yeahbutnobut

The Dormouse In the imp: green tea, maybe white tea too. Wet on skin: still tea, and maybe herbs. Dry: oh, I think the peony’s coming out! This is a light, zingy, refreshing green tea scent made greener by herbs, and underneath, a very soft scent of peony. Very nice. Tangy and fresh with a bare hint of floral. After a while: the tea tones down to a milder tangy scent on the skin, where the soft, smooth peony scent can just be detected. This is lovely for spring. I just wish the peony was a bit stronger though! After about 2 hours, I get a very pleasant scent reminiscent of sherbet powder and pink candy! Seems that the tea and peony now get along really well! Verdict: this is a lovely fresh scent, mostly tea of the green and tangy kind, almost citrus like, but with the gentle pink scent of peony underneath. This is a nice scent, very light and bright and good for everyday and warm weather-and it has a lovely sherbet like drydown. I just wish it had a stronger peony note though.

Niflheim In the imp: misty, grey, damp light florals. Wet on skin: is that smoke I smell here amongst the flowers? Dry: yup, it’s smoke alright-and cigarette smoke at that! This scent is of moist, dewy flowers choked by a smog, grey and heavy. A very interesting and atmospheric scent. It evokes greyness, dullness, gloom, fog, and smog-the scent here is very smoky as well as being misty. The downside? The smoke smells like a cigarette. I’m sure it’s a tobacco note. But it to me makes me smell like I’ve been to the pub or some bar, and the smoke is clinging to my skin! After a while: I wonder what flowers are in this? Maybe narcissus, orchid, lily? The smoke and floral scents switch over every now and then in this scent-sometimes the flowers peek through, before getting blotted out by smoke once more. Verdict: if there was a BPAL that evoked the colour grey, it is this. A smoky, misty, atmospheric and unusual scent of flowers dimmed by grey smog. The floral notes try to brighten up the scent, white and glimmering, but the murky gloom chokes them, surrounding them like a thick, heavy veil. The problem is, well, this smoke note smells like cigarettes to me. It makes me smell like I’ve spritzed on some light flowery perfume and been at a really smoky bar all night, and the smoke and perfume smell cling tenaciously to my skin. Not my thing, I’m afraid.

Trick or Treat In the imp: caramel! This isn’t the dark, treacly scent of Sugar Skull, this is a lighter caramel-in fact, it smells like toffee popcorn! I’ve never smelt or tasted candy corn, so bear with me. Wet on skin: toffee popcorn! This is yummy! Dry: this is Sugar Skull’s younger sister. This is a pure caramel scent, sticky toffee-and I do get corn here-it’s like popcorn. So, I’m unsure if this smells like candy corn but it smells just like toffee popcorn to me! Like the stuff I eat at the cinema-it’s scary how much this smells like it! It’s delicious and so sticky-sweet, it’s almost cavity-inducing! After a while: this does get a bit too much after a while. It now smells really corny! Like real popcorn. It’s a nice scent, very authentic smelling-not artificial-but now it’s getting a bit too sickly sweet on my skin. I’m afraid the sugar is smelling a bit burnt and a tiny bit nauseating. Verdict: to me, this is the pure essence of toffee popcorn. A genuine, unbelievably real scent of popcorn covered in caramel and eaten in front of a good movie. Unfortunately, despite me loving toffee popcorn, I’ve realised I don’t want to actually smell like it-it’s a bit too sticky-sweet and a bit full on and slightly nauseating for me. This is one of those foody scents that I find a bit too cloying for my skin chemistry and my nose-one of those scents that is better when it comes from something that is actually edible! Maybe I shall keep this as a room scent or a novelty scent-but I will keep the decant I have of this, because this is a fun scent! (and the decant label has the most adorable Halloween kitty on it!!)

