NanookPurple

Cobra Lily is a warm, indolent floral. Of course lily is dominant, but there's that spicy warmth that keeps the lily from being too heady and sweet -- I'm pretty sure it's ginger. It's lovely but faded quickly on me, after only two hours.

The Gnostic goddess of Wisdom. A solemn, deeply profound draught of lavender, soft musks, star jasmine, black rose, delphinium, and gentle spice. I wore Sophia today after I slathered Lush's Dram Cream all over my winter-weary skin. Sophia amped up Dream Cream's lavender for a good hour, which I found wonderfully calming and happy. It's since mellowed into a rich, sexy musk and jasmine scent, and the sharp lavender is all but gone. It's nice. Not a favorite, but definitely something I'll reach for again.

(Cross posted on the Lush forum's BPAL thread:) Wet: So far it kicks Champagne Snow Showers' ass. It's completely unrefined, it's rakish and irresponsible. It's boozy in a light, frothy way, not like bourbon. The hyacinth is prominent and sharp...you know what? This totally smells the way a hyacinth-vodka infusion would smell. If anyone would attempt such a thing. Dry at five minutes: The decidedly alcoholic nature of it has wafted away. Which is too bad, because I really liked that stage of the scent. It make me want to dance. Or drink. Or both. Now it's pure hyacinth, and I'm getting that sexy ylang ylang as well. I swear there is no tuberose in this scent. Right now it's a lovely youthful floral, kinda sassy. If I were a pop tartlet starting my own fragrance line, I would sell these in sparkly bottles with my name all over it. Maybe I'd change my name to Kellie-with-a-cute-"ie" and dot the "i" with a heart. Dry at ten minutes: Ok, we have a fader on our hands. And it's such a shame because I felt like this scent was about to get interesting (ok, I was just dying to smell the tobacco flower.) I like it. I just wish I could smell it better to tell you why I like it. Conclusion: Definitely needs to be slathered. And worn while drunk and dancing. I think that a few drinks and some alcohol-infused sweat could bring out wonderful things in this little potion.

I think it's interesting that so many others got a slushy/aquatic sense from The Darkling Thrush. To my nose, it was like "Walking Through Woods on a Snowy Evening." The damp leaves are there for sure, but far more prominent is earthy, grounded, pulled-out-by-the-roots violet. A keeper indeed. The drydown is especially grand, all sugared violet warmth.

Wet, Purple Phoenix was disappointing. It was pure grape soda and sickly sweet candy. As it dried, the bitter myrrh emerged, tempering the candy smell somewhat, but in a very forceful way. Once dry and settled into my skin, the boozy florals have had a chance to come out. And it's lovely indeed, deeply womanly and regal. A scent fit for a haughty queen.

Anyone who's lukewarm about their Sol Invictus can send theirs my way. This was a love-at-first-sniff for me. As I cross posted on the Lush forum: "Wearing Sol Invictus. Drooling. Suddenly I feel like a summer sex goddess, despite the below-freezing temperatures and the foot of snow that's fallen this week. It's incensy in a way that has nothing to do with Nag Champa and headshops. It's pure saffron heaven, but sexified with amber and sweetened with orange blossom and tropical floral notes. It sparkles in the way only perfect BPAL oils can sparkle. I want to go to India, to Thailand, to Brazil. I want to shop in exotic marktplaces for rare spices and textiles. I want to eat spicy foods and ride elephants." The frankincense makes me think of Sunday Mass. The saffron, citrus and tropical bits makes me think of sex on vacation. Sex in church is a great way to smell as far as I'm concerned.

While bending slowly In and out of downward dog I caught a light whiff Shoreline and seaweed Tainted by Neroli, sex A mermaid's perfume ADDED 9/20/08: Neptune is lovely, light and sweet, but with a certain murky depth. Definitely it recalls the Sea King more than the planet. I smell neroli very strongly, tempered with something like cedar, and something aquatic. At first whiff, there is damp, powdery breath of lotus, but that fades on drydown. A very nice man's scent, I would think, but my man insists it's too sweet for him.

My first review...but I am in love with Miss Calliope, so it's deserving. Calliope changes beautifully as it dries. It starts out bright and almost sharp -- definitely snaps you awake with the lemon, mint and bergamot. As it mellows, it turns softer, though still warm -- an earlier reviewer found it herbal and kitcheny, which I agree with, though not kitcheny in a cooking sense, more kitcheny in a homey, comforting sense. Once it's settled in, it smells like sweet tea and a slice of lemon poundcake on a warm summer evening. It's a fantastic fragrance, warm and inviting throughout, at once lively and calming.