mspixieears

What a deep, dark, deliciously chocolatey myrrh! The smoke and cinnamon actually remind me of The Phantom Calliope. As it begins to dry the cinnamon dominates and makes it smell like Red Hots or cinnamon Jelly Belly jellybeans. The smoke deepens a little too. I wish it stayed how it was when first applied – I really enjoyed it then. I think the cinnamon is also making me itchy, alas.

This is a gorgeous blend, a shame I only have enough for a sniff. I’ve not yet been disappointed by any BPAL blend with mandarin. The mango and white sandalwood are barely detectable and extremely alluring. May need to get an imp of this. Will be divine for summertime.

I don’t like aquatic scents generally but this is probably the nicest aquatic scent of BPAL’s that I’ve sampled thus far. It’s definitely dark though I couldn’t pinpoint why I get that from the scent! I wouldn’t wear it again but I’m glad to have tried it.

Ooh wow, instant red fruits with the smallest hint of spice. This smells like cherry Jolly Ranchers (which I love). Really yummy – I wish I got a full imp instead of just a sniffle, especially when BPAL fruits go well with my body chemistry. Lasting power is excellent. I want more!

I just had enough of this to dab and I think I much prefer it to its twin Hope which wasn't sugared enough for my liking. This seems to be the perfect balance of sugar and rose. Will definitely need another -- full -- imp. I really like this rose blend, more so that others I've tried.

Instant impression wet is gardenia mixed with cherry or cough syrup. That might seem strange but there you go. As it begins to settle I detect the sandalwood, which I like very much. It’s a very nice blend but not as remarkable as I’m used to with BPAL blends generally but I think it warrants a retest. Overall, I think it’s a very comforting blend, but goes a bit soapy a few hours later.

I never realised leather could be so beautiful and subtle till I experienced it in BPAL blends. This is such a refined blend – the leather is very woodsy and fresh at the same time. I think this would be fabulous on a man. There’s something in this that reminds me immensely of Paco Rabanne For Men but a better version. As it dries down I get the loveliness of the rosewood (am a convert since experiencing it in Tristran). Ten minutes in and and the incense begins to emerge. Might it have a tad of red musk? I detect something like that too. Oh my gosh, this just keeps getting better and better – the tonka begins to emerge when it’s dry and really refines the blend further. Unfortunately as it dries down it loses a lot of its throw. A few reviewers have said they pick up something like pine and I suspect I do too. Definitely keeping my imp.

Ooh this is yummy – the strawberry reminds me of Hollywood Babylon and Lampades. Oddly enough my skin is not amping the florals which I can barely detect. I thought this was instant love but it grows into something a little too sweet for me.

What a refined incense blend! It’s definitely very dusty in an old world sort of way. It’s also very smoky and seductive. I don’t really smell the tobacco smoke so much. A wonderfully warm fragrance – it must be the opium smoke. Lovely! Think I shall get a bottle.

Wet, it's nothing but pure violet and then the sugar hits though it's not as sweet as I hoped. So far this is probably the most violet scent I've tried. A few minutes later it gets sweeter and has very strong throw and lasting power. I don't think it's sweet enough for me to keep.

Instantly I’m hit with the sandalwood and myrrh though I can detect the jasmine. I’m fairly certain this blend is not to my taste as the herbs come through and I’m not overly fond of the herb blends. I overall find it quite a masculine blend, and quite spicy too.

Oh my god, this is just divine! Instantly I can smell the white cake and vanilla but not so much the currants which I was hoping for most in this blend. I don’t usually like foody blends but this is irresistible. As it starts to dry I get the currants but it mingles mainly with the vanilla and cake foodiness. I sadly only had a tiny amount in the imp I got – think I definitely need at least another imp, possibly a bottle. Absolutely heavenly. Reminds me a little of The Candy Butcher and also All Souls.

I can smell the bluebell and wet grass. Overall it’s a floral composition and I can’t really tell what the florals are. As it dries the sugared candies become evident and they are very pleasing. This smells very similar to another BPAL fragrance but I can’t place which one. I’m not sure whether to keep the imp so into the retest pile it goes.

Delightful! This is much more suited to my body chemistry than blends like Bliss. No wonder this is so popular. I swear I can detect something floral in this blend – I think this is why it’s so good on my skin as I tend to amp up florals.

