yeahbutnobut

The Perfumed Garden is Fairy Jasmine/Alkmaar in BPAL form. That is all. I got a Rock Star reaction from the most unexpected BPAL ever...Allegory! That was weird, but I liked that. Despair also smells a bit like Dream Cream at times.

Parlement of Foules In the imp: rich, resinous rose. reminds me of All Saints, I think the primary resin is myrrh. Wet on skin: myrrh and rose, a combination of notes that works fantastically. Dry on skin: oh, this is lovely. A good strong myrrh note, smoky and resinous all at once, like church incense, with hints of frankincense, and other resins both sweet and smoky, and a delightful, full bodied yet gentle rose. This is now like Midnight Mass meets All Saints or Rose Cross. It seems very appropriate for a medieval scent. After a while: still rose and myrrh, I think those two notes have become the main players in this lovely fragrance-those two notes make this scent slightly reminiscent of Thanatos but without the mossy, gloomy, deathly aspects of that scent. I love the white rose note (it's the same one as the rose in Penthus and Magdalene), it's such a rich, heady, full bodied rose note, and it goes very nicely with the background of deep myrrh and hints of other gently smouldering resins. Verdict: rose and resins are a wonderful match. I adore scents like Rose Cross, All Saints, Magdalene and Thanatos, so it's no surprise that I love this too. A lovely dark smoky myrrh mingles with a fresh, rich, fully bloomed white rose note, with other resinous notes joining the party. It resembles the above rose-resin scents, but it's also quite different because to me, it's also like Midnight Mass with added rose-which is a fabulous combination. The roses and resins complement each other wonderfully, and the scent is romantic and serious, yet courtly and elegant, with a definite medieval vibe to it. I am very impressed with the Lupercalia scents, and this is another favourite from that collection.

The Perfumed Garden In the imp: sweet and fruity with a hint of floral, sweet apple and jasmine with other gentle notes which bring to mind a sunlit garden. Wet on skin: oh wow, this gets richer, sweeter, more fragrant…fruity, floral, and a hint of herbs. Dry on skin: wow, this is lovely. I smell strong sandalwood, musk and sweet myrrh mingling together very nicely to provide an exotic backdrop for the jasmine, sweet apple, and another sweet fruity note that might be the quince. The thyme adds an interesting hint of something herbal to it all…I'm amazed at how well blended this smells, all the notes merge into a wonderful harmony of scent which is sweet, rich, complex yet balanced. It brings to mind relaxing a sunlit oasis full of varied plants, flowers and fruits all exuding delightful fragrances, the scent registers as light green and sunny yellow with hints of white and pink/purple in terms of colours. After a while: oh my goodness. I smell Fairy Jasmine. Yup, that's right…I get hints of Lush Fairy Jasmine/Alkmaar/Silky Underwear in here! Which is a good thing-I love FJ. I've been looking for a BPAL jasmine scent which smells like those Lush scents, and this is it. The Moroccan jasmine note in this is probably one of BPAL's nicest and truest jasmine notes…I think it's a note that even people who don't like BPAL's regular jasmine will like. So now, the scent is like FJ/Alkmaar with a more exotic sandalwood incense background and also a hint of fruit and citrus to it. Verdict: this garden scent is a horticultural hit! A beautiful, well blended, mellow blend which to me, is the scent of a paradise like oasis providing respite and sanctuary to weary travellers. It's a wonderfully warm and exotic scent with it's notes of incense-like sandalwood and myrrh, with hints of myrrh, and delightful jasmine (I adore the Moroccan jasmine in here), yet it's also fresh and light, with juicy ripe fruit notes of quince, apple and citrus. The drydown is just as lovely-not least because it's a dead ringer for Lush's Fairy Jasmine (and I've been looking for a BPAL equivalent of that scent, and this is it)! this is another one of the more underrated Lupercalia scents which I have fallen head over heels for and I might want to hunt down another bottle through swaps…

Depraved In the imp: sweet, round, lush ripe apricot with hints of earthy patchouli depth. Wet on skin: the apricot gets juicier and tangier, still with patchouli. Dry on skin: wow. It's a simple, yet unusual combination but I think it seems to work. Earthy, dirty patchouli, smoky and dark, contrasts nicely with sweet, plump, ripe apricot, an apricot bursting with juice. It's delicious! After a while: I find that the patchouli simply deepens and enhances the ripe, rich scent of the apricot even more. This isn't hippy apricot that I expected, it's more like an autumnal apricot scent, the patchouli adding it's smoky, pleasantly dirty scent to the sunny apricot note. What I like about this is that the apricot isn't too sweet. Verdict: patchouli and apricot may seem an odd combination, but in this scent, they work really well. the patchouli adds depth and earthiness to a wonderful apricot note which smells so real, so sweet and succulent, sun ripened and bursting with juices. The two notes play very nicely together and the patchouli isn't too noticeable here, it works nicely as a note that enhances the lush apricot-which, thankfully, isn't over-sweet. I think this would be a nice scent for late summer-early autumn, it has aspects of both seasons to it. It's not a favourite of mine but I like this a lot better than I expected, and I will keep the imp.

