowers and herbs. Actually it smells a tad fruity, as if there was pear in there. Wet: Similar than in the bottle, but with some dust. It's a weird combination of really juicy and gritty. Drydown: I can't describe this very well... it smells clear and sweet, nearly like a fruity dew. I still think there's some kind of pear-like component. But at the same time, it smells of dust, very much like in an attic. It's a strange combination of scents, both indoorsy and outdoorsy. There's a scent of soft herbs, similar to those in "The Unicorn". I still don't get flowers, weird. There's clearly an aquatic note, which bothers me to some extent, but it goes away quite fast and gets replaced with the scent of clean linen - ozone?! This is unbelievably complex! Overall: A weird mix, wet and dry, dusty and fruity, dirty and clean. I really was expecting florals, but I can't seem to find them - actually now I think of it, it must be *lotus*, of course! I think this is probably the first time I don't dislike it. I imagine this scent in shades of transparent grey, very much like a spider's web. It's aquatic, ethereal, and yes, gossamer. Also, very pretty. Not sure it's me, but I like it.

In the bottle: Gingerbread, chocolate brownies and dirt? There's something that reminds me of an old book store, possibly the mixture of dankness and spices. It's hard to explain, but I love this smell. Wet: Much the same as in the bottle. I think there's a hint of orange in there, or perhaps neroli. Drydown: Still not very different than in the bottle, and still strangely very delicious. It smells of dust and dirt, with a variety of spices, ginger and cinammon I think, and probably orange blossom. There's tea in it, too, and probably some woods, I couldn't tell which. It smells spicy and woody and just a tad bitter with earth. Overall: My first reaction to Penny Dreadful was "this reminds me of England". I couldn't explain why, it just did. Now that I've sniffed it closer, I know why: it smells so much like all the second-hand book stores I visit when I'm in England, or my relatives' houses that are absolutely full of books, but also very much lived in. It smells like a place where the books are old and a bit musty, but have also taken on the scent of tea and ginger biscuits and a hint of Cologne. That's Penny Dreadful, she smells exactly like a book waiting for you in a second-hand book store. It's beautiful, I absolutely love it. I might even get a big bottle...

In the bottle: Green yet flowery... I can't put a name on the flowers, but something in the lily family. Wet: Faintly medicinal flowers... is that eucalyptus? I've never smelled a crocus or a snowdrop but I wouldn't be surprised if they did smell a bit like that. Drydown: It hasn't changed much from the bottle to drydown, but lilies seem to be coming out more obviously behind the greenery. And... an aquatic note. *sigh* It's not too obnoxious and takes away a bit of the sweetness of the lilies, for a while. They do become very sweet on me, though. Overall: It's bright, pretty and girly, with a slightly snowy and green bite. Reminds me of the very beginning of spring, when the snow is thawing around early flowers. Very nice if you're into lily-type florals, but I think it's too young and sweet for me. Besides, I'm still not reacting so well to the aquatic note.

In the bottle: coconut milk Wet: it's disappeared! must be the "second skin" effect. The coconut slowly comes back very subtly, with a hint of coconut wood as well as the flesh. And yes, it's milky. I also get a slight whiff of something vegetal, a bit green. It's still extremely discrete, though. Drydown: Green coconut milk, if that makes any sense. There's a hint of flowers in there, and it's a very creamy scent. And then suddenly boom, it bursts and becomes sweet, so very terribly sickly sweet! Oh dear! Then it fades back into oblivion and starts becoming acidy and... old-lady-ish. Overall: This is this Yule's huge hit? Um... give me a rose blend anytime. I'm not a fan of coconut to begin with, and on me, Snow White just becomes obnoxiously sweet and comparable to the run-of-the-mill cheap commercial perfume or coconut shower gel. And it has a lot of throw and staying power, I was trying multiple perfumes but Snow White kept on coming back to nag me and was drowning out all the other scents, so I had to wash it off (and even then, it was still there). My Mum tried it and it became literally like cat pee on her. Nope, I don't think I'll be hanging on to this one.

