Aredhel

Rating (on skin): 1/5 Summarised in a word or two: Cherry cherry cherry. In the imp: Vanilla cherry! Spicy, vanilla-laced cherry. Very promising! On skin, wet: The vanilla disappears, and I smell cherry wine. Very strong cherry wine. I think I notice poppy, but under cherry that strong, who can tell? On skin, dry: This morphs into a spicy, musky cherry powder. The cherry remains the dominant note, and I have to try to detect anything else. Conclusion: Note for me. If the cherry weren't so strong, and the vanilla hadn't disappeared, this might work fabulously for me. As it is, I'll pass.

Rating (on skin): 4/5 Summarised in a word or two: Almondy. In the imp: Very sweet, almost cloying almond. On skin, wet: Sweet, almost foody honey and almond (or honeyed almond?). On skin, dry: Vanilla almond? An interesting development, and a good thing! It's still very, very sweet and nearly foody. Conclusion: I like it, but I doubt I'd wear it often; it's just too sweet for me!

Rating (on skin): 2/5 Summarised in a word or two: Laundry soap. In the imp/bottle: As I thought, it doesn't smell dirty at all! Very clean, and very bright. Promising! On skin, wet: It reminds me, as Penance said, of clean sheets drying on the clothesline in my backyard (before the Airport grew and mum had to stop hanging them up). It almosts smells of laundry soap. On skin, dry: Frozen laundry soap, or freshly laundered sheets near to freezing. Conclusion: It seems to tickle my nose, as every time I sniff it, I feel like sneezing. It reminds me in a very vague way of Szepasszony.

Rating (on skin): 5/5 Summarised in a word or two: Spicy musk. In the bottle: Spicy cherry? On skin, wet: I don't get any cherry on my skin, just a spicy-sweet musk that my skin seems to adore, for all that it's amping it up. On skin, dry: Spicy musk! Dragon's blood rarely goes bad on me, so this isn't surprising. Conclusion: I've tried my share of "Dragon's Blood" scents, and BPAL's is easily my favourite.

Regan seems to be the longest-lasting scent I've tried yet, followed by O and Dragon's Milk. Embalming Fluid lasts hours as well, but not in a good way!

Rating (on skin): 5/5 Summarised in a word or two: Minty! In the imp/bottle: Dry chocolate and heavy mint. The chocolate's not winning me over. On skin, wet: Vanilla, coconut, cocoa, and peppermint! It smells a bit like a chocolate peppermint patty, though with a shot of coconut and vanilla. On skin, dry: Not much change from wet. I'm not usually a fan of chocolate/cocoa, but this is fantastic. Foody, yes, but I love it all the same. Amazingly, the cocoa stays true, and doesn't dry down to the dusty mess it (cocoa) usually does on my skin. Conclusion: When I first tried Spooky, it turned out horribly. Currently, though, it loves me, and I it.

I love Szepasszony in the morning; it's (on/to me) a very clean, light, refreshing scent, which seems to do wonders when I really, really want to crawl back in bed.

Rating (on skin): 4/5 Summarised in a word or two: Bright! In the imp/bottle: I love this in the vial. I've don't catch any specific notes, but it's very clean, bright and aquatic, with a hint of something floral. On skin, wet: Not very different from in the imp, just a bit cooler. Soon, it makes me think of a light aquamarine colour, for some reason. On skin, dry: It smells vaguely of some sort of powder, but in a very good way. It almost smells the way I thought Lightning might have. This is one of the few aquatics that I absolutely adore. Conclusion: Powdery, watery and light, thi is everything I'd hoped Lightning would be. I'm not quite sold on a larger bottle yet, but I'll definitely be considering it.

Rating (on skin): 2/5 Summarised in a word or two: Tiger lilies. In the imp/bottle: Tiger lilies, with a very, very faint hint of honey. Very promising! On skin, wet: Now a very light, almost bright kind of floral. I was hoping the honey would stick around, because I'm not terribly fond of florals by themselves. On skin, dry: As it dries, it does turn into honeyed tiger lily. Conclusion: Very nice, while it lasts. I wish it were a bit more "honeyed", and that it lasted longer.

Rating (on skin): 2/5 Summarised in a word or two: Buttery. In the imp/bottle: Hazelnut, buttercream and almond! On skin, wet: Thjs is the epitome of the word "buttery." Very boozey as well, with the sharp tang of the buttercream. Beneath that, thick honey and the ever-present almond. On skin, dry: Rich, fattening buttercream/almond butter. Is there sandalwood here? Something smells very much like sandalwood, though I suppose it might be the hazelnut. Conclusion: A foody/booze fan's dream. I'm a fan of neither, so this isn't for me.

