yeahbutnobut

Chaos Theory III: DCCLXXI (771) From GypsyRoseRed's decant circle. In the imp: oh mah gawds. Musky vanilla. Snake Charmer style. Oh my. Wet on skin: no, this isn't just musky vanilla, this is vanilla musk and HONEY! Dry on skin: Wow. Just wow. This is the lovechild of O and Snake Charmer. It has O's honey, although the honey here is actually more like Osun or the honey SN, it has a real wild honey or honeycomb feel to it, you can smell the flowers that are in the honey. It smells like beeswax as well. And underneath is the deep rich vanilla from Snake Charmer/Oil with musk-it's not as strong now because the honey's taking centre stage but this stuff is phenomenal. After a while: still a beautiful, soft, powdered honeycomb with gentle blossoms with deep vanilla-amber underneath. This is like O but ten times better. I get musk under it all-could it be Siberian musk? Don't take my word for it but I get a slight resemblance to the SN of this musk. It could be red musk but I'm sure it has that dark feral twist that reminds me of the Siberian variety, which mingles harmoniously with the tangy aspect of the honey. After some time, I think I can safely say that I think there's Siberian musk in here. it smells very much like my SN, layered with wildflower honey. This is along similar lines to Sed Non Satiata now (sexy musky honey), as well as O, or like honeyed Snake Oil. The honey note then softens so delightfully and it's like honey dust on my skin-with a powdery quality-over musky vanilla. Verdict: so far the CT bottles I've bought for myself and tried haven't wowed me that much, but the decants have blown my mind. This is the sexiest honey musk ever. It's like Sed Non Satiata or O on steroids, or honeyed Snake Oil. It's got the most delicious honey note ever-a tangy yet delightfully sweet honeycomb scent with hints of wild meadow blossom. And it has Siberian musk. Oh yes indeedy. That sexy, deep, muskiest of the musks. SM with honey, with backings of delicious vanilla, possibly amber as well. Another stunner among the CT scents, another one I wish I had more of-though LVIII is still my all time favourite. Emoticon rating: Previously reviewed by maijasu. Chaos Theory III: ???CIL (bottle leaked, number got smudged) In the bottle: holy moly, this is MANLY in the extreme. This is masculine woods-possibly cedar and cypress, with a lot of other very dark and very butch notes. Wet on skin: still very masculine. I now smell patchouli and tobacco in here. Dry on skin: this now smells like the Ultimate Man Scent. deep, dark, masculine and greenish black, it's heavy on the woods, with hints of incense-I get patchouli, possibly some leather as well, maybe some resins? I think there may be cedar here with cypress causing that OMGMANWOOD! (hehehe that sounds naughty doesn't it? I am talking about trees here, don't worry!), maybe some herbal notes? Moss and ambergris too? Possibly some pepper, maybe resins? It reminds me of very expensive men's designer perfume. But it's much too manly for me. After a while: I get a feel of 'deep green' and something watery in this scent. It's deeply earthy but also fresh, cool, almost like there's an aquatic note tucked in there…it gives the impression of water which is a deep blue green colour. This is what I hoped Jolly Roger smelt like…it also has the murky, almost earthy scent that Oblivion had, but this is less sweet. This becomes sharper, tangier over time and starts to gain a 'cologne' scent, and it reminds me now of aftershave. It does remind me of a certain brand of aftershave, not sure which. I think there may be a little bit of vetiver now. Verdict: usually most BPAL 'men's scents' are very gender neutral, very wearable on me. But this is probably the most masculine BPAL ever. It truly is 'BPAL Pour Homme'. It smells like really expensive aftershave. It's very well blended though-less of a chaotic scent and more like something regular and traditionally structured, in fact. The scent itself deep woody notes (cedar, I think, and a few others) in a dark coating of what I think may be patchouli, leather, light vetiver, maybe some tobacco, and possibly some green notes and aquatics and something tangy. The overall feel I get is of the colour teal, murky blue green, graduating to gold-accented teal. This is the scent of a clean cut, sophisticated man who has refined tastes and likes to follow convention, and he likes to show off how rich he is. Very traditionally masculine. But way too much for me. I think I will need to swap this, as this is a scent much better suited to an older man than to me. I'd recommend this scent to anyone trying to wean their boyfriend off the Brut and onto the BPAL. Emoticon rating:

R'lyeh In the imp: yup, now I know what everyone means by 'evil grapefruit'. This smells like grapefruit in resins with a hint of salt. Wet on skin: grapefruit! Whoa, that's grapefruity. There's something underneath that's sweet, dark, incense like and woody. Dry on skin: ack. Now I smell the sharp, acrid, celery-like scent of Evil Gardenia. But in here, it seems appropriate. The scent is indeed that of grapefruits turned evil. The bitter fruit is covered with salt instead of sugar. It rests on a bed of driftwood floating above a murky ocean with seaweed (though the seaweedy scent here is quite nice, not a horrid rotten seaweed scent), with hints of dry, brine-pickled gardenia petals. It's very salty and indeed, very much a marine aquatic…but with a dark side. After a while: now it does the dreaded soap thing. I have no idea why but a lot of the aquatic scents have been turning to soap recently. But it does remind me of Dirty so it's not too bad a soapy scent-the grapefruit edge is gone now, leaving a white floral 'clean laundry' scent with the bite of harsh gardenia and dry, grey woods. it gets even more dissonant over time-that odd mix of soft clean laundry, gritty driftwood, ozone-shocked gardenia and murky seaweed. Verdict: why is it that most aquatics I try these days-especially the salty ones-go terribly awry on me? (if this affects my ability to wear Sea of Glass and Penthus, I will cry…)This happened with Pool of Tears, Jolly Roger and Isle of the Dead and now this…it smelt odd as soon as it touched my skin and I think there's that nasty gardenia note here that turns celery like on my skin, along with a truly bizarre mix of salted grapefruit, pale scrubby woods and murky algae filled water. Which all seemed appropriate at first, until something in the aquatic turned to-you guessed it-soap. Evil soap with a dry, dark, gritty, uncomfortable and clashing undertone. I think this is going for swaps… Emoticon rating: If you like this, try: Jolly Roger, Isle of the Dead

Namaste In the imp: lemongrass! With hints of the other notes, but powerfully lemongrass-centred. Wet on skin: a punch of zingy lemongrass with cedar underneath. Dry on skin: lots of lemongrass on a soft, gentle bed of woods, it's very piercing and bright, but herbal too. It's pretty much taking over the scent for now, not in a bad way, but I want the sandalwood and rose to come out. I'll wait a bit since lemongrass can act a bit like a hyperactive kid at first, screaming for attention, but then runs out of steam and calms down a bit. After a while: ah yes, now the lemongrass has calmed down, and the jasmine comes to play, followed by woods. The scent is a citrus-spiked floral scent now, which is actually quite pleasant, and the combination of lemongrass and jasmine strikes me as a very Asian scent. The scent then morphs into a scent of rose, jasmine and sandalwood with very little lemon left. It seems to stay that way-the scent is very soft now though, but it does have a feel of incense to it at times. Verdict: at first this was uber-lemongrass, not as much as the Vortex, but heavy on the sharp lemony scent. It did tone down a little bit though, turning into jasmine-sandalwood, then a powdered wood and rose scent. It's a nice scent, but more like something I'd use as a room scent due to the woody incense vibe it has, but it's a little bit plain as a skin scent (after the lemongrass phase) on me. Emoticon rating: If you like this, try: The Vortex

Chaos Theory III: LVIII (58) From GypsyRoseRed's decant circle. In the imp: Egyptian Musk! Yes! This smells very much like Ozymandias and Great Cry in Egypt, but fresher and less 'golden' with an airy tangy musk. Wet on skin: a tangy, fresh, cool airy musk with a darker red musk underneath with resins. Wow. Dry on skin: ohhh. Oh this is what I dreamed of from CT. It has the 'night air musk' of Nuit, the deeper resin-touched musk of Great Cry, the sand-dusted incense of Ozymandias, plus a note that is chilly and sparkling, almost like anise meets mint, but not quite-it lacks the medicinal aspect of anise and the mintiness of mint. This is a desert night in scent. Cool and dark and sparkling with a billion stars and silver moonlight over the dust and sand below, still retaining some of the day's warmth, a little skin musk, and a hint of incense on the breeze… After a while: this does become a tad warmer, the musky incense gets richer, and the scent begins to get more golden. I think there's some amber coming through. This scent is very visual and tells a story-as I said, the first stage was night, now dawn is approaching. The warmth gets more and more pronounced over time, as does the musk. It's the same red musk as Great Cry, with amber, frankincense and possibly cardamom, but with a more muted saffron than Great Cry-this is gentler, and now it brings to mind a beautiful sunrise over the dunes. There's just a bare hint of dusty sandalwood…I'm also getting hints of some of the notes of Jacob's Ladder now. And the end stage? Pure glowing amber and musk…beautiful translucent amber, like my E. amber single note. A new day has dawned and the morning is serene and golden. Verdict: excuse the visual-laden review but this does bring up a lot of imagery… this scent is like the perfect blend of all the best bits of some of Beth's Egypt themed scents, and paints a beautiful picture. At first, it's night in the Egyptian desert. Chilly and star-filled, soft sand under your feet, and the scent of crumbling stone ruins (pyramids even?) all around, with the warmth of skin-scent musk and you just catch a little hint of ancient resin-a remnant of a distant past, wafting in the crystalline air? Then the sky's glitter fades and the warmth of day slowly returns…the sun is about to rise as golden notes start to penetrate the scent, amber and resins and deep red velvety musk, these golden notes warm up even more over time reaching a beautiful golden finale of spiced amber and musk. This is my dream CT blend. A fusion of Ozymandias, Great Cry, maybe a hint of Nuit too, which starts with a sparkling night breeze and ends in a scented sunrise. Such a shame I only have a decant's worth of this magnificent scent. I pine for more... Emoticon rating: Previously reviewed by shadith.

Sybaris In the imp: ohh, this is stunning. Sweet clove and violet and tonka, in fact, this reminds me of the White Cat by H&E, or even Anthelion! Wet on skin: soft powdery violets dusted on top of spiced sweet tonka. Beautiful. Dry on skin: this is such a wonderful scent. In here, the violets are anything but dowdy and old fashioned, they are decadent and gorgeous. Their powdery, soft, gentle scent contrasts nicely with the bold, deep, warm clove and the delicious and rich and creamy sweet tonka, with hints of other spices enhancing it all. This is superb! After a while: all the notes merge as one, yet still remaining individual and distinguishable. Soft powdery cool violet with the wonderful clove-tonka make for a beautifully harmonious group of notes. There's a gorgeous spiced warmth to the scent, and it's also a lot drier now, not as creamy. And the throw is impressive. There are times when it really does smell floral, like a fresh violet, yet sweeter. It is a little bit soapy at times though, though not in a bad way…I think it's the violet, since I got a similar reaction from Ultraviolet. Verdict: this is so gorgeous! This, like Perversion, has the delicious tonka note that guarantees a 'love at first sniff' reaction. The exact same tonka, I'm sure, but dusted with violet and enhanced by clove. The scent is almost foody-decadent but not quite, it's also got a gentle outdoors/floral feel to it but with that indulgent undercurrent. There are times when it reminds me of Anthelion-yeah, I know it may not be appropriate to make comparisons to a ritual oil, but it's got the same creamy clove, and I now think there's tonka in that as well. But that could be my odd skin. And it really does remind me of a violet-tinted, less foody version of White Cat by Heaven and Earth, which I love. I'm not sure if I'll get a bottle just yet since the violet does become slightly soapy at times, but it's a definite keeper and a potential for a bottle. Emoticon rating: If you like this, try: Perversion, Le Serpent Qui Danse

I think I'll use this blog to blather about BPAL and smelly stuff. My LJ needs updating but my life has been so unexciting it's unreal. Seriously. Apart from little perks like my cousin and her children staying over (little Claire is the sweetest thing ever-I've never seen such a well behaved, helpful, and ever so polite 5 year old girl!) and massive lows like my impending maths exam not much is going on, apart from the little pleasures and indulgences, like BPAL... This Black Moon update, though small, looks fantastic. Here's a little detailed breakdown: BLACK MOON: BETH'S CREATION The absence of light: motia attar, black orchid, mugwort, English pear, cucumber, blue lotus, jonquil, massoia, calamus and crystal musk. I've never smelt motia attar but if this smells like my jasmine attar that I have, I will be so happy-I think motia attar is jasmine perfume distilled in sandalwood *swoon*. Black orchid is the note that grabbed me in Queen Mab, that beautiful sweet rich floral. But it's the blue lotus that grabbed me most. I thought 'no way, not the famous blue lotus, perfume of the pharaohs?' I have a bottle of blue lotus perfume from Egypt and also a BL absolute-I love this stuff. However, I've heard there's an Indian blue lotus as well which I've not smelt, not sure if Beth will use the Egyptian or the Indian variety but either way, it looks stunning. Crystal musk looks like it will be beautiful. And massoia...I need to try Lost for Words (by Arcana) to see what that's like. All in all, this looks like it will be even better than Blue Moon (omg that sounds like blasphemy! ) SCHWARZER MOND: BRIAN'S CREATION The keeper of secrets: opoponax, Tunisian black amber, night musk, antique patchouli, zdravetz, terebinth, myrrh, and Pimenta racemosa. Ohhh RESINS!!! I love opoponax, myrrh and amber (Tunisian amber? If it smells like my Attar bazaar stuff...) and the zdravetz looks intriguing-geranium resin with supposed hormone balancing qualities? That I must see! I'm very curious about terebinth and what that smells like. And I'm also wondering if the pimenta will smell like bay rum or like allspice. But it's the antique patchouli that grabbed me. I'm a huge fan of another perfume etailer's AP (hint, it's the one with the 50-year old patch) but I have a feeling that AP done BPAL style will blow them out of the water. Ohhh. And the night musk? That brings to mind all the gorgeous night-time musky scents, will it be a Buck Moon musk (insert nosegasm here) or a Nuit musk? I can't wait to find out. I am coveting these scents like nothing else. The Black Moon scents eclipse (geddit? Eclipse? ) my previous covetings of CDs!

Chuparosa In the imp: roses and honeysuckle, the scent of flowers and nectar. How pretty! Wet on skin: sweet nectary flowers, jasmine and honeysuckle, and a few other flowers I can't recognise. Dry on skin: such a pretty scent! I get a dry-ish floral here which I'm sure I've smelt before but I can't name it now. I get jasmine and honeysuckle. Possibly some lily and tropical flowers. A soft dry, sweet, pale background…maybe some white sandalwood? I get a little rose but not as much as I expected. I also get something that I'm sure is violet. But all in all, it's a sweet bouquet of flowers. After a while: I think its lily. What sort of lily, I can't say (I'm guessing calla), but the scent has calmed to a gentle greenish lily scent with a beautiful sweetness, fringed by jasmine. I can smell nectar here, that's for sure, which is appropriate for a scent named after a hummingbird. There are times when this scent becomes a beautiful soft white floral, slightly powdery, very sweet, delicate and delightful. The end drydown is a not very nice greenish sharp jasmine/honeysuckle scent which isn't as lovely as some of the earlier stages. Verdict: this is such a pretty floral scent! Gentle, dewy, full of nectar, heady but still delicate, this is a soft bouquet of fragrant sweet blooms which I can't identify for certain, but I'm guessing lilies, jasmine, honeysuckle, possibly gardenia (of the nice kind), tropical flowers. The scent is sweet and moist and does indeed have a soothing, merciful feel to it, almost compassionate, not forceful, and at times this scent is a beautiful powdered sweet floral. the end stage is not as nice though-it's doing the dry green thing that a lot of jasmine/honeysuckle scents do on me, but I think I might keep the imp since this scent is so pretty and girly and lovely. Emoticon rating: If you like this, try: Eos, Moscow, Belle Epoque

Light Myrrh In the imp: bitter resin. It reminds me of real myrrh resin ready to burn, but also has a slight boozy kick. Wet on skin: burning myrrh! Dry on skin: hmm, this isn't too bad actually, considering it smells like it's burnt. This is the myrrh from Black Lotus, Wings of Azrael, Nyx and Athens. Not the unburnt, sticky, dark, delicious, sweet myrrh from other scents, but a scent of dry myrrh resin on the censer. Smouldering, blackened, bitter resin, a real incense scent, with a hint of wood and pepper, but it's not bad on it's own-it can distract in blends (but not always) but smells quite nice alone. After a while: it stays the same (burning bitter myrrh) though it becomes drier and a tad woodier. There's a nice sweetness poking out through the burnt scent though. Verdict: now I know why some myrrh scents turn burnt-smelling on me whilst other smell lovely and sweet and deeply resinous…this is the burnt myrrh that turned on me in Black Lotus. It's not too bad on it's own-an odd, dry, smoky, charred scent with a peppery aspect, like myrrh when it's burnt black as opposed to it as a fresh resin. I actually don't hate this as much as I thought I would but I'm not keen on it (though it's nice in moderation in some blends). I would love to try the dark myrrh now to see if that is the myrrh I really love. Glad I got to familiarise myself with the light variety though. Emoticon rating:

Chaos Theory CCXXXIX (239) Received in swap. In the imp: patchouli. Lots and lots and lots of patchouli. Whoa. Wet on skin: still mainly patchouli but I can smell something sweet there as well as a cool note reminiscent of anise or absinthe, or even mint. Dry on skin: this is very unusual! This scent is both warm and cool, both heavy and light at once. I get a deep, dark patchouli note-probably red patchouli judging by the colour, but this is dramatically contrasted by an anise like note that reminds me of the BPAL Absinthe. A cool, alcoholic, almost medicinal and minty anise scent with sugar, this is a very odd combination but it's not bad! my only concern is that absinthe can turn to soap, and anise can turn medicinal. After a while: eventually, a clearer and sharper, still medicinal scent does peep out of the 'absinthe' and I think it's either wintergreen or eucalyptus-it can't be mint since mint does fade fast, but this has just strengthened. At the same time, a black leather and tobacco note starts to surface from the dark patchouli base. The scent altogether is very much a masculine scent, reminiscent of a well crafted men's perfume or aftershave. Soon after, a sweet resin, possibly amber, starts to make itself known as well, as well as a green note which could be fir or pine. And then…sandalwood! This scent has done a total 180 and transformed into sandalwood, sweet and incensy, fringed by the remains of patchouli and leather but with none of the absinthe or wintergreen that came before. Mind you, the more I smell it, the more I think it may be rosewood, cedar, or a mix of several fragrant woods. It's woody, that's all I'm certain of. And then, soon after, vanilla/tonka comes out. Whoa, this one morphs like nobody's business. Eventually this smells a bit like Perversion, only more leathery with patchouli and woods (cedar?), before going back to being patchouli dominated, with a hint of moss or ambergris. Verdict: another bizarre scent experience, but one that dries down very nicely into what I think is a very sophisticated man's perfume. It starts off as a very strange scent-patchouli and absinthe, but then it morphs and twists and changes into leather, tobacco, tonka, amber, fragrant woods and then settling down into a very pleasant patch-leather-tobacco with a hint of amber and woods, a scent which reminds me of good masculine perfume. it's very odd, the way this changes so much but that's the nature of CT scents and why they are so good! I'm not sure if I'll keep this since it's a bit too manly for me at the end, but very interesting to try! Emoticon rating: Previously reviewed by terrierhead.

Melpomene In the imp: mint, lavender and orange blossom. Wet on skin: orange blossom gets tangier, and I get a little hint of geranium. Dry on skin: tangy orange blossom cologne! This really does have a fresh, zesty, citrus cologne scent to it, with a hint of darker cypress wood, and a little bit of geranium. It's not a bad scent, and it's a lot more 'happy smelling' that I expected the muse of tragedy to smell like… After a while: soap. That's right, soap. I don't get cypress, mint, lavender or passion flower, just orange blossom soap-now usually most orange blossom scents don't soap out on me but this one certainly has-it's a citrus soap reminiscent of the stuff you get at hotels. Not something I'd like to smell like. it continues to smell like hotel soap all through the scent… Verdict: this is, I'm afraid, my least favourite of the Muses. It smelt ok at first, a bright mix of orange blossom and herbs, pretty and surprisingly citrusy. But then it turned quite tragic on my skin-it smelt like soap. Citrus soap, and nothing else…I'm wondering if the orange blossom did this but usually I have no problems with this note, but in here it just went to all-consuming soap. One for swaps. Emoticon rating: If you like this, try: Santa Eularia, Calliope

Phantom Queen In the imp: orchid! The same beautiful sweet orchid as Queen Mab's. This smells very promising. Wet on skin: orchid with hints of dry herbs, probably clover and also apple blossom. Dry on skin: this is a lovely scent. it's dominated by that fantastic rich orchid note, full bodied and sweet, but it's contrasted nicely by a 'wildflower' scent with hints of green. I'm not familiar with hawthorn, rue and meadowsweet but I think I can smell the clover and apple blossom here-mainly clover, and apple blossom here smelling almost like apple fruit. It's a lovely outdoorsy scent, very much a scent of meadows and spring enhanced by that fabulous, deeply floral orchid note. After a while: still as lovely as ever but now a lot lighter and drier. The orchid's still there but the apple blossom has lent its 'dry petals' aspect to the whole scent, and I think I can smell a little moss. It's a light, almost ethereal scent. Verdict: this is a very pleasant scent, and the best bit about it is that orchid note. It's the one I adored in Queen Mab and indeed I think this queenly scent is very much like a lighter, more ghostly, less heavy version of Mab. Heady and sweet orchid with lighter, crisper notes of apple blossom, clover and meadow herbs. It's a delightfully springy scent, feminine and breezy and very pretty indeed-I still prefer Mab's richness and depth to this but I'm definitely keeping the imp of Phantom Queen. Emoticon rating: If you like this, try: Queen Mab, Regan

Dragon's Tears In the imp: salty dragon's blood! Wet on skin: fresh dragon's blood! Now that's unusual-usually DB isn't cool and wet… Dry on skin: mmm, not bad! There's a load of dragon's blood here but it's really cool and fresh smelling, thanks to the aquatic notes-it's slightly salty but not soapy, but it's a very clean scent. Very unusual, this mix of red, heavy resin with crisp watery notes… After a while: this softens so nicely, and the dragon's blood gains even more of a floral scent than usual. The scent is now of a soft powdery flower, like a lilac or lily, with a hint of the resin at the base. A soft, clean floral scent with a bit of incense. It's an odd, but lovely transformation. I can't smell the salt water though. This soft, muted, almost powdery lily like floral scent remains all through the scent. it's really nice, but this soft white flower is resting on a red, almost ashy, incense like base. It also has a note that for some reason reminds me of crayons and candle wax, but despite that, I really like it! Verdict: this was a pleasant surprise. Whilst not my favourite of the Draconis scents this did react a lot more nicely (in an unexpected way) on me than expected-it turned from salted dragon's blood to a very pleasant white floral scent, a touch powdery, a touch sweet, but very very floral indeed. Almost like a lilac-lily scent. I have no idea what happened or what notes caused the briny aquatic to turn flowery but I like it. it's gentle and sweet, but the dragon's blood at the base lends it a red, smouldering, and in here, a somewhat waxy smell reminiscent of the dragon's blood candles at the local new age shop, and also, oddly, red pencils. It's a lovely scent-not sure if I'll keep it since I have other DB scents I prefer but I'm glad the aquatics didn't turn to soap in here. Emoticon rating: If you like this, try: Dragon's Blood, Sea of Glass, Dirty

Jolly Roger In the imp: fresh aquatics! Like a wave crashing on the shore and splashing me in the face! With a hint of wood. Wet on skin: fresh, fresh aquatic notes, with a hint of wood and leather. Very cool as a scent-this sea is cold. Dry on skin: not bad, though now the aquatic note does veer towards smelling like laundry. Like it's been freshly washed! It's no longer the fresh sea spray I got before, more like the smell of the local laundrette. There's a hint of saltiness and wind to it though that reminds me of cold storm waves slapping on the hull of a wooden ship-I smell the wood under it all, a pale, greyish wood scent. I don't smell the rum or the leather though-just the ozone-aquatics. After a while: and then it all turns to soap. I smell like someone's put me in the washing machine. It smells so much like detergent it's scary! But then the OMGSOAP! phase dies down and I can now smell leather! This improves the smell a lot more. It now regains its truly marine scent and now there's dark leather added to it. It still smells very clean and 'freshly washed' but not as overwhelmingly so. And then after that brief leathery interlude it goes back to OMGSOAP!!! But then after many hours it switches into a pleasant sweet white floral with a hint of leather! Talk about a shapeshifter…it also smells a little bit like non-violetty Numb with a hint of Dirty. Verdict: whoa, this scent is as unpredictable and as changeable as a stormy sea! First it's pure sea spray up my nose. Then it's sea spray and driftwood. Then it's detergent-yup, it turns to Eau de Laundrette on me. And then the leather comes out to calm the scent of clean laundry before the soap goes crazy on my skin once more before calming down again at the end. What a bumpy ride this scent was, veering between 'hmm, not bad' and 'who put me on spin cycle?' all the time. That's the thing with aquatics and ozone scents-they can be really nice on me, or they can be really soapy-this was the latter. I think I'll swap this. Emoticon rating: If you like this, try: De Sade, Numb, Sea of Glass, Dirty, Pool of Tears

Siberian Musk In the imp: sweet musk! This reminds me of Smut, EOM and possibly Dragon's Musk, this is a rich, sweet, vanilla like musk, almost like red musk or black musk. Wet on skin: sweet, rich, dark musk. This is so sexy. Dry on skin: wow. Just wow. This is a magnificent musk! Deep, rich, dark, sweet, almost incense like, with a vanilla like feel and a feral twist. I wonder now if the what I sometimes detect in scents as a 'black musk' may actually be Siberian musk instead-there's a similarity, this is also slightly like red musk but not as fruity or spicy. I'd say this was between red and black in the musk spectrum. After a while: the scent gains a slight 'skin' scent to it, but not a light fresh skin scent, this is much sweeter and darker and feral. It's become more rounded now, and slightly more wild as well, but still retaining that vanilla like sweetness. There's something here that very slightly reminds me of some kind of hair product (shampoo from the hairdresser's?), but it's not too strong to be distracting. The throw is impressive as well-I get wafts of almost vanilla-amber sweet dark musk all around, though near the wrist the scent is less sweet. Verdict: another wonderful musk single note from the Lab. I can see why this is so loved and sorely missed. It's raw and wild musk tempered with sophisticated, sexy sweetness. It's animalistic in the best way-it doesn't smell like an animal's backside but has that feral feel, as well as rich, sweet, vanilla and amber like overtones. This is to me, very similar to both red and black musk but it's also a very different entity to both of those. I still prefer red, white and Egyptian musk, but I think I will become even more attached to this one the more I wear it. This is a unique musk that I've encountered in very few BPAL blends and I would love to see Beth make more Siberian musk scents. Emoticon rating:

Viola In the imp: tangy mandarin with roses and other florals, hints of wood, resin…a complex, rich scent! Wet on skin: mmm, this is nice. The mandarin is nice and tart, with the roses and florals following… Dry on skin: this is gorgeous! Predominantly rose, enhanced by rich lily, a hint of citrus, and with a lovely background of woods, amber, myrrh and a little hint of moist moss. This is such a pretty scent, very feminine and grand, with a lovely complexity to it. It's almost traditional smelling but also with an innovative mix of different notes behind the florals. After a while: moss, lily and lots of rose are the dominant notes after a while, there's a slight greenish quality surrounding the rich floral notes, but I can also make out the dry fragrant woods underneath, maybe a hint of sweet amber gilding it all. Very pretty. It's much greener and mossier after a few hours. Not as complex and rich as it was before. Very moss-rose at the end. Verdict: at first, I was delighted by the rich rosy scent accented by a complex and diverse range of notes like amber, moss, woods, myrrh and lily. It had something almost traditional to it but not old fashioned. A very feminine scent with a nice depth to it. over time it became greener and more mossy with hints of rose, though not as glorious as the first stage. I'll keep the imp but I don’t know if I'll get a bottle. Emoticon rating: If you like this, try: Thanatos, Sepulchre, Three Brides, Zombi

Come to Me In the imp: very, very faint, but I smell a tangy floral. I know I've smelt it before but I don't know what it is! Wet on skin: oh, I know this scent. What is it? I think it could be lily of the valley, but I may be wrong… Dry on skin: this is very pretty. A soft, slightly tangy springtime floral scent with an almost citrus like feel, it's also reminiscent of one of those English perfumery soaps I've smelt in a department store, maybe Crabtree and Evelyn's stuff. I think its lily of the valley. Very soft and pure and innocent, white and dewy, this does smell a tad perfumey though, very different to other BPAL lily scents. After a while: the soapy aspect does increase over time, and it really does remind me of posh lily of the valley soap at times, before developing a lemony soap scent and then fading to a white soap with a hint of lily and lemon. It's waaaaaay too soapy now, which is a shame. Reminds me of the bars they put in hotels, actually. Verdict: at first, this smelt so pretty! A gentle, innocent white floral touched with dew, springy lily of the valley, a soft, sophisticated scent reminiscent of what I call 'posh English soap'-the finely milled soaps that come in traditional floral scents and are much more suited to people older than me. The soap aspect of the scent becomes stronger over time and it turns from posh soap to cheap hotel soap! It has a slight lemony scent to it, which enhances the soap scent, but I'm not keen on this. I have other love-related voodoo scents I prefer (like Love Me) and this one doesn't seem like it will get any guys coming to me, at least not on my skin. Emoticon rating: If you like this, try: Belle Epoque, Hymn

Intrigue In the imp: green fig and cocoa. This reminds me of Freak Show. Wet on skin: tangy fig, a sprinkling of dry cocoa, and wooden notes. Dry on skin: mmm, I like this. The fig does eventually settle down, becomes less tangy, and more ripe fig like in scent, which I love. The cocoa is there but isn't obvious, I can just make it out. There are some gorgeous deep wood notes, possibly palm as well as other woods, maybe cedar, at the base of the scent. The scent is dry, earthy, deep and fruity, very unusual, slightly reminiscent of Carnal, Freak Show and Strangler Fig. After a while: the fig note sharpens a bit, and the Freak Show resemblance gets a little stronger. It's chocolate-coated fig with a hint of something almost citrus like to it, on a soft woody background. This tang does ease after a few hours to give a very pleasant smooth chocolate-sandalwood-ripe fig scent that is delightful, if a little soft. This becomes sweeter and lovelier upon drydown after many hours. Verdict: I'm very fond of this intriguing scent-it does get nicer upon drydown, I must say. The first bit was the 'green fig' note I sometimes get from BPAL fig notes, not bad but not ripe enough for my tastes. But this mellows, mingles with the cocoa and palmy woods and becomes so much nicer upon drydown, with nuances of incense, warm sandalwood and sugary treats of chocolate and sweet figs. I'm not sure if I'll keep it though since Freak Show and Strangler Fig do have similarities to this but are a lot more complex and the incense-fig note in SF is a lot richer and sweeter which I prefer, but I do like this. Emoticon rating: If you like this, try: Carnal, Strangler Fig, Velvet

White Musk In the imp: beautiful, clear, gentle white musk! Wet on skin: such a stunning, soft white musk. This is so nice… Dry on skin: ohhh, this is so beautiful. It's white musk, pure and simple. But possibly the best white musk ever! Surprisingly complex for a single note (as is to be expected of musk) this scent is fresh and white, a pure, clean scent with a hint of powder, a subtle, almost vanilla/sugar like sweetness and a gorgeous skin scent all mixed into one. I am impressed. After a while: this doesn't change much, it stays as gorgeous as ever, a soft powdery white scent which smells so comforting, so pleasant, but despite it's softness, has a lot of throw. It sweetens so nicely over the hours, almost like there's a little smidge of creamy vanilla hidden in there. It ends on a very clean finish, not as sweet as before, but a delightful clean skin scent. on me, it sticks around for ages! Verdict: this is another reason why, along with many others, wish for the impossible…a re-release of single notes. This white musk is one of the finest white musks out there, and that's no exaggeration. Subtle, soft, pure, white, gentle, sweet, clean, creamy, with a delightful skin scent twist, this is a wonderful single note which has enough complexity to wear alone and has a lot of presence and throw despite it's gentleness. A beautiful, well crafted musk note which I would love to get more of! Emoticon rating:

I think that Olokun=Kingsport with melon. A great substitute for Kingsport if you like melon. And of course Dublin is the only GC I've found so far with that same 'snowy forest' note from Skadi, Snow Moon and Snow Bunny. It's actually closer to SM because of rose.

Tisiphone In the imp: patchouli with a dry-ish floral note I'm not familiar with. Wet on skin: lots of patchouli, ylang and a camomile/rose like scent… Dry on skin: hmm, intriguing. I'm amazed by how patchouli-heavy this is, it's just so obvious in here. And yes, I know it's almost a cliché about patchouli but this scent really does remind me of a new age shop! It's the combination of patch and a dry flower note that makes it so-I'm reminded of a shop, probably in Camden (I think?) and the scent of patchouli and dry floral incense…it's almost like camomile but it's not. Maybe it's oleander? I do smell ylang here too. After a while: the oleander flowers I smelt in Greece had a faint, sweetish scent, and the more I smell this the more I can pick that up, only the scent here is like dry oleanders. It's very unique. It's a lot stronger now and mixes and becomes equal with patchouli. It still smells like a new age/occult shop though, but that's a good thing…though now it's mixed with warm, sun dried flowers. Then I get…old-fashioned pot pourri. Yup, that's right. It smells like really old, dusty pot pourri or a bouquet of dried flowers that has been stashed in the attic for about a century and still smells strong, only now more aged and faded with a scent of the dust that clings to those petals and the musty scent of the attic. A very 'antique' smell, nostalgic, it's not bad, but not something I want to smell like. Verdict: this was an odd one. At first, it was pure Eau de New Age Shop. Normally the BPAL patchouli scents aren't too headshoppy and that note is quite subtle, but here it is very strong, and there's another note-maybe ylang-that makes it even more like the incense scent of a new age shop. but I wasn't keen on the drydown which smelt like a dust covered old bouquet of dry Victorian flowers, or a really strong old fashioned pot pourri mix stored in an attic and gathering the scent of nostalgia, dust and decay from it's surroundings. Evocative, but not something for me, in this case. I think I'll swap this. Emoticon rating: If you like this, try: Urd

Megaera In the imp: grapefruit! Bergamot! Citrus! Very tangy. Wet on skin: still very much a grapefruit dominated scent. Like someone squeezed a grapefruit on me. Dry on skin: this sweetens nicely once it dries, it's still sooooo grapefruit but now I think I can smell either plum or amber, and a hint of powdery orris. Not bad! Tangy fruits sweetened by amber and mellowed by orris. But it's still the most grapefruity scent I've tried so far, very bright and zingy. After a while: grapefruit still hangs around but the plum is now there, a sweet, purple, sugar plum scent reminiscent of Bordello (as opposed to the deeper, richer plum notes) with a hint of orris powder, though not too much-the orris is so slight in here, but it's lovely. I think the amber just adds to the sweetness of it all. There's a slight candy like feel to the scent, it's very sugary, which is surprising! Eventually I get sweet-tangy citrus sugar plum sweets with a hint of orris at the base. This scent is surprisingly cheerful for a Fury, I must say. This becomes very similar to Midwinter's Eve with added citrus. I'm surprised, it still smells of grapefruit after a few hours! Verdict: this scent is surprisingly happy, tangy and sweet, the kindliest of the Kindly Ones. It starts off incredibly grapefruity, with one of the strongest grapefruit notes I've encountered, one that stays for the scent's duration. So it starts off tangy, and then it sweetens and becomes a sugar plum scent by the end, with hints of orris and amber. It's a cute scent on me-but sometimes a little bit too much like sweets on me. It is, however, my favourite scent of the Kindly Ones. Emoticon rating: If you like this, try: Bordello

Perversion In the imp: ohhh, this is lovely. Sweet tonka, coconut, leather and wine with smoke. Wet on skin: wonderful sweet leather. This is delicious. Dry on skin: stunning. This is a fantastic mixture of sexy black leather, dry, dark tobacco, a little hint of wine and rum, and the most wonderful tonka note sweetening everything up so nicely. I definitely get the coconut as well, adding it's sweet, dry, pale scent to it all. But I love what the tonka and leather are doing, they are the defining pair of the scent, but tobacco tries to get into the action and make it a threesome…this is such a raunchy, dark scent. After a while: the tonka strengthens a bit more, the scent is sweeter, there's still that dry bite of tobacco (in here it's like cigars) and that delicious leather undertone, I can't smell as much booze now but it's still sexily sweet and raunchy as ever! Over time, the tonka gets creamier and almost vanilla-sugar like, the tobacco melts nicely into it, and the scent has incredible throw. Then after a very long time I start to get a moss scent. How unusual. I know the old description of Perversion mentions oak moss, and I'm sure it's in the new version as well. Verdict: this is one of my 'love at first sniff' scents that wowed me from imp to skin to drydown. Some leather and tobacco scents, whilst gorgeous, can be a little bit masculine, whilst others can be downright stunning, like this. A fabulous black leather note with dry cigar tobacco and a hint of wine and coconut-rum and the most wonderful sweet tonka note ever. This tonka has a rich, deep, very broad sweetness, almost like vanilla on steroids! And it's stunning with the leather. I can see why this is loved, and it will need to be purchased in bottle form very soon! Emoticon rating: If you like this, try: Loviatar, Sybaris, De Sade, Elegba

Antony In the imp: herbal resins. I smell sage, frankincense and possibly some basil. Wet on skin: this sweetens nicely and the resin gets a little bit stronger. Dry on skin: mmm, I like this. This is a very pleasant herbal mixture of sage and basil with a lovely waft of smoky incense. I smell the same ambergris note from Cathode here, that soft and almost salty smell, as well as frankincense, ant the scent is warm and balmy, herbal without smelling like a herb cupboard-this smells like herbal incense burning, warm and smooth. After a while: eventually the scent becomes very much a sage-ambergris scent, with hints of frankincense. it's a softly balsamic scent but it's a lot more masculine now, and not as sweet…it's almost powdery, reminiscent of the mossy stage of Cathode. Eventually it's just sage and ambergris-a very pleasant scent but this does seem more of a guy scent to me. There's something mossy about it as well, strangely. Verdict: I quite like this scent-I think of it as non-electric Cathode in ancient Rome. It has the same ambergris, but instead of mint it has a warm blend of herbs with a lovely, but short lived, frankincense note. The ambergris is very noticeable here-more so than most other scents, and it's hard to describe but quite distinctive. The drydown isn't too bad but doesn't have the resinous depth it had before, it's powdery-green and a little bit more masculine than usual, with a lot of sage. I like it but I might swap it since it's ok on me but would be nicer on a man. I also wish it were a little stronger. However, I think that there should be a Cleopatra scent to go with Antony, I know I'd be all over that… Emoticon rating: If you like this, try: Nero, Cathode

Harvest Moon 06 In the imp: apples! A light, sweet apple tea…in fact, it smells like Turkish apple tea. Mmmm… Wet on skin: as soon as it hits skin, the pomegranate and wheat come out, and I think can smell tart berries and herbs. Dry on skin: mmm, this is such an intriguing scent. I get crisp apple cider at first, very tangy, very much a cider scent. It's sharpened up even more by tea, pomegranate and elderberry, maybe haw as well since haw is a sort of berry, I think. There's a lovely grainy scent in the background, as in all the Harvest Moon scents, and I get herbal touches of sage, as well as hints of gentle florals-I think I smell chrysanthemum here. None of the sweet notes are here yet, and I can't smell plum or cherry yet. But I love the autumnal complexity it has… After a while: it's not long before the scent gains a 'dusty', almost woody-grainy feel to it with something nutty to it. I think the wheat and hazelnut are coming into their own, maybe also the hickory. It's smoky as well (that's probably why hickory comes to mind) and such an autumnal scent without the usual spicy scents that are usually in autumn scents. I totally agree on this being the scent of autumn air, it is of golden wheat and a good harvest of fruits and nuts in a wooden basket, resting on a bed of greenery in the countryside. Such a natural scent. Sometimes the apple cider pops up but then it retreats again, leaving the smoky nutty grainy scent. I can't smell the sugar cane but I do get hints of the Asian notes of tangy tea and bamboo. It's such a nice fresh scent but I wish it was a little bit sweeter. Eventually the very tart apple-cider-tea-pom scent does tone down and something gorgeous appears…a creamy scent. I think this is the rice milk. It adds a lovely creamy scent but not a dairy creaminess-the only way I can describe it is almost like soy milk. It's slightly greenish, definitely a plant milk. It mixes nicely with the hazelnut and the lovely wheat note and the bamboo to form a mellow, comforting, calming creamy scent, with a dry scent to it which smells like autumn leaves. I'm reminded very slightly of HGM but without the citrus and vanilla-there's a slight sweetness from sugar cane here but its not as pronounced, and in here it's a lot more grainy and earthy. This is my favourite stage of the scent. Verdict: this is a moon that has really grown on me. It's so different from the previous Harvest Moons, this one has none of the spices that characterised the 05 version though it does have the typical fruits of the season and the complexity that HM usually has. It starts of a very tart apple cider, effervescent and tangy, with pomegranate and tea. Then it moves towards an unusual but very evocative autumnal scent which is nutty, smoky and grainy, a combination of wheat and hazelnuts and other notes giving the impression of the scent of a country harvest wafting in the warm September air. Then the scent transforms again and becomes a lovely and mellow mix of rice milk, wheat, nuts and dry autumn leaves. This is subtle yet beautiful, a gentle autumn scent that smells very calming, with that zen feel characteristic of the Asian moons. Not as lovely as 05's HM but definitely a keeper, especially for the drydown, this scent is beautifully autumnal without being clichéd. Emoticon rating: If you like this, try: Harvest Moon 05, Hesperides

Arabian Nights (non-TAL) In the imp: very similar to the TAL-musky myrrh and rose with amber, exotic and rich. Wet on skin: gorgeous amber, myrrh and rose with maybe a dash of frankincense? Dry on skin: oh yes, this is very similar to the TAL, if not identical in scent. I suppose this one isn't ritually charged though so it's simply a perfume…and what a beautiful perfume. Sophisticated and mysterious, rose and resins with an undercurrent of spice and musk. I smell amber, myrrh, frankincense with rich red rose petals, maybe a little bit of wood as well, this is a wonderful scent, warm and seductive. After a while: this really smoothes out nicely once dry-a smooth, gorgeous scent of amber and rose with a hint of spice and musk and sandalwood, it's superb! And very sexy as well, I must say. It also has impressive throw, I get little wafts of this scent every now and then. Verdict: this, is very, very similar to the TAL version, I think it's the same blend but without the magickal consecration that TAL blends get. It's a wonderful scent-a beautiful blend of rose with amber and musk and spicy incense and sandalwood, and a bit of myrrh at the base. It's similar to a lot of musky rose and resinous rose scents, but much more complex, I think. I already have the TAL but if this non-magickal version of AN gets released, I'd definitely get a bottle of it as well. Emoticon rating: