olympia301

Tonka goodness is big in: Snake Oil and Hollywood Babylon, too. I really suspect that Snake Oil is the most tonka blend, but I am not an expert (boo hoo).

Sin instantly reminded me of what some old books I used to love smelled like. There was the exact same dusty well loved paper with a great many dark elements sliding around in the background, like snakes. This is a very heavy and sexy scent that wouldn't do in the warmer months but would be great in the cooler ones. I would imagine that only the voluptuous need apply to wear sin, and I think it would be great for a heavy bout of beatings or kinkiness in an over-air conditioned room. This is the kind of scent you are either going to love or hate.

Ohhh!

Ohhhh!

Ohhhhhh!

Yes!

Yeees!

Yeeeeeeeeeeess!

This is a real olfactory orgasm, superb in my book. It reminds me a lot of Alice, but it is so very sexy, Yesssss! There are some similarities, so I will have to talk about La Petite Mort in relation to Alice.

La Petite Mort starts off with the almond smell, much fainter than in Eclipse but still there when wet. Then it settles down to a sweet Alice-like aura which really lasts a long time.

Side by side, Alice is much more lemony, lighter not as long lasting, less powdery (a characteristic the I adore), but with that wonderful note of carnation which La Petite Mort does not have. There is even a "whisper" of pine-like note about La Petite Mort which Alice would counter with a lemony-tea like part.

I guess that there is a lot of White Musk in La Petite Mort (part of the reason for Alice being so divine as well) a bit of Ylang-Ylang and God Knows what else. I am head over heals in love with La Petite Mort. It's Beth's ingredients that make for such a powerful pleasure blend.

*Please note, I don't really have any idea of what is in La Petite Mort, I am just taking a swag at it which is fun and helps me to sort out and learn different notes in a perfume. Also note I love Alice and La Petite Mort. They are both outstanding fragrances.

This one starts off with a thick beatiful cloud of almond/cherry. Then it settles down to a n appealing perfumy surround notes of which I cannot identify but it is lovely. Kyoto is a smashing scent, befitting of the classical city for which it was named. The middle phase is giving me candy-like moments but tinged with the bitter of the almond to keep it from being cloying. Finally the dry phase is womanly and keeps shifting from candy to the almond and back again, almost oscillating. I really think Kyoto is a big accomplishment and mentally put it down as one of Beth's Classics.

The icon is a famous cherry tree in Kyoto in full bloom. Crowds of people come to see it at night during the blooming time when it is fully lit at night.

Lavender, and no wonder. France has to be the place for lavender. Where would all that great lavender extract go from Grasse (where it is grown in Southern France)? To Paris, of course, for the perfumers to play with. BPAL's Paris is a strong cloud of pure lavender to my nose. This could not be English Lavender, it is too sharp and rich, this is not the prim vanilla-ish type of Hidecote or Munstead found in the country gardens of Rosemary Verey. This is the stuff which fights grapes for the dry land. It is as sharp as a dinner conversation at a Paris apartment, and as charming. I do think this captures the Gallic spirit, and I give it a tres bien.

This is a good Dragon's Blood blend and I also detect a drop of linseed oil in here, at least something which is very close to it. Linseed oil is a great smell and I have a bottle of it in my studio just to scent the place when I feel like it. Also there is something vanilla-like in the background.

I am a painter and the people who artists have to deal with are pretty tough. Artists come at most situations in the underdog position because there is a tremendous supply and small demand for our work. Gallery owners, agents, the public and fellow artists are rapacious, and you must watch yourself and be tough but attractive in all your dealings. This is where Wolf's Heart should come in very useful. I have to admit I was skeptical when I got Has No Hanna and Van Van but I was pretty amazed at the result of using them. I have to do a couple of difficult things regarding my work today, so I am putting on Wolf's Heart and hope that helps get me what I need.

By the way, my transactions did go very smoothly today.

