yeahbutnobut

Samael In the imp: ohh, beautiful warm honeyed flowers. I’m thinking orchid, the same honeyed orchid as Regan. Wet on skin: honey and pollen! I smell humid flowers with hints of green… Dry: whoa, it’s suddenly gone very sharp! A green, piercing sharpness-but not the acrid pickly screeching reaction of ‘evil gardenia’-this is not as unpleasant, it’s something else, but I can’t tell what it is, but it reminds me of a booze note, it’s almost alcoholic, maybe even medicinal, but also very green. Around that I smell floral notes and honey, I think there’s orchid in here…oh, now the sharp note settles down and becomes something I recognise-I think it’s lilac! Or is it wisteria? One of those scented purple spring flowers anyway. It’s very complex. I also get a lot of lily in here. After a while: it’s not long before this scent becomes a cool, steely lily (yup, it also has a hint of metal to it) fringed with wisteria/lilac and a hint of the honeyed flowers from before. After an hour or so, the lily and lilac move back and the honey is stronger again. It is a sharp honey-floral mix. I do agree with the Fee Verte comparisons at this point! It's also a less creamy version of Al Araaf. The drydown is a dry, greenish scent with sharp honey. There may be honeysuckle here, it sometimes dries down to a sharp green smell on me after a few hours. Verdict: another strange one. It smells gorgeous in the vial, soft, powdery honeyed flowers. But it develops a sharpness as soon as it hits the skin, and then moves through phases of honey-flowers and cool, greenish-metallic lily, and also stages of piercing lilac/wisteria as well. It’s a floral with a poisonous side-it has a definite sharp bite to it, smoothed out by tempting notes of honey. It’s ok but not my favourite scent-I have a lot of honey-floral scents I prefer to this, but I may try this again. I wish I got the incense and musk mentioned in other reviews! Emoticon rating:

Gha’agsheblah In the imp: muted, slightly old fashioned, ‘purple’ rose. Dry dusty rose with something purple to it. Wet on skin: it becomes even more old-fashioned smelling! A dry, pale, dusty, dry white floral appears, fringed by rose. Dry: hmm, that ‘old perfume’ note tones down a bit. It’s a white, dry, floral scent, very powdery and almost soapy, but that’s being kept in check by a rose note-a crisp, clear, dry, tart rose note, a mix of fresh rose petals and dry. But it does remind me of one of my old childminder’s perfumes or dusting powders. This scent is like a vase of roses in an old, dusty house with hints of perfumed powder remaining. I also get hints of camomile and maybe some violet-it smells a bit like Ephemera at times. After a while: the odd ‘old fashioned powder’ note lightens a touch, it’s almost reminiscent of washing powder now, complete with its soapy feel and ozone like freshness. It reminds me of another BPAL but I can’t remember which-maybe Numb? It’s a lot more powdery and old-smelling though, thanks to all the other dry flowery notes here. There’s still a lot of dry rose in here. Eventually it becomes a soft, powdery floral, and now I can smell violet. There’s still rose and that other powdery pale/soapy note, but now I smell a lot of violet in here. It does now smell like Numb with added rose. Verdict: this, on me, is like Numb meets Ephemera with the rose note cranked up and an extra portion of powder scattered on top. It’s a dusty scent, dry and white, almost old fashioned in scent, with an odd powdery pale floral tone to it which reminds me of traditional dusting powder. And over that is a strong rose note, a dry, tart rose-this is my favourite bit in the scent. At drydown, violet surfaces and makes itself known. Now, there are some powdery scents which I love where the powder really works with the scent and smells warm and soft, but I’m not so hot about this-the powder note is too sharp, too old, too soapy (washing powder) and-dare I say-too granny-ish, it reminds me of a very old fashioned dusting powder sort of scent. I’m not so keen on this, I’m afraid. Emoticon rating:

Black Lily In the imp: Nosegasm alert! Holy shit wow. A beautiful, rich, sweet floral, lily with jasmine overtones. Ohhh… Wet on skin: stunning! This is a wonderful, rich floral scent and it stays true on the skin. Dry: mmm, this is gorgeous! This is like no other lily I’ve smelt before-this is an otherworldly lily, a scent so captivating and bewitching, sweet, rich, heady and beautiful. It has almost jasmine and orchid like tones to it and there’s a touch of sweet nectar in there too, and a hint of dew, and I can almost smell a hint of green from the leaves. This lily isn’t waxy or soapy-it has tones of stargazer and white lily to it but it’s also very different from those, but yet doesn’t also smell ‘black’ though it is dark and dusky. After a while: a slightly cold, almost metallic tone starts to creep into the scent, reminiscent of Black Orchid, but so far, it doesn’t detract from the loveliness of the scent-it just adds an interesting ‘bite’ to it. I get a hint of the reddish-white lily from Cobra Lily at this point, but without that blend’s fruity sweetness. This cold note backs away shortly after it appears (but still hangs around to add that sinister edge to the scent), and then the scent becomes wonderfully creamy in feel. The lily isn’t black in scent now, it’s more like a red-pink-white mix, and quite smooth. But after a few hours, it doesn’t smell as nice. It loses that heady floral scent and becomes an oddly metallic, almost chemical, coldly medicinal smell. Hints of lily remain but it doesn’t have the ‘wow’ factor it had before. But when it fades from my skin, it gains that lily scent once more before leaving, switching from lily to that weird scent every now and then before saying farewell. Verdict: this switches from absolutely fabulously beautiful to ‘huh?’ on my skin quite a lot. When I first smelt this scent I had a nosegasm. This is no ordinary lily-it may have elements of other lily scents, but this flower is a different entity altogether. Rich, womanly and exotic with an intoxicating, voluptuous aroma, yet it’s also fresh and with touches of nectar and dew. I was besotted! But then, after an hour or so, it became oddly metallic on my skin, a bit chemical, not the bewitching lily scent that came before. Seems this wicked little flower has a sinister bite to it. Then it became wonderfully creamy, but after that it went back to that strange metallic/medicinal stage. I love the first stage enough to keep the imp, but I’m now not sure whether I’ll get more of this. Emoticon rating: ranges from to

