yeahbutnobut

Ethereal, somber, and woeful: Chinese musk, wisteria, white grapefruit, calla lily, violet leaf, orange, gaiac wood, balsam of Peru, and Florentine iris. Mourning Moon In the imp: orange, grapefruit and something a bit floral. Reminds me of Schrodinger’s Cat. Wet on skin: glittering citrus and wisteria. There’s orange here and it’s such a gorgeous orange note. Dry on skin: interesting! The floral notes have the potential to go funny on me as they smell a bit bitter. But other than that this is, for now, very pretty. Orange is dominant, and it is swiftly followed by wisteria, iris, hints of grapefruit and violet. A hint of soft white musk. If anything, this is uplifting and pure, not sombre or woeful-but it does smell ethereal, a bit pale and ghostly. The floral notes seem to hint at the Ars Moriendi scents. The orange smells so happy though! The citrus scents remind me of Schrodinger’s Cat. After a while: I knew it. The floral notes have turned bad. The lively citrus notes have faded, and sadly the flowers-lily and wisteria-are starting to smell off on me. Like wilted flowers. No soap yet, but they do smell bitter and wilted. There’s also something else in here that smells strange, like a kind of oily green scent that’s gone rancid. However, I like the musk here, it reminds me of Nuit for some reason-it has the same light sparkly feel. But everything else is failing badly. Verdict: I liked the start of this scent-it was a zingy and bright sparkling citrus. Seems a little strange, for a scent called Mourning Moon! But it does have that ghostly and ephemeral feel to it as well, especially with the flowers. it reminded me of Schrodinger’s Cat crossed with the mournful floral scents. Lots of orange and grapefruit with a pale base of flowers and musk. But then the flowers reared up and turned bad on me. I think it’s either the lily or the wisteria, maybe both. They turned to what I usually get with such flowers, a wilted soapiness, and there was a kind of musky funk (as opposed to a pleasant musk) that popped up as well. Not a Lunacy scent I’m crazy about, I’m afraid... Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? No. If you like this, try: White Moon, Psyche, Schrodinger’s Cat, Oberon

On Darkness In the imp: this smells of sweet fruity lavender musky incense. Wet on skin: this is glorious. It smells like fruity lavender and berries (huh?) with incense resins. Dry on skin: now I smell beautiful geranium! I love geranium, and this smells strongly of it with it’s rich rose-herbal tones. It’s blended with lavender and benzoin and a hint of rosewood. Underneath I smell the amber and resins. This seems to have almost blackcurrant like nuances, as well as a kinship with Penumbra, Event Horizon and the Emathides. It also reminds me of a non-BPAL scent: NA’s Gold Isis-it’s probably the lavender and benzoin. This is much darker though. This scent evokes a deep rich purple. After a while: hmm, not sure if I love this as much now. There are some odd things in this scent that seem to distract me from the loveliness. Something in here smells like overripe fruit? A bit like berries that are a little too ripe-possibly strawberries. Another thing I get a lot of in here is a burning smell. Not a pleasant incense burning smell or a full on vetiver burning smell, but a bitter charred wood smell, or something like charred flower stems. I think it’s the opium-not all opium notes do this but some do. Or maybe it’s a component in the black incense-it reminds me of the one myrrh note from BPAL that I didn’t agree with. it also reminds me of Black Lotus. It’s a little less sweet and more complicated. I do love what the lavender, geranium and sweet benzoin are up to in here. This seems to waver between smelling burnt, smelling like overripe strawberries, and a luscious blend of lavender and amber. but it’s a bit muddled on me. Verdict: I had high hopes for this-pretty much every note in here should work. I was expecting a wonderful dark sultry resinous lavender scent. but sadly, it didn’t quite work out. I loved the wet stage, a geranium-lavender scent with a delightful resinous undertone and a hint of something almost fruity. It smelt as dark and intriguing as I hoped. But as the scent developed, it went oddly burnt (and not in a good way) and I got something almost like overripe fruit or even strawberries. I still could smell lavender and amber and incense, but I think that maybe the rosewood or something in the black incense, or maybe the opium, made this one a bit incoherent on me. I think I’ll stick with the likes of Emathides, Event Horizon etc when I want dark purple-tinged incense. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? No. If you like this, try: Moon of the Terrible, Event Horizon, Emathides, Penumbra, Lunar Eclipse, Darkness, Black Lotus, Lurid

Toad Hall In the imp: masculine perfume with a wet, swampy scent. I get a visual of moist amphibian skin. Wet on skin: redwood and teak, this smells woodsy now. I also smell more freshness. Dry: interesting. This smells sophisticated, classy, reminiscent of polished halls of fragrant wooden floors and tables buffed to a shine with a fresh scented polish which may or may not contain lemon (reminds me of Delousing Powder). I smell something like cologne to this as well. And yet I also smell the ‘toad’ element of the scent-not unpleasant at all! It’s a wet smell of greenish water and pond weeds (but no yucky/stagnant smells), decaying vegetation (dead leaves and rotting wood) and marsh plants-I get reeds here, maybe some water lilies. It’s almost like the watery/weedy/damp element in Shanghai Tunnel, but not as mineral, not as mossy. After a while: now I smell something fresh coming through, a fresh floral note which I am pretty sure is a water lily of some kind because it reminds me of Dunwich (along with the woods and reeds). Something about the woods now smells a bit damper, and yet it also smells smoky, almost like vetiver. though I’m inclined to say it’s more like tobacco, the more I smell it. a slightly burnt, ashy but gentlemanly tobacco. it’s not the tobacco note I like much but it’s not too intrusive here. I still smell the wet mushy leaves and pond plants and the cologne. Oddly, I also smell cucumber in here? it fits in with the wet, fresh feel of the scent, and contrasts with the ‘traditional’ elements here. Verdict: I think this is much more toady than the actual Toad scent. There’s a wet, swampy, ready scent which evokes ponds and pondweed, there is something very amphibian about this scent, a mix of muddy reeds and water lilies, lilypads and a hint of decay, something evocative of the damp greenish-yellow-brown colour of toad or frog skin. And yet there’s also the dapper, gentlemanly scent of polished wooden floors and furniture and linen and a touch of cologne, with a hint of tobacco which is less sweet and sticky than Toad. So it’s very fitting to the theme, but a little too masculine at times, especially at drydown when the tobacco note goes all burnt-smelling on me. I’m glad I tried it though. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Probably not.

Independent In the imp: 7Up. Yes. This smells just like 7Up or Sprite. Fizzy limeade. Wet on skin: fresh lime! Lime overload! Dry: fresh fizzy lime and soda water. This is probably the most lime-y BPAL ever! it smells like a blend of lime Jelly Babies and Sprite. It’s bright, zingy and effervescent-very, very effervescent. That’s because it also smells like Perrier. You know how sparkling water has that odd sharp taste? That’s what it smells like…incredibly carbonated. It also smells a bit like champagne. Though it seems to veer away from fizzy drinks (alcoholic and non) to another type of fizz, that of an aspirin. Hmm. After a while: now it seems to be a contradictory mix of fizzy aspirin and a cocktail! It’s lost that initial sweetish lime scent from before but does have something vaguely citrus-like. I do smell a lot of gin though, the martini gin scent from 21. Or maybe Swank without the pomegranate. It’s boozy and clear, but also refreshing, and also oddly chalky. Strange combination. The drydown of this is a kind of cleaning fluid smell. Not like the rankness that Pruno turned on me, this is cleaner and shinier. But I like my citrus smells to smell like fruit (or even drinks), not bathroom cleaner! Verdict: this one is interesting-first it smells just like a well known brand of fizzy lemonade or like sparkling mineral water. I quite like that. There’s a nice lime scent to it too. But then the scent goes into a strange aspirin stage and then turns to gin, and then goes soapy. I really liked the bright, bubbly, sometimes champagne-ish scent I got at first but I’m not keen on the drydown. So this is not my sort of scent overall. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Not really. If you like this, try: Te Po, Blue Fire, The Hamptons, Swank

Spawn of the She Demon In the imp: sweet red musk, very similar to Smut, but sweeter. Wet on skin: red musk, and now I smell drier tea and black musk, and a little mango. Dry: red musk and tea! This is an intriguing but very endearing blend. The musks are dominant, sexy smutty red deepened with darker sweeter black. The tea note is dry, a little grassy, but is definitely rooibos-it reminds me of a rooibos vanilla tea I love drinking. The mango is also there, not as ripe and sweetly juicy as usual, this is a sharper, less ripe mango. The red musk reminds me of Smut, Snake Oil and Marianne. It does remind me fleetingly of the Dodo but not in a bad way-it lacks the dry, overbearing cassia. I’d say this is closer to Corazon, without the sage. After a while: this then turns into a lovely scent of contrasts. On the one hand there’s the bright, tart, intriguingly dry scent of the rooibos tea, and then there’s the rich, deep, dark, vanilla-tinged sexiness of the musks. These two layers contrast but don’t clash. They seem to fit really well together-the fruity tea lifting the deep musks, the musks adding a sensual, dirty-sweet aspect to the tea. It’s the musk that wafts though, all around I get clouds of sweet sexy red musk but close to the wrist, it’s mango tea. Verdict: this and Reindeer are my favourites of the recent DD scents. this is full of that wonderful red musk that Beth does so well, and it’s the sweet, almost vanilla-y red musk that I love. The dry and warm scent of the tea goes well with the vanilla-ish scent in the musk, and the mango is really gorgeous. I wasn’t keen on the Dodo, I liked Corazon, but this is even better than those two. I love what this does at drydown, when the musk really wafts and shows off, mingling nicely with the scent of mango tea. I generally love it when red musk and fruit are combined, and this is a perfect example. I’m glad I managed to get a bottle of this sexy scent! Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Yes! If you like this, try: Smut, The Dodo, Corazon (if you can get it!), Mme Moriarty

That! The Terror From Over There! In the imp: sharp kiwi and crisp greens. Not as bitter as other stem/grass greens. Wet on skin: a blend of green notes ranging from grass to mint to lime! Along with kiwi and a hint of spice (wasabi?) Dry: this smells very citrus-y on me, actually, a bitter green citrus like unripe grapefruit (or yuzu) blended with bergamot and lime. It’s bright and zingy! Underneath it I smell cut stems and grasses. This is the questionable side of the ‘greens’, this could turn soapy but for now it behaves. The scent also tingles coolly on the skin, which to me indicates the presence of mint. there’s also some ginger. I’m not sure what wasabi smells like so maybe it’s that, or there’s also some ginger? It reminds me of a bitter, greener version of Hungry Ghost Moon actually. The kiwi in here is not sweet, it is a sharp scent. I also smell something reminiscent of 51 and Pollution, I think this is green musk. After a while: hmm, interesting. This has gone all sweet and floral! More floral than sweet, I must say. Like wet wildflowers, wet from rain or dew, among thick grasses. The citrus and mint, as well as the gingery spice, have calmed, the kiwi, fresh crisp musk, and floral-green notes remain. It does seem to veer into almost soapy territory now, and reminds me of Green Phoenix, but this one’s a little bit nicer than GP. But then the scent moves between pleasant green musk and soap and I’m not sure what to make of it. Verdict: I liked this quite a bit at first, it smelt like a bright, vivid green mixture, almost a luminous or unearthly green at times, but with plant-like notes too like leaves and stems, as well as mint, and citrus (quite a lot of it) and also the kiwi and wasabi. The drydown was a little disappointing and it turned a bit soapy-flowery, and developed a not so pleasant bitterness. From trying Nostrum Remedium, I think it is the wasabi doing the soap thing, and that this note doesn’t like me much. Shame really, because I love the name and saying it loud, in a kind of cheesy-horror movie style manner! Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Not really. If you like this, try: 51, Green Phoenix, Envy, Pollution, Hungry Ghost Moon, Night Gaunt, Nostrum Remedium

Proserpina In vial: oh, this is pretty. It’s like Winter Maiden, but crisper and less sweet. On skin: oh, I love this. This has the same pomegranate note that Mme Moriarty has! And I love that! This is, however, a lot lighter and sharper, a lot crisper in feel, like a frozen pom. It doesn’t have the heavy musk and patch of Mme. The scent also now seems to have an icy, crystalline juniper note to it, as well as a backing of fresh clean flowers and a hint of something Winter Maiden-ish. For a while the pom-juniper reminds me of Swank, it’s a bit boozy, but this is so much better than Swank on me-it doesn’t have that fake-smelling sweetness to it. This is much more sophisticated. It smells perfumey, in the best way possible. Eventually this turns to a lovely Mme Moriarty-style tart pomegranate with cool, icy juniper on top and a hint of floral perfume. It’s a very wintry yet also quite classy pom scent. I really like this one as a skin scent, it’s the kind of scent I wanted Swank to be. The flowers also don’t go all soapy-in fact, they are so subtle, I hardly smell them, other than a hint of something snowy and perfumey (the flowers in here are more like the Macabray than Snow White, if I was to compare them). I may have to track down a little more of this one!

Crimson Christmas In the imp: I don’t smell resin, but I do smell red berries, something a bit pine-y, and smoke. Wet on skin: blood accord, holly berries, ozone, pine, a faint hint of mint, and some coal smoke. Dry: what a strange but intriguing mixture. The first thing I am reminded of is Tintagel. It reminds me of the mix of mulled wine, dragon’s blood, evergreen and berries in that scent. This though has a less dragon’s bloody note and more of a fruity-metallic blood accord. Also, this has a fresh scent which is partly from the peppermint, and partly from the snow, which in here, is a lot more ozone-y and pine-y, a tad more masculine and harsh, than the usual snow notes. More like Black Ice or Ice Prince, or maybe L’Inverno, and less like Snow White or Ice Queen or Skadi. And then there’s the smoke…it does have hints of vetiver, but also a dark dusty coal scent. I don’t get any resins, other than a little pine/fir sap. After a while: drat, this seems to do the same thing as Blood Moon 08. Instead of smelling like that lovely snow note, or resins, or berries, or candy canes, this winds up smelling of metallic ozone and soap! The blood is sharp and iron-y, like blood but also like steel blades, this scent does have a hint of something unsettling about it. But it’s the soap note that disappoints me most, as I don’t want soap in here! Verdict: this one was a little disappointing. I was hoping for mint sweets. Or resin. Or the snow note. But I get a weird scent which at times reminds me of Tintagel, and at other times of a colder version of Blood Moon 08 which I didn’t like. The cold, cutting ozone with it’s metal and blood does seem to fit in with the theme, it has a hint of that same violent vibe I got with Blood Moon, and in here it works with the concept, but I don’t like it on me. And it turns rather soapy on me at times, which isn’t good at all. So this one isn’t one for keeping, I’m afraid. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? No. If you like this, try: Blood Moon 08, Tintagel, Black Ice, Black Tower

Le Pere Fouettard In the imp: the same lovely sweet anise as Huesos, but with sweet waffle instead of orange cake. Wet on skin: whoa, here comes the leather, and it’s strong! Dry: leather with sweet liquorice whips and a gorgeous sweet waffle scent! I love the gaufrette note here, it smells like those thin wafer-waffles, and it’s one of those sweet notes that doesn’t cloy or turn funny on my skin. the anise note is very pleasant as well. the anise with the gourmand sweetness reminds me of Huesos, but this smells very different. The leather, for one thing, seems to be amping on me (it’s the De Sade leather), and I fear it’ll overwhelm the gorgeous gaufrette note! After a while: the sweetness of the waffles, that delicious cosy sugary warm scent, wafts beautifully. The anise is a little fainter. But close up, it’s all leather with a bit of sweetness. I’d rather this was gaufrette with a hint of leather, not the other way round. But that’s the nature of the ‘kinky whip’ leather note, it amps on me and goes a little burnt…though that’s enhanced by the coal dust. Verdict: I wish my skin didn’t amp the ‘whip’ leather note so much because the waffle note in here is so delectable! My skin seems to dislike a lot of foodies these days but this is one gourmand note that does work on me. It smells like waffles, or caramel wafers. Sweet and delicious, not cloying at all. I even like the liquorice note here. But sadly the leather completely takes over. I’m not as keen on this leather note because it smells a bit burnt and rubbery, very overpowering too. I prefer my leather notes to be bookish, not whippy. So this isn’t one I’ll wear much, despite the appealing sweetness. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Not really. If you like this, try: Huesos de Santo, Krampus, De Sade, Loviatar, Nanny Ashtoreth

