yeahbutnobut

Feu Follet (This is the original version.) In the imp: this is darker than I expected…a dark jasmine with a cherry like heliotrope note. It also smells like there could be a sweet resin note here too. Wet on skin: wow…the floral notes in here warm up and become fuller and richer. The heliotrope here smells quite almond like. Dry: ooh, this is lovely. A deep rich rose note with jasmine and an almost foody heliotrope note. It’s a darker and more mature in scent than I was expecting, but that’s no bad thing…this smells sophisticated and grown up, and a tad mysterious, and it gets headier as time passes. The rose-jasmine combo reminds me of Wicked, but the heliotrope adds another dimension to the scent, sweet, almost cherry-dessert like, and truly lovely. After a while: rose has a habit of getting stronger on my skin over time. This is a good thing. Now it is very, very heady and very, very floral. That’s no bad thing, because I love floral smells-this one is lovely. It’s also quite intense-too much would overwhelm, and it has lots of throw. But I love the scent…it’s a really deep, full flowery smell. Verdict: this is such a gorgeous, heady scent. It’s a lot headier and more intense and dark than I expected-it’s a full on hit of flowers! But then again, I love floral scents so I love this. Three of my favourite florals in one scent. The result is a very mature and grown up fragrance, akin to Wicked, but with light and almost dessert like heliotrope in the place of the myrrh. It’s quite potent so only a little bit is needed. Shame it’s discontinued because I would have liked to get more of this. edited to add: Feu Follet 06 In the bottle, this smells like almost pure jasmine, like my jasmine absolute, but with sharp rose added. On skin this is very sharp, but with a rich depth to it. It's sharper than the original version I have, maybe this is a characteristic of fresh jasmine. The rose is deep and red and velvety, the jasmine sharp and jagged (for now), I can't smell the heliotrope. Eventually the jasmine calms down to let that velvety rose through a bit more. I get the feeling this oil needs a little aging.

Lenore In the imp: slightly lemony, very smoky vetiver with thyme. Wet on skin: the vetiver is strong here, along with the smoke, patchouli, saffron and lemon… Dry: whoa, this is intense stuff. It’s along the same lines as Alone and Torture King, but with a very potent vetiver note, dark, slightly green, fuzzy and slightly lemony-this lemony scent enhanced by the actual lemon note here. The patchouli is here too, a bit of saffron and thyme, and smoke too. I can’t really smell the musk yet. After a while: it’s not long before this smoothes out really nicely. I think the musk has come out to do that…the smoky vetiver and patchouli are still there, but they seem softer now, the musk and the lighter notes coat the scent with something gentler, this is a stage in the scent I really like. After a few hours, the vetiver comes back, stronger, darker and smokier than ever! I don’t mind, since I like vetiver, but that’s all I get now. I never got plum at all in this scent, which is odd because usually plum really sweetens up scents but this fragrance is anything but sweet. Verdict: this really is one of the most vetiver-y BPAL oils I’ve smelt. Dark, brooding, moody and smoky, the vetiver is prominent from the word go. I don’t mind vetiver even though it does amp on my skin (living in a household where my mum burns vetiver oil as room scent and buys vetiver scented stuff means I am used to it and I like it) so I don’t mind this scent. It’s also quite smoky, and the patchouli enhances the ‘dirty/earthy’ and dark feel this scent has, and the lemon note heightens the ‘lemony’ aspect that vetiver has on me. At one stage, the scent develops a smooth, almost gentle, coating of soft white musk, mingling nicely with the saffron and lemon, before reverting again to dark vetiver. It’s a very fascinating, evocative scent, it also reminds me of Alone and Torture King, though I do prefer those two oils to this. Lenore is nice, very emotional, melancholic and deep, but I’m unsure if it’s a ‘me’ scent yet. But I will keep the decant for those moody days-it seems an apt smell for those times. I have a feeling my vetiver-loving mum will adore this!

What did the Beaver Moon label look like? Did it have the same image as the t-shirt? I'd love to see pics of the Rap. Garden labels...I'm really hoping that the Blood Lotus I ordered at Halloween has a cool label on it!

I'm a bit concerned...I used to get automated emails from the lab confirming that I made an order as soon as I ordered with Paypal, but I haven't received one for the last two orders I made (I placed orders yesterday and two weeks ago) Should I worry? I emailed the lab about this, so I'll see what they say about it.