Immediately one is greeted by the smell of lavender. As the oil begins to dry the magnolia comes out to play – it’s very fresh and uplifting. Not sure that it is to my liking as the magnolia isn’t strong enough for me. Generally, too muted a fragrance to what I’ve come to expect from BPAL but it is nice and very inoffensive.

It’s very bubblegummy like people say, with the addition of florals and the slightest herb-like scent. This is what it’s like while wet. I think this will warm up well on my skin and with my chemistry. About ten minutes later it becomes more floral and the initial sugary sweetness seems to have faded. I think this is a nice scent but not sure if I’ll use up the imp. The incense is okay but I find myself wishing this actually stayed sweeter. A few hours later it becomes really soapy. It’s fairly pleasant but not a keeper for me.

What a heavenly floral! Wet I get the musk then gradually the violet and jasmine, and hints of the mimosa and maybe even the vanilla bean – not sure though on that last note. I do think the vanilla bean softens the composition overall. Beautiful for spring and summer I think. I’m so glad I have a bottle of this. As it dries the musk permeates a little more, making it a warm woodsy floral whereas at the beginning it’s a much fresher floral.

Dust on your trousers, mud on your boots, and stars in your eyes: redwood, tonka bean, white sandalwood, lemon peel, patchouli, rosewood, coriander, and crushed mint. A soft, gentlemanly cologne-type scent with the smallest hint of something sweet. I think it suits the innocence of Tristran remarkably well. I smell most clearly what I imagine to be redwood, and the white sandalwood which seems less intense than the sandalwood I'm used to. I think like others I'm getting that hint of the mint, as it dries down. Overall the fragrance also seems to be getting warmer. Nice to try but more suited as a room fragrance for me. An hour or so later I get the candlewax note. Quite nice but still too room fragrance-ish for me. Mind you a few hours later it smells floral-woodsy. I think I'll keep my imp of this.

I mainly get tea rose from this which makes it a delightfully old-fashioned fragrance. That is when it’s wet. It’s a very gentle sort of scent and wonderfully done as it could easily become a horrid, cloying ‘old lady’ scent (no offence meant to old ladies!). A very refined old world floral with quite a bit of staying power. Half an hour later the vanilla musk emerged beautifully!

A very spicy, foody scent that smells like it’s combined with red musk hardcore! The red musk is very strong wet and on the drydown. Could be a very gender neutral scent. Reminds me slightly of Snake Oil minus its sweet vanilla scent. Quite nice and could use up the imp. A very pleasing musk.

This is very earthy with floral undertones. I don’t exactly know what a jazz funeral is supposed to smell like but something about it reminds me of the tropics or rainforest area. It’s a nice fragrance but not quite to my taste. There’s one perfumey note that is slightly too strong for me. I do think this could be good on a man, it has a very gentlemanly cologne feel to it.

I mainly get tea rose from this which makes it a delightfully old-fashioned fragrance. That is when it’s wet. It’s a very gentle sort of scent and wonderfully done as it could easily become a horrid, cloying ‘old lady’ scent (no offence meant to old ladies!). A very refined old world floral with quite a bit of staying power. Half an hour later the vanilla musk emerged beautifully!

I smell something mentholated in this blend, aside from the obvious cherry blossom. As soon as it dries down it becomes much more floral, yet with a hint of spice – maybe something like ginger? Not sure if this one agrees with me so much. Like White Rabbit, this is nice from afar but up close it doesn’t smell quite right on me. About 15 minutes later it’s settled on my skin and become a fresh floral slightly reminiscent of magnolia. Will need to wait some more to see how this develops. Warrants a retest, methinks!

I generally don’t like rose blends but this one is so lovely! A very fresh, not-too-cloying type of rose. There’s something else in it that I can’t identify but overall am very pleased with this blend. Duh me, it’s the leather! I can now fully detect it, what a gorgeous addition.

I smell the cypress and almond immediately though the cypress makes the almond less foody. Though it gets foodier with the fig coming through, also with something else that is gently spicy. I thought my body chemistry would like this more but so far it’s not as lovely as I expected. Will wait a while to see if this changes. Nearly an hour later and it’s gone powdery like amber blends generally do, but with a touch of almond. Doesn’t have much lasting power and finishes up smelling like peonies to my nose for some odd reason.