Banana Peel in a Graveyard In the imp: yes, it smells like banana. And graveyard dirt. Wet on skin: bananas in the dirt. The banana note is sweet, but authentic. Dry: an odd but strangely appealing mix of sweet, soft banana (I smell a lot of the fruit as well as the peel) with earthy and mossy notes. the banana doesn’t smell fake at all, but it does smell a little overripe, like it is decomposing, but that seems to be fitting. It reminds me a bit of Manila, it’s got a humid, warm smell to it. The earthy, dirty notes here do remind me of other graveyard/Ars Moriendi type scents, but I find this dirt note to be different to Graveyard Dirt-to me it’s mossier, a little more decomposed/decayed. I think I smell some valerian in here, something a bit pungent, a little musky, a bit like mushy dead leaves. There may even be some kind of mushroom note here? It’s a bit more pungent as a dirt note than the usual wet soil. It’s more like compost, especially with the banana. After a while: once the banana fades, this now actually smells very much like Luperci! There’s none of the incense and honey notes, but the moss and dirt-and now a strong patchouli note-reminds me of Luperci. And Greed too. but with a hint of banana. The scent then becomes a patchouli-moss scent, the dirty darkness of the patch with the light green mossy powder on top. Verdict: this smells exactly like what it says it should. Bananas and graveyards. The banana note is a realistic one, both like the fruit and the peel, with a fitting feel of decay to it. the graveyard note is dirty, earthy, a tad stone-ish, but this is not as light and damp-soil as Graveyard Dirt, but a heavier and deeper note with a lot of decomposition to it, and a lot of Luperci-esque moss and patchouli as well. It works brilliantly as a conceptual scent and it’s very unique and original-how many other perfume companies have something that smells of dirt and bananas? It’s not something I’d wear as perfume though, but I’m glad I got to try it. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Not really. If you like this, try: Graveyard Dirt, Manila, Luperci, Greed, Zombi, Deep in Earth, Burial

In the imp: powerful mens cologne, alright. I smell anise in here as well. Wet on skin: whoa, pungent or what? Its strong musky manly cologne. Dry: very pungent mens cologne. The first thing Im reminded of is Toad. This is like Toad x10. Much stronger, more masculine, a little bit aggressive and unsettling. As for what I smell in this cologne? I smell honey/beeswax, anise, lots of tobacco, possibly some petitgrain or bergamot-one of the cologney citrus notes. Some ozone/clean linen as well. There are possibly some woods and herbs and flowers too. But theres also something very unpleasant too, that reminds me of, well, saliva? Or that bad breath/morning mouth smell. Its musk, but more animalistic than usual. Maybe there is some civet here too? And something reminiscent of something rotting, like rotting fruit. After a while: that unpleasant note, the civet-ish one, doesnt fade. It does linger, at times getting stronger, and it still has that saliva like smell to it. I really dont like it. I still smell rotting fruit too. However, by now I also smell smoke, almost like a tobacco smoke note. Before I could smell cigars and pipes, now they are being lit. it also now smells mossy and powdery, a bit sweet too. Verdict: I knew this wouldnt be my thingIm not so keen on the overly masculine aftershave-ish scents (though I do like unisex scents). This is very much a masculine mix of colognes and manly scents. I smell sharp, butch colognes and thick, heavy tobacco. But the thing that I find unsettling in this scent is the musky aspect. Normally I love musks, but this one here is really animalistic. Its like civet, or along those lines, and smells a little unclean and feral on me. I think this one will be passed on to someone else. Emoticon rating: style_emoticons/#EMO_DIR#/00000132.gif Is it a keeper? No. If you like this, try: Toad, Famine, Casanova, Vicomte de Valmont, Hellfire, Wilde, Black Annis

E Pluribus Unum In the imp: surprisingly lemony and candied for a floral scent! Wet on skin: beautiful bright flowers with lemony and herbal tones, and sweetness. Dry on skin: this is gorgeous! Really beautiful! it’s a glorious bouquet of flowers, mainly wildflowers, but I also smell some heady white blooms and roses in there as well. The scent is not all ‘floral’ though, I also smell herbal notes in here, almost like dry sage, I’m guessing scents of the states which have a desert climate, and also something resinous-yes, resinous-like pine sap or some kind of evergreen. And there’s something sweet, almost fruity. The best thing? No soapy, sharp, wilted or off floral notes in here-this, at least for now, works wonderfully. After a while: wow, this surprises me…in a good way. Because now it’s lost it’s herbs, sap and lemon, and smells very floral and blossomy…and yet, I smell no soap or overripe/rotting flowers at all! All I smell are bright, happy, dewy flowers, delicate spring blooms and wildflowers, with hints of grassiness and herbs. There’s something almost like melon to it as well, a juicy sweetness. The scent then turns into the sort of thing I wished every wildflower and blossom scent smelt like…fresh dewy petals, tinged with cool morning air, and totally undamaged by errant skin chemistry. Verdict: this is for wildflowers and ‘uber-floral’ scents what Dog Days is to grass scents, ie, this is what I wished all floral blends could smell like on me! It’s a wonderful and harmonious blend of fresh bright blossoms all mingling together so beautifully, with hints of stronger flowers like roses and tropical blooms and a tinge of fruitiness (like lemon) and some greener herbal/sap notes to make this a little more interesting than just a floral scent. The drydown is wildflower perfection-like a field of fragrant blooms covered with dew. Stunning and delightful, and a very cheerful scent too. This is the floral scent that all other flower scents wish they could be…many notes that blend into one perfect scent: dare I say this is a ‘united scent of America’? Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Yes! If you like this, try: Flower Moon, La Primavera, Al Araaf, Prague, Fairy Market

