Kmye Chan

In the imp: sharply floral and aquatic, in a somewhat unpleasant way - toilet freshener anyone? Wet: Woah. HELLO LILY OF THE VALLEY. Strong, in-your-face lily-of-the-valley, on an aquatic and slightly salty base. Perhaps a tinge of another white flower (gardenia?). I don't identify the citrus other reviewers are mentioning although it may be contributing to the fresh, aquatic scent - I'm just drenched in white flowers, lilies, lilies and more lilies floating in cool, clear water. It threatens to veer into toilet freshener territory for a few minutes, but then blooms into a very pretty aquatic floral fragrance. Dry: after an hour or so, the lily-of-the-valley rounds off a little as light musk and wood base notes come out. It's still decidedly aquatic, but a bit more complex. I love it from this stage, it's just gorgeous. Throw: fairly strong but not obnoxious since it's such a cool, delicate scent. Lasting power: around 8 hours - one of the longest lasting BPAL oils on me. This, my friends, is downright lovely. On me it's a cooler, more aquatic and androgynous version of 51: it has that same salty/floral/aquatic thing going on without the fruity/sweet edge. It's very unisex and I'd like to smell this on a guy - it makes me think of CK One (which, I just checked, contains citrus and lily-of-the-valley so it looks like my sniffer and I are getting quite good at this game).

In the imp: green florals. I can't pick out the notes. Wet: this is fresh, green and very floral, although the florals are a bit undistinct - lily and jasmine is my best guess. Not much else to deepen the scent; this smells like a shrubbery at sundown on a bright but chilly spring day. Drydown: I think I detect some carnation peeking out on the drydown? There's something vaguely sweet and spicy coming through, but it's faint. Mostly still green florals. It doesn't morph much on me. Throw: low. This is pretty and fresh, as pretty much everyone else said. It's not massively distinctive and definitely inoffensive - almost on the fancy soap edge, but greener and more herbal. I'll have to wear it more to decide whether it's a keeper.

In the imp: the cinnamony spice of carnation mostly. Wet: Uuuuurgh. Something... something smells awful in this. I think it must be the musk - it smells like it might be nice and intriguing and then... it veers into full diaper territory... comes back... goes back again... Yuck yuck yuck! Dry: fortunately I gave this one a chance... after a few minutes, the diaper stink goes away and I'm left with a lovely, warm, spicy carnation and musk blend, with a sweet undercurrent that I don't quite identify as plum. It smells more perfumey than most BPAL blends, but it's definitely lovely. Throw: average. I really liked this, once it got out of that awful musky stage. Not enough to get a bottle, but it's definitely nice. [EDIT] Well, snap. I retested it today, and this time the poopy smell never went away, kept wafting in and out. Urgh. Had to wash it off after a while.

In the imp: white florals, and something herbal (I thought lavender, but it must be the sage). Wet: strong jasmine, which my skin tends to amp, lily, a touch of sage and bitter citrus from the lemon peel. Dry: the sandalwood and musk peek out, but this remains predominantly jasmine and lily on me. This is pretty and delicate, a nice soft white floral that reads feminine and demure. Not something I'd wear, but pretty.

In the imp: mostly carnation and honey. Wet: I immediately thought of Middle Eastern pastries - this is a sweet, foody combination of spice (from carnation), honey and rose-water. I can also pick out the creamy milk note, but not so much the bergamot. Dry: this does not change much on me on drydown. Throw: soft. A nice comforting scent, although a bit too sweet and foody for me. If you've ever wanted to smell like delicious baklava, this is the one for you.

In the imp: something green and herbal, slightly bitter. Reminiscent of bay leaves, so I assume it's oleander, which I'm not familiar with. White florals in the background. Wet: Blind-testing this I could have sworn this had beeswax in it, because this is what this smells like to my nose - neroli-scented beeswax. WTF nose? Dry: still neroli-scented beeswax. This one plays a number on me. I'm not really getting any patchouli that I can discern. Throw: strong upon application but dies down quickly. This was quite nice, but not me at all. A soft white floral with a bitter edge.

In the imp: marzipan! Wet: just applied, this smells of almond cream pastry filling. If you've ever tasted Basque country almond cream cake - it smells *exactly* like this! Sweet and almondy and creamy. Highly nostalgic scent. Yum. Dry: The sugary sweetness dies down a bit as this dries, and this becomes fresh almonds, honey and milky oatmeal. It does smells very similar to Lush Snowcake, but more on the milky/honey side. It's lovely. Throw: low. Unfortunately my skin ate that one for breakfast - 30 minutes later it was nowhere to be smelt! A lovely scent for sure, if it lasts on your skin.

In the imp: strong citrus scent. Wet: very sharp yet sweet mandarin. It smells like lemon/citrus candy. This is very, very sharp. After a couple of minutes the florals make themselves known (I'm not familiar with lily of the valley or opium notes so I'm not sure which) and this turns into full-blown soap fest. Dry: fancy soap, but soap nonetheless. The sandalwood emerges after a couple of hours. I get no vanilla at all. Throw: moderate. Not for me.

In the imp: overripe, rotting peaches, with a slightly boozy undertone, like peach schnaps. I almost put this one back into my box as I thought I wouldn't like it, and was not really in the mood to test something unpleasant. Wet: extremely sweet peach syrup or candy, but without any of the booziness or rotting smell that I got from the imp. When it's just freshly applied I get light whiffs of something more earthy: while blind-testing I thought it was a touch of patchouli, but it's definitely the myrtle. Dry: after perhaps 30 minutes, the musk and amber come out! The peach is still very much here, but musk and amber complexify and deepen the scent and intensify as the scent wears (especially the amber). This remains very sweet all along, but absolutely gorgeous. Throw: this oil has SERIOUS throw - and it lasts forever on me. I tested it in the evening and could still smell it lightly on my skin the day after. Well, this is glorious. It is very, very sweet and a tad cloying, so I'll have to test it more and see if I don't get bored of it, but definitely considering a bottle. One to try if you are on the lookout for a sweet, gourmand amber smell.

In the imp: herbs and a bit of patchouli. Wet: Oh hello patchouli, why don't you make yourself at home and overwhelm everything? Patchouli, patchouli and more patchouli. Not as acrid as in Imp, but still very earthy. Dry: after a while the patchouli recedes a bit and a herbal/white floral smell comes out and mingles. I can't identify it exactly, but it brings sweet soapy undertones to the scent. I don't get any wood or metal from this, although I sometimes get a dusty whiff that catches in my thorat and makes me cough. This wasn't for me. It's not exactly unpleasant but, while it's not exactly masculine, it did remind me of musty aftershave. Also there's definitely something in this blend that makes me cough, so... off to the swap pile.

Baku is straight-up lavender on me, from beginning to end. True fresh lavender, not sweet soapy one. No liquorice or anise that I can detect. I wouldn't wear this as a perfume, but I'll definitely use it to help me sleep during stressful weeks.

In the imp: lavender and eucalyptus. Wet: a sharp lavender at first, and green herbal smells: basil, rosemary. Something spicy, either clove or cinnamon. Dry: the basil takes over on my skin, until this is all basil with just a touch of clove. After a couple of hours this dies down to a spicy incense. Throw: potent. Urgh. I smell like pasta rolled in pesto then in clove. Not attractive! Not for me - although I did have some very vivid dreams that I remembered clearly after waking up. Coincidence? Who knows!

In the imp: sweet fruity-floral. Wet: at first I can only smell daffodil and loud, loud jasmine, which my skin tends to amp. Then something sweeter comes out, but I don't identify it as plum really. Dry: this smells like a more floral, less complex version of Titania on me. - with a good deal of jasmine. Drydown is identical to Titania after a couple of hours once the jasmine is gone. Throw: strong as first, but dies down after a couple of hours. I like this, it's sweet and fruity and floral and pretty. But I have a bottle of Titania, which is very similar and which I like better, so I'll pass on a larger format.