Al Araaf In the imp: a sweet, gentle, lily fragrance. Wet on skin: a gorgeous soft honeyed lotus-lily scent. Dry: this is so pretty! The honey note in this reminds me of Alice or Dana O’Shee’s milky honey scent, a gentle, creamy, almost marshmallow like, honeyed scent. This is quite different to Tiger Lily, the honeyed lilies in this scent are very different-they are lighter, softer, sweeter. I think it’s also the lotus that adds it’s distinctive candy-sweet touch to the scent-which is a very good thing. This is a beautiful and delightful floral scent. After a while: the lovely ‘marshmallow’ scent in this reminds me of the drydown of Snow White which I adore. This, to me, is like the springtime equivalent of SW, with it’s dainty flowery scent. This scent is so girlie-but that’s a good thing. And the description of ‘fae flowers’ is spot on. It’s the scent of a pastel coloured childhood of scented fairy gardens, gentle laughter, and pure untainted innocence. I’m also wondering-does this have white musk and vanilla too? Verdict: Beth is on a roll with these Poe scents! This is a wonderful, gentle, sweet, light and airy floral scent that reminds me of marshmallows! There’s a lovely milky-honey scent to it, with soft floral notes which give this scent a powdery, downy feel, and an almost candy like sweetness without being ‘foody’. I was expecting this to be like Tiger Lily, but it in fact reminds me somewhat of Alice, Dana O’Shee, and Snow White’s drydown. This is a beautiful and youthfully feminine scent, a downy-soft and pastel coloured scent reminiscent of glorious girlie childhoods, with a delicacy as ethereal as the wings of fairies and as fragile as the petals of spring flowers. I am so glad I ordered a bottle.

Evening Star In the imp: a fresh, cool, powdery pale floral. Wet on skin: still that cool, dusty, yet moist, white floral again. Dry: this is lovely! The scent, though I cannot identify clearly what the notes are in this, is both fresh and dewy, but also white and dusty, both gentle and pale, but also heady and rich. This is a cool scent, like evening dew, like night air, it is a glittering floral scent, that must be the moon flower, and the lily note (if that’s what it is) makes the scent even more potently flowery in a wonderful way. This perfume is so ethereal, aloof and mysterious, the scent of a silvery star-goddess shimmering in the sky, distant and far removed from earthly trappings, in the growing coolness of evening. This scent brings to mind strong images, it’s amazing. After a while: the scent doesn’t morph too much-but it does become drier, dustier, and a little bit sweeter. It’s now like a soft scented powder on the skin. There may also be, as other reviews mention, a bit of musk too. Verdict: this is a scent so incredibly evocative and visual, so enchanting, it really captures something I cannot quite grasp-but it brings to mind images of a beautiful, ethereal, starry being, a goddess perhaps, of pale flowing robes and wispy hair, almost elf-like, radiating a shimmering luminescence, aloft in the heavens, shining, twinkling, distant…the scent also is cool, shivering, like the fresh touch of dew, like the cold breath of a night breeze. The fragrance glimmers white and floral, sparkling and quite moist-and yet dry and dusty at the same time, a scent that is mysterious and almost ghostly. I don’t know how Beth does it, but this is another one of those beautiful starry fragrances-along with Nuit-which has touched me in a way that is hard to describe. Another one of those starry scents that really does conjure up visions of glittering night skies and silvery moonlit landscapes, the heavens reflected in lakes and rivers, in drops of dew. A magnificent and breathtaking example of poetry in scent.

All Saints 05 In the imp: a floral-frankincense scent, like a lighter Rose Cross. Very nice. Wet on skin: the resins come out more, as do the floral notes-with rose coming through strongly. Dry: oh wow. This is very beautiful. It reminds me of Rose Cross and Penitence mixed together. If I remember rightly, last year’s one was slightly buttery/foody in scent, but this one keeps more to the description of flowers and church incense. Frankincense and myrrh are strong in this, with a deep, dry rose note which is gorgeous. I can’t really make out the gardenia or the lily of the valley, but this is a wonderful scent none the less. After a while: this stays consistent as a gorgeous resinous rose scent, very heady, but in a good way-I love rose! Verdict: this is a beautiful floral resin scent. Very similar to Rose Cross, but with a deeper rose note and a frankincense-myrrh combination reminiscent of Penitence. It’s rich, deep, resinous and headily floral, but that’s all good to me. I think I may have to succumb to buying a bottle of this!

Spirits of the Dead In the imp: tea! Tangy, refreshing white/green tea, it reminds me a bit of the Dormouse. Wet on skin: it sweetens up nicely. I think that may be the linden coming out. Dry: this is very pleasant! A tangy, tart tea note, almost like lemon or citrus, with a slight sweet floral scent that must be the linden. This combination of tea and a light sweet floral reminds me of the Dormouse. There’s a soft wooden base that isn’t obvious but gives the scent a contrasting dry aspect, whilst still remaining crisp, light and floaty. This is the lighter side of death, it seems, a wispy, yet fresh fragrance. I can’t detect the papyrus here-yet. I’m hoping that shows up… After a while: the tea note tones down a bit, letting the subtler notes come through, like the light woods, the orris, the linden-and I get a bare hint of another greenish-dry note that may be papyrus. It gets slightly greener now as well. Verdict: for a scent associated with the dead, this is a scent that’s surprisingly full of life! A fresh, light, tangy tea-based scent which is very wearable and pleasant smelling. Green or white tea is predominant but there’s also a linden note that adds a gentle floral sweetness, and a wooden base that grounds the fragrance. It’s both dry and a tad dusty (but in a good way) and also refreshing and quite moist in scent. This is a fragrance that’s perfect for spring and summer, and a great everyday perfume. I’m glad I have a bottle.

Sugar Skull 05 In the imp: sweet! It’s like treacle or syrup, it’s gorgeous! Wet on skin: oh wow-the sugar explodes into a wonderful but not over-foody scent. Like rich sugar syrup with dark rum!!! Dry: this is delicious! It’s sweet, no doubt about it-but this is a dark sweetness. A smoky sweetness. A boozy sweetness. It’s like treacle with syrup (both golden and maple) and slightly burnt caramel, and that delicious brown muscovado sugar, with a little bit of dark rum! Maybe just a hint of something fruity, but it’s not obvious. This is wonderful stuff, warm, rich, decadent and sweet in a sophisticated, non-cavity-inducing way. After a while: this stays really consistent all round, that same, dark, sticky, smoky sugar and treacle scent. It’s lovely and perfect for autumn and winter (though I think it would be too heavy for summer) Verdict: take some slightly burnt caramel made with muscovado sugar, add a generous portion of treacle, a bit of maple syrup and slip in a cheeky dash of rum, and you get Sugar Skull! This is magnificent stuff. An incredibly sugary sweet smell that doesn’t smell foody or tooth-achingly sweet. It’s a dark, rich, smoky sugar smell with a little hint of something boozy and possibly a bit of fruit too. It’s warm and delicious and perfect for cooler weather.

Dia De Los Muertos 05 In the imp: yup, this is floral! It’s almost like jasmine. But with something sweet and smoky too. Wet on skin: I like this a lot! It’s sweet, sugary flowers with a hint of smoke. Dry: whoa, it’s really quite a strong, heady and complex smell now-packs a real flowery punch, I think I can get tobacco here too! I get the crackly autumn leaves too, the smoke from tobacco and incense, maybe just a slight bit of chocolate. After a while: wow, I really like this. The florals in here are really rich and full, I’m wondering what sort of flowers-maybe jasmine and gardenia, maybe lily? I think there’s vanilla or something sweet and sugary as well. Maybe it’s the candy and chocolate notes. I also get that gorgeous ‘autumn smoke and leaves’, and incense and tobacco smell in this, it adds a very interesting dimension to what would otherwise be a plain sweet floral scent. It does get more flowery, more heady, and a tad overwhelming after about 2 hours-it’s nice but I’m worried that the floral scent may be a bit much-and I don’t say that about many floral scents. Verdict: I never got to try last year’s version, but I really love this one. It’s strongly floral, that cannot be denied-but that’s no bad thing, since I love floral scents, even of the heady kind-which this is. But there’s also a bunch of other notes in here that add complexity and interesting twists to the scent-sweet candy notes, possibly chocolate and vanilla and sugar, and smoky notes too, such as incense and tobacco, and the dry and dark scent of autumn leaves. This is an autumnal scent, but with a flowery aspect which makes it different and much more of a feminine scent. A fascinating and unique combination. I’m unsure of whether to get a bottle because the florals do get a bit too heady after a while, but I’m definitely keeping the decant I have.

Torture King In the imp: smoky, lemony, leathery bourbon! Wet: the citrus notes come out, along with frankincense, the smoke, grass, leather and bourbon are here too. Dry: wow, I can smell so much in here, and yet it’s so well blended. It starts with fruity, zesty citrus at the top, resins, grass and possibly cloves in between, and the darker notes-the musk, smoke, leather etc, at the bottom. This is a really interesting scent with good complexity, both tangy and sharp with a dark undertone-I think it will smell even better on a man! After a while: the notes in here are now very well balanced, they blend as a gorgeous mix of bright resins and citrus with a warm, deep backdrop of smoky leather and musk. I must say, this is sexy! Verdict: like King of Clubs, this is another King who smells very sexy indeed! Bright tangy citrus with a swirl of smoke and booze, leather and musk. It brings to mind a leather jacket worn by a really handsome guy who wears a good and sophisticated men’s perfume. I swear, if I smelt a man wearing this, I’d shag him instantly!

Veil In the imp: lavender, violet, lilac, white dusty florals. Wet on skin: lavender and violet are now very prominent. Dry on skin: mmm, this is nice. The gardenia is good in this, it seems, no icky notes in this. This is a pale-purple, light, ethereal scent of gentle florals. It's a dry, dusty scent, very feminine and wispy. The lavender is strong, but fades gradually to reveal the violet and lilac underneath, lying on a base of pale sandalwood and orris. It's a lovely scent. After a while: the floral notes in this get richer and seem to bloom nicely on the skin. I still get a hint of lavender, but the violet, gardenia and lilac are now more noticeable, along with the drier wood notes. There's something haunting and ghostly about this scent, I think. Verdict: this is a very nice purple-white scent, wispy, pale, light, ethereal, slightly old fashioned and nostalgic, with a hint of age and dust about it. Very haunting, almost melancholy. Heady, pale flowers are the main notes in this blend (and what nice floral notes) but there's also the dry undertone of sandalwood and orris. It's a lovely scent, though not a favourite, but I do enjoy it and may keep the imp.

Cerberus In the imp: chocolate and rum! And also juniper, and something gingery/peppery? Wet on skin: mmm, a fruity chocolate liqueur. Not bad. it's warm and sweet, with a boozy kick. Dry on skin: this isn't bad! I really like this-it reminds me of those honey-lemon drinks, but with a booze-spice note. It's like a spicy hot toddy with chocolates filled with liqueur, quite medicinal but warm and cosy too, this is the sort of scent you'd want to wear on cold winter days when you're feeling a bit under the weather. The rum-gin note is very nice in this. It's also quite a masculine scent. After a while: oh, the chocolate has made a welcome return, sweetening and adding it's lovely cocoa touch to the boozy-juniper scent, and I can also smell the fig now. This gets even better on drydown, it's lovely at this stage. I think I can make out a musk scent underneath as well. Verdict: this was a pleasant surprise. I was worried about the rum, but in here, it is lovely. It's sweet, fruity, boozy, warm, spicy, comforting but with a bite. I'm surprised at how this smells like a hot toddy with chocolate…it's almost a lemony booze scent, quite medicinal (in a good way). And it's quite masculine or unisex-it would smell great on a man! I like this a lot, although it is so different to the stuff I usually wear or would gravitate towards. And the chocolate-fig-juniper drydown is wonderful. I will keep the imp of it, as I find this a very comforting scent for winter. (and I can't help but think of Hagrid's Fluffy when I smell this! )

I did something very stupid. I accidentally paid the wrong amount when making an order (ie paying $15 for LEs that are $16!) and so I just sent them some extra dollars to make up for this. Is this the right thing to do?

Tenochtitlan In the imp: a sweet, fresh, slightly green-fruity scent. I think I recognise prickly pear in this. Wet on skin: mmm, definitely prickly pear! I also get herbs like coriander and sage in this. Dry on skin: this is such a lovely scent. It's sweet, fresh, fruity and herbal. I think it's the amber that adds a gorgeous sweetness, plus the juicy scent of pear, combined with green, warm herb notes-sage is very prominent in this. I have no idea what Mexican tulip and epazote smell like but I think the tulip may be adding a slight hint of floral to this. It's a very unique and complex scent but it's well balanced as well. After a while: the pear note in this is pretty strong! It's lovely and sweet, fresh, juicy and rich, and the sage adds it's recognisable herbal touch to the scent. It's quite different to many of the BPAL scents I would try, but so pleasant. Verdict: this was a very nice surprise. A sweet prickly pear note, sweetened even more by amber, tempered by soft green herbs. This is light, fresh, and very wearable. It has a summery feel to it, I think-a warmth and also a juicy fruity scent to it. I'm not sure if I'll get a bottle yet but I might get one once the weather warms up.