Nowhere in Particular In the imp: that autumn leaves scent which smells like cologne. A bit of pine too. Wet on skin: soap? Noooo! Dry on skin: soapy cologne and men’s aftershave! With a dash of washing powder. This is unbelievable heartbreak. But this really does smell bad on me. actually, this doesn’t just smell of generic fresh perfume, but of bathroom cleaner! Either Mr Muscle, or Viakal. Something I’d use to get rid of limescale, not as perfume. Where’s my moonlit night air and dewy apples? I smell nothing like it except a vague whiff of October-ish autumn leaves macerating in aftershave. It also reminds me of the scent of bathroomy apples that was Pruno, except without the ketchup. After a while: the bathroom cleaner scent has faded, thankfully, but what I’m left with isn’t much better. It’s the apple scent that I disliked in Snow Glass Apples. That apple note turned overripe and banana-ish, and reminded me of how some plum blossom scents smell on my skin, and I smell that here too. A weird mushy overripe floral with bad apples. Verdict: I had such high hopes for this. The description was vague yet so beautiful. I love scents evocative of the night, or night air, and the idea of a scent inspired by dusty night breezes in a moonlit orchard seemed so intriguing, so poetic. And I generally get on so well with Beth’s night air scents. But this scent let me down in a big way. dare I say my skin turned this scent to epic fail? It smelt of all the things I dislike most-soap, harsh ozone, bathroom cleaner, men’s cologne, artificial apples and rotting flowers. I think it’s the apples and a particular ‘autumn leaves’ accord in here that made this turn bad on me. needless to say it’s not a keeper at all! Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? No. If you like this, try: October, Harvest Moon 07, Snow Glass Apples, La Vita Nuova

Metal Phoenix In the imp: sweet and very pleasant white carnation! No metal so far. Wet on skin: a little bit of metal now, but this is actually incredibly pretty. Dry on skin: this is what I wished Kataniya and Torture Queen could have smelt like! This smells predominantly like white carnation, but with a delicate sweetness to it which is almost fluffy, and I’m tempted to say marshmallow-like. Is this rose mallow? I do get sharpness from both metal and verbena, but the metal notes in here are not as harsh or grating as I expected, and not as ‘generic men’s perfume’ either. The honeysuckle note is also behaving nicely. It actually reminds me of the Blockhead, but lighter, gentler. I’d say the metal note here was like the ones in Magi or Robotic Scarab, the more pleasant, unobtrusive metal notes that don’t turn to sporty cologne. After a while: this still stays surprisingly lovely. It’s still heavy on that delightful carnation, which now has sweetness to it, almost like Morocco. I wasn’t expecting this to smell like a metallic Morocco, but it does, in a way. It’s the same sweet carnation and musky scent, but with the sharper edge of metal (and this metal is, again, not too bad!) I think the mallow may be adding more sweetness to it too. The scent then winds up smelling like the most gorgeous sweet powdery white musk with a hint of floral. Of all the Phoenixes, this scent showcases the Chinese musk most…I can recognise it here, it smells just like the musk in Queen Mab (a favourite of mine). Verdict: I wasn’t expecting to like, yet along love, this phoenix. Metal notes? No thanks. Honeysuckle? That’s a soapy culprit. But against all odds, this is wonderful on me! The carnation is surprisingly strong, and that’s a good thing. It adds warmth to this scent, a bit of sweetness too, which helps to stop the metal notes from overpowering, but even they are very agreeable in this scent. The musk is also gorgeous in here, it’s a soft sweetish white musk scent, a skin scent, a little bit powdery in a nice way, and it goes nicely with that flush of carnation and the white metal notes. This in all is a lovely pale musk and carnation scent given a fresh, zingy feel by the metal and verbena. It’s a bright, clean (but not soapy) scent that I feel is perfect for the transition between winter and spring, because of the blend of cold white notes, with the rich warm flowers. An unexpected winner in this year’s phoenix series! Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? I may have to cave in and get a bottle of this! If you like this, try: Blockhead, Kataniya, Torture Queen, Pink Moon 07, Queen Mab

I can't remember where I heard this but someone mentioned baking soda? I haven't tried it though...I'm very curious as to what will get rid of the smell of the extra clingy vetiver notes!

Rumpelstilzchen In the imp: firewood and ashy vetiver! Whoa this smells burnt! Wet on skin: I can smell hints of patch and spices and myrrh now, in the smoke. Dry: strangely, I rather like this. It reminds me of Djinn. I know the smoke note is powerful and the vetiver is of the clingy kind, but I really like this. It actually smells like burning myrrh incense-really nice myrrh incense. It actually smells like when I burn loose incense on charcoal. Most of my loose incenses are Egyptian themed scents which have lots of myrrh and spices in them, and this reminds me of when I burn those incenses. I can smell the myrrh smouldering and charring and the spices burning nicely. It also smells just like bonfires…it reminds me of the smell that lingers in the air on autumn and winter nights, of bonfires and smouldering logs. The spices add something even more special to this smoke…it smells almost like a ritual fire. After a while: still charcoal and burning incense and spice. This incense is quite different to the golden, soothing ‘church’ scents though. This one feels a little more pagan. A little bit earthier and primal. It feels as though it’s incense one could use to invoke ancient magic, or to call upon otherworldly spirits. Indeed, this is even more of a ‘witches dancing round the fire’ scent than Hexxenacht was on me! I can’t even smell the vetiver, actually. Verdict: this is bonfires with incense, but it’s not calm church incense. This is wild and fiery, rambunctious and fevered, yet also ritualistic. I do indeed get visuals of mischievous impish beings dancing around such a fire. I don’t get barbecue or meat here at all…just wonderful incense with a darker, smokier thing going on. It feels as though it crackles with magic, and I feel that this is almost like Djinn’s sibling scent, both have a very similar feel and scent to them. This is a scent that is really growing on me-I thought the vetiver would make this too heavy but the smoke and spice scent is so realistic and reminiscent of loose incense (especially the spicier blends I have) and autumn smoke, and I love that. It makes a change from the frankincense and myrrh incense blends, this one has a ‘naughty’ feel to it which I actually really like. Incense for mischief and magic. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? I think so! Definitely the imp for now. If you like this, try: Djinn, Bonfire Night, Priala, Music of Erich Zahn, Chant D’Automne