Rating (on skin): 4/5 Summarised in a word or two: Honey wine. In the imp/bottle: I nearly dropped the vial when smelling this one; I smell nothing but a sort of honeyed smoke smell, and I really, really don't like it. On skin, wet: At first it still smells pungent, but it quickly starts to mellow out into something less smokey, leaving just honey wine and what I think is the bay. It warms and becomes sweet. On skin, dry: It's still sweet, and now is mostly the honey wine, though I catch something that reminds me of the spice in Snake Oil. I'm surprised how much it's mellowed and warmed, and I still like it. Conclusion: I'm shocked at how different the scent is in the vial and on my skin; Based on the smell in the vial, I hate it. On my skin, it's sweet, and very pleasant. I can definitely see myself wanting a 5ml of this in the future, though I must refrain from smelling it in the vial, for it makes my stomach turn.

A light, pure scent: white musk, green tea, aloe and lemon. (Re-reviewed on 1 Feb 06) Rating (on skin): 5/5 Summarised in a word or two: Green tea with lemon. In the imp/bottle: Green tea with lemon and just a drop of musk. On skin, wet: Green tea, musk and lemon. I'm not much of a lemon fan, but, as in Dorian, it's quite nice, because it's not strong or prominent. On skin, dry: Absolutely lovely. Fresh and clean without being soapy or fake. It has great staying power, even if it doesn't have a very strong throw. Conclusion: EF and I have an on-again/off-again relationship. In April 05 we had a torrid love affair. Then, it betrayed me, and became a strong lemony powder. In February of '06, it's come 'round again, and is currently playing nice. Hopefully we'll be able to sort out our issues.

Rating (on skin): 3/5 Summarised in a word or two: Soapy. Preconceived notions: I really have no idea what this will smell like, or if it'll work for me. I'm assuming there's a change it'll go soapy, though. In the imp: Very soft and sweet, and vaguely floral, with a dash of some sort of herb(s). On skin, wet: Ah, yes: soap. Sweet, green, herbal soap, but soap all the same. On skin, dry: Softer, but still soapy. It's got a lovely green tinge to it, inwardly floral. It still reminds me of soap, but a soap I could be very fond of; not on my skin, however. Conclusion: All-in-all, a very gentle, soft green floral scent. Not for me, though.

Rating (on skin): 1/5 Summarised in a word or two: Lemon soap. In the imp: Mint soap? On skin, wet: Soap! Soap and... lemon. Definitely lemon. Smells of something I'd clean my kitchen counters with. On skin, dry: The scent becomes warmer, so it becomes warm lemon soap. I don't smell anything else now, and even the mint is gone. Definitely not a winner. Conclusion: I don't like smells like lemon soap, so not for me.

The devil's herb, which he cultivates with skill and pleasure. According to lore, the spirit of this plant may take the form of a breathtaking, achingly beautiful woman, deadly to behold. This scent is a tribute to such a dark and magnificent plant: a rich green and floral blend, earthy and haunting. Rating (on skin): 1/5 Summarised in a word or two: Green! In the imp/bottle: How...green. It smells as green as it looks. It almost has a medicial smell, and I'm really not fond of that smell. I'm almost dreading putting it on my skin. On skin, wet: Still medicial, but even greener. I almost notice something that reminds me of leaves. I get floral notes, though under the green I can't place what. It's terribly bitter on my skin, and doesn't show much promise of changing. On skin, dry: Nope; smells the same dry as it does wet. I was really hoping to like Belladonna. Oh well -- off to the swap bin it goes! Conclusion: Too green and plant-like for me to want to wear as a perfume.

A truly fae nectar! Dragon's blood resin and honeyed vanilla. Rating (on skin): 4/5 Summarised in a word or two: Bloody vanilla? In the imp: Dragon's Blood and honey. Not a trace of the vanilla, which disappointed me. I wasn't terribly hopeful about this turning out well, since honey and I don't usually agree. On skin, wet: The Dragon's Blood stays quite strong, but the honey starts to fade (Thank goodness!), and out comes the vanilla! I'm already enamoured of how Dragon's Blood and vanilla mingle on my skin. There's something else there, under the vanilla, something vaguely.... cherry? Hmm. On skin, dry: It doesn't change much when dry, except that the honey makes a very vague re-apperance, and the strange cherry smell disappears. It definitely strikes me as a warm, spicy honeyed vanilla, and I couldn't be more pleased. Conclusion: What needs a conlusion? Dragon's Milk = Love!