Black Forest In the imp: dark, sweet pine, like pine resin, and a hint of juniper. Wet on skin: dark and forest like scents of pine and juniper, with the shadowy sweetness of black musk creeping in. Dry on skin: whoa. Black Forest lives up to it's name, it's very dark, deep, mysterious, like a spooky forest filled with pines, there's the sharp bright juniper note, and then there's the black musk, swirling and smoky, sweet. I keep thinking of the Forbidden Forest outside Hogwarts when I smell this. After a while: the black musk is strong now, and I think I can smell ambergris. There are still hints of pine lingering, maybe a bit of cypress, but it's mostly musk and ambergris now-sweet, deep, haunting, the scent of a magical forest…ah yes, this is ambergris, which I sometimes confuse with normal amber, but I can definitely smell it in here. There are hints of danger and shadowy mystery in this scent. Verdict: if there was a scent that summed up the Forbidden Forest of Hogwarts, it would be this. Dark, slightly sinister, swirling, enigmatic, where anything could lurk in the shadows-you are told you shouldn't explore it, but you want to, you know you want to…at first there's a big hit of pine and juniper which then gives way to smoky, sleek black musk and glistening ambergris. It does indeed bring to mind a forest on a moonless night where the shadows are more extensive and all pervading-there's hardly anything light to this scent, save the hints of piercing juniper. This scent will certainly tempt you into the woods, luring you to it's dark, shadowy, mysterious core…I really like this scent-especially the drydown. I'm not sure how much I'd wear it (I think it would be even nicer on a man) but I'm keeping the imp.

Le Serpent Qui Danse In the imp: sweet sugared violet, sweetened by vanilla. Wet on skin: oh good, this gardenia note doesn't seem to be reacting badly, since the scent is violet and vanilla with a hint of true gardenia flower. Dry on skin: this is really nice! I love the combination of vanilla and violet, the notes go very nicely together-the vanilla sweetens the dusty violet so nicely-makes me think of violet petals covered with sugar! There's a touch of dry gardenia that isn't going icky on my skin, and adds a nice contrast to the sweetness of the vanilla-violet by adding a bit of sharpness and a little aspect of white floral. After a while: this softens up nicely, with all the notes merging into a gentle floral vanilla, like candied violets covered in vanilla sugar. Verdict: finally, a catalogue gardenia scent that I really like and doesn't go wonky on my skin! maybe it's because of the violet? I also found that Veil which also has gardenia and violet in it also doesn't go sharp. whatever it is, I really like this scent and the gardenia note isn't of the evil variety. This has a pleasant candied violets scent, the violet combining very nicely with vanilla to make a sweet, pleasant scent, slightly dusty (like icing sugar on violet petals) and very pretty. The gardenia adds a nice white floral touch to it all. I don’t need a bottle of this but I like it and will keep the imp.

Kyoto In the imp: cherry-almond with a hint of anise. Quite sweet, almost like candy, but not in a bad way. Wet on skin: cherry and anise…like sugared cherries and liquorice. Dry on skin: I like this, this does smell a bit medicinal at times because of the anise (always reminds me of Bonjela!) but this is indeed, a sweet, gentle scent. The cherry note, although it's candy like, is quite nice, and I think the sandalwood is adding pleasant and cosy dry warmth to the scent. It's a serene scent, yet youthful and pretty…makes me think of a young geisha in a pink kimono resting under the cherry blossoms-it's a very pink scent. After a while: mmm…it smells a little bit like Lush Sakura soap now! That, with a hint of spicy anise, cherry candy and sandalwood. I like it but I'm not that keen on the anise note here…however I love the calm, soothing feel of the scent, like lying on the ground allowing the cherry blossom petals to fall on you and cover you with a layer of pink. Verdict: if Neo Tokyo is modern Japan, neon lights, futuristic and metallic, this is old Japan, serene and delicate, visions of cherry blossom petals falling from trees in springtime. This scent is a pink cherry candy scent with anise and a lovely sandalwood background…it's calm, gentle, innocent-and very Japanese, makes me think of a dreamy young geisha in a pink kimono with a faraway look in her eyes. I really like the cherry blossom aspect this scent has as it reminds me of Lush Sakura…I'm not so keen on the anise note-it reminds me too much of medicine especially with the candy-sweet cherry. It's a nice scent but I'm not sure whether I'll keep it or not.

Khajuraho In the imp: a sweet, slightly heady, incense-y floral scent. I think the rose is most obvious here, maybe tuberose as well. Wet on skin: once it hits skin, a dry, slightly tart scent comes out, almost like nag champa incense. I also think I can smell the sandalwood? There's something a bit fruity here which I can't recognise. Dry on skin: mmm, this is truly gorgeous! The tart scent I got when wet has toned down and the scent is very smooth now. This is lovely-it's like floral incense wafting through a lush garden, like the smoke from a good quality joss stick mingled with the scent of fragrant blooms. Very exotic. Sandalwood and champaca (nag champa?) create the lovely incense effect, with floral notes like crisp rose and tuberose adding their lush richness to the scent. I also get a wonderful sweetness here thanks to the honey, amber and vanilla, and possibly the date (that's probably what the fruit like note is). What a delightful, sumptuous scent! After a while: it's odd, but there's an incredible fruitiness to the scent, sweet and very ripe-it reminds me of the ripe lush fruity scent of Hanging Gardens but in here it's more of a ripe fruit with heady floral notes and a background of incense and fragrant sandalwood. I'm guessing this is the date? Then after about two hours, the scent softens up and becomes predominantly sweet sandalwood. Verdict: this is a lush, rich, extremely exotic scent reminiscent of incense wafting through a tropical garden filled with flowers and fruit. Sandalwood and nag champa with full bodied rose and tuberose, with sweet amber, vanilla and subtle honey and fruity date make for a gorgeous scent. it's warm, mysterious, decadent and sumptuous. It's the kind of scent I'd expect to waft from a spice/perfume/incense stall in an Indian market-it has something 'joss stick' about it without being 'headshop', this is good quality and sophisticated incense. The scent gets fruitier and 'riper' upon drydown. Another hit from the Lupercalia update.

