galahad

In the Bottle: Musky opopanax On the Skin: Starts off as a refined myrrh and then the patchouli and astringent oak emerge to sharpen the blend. I don't specifically get any violet but there is a floral aspect to this. On the Drydown: This does become dark and stony on the drydown and, best of all, the opopanax emerges with more strength the further it dries and warms. Very nice and should age beautifully

In the Bottle: Vanilla and pale musk On the Skin: Sweet vanilla and amber with a touch of powdery ambergris. Seems to be close to the skin when trying to catch the scent directly but actually has good throw. The florals play a supporting role rather than featuring. On the Drydown: Tobacco flower has a rich almost lily-like scent and I believe it is, along with the moonflower, just giving this scent it's luminous quality. It is smooth light vanilla and amber but also not heavy. Very nice

In the Bottle: Red musk, juniper, vetiver and jasmine. A little jasmine-scary in the bottle, Dark and dirty On the Skin: Sweetens up with the plum on the skin. The juniper is very present and initially jars with the other notes but eventually smooths out. I think the orange blossom is the funky note I get (it usually is if it's in a blend). On the Drydown: Dry and sweet red musk incense with jasmine. Reminiscent of Mme Moriarty with jasmine. Overall I like it even if the jasmine is challenging at times. I am sure it will age beautifully.

In the Bottle: Fragrant parchment On the Skin: The bay rum is restrained leaving the amber and oudh to play so nicely together and just adding a spike over the low rumbling resins. This is a soft, cuddly scent and has a warm elegence. On the Drydown: Has very little throw hovering just above the skin. I had very high expectations of Shadow and mostly it doesn't disappoint. It is understated, warm and refined. A plastic vibe does waft in and out which I am hoping will fade with age. I like.

In the Bottle: Strangely dry and earthy/ashen with blood/musk On the Skin: Just awesome. Definitely get a cigarette ash note (which I like) which is dusty, dry and fragrant. The blood adds a coppery tang which quickly morphs into a wonderful metallic which is not your usual cold steel scent but oddly warm and heavy, more like lead On the Drydown: The incense note emerges - sweet and resinous. Dries down to an amazing metallic musk. Possibly the most fascinating lab scent so far for me. The extreme drydown is mineral. I love it and will need a backup.

In the Bottle: Pale but warm musk On the Skin: A soft musk definitely with the labs gold note. Elegantly shimmery and slick. On the Drydown: Almost lemony but not quite. Such a difficult scent to pin down, mainly because it is very close to the skin but also just undefinable. Becomes more metallic deep into the drydown - more bronze than gold. I like it

In the Vial: Faint copal On the Skin: Immediately intensifies on the skin to a glorious copal and the gold note follows quickly. It's a luxuriously refined scent. On the Drydown: A fairly linear drydown. The gold note is a fine gold/amber musk which combines with the resinous copal to create a warm, glowing scent. A skin hugger with low throw but long lasting. Beautiful

In the Vial: Musk and greenery with a touch of fruitiness On the Skin: Initially sharp green with a thin musk. The fruit note isn't as lush as expected but just imparts a faint sweetness. On the Drydown: The bark note emerges to dry out and tame the green. I'm ending up with a cornflake scent which is, overall, quite faint. Not a winner for me

In the Bottle: Super woody saffron On the Skin: The oudh and sandalwood are awesome and the saffron is very present, adding that unique medicinal spiciness. Extremely rich and powerful On the Drydown: It was inevitable that, with the play of the saffron against the oudh and sandalwood, this would go through a band-aid phase, which it does briefly and then it goes limey (?) to eventually dry down to a spectacular subtly spiced rich wood. Very awesome and will age to perfection.

In the Bottle: Bitter chocolate with a floral note On the Skin: Rich, creamy chocolate. Delicious. That strange floral note flits in and out. This becomes creamier and sweeter as it warms up. On the Drydown: Basically a grown up dark, sweet chocolate. I don't have a lot of gourmand scents and this one is perfectly comforting without being cloying.

In the Bottle: A vague airy incense. Quite faint On the Skin: This takes a little while to warm up and take flight and when it does it doesn't really soar. I get very, very light carnation with a faint whiff of incense. On the Drydown: This gains some power as it dries down but still stays close to the skin. It's a light carnation incense. Reserving my judgment for the moment. Will see how it ages.

