Lyrical

I've noticed some pretty significant batch differences in GC oils. For example, I've had several imps of Fae which were sparkling peach and orange, but my bottle smells distinctly dark green and mostly bergamot, no fizz at all. And my daughter and I both have bottles of Vixen, but they don't smell much alike (hers is very vanilla). The colour can vary a lot from batch to batch too. I think it's because the oils are natural, not synthetic. It can be pretty annoying at times. Aging, on the other hand, is a special type of magic! If in doubt, put it away and test it a year later!

Sweet, pretty floral - lovely, in fact! Almost lemony. On drydown it's definitely a white floral (Bleeding Heart flowers, which grow in my garden, are actually shocking pink and white) - slightly soapy, but nice soap. It's not your usual floral blend. It's a very classical perfume that would fit a formal occasion. This was a fun frimp to get. Thanks, Puddin'!

I used to get delayed dermatitis on my wrists when I first started testing BPAL. It looked a mess for weeks after the initial reaction. I never figured out a specific note, and it went away when I started testing on the outside of my arms instead, but later I had a similar rash on my neck after sun exposure over BPAL. Now I test new scents on my arms for convenience, but for daily wear I apply on areas that will be covered by hair or clothing. Cinnamon burn is different - the skin goes red within minutes, and recovers within hours. And it burns!

I've had essential oil bottles challenged at airports in the past, so I'm a little sneaky with imps. I store my hand luggage BPAL inside an empty hand cream or hair gel tin lined with cotton wool pads, and put it in my ziplock. No one has ever queried it, but if they do, I'm just protecting imps against breakage. Basically, they still travel legally as liquids, but I don't get the questions. And I like reusing cute tins anyway!

Light fruity-florals like Temptation, Marcilla and Kindly Moon work well. I do wear aged (not fresh) Snake Oil to work sometimes,, but apply it lightly. Sachs has very little throw and is soothing when I'm stressed, so that's good for work too. Also Embalming Fluid. I feel self-conscious about some of the names so if asked I'll often say it's a hand blended natural oil I picked up in the US. If someone was really interested I'd enable them, of course.

I have a question and I hope this is the right place to ask it. I won a 10ml cobalt bottle of Ozymandias on eBay, and I did some research and found out that 10mls were discontinued in August 2006, meaning that my bottle is at least that old. But since it's a cobalt bottle, not an amber one does that mean it's really 2004 or older? It smells just as awesome as I hoped aged Ozymandias would, but I'd really like to know how old it is.

Cool! I got this as a freebie with ebay stuff too! I concur that it's lightly fruity and spicy and definitely green. Perhaps a little musk. Oakmoss or bergamot - something that reminds me of a rather "dark green" smelling bottle of Fae a got a couple of years ago (it must have been a batch variation, but I like it). A touch of mint too. I'm very curious about the story behind this. I have no idea what it is. And I'd love to know what the notes really are, as I'm afraid my guessing might not be very accurate.

Black heart In the bottle: pomegranate - purple, sweet and almost-but-not-quite creamy. No booze. Wet: purple fruits backed by vanilla and sandalwood and a huge dollop of honey. The plum, grape and pomegranate merge into a sweet, pinky-purple fruitiness and the honey and sweet pea keep it sweet enough to foil my skin chemistry which would normally turn the fruit sour. Dry: this has very little throw - I forget I'm wearing it if I don't sniff it. It's a wonderfully sweet and innocent scent, somewhat reminiscent of Agape. The smoothness of the vanilla sandalwood and honey balance the tang of the fruit and I could really like this. ETA: layered with Black Lace, this really seems to bring out the best in both scents. The creamy, cottony vanilla of BL tones down the purple brightness of BH, which in turn smothers the more acrid, dirty aspects of BL. They blend seamlessly, like a creamy berry mousse with musk! Dry: it's amazing how these two scents, each quite overpowering in its own way, tame and complement each other. It's mostly purple fruits and cream now, which is odd, because I don't get a distinct cream note in either scent alone (I always assumed "cream cotton" refers the fabric colour in BL) and this is definitely real cream. The tobacco is pushing and shoving a little and trying to get out, but the fruits, honey and sandalwood hold it back. This combination is probably not going to be something I wear a lot, but it's pretty, and very "BPAL".

In the bottle: it's smack-you-in-the-face strong and I can smell all the notes distinctly, but mostly a boozy vanilla cologne. Wet on skin: cognac and vanilla. This is a very rich, dark vanilla, not at all creamy, and gives me the feel of one of those sugary but not cream-based liqueurs - like Tia Maria only vanilla flavoured. Then, as it dries, tobacco pushes its way to the front and it becomes somewhat nauseating - not fresh, aromatic pipe tobacco, but stale, ugly tobacco, like an ash tray that hasn't been emptied for a week, combining with cognac, incense and musk. The sweet liqueur is gone and it's dark, rank and dirty. Dry on skin: when I tried this fresh from the mailbox last week, there was more vanilla, more cotton, and a cool vanilla musk that reminded me briefly of Voyeurs Among the Cherry Blossoms. Today the vanilla is hiding behind the dark, smoky filthiness. However, the individual notes are already blending together better and smoothing out, so I won't give up on it without a few months of aging to see if it improves. At the moment the tobacco is way too strong for me. It's kind of compelling, though - I have to keep sniffing it! And it gets smoother and richer the longer I wear it. Fascinating! But every so often I wonder why I can smell smoke, just before I realise it's Black Lace! (I put on some Antique Lace on the other arm for comparison, and they are quite unalike. I think they share the vanilla and cotton notes, but AL is clean cotton and BL is filthy, stained cotton worn by a heavy smoker.) Not only is this scent very strong, so that only a tiny drop creates a haze around you, but it also lasts for ever. ETA: layered with Black Heart, this really seems to bring out the best in both scents. The creamy, cottony vanilla of BL tones down the purple brightness of BH, which in turn smothers the more acrid, dirty aspects of BL. They blend seamlessly, like a creamy berry mousse with musk! Dry: it's amazing how these two scents, each quite overpowering in its own way, tame and complement each other. It's mostly purple fruits and cream now, which is odd, because I don't get a distinct cream note in either scent alone (I always assumed "cream cotton" refers the fabric colour in BL) and this is definitely real cream. The tobacco is pushing and shoving a little and trying to get out, but the fruits, honey and sandalwood hold it back. This combination is probably not going to be something I wear a lot, but it's pretty, and very "BPAL".

She herself had cheeks like blood and milk and grew every day more and more beautiful: creamy skin musk and blushing pink musk with soft sandalwood, white amber, dutiful myrrh, and star jasmine. In vial: definitely pink and creamy. I braved the jasmine in this because the reviews were so good, and so far it's just a gentle floral note. I wonder if pink musk contains strawberries? I find it hard to pick out notes, but the overall impression is gorgeous! Wet on skin: sweet, pink, creamy and delicate. A hint of strawberry ice cream! Apparently star jasmine is not the usual jasmine-of-doom. Makes me think of something pink from Lush with strawberry and vanilla in it. A perfume for a young, innocent girl who doesn't yet know how attractive she is! Dry on skin: creamy strawberry (strawberry flavour candy, not fresh strawberries) and vanilla. I can't pick out the sandalwood, amber and myrrh, but I presume they are the rich creamy base. No jasmine-of-doom at all - yay! I'm not a strawberry person, but this is gorgeous! Second day slathering: I'm thinking that pink musk contains both rose and strawberry, but both are faint! Or maybe it's the jasmine, which I can pick out now, although it's not at all the dog poo note of doom that jasmine normally is on my skin! The myrrh takes it away from the blushing young girl area and gives it a womanly touch. My feelings towards this are mostly very positive. I don't feel that the notes sit very well together at first, especially the myrrh and jasmine, but I suspect that this is a scent that will round out nicely with aging. [Edited to add scent description]

In vial: honey and pollen a la Against Idleness and Mischief? I guess the candles must be beeswax ones, which is what I was hoping for. There's a syrupy vanilla here too. So far so good! Wet on skin: I don't get candles at all - this is all honey and vanilla with a hint of hedgerow flowers. Very nice, though. Honey can be very nasty on my skin but so far so good with this one. Dry on skin: now it's settling down into beeswax - with maybe a faint wisp of smoke. Not as stunning as I'd hoped. Then it starts to smell really plain and waxy - like an unscented candle. Very clever! Then the hedgerow honey comes back - slightly reminiscent of Mead Moon. The overall impression of this scent is somewhat underwhelming. Bland and syrupy - rather dull.