Very very herbal and piney, this blend captures what I would think the plant wolfsbane would be like. It is one of those highly resinous oils which conjures up the outdoors and makes you think of medicine and magic. I could not see this as a perfume, as a prop for a costume it would be great though, or perhaps if you love to go camping and would prefer to live in Nature. It's a very good specialty scent, much too dark for Xmas but perhaps just right for the Winter Solstice.

This is a beautiful floral and incense blend and it does make me think of Nefertiti the gorgeous Egyptian queen. It is a sort of scent which I have found a great many times in the BPAL blends, and I have to say that I can't find a distinction here with Nefertiti. Perhaps the slight edge of herbs playing in the background, but I am not sure that is enough to save this one from being merely "nice". It is a "pure" smelling blend and would do well with people who are not too adventuresome in their perfume tastes.

Neroli and bergamot, a very old fashioned combination which is sweet and sweet to think that such an old concept as a succubus should get a fragrance like this. I really can imagine a man in his nocturnal emissions having a demon who smelled like this tormenting (or just rousing) him. But what is good for a demon is not necessarily good for the human tormentrix. Succubus is just too old fashioned for me. I want something with a bit more zazzle.

It does have a charming drydown and it does have very good staying power. I would recommend it if you are an old fashioned type of succubus or you just like to dress in period costume and get in a bit of playtime.

Wow! This is Snake Oil of the East! This is really gorgeous, thick, deep sensual. The anise isn't rising to my nose, but the base notes are almond/cherry. I want to swab my throat with this, and I mean that in the most perverted way. Maybe it's the red musk which brings out the animal in me. I have no idea but this stuff is quite the aphrodisiac. According to the ingredients Beth lists, Kabuki should be a simple blend, I assure you it is not. Not a summer scent, I would save this for when you want a blanket of good smells to overcome you. Yesss, this is a good perfume.

On me Iambe is very heavy fruity and floral. It is a bit of an "old style" scent which has its charms. The full-force fruit start becomes a surprisingly attractive drydown when the patchouli and flowers mix into a soft but full bodied "perfumy" blend. Iambe isn't over-the-top unique but it is comforting because you pretty much know what to expect. The drydown is predictable without any disappointment or shock to the blend. Though it isn't inventive enough for me, if you are a traditionalist about your perfumes, Iambe is worth trying out.

This smells very Oriental to me, not the patchouli type of heavy brown scent, but the light incenscy/mandarin way. This is indeed a light and "small fruit" scent. Very pleasant in the warmer months. Arguably it is a bit old fashioned, but attractively so. It is a clean smell and not so very complicated. I recommend this one if you are going to an outdoor party, in the heat of summer, when you want to stop stressing. It is a happy scent, regardless of being named after Chinese Zombies

At first I get lemon and a bit 'o lime... but a couple of seconds later it develops an animalic edge! (Lemon in heat? That's a new one on me). By now I know enough now to stop my judgment and wait for the blend to unfold. And it does. This is really special. Again the elements knit together to form something that is preternaturally greater than the sum of the parts. The surprising combination of citron and lilac is superb when mingled with Beth's marvelous White Musk. It all becomes a whole new scent, like an element of the plant world which you have not smelled before. This is what I was wanting in Wilde and Dorian, but couldn't find it there on my skin.

Once again, do not put your nose directly on this one, it really needs the atmosphere to diffuse, mix and work it's magic. Nose too close will just get you disappointment.

If you asked me before I tried Whitechapel, I would have said,"Yes I like lemon (even though it's been done to death and nobody could possibly use it in a new way in a fragrance), lilac is cloying and I don't like White Musk." Well, Beth has changed all that for me. In this case those three elements mix to become so enchanting you might just offer up your throat for the pleasure of the moment. Here lilac only becomes the good parts, lemon shows another side to its acerbic personality, and White Musk sweetly adds to the time of your pleasure while knitting the lemon and lilac together in perfect harmony.