Midnight Mass 08 In the imp: frankincense, greenish myrrh and something woodsy. Like the last MM. Wet on skin: frankincense, and lots of it. Dry on skin: oh yes, this is MM, very similar to previous versions and every bit as beautiful. I’d say this is more like 06, as 05 was a little sharper, 06 had a woodsy background. This seems to have elements of both-the piercing frankincense and greenish-honeyed myrrh of 05, the mellow woods and softer dark resin aspects of 06. I think there’s cedar and/or mahogany in here, like polished pews. The scent is both resinous and smoky. This is less sweet and heavier than the Magi. After a while: oooh, I really like what it does as it develops. It lightens, sweetens, develops a nice ‘ashy’ scent and smells just like incense smoke wafting in the air. It also gains a scent, golden and almost fruity, which reminds me of Tzadikim Nistarim. Maybe there’s some olive and spikenard in here as well as the frankincense? This is something I didn’t smell in previous MMs, but I love it. Eventually this becomes beautifully sweet, and smells like a wonderful sweet resin and smoke scent, sweetened frankincense and dark glossy myrrh with a soft woodsy base. Over time it gains that same gorgeous frankincense smoke scent I got in Magi. Not as sweet as Magi thanks to the lack of vanilla, but similar. Verdict: I think this is my favourite MM version. This to me has a bit of the soft ashy woodsy scent of 06, with little hints of opoponax and wooden pews in there, with the greenish-gold sharper resins of 05 dominated by fresh myrrh and frankincense and olibanum. But it gets even better as it dries down, and gains a truly beautiful smoky scent which smells just like frankincense burning, and touch of candle smoke. I also get something sweet and almost fruity to it, but the soft balmy smoke then fills the scent with that incredibly realistic ‘incense lingering’ scent I love so much. This is the darker version of the Magi, to me. A nocturnal incense, for sure, but not at all gloomy. It evokes candlelight in the darkness, thick clouds of incense, and the wonderful sound of carols sung by choirs. It’s a really beautiful, calm and refined incense scent and it goes to show that I can never get bored of Beth’s resin scents. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? of course-I love resins and incense. If you like this, try: The Magi, Cathedral, Penitence, Pit and the Pendulum, Scattered Gloom

Lick It Like You Mean It In the imp: very similar to other Lick It scents, peppermint with sugary undertones. Wet on skin: fresh, cool, head-clearing mint. Dry on skin: very similar to the other Lick Its. This reminds me less of candy canes and more of Polo Mints, it’s got that powdery-chalky undertone to it (which is pleasant here) and that intense white mint scent. Though I think I smell a little more vanilla here than in Lick It and Lick It Again. After a while: ah, this is lovely. It’s a soft gentle vanilla. Not as white-musky as Lick It Again, I’d say this version is very close to original Lick It! The vanilla actually reminds me of Midway, and I love that. So this, to me, is minty Midway without the donut notes. I love that! Verdict: this is very similar to my favourite in the Lick It series-the original from 05. it smells of the pure, sweet, hard peppermint sweetness I loved in Lick It, and dries down to a similar soft vanilla. Though this one has less of the cool vanilla musk, and has a much sweeter, slightly more gourmand (but not too much-this is subtler than Snowblind) vanilla, and it’s the perfect foody vanilla because it smells just like birthday cake. I love that cake smell. The only other place I’ve encountered this particular vanilla note is in the resurrected Midway. So this is the vanilla drydown of Midway with mint added. Definitely a winner. I was disappointed in last year’s Lick It One More Time, but this more than makes up for it. The only disappointment is that the mint isn’t as strongly tingly as previous versions, it doesn’t cool the skin as much. Though that may depend on weather, and whether I’ve just showered, I suppose… Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? yes! If you like this, try: other Lick It scents, Snowblind, Tokyo Stomp, Incubus, Midway (especially Resurrected)

The Magi In the bottle: I see what people mean about cola, but to me it’s gold (metal) and spicy resin sweetness. Wet on skin: ooh, here comes frankincense! Dry on skin: this is gorgeous. I’m in resin heaven. Now it settles into a beautiful frankincense and myrrh scent. There is a slight hint of spicy fizz, reminiscent of Leo 07. This also has a smoky incense resin scent from the frank ‘n myrrh. And I can smell coriander! One of the most complex and wonderful smelling spices-I don’t smell it much in perfume but I smell it here, adding it’s accent to the resins. Ditto with the wine, which reminds me of Haloa. The vanilla adds a gorgeous sweetness and the metallic gold note is faint now, but it seems to be subtle, reminds me of the metal note in the steampunk scents like Aelopile and Robotic Scarab. After a while: sweet vanilla amber with the smoke of frankincense and myrrh swirling all around, and a faint hint of gold and wine and coriander. But above all, this is sweetened frankincense and myrrh. This seems to get even more beautiful with wear as the resins really shine forth. Every now and then I smell little wafts of incense, almost like wisps of smoke, coming off my arm. At times I swear I smell a bit of benzoin…I know it’s probably vanilla though. The second time I wore this the drydown was more myrrh-y and had a candle smoke aspect. The third time I wore it I smelt more of the metallic gold and ‘fizz’. I think the fizz is the white wine. It reminds me not of cola, but of champagne at this point! Champagne and incense! Mmm! Verdict: this is frankincense and myrrh perfection! I can smell resins burning, and their ashes. I love how the resins smell like they are smouldering gently, wafting in the air…at times I really do get an impression of soft incense smoke lingering. I can’t stop smelling it. at first it is indeed effervescent and crisp thanks to the white wine, with the resins surrounded by gold and spices. And what turned this from ‘mmm, resin love!’ to ‘OMG must hoard!!’ was that drydown. This is when the scent is smooth frank and myrrh smoke wafting all around, but what makes it perfect is that wonderful golden sweetness of vanilla and amber that underpins the resins. The gold note-a edgy but pleasant metallic-adds an intriguing and contemporary twist to the classic incense, almost updating the ancient resin blend and making it modern. I love the way this has a cool glittering scent to it, like gold treasure or like stars in the sky, but with the warmth of sacred resins. One of my favourites of the Yule collection, this is one to hoard. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? oh yes. resins are love and I bet this will age beautifully. If you like this, try: No 93 Engine, Midnight Mass, Haloa, King Cobra, Leo 07, Heavenly Love and Earthly Love, Valentine of Rome

