yeahbutnobut

Agrat Bat Malaht In the bottle: apple, very strong apple covered with caramel and cream. Wet on skin: whoa, this is very heavy on the apple! Now I also smell the honey and a sharp, almost gardenia like floral? Dry on skin: burnt caramel and an apple note that for now smells like sour but authentic apples, but I fear will turn soapy. On top of the caramel apples, a load of honey and cream is poured. It’s quite a yummy scent, but the caramel smells very burnt to me, and there’s a floral scent, possibly the apple blossom’s floral side, which is not agreeing with me at all. Thankfully the cream isn’t sour at all. But where are the amber, teak and musk? All I’m getting are the gourmand notes, and they are turning strange on me. and I don’t smell any resemblance to Glowing Vulva here. After a while: after a moment of ‘oh damn, it’s Sugar Slathered Candy Apple, right down to the soapy apple and cloying toffee’, the smell has calmed. The apple isn’t turning too artificial on me, and the caramel isn’t amping too much, there’s a bit more honey. Now I can smell the skin musk, adding it’s velvety pale powdery scent over the whole scent. But I’m not crazy about the slightly burnt floral scent I get here…it seems to smell a tad soapy. With the caramel, it’s like the whole scent isn’t sitting right on me. It’s like this scent can’t decide whether or not to be foody. Where are the amber and teak? It reminds me a bit of Les Bijoux, but I prefer that one thanks to the peach, resins and rose. The apple blossom in here isn’t really agreeing with me. After a few hours I’m left with something much nicer, a honeyed apple scent softened by a skin musk reminiscent of Tamamo No Mae. I really like this now. Verdict: I had high hopes for this, hoping this would be a bit like Glowing Vulva meets Harikata, not too heavy on the caramel and with the apple blossom being subtle and gentle like it is in Cupid Complaining or Brisingamen. I love the art and the quote on the card she comes with. But this scent failed on me…the apple blossom was warped by my skin into some mutated fruity-floral with burnt and soapy tones to it, the cream and caramel turned heavy and cloying, the amber and teak went into hiding from this chaotic jumble of floral and gourmand. It was dissonant on me. the drydown was nicer, when the skin musk came out and the honey calmed the apple down a bit, but the agreeable drydown takes too long to get to after a couple of hours of evil toffee apples. I’m afraid that this lady does not agree with me at all. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? No, sadly. If you like this, try: Desire, Cupid Complaining to Venus, Verdandi, Les Bijoux, Eisheth Zenunim

Dyan Moon In the bottle: a soft mix of pale musk, roses, gentle blooms and herbs. Wet on skin: ok, it’s gone a bit sour now, and the bay is really showing up. Dry on skin: mmm, now it’s not bad! In fact, the sour fades completely. This is a warm pink rose scent, I can really smell the rose here along with the blue musk, and there are hints of lily, iris, camomile and maybe some sweetness from the mallow. But overall this is a soft pale scent which isn’t too herbal, too floral, and too woody. It’s a sweet rose shining under the moon, mixed with sweet blushing blossoms smoothed by blue musk. It’s incredibly pretty! It reminds me of a younger version of Rose Moon, or Moon Rose, for that matter. After a while: the rose grows stronger and the scent becomes a lovely white rose scent, a bit powdery now thanks to the iris, and for some reason, this scent reminds me a bit of Alice at this point! The rose is almost like Alice, there’s none of the creamy honeyed sweetness, but there is something that, at least on my skin, reminds me of the carnation in Alice. And also the white musky-milky scent. the lily and wisteria are not turning sour at all. I think the blue musk is making all those questionable notes work on me like it did with the lilac in Night Thoughts and the honeysuckle in Long Night Moon. After some time the lovely powdery iris-musk-rose scent then gains a woodsy scent, almost like sandalwood and a bit of bark. I wonder if that’s the chaste tree? Verdict: this is such a gorgeous rose scent! I was wary of buying a backup because a lot of the floral notes here sometimes turn to soap. But in this scent, they didn’t. this is an incredibly beautiful mix of youthful white roses glowing in the moonlight, with a soft whisper of nocturnal flowers and that wonderful ‘night air’ scent from the blue musk. It’s gorgeous and feminine and gentle, ethereal and haunting. It’s a delicate and approachable floral that shimmers in tones of silver and pink. It also turns into a scent a little bit like Alice, but not as creamy or sweet, but the rose here seems similar. I am going to have to track down another bottle because I really love this moon scent more than I thought I would. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Yes! If you like this, try: Rose Moon, Moon Rose, Venus, Sea of Tranquility, Nuit, Long Night Moon

Inez In the bottle: spicy and foody vanilla. Whoever said ‘cookies’ is dead on! Wet on skin: ah, now I smell the carnation and amber stepping out of the spicy vanilla! Dry on skin: ohh, gorgeousness! This smells like the perfect blend of amber, vanilla and carnation! Like a more golden-red Morocco, a gentler Hermia, a spicier Mouse’s Tale, this has elements of some of my favourite BPAL scents in it, but is also fabulous as it is. The vanilla still has a spicy scent to it and also a creamy aspect, but has lost it’s cookie scent. The carnation is strong and red and clove like. The amber is sublime, as usual, and the woods are a perfect background-the cedar is a bit like the one from Aelopile, but not as strong, the sandalwood is more obvious. After a while: after a short moment of ‘oh noes, it’s getting faint…please don’t leave me’, the scent actually amps up more than before, and smells even more beautiful! now the amber, carnation and vanilla musk have become warmer, richer, more rounded, the scent just glows beautifully off the skin. the sandalwood also joins in, and I think there’s a hint of myrrh. This is magnificent. I’d imagine this would go beautifully with L’Estate (the soap, and probably the other inquisition scents). The scent then turns into an ambery vanilla-infused Morocco, that same mix of carnation and sandalwood and musk made golden and sweeter. And then the amber becomes a tad stronger and this turns into a sweet amber carnation which is just irresistible. At times the vanilla and sandalwood comes out and this smells like Underpants with amber…in fact, this may be better than Underpants. Verdict: I love, love, love this one. I think this my new favourite amber-vanilla scent, and I can see it becoming the Snake Charmer of the Grindhouse. It is glowing amber gorgeousness and sweet vanilla cuddliness with spicy carnation and warm woods. It reminds me of Morocco meets Mouse’s Tale meets Underpants, a perfect combination of beautiful notes. The scent is soft but it shines on my skin, radiant and golden-orange-pink like a sunset. It is warm and sweet and sophisticated and comforting and sexy all at once, perfect for all seasons-I love the way it wafts in hot weather, surrounding me in a cloud of sweet amber loveliness, and yet it smells cosy and warm for colder days. It’s hard to pull my nose off my wrist when I wear this…it’s a shame this isn’t GC because I adore it so much, I’m going to have to hoard this scent-two bottles won’t do! Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Yes and I need multiples! If you like this, try: Morocco, Mouse’s Long and Sad Tale, Hymn to Proserpine, The Lion, Hermia, Wezwanie/Hold

The Buggre Alle This Bible In the imp: the lovechild of Riding the Goat and the Lurid Library. Wet on skin: whoa, old, ancient leather indeed! I smell oiled woods and dust…smells like a library! Dry on skin: mmm, I like this a lot. It smells like a shadowy version of Aziraphale, a more intense, less musky Lurid Library, with a hint of Dee and Riding the Goat. I smell a slightly oily woodsy scent reminiscent of polished woods, mahogany and maybe cedar. Very much like an old library. I also smell dust, aged paper, crumbly and faded pages, and even a bit of ink. And smoke…soft tobacco and incense smoke absorbed by paper. After a while: ah, now it smells more like the Lurid Library. Less golden and a lot deeper than LL, but now there’s a similar feel of musky incense to this, almost like an undercurrent of black musk, which has hints of the soft angelic musk from Aziraphale, but is a lot more dark, not ethereal and glowing. The dusty paper note is also there, as is the leather which is the ‘aged leather’ note which I prefer to the ‘kinky leather’ note which tends to amp. It is a subtle scent too, like a whisper of incense smoke captured in the pages of an old book. The scent fades into a gentle papery incense and leather scent. Soft, quiet, subtly smoky, and old. Verdict: I love the bookish scents Beth makes, this is what I’d imagine Aziraphale’s most infamous bible to smell like…ancient paper, yellowed and crumbly and dusty, infused with incense, lying on a wooden shelf in a Soho bookshop. Like a darker Lurid Library, or a less incense-heavy Dee, this is a wonderful mix of old paper and fragrant smokes mixed with the perfect leather note forming the worn covers of the bible. The tobacco note is really good here, subtle and sophisticated. I love book scents and anything evocative of paper and parchment, and I love incense, so this is a wonderful combination. I also imagine this would age fantastically. Buggre Alle This was one of my favourite bits in Good Omens, so I am so glad there is a scent of it and that it works so well on me! Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Oh yes. If you like this, try: Dee, Lurid Library, Riding the Goat, Aziraphale, Licwiclunga

Nanny Ashtoreth In the bottle: sweetened woody leather, a bit like Krampus and Crowley. Wet on skin: mmm, this is like Loviatar’s leather, sweetened with amber. I also smell wine? Dry on skin: whoa, this is a lot darker and woodier and more leathery than I expected, but I also can smell a rich, dark, red fruit note. That’s definitely the berries, but they smell more like red wine in here. Very dark and boozy. I also smell the leather, which could amp, but for now it’s behaving and it smells smooth and sexy. The woods are strong and deep, definitely polished, I’m thinking mahogany and ebony. The amber sweetens it all, but I don’t smell much in the way of honey or flowers. After a while: ok, now the leather has gone and amped up a lot. As in, eaten every other note that isn’t wood. This is the ‘kinky’ leather note, the one from De Sade and Krampus that, as of late, has been amping and turning oddly burnt on me. It’s doing that now, smelling of smoke and leather, but it’s like charred wood and slightly rubbery leather, and whilst I do like the smell of new shoes, but I was hoping for more of the amber, honey, flowers and berries! Where are they now? Where’s that sweet amber and wine scent from before? The sweet amber does make a comeback after a few hours, when the leather does calm a little. It still smells a bit charred though, and there’s no honey, berries or flowers here. Verdict: I was a little bit disappointed by the Nanny. I was hoping for more of the amber, honey and Middle Eastern flowers (whatever they are, they sounded intriguing) but this is pretty much all leather and woods on me. it seems that leather either works or doesn’t work these days, some leathers smell rich and aged and gorgeous but others amp and smell a little bit burnt…and that’s what the leather here does. It completely smothers the amber, honey, berries and flowers here (which I did smell at first). If I want honeyed leather I’ll stick to Hand of Glory. It does sweeten a bit at drydown, but it winds up smelling almost identical to Loviatar by then, and I think I prefer that one a bit more. I may keep a decant of this to see if age tames the leather, but it’s not a bottle scent. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Not sure. I was hoping for less leather… If you like this, try: Crowley, Loviatar, Krampus, Perversion, De Sade, Hand of Glory

No 93 Engine In the imp: ohhh, sweet gorgeous amber-lemon resinous incense! Wet on skin: the lemon balm and sage pop out, as does the frankincense. Dry on skin: oh yes, this is fabulous! This is one of the most beautiful incense scents ever! The frankincense is rich and gorgeous, and so is the beeswax, which in here smells just like church candles. I also smell other, more mysterious resins in here, a hint of spicy saffron too. The lemon balm adds a sweet gentle lemony scent to it all, but doesn’t get in the way of the glorious resins. The benzoin is beautifully sweet, almost like amber. And there’s a hint of gentle smoke to it all. This smells golden, sacred, magnificent. I think the lack of myrrh makes this lighter and more radiant than most incense scents. After a while: the lemon sweetens even more and the beeswax now gains a honeyed quality. The resins are still as wonderful as before and the scent overall still smells golden, almost solar. The resins now are also very sweet, the benzoin, I think, is that sweet ambery stuff that is also in Jacob’s Ladder and Thalassa, a rich benzoin resin. And the frankincense is wonderful. I just can’t stop sniffing myself, this is so beautiful. Over time it gets sweeter and more honeyed until it turns to a gorgeous light amber-frankincense resin with hints of hyssop and calamus, a soft smokiness like the incenses are smouldering a little, and it’s all topped with a dusting of powdered honey and lemon sugar. I also get that lovely brassy amber scent that I smelt in Robotic Scarab and Aelopile, a metal note that works on me, and possibly a common base for the Steamworks scents? The drydown after a few hours has a woody feel to it, like honeyed resins over gentle smouldering incense woods. It now reminds me of a lighter version of Cairo. Verdict: pretty much every incense/resin heavy scent that Beth does, I adore. She just does them so well. This is yet another olfactory orgasm of resinous love. This doesn't have the heavy note of myrrh, as a result this is a brighter incense scent. golden beeswax mingles with wonderful frankincense, exotic sweet balsams, amber-like benzoin, a touch of saffron and lemon make the scent even more golden and brilliant, the herbs add a drier aspect. It evokes shades of brass and gold without smelling too metallic. It’s the scent of a sacred machine, an engine anointed with holy oils. The mix of balsams and incense then develops honeyed tones and sweetens a bit more, never losing it’s resinous richness. This is a breathtaking scent and I cannot wait to see what a bit of age does to it. I will never, ever get bored of BPAL resin scents, and I can never have too many-this incredible scent is proof of that. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Oh hell yeah. If you like this, try: King Cobra, Heavenly Love and Earthly Love, Cairo, Philosopher in Meditation, Great Cry in Egypt, Ahathoor, Robotic Scarab, Aelopile, Hand of Glory

The Norn’s Farmhouse In the imp: salty herbs. I actually smell tomato here as well?? Wet on skin: still that odd salty tomato and basil smell, but now I smell something reminiscent of the green scent from Allison Gross which I didn’t like. Dry on skin: ooh, unusual, I rather like this now. The bitter green scent has retreated and what I smell now are the dusty woods (mainly cedar or mahogany/oak, reminiscent of the Haunted House and Ventriloquist’s Dummy, right down to that hint of patchouli) and also the ashes, which have a bonfire quality to them. The herbs now are a mix of the slightly soapy grassy green that I’m not keen on (I think that’s the nettle and apple blossom), and a lovely deeper green reminiscent of fresh basil and drier, wild Mediterranean herbs, a scent which I really like, and there’s a spicy, warm feel to it, a hint of ‘kitchen cupboard’, mixed with sun warmed herbs. After a while: oddly, now there’s a sweetness peeking through. It still smells savoury and herbal, a mix of mushy wet greens and dry herbs with a dusty woody background, but there’s a sweetness now, almost like a sweet musk, or a sandalwood note, or something nutty. It’s really pleasant and I love the way the herbal notes are becoming richer and warmer and smelling just like a summer’s evening, I can almost see the golden evening light shining on rural hills and old ruined farms when I smell this. The scent then turns back to it’s slight vegetable-herbal scent from before and now it smells like sun dried tomatoes! Yes, really! It smells like sun dried tomatoes with herbs and basil and a hint of chilli peppers, a little bit of olive oil and something tangy and balsamic which is almost like vinegar, but not as unpleasantly acidic. But it does smell like a kind of home made tomato and pepper pickle, or some kind of salad dressing or appetiser. However at the back, the green scent from before has turned mossy, it reminds me a bit of the Ghastly Garden’s green note. Verdict: this is such an interesting and different scent. I was expecting a cooler herb scent, greyer and ashier, but this to me evokes a farm kitchen in Spain or Italy with the scent of tomatoes, red peppers and herbs and other savoury condiments. It’s a very warm, welcoming scent, but not in that ‘sweet gourmand’ way, more like golden light pouring into a kitchen full of dried herbs and vegetables waiting to be made into a delicious dinner. I also smell wooden floorboards and ceilings, a hint of the dust from the attic above, and some greenery from outside. This scent fascinates me…not enough to get a bottle (I can’t get over how tomato-like it smells sometimes, and the green note borders on soapy) but I’ll keep my decant. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? I’ll keep it for it’s uniqueness and the images it evokes. If you like this, try: Allison Gross, Forbidding Foyer, Carfax Abbey, Licwiclunga, Ghastly Garden

The East In the imp: a soft herbal-floral scent. Wet on skin: mmm, this is nice. Not much mint, but I can smell thyme and currant and freesia. Dry on skin: this is such a pretty scent! it smells just like fairy flowers and wild herbs, just like I’d imagine the winds from beyond the Wall to smell. I can smell a fresh thyme (not a dry one but a slightly dewy thyme) mingling with tart redcurrant, and also some of the flowers, the freesia and passion flower being most obvious. No jasmine tea yet. The scent is very light and airy. After a while: now this reminds me of Glasgow, for some reason. There are no common notes in the two scents but there’s a similar floral-green-berry scent and a similar breezy clean feel to them both. Maybe there’s an ozone note to this as this along with the fruity notes reminds me of Shivering Boy, oddly enough. There’s something here reminiscent of the vineyard scent in there. Now this scent is a bit less fruity and a bit more floral-green, the currant still hangs around but isn’t as rich and round as the one in Fairy Wine or Anactoria. And the floral notes, though pretty, aren’t as lovely and multifaceted as before, they smell a bit plainer now, and are turning just a tad soapy. Though I do smell some Chinese tea here (not jasmine o’ doom!) which is nice, but I was hoping for more. The scent seems to fade fast as well, leaving just a flat and slightly soapy floral behind. Verdict: I had high hopes for this because I loved the description of the East in the book, so evocative. And the note list looked perfect for the concept. And whilst I like this, on my skin there seems to be something missing…it’s not as perfect as I hoped. However, it’s a very pleasant scent and one where the jasmine seems to work. I really like the first 30 minutes of wear, when it smells like breezes carrying the scents of wet herbs and currants and enchanted flowers, very airy and soft. The scent seems to gain a hint of ozone or something clean and smooth as it dries down, but then it loses the initial richness and many dimensions it had when just applied…something in here smells a little bit flat to me, and then it turns just a tad soapy. I was hoping for more from the redcurrant here. It’s nice but not a keeper…I think I’ll stick with Fairy Market and Fairy Wine for scents that evoke the world Beyond the Wall. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Not really. If you like this, try: Glasgow, Fairy Wine, Shivering Boy

Jasmine Cottage In the imp: a very green grassy and sharp floral. This has the potential to totally soap/sour on me. Wet on skin: ack, sour florals and bitter greenery! Dry on skin: soapy flowers and bitter, acid greenery. This is no good on me at all. It reminds me of Her Voice and the drydown of the Passionate Shepherd, also a bit of One to Tie, and of course, this has a jasmine note that seems to be turning bad on me. It’s got a hint of that florist shop scent, but overall this is a mix of bitter soap that I really dislike. I’m not sure if it’s the jasmine, heather, or wildflowers doing this, maybe a mix of several things. But it’s pretty much failing on my skin. After a while: this does seem to fade a bit but it’s still florals and crushed bitter weeds on my skin. The green aspect isn’t so bad now. I do smell quite a strong dandelion note here-maybe that’s one of the wildflowers? But it actually really smells of dandelion and jasmine for now. And there’s a floral note here which is really soapy. This actually reminds me of one of the green-floral Tarot scents. And then, poof, it completely vanishes. No more flowers, grass, dandelions, soapiness…next to nothing, actually. Verdict: this was just a floral mess on my skin. Some florals I can do, but not this one…it seems the flowery scents with strong green stem/grass/florist shop nuances tend to turn really bitter, soapy, acrid and wilted once they hit my skin. This one does this. Maybe it’s the jasmine, maybe it’s the wildflowers, but this smells harsh and like an unfriendly tangle of weeds to me. it’s a shame because I love the smell of fresh flowers and greenery in nature. The scent also fades incredibly fast-in two hours, the scent pretty much disappears. Not my thing. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? No. If you like this, try: Her Voice, Eos, The Passionate Shepherd, New Orleans, One to Tie, The East

Pepper In the imp: very similar to Hermia, a pink pepper floral scent. I think I smell rose and orange. Wet on skin: I have no idea why the blood orange/bergamot smells of grapefruit now, but it does. So now it’s a peppered citrus, like Teenage Cannibal. Dry on skin: mmm, I really like this. Now I can smell a soft gardenia or tuberose note. This is a wonderful mix of floral and fruit notes with a feisty kick of spice. I smell the orange and the white flowers with the piquant notes of pepper and ginger. I can also smell a hint of pine resin and maybe berries too. Not much rose or geranium for now, I can’t smell much vanilla or honey either, but this seems like a less candied version of Teenage Cannibal to me, with a hint of Screeching Parrot and Biggercritters. The scent also makes me think of a more youthful Lucy Westenra. After a while: the citrus and pepper have toned down a little, now I smell more of the gardenia and now, the vanilla. This is still spicy but it’s more of a gentle floral at this point, with a touch of lovely blood orange to it. The pine resin adds something almost smoky to it all. The spices gradually fade to reveal a gentle, feminine floral scent, gardenia and tuberose sweetened by vanilla and a hint of honey, with a little bit of berry and orange adding some tartness. Now it reminds me of Mad Kate, but a little bit less floral. Verdict: I really like this youthful, spicy citrus-floral. There’s a lovely traditional flowery scent to it but it smells fresh and lively, and the spices and citrus notes add something gutsy and confident to the scent. The pink pepper is wonderful, of course, as is the blood orange which seems to smell a bit like grapefruit here. The scent seems like a very good representation of the character-this is a girly floral scent you don’t want to mess with. By the end the sweeter notes come out, the vanilla and honey mingle with the gardenia and it smells a bit fainter, less punchy and spicy but very pretty. I’m not sure if it’s a favourite though because my skins seems to eat this up, and there are other rose-orange and pink pepper scents I prefer, but it’s a really lovely blend of different notes that work really well together, and it’s a fabulous scented interpretation of one of my favourite Good Omens characters. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Definitely the decant. Need to decide whether or not it’s a bottle scent, but I really like this one. If you like this, try: Lovestruck Teenage Cannibal, Hermia, Lucy Westenra, MB Biggercritters, Screeching Parrot, Alice, Mad Kate

The Ifrit In the imp: soft powdery sweet musk with a hint of spice. A bit like Morocco, but redder. Wet on skin: interesting. It smells soft and powdery with hints of cinnamon, musk and DB. Dry on skin: mmm, I like this. It reminds me somewhat of the Darkswan soap, Egyptian Dragon, which I love the smell of. It’s a powdery sweet spice with a pleasant dragon’s blood note and a hint of deep red musk and tobacco underneath. The sand note seems to be more of a sweet golden dust, dry and powdery but really nice, almost reminiscent of Morocco’s sweet spicy musk. The spices are incredibly subtle, cinnamon is there but I can’t smell much pepper or ginger. After a while: ah, now this gets a little spicier, a little bit warmer, a bit more fiery. It’s still that gentle sandy powdery musk, warm and golden-pink like dunes in the sunset. But now I can smell more of the ginger and just a hint of pepper. The dragon’s blood seems to be the kind from the likes of Red Moon that agrees with my skin. This is a lovely warm desert scent, dry and dusty and exotic. This to me is the more masculine (but not too masculine) version of Bilquis. The scent then goes back to it’s soft, dusty musk scent, almost ethereal, like a wisp of sand caught in the wind, with a spicy warmth behind it. Verdict: this one surprised me, pleasantly. I was expecting something a lot more fiery, spicy and desert-y, but what I got is a gentle powdery spicy musk with a red undertone. I was very intrigued by the sand note, and it’s really nice, dusty and powdery and dry as expected. Different to the scent of airy heat hazes radiating from rocks and desert breezes from Ozymandias, this is powdery and crumbly, almost like ash from incense, still fragrant. The spices are gentle, cinnamon being strongest, and the red musk is the soft kind, not the raunchy red musk. It almost has a Morocco-ish feel to it at times. I was very pleased by the dragon’s blood though, it’s not turning to floral of doom/red crayons on me like usual. It just adds a dry redness to the whole scent. Definitely a keeper and it’s very wearable, maybe a little too soft, maybe could do with a bit more bite and heat to it, but I really love it all the same, as it evokes the colours of a desert sunset. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Yes! So glad to have a dragon’s blood scent work on me. If you like this, try: Morocco, Ozymandias, Red Moon, Vampire from Planet X, Bilquis, Plunder, Mr Jacquel

The Antikythera Mechanism In the imp: mmm, like Glowing Vulva, but with vanilla instead of amber! Creamy teak and smoke! The oil is the most intense shade of crimson-maroon I’ve seen. Wet on skin: sweet vanilla against deep woods and tobacco. Dry on skin: oh yeah, that’s the stuff! Very similar to Glowing Vulva, the teak and creamy vanilla notes are similar, but this is darker, a bit less creamy, and with a bit more wood and also some tobacco adding a smoky richness. The vanilla is sweet and almost buttercreamy but not cloying or overly gourmand. The teak is a deep dark wood with a hint of patchouli-like earthiness to it. The oak is a paler, slightly more barky/green wood. This to me is a bit like Haloes as well, slightly less sweet though. The tobacco, for now at least, is perfectly smoky but not burnt-smelling like in Black Lace. After a while: the vanilla wood scent this has wafts like crazy, and I love it! it smells more vanilla-y at a distance, when close up I smell more of the woods, especially the greenish oak note. The tobacco here is really lovely, I think it’s like the one in Pinched, really smooth and smoky and rich, not too masculine. It really reminds me of elements of Haloes and Vulva at times, with a hint of Pinched. And dare I say this is a more mature version of Underpants? Verdict: this is, of course, so wonderful. I had high hopes since I love the idea of scent named after this remarkable contraption built far ahead of its time, and it smells fantastic. This is the lovechild of Underpants and Glowing Vulva with a bit of Haloes thrown in. It’s got the terrific teak note I loved from Vulva, and a gorgeous rich vanilla which is a cross between creamy and gourmand and rich and sensual. The tobacco in here is just right-smoky and smooth, and the oak adds a lighter wood aspect. This is what I was hoping to smell in Black Lace and Tombstone, it’s a grown up woodsy vanilla with a hint of the richness of fine chocolate to it (but it doesn’t smell like chocolate). I adore this one and I’m so glad I went for a bottle straight away! Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Oh hell yeah. If you like this, try: Haloes, Glowing Vulva, Velvet, Black Lace, Tombstone

The Robotic Scarab In the bottle: a sweet smooth slightly metallic and spicy scent, very pleasant! Wet on skin: oh, this is lovely! Spicy and sweet and smooth resin. Dry on skin: this is gorgeous! Really gorgeous. I can’t say exactly what I’m smelling because it’s not obviously metallic. It’s not obviously leathery. It’s not obviously anise-y and not obviously frankincense-y either. It’s like a mix of all of those but also a scent that isn’t those at all. Not very helpful description huh? All I know is that it smells warm, sweet, smooth, fruity (where’s that coming from?), a bit creamy (ditto!), I do get hints of the perfumey notes I come to expect from metal scents but they are not as edgy here. It reminds me very slightly of Aelopile for a moment, even though the scents share no notes. The frankincense is a smooth golden resin, not a smoky incense. the leather is very discreet, almost nonexistent. And the anise doesn’t show up much either. But I love this. After a while: the metal notes get a bit more obvious, but they are really nice. Not as electric and biting as in Phoenix Steamworks, but there’s a nice tangy cool scent here. The frankincense is really calming the metal notes down (maybe the leather is too?) and I still smell that lovely smooth sweet lovely scent that I can’t put my finger on, but I adore. Maybe it’s the lubricating oils? If so, they smell not like mechanical oils like I expected, but like smooth sweet resins, amber and herbal oils, they smell golden and soothing. At this point I get a hint of that lovely drydown from Aelopile, that golden resin scent. Verdict: out of all the metallic scents I’ve tried so far, this is my absolute favourite! It’s not at all what I expected, but I adore it…it’s even better than what I expected. I bought a bottle unsniffed because I just couldn’t resist the combination of ancient Egypt with steampunk. And I’m so glad I did, despite this containing two questionable notes (anise and metal). This smells wonderful, full of frankincense and spice and warmth, an unexpected sweetness and a metal note that doesn’t set my teeth on edge, but smells realistic enough and very wearable. It’s actually quite hard to describe this scent except to say that it doesn’t smell blatantly like it’s notes, and I happen to adore it. A unisex scent perfect for any season, the perfect fusion of ancient and modern. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Of course. If you like this, try: Phoenix Steamworks, Aelopile, Mechanical Phoenix, Khephra, No 93 Engine

Dragon Moon 08 In the bottle: lavender, sage, green pine and herbs and something that may or may not turn to soap. Wet on skin: now I smell the green sappy scent of galbanum mixing with grass, sage and frankincense. Dry on skin: not bad! There is a lot of dragon’s blood here, the kind that isn’t so agreeable on my skin, but there are lots of other lovely things here as well. overall, the scent is very green and red, green from the herbs and grass notes, red from the DB, with flashes of gold from the frankincense. I smell hints of lavender and magnolia, but it seems to me that the dragon’s blood seems to be amping and turning a bit soapy…please no, I want my beloved resins and herbs, not DB…but let’s see what happens. After a while: no, no, no! dragon’s blood reared up, amped up and soaped out completely! It’s taken over the scent! all I can smell now is DB, not the lovely dragon’s blood I liked in Red Moon and Vampire from Planet X, but the DB that smells like soapy lilacs and crayons on me. The magnolia note makes it even soapier, and I can’t smell any of my beloved frankincense, no more herbs, just a hint of grass, but overwhelming dragon’s blood. it is a bit nicer than the old Dragon Moon though. The soapy DB lingers for ages until finally I get a hint of something like dry grass and sandalwood. Verdict: Dragon Moon, you disappoint me again, sadly…I wasn’t keen on the last version. I was hoping this would be much nicer because of the resins and herbs. But sadly, the dragon’s blood in here is much too strong (which isn’t surprising, it’s a dragon scent after all) and, after a not bad start, this dragon goes a little crazy and completely obliterates all traces of the herbs and other resins (I was especially saddened when it trampled over my beloved frankincense) and turns this scent to red soap! So for the rest of the scent’s duration, all I smell here is floral dragon’s blood, and not much else. How I wish I could have got the wonderful resins everyone else seemed to get! Thankfully I managed to find a new home for my bottle. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? No, because this dragon’s blood hates me. If you like this, try: Dragon Moon 06, anything from Ars Draconis, Serpent’s Kiss, Bat’s Blood Resurrected, The Emperor, Allison Gross

MVJBA Spring Training 08 In the imp: caramel. Butterscotch and toffee with nuts. Very similar to Mitzvah. Wet on skin: mmm, delicious butterscotch. Very sugary but not too strong. Dry on skin: huh? It’s gone quiet on me, oddly. All I can smell is sugar and butter, but not the strong nutty caramel from before. Just a soft golden butterscotch glaze. I can’t smell peanuts or popcorn in here, just a very agreeable caramel. In fact, this smells EXACTLY like Werthers Originals! And I mean, spot on! I do get a slight hint of the coffee scent some people talk about, and the similarity to Misk U, but it’s mainly English toffee/butterscotch on me. And there’s nothing burnt or overpowering to this caramel. After a while: oh, this gets better. It still smells like Werthers or traditional English toffee, but now I smell something to it that reminds me of being in an Italian ice cream parlour. And I love that smell, brings back so many holiday memories…it’s a mix of coffee and chocolate and cream and vanilla and nuts and caramel, it smells inviting and delicious. Urge to nibble wrist rising, rising, rising… Verdict: I thought this would be far too cloying. Toffee, caramel, popcorn and peanuts? I thought this would be way too cavity-inducing and sickly for me. but this is fast becoming my favourite foody. Finally, a BPAL pure caramel I can wear! This reminds me of two of my favourite things-Werthers Originals, and holidays in Italy because it smells just like gelato and ice cream parlours with coffee. I don’t smell peanuts or popcorn here, actually, just a hint of nuts with brown sugar and butterscotch. And despite this being incredibly gourmand, it’s still very subtle, much more subtle than Misk U, and not cloying at all. It smells delicious alone, but I bet it would be lovely layered, like a caramel sauce poured on a favourite dessert, this would sweeten up any scent really nicely. This is what I was hoping to get from Mitzvah and Gluttony, all the caramels really. I’m glad I have a bottle. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? So glad I have a bottle. If you like this, try: Miskatonic University, Gluttony, Cockaigne, Arrival at the Sabbath, Midway, Gula bath oil

Upa Upa In the imp: spicy rum, a scent more reminiscent of winter festivities than summer. Wet on skin: cinnamon rum swirled into a pina colada! Dry on skin: mmm, this is delicious! This reminds me of Egg Nog, but with a more summery feel. The pina colada scent is definitely there, but the rum is the strongest note. It’s a heavy, warm, spicy rum, but not a butter rum. There is a caramelised scent to it though, and the vanilla sweetens it even more. I smell coconut (drier than the Tiki King and Queen coconut) and a tiny hint of pineapple. After a while: this is really good. The rum here is so good-cinnamon spiced and warm and almost reminiscent of Christmas. Actually, this smells like a tropical Christmas to me, warm rum, festive spices with a splash of pineapple and coconut. The coconut is very nutty and husky, like coconut shreds, like the coconut in Goblin. Eventually this becomes all sweet coconut…no more pineapple and rum. Lots of sweet, sweet foody vanilla all over grated coconut. It smells like those toasted coconut sweets, and suntan lotion. Not bad, but I preferred the spicy rum and pineapple scent I got at the start. Verdict: this is such a fun scent! It’s pina colada, but it’s also much more than that. The rum is spiced, which makes it more interesting. I smell cinnamon in here, and mixed with rum it gives an almost festive feel to the whole scent, sort of like a ‘Christmas in the southern hemisphere’ scent. then there’s the pineapple, which is perfect, doesn’t go sour/fake like the one in Rangoon Riptide. The coconut smells of coconut milk (which then turns to coconut shavings), and the vanilla sweetens it all. I do prefer the first hour of wear when it’s all spicy, the drydown is a nice vanilla coconut but lacks the cinnamon warmth before. But I love it enough to have got myself a partial bottle-this will smell equally lovely in both summer and winter. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? I have a half-bottle. If you like this, try: Egg Nog, The Star, Goblin, Elegba, Te Po, Red Lantern, Grog

Marae In the imp: floral notes and dry gardenia…please don’t tell me that’s the gardenia my skin warps into evilness? Wet on skin: ack! It is the gardenia my skin hates! Though it’s not doing it’s worst here, yet… Dry on skin: whoa, burnt petals and cloying fruitiness! This is gardenia, but not the lovely gardenia from Honey Moon, Angeronalia or even Swan Maiden that I like. This is the Sacred Whore gardenia that turns sharp and burnt on my skin…and this time, it has a sickly undertone of overripe fruit, like banana. I can smell some monoi here, but the gardenia is overpowering. The only thing that comes close to smelling of incense here for now is that burnt petal smell. After a while: ah, now that smells a lot nicer. The cloying gardenia backs off and the lovely tiare takes over. Now that’s the kind of gardenia I like. However, this isn’t as glorious as Tiki Queen. It’s a bit fainter that TQ, softer, with hints of the fruitiness of the other gardenia note but none of the richness and fullness that TQ has. And where’s the incense? I was really looking forward to smelling incense in here but apart from an incredibly faint and vague smokiness, I don’t get much incense at all. Despite it’s faintness compared to Tiki Queen, this is a really nice monoi scent. Warm and sensual, the rounded floral scent occasionally wafts and surprises me with it’s loveliness, like the scent of gardenia gently lingering in the summer night air. It’s still not a love compared with TQ, but it’s growing on me. Verdict: after the glorious Tiki Queen, I thought this would be just as fabulous, tropical flowers and incense? surely that should work? Not so, since the gardenia in here happens to be the gardenia note I dislike and my skin turns sour, acrid and burnt with a hint of rotting fruit. Thankfully it’s not too strong on the ‘evil gardenia’ as it was in Has No Hanna. But the gardenia does take over and overpower every other note, I get hardly any tiare and vanilla, and save for a burnt petal note, hardly any incense. the drydown is much nicer, when the scent turns to a nicer tropical floral, and more of the monoi note I love shows up. However, the scent is faint by now, not as powerful and gutsy as TQ, this seems a little weak despite the heady flowers. Overall this wasn’t a keeper for me, I sold my two bottles, though I did keep my half-decant, because there aren’t enough monoi scents in BPAL and I really like what this eventually turns into. But I wish it had more incense… Emoticon rating: :| Is it a keeper? No, I don’t like the ‘bad gardenia’ beginning. If you like this, try: Tiki Queen, Sacred Whore of Babylon, Has No Hanna, Lady of Shalott, Tupapau

In the imp: sour bamboo? This smells like a really odd bamboo… Wet on skin: now it smells nicer. Strong bamboo, like the Asian moons, with deep green palm. Dry on skin: not bad. I can smell all the notes-the wet, pulpy, fresh green scent of bamboo, the drier but deeper green of the palm fronds (this isn’t a sweet dry palm husk scent like Havana) and the crisp tea-like hibiscus. The palm and hibiscus remind me very slightly of Meshkenet, but without the reeds and resins. But the bamboo, the strongest note, reminds me of the Asian scents, especially Holiday Moon. This smells more like Summer Holiday Moon! After a while: now the palm note becomes much drier, and the bamboo note turns a little bit soapy? I’m not so crazy about the bamboo now. It reminds me of the sharp-soapy note I got in Holiday Moon. I think I only really like bamboo in scents like Habu and Peacocks, where there are lots of other notes mixing with it. Verdict: not too sure about this. Bamboo can either smell gorgeous (like Habu) or soapy, sadly it turns soapy in here. It smells like Holiday Moon on holiday at first, bamboo and greenery, not tea but palm, a bit of hibiscus. It’s pleasant and the palm note is really good. But then the bamboo turns soapy, takes over, and then turns sharp and sour, before the whole scent disappears very fast. Not really my thing, I’m afraid. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Not really. If you like this, try: Holiday Moon, Sleepy Moon, Habu, Meshkenet, Caliban

Golden Wave In the decant: tangerine and passion fruit. Reminds me of a soap/shower gel, maybe from the Body Shop? Wet on skin: tangerine, passion fruit and a bit of sweet guava. Dry on skin: mmm, not bad! The citrus-guava combination reminds me very slightly of Cheshire Moon and Xanthe, only in here, the guava isn’t as sweet. The tangerine is strongest, a lovely zingy pulpy citrus, with a touch of sharp passion fruit. I only smell the slightest hint of G&T. After a while: the tangerine sticks around for a surprisingly long time. Now it smells just like tangerine peel and guava, with hints of passion fruit. It’s faint, but really lovely, bright and fruity. It now reminds me of Xanthe, not as sweet, but the guava and citrus scent is very similar. It seems to be fading very fast, but it smells so nice! Like a delicious tropical fruit juice. Usually I say ‘I want to eat my wrist’, but this time, I want to drink it up. Verdict: this is one of the Tiki scents I prefer. It’s not the longest lasting, or the strongest, but it smells so juicy and fresh and fruity, not too boozy, it smells like some kind of delicious tropical juice. Guava is fast becoming one of my favourite fruit notes, I love it in Cheshire Moon and Xanthe, and it’s lovely in here, with the passion fruit and the sharp tangerine. The gin is so faint but gives the faint impression of a shot of booze. This smells perfectly summery. My only complaint is that it doesn’t last very long on me at all…not as lovely as Cheshire Moon, but I really like it. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? I managed to get a partial bottle, which is fine for me... If you like this, try: Xanthe, Cheshire Moon, Tweedledee, Tweedledum, Rangoon Riptide

Tiki King In the imp: creamy coconut and tangy lemon juice. Like Carnaval Diabolique, but more lemony. Wet on skin: the lemon gives way to coconut and musk. Dry on skin: mmm, this is gorgeous! A truly wonderful coconut note, not dry or scrubby or ‘suntan lotion’ like most coconuts can be, this is actually like the coconut in Eden, a mix of milky and toasted coconut with a smooth undertone. The lemon adds a zingy and sunny touch. Underneath, I smell the sweet, slick, dark scent of the black musk, very much like the musk in Titus Andronicus or Desire. I don’t smell the bark. This is sexy coconut! It also reminds me of the Pearls. After a while: ohhh, this gets really good. The lemon fades, but so does the coconut…it seems to merge into the musk. And what a musk it is-such a sultry, dark, slightly sweet, sleek and sensual. This would smell magnificent on a guy (I picture a dark, tanned and handsome man with coconut oil on his skin, walking along a tropical beach, when I smell this) but it’s also beautifully unisex. I now smell something almost like sandalwood to this, or dry palm husks. This is such a sexy scent, sweet coconut with a fantastic dark musk. The only problem is that it seems to be getting faint quite fast, compared with the Queen who is loud and attention seeking with her bold gardenia note, the King is reserved, keeping his warm, musky coconut to himself, the scent of sun warmed coconut oil lingering gently on my skin like the memory of a beautiful summer romance… Verdict: I wasn’t expecting to love this so, but the King is almost as wonderful as the Queen. To me, this is a darker and sexier version of Eden with a hint of Carnaval Diabolique. A really, really sexy coconut scent. It smells of sun warmed tanned skin scented with real coconut oil (not the fake suntan lotion scent) made even more wonderful by the sweet, sensual black musk. There’s a touch of wood too, and the lemon note is lovely, a hint of bright citrus which is fleeting but so pleasant. The overall scent is subtle yet oh so delicious. This is one of my new favourite coconut-heavy scents, it is everything I want from a coconut scent and then some. Beautifully unisex too. I’m so glad I got a bottle at the last minute! Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Oh yes. I’m glad I grabbed a bottle. If you like this, try: Carnaval Diabolique, Shoggoth, Goblin, Eden, Black Pearl, Blood Pearl, Red Lantern, Elegba

Tiki Queen In the bottle: floral sweetness. I smell monoi, but there’s also a smell like lotus in here. Wet on skin: ohh, glorious tropical blooms! Dry on skin: wow, this is beautiful! With every sniff, it’s like I’m transported to Tahiti. It’s mainly the sweet heady scent of monoi, as well as a scent like that of frangipani flowers. The whole scent has a candied sweetness to it very reminiscent of lotus, that sweetness boosted by vanilla. I also smell what could be the neroli, a slight orange tang. There’s a hint of creamy coconut, like a coconut meat or milk scent. I do smell something slightly bittersweet underneath, maybe the ylang-ylang, but overall this is the ultimate tropical floral scent. After a while: mmm, this gets even nicer. I thought the ylang would turn all sharp and chemical but it didn’t, and the scent has become mellower and softer, it’s a wonderful voluptuous petal scent. It now smells of pure monoi, the perfect gardenia scent. Decadent yet summery. This scent is sultry and sexy, feminine and so beautiful…this is what I wanted to get from other gardenia and island flower scents. I think I smell hints of tuberose and coconut around the edges but it’s mainly the scent of garlands of gardenia and frangipani and tanned skin rubbed with monoi. The scent then turns to a pure but glorious gardenia. From start to finish, it gives off throw like nobody’s business. It’s a powerful but gorgeous floral! In fact, now this smells very much like my Geodesis Tiare candle (and it’s a very, very good quality candle, I love the way it smells). Verdict: finally, the tropical scent of my dreams has come, in the form of the luscious and beautiful Tiki Queen! A scent bursting with monoi, a note I’ve always wanted to smell in BPAL. The gardenia in here broadcasts herself to the world, with a scent that speaks of summer and exotic island getaways. The other florals support the monoi whilst the coconut and vanilla add a creamy smooth base to the whole scent, but really and truly, the monoi is the queen (ha ha!) of this blend. This is the epitome of the Pacific island floral scent. It’s what I wanted the likes of Pele and Hi’iaka to be. When I wear it, it can be raining and cold outside but my skin exudes the scent of sunshine, white beaches, blue seas, grass skirts, leis, waving palm trees, sipping coconut water straight from the coconut, and total tropical bliss. The winner of the Luau collection! Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Yes-two bottles. This is everything I’ve wanted in a monoi scent. If you like this, try: Euphrosyne, Forbidden Fruit, Ecstasy of St Theresa, Hony Mone, Marae

Opuhi In the imp: barely there vanilla and a trace of ginger. Wet on skin: gentle, almost soapy vanilla with some powdered ginger. Dry on skin: ginger powder. This smells just like the ground ginger you get in a spice cupboard, or like a dried root of ginger. It’s ginger with warmth and spark, but without the juice. It’s also a pale ginger, not a red one or a sweet one, this is like the ginger in Vampire Tears. Around it, the softest of vanillas can just about be detected, sweet but shy. A hint of something almost like white musk or a watery note also lurks in here. There is, to me, a soapy aspect to the scent that I’m not sure I’m keen on, slightly powdery and a bit too soapy-clean? Maybe it’s the orchid or blossom aspect of the scent doing this. It’s also a very faint scent. After a while: ok, now it’s got a little bit stronger, and I really smell the vanilla. This is the gourmand, spicy, warm vanilla, not the musky one, this is very much a foody, squishy vanilla tinged with something almost like cinnamon. It reminds me strongly of the vanilla in Perilous Parlour, Pumpkin Cheesecake, and the old Beaver Moon. There’s very little ginger now, and there’s still a soapy aspect to the scent…and sadly, now I smell a bit of plastic. And that plastic mixed with that particular vanilla brings to mind a smell I really hoped I’d never smell in BPAL…car freshener. Yup, like those little gel sticker/cardboard hanging things that make cars smell of cloying vanilla, mixed with the smell of seat fabric and seatbelts and plastic fittings. That car smell brings back unpleasant memories of being carsick and that smell just exaggerating the nausea. It seems this vanilla only works in purely foody contexts, not with floral notes that may turn plastic. After a few hours, this actually gets a lot better. The car freshener smell dies down a little, the plastic fades completely, and the vanilla turns into that same stone-like and cool vanilla from Black Opal. I love Black Opal and it’s cool, mysterious, mineral vanilla scent, so this pleases me greatly…this is a little bit more gourmand-floral though, whilst Black Opal was musky and aloof. I think overall I prefer the Opal to Opuhi…having said that I really love the drydown. It takes about 5 hours to turn truly lovely. I really don’t know now. I love this vanilla scent I’m getting, like a sweeter Black Opal, gently powdery in the best way, but is it really worth tolerating the ‘car sickness’ stage to get to this? Verdict: this saddened me a bit. I love BPAL vanillas, they converted me completely to someone who thought it smelt too sickly to someone who adores them. And this sounded like a lovely spicy-floral vanilla. But it failed a bit on my skin. The ginger is too dry and ‘powdered ginger’ like, not the ginger tea or gingerbread note I like. The orchid was too soapy, and the vanilla…well I hoped I would warm to it, but it went into the rather unfortunate stage of smelling like car air freshener (those vanilla ‘magic trees’ I think) which has bad associations for me. It’s a more plastic vanilla than usual. I must say, I do prefer this to Love’s Philosophy. And I really like the drydown, which reminds me of Black Opal. But I much prefer that scent because it doesn’t go bad on me at the beginning like this does, and if I want vanilla orchid, I’ll stick with Regan. I really wanted to love this because it is so popular, but I’m sure I can sell my bottle easily! Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? No. I’m saddened by this. Despite the lovely drydown, I wanted it to smell of vanilla orchids, not memories of being sick on long car journeys… If you like this, try: Love’s Philosophy, Regan, Perilous Parlour, Beaver Moon (any), Sudha Segara

Screeching Parrot In the imp: lots and lots of grapefruit, even more grapefruity than other grapefruit BPALs. Wet on skin: pungent grapefruit, ginger and a bit of booze. Dry on skin: not bad, but whoa, that’s some scary grapefruit! It’s a bitter, sour citrus, not the sweet grapefruit from Cheshire Moon and Schrodinger’s Cat, but a much more intense yuzu-like one. I don’t smell much of the lime because the grapefruit is too powerful. I do smell some candied ginger, a dash of various booze notes too. No pomegranate or apricot yet. After a while: the grapefruit finally dies down a bit, and now it’s pretty much all ginger and booze. I can smell rum and brandy, just a bit. But still not the sweet apricot I was expecting…I don’t actually smell apricot here at all. And unfortunately, the ginger is starting to smell a bit savoury. It’s a fresh ginger, juicily spicy and piquant, like sniffing a cut root of ginger, but it smells too much like something I’d smell in my dinner, not in a cocktail. It’s turning too savoury on me. I do smell the barest hint of pomegranate now, but it’s not as obvious as I hoped it would be. The scent stays as pure savoury ginger now, with very little in the way of other notes. Not even the booze notes come out now, it’s all ginger. Not bad, but I prefer the sweeter gingers. Verdict: it’s a shame this didn’t work…all I got was screeching grapefruit! Really loud and overwhelming, not a gentle grapefruit with sweetness which I love. It lasted a good long time and then the ginger comes in, again, not my kind of ginger. It smells almost like something from a curry here, too savoury. I don’t get any apricot. Hardly any pomegranate and even the booze doesn’t show up much, grapefruit and ginger are too much in charge. Shame, because this scent has a beautiful label! Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? No. If you like this, try: Night Gaunt, Aizen Myoo, Hungry Ghost Moon, Croquet, The Hamptons

I love how nerdy he looks! I love the Gaiman labels

La Primavera soap The soap: this comes in a beautiful wrapper, and has also been plastic wrapped to keep in the smell. The soap is light green with a soft texture (cuts like butter, as someone else remarked). The smell of the soap when dry is a zingy citrus-floral with a slight green tea like scent, and moss. It actually reminds me of Cauldron Gunk. Washing with the soap: it has a soft lather and feels very nice to wash with. Doesn’t leave hands too dry either, I don't feel that I urgently need lotion after washing with it. And the scent is perfect-I don’t like my soaps too overpoweringly scented and this is scented subtly and doesn’t clash with other scents. The skin scent is a little bit different to the bar scent, it’s heavier on the tuberose and I also smell more of the orange blossom, with a hint of green powdery moss. Very bright, refreshing and youthful scent, it reminds me of Fire Pig as well, a similar spring blossoms and citrus scent. The scent sticks around but still stays subtle, the way I like it. Overall I am very happy with this soap, both it’s texture and the way it is gentle on the skin, and the fragrance. This lively, happy scent is perfect for warm spring days, and I would love to see this scent, or something similar, make it into one of the Inquisition products!