Wolf Moon In the imp: foresty! Like pine and fir, like the woods in winter. Wet on skin: the scent of cold woods, pine trees, tree sap, and a little bit of smoke. Dry: this, to me, is like the winter equivalent of Hunter Moon or Hexxenacht. It has the scent of the wild woods-the chipped bark, the sap, the crushed pine and fir tree needles and moss, the frozen ferns and herbs under the snow, the remains of autumn leaves now locked under ice. It’s cold, and I swear it also has a hint of smoke…and yet it also has a sweetness that seems almost like a musk, or a skin scent., or maybe something lightly floral…I also get that ‘fragrant bonfire’ scent that I get in Hex, a smoky-resinous scent of burning woods and sap with the smoke wafting in the winter air. Very atmospheric. After a while: the sweet/white floral increases, mingling with the smoky wood scent. It really does remind me of a wintery Hex! The floral note adds a pleasant, white, cool, lightness to the dark forest and smoke scent. There’s also a lightly aquatic/ozone like scent, like cold winter air where snow has fallen. I’m wondering if there’s the slightest touch of something musky or feral here too? Verdict: another evocative winter moon. The predominant scent in this is the scent of a forest in the dead of winter, pine trees, fir needles, woods and sap, with a chilly scent that evokes icy nights. But it also has a white scent to it, which I’m pretty sure is a floral note. It’s sweet and light, airy and cool, like a frost covered flower. And the scent also has a smoky note to it, a scent of burning fragrant woods smouldering as the smoke fills the dark winter woods. There may be something musky to it too. This fragrance is on the same lines as Hexennacht and Hunter Moon, with it’s wild woody-smoky theme. It’s an interesting scent, not a favourite, but definitely one I’ll keep in decant form, it seems perfect for winter.

Black Phoenix In the imp: dark bitter almonds. Wet on skin: still almondy, but I think something sweet is bubbling up under the almond. I’ll wait for the almond veil to lift, and see what happens. Dry: the almond fades…and something wonderful surfaces. It’s sweet, spicy, resinous, delicious. I’ll hazard a guess at what it smells like-I’m guessing amber? Spices of the unknown kind? I’m pretty sure there’s frankincense and myrrh in here as well, it has that resinous, incense like, smoky feel to it. It’s almost like Bastet, almost like the Lion’s amber-but darkened and smokier. It even has something buttery or oily about it, or maybe a bit boozy, like a buttery liqueur? It’s an unusual scent, but I really like it! After a while: that odd ‘oily’ scent seems to fade, and now the scent is like dark resins, I’m pretty sure there’s either frankincense or myrrh here, possibly both, with amber (but I’m also sure that this may be ambergris-maybe a mix of both), and some other dark notes, and maybe some smoky vanilla? Maybe some black musk too? I’m pretty sure now that there is black musk in this. It is such an interesting fragrance. After a few hours, the drydown is very similar to Haunted, which leads me to believe that black musk (or a deep musk of some kind) and amber are in this, and I’m pretty certain there’s myrrh here too, and possibly other resins and maybe vanilla or tonka. It’s also powdery now-but that’s no bad thing. It’s like a sophisticated dusting powder scented with exotic perfume. Verdict: this is a very intriguing, mysterious, deep and dark. It starts off with almond, which fades to reveal a complex yet well blended array of resinous and sweet scents, yet darkened and almost smoky. I’m guessing that this contains amber (or ambergris?) and myrrh, maybe frankincense, possibly vanilla or tonka, and also a deep musk note-possibly a black musk as at some stages in the scent, it reminds me of a more complex Haunted. It’s really exotic and rich, quite slinky and sensual, and has amazing throw-on the bus today, I could smell sweet wafts coming from me and I thought ‘damn, this stuff smells amazing-is that really me? Yes it is!’ it’s an amazing scent, very heady-it is good for the cooler months (I think this would be a bit too much in summer)-I’m unsure if I want a bottle yet, but I really like this, I’m keeping the imp, and this is really growing on me!

New Orleans In the imp: lightly spiced lemon and light flowers. Wet on skin: mmm, I love the spicy lemon vibe this has, with jasmine adding it’s characteristic floral sweetness. Dry: this is lovely! Gorgeous nocturnal blooms, spices and lemon. This does evoke the feel and fragrance of a warm summer night, when the scent of jasmine and honeysuckle fills the air. I love it-it’s not to heavy and I love the citrus tang, the spice adds delicious warmth. The lemon-spice mix also reminds me of lemon iced tea, one of my favourite summer drinks. After a while: oh no-it’s faded…that wonderful lemon spice has gone, and I’m left with a still pleasant, though a bit dry and faint, floral scent. I wanted my full on lemony spicy floral though, not a faded whisper of a scent… Verdict: when this was just dry, for about an hour or two, this was a truly wonderful scent. I like jasmine, so that doesn’t spoil the scent for me-it is strong here but there’s a delightful lemon-spice aspect to the scent which is what does it for me. That with the jasmine and honeysuckle make this scent so pleasant, like a chilled out, balmy summer evening when the air is fragrant with flowers and you’re sipping on lemon ice tea. Unfortunately this doesn’t last and before long, the scent fades to almost nothingness, leaving just a hint of dry jasmine/honeysuckle behind. Such a shame, because I adore the just-dry stage of this scent. I’ll definitely keep the imp of this, but I’m not sure about a bottle.

The City in the Sea In the imp: salty florals. This is a more floral, violety version of Sea of Glass. Wet on skin: the scent of the sea, with ivy and violet. Dry: I’m funny with ozone scents-stormy ozones usually turn to washing detergent on me, but marine ozones tend to smell true to what they represent. This is no exception. This smells like the sea, a breeze from the waves, crashing on some unknown shore. This resembles Sea of Glass, but unlike Sea of Glass, which reminds me instantly of summer holidays in beautiful beach resorts, this brings to mind a more enigmatic marine image. It’s got that warm sea aspect to it, but this is no ordinary beach. It’s like standing at the edge of an unknown and rocky coast, watching seaweed waving lazily in the current…and the sea is calling you, because something lies beneath those waves. Something mysterious lies submerged under that ocean, and it is calling you… After a while: the scent is slightly cologne like, almost lemony, but never loses its salty sea scent. It also has the violet and ivy to make it more interesting. Verdict: ok, my review is rubbish compared with Macha's but here's what I think...this is such a gorgeous and evocative aquatic scent. It bears similarities to Sea of Glass, but this one is much more mysterious, it’s not merely the scent of summer on the beach, this is an enigmatic current of scent dragging you in, leading you to a lost submerged kingdom amongst the kelp and salty brine...it’s refreshing and yet warm, and also dark, it’s unique and haunting. Another wonderful blend from the Poe collection, I’m not sure if I’d like a bottle yet-but I do know this would be a lovely summer scent-I’m keeping the decant!

Pumpkin Patch 1 In the imp: sweet, rich pumpkin, juicy crisp apple, and the slightest hint of spice. Wet on skin: I get that strange ‘grainy/beer’ scent I get from cider scents, but it’s not unpleasant. Dry: whoa, apple cider aplenty! The pumpkin is just a side note because here it’s the cider that takes centre stage. The spice note is very mild, it’s there but doesn’t overtake. I do wish it were a bit stronger. It reminds me of Harvest Moon 05 with baked pumpkin and without the pears in wine. Very autumnal, and quite delicious! After a while: that strange beer/grain note goes away, and the pumpkin does it’s usual trick of intensifying slowly until it becomes prominent, and in here, it blends fabulously with the apple which also becomes sweeter and fuller. This is like an upgraded Pumpkin King. If PK was fresh cut pumpkin baking in a pie with fresh apples and spices, then this is the completed pumpkin pie-the pumpkin is fully baked, the apples have now been made into cider and there are spices added to it, and it’s served with spicy baked apples. This is a wonderful autumn dessert scent. The more I smell, the more I love this. Verdict: this is the PP scent which screams ‘autumn’ or ‘harvest’ most out of all of them. A gorgeous and yummy blend of rich full bodied cooked pumpkin, and spicy baked apples served with cider. This is the sort of thing I would love to eat on an autumn day…this scent is rich but not nauseating. I know this may sound like sacrilege, but I prefer this to Pumpkin King-it’s stronger and has more throw, it’s fuller and I have a feeling it will last longer on my skin. My favourite out of the Patch.

Arabian Nights In the imp: dark, deep, resinous, musk perhaps? Possibly amber and myrrh. Very exotic! Wet on skin: wow, a rich, heady mix of resins and florals. Dry: this smells gorgeous, rich, deep, mysterious. It reminds me of another BPAL, not sure which…but I’m pretty sure there’s rose and myrrh in this, and amber too. There may be some musk, maybe some lavender or another floral? It smells sensual and mystical. After a while: still myrrh and rose. I think it smells a bit like La Petite Mort and Wicked. It’s a very grown up, mature and slinky scent, with a sense of mystery about it. Verdict (scent): scent wise, this stuff smells pretty damn good. A rich and heady mixture of sweet and dark resins (I’m sure it’s myrrh and amber) with a full bodied rose note. There may be musk here too. Whatever is in this, it smells gorgeous, and very exotic, fitting to the name, I think. Magical effects? Yes! This stuff works! I dabbed a bit on for testing, and then later, when I went back to my uni lectures, some of the boys actually talked to me-and the boys in my class never usually do that! One of the boys even helped me with a few things, which was very nice and unexpected. Whether that was the oil’s ‘magnetic’ properties at work, you never know…but it seemed to work that day, and that’s a very good thing. Whether it will bring new lovers my way, I don’t know! For now, I’m more inclined to think it brought new friends my way.

Inferno In the imp: almond! That's all I smell now…I'm hoping that I don't get the 'Inferno Burno' reaction that others get from the cinnamon! Wet on skin: smells like those Italian almond cakes, this is delicious. It's beginning to tingle on my skin…hope it doesn't do more than tingle! Dry on skin: the almond will fade, I know-it's like a veil that lifts to uncover the scents underneath. And as it slowly lifts, the cinnamon comes out. So for a while it smells like Christmas cake with marzipan…and then the cinnamon becomes warmer, and hotter, and more fiery and then the scent becomes almost pure cinnamon! But the miracle is that I don't get any welts from this-maybe a slight stinging, but nothing too painful! I must have skin as tough as a rhino's! After a while: oh yeah, I like this. Smells like Christmas cinnamon with, funnily enough, orange! Must be the neroli. The almond seems to stick around but not as strongly as before. So warm and festive, this is great for winter! Verdict: this starts off with a huge dose of almond which fades away to reveal a warm core of cinnamon with a hint of something orangey. This is a wonderful winter scent, quite festive, very spicy, an almost fiery cinnamon which is warm and cosy to sniff. The great thing is that I don't get a huge burning reaction from the cinnamon like many do-wow, I must have some damn tough skin! No Inferno Burno for me! I'm not sure if I'll get a bottle as there are many other cinnamon scents I prefer, but I will keep the imp of this.

Graveyard Dirt In the imp: wet soil! Obviously, but it's scary how much this smells like wet soil… Wet on skin: wet soil and maybe some mushrooms… Dry on skin: I'm amazed at how genuine this smells. Like real wet earth! This reminds me of the scent of the soil in my garden after it's been watered on a hot sunny day, or after a sudden rainstorm. It also smells a bit like mushrooms, decomposition, fungus…which isn't too bad, it seems apt for this scent. it's pretty much a dirt single note. After a while: oh no…it's faded pretty quickly! The scent is still there but now it hasn't got much throw…it's still as earthy as ever! I smell like I've been doing gardening or playing in the mud!! Verdict: I don't know how Beth does it…but this is such a realistic soil scent! it's like a scented extract taken directly from damp earth, it smells so real, so dirty, like I'm sniffing some wet soil on my wrist. I love the smell of the earth in my garden after it has been hosed or rained on, and this scent captures it perfectly. It has a feel of decomposition, almost fungus like, to it as well, but that just adds to the authentic overall scent. The only problem is that it doesn't have much throw, fades fast, and it's not something I would wear on it's own! But as a layering oil, to add a bit of earth to a scent, it is fantastic.

Fenris Wolf In the imp: gorgeous rich warm sandalwood and rosewood! Wet on skin: still warm, dry woods. Dry on skin: this is such a wonderful woody scent. The sandalwood and rosewood notes are nice and strong in this scent, and yet, there are mesmerising undercurrents of amber and musk under those fragrant woods. It smells almost like good quality incense. I don't know, but this scent reminds me of something I've smelt before, possibly a very good perfume. I think it's the amber-sandalwood combination, it reminds me of Sin. This is a really sexy scent and I think a man would pull it off-even though I adore this on me as well. After a while: it's faded fast, which is a shame, but the scent that remains on my skin is reminiscent of Sin's drydown. It must be the amber and sandalwood at work-and the musk is gorgeous in this. It's a very close to the skin scent now-I hope it sticks around though. Verdict: this is another one of the few Diabolus scents that really, really works on me. a sexy and sultry blend of strong wood notes with amber and musk. this is a fantastic scent, and I think it would smell gorgeous on a guy-I tell you, this is another one of those scents that if a man wore it, he'd get an instant shagging by me. (Forget the Lynx effect, I prefer the BPAL effect!!! ) This scent is warm and sensual and makes me feel good inside. The only downside? It seems to fade quickly. But apart from that-I love this!