The Haunted Palace In the imp: oh, wow. A glowing golden amber-vanilla-orange scent. Fruity, sweet, sticky and decadent. Wet on skin: still orange and amber, but now the florals come out. Please gardenia, play nice for me… Dry on skin: wow!!! This is beautiful! This is a glorious floral scent-a rich full rose with a fabulous gardenia that actually smells like gardenia and not acrid nastiness (yay! This one didn't turn to ick on my skin!) with sweet heliotrope mingling fabulously with vanilla and amber, an orange tang and a delightful red musk backdrop. This is unbelievably magnificent! After a while: this scent is so feminine and very voluptuous, sumptuous, decadent. And the vanilla-heliotrope-amber-musk combination now brings to mind the wonderful Hollywood Babylon! But with a beautiful rose scent added. In fact, it's like Hollywood Babylon meets Spellbound. I can't get over how good this is! Verdict: I had such high hopes for this-all the notes in this sounded magnificent-I was just a bit worried about the gardenia. The great thing is the gardenia is of the wonderful variety. The even better thing is this scent totally exceeded expectations. It is a truly glorious, beautiful, feminine and voluptuous scent. Rich decadent floral notes, with sweet vanilla and amber and magnificent red musk, and a little bit of orange. It's reminiscent of Hollywood Babylon and Spellbound, which I love. I was debating about whether to get a bottle. Now I certainly will because it really is fabulous. Beth, you never cease to amaze my nose.

The Hesperides In the imp: crisp green apple cider and something barky, probably oak. Wet on skin: a tart, green apple scent, green and tree-like (not woody) notes. Dry on skin: oh, this gets better! The apple comes into it's own now, becoming a fresh, tangy scent, with a slightly dewy feel to it. This is a very refreshing, bright, green scent, like moist green leaves and juicy green granny smith apples, with the oak adding a nice dry base to the whole scent. After a while: this is nice-the notes of oak and apple are more balanced now. It's got a bubbly, fizzy scent to it like a cross between cider and Appletise, I think, but with a nice bark scent adding another dimension and preventing it from being straight apple. Verdict: this is a lovely fresh and effervescent apple scent with a dry, earthy oak background. the apple note is tangy and crisp, like green apples-or like cider or Appletise-but with that oaky scent in the background. It's a very pleasant scent, it makes me think of relaxing in the park with a glass of cider, leaning against the oak tree as the leaves fall. It's not a favourite, not spectacular-if there was something spicy or resinous it may be more my thing-but it's a nice scent and I'll probably keep the imp.

Devil's Night In the imp: ooh, light smoky ginger and sugar. This smells delicious! Wet on skin: ginger! I definitely get a slight ginger vibe from this-but it's not a fiery ginger scent, this one is slightly smoky, and definitely sugary. Dry on skin: oh wow! This is lovely…I get that gorgeous smoky scent that autumn air tends to have, that light whiff of bonfire smoke, along with a sweet ginger beer scent. I can see why people say this has similarities to Shub and Sugar Cookie, but this one is different…the spice is more muted, and I get a little bit of mild booze-the kind of booze I like! The sugar is there too-and the musk! A light, very gentle, velvety yet slightly tangy musk which forms a lovely soft base to the scent, almost Buck Moon like, in fact-I even get something slightly foresty-in an autumnal way-from the scent. It's truly wonderful, and subtle too. After a while: now the booze, spice and sugar have retreated and become faint, but the scent that remains is a lovely soft smoky musk, very much like Buck Moon. It's a slightly sharpish (but not in a bad way) yet subtle skin musk-I'm wondering if this is Egyptian musk? It has that sort of barely there, tangy, 'second skin' quality to it. This scent really makes me think of Bonfire Night (and how apt is it to review it on that exact day), the scent crushed autumn leaves and the smoke of the bonfire wafting past, watching the fireworks with a really handsome boyfriend (yeah, I wish…) Verdict: this is a delightful smoky sweet musk scent. It has the smoke and leafy/woody scents of an autumn night mixed with a little bit of booze, a pinch of spice, some sugar, and a soft skin musk base. It's perfect-it's subtle and yet unique, and wonderful for autumn. This scent brings to mind Guy Fawkes night, and is Buck Moon's autumnal equivalent. A fantastic autumn scent, I'm glad I have a bottle coming to me!