In the bottle: Yum! Greenery and flowers, with a touch of hops and hemp. Weirdly, it reminds me of tea rose. Wet: The greenness is becoming a bit bitter, exactly like dandelion leaf, and there's a sweetness that's reminiscent of dandelion flowers. Wow, that's a perfect dandelion indeed! Bravo, Beth! Drydown: Tobacco starts pushing the dandelion to the background, and the smell is rich and sweet, not the smell of cigarette smoke but of fresh pipe tobacco. It's mixing with the dandelion flower and probably the hops. There's a vaguely boozy scent to it, but nothing heady, really. Overall: Aww, it's 100% sweet tobacco now, maybe with a hint of hops, and that's quite a pity. I wish I could have kept it in the dandelion stage, because I liked the greenery better, but alas, my skin has other plans. It's straight up tobacco from now on. It's quite a fascinating blend, I'm not at all familiar with roadhouses because we don't have that kind of stuff where I live, but I'd always imagined these places as sleazy and stinky. Give me a roadhouse that smells like this anytime.

In the bottle: mostly amber, sandalwood and patchouli, I think. I don't know patchouli very well yet. Wet: discrete and earthy with a hint of amber to warm it up. The cinammon and sandalwood are slowly rising out of it, and the patchouli is becoming stronger. Drydown: Okay so *now* I know what patchouli smells like, and I have to say I quite like it - reminds me of new-agey/hippie shops. The sandalwood and the cinammon seem to be fighting it so that they can come out too, but the patchouli seems to be keeping them down quite forcefully. I'm actually stunned that the cinammon hasn't gone Red Hots on me yet. Overall: Mostly patchouli with a hint of sandalwood and cinnamon. Not overwhelming, actually pretty understated. I don't find it voluptuous - someone said something about shady deals going on in back-alleys, and I think that's a good description for this blend on me.

In the bottle: this smells very fresh, resinous and green... perhaps the cedar. I have no idea what gum mastic smells like, might be that, too. Wet: Still very fresh and green, but myrrh is coming through quickly. As it dries, the greenness subsides a bit, and then patchouli forcefully comes through. Drydown: Ooh, lemony and fresh, that's the gum mastic (looked it up). I also get some cedar, sandalwood and myrrh, but I think the mastic has decided to go into center stage. I don't mind at all, I find it very uplifting. The incense also comes out quite strongly. Yes, this reminds me of Indian spices, curry preparations, incense sticks... I'd swear there's cardamom in here, too. Overall: It's clean and fresh, which I really wasn't expecting. It's mostly cedar, sandalwood and some incenses, it smells quite lemony and resinous. A very enjoyable clean blend, not overly spicy, with lots of incense and woods. It's not invasive or heady, nor is it too dry. Not really my style, but nice.

In the bottle: myrrh and a very sharp-smelling resin, and probably moss. Wet: the sharpness dies down immediately, it smells... like it's disappeared?! Then slowly that scent comes back out, I suppose it's the benzoin. I think I can smell some mastic, too. It's actually pretty warm. The rose comes out delicately, in the background, with a forefront of resins. Oh, and the moss comes out too... Drydown: It smells very slightly like a light version of Zombi, without the earth and with tons of resin. I think it's benzoin and mastic, and a dash of myrrh that surround the rose. I think the incense is coming out because it's tickling my throat. A few hours later, the myrrh comes out at long last. But the blend is still quite resinous and slightly rubbery. Overall: It's rather nice, and reminiscent of Zombi... and I think it's just not as good as Zombi. The rose is more subdued, and I'm not a huge fan of resinous scents. I can't smell the sandalwood, not really a bad thing because I'm not a huge fan of it. Enjoyable, just not really fascinating - it is quite majestic, though, I imagine this is how it might smell in a funerary chamber. If you're looking for Zombi with a warm, clean scent, this is for you. I'll stick to my gloomy earth notes, though.

