yeahbutnobut

Ligeia In the imp: the sharp, almost masculine scent of juniper mixed with the more feminine, heady scent of jasmine. Wet on skin: hmm, interesting mix, the jasmine and juniper contrast each other but work quite well. no sign of geranium yet. Dry on skin: strong, slightly dry but very pleasant jasmine. It almost reminds me of a cross between Tunisian jasmine perfume and one of my jasmine candles (with even a hint of smoke and wax)…a very nice jasmine note indeed. Very heady-only those who can tolerate jasmine can handle this concentration of this flower's fragrance! Juniper has been pushed aside and pushed off the scene by this haughty jasmine, and geranium is nowhere to be seen-or smelt. After a while: over time, the jasmine goes through an odd 'olive' stage (which is what some BPAL jasmine notes do-but not all) and after a while, it doesn't smell like that wonderful Tunisian jasmine scent I had before, but a dry, greenish scent. however, I get a slight hint of sweetness. The disappointing thing is that I hardly get any geranium from here at all-the note I was looking forward to most. If I do get any, it's very, very faint, and a greener geranium than the one I'm used to. Verdict: at first, this started out as a mix of masculine juniper and feminine jasmine, the latter note eventually dominating the scent. For a while, this jasmine was very pleasant, almost like a Tunisian jasmine perfume in a candle form. But, like some BPAL jasmine notes do, it turned olive-y and dry and green on my skin. That was a bit of a disappointment, but not as much as not smelling the geranium that I hoped would turn up in the scent. But the show-offy jasmine took over and scared poor little geranium away for good, it seems, leaving faint traces of what could have been had the jasmine not been so dominant. It's not a bad scent, but I have other jasmine scents that I much prefer to this.

Port au Prince Dark, decadent and incomparably exotic: the rich scent of buttered rum flavored with almond, bay, clove and sassafras. In the imp: sweet, buttery, boozy almond. Wet on skin: soap? I get a slight hint of soap, but underneath is the scent of cloves and bay rum. Dry on skin: hmm. I'm not sure why this is happening, but I'm getting a white soapy floral scent from here, like washing detergent. It's not bad though. I'm a bit worried it may be something to do with the Lab's recent batch of almond note, as I got a similar effect from one recent bottle of Queen of Sheba (which shocked me, as non-soapy QoS is a favourite of mine!) but not from any of my older almond scents. I still get slight remainders of almond, and underneath is a gorgeous clove note with effervescent, slightly green and boozy bay rum. But I can't get over that odd soapy note! After a while: other than that weird, soapy floral scent, I love the clove note in here…it's delicious and sweet and almost creamy. I can't get much of the rum now…I have no idea where the sassafras and bay are either. The scent now is a sweet vanilla clove soap scent. Not too bad, but not what I expected! The vanilla-clove-soap scent stays like that and doesn't morph for duration of the scent. Verdict: I think this would have been really lovely, creamy and spicy and lightly boozy-were it not for this out of place soap note that I encountered. I have no idea what it is, but my guess is that it may be a certain batch of almond note that may be soaping out on my skin. I hope it's not the case-since most almond scents do not turn soapy at all-and I have a lot of scents with almond that I love. But it's a similar reaction to what happened with a bottle of lab-fresh Queen of Sheba (a scent which I normally love and which doesn't usually soap out on me). So I'm wondering if that's the reason. But anyway, if it wasn't for the soap, the scent is a pleasant mix of boozy bay rum and sweet clove, drying down to creamy vanilla-clove. I will swap this imp for the reasons stated above, though, but I'd like to track down an older imp of Port au Prince to test my theory.

Muladhara: the Root In the imp: vetiver and cedar, possibly some patchouli. Incredibly earthy and grounding. Wet on skin: gritty green vetiver and dry cedar, and a hint of pepper or ginger comes through now. Dry on skin: oooh, this is grounding, deep and warm. the scent is a mix of earthy/dirty, woody and spicy notes. The first thing that hits me is strong vetiver, followed by cedar and patchouli, with the crackling warmth of ginger and pepper, adding a hint of savoury spice to the whole scent. very earthy but with a hint of fiery heat from the spices, the more I sniff I smell some almost soil like notes, which is probably due to patchouli reacting with other notes. but it's very strong on the vetiver and reminds me of my mum's vetiver oil mingling with the scent of her spicy cooking! After a while: still the same, cedar and vetiver, a solid earthy scent, only this time the ginger/pepper has toned down a lot, so now the scent is more of an aromatic ginger than a hot one. Eventually, all the other notes fade away leaving a dry vetiver behind, with another note that reminds me of dry grass or straw. It's a strong vetiver but not a dark, ashy one like some of the lab's more 'sinister' vetiver notes, this one is more of a calming, stable scent. Vetiver has a habit of staying for a long time on the skin (sometimes resisting showers!) and this one is no exception. Verdict: whilst not something I'd wear as perfume, as a working oil, this seems like it will be wonderful. The scent is very earthy, grounding, solid and stable. It smells predominantly of vetiver, with a backing of dry cedar, a hint of patchouli, and a layer of hot spices-ginger and pepper-warming the scent up. At times, this actually reminds me of the scent of my mum's kitchen after she's been cooking with Indian spices and is burning her favourite vetiver oil to get rid of the curry smell-but that's a good thing! but the earthy, deep scent of this oil does seem to capture the meaning of this chakra very well…and it seems to make me feel calmer and more down to earth. I will try this in a meditation-I have a feeling this will work wonders.

