moonarcana

Ahathoor first sniff: citrus (lemon?) balanced with myrrh or frankincense - not exactly sure of the notes but that's what I'd guess. tested wet: the resiny smell comes out more, nearly eclipsing the bright citrus note. A very pleasing scent. tested dry: stays nice throughout - sometimes the lemon whiffs and sometimes the dry resin wafts. conclusion: I might look up an imp of this sometime, but there's others I like better. 3/5

Kurukulla first sniff: like sweet white wine. tested wet: this is totally fruity -I don't smell rose at all. It's grapes and orchard fruit...nothing heavy - but still very full and lovely. tested dry: I find it completely mystifying that someone who loves florals as much as I do does not smell ANY flower notes in a big bouquet of lotus blossoms and roses. (scratches head) but I will have to say that this is one of the nicest fruity scents I've tried. conclusion: This goes on my imp wish list... ...as well as gets my vote for Best in the Bunch! 4/5

Djinn first sniff: this one is interesting, compelling even - I can't identify components, but despite the name I'm not afraid to try it. tested wet: it does have a firey soul...a real invasive and permeating. It doesn't feel or smell "hot" like spicy or woody, but it's like the electricity that bounces off the flames as they crackle and dance under a night sky. tested dry: the sparks fly for quite awhile and then settles innocuously into a pile of lightly powdered ash. Then *poof* the whole thing suddenly disappears. Conclusion: If an imp should happen to cross my path I'd enjoy dancing in the flames with Djinn again. 3/5

Dee first sniff: medicinally antiseptic. Not sure I want to put this on my skin. tested wet: but I did and it smelled like strong aftershave wet on my skin. tested dry: but it mellows nicely. it now has an attractive scent - definitely more of a man's cologne (at least in my opinion) It has a rugged sophistication about it. conclusion: I wouldn't wear it, but I would recommend or give as a gift to a quy who appreciates fragrance. additional note - this one is really hard to wash the smell off 2/5

Cobra Lily first sniff: beautiful floral - bright and summery! tested wet: much the same like sticking your face in a big garden bouquet. tested dry: a light incense-y note starts to emerge and give the fragrance more depth and complexity. conclusion: I like this - it's going on my imp list! 3/5

Bon Vivant first sniff: pink sugary lolipops. not at all unpleasant but a real girly girl scent. tested wet: Reminds me of when I was a kid and had 'Little Kiddle' dolls that came in plastic perfume bottles that opened like a clamshell. tested dry: primary scent does not change much, but it seems to fade pretty quickly. conclusion: I wouldn't wear this myself, but I don't find it offensive. 2/5

Urd first sniff: ooh yeah, head shop patchouli and nag champa at it's head buzzy best...I can tell I'm going to like this already. tested wet: this is quite an ideal presentation of patchouli...it's not the heavy incense that hangs in the air and permeates every porous surface it touches kind of head shop smell - it's the 'good stuff' that's kept behind the counter. Tested dry: the scent just keeps being awesome...I LOVE it! conclusion: Definitely searching out an imp soon, but I can see a bottle of this in my future. Voting this one Best in the Bunch! 4/5

Tzadikim Nistarim first sniff: fruity - very clear and fresh like white grape juice. tested wet: there's a mixture of things going on here, overall still fruity but there's a slight incense whiff and a mild bright floral note overlayed with a nice leafy herbaceousness. tested dry: I really can't quite describe it...it's a very 'live' kind of herbal smell. conclusion: I very much like this and will put it on my imp wish list. 3/5

Skuld first sniff: sweet...like cherry lifesavers taste. Nothing at all what I was expecting from the description. tested wet: something turned plastic on me, I'm thinking it's the combo of the ylang ylang and honey. I smell no musk what-so-ever here. tested dry: I start smelling a faint musk but it's overpowered by the smell of plastic goo. conclusion: This one doesn't like me at all...I'd have to take a pass on any imp that came my way. 0/5

Port Au Prince first sniff: spicy (clove, cinnamon - all those woody bark type of spices) and slightly tropical tested wet: like chewing on cinnamon toothpicks after the HOT spice of the cinnamon is gone. tested dry: definite clove now - not sweet, but dry and spicy. conclusion: Nice smell - I like it...enough to get an imp, but probably not a bottle. 3/5

Penny Dreadful first sniff: oh my god this smells just like copper! tested wet: metallic dirt. tested dry: more earthy, like the smell of the dirt that clings to the tangled roots of the weeds being pulled as you get the garden ready for planting. Very strong...makes my skin tingle a bit. conclusion: It's interesting and I like the aroma - but I highly doubt that I could wear this as perfume. 3/5

Oberon first sniff: soapy men's aftershave. tested wet: soapy men's aftershave. tested dry: not as soapy but still men's aftershave. A very nice and appealing aftershave, but... conclusion: nothing I want to wear. 2/5

the imps I've gotten from the lab have been mostly pretty much even between the top of the label and the bottom edge of the cap, but I've had some which hovered right at or slightly below the label as well. However some labels are attached high and some are attached low...so there's another factor to consider when judging imp fullness by label height. It's all just wonderful smelly goodness as far as I'm concerned!

sniffing from the imp - fresh, light and softly sweet. Don't really get the full impact of the vanilla until after I try it on. on the skin - now I can smell the Dragon's Blood quietly lurking in the shadows, but it takes a backseat to the vanilla...which is definitely the predominant note. after about an hour - the nicest, softest yet most fragrant vanilla scent I've ever worn. I'm not a 'foodie' scent person, but a few years ago my favorite body lotion was Crabtree & Evelyn's Vanilla...I would just wear it as my perfume. This is the closest thing I've smelled to that particular vanilla ever. for as soft and light as this fragrance is, it has remarkable staying power. The second time I tried it, I woke up the next morning smelling quite lovely (probably more so after I'd brushed my teeth ) and slightly hungry for waffles with vanilla syrup. My rating: - a very strong 4/5 amusing anecdote: I received this as a frimp with my very first lab order. In my excitement of trying to decide which frimp I was going to try out first (I get sensory overload if I sniff too many different fragrances in one sitting) I selected this, but for some reason had the description for 'Lust' stuck in my head. I went for about an hour totally puzzled as to why I was smelling a creamy sweet vanilla and not the slightest bit of musk or patchouli. Doh!

sniffing from the bottle - somebody mopped the forest floor with Pine Sol on the skin - somebody mopped my arm with Pine Sol after about 10 minutes of debating whether to go scrub my arm to get that smell to go away, something magical happened...a beautiful woodsy scent started to come through, trimmed with the faintest floral tone. The Pine Sol totally retreated and turned into a soft and very pleasant aroma similar to a blanket of fallen pine needles. after about an hour the scent all but disappears into my skin. I want it back - but I'm not sure if putting up with a good 10 minutes of nasty is worth it! This is my first sampling of Belladonna but I plan to give it another try on another day. I will update my review if I discover any differences from this first impression. Rating: 2/5 ...if there was no Pine Sol stage it would be a 3, if the fragrance lasted longer it would be a 4.

"Who are you?" said The Caterpillar. Bright and lively florals waft from the bottle. I don't discover the complex earthiness of The Caterpillar until about... <looks at watch> ...5 minutes after it hits my skin when those lovely blossoms slowly begin to yield their delicate perfume to the mossy undergrowth of the forest floor. Who are you, indeed! Once the oil has settled into my pores for awhile the soft flowers, green leafiness and earthy fresh soil fall into amazing harmony - and only after it is completely dry do I notice an occasional waft of magical smoke rings swirling lightly over my head. This fragrance is captivating - one of my favorites so far. (though at this writing I'm fairly new to sniffin' bpal scents) I do have a richly cultivated soft spot for a long list of florals and simply adore fresh green notes. I must also note that for me, the incense peeking through is ethereal - nothing at all like the omnipresent resinous aroma which permeated the air of any head shop that I've ever encountered upon my travels off the beaten path. I will wear this often...no matter who I thought I was when I got up in the morning...no matter how many times I've changed, The Caterpillar will be transforming itself right along with me. Rating: 5/5