The name translates to “the beautiful woman without mercy”, and is the title of an old French court poem that was later revamped by John Keats. A bewitching, seductive scent, rife with mystery and foreboding. In the bottle: Green! It smells literally like pure green. There's a promise of flower and... an astringent, medicinal scent that I've smelled in nose drops. Weird, in a good way. Wet: Sweet greenness! This becomes sweet immediately and smells... like a flower, I can't name it, though. Freesia, maybe. Oh, and a touch of daffodil. Now it's yellow and green. Drydown: Narcissus! It's lovely. Unfortunately, it smells slightly like soap, hmm. Still, I'll repeat the yellow and green idea, and there's a slightly medicinal touch to this. And perhaps a hint of sweet pea. And I can smell... tears? That's what the nose drops scent is - they were salty water. Overall: I've found an aquatic that doesn't hate my nose! It's delicate, flowery and actually not that intensely green once it's dry. It does have some kind of mysterious aura to it, it certainly has me sniffing my wrist to understand why I like it. It wavers between being gentle and being melancholy and being biting. I think that it probably sums up the Belle Dame Sans Merci quite well. A great spring perfume!

I'd been despairing to see her arrive one day - she got caught in the crossfire of Christmas craze and took 3 weeks to arrive. At last she's here, huzzah! In the bottle: mostly tea rose, very slightly green... actually I see this as pink-coloured. Wet: same as in the bottle, a rather green tea rose... with something more. A darkness to it... and as it dries it goes red?! Drydown: A perfect red rose. It reminds me of the Whip rose without the leather, which is *exactly* what I wanted (as much as I adore Whip, sometimes the leather gets to my throat). It's dewy, sensuous, a tiny bit green in the background, and really quite sweet. It never goes powdery, it's velvety when it's dry. Overall: This is certainly not a little old lady's kind of rose, it's a woman's seductive rose. It's sexy, a bit haughty, and very vain. To me it's not particularly complex, but so delicious! It's what I was expecting and spot on. I certainly don't regret having bought a bottle unsniffed! This is the perfect "simple" red rose blend for me! (well, at least, until I try Rose Red...)

In the bottle: Honey and something quite resinous, labdanum, perhaps. There is something reminiscent of grape juice. Wet: Honey and I think this is ylang ylang but I've never smelled it before. It smells spicy and a bit sharp. The smell goes into "second skin" mode and disappears, but I know that's just how musk acts on me. Drydown: mostly honey and I think ylang ylang. It's very soft and pleasant, with a slightly spicy tang. The musk of course smells slightly soapy, but it works with this blend. Funnily, despite the honey, musk and ylang-ylang, I don't find it really sensual... there's a slight coldness to it, a slight bite that keeps it a bit aloof. I'm guessing that's the labdanum. Overall: This smells less mysterious than the other two Norns, more like a regular spicy/honey perfume than a mystical experience. The spice is a little bit overwhelming for me, as my skin tends to amp it terribly, and I can't really concentrate on what the perfume is supposed to represent... Skuld is the Norn of the future, and it's quite an optimistic future she paints, with the honey and spices. It's a pleasant heady perfume, maybe a bit too heady for me. On the plus side, it's one of the rare musk perfumes that didn't turn to soap on me.

In the bottle: Spicy, sweet yet medicinal. I think it's mulled wine, juniper and dragon's blood that I can smell. Wet: The juniper comes to the front first, but everything warms up very fast with musk and leather, and spices waft to the front with a hint of wine. Dragon's blood is there with it slightly fruity scent, too. Drydown: The scent becomes discrete now, mostly with the juniper and a metallic smell coming back. It's woodsy, but wet woods, not dry. There's very clear Dragon's blood now, perhaps the most obvious note, with a slight dryness from the leather and coolness of metal. Finally the wine returns with a berryish scent. Overall: This dries down on a rather berryish note and dragon's blood, with cloves from the mulled wine. Honestly I was hoping for less dragon's blood and more damp woods and leather. It's strongly spicy and sweet on me, no surprise, my skin amps spices and sweet components. It's also turned to soap, which is what happens with most scents containing musk. I was expecting a lot from this, but unfortunately I'm very meh about it. Ah well.