The Pit and the Pendulum In the imp: smells like Penitence! Yup, I'm sure there's frankincense here, and there's also a sweet note behind it. It's gorgeous… Wet on skin: mmm, frankincense! And I think there's myrrh here as well, and a sweeter note. It reminds me of Midnight Mass, Cathedral and Penitence. Dry on skin: ohh, this is really good. I love incense scents, and this is lovely! It now smells a bit like a cross between two of my favourite LE incense scents-Midnight Mass and Al Azif! It has MM's frankincense, dry smoke and 'church' feel, and AA's sweet, sticky, dark, myrrh based incense, with hints of Penitence, Aureus and Cathedral. It's really nice-I don't find it threatening or imposing, but it's darker in tone to MM and Penitence. And the dark sweetness is almost sinister, but in a good way. After a while: the frankincense tones down but still remains in the background, adding it's sharper, brighter resinous touch to the scent, and yet allowing the dark, sweet, sticky resins behind it to come forth. Now it really does smell like a sharper Al Azif, and now a smoky scent creeps in, so it smells more like incense burning than fragrant unlit resins. Every now and then, the frankincense comes out a bit more, a bright, slightly spicy scent surrounded by shadowy, smoky sweetness. I think there may be a woody note here, like a polished cedar or pine scent. it's still a lovely deep incense scent, though it does smooth out over time. Verdict: I may not be a churchgoer (though I may visit them for pure sightseeing reasons), but I adore the smell of incense, and I love the Lab's incense scents. This is another one I've fallen for. It is the lovechild of Midnight Mass and Al Azif with hints of the other incense themed blends. I can pick out frankincense and dark, sticky myrrh, and also some other incense/resin notes that are sweet, dark, and smoky (amber? benzoin? opopanax?), and also a hint of dry, smooth wood. The deep, sticky base (reminiscent of Al Azif) adds a darker tone to this than is found in other incense scents. This is another wonderful mixture of resins and smouldering incense notes that I will need to get a bottle of, but just one bottle this time, due to it's similarities to other incense scents…but I think it's my favourite scent in the Maelstrom range so far.

The Telltale Heart This is a swollen, pulsating, thudding scent, heavy with dread; a steady, unceasing, throbbing harbinger of retribution and doom: blood musk, cocoa, black pepper, allspice, dragon’s blood resin and vetiver. In the imp: chocolate and spicy dragon's blood! An unusual, but very nice combination. Slightly reminiscent of the Great Sword of War. Wet on skin: now the musk comes out to mingle with the cocoa and strong dragon's blood notes. Dry on skin: what an intriguing combination. A red, sanguine mix of gorgeous smooth red musk with the sharp resin of dragon's blood, spiked with fiery pepper, with a topping of dry cocoa. This is along similar lines to Great Sword, but still individual-different spices, no herbs, and there's a prominent dragon's blood note here adding it's metallic redness to it all. After a while: the dragon's blood is very strong in this! It seems to be taking over the scent at times, sharply red and metallic, it seems to overtake the smooth, lovely musk but this still lingers in the background, trying it's best to temper the blood. The cocoa is gone, the spices are toned down. Eventually, the scent becomes raw, sharp and almost feral in tone. The dragon's blood has taken the musk hostage but the musk tries to fight back and calm the dragon down, and it joins up with cocoa which has returned to sweeten the scent, so the scent is almost a battle between the two notes. I can't smell the spices any more…and I think vetiver is starting to creep in, lurking around, watching the action but not taking over. In other words, I adore the musk in this but the dragon's blood is a bit too strong in here for me. But I admit the two notes do go together well, despite one wanting to take over the other! Verdict: this is another one of those lovely and well crafted 'blood' themed scents, but I'm unsure as to whether I love it or just like it. I adore the red musk in this-I really do. It is sweet, rich, sexy, spicy, smooth, and works really well with the cocoa. The spices add a lovely crackling warmth to the first part of the scent. and then there's the dragon's blood-in here it's a lot stronger than I expected-it's sharp, red, and metallic-in here it smells almost like real blood, and this increases over time, at odds with the smooth cocoa-musk. The scent is a deep velvety red, rich and dark, sweet and smooth at times but then cut through with raw accents of dragon's blood and a sinister vetiver undertone that is much fainter than most vetivers, but can just be perceived. I'm not sure if I love it enough to want a bottle-it is on similar lines to the Great Sword of War, Blood Moon and the Cracked Bell, which I prefer. I will keep the decant though.

I know when I'm addicted when I notice little references to BPAL in everyday life. Such as a rerun of the Simpsons that mentioned the Telltale Heart. That instantly solved the decision of what BPAL I should test tonight. TTH it was! And I do like it, but not as much as Great Sword of War which is similar... I can't get over how wonderful Anthelion is...there are times when it smells like gingerbread with creamy vanilla. Seriously. It actually resembles something from another etailer, but much nicer and with that magickal feel to it that only Beth can do. And it works...I think i will get round to doing a candle ritual or even a meditation with this stuff...I feel so cheerful and calm tonight, less argumentative too. Is that a result of the Anthelion? I also feel a lot less menstrual as well. I think that maybe another reason. I hope that Beth does something fun for tomorrow. I also hope that anything released tomorrow (if that happens) will be up until at least Wednesday/Thursday? Why? I want to make a big order on my birthday!!! I also hope my Peony Moon order gets sent asap...

Anthelion In the imp: lavender and spices. Very similar to Hermes, but lighter and airier. This scent is comforting, soothing and warm-I know this is going to work wonders. I will try it on the skin, dabbing it on with purpose. Maybe I will try candles later… Wet on skin: ohh, so comforting, a gentle lavender spice. Dry on skin: mmm! This is beautiful!! Whoever brought up the 'warm fluffy towels' analogy is spot on-this is like a warm hug, a comforting cloud, a gentle sweet scent that wraps around me and instantly soothes and calms and makes me smile. I smell lavender in here, possibly violet and/or heliotrope, and maybe a bit of an 'airy' note, fresh and light, almost like mint or eucalyptus, and underneath it I get warm spices like cinnamon and clove (or is it carnation?), and also a sweet note that may be vanilla. This gives another comforting scent to the overall fragrance-that of baking delicious cakes and cookies and other wonderful treats, just pulled out of the oven. A scent that is joyful and optimistic. After a while: after the lavender and cool notes fade, the gorgeous scent that remains on my skin is a warm, sweet clove. Delicious clove sweetened with an almost gingerbread like scent, and a creamy vanilla as well, possibly some tonka or heliotrope as well. It smells quite festive, makes me think of Xmas. I think there may be carnation in here too. But the cosy dessert like vanilla-clove scent I get now is truly delightful! And it gets sweeter and creamier over time…ohhhh. Verdict (scent): this is one of those TAL oils that smells truly wonderful and if this wasn't a ritual oil, I would wear this as plain perfume. It starts off with airy lavender and something cool, with a layer of spices underneath. A fragrance both warm and clean, very comforting, a hug of scent. As the lavender fades away, the spice strengthens and I smell baking gingerbread wafting through the air…and then the scent moves into a delightful vanilla-clove phase with a little hint of spicy gingerbread, a cheerful and reassuring scent that is delicious and almost edible. The drydown is a gentle creamy vanilla like scent with hints of spice. This is one for the big bottle list-for both scent and intent. Verdict (intent/ritual): my first try wasn't on candles but I thought I'd put some on the skin, on my wrists, to see if this would give a purposeful effect, to pick me up when I'm feeling down. I thought today would be good since I had a terrible argument last night and still feel a bit shaken and need a boost. And I think it's working! I'm pretty sure this is one of those where the scent really enhances the purpose…the comforting, optimistic, sweet scent of this oil definitely puts a smile on my face when I first apply it and as the scent develops. It's calming and soothing and does seem to work on the hopeful, joyful, aspects of the description. I'm hoping it works equally well in regards to its luck bringing and healing aspects as well.

