yeahbutnobut

Red Devil In the imp: lilac and orange! This smells a bit like French Love, but spicier. It smells almost like dragon's blood, even though there seems to be none… Wet on skin: spiced orange and lilac. Dry on skin: smells festive! This is an unusual but pleasant mix of lilac or wisteria, almost dry in scent, with a lovely sweet spicy orange scent which also has a mulled wine feel to it. It reminds me of Decadence with it's spicy boozy pomander scent-there's definitely some cinnamon in here. In fact, I think I'm getting a scent reminiscent of Harlot here-rose and cinnamon, perhaps? I like this! After a while: yup, now this smells like Harlot with lilac. Maybe a touch of sugared orange as well, but mainly rose, lilac, and cinnamon. It's a hot, spicy, naughty little scent! After about two hours, it's less spicy and more of a dry red-lilac floral scent, like dry lilac and rose petals with just a hint of the spiced orange and cinnamon bark that came before. Verdict: this is, to me, a scent with elements of Seraglio (the spiced orange-rose) and Harlot (dry, hot, cinnamon and rose) with a huge dose of lilac. It has a spiced orange scent, sweet and reminiscent of Christmas, with floral notes of red rose and dry, springtime lilac. It's a pretty scent, with a feel of playfulness to it (the spiced orange makes the scent quite jaunty and festive). It's not a bad scent but I actually prefer Harlot to this-I think the lilac note turns too dry after a few hours. I also won't need it for it's purpose just yet. It's a nice fragrance but since I have similar ones, I'm swapping it off. Emoticon rating:

The Mock Turtle's Lessons In the imp: sweet apple! There's something almost floral here…wait a minute, I know this smell. Herbal Essences shampoo! This smells just like Herbal Essences! Wet on skin: still slightly shampoo like, but once it hits skin, it becomes more complex, iris and apple are more pronounced, I get a hint of booze (vodka) and something deeper and almost spicy? Dry on skin: what a lovely, laid back, refreshing scent! I get a very pleasant lime tang to the scent, with a lot of apple, and smooth aquatics which are almost like a gentle ozone-linen scent here, slightly reminiscent of Dirty. This scent is predominantly fruity and green-aquatic. The iris adds a hint of something floral-powdery, the mint is barely there but I can detect it's freshness, and there's an almost musky spicy depth which I'm sure is the ambrette (this is a plant musk, so that must be it). this scent is both cool and fresh, yet also warm with a little bit of something oddly spicy and deep underneath. very unusual but it works so well. I still get the Herbal Essences feel though not as much. After a while: I love the way the iris is smoothing the scent so nicely. It adds it's powdery yet deeply floral scent and binds the notes nicely. It reminds me of the deep purple iris from Morella. It's still that soft floral-apple scent with a hint of musk under it, with that aquatic-linen scent. Verdict: to me, this is what the Herbal Essences scent would smell like, if done Beth-style. And as usual, with Beth, there's always more to it than first meets the nose. It has that lovely floral-apple sweet scent that smells similar to the shampoo, but there's a little more complexity in there. The iris is both powdery and pale and also richly fragrant and purple, a very floral scent, and the aquatic-lime note adds a fresh, tangy, almost ozone/clean sheets feel to the scent, making it clean but not soapy. And there's something else I can't quite put my finger on but I'm sure it's the ambrette-it's a dark, sweet, almost spicy, and very much a musk like scent which really rounds it all off. I love that musk aspect. This is one of those scents that is both familiar and yet also very unusual and that's what I really like about this mad little fragrance. I might get a bottle eventually but for now I'll use up the imp. Emoticon rating:

Hymn to Pan I've had a real creative low for a long time now, when in the past I would take great pleasure from writing and drawing and sketching and messing around with Photoshop. I'm hoping to revive my creativity-there were little simmerings of inspiration under the surface, but nothing full-blown yet. I dabbed HtP on my wrists and inhaled deeply. The reviving minty herbal lavender scent felt cool on the skin, perfect after this heatwave. A little hint of grain and musk pops up. This is a jaunty little fragrance…I thought to myself. Then I get a delightful powdered sweetness, like vanilla. It's the vanilla-musk combo I love so much. Gorgeous scent, but does it work? I thought to myself. I picked up some paper and a pencil and then…I started sketching like crazy. You know in the new series of Doctor Who there's an episode with that creepy girl who draws all the time, pencil moving really fast? I was sort of like that at this point. (Except without the freaky child-capturing powers, of course.) HtP really cheers me up and causes a volcanic surge of creativity and general feel good moods when I wear it-someone mentioned 'the feeling of the party just beginning' when wearing this. That's what I feel too, only maybe in a slightly different way-this makes me feel in a party mood, that excited feeling before a big night out. I also suddenly got reminders and urges to want to do new things that I've not tried before…like for example, I was reading the newspaper and they mentioned a belly dancing class this week. I now want to do this class. It's ages since I've done any kind of dancing, save for drunken ones at parties. I now feel like I want to go out there and do things-like belly dancing. Or maybe music. Or a writing class, or art. I even came across recipe books and suddenly felt that I should start doing some cooking again. This oil makes me want to get out there and get my creative muse going in any way or form. Which is fantastic, since I have about three months ahead of me where I will have nothing to do if I don't get a job, so getting my artistic inspiration a boost now is something that was sorely needed. And I think HtP seems to be helping this happen. All I now need is a bottle and nothing can stop me! (Hmm. Maybe that's the oil's supposed 'rockstar debauch' effect coming into play here? whatever it is, I love it!)