Bah Humbug For a scent inspired by Scrooge, this smells so Christmassy! It smells like evergreen branches and winter smoke! There’s something to it evocative of cool winter air, but overall the scent is quite warm. I smell a fir or pine note, even though nothing like that is listed (unless it’s the twigs?). I suppose the smoke is the coal dust note. I smell cedar which in here smells almost like spiced sandalwood. I do smell something warmly spicy and even musky, reminiscent of Devil’s Night. Maybe it’s the booze note? I also smell sweet vanilla-benzoin, and subtle leather and earthy patchouli. But I’m sure there’s something musky, almost incense-like to it too. It’s really nice. A lot nicer than expected-I was expecting heavy leather, smoky coal and strong woods, but the sweet notes and that unexpected pine note prevail, and overall this is a cosy and approachable scent. A perfect winter scent!

Wood Phoenix In the imp: polished wood, and a bitter walnut husk scent. Also something a little spicy. Wet on skin: spicy and peppery? This smells like dry spices, as well as woods. Dry on skin: I don’t know why but this reminds me of something, or somewhere. I’ve smelt something like this but where? Anyway, the scent itself is surprisingly appealing. It smells of woods and walnuts. But it also smells spicy, the thing that comes to mind is spice markets or bazaars, it’s that hot, dry and dusty spice scent that seems exotic and enticing. Is that ‘pink clove’? The hyssop adds a herbal slant. And then it hits me-why this smells familiar. It reminds me of the smell of the spice stalls of Granada! It is reminiscent of the stalls there selling exotic spices, tea blends, and local herbs, and the smell wafted into the alleyways and it smelt wonderful. But in here I smell nutty, fragrant, polished wood too. The walnut is an interesting scent, it’s bitter but in a pleasant way. After a while: ok, now this smells even more familiar. The spice market smell is gone, the scent morphs into something different, but it reminds me yet again of another…it’s reminiscent of something which is spicy, resinous and floral, with sweetness underneath. Can’t remember what, but I’m sure it’ll come back to me. The spices and walnut have calmed, I now smell a really pretty magnolia note and some clove as well as more woods…ah yes. I know exactly what this smells like now. It smells like a candle I have, called Cairo, by Archipelago. I have no idea why I smell a similarity, because both scents have nothing in common, no common notes. But this has a smoky and waxy scent as well as a spicy floral golden scent reminiscent of my candle. I love that scent and now I’ve found a scent that I can wear that reminds me of it! Verdict: my Chinese birth element is wood, so I’m glad that this smells so good on me! I wasn’t expecting it to-I feared the bamboo would turn to soap, the walnut would go bitter, the woods would be too dry, but I love this one. It starts off as a dry spicy-herbal blend with a walnut and wood base. It's a blend of pleasantly pungent hot spices and dry herbs which I find intriguing and can't stop sniffing. Then the scent changes into something woodsy, and then something a bit floral and even something vaguely resinous/incense-y comes out and blends with the spices, herbs and woods…and it winds up smelling like one of my favourite scented candle scents, a totally unexpected, unexplained, yet fabulous reaction! This is a surprise hit of the Phoenix flock this year. It also smells completely different to anything else I’ve smelt in BPAL so far, an incredibly unique and fascinating fragrance. I need more! Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? yes! This is growing on me and I need one, maybe two bottles! If you like this, try: Leo 07, Fire Phoenix, Habu

The Gladdener of All Hearts In the bottle: milky and spicy…it smells a bit like a milky spicy lavender with lotus? Wet on skin: lavender, spices, powder and sweet milk. Dry on skin: whoa, that’s powerful lavender! I also smell orris, powder, maybe some carnation (that’s probably why I’m getting a clove vibe here) and sage, a bit of milk too but this is not like Milk Moon, this is more like a warm sweet milk scent, not sour at all. At first it reminded me of the Wanderlust scent Paris, with it’s lavender and spices and lotus-ish sweetness, but now it’s a bit more complicated. This does indeed have a hint of clean baby to it, there’s definitely a baby powder note to this as well as well as something like camomile. This smells like a really good quality natural baby bath product, it’s a very soothing and cosy scent. After a while: there’s a moment when the baby powder note really amps like crazy, overwhelming the scent for some time. But then it settles into a much nicer stage, a soft floral milky scent almost like a younger version of Alice, with added delicate herbal notes like sage and lavender, and a bit of orris for that pale soft skin scent. there’s powder, but it’s much more muted. This is the perfect baby skin scent now. Very tranquil…an olfactory lullaby. Verdict: at first, this starts as a lovely blend of lavender and milky carnation-rose, with a dusting of powder. This scent is really motherly, it captures the moment perfectly. It brings to mind the image of a new mother cradling her newborn baby so lovingly, this scent is gentle and reassuring and tender. There’s a very endearing quality to it which I really like. I’m tempted to keep the scent just because it commemorates such a precious moment even though it’s not as lovely as Lilith Victoria on me. There are times when this smells weird on me-it’s milky and rich but not sour but the milk note does smell a little odd (in that cloying sweet way) and there are times when the powder notes amp up to high levels. But even so, it’s a very pleasant scent with a beautiful concept behind it. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? I think so. Sometimes it smells strange on me but I love the sentiment behind it. If you like this, try: Milk Moon (any), Alice, Katrina Van Tassel, Paris