sniffing from the imp - fresh clean floral with a hint of green. on the skin - I can start to smell the violet and lily of the valley (two of my favorite florals...but I'm such a flower-ho, at some point they have all been my faves!) but the greeny part starts to suffocate the delicate floral notes - I'm assuming this is the cypress - I don't smell juniper much in this...and favoring a gin martini, I do know my juniper. after it's settled a bit - this is when the myrrh starts to elbow it's way into the mix. For me, myrrh is best when mixed with other resins - but with the floral/green it settles a bit too powdery to really win me over. I do like this fragrance - it's very lovely not at all what I'd expect the Angel of Death to smell like! But I'll probably be content with my imp and not seek a bottle on this one. My rating is a 3 (out of 5) - Sally edited silly spelling error

sniffing from the imp - this is totally NOT something that I would like to wear. It has a real faux-fruitiness to it that doesn't appeal to me. But I'm so glad that didn't keep me from trying it on. It still does that little tutti-fruitti thing for awhile on the skin, but then the amber and the musk totally rise to the senses as the perfume mingles with my chemistry. I'd say about an hour after applying the oil is when I start to feel the seduction of the scent take over. This is one of the sexiest scents I've tried so far (out of 25 or so...at the time of this review) and it also does a 'lip venom' stinging effect to my wrist or inner elbow where I often apply fragrance, so unless I want to 'feel the burn' a bit, I apply it to the top side of my wrist. I thought about trying in a scent locket, but what I really like about it is how it reacts on my skin, so that might not work either. Hollywood Babylon rates a 4 (out of 5) for me. It's a keeper! - Sally

Sniffing from the imp, I smell sweet cherry evenly balanced by mellow sandalwood. As it goes on the skin, the sweetness amplifies a bit until the oil dries and then the scent begins to change. First the almond goes from cherry to nutty, then the rosy floral starts to peek out from behind. At no point do I detect any clove or citrus tones. After a few hours the almond has faded almost completely and all that is left is the soft breath of the sandalwood and rose. This is not a heavy scent - it's very refined. Light enough to wear to the office, but fragrant enough to remind everybody what a sophisticated woman you are! My rating for Seraglio is 4 (out of 5) - Sally

I just received a bottle of this yesterday - a forum purchase from bloodlotus1 And this is my first review of a BPAL fragrance... Beatrice is just about everything I hoped it would be. From the very cool label on the bottle to the killer flower garden goodness inside. Sniffing from the bottle, my nose is hit with MEGA floral. Nothing specific - although probably more rosy than anything. Very bright and playful. On the skin I start to smell some of the greenery filling out the bouquet. It stays at this stage for quite awhile for me. I came into work today with some fresh cut lilacs in hand and one of my coworkers standing in the lobby commented on how he could smell the flowers as soon as I walked in the door. I held them out for him to smell and after he did he had a puzzled look on his face - and then said "that's not lilac I smell...it's YOU - wow!" Since I'm pretty new to wearing BPAL fragrance, and this was the first time I'd worn Beatrice, I was curious - so I asked if the scent was too much. He said "oh no, it's definitely noticable but very real - not at all like how some women wear too much perfume" Good answer! A few hours later, I still feel an aura of Beatrice around me, but have to put my nose right up to my arm to smell the details...and this is the stage of the fragrance that really wins me over. I still smell the beautiful floral bouquet framed by the green leaves - but there's something a bit musky lurking underneath...it's light but it's there. I'll confess I'm a sucker for florals. I would say that Beatrice is a very elegant, yet unrestrained scent. Definitely no wall flower. Rating = 5 from 1 (low) to 5 (high) - Sally