yeahbutnobut

Cobra Lily In the imp: juicy, fruity lily. Lily with a berry or grape note perhaps? I love the colour of this oil! Makes me wonder if there's dragon's blood in this. Wet on skin: oooh, this is lovely. I'm now getting a sweet, syrupy fruitiness along with lily. Dry on skin: I like this! It's a fruity lily scent. I'm not getting spice from here yet-just a full on lily (possibly stargazer? It does remind me of Peitho's lily) and a sweet, nectar like fruity note. I'm getting a little bit of a citrus like bite, but the main fruit note is sweet, syrupy, juicy and red. I think it may be a grape or wine note? Or maybe some kind of berry-maybe strawberry? Or maybe cherry? Pomegranate perhaps? I'm not sure but it's a red fruit, and this scent seems to match the colour of the oil itself, I think. I don't get much dragon's blood from here. After a while: there are two aspects to the fruity scent in this-one is tangy and tart, the other very sweet, very ripe, coated with sugar. I'm also wondering if there's a rose variant in here as I'm getting a scent reminiscent of the fruity rose note from 2 5 and 7. I'm also wondering if there's a red wine or grape juice note here too? There's also something which, according to my wonky skin chemistry, smells a bit like bananas and strawberries! In between this fruity conflict of sweetness and sharpness is a bit of lily. It's a strange scent, but quite pleasant. The drydown of this is a light fruity-floral scent which reminds me of the Living Flame, I think. I wish I'd got the spices others mentioned though. I also smell the lily note a lot more now than I did before. Verdict: this was not what I was expecting, though it was an enjoyable scent. I didn't get spicy lily from this, but I did get very fruity lily. A mix of tangy and sugar-sweet fruit notes, to be precise. It's a very red scent-but more of a pink-orange-red, very much like the wonderful colour that the oil itself has. I'm not sure what the fruit note is, but it smells almost like nectar at points, it's very sweet and ripe in smell, but with a tart bite to it. It does also bear a slight similarity to the Living Flame. I do like it, but I was hoping for spices, which I don't seem to get here. It's a nice scent but I'm not sure if I want a bottle.

If anyone has access to a digital camera and the Come and See and Muses bottles...pics please?

Eternal In the imp: soft, dewy, white gardenia. Maybe some stephanotis in there as well. Very pretty-I'm also hoping this isn't the 'evil gardenia' that goes acrid on my skin! Wet on skin: oh dear-it's going a bit sharp now… Dry on skin: yup, the gardenia has gone a bit harsh on me, but it's not as bad as some gardenia reactions. In here I can tolerate it. So now the scent is quite tangy and sharply green, but not too unpleasant-I think it will mellow. There are some promising scents in here like soft stephanotis in the background-but I'm not getting the heliotrope and rose I was hoping for yet. After a while: the sharp gardenia does mellow, leaving a pleasant floral scent behind. It smells more like a good gardenia scent now, with a little tiny bit of rose, though not much. It's a bit soapy though. Still none of that lovely heliotrope and the rose isn't as strong as I was hoping it would be. Verdict: this isn't a bad scent, but it's not a favourite. I've come to realise that I get on better with the gardenia used in LE scents (Haunted Palace, Honey Moon, All Saints, Alone…*swoon*) than the one in catalogue scents, as the latter tends to go quite sharp on my skin. It does that here, but not as badly as some gardenia scents. When it does mellow though, it's a bit soapy and bland on my skin-I was hoping for nice strong rose and heliotrope notes, but it was not so. And it smelt so nice in the imp too…it's going to swaps, I'm afraid.

