yeahbutnobut

Reindeer Poop (2007 version) In the imp: cocoa, patchouli, caramel, and something reminiscent of Enraged Groundhog Musk Wet on skin: there’s an odd bitter woodsy/floral note here but otherwise, this is very similar to EGM. Dry: interesting. It doesn’t smell like poop, thank goodness, but it does smell brown, and yes it does smell like cocoa and caramel, but there’s more to this than just foody notes. It’s actually a very earthy smell on me. I smell patchouli, and something woodsy that could be sandalwood or cedar. I smell something almost like soil here, as well as spices, I’m guessing there’s cassia here. And there’s a musk scent, and indeed it’s that same lovely soft musk from the ‘deer’ scents (Ivanushka and Buck Moon), which isn’t surprising. But there’s also a note I can’t identify, and it’s a very bitter, strident and piercing note which reminds me of dragon’s blood, but isn’t…it’s oddly floral and burnt, and a tad perfumey. In fact, it’s the same note that spoilt Chanukkiyah for me. It’s really distracting though, and seems to be overpowering the earthy and sweet notes. After a while: the bitter overpowering note is still there but the scent seems to be sweetening a little. Now it reminds me of EGM without the cardamom and cherry, with chocolate and woods and patchouli, a sweet furry musk with spices and cocoa. But I really don’t like that sharp spiky note. The annoying note finally calms down after 2-3 hours, and the scent left behind is a really nice musky woodsy spicy caramelised chocolate, reminiscent of EGM and Wulric. Verdict: I really wanted to like this fun and festive scent with it’s silly name and it’s brown blob at the bottom…it’s got some wonderful notes in there like cocoa and spices and that fantastic fuzzy ‘mammal musk’, the scent of warm fur. I love those! But there’s something rather unpleasant in here. the good thing is that this unpleasant note does not smell like poop at all! it smells more like a sharp acrid floral-burnt sort of scent. it may be a kind of caramel or brown sugar variant, because it reminds me of something in Zarita and Channukiah which made me dislike those scents. it wears off after some time, but it’s too jarring and intrusive, gets in the way of the sweet festive musky sweetness, so it’s not a keeper. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Not really. I wanted to keep it for the name but I swapped it off.

Old Moon In the imp: frosty evergreen with a hint of tangy dark berries. Wet on skin: I smell the evergreen notes (pine and fir, I think), the berries and the juniper. Dry: mmm, not bad! This does have a snowy feel to it but not as strong as the snowy notes in November, Skadi, Wolf Moon, Snow Moon etc, in my opinion, this is more of a gentle frost covering evergreens and cold and sharp berries (the kind that are probably poisonous). It’s very evocative of a winter forest, and is what I was hoping to get from Snow Storm. After a while: it still smells of cold, frosty berries and evergreens, but now there’s a sharp, clear, fizzy note to it like sparkling white wine. I have no idea where the hint of champagne is coming from but I quite like it. However, one of the evergreen/berry notes is starting to turn funny on me, almost like a fermented fruit scent meets bitter olive oil. I got similar reactions in Talvikuu and the Snow Storm. It’s very minor for now, this odd note, but I’m keeping an eye (nose?) on it. This strange bitter smell seems to get stronger, and then I realise that it reminds me of the martini smell of 21, so I think that’s the juniper. Though I’m not sure why I also smell olives here…but like 21, this has a feel of clear, crystalline iciness to it, covering evergreens and berries. Verdict: I’m not crazy about this one. Something in the evergreen notes goes odd on me. I do like the just-dry stage, a cool and snowy evergreen very much like the likes of Wolf Moon and Snow Storm-in fact, it seems like a blend of those two scents, but lacking WM’s sweetness and musk, and a lot colder and icier than Snow Storm, and with a very strong juniper note. I also smell more of a berry thing going on, and it gets slightly effervescent at times. Very wintry and unisex, leaning towards masculine-it’s almost like the manly version of L’Inverno. But a lot of winter evergreen scents have been turning strange on me and this one does too, so it’s not a keeper. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Not really. If you like this, try: November, Wolf Moon 07, Snow Moon, Death of the Gravedigger, Snow Storm, Shivering Boy, Twenty One

Does anyone have pics of the new CT bottles?

GOP In the imp: tobacco, whisky and vetiver. Wet on skin: cigars. This smells like expensive cigars, and a gentleman’s club. Dry on skin: cigars and pipes, this is really heavy on the tobacco. I smell both the dry yet dark smell of big fat Cuban cigars, and the sweeter, stickier pipe tobacco. I also smell strong booze, like whisky or bourbon. There’s a smoky scent to it, probably from the tobacco, but I suspect that there’s also a hint o vetiver lurking in the background. I also smell woods, a bit like the woods in Riding the Goat. This gives off serious ‘gentleman’s club’ vibes, it smells like a gathering of older (and rich) men. After a while: the tobacco in here has amped up so much, it’s choking me (almost). This is way too tobacco-y for me to handle now. It smells like cigars and cigarettes and their ashes all gathered in an ashtray, and a wood-panelled room filled with thick smoke. it also smells like something burning. I am reminded of Black Lace’s tobacco, but whereas that scent had a lovely vanilla musk to it, this lacks that cosy sweetness, this is just pure tobacco. Maybe a bit of wood too, but almost all tobacco. Verdict: this is my least favourite of the party scents. I don’t know what GOP stands for but I think the elephant (on the label) is the Republican symbol, so I guess this is their scent. It’s not very nice on me. it’s very heavy on the tobacco, and smells like an unhealthy amount of cigars and pipes and their smoke lingering in a stuffy room. Thick tobacco smog and cognac and whisky and old worn woods, it’s also very masculine as a scent. I get something similar from Riding the Goat, but I prefer that one because the tobacco is lighter and there’s incense in it. this is too much of a tobacco overload for me. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? No. If you like this, try: Uncertain Horror, Love and Pain, Riding the Goat, Hellfire, Toad