Thaumiel In the imp: a soft herbal-floral. I think I can smell lavender here? Wet on skin: lavender and thyme, maybe some sage? It's a warm herbal mixture with a hint of floral. Dry on skin: mmm, not bad! I smell green herbs-possibly rosemary, sage and thyme, and also some herbal floral notes like geranium and maybe lavender. I think there's a geranium note in here? I also get a hint of a lemony herb, maybe verbena? This lemony note strengthens gradually. The scent is mainly herbal with hints of citrus to it. There may be a hint of dry rose to it as well. After a while: as it dries down, it gets a bit fainter and all the notes merge together. At this point, I can't tell what I'm smelling-I can't recognise any notes, other that it smells like a soft herbal scent with hints of green, hints of lemon, and something sweet and floral. I do still get geranium here, I think, and I think I can detect the faintest trace of something aquatic, or ozone perhaps? There's something faintly watery in here… Yup, it's ozone alright…fresh and clean, almost like laundry but not soapy or sharply powdery. It's also quite lemony/grapefruit-y. This is bearable. Yet there's still warmth to it. It's humid and wet, yet crisp. I smell rain here. Brings to mind clean sheets in a fragrant garden that have just dried but will be soaked again by a coming thunderstorm. This scent gets fresher over time, it's a very cool, clean, almost piercing aquatic-ozone scent, with a hint of green at the base, like wet, cold leaves and clean, clear rain water. After a few hours, the scent settles into fresh water flowing over a soft waxy white floral note, maybe lily. I also get a hint of violet as well. It's also a bit ozonic, and reminds me very, very slightly of Numb, but less intense, and a bit 'wetter'. Verdict: this is another unusual, almost confusing scent, but it smells good! It's confusing because I cannot recognise the notes properly at times, other than herbs and little hints of floral here and there, maybe something lemony. It's a warm, soft, balmy herbal mix. But over time, these random notes merge and change, the scent takes on another tone altogether and it begins to turn from a herbal scent to an aquatic/airy one. A soft, crisp ozone note rises out of the mass of herbs and the scent becomes crisp, cool and clean with a touch of citrus-y tang and fresh air and water. Refreshing, yet warm, almost like a summer rain storm…this is what I wished Tempest smelt like on me. I get green notes as well, and a hint of white flowers and violet at the end, and a delightful watery note which smells clear and pure. It's an interesting scent, that's for sure-not one I'd get a bottle of but I really like the way that it smells of rain and ozone without being soapy. One for summer. Emoticon rating:

Red Ginger In the imp: ginger, pure and simple. Spicy and tangy and very warm, this ginger note really crackles with heat. It smells like ginger essential oil, or a ginger root cut open. Wet on skin: still hot, spicy ginger, but it's also a bit darker now… Dry on skin: oh no…it's doing that nasty thing that Moxie did…turning to rubber/asphalt on my skin! So whilst I still get ginger, spicy and reminiscent of Chinese food at times, I also get that strangely rubbery, tarry scent of car tyres driving on a newly laid road on a hot summer's day. Dammit. Stupid skin chemistry ruined something so good. After a while: oh, that's more like it. It takes about an hour or a bit longer before the scent becomes more bearable, and smells more like ginger like it should. It's a drier ginger scent now, with a hint of something almost tea-like to it, reminiscent of Sudha Segara. Verdict: this seemed so promising in the imp-a wonderful, rich, true ginger-spicy and tangy and hot, just like real ginger. But on the skin, it all goes downhill from there-it does that exact same thing that Moxie did, by turning to a rubber and tarmac scent. It's strange because I thought most BPAL ginger notes were good on me-like Shub Niggurath, or Gingerbread Poppet, and many others-but this SN hates me! I'm definitely going to swap it away…it seems that red ginger isn't a note that likes me, or maybe I can only handle it in certain blends. The drydown is a bit more pleasant though-it goes back to it's gingery scent, but I can't handle the asphalt and new tyres stage of this note though… Emoticon rating:

Golachab In the imp: a fruity floral scent with an odd dark, leathery scent in the background. How odd. Wet on skin: I think there's a little bit of patchouli (?) here in the background. But the scent in the front is fruity, tangy lemony incense and wine…it reminds me of Cairo. Dry on skin: tangy, lemony sherbet sweets, served with dry wine and with a touch of resinous incense, and a soft floral-I think there's lotus in here, it has that distinctive candied sweetness to it. this is a warm, sunny, effervescent scent-it's very warm indeed but not blatantly spicy but I do detect a bit of dry smoky incense, maybe some sandalwood. I think there's some lemongrass or balm here because the lemon note is of the herbal variety I think-it's very intense lemon! And there's definitely a grape note in here as well, maybe some honey? After a while: this really sweetens over time. There's an almost candy like feel to this scent at times, but these are sweets served with wine, as I get a dry, crisp wine scent to this. Maybe also some currants as well. There's also a white, sweet floral which might be lotus, and I'm definitely getting a tart honey note to this now. The lemon note has toned down a lot but still remains, adding it's tart tang to the scent. There are times when this has smells a bit too much like synthetic flavoured sweets and grape/berry/cherry bubble gum-there are times when this reminds me of Jester, but without the 'argh, get it off!' reaction I got from that scent. It veers from fruity bubble gum to flowers and honeyed lemon wine every now and then. I also get hints of cherry flavoured soft drinks at this stage. I do like the drydown after about two or three hours though-it smells like Bastet's Laughter, or Aunt Caroline's Joy Mojo! A cheerful candy scent now, not as fake and 'OMG bubblegum!' as before, but more like sugared apricots, candy floss, and lotus. This stage of the scent is much gentler and makes me smile. Verdict: this scent is a strange one. At first, it's a bright, warm, sunny, zingy mix of tart sparkling wine and grape juice with honey, lemony herbs and sweet flowers (like lotus?), with a hint of sticky resins and woods in the background-it reminds me of a lighter version of Cairo. But there are stages when this smells like sweets and children's soft drinks-like fruit flavoured bubble gum and grape flavoured drinks. Whilst these candy stages do smell youthful and bring back pleasant childhood memories, it smells a little too much like the fake, over-sugared fruit flavours you get in kid's soft drinks and sweets and I'm not sure I like it much when it does that. I wish it could stick to its honey-lemon-wine scent, then I would really enjoy it more…but I love the drydown, which really reminds me of Bastet's Laughter, which I love-a muted fruit and sugar scent which is cheerful but not too showy about it. I'll probably keep the decant I have, but I don't think I need a bottle yet. Emoticon rating: ranges from to and then back to

Toxin In the imp: fresh and tangy, maybe with citrus and ozone notes, and a floral sweetness. It reminds me of Sundew and Blue Moon. Wet on skin: still clean and fresh, reminiscent of clean laundry, with spring flowers. Dry on skin: this is a very pretty scent! It's almost soapy but not quite, very clean and breezy, it reminds me of clean white sheets drying in the sunshine. It's similar to Sundew with it's fruity-floral-clean scent, but this is less tangy and leans towards floral and linen notes than apples and pears (though I do get a hint of fruit here-including a little bit of citrus, probably a gentle grapefruit note). I think I can also pick up a little bit of cucumber. I'm wondering if the floral notes in here are the same as Blue Moon's-narcissus and orchid? It's a gorgeous scent, and so perfect for spring and summer. After a while: it's less tangy, it's now fruitier and I'm also getting a soft and slightly salted ozone note. An airy, almost marine note-this is an ozone which is nice on my skin. It's almost like Sea of Glass at this point, but with a fruity-floral sweetness contrasting with the salty sea air scent. It also reminds me of Tears (the good stage of Tears before it turned nasty on my skin, that is). The scent fades away gradually leaving a soft scent of sea breezes with clean linen sheets and dainty spring flowers in the sunshine. Verdict: don't let the name fool you, this scent doesn't smell toxic at all! This is a very pretty, light, fresh scent, very clean and airy, a breezy blend of clean linen with soft blossoms and gentle fruits. It's very similar to Sundew on me, at first, with hints of Blue Moon. Over time, a soft ozone-aquatic scent of salty sea breezes appears, mingled with a sweet fruity-floral scent. This is what I hoped Tears would smell like! This is one of those scents that will be fantastic for spring and summer-it is carefree and bright and makes me think of the beach and happy summer memories. I might want to get more of this if it gets released! Emoticon rating:

Sathariel In the imp: spicy dragon's blood. A red, warm, smouldering scent-I'm pretty sure there's dragon's blood here as the oil is very red indeed. Wet on skin: cocoa? I swear I'm getting a little hint of cocoa now, it's spicy chocolate with pepper and cinnamon and dragon's blood, reminds me of the Telltale Heart and the Great Sword of War. Dry on skin: ohh, wow. Now I get resinous incense-it's Al Azif! Yup, it's the exact same incense scent from Al Azif, sweet and dark and sticky, lots of myrrh and hints of spice here and there-I get a scent also reminiscent of Chimera and Sin, maybe there's cinnamon, amber, patchouli and copal in here too? I also smell some gorgeous caramelised brown sugar. All of these wonderful sticky sweet resinous warm notes lie on a subtle dragon's blood note, adding it's distinctive red, clear, metallic tone to the scent without taking over. There may be a little bit of red musk in here too. After a while: the dragon's blood is more noticeable now, merging into the sweet, sugary resin mixture and becoming a part of it. Dragon's blood is a hit or miss note which I either like or dislike depending on what blend it is in, but in this it works beautifully, and adds something almost fruity to the scent. There's a hint of chocolate here, a cocoa note which isn't dry-this is more like melted chocolate or moist, rich chocolate cake, lightly spiced and delicious. It's like a cross between the Telltale Heart and the Pit and the Pendulum. It then goes into a lovely 'blood incense' stage reminiscent of the Cracked Bell, and stays like this for the rest of the scent's duration. Verdict: I'm not really one to incline towards evil, but it seems that my skin chemistry is-because I'm loving the Qliphoth so far! This is a deep, rich, sweet, dark resinous scent with spices and dragon's blood/red musk, it smells like Al Azif meets Sin, Chimera and the Great Sword of War and the Telltale Heart. It is deep red, spicy and resinous, and also has a hint of something foody to it, reminiscent of brown sugar and moist chocolate desserts. I'm not a huge fan of dragon's blood but in here it's fantastic. I love the way the dragon's blood works in this, it goes so nicely with the sweet sticky resins and enhances the scent, especially on drydown. Another winner from this wicked collection of scents! Emoticon rating:

Nahemoth In the imp: ooh, deep, musky fruity amber with a hint of booze. I think its plum and indeed, there’s something Snake Charmer-ish about this. Wet on skin: yup, this is like Snake Charmer’s plum, but darker and a bit more resinous. Dry: mmm! This is wonderful! A gorgeous amber-plum scent underscored by dark smoky resinous incense (frankincense and myrrh?), spices and musk. This is similar to Snake Charmer and Hellion, but it’s also quite different from these-for starters, this doesn’t seem to have the vanilla-tonka sweetness of SC, and isn’t as dry as Hellion. It’s also a lot gentler and I love the resin-incense note swirling around the plum in this scent (I’m sure there’s frankincense in here), along with gorgeous glowing amber. After a while: oh goodness me, this really is like Snake Charmer without the vanilla! It’s that same delicious plum note, but with more amber in the place of vanilla, and the piercing, spicy resin scent of frankincense and hints of smoky myrrh and musk-possibly some labdanum too. It doesn’t have as much throw as SC-this one is a little bit gentler and not as showy and doesn’t waft as much, it clings closer to the wrist, but even so, this is very sexy indeed! There’s almost a little hint of Noir to this-maybe there’s opponax in here too, along with the plum? I definitely get patchouli now. Verdict: as soon as I saw the reviews comparing this to Snake Charmer, I knew I was going to love this-and I do! This evil woman does smell wickedly good, that’s for sure! This is a subtler Snake Charmer, sweet plum wrapped in amber and incense. I smell frankincense, myrrh and labdanum resins and smoke, maybe a hint of spice and musk, deep patchouli and soft golden amber. This is a fabulous scent, exotic and mysterious, darkly seductive, sexy and slinky, it’s a seductive, bewitching fragrance with a hint of sinister darkness to it, and I love it. I don’t know if I need a bottle yet because of it’s similarity to Snake Charmer (which I have two bottles of, with a third on order!) but it’s one of the Qliphoth I am considering getting in big bottle form when I feel like it. Emoticon rating:

