Pookstrell

I usually go scent-free too, so I can smell the flowers However, there's little better in life than spending a day gardening, getting grubby and coming back indoors for a Lush and BPAL-filled bath!

Pretty, soft lavender is my first impression. It reminds me a little of Villain and TKO, without really being like either. Vanilla and lavender are the most noticeable and if I sniff really hard I catch a whiff of the fennel. I don't get a distinct impression of either Snake Oil or Dorian and this dries down to a soft vanilla on me. I'm hoping a little ageing will bring out its complexity.

Me too, Electra. I HATE jasmine with a passion ... but I just don't detect it here. As it dries down I can sense something floral, but not the usual jasmine that my nose interprets as poo. It's not because it's the night-blooming variety either - that is usually awful on me too. I finally understand what people mean when they describe this as soapy, because this is exactly how it smells here - and soapy is fine by me! Bizarrely, I don't get a whiff of almond either, just a lovely, slightly salty blend. On my skin, the saltiness fades and I'm left with a laundry scent - not clean linen, but straight-up washing powder. Just lovely!

I detect the a citrus at first - a faint lemon. I should preface this, however, by saying that tea always has a citrus edge to my nose. On the skin - pow! - beautiful brewed tea (not dried) with a sugary feel and musk. There is also something in this which keeps it grounded which I can only assume is the jasmine leaf. Now, jasmine leaf must be an utterly different beast to the flower which I really, really cannot bear. But this ... is stunning. This is a warm, yellow version of Dorian. Dorian is decadent afternoon tea with doilies and sweets enjoyed by recumbent, rakish men. Theodosius is earl grey from a china cup, taken in the drawing room whilst wearing a cravat Oh yes. I will be buying more.

Totally agree. It's uncanny!

This blend is a dark, brooding vetiver lovers paradise! Fairly dry, although the tamarind adds a touch of sweetness. Initially this reminds me a little of Death Adder, which I love. However, as this dries it develops an almost clovey vibe on me. However, I have the feeling that it might be a spice other than clove which I am struggling to identify. Maybe ajowan? the black musk gives this a strong, warm base. This strikes me as a very serious blend. Erich Zahns music must be solemn dirge.

This blend has me perplexed at the moment. At first, I detected the damp 'off' smell that I sometimes get with sour berries. I think this must be the cranberry combined with the pine. Whilst I love pine, it can take a few moments to lose its initial sharpness on me. As it dries, the Devil becomes much more palatable. The sharp elements recede, to leave a smoothness. Tomato leaf is one of my favourite scents of the garden, and whilst it is not distinct here, I get an impression of it in the background. When this has warmed up it completely changes. After 20 minutes this is mellow and fruity, whilst retaining a background of ballsy pine and cedar The verdict? Yet another imp that I don't want to part with. I'll definitely be experimenting further with this one.

Wow, 10/10 for verisimilitude! This blend is super-rich. There is a sweet, creamy milky note which reminds me of Sweet Milk by the Body Perfumery. This, however, is much more complex. Wet, I get a buttery almost cheesy tang which makes me feel hungry. However, unlike Jack, this scent is not cloyingly rich. And unlike Jack, I don't turn this into 'peach ass' Nope, Pumpkin Cheesecake is a really special pumpkin blend. Whilst it does lose much of its richness on my skin, I'm surprised to note that it doesn't become burnt. Ultimately I think Pumpkin King is more wearable, but this is so decadent. This is special enough to keep around for an instant gooey cake fix!

That sexy, manly Jolly Roger vibe is really apparent when I sniff Calico Jack. Comparing them side by side, I find my very, very old imp of Jolly Roger to be more woody and less sweet, although it may not be accurate to compare an ancient imp with my fresh Calico. Nevertheless, Calico Jack seems to be a lighter blend to my nose. As it dries, CJ becomes slightly less oceanic and the mild spices are detectable. Definitely a 'memory' of spices as the description suggests, rather than being hot or foody. In fact, the individual spices are not discernible, they just add a very slight warmth to the cool sea spray. I'm going to place this next to Jolly Roger in my imp holder, and test it again in a few weeks. Whether I end up wearing it or not, I find BPAL's evocation of ocean-saltiness really fascinating. I wish the sea really smelt so nice!

Windward passage has a certain 'damp' smell out of the vial, but luckily I don't get any of the unpleasant connotations mentioned by other reviewers In vial: Wet on skin: Wow, same scent family as Jolly Roger. Saltiness and ozone. Drying: Ozone, ozone, ozone! Dry on Skin: This scent morphs so quickly! All similarities to Jolly Roger have vanished, leaving a very dry, detergent scent. To me, this smells just like a very, very hot iron on clean cotton sheets. Almost scorched. No sweetness, just a lot of CLEAN. Verdict: It's not so sweet as Wensleydale, nowehere near as sweet as Antique or Black Lace. Instead, it has more of the pungency and dryness of Dirty, without being *like* it, if you see what I mean. As a fan of clean scents, I think I'll dab this onto clothes for instant freshness.