Dark Chocolate and Cherry In the imp: like Vice, but with more clout! Dark cherries and dark chocolate. Wet on skin: thick dark chocolate over the richest cherry sauce. Dry on skin: Black Forest gateau. The cherry note is possibly the best I’ve smelt in BPAL-it doesn’t have that almond smell, and nor does it smell like medicine. This smells of the sweetest black cherries soaked in kirsch syrup. And these cherries are covered with the most cocoa-packed dark choc, think 75% cocoa or more, it’s bitter and black chocolate. There’s also something creamy, almost cake-like. After a while: this becomes much more cherry-ish over time. This is such a rich heavy sweet cherry-think the sweet cherry of Blood Mary, but darkened, more sophisticated, less candied. But still very sweet. maybe a little too sweet for me, in the end? It also smells boozier now, and creamier. The cherry here has a nuance of plum about it. Verdict: Vice ain’t got nothing on this. This is dark choc and cherry taken to new heights. The cherry here is what I wish all cherry scents could smell like-sweet dark rich and sexy cherry with plum and booze aspects to it. nothing bitter about it, nothing sour. And the chocolate note is equally delightful, here it smells just like the bitterest chocolate and it works so well with the cherry. The scent also develops a creamy undertone, as well as something that makes me think of chocolate cake-very rich indeed. A little too rich in the end, I think, so it’s not really my thing, but it’s one of the most impressive cherry scents I’ve smelt in BPAL, and anywhere else for that matter. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Not really, but I do like it. If you like this, try: Vice, Red Queen, Candy Butcher, Earth Phoenix

White Chocolate and Sugared Violets In the imp: at first I sniffed it and thought ‘mouldy damp sponge??’ second time I sniffed it-milk chocolate (not white) and Faith-like violet. Wet on skin: phew, no more mouldy sponge, and lots of sugared violets! Dry on skin: sugared violet is dominant for now. It reminds me of Faith but it is less powdery, less ‘Parma Violet’ scented. This violet is actually a little sharper than expected, but of course it has that candy coated, almost sugar-musk scent. The white chocolate is there, but it’s a strange note. It doesn’t smell like the white chocolate I love, yet nor does it smell of milk chocolate. It does smell milky though, but doesn’t have that cocoa butter richness, at least not yet. if I were to compare this to actual chocolate, I’d say it smells more like Milkybars, less like the more expensive Swiss or Belgian stuff. After a while: a creamier, richer take on sugared violet. It smells more like white choc now, though at times I get a slightly sour aspect to the milky scent of the chocolate that I’m not sure I’m keen on. But it’s so minor, so it doesn’t bother me too much, and this does indeed have a white chocolate feel to it, though I’d prefer it to be a bit sweeter, a bit more vanilla maybe? The violet has that lovely scent of sugar-crystallised flowers to it. It takes time, but eventually this becomes the white chocolate I’ve been hoping for. Creamy and sweet. that sourness is now gone and now I get the cocoa butter and the rich creamy sweetness I was hoping for, and this now smells like expensive white chocolate with sugared violets! And yet there’s an almost musky scent to it which actually prevents this from being a pure foody, and I like that. And then something remarkable happens. It transforms into Underpants. That’s right. Underpants with violets. I swear I smell the same vanilla-sandalwood scent from Underpants, but with violets! And I love that! Verdict: another hit in the White Chocolate series! I’m testing this alongside Faith, and I think this one is even nicer than Faith. It’s a lot gentler than the super-sweet Parma Violet sweets scent I got from Faith, it’s creamier, for one thing. I wasn’t sure about the chocolate note in here until about half an hour into wearing it when the chocolate note asserts itself as being white choc, not milk or cocoa or anything. It’s got that milky sweetness to it. but about two hours into wear it transforms into violet and white chocolate with the sweet sandalwood/vanilla or Underpants! That’s what pushes this into the ‘must buy backups’ category! So whilst White Choc Strawberry is wonderful for being a pure foody, this one is a little more complex and with floral and other non-foody nuances that make this very sophisticated. I really hope that we get more white chocolate scents in the future. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? yes, and I’m glad I have two bottles If you like this, try: Faith, Le Serpent Qui Danse, Violet Ray, Ultraviolet

Voyeurs among the Cherry Blossoms In the imp: beautiful mossy cherry blossom. Wet on skin: moss, cherry blossom and vanilla musk. Dry on skin: oh, this is gorgeous. This smells like the wonderful sweet pink cherry blossom note from Cheshire Moon! Except this doesn’t have all the bright fruit of CM, instead this is softened by notes of powdery moss and sweet vanilla musk. This is like a gentle, delicate pink scent, cherry blossoms resting on soft light green moss with a fuzzy vanilla musk underneath. It’s perfect. I am reminded of Parthenope, with the jasmine and honeysuckle replaced by cherry blossom, or Bakeneko without the spices. All the notes are evenly balanced. After a while: the moss does become a bit stronger, more powdery, but other than that, this scent doesn’t change too much. And I like that…it’s still a well balanced mix of mossy blossoms and that wonderful velvety vanilla musk underneath. The musk has the same ‘furry’ cosy feel to it that Bakeneko had (and indeed Cheshire Moon had this-maybe it’s the cherry blossom?) The drydown is cherry blossom with a strongly mossy aspect, almost a wet moss scent but more powdery. I’d say it was like the CB in Cheshire Moon, moving towards the freshness of Hanami. Verdict: this is really beautiful and makes me wonder why there are so few cherry blossom scents in BPAL, especially ones where this delightful spring floral really shines. This is like cherry blossoms of a velvety musky base with a mossy note which surrounds it like a mist of silvery green. it’s delicately powdery yet softly sweet, the cherry blossom and vanilla musk go together so nicely and the moss here is both a fuzzy powder scent and also a greenish and fresh background, the moss has a dewy quality to it at times. Whilst I must say I prefer Cheshire Moon because it’s a little sweeter and because sometimes the moss becomes overtakes the cherry blossom in this scent, this to me is CM’s more sophisticated sister, a wonderful and sensual springtime scent. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? yes! If you like this, try: Hanami, Parthenope, Cheshire Moon, Spirit of the Komachi Cherry Tree, Kyoto, Bakeneko