Thagirion In the imp: a crisp, dewy, tangy floral, reminiscent of Sundew. Wet on skin: still a crisp, moist floral scent, maybe some tart fruit as well. Dry: crisp apple and spring blossoms! Apple blossom perhaps? This smells very similar to Sundew and Empyreal Mist on me-a fresh, bright, tangy fruity blossom scent, very spring-like. I think get a bit of pear and maybe some peach as well. I get a little hint of something that might be daffodil, and some green, grassy notes. Such a pretty scent! After a while: it’s not long before I get a gorgeous creamy undertone appearing under the crisp flowers and fruits. It really softens the scent and lets the sweeter aspects of the notes come out. It still smells of pear and blossom (maybe linden?) and fresh spring leaves (maybe also some white tea?), but now with a creamy, marshmallow-y base…and I think I’m getting a hint of fresh coconut now! After about 45 minutes, the scent is very smooth, not as sharp/tangy as before, and it’s so creamy and soft and white, it’s a scent of flower petals, green notes, pear/apple and fresh coconut water on top of a bed of cream. After a few good hours, the tangy notes are completely gone and I’m left with a very pretty creamy coconut musk, smooth and delectable. And although there are no coconut or musk notes in Fee, I also get something vaguely reminiscent of Fee’s drydown here, and I like that-it’s almost like a light hint of melon and oak moss. Verdict: how could an oil based on an evil concept smell so, well, pretty? This is such a lovely, dainty scent, it smells like spring at first-a sparkling blend of dewy blossoms and tart fruits like pears and apples, with hints of greenness-like fresh leaves that have just popped from their buds, and maybe some light tea. But then a wonderful creaminess takes over, soft and white, almost like coconut and marshmallow and white musk, sweet and yet also fresh. There’s a hint of something almost Fee-like to it, like hints of melon and moss and maybe some vanilla and white florals too. Not sure if I need a 10ml, but this is a gorgeous scent, and definitely one I’ll wear lots of during spring and summer. Emoticon rating:

Zero In the imp: mmm, this smells quite similar to Nihil (not surprisingly) with it’s rich, exotic fruity-floral scent. Wet on skin: I get a lovely fruity note reminiscent of kiwi and mango, underscored with damp greenery and flowers. Dry: this is very nice! This smells very tropical, very lush and warm, and very well blended. There’s a slight ‘mainstream perfume’ vibe to it, but that’s a good thing in this case. There might be frangipani in here, it’s definitely a creamy, sultry floral scent, but with a tangy fruity sharpness which reminds me of kiwi, and perhaps a touch of mango, and also some citrus, and a layer of damp green leaves underneath. It really smells like summer and I love it! After a while: hey? What happened to that blast of frangipani and fruit and tropical greenery? The scent has toned down an awful lot now…I can hardly smell it now-but I do get a faint sweet whiff of bananas on my skin. I still get little hints of the scent that was before (especially far from my wrist-which is unusual) but I also get banana, with a hint of lemon and vetiver underneath. Yes, the more I smell it, I’m sure there’s vetiver here…I can smell it lurking in the background. Then the scent throw increases once more, but it’s changed. It’s now sweeter, darker, less floral and more fruity, with banana and some tangy fruits, but with that vetiver undertone to it. Eventually, the odd banana note fades and I get something reminiscent of smoky plum-and with the vetiver, the result is very similar, on me, to King of Spades. Verdict: another unusual and innovative blend. At first, it’s an explosion of tropical fruits and exotic flowers on a bed of damp rainforest greenery, I smell kiwi and mango and citrus with frangipani, it’s a warm, summery blend, very pleasant and I loved that stage of the scent. But then it goes through an odd phase-at first, it goes very faint, and then I get a banana note, along with vetiver. But then the end stage is almost like King of Spades-a dark, smoky, green vetiver-plum scent. I like this scent, but I really would have loved it if it stayed at its first, tropical fruit-floral stage for the entire duration of the scent. But I’ll keep the decant I have. Emoticon rating:

I stink of: Zero and Thagirion. Both are very nice, but I'm preferring Thag's light creamy springy floral scent right now... Ugh, I'm almost done with my coursework. So many deadlines over these last two weeks. And those assignments really are more like pain in the ASSignments! Especially that quantum physics one...one thing's for sure, my brain had some serious exercise this fortnight! I am not looking forward to exams at all. It was actually WARM today, finally! I hate cold weather and sometimes where I am in Hertfordshire feels like the North Pole, and after a particularly long and cold winter, it's good to have some decent spring sunshine, and it feels good being able to wear a t-shirt outside without freezing! I love warm sunny days-I'm not one for rain and moody greyness, or stormy weather, I'm afraid. I'm really worried about the state of my Underpants/Bunny order-it's still MIA even though it's been sent! I've never had a two week delay for BPAL-I'm in the UK but BPAL orders usually get there faster than most other international orders! I emailed the Lab on Saturday and still haven't got a reply (that may be due to the move though). If I don't get my order by this Saturday or by next weekend, should I email the Lab again, or would that be considered impolite/annoying? I don't know how long to wait before an order is considered truly 'lost' in the mail...

Ghagiel In the imp: it’s faint, but I think I smell a hint of heliotrope in here-and also a sharp twist of anise. It’s a sweetish floral scent but with a liquorice-y bite to it. It also reminds me of the sweet-floral-fruity-spicy ‘secret magickal mixture’ that I’ve smelt in some Tarot, Sephiroth and TAL oils. Wet on skin: anise and heliotrope! Maybe a hint of vanilla and cloves? Dry: this is lovely…it’s mainly heliotrope, and underneath it I get hints of cloves, anise and other spices, and…oh my. Is that stargazer lily? Or is it sweet pea? A headier floral scent is pushing its way through the subtle sweetness-a note which reminds me of Juliet or Peitho. Yup, I think it’s a lily note of some sort. I think there’s also carnation in here. Maybe the clove note I’m getting is actually carnation? I think so-the scent is a warm, spicy floral mix, softly fiery and red. I also get a slight metallic note reminiscent of dragon’s blood, but it can’t be because the oil isn’t red. That could be the anise though. After a while: I think I’m getting a hint of frankincense underneath it all. There’s a resinous twist to this scent-but not a dark, sweet resin, but a brighter, spicier one. I still get that red, warm, spiced floral scent, it’s softly fiery, yet also damp and moist. Very interesting. There’s a lovely sweetness to it all though, almost like vanilla but not quite-which makes me think of heliotrope or musk, with the clove like scent of carnation. I now also get a hint of slightly bitter green underneath it all, and the lily note becomes more apparent. There’s a ‘redness’ to this floral scent which reminds me of another BPAL-maybe Fire Eater. After 2 hours, it smoothes out nicely into a lovely spiced red-pink lily scent fringed with green and a touch of anise and clove/carnation. This is what I hoped Cobra Lily would smell like. But after 3 hours...oh my. Oh wow. Under the florals, I get creamy carnation musk-just like Morocco! I love this! Verdict: another interesting, unique scent. Like other Qliphoth scents I’ve tried so far, it has a spicy feel to it, with a hint of incense. But this one is a sweet floral rimmed with spice and a hint of green or something similar to dragon’s blood. I’m sure there’s carnation and lily (probably stargazer?) in here, with a touch of heliotrope. I also smell clove and a surprisingly pleasant anise note. The effect is a red, warm, slightly fiery floral which, paradoxically, is also quite moist and dewy as well. I get just a bare hint of musk and possibly some frankincense too. It’s complex, somewhat contradictory and different, but I really like it. And the drydown on me is like a more floral version of my beloved Morocco. I’m keeping the decant. Emoticon rating: and for the Morocco-esque drydown!

