yeahbutnobut

Spirit of the Komachi Cherry Tree In the imp: sweet blushing cherry blossom, almost sugared. Wet on skin: a soft lavender note comes out to mingle with the sugary cherry blossom. Dry on skin: now I smell a bit of the honey too. This is unbelievably gorgeous! The cherry blossom is the star of the scent, and it smells fluffy and pink and sweet and innocent. The pear sweetens it up with it's almost syrupy fruity scent, whilst the slightly bitter scent of lilac joins the cherry blossom. I smell lavender honey, but this honey is so gentle and sweet, not a sharp honey, this is like the honey note in Itaso Kansei, or Al Araaf, or even Dana O'Shee. This is almost like Al Araaf turned Japanese, I think. After a while: there's a moment when I think 'oh no, the lilac is turning soapy!' but then that quickly fades. Now this really does smell like Al Araaf, but with a definite emphasis on cherry blossom. I wonder if there's CB in Al Araaf? It's almost marshmallow sweet, fluffy and pink but very graceful, not childish. The lilac in this scent is very well behaved now. The sandalwood adds a nice grounded base to it all. This is like Kyoto with honey replacing the anise note I wasn't crazy about in that scent. The scent eventually settles into the loveliest honeyed cherry blossom scent ever. The honey becomes much stronger at drydown and develops a slight tang that I get in other honey scents. Verdict: I never thought I loved cherry blossom so much until I tried at least three more recent scents that had this as a main component, and loved them. This is a beautiful scent which highlights cherry blossom in the best way possible, boosting it's gentle, delicate sweet pinkness with supporting notes of lavender honey (a true delight of a honey note) juicy pear and sandalwood, and a hint of lilac. It is a soft, fluffy, sugary and very pink scent but not blatantly sugared. The lilac in here is so nice-not wilted smelling at all. What surprised me was the way it reminded me so much of Al Araaf-it's the combination of a light honey note with dainty blossoms. I love Al Araaf so now I know what to get when I run out. The scent is very graceful, youthful and feminine, but not your usual girly scent. This makes me feel young and cheerful and is such a springtime scent, and fits the painting perfectly. I will definitely get a bottle some day, but since it smells like springtime, I think I'll wait until April to get more of this. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? yes! I might get a bottle for spring. If you like this, try: Itaso Kansei, Al Araaf, Kyoto, Lantern Ghost of Oiwa, Neo Tokyo

Fox Fires on New Year's Eve at the Garment Nettle Tree at Oji In the imp: watery cherry (real fresh cherry, not cherry sauce, maraschino, glace or whatever, but juicy fresh cherry) and lilac. Wet on skin: rice wine, a floral reminiscent of Tamamo no Mae, bamboo, lilac, bark and cherry. Dry on skin: oh, this is beautiful, so unusual and fascinating. I get a watery, dewy feel from this scent, like wet cherries (the pale red-yellow ones, not black) and rained-on lilac, as well as bamboo. Something about this reminds me of the unidentified but gorgeous floral in Tamamo, maybe the rice wine and tea also remind me of that scent? The wetness of the scent is contrasted by what might be the nettle bark, which is a dry, green and scrubby note, woodsy but definitely barky too, right down to the greenish powdery lichen you get on bark. I also smell thin smoke from the incense wafting through. It's not a very sweet scent. After a while: the gritty scrubbiness of the bark has toned down a lot now, letting the graceful notes of bamboo, cherry, a very soft lilac and rice wine show themselves a little more. The notes seem to merge into each other now, but there's still that impression of trees covered in dew on a cool spring night, with the moon shining. The incense is very soft, like Japanese incense sticks burning and letting their subtle smoke drift through the serene landscape. The scent then becomes a little bit more fruity as the wet cherry shows up a little more. And then the rice wine turns to rice milk, the scent becomes a little bit creamy and bamboo-y. The notes change and the blend morphs nicely. Verdict: this seems to have a similarity to that other Japanese foxy scent, Tamamo No Mae, but it is also very different. The two scents seem almost like sisters, or two sides of the same coin. There's a similar floral-musk feel along with rice wine, tea and gentle incense, but the peach-like scent is replaced with cherry, lilac and bamboo, and this is less sweet than Tamamo. This one is also more complex, more narrative, it changes more. It's an unusual scent, very intriguing and ghostly as well. the cherry note in here is so different to anything I've smelt in BPAL-because it smells like actual pale-coloured cherries should. There's also a dry bark note and a hint of lilac, with a lovely smoky aspect from the incense. this is one of those scents that's also very artistic, almost conceptual, and beautifully done. It's not a favourite-the nettle bark can be a little too scratchy-smelling at times and the lilac sometimes turns bitter, but I'm keeping what I have of this interesting fragrance. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? the imp, because this is a very unique scent. If you like this, try: Tamamo No Mae, The Fox Woman Kuzonoha, Hungry Ghost Moon, Lantern Ghost of Oiwa, Kyoto

Monna Vanna In the imp: very faint! Almost nothing, but I smell rosewater in here. Wet on skin: ah, now the scent blooms. Rose and violet are most obvious. Dry on skin: interesting! This strikes me as being a traditional or historical floral perfume, along similar lines to Marie, but more complex. The rose, rosewood and violet are dominant, but there's a tangy bite of currant adding a juicy fruity touch. I also smell mimosa and a hint of lily (not too much though), and the gardenia in this scent doesn't do the nasty thing on my skin (I think the gardenia notes in Salon scents work nicer on my skin than most). There's the barest hint of vanilla sweetness. After a while: oh, now I smell the vanilla, it smells so lovely with rose! The rose note here has a watery quality to it which makes me think of rosewater, cool and fluid, and the scent isn't as powdery as I expected it would be. The rosewood forms a nice solid base for all the flowers, and adds a feel of age to it, the note is faded and a little bitter, but the overall scent isn't as dusty or old fashioned as scents of this rose-violet-floral genre can sometimes be. And the vanilla makes it very pleasant indeed. The rosewood gets stronger in this scent, taking over the rose itself and developing an unusual nutty-smoky scent. The violet, vanilla and mimosa are now more apparent as well. The bitterness of the rosewood is contrasted by the gentle sweetness of the vanilla. Eventually I get a scent that reminds me of the Siamese Twins, the sugared rose of Hope and the violets of Faith, with rosewood and mimosa and now gardenia. I think it's that wonderful bourbon vanilla which reminds me of the sugared note in those scents. Now it smells like the older, more demure sister of the twins. The drydown is more of the creamy vanilla-rose and less of the austere rosewood. This is really nice! Verdict: this scent could have gone either way-turned to old fashioned 'granny perfume' like some scents with rosewood, violet and rose can do, or turn to one of those gorgeous rose-based complex floral-oriental scents. This walks the line between the two but then goes firmly into the 'wonderful complex rose' category when the vanilla comes out and works wonders on the scent. At first this scent is grand and rather haughty, like the painting, but very complex and not dry or dusty at all. It was rose with currant and violet and rosewood, a nice traditional scent with a surprisingly juicy rose note. There were a few moments when I thought the rosewood would take over and make this scent a little dusty and musty with a hint of sourness, but then that quickly faded as the vanilla took control and turned this into a wonderful vanilla-rose along similar lines to Hope. I can always count on Bourbon vanilla to make things better…the rosewood was now calmer and the rose and vanilla merged into a delightful finale for this fragrance. I'm not sure if I need a bottle as I do prefer Hope, but I'm keeping the imp. This scent gives off a nice feel of opulence and luxury without smelling stuck-up. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? the imp, for sure. If you like this, try: Marie, Séance, Helena, Viola, Hope, Faith, Le Serpent Qui Danse, Venice, Melisande

Schlafende Baigneuse In the imp: tangy rose and mandarin, a pretty cologne like floral. Wet on skin: a gorgeous honeyed yellow floral with a chrysanthemum note. Dry on skin: mmm, this is very pretty! It's a golden-white floral scent, a lush bloom with honey. The chrysanthemum has that distinct sharp dryness and mixes nicely with the scent of dry rose petals. The honeysuckle mixes with another lush yellow floral which must be the monkey flower. I smell the honey and the cream (which is lovely, not sour at all) and the smoothness of pale skin musk binds it all together. It's not as tangy now. After a while: the floral notes merge and sweeten any anything that was sharp or dry smelling before is now gone. Now this is a honeyed floral scent which is almost like orchid, sweet and with something almost fruity to it, and definitely creamy. It's like sweet nectar-filled flowers floating in honeyed cream. Now it reminds me of Milk Moon 07 with the fruits replaced by flowers and without as much milk-nothing sour here at all. The skin musk is also very strong now, with it's distinctive velvet-powdery paleness, and I get a similar peachy scent with the florals and musk which reminds me very slightly of Tamamo No Mae, but creamier and without the tea and Asian notes. The only problem with this lovely and delicate scent is what others have mentioned-it is faint and does fade fast. Now it is just a soft skin scent of powdered creamy sweet flowers, luminous blooms with skin musk, but it's one I have to sniff close to my wrist to smell. It is so pretty though, a soft skin-musky honeysuckle scent. Verdict: this is what I wanted Eos to smell like. This is a gorgeous yellow-white scent which definitely suits this sensual painting of golden cloth and alabaster skin. A softly honeyed mix of flowers floating in sweet cream, it smells of roses, honeysuckle and something else that could be that accord with the wonderful name-wide throated yellow monkey flower!-with a soft downy base of skin musk and a lovely cream note which doesn't do the sour milk thing, but makes me think of a floral ambrosia. It's luxurious yet feminine and delicate and gentle, it gets smoother with wear. The only problem with this is that it is very soft, a little faint, one to really sniff close to the wrist to smell, and it does fade away rather fast. But I do like it enough to keep the sample I have…maybe I'll get more some day, because this is a delightful scent. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? definitely the imp. If you like this, try: Eos, Ostara, Litha, Et Lux Fuit, Les Bijoux, Tamamo No Mae, Milk Moon 07

The Smiling Spider In the imp: clove! This is the clove-iest BPAL I've smelt, it's clove soaked in patchouli. Wet on skin: wonderful smoky clove and rich patchouli. Dry on skin: wow, this is good. It's dominated by patch and clove, warm and spicy and rich and deep, with the musk adding even more richness and a sensual, feral touch, and a hint of mahogany and something smoky as well. I've never smelt a clove cigarette (don't laugh), let alone smoked one, but I'd imagine they smell something like this. After a while: this is like clove incense now, smoky and dark, with the shadow of patchouli ever present. I love the clove in here, it smells very true, that piercing spice with a creamy and sweet undertone. Like in the old Three Witches, it develops a hint of milky chai, but the patchouli and now slightly more animalistic musk prevents this from smelling too foody or cosy. Now I get a hint of Minotaur thanks to the musk, but without the golden resinous sheen. Indeed, I get a Schwarzer Mond vibe after some time, like SM with resins replaced by clove, but a similar patchouli smoky scent, this then changes to a darker Port au Prince scent. The patch-musk and clove seem to swap places every now and then, sometimes clove is dominant, at other times it's the black musk. the mahogany really comes out after a few hours at drydown, a spiced musky wood. The scent lasts and lasts and lasts…the next morning the patchouli is still there and has turned a bit fruity, like Hellion. Verdict: whoa, this is good stuff! This is the cloviest clove of all, mixed with the most powerful patchouli. The sweet creamy yet biting scent of this gorgeous spice is given a wonderful earthy-shadowy backing of patchouli, and this is patchouli with a punch, really strong stuff. The musk and mahogany help to darken the tone of the scent even more and the musk comes out more at the end, making for a sexy and smouldering scent, swirling and brooding. This is pure tangible darkness in scent. Thick, rich, atmospheric and moody darkness with substance. This is unnerving yet oddly approachable-much like the scary critter in the painting. This is smoky and mysterious and intense-definitely a goth scent-and a simple combination that works well. It already smells wonderfully richly deep right now and also sticks around for ages on the skin but I can just imagine how incredible this will be with a bit of aging…this is a little too dark for everyday wear but for the colder months? This will get a lot of wear then. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? the imp, definitely. Maybe I'll get more when my imp is done. If you like this, try: Dracul, Minotaur, Count Dracula, Three Witches, Port au Prince, Hellion

Sunflower In the imp: a juicy, golden, amber-tinged dry floral scent, warm and sunny with a hint of hay. Wet on skin: a honeyed amber with dry, sweet petals and hot summer hay. Dry on skin: wow, this is glorious! I'm not familiar with the smell of sunflowers but I've always imagined them to smell dry and seedy, not with much scent really…this is totally different. The amber is surprisingly strong here, in fact it is the dominant note, a rich sweet amber with a syrupy feel, surrounding a golden nectar-dripping floral note, smelling more like a lush tropical bloom than a sunflower. However, there is a dry background reminiscent of Scarecrow, of sun-warmed hay and straw in a harvested field. I smell none of the moss or the greenery-just dry golden hay and amber. It almost reminds me of the blends with myrrh, musk and/or amber in them, like Haunted. After a while: the amber now merges with the floral note, which smells amazing and so different to what I expect from sunflowers. It's almost like camomile with a lush floral background now, there's a honeyed hay and apples aspect in the scent now. Like amber and camomile and daisies with honeysuckle. I smell a little more of the dry stems now. I'm amazed at amber in here smells like a heatwave, it feels hot and overbearing, but you know how hot summer winds feel oppressive, almost heavy? That's what this evokes. Searing summer temperatures, reminds me of the 47C heat I experienced on holiday this year. But it still smells gloriously golden, big bright sunny blooms. The apple scent gets stronger with time, combined with the black amber it smells like Verdandi, though this is less autumnal. It has the same honeyed apples scent to it. Maybe there's camomile here? At the end there's a hint of the moss finally coming out, as well as something reminiscent of either Lush Tiptoe Through the Tulips or Summer Blues. Verdict: far from being a wilted sunflower like in the scent's painting, this brings to mind Van Gogh flowers, vivid yellow and gold and ochre. It evokes the visual of a sunflower filled field on a hot August day. The sunflower note itself is very beautiful-a lush golden floral note with a touch of dryness, more evocative of the appearance of the flower than its actual scent. The amber is good and strong here, and feels warm, thick and heavy, curling around the floral and grassy notes like lazy summer afternoon heat. The wilted greenery and moss are very subtle and don't detract from the dry, hot, sweet and sunny feel of this scent, it's another lovely interpretation of summer and sunlight in scent. This is like Scarecrow, but much nicer, a little more feminine and rich. I think I might get more of this some day, but it's one to wear sparingly, as like summer heat, it can get too overwhelming if there's too much of it! it's one of those oils which works with the heat as opposed to against it. But for now I'm keeping the imp and wearing it a lot-it's a great antidote to this summer which has been anything but scorching and dry Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? The imp, definitely. I might get more, this is unusual and unique, better than I expected. If you like this, try: Scarecrow, Haunted, Verdandi, Vipralabda, Et Lux Fuit, Red Moon 07

Kiyohime Changes From a Serpent In the imp: an odd mix of soapy sea spray with juicy sweet plum and lychee. Wet on skin: fresh cool seawater washing up over lychee syrup and sugary plums. Dry on skin: hmm, this isn't bad. The sea water is threatening to do the 'washing powder of doom' thing but for now this smells nice. It reminds me of something from Lush, but I can't remember what. Maybe Plum Duff (the plum) meets Big Blue (the seaweed)? It has a powdery fizzy scent reminiscent of a crumbly bath ballistic. The lychee, which I love so much, is very prominent in here, it almost reminds me of Tweedledee and Fire Pig with the citrus replaced by marine notes. I smell something almost like tea in here as well. Despite the pleasant 'Lushness', the salty ocean spray is slowly doing it's 'laundry' thing to the scent. After a while: yes, this does smell Lush, it still reminds me of Plum Duff/It's a Date more than Lurid did. I also smell a little Sea Vegetable here…it's like walking into a Lush store. I really like that, it's made even nicer when coupled with lychee. The plum blossom, however, is planning to take over the scent and turn it cloying and over-fruity. The plum fruit on the other hand is very nice, juicy and tart. The musk rounds everything up, it's almost like a white musk, but not quite. Eventually that lovely Lushness does fade and leaves behind a plum blossom scented laundry scent. The sea moss, a note I usually really like, smells weird in here, almost reminding me of rancid vegetable oil and talc. The PB doesn't smell too cloying but the aquatic note has gone totally washing powder now. It reminds me of Budding Moon now, but soapier and more powdery. Verdict: this one does that now familiar and expected soapy reaction that I usually always get with anything with 'sea spray' as a note. But it's actually quite pleasant, especially at the beginning. I love the lychee and black plum notes in here, they are sweet, juicy and fruity, succulent and delicious. and I really like the Lush vibe I get in the scent during the first hour or two of wear, it smells like I've been bathing in a Plum Duff ballistic, washing with Sea Vegetable, and then applying some Fire Pig when dry. This is when the clean, watery scent plays well on my skin. But then the bad soapy scent which I usually get with the marine aquatics then starts to creep into the scent, and the plum blossom starts to turn cloying. there's a weird smell to this at the end, like a strange powder rancid scent, that I'm not sure about. So despite the lovely first hour of this scent, I think I'll swap/sell it. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? not really. If you like this, try: Fire Pig, Budding Moon, Tweedledee, Fox Fires on New Year's Eve, Midwinter's Eve, Sunrise with Sea Monsters

Sunrise with Sea Monsters In the imp: the familiar detergent-like scent of oceanic notes mixed with flowers. Almost like Selkie. Wet on skin: washing powder! Oh no…I also smell the pear and freesia. Dry on skin: very, very powdery and clean. Yes, it's the dreaded washing powder reaction I get with sea scents. This one is especially powdery, it smells like detergent powder, clean and white. I also smell pear and freesia, a combination I remember from Agony of Longing, and the powerful, piercing floral that is osmanthus surging through the powder. I smell the green salty scent of kelp, but none of the amber or ambergris, which was what I was hoping to get from this scent. After a while: ozone? What the? I have no idea why I'm getting the 'electric' reaction here but this now reminds me of that crackling thundery scent that makes me smell like 'office ozone and drier sheets'. This is supposed to be a sunrise with gentle ocean mist, not a thunderstorm over the sea! It reminds me of Pool of Tears now, also not a stormy scent, but which did the dreaded electric ozone thing on me. The osmanthus is very ballsy in this scent, competing with the ozone to see which note should take over the fragrance, whilst all the other notes-freesia, pear, etc-still no sign of amber-hide away. There's just a hint of freesia after a few hours but the overwhelming scent of crackling dryer sheet ozone and perfumey osmanthus are the main players now. Verdict: I knew this would go either way, it had the potential to turn into a washing powder-fest, but was hoping this would be somewhat like Lyonesse thanks to the combination of amber and sea notes with florals. Sadly, this does what many other marine aquatics do and turns to a total soap and ozone attack once it hits skin. First it smells like washing powder (though the pear and freesia are very pleasant), and then it smells like electrified washing powder. It does the dreaded 'stormy' reaction on my skin, a lightning-laced dryer sheet scent, harsh and biting and boosted by the sharp, perfumey osmanthus. All the other notes run for cover when the innocuous ocean mist turns to a raging thunderstorm of scary ozone and soapy detergent as the sea monster rears up, and I never get the amber I hoped for. Not for me. This one is being sent to a new and loving home. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? no. If you like this, try: Selkie, Thalassa, Cancer, Dirty, Pool of Tears, Brides of Dracula, Kelly Pool

Delousing Powder In the imp: this smells like soapy lemon cleaner, the stuff I use when dusting the house! Wet on skin: hmm, interesting, now I smell herbs? And also something like lemon cream. Dry on skin: not bad! This does smell reminiscent of things like lemon house cleaner, washing detergent, and the overwhelming feel is that of lemony 'shake-n-vac' powder meets Cif bathroom cleansing cream! It is creamy and lemony and powdery all at once, with that touch of clean fresh soap. However, this is a lot more interesting than mere cleaning products. I smell something herbal, something warm, maybe even resinous to this? Someone mentioned amber. I also smell posh perfume. After a while: the lemon scent tones down and the herbal smell increases. Makes me think of the more traditional delousing remedies, more specifically, like bathing in an infusion of certain herbs being used to kill the little itchy things…there's a warm, bubbly soapy feel to this that arises that makes me think of baths. I smell heady perfume mixed in as well, different to Privilege, this perfume is more of an amber-spice scent, I smell pepper or a similar spice here as well, which is unusual. It smells more like a posh dusting powder perfume than one to get rid of lice! The lovely spicy warmth is what remains, with very little of the original soapy scent. At the end it turns a little masculine, almost woody, like a slight hint of aftershave. It now reminds me of one of the bay rum scents. Verdict: I was expecting a really powdery detergent scent like Numb from this, but it was pleasantly different. It does remind me of various lemony cleaning products-at one moment I smell like shake-n--vac, at another moment I smell of Cif. But then the scent changes into something less soapy, less powdery, more herbal-incensy, and more posh. Like some kind of luxury cleaning product or bath foam, and then turns to a sophisticated soap scent, with a warm scent like clean towels spritzed with perfume. Overall the smell is gives a feel of warm fluffy cleanliness which seems more suited to a luxury hotel than a prison! It certainly fits the whole Paris theme, and it's a fantastic novelty scent. I like this one more than I thought I would…but thanks to it's resemblances to cleaning products during the first hour of wear, I'm not sure I'd keep it despite it's pretty drydown. It's a fun scent though, I'm glad I got to try it! Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? not sure-it's a lot better than I expected though!

Oh, I completely forgot Night's Pavilion! It's another LE but also another beautiful nighttime starry floral. I think that it is like the olfactory version of deep blue skies with stars, and night blooming dewy flowers.

I study astrophysics and I do love the starry scents. I was going to suggest what Oakmoss suggested, and also suggest that you search for the LE scent, the Evening Star.

Madonna In the imp: pomegranate! This smells just like pom juice, with a hint of floral. Wet on skin: pomegranate, crisp and tart and juicy, with a patchouli depth. Dry on skin: floral pomegranate! It's mainly pom and a white flower note, which may be orchid or angel's trumpet (probably the latter because it's different from most orchid scents), with earthy patchouli, the spicy-herbal scent of hyssop and a greenish, reedy-flowery iris note. This is very much like those fruity patchouli scents, lush fruity with an earthy rich base, and the pomegranate note in here is very genuine, it dominates the scent. It's like delicious pom juice, enhanced a little by other notes. After a while: mmm, this is smoothing out nicely. The pom loses it's bite, and merges into the patchouli. I don't smell much of the frankincense apart from a lovely smokiness. The floral notes in here are soft and velvety petalled, providing a nice backdrop for the fruit. This is now a lovely musky fruit scent, grounded and deep, surrounded by lush florals. It almost reminds me of Kanishta but with jasmine replaced by orchid, an autumnal floral scent. Very close to the skin though. The floral and fruity notes then merge to form a soft scent of tangy poms mix with cool white petals with that patchouli undertone. It is a bit faint though. Very pretty but I was expecting more oomph. It's a soft white orchid scent after a few hours. It's a very nice orchid-much nicer than the one in Gemini that turned against me, this is almost like the orchid in Vaskakajja but less sweet and cool. it is very subtle though despite the patchouli. Verdict: this scent, I think, has the best and most accurate pomegranate note in BPAL. At some points it smelt just like chilled pom juice, maybe with a hint of cranberry? But very authentic, juicy and crisp and richly red. I love the pomegranate-heavy stage at the beginning, rounded out by patchouli, which I've discovered seems to have an affinity for deep rich fruit notes. Sadly the pom stage fades too fast into a floral stage which, though very pretty, is very faint. It's a gentle white petal scent sprinkled with juice, but it doesn't have the oomph I hoped for, even with patchouli. I do like this a lot despite it's faintness and slight flatness-I think this is a scent that would benefit from a little bit of aging. Maybe that will bring out the patch and strengthen the notes a little more. I might keep my imp of this to see what happens over time. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? not sure. I love the pomegranate note in here but it's a little too soft at the end. If you like this, try: Mme Moriarty, Dark Delicacies, Great He Goat, Persephone, Kanishta, Lot and his Daughters, Gemini

Privilege In the bottle: green? This smells like a 'vegetable-y' green stem scent. In fact, it reminds me strongly of my galbanum essential oil. There's also a hint of cologne, citrus and sparkly flowers. Wet on skin: a floral cologne. Very perfumey, and still a bit green. Dry on skin: pretty floral cologne. Very fresh, bright, sparkling and tangy. I think it's the lemon blossom I smell, it is very much like orange blossom but a lot more lemony, that's definitely also because of the citrus notes. I also get the armoise, which I recognise from Agony of Loss. In fact, this reminds me strongly of one of those cologne like scents I used to wear when I was young. It could even be that this smells like my childhood scent, Tartine et Chocolat (which didn't smell of chocolate at all). I don't smell the heady exotic blooms yet, just the glitzy citrus notes and the greenish artemisia. After a while: this is like a feminine version of Spider at times, it has that same citrus perfume scent to it, only this one has flowers instead of spices. Now I can make out some flowery notes blooming underneath the cologne, either the tuberose or linden. Maybe even the tiare. I can't really smell the rose or vanilla yet. After an hour or so, I see where the 'empty' part of the description comes from…the citrus notes have vanished to leave a light tangy green-floral scent, which has a strangely hollow feel to it. It's not vacuous or substance-less, it feels airy and open. It's like flower petals floating in a perfumed void, it shimmers, but is a ghost of it's former self. It is actually very pretty though, but it has the same feel as the Agony of Loss, that sense of emptiness. This greenish floral cologne is what remains until drydown-it reminds me of the drydown of conventional perfumes, but without that 'tinny' feel. Verdict: this is probably the closest Beth will get to making a celebrity scent, and indeed, this does have that glamorous, sparkling and fizzy scent to it, like cologne and champagne, and it smells incredibly perfumey, like something I'd find on the high street. That's a compliment though because that's what it's supposed to smell like! It does reek of glitz and glamour and bling and fame, in a good way. I even get that feel of emptiness, but that doesn't detract from how pretty this smells. As 'celebrity perfume' goes, this is superior to most. I don't like the way that those perfumes are so flat, banal and one-dimensional. This one has interesting facets and morphs nicely, doesn't have that sharp alcohol that commercial scents have, and the notes stand out more. The first stage, where lemon blossom and citrus really shine, reminds me of one of my first perfumes that I ever wore, but that fades into a greenish, airy floral scent. I like this a great deal, but I was hoping for less cologne and more fullness from the flowers, and my beloved tiare was barely there. It does fit the concept very well though, but not too much to be offputting. Because of it's mainstream vibe, this is a great perfume to enable people with. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? one bottle, for sure! If you like this, try: Agony of Loss, New Year's Eve in Dogville, Lorelei, Spider, the Unicorn

Love and Pain In the imp: heavy, perfumey lavender cologne. Wet on skin: dry, perfumey tobacco and lavender. Dry on skin: this smells like a traditional gentlemanly perfume, it feels like the masculine counterpart to DPP Sitting Up With a Sick Friend. It has that same perfumey quality to the tobacco, with a touch of golden cologne, and heavy lavender replacing the rose note. After a minute I smell some copal here and the scent becomes more unusual, almost like heady incense, smoky and soporific. It smells like Gaueko, but more potent. After a while: the lavender fades but the tobacco still retains it's cologne like scent, a manly scent which smells very sophisticated. I smell none of the vanilla but I smell the golden copal which adds it's distinctive crumbly dry resin fragrance (and gives the scent a hint of King Cobra), and the musk may be adding more of a perfumey aspect. But it's not the vanilla-lavender-musk scent I was expecting. This is a lot more like something upscale and expensive. The tobacco is really strong in here, taking over with it's smoky dry leaf scent, different to the softer tobacco notes of Bachelor's Dog and Pinched. There's something almost leathery to it. I normally like tobacco but this one is a little too much like posh perfume to me. At one point there's a hint of burnt rubber to the scent which I really don't like. I have no idea where this comes from but it confirms that this scent just isn't me. The rubber scent doesn't last but the end drydown smells like something my mum wears, a faded and old fashioned perfume. Verdict: I was expecting this to be the ultimate BPAL lavender-vanilla-musk, a wonderful sleepy scent, kind of like a BPAL equivalent to Possets Ultramarine Blue, with added tobacco. But this was nothing like that-it was pretty much all tobacco, and tobacco cologne at that. There are not many BPALs which are too masculine or mature for me to wear but I do feel I am the wrong gender-and the wrong age-for this scent. the lavender is even more of a knockout than TKO, and hot on it's heels is a very dominant and perfumed tobacco. It's not the gentle, crumbly, comforting tobacco from some of my favourite DPP scents, but something stuffier and much more 'gentleman's club', it smells like a very expensive department store aftershave. It's very sophisticated smelling, I must say, like something high-end, and there's an interesting copal angle to it, but it smells too much like a 'posh bloke' scent for me, which I can't really pull off. I was hoping for more of the vanilla and musk to show up at the end but it didn't. Not my thing, I'm afraid. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Not really. If you like this, try: Gaueko, Kalahantrika, Arcana, Hellfire, Isaac, Sitting Up With a Sick Friend, Clio, Somnus

Mad Meg In the imp: whoa, scorched vetiver-the 'evil' variety! Wet on skin: oh, this is interesting, now it sweetens and softens nicely, with mandarin coming out. Dry on skin: mmm, this is actually quite nice! The vetiver is strong, but there's a wonderful spiced mandarin note to this. Like candied orange peel with chocolate and cinnamon! I also smell the dry earth and some almond too, but I'm surprised at how pretty this chocolate orange and cinnamon scent is. it almost reminds me of Christmas sweets and a roaring fire in the chimney on a cold winter's night, cosy and warm and smoky. Some vetivers tend to turn chocolate-like on me, this is one of them. The mandarin is wonderfully strong-usually this note is faint, but here it smells sugared and delicious. After a while: this becomes smokier and more charred, more vetiver-y and oddly, fruitier. There's something here which is almost like banana, pineapple or some kind of creamy fruity liquor! The mandarin is gone but the creamy cinnamon is still there, it reminds me of that lovely cinnamon chai scent from Pinched with Four Aces, but in here I get a hint of something which is bizarrely like bananas with pina colada! I have no idea why my skin is distorting the scent from a comforting scent of roasting spices to barbecued bananas with flaming pineapple cocktails…very weird. It's not a bad scent-it's a lot nicer than the vetiver overload I expected, that's for sure! It reminds me of Death Adder. The weird tropical fruit stage does go away, but the scent remaining still reminds me of Death Adder, sweetened vetiver with a lovely cinnamon cream scent over the top. I wonder if the Peru balsam is what is responsible for the sweetness? It's a sweet, almost amber-coated vetiver with a little spice and soft smoke wafting over it. There's that lovely tonka-like quality to the cinnamon that was in Pinched, but with the ashy, greenish-yellow scent of vetiver added. There's even a hint of something like saffron to this. The drydown before it fades is gentle dry grassy vetiver, reminiscent of those vetiver place mats my mum has, with a hint of myrrh. This vet isn't of the evil kind after all, it seems. Verdict: ok, this scent is heavy on the vetiver as expected, but this is actually really lovely. This is what I hoped Azathoth would be like, when it comes to woodsy mandarin vetiver. I was expecting a harsh, maddening, charred scent, but instead, I get a gorgeous creamy cinnamon-vanilla like scent weaving through the vetiver, almost like chai, with soft fireplace smoke and candied mandarin peel, all of which smell very festive. This immediately struck me as being a perfect winter scent. There are times when the balsam comes out and smells like resin or amber, and the fire scorched earth a lot gentler than I expected. The cinnamon bark note that Beth has been using in recent blends is fantastic. I like this a lot but ultimately the vetiver wins out, takes over as usual. There's even a weird 'pina colada' stage to this scent which I'm a little freaked out by. But I'm surprised by how pleasant this is. I don't think it's a bottle scent yet but I'm debating whether to keep the imp for the colder months or not. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? not sure-the vetiver does get strong, but it's one of the nicer scents in the 'pungent vetiver' genre. If you like this, try: Azathoth, Priala, Great He Goat, Two Monsters, Death Adder, Music of Erich Zahn

Selkie In the imp: a fresh, effervescent aquatic with a watery floral note. Wet on skin: salty water-almost bordering on soapy but not quite-with fruity tart flowers. Dry on skin: this is very pretty! Like most of the sea scents, it does have a hint of laundry to it, similar to Dirty etc. I can smell the honeyed grass here though, with something almost tea like to it (tea leaved willow?) combined with the honey, it almost reminds me of Gennivre. There are also some sharp white flowers here-can't say what but they bring to mind flowers blooming on a cliff overlooking the sea, a cold breeze blowing on the coast, the smell of salt in the air. The marine note this has is very cold. After a while: what the? This is turning very fruity now. It now reminds me of the apple/pear notes I get in things like Dirty, Sundew, Empyreal Mist, and Thunderbird, crisp and sharp but almost teetering on the brink of becoming overripe, though there's a cool watery aspect reminding me of cucumber. It also reminds me of Szespasszony (or however it's spelled) but with a salty aspect instead of an earthy one. There's still that 'clean laundry in the sea breeze' scent to it. After a while, I get a distinctive 'dried sea grass' scent to this. It reminds me of the beach I used to go to as a child, where there were lots of sand dunes covered in tough spiky grass. This smells just like that grass, only with that fresh fruity-ozone note splashing over it like storm waves. Then the scent turns to sharp fruity soap. I smell a 'green stems' note but then there's an odd note which reminds me of plum blossom (which sometimes turns to overripe fruit on me) and detergent. It turns very sharp and sour after a few hours, and I'm not keen on that stage. The sourness dominates until it fades. Verdict: like most marine aquatic scents, this is another one that turns into clean laundry on me. It's quite pleasant for some time, actually. It's a fresh clean floral, cool and salty and breezy, a mix of sea spray and white crisp flowers, and a momentary hint of honeyed grass. This does turn to something very fruity, like apples/pears with almost cloying blossoms. I must say, despite the soapy-fruity scent that my skin is warping this fragrance into, it really does evoke the atmosphere of a Scottish beach, cold sea breezes, wild waves, chilly waters, hardy beach grasses and a hint of flowers on the coast. It's not bad, and the beach grass note is very accurate at one point, but I'm not keen on the drydown at all-it goes very sour and a little too detergent like on me…but I was expecting that. not a favourite, but very pretty and evocative, especially for the first hour or two of wear. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? I like it but there are other sea scents I prefer-and it turns soapy-so maybe not. If you like this, try: Dirty, Sea of Glass, Sundew, Thalassa, Szespasszony, Empyreal Mist, Gennivre, One to Tie Two to Win

Cancer 07 In the imp: oh, this is so pretty. A sweet, gentle flowery scent. I'm tempted to say mallow, since it reminds me of marshmallows. Wet on skin: a greenish, almost herbal note comes out and mingles with the soft flowery scent. Dry on skin: there's now a more bitter note that comes through, probably the lettuce. But the mallow and pear are still there and smell sweet and approachable. I smell camomile as well, a little bit of orris too, and the sweet pea is, for now, quite subtle. This is a fresh, watery and crisp scent, like a dewy garden, wet leaves and herbs, with a hint of fruitiness. After a while: now the sweet pea is more apparent, and there's that odd waxy scent that the sweet pea note usually gives me, bitter waxy petals with a hint of soap. However, the lettuce, mallow and orris are preventing this waxy-soapy floral note from taking over. There's still that pleasant watery-leafy scent with an almost fluffy, comforting sweetness. Is this fluffy note mallow? If so, I love it, it almost reminds me of the soft musk notes, downy and sweet and gentle. I'm sure there's something like this in Beltane 06, I even get a hint of Buck Moon, of all things, from this. The scent moves between the bitter sweet pea and lettuce to the soft powdery orris and mallow, but never turns too soapy like most sweet pea scents do. In fact, I swear I even smell vanilla! Then, at some other stages of the scent, I get a hint of the scent of the beach, a strangely beautiful sweet-salty scent of sand and sea mosses and salty rocks…the kind crabs like to hide in. There's even a scent of skin with a hint of sun cream. Now the scent reminds me of Lyonesse, with that soft musky golden scent mixing with mosses and floral notes. It also reminds me of a floral Banded Sea Snake, but not as vanilla-y. This is gorgeous. It really does have a feel of mossy salty stone to it at times-dusty vanilla stone like Black Opal, with a touch of green salted moss, and a lot of sweetness. The lettuce, now a drier, deep green, bitter leaf, makes a comeback at the end. Verdict: I think this is the only zodiac sign so far that works so well on me, and I have no planets in Cancer whatsoever. Go figure. But it is beautiful. I worried that the sweet pea (the note that prevented me from getting a bottle) would take over but it doesn't. In fact it is gorgeous in here. At first it is sweet pea and lettuce with something that may be mallow, but the scent then eventually turns into that wonderful 'BPAL on the beach' scent that I love. Some recent BPALs-like Lyonesse and Banded Sea Snake-have this gorgeous non-stereotypical beach scent of warm skin with a touch of sand and non-coconutty suncream, salty rocks, sea moss and clear water, with a touch of vanilla musk. Cancer has this beachy scent too, which is appropriate for a crab! This gentle scent does really capture the 'essence of feeling', there's a downy texture to this scent, cosy and warm, yet also with a contrasting green-watery feel to it. It is really unique, soft and touching (and has surprising throw at times too) and well blended. I wonder if Cancer works because I don't have anything in that sign-sort of like a compensation for an 'empty' sign? (If so then I have high hopes for Leo and Pisces!) All I know is that it works and I wish I had bought a bottle of this now! Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Definitely the decant. I think I need to hunt down a bottle! If you like this, try: Aeval, Juliet, Mouse's Long and Sad Tale, Desdemona, Lyonesse, Banded Sea Snake, Annabel Lee

Thunder Moon In the imp: sharply ozonic, but not in the 'yikes' way I anticipated, this is more of a 'stormy sea' scent, waves whipped up by a thunderstorm. It has the potential to soap out or go scarily electric on me. Wet on skin: fresh ozone and rain, but also a lot of manly cologne. Dry on skin: hmm, actually this isn't bad. This isn't the 'thunderstorm of doom' scent I feared, but a fresh, bracing scent of sea spray and salty ozone and cool rain with grassy notes, white flowers, green woods and a hint of amber. There's also a hint of moss and musk. I smell rain soaked coastal forests here, and humidity contrasting with cool winds. There's a little hint of electricity crackling about but it's distant lightning, it's not turning into that horrid 'electrical appliances' scent that I get from ozone scents. This also smells like a sporty man's perfume, which I was expecting (Lightning had a similar feel), but it's not bad. After a while: this suddenly turns very salty. It is like standing by the coast watching a storm as the waves strike the shore sending spray into the air. A hint of smoke wafts past-from a lightning struck tree perhaps? There's the smell of pine and moss, the air crackles with energy and the wind freshens. This was what I thought Thunderbird would be like. This still smells like aftershave, very masculine and with lots of presense, it seems like it would be the scent of a man who loves the great outdoors, an adventurer. I have a feeling this scent would suit my dad-he's an adventurer who loves thunderstorms and was nearly struck by lightning twice (and that includes almost being hit by uber-rare, still unexplained by science, ball lightning!) As the scent goes into it's more ozonic drydown, mossy rained on soil with crackling lightning, the freakiest thing happens. A thunderstorm suddenly springs up out of nowhere-and it's one of the worst we've had this year! (not as bad as the one with the hail that hit South London, but pretty dramatic) lots of thunder and lightning and tons of rain. Could be a kwinkidink, but there were no storms forecast as far as I know. Now this makes me a little bit superstitious, not to mention very scared! That clinches it-this scent is never being worn by me again! (runs and hides under duvet) Sadly, the way my skin screws around with ozone means this scent doesn't have that lovely post-storm scent of fresh air, rained on soil and dripping plants that I am currently smelling from outside…just a generic manly perfume with a touch of that ozone smell from office appliances. It's not as bad as Tempest or Lightning though. Verdict: scent wise, this scent is one of the nicer thundery scents out there. There's ozone, but it doesn't turn to 'office ozone of doom'. It smells fresh and outdoorsy and cool, a really powerful man's scent. If Thor or Zeus had a scent, he'd smell something like this. It smells like being on the coast by a big evergreen forest as a storm rages, lightning flashes and rain falls, the wind whips up the sea and the smell of the trees surrounds you as the humidity lifts. At the same time, it smells like men's 'sport' cologne or deodorant, a good quality man's scent, but much too manly for me to pull off. But that's not all. Yet again, Beth works her magic. It's almost as though this scent is a potion that really does manipulate the weather, or a real bottled storm. Sure, this is English weather and these things happen a lot at this time of year with global warming and all, but I can't help but wonder…because soon after wearing this, a sudden, totally unexpected thunderstorm occurs, a big one too. The sky explodes and heavens open. It makes me even more respectful of BPAL oils-it seems some of these have magic in them in the same way as TALs do. That being said, I hate thunderstorms and after this experience, I'm much too scared to ever wear this scent any more! And even so, it's a really masculine scent on me. I knew I wouldn't like it, so off to swaps this goes! Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? No! Get it away from me! (hides under the duvet again) If you like this, try: Lightning, Tempest, Pool of Tears, Kataniya, House of Mirrors

Helena In the bottle: beautiful white rose, like Parlement of Foules, but with more floral notes. Wet on skin: holy crap, this smells just like Boots Soltan sun lotion. That's no bad thing though. Dry on skin: gorgeous white rose with pale, watery flowers. Yes, it still reminds me of Soltan, but I don't mind…it's an aquatic-floral sun lotion scent, no coconut, and makes me think of summer holidays. However after a minute the flowers bloom nicely and it smells less like sun cream and more like roses and lilies. This is very pretty. There's something tangy to it as well, like the sharpness I got with the calla lily note in Cottonmouth, and it also reminds me of Ophelia. After a while: this gets very sharp and a little sour. It's not bad though…I just worry that, after retrying Ophelia and having it turn sour on me, the white rose note that I loved so much is now starting to turn against my skin chemistry. I'd be heartbroken if that was the case, so I'm hoping it's the lily that is turning sour and not my beloved rose. The waterlily note is very pleasant and cool, and there's still that sun lotion smell, but with a sharp greenish floral note to it. No amber, sadly. The sharp, almost aggressive sourness thankfully doesn't last and tones down a lot to leave a much more pleasant mix of roses and other flowers. The calla lily is dominant too, fighting with the rose to see which flower should rule over this scent. The waterlily and jasmine are gentler, a little bit shy in the face of the rose and calla. The rose and lily then make up, and the scent becomes a soft, fuzzy flowery scent with a touch of green, like a bouquet. Verdict: this is a lovely womanly scent, a pretty floral, and one that might grow on me, but I don't think I need a whole bottle. The scent reminds me at times of a sun lotion I wore all the time on my summer hols in Sicily, so it brings back pleasant memories…but there are times when the floral notes go really sharp and piercing on me. It's not the 'evil jasmine' reaction, it's more of a sour lily scent (I just hope it's not the rose that's souring on me!) and I'm not crazy about this stage of the scent. The scent does calm down after a while into a soft bunch of flowers, rose and calla lily taking the lead with the other flowers supporting it. I was hoping for more depth from the amber though. I do like this, but compared with Hermia, this one is only second best. I think I should have just gone for an imp of this scent instead of a bottle. I think I'll keep an imp and see what age does-I have a feeling this will get better with time, may lose that sourness, and maybe it will improve. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? just an imp's worth. If you like this, try: Ophelia, Three Brides, Sepulchre, Viola, Hymn, Nuit

Hermia In the imp: sweet pepper and…orange? I see where the citrus comments come from. Wet on skin: I swear I smell cinnamon here, as well as peppery amber. Dry on skin: oh, this is gorgeous! I smell the passion flower straight away, it smells almost like passion fruit in here but also very much like the flower itself. The pepper is fabulous, crackling gently, spicy and warm with an almost lemony-citrus scent, just like the pink pepper in Trick #2. I can't smell much of the honeysuckle but there's that wonderful golden amber behind it all. It also reminds me of cinnamon/cloves and oranges, or Constant Comment Tea. After a while: someone compared this to Morocco and now I see why…I'm getting a hint of the same creamy-musky carnation goodness I got in Morocco, only this time with added pepper and amber. This is so beautiful! It's still very spicy and sparkling, the scent dances like a little golden flame, and it is very approachable and gentle too. I think I smell a little bit of honeysuckle now. The amber has the almost chai tea-like quality that it had in the Lion, and I love that. Then the amber turns into that wonderful sweet fruity amber from Hymn to Proserpine, it has almost cherry or plum like overtones to it at this point. Damn, this is delicious. The carnation I smelt before comes out a little more after some time, mingling with the luxurious fruity peppered amber and spicing it up a little more. Eventually the spice tones down and it becomes smooth, sweet, sugary amber, like Hymn to Proserpine, but more youthful and floral. Verdict: damn, why didn't I get a bottle of this straight away? BPAL amber is like kryptonite to me, it makes me all weak and wobbly at the knees, I can't resist it's golden sweet scent, the way it 'glows' off my skin. And this scent is packed with amber. I was worried that the floral notes would turn on me, but they didn't. This is the most beautiful peppered amber scent, a younger, more feminine version of Three Gorgons. It also reminds me at times of other amber beauties like the Lion, Mouse's Tale, Mr Jacquel and Hymn to Proserpine, and even Morocco (not amber, but still), though what makes this one distinct is the pink pepper. What a lovely pepper-not too sneezy, just perfectly spicy, even a little citrus-like. It crackles warmly and playfully through the scent with fruity passionflower and a hint of honeysuckle…there's even something to it which reminds me of carnation. The drydown is glorious amber, decadent and bordering on almost plummy (think Snake Charmer plum-amber!) territory, a sister to Proserpine. A bottle of this is going on my next order…I think this is my favourite Shakespearean scent so far! (btw I am tall…but I'm not crazy about Helena, and I love this…) Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? oh yeah. One imp won't suffice! If you like this, try: Mouse's Long and Sad Tale, The Lion, Hymn to Proserpine, Three Gorgons, Morocco

Eris In the imp: watermelon! This smells like watermelon sweets (Jolly Ranchers maybe?) and is sugary and fun. Wet on skin: watermelon but now I think I smell the mimosa. Dry on skin: watermelon and a lot of other wet fruits, with dry floral notes and mimosa. This is surprisingly nice! The fruits are most apparent, melon with something that could be kiwi or another tropical fruit, and maybe some white grape or berries? Maybe plum? I smell citrus as well. Fruit salad sprinkled with sugar. The mimosa is a warm sunny fuzzy yellow scent, and I swear there's a hint of rose peeking out here too. I smell something warm and vaguely spicy but it's not blatant. This is playful and summery and with a hint of mischief to it. After a while: the melon note tones down and the scent warms up even more, possibly because of the spices-I think there's saffron here? There's a lovely dried rose scent along with a mix of fruits, smelling more like a spiced smoothie at this point than a fruit salad, and the soft powdery scent of mimosa permeates the fruity brightness. There's a floral note here that reminds me of Prague. I think there may be some apple in here too, which is fitting considering the mythology of Eris! At one point, I think there may be some lotus here, there's that sweet candied fruity floral scent to it which reminds me of my SN. That's a good thing, as I do love lotus. The fruity mimosa scent is still there (and the mimosa in here doesn't turn to soap) with that subtle warmth to it which is almost musky. oddly, there's even a hint of Lotus Moon to this stage of the scent, I smell lotus and the rose, maybe some amber too? The drydown is a lovely fruity lotus scent, candy-sweet and girly and fun. Verdict: this is surprisingly good! It smells like a fun, sparkling mix of fresh fruit, mainly melons and sweet apple, but there are also other sugared fruits in here that I can't distinguish but that smell very nice. The spice is subtle but adds a soft warmth to it all, there's a hint of mimosa which adds it's yellow pollen-y touch, and some other florals like rose and lotus (I think). This scent is gorgeous-very youthful and light and fun, quite mischievous as well, which is appropriate, I think. It smells sparkly and summery and candied. (It's no surprise that I like Eris, since I discovered that the newly discovered 'dwarf planet'/Kuiper belt object named Eris-the one that sent the definition of the solar system itself into disorder-is conjunct my sun, Mercury and Venus in my birth chart.) I'm so tempted to get more…but then I get the 'side effects'. I've been reading on the forum about some people getting chaotic things happening in their lives after wearing Eris, almost like this is a TAL or has been ritually blended to evoke the goddess of discord. And indeed, chaos happened when I wore this. The gas cooker broke. The computer screwed up. There were rows with my mum. Even the weather went crazy. Of course this could be coincidence but I think Beth's Excolo scents are more than perfume-they really do evoke their respective deities…which gives me second thoughts about whether or not to get more of this scent. it's a shame, because I love the scent so much! I should wear this with care, whenever I feel like I can cope with a little discord in my life… Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Yes! Although, I must use sparingly and whenever I feel I can deal with a bit of chaos… If you like this, try: Yemaya, Shango, Prague, Succubus, Fruit Moon, Lotus Moon, Arachne

Ah'Duno In the imp: lilac! Lots of dragon's blood but I'm sure there's lilac too. Wet on skin: dragon's blood aplenty! I smell floral notes here, it reminds me of Dragon's Eye. Dry on skin: now I smell the spicy notes of Wrath creeping into the scent! Cinnamon and clove and pepper crackling through the dragon's blood. I don't get the creamy scent of White Rabbit yet but I think I smell a hint of honey. But it's mainly lilac-like dragon's blood with a woody, dry, harsh spice to it, very much like Wrath meets Dragon's Eye. After a while: this smells very much like Mars or Wrath now, with twice as much dragon's blood. It's lightly spicy with a trace of sweetness, but it's the floral, bitter, red scent of dragon's blood which dominates this scent, it's almost a single note of DB but not quite. But it is very much all about the dragon's blood, with just the faintest, faintest hint of creamy honeyed linen to it from White Rabbit. The scent remains as pretty much all dragon's blood, a bit of sweetness behind it, but mainly floral red bitter lilac. It becomes a bitter floral, reminiscent of some jasmine/lilac/wisteria scents as it dries, still with DB dominating the scent. Verdict: this scent is described as being like Wrath meets White Rabbit, and I smell elements of both scents, but especially Wrath, and especially dragon's blood. The DB really amps like mad in this scent until it overtakes the whole scent, blotting out the traces of cinnamon, clove, pepper, honey, linen, creamy vanilla and whatever else is in here. There's an overwhelming floral aspect to this DB (as opposed to a resinous one) like bitter lilacs and wilted wisteria that I'm not crazy about. I'm not keen on this-dragon's blood is a very hit or miss note and I like it in moderation, this one has a bit too much. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? no, this one is too heavy on the dragon's blood. AhDuno if I like this much.

Shanghai Tunnel In the imp: a murky, slightly salty, mossy and aquatic-perfumey scent like Roux Ga Roux. Wet on skin: watery, salty, slightly masculine perfume. Dry on skin: whoa, this is really unusual! It smells very salty, for starters, like brine with seaweed, slightly stagnant too (but not in a bad way-it doesn't smell like rotting seaweed) but I definitely smell the kelp note in here. And the Spanish moss…though this is the lovely SM from Roux Ga Roux, not the 'swamp monster of doom' moss. There's also an aquatic note, oddly sweet and a little perfumey, reminiscent of the scents with murky watery notes like Roux, Bayou and Mock Turtle's Lessons, maybe also Ulalume. And then there's a note of wet stone, which is really uncanny-it really does bring to mind a crypt-like tunnel underground, it is close to the sea so the floor is wet with salty water, and there is green damp scummy moss growing up the walls covered with salt crystals. There's something almost sweetly fruity-floral to it as well, like lily and maybe a citrus note? yet, despite this being a salty aquatic, this isn't soapy or washing powdery at all. After a while: the intense salty-seaweed scent does tone down a little and there's a lovely fruity floral that pokes out now. I can't say what but it reminds me, strangely, of pomegranates or plums. There's also a white dewy flower which may be a lily note. Maybe waterlily? It reminds me of the lily note in Ulalume or Uruk, or, mainly because of the boggy scent, Dunwich. Maybe the sweetness may also be from the black musk. But there's still that aquatic and mossy scent to it, with a hint of teak at the base. With time the scent warms up a lot and becomes a gentle aquatic-floral-mossy warmth which almost reminds me of bathing with one of those 'mineral spa' bath bombs/bubble baths, blue and seaweedy and floral and soothing. After that stage, it becomes powdery and stony again, that floral-aquatic scent with a stronger mossy stone scent to it. The moss notes don't overwhelm though. The end scent of this is a dry, dusty, mossy scent reminiscent of dusty stone in a dark catacomb. It's mainly oak moss at this point but it does also smell like stone with a hint of lichen. Verdict: this is a fascinating fragrance. I had not heard of the Shanghai Tunnels until I read about this year's Convergence, but I must say this is very evocative of damp, drippy tunnels underground. Almost like crypts, very close to the sea so the seawater seeps in and makes the whole place smell of algae and brine, and the walls are grey and mossy. It's so genuine that I can almost hear the drip, drip, drip of water dripping off the moss on the ceiling. At the same time, there's a pleasant perfume-y aspect to the scent which moves between smelling quite masculine with moss and wood, to almost feminine with a clear, bright aquatic floral note and even a hint of sweet fruit. It changes from salty to seaweedy to perfumey to fruity to a dewy floral to a dry mossy stone, it's a really interesting morpher of a scent. not a favourite-the salty kelp scent I get at the beginning is impressive but a little too much for me, but I like this enough to keep the small amount I have, but not to shell out on Ebay for more. And it's also a marine aquatic and Spanish moss scent that works on my skin, which is quite a rarity. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? I think so! This is surprisingly good and a marine scent which doesn't soap out on me.

Gemini 07 In the bottle: lavender with a floral-incense undertone, reminiscent of Psyche meets Arcana. Wet on skin: the orchid unfurls on my skin under the lavender, sweet and dewy. Dry on skin: oh, this is gorgeous! The lavender is strong here but has a smoky-spicy feel to it reminiscent of my mum's 'Evening in Provence' incense. The orchid note is beautiful, rich and full, it's more of a lighter orchid scent than black orchid, reminds me of Magdalene and Shadow Witch Orchid. The frankincense adds a piercing incense scent and enhances the smoky scent of the lavender. After a while: the lavender has gone down and now the orchid rules the scent. however, I preferred the orchid before-it's not as full and rich as it was. it's still pretty but there's an odd lemony-green aspect to the orchid which is almost perfumey, maybe even a little soapy. I still smell the frankincense which is lovely and smoky now, a little peppery and smouldering, but the orchid reminds me of the oddly ozone-ish orchid in Oberon which I wasn't crazy about. It seems that there's something almost like verbena to this as well, it's even doing that weird bitter-soapy thing that verbena sometimes does to me. after a few hours the floral fades into this odd green-herbal-mossy scent which smells a little dirty, and not in a good way. It reminds me of the 'sweaty orchid' scent I got from Medea, but much lighter. Verdict: I'm not sure about this scent. This one was a little bit disappointing despite such a promising start, and a note list I thought could do no wrong. But this went odd on me. at first, I really liked the lavender-orchid intro with a smokiness because it reminded me of an incense stick scent I like, and the orchid was very rich and full. But then it turned weird, smelt less rich and sweet and started to smell wilted and sharp, even a little soapy, with an odd lemon verbena aspect. It was rather flat and smelt a bit off on my skin, and it even started to smell a little dirty-sweaty at the end, which I was not keen on at all. It's not an outright disaster-I'm keeping a decant-but I really hope that the other astrological scents work better on me, the last three have not been successes (and I'm really into astrology, so it's puzzling, and heartbreaking…) Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? I'll keep a decant-I'd like to keep at least small amounts of the zodiac, just in case… If you like this, try: Oneroi, Psyche, Magdalene, Shadow Witch Orchid, Oberon, Arcana

Sitting Up with a Sick Friend In the imp: posh perfume with tobacco. Wet on skin: there's a hint of leather, but it's mainly posh perfume with a touch of rose. Dry on skin: mmm, this smells perfumey, but it's quite a nice perfume! it smells grown up, very sophisticated, a definite 'dressed up to the nines' sort of perfume that an older woman would wear for going to the opera. There's a sweetness to the perfume, almost like amber. There's also leather (I get the impression of a sleek leather handbag) and dry, crisp tobacco, and the rosewater mixes with the perfume to become part of it. After a while: the perfume reminds me slightly of the drydown I got from Jailbait, only a little more old fashioned and grown up. There's something oddly almond like about it, and it reminds me slightly of Fabienne by Possets, but darker, heavier and without the slight foody touch. There's also that perfumey sharpness, and the leather underneath enhances the sleek sophistication of this scent, with tobacco it seems almost like a mingling of men and women's perfumes. It is a very 'heady smack' of a scent though. A little too heady for me! The scent remains a 'old perfume' scent. Smells one of those expensive French perfumes, it is very classy. Not sure exactly what perfume this smells like but it does remind me of something I've smelt before. there might be amber and/or musk to this, some heady florals (other than rose). after a few hours I think I smell a bit of ambergris, seems that was what the amber-like perfumey scent I got from here may have been after all. The scent becomes a little bit powdery at the end. Verdict: whoa, now that's perfumey. Really, really perfumey. It smells like something very expensive and makes me think of posh hotels/theatres with gilded ornate décor, and also department stores, this stuff smells like it costs a lot. The tobacco is heavy, the leather is sleek and warm, and there's a nice touch of rose, but the heady perfume is what dominates. I can't tell what's in this perfume but I'm guessing ambergris, a musk note, definitely some flowers too. It has a slight golden scent and makes me think of dressing up in your most pricey clothes for a very posh night out, it smells so grandiose! But it's much too much for me-it smells like something my mum would wear. Not my thing. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? not really. If you like this, try: Riding the Goat, Jailbait, Love in the Asylum, A Bold Bluff