Quietude In the imp: lavender, and possibly geranium. A real 'aromatherapy' scent. Wet on skin: lavender, and also a greenish herbal note. I think there's geranium here as well. Dry on skin: ooh, this is lovely and calming. This is a lavender Panacea, but in a different way to Safari, which was darker, more intense lavender with smoky/patchouli tones. This one is lighter and gentler. I now smell something lemony here! Possibly lemon fruit or a lemon herb like verbena or balm. This adds a cheery aspect to the scent as well as a calming one, and it's always a good thing to be cheerful and calm at the same time. I get hints of green, light herbal notes here as well, and possibly a geranium note (though not as intense as some rose geranium oils I've smelt, this is a greener geranium). After a while: the lavender and lemon fade fast. The scent remaining on my skin is very faint, but what I do get is a green herbal scent, almost like vetiver but lighter and less gritty. I also get a soft, sweet, powdery scent, like the olfactory equivalent of your hand or leg being lightly brushed by a passing kitten-gentle and ever so reassuring, but fleeting. It reminds me of a very soft vanilla marshmallowy scent. I also get remains of lemon and geranium here-but it's gentler than the heady rose geranium I'm used to. Like most of the Panaceas, this is short lived, and is gone within a couple of hours. Verdict: this is such a lovely, mellow lavender scent. gentler than Safari, with notes of cheerful lemon and something sweet and fluffy by the end, this is a soft lavender with herbal notes and a hint of geranium. It smells very pleasant and calming and smells nice on the skin, I'd also like to try this in an oil burner or as a lotion or in the bath. It does calm me down a lot, I think (I was really moody and grumpy earlier, but now I feel a lot more chilled) and I would love to try this as a sleep blend. the only disadvantage is that it fades fast on the skin. I do like it enough to keep my decant though.

Usher In the imp: yup, this is like Dorian without the vanilla and with added mint and tangy fruit notes. It's a very delectable musk-tea-fougere scent. Wet on skin: the blackcurrant comes out more now, with the mint. It's a very fresh scent. Dry on skin: mmm, this is nice. It reminds me of something from either Lush or the Body Shop but I can't remember what…someone mentioned Summer Blues, maybe that could be it? It's a lovely scent-very fresh and light thanks to a very light tea and mint, softened by gorgeous musk, with the tang of mandarin and the deep sweet fruitiness of blackcurrant. Far from being gloomy and decayed, this scent is breezy and refreshing to me…but still sophisticated and refined. It's also surprisingly youthful, yet still with something traditional and gentlemanly to it-but it's not overly masculine. After a while: it's not long before this scent becomes a cool blackcurrant musk. the musk note, combined with a greenish fougere, is indeed very reminiscent of Dorian, but instead of vanilla, there's blackcurrant. There's also a cool, almost aquatic note to it which may be the mint, but I'm also wondering if it's the 'tarn' note (which is a kind of lake)? There's also a hint of smoke, musty dust (think Rat King) and damp in the scent-that must be the 'decay and gloom'…it adds a hint of age and something faded to this otherwise cool, light scent. It gets faint quite quickly (over about 3-4 hours) but the scent I get on the skin is a smoky fougere-musk with hints of currant. And after another hour or two, the scent the scent that lingers is a soft white musk very similar to Villain. Verdict: Usher is Dorian's colder, more distant brother, refined and gentlemanly yet with an icy personality and a hint of something aged and dusty despite my first impressions of him as being youthful and modern. This has the same tea-musk-fougere combination as Dorian but instead of vanilla, there's blackcurrant-deep and fruity, sweet yet tart. The tea note is also lighter, and there's also a cool touch of mint. This scent is breezy and almost cheerful at first but then as it wears on, the blackcurrant strengthens and a dark smoke rises, along with a hint of faded dust and a musty note which darkens and changes the tone of the scent. However, the musk is soft and elegant and by the end, it resembles that of Villain. The scent isn't overly masculine either-I can wear it without thinking I smell too much like men's perfume. I like this a lot more than I expected but I still prefer Dorian, so I may not get a bottle, but I will keep the decant.

Empyreal Mist A hazy, soft, veiled scent: mist floating through twilit skies, curling gently towards the heavens. In the imp: a fresh, light, airy, crisp scent with a hint of tart fruit about it. Wet on skin: fresh and crisp and light. It's quite tangy as well, and a little bit aquatic. Dry on skin: pear! Now I can recognise a lovely tart pear note in here that is both sweet and sharp, it's a white pear scent. The scent is very cool and fresh…very airy and with a hint of something aquatic about it, which seems appropriate for a mist-inspired scent. Indeed, this scent brings to mind the dewy, misty coolness of early morning, just before sunrise. I also get hints of gorgeous pale spring blossoms and gentle dewy flowers in here, reminiscent of the Unicorn and also La Belle au Bois Dormant, and I also wonder if there's magnolia here, and maybe linden. This scent is so lovely and ethereal, very delicate and spring-like. After a while: I really like the way this scent is both dewy and a bit moist, yet also crisp and dry at the same time. Now the scent is a very nicely balanced mix of fruit and floral, fringed with fresh air and coolness. It's a pear and crisp floral scent, very similar to Thalia, Titania and La Belle with hints of the Unicorn, but it's also different to those thanks to the cool 'mist' note. It stays very consistent, though it becomes a bit less moist/cool, over the hours as it fades slowly. Verdict: this is another gorgeous, ethereal scent on the pear-floral theme. Delicate and wispy, gentle and light with a slight tangy aspect. This is similar to scents like Thalia, La Belle au Bois Dormant and Titania but it also has a cool, airy scent to it, both dry and crisp, yet also dewy and moist…a note I can only describe as, well, mist. There's also a white pear note, both sweet and tangy, and some floral notes as well-I'm guessing magnolia, and some spring florals, maybe linden (as I get a resemblance to the Unicorn here as well). It is subtly beautiful and I know this will make a fantastic spring scent-it smells like a gentle mist settling on blossoms. A delightful scent that I think I will need to get a bottle of.