Whitechapel broadcasts nicely. You don't need very much to scent the air around you. It lasts and lasts as well. I can imagine the merest brushing of it in your scent locket will have you happy all day. You might want to let it dry for a few minutes before you seal up the locket, so the elements have the time to bloom and the lemon/lime animal burns off letting the sweet lilac start to peek through.

This is another case where Beth's alchemy has yielded results far better than you could imagine out of the ingredients. This stuff is a real treat, and it goes so well with summer, spring, and I would wear it during the other seasons, too.

Yes, there is a tiny ghost in the icon of Whitechapel.

I only have one problem with Gomorrah, I don't care for the smell of fig, and gritty earth smells don't do much for me either. It is very complex and earthy so if that is what you are looking for, and you just love fig, you might want to consider a condo in Gomorrah!

My review of Gomorrah is not all dust and ashes and a pillar of salt, I like it's staying power, and certainly liked its name. I think the scent fits the concept (how disappointing it would be to have Gomorrah smell like white flowers).

So, though I can't say that I love it, I can say it is very well done and deserves to be liked at least.

The icon is so small it's hard to see the details, it's Sodom and Gomorrah being destroyed. At the lower right you can see Lot and his family fleeing and a bolt of lightening coming down. I think it's fun to supply a caption to the concept: "Damnit!", "Damnit, there goes the best pizza parlor in these parts.", "Insurance? I thought YOU paid the premium this month.", and the ever popular "Thinks: My Mother-In-Law!"

This is indeed the one and only scent from BPAL which I would not consider wearing just because it's too masculine. It is fabulously sexy, long lasting, cool smelling, modern yet very old fashioned (in a highly attractive way).

I can smell the lavender and orange blossoms in here and the rest of it all blend so well together that you cannot pull them apart. It smells like some of the high priced "Great Fragrance House" scents without the "got a bottle brush stuck up my sinuses and it's rotating, owwww!" feeling you get from "commercial" brands. Tommy H., Ralph L., and the rest of the bunch just cannot make a cologne this manly which won't hurt your "delicate nasal passages" and last this long.

I would say without reservation, that if I wanted to convince a man that BPAL is manly enough for any male, I would give him Vicomte de Valmont, and then become appropriately smug in a thoroughly womanly way.

That is indeed a portrait of the Vicomte of Valmont.

Incantation is a gorgeous classical "perfume" blend and it is done impeccably. It broadcasts, is very chic, and has that "fabric" element which I am always rambling on about.* Very French, very grown up, not for the uninitiated. Incantation would be right at home on the Champs Elysee if the French still made Grand Chypres instead of "Watermelon Cucumber Bath Blend" for the tourists.**

This is another perfume which you don't want to put your nose right down on because you will just get too much of the smell and it is so powerful that it distorts at close range. Like a fine wine, let it mingle with the air. It has to travel through atmosphere in order to present your nose with the right mix for max effect.

I would say this is a scent best left to those over age 30, men, and ultra sophisticated young women. If you are "fresh 'n free", sporty, or in love with Popular Culture, Incantation is not for you. If you consider yourself sexually experienced (and competent), able to carry off witty repartee at table, want desperately to marry above your station, and can tell the difference between engraving and that ghastly "thermalgravure", Incantation is for you.

It has tonnes of class, lasts through any aristocratic country weekend (awash in megasex and good champagne), and belongs on every black dress wearing "how in the hell did SHE get HIM" woman who is a member of this Forum.

This one is going to be one of my new favorites, I can tell.

*Reminds me of the smell of wet silk chiffon.

**I am sure the French Minister of Cultural Affairs is going to be camping out on my doorstep waiting for me to return so he can tear me to shreds. But my friends, if I come home reeking of Incantation, I will have the Old Boy drinking champagne out of my sneakers with no effort on my part!

N.B.-After profound discussions with my in-house council, it has been determined that my use of the "Wicked Stepmother" Walt Disney image can be construed as "fair use". It is meant as a tribute to Disney's ability to pay homage to "wicked and attractive" woman, is in no way meant to debase, detract from, profit from, or present the concept as my own.

This one is very difficult to define. There is a citrus-like component to it as well as a vanilla-like background always present. I suspect there is a little bit of Black Musk (or something like it) somewhere in the blend because it does have staying power beyond its drydown, and it is insidious. It is beautiful and subtle. There may be the merest hint of menthol in here.

A small but persistent scent. It's all about intellect and not at all about sex. A great business scent. I would say it is a cousin to Silk Road but less about earth, or Chaos Theory VIII but less about air.

Eldritch said it well, it is "a closed and close" blend. Nyarlathotep does not broadcast, but you can smell it on your skin. I would suspect that it would not do well in a scent locket because it would not escape the holes and roam the air abound you, so I would wear it on my skin and "recharge" it every so often.

This one is so subtle and refined, I am afraid that it will be overlooked and vanish one day. It should be more popular. So if you are looking for something to round out your order, to choose as a good "working day" blend, or just want to try an oil that few are raving about but is a hidden treasure, give Nyarlathotep a try.

The icon is from an old magazine cover about Lovecraft stories, it's supposed to be a portrait of Nyarlathotep.

Cinnamon, cinnamon, and cinnamon. This is a cinnamon lover's delight. But for you cinnamon snobs, this is the good kind, not the cheap sort that comes mixed with sugar in those little plastic bears. It's the quality of the cinnamon which makes it escape from being called "Autumn Craft Shop", it's just got too much bite for that (perhaps because of the cloves and pepper mixed in--which I cannot pick out, but I detect something more than one simple ingredient).

3 Witches is a lovely fragrance and a spell caster. I wish it was still a catalog scent, but I will treasure my imp from the Lab. It immediately puts me in the mood for cool weather and a snuggle by the fire. Real comforting, even if it is named after... 3 Witches.

I have been tap dancing around this imp for days. I was afraid of a too-sweet bubbly floral. I was so wrong. It is indeed sweet, bubbly and floral but it has character for all that giggling, and some real bite to it's punchlines. In here gardenia rose and jasmine unite to make the most beautiful combination. Euphrosyne is heavenly also because there isn't the merest hint of the animalic or base (which would have ruined the effect), as there usually is with "commercial" perfumes. This is more than mere pretty, this is downright magnificent.

Euphrosyne would get noticed, she broadcasts very well, so you will turn heads when you enter a room. This one has great staying power, too. It is extremely feminine and sexy, tender but grown up enough for anyone. Again, I think this is a scent which would easily cut across generations with grace.

Of course, as with all of Beth's scents, there is no hint of volatile extraction or forced merriment, this is what a pure essence can become when manipulated by someone who knows what she is about. I do think that without the sort of rose Beth chose to go in here, this would have been a much lesser brew, but that's what separates the geniuses from the drabs.

Euphrosyne is one of the three graces, and she is the goddess of mirth. "In Heav'n ycleap'd Euphrosyne..." was one of my favorite quotes from John Milton's L'Allegro. Why? Because no one else had the foggiest idea of what it meant, quoting that phrase used to spill me into lots of mirth, Euphrosyne would have been proud. You have to have a sample, it's a great poem:

...But com thou Goddes fair and free,

In Heav'n ycleap'd Euphrosyne,

And by men, heart-easing Mirth,

Whom lovely Venus, at a birth

With two sister Graces more

To Ivy-crownèd Bacchus bore;

Or whether (as som Sager sing)

The frolick Wind that breathes the Spring,

Zephir with Aurora playing,

As he met her once a Maying,

There on Beds of Violets blew,

And fresh-blown Roses washt in dew,

Fill'd her with thee a daughter fair,

So bucksom, blith, and debonair.

