yeahbutnobut

Currently smelling of: Eclipse (delicious cinnamon-heavy bottle, mmm), and will smell like Bathed and Infused Italian Wedding Cake after my bath. I saw something weird in the sky today. It looked like a little piece of rainbow-but it wasn't raining-it was a sunny, hazy day. And rainbows usually form in the part of the sky opposite the sun, usually against the raincloud. This 'fragment of rainbow' was actually in the haze just to the left of the sun, and just stayed there for about 20 minutes and at times it was quite bright, it looked almost like a muted, colourful, second sun, whilst at other times it looked like a faint fragment of rainbow. It was a beautiful but strange phenomenon-I have no idea what it is and what caused it though-I'm guessing it's the same mechanism that causes rainbows but normally hazy clouds don't go all rainbow-y! I just wish I had a camera at the time... I really am going to miss living at home. No more of my mum's lovely cooking. No more peace and quiet. No more lovely smells. I have to go back to my little room where I have to put up with constant NOISE from the boys-be it extreme bass from their awful hip hop/RnB music (the bass is so high, it's almost tremor-inducing!), having to hear them vomit every morning because they drank too much, hearing them chat loudly and drunkenly in the corridors at 4am, and hearing the guy opposite making his girlfriends scream with the door ajar (I really hope the screaming isn't what I think it is!!) so everyone can hear how much of a ladies' man he is, and the early morning prank fire alarms set off by the drunk boys. I also have to put up with the messiest, greasiest kitchen ever, and the stink of those awful chicken nuggets and fried sausages and George Foreman grilled burgers, and the sheer stupidity (and the smell!) of the boys in my flat-they seem to have evolutionarily reversed back to their ape stage. Their girlfriends are not much better, yapping like deranged chihuahuas at 3am every morning. And the boys smoke weed despite the uber-strict no smoking rule for our halls (so strict, that no candles or incense is allowed in the rooms!) and the stink of the stuff seeps into my room all the time... But another thing I'm not looking forward to is exams. Loads of exams and tons of coursework. I'm struggling with the maths coursework already, it's giving me real grief! And I have to do physics coursework as well, three lots of it, including one about quantum physics, which is very fascinating, but the maths behind it brain-meltingly difficult! Stuff about one-dimensional boxes and semi-infinite wells and so on...oh, my poor head... I'm hoping to come back next weekend-to a nice new bottle of UNDERPANTS!!! I am really looking forward to trying these pants on, seriously. And the Raging Rabbit too!

Sundew In the imp: a crisp, sweet floral with a hint something tangy and dewy. I think there may be daffodil here, and honeysuckle? Wet on skin: still that wonderfully crisp fresh floral scent, and I think I detect a little bit of green apple. Dry on skin: so fresh and so clean! That's what this scent is, a fresh, clean, crisp, tart floral with a hint of dew and fruit to it. It's also very sunny and bright. It does have a feel of clean linen sheets to it, but it's not a soapy scent. Makes me think of running through fragrant meadows in the morning on a sunny spring day, wearing a freshly washed white linen dress. There's also a definite apple like crispness and juiciness to it. A lot of people said citrus but I'm sure there's apple in here…it reminds me of that crunch of biting into a green apple and tasting its tart juices. Come to think of it, this is also, to me, the lovechild of the Hesperides and Empyreal Mist, but with an added spring floral component-probably daffodil or narcissus. After a while: eventually, the scent becomes drier and crisper. It's not as dewy any more, and has more of that clean laundry feel to it, without smelling soapy or very ozonic-but it does have a scent of cloth to it, I think. However, it also keeps its spring blossoms and apple scent as well. This will make a gorgeous linen spray scent. The tanginess also calms down over time, with the clean, smooth scent becoming more apparent, a combination of soft sunlit spring flowers scattered on a clean white cloth. Verdict: this is a delightful springtime scent. Sundew is to spring what the Hesperides is to autumn, and a scent sister to Empyreal Mist. A clean, light, crisp blend with elements of dew covered delicately scented flowers and spring blossoms (I'm getting daffodil and maybe some linden and honeysuckle too?). I also get a 'clean linen' scent that brings to mind dazzling white laundered sheets hung out to dry-though this isn't an outright soapy scent though it is reminiscent of some of the nicer laundry detergents out there. I also get apple. Tart green apple, to be precise, crisp and moist and juicy. It's a real apple bite that adds a nice tang to the scent. I really like this fragrance which is breezy and carefree, full of light and sunshine, it's very cheerful and bright. I'm not sure if I need a bottle yet but it's one I'll be wearing a lot of during the warmer months, and I think it will make a lovely room and linen scent! My emoticon rating:

Shadow In the imp: citronella! The combination of cedar and lemon verbena reminds me of my mum's natural mosquito repellent. Wonder if this will keep the bugs away? Wet on skin: now the verbena smells a bit stronger, almost like lemongrass. I can also smell the sandalwood, which is lovely. Dry on skin: mmm, this is lovely. Tangy verbena layered over a pleasant, warm woody scent. I really like the way the verbena mixes with the sandalwood and cedar (for some reason, I'm becoming quite attached to citrus-sandalwood mixtures, such as the bergamot-sandalwood combo in Hakkotsu, and a few lemony Egyptian Sandalwoods from other brands). I don't smell much patchouli-just the barest hint in the background, but not much. It's a simple mix of notes done very well. After a while: I love the sandalwood in here, it's just like the one in Hakkotsu. The cedar just enhances it and makes it drier. In fact, I find this scent very similar to Hakkotsu, but without the lily of the valley note. It's a lot more pleasant than I expected. I just hope the verbena doesn't turn to soap to spoil it… Over time, it seems the verbena is behaving and not turning it to soap! I think the cedar or patchouli may be keeping that note in check. The sandalwood is still as lovely as ever, and the scent is reminiscent of the sandalwood-cologne effect I got in Loralei. Eventually, this dries down to a lovely lemony sandalwood. But…just before this blend makes an exit, patchouli pops up once more! Verdict: this is a very pleasant sandalwood scent, and I like it a lot more than I expected I would. I like the way the sandalwood is very strong in here, I think the cedar also gives it a kick, giving the scent an overall woody feel. I also really like the verbena in here-this note can either be a lovely lemony note or can make a blend turn to lemon soap, but in here, it's very nice, and blends nicely with the woods. the scent, in my opinion, isn't very shadowy (well, not as much as Umbra!) until the end, when the patchouli is apparent. It's a very nice, uncomplicated scent, not something I need a bottle of but I'll keep the imp. To sum it up in a smiley:

Death Cap In the imp: sweet and dirty. This smells gorgeous, like earth with a light sweetness to it. Wet on skin: mmm, this is lovely. There's definitely a hint of fungus to it but it's not a bad mushroom scent, it works nicely with the wonderful sweetness I'm getting here… Dry on skin: wow, this is such an interesting and unique scent! I'm getting earth here, damp fresh soil almost like that of the Premature Burial. I'm also getting a wonderful sweet note, almost like vanilla, or a light musk, maybe a mixture of both? It's sweet, creamy, delicious and very smooth, and is almost reminiscent of a sugary sweet-maybe marshmallow meets white chocolate with a little bit of almond (but not an amaretto almond scent, more of an almond nut scent), with a hint of coconut. I'm not getting the incense and darkness described by others-just this pale, sweet creaminess. And underneath that is a pale, damp woody scent-maybe sandalwood, or cedar, or the woods from Premature Burial. There's a little tinge of mushroom here as well that works fantastically with all the other notes but doesn't overwhelm, but it definitely makes the scent fittingly fungus-like. After a while: this stays very much the same-I'm surprised that the earth note hasn't left me yet as usually, it's quite short lived, but not here! it's still wonderfully sweet, fluffy and creamy, I'm definitely getting coconut out of here, but this almost foody scent is cut through with that mix of dark damp wood and soil. It's a very unique combination of notes. The scent I'm eventually left with is a soft, pale, powdery sweetness which is very pretty indeed. It reminds me of a combination of coconut, iris and heliotrope, with a hint of sandalwood and white musk. Very nice. And the final scent that remains on my arm is the most gorgeous sweet sandalwood. Ohhhh... Verdict: sweet and foody mixed with earthy and dirty seems like a strange combination. It could never work, right? WRONG! Beth has pulled off unlikely combination work fantastically in Death Cap. It's got a wonderful creamy sweetness which makes me think of soft musk with coconut and vanilla flavoured white chocolate over marshmallows (insert Homer Simpson drool here) but with that decayed sandalwood scent and wet soil note making it so different and so unusual! It's almost like a deceptively sweet scent that masks something poisonous and dangerous within. There's even a little hint of something mushroomy in this scent which works very well and doesn't clash or smell off, and of course, it makes the scent fit the theme. It's got a very nice powdery finish as well. this is one I need to get a bottle of soonish-it's one of the most original BPALs I've ever smelt and I love it. To sum it up in a smiley:

Sheol In the imp: a dark, sweet floral scent. I think I can smell lily, tangled in rich resins. Wet on skin: the floral scent becomes a little bit brighter, and also drier, and quite piercing. Dry on skin: mmm, this is an intriguing scent. There's one note here that is a bit sharp and dry, almost burnt, and it reminds me of gardenia…could that be the gladiolus? Other oils with gladiolus don't do that to me. But apart from that I can smell the rich depth of lily, a touch of sweet heliotrope and iris, and a deep, dark resin layer with an undertone of tonka. This darker background has hints of smoke, it smoulders like incense…I'm wondering if that's copal, and maybe that could be the cause of that sharp, smoky scent I first attributed to gardenia? After a while: after about five minutes or so, this sharp note really tones down to become one with the rest of the fragrance, and the blend is gorgeous now. It's a wonderful mixture of floral and resin with a tonka base. The floral notes are well balanced with the resins/tonka, with a fantastic stargazer lily note, that is the star (ha ha!) of the blend. there is something here that prevents the scent from being too smooth and calm-a crackling smokiness, almost spicy, quite sharp. After an hour or so, this smoky sharpness is almost completely blocked out by this amazing scent of labdanum, tonka and lily; it's dark, sweet, heady and quite sophisticated. And then, oh yeah…it's doing that smooth, almost musky floral drydown that I sometimes get with labdanum scents. It's that almost autumnal smoky smooth musk, usually flavoured by fruits, or in this case, flowers. It's got a lovely incense like depth to it as well. Not long after that, it switches again…to a lovely sweet muted floral scent, I can now smell the powdery iris and heliotrope more now! It's still got that hint of labdanum to it, but now the notes are very well balanced indeed, more so than at other times. The final stage of this scent as a mix of the two previous stages, but lightened up a bit. Smooth labdanum/tonka, with a little hint of floral. Verdict: this is a fascinating scent, an interesting blend of bright heady florals with the dark sweetness of resins and tonka. It morphs a lot, letting each of the notes have it's fifteen minutes, literally! It starts off sharply floral, with deep lily and a little bit of something which reminds me of gardenia. Then it moves through phases of floral headiness, deep tonka-enhanced resin, smoky incense, powdery iris, musky labdanum and so on…it shifts and changes. I like this scent a lot but that odd gardenia-like sharpness at the beginning prevents me from loving this scent, despite the other notes being wonderful. I'm not sure if I'll be needing a bottle yet but I'm holding on to my imp. To sum it up in a smiley or two:

Mandrake In the imp: dirt! This is woody, mossy, earthy and rooty. This smells like cedar, but also like a root dug from the soil. This oil is also incredibly viscous. Wet on skin: damp, dirty, and still smelling like a freshly dug root. Very fitting to the concept and name! Dry on skin: whoa. This smells like two things at the same time. It smells like a plank of freshly sawn wood, probably cedar. It's a grey wood, solid and serious, and dry. But it also smells like, as I said before, a root just dug from the soil. Slightly greenish, you can smell the root itself, and the bits of earth still sticking to the root. It's a scent that manages to be dry and damp, rooty and wooden, dirty and clean, all at once. It's a lot fainter on the skin though… After a while: it's much, much fainter now (and that's only after 30 minutes!), I don't get as much root and dirt now but I still get that wooden scent, like fresh timber. In fact, it smells a bit like one of my cedar e.o's. But it's such a barely there scent. After about 2-3 hours, there's hardly a trace left of this scent on my skin. Just a faint whiff of wood. Verdict: I was very impressed at how natural smelling this was. Well, of course, most BPAL blends do have a natural feel to their scent, but this smelt so much like a root dug from the earth and a fresh plank of cedar wood, so realistic it was uncanny. It was more rooty in the imp, it smelt dirty and seemed so fitting-it smelt like what I'd imagine a mandrake root, covered with soil, would smell like once it was pulled from the ground. On the skin, it developed an incredibly true cedar scent, like the wood sawn into planks, but not overwhelmingly 'lumberjack's workshop' but much fresher and less confined, like it was timber fallen in the forest. The big letdown of this scent though was that it was incredibly short lived on me, it became fainter smelling soon after being applied, and only lasted for a couple of hours. Such a shame, because this scent was so unique and different, and one of the truest earth, root and wood scents I've smelt so far. To sum it up in a smiley: (for scent), (for longevity on skin)

Osun In the imp: honey with a hint of fruits, herbs and flowers. A scent with elements of Pink Moon and Honey Moon. Wet on skin: now I smell a bit more of the herbs, I'm thinking that I can smell some thyme, or some rosemary, or both? Maybe some sage? I also get a honey note very similar to the wildflower honey scent of Honey SN. Dry on skin: beautiful! This is a true wildflower honey scent, one could say it was Honey SN on steroids but such a description doesn't do justice to how lovely this scent is. This is the scent of summer in the countryside, possibly in the Mediterranean, possibly in Greece or the south of France. The sun is shining and the fields are golden-I can smell the hay. The warm air is also filled with the scent of wild herbs. Fresh honeycombs have just been gathered and I am eating honey made from the nectar of wildflowers and aromatic herbs whilst resting in the shade of an olive grove. The honey is sweet but also has tartness to it, and dryness. The gentle smell of camomile wafts from a cup of herbal tea I have, made from those same wild herbs and sweetened with that very same honey I am eating. There's also a hint of rose from a nearby rose garden, and I can smell a little hint of fresh fruit that has just been picked, lying in a basket next to me. After a while: this stays the same, pretty much-a golden, crisp, dry, sunny honey fringed with dry herbs and a tinge of olive-but it just smoothes out and becomes more balanced. I also get a little hint of something salty, which is odd, but quite nice. Eventually this scent dries down to pure, single-note honey, both sweet and tart at once. Verdict: this is a wonderful honey scent that conjures up such a strong, beautiful vision of the perfect summer in the countryside in my head. It's like an enhanced version of the Honey SN, which itself was a tart wildflower honey, this has that same honey, but with a bit extra. I can smell herbs like thyme and rosemary in here, and also camomile and olives, something grassy that reminds me of hay, hints of roses and maybe other dried flowers, and fruit, even warmth and sunshine can be smelt in here amongst the golden, not too sweet honey. It's a very evocative scent and is another one of those fragrances that brings up such lovely images and feelings and I love this scent because of that. I'm not sure if I'll need a bottle just yet-the only thing I hoped for was that the honey note would be sweeter, and I still have Honey Moon as my holy grail of BPAL honey. But I'm very impressed by this scent and will definitely keep the imp. To sum it up in a smiley:

Saturn In the bottle: dark smoky woods (cedar!) and incense, with a hint of musk. This woody scent is much darker and more foreboding than Jupiter's woody scent. Wet on skin: here comes the vetiver! Now a vetiver note surfaces through the cedar, and I think there's a bit of patchouli as well…and a sweetness underneath. Dry on skin: whoa, this is intense! A powerful hit of dry, almost burnt woods with gritty vetiver and scorched grass underneath. The scent is parched and stern, and very dark. It's a strict scent with not much to lift it…it smells almost decayed, but not moist-this is an incredibly dry scent, and it also smells dusty and musty…almost antique. It reminds me of old libraries and attics-I can smell old parchment here. (I love that old library scent…) There's a definite feel of age to the scent. It's very appropriate for Saturn, I think. After a while: eventually, this softens a bit, and sweetens. No longer the dry punch of woods and roots I got last time, I now smell something sweet in the background, maybe amber, or sweet musk, or a sweet resin. I get hints of smoke, halfway between burnt wood and incense. But this sweetness doesn't detract from the seriousness of this scent. I don't get civet here, if it's there, it's a tiny amount. Eventually, patchouli returns to the scent, and the vetiver is stronger. There's still that lovely sweetness, somewhat tempering the severity of this scent. The final drydown is that incredibly tenacious vetiver, but sweetened with something almost like deep vanilla, which is very nice indeed. Verdict: as with the other Celestial scents, Beth has captured Saturn's aspects well in scent. Stern, strict and very serious, this is a deeply woody, earthy, gritty and dry scent with aspects of cedar, vetiver, a bit of patchouli, a little bit of musk, a sweet note like amber or vanilla. Weaving through it are hints of dust, old parchments, aged dark woods, the memories of musty attics and libraries, and a smoky scent reminiscent of either charred wood or incense. A scent which is sombre and deep, with a feeling of weariness and age to it. The vetiver, of course, is the longest lasting of the notes, sticking on my skin until the very end, along with that mysterious sweet vanilla like note. It's quite a masculine scent, and not a light hearted scent at all. but it really embodies the aspects of this planet perfectly. To sum it up in a smiley: Note: I think Bagfish has solved the mystery of what that vanilla like note was...benzoin! Of course!