Fire Phoenix In the imp: oh, this reminds me of Red Phoenix, but spicier, and with a hyacinth note. Wet on skin: pink pepper! Lots of it, and it goes well with galangal and red musk. Dry on skin: this is nice! Really nice. It’s a hot, dry, pungent spice scent composed of fiery and unconventional spices over a delightful red musk and tobacco base. The hyacinth/cactus flower is a really interesting addition, it adds an uplifting greenish floral aspect to the spicy musk, but doesn’t smell at all soapy. This also has something a little citrus-like, highly reminiscent of bergamot or verbena. Sometimes galangal can smell a little curry-ish but in here it works so well with the pink pepper and musky tobacco. After a while: not as wonderful as that initial spicy blast, but still quite nice. The scent is not as fiery and now is more like embers, glowing and smoky. I smell a lot more tobacco now and also a lot more floral, the crisp greenish-lilac scent of hyacinth more apparent now. The musk has also turned a little more animalistic (in a good way) and I smell less of the pink pepper. It does smell a tiny bit burnt now. The musk does come out a bit more at the end and it smells sweeter, and more pleasant. Very sexy as well, I must say! Verdict: I’m a fire sign (Western zodiac) so it’s no surprise that this elemental phoenix works very well on me. it’s got my beloved red musk in it and it smells a bit like Red Phoenix, but I think this is nicer than RP. The spices are unusual and lean towards the savoury, but don’t smell like something I’d eat for dinner. Pink pepper is wonderfully dominant for a while. The tobacco adds a dry smoky scent and it’s one of those tobacco notes that I like. But the floral notes add an intriguing and unique aspect to this otherwise red, spicy, hot and musky scent, they add a fresh and spring-like scent which contrasts all the other notes but miraculously, doesn’t clash and doesn’t smell soapy or loud. I had a feeling I’d like this but it’s even better than I expected. Must get a bottle. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? yes! I will get a bottle. If you like this, try: Red Phoenix, Great Sword of War, War, Hermia, Trick 2 (if you can find it)

Pumpkin II 08 In the imp: sweet pumpkin, with something almost like vanilla, probably the tonka. Wet on skin: sweet and almost amber-y golden pumpkin. Maybe some black musk and tonka. Dry on skin: a slight hint of leather, but it’s not the strongest note. This is really gorgeous. Its mainly pumpkin, but a sophisticated resinous pumpkin like that of Pumpkin Queen. I’d be tempted to call this one Pumpkin Prince, as it smells quite sexy and leaning towards the masculine, but not too much. There’s leather and black musk here but they are not dominant. I don’t even smell that much wood here I think it is tonka which is the second most obvious note here. There’s a smidge of opoponax, that’s probably what gives this pumpkin scent a lovely resinous aspect. After a while: gradually, the leather comes out, and what a sexy leather note it is. This now makes me think of Hand of Glory, but with the smoky beeswax replaced with pumpkin! This gets more and more leathery as the scent progresses but the leather never overwhelms. The pumpkin is dominant, but it’s not cloying or sickly, not too buttery. The woods ground these notes nicely, the tonka and musk add a deep sweetness. Verdict: I’ve now tried two versions of this, both quite different. The detailed one here is for my decant, and I love it. Subtle leather, good strong tonka and musk, gorgeous opoponax undertones with a little bit of gourmand richness from the pumpkin. It smells like a sexy pumpkin, almost masculine but very wearable for me as well. I love it. I then got a bottle and what I smelt there was quite different-the leather was much, much stronger (like De Sade leather), the tonka and musky resin not as apparent, and over it all was a pungent and savoury spice reminiscent of curry. I was not keen on that. It smelt a lot more like the Shattered Pumpkin, in fact. I suppose I’ll keep the decant and make the most of the wonderful sexy ‘Pumpkin Prince’ scent I get there! Emoticon rating: (the decant) (the bottle) Is it a keeper? the decant. If you like this, try: The Shattered Pumpkin, Pumpkin IV, Perversion, Hand of Glory, Pumpkin V 07

Katrina Van Tassel In the imp: a delicate creamy rose. Like Hope, but even gentler. Wet on skin: gentle milk and a fresh cut rose. Dry on skin: rose, rose and more rose! This is very similar to Rose Red’s rose, but not as red, this does have a resemblance to the white rose notes as well, but has that fresh, dewy quality that RR has. I’m inclined to call this the warmer version of RR, actually. There’s a very innocent, pure quality to this rose. The cream note is really lovely, not sour at all, it softens the scent of the rose beautifully. This actually reminds me of Arcana’s Rapunzel. After a while: this gets even prettier! The cream note seems almost like custard, sweet and almost vanilla-like…and at this point, the milky honeyed notes with rose resembles Alice. Not identical, it lacks the carnation, but very much a sibling to Alice, and also Hope. This reminds me of Hope or Victoria’s sugared rose, but not as musky, this has a definite smooth creamy backdrop. Verdict: this is such a pretty scent! I love rose scents, and honey, and some cream notes provided they don’t go sour. This is all of that. The most delightful white rose note, soft and innocent yet full bodied, is sweetened by a soft honey and very pleasant sweet cream base. It’s reminiscent of the sweetened rose scents (Hope, Victoria etc) but instead of a musk or sugar or strong vanilla, this is definitely honey and gentle cream which sets it apart. Almost like Alice, but a little more straightforward and with more rounded honey and rose notes. Utterly beautiful and youthfully feminine, this and Fearful Pleasure are my favourites of the Sleepy Hollow collection. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? oh yes. If you like this, try: Alice, Rose Red, Hope, Victoria, Moon Rose, Magdalene