I really like this one. It’s one of those scents I don’t think I could wear as a skin scent but works wonderfully as room spray. I don’t smell much olibanum (a favourite note of mine) but I smell lots of polished wood, bay rum, something a bit absinthe/wormwood-like too. I do also smell something like green ginger to it, and a fresh cucumber-like scent. Overall this scent is a bright greenish-gold-silver colour to me, a silvery-olive-chartreuse green with something clear and liquid to it. I find that this smells very clean-not clean as in soapy, but a polished clean scent, like the wood note in here has been treated with a fresh smelling polish, and a touch of something pleasantly medicinal, like an old medicine cabinet (no chemical antiseptic smells). I’ve not smelt the CN scent Medicine Show but this smells like how I’d imagine it to smell: ginger and balsam and woods. Second time I used it, I smelt a bit more resin to it. This is a fascinating scent-complex and intriguing, managing to be spicy, fresh, woody, resinous and herbal all at once.

Jonathan’s Coffee House This smells just like I expected-coffee! And also sweetness, like brown sugar, hints of latte and mocha. This brings back memories of Italy, I remember the smell of the cafes, ice cream parlours and even the motorway service stations, all were filled with the loveliest smell of sweet baked goods and roasted coffee. This smells just like that-I smell sweetened coffee (not just a roasted coffee smell, but a mocha scent with chocolate) as well as sweet notes like pastries and creamy desserts. A hint of tiramisu as well! There may also be a bit of spice, as this reminds me of El Dia de Reyes and Eggnog Latte. But the dominant notes are coffee and brown sugar with cream, though I also seem to smell something dry and crisp like a biscuit or macaroon note in the background. The coffee note does fade a little fast though, leaving that biscuity sweet note behind, it smells crisp and vanilla-spicy. I would love to see this released one day, or something similar with sweet coffee…

Considering the state of the economy and other worldwide woes, I think we all need a little extra dose of good luck. A sweet, comforting base of dark chocolate and brown sugar with thirteen herbs of good fortune, including nutmeg, Tonka, allspice, star anise, Jamaican and African gingers, devil’s shoestring, lucky hand root, and thyme. 13 (Feb 09) In the imp: this smells just like gingersnaps! And I mean, dead on. I can smell ginger and brown sugar. Wet on skin: gingersnaps, but now it smells more like stem ginger, crystallised with sugar. Dry on skin: now I can smell the anise! And the nutmeg and allspice too, and the thyme. The ginger is still the main note here though, with the brown sugar coming a close second (this does seem to veer close to Sugar Skull style caramel, but the spices are stopping it from cloying). It’s a lote more complex than gingersnaps or even stem ginger now, not just because of the other spices…it smells more complex than just a foody smell now. I think I can smell something woody, or rooty-earthy, a little bit like Hellhound but less medicinal and overpowering. Must be those lucky roots. The chocolate is there but it is subtle. This is much more of a spice scent. After a while: the anise is amping a bit-normally I don’t mind, but here it’s getting in the way of my gingersnaps scent. though I’m not sure it’s just the anise that’s bothering me…I think it’s the rooty base, the voodoo herbs in here, that are turning strange. They now remind me of the medicinal, slightly ashy smell I got in Hellhound-I’m one of the few who doesn’t like Hellhound. This reminds me of it but with caramel and chocolate instead of rich vanilla. The sweet notes are nice but I think the sugar in here is too rich for me. Eventually this reverts back to ginger and sugar, but with an emphasis on the sugar. It’s now a very sticky sweet burnt sugar scent, like molasses. However I do get hints of the less gourmand sweetness of tonka breaking up the thick sticky brown sugar. Verdict: I wish this smelt like chocolate gingersnaps on me, like it did in the vial…but this is a strange one. It’s best moments are when it smells like chocolate and crystallised stem ginger, boosted by other spices, sweetened with tonka. I love that smell-it’s the sort of thing I wanted to get from Possets’ Haute Love, but even better. But there are other aspects to this scent I’m unsure of-the ‘lucky roots’, which go strange and medicinal-sharp and even a little vetiver-like on me, reminding me of the base of Hellhound which I wasn’t keen on, and then there’s the sugar. The sugar is a heavy, sticky-molasses and burnt sweetness which clings and cloys, sadly. It goes well with the ginger, I must admit, but in the end I find it a little too much for me. I’m glad I tried it, but I’m also glad I didn’t get a bottle. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? probably not. If you like this, try: Shub Niggurath, Flesh Eating Reindeer, Saw Scaled Viper, 13 (April 07), Hellhound on my Trail

Man with Phallus Head In the imp: a sweet and powdery honey scent with musk. Wet on skin: honeyed blackcurrants with powdery musk and sandalwood. Dry: oh my, this is gorgeous! I don’t find that it smells masculine…it actually smells very sweet! not in a foody way, but in a honeyed, golden way, with fruitiness too. The honey, musk, ambergris and tonka have united in a scent of velvety soft golden skin-scented sweetness, backed by the sandalwood. I don’t even smell the dragon’s blood, and the blackcurrant in here is sweeter than usual, it reminds me of the sweeter redcurrants from Crawdad and Anactoria. In fact, this scent is what I wished I got from Lady Una. A honeyed vanilla golden musk with a berry background. After a while: it just gets better and better, softening, turning more golden, honey with nuances of amber and vanilla-but it’s nicer and more complex than O. it reminds me of Wezwanie, and also another scent which also had a similar honey/amber thing which I can’t remember now…oh yes, the Heroine scent. but this is so much better than expected. And it’s not at all a hard scent (lol) but a soft one, and thankfully it doesn’t smell phallic at all (at least not to me). In fact, this is the kind of honey I expected from Giant Vulva! Verdict: this was such a pleasant surprise! I knew this would be fairly good but I wasn’t expecting it to be this good…it’s delicate honey over golden skin musk with a little sandalwood, with a wonderful musky blackcurrant background. The honey is not sharp, it’s golden and sweet and almost amber-like. The blackcurrant actually reminds me of sweet redcurrant, it’s sweeter than usual, and the musk makes the currant delightfully sexy. I don’t get dragon’s blood from here, nor does this smell particularly masculine-this is unisex, sweet and softer than I expected. It’s the perfect sexy honey musk and has that currant undertone that I’m really digging these days. I love it and need more (though it’ll be fun telling-or trying to explain-what this perfume is called!) Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Yes-I need a bottle of this one. If you like this, try: Wezwanie/Hold, Svadhiopatika, Anactoria, Lady Una, O, Giant Vulva

Democrat In the imp: honey. Like the Honey SN or Mead Moon, or O. Wet on skin: a sharp wildflower honey scent. it reminds me of O and Osun. Dry: this is almost pure honey on me. Or maybe a blend of honey notes. But it’s honey alright. It’s sweet and dripping, but it’s also sharp, a wild honey scent, or a scent of honey straight from the comb. It smells very much like O actually, that same sharp musky honey. I don’t smell much else-maybe hints of herbs like with Mead Moon, or maybe some amber-but it’s all honey, all the time to me. After a while: the honey is still dominant, but it calms a little. What I’m left with is a really pretty powdery honey-musk with a warm vanilla undertone, maybe some amber. It’s very much like O, but stronger and richer. It also reminds me of that Heroine scent beginning with S (don’t ask me to spell it), but without the honey and strong woods. This is softer and sweeter. I think it’s mainly vanilla and amber and musk, along with honey. I really like it, but it is a little more powdery than expected…I was also hoping for more resins. Verdict: this is really nice honey, but on me it smells so much like O. though I do think this is a little richer, with more depth, but the honey note is more or less similar to O’s. it’s that sharp yet sticky sweet, golden and honeycomb-y, and musky honey. This, I think, has a bit more musk to it as it goes powdery at drydown, and I’m sure there’s vanilla and amber here too. I don’t get the resins I hoped for (apart from hints of amber) nor do I get incense-the honey overpowers any hint of resin. I was hoping for a resinous/spicy depth to the honey but it dries down to pure honey with a powdery musk undertone. It’s very nice, but I can get something like that from O, which I like but isn’t my favourite honey scent. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Not really as it smells almost identical to O. If you like this, try: O, Osun, Mead Moon, Hony Mone, Jezebel

Mechanical Phoenix In the imp: masculine perfume, as I expected from a metal scent. I do smell lavender to this though. Wet on skin: manly perfume with an undertone of smoke. Dry: hmm, not bad! Yes, it does go the aftershave route like most BPAL metal scents, but this one doesn’t smell so much like generic deodorant and more like something more sophisticated. Gentlemanly, for sure, but also very intriguing and very much matching the description. I smell the sleek perfume of something like lavender and woods and herbs, maybe a chypre of some kind, with a bit of ozone…but I also smell the smoke, something rubbery or like melted plastic, crackling electricity or the light of a welding torch, hot solder and even a little bit of motor oil! It kind of reminds me vaguely of a cross between garages and my old DT workshop at school. But it works here and it smells quite nice! This smells like a sexy mechanic, actually. This would be amazing on a man. After a while: oh yes, this is what I hoped more of the metallic/mechanical scents would smell like on me. it’s not something I would wear as perfume now as it smells too much like melted plastic, oiled gears, burnt rubber and rust with the crackle of electricity (along with that scent of ‘fit car mechanic’) but it is unbelievably evocative and unsettlingly authentic. This does smell like the notes say it should. Ok, now this is getting weird…I could cope with the rubbery, oily, metallic, grimy garage scents from before. But now I seem to be smelling civet here, of all things. I have no idea why, but I get something almost like civet to this…and it’s a bit more rubbery now. Something robotic shouldn’t smell animalistic, I don’t think… Thankfully the civet is short lived, and the scent then turns into a slightly burnt, rubbery, but surprisingly wearable masculine white musk scent. It’s also a little bit sweet now. For once, a scent that smells of plastic and burnt rubber and tar that’s meant to smell this way! Verdict: this is Kataniya’s boyfriend. Heavy and metallic and well oiled, this phoenix is the ultimate metal-mechanical scent that I’ve tried. I’m quite impressed by it-though it does go perfumey like most metal themed scents do, it still manages to retain a realistic scent of steel and copper, rust and motor oil, and fizzing sparks of ozone, with an undertone of wearable, if manly, musky-woodsy perfume. it’s a little too masculine for me and there are times when the rubber and oil notes go strange on me. but the concept is great and it’s well realised here, amazing how this really does smell like the notes say.. though I do find Metal Phoenix more wearable as a perfume. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? No-but it’s so well done and uncannily realistic! If you like this, try: Metal Phoenix, Kataniya, Torture Queen, anything in Steamworks but especially Phoenix Steamworks and Galvanic Goggles

I think Ars Draconis scents have different labels too? (Also, I think the skull and crossbones is Jolly Roger, not Calico Jack-unless it's both?)

