Myrrha

Thanks for answering. It is good to know that Hamadryad has apple in it. I've noticed that apple is good on me so I will try Hesperides. Dragon's blood seems to not work so well on me but maybe in this case I should try it. I could look for something a little spicy to throw in there. I have al-shairan which has a lot of cinnamon, maybe a tiny touch of that would be good, or some Gingerbread Poppet.

I am heartbroken because this is a really good scent on me and it is discontinued. I love it so much. On me it isn't terribly woody, but more light honeyed flowers with wood notes in the background. I don't get the cinnamon and spices that the reviews mentioned at all. I have Madrake which is very woody. If I layered or mixed just a tiny bit of it with something that has honey and flowers maybe it would smell like Hamadryad? Any suggestions? I have an imp of Ulalume on the way because a review said it was in the neighborhood of Hamadryad, any other suggestions? thank you!!!

WET: A murky indistinct whirl of sweetish, creamy scent. Honey and almond are the only notes I can pick out. AS IT DRIES: It goes through a phase where it does smell a little bitter and chocolaty. DRY: Honey on a creamy herbal base. A bit perfumy but lovely and enticing with an edge of bitterness. Medium throw. Slightly longer than average wear length for me. When I first smelled the creamy sweetness of this scent I realized that they probably put the poisons in a good-tasting base, perhaps containing something soothing to help the stomach keep it down. This filled me with horror and sorrow at the idea of people being condemned to die and made to drink poison. This is too emotionally intense a scent for me although I'm glad I got to try it.

Hooray for the Lab sending me an Imp frimp! WET: A bit too sweet and not very convincing peach. A bit scented-candle smelling. AS IT DRIES: It seems to settle down a bit and the more complex muskyness comes out to balance the peach. It is a golden and lazy scent. DRY: Lovely musky peach scent. I would not have guessed there was patchouli in the blend. EDIT: Wrong, I can definitely smell the patchouli this time (gently shaking the imp before applying is a good idea) but it is well blended in with the peach and just darkens it up some. It isn't the main note in the scent. I love this, it is perfect for this time of year (late August) and makes me feel playful and appreciative of the sun as the days get shorter.

Some kind forumite sent me a tester of Gingerbread Poppet '04 Wet: The whole room smells like baking (it is a small room) gingerbread cookies, the kind with lots of spices not the overly sweet kind. Drydown: It fades away to sweetened clove in about 2.5 hours. My skin eats scent and they always fade quickly on me. In the later stages it smells kind of spicy-sexy and enticing, less like baking. This is an amazing, delicous scent and I will look for more of it. Update: Gingerbread Poppet '07 is different! On me it started off very similar but as it dried there was a smokey scent added to the Gingerbread, exactly as if some of the gingerbread had burned at the edges. I kept catching whiffs of something burning. I really enjoyed it especially as I was one pissed-off little poppet that day and the gingery burnt scent matched my mood perfectly.

This scent smells like the ocean. If I smell it and close my eyes and can see aquamarine water above and all around me. I know these notes are “really” ozone and some sharp white florals but I try not to think about that. To me it is the ocean in a tiny tube. Beautiful! On me it lasts a little over two hours (my skin eats scent). It doesn‘t change very much in this time. I’d like to have this scent in a roller ball for frequent application. There is some throw, maybe two to three feet if I put quite a bit on.

Wet -- Violet As it dries -- Tuberose and violet. It is a very elegant scent. I can’t quite make out the lilac but I think it is giving the scent a creamy softness. Drydown -- It stays consistent as it dries. BPAL tends to stay close to my skin but this one has some throw, wafting around in a cool, elegant indigo cloud. I like that this is cooler and darker than many florals. It feels calming. The only thing I don’t like about this scent is that on me it fades completely in about an hour and a half. It doesn’t go through changes as it dries so I suppose I could just keep putting more on.

Wet -- Flowers and bone dust. Really, I can smell the bone dust. How does Beth do this? It is a very eerie note. The flowers are pale and languid smelling. I can’t pick out stargazer lily. It is truly ghostly. As it dries -- The scent of lemon comes out and brings it back to reality. Just because it smells like something familiar and everyday the scent no longer seems so eerie and otherworldly. Dry -- Lemon on a background of delicate, powdery florals. If I put my nose right to my wrist I can still smell the bone dust (actually this is probably the moss.) Very little throw. My skin eats scent so I would have to apply frequently if I liked this one enough to wear. It might be nice to wear to a picnic in Mt. Auburn Cemetery with cucumber sandwiches and lemon bars and powdery Victorian funeral cakes.

