spikyfairy

Frimp from the Lab. Honey does not work on me, & I usually don't like berries, but I got this when I was still in my must-test-everything phase. Was not a keeper. In imp: Berries, and something rather sharp? Wet: Very sharp, dry grass. I don't mind grass usually but this is unpleasant, and I'm not sure what's causing it. Just a strange interaction of these notes? I'm not really sure what acai is supposed to smell like. Dry: Powdery poppy & dried grass. Quite nice actually, but not worth that first stage on me. After half an hour or so the honey comes out a bit. Honey always smells rancid on me, so it is turning the "dried grass" rotten. Not good. Also getting slight bathroom air-freshener vibes. End: Just a faint smell of dry meadow, actually rather like it now, but also pretty much gone after a couple of hours.

Frimp from the Lab; not something I'd have chosen myself due to the citrus. In imp: Lemon cleaner & wood? Wet: Lemon cleaner & lemon verbena, with a weird touch of something metallic-grassy. I just don't like citrus, and all the Steamworks works blends seem to have this metallic cologne vibe I do not dig. Dry: Citrus has mellowed out a bit, now smells more like lemon candy than cleaning products. The sorta aquatic-grassy-metal is more dominant, is part of that the oudh? Not getting much amber, but I think it's tying the whole thing together. End: Slightly sweet, woody, & grassy. Actually rather lovely. Decent throw. Not for me, but I think I liked it the best of the Steamworks blends I've tried, which is not bad considering I hate most of the notes!

I tend to take a chance on anything with smoke in the description, but this was a risky one as red musk easily gets sickly & overwhelming on me, and I didn't know how the leaf note would work. It's been in my probably-not-keeping box since I got it pretty much, as the first time I tried it I mainly smelled what seemed like dragon's blood, which I really don't like. But trying it again now, I actually don't mind it - even if it is much sweeter and fruitier than I expected, and much less complex than I'd hoped. In bottle: Just as described, promising.. Wet on me: Very strongly fruity, almost fizzy; what is that?? Like fruit wine or cider, yes.. But (and this took me a while to put my finger on), it also really really smells like feijoa to me, if you have ever eaten that obscure fruit. That's all I'm getting at this stage really, no smoke or leaves, maybe a little incense. Dry on me: That tanginess settles down and now it's mostly fruity red musk, juuuust restrained by the smoke and leaves, but still very sweet. The leaves actually work for me in this one, giving it some depth and interest. The incense is also quite strong, mostly champaca I think, also adding to the sweetness. This may largely be my skin chemistry, as I often make things sweeter. I still think there might be a hint of dragon's blood in here. Gets a little powdery on late dry-down. Throw & wear length are a bit above average, for me. It's not what I was hoping for, but I think I like it enough to keep it until cooler weather comes.. I can see wearing this on the right occasion. Edit: This has aged very nicely & is a keeper for sure now. The fruity sweetness has toned down, and the leaves have come out beautifully. Still leans a little powdery sometimes, but I wore it a lot over Winter.

I probably should have realised from how moss and earth notes work on me (i.e.: they don't) that dead leaves was not going to be a thing I could wear. Wet, it's very green & herbal and I actually don't mind it. As the first reviewer said, the combination of notes reminds me strongly of dandelion.. Or maybe fresh, crushed poppy heads. But it quickly starts getting dead-mossy & weird. I like tea & chamomile in other combinations, but here they are making the sharpness of the leaf note worse (and I often like things a little sharp). I'm not getting any rose at this stage, I think I do the opposite of amp it. If there's a green stem note in here that would not be helping either, as I usually seem to amp that until it's all you can smell in a blend. Dry, the separate notes become more distinct, and there's a moment where it almost works. I can even detect a hint of beautiful rose. I would love it if it stopped there... but unfortunately the longer it's on my skin, the more the leaf note turns into the dry-salted-earth, dead-millipede disaster that moss & dirt notes become on me. It's not quite as bad, but clearly in the same family. Sad, I like them so much in theory..

I am really into this, and have already put a fair dent in my bottle. It starts off rather tarry (or pine-tar-soap-y), which I think is mostly the smoke - but that wears off pretty quickly, and I am noticing it becoming less prominent with even a little bit of age. The middle stage is a beautiful true-to-life evergreen which somehow does not smell of toilet cleaner. That is talent, friends! I think the fir helps add to the naturalness. After a few hours the pine fades back a bit and the smoke comes out more. It is sweeter and just the tiniest bit soapy again, but not in an offensive way. Good throw, especially in the first and second stage; and good wear-length especially for the final dry-down, for me. Even though it is quite spooky & evocative I also find it oddly comforting.. And despite being very Autumnal / Wintery I am finding it completely wearable in warmer weather, even cooling. I have been ill with some weird flu-thing the last few days, and this has been just perfectly soothing yet enlivening at the same time. ETA: This is what I wanted Black Forest to be, before something in that turned it into disturbing bathroom deodoriser on me..

For the first few weeks I had this, it was a bit wonky and weird, but now that it's had time to age into itself it's lovely. I thought there was sage in here too at first, but I realise now that it's part of the oak - I've never smelled oak in perfume form before, and I think it took a while both to settle and for me to recognise it. But now it's just as described: oak (leaves and wood), roses, and incense that really is like an "echo" - more like a room where incense has been burning recently. Apart from a tangy green-ness when first applied (which quickly fades), it doesn't morph much from wet to dry for me. The oak & rose are a beautiful balance of sweet & dry, and this is just my sort of rose: dark & rich, and not sugary or girly at all. The incense comes out a little more when dry, adding a tad of smokiness but staying in the background. I spent most of my childhood up an enormous oak tree, so this gives me lovely nostalgia, while still being a very grown-up & quite serious scent. Low-ish throw & average wear length on me. Rose / wood / incense blends are my very favourite, and while this is quite different from any I've smelled before, I love it.

Oh, I had such high expectations for this one, but it's been sadly disappointing on me.. Waited a few weeks to review just in case, and while it has settled & changed a lot it has not really improved. Something just isn't working on me here, I suspect the leather because it goes sour in a way leather has on me before. The beeswax is not helping - although I've enjoyed it in other blends before, I realise now it's only been with a very sharp / smoky top note holding it down a bit. Wet on me, this is almost all beeswax & benzoin. Very creamy, if not quite powdery. It took me a couple of tests before I realised some of the overwhelming "beeswax" was actually the rose.. Although I like all these notes in theory, in combination they are verging on nauseating on me, and the leather pushes it into powdery territory as it dries. Not detecting any frankincense, which I usually do well with. I'm getting the 50s vibe others have described.. It's not awful, but not very me either. The middle stage is where something goes badly wrong. Very sour leather, still with a creamy beeswax background. Not good. Honey often goes rancid on me too, so I think in combination they are making each other worse. Hours & hours and/or a shower later, I actually get the roses & old paper I was expecting, and it's nice. But not worth the trauma of getting there on me. My bottle will be re-homed . Throw & wear length above average, for me - isn't it always the ones you're not keen on!

This was a rather risky purchase for me, as I have never tried a chocolate scent before and had no idea if it would work on me. I also really dislike foody smells, and anything too sweet, but the dark chocolate / smoke combination sounded like it might be complex & bitter enough for me to pull off. I'm glad I took the chance, this is gorgeous! In bottle: Very separated. Rolling didn't help, I had to shake it quite vigorously. I can smell the chocolate, almost boozy (but I often seem to find things boozy in the bottle for no good reason). No smoke. Wet on me: OMFG..................... I forgot to take notes because I was too busy huffing myself! The chocolate is very strong at first, taking on an almost cookie / baked vibe as it dries, and the smoke comes out a little (none of that buttery note in BPAL cake-y scents that goes rancid on me, though). I thought cinnamon too at first, but now I think it's a component of the smoke lending that warm spiciness.. It's an interestingly unfamiliar woodsmoke to me, because I now realise I've only ever really smelled burning eucalyptus wood! I'm guessing hickory and maybe a touch of pine? Fascinating.. This is not my usual sort of thing, but my skin is not turning it nauseatingly sweet as it so often does, and holy wow it's freaking delicious! Dry: Sadly the chocolate note is only out in full force for about 20 minutes on my skin. What's left is a sweet smokiness that is very lovely, but also very faint.. I reapplied before bed, and again it faded back very quickly, but the remaining skin scent lasted a really long time - still easily detectable the next morning, including a touch of the chocolate even. I've only had this a few days and maybe it will strengthen with age a bit, but I'm doubtful. Still happy to have a bottle, I suspect I will get through it pretty quickly!

Frimp from the lab. I am not a big fan of any of these notes, so I was not expecting this to go well, but this was the point in my early BPAL experimentation that made me suspect white musk is my mortal enemy. Many a nice blend turned to screaming laundry powder, alas.. This is really nicely balanced, I will give it that. The orange blossom and apricot control the white musk somewhat, but overall the whole thing is far too sweet & girly for me. It is soft and pretty and clean, and not strong at all. Very inoffensive, if you happen to get along with these notes.

An impressively accurate gin & tonic, wet and dry. Pity I hate gin & tonic (after an ill-thought-out teenage period of attempting to appear sophisticated). Will NOT wash off and still there hours later. It smells more like a martini now. I don't like martinis either.

I have always had trouble with sleep, so was keen to try some of the Somnium Blends. This was my first. Something in this goes completely ballistic on my skin, and it's driven me nuts trying to figure out what. Whatever it is, it's in #20 Love Oil too. My best guess was clove, but I have other blends containing clove that don't have this reaction.. After reading the reviews again, I am suspecting basil or rosemary. It turns out-of-control peppery and so strong on me, I wondered if it actually was peppercorn. I still kind of like it, oddly enough, but it is certainly not sleep-inducing, & I don't think that's what it's meant to smell like! It is mainly lavender in the imp but strongly herbal and peppery on me. My guesses at other things in the mix include: almost definitely poppy, maybe some sage, possibly some eucalyptus. And that basil or rosemary or whatever is having a tantrum.. After a half-hour or so it mellows out into something I would actually wear as a perfume - a mildly peppery-poppy & very subtle plant-sweetness that may be thyme & clove (and lavender). I did seem to sleep more solidly and have less dreams when I used this. Quite appropriately, I ended up spilling most of the imp on my bed by accident! My whole room smelled like peppery lavender for days, which was rather nice.. I think I will try a few more of the sleep blends before I commit to a bottle of anything.

Frimp from the lab, definitely not something I would have chosen for myself. Wet: "Honey" that very much reads as butterscotch to me, ginger & cinnamon.. And something earthy-mushroomy which smells much more true-to-life on me than the "dirt" note in other BPAL scents (which goes very nasty on my skin). Dry: Oh, is this that "pumpkin spice" Americans are so crazy about? It's quite weird to an outsider, but not completely unpleasant. This might be nice if you're into sweet foodie smells, but it is not for me. It is potent, which is a plus.

Frimp fresh from the lab. Foodie smells are not my thing, so was not expecting to like this. In the imp: Current cake, quite realistic. Wet on me: Very very buttery cake batter. Some weird floral / raisin combo coming out at it dries. Dry: Whatever is making the "butter" note is super strong on me. Although I do love butter, I don't want to smell of it! Apart from that it really does smell impressively like cake. Vanilla and spices and golden-brown baked sugar.. If you're into that sort of thing I'd imagine you will love this, but personally I washed it off before I got to the final dry-down.

Must get some of these old reviews posted now I have a whole new batch on the go! This was a frimp from the lab. I would not have chosen it myself, as I am not an aquatics fan, although I think I liked this one the most of the few i've tried. In imp: Fir & kinda perfume-y aquatic, tiny bit of jasmine in the distance. Wet: Fir almost disappears as I amp the sweet floral and turn jasmine into honeysuckle. Slightly rank edge, which I think is the "sea water". All a bit of a strange combination. Dry: At least twice when I tried this, I got a bizarre phantom note about 20 minutes in that smelled of rotting fruit & stale cigarettes . It didn't last too long, but was most unpleasant, especially when trapped in a car at the time! Otherwise it dries down to an aquatic jasmine, with the fir in the background & the saltiness giving it a faintly dirty feel. Still odd, but I rather like it. After several hours, the jasmine mostly burns off and it's just a subtly sweet forest-y beachiness that I actually really love, even if it's not very me. This is a weird one, but beautiful in its way. I ended up giving it to a friend, but it didn't work as well as I'd hoped on him either. I think it could be amazing on the right guy..

Source: Frimp from the Lab, fairly fresh. Not something I would have picked out for myself, as I suspect I don't like citrus on me.. Wet: Fruity & herby & a little minty (?) all at once, which is giving me a bit of a bathroom-cleaner vibe.. Very "fresh". Getting fruitier as it dries, but all I can think of is.. fly-spray! I tend to use "natural" cleaning & household products, and this stuff smells exactly like some "environmentally friendly" fly-spray I bought once..! I think it's the combination of citrus & lavender (very common in hippy cleaning products). Dry: Every now and then I catch a whiff of throw which is actually quite nice (soft musky chamomile), but at my wrist it's still citrusy fly-spray.. Damn scent associations! Improved with wear, I actually quite liked it after an hour or so, but it was also mostly gone by then. Rather weak - I used up about half the imp just for this one test. Confirmed for me that I really don't like wearing citrus smells. Used the rest up in an oil burner, and it was nice as a room scent. Just smells too much like something from my cleaning cupboard to put on my body..

I wish I had a similar experience to all the very positive reviews here! So far none of the Steampunk range has worked for me: they all end up smelling a bit the same, and it's an unpleasantly perfume-y sort-of-aquatic. I suspect some common note between them that disagrees with me. Wet: Cinnamon, leather, and a (to me) aquatic that really does smell a bit like metal. The notes are staying quite separate, it almost feels like I'm wearing 2 different perfumes.. I know it's meant to be anise in this, not cinnamon, and I can smell that a little too - but I can sure smell cinnamon more. I don't hate it, it's warm & wet & golden, but already getting sweeter (this may be my skin). Quite strong. Dry: "Cinnamon" fades back a little. Got to admit, this does somehow smell like gold. Unfortunately most things verging on aquatic tend to go very sweet & commercial-bodyspray on me. Seems to be building up more throw the longer it's on me - always the ones you're not too keen on that last the longest, I find After an hour or so it's all blended together more, and is rather nice really, but not very 'me'.. It smells like a warm aquatic - which is just a kinda confusing combination for this particular nose!

The first time I tried Cathedral, it turned into pretty much a frankincense single note on me. Maaaybe a little copal. But after sitting in a box for a couple of months, it has gotten a bit more complex. I really enjoy resins and woods, so this was a likely winner for me. In imp: Frankincense. Wet: Sweet frankincense and dry, fresh cedar at first. Lovely. Bit of copal coming out as it dries, and all starting to meld together nicely. It really does smell quite like the inside of a church, and evokes a studious, reflective mood. Dry: For me the copal (if I'm right about that) gets quite strong, with the wood/s and frankincense in support. The wood, that had felt very new and fresh before, has now taken on an age-polished quality. After an hour or so it almost smells like a very woody patchouli. I was going to give this one to a friend, but I kind of want to keep it for myself. I find it good for study or magical work, and have even used it in ritual a couple of times, as it seemed appropriate for anointing some tools.

Frimp from the lab. Disclaimer: I actively dislike dragon's blood, and am ambivalent about amber, so I knew this would be a no for me.. But I seem to be determined to test everything I come across, so - In the imp: Slightly medicinal fruity-floral. Wet: Dragon's blood, which on me is like lilac or wisteria, but with a weird bitter-fruity undertone. Not a fan. Dry: Amber comes out. Powdery, dry, bitter, floral. Pass, thank you.

This was a frimp, but I'm glad I got to try it. I was unfamiliar with dragon's blood, and I learned from this that I don't like it. Something else went horribly wrong on me here too, but I'm not sure what. Thought it was orris, but I have liked it in other things since trying this one, so not sure. In the imp: Something vaguely fruity. Dragon's blood, I presume. Wet on me: Whoa!! Strong hit of something very dry and bitter. No sandalwood at all so far as I can tell. Dry: The bitterness calms down slightly, and a dustiness comes out. Better, but still weird. This was a big nope from me, washed it off after about 15 minutes. Something in this, or this combination of notes, seriously disagrees with my skin chemistry.

I knew I needed at least one of the OLLA oils, as I adore the film. I am also a massive book-nerd so this was an obvious choice . This review might be a little inarticulate, as I think I am still getting my head around this very complex scent.. In the bottle: This is confusing! It's almost unpleasant, but I can't stop sniffing.. I can smell the incense, and blood and tears - a slightly salty aquatic note. Wet on me: Wow, indeed! I can smell all the listed notes, but the ink & candle-smoke come out first and very strongly on me. Leather, blood, tears and metal are all there, with a slight incense-y sweetness way in the background. There is also a bitter fruity smell which I am pretty certain is dragon's blood, which I don't like - but there is so much else going on here, it's not that noticeable, and doesn't last long. Dry: The dust, parchment & wax emerge as it dries, and the sharp ink & smoke settle down a bit, making it much nicer. Quite strong still. Leather can be very iffy for me, but I like this version. Beeswax comes out more and more the longer it is on, tying all the other notes together. It is wonderful but quite odd, not sure how many situations this would be wearable in. The throw is mostly beeswax and leather at this point, with a dash of ink and incense. But closer to my skin the ink is stronger, and I still get a little of the blood/tears/metal. It's a very long dry-down, and it kind of cycles through different stages.. I get a blast of candle-smoke and ink at first that makes me feel like I should be writing a grimoire (fabulous, but freaky!). Then it's beeswax backed by incense, then all the notes combine into a glorious beeswax-y whole, then finally, hours later, I am left with mostly beeswax just flavoured with a little leather and ink. Very bookish and magickal and pretty much all I had hoped for.