Gomorrah In the imp: fire and brimstone??? Well, almost. It's more of a dark fruity-herbal with something burnt and destroyed about it. Very apt! Wet on skin: dark, dark herbs and gritty fruit notes. Dry on skin: I think the best way to describe this scent is…apocalyptic. This scent has a real feel of destruction and darkness about it. There's a dried currant note with blackened fig, darkened herbs and maybe some date too. The scent is scorched, smoky, dark, and dirty (as in, earthy). That being said, this is actually a very nice fragrance, it's unisex, it's like a dried fruit mix with cooked herbs… After a while: the scent lightens a bit, the fruit notes are much clearer now…but there's still a definite fire/smoke scent, like burning pyres of fragrant resinous woods, to this. I love this stage of the scent! It's got a good balance of sweeter fruits and smoky, incense like wafts here and there. This part of the scent actually smells really autumnal, like bonfires and dried leaves and dried Mediterranean harvest fruits, and I love that! Verdict: another highly evocative Wanderlust scent-though the images this one evokes are not so pleasant like the others. It is a scent that has a feel of something scorched, destroyed, and darkened. At first, this is a truly apocalyptic blend, very true to the name. It's like dried fruit and herbs, but with a disturbing undercurrent of smoke, dryness…fire and brimstone even. It's a dark, yet strangely pleasant scent, which would suit both men and women, but I'm not sure I'd want a bottle yet, because it is a very dark and chaotic blend of intense and gritty notes which is lovely as it is, but I'm not sure if it's really 'me'. However, it calms down to this lovely sweet-smoky drydown that is smells like autumn, and it was a fascinating scent experience and another evocative scent journey that Beth captures so well. As a side note, Olympia's icon for this scent TOTALLY ROCKS.

Dragon's Heart In the imp: musky dragon's blood. Wet on skin: now I smell fruit in this-fig and currant. Dry on skin: wow!!! This really is a pulsing red scent. I can smell the musks-strong and deep and almost feral, with fig and currant flitting through, and a huge dose of dragon's blood. This scent is fruity and musky at the same time, a really dark red-crimson kind of scent. After a while: now the prominent notes are dragon's blood and deep musk. I think the dragon's blood scent makes this musk blend even more feral, slightly animalistic even but without smelling icky. Verdict: this is one helluva powerful scent! Dragon's blood is the main note, giving the scent a real sense of redness…and then there are the musk notes, deep, rich, bordering on almost being feral. The fruit notes of fig and currant add juicy and sweetly tangy aspects to this scent, and they intensify the fruity scent of the red musk and dragon's blood. This scent is red. Very red. This is a very interesting scent, quite enjoyable, it has a real presence to it, but I'm not sure if I'd wear it much. It's too intense for me but I do like it. This is also the first of the Ars Draconis scents I've tried!

White Rabbit In the imp: gingery milk and tart tea. Wet on skin: here comes the honey! It still smells like milky tea and ginger as well. Dry on skin: what a lovely scent! I can see the Milk Moon comparisons, but to me, the milk note here isn't as rich or sour as MM's was. The honey note is strong in this, as is the tea and the spices…it's almost like a variation of chai tea. Very pleasant and warm. After a while: the milky honey gets sharper and stronger, it's a rich, creamy scent…thank goodness it not too nauseating. The ginger and pepper prevent this from becoming too sickly sweet, it smells like a comforting milky spicy tea drink. It does go a bit sour on me after a while though. Verdict: this is quite a nice scent of spiced milk and honey. It's cosy and warm, with a creamy milk and a strong honey note, with some ginger and pepper adding a lovely spicy touch. I do like it, but after a while the scent goes a bit odd on me. Personally, I prefer Sudha Segara as my ginger-milk scent, and Bengal as my honeyed chai scent.