Stardust In the imp: holy hairspray Batman! This really does smell like hairspray, it's uncanny. But it's also worrying me-I don't mind the scent but do I want a perfume that smells like hairspray? Well, I'll let my skin decide! Wet on skin: still a bit hairspray-ish, but now some delightful floral notes are creeping out-things like hyacinth, tuberose, maybe some daffodil? Dry on skin: now the white musk explodes into life! No longer hairspray, the scent is now that of a real 'retro perfume' kind of fragrance. It has a powdery white musk with a nostalgic perfume background, but there are little bits of fresh floral flitting through every now and then that break up the scent and make it different, and stop it from being flat or generic, adding personality to the scent. These floral notes come out even more as the scent reacts with the skin over time. I can smell dewy fresh tuberose and hyacinth, a bit of ylang and jonquil, some sandalwood, and a tang of champagne. After a while: eventually the scent settles down into a lovely soft white musk scent with a hint of flowers and bubbly. It's very soft and smooth now, not as flashy as the just dry stage, but so pleasant! This is my favourite stage of the scent-so different to before, but ever so delightful. At one point of the scent I also get a slightly smoky floral note which might be the tobacco flower. Verdict: this is like a scented time warp…a very retro scent that does seem to come straight from the 70s. At first it smells exactly like hairspray-so accurately it's scary. Luckily it doesn't smell like that on the skin-when it hits my skin, at first, it smells just like white musk and a perfume I've smelt before-not sure which but it's quite nostalgic. Then, as the scent warms up, floral notes flash though the scent and there's a bit of champagne in the mix, before settling down into a gorgeous smooth scent of soft musk, a bit of floral, and a little hint of champagne and tobacco-and I adore this drydown stage. I wasn't sure if I'd like it, but I've really warmed to this fragrance. And yes, I'm definitely wearing this on New Year's Eve!

Baobhan Sith In the imp: sharp, citrussy tea. No doubt that's the grapefruit here, maybe the ginger as well. Wet on skin: whoa, this is a sharp, sharp scent. Very tangy indeed! Dry on skin: interesting. This is a very tangy and zingy citrus tea scent, reminiscent of a green tea and grapefruit drink I tried once. I think I also get a hint of warm ginger underneath it all. I also get a light floral sweetness-the apple blossom? I'm not familiar with that note but I'm guessing that's what this is. This is a bright citrus-tea scent, very fresh and tart. Would be nice for spring and summer. After a while: still tangy grapefruit tea, but now I also get something dusty and grey. I have no idea what that is but I'm getting a hint of something wispy and ghostly behind the tart scent which seems to fit the scent's description, but even that doesn't damage the initial freshness of the scent. At this point, it reminds me of Spirits of the Dead, which I love. Verdict: I finally get to try the Sith, another well loved discontinued scent…this is another one of those zingy pale tea scents, and the tangiest, sharpest of the tea scents I've tried. Thanks to the grapefruit and ginger, this tea scent has quite a lot of bite! It's very tart and quite astringent, very tangy indeed. It's bright, fresh, and good for spring or summer. The drydown is a lot calmer-the tea note remains along with something dusty and ghostly which may or may not be apple blossom. It's a nice scent, but to me, it resembles Spirits of the Dead, which I already have, and I much prefer SotD to this because it's not as sharp. I'm glad I tried yet another legendary discontinued scent but I'm not going to pine for it.

Thanatos In the imp: roses soaked in deep, rich resins. Wet on skin: whoa. This is a profound scent- myrrh and possibly some benzoin, mixed with a dark rose note and other things I can't quite grasp. Dry on skin: now I get a moss note that creeps up. This is reminiscent of Zombi but it's more mysterious, it has lashings of resins/incense that makes it smell much nicer than Zombi (which smelt too much like it was decomposing for me) and more along the lines of All Saints 05. The rose note is strong but it's nicely balanced with bitter myrrh and sticky sweet benzoin. This is one incense blend where the brightness of frankincense isn't featured to lighten the fragrance, this is deep, rich, dark and mournful, and it smells quite wonderful. I get something vaguely herbal or olive like which I think might be the 'Greek incense'. After a while: this improves as time passes, because the rose strengthens fabulously on my skin, blending with the myrrh to give a lovely rose incense scent. I think the myrrh is not as sweet and a tad darker than other myrrh notes, this one is different to other scents with myrrh and rose. I think I get sandalwood now, as well. Verdict: this is what happened when Zombi and All Saints 05 had a lovechild-Thanatos was his name. A truly profound blend of rose, resin and incense, with a bit of moss thrown in for good measure. Funeral incense blended with grave blooms and mosses, this scent is deep, dark, almost melancholy. And I like it a lot. This is so much better than Zombi to me, thanks to the resin notes, which are bittersweet and rich, surrounding the rose-moss scent in a thick scented layer. It's an amazing scent-I'm not sure if I'd get a bottle of it yet but I will keep the imp and consider it!