Philommeides In the imp: bright and happy peach! Wet on skin: effervescent peach wine boosted by osmanthus and with a hint of orange. Dry on skin: such a joyful, crisp, fruity scent! Peach wine with citrus and flowers. The lemon is subtle but adds more of a sharpness to it, and I think I can just about detect some tuberose and violet. but peach and blood orange are the main notes here, with the peachy aroma of osmanthus fleshing the peach wine out. There’s a tart nectarine feel to it, it’s a dry peach scent, not a sweet one. The blood orange has that bitterness to it which balances the sweeter notes. After a while: this becomes more dominated by peach and orange over time, but it’s heavier on the peach. This is almost like the sharp nectarine in Angeronalia, especially with the blood orange, but it’s got that velvety fuzziness I got from Aglaea. It’s a sunny, cheerful fruit scent, golden-yellow, and almost reminiscent of Fae. The orange is delicious-tart and peel-y, with that redness to it which less sweet and makes it slightly more grapefruit-like than the orange oranges. The scent loses it’s sweetness and becomes much more tart, like dry peaches, over time. Verdict: I like this one a lot! It’s a chipper peachy citrus scent, light hearted and bright. It reminds me of Aglaea meets Thaleia-which are also scents with happy (and Greek) inspirations. The peach wine of Aglaea with the blood orange of Thaleia. Though this isn’t very sweet, the fruit notes are quite tart here. the peach isn’t the syrupy kind, but something a little sharper, made even more so by the orange. This is indeed a happy scent but this scent of laughter gives off a feel of dry biting wit, and I like that. the flowers are very subtle, this is very much a peach scent with a little citrus. I do wish I got more carnation from this though. It’s a lovely scent but there are other peach scents I prefer. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? probably not because there are similar scents I like better. If you like this, try: Aglaea, Thaleia, Angeronalia, Belle Vinu, Fae, La Vague, Maud Ruthyn

White Chocolate and Strawberry In the imp: milk chocolate and a hint of strawberry flavoured lollipop. Wet on skin: now the strawberry is misbehaving…what the? It’s turning to rubber? Dry on skin: nooooo! This smells just like white chocolate and horrid weird burnt rubber on me. it’s especially heartbreaking because I can smell true genuine white choc and strawberry in here as well! it tastes just like strawberries covered in Belgian white choc, and I mean, spot on. But then that burnt rubber gets in the way and ruins it. I have a feeling this is my cycle doing this. I need to try this one again in about a week or two. (second try-yup, no rubber. Sharp strawberry, but nothing unpleasant. It is indeed a cyclical thing.) After a while: thankfully that weird note is gone after five minutes, and miraculously, the strawberry in here isn’t turning to sugared acid on me. it smells just like strawberries. In fact, this smells just like some chocolate I ate recently-white choc with dried strawberries. It smells almost identical to that. I am impressed at how genuine the white choc note is in here…creamy, cocoa-buttery, and sweet. This then transforms into something even more delicious-white chocolate and strawberry ice cream! It reminds me of those ice lollies that have strawberry ice cream covered with white choc, or like the finest white chocolate and strawberry ice creams swirled together. The scent gets creamier and more chocolaty at drydown before turning to pure white choc with a touch of strawberry sugar. Verdict: though this started on an uneasy introduction, this then transformed into my dream white chocolate and strawberry scent. This is white choc and strawberry. Pure and simple. And perfect. This is hands down my favourite of the Chocolate Box. Creamy and very authentic smelling sweet creamy white chocolate with a strawberry that, for once, behaves on my skin. I think the creamy white choc is keeping it under control. It smells good enough to eat, and the best thing about this scent? It reminds me of a wonderful ice cream I had in Sicily, one scoop of strawberry (with real fruit), one scoop of the most delicious white choc ice cream ever (it had huge chunks of chocolate in it). Oh yes, this is why I bought this scent. I am not disappointed. In fact I feel the urge to buy another bottle or two. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? yes! I need to stockpile. If you like this, try: Beaver Moon 07, I Fell in Love with a Floating Brain, White Choc and Sugared Violets, White Choc Marshmallow and Coconut, Bon Vivant

Lovers with Rutting Cats In the imp: a creamy but plastic-y vanilla, reminds me of Opuhi and Stimulating Sassafras. Wet on skin: ginger, vanilla and something reminiscent of medicinal sassafras? Dry on skin: a vanilla-ginger scent which reminds me of Opuhi, and I didn’t like Opuhi. The ginger is stronger, drier and grittier than Opuhi, and has that slightly rubbery undertone that I’m not keen on. The vanilla, which I was looking forward to, happens to be that plastic vanilla note from the likes of Love’s Philosophy and Stimulating Sassafras Strengthener-complete with a medicinal sassafras note. I can smell a dry scrubby wood-either the palm or the oud? But this is not as strong as the overpowering vanilla-ginger with plastic and chemical tones. After a while: sadly this is going from fail to fail on me. the scent is not as gingery but it is more plastic than ever now, even though it’s lost that sassafras thing from before. It turns out this vanilla is the foody scent that, as of late, has been turning to this really unpleasant plastic-paper scent on me, a kind of weird mix between damp cardboard, burnt paper and burnt plastic, with a sweet overtone. And it’s even more heartbreaking because I swear I smell incense when I sniff this far from the wrist, but close up it’s burnt vanilla plastic! Where are the palm and oud? Even the moss is absent… Verdict: I’m a cat lover and I really wanted to love this for the name. And theoretically, this should have been at least good on me. None of the notes are particularly bad on me for the most part. But it seems the vanilla was the cloying and plastic variety and the ginger was the rubbery variety. And there was a sassafrasy thing to the vanilla that I really didn’t like, made it smell a bit like sweet antiseptic. I never got any of the oud and palm notes, just burnt-rubber ginger and plastic vanilla, and it didn’t improve on me at all. Such a let down, ruined by my skin that seems to be turning more intolerant to some of the gourmand notes. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? no, sadly…I wasn’t expecting my skin to turn this into a cat-astrophe (bad pun, I know!) If you like this, try: Stimulating Sassafras Strengthener, Love’s Philosophy, Opuhi

