Gwydion

In bottle: This really does smell like fresh pressed apples, like the orchard of my childhood. Wet: There really is something dark under that apple scent. It takes a while for the opium to come out. The flowers are gentle, but present. Dry: apples and flowers with a hint of opium. Nice enough.

Are you having trouble with aged imps or fresh too? Sometimes I have trouble with aged oils, seemingly at random. My theory is that the concentration may increase with evaporation pushing things above my threshold to make rash.

In bottle: I’m surprised there is no honey in this. It’s a sweet rich cologne with a strong tobacco edge, remarkably cozy in affect. Wet: It’s hard to describe. The sweet pipe tobacco is almost like dragon’s blood without coming off as resiny. I’m genuinely loving it. I think the waistcoat is the note that’s strangely familiar, and very comforting, it’s very light and androgynous in feel. Dry; I think I am now picking up the hint of oil. It lightens as it wears, but stays a pleasant androgynous cologne.In bottle: I’m surprised there is no honey in this. It’s a sweet rich cologne with a strong tobacco edge, remarkably cozy in affect. Wet: It’s hard to describe. The sweet pipe tobacco is almost like dragon’s blood without coming off as resiny. I’m genuinely loving it. I think the waistcoat is the note that’s strangely familiar, and very comforting, it’s very light and androgynous in feel. Dry; I think I am now picking up the hint of oil. It lightens as it wears, but stays a pleasant androgynous cologne.

In bottle: Quietly stunning, water, incense, and a rich dry musk. The musk is quite striking with the sea scents. The wood and herbs are understated, but charming with the other elements. Wet: This is surprisingly rich and a beautiful embodiment of the concept. It really does evoke a rat sailed ship at sea. Musks can often be too much on my naturally musky skin, but this one is light and so nicely balanced I have hopes that I really can wear this one. The buckthorn berry is fascinating, the incense light and complex. Dry: The Burmese musk goes rather patchouli, but not in a bad way. The effect ends up being dry wood and sea.

In bottle: Rich moist earth, like in a newly turned ivy patch. The roots/wood element is strong and realistic. The myrrh is subtle. I’m not all that fond of the galangal. Wet: This really does smell like weeding my mother’s ivy patch under the trees at her house. It would be an unalloyed success for me if it weren’t for the galangal/cedar combination, which together is a touch too acrid for my taste. I’m hoping it will calm down with wear as it is shifting as I type this, mostly as the myrrh and more of the roots come out. It has quite a bit of throw. Dry: Rich dark green scent. I think I’ll likely keep this for further testing and see how I feel.

In bottle: Sweet Nag champa over patchouli. Eau d’hippy. I’m not sure what cereus is meant to smell like, but the Muscadine is also vaguely grape bubble gum like. Wet: Mostly grape over the other elements. Dry: All grape.

In bottle: A light lemony blend. The florals and fruit blend nicely with the orris lending a hint of rot. The florals are quite strong. I’m not skin testing this due to the notes being a bad set for my skin.

In bottle: Very strong and hard to describe. Almond and orange on top, with the other elements seething underneath. Wet: Much as in the bottle, only the rose strengthens as it warms up. It’s remarkably pleasant for a rose blend with the spices generally adding a lot of interest and the almond/citrus/rose combo is rather tasty. While it’s not a good blend for my chemistry, it would likely be gorgeous on the right woman. Dry: Rose and sandalwood, mostly.

In bottle: Bubblegum with something sharp underneath. Wet: Bubblegum, Vanilla, something hard to identify, but pleasant enough, possibly amber or some other incense. It is vaguely like cake, though not as much as, say, Eat Me. Dry: Vaguely floral, with a hint of bubblegum, and a rich fruity undertow.

TOAD HALL 2008 (LE, Bat’s day exclusive) : (Company says: No information). In bottle: Mmmm. It’s the masculine end of androgyonous. I’m guessing wood and tea and rain or an aquatic, maybe. There is something I’m reading as faintly smokey, though it’s likely not smoke. There is something aftershavey, maybe bay rum. Wet: It’s light and masculine and vaguey green. The wood really comes out. It definitely evokes a room with lots of polished wood with a breeze blowing in from the garden. The cologne scent strengthens with wear. Dry: Now I think I’m smelling sandlewood and something sweet and vaguely fruity under all that. I should recognize the scent coming out; it’s wildly familiar, but I’m not placing it. The layers are amazing. Plenty of throw and so much depth. I’m fascinated.

In bottle: The rain and incense create an atmosphere of contemplation on a rainy day. It’s quite pleasant. Wet: I am surprised there is no wood in this. I am guessing what I’m smelling is “dust.” The rich round almost pregnant scent of the incense blends well with the sharp dampness of the rain. I’m fascinated by that strange third “dust” element which has a grounding effect on the more ethereal elements. Dry: Mostly sandalwood, but the other elements support it nicely.