This was a frimp. Glad I got to try it, as it is not something I would have picked for myself. In the imp: Fresh & juicy & airy.. Detergent-y florals, water, ozone, very green grass & melon / cucumber. Wet: It doesn't smell like soap but it does smell very clean. The linen comes out on my skin, and I am enjoying the grass and ozone on this hot, hungover day. After a little while the florals "amped" on me and it all got way too white & flowery. Dry: Flowers calmed down, yay. Mostly clean cotton, ozone & aquatic now. Reminds me a bit of a commercial perfume I liked as a teenager (CK One maybe? I only ever tried a couple..). Bizarrely, after 2 or 3 hours this turns into a sweet red berry scent on me. Especially odd considering actual red berry scents tend to disappear immediately on my skin. This after-smell lasts for ages too. This is lovely and refreshing, and "does what it says on the tin". But just a little too flowery for me, I prefer a more herbal type of 'clean' scent.

Mainly tried this one because of the reviews that said it "smelled like sex", I was curious! But all of these notes are iffy for me, so I wasn't expecting to like it. Honey usually goes wonky on me, and I don't like vanilla unless it is very strongly balanced by something a bit earthier, and not dominant in a blend. Wet on me: Very sweet, I can smell all the listed notes. Nice, but it feels like it's trying too hard to be sexy.. Dry: Settled down to a powdery amber that reminds me of my mother, with honey overtones, particularly in the throw. Vanilla is quite subtle and well-blended. It's very pretty, but I don't find it sexy and it's just really not me. I also get that hint of play-dough that others mention (I kinda like it, though!). +2 hrs: Play-dough and a little bit of pee??! Ugh, this is a total failure of skin chemistry. Weird how it took a while. This imp will find a new home with someone who doesn't turn it horrible..

A huge bouquet of squished rose petals: Bulgarian rose, Somalian rose, Turkish rose, Damascus rose, red and white rose, tea rose, wine rose, shrub roses, rose, rose, rose… …and just an itty bitty bit of green grass. I really expected / wanted to like this one, as I adore Alice in Wonderland, and roses. I already have some other rose BPAL scents that I love, but this is not one of them - it is somehow both too sweet and too sharp at the same time.In the imp: Sugared roses. Very sweet and girly. Wet on me: Sugar and coconut oil???? As it dries, becoming less sugary but still very sweet business-lady-type perfume.. Dry: Okay, I get the roses now, and the coconut has gone away. I'm liking it more the longer it's on, but something isn't working. I think the problem is that it is such a cacophony of different rose notes, and only one or two of them actually work on me. The most prominent note (tea rose, maybe?), is still far too perfume-y for my taste. Almost no throw on me either, even if slathered. My skin tends to drink the stuff though, so YMMV. -- Edited to include description for top of page. Not sure if I did it right, though!

In the imp: Strawberry sherbet!! Wet on me: At first I can smell all the listed notes - this is twisted & divine.. Sweet but a bit spicy, lovely strawberry incense with an exotic touch from the poppy & hibiscus. Drove the fellow who was with me wild with desire.. Dry: The strawberry fades very fast & almost completely, on me. I am noticing I have this issue with a lot of fruit scents. It still smells lovely, but I feel it's gotten a little old-lady-ish (which is funny, because the first stage felt almost "too young" for me). Fellow still thinks it's super-sexy though. I do still like this, and I think it quite suits me, but I wish it kept a bit of the fruitiness.. Sometimes, I get a faint, faint return of the strawberry incense after an hour or so, but mostly it stays a slightly powdery-peppery hibiscus & poppy. I get no orange blossom here at all, which is fine by me. I am fussy about florals - they have to have some complexity or spiciness to them, so this combo is working for me, but I'm not sure I need to seek out more. More suited to cooler weather, methinks, than the 40° C we've had here lately..

In the imp: Cherry cough syrup! Uh-oh! Wet on me: Ooh.. sweet but dark. A bit fruity which I guess is the merlot - it still smells a little fake & medicinal at first but settles into a more natural wine smell (but still a fruity, sweet red, which I personally wouldn't drink). Florals coming out as it dries, mostly rose and myrtle which is good because violet tends to go horribly powdery on me. Feminine, but in a deliciously sinister kind of way. This one really blooms on my skin, and warms up to quite a strong throw after 20 mins or so, with even light application. Dry: Sweet wine, backed by subtle florals. This is balanced by the leather, which actually does smell like leather to me this time.. But it also smells like the beach? I get a definite beachy vibe, yet this is too rich for a summer scent. To me, it smells like drinking sweet red wine on a sand dune on a crisp and cool late-autumn night.. Doesn't morph much from that for me, and keeps a good throw until it fades after about 4 hours. Alluring, but not in-your-face sexy. I find this very wearable & will definitely consider a bottle when colder weather comes.