In the Bottle: Orange, hay and soft cypress. Smells fresh and clean On the Skin: Lightly honeyed orange. The cypress adds a soft balsamic quality and the bergamot peeks out to add a little dry citrus. On the Drydown: I am so glad I blind purchased this. It's a sparkling but complex scent of citrus, very light honey and cypress. The hay adds a backing or warm dryness. This is a beauty

In the Bottle: Lavender and soft florals On the Skin: Lavender and spring flowers. Honey is slightly there to keep this from going too high pitched. This is a beautiful spring floral scent. The wood notes eventually bloom and add a sophistication to what was initially a sweet, innocent scent. On the Drydown: I find that this becomes darker as it dries down. The lavender becomes a little more prominent but blended with the other floral notes doesn't become too OTT. I would swear there is cardamom in this. Nice for a balmy summers day

In the Vial: Nice honey musk with a touch of vanilla and spice. On the Skin: Warm spices and honey musk. The tea leaf adds a slightly deeper note. An interesting, almost savoury, gourmand which isn't too heavy. On the Drydown: A warm, lightly spiced honey. Very well blended and reminiscent of Morocco with honey. Quite lovely.

In the Vial: Surprisingly vanilla gourmand with a floral background On the Skin: The thyme is a little strong, initially. Also get tea and wild flowers. Gradually becomes a dry grassy/hay floral which is really nice. On the Drydown: The tea emerges again, specifically, a few minutes into the drydown with the flowers supporting and the herbs keeping it light. There is a depth and complexity to this scent which is delightful. It feels like a late summer/eary autumn scent. The extreme drydown is surprisingly spicy, a melange of spice scents from a market.

In the Vial: White wine, honey and a herbaceous note On the Skin: Light honey and slightly bitter dandelion, initially. This is so different from any BPAL honey scent I have. It is light and more a mead than wine. It is lovely and light but not weak. On the Drydown: This is such a nice light, wild and ethereal honey. The honey note become sweeter and a little rounder as it dries down. This would be a great spring/summer scent. Love it.

In the Bottle: Extremely dry woods and a kick of pepper On the Skin: Takes a little while to warm up so much the same as above for a few minutes. Then it's all dry wood slightly sweetened by the powdery iris. The pink pepper just adds a subtle warmth without being irritating. On the Drydown: As this matures on the skin it becomes less astringently dry and slightly more floral. Everything melds together to give a scent with a sophisticated feel without a drop of gourmand sweetness. This should age to a real beauty.

In the Bottle: Honey musk and fir. Soft and cool On the Skin: I see what everyone means when they say these are not dead, dry leaves. The honey musk is forefront but the soft green of the fir and the warm not-exactly green of the leaves keep the scent cool and cologney. On the Drydown: I am loving that honey musk note. This is not really a morpher. It stays as a soft musky forest scent. Gorgeous. Low throw but it is an intimate scent anyway; more a whisper than a shout.

In the Imp: Sandalwood with a touch of dry dust On the Skin: First off dry rich wood which is awesome. Eventually touches of herbaceous coriander, sandalwood and tonka emerge to give a gorgeous, slightly sweet woody scent. The mint is so far in the background it isn't really noticeable but does add a freshness. The Drydown: I have always wanted to blind purchase a bottle of this but never did. So glad I got this decant because this blend is outstanding and I will need multiple bottles. It is a young scent and has so much character. Masterfully blended. Love!

In the Vial: Lime cookie On the Skin: Lime cookie with gasoline. The bay rum is pretty nasty in this and I like bay rum. The tobacco smooths it out slightly a little later in the development but this is unsettling. On the Drydown: This is pretty good once it dries all the way down with warm tobacco, lime and baked goods but the journey is challenging

In the Vial: Slightly spiced amber On the Skin: Dry spices and patchouli. Strong and pretty awesome. The amber softens this pretty quickly and it warms up nicely. On the Drydown: This dries down to a soft dry spice. Very nice

In the Vial: Ginger and citrus On the Skin: The vetiver is evident immediately but it's not strong. All of the citrus notes keep the spices and herbaceous artemisia from taking over. Overall this is quite fresh with a deeper and rounder backdrop. On the Drydown: Fades quickly to almost a single note ginger

In the Vial: Straight up whiskey On the Skin: Very astringent oak with whiskey. So interesting but I'm not sure it is appealing. On the Drydown: Literal and linear. The initial harshness mellows out and becomes quite spicy. I am almost tempted to buy a bottle for the genius but I doubt I would wear it much if at all.

In the Vial: Surprisingly strong apple with some rose and honey On the Skin: Hmm...the almond is quite nutty for a change. Almond, apple and honey to start. The rose is subtle on the sking and the lily of the valley provides some sweet opulence. On the Drydown: This is a fascinating and very different scent for me. Lily of the Valley and rose can be iffy on my skin but this dries down to a warm, musky honey rose. Still, not a bottle for me though.

In the Vial: Musky dragons blood with a slight ginger kick On the Skin: A slight epoxy scent initially. The red musk fights with the dragons blood but quickly settles down to a red musk and incense scent which is actually quite sweet. On the Drydown: Really disappointing. I was hoping for a desert scent but ended up with a strangely sweet dragons blood.