In bottle: It really does smell like old vines, with a bit of blood and salt. Wet: This oil is surprisingly rich. The vine/blood combination is unusual and rather pleasing. The sharpness of the salt and vines is well balanced by the sweetness of dragon’s blood. It lightens as it warms, but never loses that organic vine edge. Dry: pleasantly sharp. Really I like this and it embodies the concept well.

In bottle: Strong incense and ambergris on top. Surprisingly sensual. Wet: Much as in the bottle, with a faint metallic edge. Warmth brings out the spices a bit, but not as strongly as I had hoped. The ambergris backs down rather. It has an esoteric, Middle Eastern feel. I think it embodies its concept well. Dry: This is pretty much the apex of incense scents, long lasting, well balanced. The spice gives the incense depth. I am well pleased.

In bottle: Wow, the cedar and balsam combo really hit one over the head. It’s a little like getting locked in a Cedar trunk. Wet: Oooo! Okay, now I get it. The vanilla and sassafras soften and sweeten the dry itchy cedar/balsam scent, creating something like old West general store. I’m generally not fond of sassafras in oils as my skin amps it, but the way that root beer odor plays with the cedar is like time travel. I don’t think it would work without the vanilla, particularly, but it totally works as it is. Dry: A little too much sassafras, but that is likely my skin amping. The vanilla really came out as it wore, and the cedar/balsam retained their dry visceral affect.

In bottle: That ocean scent with a rich something that does indeed smell rather like cream. Wet: The cream note is fascinating with the vaguely floral ocean scent. I admit to some skepticism when reading the scent description and acquired the imp mostly out of curiosity. The effect is distinctly peculiar, but not unpleasant if one enjoys ocean scented cologne. The hint of salt and the cream are not the best combo, but really the cream warms up the affect of the Ocean, creating something strangely inviting. Dry: The milk fades out first, but remains like a ghost of unsweetened coconut frothing the top of the ocean scent. It’s not a stunner, but it is a keeper if only for it’s alluring oddness.

I've just tested The Sea Foams Blood. On the dry down it's rather like a less complex The Phoenix, though it takes an hour or so to settle that way.

In bottle: Sharp and sweet, it has the vaguely floral ocean scent typical of BPAL with something that smells like slightly salty dragon’s blood. Wet: Mostly dragon’s blood with a hint of ocean and a faint bight of salt. The smell gets more complex as it warms though, interesting notes that make up the “ocean” scent come out to play in strange combination with the “blood.” It is ladylike, but not in any easily quantified way. Dry; mostly the sea scent with a hint of dragon’s blood. It’s much more masculine now and rather reminds me of The Phoenix’s dry down.

In bottle: So much rose with some frankincense. Wet: The frankincense comes out a little more, but this is primarily a rose scent. Dry: Endless, endless rose with tons of throw.

In bottle: Strongly floral. The wisteria is quite interesting. Wet; mostly rose with the other notes overwhelmed but present. Dry:Faint musk with sandlewood and fainter floral perfume.

In bottle: Sweet and vaguely floral. The amber and what I’m guessing is sedge are dominant. Wet: Much as in the bottle, though less cloying. It definitely smells like incense plus outdoors. This is very intense. Dry: mostly sandlewood with a hint of what I’m guessing is seeds.

In bottle: Fascinating. Papery mushroom over something wet and pale green. It’s a tiny bit like Enbalming fluid. Wet: Rich wet and green with that lovely paper note over it. Oddly light and alluring. Dry: A more Earthy version of drier lint, with a perfumey edge.

In Bottle: It smells like mushrooms and dry dirt, with a chalk chaser. Wet: Mush as in the bottle, only faintly musky. Smells of vetiver. Dry; Mostly rich dry loam. I can almost wear this. Heartbreaking.

In bottle: Cloying. The flowers and incense are too sweet and too strong. I’m going to opt out of skin test due to the strength of the scent in imp giving me a headache.

In bottle: Yummy. This smells like the sweet butter cookies with licorice my Great Aunts used to make when I was little with leather. Damnit, I think I’m in love already. Wet: OMG OMG! Seriously, those yummy cookies and my first leather jacket when I was sixteen, oh the nostalgia. I can’t look at this objectively, it’s talking directly to my hind brain. These scents blend beautifully together. Dry: Fades to mostly leather with a hint of licorice cookie.

In bottle: Rich sexy women’s perfume. Very 1975. All that amber and ambrette is mimicking a musk, though the effect is lighter. I am not familiar with costus, but I’m guessing that’s the strong unfamiliar scent blending with the other vaguely famliar ones to create a unique herb and incense undertow. Wet The scent becomes better balanced with the heat of my skin. It retains it’s heady womanly effect and as promised in the sales pitch does indeed suggest the meeting of heaven and earth. Once the tonka comes out, it all goes slightly sour. It seems to react badly with one of the elements, at least when combined with my own natural scent, adding a hint of nursery not in keeping with the dark exotic beauty the rest of the blend has going on. Dry: This really turned on me. It goes all chalky, which is weird with the amber, amberette, and the dark green notes. Your mileage may vary as I can tell much of the issue is my body chemistry not liking it at all.