In the bottle: Sickly sweet lotus, oh dear. It's funny, it smells like a fruit rather than like a flower. Wet: the amber and myrrh appear over the sweetness, adding a rich spiciness to the otherwise sickly lotus. It still smells very much like candy. Drydown: Myrrh and lotus that attempt to blend. My skin doesn't seem to be very cooperative, either the myrrh is too strong, or the lotus is. Then the sandalwood comes through and adds a woody sweetness to the fruity sweetness of the lotus. It ends up very very sweet with dark edges, and... an aquatic note. Oh, I didn't think it could get worse, but it has. Now I can hardly smell anything, it's smothered in aquatics and my sinuses hurt. Overall: This was a frimp from a generous donator, but unfortunately it's absolutely not me. I love myrrh, but I hated lotus in "Forbidden Fruit", and this one confirms that my skin and my nose hate it. The sandalwood is also not really my friend. On me this is really sickly, smoky, and unpleasantly aquatic. It gets to my throat, too. Funnily, though, people say it smells good on me, like a very heady expensive perfume... still, ick!

In the bottle: Rose and moss, and what I think might be moonflower (don't know this not very well) Wet: For a second it disappears (classic musk effect) and then comes back completely altered. Jasmine comes up first, along with some incense and I think rose. It's definitely white florals. Drydown: White smoky florals, jasmine and probably moonflower. I get a whiff of rose from time to time, a white and very dry rose. The result is very powdery and it smells dusty and dirty, probably from the incense and maybe the jasmine. And it turns to soap, as white musk nearly always does on me. Overall: Really doesn't like my skin chemistry. This could be the jasmine, or just the general mix, it doesn't work for me at all. I do get a certain atmosphere, I think there is something nocturnal about this, and on someone with the right chemistry it would probably glow, but it's not me. I just smell like a little old lady smelling of dirty lily soap and powder. My Mum swiped it and it smells lovely on her. Ah, well, she gets to keep it.

In the bottle: ... oh dear, no! I was expecting so much of Samhain, and I already find it sickly sweet. It smells of smoky fir, probably patchouli, cloves, and some kind of syrup. It smells the way treacle looks, to me. Wet: The fir comes out very strong, with a slightly mentholy scent. It reminds me strongly of Dracul. It's already pretty sweet, and my skin amps sweetness like hell... I keep on thinking there's tobacco in here, too. Drydown: Have I mentioned that this is sweet? Ugh, the syrup. The trees have promptly faded to the background but they're not forgotten - the back of my throat tastes of menthol! Now the spices come out, with a hint of red apple and pumpkin - and actually, mostly a cherry kind of scent. It's very warm, creamy and spicy - and pretty foody, on me. Overall: Absolutely not what I expected, and not me. It's a very bold scent, quite perfumy I think, and I can't pull it off at all. It smells like a cross between "Dracul" and "Blood Kiss" on me, heavy, and very very sweet. It does remind me of the autumn, but it's very showy about it; I was hoping for more subtle tones, less spice perhaps. Ah well, goodbye Samhain. You had such a beautiful tarted imp, too.

In the bottle: umm... chalk? no, honestly, this smells mineral. I think it's the ginger. Wet: very discrete ginger and vanilla, sweetening up as they dry. It smells... bubbly. Must be the jasmine. Drydown: I get a base of vanilla, a very bubbly jasmine, and sharp ginger. The apricot is very far in the background, sulking. It's rather soft, though, and very very light. Except when the ginger comes through stronger (I think my skin is amping it at times), then it really rinses out your sinuses! And it's gone slightly plasticky on me and dried down to powder. Overall: Um... boring. The jasmine/ginger combo smells aggressive on me, and the vanilla and apricot really aren't strong enough to balance it out. I like jasmine in general, but I don't find it really appealing here. It smells like a fizzy drink, like soda water with a hint of vanilla. There's a smoky/incense thing to it too, but it doesn't really seem to work with the rest. Really doesn't do anything for me. *waves off to swaps*

In the bottle: mustiness incarnate - this smells like a disused wine cellar Wet: the mustiness becomes less dense, sharp with a hint of fruit, and I can clearly smell some wood in there, too. There's something reminiscent of pencil shavings here. Yet... something glimmers here. I can't tell what. Drydown: mysterious incense and mustiness. It's dark and stony, somehow, I feel like I can smell rocks, chalk. The wood has gone to the background, and every now and then I catch a whiff of grapes, but it's not really fruity, just refreshing in all that smoke and darkness. Overall: It's not a scent I would wear, but it's very atmospheric. When other people smelled it, they thought it smelled like wood polish, and I think I agree with them to a certain extent. But at the same time there's a mysterious dimension to this one, and I wouldn't part with it. It's a perfect scent to represent the past (which is what Urd represents: Fate or That Which Was). It's musty, like a very dark cave, and it makes you feel introspective. This is the second of the Norns I try, and in both there was something... more. More than just a scent, something that seems to work on a mystical level. I'm not in love with these scents, but I have great respect for them, if that makes any sense.

In the bottle: fruits, oh my, so many fruits! I can smell slightly acidic notes like pear and lemon and kiwi, and berries... it smells like a wonderful tropical drink. Wet: The dreaded aquatic note of doom. But through it, I can smell passion fruit and berries (reminds me of my "Passionberry" Body Shop lip gloss)... Drydown: The aquatic note has lifted a bit, thank goodness, and I'm left with a mix of... apple or pear, and something tangy, maybe kiwi or raspberry. But it morphs, sometimes I can smell the pomegranate note, and the passion fruit, and plum, and grapefruit - wow! Overall: Exactly what it promises to be, a cascade of fruits! It reminds me of the Hanging Gardens, with a more exotic and fun twist. And I think it's really lovely, yum! It ends on a pomegranate, plum and raspberry note, on me, and has some lasting power. I'm not sure I would wear this regularly, but it's really a fun ride, like a fruit roller-coaster, an excellent pick-me-up for a boring/depressing day.

In the bottle: Green apple, amber and... socks? Hee, I'm getting the same thing as in Thunderbird. I'm guessing it's a kind of herb, and I know it won't smell like that on the skin. Wet: This warms up very fast with the amber, bringing out a scent of spicy apple. The apple smells very crisp and green. Drydown: Myrrh?! I have the impression that there's something similar to it, or a similar dark spicy scent, maybe it's the amber. The apple has gone away now, deep into the background, but it's not disappeared - it's become an apple tree giving off a scent of wood, leaves and fruits. It changes, sometimes the wood is cold and dank, sometimes warm and dry. There's a dark floral which I think is violet or violet leaves, too. Overall: I was expecting an apple smell, but this isn't a straight up apple at all. It's a blend that reminds me of the outdoors in the winter, when everything smells sharp, but occasionally gets warmed up by a ray of sun. It's not wildly fruity, there's even a floral hint in the tangy mix. It's generally discrete and morphing... "becoming", right? I picture it as dark green and rich.

In the bottle: the typical BPAL buttery pumpkin with a very faint pomegranate undertone. Wet: the same as in the bottle, but the pomegranate starts slipping to the front, taking away a bit of the buttery note, thank goodness. Drydown: ACK! Aquatic notes kill my nose and sinuses, exactly in the same way as they did in Persephone. That must be the juice of the pomegranate. When I can smell through the aquatics, there's a very gentle honey scent added to the pumpkin. And fortunately - just like in Persephone - the aquatics die down after about 30 minutes. It smells like pumpkin, honey and apples, with a bit of a zesty twist. Overall: It's enjoyable, but again I'm not a huge fan of the BPAL pumpkin scent which I find too foody (it smells like cooked sweet pumpkin rather than raw pumpkin - I prefer the latter). Aquatics set aside (damn my nose!), it smells less foody and more sensual than the other pumpkin blends I've tried (Jack and PP#1), but I still think this one will go out to swaps, because I these scents still aren't very "me".