Titania In the imp: crisp moist pale fruits. Wet on skin: gorgeous crisp white fruits-and the rose is coming through! Dry on skin: this is lovely! Pear and rose are prominent in this, I think I can smell the grape (which in here is almost white wine like), the moonflower and the peach. This scent is not very sweet-it's tart and fresh, almost dewy and moist, quite tangy, but the rose is rich and deep, darkening the blend. After a while: the scent is now a nice balance between white wine-like grapes, pear and rose, with a little bit of moonflower. The scent is nicely balanced now, and much sweeter, it's an enjoyable combination of sharp fruits and florals. It reminds me of a Chaos Theory I tried, actually. Verdict: this is another interesting scent. At first it's a sharp fruity scent, clean and fresh. Then the rose comes in and deepens the scent, adding a floral dimension to it. then the scent sweetens and smoothes out. It is a lovely scent, but I do prefer other fairy-themed blends such as Fae and Queen Mab. I might keep the imp of this and give it another try.

Aunt Caroline's Joy Mojo In the imp: this smells fun!!! It's like grape bubblegum and sugared pineapple! Wet on skin: fruity fun! This is like sugared fruit! Dry on skin: this smells yummy-like pear, pineapple, and maybe peach and grape. This is a sweet, fun, fruity scent, sugary (and maybe with something like honey?) but with a tart and dry flipside. This scent does make you smile! It also reminds me of something from Lush, but I can't name it now. After a while: is there honey in this? I think there is a type of honey here, or maybe a sugary note that mimics honey…it's a sweet, syrupy scent that coats the fruity (now smelling like cherries and kiwi!) scent. I'm sure there's vanilla here too. This scent reminds me of the scent that clings to my skin and clothes after I've been to the Lush shop in Covent Garden! That's a good thing! It also smells a bit like…Playdoh. Which is also a good thing-I like the scent of Playdoh and it seems apt in a joyful scent like this, it brings back happy childhood memories. Verdict: this scent is fun! It's sweet, fruity, and candy like, with nuances of honey, fruit sweets, bubblegum, vanilla and Playdoh. This scent is light hearted and without anything heavy or moody, and brings back pleasant childhood playtime memories. It really does bring a smile to your face! I really enjoy it and will definitely keep the imp.

I get the exact same reaction as Coulrophobe concerning the Chariot-it was LOTUS on me...and fruity anise lotus at that! And the Hierophant was cinnamon and incensy wood. Judgement smells like red musk with maybe some vanilla. But it does have a patchouli note, I think.

Pumpkin Patch 5 In the imp: buttery pumpkin with a dark, green, woody, slightly spicy undertone. Wet on skin: butter with something dry, scrubby, and woody. Dry: this is a very unusual scent! It’s very dark, shadowy, moody in feel. Brings to mind a spooky forest at midnight, the branches of twisted trees casting eerie shadows in the moonlight. It’s a woody scent, scrubby, gritty and very dry, with the deep green ivy note weaving through the fragrance. And the pumpkin is there…it’s more buttery in this scent than the others, and doesn’t show it’s sweet, almost fruity aspect like it did in the other scents. I think there’s a sandalwood note here-but it’s not the same warm, sweetish note from the sandalwood PP. After a while: the pumpkin sweetens, as it does with the other scents, but doesn’t overpower the woods and ivy which are still dominant. Verdict: this is the most interesting and unconvential scent in the Pumpkin Patch. It’s the scent of the woods on Halloween night…dark, deep, spooky and eerie. A dry, scrubby wood scent mingles with green ivy and buttery pumpkin create a unique and atmospheric scent. Whilst the other PPs are more reminiscent of autumn as a whole, this one seems to epitomise Halloween. A fascinating scent experience!

Annabel Lee In the imp: sweet pea and cucumber. A fresh, pretty, soft floral. Wet on skin: pretty lilies, sweet pea, and maybe sage and peony. Dry: this is a gorgeous scent. A very light, feminine scent of gentle, delicate florals and a slight hint of green and a fresh touch of cucumber. Very pretty and soft, yet with a strong floral punch. It’s also very pastel coloured; it gives an impression of pinks and baby blues and light greens. It’s lovely. It also reminds me of something that I can’t remember now… After a while: now I remember what this reminds me of-it’s Juliet. Maybe Aeval as well. This scent is now downy soft and quite creamy. The cucumber is stronger now as well. It also reminds me of a body lotion I’ve smelt elsewhere. I also get a slight hint of something aquatic and marine… Verdict: this is such a beautiful scent. Another wonderful feminine floral scent from the Poe collection, this one is soft and almost creamy in feel, it is a gentle yet heady blend of sweet pea, lily, peony and a bit of sage and cucumber. It is floaty and light, almost downy soft, and a little bit aquatic. It seems like a perfect spring scent. I may eventually get a bottle of this, but I’m still unsure. I’ll definitely keep the decant though!