Montresor In the imp: dark, dark, sweet, rich fruit notes. I'm guessing black grapes and blackcurrants. Wet on skin: this smells like fruit juice! Or black grape fruit juice mixed with red wine…it's very sweet…I detect some blackcurrant in here too. Dry on skin: mmm, this is very delicious! it's a sweet, black fruit scent. It's grape and currant with hints of wine and other berries, but much darker and sweeter than other grape and blackcurrant scents. But it's very, very sweet, there's no bitterness or sharpness, but there's a hint of dryness. I'm thinking that the sweet scent may be vanilla. However, though this scent is boozy and dark, almost mature and aged at times, there are times when I smell this and think 'blackcurrant Fruit Pastilles!' and 'Ribena!' which means there must be blackcurrant here-albeit a sweeter and more sugary one than in other BPALs. After a while: after five minutes the scent becomes pure blackcurrant candy with splashes of Ribena and just a bare hint of wine. But the fragrance that is predominant here is that of Rowntrees Fruit Pastilles-blackcurrant flavour. I'm not kidding, but on me, this smells like sweets. Sweet and fruity and fun. I was hoping for a bit of dark, crisp wine, or something tart to counteract the sweetness, but the scent I have here does bring back childhood memories…but it's a bit too sweet for me! After some time-maybe an hour, this candy phase does tone down and the wine note returns to add depth to the scent, it's not as sweet now, but it's also softer at this stage. I really like this phase of the scent, it's a lot more grown up than the fruit pastille scent! I really like the drydown after a few hours, it's that wonderful smooth autumnal fruit scent with a hint of smoke that I sometimes get in other BPAL scents. It's almost creamy or musky at this point as well, and smells a bit like there may be a bit of plum in there too. After about 6 hours it is less smoky and more sweet and plummy. Verdict: this is an interesting take on the fruity wine genre. There are some stages in this scent which I adore-like the drydown after an hour and from then on it just goes through these lovely phases of smoky autumnal smooth fruit scents, from wine/port to black grape to plum and maybe currant as well. But there's a stage when the scent is just applied when it smells like candy. It smells exactly like blackcurrant fruit pastilles or blackcurrant jellies, and Ribena! Usually BPAL blackcurrant notes are dark and tangy and tart, but this one smelt sugary sweet…a bit too tooth-achingly sweet for me! Because of this, I probably won't get a bottle-but because of the lovely smoky wine and fruit drydown, I'll keep the decant.

Moxie In the imp: orange, ginger and…something dark and dirty. Maybe patchouli or leather? Wet on skin: orange!!! But there's a hint of something rubbery there, and ginger. An odd, yet very zingy scent. Dry on skin: what the? I get orange here, wonderful, freshly squeezed, bright, sunny orange. But I also get…asphalt and rubber. Yup, this smells of roads. It's tarmac, tyres, and orange with a hint of ginger. Now that is bizarre. At times, the asphalt note smells like rubber and leather, a real 'shoe' scent, and I get the feel that the scent is giving you a kick up the backside with a hard, rubber soled leather boot scented with orange which seems like an appropriate image for the scent! But at other times it makes me think of freshly laid asphalt covered roads in summer, with the scent of burning rubber and 'new car smell', and orange juice that has been spilt on it. Not something I really want to smell like. After a while: unfortunately the orange note fades fast and the scent left behind is asphalt and ginger and hints of rubber. This one dislikes me. Verdict: there are times when I hate my skin chemistry so much. I really wanted to love this scent, I was hoping it would be the energy boosting scent I was looking for…but unfortunately it hated me. I adore the orange note this scent has, bright, zesty, sunny and tangy, like real squeezed orange juice. I also got some ginger. But there was something in here that turned to…asphalt. And rubber. And that 'new car smell'. On me, Moxie was the smell of a newly laid tarmac road in summer with a new car driving over it, squashing oranges against the hot asphalt against it's rubber tyres. Not a very nice smell at all with my skin. It's a shame really…oh well, I can swap/sell my decant.

Lady Macbeth In the imp: summery berries soaked in red wine, this is gorgeous! It reminds me of those berry fruit salads I eat. Wet on skin: once on the skin, the dry scent of wine is more apparent, and I smell thyme now. Dry on skin: now the scent is very tart and dry indeed. The notes I smell now are no longer the plump, sweet berries I got before (though I do get hints of those), but a dry, crisp scent of dry red wine and sharp blackcurrant (and I think blackberry as well) sharpened by thyme. I get a hint of the 'grainy/yeasty' note I got from the Harvest Moons and Mabon as well, for some reason, it may be the wine and berries doing this…it's a piercing, clear scent with a little hint of something metallic. After a while: after about half an hour, I can smell mainly blackcurrant and wine, with other berry notes-I'm pretty sure there's blackberry in here. It's a bit like a drier, crisper, less lush Bordello with the blackberries from Mabon in the place of the plum. After a few hours, the scent is very faint but I get traces of red and black fruits with hints of herbal thyme. But it's not as strong as before. Verdict: this is one of the BPAL berry scents that really works nicely on me. at first, it's a fruit salad of sweet, juicy summer berries soaked in wine. Then it moves towards a drier, sharper stage, a strong crisp red wine note sharpened by thyme and blackcurrant, and I'm sure there's blackberry here too. At times the scent has a slight sharp metallic aspect to it, reminiscent of blood or knives-very appropriate for the character. It reminds me of other berry and wine BPAL scents, and I like it a lot…but it fades so fast on me. After a few hours, all that's left is a faint trace of herbal wine, but its just barely there. But I do like this scent a lot more than I expected.

Eos In the imp: an interesting, bittersweet, slightly incensy and dry jasmine scent, which actually reminds me of a candle I have (but it's not your typical jasmine candle scent!) Wet on skin: mmm, I think I get honeysuckle mingling with jasmine, with a hint of green. Dry on skin: very pretty! It's soft, heady jasmine with dewy, crisp, greenish honeysuckle, and another note that may be buttercup, along with the soft skin musk. It's a gentle spring scent, but its more than just that. There's also something deeper, sharper, almost bittersweet about it, it has something almost smoky to it, like jasmine incense or like the candle I have…this may be the 'skin' scent doing this, probably a kind of musk. Or maybe it's the buttercup-a note I'm not 100% familiar with, I'm assuming it's the greener note in here. After a while: I get a slight candle-smoke feel from this scent. It's very nice but unexpected-it does add a muted grey or smoky aspect. Overall, the scent is a soft jasmine and honeysuckle with sweet musk (the skin-musk note is a bit baby oil-ish but that's no bad thing, I quite like that!) with the scent of candles blown out after the night has ended and the remains of faded incense. The final drydown of this isn't so nice. I've noticed that a lot of times, the BPAL honeysuckle note tends to smell a bit dry and harsh after a few hours despite smelling fresh and dewy when just dry-it does that in here, I'm afraid. Verdict: at first, I was a bit surprised at this scent-I was expecting a heady, dewy, spring like floral scent, but I got strangely bittersweet, smoky, muted scent…it's a skin-musk, reminiscent of baby oil and candle smoke, unusual yet strangely pleasant. Against this smooth, mysterious background, the jasmine and honeysuckle alternate as to which is the strongest note. It's a scent that reminds me of the last candles of the night blown out as day breaks, soft grey dawn mists, muted blossoms and blushing fragrant skin. I'm not as keen on the drydown, which has that dry, green, harsh, tart scent that BPAL honeysuckle scents sometimes turn to on me. I do like this scent, but not as much as I expected I would. I'm not sure whether to keep it or swap/sell it…maybe it will be nice as room fragrance.

Now that I've returned home from my weekend away, I'm wondering...which city is better? London or Paris? (There's only one way to find out-FIIIIIIGHT!!! if you watch Harry Hill you'll understand!) As to what BPAL I will try today...maybe Eos. The weather is crap and I want to smell springy. I also hate my new post-woman. I swear she delivers my stuff to the wrong houses. Or she's deliberately stopping me from getting parcels. So many things I have bought online from the States (including my Balthazar statue) have, apparently, mysteriously disappeared when crossing the pond. Maybe the postal planes with my parcels flew over the Bermuda Triangle or something...

Milk and Honey In the imp: creamy lemons, lemons and milk…lemon curd even! Yum! Wet on skin: lemon! I'm thinking a combination of the fruit, and also a lemony herb-maybe verbena or lemon balm? It still has a creamy background, and I can smell a bit of honey. Dry on skin: lemon and honey tea! That's what it smells like. It's not as creamy as it was before, now it smells like an infusion of lemon scented herbs, lemon peel, all sweetened with honey, and a little hint of lemon curd comes from behind it all. I think there may be a tea note in here too. This is a gorgeous scent-very zingy and bright, uplifting. But let's not talk about scent, let's talk about intent-this time, I decided to use it for its money aspect. Apart from dabbing this on my skin (with intent), I dabbed some of this oil onto my wallet, whilst visualising and hoping that a gentle influx of prosperity would come my way, in the best way possible. After a while: as the lemon notes mellow out, another note begins to surface-I'm not 100% certain what it is but I know I've smelt it before-it's a dry, pale scent, and it's woody…oh I know what it is! It's sandalwood, probably white sandalwood! Warm, dry, exotic sandalwood with lemon (balm) on top, drizzled with honey. What a gorgeous scent, this is one of the TAL oils that smell very nice indeed. Verdict (scent): this is one of the nicer smelling TAL blends, a scent of lemon and lemon herbs (I'm thinking lemon balm as it reminds me of Polyhymnia's lemon scent), a hint of cream/milk and honey (of course-although this scent is heavier on the honey than the milk) and a pale sandalwood note that comes out at drydown. A scent that reminds me of lemon curd, lemon tea, and old fashioned lemonade sweetened with honey. I know most TALs aren't all about the scent, but I adore the fragrance in here. Verdict (intent/ritual): I think it seems to be working! no, I didn't get rich quick (this is, after all, a subtle love and money blend), but after doing the whole wallet anointing thing, my dad gave me a good amount of money before he left to go on holiday. Then I ended up selling more imps and bath and body products than usual on LJ successfully, getting a nice amount of money in the process. Seems to be working! I'm going to keep trying with this, to see if it will work more of it's magic on me…I will one day try this again for it's love aspect, and next time I will try a candle ritual.