Peony Moon In the bottle: fresh, crisp peony with a hint of Budding Moon's plum blossom. I also agree with the others that it also smells like rose. Wet on skin: fresh, almost fruity peony with a hint of rose. Dry on skin: goodness me, this is beautiful! This is like sniffing a pure fresh pink peony amidst a rose bush, with a hint of light blossom falling around you. This is, on me, very similar to Two Five and Seven, but much softer and pinker, and of course with peony. This is also similar to Budding Moon, but a lot less powdery/pale and more fresh and watery, and less sweet. There's a green, almost tangy note that could be the reeds, and a hint of something fruity, which I'm sure is the plum blossom. After a while: this scent becomes more watery, gently aquatic, with a little hint of pale dry woods in the background, adding an almost powdery touch but not as much as in Budding Moon. The peony's still going strong, still smelling gorgeous and almost rose like, with the fruitiness of the plum blossom just gone up a little bit, but not too much-it's just perfect now. Over time, it becomes more and more rounded and balanced. It never over-sweetens or develops that odd banana note I got in Budding Moon-there's that water plant note keeping things in check. The scent doesn't last very long but the drydown is a lovely soft floral aquatic scent. Verdict: this is my birth moon, and I am so glad that the scent dedicated to April's moon is as beautiful as I hoped. A perfectly pink springtime scent, a rose like peony blossoming amongst gentle blossoms, reeds and woods. This is what I hoped Budding Moon would be. The scent isn't too sweet but has delightful aspects of floral, fruity, aquatic, and woody to it, and is fresh, youthful and soft, almost innocent. It's a gorgeous scent from start to finish-and very well balanced- when I wonder if one of the components may spoil the scent, it never does-in this case, I wondered if the plum blossom would take over like in Budding Moon, but it didn't, it was equalised by all the other notes. I love this scent and it will become one of my essential springtime scents, a scent that's very girly but not in the usual, stereotypical scent. This is also my favourite of the Asian moons so far. To sum it up in a smiley:

Wearing: Peony Moon, Osun, Saturn and a bit of Mandrake. I got my first ever Paypal phishing email today. One of those 'you need to update your details or your account will be suspended!!!' ones. Stupidly, I accidentally clicked the link, but as soon as I saw the link wasn't legit Paypal, I closed the window quick as lightning before it even loaded. Then I reported the fucker to Paypal. Changed my password. I hope such people get what they deserve. Phishers deserve to get their balls pecked out by vultures.

Yemaya In the imp: melon! Sweet, moist, summery melon. It smells similar to the TAL oil, but I think that was more watermelon, and this is more honeydew/cantaloupe. Wet on skin: the melon's still there, but something else is surfacing… Dry on skin: mmm, this is gorgeous! Such a fresh, juicy scent, but not as sweet as I was expecting. Yup, it does remind me of my beloved Fee, but without all the extra vanilla and tea etc notes. This is mainly melon, but I am getting other notes underneath it, including something almost oceanic/aquatic, a bit of moss, and a smooth, slightly waxy white floral which I cannot identify (though lily or sweet pea are guesses). I don't get the grape but I do get a discreet hint of something almost like white wine. This is quite different to the TAL, it has a similar feel but this has a different melon, it's not as sea-salty, and doesn't have that sharp, greenish floral scent I got when wet (which, I now realise, was gardenia). This is such a beautiful scent…not only does it scream 'summer on the beach!' when I smell it, it's also subtle, refreshing, and very comforting to sniff. After a while: yup, this is very much like Fee, without the vanilla tea. It's stil fresh melon…not sugary melon, but gentle, juicy, watery melon, with a hint of soft white flowers, and an oceanic touch. It smells like perfect summer holiday on the perfect beach, eating the perfect melon…but also has a delightfully comforting, reassuring feeling to it. Maybe because of the fact that this scent is dedicated to a compassionate mother goddess, or because it smells like a relaxing beach holiday, or both? The scent gets a bit drier over time but never loses its freshness. The melon is still going strong, resting on that gentle floral base with the sea moss surrounding it. There's a hint of a slightly white, almost chalky background to this that makes me think of rocks on the beach, or those little white bits of coral washed up on the shore. Verdict: this is a gorgeous, gorgeous scent. It's a cantaloupe or honeydew melon, glistening in the sun resting on a bed of fragrant white flowers on a tropical beach. And this is an altar to Yemaya, an offering to her. It's strong on the melon-but not as sweet as I expected. This is a fresh melon, juicy, watery, and incredibly cool and refreshing, with a kiss of the ocean. And I also love it because it resembles one of my favourite scents, Fee, but without the vanilla and tea and carnation. This scent is very summery, it instantly transports my mind to my favourite beaches and my favourite summer holidays. But it's more than that, there's a little something about this scent that makes it feel special-a comforting and gentle scent, compassionate and nurturing, yet also full of life. This is one to get a bottle of for the summer-and I think I could concoct a close approximation to Fee by layering this with Dorian-but it's a truly wonderful scent on it's own. To sum it up in a smiley:

Frumious Bandersnatch In the imp: delightful, sweet stewed plum jam. This is fruity and fun! Wet on skin: mmm, still plummy, with an almost cherry like feel to it. It's spicy as well. Dry on skin: this is lovely! I'm quite surprised, since the plum in here isn't as sweet and juicy as I was expecting…it's almost like a stewed plum scent, or a plum preserve. It also has a slightly cherry like feel to it. I love what the carnation is doing to it though…it adds a wonderful clove like spiciness to the fruity scent, warm and vibrant. I can't pick out the chrysanthemum (I'm not familiar with what it should smell like) but I think there's a subtle musk to it, smoothing all the notes together. After a while: this is reminds me of another BPAL-probably Carnivale, or even, dare I say it…Lughnasadh! Yes! I know, I know, don't take my word for it…but on my skin, it has that same clove-carnation spicy feel to it, and also a similar fruity vibe that translates to cherry and wine on my skin-or in this case, cherry, plum and wine with a nutty musk. And I'm not complaining. Not in the slightest. This is a gorgeous scent, it's laid back and warm and makes me think of those last days of summer and the balmy warmth of September…but with something a little bit crazy about it. In colour terms, this scent is magenta-purple. After a few hours, I can see why people say this smells like a candle. But this is a good thing-because on me, it's reminiscent of candle smoke. And I love candle smoke. So now the scent is candle smoke, plum, carnation and a bit of musk and cherry. Verdict: I knew I would like this, if only for the name…but I didn't expect I would love it as much as I do. This isn't as sweet as I expected…the plum note isn't the very ripe, bursting with juice plum note I get with most BPALs, but a plum note that reminds me of a stewed plum or a plum jam scent. and then there's the carnation…and what a wonderful note that is in here. Bold, warm and spicy, with a definite clove like feel, the carnation merges so nicely with the plum. The musk smoothes all the notes out very nicely. Oddly, I also get a cherry like scent from this, and something nutty. At times, the scent resembles a plummy Carnivale, and I could have sworn it even resembled Lughnasadh slightly! It has the same spiced warm autumnal fruit and carnation feel to it. The drydown has a hint of candle smoke to it. I love this scent and it's another proof that I am becoming very fond of BPAL's plum scents. I will need a bottle of this, and I reckon it will be worn a lot during late summer and early autumn. To sum it up in a smiley:

Oblivion In the bottle: much smoother than I expected. There's something about this spicy woody musk scent that reminds me of Morocco, but it's deeper. Sort of like Morocco's darker cousin. The oil is a wonderful dark green colour. Wet on skin: ooh, this is nice…it's dark and mysterious, with a hint of something spicy to it. Dry on skin: mmm, this is very intriguing. It's an almost masculine scent, but not blatantly so, this is more unisex. I can smell the patchouli, a hint of labdanum, and the dry warmth of saffron, with a scent of fragrant wood and musk in the background, which is indeed reminiscent of Morocco. It's a deep, rich, warm, earthy scent, but so different to others of that genre…. There's a bright, fresh sharpness to it that is almost reminiscent of a perfume I've smelt before (I think it's the musk), and also a background to the fragrance which is almost like old, worn leather, and a salty aspect as well. This is a very interesting fragrance. After a while: this lightens a bit, the scent 'lifts' and now smells like a wispy, evanescent, slightly tangy/salty musk. It doesn't lose its darkness though, but that is more like an undertone now-an undertone of smoky, almost incense like woods, with a layer of ethereal musk on top, with spices flitting through every now and then. The scent is very subtle, not loud or brash, its quietness is almost serene or contemplative. It slowly fades over the next few hours and after about 3 hours, the scent I get is a more balanced scent of woody spiced musk, warm and almost comforting, but with an edge. This musk is now slightly reminiscent of the drydowns of Devil's Night and Enraged Orangutan Musk, and even has that smokiness that these scents had. And then, by the end, I get a little hint of something which may be cedar. Verdict: this, to me, is Morocco's darker, introspective cousin. Almost like 'cedary' Morocco which has been darkened and cut through with deeper notes until it is a new entity altogether. This fits into the niche of 'dark and earthy' but is so different to the others in that category. You can just about make out hints of the notes mentioned-the musk, patchouli, saffron, labdanum, woods and spices-but they are so well blended together, and the result is very different to what one expects. The scent swirls slowly, sometimes revealing gleaming sparks of spice and lighter musk within it's murky depths, it is a mysterious and unique scent that is at times subtle, but it's profound darkness pulls you in, like a black hole. It lightens a bit at the end, the musk gains a sharper edge and the woods develop a smoky aspect before fading away as a smoky woody musk. The only thing about this scent that I'm not sure about is that at times it smells quite masculine, but most of the time it's quite unisex for me to pull off (but I think this will be so sexy on a man!) I'm now quite glad the Lab gave me a bottle of this-I think it's a keeper that will grow on me! To sum it up in a smiley:

Monster Bait: Underbed In the bottle: yum! Spicy cassia, reminiscent of Red Phoenix/Blood Moon, with a super-sweet undertone of cake and chocolate. Wet on skin: mmm, now I can smell more of the cake scent through the spice, and to me, it's more like a biscuit smell, but it's delicious! Coconut's coming through as well. Dry on skin: omg I want to eat my wrist. This smells so scrumptious. It's a dry scent, floury almost, and more like a biscuit/cookie than a cake, but that's not a bad thing at all. It's sugary and wonderful and smells so edible-it reminds me of cinnamon covered biscuits. The cassia is almost like cinnamon, but has a darker aspect that cinnamon doesn't have, and also has something to it that doesn't make it overly foody. I also smell a dusting of cocoa powder and shreds of coconut over this yummy spicy biscuit scent. I really want to eat myself, or drink the bottle. After a while: eventually, all the notes balance out nicely. The cassia merges with the coconut and cocoa and settles on the sweet vanilla cake. It is so sweet, but not sickly sweet, thanks to the bite of the cassia, and at this point it also smells more like a fluffy white cake than a biscuit. It's still a very dry scent though-like a cake with no icing, but that has been dusted with spicy cocoa powder and coconut and then topped with extra sugar. This is a bit like Beaver Moon without the cream cheese. In fact, I think I prefer this to the Beaver now. After an hour-hello coconut! Now it really does smell like coconut-almost tropical but not quite-with the spicy chocolate cake underneath. The drydown of this scent as like coconut cake, or one of those coconut biscuits…only with a little hint of mischievous spice and chocolate, eventually fading to dry sugared coconut with memories of cake and chocolate just lingering. Verdict: this is such a fun scent! I never used to be one for foody scents until BPAL changed my ways with the likes of Midway and Beaver Moon etc, and now this. This is a truly edible scent of cake dusted with cocoa, sugar, coconut shreds, and a sprinkling of naughty cassia. This is a lot drier than the foody scents I'm used to-it's a floury dryness, which seems fitting, and it's almost dusty at times (like I imagine it would be under the bed! Again, very fitting!), but this dryness makes this scent resemble a spicy crispy biscuit/cookie at times, and I like that. I love the way that cassia, unlike cinnamon, has a dark side, and isn't blatantly foody-it adds something different and interesting to the coconut-cocoa-cake scent. The drydown is more coconutty than I was expecting but I like that as well. This is a delicious scent, and it certainly induced some serious cake cravings. I think I might need to get another bottle! To sum it up in a smiley:

Currently smelling of: Oblivion, Monster Bait: Underbed, Yemaya, Frumious Bandersnatch First, the elation: -I got my Peony Moon order! I got 5 bottles-Peony Moon, Underbed, Saturn, Uranus, and Oblivion (even though I wanted Ozymandias-more on that later), and all the imps I ordered, and also loads of frimps. Most of which I've tried-save for Bess, Shadow and French Love which I can't wait to try (especially Bess!) -So far, these scents are working fantastically. Underbed is such a fun spicy cake scent! Oblivion is intriguing and I think it will grow on me. Frumious Bandersnatch and Yemaya are also much nicer than I was expecting-well, I knew they would be good, but not that good! -I got an email from my stroppy maths tutor (yeah, he has tantrums like a five year old!) saying I didn't need to do all 50 maths questions in my coursework, just 12 of them. That takes a great weight off my mind. And now the frustration: -I didn't get the bottle of Ozymandias I ordered...I got Oblivion. Which is lovely because I like Oblivion and it'll save me from buying a bottle, but I was looking forward to Ozy most out of this update-despite reviews saying it smells like old fashioned perfume or soap or ozone-it's Egyptian, dammit! *childish sulk* (I emailed the lab-I've heard they sent replacement bottles for free. They did that with Red and Pink Phoenix, which spilt, so maybe they'll do that with my missing bottle of Ozy!) -I think Paypal hates me now. I had put in some funds and sent some e-cheques that should have cleared on the 13th. Ok, so the Easter holidays slowed things down a bit but that means they should have cleared today! So why haven't they? I have a love-hate relationship with Paypal, for one thing, it enables me to buy stuff online, like BPAL. But it's also slow and annoying (why is it that UK e-cheques and funds take 2 weeks to clear when US ones take 4-5 days???) -That stupid radio DJ says that the new Doctor Who sucked. Correction-he's the one who sucks. Has he got no taste? *wishes she could telepathically smite idiots who say stupid things like that, especially during states of PMS* -And yes, the monthly hormonal eruption has started to stir. From now on for at least a week, I am dangerous.

Hemlock In the imp: rosemary! Yup, freshly picked rosemary, this is the scent I get when I pick sprigs of rosemary to add to my food. I love a bit of rosemary, yum. There's also a bit of pine, and something sweet. Another oil with a fantastic green colour. Wet on skin: still rosemary and now more pine comes through, with a bit of juniper/fir. Dry on skin: mmm, this is interesting. It's predominantly herbs, evergreens and…sugar? Yes, the herbs and pine/fir scent has a sweet, almost candy floss like, background to it. Maybe it's a sweet floral, like lotus? It takes the edge off this fresh, green, almost medicinal scent. It may also be a fruit scent. After a while: oh dear. After five minutes, the scent takes a turn for the worse. It now smells not just of sweet evergreen and herbs. It now has an undertone of overripe, almost rotting, fruit. No, make that rotten fruit. Like my fruit compost bin with banana peels in it. Ick. This reminds me of what The Hermit did on my skin after a while. Over time, this rotten fruit scent has hints of apple in it, but it's mainly banana peels that are decomposing, with hints of apple peel. It's a decaying scent, but not a particularly nice one on me. There's a moment where the evergreen scent returns, but still with that composting fruit scent which doesn't like me at all. However, then the scent takes a turn for the better. There's now a hint of dry red wine in the fruit scent and the herbs have returned. This scent is seesawing from good to bad to good again… Now after about 2 hours, the scent is all sharply green, evergreen and medicinal with only bare hints of fruit. Whatever next? This scent sure is indecisive. The final drydown is pretty much where this scent started…a sweetish herbal pine scent. Verdict: now that was one strange shapeshifter of a scent! It was the sort of scent that swung from very nice to revolting (on my skin anyway) so much that it was almost dizzying. At first it was pure rosemary. Then it was evergreen-pine-herb candy. Then it turned to rotten fruit. The rotten fruit goes from banana skins to decaying apple. Then the pine/fir/juniper returns and the rotten fruit becomes a more pleasant fermented fruit scent-that of wine, before going back to the sweet herbal evergreen scent it started out as. A very odd experience. I will not keep the imp because, with my skin chemistry, when it was good, it was very good, but when it was bad…it was horrid!!! To sum it up in a smiley:

Thanatopsis In the imp: sweet pine sap surrounded by deep, thick musk. Mmm. Wet on skin: whoa, this is dark musk, lightened by piercing juniper and green pine. Dry on skin: oooh, interesting. This musk has two aspects to it-at times it is dark and feral (yes, at times it even borders on the almost civet-y edge of the musk spectrum!), but at others it is sweet and smooth, almost amber like. Pine and juniper add evergreen freshness to this swirling, mysterious musky scent. It's slightly similar to Black Forest, but heavier on the musk, without the ambergris, and with less of a 'forest' scent to it…this is darker, smokier, and almost introspective. After a while: civet! I don't know but the musk in here has turned all civet like on me, it's very animalistic, and quite 'equine' (it reminds me of the smell of the place where I went horse riding last year). I wonder if I actually got a mislabelled imp of Czernobog now…it's not bad but I was expecting something like Black Forest's wonderful black musk, not something of the uber-feral kind. This has the potential to go 'bad breath' like on me. Under the civet, there's a nicer sweet black/dark musk layer with a bare hint of evergreen. Verdict: I always thought I didn't have skin that amped civet much, unless there was a notable amount in a blend. I didn't know my skin would pick up civet where there shouldn't really be any (though it is mentioned in reviews here, so maybe there is some…) but I was a bit shocked when the musk in this scent went all civet like on me. Feral, animalistic, and a little bit farmyard like. (Have I got Czernobog and not Thanatopsis??) Not too bad though, it seems to fit in nicely with the rest of the notes, and the scent's theme. It's a lot wilder than Black Forest and a tad more forbidding, with a definite feel of something bestial amongst the evergreens. This is the forest in fairytales where you might find child-eating wolves and other terrifying creatures. It's very good at capturing a mood and a feeling and I praise Beth for that, but unfortunately, this scent is a bit too animalistic for me. If the musk was the same black musk as Black Forest, I would prefer this, but I think I'll put it up for swap. To sum it up in a smiley:

Currently smelling of: Gluttony and Midway Currently burning: Darkswan Egyptian Honey candle I have eaten too many Easter eggs today. I got the pricey one I wanted (not the one I originally planned to get, since I discovered that it contained something a bit icky) and also got loads of other choccies from my mum and dad. I also ate brownie ice cream and chocolate cake. I still want to eat choccy, but stomach says no. However, despite this chocolate overdose, I am craving...pizza. Which is odd. But I am seriously jonesing for a proper pizza right now. The most annoying thing about bank holidays is...NO POST! And that means no new BPAL! I am looking forward to my Peony Moon so much that it seems my life won't be complete until it arrives... Oh, and Doctor Who was really good. I think David Tennant is fantastic (sorry CE fans, but although both are very good actors, I think DT is cuter!!) I can't wait for next weeks episode. From the looks of things, it's going to have ninjas and werewolves!!!

Delphi In the imp: herbs! This is very, very strongly herbal, almost savoury. That's definitely the bay. It reminds me very slightly of another Greek-themed scent, maybe Temple Greek? Wet on skin: what the…cheese?! I kid ye not. I smell parmesan here! Herbal parmesan cheese! Dry on skin: goodness me, this is strong, strong stuff. Very herbal and intense. It's not as cheesy as before but I still get hints of mature cheese here and there. But now the scent is predominantly bay (ie super-concentrated uber-bay, not just a nice herbal sprinkling of the stuff. Something that would smell nicer in food, not perfume!) and I am getting a little bit of honey wine, reminiscent of Tum. I'm hoping this honey sweetens the overall savoury scent I'm getting! After a while: it hasn't morphed for the better, it seems. It still has that sharp, savoury, slightly cheesy feel to it, despite the presence of the honey wine. In fact it's a dirty cheese scent, like foot sweat! Ick. This honey didn't strengthen much to overpower the intense herbal scent. After a few hours? Still herbal, sour, sweaty/cheesy honeyed wine. Verdict: I have no idea what went wrong here. I really wanted to love a scent named after Delphi. I normally love incense and honey-wine scents, and I don't seem to have a problem with bay. I also love Mediterranean herbal scents that remind me of those balmy evenings in Greece. But this turned to something truly awful on me…rotting sweaty cheese! I'm serious! It's a sharp, powerful, savoury scent, herbal and overwhelming, and foody, but in a savoury sense. It's bay leaves on steroids. Even the gentle honeyed wine scent behind it won't temper it. And it has a cheesy tone to it which just won't budge…and it's a sour cheese, almost like sweaty socks. I don't know what component turned evil in here but I'm afraid this is going straight to swaps. To sum it up in a smiley:

Rage In the imp: currant with a hint of dragon's blood, and tangy mandarin. Wet on skin: whoa, this is intense, almost medicinally sharp…I smell dragon's blood and currant, predominantly. Dry on skin: after that sharp spike of scent, it smoothes out a bit once dry. I think I smell the geranium now, I think that's what's calming the scent a bit. Oh yeah, that's geranium alright…and I loves me some geranium! The currant is there, adding it's darkly juicy tang to the scent. The dragon's blood isn't as strong now, and I think I get sweet, dark amber at the back. After a while: it's not long before this smoothes out even more into one of those well rounded autumnal fruit scents with a hint of spice, and in here, with geranium. I also get something almost vetiver-y, and with the dragon's blood, this brings to mind a more toned down Serpent's Kiss. And the currant is gorgeous in here, I think it's merged nicely with the amber. Over time, I still get that soft vetiver tinge to the scent. It's a lot smoother now, with the currant, geranium and amber all very nicely merged, there's also a warm, smoky feel to the scent. Verdict: it's funny. Considering my fiery temperament, I was surprised to smell that when Rage hit my skin, it became 'anger managed', so to speak. (but then again, it seems to be that way for a lot of the reviews here too!) It's sharp and intensely red when freshly applied, but mellows down so nicely when wet. I also love the geranium note in here-this is one of the very few BPALs where I can really pick this note out, and that's good, I love geranium anyway. It adds a smooth, warm, floral-lemon-herbal tone to the scent, mixing nicely with the juicy, plump currants and the sweet dark amber. the scent becomes rounder and more coherent over time, but I do get an unexpected surprise-a vetiver note. it's not in the note description but my vetiver locating and magnifying skin picks it out…it's not a strong vetiver but it adds a darker, gritty undercurrent. I like this scent a lot more than I expected, but I was sort of hoping it would smell 'angrier' on me, like it's name implies! To sum it up in a smiley: it should be but it was more

Hunger In the imp: the almost sharp floral scent of narcissus and orange blossom, with a hint of sweet, deep vanilla. Wet on skin: the tangy note of the orange blossom is more apparent. There's something almost animalistic about this scent-but in a good way. Dry on skin: oh my. Is there a hidden civet note in here? I'm getting an almost civet like animalistic tone to this scent-but not in a bad way. I think it may be the narcissus…something in here adds a dry, slightly bitter and feral musky scent to the orange blossom's sharpness and the vanilla's sweetness. There's also a hint of something reminiscent of tobacco, smoky and ashy. This is very raw and carnal, indeed! The vanilla is surprisingly discreet here, only apparent after the initial shock of the smoky, musky florals. After a while: ah, this is a lot smoother now. The scent is now a lovely smooth deep vanilla musk, in the same vein as Snake Oil, but without the spices. There is something odd though…I get a vetiver/tobacco note. It's not listed in the components, but I get something vetiver like in this scent. Verdict: this smelt totally different to what the listed notes implied, but certainly fitting with it's description. It's got vanilla, narcissus and orange blossom alright, but I think there be more to this than meets the eye (or the nose) once this hits skin. It's a feral, animalistic vanilla floral with almost civet like tones to it-raw and carnal, it is sharp and intense and not for the faint hearted! After a while, the 'civet' tones down into a deep musk scent, merging with the vanilla to form an almost Snake Oil like scent, but with an undertone of something vetiver or tobacco like, again, unexpected. It's not a bad scent, I quite like it, but it's a bit too much at times and I do prefer Snake Oil and other scents in that sexy vanilla category to this…but it's very well crafted and much more complex than one would expect. To sum it up in a smiley:

Hakkotsu In the imp: sandalwood and tangy bergamot. Very nice. Wet on skin: I love the sandalwood in here, it's so warm and lightly spicy, the bergamot is also in here. Can't make out the lily of the valley yet. Dry on skin: I like this! This blend has a very strong sandalwood note, and it's gorgeous…a dry, warm, smooth and lightly spicy scent, with the bergamot adding a light citrus touch. It reminds me of one of my sandalwood perfumes. The lily of the valley is surprisingly light here…but I can smell this delicate floral note gradually 'growing' out of the dry sandalwood. It's very pleasant, but it's also a very dry and pale scent…very fitting with it's skeletal inspiration. After a while: it's a bit more floral now, but the sandalwood is still going strong, with a delightful lily of the valley adding a little something extra. It's also a good lily of the valley note-it doesn't go soapy on my skin like it's been known to do at times, but it is slightly greenish. Verdict: this was a lot nicer than I was expecting…I love the sandalwood in this. It's a good strong sandalwood, warm, dry, smooth and lightly spicy. The bergamot adds a gentle citrus aspect to it, and the two notes together give an effect reminiscent of one of my sandalwood scents, which has a lemony feel to it. But the most surprising thing was how well the lily of the valley worked with the other notes. At times, this floral note can either be too strong or too soapy, but in here it was nicely discreet, adding a soft flowery undertone to the sandalwood, rounding it off nicely. The scent is dry, pale, and ghostly, but it's also warm and well blended and uncomplicated. I don't need any more of this but I'm definitely keeping the imp of this rare scent. To sum it up in a smiley:

If you hadn't guessed, that's the Doctor Who theme tune! I'm so excited because the new series has returned and is starting tomorrow! I love the new Dr Who, and I really want to track down some of the older episodes now. Dr Who fans may want to check this silly link out for a laugh! From time travelling doctors to real ones now...I think those sleeping pills my doctor prescribed me are really working. I needed something to reset my sleeping patterns into something a bit more normal (I go to sleep at 2am and get up at 11am-something induced by the drunk and stoned flatmates from hell at campus) but now thanks to those pills, I'm going to be early, and getting up early and feeling bright and awake (which is pretty incredible since I'm not usually a morning person at all!). I think that little ritual with TAL Determination helped a great deal with me getting my coursework done-it's not finished yet, but it just gave me the impetus to get going and do some good solid work without distraction. I love getting those challenging questions done...they are daunting at first but when I get them done, I feel good! I'm also excited because my Peony Moon order is winging it's way to me! I hope it gets to me before I go back to uni!

I second Leanan Sidhe as a perfect spring scent! Other spring staples of mine include Regan, Spirits of the Dead, The Unicorn, Empyreal Mist, Berenice, Perfumed Garden, Fee, Fee Verte, Fae, Nefertiti and Al Araaf.

Chris was an awesome Doctor, I agree! But I'm also aware that they replaced him with David Tennant, since I saw the special Christmas episode with him in it. I think he's going to be good as well, but I'll have to wait and see!