Haunted In the imp: deep, dark, sweet, glistening, slightly tangy amber-musk. Wet on skin: ooh, this is now a dark, slightly smoky and resinous scent. Dry: whoa. Is that black musk? Holy crap, this is powerful stuff. It’s intense, that’s for sure. A deep, rich, dark smoky yet slightly tangy musk-it’s not animalistic though, at least not on me, or in this. It has a slight darkly golden and ‘oily’ feel to it-the person who described black musk as smelling similar to WD40 is not far off! However, this scent is a lot more exotic and sensuous smelling than that!!! The amber is giving this a lovely resinous sweetness. After a while: this stays consistent-if anything the musk note gets sweeter and bonds more with the amber, and it smells so much nicer! Verdict: this is incredible stuff. This is my first brush with black musk-and it smells lovely…a really unusual scent, dark, mysterious, intense and slightly smoky…the amber enhances this and gives it a sweet resinous glaze. This is a scent that I think will grow on me, it's wonderful for winter-I’m not sure if I want a bottle for now, but I really like it and now I’m eager to try more black musk scents.

Old Scratch In the imp: this reminds me somewhat of L’Occitane’s Lavande Ambree scent. A lavender scent with amber. Wet on skin: still a lovely sweet amber-lavender scent. Dry: this is gorgeous! Strong lavender sweetened by amber and tonka and possibly some rose wood. I don’t get very much patchouli here though, but this is a delightful scent none the less. And it really does, to me, remind me of that Occitane scent. I can’t get over how lovely this smells. After a while: the lavender seems to stick around here-which is unusual. I think it’s anchored by the amber and tonka-which are gorgeous in this. Verdict: this was a very nice surprise. This is one of my new lavender loves-and it reminds me very much of something by L’Occitane. A gentle yet potent lavender mingled by sweet amber and tonka notes, this is a delicious combination! I can’t smell much patchouli-it’s more of a bare hint, a slight undercurrent under the rest of the scent. But even so, this is a very pleasant scent which I may get more of.

Pumpkin Patch 4 In the imp: buttery pumpkin with just a hint of dusty sweetish wood. Wet on skin: mmm, not bad! Pumpkin is the main note, but the sandalwood’s there. Dry: oh, I like this. The pumpkin is smooth, rich, buttery and sweet, but there’s also the warm, dry, slightly spicy scent of sandalwood, and the dusty whiteness of orris. The scents work really well and blend really nicely together in this. After a while: as with the other PP scents, the pumpkin in this becomes fuller and sweeter so now it’s mainly pumpkin with a lovely pale woody base. After a few hours, the sandalwood drydown is wonderful! Verdict: this is another delightful PP scent. The warmth and buttery scent of baked pumpkin is combined with the dry woody scent of sandalwood and orris. They go surprisingly well together-and the sandalwood note is wonderful in this, slightly warm and spicy. I like it a lot!

Dreamland In the imp: fresh, moist, watery flowers. Gorgeous. Wet on skin: the floral note gets fuller and sweeter… Dry: this is lovely! This is a cool, fresh, moist floral scent. I can definitely smell iris in this, and possibly a little bit of carnation and tuberose too. These are dew covered and fragile blooms, it’s like smelling real flowers after a spring rain shower, but with a hint of powder as well. It’s quite beautiful. I hope the musk comes through soon. After a while: this gets more and more powdery, but that’s not a bad thing at all. This a good powdery scent-almost dusty, pale, ghostly, wispy, the scent of faded flowers. I think I can just make out the musk, but it’s a very subtle musk, for now anyway. The moist iris really reminds me of another BPAL with iris, can’t remember what though. At the end, I get the sweetness of phlox coming through. Verdict: this is another ethereal and haunting Poe themed perfume, a dusty, pale, light floral scent-quite fresh, moist, dewy and clean. A soft springtime scent, flowers kissed by raindrops, which then becomes a powdery-white, cool, airy scent. It’s a lovely scent, but I’m not sure if I want a bottle. Will keep the decant though!