Leanan Sidhe In the imp: soft and sweet, gently floral, a bit green, a bit soapy… Wet on skin: the floral scent gets stronger, yet it's still gentle. No more soapiness. Dry on skin: my goodness, this is a pretty scent! Soft, light, fresh and misty, it's a gorgeous mix of fragrant white flowers and hints of moist green. It's such a springtime scent, brings to mind sweet dewy spring flowers under the moonlight. It really is a fae scent, I think, I could just imagine some haunting and ethereal fairy beings smelling a bit like this. I'm not sure what the floral notes are but I think narcissus may be one of them, and maybe a lily note too…and there's also something sweet and slightly reminiscent of something in Al Araaf. After a while: this gets better! The scent has become a beautiful white floral scent-rich, full, quite heady, and fringed with green. It's sweet like it's been lightly sugared, but not cloying or foody at all, though it reminds me very slightly of marshmallows, and I smell something which I think is narcissus or fragrant daffodils, and maybe an orchid note as well. Whatever flowers are in this, it reminds me of spring. This softens and sweetens as time passes, it's like a coating of gentle blossoms sprinkled with the lightest dusting of sugar, and there's also a slight creaminess now, and the green note is gone now. After a while, I think I know what one of the notes is-lily, probably stargazer lily…because it reminds me of a lily note I smelt in Peitho and Juliet. But it could also be sweet pea, because it reminds me slightly of Aeval (and Juliet). Verdict: I have had really good luck with the fairy-themed scents from BPAL (Fae, Queen Mab, Dana O'Shee, Fee etc) and this one is no exception. This is a beautiful, haunting, enchanting pale floral scent fringed with green and dew, which blossoms so nicely on my skin. I'm not sure what florals are in this (I'm guessing narcissus, orchid, stargazer lily, sweet pea, maybe all of them?) but they are gorgeous and quite heady and strong, yet refined and soft. There's something ethereal and dreamy about this scent, it seems very much a fairy scent indeed. Upon drydown, the floral scent gets rounder and sweeter and a tad creamy, it's sweet without being cloying. This is definitely one of my new favourites and something I will be wearing a lot of during spring.

Enraged Orangutan Musk In the imp: oooh, gorgeous sweet dark musk with hints of amber and perhaps a little bit of orange. Not too angry and feral. Wet on skin: mmm, dark musk…it's a sweet musk, still with hints of amber and orange. I love the colour of this oil-it's orange! Dry on skin: incense? I swear I'm getting a hint of the incense note I got in Hellion…it's an almost smoky dry woody scent with hints of dried plants and grasses and possibly a bit of palm. I assume those are the Malaysian rainforest extracts, and I'm wondering if one of them is a kind of sandalwood. I also get a very dark musk scent (it is a slightly angry musk now, but it's not animalistic at all, but it does smell a bit burnt-but in a good way), it's similar to Smut, quite sweet but not as vanilla-sweet as Smut was on me. I think I get hints of ambergris and amber as well in this, and a tangy note, which may be orange. This is surprisingly nice! After a while: the burnt smell increases on me…this really does smell like burning woody incense and dark musk now. I think there may be a kind of sandalwood in here but I'm not certain-but it does remind me of another sandalwood scent which had a burnt feel to it. I also get a little hint of something tangy, almost salty. The scent is almost a scorched musk, brooding, grumbling, and moody, with hints of charred plants and woods. I quite like it though, but not as much as the wet stage. Then the burnt scent retreats, letting a smoother, softer musk scent through. It's still a bit scorched, but not as much as before-now it's like the lingering smoke after the incense has burnt away. the scent no longer has the sweetness of the first stage. The final drydown stage is a bit like Devil's Night but drier, and more masculine. the burnt wood note is still there but very faint, and the musk is tangy and manly, with a hint of dried grass. Verdict: this monkey was quite mild mannered on me, if a little bit huffy at times (but he kept it to himself and behaved fairly well). The musk notes in here range from the sweet and delicious to the heavy and smoky-dark (a bit like Smut) and then ending on a lighter, tangier, slightly masculine musk. There are notes of ambergris, amber and orange that flit through every now and then…but what surprised me was the 'incense' note. It could be the rainforest plant extracts, but on me it smelt like burning sandalwood-based incense with dried grass, and at times this reminded me of Hellion and another incense-sandalwood scent. At times this smelt quite charred indeed, but not off putting. I do like this pissed off primate a lot more than I expected, but I do prefer the bottle and wet stage of this scent, the scent becomes a bit too burnt at times, and masculine at drydown-it is, to me, the more masculine, harder, thuggish version of Smut. I think I may keep a decant of this.

The Masque In the bottle: honey and…something red? I can't really tell, it's surprisingly faint in the bottle but I think I detect tobacco and incense with the honey. Wet on skin: oooh, now the deep red incense starts to come through a bit more…and I think the carnation and rose are appearing. Dry on skin: wow, this is gorgeous! A sharp honey note starts off the scent, similar to the honeycomb of Pink Phoenix and the honey note of O, and then the tart, red, warm floral scents of carnation and a hint of rose come through. Then comes a wonderful dry incense base (half-woody, half-resinous, darkly sweet-a bit reminiscent of Al Azif) with sandalwood, tobacco, strong sweet clove, and a little bit of patchouli and amber. The scent is slightly sweet but also quite sharp (in a good way), and very dry and almost velvety red in tone, with accents of gold. It has the feel of a fine red wine-though it doesn't smell like one, but does have that same feel to it. It's complex and layered, but also so well blended so all the notes work well together, it's not messy at all. It's rich, opulent and theatrical, but also dark and smoky and mysterious. After a while: it's not long before the scent smoothes out and tones down, becomes less sharp, and the incense note is now wispy and light and not as shadowy and dark as before, still with clove and carnation providing a spicy red depth, and lingering traces of honeycomb. I think I detect the amber and labdanum working together to add a hint of sweet, deep resin to the scent, and there's tobacco in the very back of the scent, a slight smokiness. It's a lot fainter now, though…I have to sniff hard to pick out all the notes. Whoops, I spoke too soon. Just when I think scent is vanishing, it still lingers nicely on my skin…a lovely, soft and well blended mix of incense, clove, honey and tobacco and a little bit of amber. it sticks close to the wrist and doesn't show off or waft much, but it's still there. The drydown after about two hours is of soft honey-incense and tobacco. But now it is so faint…such a shame. Verdict: I really liked the first stage of this, a bittersweet and complex red scent, with sharp crystalline honeycomb, rich smouldering incense, red notes of clove and carnation, deep patchouli and tobacco all working nicely together. A complex mix of notes which works on many layers that blended together very nicely to give a moving, rich, mysterious scent, evocative of red velvet fringed with gold. The disadvantage? It faded so fast! Traces of it linger, merging from honey to clove to tobacco to incense to amber and each trace of scent being different at any one time, but it doesn't waft as much as I hoped. Which is a shame because this is a lovely scent, very well crafted, very different and unusual. I just wish it was a bit stronger. I will probably keep the bottle because it's one for frequent reapplying and slathering.