Smut In the imp: red musk. Deep, rich, sweet red musk, almost like pure musk with a hint of something sugary which at first sniff, reminds me of chocolate, but it may be vanilla with a touch of booze. Wet on skin: the musk note darkens a bit, a smokiness starts to surface. Dry on skin: holy fuck. This is intense, and quite incredible. It's no longer the pure red musk I got at the beginning. Now I get a slight whiff of vanilla caramel with a splash of booze, but above all, a dark, dark musk…blacker than the other black musk scents I've tried-this one is like a black hole of scent, that's the best way I can describe it. Smoky and deep, it pulls you in. However, after that dark, dark musk, I get the most wonderful 'after smell' of sweet sugared skin musk that hit your nose about a second or two after the initial sniff-kind of like Snake Oil. That is amazing. This is raw, sexual musk of the darkest, most full on kind. It's wild, feral musk, almost dirty but not civet like at all…and do I detect a bit of rubber? It's odd but doesn't distract or smell too bad, and I've got to say, it's very fitting with the theme (at least it's safe smut that's going on here!) After a while: this dark, smoky musk is only noticeable when I smell my wrist close up. A way from my wrist I get a wonderful vanilla-booze with exotic musk scent that is definitely similar to Snake Oil. It's very sweet, sexy, and very potent stuff. The red musk scent has also returned. The drydown of this is a wonderful, deep, divine musk scent. I'm wondering if this is the legendary Siberian musk that I've seen mentions of? if so, I can see why people like it-it's damn good stuff! Verdict: this really does live up to it's name. This is full on, no holds barred, sexual musk overload with rich, sensual vanilla. It starts off as red musk, but then I get the dark musk. This isn't the sweet black musk I'm used to-this stuff is the darkest, most intense musk note ever, like a black hole pulling you in, you can't resist it's attractive force…but then, slowly, the vanilla-sugar and light booze rises to the surface and wafts, along with a red musk note…the result being like Snake Oil, only much more potent and with more of musky punch. I even get a little bit of rubber, which is very fitting with the name (safe smut!) This stuff isn't subtle at all…not something for a first date or a family gathering, no way! I'm glad I got a bottle, because this is fantastic stuff-not something for every day, but when I want to feel sexy in the most blatant way possible, this is perfect. I love teh Smut.

Moscow In the imp: a true floral explosion! I think jasmine is strongest here, maybe lily of the valley and rose as well. Wet on skin: still strong jasmine with a hint of citrus and amber. This is reminiscent of the other uber-floral Wanderlust scents like Venice and Versailles. Dry: this is gorgeous. For now, I don’t smell much rose, but what I do get a lot of now is jasmine, citrus fruits, a bit of carnation, amber and possibly a touch of musk. It’s a very floral scent, and that’s a very good thing…this is a glorious rich floral scent, a full bodied bouquet of fragrance, yet it has a lovely freshness to it, almost an effervescence, probably due to the citrus, with a bit of ‘spice’ from the carnation. After a while: it’s not long before rose starts to come out and add depth to the bubbly citrus-jasmine, bonding with the musk and amber to form a rich velvety layer for the other floral scents to rest upon. Before long, the scent develops a lot of throw and becomes less citrusy, and it’s become a full bodied, heady jasmine-based floral with lots of throw! It’s not for the floral haters out there-this is very strong stuff. However, I love floral scents, so I’m very fond of this. I think the musk adds a heavy depth to the scent. This is grown up and feminine, and very sophisticated. Verdict: another one of the decadently floral Wanderlust scents, on the same lines as Venice and Versailles, this is a rich, lush, full on and opulent blend of fragrant floral notes rounded off by amber and musk and given a nice (but short lived) tang by citrus notes. This is very heady, a powerful floral scent which wafts like crazy and is not at all subtle-it makes a statement, albeit a sophisticated one. I love florals so I really like this-although I know there will be some days when I will find this too heavy to handle-and this is definitely not one to slather as it may get overwhelming-one drop or swipe of the imp wand is strong enough. I will keep the imp of this scent but won’t need a bottle just yet.

Dragon’s Blood In the imp: pure dragon’s blood-that clear, red, bittersweet and unusual scent. Wet on skin: sharp, red yet slightly floral dragon’s blood. Dry: apparently this is pure dragon’s blood, but what a complex single note this is. It’s red-very red-a vivid clear red fitting the colour of the oil itself. It’s also dry. There’s a definite bitterness to it, yet there’s a slight, almost fruity, sweetness to it-at times it reminds me of cherries. Like real blood, this scent has a definite metallic aspect, it’s quite uncanny. There’s also a slight hint of floral to it which is, indeed, reminiscent of lilac. And this note is also warm, almost spicy. This is a fascinating and unusual note to get to know. After a while: it gets a bit fainter, and not as sharp as the initial scent, it’s now a lot smoother, more reminiscent of lilac, yet still retaining it’s clear, red, metallic scent. Verdict: dragon’s blood is a unique and unusual scent, hard to describe with scent-describing words, but the best I can do to describe what it smells is to say that it smells clear, bittersweet, warm, metallic, a bit spicy, a tiny bit floral, and very red. I’ve smelt many blends with dragon’s blood in it, but even as a single note scent, it is very complex. I like it and I will keep the imp for layering purposes, but I don’t think I need a bottle just yet.

Séance In the imp: rose! This is a crisp, fresh, sweetish rose, almost on the lines of Rose Red, but with a hint of wood. Wet on skin: dewy sweet rose, rose wood and a bit of hazelnut. Dry: this is gorgeous! It’s sweet, warm, soft and entrancing…I love the rosewood note in here, it’s sweet and dry, a woody note with a definite scent of rose to it, thought that may be enhanced by the rose leaf, both notes combine to create a scent like a real rose bloom. There’s a nice fresh dewy aspect which contrasts nicely with the dry warmth, and I love the hazel note in here, it adds a pleasant nutty note to the scent. After a while: still that delightful, sweet, dusty rosewood with a hint of hazel, only a lot fainter, but it still lingers nicely. Verdict: I am very fond of Beth’s rosewood note, as it smells very much like roses (the flowers) even though I don’t think rosewood isn’t actually related to rose (correct me if I’m wrong). In here, the rosy and woody scents of this note are strong, creating a warm, dry, slightly dusty (in a pleasant way) and delightfully sweet scent with real dewy fresh rose note-this might be enhanced by the rose leaf. It reminds me of rose Red but much sweeter and muted. The hazel adds a very nice toasted and nutty scent to the overall fragrance. I was pleasantly surprised by this scent, and the more I smell it, the more it grows on me. Understated yet gorgeous.

Grand Guignol In the imp: boozy apricot. It’s like apricots steeped in strong alcohol. Wet on skin: boooooze. This is what happens when apricots get drunk. It’s not too bad though. Dry: what the? I get something burnt in this scent now. Like the brandy’s been set alight, like on a Christmas pudding! It smells a bit like burnt wood as well. The fruity apricot scent, however, is very fresh smelling, like a plump ripe fruit. It’s sweet and full bodied. But I’m not really keen on the burning brandy note I get in here. After a while: this is really weird. The burnt note in here really does smell like charred wood, it reminds me of one of those very rare sandalwood/myrrh/incensce with a hint of sweetness scents that goes to sawdust on my skin (the reaction here reminds me of what Black Lotus turned into on my skin) and there’s a definite fruity strong booze scent to this. Like a wooden barrel of brandy that’s been set alight. The apricot note has faded away considerably, or has just merged with the brandy and turned darker and boozier. Verdict: I wasn’t expecting to like this so much as strong boozy scents are hit and miss on me. I think this scents confirms that I can’t do brandy scents. Despite the promise of sweet, plump apricot, the brandy note in here turns to fruity burnt wood on my skin…like sweet alcohol that has been stored in a wooden barrel and has been set on fire! It’s not too bad as a scent but I’m really not keen on the burnt scent this turns to on my skin. Off to swaps.

Despair In the imp: rose, camomile and lavender. Reminds me of Lush’s In the Nude. Wet on skin: Dream Cream! That’s what this smells like…it smells just like Lush’s Dream Cream with it’s lavender-camomile-rose scent. Dry: still slightly Dream Cream-ish, but now the rose note is much more noticeable, and the lavender has gone down. The rose note is deep and dry, and the camomile is also there (this camomile sometimes smells a bit like Helping Hands). I also get the wood notes-rosewood and sandalwood add a nice dry base to this scent. After a while: this scent is very dry…it’s pleasant though. I like the rose in here, very traditional, and the camomile still lingers, but I think the woody notes are a bit stronger now-especially rosewood, which enhances the smell of the rose. After about 30-45 minutes, sandalwood and rosewood are the strongest scents in here. This fragrance is also very faint-I have to go right to my wrist to smell it. It’s a dry, empty scent with a hint of something old fashioned and sadly nostalgic about it. However, the sandalwood adds a slight hint of reassuring warmth. Soon after, the rose note returns to the scent. It’s like dry rose petals scattered on fragrant wooden planks with a hint of dust. Verdict: at first, this scent reminded me of a lot of Lush products! It smelt a bit like a fusion of In the Nude, Dream Cream and Helping Hands. However, when on the skin, it moves away from those scents into something drier and more sombre. Wistful hints of floral notes like dry rose and camomile give way the dry, dusty scent of sandalwood and rosewood. It’s one of those traditional, nostalgic scents evocative of faded memories…but the unfortunate thing is that it’s very faint on me, and doesn’t seem to last long on my skin. I like it, but there are other rose/sandalwood scents that I prefer to this, so I may swap my decant off.

Machu Picchu Sweet tropical fruits burst through deep, wet rainforest boughs, enormous steamy blossoms, over thin mountaintop breezes, mingled with the soft, rich golden scent of Peruvian amber. In the imp: mmm, smells like a colourful rainforest! There are green damp notes here with sweet fruits and hints of floral. Wet on skin: the green rainforest boughs are strong here, with scents of tangy fruit. Dry: oooh, I really like this. Like Manila, this is another scent which captures a damp, humid, tropical jungle scent perfectly, though this one is much fresher, greener and with tangy fruit notes…I’m not sure what fruits are in here-maybe mango? Grapefruit? Kiwi? Papaya? I can’t guess from first sniff but these are tart fruit notes, possibly something citrus in here and I’m also pretty sure that there’s mango in here. There’s also the green, deep, wet scent of the rainforest greenery. However, I also get a definite cool breeze sensation from this scent, a soft breeze tempering the sticky heat of the jungle-to me, this breeze note is not really a blatant ozone note, but more of a ‘feeling’ than a scent. I don’t get florals and amber yet though. After a while: holy moly, this scent has done a backflip. Before it was all tart fruits and green leaves, but now it’s sweeter, softer and smoother…it’s like breaking out of the dark shadows of the rainforest into a sunny clearing. The scent is now of glorious sweet fruit (I think mango is one of them, maybe guava is in here too-and something reminiscent of peach), soft heady flowers, and possibly the amber adding depth and richness. The scent is bright and golden now, sweet and lush. I think there may be frangipani/plumeria in here-I get that heady, creamy floral scent-but I could be wrong. Hints of greenery and cool breezes still linger, and the scent is now a lot warmer and smoother. This stage lasts through to the drydown, though sometimes the tangy fruits return every now and then. Verdict: at first this is another one of those tropical scents which evokes the heat and humidity of the rainforest, though this one has a coolness to it that freshens the scent, it has dark green notes evocative of the thick foliage of the rainforest, and tart fruit notes. But then, suddenly, after about 20 mins, it all changes. The scent then sweetens and becomes golden and bright, smooth and sweet, with a gentle layer of yellow fruits, heady blooms, and amber. This is my favourite part of the scent-it’s gloriously exotic and warm. I’ve not been to Machu Picchu but I know my dad has, and I gasped in wonder when he told me about it and showed me pictures of those amazing Inca ruins. I know that if I ever go there, I’ll definitely take this scent to enhance the experience. This scent is my new favourite of the ‘tropical’ scents, the perfect fragrance to escape the winter cold. I may have to get a bottle soon.

Sed Non Satiata In the imp: honey! That’s the strongest note, but there’s something darker underneath. No peanut butter-at least not yet. Wet on skin: ah, now I get the peanut butter effect! How odd. It’s like honey and peanut butter, but I don’t mind too much-I love peanut butter (to eat, that is). Dry: nuts! It really does smell like peanut butter now, with honey on top. Something that is nice on toast, but strange as a perfume-though certainly not disgusting. However, deeper sniffs breaks this scent into separate notes and it moves away from peanut butter into something sexier. I get cognac adding a hint of booze to the honey scent, and possibly some deep, dark myrrh and musk, geranium and a tiny hint of tuberose. I think this is growing on me and it seems to improve over time. I love the honey-myrrh sweetness this has, and the honey note in this is delicious. After a while: after half an hour, I realise that the ‘nutty’ scent is actually patchouli, and it smells more like patchouli now, so it’s like golden sweet honey drizzled all over patchouli with hints of myrrh and I can make out a lovely skin musk underneath. I don’t get blatant florals though they can just be detected. After one hour…oh my. This smells really gorgeous now. Golden honey adds it’s sticky sweetness, patchouli and myrrh gives the effect of clouds of incense smoke, and there’s a wonderful warm musk, and now the tuberose is stronger, and it rounds the scent off really nicely, making this a gorgeous mixture of sweet, incense like, floral and musky notes. As far as ‘sexy honey’ goes, this one is much better than O. Verdict: this is an unusual scent but it’s one that is growing on me. Yes, I am one of the people who got the peanut butter effect when I applied it, but it wasn’t as bad as I expected-and it does fade away and the scent becomes more sensual and seductive and smells truer to its description. The honey note is wonderful-not too sharp, it’s sweet and golden and wonderful. Underneath that I get deep, smoky patchouli and myrrh and a hint of smooth skin musk, with just a touch of floral and booze to round it off. So, though this starts off smelling like something you’d put on toast, it then evolves into something decadent, rich, complex, intriguing and sexy, and the drydown is incredible. I’m keeping the imp and seeing what happens when this ages, and I might consider getting a bottle…

La Fee Verte In the imp: lemon! This is a greenish herbal lemon scent. It’s not as absinthe-like as I expected, I don’t get the boozy anise note from the BPAL Absinthe. Wet on skin: honeyed lemon! This is like a lemon herbal tea sweetened with honey, it’s lovely. Dry: oh, I like this! This is herbal, lemony, fresh, effervescent, slightly boozy (but in a clear, cool way-I think that’s the wormwood) and with a hint of honey and musk in the background. It does bear a similarity to the Absinthe scent but it’s much nicer-there’s no anise here, but there is a lovely herbal lemon (Melissa? I think this is lemon balm?) and other green notes, it’s a scent that makes me think of summer, and has a nice ‘fizzy’ feel to it without it smelling like soft drinks. I am getting hints of Antique Lace-style musk (no vanilla yet though) behind the lemon herb scent. After a while: after 30 mins-1 hour, this scent is now very fresh, crisp and cool. I get a hint of clean linen to this scent-but not that of the soapy kind, this is more like Antique Lace’s linen note, along with the lemony scent. It’s a breezy, airy scent, it reminds me of ozone at times, but it’s different. I think that’s wormwood-it added a coolness to Absinthe which was clear, airy, transparent and a bit alcoholic. I also get something reminiscent of Black Opal, which I think is the musk, and the honey note adds its golden sunny sweetness to the blend. I also am starting to detect the vanilla; however this blend isn’t very sweet overall-it’s more of a bracing, bright scent. Over time, it moves away from fresh lemon and clean breezy linen towards a more exotic scent…vanilla and sublime musk with honey and a hint of spice. It reminds me of Antique Lace, Dorian, Black Opal and Morocco (which is no doubt due to the Moroccan spices). The blend still retains its effervescence and breeziness, and its slightly tangy lemon and ‘clean linen’ scent. Over the course of the next few hours, the scent moves from clean-lemony to vanilla musk then to honey and then back to vanilla musk... Verdict: this is really lovely stuff. A bright, fresh, carefree blend of herbs, lemon balm, the slight alcoholic coolness of wormwood and a nice twist of honey, with a wonderful undertone of lightly spiced vanilla musk. This is a sunny, light hearted and airy scent, to me it fits not only the absinthe theme (the scent is similar to the Absinthe BPAL, only without anise and more complex) but it fits the image of a sprightly green fairy in flight amongst herbs on a summer’s day, but this fairy leaves her enigmatic scent of vanilla-musk and exotic spice behind as she flies. The blend goes through several stages-first, the effervescent herbal lemon stage, a summery scent of greenery and gentle tanginess. Second, the ‘clean’ stage, cool, bracing, reminiscent of clean linen left to dry in the breeze, with a hint of musk peeping through. Then the drydown…this is where the scent fits in with the vanilla-musk/spicy musk classics of BPAL-it reminds me of a combination of Black Opal, Antique Lace, Dorian and Morocco. This is my favourite part-it’s a gorgeous vanilla musk with hints of honey, spice and clean lemony linen. I wasn’t keen on Absinthe but I am very fond of this scent-I may not need the entire 10ml, but I love it nonetheless, and this will be something I will be wearing a lot in summer.

Foundation of Fortune In the vial: mmm, smells like mild ginger tea. Sort of like an earthier, non-milky version of Sudha Segara. Wet on skin: the ginger scent warms up, a slight lemon scent appears, and also an earthy scent can be detected which might be vetiver. Dry on skin: this is an interesting scent-a dry, solid, earthy ginger scent with a hint of tea. It reminds me of dry mud, dust or clay with ginger root shredded on top, with a hint of dry grass and tea leaves, and I'm pretty sure there's vetiver here-the light greenish lemony variety as opposed to the dark, gritty vetiver that amps on my skin. I suspect there may be patchouli here too. It's not a scent I'd wear as perfume-but this is not perfume so that doesn't matter. It's a nice scent though. Now to see if the magickal effects take hold… After a while: yup, I was right-there seems to be patchouli here. I smell a soft patchouli now with a touch of lemony vetiver. This scent is also a little bit leathery, reminds me of the inside of a worn leather purse, appropriately enough. Verdict (scent): this is a pleasant scent, earthy, dry and solid, with warmth lent to it by ginger, a hint of tea, and a patchouli drydown with a light lemony vetiver background, as well as a slight suede-leather note that reminds me of my mum's suede purse! Not something I'd wear as a perfume (I think it would be a lovely masculine scent though) but it's a nice smell nonetheless, and this is a scent with intent so it's not about what it smells like, it's what it does that counts… Magical effects: well, funnily enough, soon after applying, my mum has a chat to me about sorting my finances out, opening a savings account, and putting some money in there to gather interest and to save some for a rainy day…not sure if that's the FoF working or a coincidence, but it's fitting. I'll have to see if this does bring some steady riches my way, so I'll hold on to what I have of it and see what happens.

Venus In the imp: a traditional rose scent, slightly green, but very soft and pink. Wet on skin: gorgeous soft rose. A very true, gentle rose, it's a very pink rose scent, but not tart and dry like some roses. Dry on skin: oooh, I love this! Rich, full, sweet rose, pink in tone, with hints of greenery. If Rose Red was a winter rose, this is a fresh rose in blooming in June, petals covered in dew, touched by sunshine. There is a tiny amount of mint here-but it's not peppermint, spearmint or any fresh mint-this is garden mint, or salad mint, a green mint as opposed to a cool one. There's definitely greenness to this scent, surrounding the lush pink rose blooms. This is even nicer than Two Five and Seven as a fresh outdoor rose scent. After a while: mmm, soon this blend starts to develop the tart, crisp aspects of London's tea rose note. And that's a good thing. It's still as lush and full bodied as ever, but now it's got a nice bite to it as well. After about two hours though, this tartness fades and the rose softens to a gentle sugared rose scent with a hint of violet or sandalwood. Verdict: this is one of my new favourite rose blends. I'm always amazed at how genuine and how fresh Beth's rose notes are-like sniffing straight from the bloom itself. This one is no exception. If Rose Red was a frozen red rose captured in ice, this is a pink rose blooming at the height of summer, dewy yet warm, rich, luscious and even with green accents to lend authenticity-one of the green notes being a salad mint note. Over time, it develops into a light tea rose with green fringes, before turning into a rose dusted with icing sugar. This is gorgeous, feminine, romantic, very appropriate for Venus. This is also my new favourite out of the planetary scents.

Budding Moon In the imp: a pale, slightly powdery, sweet floral. I get something orris like which must be lotus root, and maybe musk too. it reminds me of a Chaos Theory bottle I have. Wet on skin: a slight fruity sharpness comes out, probably the plum (blossom). Dry on skin: oooh, this is very pretty. A pale, slightly powdery (but not in a bad way), slightly greenish and floral scent. The plum note in this is fruity and sweet, but also a lot lighter and 'greener' than other BPAL plum notes, and there's something blossom like about it-it reminds me of other BPAL blossom notes. I also get a fruity-sharp 'lunar oil' scent, and I agree with Belladonnastrap about the Fee comparison, it does have something Fee-ish about it. The scent is cool, soft, youthful and has aspects of tree bark and new leaves that, interestingly enough, seems very much reminiscent of buds-it's the scent of flowers that haven't yet bloomed, still waiting in their cocoons for the first touch of spring that lies around the corner. The Chinese musk and lotus root adds a nice, light powder base for the scent and hints of peony emerge here and there. After a while: now the fruitiness of this scent is more apparent…it's almost banana like at times, sometimes it's like sweet melon, and at other times it is like plum. Now this scent also bears a resemblance to Flower Moon, but with a musk and powder background-a lighter, floatier version of Flower Moon with a bit of Fee mixed in. The scent is now a lot sweeter. After about two hours or so, the scent becomes a sweet peony fragrance on a soft bed of musk. Hints of plum remain but the scent is now of a huge pink peony flower. Verdict: this is a very pleasant, graceful and delicate spring scent. a cool scent reminiscent of the first stages of spring, it combines fruity, floral, green and pale-musk-powdery notes into something delightful. I get the peony, the orris-like lotus root, the soft Chinese musk, and the plum scent which at times resembles buds and blossoms, and at times is fruity. The scent also has elements of green and something that reminds me of tree bark, it brings to mind young buds on trees, waiting to burst open as soon as spring arrives. This bears a slight resemblance to Fee and Flower Moon and yet is quite different to both. I'm also sure this blend has a 'lunar oil' background. I'm not sure of what to make of the stages when it turns very sweet and almost banana like, but I am very fond of this, I'm glad I got a bottle and I think this will be a lovely light scent to wear in springtime.

Night's Pavilion In the bottle: a slightly sharp and slightly spicy/smoky aquatic floral…it seems to veer towards something gardenia like, which worries me as many gardenia and gardenia-variant notes are my skin's nemesis! It's lovely in the bottle though. Wet on skin: ooh wow, this is lovely, it is a gorgeous 'blue' floral scent now, with the almost pine-like resinous scent of frankincense. And nothing gardenia like in here, of course. Dry on skin: this is beautiful! The sharpness is gone completely now, and I'm left with a wonderful scent of 'glittering deep blue'. That's the only way I can describe it. It has the same 'feel' as the Evening Star, but is different in scent-this is a gentle, soft powdery white musk, with a gorgeous aquatic floral note…is that Nile Lily? If so, then it is such a wonderful note! And yes, it does bear a slight similarity to Pacifica Candle's Nile Lily and to that Egyptian lotus perfume I have, and also resembles hyacinth meets waterlily/white lily with a touch of smoky incense (that could be the frankincense though) with a gentle powder scent accentuated by white musk. I can also smell the sharp bright scent of osmanthus here, I recognise that note from Ouija. There's a nice contrast of watery coolness and also a background of warmth. I agree with other reviewers that this is the scent of a summer night, warm yet with a cool breeze, and a night sky glittering with stars. I also think this scent evokes the image of a still pond at night, full of blue waterlilies that bloom like stars as the water reflects the glittering heavens above. After a while: after a while this settles into a delightful scent that reminds me of a combination of Nuit, Urania, Evening Star, Dreamland, and my Egyptian Lotus perfume. At times this really resembles the latter, which must be due to the Nile Lily. (also still resembling the candle of the same name!) I also really get the osmanthus here, which lends a slight perfume-like quality, but in the best way possible. I'm impressed at how 'blue' this scent is-in fact it brings to mind lapis lazuli, deep blue flecked with starry speckles of white and gold. That's what I smell in here. After about 2 hours, the scent becomes almost all osmanthus with a hint of smoke, but then it seems to settle back into fragrant lily with hints of musk and osmanthus after that stage. The drydown is a nice mix of all the notes, the frankincense strongest (probably osmanthus too) with musk and lily lingering in the background. Verdict: this seemed the most underrated of the Lupercalia scents, but I had such high hopes for it, mainly since I was intrigued to know what BPAL's Nile Lily note smelt like. And thankfully, this lives up to expectations-it really is as good as I thought it would be! This is, in my opinion, a sister scent to Evening Star and Urania/Nuit, as in it is a beautiful pale floral that evokes images of a star filled night sky. It's also the BPAL that, to me, evokes the colour blue more than any other scent. Deep royal blue with slivers and ripples of white and gold, like a lapis stone, or a blue diamante gown. There's a lovely blend of notes here, such as lightly smoky and resinous frankincense, a downy coat of white musk, sharp bright osmanthus…and the enigmatic, watery, gorgeous lily note. This lily is a light, gentle and slightly aquatic floral scent with a hint of something hyacinth like and something slightly smoky and incense like to it. It's a complex note, and at times it smells very similar to a perfume I have from Egypt, funnily enough. The overall scent is cool yet warm at the same time, a lovely and unusual contrast and feeling that only can be found in scents as well crafted as Beth's. It's like standing by a pool of luminous waterlilies on a summer night and looking up at the stars whilst the scent of incense mingles with the smell of the flowers and wafts by on a gentle breeze. A truly beautiful scent, haunting, ethereal and breathtaking, yet very wearable, sophisticated and refined-it would be perfect for classy nights out when you want to surround yourself with an air of mystery. I adore the label of this bottle-deep blue with swirls and constellations of stars-and this label fits perfectly with the scent.

Fire of Love In the imp: patchouli! Or more precisely, patchouli with a hint of embers, smoke, and smouldering resins/incense, very fitting with the name. Just a faint undercurrent of civet-and I hope this civet doesn’t go crazy on me! Wet on skin: oh oh. Here comes the civet! It’s not too bad yet though…but I can also smell resins, polished woods, and patchouli, and possibly some ginger as well. Dry: yup, civet. This scent is definitely animalistic, but it’s not the smell of un-wiped arse or cat piss on me (thank goodness)-though it does have a hint of farmyard/horse about it, though it’s more like a country breeze than a full on dirty stable stink. With that, I get something that could be frankincense and cedar, with patchouli and perhaps a touch of ginger or pepper. I like the resin-wood-incense vibe this has, it seems to be balanced with the civet, and it’s also quite masculine in feel. After a while: whoa. The civet in here is strong, oh boy. But it’s not making me recoil in disgust either, in fact I keep sniffing it…I’m intrigued by that beastly little note! There’s something ‘equine’ about civet, to me, reminiscent of the smell of the horses when I went riding last summer. It rests on its polished wood and incense base quite nicely. With its similar fiery lusty name and civet note, I think this scent seems to be the more masculine version of the TAL Flame of Desire. The more I sniff this, the more it seems to grow on me. It’s not something I love, but I am becoming more accustomed to civet with each sniff, it seems. This note seems to have mellowed out nicely, blending with the resinous wood underneath. I don’t think it’s something that everyone will enjoy the smell of though-I know that my mum or friends will probably gag with a scent like this! After an hour or two the civet strengthens again and patchouli returns to the scent. But then, just when I think civet is playing nice with my skin, it then turns to a smell that reminds me of...one of my university lecturer's bad breath. Dangit. There's also a smell of smoke which I think is now tobacco. So it smells like my uni tutor has taken up smoking now... Thankfully this doesn't last. The final drydown of this scent after a few hours is less civety, and amber has suddenly appeared, which is nice. Verdict: I was a bit scared about this because I’ve read the civet horror stories on the reviews of the more civet-heavy blends, including this. But it seems the civet beast is quite tame on me, because this isn’t as bad as I expected! It’s definitely animalistic, very feral, quite farmyard-ish at times but not as yucky as I feared. Along with the civet, I get cedar, patchouli, possibly some hot spices (ginger or pepper?) and maybe some incense/resins. It’s definitely fiery. This is, to me, Flame of Desire’s more masculine counterpart. However, though the civet scents aren’t too bad on me, they aren’t my favourite scents either (the drydown smells too much like bad breath!), and I don’t plan on using it for its purpose yet so this one’s going to swap. I’m glad I tried it though. Maybe I shall give Czernobog or Satyr a try next!!! (well, I do have a Puck decant on the way, so I’m less scared of trying that!)

Les Fleurs du Mal In the imp: lilac and wisteria. Wet on skin: a moist rose note comes out now, under the dry lilac and wisteria. Dry: mmm, not bad. This is a nice floral scent, with a crisp, dewy rose note (it’s a very cool, true rose, at times, almost like Ouija and also, dare I say it, like Rose Red…) with the lilac and light wisteria on top. I like it, though the lilac note smells a tad dry in this, and slightly wilted. After a while: the scent hasn’t changed much after 30 mins but the throw has improved and the rose has warmed up nicely. The rose in this has a lot of throw, more so than the other notes. Closer to the skin, the lilac and wisteria are more apparent. This is a traditional floral scent, slightly old fashioned in feel, but the scent is fresh and true (especially the rose note), and the lilac is nicer now. After an hour, it’s suddenly become faint! It’s just a soft, light lilac-rose scent now, very gentle, very close to the skin, all the throw it had before is gone. Verdict: this is a traditional but pleasant floral blend. Rose, lilac and wisteria are all noticeable in here, the rose note is crisp, bright and dewy, almost like the rose in Ouija at times. The lilac in here, however, at first it smells dry, almost like the flowers have wilted (that’s with my skin) but it does seem to fit the theme…this gets less as the scent develops though. Soon after, the throw is tremendous and the rose note wafts (which is a good thing!), but this only lasts an hour or so, then the scent suddenly becomes a whisper of rose and lilac, clinging close to the skin, a quiet floral fading away. It’s a nice scent but I do have other florals/rose blends that I prefer to this.

Shroud Dry white sandalwood wrapped in thin woods, soft grasses and the lightest white flowers layered over cajeput and the warm, deep scent of embalming herbs. In the imp: a dry, herbal scent, like dry woods and sun dried grass. Wet on skin: dry sandalwood with dry grass and a hint of herbs. This scent is surprisingly warm. Dry: hmm, interesting. I get more floral notes now, I think it could be geranium or rose in here, maybe both. The scent is warm, almost like it’s bathed in sunlight on a hot, dry summer’s day. This is the scent of the warm afternoon after the scorched heat of midday. I smell grasses that have turned to straw and a solid and grounding wooden backdrop. I’m surprised at how this scent is almost comforting, its warmth is laid back, but there’s also a sense of barrenness, stillness and emptiness here, it makes me think of the desert…it’s very interesting. After a while: there’s a note in here that I’m very fond of that comes out after a while, a soothing herbal-floral which may be, or may be a combination of, lavender, geranium, sage and/or thyme, with the aromatic, almost mildly spicy quality of the sandalwood. It’s a calming warm scent…this shroud seems more like a blanket, wrapping you with a comforting herbal fragrance. After an hour or two, a pleasant sweetness develops. This scent is very gentle now, and I get more of the dry grass note, as well as good, strong, exotic sandalwood. I think there may be saffron here too? This is what I hoped Scarecrow would be on me (that turned to a vegetable oil smell on me, for some reason!!), it also makes me think of a cloak that has been lying on top of herbs and aromatic woods and has absorbed the scent. There’s something meditative about this, it’s calming and very, very silent. The final drydown is something I love. It smells identical to an 'Egyptian Sandalwood' scent I tried from another etailer...it's a warm, exotic sandalwood. Verdict: this scent was a very pleasant surprise for me. I was expecting a harshly dry, lifeless scent, but what I got was a delightful, comforting warmth, a gentle, soothing and pleasant scent. It’s dry-almost barren and silent at times, but not in a bad way-to me, it evokes the solitude of the desert. Soft herbs and dried flowers and fragrant sandalwood with sun dried grasses…the scent is reminiscent of being in the desert in the afternoon just before sundown, when the sun is no longer fiercely hot, the heat is now very bearable and you want to bask in it, lying in a bed of golden straw and soothing herbs. It’s not a shroud of death, this is a protective cloak, a warm blanket which has been lying on sun drenched woods and grasses and has absorbed their fragrance, wrapping round you and surrounding you with it’s gentle scent. This scent is quiet yet moving and with subtle poignancy. That’s what I get from this anyway. I think this is a keeper.

Those a truly gorgeous labels! I'd love to see the Luperci and Perfumed Garden ones too...and the other Smuts!