Wet -- Mostly cherry blossom and calla lily. The mint is light and fresh, giving the scent a refreshing, stimulating zing. As it dries -- There is a vanilla-like note in the scent, pulling the cherry blossom and calla together. It is is a softly sweet, feminine scent with a playful attitude. However something in it turns perfumy on me. Perhaps the black tea?. Darn. Dry -- I can smell the rice wine now. Everything is balanced and blended and a really enchanting scent wafts up from my wrists. The mint is still there enlivening the scent. It smells like the mint that is in Snowflakes, light and delicate. Lovely scent but something in here still smells a little too “hot” and perfumy on my skin. After 3 hours whatever it was that smelled too perfumy has settled down and now it is a very elegant and interesting scent. Much longer wearing on me than most BPAL and more throw.

One spray scents my 12X12 bedroom and it lasts for a few hours. I was a little worried by the review that mentioned a chemical smell but it doesn't seem chemical. There is a little bit of alcohol scent at first, suspect that is the carrier. The scent is chilly with a floral aspect to it. The cedar and sandalwood blend together and are soft, sweetened by the flowers, not at all "dry wood" or "pencil shavings". It must be the cedar and sandalwood that makes it seem calming, which seems like a very good idea for a room spray. I can't really pick out the honeysuckle, just the orchid which is similar to the L'Inverno perfume.

Wet -- The lily, ozone, and pine sort of club together and that mixture is what I smell first. The lily doesn’t jump out and scream “lily!” at all, you have to look for it buried under the ice. The musk is in the background. Dry -- It gets sweeter as it dries. The plum comes out and sweetens the musk. The different notes seem to take turns mingling with each other. After about a half hour the gorgeous plum-sweetened musk comes to the forefront with the orchid, and the ice is in the background. Oh, this is lovely! It has delicacy and strength. Like a really beautiful, detailed ice sculpture. Drydown -- After 2 ½ hours (scent goes quickly on my skin) it is an icy white scent of chilled musk with just a little bit of orchid lingering. After 3 ½ hours I could still smell it but only with my nose right up to my wrist.

Is anyone familiar with Cartier's Le Baiser du Dragon? I tried this at Sephora and was surprised how much I liked it. Here is a description, I think this description is from the makers rather than a customer review: A masterpiece of unique origin, the scent blends a variety of powerful elements. Delicate, sweet top notes of bitter almond, neroli orange, and gardenia. Woody, powdery heart notes of iris, cedar, and musk; Bulgarian rose, unique to the parfum blend, imparts a deep, mellow scent. And earthy, sensual base notes of vetiver, patchouli, and benzoin. The one I tried was not the Parfum, so there wasn't the Bulgarian rose. Basically, it is an oriental but sweeter than Samsara. It didn't have any spicy notes. Are there any BPALs that might come close? Especially if there is a Salon scent that might be similar as so far I have really enjoyed the salon scents I've tried. thanks for any ideas

I've tried this one three times now. People describe it as a “floral” and one person even said a “feminine floral” but on me the scent is mostly green. Wet -- Just green, dark boughs of not-quite-pine greenery. As it dries -- a sweetish scent comes out. I guess these are the flowers, lilies? But very well blended with the greenery. After 20 minutes it becomes something very interesting and lovely. There is a creamy soft tone to the scent that is just gorgeous although it is blended withe the greenery . It adds up to a scent that I like very much. It seems peaceful and cool, very elegant. It is less floral than my usual choices, deeper and darker. It makes me feel composed and serious. It does not seem to have much throw but people could smell it if they come close. One Hour -- Now it smells much thinner, and lighter. it is fading already. Darn body chemistry! I may experiment with re-applying it every hour. It is gorgeous and I like it enough to bother doing that. EDIT: April 2010 -- I still love this one. It is a comforting scent, possibly has cypress which is used in aromatherapy for calming. It is a bit somber to wear day after day though.

The first time I tried this scent I didn’t like it at all. It smelled to me like one of those common ozone-ish florals, high and piercing and very ordinary. I don’t understand how I can try it again three days later and absolutely love it but that is what happened. Wet: airy floral. There is quite a bit of what I believe is the orchid (still new at picking out notes). I think I can pick out the honeysuckle and the ivy as well, or something a bit green and herbal. Drydown: After one hour it is a feminine, sophisticated blend of musk overlain with evening florals. It seems to have more of a throw than many other BPAL scents I’ve tried. I could smell it wafting around me. Emotionally it seems more enlivening than calming. It makes me feel breezy and playful. After three hours it was fading out, could still smell it on my wrists directly but need to re-apply (scents fade quickly on me). I am strongly considering a bottle of this.

Wet -- At first just a flash of cinnamon candy. Then it gets deeper and I can smell the supporting scents of the fruit and patchouli. As it dries -- I keep thinking the cinnamon is gone but then it flares up again. It is a bright, hot scent. There is rage and aggression in this scent but nothing sullen. It is all turned to Martial fire and brightness. Drydown -- It becomes a patchouli and incense blend with cinnamon overtones. Now it seems to be speaking more of power than of rage. The individual notes are not standing out so much, it is more blended. It is a fairly masculine scent but I could see a woman who likes warm spicy scents and who does well with patchouli enjoying this one. It might be a good oil to wear for cultivating anger or aggression as useful emotional fuel. On me it lasted about four hours (my chemistry eats scent).

When I first put it on the frankincense and cold snowy notes together were dominant. It is a somber scent and put me in a meditative, contemplative mood. After ten minutes some sweet notes came out. This must be the white musk. The frankincense and ozone “chilly” notes don’t jump out so much now, they blend with the sweet notes to give a scent that is very beautiful. It is thoughtful, somber, elegant and unusual. Drydown -- This one seems a little bit lighter and juicier than some of the other snowy/winter scents, maybe it is the mint that lightens it. Something (I think it is the frankincense) keeps it from being an ice-cold scent, adds a hint of warmth. I really like this one and it is going on my possible bottle list. This is a very accurate scent-picture of the painting. I am amazed that I can (with Beth’s help) smell what a painting is about. Scents never last as long on me as I’d like them to and every time I’ve worn this I’ve wanted to put more on after a few hours. Update: Now that I’ve sampled “Death of the Grave Digger” I want to add that Cloister Graveyard is a more ethereal, high pitched scent. Death of the Grave Digger is heartier and sweeter and in that one the cold notes don’t last as long.

Wet: A masculine scent. Deep, dry, herbaceous. As it dries: The violet comes out, it is a dark dry violet. The red current seems to be what really brings the scent to life. It adds a sweeter juicy note. (I’m not sure I could recognize it as red current if I didn’t know) I do not like patchouli but this only smells a little like patchouli. It is a cooler and rootier smell, almost like a mushroom. I’m not sure what “moss” notes in perfumery smell like but maybe that is what I’m smelling here. Drydown: OK, now it smells more like patchouli. Not as awful as most patchouli, somehow it is cooler and more like a wood than patchouli is usually. It is also more expensive smelling than the usual patchouli. The violets are still there. It adds up to a very sophisticated and distinctive scent.. The dry astringent quality is refreshing and I could see having cravings for this scent. It would be a useful one for scent emergencies and I may keep the imp to put drops on paper to smell for refreshment rather than using it as a perfume. It is not the kind of scent I like to wear as a perfume and would probably work better on a man. I washed it off after three hours because it was not fading away.

Wet: Not at all a fresh rose scent but more like potpouri, a dusty scent that tickles my nose. Dry: The nose-tickling element lessens as it dries down. On me this is perfume-y, perhaps that is the leather note that others have posted about. I like the reserved attitude of the scent but is too dusty for me to wear. EDIT 10/08: Another BPAL that I've changed my mind about. I tried London again and liked it much better. It isn't all that dry and dusty, just not a sweet rose scent. It is sweeter and fresher than Black Rose, at least on me.

A light floral grounded with sandalwood. It is beautiful and sophisticated. Not too girly at all. I can actually smell water in it which is interesting. I was hoping this would work for me as I love neroli and wanted something more alluring than Veil or Psyche. However it is not to be. Something in the blend, perhaps the sandalwood, goes all shrill and harsh on me.

The first thing I can smell is the "engine" aspect of it which surprised me as I didn't expect it to be so literal. It is a kind of oily metalic scent but that makes it sound nasty which it isn't. The beeswax and resins were wonderful for about five minutes. It really smells magical, I mean it smells like a magical blend or ritual oil. Familiar. There is some cinnamon or other spice in here as well as the resins. Then the beeswax went away and the resins seemed to break apart and become thin and high and soapy. My body chemistry does not seem to be right for this scent. Too bad because it is lovely.

In the imp -- Sweet, with a slight pine-y scent. It doesn't smell like a pine bough, it doesn't smell like pine-sol. Wet -- Ozone comes out first on me. It actually smells a bit too masculine at first but then the flowery sweetness comes out a bit. Drydown -- On me this gets sweeter and more flowery as it dries. The flowers are pale, creamy, frosty. It smells interesting as it wafts around me. I like it and it no longer smells too masculine but it wouldn't really be described as "floral" either. It reminds me a bit of "Cloister Graveyard in the Snow" only a bit sweeter and without the incense note.

Thank you!! I am so glad the lab sent this to me as a frimp because it is probably not one I would have tried. Although I think now that when I see blends of white musk and flowers I will take notice. Wet -- Lavender. It is a dry, astringent, herbal smelling lavender. Usually I don't like herbal scents or straight lavender. 5-10 minutes -- The flowers start to come out. I think I can pick out the rose but it is more of a real blend than a patchwork of notes. It just turns into a really elegant perfume. It is still a little crisp, not overly sweet or girly, but at the same time feminine. It is a little on the "classic" side but it has character. Drydown -- It gets a little sweeter. Still fresh smelling but I can't really pick out the Lavender anymore. On me it seems to last a couple of hours. I'm not sure because it is a bit of an ethereal, transparent scent and it could be that I still smell like it to someone else after two hours. It does not turn to powder at all or do anything strange on my skin. I will be buying a bottle of this! Edit to add: Well, I've discovered several scents that are more interesting on me than Psyche. I still like it but I'm not sure I love it enough to buy a bottle. Also, of all the BPALs I've tried this is the one most changed by the time of the month. It only really smells amazing for two weeks out of the month.

In imp: Soapy! I’m wondering if I made a good choice with this one. Wet: Still a little soapy, perhaps that is the orris? Dry and powdery but not like baby powder. Surrounding this is a red, fruity smell. This must be the dragon’s blood. After about ten minutes I’m wondering if it is too fruity for me. 20 minutes: The softness and the dryness makes it seem grown-up and sophisticated. The notes blend really well and add up to a rich, utterly delicious (but non-foody) scent. It smells really special and unique. One hour: Unfortunately the soapyness came back and it is also much too powdery at this stage. I can smell the remnant of that unique and delicious scent from before but it is all surrounded by the powder which doesn’t smell good on me. I suspect that Dragon's Blood doesn't work well with my skin chemistry as I love Black Pearl and some other DBR scents have also gone soapy in the drydown.

Wet: -- Very sweet. A kind of thick, cloying sweetness like incense or air fresher. The amber that sits underneath it is not sweetish like those cakes of amber you can get, it is a dry, sharp amber. 5 minutes -- Better now, the sweet note now seems to be a vanilla and also something fruity. It is not as strong now and balances better with the amber. The amber itself smells very resiny, almost harsh. It smells like an amber that would work better in a blend for men. Maybe it just isn’t working with my skin chemistry. 10 minutes -- Now something interesting is happening. The sweet fruitiness and the amber are balancing out, becoming one scent. There is something in this scent that really does feel playful and happy. Is it just the power of suggestion? I really do feel a purring kind of cat-happiness. Still, it is too masculine a scent for me to enjoy wearing. At the same time I think it would be a bit too sweet for a guy.

Wet -- orange blossom air freshener? Some kind of sweet fruity air freshener. It is a thick very sweet scent of orange blossoms and honey. 5 minutes -- OK, now it has settled down a little. It is an unusual scent. Smells very attention-getting by virtue of its unusualness. It is sexy not by pumping out overtly sexy or spicy notes but just by being heavily sweet and a little strange. There is another note lurking in the sweetness, something ugly. 10 minutes -- That ugly note buried in the sweetness is the rose and sandalwood. How strange. Usually I like rose. The sweetness has calmed down a bit to a “hot honey” smell. It smells a bit rotten. 1/2 hour -- It is much better now, I can see the appeal. The rose and sandlewood have come out a bit more and no longer smell ugly they are balancing out the honey-sweetness. drydown -- I think the orange blossom not just didn't work on my skin. It was not a convincing note on me, remained fake and overly-sweet. I may try it again in a much smaller quantity as I put a good toothpick-tips worth on my wrist. I should just learn to stick with cooler more reserved scents.