mgrazulis

In the bottle: fresh garden dirt, fennel, fern Wet: honeysuckle, bundle of rooted veggies Dry: Wet myrtle--what a wonderful woodiness...almost mossy! Totally green and garden fresh sweetened with honeysuckle. Lots of leafiness lingering about. A nurturing and comfortable scent that is well grounded.

In the imp: pithy grapefruit, somewhat bitter. Pucker up! I like this! Wet on skin: the harshness is gone and it warms up almost immediately, still tangy but fresh from the lemongrass. It is very faint on my skin. Dry: A nice musky ambergris with a pleasant citrus warmth. After a while the white musk comes out and somewhat dries the warmth leaving a bit coolness. Phobos faded quickly after a couple of hours.

In the imp: sharp lily of the valley, mandarin Wet: lily, spicy sandalwood emerges Dry: As it dries it becomes mostly lilies with sandalwood. Vanilla gives the lily some earthiness. The opium is there too. The vanilla remains subdued and thankfully doesn't amp on my skin. The edginess of the lily has softened. For a while, there is a touch of powder, but the resiny opium gives it a hint of decadance. The mandarin is faint. This is the kind of scent that can be enjoyed "close"...gently subtle, sophisticated with a hypnotic edge. Lasted for hours.

In the imp: Citrus lemon/grapefruit Wet: more of same but a hint of orchid. Dry: The grapefruit is a very true and juicy scent with a tell tale hint of mint. Underneath is the sweetness of amber and the delicate aroma of white tea, blended into the teakwood. The leather is in there mixed in with the other notes between the amber and the wood.. It does smell confident and assertive and a wee bit sexy. This reminds me a bit of the Sex In The City character Samantha--running her P/R firm, wining and dining her clients, trying to get Smith into another movie deal. I would wear this often!!

In the imp: sharp star jasmine, sweet almond. I am fearful that the star jasmine is too strong. It shows no beauty in the imp. Wet: The jasmine pushes the almond down, slivers of sandalwood emerge with damp wet oakmoss. Smoky and earthy. Dry: Salome begins her Dance of the Veils here: a dark resiny backgound forms around the jasmine which has a flowery sweetness that beckons. A magnetic musky sultriness lures you in. The sandalwood, the edginess of the oakmoss and musk blend beautifully allowing the jasmine to reveal her aroma through their veil. Salome's dance is grounded, yet exotic. Her aura is compelling, sniff after sniff. Gorgeous and sensual.... This stays fairly close to the skin on me...I like it overall. It fades down after a couple of hours, leaving a gentle sandalwood residue. I don't mind that I need reapply again. In my scent locket, though I get mostly jasmine and almonds.

In the imp: Sandalwood and patchouli. Wet: Much softer, sweeter. Earthy yet grounded by sweet incense and sandalwood. Dry: Dry, heady, thick incense and patchouli. I will have to try in when my scent locket arrives. Sadly, it is just too heavy on the incense and the patchouli is over the top on my skin.

In the bottle: damp hemp, poppy, sarsaparilla Wet: Irish moss (swoon!), another flash of sarsaparilla, florals Dry: Wonderfully herbal and musky! Very calming...the florals are blended and watery. The Irish moss envelops the florals like seaweed. There is nothing cloying to this at all. The soft grains, the birchiness in the sarsaparilla and the nuttiness of the hemp lend some earthiness overall to this water sign. My first astrological inspired scent from BPAL...although Pisces is not my sign, I had to try this for the Irish moss alone. I am not disappointed. This is just beautiful and gentle on me. Neither masculine nor feminine...this just smells fantastic!

In the bottle: black orchid, wet pear and a hint of orange smoke Wet on the skin: jonquil, gardenia, magnolia, blue musk. For a brief moment, the jonquil is quite strong. The gardenia is more subtle than I expected, floating with the champaca in the cool musk. Drydown: The orchid is back with the pear and the aroma from the clove has a soothing effect as if to keep one from swooning in headiness in the luxuriant gardenia and champaca. Once the flowers blend, they soften. Damp bark and creamy tonka seep through the blended flowers. Gorgeously complex...dark, nocturnal and lovely.

A funereal bouquet laid on cemetery grass: longiflorum lilies, white rose, chrysanthemum, and carnation. In the imp: lilies, chrysanthemums, white rose. Wet on skin: dry chrysanthemums and lilies. Dry on skin: wonderfullly floral. Reminicent of funeral bouquets. Mostly white lilies, chrysanthemums, a bit of warm spice from carnations. A white rose undertone. The green from the flowers is there, too--leaves, stems and a bit of grassiness. After a while: the sharp dryness of the chrysanthemums fades along with the lily. The white rose is fantastic and benefits from the spice of the carnation. The lily is back and it is deep. The rose is a bit drier but it is rejoined by the chrysanthemum after a few hours. Verdict: this is very mournful and melancholy. Beth's white rose is one of my favorite rose notes. In the beginning the lilies and mums are strong, but it morphs into a beautiful white rose phase. When it joins with the carnation it becomes warm. I have to say that I like this very much--although I am not a big fan of funereal blends. The green from the flower parts and the grass, prevent this from being entirely floral on me. I don't foresee a bottle--but this is beautiful to try out.

In the Imp: dewy night blooming jasmine, moonflower, mossy green. Wet on skin: More jasmine, but very light and meadows! Dry on skin: The white flowers emerge especially the white rose and the white musks. And the mossy meadow undertone is amazing and well blended. There's a lot of headiness from the florals at this stage, but they are dew-kissed. After a while: The florals are incredibly soft now mixed wafting in the Egyptian incense. This is sooooo night air! Just a sweet hint of jasmine and smokey incense.Still cool and fresh, the musk underneath. Soft and subtle on the skin. I can picture wearing this nightly to bed for beautiful dreams. Nuit does not disappoint me at all! I am rapt by the cool summer florals and the starry skies of Egypt.

In the imp: cereus, myrrh, black orchid. The oil is amber brown. Wet: cypress, black currant Dry: Very complex. There are so many notes, yet it's blended so well. The cereus, and myrrh wonderfully back drop for orchid and myrtle. A sweetness from the black currant--a marvelous top! A smoky incense permeates the poppy. Dark rich purple flowers in dark resinous air. I was afraid that this would be overly floral, but Medea settles on my skin. The currant takes on a hint of wine. The cereus floats in the myrrh and cypress for hours. Very nocturnal, sinister and darkly magical.

In the vial: gorgeous apple blossom, rose Wet: juicy apple, rose, honey, and ylang ylang Dry: Wow, this is juicy! It's pure and fresh. After a few minutes it dries and subtles. The apple fades away--the ylang ylang grows more forward. First, there the lushness of Eden, laden with fruit and blooming flowers. The rose starts as pink tea rose. But it fades and what is left is darker, provocative. Once the honey is gone, the apple slowly reappears and blended together with the ylang ylang and produces a sensual aroma. Overall, this fruity floral is true to the concept. The drydown is lovely and sultry.

In the imp: peach, bergamot, white musk Wet: a sparkly note and heliotrope, a surprise of anise Dry: there is a musky warm up, the florals and herbs lying on it. The peach stays at the edges, a richness developing from the oakmoss that reminds me of Robin Goodfellow and a citrus note from the bergamot. Very light, flirty and much less fruity than I expected. It is slightly sweet, but the oakmoss gives it enough wood to ground it. The white musk gives it just the right creaminess. Playful, ethereal and just enough sprite!

In the bottle: fresh water lake, cucumber Wet: lichen, algae, bright florals delicately sweetened with agave Dry: Crisp green of the cucumber mingled with sweet florals and lovely lunar herbs. The musk is very light and airy. Very invigorating! The algae and lichen remind me of grassy shorelines and the smell after a dip in a lake. Lively blue/green colors. Usually I am drawn to darker aquatics, but this will fill the bill on a any sweltering hot day. A little goes a long way on me...clean and refreshing.

The description of this intrigues me. I love dark earthy scents. This little mushroom deserves a try!!! An unexpected frimp... In the imp: soft musty dirt, something green Wet: dried wood, vetivert and vanilla emerging through the dirt and a bit of resin Dry: It's much lighter now and the sweetness of the vanilla is taking over the resins and dirt. I actually like the dirt...but once the vanilla begins to amp, it's overpowering. Even after a couple of hours, I get little else. At hour 4: the dusty wood and a bit of vetivert is all that's left. This one will go back to the imp box for a while. The playful fae in me is disappointed with the drydown. I wanted to love the mushroom...perhaps later with some age.

In the imp: Fig, myrrh and nutmeg Wet: sweet wet, earthy, sensual fig, resinous golden amber, musk Dry: Mostly fig, myrrh and amber. Very deep, dark, spicy and sensual. The redwood floats about as it dries. The dark myrrh and the black musk give it depth, mystery and ground to the fig. Aeronwen stays very close to the skin. A dark earthy beauty, warm and fascinating. Alluring? Oh, yes!!!! Lasted all day, even though I wanted to lick it! I see a bottle in my near future!!!

In the bottle: Bright juicy pomegranate, lotus Wet: Sweet pomegranate in a creamy wine, a hint of hyssop Dry: The pomegranate sweetens more. There's a mild nutty barley in the background and dry sand that's really lovely and evocative of Egypt. After a while the sweetness fades blending in with the hyssop and barley notes. It's quite lovely at this stage. Lasts for hours and hours. This fruity blend is quite sweeter than the pomegranate blend in Fruit of Paradise, but one that fans of the fruit will enjoy!

In the imp: green mint and anise Wet: herb, citrus, a little nutmeg and oh-so yummy cardamom Drydown: the green mint fades down, anise more sweet, sparkly Verdict: Playful, a little bit heady and just a wee bit intoxicating. Athough mostly herbal, it is quite pleasant and I love the coolness of it. I don't know what Absinthe tastes like, but if it smells like this, I would definitely try it! Edited to add: after 4 hours this totally disappears on me. Not that I would mind re-applying it...apparently my skin sucks this up like a sponge!

In the imp: almonds, vanilla, cherry Wet on the skin: incense emerges warming the vanilla and almond, a bit of smokiness, while the almond sinks back. The cinnamon not there for me, but there is a spiciness. Drydown: I'm not familiar with the heliotrope flower (which means "turn to the sun"), but there is a happy butterfly flower aroma. The incense and vanilla mellows down dark and warm. Verdict: Captures the stages of an eclipse. Initially bright, warm and golden, then the incense lays over it, becoming dark and smoky. Finally, it becomes softer and gentler. An interesting scent! There is an artistry to this one that is remarkable. I'm glad I got to try this one. Very unusual.

In the vial: dark floral, jasmine! Wet on skin: sandalwood and orchid peeking through soft musk Drydown: Mellows down nicely with a delicate rose and honey warmth, very understated, veiled and captivating. Adore Queen Mab!!! She is very mischievous as she emerges from the darkness, plotting her next move. A great sister scent to Aeval!! A lovely creamy floral with a dark edge. A trip to the underworld. Lots of hidden power to this scent...full of feminine resourcefullness...nothing frilly!!!

In the imp: sweet florals, violets and roses Wet: soft true tea rose. The violet is nicely tucked down under. Dry: Still tea rose. No powder at all. The violet is still underneath After a while: This begins to waft mostly tea rose, nothing to cloy. The rose is very crisp and strong. The violet is barely discernible. Together the tea rose and violet are a wonderful bouquet, strong and very feminine . I was hoping for more violet or at least an equal pairing of the rose and violet. On me the rose tends to amp up. Still a wonderfully created scent. I get more of the Sofia Coppola version of Marie--a bit more misunderstood. A bride at 15 ...lonely and surrounded by a world that knows how to use you, but not to value and understand you.

In the vial: nothing distinctive, a tiny bit of orchid Wet: This blossoms into floral, dried fruit, coconut and resin Dry: Patchouli, spice, faded florals. Reminds me of Black Moon in the wet phase. There's a lot more going on here that I can't describe. But this is earthy, shadowy and sensual, almost incensy. I think it's going back to the imp box to age a while longer.

In the imp: foamy seaweed, lime citrus, sea salt Wet: a murky floral with a sweeter lime citrus Dry: citrus tames town, floral becomes more ozone The wet stage is divine...my impression from this is that of the ocean pushing upwards from the depths, spilling out toward shore, with sweet and salty air. Dessicated sealife from the rumbling ocean currents, a secret underwater garden. Rather unique for an aquatic. Clean, strong throw. The floral could be from the seaweed. It gets a bit stronger after a half hour...long lasting. Will be refreshing on a hot summer day!

When I uncapped the imp, the gardenia was quite strong. I had a headful right off the bat! Magnolia and muget swirled through next. My nose tickled and fought the urge to sneeze. A little headache but that soon passed. It dried down with just a hint of sandalwood, the flowers blended together softly into a nice wave. A very feminine white floral scent. Unfortunately, I think that the muguet and gardenia together are too much for my nose. I soooooo wanted to love this one! I'll hold on to my imp and give another try in a few months!!

In the imp: smoky dry, florals, mosses and dusty earth. Gentle dry herbs, no green. Wet: A little greener; the florals and herbs mix over the earth and mosses. The incense is wetter and heavier with crisp jasmine. It reminds me of LUSH's Flying Fox a bit. Dry, the greens have settled - cool florals, dusty mosses, faint herbs and a thin veil of incense and smoke. This scent lightens. After a few hours, it becomes a complex and subtle blend of faint florals and mosses and spices up. Reminds me of the ruins of an old abandoned building, stepping into a sunny garden long untended, but alive with unfamiliar herbs. Great atmosphere captured in the scent!