In the imp: I can't pick out the notes. It smells creamy and round. Wet: A blast of musk and ambergris, well-blended - lightly animalistic and warm. Then the rose comes out, fresh and sweet. Dry: The rose comes more proeminent as this wears, but it's a soft, fresh, light rose that behaves well on my skin. Grounded by musk and amber. Throw: light. I agree with the others that this scent smells a lot more like a classical perfume than your average BPAL (think Chloe - that kind of perfume). I don't love it but I like it - it has a timeless, elegant feel to it. It's one of the few rose scents that I have tried from BPAL that I can actually wear without it turning to toilet freshener.

In the imp: menthol and kitchen herbs - I was thinking rosemary, but after checking the notes, this is most likely the mugwort cavorting with tuberose. Wet: holy smokes, tobacco! This is very, very heavy on tobacco, I can't really discern anything else for a few minutes. Then mugwort comes out again, herbal and minty, and I get that "bitter aftershave" smell someone mentionned. It doesn't last, though. Dry: as it dries, the scent softens and sweetens. While this is likely due to the bourbon vanilla, plum and florals, I can't tell the notes apart - they round off the scent but play in the background. Sweet, warm tobacco and opium. Throw: medium. This reads distinctively masculine on me, and reminds me strongly of Perversion minus the booze. Not my thing at all, but undeniably a pleasant smell.

In the imp: orange blossom and neroli. Wet: at first it's straight out neroli. After a few minutes, the gardenia peeks out. This is a clean white floral, vaguely soapy. Dry: this doesn't morph much, and remains mostly neroli with a bit of gardenia. I can't decide whether this smells cold or warm - appropriate for a streak of sunshine on snow I suppose. I don't get any orange blossom at all. After a couple of hours, this turns a bit sour on me unfortunately. Throw: medium. Heh. This was just not my thing. I like my white florals with a twist, and this was a straightforward, forgettable white floral on me.

In the imp: floral and clean. Wet: very clean, bright soap! And a bit of white florals. It reminds me of Thalia, it has that same bright clean smell to it. Pleasant, but really it smells like I've just stepped out of the shower. Dry: it takes 10-15 minutes for this to come out of that strong soap stage. Then the scents resolve somewhat into an aquatic jasmine and a hint of incense. I don't really pick up the violets, or maybe very very green violet leaves. Throw: this is quite potent on my skin. Weirdly enough this is a really clean aquatic soapy smell on me, none of the sort incense mentioned by others - although very appropriate to the name?

This is a decant from the Yule 2015 version. In the imp: caramelly, astringent and to be honest, rather unpleasant. Wut? Wet: Boom! Cypress blast! Very green and a bit dry. Then this immediately starts morphing and - sweetened violets and lilies, with something rather smoky or ashy. After maybe 30 seconds, the candy scent comes out and this becomes very sweet. Dry: as this wears, the candy smell becomes more and more proeminent, until this scent is a candy overdose with smoky violets peeking through. The candy note very much reminds me of Lush's Snow Fairy, but with additional floral and smoke notes that make La Befana more complex and not quite as tooth-aching. Throw: rather strong on me. This smells delicious, although I would not wear this as a perfume - it's way too sweet for my taste. If you like very gourmand florals, this may be your jam. I've seen some people compare this to Lolita Lempicka Premier Parfum (in the purple bottle): the violet/gourmand notes did remind me of this too, but at least the 2015 version has none of the licorice/anise notes of LLPP that I can detect (a good thing for me, as I really dislike these notes).

In the imp: Amber and flowers. Perhaps a bit of violets, now that I am reading the description, but I wouldn't have deciphered that one on my own. Wet: Ew ew ew. Mostly dark, bitter vetiver and florals. The violet becomes indistinct, and I don't get any amber or sandalwood? This is strange, it smells almost aquatic to me - it actually reminds me of Darkness, if anything. Dry: After a while the vetiver steps off a bit and blends in with indistinct florals, a similar note as in Marquise de Merteuil. This is bitter, aggressive and dark. No amber, no sandalwood whatsoever on me. At one point, some musk peeks out in an ugly way - not kidding, I smelled like dirty bedsheets in dire need of a wash. Throw: low. Wear time: I don't know, I scrubbed it off after a while. Oh boy, this one was not for me. I think my skin hates vetiver? Or perhaps I got a mislabelled imp?

In the imp: strong musk, vanilla and something plasticky and unpleasant underneath. Wet: oh that's better. Musk, carnation, and vanilla, with a spicy undertone. It's not too sweet, but not dry either. It reminds me of the smell of warm sand? Either way, it's lovely. Dry: the vanilla mellows and dies down softly and I'm left with musk, carnation and spices. It is a lovely scent. Throw: average on me. I like this, but not enough to warrant a bottle. It's a little bit too musky and spicy. I will probably use my imp though!

In the imp: sweet, syrupy resinous smell. Wet: Whoa, this one is potent. It's very sweet, spicy and a bit incensey (although nowhere as smokey incensey as Snake Oil, which is a smoke fest on me). I get a lot of honey and a resinous incense smell with a floral edge which I suppose is dragon's blood. The combination with honey makes me think of honeysuckle. It's a bit too strong though and makes me feel slightly ill. Dry: this tones down a bit and becomes wearable - enjoyable even. Sweet honey and florally dragon's blood. Vanilla becomes more proeminent with wear, but I get none of the cherry/almond scent some people have previously reported. Throw: very strong at first, but becomes a bit softer after 15-30 minutes. Once it's settled down I actually like this. It is somewhat similar to O, but more resinous and incensey. I may need a bottle of one of these, but further testing will be required to choose...

In the imp: very sweet, mostly honey to my nose. Wet: Well, it does what it says on the tin. Amber sweetened by honey, and I can smell an undercurrent of vanilla. Dry: Soft powdery amber, honey, a touch of vanilla, as advertised. I could almost have sworn there was a bit of sandalwood in there at times. At one point I got a weird artichoke smell for a few minutes (the pee smell others have mentionned...?) - and then it was gone. Not too sure what happened there! Throw: pretty strong on me (I did slather it on quite heavily though). Wear time: long - I could still smell this faintly on my skin after 12 hours. So this one is weird. I like it, but I don't love it - and yet I found myself sniffing my wrists like crazy. It's very warm, sensual and comforting. I need to try this again.

I have an aged decant of this that I bought from a lovely forumite - not sure which year, but the label is all brown, so several years old. In the imp: I get none of the lemon everyone is describing. Soft flowers, tuberose and musk. Wet: again no lemon. Strong tuberose, musk, a bit of opium smoke and some coconut underneath. It's a little sweet, a little smoky - it reminds me of a less woody version of Intrigue. Dry: the opium smoke amps up. This reminds me of a theater backstage smell, the slightly woody and musty smell of a costume room and stage smoke devices - and the flowery smell of tuberose. Throw: this remains close to the skin. Lasting power: dials down pretty quickly around the hour mark, although I can still smell it faintly for a few more hours afterwards. I like this as an evocative smell, although I'm not sure I'd like to wear this as a perfume on a regular basis. It does however seem that my aged decant smells nothing like the fresh brew. :/

In the imp: Sweet citrus, chamomile and lavender. The combination of chamomile/lavender initially made me think of marzipan. Wet: Sharp grapefruit, with something sweet underneath. Then, a couple of seconds later, a blast of lavender. Then citrus again! And then lavender! This is very odd, and makes me think of the Cheshire Cat's stripes. It's the first time I find one of the blends so very fitting to their character. Dry: The blend comes together at last as the musk appears to bind to all together, and it's gorgeous. Very clean, zingy, a little sweet. Throw: Discreet. Lasting power: Unfortunately this one doesn't last on me. After less than an hour, it's mostly gone, leaving only a faint musk scent.

In the imp: Lemons! Lemons lemons and more lemons. Definitely the lemon verbena, which I love. Wet: still very citrusy and green, and rather sweet. It makes me think of lemon and lemonbalm sweets I ate as a child. Dry: there's something greener poking out. Now it's very much lemon verbena and lemongrass, plus something else that I can't quite identify (the white musk, perhaps?). Throw: low to medium. It's noticeable, but people are more likely to think you're eating a lemon pastille than to identify it as perfume. It's very sharp and citrusy, and not something I'd wear everyday, but I like it. It's rather medicinal and herbal, and I could see this working very well during travelling to prevent motion sickness, or after a very copious meal to settle the stomach.