le fey

Age: about 1 1/2 years old In the bottle: rose and jasmine, with something green and soft Wet: mahogany comes to the front, with a floral background. I can get a bit of coffee and something sweet. as it starts to dry something strange is happening... one wrist is pure rose sitting on a polished table... the other is pure jasmine. Now there's a trick! Drydown: this has become a generic rose/jasmine combination - I don't get vanilla or fig. It's okay, but I expect something more exotic from Mata Hari.

Age: Brand new frimp from the Lab In the bottle: jasmine and sandalwood with a hint of spice Wet: Jasmine jumps out first (that's ok, I love jasmine), and I can smell the lily as well. Interesting.. up close it's pure floral, hints of sandalwood and something I'm guessing is the myrtle. From a distance, I get the musk and bourbon but it disappears as soon as I focus on it. Drydown: Jasmine and sandalwood and musk - the scents play well together to create a sophisticated perfume type scent. I like it though it though I'm not sure how memorable it is. A couple hours later its suddenly lilies and making me sneeze. I'd have liked to have gotten more of the bourbon vanilla - and maybe it will eventually show up, but if it does, this is a long strange route to get there. I'm going to put this imp away to age awhile and see what that does for it.

The Hesperides are the Nymphs of the Evening who dwell in a verdant garden located in the Arcadian Mountains, guarded by the terrible three-headed dragon, Ladon. Within their garden lives the tree that bears Hera's sacred Golden Apples. Their perfume is that of sturdy oak bark, dew-kissed leaves, twilight mist and crisp apple. In the bottle: crisp apples still on the tree Wet: apples, mouthwatering.. but this is standing in a grove surrounded by living apple trees - more woodsy than foodie. Gorgeous. Drydown: Woods... this is walking through an apple grove just at dawn, with the night's dew still on the ground and the air foggy and chilly. I love this but it smells like morning, not evening. Very evocative. I don't think this is going to last long...an hour later, it's faded into the scent of apples and greenery in the distance. In spite of the shortness of the experience, it completes the sensory imagery... the return home from the orchard as the sun burns off the early morning fog, ready to begin my day after this refreshing interlude. I love this.

In the bottle: Clean and fruity... I can pick out the orange, something grapey, the mint and the rose. Wet: Rose and herbs. Drydown: The orange comes up - still primarily rose, but the orange and herbs keep it well behaved. I'm hoping the grape will return, but this is all very nicely blended, bright and sweet and clean. As time passes, I do get hints of grape but more significantly, all of the notes come together in a very harmonious way - this scent is sunny, regal and civilized with no oddities that would keep it from being wearale every day. I can see why this is a classic scent. Two hours later, it's growing softer - I have to put my nose right up to my wrist to smell it. But it remains lovely right to the end, without losing its character. I'm willing to reapply as needed, and I am very happy with this scent.

Age: Brand new In the bottle: perfume - floral, spice, musk .... too blended to pick out any one note. Wet: spicy floral. It's reminding me of some perfume my mother wore years ago, but I have no idea what. It's a scent more for evening than daytime though... a cocktail dress perfume. Drydown: Spicy, mostly musk and sandalwood. Not getting a lot of amber specifically but there's a lot going on here. This is a totally wearable scent. As it dries, it continues to be a complex, sophisticated scent that is primarily musk and sandalwood with unidentifiable undertones - I get occasional whiffs that are a bit soapy, but good perfumed soap that doesn't take over. This continues to be imminently wearable, especially for dressy occasions. After three hours its faded to something non-descript but still pleasant. This is not an everyday scent, but I would happily wear it for a night out.

Age: Brand new In the bottle: Cool, subtle, wet floral. Wet: Spicy floral, strong ozone - reminds me more of early spring than winter. Reminds me of good aftershave. Drydown: lemon, gardenia (I think), and ozone - this is very clean and fresh and still reminds me of a man's scent although I am liking. it doesn't feel so much like the rain itself as the heady clean air that follows it. As it ages, it becomes a soft citrus floral as if the sun is drying off the rain. This feels less masculine, but still very clean and fresh. I like it very much and will be wearing it again.

Age: Brand new In the bottle: Mmm...almond and honey, creamy and smooth Wet: woooow.... the spices are subtle but keep this from being too sweet. This is very rich and languid. Nice! Dry down: The spices are rising - there's just enough honey to keep them from seeing dry. The almond smells like nuts rather than cherries (yay) and the overall effect is exactly what I'd hoped for. Sadly, it is gone entirely in less than two hours - but very pleasant for as long as it last. This one creates a strong sensory memory for me of a honey almond pastry my mother used to make as a child, and yet - in spite of the rich delicious scent, it doesn't feel entirely 'foodie' to me. I will definitely be keeping this and seeking ways to get the scent to linger for longer than it did.