Rating (on skin): 5/5 Summarised in a word or two: Vanilla flowers. In the imp/bottle: White flowers. Too floral for my liking. On skin, wet: It's still floral, but as soon as it hits my skin, it becomes more creamy, warm, with an undertone of vanilla. After a few minutes (while it's still wet), I start to get a hint of the orchid -- in the vial and right after applying it, I noticed *something* floral, but it wasn't orchid. Strange! On skin, dry: Floral vanilla. I'm not huge on florals, but I love Regan. It's one of the few scents that really lasts on my skin, even several hours and several hand-washes later. It's beautiful. Conclusion: I love this, but I've noticed that it tends to give me a headache. I'll keep an imp around, testing every so often. Maybe one day, I'll be able to wear this daily.

Rating (on skin): 4/5 Summarised in a word or two: Red Hots candy. In the imp/bottle: At first, I can only discern clove and cinnamon, though that "Hmm" bit might well be the black pepper. I love the spicy-ness of it. On skin, wet: The cinnamon and clove still stand out above anything else, but I'm starting to notice the Dragon's Blood. So far, I'm quite fond of the blend. It strikes me as an autumn scent, for some reason. On skin, dry: Still the cinnamon and clove. The Dragon's Blood's mellowed out, with no hint of the black pepper (if I ever noticed it at all, that is). It's turned very warm, in a good way. Conclusion: My only problem with this is that it's such a sweet cinnamon-clove; it's like Red Hots!

Rating (on skin): 5/5 Summarised in one word: Sexy! In the imp: Musky, sugary vanilla. Also, something like honey? Absolutely lovely. On skin, wet: I'm already officially in love with this. Spicy-sweet vanilla. On skin, dry: Something in this is very earthy, almost musky. I've heard it's patchouli, but the vanilla and spices overwhlem it, so I really can't tell. Whatever it is, it grounds the scent nicely. Conclusion: Absolutely beautiful. It's musky and spicy and sweet and intolerably sexy.

Rating (on skin): 3/5 Summarised in a word or two: Cool and dry. In the imp/bottle: Interesting at first, but after a moment, it doesn't sit well with me. Nothing but frankincense. On skin, wet: The frankincense fades into something light and gives way for the lily, which seems very dry, and cool. I notice the rose hiding behind the lily, but it's quite subtle. On skin, dry: Mostly rose and lily. The frankincense hasn't completely gone, but it's become very subtle, and very cool. The lily is still dry, though it's tempered nicely by the rose, which, while still very floral-y, seems a bit bitter. Conclusion: All-in-all, this one is very cool dry. Not something I can see myself wearing daily.

Rating (on skin): 3/5 Summarised in a word or two: Honeysuckle! In the imp/bottle: It's surprising, but it does remind me of New Orleans. In the vial, I definitely notice the jasmine first, with a tiny, weak hint of lemon under it. It made me sneeze at first. On skin, wet: The honeysuckle comes out, right alongside the jasmine, which becomes a bit warmer after a minute or so. I can sense the "decay", actually, which I think is caused by the spice coming out. Very, very nice. On skin, dry: The spice comes up to mingle with the honeysuckle, and the jasmine fades slightly. The lemon mades a re-appearance, though again, in a very subtle way. Again, the entire scent seems a bit warmer. Conclusion: I never really cared for jasmine, but the honeysuckle tempers it very well on my skin.

Rating (on skin): 5/5 Summarised in a word or two: Salty. In the imp: Very... red. I can't explain it, but I definitely think of a red-ish colour, just barely red from hot pink. I can definitely sense something salty, hiding behind the light sweetness. I don't sense anything bitter, yet. On skin, wet: Sweet. Very floral-y, and slightly aquatic. It'd be very easy to overdo with this one, as it starts out very strong. On skin, dry: There's something metallic, though the sweetness is still there, though much less powerful now. Again the acquatic, though a bit more bitter than when wet. I don't really smell anything floral anymore (which isn't a bad thing). Conclusion: All-in-all, very nice. After it dries completly, I'd definitely have to agree with inkstone, that it's subtle, and a second-skin fragrance. I can definitely see wearing this often, and I must obtain a bottle!

Rating (on skin): 1/5 Summarised in a word or two: Rose. In the imp/bottle: Sandalwood, orange blossom and honey. On skin, wet: An odd, earthy and woodsy orange blossom. A bit musky as well. On skin, dry: Oy, rose. Musky, sweet rose. Conclusion: Never a fan of rose, I don't care for this once it dries.