Opium Poppy Opium teaches only one thing, which is that aside from physical suffering, there is nothing real. A bitter, soft, fragile flower. In the imp: opium! That smoky, perfumey, narcotic, sharp, dry, dusty floral scent, I recognise it from Languor and Darkness. Wet on skin: opium smoke, dry and nose-tickling, with that dark 'perfume' scent. Dry on skin: it's less smoky now, but it's very perfumey. It's a swirl of dark, narcotic scent, dusty and dry, almost fragile, yet with a lot of depth to it, a sophisticated yet mysterious scent. It's a little bit too much like posh perfume for me but it's a lot nicer on me than I expected, and less 'choking'. After a while: this is very much like Darkness on my skin-opium perfume all the way. It's a very 'oriental' scent, exotic and mystical, swirling heady clouds of perfumed scent. I could imagine this scent coming from a very expensive perfume. It becomes more of a heady floral than a smoky scent over time. Verdict: for the scent of a single flower, this poppy is very complex. This is a powerful scent-it's smoky, deep, rich, narcotic, incredibly heady and dark, with a definite 'expensive perfume' feel to it. At first, it's smokiness is dry, dusty, it tickles the nose. But then it becomes a deep, oriental floral scent-the sort of thing that, as my mum says, smells like something from a Parisian perfumery. Very sophisticated and mature, but it's not my sort of scent. Opium is not what I'd wear as a 'single note' scent, and it's one of those notes that can be stunning as a scent component (Red Lantern, Sleepy Moon, Debauchery before it turned to Evil Civet), or it can be overwhelming (Languor, Darkness-this scent is the opium from Darkness). I'm glad I've got to familiarise myself with this opium note, but it's something that I can't pull off on it's own. Emoticon rating:

Odin In the imp: dark black musk with herbs and evergreens, reminiscent of good men's perfume. Wet on skin: this reminds me very much of Thanatopsis, Dracul and Black Forest-it's a foresty musk… Dry on skin: this is really nice, though quite masculine. A deep, sweetish, slightly tangy manly musk which reminds me of good perfume, with a foresty note reminiscent of juniper or pine (is that elm?) and some dark herbal notes. I have no idea what amaranth smells like so I can't tell if I can smell it, but for now this is a deep, rich, fresh musk for the guys-but it's nice on me too. After a while: the musk has become more pronounced now-it's a dark, deep, sweet musk with a touch of something amber or incense like, like the musk of Dracul…it still has that 'manly' feel to it. I like the feel of herbal-resinous incense this has, along with the sweet black musk. This would smell sexy on a guy. Verdict: this is a lovely black musk scent-I really like black musk, it's dark, deep, sweet, swirling scent, very sexy and mysterious. This is one of those 'black forest musk' scents, along similar lines to Thanatopsis, Black Forest and Dracul, where black musk is paired with an evergreen like note or two. Odin is a tad more masculine but also grander, more sophisticated and refined, yet also with something incense like to it (amber and other resins seem to be in the mix), as well as dark green, balsamic herbs. It seems fitting for such a noble and important god, I think, such a well-crafted scent seems like a very appropriate offering-this is a scent which has presence and a lot of throw. I also think it would be very nice on a man (yum!) and I love the deep dark sweet musk with amber it dries down to, but I think this is a little to masculine on me to start with, so it may be swapped. Emoticon rating:

Ochosi In the imp: a sweeter, creamier version of Buck Moon's sharp herbs, with wood (spruce?) at the back. Wet on skin: sharp, green herbs and grass, almost like EBM and Buck Moon and Arachne, with a creamy shea sweetness. Dry on skin: mmm, I like it, though the herbs are very sharp now. it's a snap of tangy green plants and stems and leaves, with a dry wooden background reminiscent of cypress-I think it's the spruce wood, and a creamy sweet yet dry and scrubby scent which I think is shea as I get a similar scent in Obatala. This is a refreshing, bracing scent; it's like running through the forest, smelling the plants as they are crushed underfoot. And it is very much like Buck Moon, with shea instead of musk. After a while: the scent is less herbal-sharp now but it's a lot drier and with a 'grey wood' note, almost dusty, with a creamy, almost fruity sweetness above it, almost like green apple to my nose. It's an unusual scent, but I like it-it's foresty, but not in the usual way, this isn't a winter forest, or a forest floor scent, this is more airy and light. It's not as nice after about two hours-the scent becomes an odd dusty/plaster like and metallic scent with a hint of…cider? There are some woody herbal notes here but…dusty metallic cider. Weird. Verdict: this scent started out quite nicely-a fresh green scent, a forest themed scent with isn't evergreen or earthy, this is the scent of the plants of the forest and hints of the wood, with a soft, creamy shea note. It brought to mind running swiftly through the forest, crushing herbs underfoot, and leaving a green scent in your wake. I really liked this at first, but I am not very keen on the drydown this gave me-an odd, dusty plaster scent with a bit of overripe fruit and cider, a combination of notes that smells a bit weird. I will need to swap or sell this one, I think. Emoticon rating:

Obatala In the imp: oh, this is gorgeous! Sweet coconut milk! Nothing Milk Moon-ish here, just summery coconut. Wet on skin: mmm, coconut milk, sweet and delicious, with a hint of something almost woody/dry at the back-the shea? Dry on skin: coconut milk. This is a lot nicer than I expected-it smells like summer! A white, fresh, sugared coconut milk…but there's more. There's something a bit sharp and green and almost like wood? I'm not sure what that is, I'm assuming it's the shea-but this does calm down after application and the scent smoothes out and becomes creamier and milkier, but with a hint of freshness at the back-the water, I think. This is perfect, white coconut flesh, with sweet sugared milk (this is lighter milk than Milk Moon) and a splash of water. After a while: now I see why everyone is raving over this…this has become the most wonderful, summery, soothing coconut ever. It's coconut milk with sugared milk (yup, I get a slight dairy milk scent here, but not a sour one-this is chilled milk, the way it should be) and dry coconut flesh, and a little bit of creamy shea and cool water which makes the scent so fresh. Yes, it does have something to it which reminds me of suntan lotion, but that's no bad thing since that tanning oil scent makes me think of summer holidays and that always cheers me up. The scent also has a hint of soft dryness that brings to mind cloth…white cloth even, which is fitting for Obatala. Such a stunning scent. Verdict: I'm so glad I succumbed to the hype-this scent really deserves it. All the Milk Moon comparisons made me apprehensive since that was sour milk one me, but this isn't at all. this is the perfect coconut scent-the ultimate summer fragrance. after about five minutes or less on the skin, it becomes the most beautiful, creamy, coconut flesh and sugary chilled milk scent, with a hint of fresh water adding a delightful coolness, and a hint of dryness, like grated coconut or soft cloth. There's a hint of suntan oil to this scent, but that's no bad thing since it reminds me of an old French sun lotion which I adored the smell of, but as this is BPAL, there's a little bit more to this scent than just sun lotion-but this scent is undeniably summery. I adore this scent-it wraps me in a soothing, soft cloud of milky sweet coconut-it's very comforting. I will need to succumb to a bottle of this! Emoticon rating:

Shango In the imp: apple, banana and pineapple with a darkness underneath almost like red musk. Wet on skin: crisp apple and pomegranate with sweet mushy bananas and coconut, with the crackle of chilli pepper. Dry on skin: mmm, this is delicious! This is fruit salad, but intensified and with a real punch to it (and I'm not talking fruit punch here!) The first note I get is tangy, crisp apple with pomegranate and pineapple, with a little hint of banana underneath, a little coconut, and a definite warm pepper note. I'm pretty sure there's also a lovely red musk note anchoring all the fruits, blending them and making them sexy-but it's mainly peppered fruit, with a feel of tropical humidity. After a while: the scent smoothes so nicely! The banana's sweetness with something I'm sure is sugar cane (it reminds me of chewing on a piece of sugar cane, yummy) balances the sharper fruit notes, with the warm chilli on top, and the musk underneath. I love the sweet, rich throw this has. After a while, it reminds me of Hollywood Babylon and Blood Lotus, that same sweet red musk, though this time with banana and apple and chilli. It's also wonderfully creamy and smooth now-it's now like a fruit smoothie, not a fruit salad, with red musk. and then after a few hours it becomes the most divine, sexy drydown of fruit-enhanced, sweet red musk with coconut on top. Oh boy. Verdict: this blend reminds me of when my mum once ate a tropical fruit salad in Mauritius which had similar fruits to this, and it was covered with a chilli dressing. But the interesting thing was that when she was eating it, there was a huge thunderstorm, and she was eating this fruit salad whilst watching the lightning flashing over the sea-and Shango is the god of lightning. So this seems like a very, very fitting scent for him. As for the scent itself? It's amazing. This is deep, intense fruit salad with a jolt of crackling chilli pepper. Not a happy, sunny fruit salad, but something darker and thundering. It's sultry and sexy and powerful. I love the heated feel from the chilli, and I also get something at the base of the scent which seems very reminiscent of red musk-and I adore the combination of red musk and fruit! The drydown of the scent is to die for-red musk and fruit smoothie. This is a gorgeous scent all round, but because it's wonderful is very similar to two of my favourites (Hollywood Babylon and Blood Lotus), I don't think I'll need a bottle of it yet, but it's definitely something to keep in mind, and the imp is a definite keeper. Emoticon rating:

Oya In the imp: yup, cherry. Smoky cherry almond, with a bit of wine? Wet on skin: mmm, now I can smell the plum rising from the smouldering cherry… Dry on skin: this is interesting! to me, this is like the more feminine version of Hellion, or a darker, more mysterious Bandersnatch. There's plum in here-sweet and dark, but it's also a little bit sharp-like a true plum can be. Tangy plum with sour cherry-yup, that's it, I can smell sour black cherry in here as well. There's a smouldering darkness underneath, like incense, maybe some woody notes? I smell some warm dark spices too-maybe some clove, and a few others. I also see where people are getting the 'wind' note (how appropriate for Oya!), as I get something fresh above the stormy swirl of deep notes, almost like ozone. After a while: I think this has the same 'stewed cherry-plum' note from Bandersnatch, only it's not as sweet here. I now get a sharp, bright, almost perfume like note surfacing…it reminds me of something I've smelt in sophisticated perfumes-it's quite nice. I think there maybe some musk here too, probably the same musk as Hellion, and a similar incense scent-it also reminds me very slightly of the burnt woods and musk mix I got in EOM. I also think there's pepper in here-possibly black pepper. I also detect some green herbs. It's a very complex mixture of notes, that's for sure! It also gains that 'autumnal smoky fruit' drydown scent I get in other BPALs, which I am very fond of. I also get a little floral at this point, and it reminds me of Sheol, but with the earthy fruit vibe of Gomorrah, and the smoke of Hunter Moon. Verdict: this is a tempestuous swirl of chaotic, complex, and powerful notes. It's a deep, almost boozy plum, reminiscent of the stewed plum on Bandersnatch, with a dark sour cherry note, and a host of other scents including a background of woody incense, smouldering and giving off fragrant smoke, a little bit of something herbal and some spices (almost like clove, or even carnation, as well as pepper), some dark musk, a note that reminds me of sophisticated perfume, and even a little bit of something like ozone. it settles down into something more balanced, a deep floral-fruity-incensy-musk scent which reminds me of the drydowns of various other BPALs. This is a more intense, complex Bandersnatch and a sister scent to Hellion, on me. I really like it and I may keep the imp, but I do prefer Bandersnatch to this so I'll keep the imp but don't need a bottle. However, I think this is another 'autumnal plum' scent-whilst Bandersnatch is a sunny autumn day in September, Oya is a stormy autumn night in November. A very well crafted scent, it seems very fitting for the goddess it's named after, with it's stormy yet sophisticated mixture of notes. Emoticon rating:

Peaceful Home The scent: this is a lovely, pleasant scent-it smells like citrus herbs and lemon, maybe citronella, with geranium, rose and lilac. A peaceful, soothing fragrance. The intent: I thought that now that I've returned home from uni for the summer, I'd perform a little ritual to calm the household down. Even though it's just my mum and me living there, there are a lot of arguments between us, especially over household objects and possessions, tidiness, and just plain parent and daughter disputes. So, for this ritual, I dressed a light blue candle with this oil by rubbing the candle with the oil from the ends inward, saying to myself 'bring in peace and harmony to the home, let there be no more disputing' whilst visualising me being on easy terms with my mum and peace flowing into the home. The soft and pleasing scent helped to do this better, I think, and at one point, after lighting the candle, I felt a wonderful warm energy starting to fill the palms of my hands where the oil was (and my hands were a bit cold, previously). I used this opportunity to visualise this warm, healing, soothing energy surrounding the house and all the rooms in it. I feel more calm now after ritual, much more calm and at ease with everything and I hope the oil's intents start to take hold-will update with any results. The oil seemed to work-I think. For a week after I did the ritual, my mum was less argumentative and the disputes we had were very minor and were resolved faster than usual. But after that week, my mum returned to her usual grumpy self...I think I need to use this oil again-I think another way I could use it would be in an oil burner, to spread it throughout the house.

Tweedledum In the imp: mango! Gorgeous mango, sweet and juicy, with an earthiness behind it. Wet on skin: still mango, but now I smell the fig coming through, possibly tea as well. Dry on skin: mmm, gorgeous. This is a mango scent made greener by tea and earthier by fig and a very bare hint of patchouli. It's sweet, yet with a nice tartness and I love the depth this has-it's not just a fruity scent, it reminds me of those other two earthy fruit scents-Carnal and Depraved, only with mango. I really like this-the colour it brings to mind is a intense rainforest green-there's something exotic about this scent and makes me think of plucking a mango growing in the greenery of jungle on a tropical island. Very summery. After a while: the mango comes out more now, sweet and juicy and ripe. The greenish fig still hangs around, and I think there's a nice dark depth in the background due to the patchouli, but it's not a blatant patchouli, but it really grounds the scent. Verdict: I love the way that Tweedledee and Tweedledum contrast nicely and make for a fantastic fragrant double act. Dum is darker, earthier, more mature, and also a little bit sweeter, less sharp. The colour this scent evokes is pure deep green with just a hint of yellowish orange behind it-the exact opposite of Tweedledee, which was bright sunny golden-orange with a tinge of green. It's a very natural mango scent; it makes me think of mango trees growing in a humid tropical climate, with fruit ripening and falling to the damp ground- I smell it all there. It's such a summery scent, cheerful and vibrant, sweet and warm and it makes me smile. I love the Tweedles and plan to get bottles of both because these will become summer staples. Emoticon rating:

Tweedledee In the imp: fizzy! This sparkles with pepper and with tangy tea, orange blossom, and a fruit note which I think is kumquat. Wet on skin: the orange blossom and tea come into their own once on the skin. Dry on skin: this is a fun scent! It reminds me of another tea-citrus scent, can't remember which now, but this scent is lovely! Light, effervescent and fresh, I smell the bright sharpness of white tea mixed with the smoother floral-citrus tang of orange blossom, and warm pepper scattered through. the whole scent has an 'orange' feel, a citrus base which must be the kumquat. I like this a lot…it does remind me of orange fizzy sweets, but in a good way. After a while: the kumquat (smells like citrus peel now) and orange blossom are the dominant notes now. the scent is a lot sweeter and smoother now, it's almost like there's a white musk in here, merging and smoothing the notes out. I love it. Verdict: this is a fabulously light hearted fragrance, youthful and energetic in feel, sparkling with bright tangy notes. The scent fizzes like a refreshing effervescent drink or citrus candy, refreshing and both sweet and sharp. The tartness of white tea with a smoother, almost white-musky fruity floral note of orange blossom is given a sweet, bright orange feel by the kumquat and with a hint of spicy pepper warming it up. I love this scent because it's so happy and sunny and it's absolutely perfect for summer. I think I might need more of this… Emoticon rating:

Mouse's Long and Sad Tale In the imp: sweet pea! Gorgeous, gentle sweet pea. No sign of the amber or vanilla yet. Wet on skin: still sweet pea, it's a little bit greener now but I think I can smell the sandalwood. Dry on skin: now it's sweeter! What a lovely, pretty scent! The dominant note is sweet pea, that gentle, greenish springtime scent, but behind that I can smell a gorgeous rich amber depth, it's sweetness amplified by vanilla, but it's not an outright sweetness. I think the sandalwood adds a feel of dry warmth to it all but isn't too obvious yet. I like the way the other deeper notes ground the sweet pea. After a while: still sweet pea-dominated, but I really love what the amber's doing here. It's sweet, golden and, along with the vanilla and sandalwood, it prevents the sweet pea note (which can sometimes smell a bit funny on my skin) from going too waxy. Gradually the amber strengthens and then becomes equal with the sweet pea, balancing the floral greenness with it's sweetly resinous scent, with sandalwood behind it. I love this stage of the scent. Eventually the scent swings from sweet pea to the most wonderful amber sandalwood drydown-it's the Lion's amber but without the spices! I think I'm getting Egyptian amber here, mmm…this is so beautiful. Verdict: a beautiful, dainty, soft scent which has grown on me. Some sweet pea scents can be a bit soapy or waxy on me, but when other richer, sweeter notes ground the sweet pea note, this flower can be fabulous. Aeval was like that, and so is MLST. It starts off fluffy, pink and youthful, a pink spring floral, this mouse seems happy to me and not sad, and I am reminded of Angelina Ballerina (frilly mousy girliness), one of my favourite childhood books. Over time the scent matures and the amber starts to come to the fore, the little mouse grows up…the amber adds a wonderful sweet richness, along with vanilla, evening out and balancing the almost waxy greenish floral of the sweet pea. And then the scent ends with a stunning finale of glowing amber and sandalwood. This is a delightful scent which is so feminine and delicate yet with a nice depth to it. It's definitely a keeper as an imp, and I may get a bottle, but I'm not sure yet…but it's worth it for the drydown, which is so gorgeous! Emoticon rating:

Eat Me In the imp: mmm!!! Delicious sweet vanilla cake with currants. This has me salivating like crazy. Wet on skin: oh, this is gorgeous. Currant cake! Dry on skin: I can't believe how wonderful and also how clever this scent is. Sure it's foody and it definitely has a cakey feel but surprisingly, it's not blatantly foody. It's different to the outright super-sweet foodiness of the Closet Monster-it has a gentler, drier cake mixture, a soft, fluffy vanilla…but it's the currants that are working magic on this blend. They add a juicy, ripe, tart scent that counteracts the sweeter notes nicely and the currant note smells so true, so full and fruity, nicely sharp, freshly picked, and almost perfume like in feel (in other words this isn't as dessert-craving as some foodies, this is more sophisticated). The currant note also reminds me of other tart berry notes I've encountered, such as Lady Macbeth and there's even something about this scent which reminds me of Mabon! It has a sort of wine/booze like feel to it. After a while: whoa, this has throw! I'm getting wafts of vanilla-currant all around me-it's delicious! the vanilla has cranked up a notch, which is a good thing-the scent is now a wonderfully balanced mix of the tart, fresh currant and the sweet, rich vanilla cake. I love the vanilla cake in this-it smells very biteable but not cloying or overwhelming at all. Over time the vanilla-cake and currants merge even more so and the scent becomes so nicely rounded. Now this smells very lickable indeed. I must add that at the end of this scent's stay on my skin, I swear I'm getting something akin to Smut's drydown...a seductive vanilla with a twist of musk! Yes! This is aptly named, I must say! Verdict: Eat Me is Monster Bait Closet's more sophisticated sister. This is a stunning and innovative interpretation of the foody theme-in that it smells delicious and there are many moments when I want to eat myself, but the scent goes beyond foody and smells almost like a wonderful non-foody perfume blended with sweet edible notes, and I think it's the currant doing this. I love the currant note in here, it's not too sharp but tart enough to balance out the sweetness of the vanilla and cake, and adds a bit of fruity juiciness, like a rich vanilla cake topped with just picked berries. This gets even more delicious as it develops on the skin and the vanilla merges with the currants so nicely and something in here even hints at sexy musk. I think I will need to get a bottle because this is truly fabulous. And it's GC! Emoticon rating:

Wolf’s Heart In the imp: dragon’s blood, with a hint of floral, maybe lilac? Wet on skin: gardenia? I think I’m getting a gardenia reaction here-it’s going dry and a bit harsh. But it’s not a truly nasty reaction, yet. Dry: dry, biting gardenia, with the red warmth of dragon’s blood, and a hint of some other floral scents, I think I get lilac in here. The scent is a bit sharp, almost greenish from the gardenia, but the scent isn’t too bad so far-it may improve a bit more over time. After a while: the gardenia fades and become a tolerable ‘dry petal’ scent. now I smell more of the dragon’s blood and a little hint of something almost herbal, as well as wisteria (I think) and a little bit of a ‘tree bark’ scent, and a little bit of something metallic. It’s an odd scent, and not one I’d wear as perfume-this definitely is a ritual oil for me, not a personal scent. Eventually this fades to pretty much pure dragon’s blood. Verdict: I have tried this some time ago and I actually liked it better back then (maybe I had an aged imp?) but I wasn’t so keen on Wolf’s Heart this time round. There’s a dry/sharp gardenia like note to it which makes the scent rather acrid, and the lovely purple floral scent I got previously isn’t as strong here. And of course, as before, dragon’s blood is dominant here. It’s definitely not a perfume scent, but maybe I could try it for purpose? However, there are other courage-boosters (like Lionheart) which I prefer to this, so it’s a swapper. Emoticon rating:

Sweet Clove In the imp: clove, pure and simple. That gorgeous, warm, spicy and festive scent. This is the clove from Three Witches. Wet on skin: it’s not very strong on my skin, and is a little bit drier than the scent in the imp. Dry: dry clove. Just like sniffing a jar of cloves. There’s a hint of dry smoke about this as well, as well as a sweetness and a slight creamy or citrus/orange like scent. This is lovely, and reminds me of Christmas, mulled wine and pomanders, and also chai tea. It’s a very true scent but it’s a little bit too faint on me. After a while: this is gorgeous after about half an hour. It’s much smoother, less dry, fuller and sweeter, with an almost creamy feel to it. This is what made Three Witches (the original) so wonderful. Verdict: this is a straightforward clove scent, but such a genuine clove scent. It’s like sniffing a jar of the spice, or rubbing cloves on the skin. It’s quite a complex scent-as well as that warm, rich spice, there are hints of smoke and citrus to it, as well as a little sweetness (of course). A gorgeous, festive scent, lovely for the cooler months, the autumn and winter festivities. It starts off a bit faint, but then it warms up over time to become a fabulous, full bodied, smooth clove note. I love it, both on its own or for potential layering. Emoticon rating:

I stink of: Spellbound I'm burning: Wildberry Aromatic Teak incense (which smells oddly like Lush Bathos to me...) Done two of my exams already. I'm very pleased at how I did with my contemporary physics paper-just a a couple of questions confuzzled me but apart from that, it was all good. The maths paper was awful though. I don't think I did well on it at all. Oh well, I hope I do better on the Astrophysics exam this Thursday-it's the paper I feel most confident about. I'll be so happy when those mofos are out of the way! and I won't have to live in that dump of a flat with those idiotic arsewipes that I had to put up with for the last year... Finally, the weather's improved! I love it when it's all sunny and warm-not too hot, just pleasantly warm, the way I like it. I can go out in a t-shirt without freezing...and in about two weeks time, I'll be in Crete! Yay! I'll miss not having internet access (and forum access) but I'll be away somewhere away from home for a week or two, and I love Crete, one of my favourite places...hopefully I'll have a nice summer job waiting for me when I return. I seriously need a job, it's near impossible to get a 2 month summer job round here, all the part time jobs available are aimed at gap year students, it seems. But I need to be kept busy for the next two months and to, erm, fund my BPAL addiction!

The King of Hearts In the imp: lavender and cherry/almond. It reminds me of Queen of Hearts with lavender, for now. Wet on skin: I like the combination of lavender, cherry and rosewood I'm getting here…and I also smell white musk. Dry on skin: ohh, I really like this! I'm getting a wonderful light airy lavender and white musk scent, with a lovely dry woody base of rosewood. I don't get as much cherry now (it still hangs around though), nor do I get rose or red musk yet…just a lovely lavender musk, almost like Villain. Mmm! I love the white musk in here, it's got a wonderful airy quality to it. After a while: the lavender retreats and the scent becomes a woody white musk scent, with a hint of rose to it. The scent is very soft and smooth, and almost ethereal. Despite the presence of rose, this scent isn't too feminine, in fact, I think this is very unisex. It also reminds me very much of Ode on Melancholy now. The only problem with this scent is it's very faint…but I do like the smoky woody drydown I get at the very end of this scent's duration. I don't get any red musk from this scent at all though. Verdict: this is a very nice scent. A lovely lavender-woody-musk fragrance, it reminds me of Villain meets Ode on Melancholy, with a hint of Queen of Hearts' cherry to it. I love the white musk here-it's a gorgeous, light and ethereal musk, smooth and almost airy, and I love white musk paired with fragrant wood, like in here-it gives the scent a slightly smoky drydown. The lavender does fade after a while to leave that light woody musk scent, but there are two drawbacks. It is a bit faint and doesn't seem to last very long, and I was hoping for red musk to make an entrance and to add depth and staying power to the scent, but alas, it's nowhere to be found. But it is a gorgeous scent and I think it would be lovely on a man as well. Keeping the imp of this. Emoticon rating:

Drink Me In the imp: mmm, butterscotch! This smells like a lighter version of Mitzvah, I think, only a tad creamier/fruiter. I definitely smell custard here too. Wet on skin: now, a nutty scent appears on the skin, and the scent reminds me of caramelised pecans! Dry on skin: this is delicious! Now I can smell cherry coming through-combined with the nutty note, it gives the impression of almonds, or marzipan. But the scent on my skin now is a wonderful mixture of sweet foody scents. It smells of vanilla custard (exactly like the one my mum makes!), caramelised pecans/almonds, cherry tart with marzipan on top and crispy pastry, butterscotch toffee, a little bit of spice to round the scent off…I don't get pineapple yet and thankfully I don't get turkey either! I can detect a little bit of toast, but it's not as overwhelmingly buttery as I feared. In fact, I love this scent so far! It's warm and rich and yummy. After a while: coffee? Yes, now when I sniff close to the wrist, I get a lovely creamy coffee note, surrounded by nutty caramel. But the throw off my wrist is amazing-it smells just like real home made custard made with fresh vanilla pods, or good quality vanilla ice cream. Mmm. Then, soon after, the buttered toast makes more of an appearance! And it's not as bad as I was expecting-I thought the butter would turn a bit sickly and loud (think Shill) on me, but it smells like genuine buttered toast here-toast with butter all melted over it, which I love. Buttered toast and nutty toffee…it's almost like Gluttony at some points, but a bit creamier. The scent alternates between toast, toffee, coffee, nut and custard stages through it's duration. I don't get much fruit here now, just the really 'fattening' notes! There are times when this scent smells like vanilla ice cream served with a nutty toffee dessert, or praline ice cream! After about 5 hours, I smell my wrist and finally...the pineapple turns up. It now smells like pineapple trifle! Verdict: this is so much nicer than I was expecting. From previous reviews, I was worried that it would be too buttery or rich on me, but though it does have a butter note and is quite a rich scent, it's tuly delicious. It's very well blended, and the food notes in here are uncannily authentic smelling-for example, the custard note smells just like my mum's vanilla custard-I can smell the real vanilla pods infused in rich creamy custard in here, and at times, it takes on a vanilla ice cream feel. There's also a nutty note that reminds me of caramelised pecans and praline, a little bit of coffee and spice, and some pastry notes, lots of caramel, and a bit of hot toast with melted butter oozing nicely on it. I don't get too much fruit (just slight hints) and there's no turkey to be found. At times it smells like Gluttony, but with a creamier side thanks to the custard. It's delectable and wonderful, and it's a perfect representation of Alice's 'Drink Me' potion. This is the way to smell like a million calories and not put on a pound. Emoticon rating:

Loup Garou In the imp: fresh, piercing, nose-clearing eucalyptus and juniper! I could use this when I have a cold… Wet on skin: still that shrill blast of juniper and eucalyptus. Dry on skin: there's a hint of something sweeter coming through, and a little hint of dry cypress, but this blend is dominated by the pine-like piercing scent of juniper and cool eucalyptus, a scent both forest-y and ice cold…and also quite medicinal. My sinuses would love this if they were bunged up. It's not a bad scent but for now, it smells more like a cold remedy than anything else. After a while: it's less eucalyptus-y now, and has faded a lot…the scent is now the remains of juniper on a soft cypress wood base. I get a little bit of warmth behind it-the galangal maybe? It's a very faint scent now, but quite pleasant. And after a while I get a soft, very faint scent of…sandalwood? Where does that come from? Did the cypress magically morph into sandalwood? I don’t mind though…I really like this stage (yum, sandalwood!), I just wish it could be stronger. Verdict: this was an unusual one. At first it smelt piercing and sharp, that mind and nose clearing scent of eucalyptus and juniper, a bright jolt of scent…but it smelt a tad medicinal, like something I could use to unblock a cold-clogged nose. But the drydown smelt a lot nicer…like sandalwood, funnily enough. Not sure if that's the cypress mixed with galangal or what, but it was a dead ringer for sandalwood and very pleasant indeed-but so damn faint. I had to do some serious close wrist snorting to smell it…which is a shame. I'm not sure whether to keep this or not-it smells nice but doesn't smell strong enough for me to really like it. Emoticon rating:

Bayou In the imp: eek, this is very sharp! An acidic sharpness with a dark, gloomy scent behind it. Wet on skin: the sharpness is more bearable now, like grapefruit, with moss! Why is it that 'dark aquatics' turn to grapefruit on me? The same happened with Danube. Dry on skin: mossy grapefruit! A very interesting scent, this may be tangy and citrus like at times but it's also very dark and murky. Perfect for a swampy scent-it's humid and misty with a little hint of decay. I get lots of damp moss here, along with the squeezed 'grapefruit' (or is it yuzu? It reminds me of the sharper, more bitter smell of yuzu) and an aquatic scent-it's very fresh and wet. I get a little bit of cypress as well, a hint of dry wood under the wet moss, and a hint of light floral. After a while: still mossy. It's not as sharp and grapefruity now, now it's a shadowy dampness, waterlogged moss with cypress and lots of wetness. It's a very dark scent, makes me think of a muggy summer night by a lake or marshy wetland area. Verdict: humid and misty, warm, steamy and gloomy, and very evocative indeed. There's an odd grapefruit scent to it at first, but apart from that, it really does have a swampy feel to it. The main note is the moss, which smells very damp indeed, like moss covered in drops of dew, and there are hints of florals and cypress here and there. I'm again impressed at how Beth has captured the climate in the scent, a real feel of wetness, like vegetation dripping with water, mist lingering over swampland, and a real sense of murkiness. It's quite a pleasant scent as well, lazy and laid back, the scent of one of those summer nights when it's too hot and humid to do too much but also too uncomfortable to sleep in…it's also one of the mossiest scents from BPAL. No need for a bottle yet, but I might keep the imp of this. Emoticon rating:

Imp of the Perverse In the imp: since the imp I have contains so little oil I don’t know how much I can put on the skin…in the vial, it’s roses. Slightly boozy dried roses. Nothing too scary yet! Wet on skin: old roses, slightly wilted, with a bit of dark cognac. Dry: hmm, this isn’t as nasty as I feared! But then again, I do like my roses. It’s very rosy, but the scent is of dry roses, wilted ones, not fresh roses, with cognac. It’s almost like a makeshift rose perfume made by soaking dry rose petals in alcohol…the cognac note is quite strong here, it’s dark and boozy and is balanced by the dry, concentrated rose scent. Nothing scary like sulphur, urine, compost or mouldy veg here-this smells exactly how it is described. After a while: the cognac-rose scent gets a little bit darker, murkier, and the rose seems to fade a bit to the background. It does smell a bit more ‘stagnant’ but it’s not too unpleasant. Verdict: this is actually not a bad smell on me! The reviews scared me a bit, but on my skin, this smells exactly of what it says it smells like-roses and cognac. Or, roses macerated in cognac. The roses in here are not fresh, bright, dewy roses like a lot of BPAL rose notes are, these are dried, almost wilted, but just before they go completely off they are preserved in a bottle of strong cognac. It’s dark, it’s boozy, it’s potent stuff, it’s very rosy indeed (in fact, it reminds me of a certain type of rose oil I smelt once-it smelt a lot drier and concentrated and more ‘old’ than the other rose oil next to it) but it’s not a horrible scent in any way. But then again I’m probably lucky since I love roses anyway. It’s not my favourite rose scent, but I’m glad I got to try this. Emoticon rating:

Kingsport In the imp: barley water with salt. Yes that’s right. You know that Robinsons orange/lemon squash that is usually served at children’s parties? This smells like it, but with salt. How odd. Wet on skin: still that sugary lemon/orange soft drink smell, but with sea spray underneath. a strange scent, but I quite like it. Dry: hmm, this is like sweet, cool, lemonade mist drifting over the choppy sea. I can’t describe this any other way. It’s a mix of that almost citrusy ozone scent with a hint of sugared effervescence, with salty ocean waves crashing on the beach. It’s misty and humid, and I also detect hints of white floral. At times it reminds me of Sea of Glass, but whilst that was crystal clear and serene, this is cloudier and with a feel of spray, yet also warm…but it also makes me think of clean laundry on the beach, drinking lemonade at the seaside. After a while: now I get a scent of laundry, a sweet clean laundry scent, like Dirty’s floral-fruity fresh washed linen scent, but with a strong lemonade note and misty marine ozone. I quite like this! Verdict: this was a weird one, but quite pleasant! It smells like a diverse mixture of misfit notes-orange squash, sea spray and clean laundry with lemonade, sugared florals and ozone! It’s sweet and salty, fresh and humid, warm and cool-a scent full of contrasts. But, despite the oddity of such notes being together, the combination smells quite nice. It’s a summery and refreshing sea scent, not as crystalline as Sea of Glass and a lot more ‘muggy/foggy’ in feel, but the scent of lemonade on the beach with just-cleaned beach towels is just perfect for summer. I’m glad I have a decant. Emoticon rating:

Dunwich In the imp: a faint hint of mossy aquatics. A bit like Bayou, but lighter and less sharp. Wet on skin: marshy! This really does smell swampy, I can smell rough swamp grasses and reeds with misty notes and grey woods and moss… Dry: this is very interesting! It really does smell like a swampy sort of scent, but not a stinky stagnant pond smell, but a more pleasant marshy, wetland scent. There’s a very light tinge of ozone-aquatic here evoking fog and mist, and I do get the woods-they are skeletal, indeed, and covered in moss. There’s a lovely ‘reedy’ smell to this which I really like-it’s almost like grass, but moister, yet, strangely enough, it also smells dry. And I think the bog lilies may be a kind of water lily? There’s a gorgeous fresh white floral scent to this, an aquatic dewy floral, reminiscent of waterlily perfumes I’ve smelt before, and I really love that note in here. After a while: this becomes a lot fainter after a short while. I get the dry reed scent lingering nicely with that lovely white lily note, resting on a base of pale, colourless woods and aquatics. It’s a very unique fragrance and I really like it-I just wish it were stronger. (It’s also one of the few ‘murky aquatic’ scents that doesn’t go to grapefruit on me!) Eventually it fades to a very faint but very nice scent of dry reeds, almost like papyrus…with traces of aquatic lily. Verdict: this is such a wonderfully unique perfume, so unlike anything I’ve smelt before. Concerning other ‘swamp/marsh’ scents, I thought Bayou was a bit too overwhelmingly humid and moss-citrus for me (though very evocative of the name), and I do love Penthus for it’s ‘roses by saltwater marshes’ scent, but this scent is one of the loveliest wetland scents I’ve come across. There’s a fantastic and authentic ‘reed’ note to this, and it’s interesting in the way that it’s grassy, dry, moist and aquatic all at once. I get hints of driftwood as well, dry and bleached. I also smell a soft mist note, and the ‘bog lily’ note is lovely-it’s like white waterlilies, fresh and dewy and bright. The only downside to this scent is that it’s very faint after a short while. But it’s a surprise hit for me-I wasn’t expecting to enjoy a swampy scent so much. I wish there was another BPAL scent like it-it’s like nothing else I’ve smelt. Emoticon rating:

Mantis In the imp: the tang of fresh cut herbs and neroli with amber sweetness. Wet on skin: tangy green herbs, similar to the herbs in Verdandi and Buck Moon and a few others, with a soft amber-musk background, and a hint of something almost like perfume. Dry on skin: mmm, this is pretty! I get a lovely sweet amber-musk-patchouli scent, almost like Imp's but without the peach scent, and with the sharp herbs and the tangy citrus-floral scent of neroli adding freshness and tartness to the scent. For some reason, the overall scent almost has a 'sugared lemon/orange' feel to it, a mix of citrus like sweetness and tartness which works very well, and the patchouli adds a lovely depth, a shadow to counteract a very bright scent. I'm also wondering if one of the 'crushed herbs' is tea…I know it's not technically a herb but I smell tea here, I think. Possibly lemony herbs as well. There's also something almost 'perfumey' about the scent-it's something that would work well as 'mainstream perfume', but that's a good thing-it's very well blended. After a while: oh, wow. Musk and amber! the sharp herbs and neroli have retreated, and now the amber and musk, merged as one, become the starts of the scent. the scent is less sharp and less citrus like now, it's a lot smoother, warmer, a sun-warmed golden sweetness and softness, with a touch of something exotic to it, a little bit of patchouli in the background. Beautiful! Verdict: this is a lovely scent! at first it's surprisingly citrus like, a blend of tangy orange like neroli with crisp green herbs, possibly some tea or lemon herbs in there, with the sweetness of amber softening it all. Though this is nice, the drydown is even more delightful…that's when the musk mixes with the amber and the citrus scent fades a bit, and the amber-musk scent dominates and makes for a wonderful scent, a scent that is sweet and downy-soft, golden and warm. This is beautifully well blended, so much so that it wouldn't smell out of place as a sophisticated commercial perfume, yet it still has that special BPAL feel to it. This is a very good everyday scent-it's both fresh and bright but with a soft sweet musky amber undertone to it. I may get a bottle some day. Emoticon rating: