fairnymph

Sniffed: Orange/amber oil. Sweet and earthy. Lots of ripe, juicy fruit, a little creamy white coconut, with those earthy/woody notes below makign things more interesting. Almost a little foody, and spicy from the vetiver - reminds me a bit of Antonino. Wet: Softer, subtler, and more blended, with less overwhelming coconut. Less foody, and more just sort of...luscious. Lots more white musk. There's a sort of autumnal feel - maybe from the dark fruit + woods combo? I get an almost smoky hint from the vetiver and opoponax. Dry: Not a lot of morphing, although sadly the coconut holds, and I really dislike coconut in perfume. The musk does amp more, as usual, and I can pick out the vanilla, also a little amped. The other notes can be identified, too, but this is a very well-blended scent. Summary: The blackberry and woods are fading a bit, and overall this fades - it's not nearly as strong as one would expect from in-the-imp. Plum. vanilla, coconut, vetiver and musk dominate, so this really reminds me loads of Antonino.

Sniffed: Light yellow oil. TONKA galore with a tiny bit of foody-sweet coffee and a strongly woody undertone. I'm not getting any pipe smoke. Much sweeter and less complex than expected. Wet: Spicier, somehow 'fresher', and less grossly buttery in that way tonka often is. I don't really get any coffee, specifically, but this does remind me a bit of Irish cream liqueur. A smoky edge, now, though I wouldn't have pegged pipe smoke. Dry: Dries almost instantly. it's still very sweet and very woody, in a slightly dry, almost dusty way. Actually the wood may be amping, and this makes it feel somewhat unisex to me, despite the cloying sweetness. Later: The Irish cream has definitely overtaken the tonka in terms of 'dominating sweet note'. I get some coffee now, very reminiscent of the note in Eggnog Latte. The wood seems well balanced by these notes at this point. Summary: Dusty/dry, rich wood (maybe mahogany?) with Irish cream liqueur - as in ENL, the sweet coffee goes stale on my skin, and the tonka never fully loses its butteriness. Not a fan, as predicted. Good throw & longevity.

v5 Sniffed: Pale amber/dark golden oil. Sweet, dark, floral. A bit - mature? Sophisticated? I get an incensey, ambery sort of feel - it's definitely sort of dark, and almost smoky, but still light and surprisingly fresh. A little soapy. Wet: Same, perhaps a little more astringent, almost sour and a little like some rose or jasmine notes. Definitely a soapy edge, and this continues to smell like something an older woman would wear. Dry: Not really any morphing. I find this pretty simplistic, and I can see why it's not been released.

Sniffed: Light yellow oil. Sweet, creamy, rich - and a little tropical. I do get honey, but also other fruits, and the cream note is more sweet milk than cream. Wet: More fruity-tropical, and significantly sweeter, almost cloyingly. I get a lot of date - I'm sort of reminded of The Hanging Gardens. The cream note is very light. Still tropical, like pineapple and buttery rum. Dry: Tarter and more fruity, with amped pineapple. The milk has gone a bit sour, too - it's definitely much heavier on the milk than the cream, alas.The honey and sweetness has faded a bit. The tart/creamy combo reminds me slightly of Horn of Amalthea. Summary: It fades a lot, but at the same time - it has really good throw. I can't get over the sourness of the milk, and all creaminess has gone. It's date and coconutty sour milk, with only a touch of honey - much less sweet than initially. Not bad, but it doesn't match the coveted description.

Sniffed: Rich golden oil. Tart, juicy-ripe fruit with hints of greenery, spice, wood and incense. I can pick out nearly every single note, except maybe the hazel which I'm not familiar with. Very complex and evocatively autumnal. Wet: Similar, with perhaps more of a baked/jammy fruit note as opposed to fresh fruit. Like spiced blackberry-apple sauce simmering on the stove. I get a definite smoky edge, and a little astringency from the sage, and presumably the hazel. Some bitter hops and spicy green ivy. Not that sweet - this is unisex. Only very faint apple blossom. Dry: A bit of a soapy edge - possibly this is a weirdness of the sage and/or hazel as well as a result of the apple blossom. I LOVE the oak note in this - it's round and rich without being too dry or strong. I'm sad to have lost the juiciness, though I do like the booziness that I get now instead. Later: More spices, woods, myrrh and dark herbal notes emerging - an overall affect of darkening. It's actually gotten a bit tarter, fruit-wise, almost to the point of juiciness - the blackberry and baked apple notes are holding beautifully, and I think the tart-bitterness of the hops really accentuates them. Summary: Slightly dusty-dry oak and amped spices (clove and allspice), slightly harsh sage and the edge of smoky-bitter myrrh make this unwearable, but I really love the rounder aspects of the booze/oak (reminds me of Montresor), blackberry, and baked apple notes. Very evocative and well-crafted. Lower throw but lasts. Huh...the sweet musky boozy, oaky (almost vanillic, again like Montresor) fruity drydown is pretty nice - I keep sniffing myself. Most of the dusty and sharp notes have worn off - it's not something I'd ever normally like, but the spices are light enough that I might actually like this, To retest. The fruity/booze/vanilla-oak drydown is addictive!

Sniffed: Clean, fresh and very light - almost aquatic, or like rain. Also a little woody, in a slightly dark, masculine way. A very green, almost slightly sharp/herbal cucumber note, and something sweet, sort of like apples? Wet: Still extremely delicate, but a little brighter, and more cologney & definitively aquatic. The wood note(s) seem to be a bit sweet, or possibly there is a sweet resin like frankincense. Still lots of cucumber, but I do think there are other, stronger green notes too. Dry: The sharpness of the greenery must be ivy, because it has that sharp edge - and I get a bit of a Passionate Shepherd feel. The aquatic note is becoming almost salty - it's really rainy and amping. I don't get pine, but I think spruce or cypress is likely. It's getting sweeter and more fruity, and has become very slightly soapy. Later: The cool cucumber/slight evergreen combo does remind me of Blue Moon, though only the 07 version. I suspect the orchid from that blend, as well as a touch of moonflower. More and more floral as it dries. Also, it's almost a little sickly sweet/candyish/artificial, in a way that reminds me of Baneberry. It's also gone a little spicy/resiny (maybe like sap) and buttery/foody? WTF. Summary: Slightly heady orchid and 'nocturnal' florals with sweet berries (I get a raspberry note), darkly spicy ivy & resins. Surprisingly feminine. Good throw. I unfortunately find it rather 'generic' and B&BW-ish. :\

I don't think Embalming Fluid is sweet, and I am very sensitive to sweetness. It has a definite strong green tea note. I haven't had that Starbucks drink, but maybe layering something milky with something green tea would approximate the effect? I'll try that drink and report back! Other strongly green-tea and not-sweet scents: Cordelia Shanghai *** the most green tea-focused scent in BPAL, imo Fox Fires Phantasm Tweedledum F5 Green Phoenix Holiday Moon Jonathan Harker (the white tea is totally green and not white to my nose) The Spell of Amorous Love (sweet, but not cloying IMO)

Sniffed: Clean, breezy, slightly but pleasantly soapy floral. I get a 'wildflower' sort of floral feel, along with some almost aquatic, cool greenery - not sharp at all. This feels very airy and gentle. Wet: More floral, almost tropical - maybe some frangipani/plumeria, and some orchid? A little lineny, very feminine and clean and fresh. I do get a bit of slightly bitter (in a good way, that contrasts with the faintly sweet florals nicely) citrus rind - though more of a white grapefruit than lemon. Actually, it's like lemon PITH, not rind. Dry: Not a lot of morphing, though this has amped a bit and has excellent throw. It's definitely a predominantly floral blend, and one that feels rather 'traditionally/classically' perfumey, but without being overpowering - though it DOES seem a tiny bit generic. Pithy citrus and and lush, feminine, tropical florals - more linen-y, but not going soapy at all. It's a tiny bitter sweeter, but the pith really balances that sweetness perfectly. There is some extremely familiar white floral in here that I can't pinpoint. Later: I think there is...daffodil in this? And I'm sticking with orchid as one of the florals. *cross-checks with Kitsune-Tsuki. This now reminds me greatly of 51, though it's sweeter and gentler, and more distinctly feminine. I get the same white/green musk combo & some sort of pale woods coming out strongly in the drydown, and the citrus note is very similar. Summary: 51 over Kitsune-Tsuki with a little Dirty thrown in. These are all GCs I absolutely adore, and this scent just gets better and better as it evolves on my skin. Sweet and musky and florally-feminine, classic but NOT generic as it briefly smelled - just sexy and clean. Great throw & longevity. This is not REMOTELY like the original version of June Gloom, which I happened to test last week. It's a million times better, and I'm glad I ordered a bottle - I'm getting a back up for sure. If you like 51, you must try this.

Strawberry candy (it reminds me specifically of those pale pink, knobbed hard candies with the soft centres, wrapped to look like strawberries) and green grass, with maybe a hint of clean white floral. Not overly sweet. Much more intense! Less sweet/candyish, and this is definitely unlike previous BPAL strawberry notes I've known - much more realistic to my nose, more herbal, zesty, and almost a little unripe. The last COULD be due to the strong grass note and now present-and-amping slightly bitter dandelion. A touch soapy, but not in a bad way. Dries very quickly, almost instantly, and starts to fade just as rapidly. It's a bit of a tease - puts on a bold front but can't really deliver in strength. The sweetness/strawberry is fading in particular, to the point where it's very light within minutes. Grass holds, and the dandelion is just as strong now. Less bitter, it really has become somehow milky/creamy. Still a hint of white floral, almost linen-y. Milky dandelion sap is in command here, and surprisingly the grass has backed off quite a bit - it's behind the strawberry (no longer candyish at all) and white floral, now. The tinge of soapiness has dissipated entirely - I think that was just a brief threat from the grass. This feels very green and spring-like and outdoorsy. Still somewhat feminine, but a man could wear it. Milky, pleasantly bitter and very green-fresh dandelion that really feels sappily wet with a bit of zesty, tart, wild strawberry juice (seeds, too). More faintly, a bit of clean white floral and grass. Surprisingly good throw, though this fades a lot from the intial blast - about 4 hours longevity on my skin. A must try for lovers of dandelion. I'm glad I got 2 bottles!

Sniffed: Light yellow oil. Strongly, almost sharply herbal. A little mentholic-medicinal. Manly. Lavender most strongly, with maybe some bergamot and basil below. Reminds me a lot of Temple of Dreams, actually. Wet: Sweet, with an almost creamy vanillic note - either vanilla, or possibly benzoin - it does have a resiny sort of tone. Still reminds me of ToD a lot, but also now of TKO - very, very similar to TKO - I even get the weird celery note! Dry: So, the basil is pretty distinct here and I'm almost positive the sweet vanillic note is benzoin, and both these aspects make it not-TKO. It's the same lavender note as in both ToD and TKO, though, and the same basil as in ToD. The citrusy note is elemi, I believe, and it has amped. A little more benzoin coming out, with a honeyish note to it. Still lots of basil and that 'celery' note. Later: Stuff is AMPING and has crazy strong throw. A little goes a looong way. Definitely more elemi, and the lavender in this holds really well. This stage reminds me ALOT of Kalahantarika. Even more benzoin, but the greenery has faded greatly, and this is sharply sour-sweet now, with only light herbalness. It's gone oddly sour - elemi tends to do that, and goes sort of like cat urine on my skin after a while. Summary: Final drydown: Kalahantarika/Temple of Dreams/TKO sour-herbal blend. Extremely strong throw (I can smell it through two shirts after walking 11 miles!) and longevity.

GCs for Rares: Faith - Violet Ray Bony Moon - Kathmandu Orange Phoenix - Moxie Dia - Black Pearl Pothon Meter - Pepper Rares for Less Rares: A Bachelor's Dog - Ashlutum Gypsy Queen - The Masque Honey Moon - Flower Moon 2009 Medb v4 - Garden Path with Chickens, The Host of the Air Horn of Amalthea - Milk Moon 2007 Iron Phoenix - Torture Queen Vasakasajja - Maud Ruthyn La Primavera - Philommeides

Sigh...I absolutely ABHOR pennyroyal. I wish there were other things people had reported working!

I was just going to type EXACTLY this.

Penumbra, Blood Countess, Purple Phoenix, Violet Ray (this feels more 'lavender' to me), The Blood Garden, Morgause, Bat of Virtue - all of these feel strongly purple to me.

Sniffed: Light yellow oil. Sharp, dry, white. Clean and herbal. White tea, verbena and sandalwood reign. A little bitter and medicinal, and a touch powdery from the hint of iris. Wet: Gentler, though still pretty herbal and bright. Lots of verbena and sandalwood - and some vetiver? I think? More iris on my skin, even less lavender (much lighter here than it often is), and the white tea note smells more like green tea to me. Dry: This reminds me of Shanghai a bit with the tea/verbena combo, and the iris sort of stands in for the honeysuckle. Whoa, the resemblence really is increasing as this dries. Verbena is super strong, and the tea note is definitely GREEN, with a bit more powder from the iris. Later: More of a white tea note, now - in addition to the green tea note. The verbena has calmed slightly and a bit of sandalwood has come back, along with a hint of lavender. Iris is pretty powdery, but in a nice way. Think Black Pearl. Summary: White and green teas with verbena, iris and sandalwood. Very clean and light and soft on final drydown - a little femme, though - not really unisex. Decent throw.

2007 & 2008 Versions Sniffed: Rich goldenrod coloured oil. Surprisingly floral/perfumey, and not that sweet. Champaca, tuberose, amber and white sandalwood, primarily. Lighter rose and davana. Maybe a little vanilla - not really any honey or date. I definitely get the palm here - not date, not fruit, but palm FRONDS - I know the note from The Hanging Gardens and some of the Luaus. Wet: This becomes a little softer, more floral and feminine, on me - I get less davana than in 2007, and more rose. A little bit of honey, not so much vanilla. Still heavy on the palm, and lots of champaca. Much sweeter - honey and vanilla and more davana and rose. Still very 'perfumey'-floral, as well. I get a soapy-clean edge from the tuberose, and a tiny bit of powder from the amber. This is a little less 'dry' feeling. Dry: Something smells a little slick/plasticky - not in a bad way, necessarily - it's sort of how white tea usually goes on me. I don't really like it from far away, it's too rich/creamy - but it smells good up close. Seeing as I don't go around with my nose to my wrists...I'm not sure this is something I'd enjoy wearing. Summary: Musky, white sandalwood, champaca, vanilla, honey and slightly pwodery amber on drydown. It's a bit more vanilla-y and powdery thn I like, and I wish there were more rose and davana, but it's pretty nice. It's oddly almost spicy, in a way I can't place - maybe like carnation? Feminine, classic, sexy. To retest. Good throw & longevity.

Sniffed: Golden oil. Flowers and greenery. Slightly sour (in a floral way), herbal medicinal/mentholic. Jasmine, with a soapy edge. Wet: Sharper, and almost foul-smelling rotten things - pungent. Like dead animals/roadkill. Ylang ylang and jasmine, and this is both heady and soapy. The whiff from a few inches is pure roadkill. Dry: That rotten note is definitely at least in part iris, and it and the other florals are totally dominating on my skin. Greenery - is cool and a little bitter, maybe even a little spicy - some dandelion, and maybe some ivy? Later: This is a very pungent but not overly sour jasmine - the same note as in Thalassa, actually. I'm positive about that dandelion, but other green notes (woefully light) evade identification. Summary: Dry, woody drydown of rosewood and cedar with fainter hints of jasmine and iris - all greenery gone. Rather masculine, and more pleasant than the wet stages, but still not for me. Very strong throw and longevity. I don't get any lavender...I wish!

Rough on the edges, but possessing the true essence of valor and nobility of spirit: tobacco, vanilla, white pear, cedar, rugged musk and saddle leather. Sniffed: Leather and musk - with a hint of sweetness lurking below. Yes, my beloved Dead Man's Hand 'soft old leather' suede note. Wet: Some lovely fresh pear (a la Juliet) and a little hint of tobacco, as well as more musk. But mostly tart, crispy, JUICY pear, leather, and musk. A strange but GLORIOUS combination. The leather is SUPER strong. Dry: I swear I get a sort of cologney note, but I like cologney notes. It melds the pear and leather and musk really nicely. This does have a slightly dry edge from the cedar, which I could do without, but it's light enough that it doesn't bother me. Later: After a while, more and more musk comes out along with some light, softly creamy-sweet vanilla. The pear, amazingly, holds, as does the old leather note. The tobacco does emerge a bit, but never very strongly or distinctly. Really sexy and a wrist-sniffer - my roommate was entranced, too. Summary: Vanilla, pear, and sweet musk infused suedey-old leather with light hints of astringent tobacco and dry cedar. It sweetens up beautifully over time on my skin, and is absolutely gorgeous, complex, and unique. Decent throw and good longevity.

The juice of ripe, bursting, blood red holly berries. 2005 version Sniffed: Sweet, berryish-pine. Reminds me of cheap Christmas candles, and not in a good way. Wet: Spicier, warmer - more like potpourri. Cinnamon and allspice in addition to the sweet, mentholic-cold pine and red berry note. Much nicer and less fake/cloying. Dry: Cinnamon and spices amping; this is mostly spicy berries, with only a hint of pine, in the dry state. I'm pretty sure I get some clove, too. Summary: Spiced berry and sweet pine. It actually settles into a fairly nice scent, but it's still spiced Christmas potpourri & pine, neither of which I like. Good throw, decent longevity.

Sniffed: Amber-coloured oil. Soapy-powdery. Sweet pea, for sure, and I'd guess some type of lily and/or honeysuckle. Wet: Similar, maybe with a sweet lemon/lime citrus note as well and some rose, on top of the soap/powder. I definitely think honeysuckle. Old ladyish. I do also get something weirdly, lightly minty/herbal that I can't place. Dry: The rose has gone sort of sour...and the florals have gone SUPER powdery and soapy. Sweetening up in a weird way (and lime often does this on me).Actually, I get some of the floral(s) from Schlafende Baigneuse - I swear I think it has that yellow monkey-flower note. Later: It's lost some of the sourness and powder/soap, too, so that it's much more bearable. I also get that 'tropical floral' people mentioned. I do think that some of the powder is amber, too. Summary: Soapy-powdery, citrusy florals. Lemon blossom, rose, honeysuckle, sweet pea, yellow monkey-flower and maybe some amber. Better with time, but this is not my sort of scent. It's not obnoxiously floral, but I can't handle the powder. Good throw & longevity.

I LOVE Japanese scents! My favourites that are reasonably available: Aizen-Myoo Kitsune-Tsuki (you have it down, I see!) Night-Gaunt (it feels Japanese to me, I swear) Itaso (Salon) Harikata (Shunga I) Lovers' Parodies (Shunga I) Manners Among Men and Women (Shunga II) The Spell of Amorous Loeve (Shunga I) Spirit of the Komachi Cherry Tree (Salon) Tanuki Tissue (Shunga II)

Sniffed: Very complex; not easily categorised. Herbal, fruity, and earthy all at once. I find the lab's bergamot note to be usually very light, but it's distinct here. Patchouli too, but it seems to be a not-too-dirty/strong one. I get more blackberry than pomegranate, but both are distinct, and so is the golden heliotrope. Wet: Harsher, stronger. LOTS more bergamot and patchouli, to the point of manliness - and also, unfortunately, the herbal/patchouli/blackberry combo reminds me strongly of Agony of Heartache, a scent which (appropriately) broke my heart with its harsh unwearability. Same feel here, same patchouli note. Pomegranate and heliotrope are SO taking a beating. Dry: Okay, things have settled a bit - it's lost the harsh edge on the whole, and I'm feeling less heartbroken. I still dislike this patchouli - it's that 'red patchouli' which in addition to ruining AoH for me, ruined much of the Grindhouse. The bergamot is still strong, but nice now, and way more heliotrope has come out. Blackberry remains very strong, and pomegranate very light. Later: Not much morphing, though the heliotrope is fading a bit. This patchouli just won't soften on me and I can't shake the AoH/Grindhouse association. The bergamot, too, is just a bit astringent for my tastes. A shame, because the blackberry note is very strong. Still not really any pomegranate. Summary: Harsh red patchouli, herbal-sharp bergamot, and a strong wild blackberry note with glimmers of heliotrope. Good throw and longevity, and surprisingly unisex. Wild and herbal, sort of 'rustic' in feel. I had the most hope for this Bat...and it ended up being a 3rd. *sigh*

Sniffed: Strawberry, whoa! Very realistic strawberry, too. A little bit of huckleberry and rose too, but they're definitely second stage to STRAWBERRY. If I really strain, maybe some star anise - not getting violet or frankincense. Wet: A little darker - much more huckleberry, yay! More of a dark fruit vs red fruit feel. Very much 'wild' fruit; the wildness of the huckleberry, and a wild strawberry note. Rose is still light, but star anise is more prominent - it reminds me very much of the note in V. Panther. Dry: Getting a bit of frankincense now - which is more smoky wood than sweet resin, at this point, and still light. More a suggestion than full presence. Much of the strawberry has faded, to be on par with the huckleberry. Star anise a little spicier, but still not truly 'spicy' - more exotic. Later: Darn. The berries are definitely fading more and more on my skin, and the frankincense and star anise are amping. More spice and incense, for sure. Rose - where did you go? I think I'm only imagining you at this point. I AM getting more violet, albeit a very sutble, velvety (not powdery) note. Still, this is pretty berrylicious.... Everything is really BLENDING at this stage; picking out notes is difficult. It's dark, slightly spicy, berries galore. It feels very smooth and velvety and sort of - elegant. It's definitely not the typical thing I go for - but I ended up loving Penumbra, too. This has that same 'sexy purple' feel. Although having read the 'strawberry shortcake doll' comment, I also totally get that. In a good way. Summary: Huckleberry and strawberry shortcake doll with a hint of dark star anise and smooth violet. Fades to nothing after a few hours and is low in throw to begin with, but through all stages the fruit holds and remains fun and feminine. It does go a bit plastic on me over time, but not in a bad way. Definitely my favourite Bat, though I'm going to retest - I'm still not sure it works for me. I really hope it does, though, because I LOVE the Bat label art.

Sniffed: Pleasantly herbal, in an aromatherapy/sleep blend sort of way. Definitely lots of lavender, and it's strong but not harsh. The sage is a lovely sage, very bright but again, not harsh. Same with cypress and verbena. I get a light hint of sort of creamy sweetness in the distance, from the combined forces of black amber and white peach. Wet: Still strongly herbal with lavender leading the way, followed by sage and cypress, then lighter verbena (though the verbena is most distinct wet, with a lemony but not overpowering edge). Something sort of piney that's not cypress and I presume is the life everlasting. I get the white peach more strongly, and no longer really any of the amber. Dry: More piney, with presumably life everlasting and the cypress amping a bit. Lavender and sage still going strong, and the verbena has amped too - it's a becoming more and more Pledge-like over time. I also get a bitter green note - LE or tansy? I don't know. It's not entirely bad, but I'm aware it. The verbena, at this stage, is my biggest concern. Otherwise, this blend has pleasantly surprised me. Summary: Verbena, sage and cypress dominate. Much of the lavender has retreated. Still some other evergreen and bitter herbal notes. White peach is holding very well, but amber has completely disappeared. The verbena/peach combo makes this a very 'unique' blend. Insane throw, and good longevity (ha, ha!). This ended up being my second-favourite bat, and I think without the strong verbena presence, I'd really like it.

Sniffed: Sweet, rooty, fruity and herbal. Definitely a strong but not unpleasant sassafras note. I can pick out juniper and LOTS of that fig note from Carnal. A little bit of geranium and there is a general green herbalness - maybe the rue and mandrake contribute to that? Wet: Way more sassafras and juniper. Super medicinal, herbal-rooty. Mentholic. Definitely getting a 'root beer' feel, too. The sweetness sort of surprises me - I think a lot of it comes from the fig, which is almost jammy and holding up to the herbal onslaught very well. Dry: Dries quickly though that could be the blasting AC. Much less mentholic and medicinal - that was clearly a brief phase. I almost get wintergreen from the sassafras, though. Reminds me a bit of The Carpathian Mountains. Later: Yep. Sassafras-Root Beer Carpathian Mountains with Fig and sort of dirty root undertone. Really not a fan. Summary: After a few hours, it's like 90% FIG with 10% herbal root beer - so if you love fig, this is for you. Decent throw, fades rapidly. I actually ended up liking this more than I expected based on notes. The final drydown is perfectly pleasant, but not my thing.