Makhanitis In the imp: patchouli and plum wine? I get something very reminiscent of Urd. Including patchouli. Wet on skin: Mme Moriarty’s twin sister? I now smell red musk along with the patch and plum! Dry on skin: and now the plum does a Snake Charmer thing on me! Wow! This is actually surprisingly good! I can smell the plum and the wine and champaca, but instead of smelling like Prospero and Purple Phoenix, this actually resembles Mme Moriarty (but with gentler patchouli), Nahemoth and even Snake Charmer! It’s also highly reminiscent of Hellion, but I prefer this to Hellion because there isn’t a burnt or cloying feel to it like with Hellion. After a while: the champaca is behaving really well-much better than it did in Prospero and Temple Viper. This is still dominated by that sexy, sexy plum! rich deep sensual boozy plum, sweet and dark with the wine darkening it even more. The wine here does not smell like grape sweets like in Head of Holofernes. It smells like a sweet red wine should. I can’t smell much sandalwood but I’m sure that’s responsible for the incense-like scent I get here. And I still smell those phantom notes of musk and patchouli that gives the scent a resemblance to Mme Moriarty, Hellion and SC. Verdict: I was expecting this to go wrong on me. The last scent I tried with wine, plum and champaca was Prospero, and I didn’t like it. This, though, is fabulous. It reminds me of Mme Moriarty meets Hellion meets the musky plum from Snake Charmer with a splash of wine. It’s mainly plum, dark and tempting sweet plum dipped in wine and deepened by what to me seems like patchouli and musk, and the champaca is very subtle. Like Melainis, this also gives off a feel of ‘femme fatale’, with it’s dark and sexy undercurrents, this is seductive musky plum gorgeousness, like Mme Moriarty, but sweeter and juicier. Definitely one for a bottle! Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? yes! If you like this, try: Urd, Mme Moriarty, Snake Charmer, Prospero, Nahemoth, Bordello, Witch Queen, Temple Viper

Melainis In the imp: whoa. Dark rich exotic incense, spiced patchouli and ancient attars. Wet on skin: thick resinous patchouli with a feel of incense to it. Dry on skin: this is incredible! I can smell the same wonderful aged-smelling, ambery labdanum that is in Pulcinella and also Hastur. This labdanum has a feel of exotic attars to it, it reminds me of incense from new age stores blended with eastern spices. I love it. The frankincense, spices and patchouli only help to enhance the incense scent…and the tobacco makes it smokier. And then it hits me. this smells like a hookah bar! Not just any hookah bar though, but one in the heart of a Middle Eastern bazaar. There’s a dry desert-y feel to it that enhances that. However, under the heavy smoke and incense, I smell bright, juicy currant. After a while: the currant really shows up now. It’s the same sweet, deep, sexy and slightly plum-like currant from Anactoria. I think it’s given a kick by the musk. In fact, this reminds me of Anactoria now, but even better because of all the added incense and the lack of dragon’s blood. The patch and moss and teak are also more apparent now, the labdanum has toned down a little. But this still does smell unabashedly exotic and dark. Verdict: this smells fantastic! It’s the ultimate oriental scent, incense, patchouli, resins, fruit and musk with smoke and spice, all blended into something wickedly seductive and very ‘femme fatale’. The labdanum is wonderful, a rich amber resin type scent which is given a boost by the musk and frankincense, the tobacco has a hookah-ish scent to it which I love (I’ve been looking all over for a BPAL hookah scent, this is the closest I’ve got to one) and then there’s that blend of currant and musk that I’ve been getting hooked on as of late, and this currant-musk gorgeousness really comes out at the end. If this smells stunning now, I cannot wait to smell this once it’s aged! Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? yes! maybe I’ll get a backup (if finances allow!) If you like this, try: Anactoria, Man with Phallus Head, Pulcinella and Teresina, Lunar Eclipse

Eustephanos In the bottle: a sharp tangy rose and pomegranate, a bit like Persephone. Wet on skin: the rose deepens, the pom gets sharper, I can now smell rosewood and myrrh. Dry on skin: ooh, this is nice. It reminds me of the other rose-incense scents (Rose Cross, All Saints, Tabula Smargadina, Parlement of Foules etc) but this one has a tangier, brighter feel to it thanks to the pomegranate. I can just about detect the resins, but for now the dominant notes are rose, pom and rosewood. The rose and the rosewood seem to merge nicely, and I can smell a bit of myrrh at the back, maybe some frankincense too. But no amber, at least for now. After a while: there is a moment when the amber peeks out from the other notes and then I get something to this scent that reminds me either of Three Brides or Gypsy Queen. And I love that! sadly, this moment is fleeting. Something in here-I’m guessing the rosewood-turns powdery on me and I start to smell something underneath the gorgeous rosy resins that smells like burnt wood? And not in a nice way, though it does also get pleasantly smoky at times. But that fleeting appearance of amber has now faded, and the scent doesn’t have that pleasant sweetness from that note. Verdict: I was a tiny bit disappointed in this scent. On paper it looked perfect-rose, amber and resins, what could go wrong? And it had some lovely moments. But I think the rosewood was the note that stopped this from being perfect. I really liked the pomegranate, rose, incense and resin blend here, and the first hour or two of wear was delightful, but after some time, something wasn’t right-the scent went powdery and a little burnt-smelling. The powder was a kind of stuffy and old-fashioned dusty smell that I wasn’t expecting, and the burnt smell wasn’t the pleasantly smoky/incense kind but something a little more acrid. So ultimately, this wasn’t good on me-I think rosewood can be problematic, and in here it spoilt this fragrance a little. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? not really. If you like this, try: Persephone, Rose Cross, Tabula Smargadina, All Saints, Day of the Skulls, Parlement of Foules, Les Bijoux