Shattered In the imp: citrus candy! That must be a combination of grapefruit and lotus. Yup, it's very much a lotus scent. Which is good, lotus is lovely on me. Wet on skin: now the mint comes out, cool and breezy. Still the lotus dominates the scent. Dry on skin: this is gorgeous! It's minty fruity lotus! A light, almost candy like scent, it's sweet, fresh, bright, slightly tart from the grapefruit and champagne, and very, erm, bubbly. This is a cool fragrance, like a candy scented breeze, feels cool against the nose. And the lotus note in here is delightful as ever. After a while: the scent isn't as fruity and bright now…in fact I'm a bit worried it may turn to soap! I don't usually get that from lotus scents though. It's nice, but a bit dry and almost soap like, but not too bad, and almost like candy. Verdict: I'm a rare breed-one of the people who likes lotus and it's candy-cute scent. This is another lovely fragrance with this note that I enjoy. Similar to Glitter, this is another fruity lotus scent, this time with a cool blast of mint and some citrus and light booze notes from the grapefruit and champagne. This scent is almost like candy, or like chewing gum thanks to the mint, but it's not quite-there's always something interesting there to prevent it from turning into a mundane smell. It does veer towards soapiness at the end, but not off-puttingly so. I really like this but not enough to pine for a bottle-I prefer Glitter, Blood Lotus, Ace of Cups, Al Araaf etc as my lotus loves. I wouldn't mind tracking down an imp of this though!

Chypre Violet, neroli, lavender and white musk. A late Medieval European blend, based on a formula allegedly worn by Charles V. In the imp: strong violet and lavender. A pale purple scent, slightly dusty/powdery. Wet on skin: reminds me somewhat of a milder, lighter Bluebeard. I like it. Dry on skin: the violet scent darkens a bit, the lavender still goes strong, white musk is pretty much bonded with the violet note. I don't get much neroli, which is surprising, since that note usually amps up on me like crazy. The overall scent now reminds me of Peace or something from Lush. After a while: still the same, except I think the lavender fades, making this scent predominantly violet with maybe a smidgen of white musk. This musk is the remaining note on final drydown. Verdict: this is a pleasant violet scent. It reminds me of Peace and Bluebeard, and also something from Lush, probably a cross between WnD and Gratuitous Violets. It's nice scent, very violet-y and with a complimentary musk note, and it's also one of the few scents where the neroli isn't that prominent. Not bad, but not something I'd pine for.

Eidolon In the imp: the same bergamot-verbena combination from Yuki Onna, but with sage instead of jasmine. Wet on skin: very tangy, very lemony but also quite herbal and with a bit of greenness. Dry on skin: this is a very lemony scent. More of a herbal lemon scent, like citronella, than fruity lemon…it brings to mind the colours green and yellow. To me, this is the more gender-neutral compliment to Yuki-onna. I don't get much cedar here, it's blotted out by all the herbal lemon verbena. Maybe once that fades, it will come out. After a while: dang it, it's turned to lemon soap. It now smells like washing up liquid. Still no cedar. Oh well. Verdict: at first, this seemed to have potential to be a nice citrus-herbal blend, with a strong lemon-citronella scent reminiscent of Yuki-Onna, but this time with sage. But then after an hour, my skin turns against me and it starts to smell like I've been washing dishes. Yup, smells like lemon soap, washing up liquid. What a shame. At least I won't be pining for this discontinued scent.