How about... The Scarecrow: An agricultural gargoyle. Though he is the Guardian of the Crops and Keeper of the Fields, his visage is still the stuff of nightmares. The scent of a hot wind blowing through desolate, scorched, barren fields. Roadhouse also sprang into my mind, although I'm not quite sure if it's what you're after: Truck stop sleaze. Weedy dandelion and hops with a whiff of tobacco and hemp and a swirl of booziness. I'm thinking that the hemp and dandelion might provide a hayish scent, and the hops and booziness might offer the fermentation your after? Just a thought

Nom nom nom nom. This is like a subtle, toned-down and grown up Hollywood Babylon. The musk, which is beautifully grounding and voluptuous, underscores the rich berry-like dragon's blood. Now here's the amazing thing... this has cocoa in, but I can wear it! Normally I reduce chocolate to mouldy cardboard, but not this time. A first! This is one of those classic BPAL 'red' scents which makes you feel sexy but want to snuggle at the same time.

Blimey, I thought I'd gone mad when I sniffed this as it reminded me of Dorian so strongly. I'm glad to see that I wasn't the only one. I adore Dorian, but have worn it to death and this is a lovely alternative. Theal8r is right, 'green vanilla' is a great description. I wouldn't have been able to pick the ingredients in this if they weren't listed, although I'm beginning to think that olive leaf may well be my friend. iIndeed, it has a similar 'quality' to Lush's Olive Branch for me. I also reckon that there's ambergris in this, although I'm probably taking out of my bum! In short, this is a really delightful surprise, and I will be getting a bottle of this before the Faiza's companions leave town... possibly two bottles, as it follows an Olive Branch shower so, so beautifully

Wow, this is stunning! Dry, yet warm coconut tempered with vetiver and the sweetness of Snake Oil. I love coconut, but usually find it either too sweet, too 'beachy' or artificial. Now this is how to do coconut!

Indeed! The artwork on those bottles is stunning Most of my bottles are cobalt, which I *love* so I doubt I'll be swapping them any time soon. I did have a very old handwritten bottle of Three Witches which was nove., but my very favourite has to be the teeny, tiny early corked bottles. The lovely Red Jezebel has Bewitched (I think) in the teeny bottle and it's soooo cute!

I think that Yankee's new Sun& Sand bears a strong resemblance to Pele

I just ordered a brochure from the site, as I've been on the lookout for the new Halloween scents. I've seen a couple of things appear on Ebay UK, such as the Haunted House tart warmer. Normally, Yankee burners are too kitsch for me, but I love this one!

Really?! How did I miss this post?! AC is one of my favourite scents of all time, and I'm down to the last dribble of the forum-only perfume. *runs off to find some White Phoenix*

If you like Pele, you may well like Yankee's Sun & Sand tarts/candles. Really summery!

Honestly, I could just cry. I tried a decanted imp of this about a year ago and loved it. I posted an ISO on the wnated forum ages ago to no avail. Today I opened the decant to sniff.. and oh dear god... the most gorgeous smell hit me. It has just aged fantastically. It reminds me of Blood Amber but sweeter, muskier and more snuffly. In 4 years of BPALing I have loved some scents, but this one has made me absolutely rabid for more. It just does the most wonderful things with my chemistry. And its an accursed LE! *stamps foot* Wow, this oil really does something funny to me! Edited: Since writing this review I've managed to hunt down 4 bottles - such is my love for this scent. I really don't understand why it isn't more popular!

Wow, warm snuggly leathery rugged goodness. My favourite scent category! This reminds me very much of the leather in De Sade. It is lighter to my nose than Dee, and when I initially applied it, I expected it to be a bottle purchase. However, it dries down to pure pencil-shavings on me I'm actually relieved as I have so many leather scents, and really couldn't justify spending any more!

Continuing my BPAL nostalgia, I have been having sniffy of my treasured vanilla bean. It has become so lush over the last two years. Opening it today, it is very reminiscent of Snake Oil. Really lovely, but like all the SN's I've tried (with the possible exception of ambergris) much better when blended with other notes

Can't believe I've never reviewed this until now. I've been hanging on to my two imps for yonks. Stunning, non-cyanide almond which is obviously the key component of Dana O'Shee. I think that Dana is a straight up mix of SA and vanilla bean, although I'm just speculating. Lovely stuff, but even better when mixed in Dana O'Shee!

Ambergris is such a lovely scent. I've had my pretty, tarted imp since '04 and it is as lovely as it was in the beginning. There's nothing quite like ambergris. It is clean, but not soapy and musky but, um, not musky! Since it is such a delicate note, I have never managed to pick up on it blends.

The perfect chai tea blend- I can't get over how this smells exactly like one of my favourite beverage I've tried chai scents from other etailers, but they either smell too harsh or artificial. This is smooth and rounded, which I think must be the musk and tonka. When he's not drinking the blood of virgins, Cound Dracula likes to put the kettle on for a nice cuppa. Who'd have thought it?