Khrysee In the imp: a gorgeous powdery vanilla with hints of orange and amber. Wet on skin: now I smell the orange blossom, and it’s equal with the vanilla. Dry on skin: so pretty! The vanilla amber is more powdery and dry than I expected, and less amber-y, but I really like it. It’s like a dusting of vanilla sugar with powdered amber. And the orange blossom is very nice-it’s a delicate floral, not loud in here at all-it has that tang to it, reminiscent of orange fruit, and yet has the slightly bitter tea-ish undertone of neroli and that (pleasant) hint of cologne to it. It reminds me of the orange blossom in Ravenous or Katharina, but even gentler. Overall this is like a scent of gold dust-a golden vanilla powder with crushed amber, lifted by orange blossom. After a while: this then becomes very similar to Katharina, but instead of apricot and white musk, there’s a sweeter, daintier vanilla amber. At times I smell wafts of a deeper, sexier amber, and then I smell a gentle powder. But all the while, this is really getting better. There was a time when I thought the scent would be too faint, and it seemed to merge into my own skin scent, but then it showed up again and the orange blossom in particular is delightful in here. I like the way it’s gentle tangy scent is keeping the vanilla in check, the vanilla here could well turn cloying but doesn’t. At times I smell something wonderful, deep and sexy rising up from the innocent, delicate orange-vanilla scent, maybe the amber coming into it’s own. I do smell something O-ish to the vanilla amber, but this is nicer. Verdict: this is a bottle of spring sunshine. Not summer, but spring sunshine-warm, endearing, gentle sunshine, the promise of longer days and a feel of youth and innocence. It smells just like what it promises-vanilla, amber and orange blossom. Though I also catch a hint of powdery skin musk as well. Think O, but much more gentle and free-spirited, with the honey replaced with delicate neroli. It’s like a soft waft of orange blossom in the breeze, gentle and so appealing, mingling with a sweet yet sensual skin scent of amber with vanilla. At times the amber note really showed off and wafted it’s gorgeous sultry golden scent all around. The orange blossom is really nice too-not sharp or biting, but citrusy enough to add a bit of sharpness to counter the sweetness. I’m a big fan of Beth’s golden scents and I love this one. I’m sure I’ll be getting a lot of wear out of this one during the spring days. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? yes and I may get another bottle! If you like this, try: Ravenous, Vixen, Katharina, La Primavera, L’Estate, O

White Chocolate, Marshmallow and Coconut In the imp: Baileys. Dead on Baileys. Maybe chocolate flavoured, but this is all Irish cream to me. Wet on skin: still Baileys! But now I can smell the coconut as well. Dry on skin: overpowering coconut! The coconut has amped up completely now-even overwhelming that wonderful Baileys note. I still smell the Irish cream but it’s overtaken by the coconut, which sadly is not the lovely creamy variety in Black Pearl, White Rose, Dia etc, but the dry, husky and even, in this instance, plastic-scented dry coconut shavings scent that I’m not so keen on. It’s a bit like sun lotion coconut, but drier. I can also smell chocolate, but to me this isn’t white choc (like in the other two scents) at this point. It’s more like milk chocolate for now. After a while: the coconut is still the strongest note and is a little too strong. I was hoping for more marshmallow and chocolate, and eventually, I do indeed smell those notes more strongly. The coconut seems to get in the way, but underneath it there’s a gorgeous sweet squishy marshmallow and a very genuine white chocolate note-like in the other two white choc scents, this now smells like the real deal, creamy and cocoa buttery. If the coconut were just a little bit less loud, I’d be in love with this. The coconut never leaves but over time it smells just like white chocolate covered pink marshmallows. Now I’m craving them. I remember eating a ‘kebab’ of marshmallows covered in a thick white choc coating. This smells exactly like it, but with coconut shavings on top. In fact, as this develops, it actually winds up smelling very similar to the resurrected Midway on me. Maybe a bit more chocolatey, but it does remind me of Midway. Verdict: this smelt so good in the bottle-like Baileys! But on my skin the coconut just went crazy and tried to blot out the gorgeous white chocolate, marshmallow and Irish cream notes in the background. If this has a coconut like the one in Dia, which is delicate and creamy, this would have been love. but the coconut here smells dry and raspy, a little too sweet, and a bit too suntan-lotion for me. It takes a while for the coconut to calm down, but once it does, the white choc and marshmallow smell so good, sweet and creamy but not cloying, with a Midway-ish vanilla drydown. I’m a little disappointed that the coconut got too aggressive in here, but I like this enough to keep a decant’s worth. (And another thing-Beth’s white chocolate note is fantastic!) Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Not the bottle, but an imp will do. If you like this, try: Obatala, Elegba, Goblin, Upa Upa, Midway

Eggnog Latte In the imp: sweet coffee. A bit like Pinched, but slightly more bitter. Wet on skin: coffee, but now this sweetens as the spiced and creamy eggnog comes through. Dry on skin: roasted and bitter coffee contrasts with a sweet spicy creamy background. This is really nice. It does indeed remind me of an eggnog latte from Starbucks. The coffee is the strongest note but I’d say this was a little more bitter and dry than the coffee in Pinched and Misk U? the eggnog is a little richer, more vanilla-scented and oddly, a little more dry in scent than the Egg Nog Yule LE. It does lean towards smelling a bit like marshmallow like Egg Nog did, but it is also more cinnamon-y. there’s a slightly burnt smell here too? I have a feeling my skin will do bad things to this scent, as it smells a little cloying and there’s a weird undertone to the coffee. After a while: this now smells like a smush between Pinched and Misk U. it has the creamy and spicy aspects of Pinched with the caramel coffee of Misk U, with a hint of something dry that reminds me of both the tobacco in Pinched and the dusty books in Misk U. however, I’m not sure I like this much? The sweetness is a little too cloying and sickly for me. there’s a caramelised aspect (maybe a rum component) that isn’t really working for me. I do prefer Pinched because of it’s non-gourmand notes. Verdict: this starts off smelling like a gorgeous eggnog latte, just as the name implies! It’s got a really nice balance of bitter roasted coffee with creamy sweet spicy notes. It’s less sticky and sweet than Misk U, and for a while it strikes the right balance of sweet and creamy with coffee. But then the sweet creamy eggnog amps up and it smells a little too foody for me-something about the eggnog note turns strange on me. I think this would make a wonderful room scent though-I’m just glad I don’t love this and don’t feel the need to track down more! Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? it’s not bad but I have other coffee scents I prefer.

Candy Phoenix In the imp: smells just like sweets. Just like those hard fruity sweets, very sugary, but with a sour edge. Wet on skin: blackcurrant fizzy pop blended with crushed pink sugar and topped with sherbet powder. Dry on skin: now this smells like blackcurrant Fruit Pastilles/wine gums. This has a blackcurrant note which is very similar to the taste of blackcurrant sweets, or even Ribena. This is also the kind of note that could potentially go to cat pee on me but for now, it is blackcurrant sweets. I also smell a gentler sugar note on top which is almost vanilla-musk like, reminiscent of the sugared scent in Hope and Faith. A little pomegranate, but not too much. Can’t smell much apple or pear. This is a fun scent! It’s a lot more pleasant than I expected. After a while: this then becomes really, really sweet. Cavity-inducing sugar with just a hint of fruit underneath. It’s mounds of glittering white sugar and pink sugar and sugars of all kinds of bright neon colours with a hint of fruit to it. It smells like lollipops covered in sugar crystals. The great thing is that I don’t get any bad reactions from the apple note. But it is bordering on being way too sweet for me. Verdict: this is as sweet and sugary and cavity-inducing as I expected. A little too sweet for me. the good thing is that the apple note doesn’t wreak havoc on my skin. this scent is dominated by the blackcurrant and pomegranate flavoured candies. It’s very blackcurranty at first, just like blackcurrant fruit pastilles, complete with glittering sugar crystals. And then the pomegranate comes in and it too is very sugary, not the usual tart fruit that it usually is. I actually quite like it for a while, and start to wish that there were pomegranate flavoured sweets available (I’m sure there must be, but I haven’t seen any for sale so far…) Finally the sugar completely takes over and becomes too much for me-too sweet and sticky and cloying and intensely sugary. I like some kinds of sugar, especially the spun sugars and white sugars, and vanilla sugar or sugary musk, but this is a little too much for my likings. Though it does smell good enough to eat… Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? no. If you like this, try: Sticky Pillowcase, Bloody Mary, Xanthe, Swank, Flower Song

Pumpkin V 08 In the imp: pumpkin with strawberry, maybe a hint of musk too. Wet on skin: buttery pumpkin with strawberry and red musk. Like Hollywood Babylon with pumpkin. Dry on skin: mmm, this is really nice. I can hardly smell the jasmine, and the rose is also quite soft, but this scent really is like pumpkin-ified Hollywood Babylon. It’s a very similar strawberry and red musk combination, and it turns out that, if HB is anything to go by, strawberry and red musk go together wonderfully and the RM cancels out the sour/acid scent of the strawberry note. I can smell just a hint of fig and the carnation spices the scent up nicely, and I think I also get cranberry…in fact at times it also reminds me of Lampades. After a while: I keep thinking that one of the notes will go bad on me, the strawberry or the jasmine…but nothing of the sort happens. This scent is really wonderful. It’s mainly pumpkin and a smooth, delicious fruity red musk. I love red musk mixed with fruit and this blend is all about the red musk and fruit. This is the kind of scent that I hoped to get from Maenad. It’s a shame I smell very little of the frankincense and rose, not much of the fig and carnation either, but I love the strawberry-cranberry-musk mix here. The pumpkin, by now, is very subtle. At times it goes into a slightly floral red musk, but it’s mainly a red fruity smell, with a lovely and almost creamy-spicy sweetness. Verdict: this is one of the few blends with strawberry and carnation together (as well as jasmine) that works well for me-and I think it’s the red musk that works it’s magic. It’s mainly musky berry-strawberry and cranberry-with red musk and buttery pumpkin. I do get a bit of rose-not very much, but I was hoping for a little bit more in the way of frankincense, carnation and fig, and a bit more of the rose, it’s mainly a berry musk (which I really like) with pumpkin. It actually reminds me of Hollywood Babylon with a bit more buttery richness, but comparing the two, I think I prefer HB. It’s great to smell something with a lot of troublesome notes that works reasonably well on me though. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? maybe, but I think not. If you like this, try: Hollywood Babylon, Lampades, Maenad, Pumpkin V 07