Ravenous In the imp: patchouli with a light hint of orange blossom. Wet on skin: more orange blossom comes out now, along with the patchouli. Dry on skin: this isn't bad! It's a nice duo, a nice contrasting pair of notes-sharp, tangy, bright orange blossoms with darker, smoother, earthy patchouli. I've noticed that this red patchouli is less dark and 'dirty' than the black variety, it's a lighter patch, but it still lends its earthy depth to the scent. Orange blossom adds a fruity note dancing on the top of the overall fragrance-I've noticed that BPAL orange blossom tends to smell much like orange fruit, or tangy orange sherbet. After a while: oooh, something incredible has happened. It seems the two contrasting notes have fused to form a note that is neither patchouli or orange blossom, but is similar to both and yet different. The scent now remaining on my skin is a light, soft, slightly downy or powdery, gentle coating of something almost along the lines of white musk or violet, but with the fruitiness of orange and the depth of patchouli hanging in there. It's like smelling a brand new, undiscovered species of flower. Verdict: this one really took me by surprise. Sometimes BPAL orange blossom/neroli amps up on my skin, or turns to soap, or goes really sharp, but sometimes it's really nice-like in here. There's a nice light patchouli note adding depth and darkness to the scent. At first I thought 'hmm, nice. A simple combination, but nothing special' but then the notes merge, and as they do, a remarkable metamorphosis happens. The remaining scent on my skin has elements of orange blossom and patchouli, indeed-and yet there's something else to it, almost a light floral scent, and something very reminiscent of white musk! I love this stage of the fragrance and it shows another aspect of BPAL's magic-even the simplest combination of notes in a fragrance can be wonderful and even complex. I'm so glad the Lab included this as a frimp, I wouldn't have chosen it before but I'm glad I've tried it! (and yes, after reading reviews, it does seems like a softer version of Karma!)

Yuki-Onna In the imp: lemon verbena, bergamot and a hint of jasmine. Wet on skin: citrus! This is a lovely sweet jasmine-citrus, reminiscent of New Orleans without the spice. I like it a lot. Dry on skin: this is lovely, really lovely. There's a strong lemon scent here, slightly lemongrass-y (the verbena) and slightly tea-like (the bergamot) and the sweet, floral jasmine softens and sweetens the tangy citrus scents. It's very pleasant, light and feminine, fresh and zingy. I don't get sandalwood yet. After a while: huh? Where's all the citrus gone? The lemony loveliness? The scent fades fast, leaving a faint, dry, slightly green jasmine-sandalwood scent. No more tangy citrus. Verdict: at first, this was a lovely tangy citrus scent with jasmine, with verbena and bergamot with a sweet heady jasmine in the background. Very full and lush, reminiscent of New Orleans but without the spice. Unfortunately it fades pretty fast on me, the scent it leaves behind is nice, but a bit dry smelling and very faint. It's a lovely scent to begin with and I enjoyed that stage, but I'm not going to pine for this discontinued scent-but I do feel privileged to have tried it.

Ode on Melancholy In the imp: lavender and I think I get wisteria here. It's cool and slightly moist. Not tearful but it brings to mind windows streaked with raindrops. Wet on skin: oooh, wisteria comes out even more now, with soft lavender. I think there's a cool white musk here, possibly sandalwood. No rose yet. Dry on skin: this is a beautiful scent. To me, it brings to mind a greyish light lavender purple colour, and rain soaked lavender and wisteria, it's got this slight moist or fresh feel to it, with a soft downy coating of slightly salty (tear streaked, indeed) white musk and dry sandalwood, lightly dusty and nostalgic. An emotional scent. I'm surprised I'm not getting any rose yet, because I usually almost always detect the rose in any scent containing it. After a while: still no rose, which is surprising, but I'm getting a lovely drydown here-a cool, slight airy, fresh white musk. it's a tad floral, but not as much, it's now more of a soft, slightly chilly white musk, light and pleasant. Verdict: this is a lovely fragrance, quite emotional, definitely not a happy scent but not overly sad either…it's more like a contemplative sorrow, dwelling on life's more melancholy moments. It's a gentle floral scent, lavender and wisteria with a cool, airy white musk. the scent has a sense of moisture, makes me think of rain covered flowers on a cool day, it's quiet and serene and introverted. It keeps to itself, like the slight welling up of tears that cling to your eyes but don't fall from them, you keep them hidden from others. A pleasant, muted scent, not sure if I'd get a bottle of it but it's another example of poetry in scent, it conveys feeling through fragrance.