In vial: first peppermint, then butter - merging into Murray Mints - "the too good to hurry mints!" Wet on skin: delicious buttery mints, without noticeable rum or cocoa. Then coconut and vanilla join the party. This is creamy candy heaven! Dry on skin: mint starts to fade and now I can smell a hint of rum-laced cocoa. Entirely foody and very enjoyable. Fades quite fast, but that's OK too. I find the combination of notes to be strange and not entirely pleasant on drydown, but I keep getting wafts of that beautiful creamy vanilla mint in between!

In vial: warm amber, sweet honey and soft flowers. Reminds me of O. Wet on skin: reminds me even more of O. It's strong and perfumy, and needs to be applied sparingly, but it's delicious! A sweeter, more feminine version of L'Estate. Dry on skin: mostly amber to my nose, but a very beautiful, sensual, feminine, creamy amber. Wow! After the initial burst of scent, it has a normal throw. This is in the running for my favourite amber blend, but only time will tell! Second day slathering: now I get the carnation, which is rich and spicy. This is possibly the sexiest perfume I've ever worn! It's deep, rich, heavy and luxuriant. Possibly too heavy for work, with a raw, untamed edge to it! It makes me feel ... exotic and dangerous!!! I can't wait to find out how it ages!

In vial: sweeeet, creeeamy peach and flowers. Nice! Wet on skin: light, sweet and extremely pretty. I adore rice flower (Tamamo-No-Mae is possibly my absolute favourite scent), and it's definitely here. Black musk forms a sexy backdrop for peach and soft florals and it's a very rounded scent - nothing sharp here. Dry on skin: this is the peach blossom note from Kindly Moon. I would definitely recommend fans of Kindly Moon and Tamamo-No-Mae to test this as a potential GC alternative once the precious runs out! Second day slathering: to start with this is acceptable but not amazing, but the drydown is wonderful! Yay for rice flower and musk! May well need a bottle of this!

In vial: a rich, well-blended scent with lots of vanilla and resins swirling seductively around modest florals and mandarin. Wet on skin: wow! I can't even pick out notes here - it's just one, beautiful, grown up (but not old lady) perfume! I was scared of the rose, but it's barely there. I can make out orchid and mandarin and vanilla, but mostly this doesn't even smell of perfume - it just smells of awesome! Like I'm not wearing scent - I just smell this good naturally! Dry on skin: the rose is coming out now, along with a slight hint of soap and a touch of creamy spice from the carnation. It's still very elegant and lovely. Very smooth and balanced. It's hard to imagine anyone disliking this scent - all the notes are so gentle and warm! It lasted all night and into the morning, but by that time the fruity-floral aspect had faded somewhat and it was more soft, creamy amber and the faintest hint of sandalwood. Second day slathering: this has definitely passed the all day wearing test. It's really pretty, and also totally inoffensive and suitable for formal occasions. Wearing it makes me feel confident and womanly. I was nervous about buying such an expensive bottle unsniffed, but now I'm really pleased I did!

In imp: sweet fruity-musky-floral - mmmmmm! Wet on skin: sweet, pretty and fruity-floral. Dry on skin: very tropical-floral and juicy, definitely related to Tiki Queen. Nice but not stunning. Second day slathering: osmanthus stands out a little, but it's an otherwise almost seemless blend of musk, fruit and smooth florals. Very creamy. Traditional enough to wear to a job interview, but the throw is fairly huge, so you'd need to apply it sparingly! Considering a bottle.

In imp: mostly red musk, chocolate and plum - reminds me of Midnight Kiss. Wet on skin: very sexy dark chocolate, spiced with ginger and speckled with tiny bits of candied fruit. The red musk is strong, but not nasty (red musk mostly doesn't like my skin). Dry on skin: red musk and dark chocolate is an intriguing combination. It's foody yet not at all foody, and while it's too dark and passionate for me, I predict that it will be popular. I'm getting red wine from it too. After a while it gets softer and sweeter. Interesting!

In imp: a chaotic array of brightly coloured notes, in which pepper is the most noticeable. Wet on skin: so many notes fighting for my attention that I can't identify or enjoy any of them. *sniffs long and deep* I can find orange, pepper and violet. It's all quite dark and bitter. Dry on skin: a bitter orange with whole black peppercorns stuck into it, like a weird pomander, clashing vividly with violet and a mish mash of fruits.

In imp: redcurrants and red wine in a sugary jelly. Wet on skin: a candyish, fruity red wine. Dry on skin: sweet redcurrant jelly with wine in it. The wine isn't too prominent. Nice. A boozier Candy Phoenix without the powdered sugar. I already have Candy Phoenix, though, and don't need more.

In imp: sweet, spicy ... and dry. Not freshly baked pfefferneusse, but old, stale crumbs from the bottom of a shop-bought packet imported from Germany. Wet on skin: sweet, spicy and cakey, but still dry. I can almost smell the sugary frosting on top! Dry on skin: dry, sweet, powdery and spicy. Dark but foody. Not only is it very nice, but the spices are not burning my skin - yay! Second day slathering: argh! Nasty spices making me itch! Admittedly I just took a shower, then slathered it on, but still ... It smells good, though! And it's less foody this time. I wonder if there's some musk lurking in here? If a man was wearing this I'd want to eat him up!

In imp: almondy cake, pastry and a cherry on the top - this is one of Mr Kipling's Cherry Bakewell Tarts! Wet on skin: oooh - apricot jam! With a strong almond-cherry note and lots of buttery pastry. Yum! Dry on skin: very fruity! Now it's more like a glazed fruit tart. The fruit outlasts the pastry, and is mostly apricot - with just the right amount of sweetness.

Nothing warms the cockles like a mug of Mother Shub's egg nog! Goat's milk egg nog with coffee liqueur and spices imported from the Crimson Desert! In imp: richer and creamier than the old Egg Nog, with the delicious pungency of Beth's goat milk note, and a tiny hint of coffee. Wet on skin: aahhh - goat milk! Just like Nonae Caprotina, this has a pungent tang to it. I've never tasted real goat's milk, but I imagine it has a similar tang. This is a lot like Nonae Caprotina without the fig, but it's even more goaty! No coffee or spices. Dry on skin: the throw is sweet and creamy, but close up my arm still smells kind of sour. The spices are emerging now, and just a hint of coffee. This is probably just what goat's milk egg nog smells like!

In imp: sharp, green apple over something black but not unpleasant. The prototype reviews of this were LIMELIMELIME, so I'm hoping some lime will surface later. Wet on skin: sweet, tangy, green and smooth. I think this has both lime and green apple, with a hint of earthiness in the background. Dry on skin: a green, musky, sweet, fruity scent. I think there's an evergreen note lurking behind the fruit. Nice but short-lived. Second day: the same - tangy lime, apple, musk and a hint of evergreen.

In imp: WOW! Amber blends can be hit or miss on me, but this is a blissfully orange amber, sweet and golden. Wet on skin: amber and orange blossom remind me of Khryseê, but this has additional notes to freshen it. As it dries the orange blossom recedes a little and makes way for the brighter citrus notes, and it's perfectly "perfumy", ie it smells as if I'm a normal person wearing normal perfume, but still has that magic BPAL touch. The fresh citrus is perfectly balanced by the thick amber and it's just perfectly blended and balanced. I love it! More than that - I LOVE IT!!! Dry on skin: rich and smoooooooth orangey-lemony amber. There is no sharpness or bitterness here, and none of the off-notes some musky or citrussy ambers get on my skin. It's a fresher version of Khryseê. I may need multiple bottles of this. Not much throw - it stays very close to the skin, which I like.. And just as I thought it couldn't get better - a soft spicy-smoky base note emerges. I think it may be frankincense. Second day slathering: I still like this, but today there is a tendency to soapiness. I think that's the frankincense.

In imp: dusty, sweet and edible, like a delicious honeyed cereal bar in a haystack! Wet on skin: sweet but not in the least cloying, toasted nuts and honey and elderberries, still dusty, very edible. Reminds me a little of Eden. Dry on skin: doesn't morph much. There's less berry now, but still lots of honeyed, toasted nuts. It smells like something I'd enjoy eating, but I won't be needing a bottle. After a while, it becomes less dusty and more creamy. Delicious!