In the imp: oh yum yum, this smells delicious…buttery pumpkin with chocolate and nuts aplenty. Wet on skin: this gets a bit sweeter and perhaps spicy too? it's still chocolate and nut pumpkin, reminds me of brownies… Dry on skin: is there such a thing as pumpkin brownies? If so, I'm getting cravings for them. This is what I'd imagine them to smell like-there's that slightly buttery, slightly fruity-sweet, baked pumpkin smell coupled with cocoa and wonderful nutty scents, it smells warm, delicious, and like it's come straight out of the oven ready for me to devour. After a while: the pumpkin note sweetens and strengthens more after a while, still with the nut and cocoa notes drifting in the background but now it's the pumpkin that's taking centre stage. And that's no bad thing!!! Verdict: this is such a delightful and indulgent scent. Think a delicious fresh pumpkin pie served with brownies crammed with nuts and the smells of both these treats fill the kitchen as they bake. I must resist the urge to bite my arm off. I love the pumpkin note in these Patch scents-it's slightly spicy, slightly buttery, it's sweet, rich and with feel of it being a cooked pumpkin (as opposed to Pumpkin King, which was a raw pumpkin smell) and in this, it bonds wonderfully with chocolate and nut notes. A very comforting foody scent.

Samhain 05 In the imp: honeyed apple! Very similar to the 04 version. I get something spicy to it, and possibly pumpkin and patchouli. It smells lovely and warming. Wet on skin: I have no idea why, but I'm getting a cardamom/cinnamon like scent from this-and I love it! I still smell honeyed apple with spices, and now woody and pine like notes come out. Dry on skin: this is gorgeous! Crushed green fir needles and damp woods, with something fresh and breezy like an autumn wind. I can see why some people say this is medicinal, and something slightly reminiscent of pine or eucalyptus-that could be the fir, but that's no bad thing.. Sweet red apple and spice are here too, along with that honey like scent, and sweet mellow pumpkin too. It's wonderful! After a while: the honey note in this now smells more like beeswax. No bad thing, as I like the smell of beeswax anyway. It's sweeter now, and the fresh fir note has retreated. The foody scents of pumpkin and sweet crisp apple are now more prominent. It's still a fantastic smelling blend. Verdict: this is a fabulous autumnal scent, one of the best I've tried. With woods, fir, apple, spices and pumpkin, this scent has both foody warmth, comforting and mellow, and a bracing freshness like the chill winds of October. It's beautifully evocative of the season, marvellously complex and with many dimensions of scent-something that Beth does so well. I remember trying last year's version briefly, it had that same honeyed apple feel to it, but this one has a fresher fir/wood note as well. I think I may need a bottle for next autumn!

Alone In the imp: holy cardamom Batman! And patchouli too…I love cardamom and I'm hoping this is the strong cardamom scent from BPAL I've been searching for. Wet on skin: oh, this is gorgeous. Earthy patchouli, gorgeous warm cardamom, sandalwood and possibly labdanum too. And the great thing? The gardenia is of the good variety-I can't smell it here, but the point is it didn't make the blend go icky! Dry on skin: oh, this gets better. Now, along with the earthy notes of patchouli, cardamom and sandalwood, I get a very slight whisper of flowers. Very soft, but it's enough to add another interesting dimension to an already interesting scent. This is a wonderful scent, warm, rich, deep, earthy and mysterious, and it has a fantastic cardamom note, good and strong, the way I like it. After a while: there's a definite feel of earth to this scent. Like soil or clay, but it doesn't smell of those-it just has that feel to it. It's mainly that cardamom warmth resting on a patchouli-sandalwood base with just a little bit of floral flitting through here and there. Amazing stuff. Verdict: I've been looking for a BPAL with a prominent cardamom note, though whilst I love Bastet and I really like Whippoorwill, the cardamom isn't very noticeable in them. But in Alone, it is the star of the blend. But this is more than just warm, glorious cardamom-it's a earthy scent of deep patchouli with woody and incense like notes, with the barest waft of gentle flowers. I think Macha's description is spot on and I can't better it. I was worried the gardenia would be of the evil kind-but it isn't. This blend is truly lovely and I will need a bottle, especially as this seems like a wonderful scent to wear on those lonely winter nights.