Haste thee nymph, and bring with thee

Jest and youthful Jollity,

Quips and Cranks, and wanton Wiles,

Nods, and Becks, and Wreathèd Smiles,...

If ever there was a fragrance that captured my idea of "the smell of silk fabric" Silk Road does it. There is a citrus start to it that wakes your nose up, and an indefinable drydown to something which is a melange of different appealing smells impossilble to pull apart and blend into "that silk fabric" scent.

On me Silk Road is fugitive. It does not last very long at all, and considering that it is not a big "broadcaster" I would suggest this as a "personal perfume", the kind you wear just to smell it yourself and not think about bowling everyone else over. When I put it on, I can smell it from time to time, but it is never intrusive. It is amiable, warm (without being horribly hot) and pretty in an unusual way. It's a great scent which fills the slot such an item would do in the vast listing of things on offer from The Lab. Also, I would opine that it cuts across age, gender, and event lines. In other words, anyone could wear it for any occasion.

This is such a pretty pretty perfume! It is profoundly pretty. Floral as you can make a perfume, utterly feminine this is perfect for flower fans in the audience. I would love to say a "white flower" blend, but I swear this is a white and pink blend, there is a lot of sweetness but no ironic animalic undertones as you find in some white flower mixes.

The only thing that would keep me from buying a bottle of this is it doesn't have much personality. There is no one note which sticks out and says,"...but..." no hook, no snarky in-joke, no squirter hidden in the flowers. This is just an unvarnished and uncomplicated bouquet and if you are wanting something acceptable under all conditions, a highly versatile scent for any circumstance you find yourself in--La Belle au Bois Dormant is a good choice.

And a right shot of apricot brandy it is. There is a tap of wood in the mix, a bit of lavender I think. It is lovely and intoxicating, simple and straighforward. Dark apricot is the closest thing I can think of to describe this scent. As a bonus the name is real genius, as are so many of Beth's perfume names.

If you like this one and you want to keep it going, because it does fade pretty fast, put it in a scent locket. I would use a lot on the pad because it's throw is limited as well. Alternately, Grand Guignol is a natural for trying out in the simmer pot or oil burner.

A very good scent and I say it's a keeper.

Just exactly like hot buttered popcorn, yes! Captured perfectly in Shill.

I really think that Shill is more than a mere novelty scent, it's exploring things that are the central core of our "nummyness". Shill doesn't stick around long on my skin and I haven't tried it out in a scent locket yet, but it certainly does fire off the happiness receptors in my brain.

Wallow in it, remember there are 0 calories in Shill, and 100% of the olfactory pleasure.

Right out of the imp it's an herby "high floral" wet with hints of a clear minty sort poking through. As it begins to drydown, you realize the mint is entwining with violet to become greenish and cool. This is all padded with the more traditional florals to keep it from becoming too astringent and bring it back to a softer beauty.

Finally things dry down to an invigorating progression of serious flowers with violet as the lead and the others lending their prettiest aspects in support.

Utrennyaya is a fragrance which becomes more than the sum of its parts. It is a blending which is its own entity. When dry it becomes impossible to distinguish each element (save for the violet) and the scent becomes harmonious new chemistry.

Once again, like Vechernyaya, it is an adult and sophisticated fragrance, sure of itself and able to be classified as "cutting edge". I would put this in the perfume collections of connoisseurs as well as young perfume collectors, and I would say this stands up with the Great Houses of scent.

Right out of the imp I can smell the musks as cold as Ice 9 in deepspace. The musks are softened by a slight edge of poppy and warmed to the wearable by patchouli. This is an astringent scent with a very perfumy, grown up heart and huge sophistication. I would recommend this one for work or for a date with someone whom you want to impress, wearing your best clothes and for special events.

Vechernyaya has huge staying power. Hours later you can still smell it. I would say this is a new avenue taken in BPAL scents and is a huge success. Vechernyaya is a fabulous evolution.