Age: brand new In the bottle: Beer and crisp apples. Mmm! Wet: The orange peel and roasting apples stand out - not so much foodie but as if they've been tossed into a bon fire. This totally smells like Autumn to me. My first reaction here is pure love. Drydown: Oh my... I'm taking deep huffs of this... this is wonderful. It's a crackling bonfire with cinnamon apple cider - the beer has melded with the apple now. This is a crisp cold night spent keeping toasty near the flames while the wind blows in the dark. I'm very, very happy with this. It continues to mellow without morphing much - crisp apple cider and smoke on a damp cold night. Three hours later it's gone. Verdict: I absolutely love this and am very glad I bought a bottle - I'll be using this a lot over the fall.

Age: Brand new In the bottle: Vanilla Musk Wet: Very cologny with vanilla laid over it. Not getting sweet tea, just vanilla and musk and ...sweat. Uh oh... smells like someone masking BO with cheap vanilla musk cologne. Drydown: As it dries down I get gusts of the tea...vanilla...BO...lemon...musk. None of the scents seem to want to settle down and play together. Its as if they're coming from various parts of the room. I am not finding this pleasant - but it is sexy and dangerous... dangerous because its sexy putting on a civilized front for a little while. By the time it's dry I get only the barest suggestion of tea (old tea left in the cup), lemon - less likely in the cup then polishing the table it sits on), the old BO and musk of a horny man who hasn't washed since his last encounter and a liberal splash of vanilla he hopes to cover that fact up. Interesting sensory image but I'm not sure its at all what I want to smell like. Later: Other than occasional gusts, the tea is gone. Left is vanilla musk overlaying male sweat and a slightly sour note that is likely the lemon but is translating into old BO. This makes me feel like the morning after a sexy but unsavory night. It's really interesting, but I don't know when I want to smell like this. I wish the tea were more prominent - it's the reason I picked this up. On the other hand the vanilla and musk are blending together much better now, leading to some heady sensory memories of a certain someone from years ago who wore vanilla musk cologne. This whole thing is leading to some dirty thoughts - the kind that aren't all that comfortable. ...and then all of a sudden, two hours out, it all starts behaving... the BO turns to the yummy smell of skin, the vanilla takes center stage and grows sweet, the musk stops smacking me in the face. And tea! That smells fresh instead of last night's leftovers. This I like. I'm just not sure I can go through a two hour one-night-stand to get here. Verdict: I think I'm going to let this sit for a few months and see what a bit of maturing does for it. Intriguing, those day after the night before relationships can be so uncomfortable.

This was one of two bottles I bought - the first two ever that I didn't buy as imps, so I'm excited and a little nervous about whether or not I'll like them. In general, I'm a bit iffy about florals, and was drawn to this one in large part by the name and by the ivy and hemlock and the idea that these were night-time florals rather than day. In the bottle: Soft floral, I can pick out the ivy, but nothing else is all that identifiable. It smells subtle and cool. Wet: Rats - I'm slathering, because I spilled a bit as I applied it. The ivy is still the overriding note, with a lot of cool florals joining the show. Strong, but I think that has more to do with the amount I'm applying than with the scent itself. If I didn't know this was an oil, I'd assume it was a commercial floral perfume, something white and blue with lots of dark greenery. I hope the alcohol note will settle down. Dry (1/2 hour later): The ivy has faded into the background and a white floral predominates now - I'm not familiar enough with most florals to pick out which though I'm gathering this is moonflower. It's pleasant but not making me want to bury my nose in it. I do like that it is a 'cool' floral, and if I were smelling this sitting on my porch at night, I'd be very happy. Later (1 hour later): As I got to this point, I was growing wary - it went through a strong soapy stage, but now it's beginning to meld nicely into something creamy and the ivy is becoming prominent again. I'm not sure this is entirely 'me' but there is nothing unlikeable about it either - I think it would be a reasonably good standard scent for cooler weather. Wind Down (2 hours): This is still going strongly, which should be a good thing except that I'm just not liking it all that much, and that makes me sad. It's become a rather sour floral that leaves an aftertaste in the back of my mouth like I sucked in a whiff of hairspray. As long as I don't bury my nose in it, it smells ok but when I get closer, it's not that pleasant on me. I think that mainly has to do with my not being a huge fan of perfumey florals, but it is still disappointing - I'd hoped the nightblooming varieties would be more suited to my tastes. As it stands now, I think it's going to have great staying power, though and I can see where a fan of florals would love this. Verdict: I will try this as a room scent and I think it will be lovely to dress candles with, but while it's one of the most standard perfumey scents I've tried for BPAL, it does not have a future on my skin. I hope the other bottle I bought turns out better.

In the bottle: Perfumey - a profusion of wildflowers, cool in tone. Wet: Mmm.... smelling the woods now, and can pick out the violets as well. Heady and cool, as if I'm standing on a shadowy path in the woods. The pine is strong, but the florals are keeping it from turning to Pine-Sol. Dry (15 min): As it dries down, the florals get stronger and sweeter, as if being crushed underfoot. The piney scent is moving to the background, and something spicy and green is coming out. I like this. It's bringing back sensory memories of time spent walking in the woods. Later (30 min): Drat. The pine and cypress are bubbling back up, and while it doesn't smell like Pine-Sol exactly, it's creating a sour taste in the back of my through and making my eyes burn. Just like Pine-Sol. I so wanted to love this, but that's going to be a deal breaker. Verdict: I'm so disappointed! This smells so good, but now I'm starting to feel like I'm choking and want to throw open a window to air out the room. On a more positive note, it's creating an urge to go clean something. sigh.

In the bottle: yikes, sour citrusy floral! No tea, but this does have that cherry blossom scent I recall from DC in spring. Wet: nope, no tea, but some seriously pollinating floral action here and citrus so bitter it makes my jaw tingle. Its the sort of scent I don't mind smelling on the breeze from a distance, but I don't think I care for it up close and personal. Still very sour. Dry (15 min): Huh! The bitter, bitter citrus has transformed into something sweet and tart, and now I get the cherry blossoms. No tea, but this does have that cherry blossom scent I recall from DC in spring. Later (45 min): aha, there it is - cherry blossom and black tea with a hint of citrus. Wow, did this change drastically. I thought I hated it - now it's nice. I'm not sure I want to have to go through all that to get to this, but nice. Wind Down (2 hours): Almost gone already - just a very faint lily and indistinct floral scent. Verdict: This was a strange scent - strong and bitter, then just a moment of goodness before it poofed. And I never did get the tea. I don't think this is for me.

In the bottle: Strong lime and jasmine - a good 'wake up' scent, clean and stimulating. Wet: Jasmine! Something else I can't identify, but astringent ... lighter fluid? I hope not! Dry (15 min): Jasmine, with a good throw on it, and I'm getting puffs of the tuberose and lotus as well. Nothing is shouting lime at me, but there is a bracing quality to this that I am thinking is the citrus. No more lighter fluid, thank goodness. This is definitely a morning scent and would be excellent in a shower soap. Like all the jasmines seem to, this is doing lovely things for me, but unless the throw settles down soon, I'm going to need to remember to use very little at a time. Later (45 min): Jasmine and lotus and pretty much pure soap, but that's ok for me in this case because I think I'd be most inclined to use it in a bathwash. It smells clean and stimulating. It's settled down some, but still a pretty strong throw, so a light touch is called for here. Wind Down (2 hours): Soft, nondescript clean soap smell. Verdict: Too evocative of soap for perfume (not soapY, but smells the way I like my soap to smell), but I'd love to be immersed in this during my morning shower, and I like the way it fades without turning ugly on me. I'll be putting the rest of this imp into some unscented body wash.

In the bottle: ooooh! cinnamon and nutmeg and honey. wow, taking several deep whiffs, because this is delectable. Wet: cinnamon red hots and Big Red gum. Tons of cinnamon! I can't wait to see what it becomes. Dry (15 min): Pepper now, adding to the cinnamon and making this blend less sweet than it was before. This really is stimulating an alert yet relaxed state - it's warm, zingy and also comforting. Interesting! Later (45 min): Less intense and almost pure cinnamon sugar, ready to be sprinkled on toast. High comfort food sensation here. Not so sure I'm getting the idea of sex, but this definitely leads to feelings of self-confidence and security. I think this would be a good one to have at hand for times when I am dealing with a challenge that is outside my comfort zone. Wind Down (2 hours): Very faint - this is almost gone, leaving just a pleasant fragrance no longer identifiable as cinnamon, but nice. Verdict: Short lived, but fun and happymaking while it was there. I do plan to use this when I want to access energy and confidence. This is a winner!

In the bottle: Soft floral, mostly lavender and jasmine. So far, so good - this is a very soothing floral. Wet: Stronger jasmine and lavender and something else as well. This would be a lovely scent for sleeping in. I'm not sure it's something I want to wear often, but I would love it as a room scent. Dry (15 min): I'm learning that I love what jasmine does for me - the elements are melding together into a cool, soft floral that is saved from being old-ladyish by, I think, the jasmine and the musk. The result smells like an early morning spring day and is very, very peaceful to me. I think I could wear this. Later (45 min): Softer still, a little powdery but in a gentle restful way. Usually, if it's going to turn on me, this is where it happens, but this is still good. The musk and spice are coming up and keeping the lavender and jasmine from being cloying or soapy. I haven't noticed any rose, specifically, and I don't know what delphinium is to pick it out, but the over all combination is really calming. Wind Down (8 hours): Missed the two hour mark, because I fell asleep (see? very, very calming!). Eight hours later, this scent is still here, soft but clear, and still smells lovely. Verdict: This is the one I will reach for when I am stressed or unable to sleep. Definite keeper.