In the imp: this reminds me somewhat of the new Body Shop oil-'Pumpkin and Nectarine'-except here it's the buttery, rich, sweetish scent of pumpkin with a fruity pomegranate note. Wet on skin: the pomegranate comes out more now-it's sweet with a slight tartness. Dry on skin: oh, this is surprisingly pleasant. The warm, mellow foody scent of baked pumpkin contrasts and yet blends nicely with the juicy sweet-tangy pomegranate. It's like a slice of pumpkin pie served with a glass of that pomegranate juice I love to drink. After a while: the pomegranate note gets that bit sweeter and more noticeable, but is nicely balanced with the pumpkin. Verdict: I never expected pumpkin and pomegranate to go so well together, but lo and behold, Beth made the combination work! The pomegranate here is a sweet one, like the gorgeous pomegranate juice I drink, and the pumpkin has a slight smokiness, a mellow and creamy scent that seems almost like baked pumpkin. This is a lovely scent, simple yet so different, and perfect for autumn.

This time I didn't have any parties...because no one invites me to these things and I'm really not into the big RnB/hip-hop raves the guys in my flat go to...it's not my type of music, or style-I like full blown fancy dress parties with really good fun songs, such as 60s, 70s or 80s music, or even cheesy sing-along disco classics for my Halloween parties! If I do happen to go to town with costumes and all next year, I'll probably dress up as an Egyptian queen or goddess, with copious amounts of Bastet or Nuit to match. Today I wore Pumpkin King layered with Three Witches.

Spooky In the imp: it has a note there that reminds me of Midway…but with mint, coconut and rum. Wet on skin: oh good, the rum's behaving itself. Please stay that way, rum… Dry on skin: this is really nice. Like a rum and coconut cocktail with crème de menthe…I smell something doughy or floury, dusty almost- as well as cocoa. The great thing is that the rum isn't amped to the max and making my skin smell drunk! The mint makes this cool, yet this scent is also warm and cosy. I can see why people compare this with the Star-it has the same mint-coconut vibe, but with rum and cocoa too. After a while: I'm pretty sure it has that same 'dusty' note I get in Midway and Snow White, the one that thankfully doesn't go plastic smelling on me, but does sometimes go dusty on me. In this it's not unpleasant-with the cocoa, it makes me think of dry cocoa powder. The mint has gone by now. I adore the drydown this has after a few hours…like Snow White and Midway, it now smells like marshmallows at this point! Verdict: this blend has stopped me being scared of rum scents. The rum in this doesn't scream on my skin and take over the blend-in here, it adds a lovely hint of booze to an otherwise sweet and foody scent. the combination of rum, mint, coconut and vanilla with a sprinkling of chocolate is a very pleasant combination. It's not a favourite but I will keep the decant I have of this because I like this a lot-especially the marshmallow drydown!

I'm in a similar situation to you! But I have no Samhain at the moment...but I will be wearing Pumpkin King on Halloween day itself.

Sudha Segara In the imp: a very light ginger tea! Wet on skin: warm ginger starts to strengthen but not too strongly. Dry on skin: oh, this is lovely. This is like a warm, soothing cup of ginger tea, slightly creamy but not too much. This isn't a powerful, fiery, fierce ginger scent, neither is it really foody. This is a soft, gentle ginger that is comforting. I swear that there is a tea note to this, despite it not being listed. I cannot smell the honey in here either-it's not very sweet. However, along with Alice and Dana O'Shee, this is one of the milk-honey scents I can handle and which I really enjoy. After a while: this stays consistent-it remains the same gentle ginger scent with a hint of milk and tea about it. Verdict: this was a very nice surprise. I was a bit worried the milk would be a bit too much, but this is the light milk that I like, the kind you get in Alice and Dana O'Shee. And then there's the ginger-this isn't the biting, hot ginger of Shub. Nor is it the foody, doughy gingerbread scent of Gingerbread Poppet. Sudha is a gentle, light ginger scent that is comforting and warming, like a warm drink at bedtime. I definitely detect something very tea-like in this as well, making this a lovely ginger-tea scent. This is an understated, simple, yet very soothing spice scent. This is a great scent for the lazy winter days when I want to just curl up in bed with a warm cup of tea, away from the cold outside. I love it.