Penthus In the imp: rosy incense. No salt yet, but I just get this gorgeous resinous rose! Wet on skin: ah yes, now I do get a hint of salt here…something briny like the sea. Still I get lovely rose with incense. Dry on skin: oh wow, this is interesting…I'm now getting a greenness, slightly watery, deep-green and fresh, I think that may be calamus though I'm not familiar with this scent-if that's what it is, then it's lovely! The scent makes me think of a saltwater marsh…reeds growing in brackish water, with a rose garden nearby, and an ancient temple burning incense. There's a definite saltwater smell here, like the sea. But then there's that rose, gorgeous rich rose with incense surrounding it-slightly smoky and slightly resinous. This is a really unusual but fascinating scent. The strange thing is that I think this, despite the strong rose, would be nice on guys as well as girls, thanks to that salty-fresh green smoky vibe it has. (hopefully this doesn't give the impression that I have a thing for effeminate guys!) After a while: I think the calamus (I think) is getting stronger, I now get a soft, dusty reedy scent, green and almost woody but not quite. Rose still hangs in there, as does the salt note, and I get a nice veil of smoke over the overall fragrance. Verdict: this is such a unique and wonderful scent. I don't know how Beth captures salt in perfume but by Jove, she's done it well here! It smells like the sea, really briny, and with the calamus's reedy green scent, it brings to mind a saltwater marsh. There's also a delightful rose scent, strong and full, and an incense note that is half-resinous, half-smoky. One of those different scents from the norm that Beth does so well, and I think this would also be good on men as well as women. I'm unsure if I'll get a bottle, but I definitely might consider it, this scent is growing on me.

Gaueko In the imp: oooh, lavender and nag champa. Hippie lavender! Wet on skin: yup, still nag champa and lavender, possibly a little bit of tobacco coming through as well. Dry on skin: smoky incense-y lavender, very deep, dark and swirling. I get more tobacco now, and possibly a little hint of sandalwood, not as much nag champa now. It's quite an intoxicating scent, mysterious, almost headshop-y but much more profound than that-it seems almost narcotic and hypnotic, definitely a scent of the night. The lavender in this packs quite a punch, the tobacco smoke wafts heavily, and this is a scent that I think would be very nice on a guy as well as on girls. After a while: the lavender begins to fade, letting the sandalwood come through-it's a very smooth sandalwood, very dry and warm, and indeed, slightly charred-it smells a bit like it's being burnt as incense. I still get tobacco (which sometimes smells a bit similar to smoky vetiver on my skin, I've discovered) and the nag champa returns to the scent, and I get a hint of deep resin sweetness from the labandum. After a few hours I get, bizarrely, a moss like scent. After a few hours, I get a lingering incense scent, slightly hippy-ish but pleasant. Verdict: another interesting and unique fragrance from the lab. This smells like a kind of good quality joss-stick incense, but that's not a bad thing…a deep, heavy, dark smoky scent, very heady, strong and almost narcotic in scent. It really is a scent of the night, very purple black…lavender is very strong at first before the scent changes into something more smoky and incense like, lots of tobacco and smouldering sandalwood with a hint of something mossy-and of course the nag champa, which adds something hippie-ish to the scent and only accentuates it's incense-ness. It's a nice scent but I do have other lavender scents that I prefer. I do think this would be good on both sexes.

Yeah, I want to see photos of: Snow Moon Come and See The Muses BPTP scents The Phoenixes and do the Resurrected scents have nifty labels too?

Bon Vivant In the imp: fizzy sweet strawberries! This smells like a strawberry flavoured soft drink. Wet on skin: I think the champagne note is coming out now, and the strawberry note is so sweet, yet a bit more tangy now. Dry on skin: mmm, this is quite nice! It's very sweet but not cloyingly so, thanks to that tart crisp champagne note. The scent is light, fizzy, bright and lively, fruity sweet and, ahem, bubbly. It smells like someone added a big shot of strawberry syrup (like when I eat a bowl of strawberries covered with sugar, I get this red sugary juicy syrup left) to champagne. In fact, this scent has given me an idea for a new party drink…I think it will go down a storm for new year's eve (the scent and the drink, that is). After a while: this stays pretty much the same, except I think the champagne note gets a tad stronger and a bit drier (as in, wine-dry) in scent (damn, it really smells like bubbly!), with sweet strawberry candy still hanging around. Verdict: this is a very pleasant scent. BPAL's strawberry note is very, very sweet, like sugar coated strawberries, but the champagne in this adds a nice tangy crisp effervescence that tempers the sweetness of the strawberries. The scent is light and lively, not cloying or over-sweet, fruity and fun. I think it would be very nice for summer as well as for parties of all kinds-it even makes me want to add some strawberry syrup to some bubbly as a BPAL inspired party drink!

Jacob's Ladder In the imp: oooh, interesting. I get a herbal amber scent. How unexpected-but quite pleasant. There's a note here reminiscent of frankincense. I'm a bit concerned this may turn a bit masculine… Wet on skin: whoa, this is an intriguing scent…it's like a dark resinous scent glistening with bits of golden amber-something dark, deep and earthy with celestial flecks of light strewn through it! Dry on skin: oh goodness, wow. This is not what I expected from this scent, but it's so beautiful…I definitely get amber here, golden Egyptian amber, translucent and sweet, but I also get rock-rose, which isn't a floral scent, but the scent of labdanum resin. The scent is just like the real labdanum oil I smelt on a rock-rose plant-I rubbed my fingers on the leaves, and got this incredible dark smokiness. I get that in this scent. I also get a profound sweetness other than the amber, which I think is benzoin and tonka. The scent also has a deep rich earthiness to it, but filled with sparkles of golden sweetness and luminous resins. Like a sunrise, or like a dark room that has never seen sunlight before filled with daylight for the first time. It's a scent of the interplay of darkness and light, and indeed, of heaven and earth. It's very unisex-it's lovely on me, but I think this would be so sexy on a guy! I think this is also a fabulous meditation scent. After a while: this scent brings up a beautiful mental image. I'm sitting on a rock, my feet against moist cool moss and soil, my back leaning against a great tree, watching a sunrise or sunset over water. The dark blue sky has little flecks of could across it, and the sunlight that is fading or strengthening is lighting up these clouds in glorious shades of gold, and the same happens with the ripples of the water, gilded with sunlight. I swear there's also a slight saltiness or mineral component, or a mossy note to the scent, which only enhances the depth and complexity it has. Verdict: this really took me by surprise. I knew this would be good, but it turned out to be so different to what I expected. At first sniff in the imp, I got a herbal amber scent which, delightful as it was, I was slightly concerned that it would go all manly on me. Not so. On the skin, the amber shines through, illuminating the dark, earthy, smoky fragrance of mysterious resins. I get labdanum here, as well as possibly benzoin and tonka, and possibly some herbal or earth like notes. I love the way this scent has contrasts to it, and to me, this smells like darkness and light. It brings to mind a dark sky flecked with stars, a beam of sunlight illuminating a dark cave or ancient building that has never seen daylight, the fading light of evening playing on scraps of cloud and painting them gold as the sky darkens. This scent has elements of heaven and earth in it, true to the description, and it feels sacred and I think it would be amazing for both meditation and for everyday as a scent that turns heads and mystifies. It's also very unisex, wonderful on both men and women (and I would be head over heels if a guy wore this…) it's truly glorious and I'm glad I'm getting a bottle.

Beaver Moon In the bottle: ohhh. I'm not that familiar with the smell of cheesecake but I'm getting a delicious sweet creamy smell, so edible and yummy. Very cake like. Wet on skin: creamy, sweet, almost like marshmallows. Surprisingly complex too-now I'm getting a slight tangy scent-not vinegar, more like a citrus scent, and cinnamon! yay! Dry on skin: oh wow. This is delicious, delightful, and decadent. It smells like a creamy dessert dusted with cinnamon! Soft fresh cream, cream cheese do doubt-like a fromage frais, with warm, freshly baked spice-dusted sugar coated cakes, crumbly cheesecake base, cinnamon, buttercream and maybe some fruit filling too, adding a tangy twist to the sweetness of it all. Another scent that compels me to gnaw my wrist off! I never thought I'd like a cheesecake-themed scent, but the cream cheese note is very appealing here, it smells so genuine-you know it's cream cheese, not merely cream-but without being nauseating or too rich, which is amazing. After a while: still yummy, sweet, creamy and spicy as ever. Now I think the cupcake scent is growing, but the dominant scent now is a warm baked cinnamon crust made of biscuit crumbs, with a veil of sweet cream on top. It has amazing throw too. Verdict: Beth is on a roll with these Lunacies…this stuff is a huge surprise hit for me. I don't know what compelled me to buy a cheesecake scent as I don’t like eating it, but I'm so glad I did give in to the Beaver. This is a cheesecake scent, accurate and genuine, complex with all aspects of cheesecake catered for-spices, sugar, the baked cake base, a bit of something fruity, and the cream cheese. There are also cupcakes in here for good measure. This scent is sweet, warm, edible, delicious, comforting and such a pleasure to smell, and I'm stunned as to how much I like it-I was worried it would be too cloying or sickening but no. this is fantastic stuff and I proudly proclaim that I love the smell of my Beaver! (I really want to layer this with Gingerbread Poppet and/or Sugar Skull to make a cream covered mince pie scent…but as this is Beaver Moon, I dub the layering combination 'minge pies'!!! )

Azathoth In the imp: sharp, citrus-y, cologne like vetiver. Wet on skin: yup, this is a strong vetiver. I’ve noticed BPAL uses two kinds-a lighter vetiver that adds a slight earthy green note to a scent, and a dark, full on, powerful vetiver that amps up on my skin like crazy. This vetiver is the latter. Dry: I think there’s a bit of cedar here, the combination of that and vetiver reminds me of Umbra. I think the sharp note is tangerine, and I get saffron here too. This is like a male version of Lenore to me-citrusy vetiver with saffron. I’m hoping the amber comes out to sweeten it-I think I’m getting a hint of it but it’s hard to spot under the vetiver. This is a very masculine scent. After a while: this has become pure vetiver on me, maybe a bit of citrus sharpness, but mainly vetiver cologne. It’s a nice scent, but very butch! I was hoping the amber would come out to add its deep sweetness, but no. It’s all about the vetiver here. Verdict: I’ve discovered that my skin amps up vetiver. Not all vetiver-there seem to be two different kinds-the mild vetiver, and the strong one. This scent is full of the strong vetiver, thick, murky, almost burnt and dark green, dirty and with that slight lemony hint enhanced by citrus and saffron. It’s like a masculine Lenore, I think, the scent is brooding, menacing and sinister. It’s not bad as a scent but I think it is too masculine and dark for me.

YULETIDE. That is all. (I'm talking about the 04 version, not sure about 05 though.)

Cthulu In the imp: cologney aquatics. Smells like the sea…reminds me of other BPAL oceanic scents. Maybe with a white floral? Wet on skin: a very strong ozone-aquatic, slightly citrusy, slightly watery, very salty, a bit like men’s cologne. Dry: seaweed? I swear I’m now getting just a little hint of seaweed, murky kelp waving under the ocean. I’m also getting a little bit of a white floral-not sure where that comes from, but I’m getting it here. It’s also all ozone and sea salt…very similar to City in the Sea, House of Mirrors and Sea of Glass, but maybe a tad darker-this one has something a bit gloomier to it. After a while: this gets more and more masculine smelling on drydown-is this Cool Water that I smell here? I’m getting that strong dark salty ozone, and also something strong and powerful and what can only be described as smelling ‘dark blue-green’ and very deep. I’m pretty sure I also get grapefruit in this-there’s a bitter citrus note that seems very grapefruit like in this. After a few hours, I also get vetiver. Verdict: this is another one of those aquatic marine scents, it really does have this salty ozone scent, very oceanic. Also reminiscent of men’s cologne-this one more so than the others. It also is quite dark and murky-I get hints of kelp and vetiver, and also some bitter grapefruit. It’s a nice scent but this one a bit too manly for me-I much prefer Sea of Glass as my oceanic scent.

Egg Nog In the imp: sweet, milky and boozy, almost like Baileys! Wet on skin: still sweet and the booze note is very pleasant in this. I also get that note that is common to Spooky, Midway and Snow White, that sometimes works well, and at other times can come up as dusty cardboard on my skin… Dry: hmm, not bad! This is like Spooky without mint and cocoa, or a winter Midway. This has a bit of a darker, caramel like sugar note to it, and the booze notes aren’t overpowering. I also get that lightly dusty note I mentioned that was similar to Midway-and like Midway, I’m afraid this one is also very faint on my skin. Such a shame because this is such a lovely scent, very comforting and the sugary cream note is delightful…reminds me of marshmallows. After a while: oh goodness…this smells just like marshmallows now! I think there’s also a bit of coconut here. It’s like a more wintery Midway, indeed…whilst that was marshmallows on a fairground stall with candyfloss and coconut ice, this is a warm milky drink with marshmallows melting into it, served with those toasted coconut sweets. It’s so delicious, and I get no booze now-just sugar. The only downside is it’s faintness… Verdict: this to me, is perfect marshmallows. At first it’s like Baileys, but as the scent progresses, it becomes the scent of coconut covered marshmallows dissolving into a creamy milky drink. This is winter’s Midway, a scent that makes me feels soothed and comforted, the perfect fragrance to curl up with a hot cocoa on a winter’s day. The only downside is, like Midway, this is also quite faint on me-but I just love getting close to my wrist and smelling the fluffy sugary sweetness. If this ever gets reintroduced, maybe next Yule, I’ll need more.

Bruja In the imp: dark myrrh with a hint of sweet amber. Yay for resins! Wet on skin: still gorgeous amber-myrrh. I may also be getting lilac at this point. Dry on skin: oooh, this is nice. The bittersweet twist of myrrh, the sticky sweet golden scent of amber, and the scent of lilac. This is a potent scent, quite sharp and nose-piercing at times, I'm not sure if that's the myrrh or the lilac though…but this scent is very appealing. After a while: the blend smoothes out very nicely now, all the notes are balanced out. The lilac note is at it's strongest now, at times it smells fresh and real like a blossom on a tree, at others piercing-almost like very concentrated lilac extract, coupled with sweet resins. This stage smells consistent throughout the drydown-a nice smooth lilac-y amber, or amber darkened by myrrh with a lilac top-note. I like this. The lilac is a lot softer now as well. After a few hours, it's all amber. I'm pretty sure it's Egyptian amber-it smells identical to my SN. Just pure amber with maybe a bit of lilac. I love this stage in the scent's development. Verdict: this is a lovely scent, simple in its notes, yet effective. The lilac note here is very true at times, and yet has a hint of something piercing and sharp to it, like an ultra-concentrated lilac blossom tincture. The resins in this are gorgeous-amber and myrrh usually always mix together very nicely so you can't tell them apart, that's what happens in here. Eventually the fragrance softens into a pure amber scent, which is gorgeous. I'm glad I have an imp of this discontinued oil, I'll cherish it.

The vanilla musk scents are wonderful. These two notes go together so well and a lot of my favourite BPALs have that combination...Snake Charmer's another one, also LE and similar to Snake oil, but I love it better than Snake Oil as it's fruitier and a bit lighter. Lick it has a musk component as well as minty vanilla? *adds to list of future orders*

Typhon In the imp: dark, dark patchouli, a little bit of sweet black musk, and vetiver. Wet on skin: wow, here comes the black musk! Sweet, sticky, a slick of black scent…with patchouli and sandalwood. Dry: here, it’s all about the black musk. It’s another musk note that I’m glad works on me, it’s that gorgeous smoky darkness with a hint of sweetness to it, almost oily and glistening. I don’t get too much patchouli now-just a bit, bonded nicely with the musk. I get hints of sandalwood and vetiver too. I like this a lot, very deep and mysterious, with something wild and intense to it. After a while: patchouli returns slightly, and now the dark green scent of vetiver begins to show itself, a sinister undercurrent under the sweet swirl of black musk. Verdict: another proof that black musk works on me! This is a deep, smoky and swirling scent, a potent blend of dark notes-black musk, patchouli, a little bit of sandalwood and a base of vetiver. This is an intense, brooding scent, but surprisingly pleasant as well, very wearable, not off putting or too butch, and not too masculine either. Not an everyday scent, I only need an imp’s worth of this scent and I will keep the imp and enjoy it.