Regan In the imp: gorgeous, soft, sweet vanilla with flowers. Wet on skin: oh, so pretty! There's a slight hint of honey to this, not sure where it comes from, but the scent here is vanilla, honey, and something floral and greenish. Dry on skin: this is such a delightful scent! It's the same orchid note as Magdalene-that greenish, honeyed scent, I think…with sweet, gentle vanilla and another jasmine-like floral note which I think is stephanotis. It's so pretty and feminine and soft and white, with a hint of tartness thanks to the 'honey' note. I can see why so many people like this…but to me this is a bit like O with flowers, but gentler. It's sugared and sweet but not cloying. The more I smell this, the more I love it. After a while: oh my goodness. I smell Fairy Jasmine here, with added vanilla and orchid. This is another BPAL that reminds me of Fairy Jasmine/Alkmaar…it's not as identical to FJ as The Perfumed Garden was (well, that actually had a jasmine component to it) but it's very close, and isn't LE! I think it's the stephanotis that is giving a jasmine-like impression. The 'honey' note has become true greenish exotic orchid now, but the vanilla note is wafting like crazy! And that's a good thing…I've noticed a lot of BPAL vanillas do that and I love it! The drydown is so gorgeous, a sweet, soft, dainty scent of vanilla-orchid and Fairy Jasmine-I mean, stephanotis. I adore this! And there's even a phase when it smells like my beloved Al Araaf! Verdict: I can see why this has quite a lot of fans, it's truly beautiful. A wonderful vanilla-floral, soft, dainty, pretty and ever so feminine, at first the scent has a slight hint of honey to it, but then it becomes a wonderful fragrance very reminiscent of Lush Fairy Jasmine, but with added vanilla which wafts nicely. It even resembles Al Araaf at times. This isn't cloying or sickly at all-it's light and sweet and pale and so delightful-like a magnet, this scent attracts my nose to my wrist and it's hard to separate the two! This is definitely a big bottle scent, perfect for spring, and perfect for girly moments.

House of Night In the imp: a muted, dusty, faded scent…I can’t pinpoint exactly what this is but I get hints of floral and green in there. It’s very well blended. Wet on skin: now I can smell herbs in here-maybe rosemary or sage? Something herbal and soft, that’s for sure…and also something floral, perhaps rose? Dry: mmm, this is lovely! I can’t really tell what’s in here but I’m sure I’ve smelt some of those notes before, I just can’t say what they are for now, though I can guess…there’s a soft white floral in here, maybe tuberose, or jasmine? I also smell something that may be wisteria. Perhaps a little bit of iris? But the overall impression I get here is of heady nocturnal blooms, fragrant and potent, blooming as they hit my skin. There are also herb notes in here, and perhaps some lavender, and maybe something which may be something woody-white sandalwood perhaps? I don’t know but for now, I really like this scent. After a while: the scent becomes a pure white, shimmering floral, the herbs have faded. I think there may be tuberose in here, maybe iris as well? It actually reminds me of other scents…maybe Evening Star, or even Euterpe and Stardust? Yes, I think it seems to be between Evening Star and Stardust. I think it’s iris/orris and tuberose and possibly moonflower, and maybe white poppy? And I definitely smell a white musk note in here. It’s a lovely scent…very ghostly, luminous and ethereal, with a definite feel of night time about it. After about two hours, the drydown really reminds me of Euterpe, Stardust, and also of Dreamland. I swear this has a light/white musk component...and a slight tang or effervescence to it (what’s causing this, I don’t know-maybe the musk) and also a hint of smoke-either from opium/poppy, or a bit of tobacco? Verdict: this scent has really grown on me. At first, it’s a muted herbal floral scent, so well blended that I couldn’t recognise any individual notes. The scent had a feel of age and dust to it, it was a faded scent, almost mournful yet comforting. But gradually, the floral notes blossom and the scent changes, the herbs fade and the scent becomes a wispy white floral scent, at this point I think I can recognise some of the notes-I’m guessing iris/orris, tuberose, moonflower, perhaps a pale poppy note, and I’m pretty sure there’s white musk in here too. This is when the fragrance reminds me of two of my favourite LE scents-Evening Star and Stardust (so when I run out of those, this will be a good substitute), and also Euterpe and Dreamland. It’s a shimmering, ethereal, quite narcotic scent, reminiscent of moonlight and heady nocturnal blooms with a hint of something ghostly…and I’m growing very fond of it.

Puck In the imp: grapes with a hint of herb. Oh, and a tiny amount of civet, but nothing offensive. It’s mainly grapes. Wet on skin: oh dear, I think the civet’s getting stronger. I also smell the juniper now, a bit of sage, still some sweet grape juice, and moss. Dry: hmm, this is odd, but it’s not too unpleasant. The civet, sage and moss have merged into a strange scent which reminds me of something…like a talcum powder or dusty sort of smell. It reminds me of something-probably a kind of paint or plaster or clay, something crafts/home decorating related. But not feral and animal, just yet. An unusual scent-and my skin is pretty weird too. On top of that is the fizzy sweet grape and the juniper. After a while: then, out of the odd, dusty scent, the grape resurfaces, with the sage. I quite like this stage, it’s a nice grape-sage combination with a mossy and ‘grey’ background (that’s the best way I can explain what I smell). The civet is behaving well, for now. After half an hour, I can smell more civet. It’s not too bad but I definitely get that feral, bestial aspect of this infamous note…so now the question is, will it become ‘uni tutor’s bad breath’ on me, or will it retreat? Well, after an hour or so, it seems the civet is very feral, but in here, it’s also oddly chemical, now it starts to remind me of paint again…which kinda stops it smelling like, erm, farmyards (which is what some civet scents do to me). The juniper adds a masculine edge to the scent. Eventually it retreats to that odd paint/plaster/dust scent…which at least is better than the worst that civet can do on my skin! Verdict: this was a strange scent on me. My skin isn’t too nasty with civet, it doesn’t turn it into the nastiness I see mentioned in the reviews, but in here, it was downright weird-though not too unpleasant. It’s an odd mixture of sweetened grape juice, sage, and a mixture of juniper, moss and civet that smells at times dusty, at times a bit chemical, at times it reminds me of paint, and at other times, the scent is quite masculine smelling, and at others, it is indeed a bit feral and animalistic but not disgustingly so. It’s not a bad scent, but it’s not a scent that smells particularly nice on me. So it’s off to swaps-I’m glad I tried it though.

Nero In the imp: herbs! I smell rosemary and bay here, and a bit of lemon. Mmm, Mediterranean cooking… Wet on skin: still herbal, but now with a bit of pine coming through. Dry: a warm, herbal mixture with a hint of pine and lemon. It’s a scent that’s almost culinary, almost savoury, these are herbs that are good for cooking delicious dinners with, but as a perfume, the scent isn’t too bad, but it’s a bit masculine for me. Having said that, the scent brings to mind being on holiday in the Mediterranean, maybe in Greece or Italy, and smelling all the wonderful herbs and pine trees nearby in the heat of a lazy August afternoon. There’s a nice outdoorsy feel to it thanks to the pine (which isn’t a winter pine or cleaning-fluid pine), and a feel of warmth that makes me think of summertime in herb gardens. After a while: the pine note strengthens over time. The herbs haven’t moved away but the resinous, sap like scent of pine is much more noticeable, and it’s a sweet pine scent. It is sweetening the somewhat savoury scent of the herbs. After a short while, it fades very fast. Verdict: I was really surprised by this. Whilst not a scent I’d wear much as perfume-this will be better on a guy-I really like the images the scent brings up. Hot summers in the Mediterranean, herb gardens and pine forests in the heat of the afternoon sun, filling the air with their delicious aroma. Delicious scents of hand-picked rosemary and bay wafting out of a kitchen as you await an al fresco dinner in a Tuscan garden. It’s a warm, balsamic scent which has real outdoors feel to it, and the pine note is not ‘pine-sol’ or Christmas tree like in the slightest. I might keep this for those times when I want to be whisked away on a nose-vacation to Italy (or Greece, or any other Med country) even when the weather outside is far from summery.

Lex Talionis In the imp: spicy cedar! I smell cedar wood, with a bit of pepper and fragrant cardamom, and herbal sage and a little hint of grapefruit. Wet on skin: now I get black patchouli with cedar, a hint of vetiver, and still a lovely mix of warm spices. Dry: mmm, I quite like this. It’s a complex mixture of many scent genres-there’s the woody dryness of cedar, the dark backdrop of patchouli, myrrh and vetiver, a very slight citrus tang of grapefruit, a bit of sage, spicy black pepper and cardamom (which I can pick out in this, and I love it!) and it’s all softened by a hint of violet. It’s a very nice scent, very unisex. After a while: it isn’t long before the scents notes into an intriguing scent…it’s slightly green and woody and a little bit herbal-spicy but all at once. It’s a dry, warm, almost earthy scent, with a more prominent vetiver note coming out, but the soft, delicate, dusty note of violet lies on top, rounding out the scent very nicely. There’s even a point in the scent where I swear it smells like geranium (not sure where that comes from, it’s not listed) which I like, since I love the smell of geranium. And this ‘geranium’ note mingled with vetiver reminds me of my mum…those two scents are her favourites. The drydown is pure ‘geranium’ and vetiver, a scent which comforts me somewhat. This is the kind of vetiver I like-it’s strong, but the other scent on top complements it so nicely. Verdict: I like this scent a lot more than I expected-I thought it would be too masculine for me but I find the scent to be very unisex. It starts off as a complex mixture of different notes such as cedar, patchouli, violet, myrrh, sage, pepper and cardamom, but over time, the scents merge together so nicely that you can’t tell them apart-apart from the vetiver. And then something strange but pleasant happens-a geranium note surfaces, I have no idea where it comes from but I like geranium a lot, and with vetiver, the overall scent reminds me of my mum! That’s because geranium and vetiver are her two favourite scents…so whilst I don’t need a bottle, I will definitely keep the imp for sentimental reasons, and just because it’s a lovely scent all round.

Lughnasadh In the imp: cherries! Rich, dark, deep cherries. Reminds me of cherry sauce. Wet on skin: still cherries, but now I get hints of wheat and grain, golden and ripe, and possibly apple and spice. Dry: oooh, this is nice. I smell fruit and grains-it reminds me of Harvest Moon (both 04 and 05) at times but with cherries…it’s like a deep rich black cherry sauce, bittersweet and dark, with grain and wheat and cereals (it brings to mind fruit crumble!) and also notes of apples and also wine, I think. I also detect a tiny, tiny bit of spice underneath it all, like a mulled cider note. It’s a wonderful harvest scent. After a while: the scent gradually becomes richer and more wonderful…it’s a delightful and very true cherry scent with hints of grain and other fruits, ripe, warm and full. There is nothing medicinal or fake at all about this cherry scent-it’s possibly my favourite cherry BPAL to date! It also makes me think of cherry crumble…and I swear I’m getting carnation in here! I’m convinced that the spicy scent I am getting in here is carnation based (but it might be cloves too). The scent smoothes out nicely into a nice blend which is both fruity and spicy, a bit floral, a bit wheaty/grainy. I smell cloves/carnations merged nicely with the remaining cherry scent, a warm, rich, deep scent. At the very end of the scent, after about 5-6 hours have passed, I think I detect a hint of honey against a background of grains. Verdict: I can understand why people go crazy over this scent-it really is gorgeous. A vibrant, warm, rich cherry scent, enhanced by golden wheat, warm spices-I’m guessing cloves and possibly a spicy carnation note, and other fruits including apple and wine, I get a hint of mulled cider, and by the end, I get a hint of honey. The cherry note in this is truly delicious, like a bittersweet black cherry sauce, such a true scent with nothing candy-like or cough syrup like about it at all. The grain note reminds me of cereals and also, with the cherry, I get an effect of fruit crumble made with cherries, appetising and freshly baked. This is a scent redolent of the first harvests, late summer; it is full of life and the joy of reaping the bounty of the land, the sweet fruit and grains and the warmth of the August sun turning the fields to gold. If this ever does make a comeback this Lughnasadh (I doubt it but you never know) I will get a bottle, but for now, the decant I have will satisfy me. Now I’m seriously craving summer.