Black Orchid In the imp: dark, rich, perfume-y floral with a hint of something which reminds me of…medicine for colds. It’s almost like a cherry-menthol scent? Weird. Wet on skin: whoa, this darkens and becomes very dry! I get a hint of dust and dry leaves now, along with the orchid. Is that tobacco I also smell here? Dry: mmm, interesting. This is an odd scent on me! First I get a blast of something fresh and airy, but also slightly medicinal-like menthol or eucalyptus, it’s also quite bitter, and it’s also metallic, and very cold. Then I get dry leaves, autumnal decayed leaves (which isn’t too bad a scent!) with hints of tobacco or patchouli-smoky and dark, a bit earthy but not blatantly dirty…sandwiched between these two notes is the deep, rich orchid-a heady floral with a perfume-y feel to it. But this note is fleeting…this scent, on my skin, is dominated by metallic coldness and dusty darkness obscuring the orchid. After a while: over time, this odd ‘metallic’ note morphs into something which really reminds me of traditional or mainstream perfume. It’s that sharp note that I’ve smelt in many perfumes-I can’t tell what it is though, but it’s almost ozone like. It’s not as bad or as medicinal as it was before-it’s still a tad metallic and brassy though. Underneath it is the scent of dust, dried leaves and flowers-the orchid, so fresh before, now smells like it’s been dried, but still keeps it’s scent. I also get a slight leather like undertone. I think the scent seems to becoming more balanced and the notes merge nicely over time. After an hour, the scent is almost like a perfume-counter fragrance, very grown up and mature, but with a cool, metallic scent to it gliding like liquid mercury over a heady darkness of dry orchid tinged with earth and smoke. It really reminds me of a perfume or two that I’ve smelt before. After a few hours, the scent is fainter, and I get a faint whiff of that dark, smoky, perfume-y scent. I’m sure there’s a little bit of tobacco here because I’m getting hints of it in the drydown-but unfortunately it translates to bar smoke and perfume in here. Verdict: I’m not sure if I really like this-I was hoping I would since this is a rare scent and I love Shadow Witch Orchid, but this one was very strange on my skin. I got the orchid, but it was veiled by a cold, piercing note which at times was medicinal, and at other times it was metallic. I also got a musty earth note underneath with hints of dry leaves and tobacco. The orchid is there but the other notes tend to get in the way. Eventually the scent becomes very perfumey in feel, like traditional perfume on a leather bag or jacket with a brassy top note and hints of tobacco smoke. It’s not bad, but it’s not really my thing. Shame really, I wanted to love this, but I’ll stick to Shadow Witch when I need an orchid fix. Emoticon rating:

Baba Yaga In the imp: fruit, floral, fresh, with a hint of green, maybe evergreen notes. Wet on skin: crisp and fresh, fruity and floral-there's a sharp note which I know I've smelt before…and something almost leafy and green and dewy. Dry on skin: this is a fresh, bright, white floral fringed with green and a hint of crisp fruit-maybe green apple or peach? I don't get pineapple here. The floral note may be a lily? I've smelt it before, probably in air freshener, but I can't tell what it is…but it does smell a bit like air freshener. After a while: the floral note tones down, sweetens a bit, there's another floral note behind it, but I just can’t shake off the 'air freshener' association. It still smells like something I'm sure I sprayed in my bathroom before. Eventually it doesn't smell like air freshener (yay!) and it's now a lovely, gentle white floral. I'm still guessing it's a lily of some sort. It's soft, clean and a bit powdery, with a tart bite of fruit to it. And then the scent fades nicely, a soft, sweet powdery floral…and yes! There it is-the pineapple note has arrived! It's very faint so it's not 'omg tropical!!!' smelling, it's just a soft, dry pineapple like accent to the white flowery scent. The drydown after a few hours is moss, moss, moss! No pineapple, no flowers, just oakmoss. Maybe a touch of white musk. Verdict: this was a strange one. At first, I got a strong floral note that I know I've smelt before but I can't name it. But it does remind me of air freshener, and that does spoil my enjoyment of the fragrance a bit-it smells too much like a commercial air freshener for me. This does die down and soften up after an hour or two, where the floral note smells nicer and more natural. The infamous 'pineapple' note pops up and I really like that stage in the scent-a pleasant fruity-floral fragrance. The scent ends on a mossy note. Despite me liking the scent after an hour or two, I can't really handle the air freshener stage much. I'm glad I tried this scent though. Emoticon rating:

Gamaliel In the imp: spicy! I think I can smell frankincense and pepper in here, and maybe something like cardamom or saffron? This is a very warm scent. Wet on skin: this is lovely-spiced sandalwood with a hint of incense! Dry on skin: now, something lemony pops up! So now, this scent is spicy, woody and lemony. I think it might be lemon balm, which I adore. It may also be lemongrass or verbena. Underneath it, I smell some sandalwood, and I also smell something spicy and incense-y, maybe some pepper or cardamom, and frankincense. I also get something sweet and sugary sweetening the lemon tang of this scent, and a hint of something smooth and creamy. After a while: not long after that, the scent changes. No longer little random bits of different notes, this is now a very smooth, rounded scent. I get sharp yet sugary lemon balm/lemongrass on top, with a smooth, woody, smoky musk underneath. Its like sandalwood incense smoke with a spicy creamy musk and with a lemon tang. It's both light and zingy and also shadowy and mysterious. After about 2-3 hours, I get a mossy scent-there's oak moss in here. That, along with a sweet musky wood scent with lemon. I think there's a bit of amber or benzoin in here now. The drydown at the end is moss, a dark woody note, something smoky, and a light musk, and hints of lemon balm and amber, maybe some cardamom too. I think I can also smell a bit of patchouli, and maybe some vetiver. Verdict: this is a very unique scent! it's a mixture of woody, spicy, earthy and lemony, with musk and resins chucked in for good measure. The scent is at first a spicy incense, crackling with warm notes, and then it settles into a pleasant woody musk with smoke and incense and also some lemon balm adding a nice sharpness to the scent. over time, the scent smoothes out and a mossy note appears, as well as some earthy notes, probably patchouli, and a hint of something sweet and resinous, like amber. I really like this scent-it's warm and deep and very different, and I think this would be lovely for autumn. I don't need a bottle yet but maybe I will get one some day-I'm keeping the decant for now. Emoticon rating:

Nihil In the imp: a soft, gentle, sweet floral, with a touch of something fruity. Wet on skin: still that lovely fruity floral, this is a warm, and almost tropical/exotic floral scent. Dry on skin: mmm, I really like this! It's almost like a commercial/traditional floral perfume scent-this wouldn't be out of place in a department store-but unlike mainstream perfumes which are piercing and shrill in scent because of alcohol, this one is warm and soft, a well rounded scent but with a slight tangy feel to it. It's a sophisticated scent. As for the notes, I'm not sure but I'm definitely getting floral and fruity notes-maybe a tropical flower scent like plumeria/frangipani or orchid, and some pear? I'm not sure though, but one thing's for sure-this is a gorgeous fragrance! After a while: this eventually changes slightly from the bright, fruity floral into another floral scent. I can't describe it but it's not as juicy as the first stage, this is more like nocturnal flowers, white petals in the moonlight, it's almost humid, sultry and heady, with an undercurrent of smoke and exotic musk, and something sharp and 'perfumey' on top. A very bewitching, intriguing scent. And it's got impressive throw! After a few hours, I get a slightly bitter, sharp scent which is almost citrus peel like, like lemon or grapefruit, and it's also quite green at this point, along with the sultry exotic white floral note. This is very different from Beth's usual creations-it smells much more 'mainstream' as a perfume. The drydown reminds me of something…it's a lemony green scent, but a dark one. I still get that heady floral but now it's darker, less floral, and I think I'm getting woods now…and tea! I think that sharp note may be a tea of some sort, maybe black tea-no, it's earl grey tea! (Maybe there's bergamot in here as well?) I'm definitely getting a slightly lemony-earl grey tea vibe, and perhaps a drop of ozone as well, as at the very end of the scent, I get a slight metallic note to the scent Verdict: this is an interesting fragrance-interesting because it's so different to the usual BPAL-of course, it has that special Beth touch to it, but it's also a lot more like a commercial perfume as well-and that's no bad thing. In fact, the combination of the ingenuity of BPAL with a hint of something more mainstream makes for a very interesting perfume. Unlike department store perfumes, this doesn't have that sharp, piercing, annoying note to it (I'm guessing because it's alcohol free) and it's a lot warmer and rounder and morphs very nicely over time, but like perfume counter scents, this is very chic and classy. The scent is predominantly a sultry hothouse floral note, tropical and exotic, mixed with fruity sharpness, and, at the end, a hint of tea. It's a very well blended scent, very cleverly crafted. I'm keeping my imp of it, but when it gets released, I'm not sure if I'll get more as sometimes it smells a bit too bitter/sharp, but I do like it very much and I'm very glad I gave it a try. Emoticon rating:

Nine Mysteries In the imp: mint! Lots of green mint (pennyroyal?), a hint of violet, and a sweet note which I'm sure is lotus. Wet on skin: mint and violet! Dry on skin: mint and violet with a hint of lotus. This is a very pretty scent-it's refreshing, thanks to the mint (I'm thinking it's peppermint and a greener mint variety-it reminds me of The Fool), a dusting of soft violet, and just a little hint of sweet lotus. A very pleasant scent, and the mint here seems more natural so I don't get a 'toothpaste/chewing gum effect' (many of the minty BPALs don't do that though.) After a while: now that the mint has faded, the scent that remains on my skin is a soft violet with a hint of something slightly soapy and powdery, maybe a bit of lotus in the background. this is a clean, fluffy scent, but also quite fresh and brisk-despite the lack of mint in this stage of the scent, it hasn't lost it's freshness. I'm not sure I'm digging the soap-powder scent I'm getting now, though. This powdery soapy violet stage lasts for the rest of the scent's duration. Verdict: at first, I really like this-it starts off as minty violet with a hint of lotus underneath. it's fresh and youthful and quite a fun scent. But when the mint fades, I'm left with violet and something soapy that smells like washing powder, and I'm not so keen on that stage. I wish I got the creamy, citrussy, musky scents others got. I think this would be more of a magickal/voodoo oil than a perfume-not sure what it's purpose is, but it would be interesting to find out and use that way (after reading reviews, apparently this is a house blessing oil and one that can be used to bless businesses and prevent financial problems). I'm glad I got to try this scent though, but there are other mint scents I prefer to this. Emoticon rating:

A'Arab Zaraq In the imp: cedar! Lots of cedar wood, with a hint of something sweet, but mainly wood. Wet on skin: sweet cedar and now, red sandalwood comes into the scent. Dry on skin: mmm, this is nice! A lovely mixture of cedar and warm red sandalwood, dry woody notes, polished off with a very light coat of a resin-maybe frankincense or myrrh? I think I also get hints of patchouli in here, and maybe some vetiver or tobacco smouldering underneath, perhaps some musk too. there's also a subtle sweetness here. This is a warm, earthy, solid and dry scent, this would also smell lovely on a man, but isn't too masculine. It's also a very subtle scent on me, not loud and showy, this also hasn't got too much throw. After a while: it's not long before the scent becomes all sandalwood. Lovely, warm, red sandalwood, pure and simple. I get hints of other notes (little bits of incense here and there, a sweet note) but it's mainly all sandalwood. And then, it becomes soft sandalwood on top of a light musk. Very pleasant and surprisingly gentle. The final stage is a soft, powdery sandalwood scent, still warm and slightly smoky. Verdict: I like this a lot! It's a warm, dry, woody blend with a hint of sweetness and a little bit of incense smoke. At first, it's cedar wood, but then this transforms quite nicely into sandalwood…delightful red sandalwood, comforting and fragrant, with hints of other notes like musk, and maybe some patchouli or a very light vetiver, and some incense notes. It's a very unisex scent, I think. At times, the scent is almost like a sandalwood single note, but at others, it is enhanced by very slight hints of other notes. The only problem with this scent is that it is so soft, it doesn't have much throw. But I like it enough to keep the decant. Emoticon rating:

Monster Bait: Closet In the imp: ohh, yes! Excuse my French, but this is fucking delicious. Think Beaver Moon with blackberries. I want to drink the contents of this vial right now! Wet on skin: still delicious, I now get a deeper, more pronounced blackberry and a more vanilla-like scent from the buttercream and cake. Dry on skin: mmm, yum! This is a very nice and cleverly done foody scent. Dark, tart blackberries (which, at times, smell like the black fruit note in Montresor, or blackcurrant sweets!) blackberries so fresh you can smell hints of the leaves from the brambles-spread over a light, creamy, vanilla buttercream with hints of sweet cake underneath. Mischievous hints of booze flit by every now and then. The blackberry and creamy cake notes contrast each other so nicely, that is what stops this scent from becoming cloying or too sweet. This is such a fun fragrance, playful and very lickable! After a while: the blackberry note sweetens dramatically, and veers towards the more candy end of the fruit spectrum (the other end being tart and crisp and fresh), but that's not a problem because it's very fitting with the rest of the sweetness and light-hearted feel of this scent. It really smells like blackcurrant Fruit Pastilles now, sprinkled over buttercreamed cake. So sweet it may induce cavities. I know there will be times when this scent becomes a bit too sweet to handle, but right now I want Fruit Pastilles. Seriously. Eventually, the scent becomes that of blackberry jam spiked with bourbon layered on sweet cake and cream. It's not as candy like now, it's more like blackberries made into a sweetened sauce or jam. It's also got a lot of throw. And then, after about two hours, the two layers of the scent-blackberry and buttercreamy cake-merge deliciously. This is my favourite stage of the scent-it reminds me of Beaver Moon with added fruit. I can now make out a bit more of the red velvet cake than before-it's quite chocolatey, and still as yummy as ever. Verdict: this stuff is delightful and makes me smile. A delectable mixture of blackberry, buttercream and cake, this smells so edible at times that I either want to eat my wrist or drink my decant of this scent (none of that took place though, I can assure you!). At times, the blackberry scent in this is like freshly picked berries-tart and juicy with a hint of bramble, at other times it is like blackcurrant sweets (and a bit too sugary for my liking sometimes) and at other times it's like a blackberry jam with a streak of booze! The cake is so yummy-at times I can smell the chocolate in it, and the buttercream note is sweet, soft and creamy, with a definite vanilla flavour, and it reminds me of Beaver Moon. Whilst I do prefer the Underbed Monster (I have yet to try the Underpants) I really like this scent enough to get a bottle-this playful, mischievous scent is brings a smile to my face, and induces serious dessert cravings! Emoticon rating:

Ozymandias In the imp: soft musk and something dry, airy and golden. Yup, it does smell a bit like traditional perfume- that's not a bad thing, but it does have that kind of feel to it. Wet on skin: hmm…I can't really tell what this smells like note-wise, apart from musk and hot, empty air, with a hint of classic perfume. Dry on skin: this is very interesting indeed! This scent is very well blended and yes, traditionally perfume-y, in feel, but it goes beyond antique and feels timeless. It's definitely dry, and powdery-though, I think in this case, it's more like dust and stone. And it's so warm and light. I think Beth has got her desert air scent just right-it's very evocative, right down to the scent of dust and stone. It brings to mind images of Egyptian ruins lying desolate yet starkly beautiful in the fierce sun, remnants of a glorious age…I get hints of amber underneath, glinting like long lost golden treasures hidden in the sand, and also little wafts of incense smoke here and there. There's an ozone note here, I think-though, it's not the stormy ozone which reacts oddly on my skin, this is more of an airy, windy note, fresh and clean but not soapy-in fact, it reminds me of that linen/ozone note in Antique Lace. And on top of that is the warm, barely there, yet slightly tangy scent of Egyptian musk-I'm sure it is because it has that second-skin subtlety that is characteristic of that musk. After a while: no…please don't fade! I have a feeling this scent is going to fade fast, because it's already become very discreet. But the scent I now get on the skin is a warm musk-like the scent of sun warmed skin, with a hint of dust and air to it, just a little bit of incense/amber too. A second skin scent. But after an hour, it seems the scent is sticking around, and gets stronger but still remains understated. But every now and then, I got wafts of it coming off my wrist, and wondered what that lovely smell was! Now, the scent is that of a sun warmed light musk, with aspects of smoke and dust and dry heat. Sometimes, it reminds me of warm skin, or warm fur (like a cat lying in the sun!) It's almost like the powdered smoky airy musk of another scent (maybe Stardust or Urania without all the floral notes? Someone mentioned Yog Sothoth, maybe it's that? Only this scent is that of daytime and golden sunshine compared with those, which are scents of the night. There are also times when this scent reminds me of a muted, softer Jacob's Ladder.) This scent too is also reminiscent of traditional perfume-it's a very grown up, and very unisex fragrance. Over time, I'm sure the smokiness becomes more apparent, under the dusty musk. Verdict: another Egyptian themed scent that I am warming to, whilst this scent certainly has that classic perfume feel to it when I first sniff it, I take time to explore the scent to find that it also fits the description very well. Beth has an uncanny knack of being able to capture the climate of a place in her scents-like in here. It really is dry, hot, dusty, sandy and golden with a hint of something breezy and fresh, yet also empty, arid, barren…but also intriguing, and filled with secrets. Sunlight upon desert, winds blowing across Egyptian temples and statues half buried in sand-one sniff and I'm transported there. It's so well blended that it's hard to tell what the notes are at first, but I'm guessing there's Egyptian musk and that 'fresh air' note which may be a kind of ozone, but one which is good with my skin chemistry, and some dusty and golden notes, a bit of amber, some incense and smoke. The scent then morphs into an understated but delightful soft sun-warmed musk with hints of dust and smoke. This is a scent of subtle beauty, it is really growing on me, haunting and mysterious, and very evocative and timeless. I'm glad I have a bottle on the way. Emoticon rating: Edited to add: on trying this again (and loving it more second time around-it's a real grower!) I've suddenly realised what that golden, piercing, bright note is...frankincense! Of course! The revelation came when I smelt Heaven and Earth's Red Witch and realised that it smelt similar-like a spicier, less dusty and less musky version of Ozy, and the main note in there is frankincense and I think I smell that note in here. I also get sandalwood at the base-it has the wonderful smoky drydown I get from other scents with light/white musks and sandalwood in them.

Currently smelling of: La Bella Donna Mia Mente (which smells like Budding/Peony Moon with autumn leaves and pomegranate today!) I just had the misfortune to taste the most disgusting tomato sauce ever. It wasn't even stale, or cheap (this is one of the TV chef-endorsed, pricier sauces), it was just gross. It tasted like VOMIT. I wasted a good portion of pasta on that shit. Never again! And I managed to give in my maths assignment. Thank goodness that's over! Now, two more physics assignments to do. The quantum physics one is making my brain do somersaults in my skull... And I want my Underpants. My mum says that the infamous USPS package I am awaiting isn't here yet

French Love In the imp: dragon’s blood, and a sweet floral, most probably lilac. A very pretty floral scent, made redder by the dragon’s blood. Wet on skin: it sweetens nicely once on the skin…maybe there’s some vanilla or jasmine in here, maybe both? Dry: this is lovely! I smell lilac in here, gorgeous sweet lilac with another floral which I know I’ve smelt before but I can’t remember what it is, and a sweet vanilla like background-sweet and sugary-it may be amber. I also detect a hint of something powdery-maybe violet? And possibly a touch of musk and spice? And, of course, a hint of dragon’s blood, adding a hint of its red, bittersweet warmth to the scent. But it’s mostly the perfect sweet lilac. And it’s got impressive throw! After a while: the scent remains a sweet lilac-vanilla/amber/musk, I think I also get some violet, and still that little hint of dragon’s blood, which isn’t too strong, and just a little bit of spice. It’s a lot deeper and richer now, and it wafts like crazy (a trend I’ve noticed with the more ‘amorous’ voodoo oils!) And then I smell…baby oil. Yup, baby oil. Only this is amped up by lilac and other scents. I actually really like the smell of baby oil so I’m not complaining. I’m assuming there’s a skin musk in here now, as some of the ‘warmed, flushed skin’ scents I’ve tried also have a baby oil scent to them. I think I’m getting a hint of ylang-ylang here as well…yes, that’s the sweet and heady floral note I knew I recognised before, it is ylang-ylang! Over time, the musk, lilac, vanilla etc merge nicely together, and this scent becomes more exotic and sexy on drydown. Verdict: this is a very pleasant scent, and one of the nicest lilac scents, and one of the nicest dragon’s blood scents I’ve tried. It starts out as a ‘red lilac’ which I know doesn’t exist but if they did, they’d smell like this-sweet and nectar-y, and warm and slightly spiced. The dragon’s blood is discreet here, but it enhances the scent nicely. I also get ylang-ylang. There’s a lovely vanilla tinge to it all as well, very sweet, and over time, a ‘baby oil’ aspect arises, and then the scent becomes a delightful lilac-musk! Sweet vanilla lilac musk with hints of ylang and spice and dragon’s blood. Very sexy indeed, and also quite playful and light hearted in it’s sexiness. I don’t think I need a bottle yet as I won’t be using it for it’s purpose until I get a man in my life, but I love the scent and will use up the imp! Smiley rating:

Bess In the imp: sweet grape and citrus (orange flower and lemon) with a herbal bite, the mint adds a bit of freshness without smelling outright minty. Wet on skin: bittersweet orange blossom and lemon peel, rosemary and grape. Dry: this is lovely! I get a lovely lemony herbal scent with orange blossom and hints of rose and grape juice in the background adding depth and sweetness. This is a warm, sunny scent, sweet and refreshing yet grounded by a hint of rosemary. There’s an almost sugary sweetness to the scent, giving the fragrance a light hearted and joyful feel, but with that rosy backdrop making the scent more grown-up. After a while: over time, the sweet grape juice note becomes a drier, crisper wine note, and the rose note blossoms beautifully, but the herbal-citrus scent is still there, hovering over the wine and roses. At times, the scent takes on an effervescent quality. This is gorgeous, there’s something almost traditional and mature about this scent, but it’s also youthful and bright and almost contemporary as well-not an old fashioned scent at all. I like the way the rosemary adds an interesting herbal touch to the scent. Ooh, what’s going on here? After an hour or two, I get this lovely smooth fruity musk thing going on. I get a similar drydown from a few, random BPAL scents, usually in fruity or sometimes floral scents, but it’s a gorgeous, and almost creamy and musky fruit drydown I’m getting now, with hints of rosemary and rose around the edges. A few hours later, I get a lovely light almost musky fruit scent with a hint of grape and orange blossom on top. It reminds me of a lighter, softer version of another fruity BPAL (probably Cairo? but without the incense.) Verdict: this is a delightful fragrance! It is fruity, warm, cheerful and with hints of rosemary and rose. I really like the way the notes interact in here-the rosemary adds a definite herbal accent but doesn’t overtake, the orange blossom is very nice indeed (not too tangy, not too sweet), the grape note is sweet, yet also has a wine like dryness, and the rose adds a lovely depth to the scent. The scent is sunny and pleasant, almost sugary at times but also quite grown up. It has a traditional feel to it but it’s not old fashioned or stuffy at all, there’s something fresh about this scent. And then it goes into that lovely, smooth, creamy fruit musk drydown that I’m very fond of. I’m not sure if I need a bottle yet but this scent is very nice indeed and took me by surprise and I’ll be using up the imp-it seems such a lovely scent for summer. Emoticon rating:

Currently smelling of: Bess (first time testing), and the Lion (smells of sugared amber iced tea!) I just have to show this little flash off: hmm, Enraged Bunny Musk, anyone? Holidays are now finished...as intensive studies season begins. Coursework and exams! I'm back on campus and a little bit homesick, though not too much. I have my BPAL to console me, thank goodness. The stupid boys have returned and invited their girls in, but they've been pretty quiet so far. I'll see what happens as the night progresses. It'll be nice to see my friends again tomorrow, but also annoying to get back to studies and loads of coursework. I have maths coursework due in on Tuesday and as usual, I'm procrastinating again! Must get back to work...