yeahbutnobut

Midway In the imp: yum yum holy frickin' yum. This smells so sweet-like coconut ice and candy floss and toffee apples and fried doughnuts. Funfair food! And the smell reminds me of something from childhood-a hint of those scented rubbers and a perfume/lotion I used to use. Wet on skin: I can smell something that reminds me of coconut-or coconut ice. But there's also something disturbingly plastic or dusty…oh no… Dry on skin: oh no…it's sweet and candy-like, but there's also something unpleasant that reminds me of dirt and dust…I'm hoping this doesn't last. Damn you, skin chemistry! However, it does remind me of the dusty ground of the funfair. I think it might improve, I hope it does, because I love the sweet top note of this! After a while: please don't fade…I think my skin is eating this scent (it must be hungry for funnel cakes!) as it seems fainter even after 5 minutes! The dusty note is much more bearable though, and I love the sweet scent that hovers above my skin, it's just so yummy! After 15 minutes…wait a minute-is that toffee apples I smell? Yay, it is! And I can smell the sweet candy floss, and possibly the funnel cakes. Now I'm beginning to like this. And the throw's improving!! After 30 minutes…yum yum this is so nice! I can smell the toffee apples, candy floss, coconut ice, marshmallows, vanilla ice cream, and fried doughnuts now! This scent is making me hungry! However, the scent is not a cloying, full on sweet greasy smell, it's like the scent of funfair food wafting on a warm breeze. there's also that hint of dusty wood or dried grass that makes it a tad more realistic-it's like I can smell the fair itself as well as the food. After about an hour, it still retains that sweet scent-it changes though from marshmallows to candy floss to vanilla ice cream to funnel cakes/fried doughnuts to toffee apples all the time! It's like walking through the fair and smelling the food from the different stalls. It does, however, have a dark undertone-which fits in well with the whole idea of 'Carnaval Noir'! At one point, the scent has a metallic aspect, which reminds me of the scent of the metal after you've held on to the bars of a rollercoaster or some other white knuckle ride, which is very fitting. And now the drydown is like candyfloss and marshmallows. Oh gods I want to lick myself. Verdict: in the imp, it smells WONDERFUL. An amazing blend of the most yummy sweet funfair food. But on my skin, it develops a dusty note that I'm not keen on, but then the scent fades away…but then, it returns with a gentle scent of toffee apples and candy floss, the throw improves, the scent warms up and it becomes delicious and sweet once more. Midway is to summer what Snow White is to winter. Both have similar effects on my skin (lovely in the bottle, strange when wet, fades slightly when dry, but after a while they smell nice again and become delicious) but of course, they smell totally different. This is a fun and indulgent foody scent that reminds me of Alton Towers, Brighton Pier, and my local fair (but without the stink of hot dogs and diesel!), it's very sweet but it's also soft, and not cloying or sickly. I might have to cave in and buy a bottle-even if I just buy it for sniffing the bottle or for the fantastic label-but now I love this scent and the way it brings up pleasant memories of funfairs and theme parks.

Ace of Hearts In the imp: sweet, honeyed florals. Probably rose, freesia and orchid. Wet on skin: oh wow, a really heady floral. Rose and orchid! It's got a fresh, tart, moist aspect-apt for it's water associations. Dry on skin: this is lovely! It smells a bit like lily, which is unusual, but nice because I love lilies. The rose in here is tangy and tart, and the scent overall has a fresh feel, like a huge bouquet from the florists. This is heady and uber-floral, not that I mind, since I love floral scents, but also smells freshly picked and dew covered. After a while: the rose now smells very deep and heady, brings to mind the image of velvety red petals. I think the freesia and orchid are dancing on top of the rose, but I can't smell the lotus yet. I love the way I can pick out the individual flowers here though. After about half an hour, it suddenly softens and fades a bit...I'm worried this might mean it fades very fast on me! But the scent is now less heady and is softer and more delicate. It now smells like more exotic blooms-probably the orchid and gardenia. Verdict: this scent reminds me of a book called the Solitaire Mystery, which has a character called the Ace of Hearts-she was the most beautiful of the playing card people, and represented the midsummer sun. This is what she would smell like. This is a heady, feminine bouquet of fresh flowers, but it's got a interesting tartness, almost astringent but not unpleasant at all. The flowers in here smell real, like real flowers from the florists, it's a complex mixture of red pink and white florals, sweet and fresh, tart and tangy, and so lovely.

Santa Eularia Des Riu In the imp: lavender, orange blossom and citrus. Wet on skin: still lavender, citrus (possibly lemon and/or orange) and orange blossom. This is a lovely scent that reminds me of the Mediterranean. Dry on skin: there's something in here reminiscent of Lush's Therapy and something from L'Occitane-it's the lavender and orange/orange blossom. This is a nice soft floral scent, slightly herbal with a nice sharp citrus tang-piquant is the right word. No jasmine yet, but the orange blossom is very strong. It reminds me of cologne. After a while: still citrus and orange blossom, but I think the jasmine is just coming out, adding a smooth light white scent, like freshly bloomed jasmine flowers. Something about this scent reminds me of freshly washed sheets drying in the sun. I must be lucky that not only does jasmine smell nice on me, it doesn't amp up on my skin either! Verdict: this is a lovely, light, fresh scent of tangy citrus fruits and soft flowers-lavender and orange blossom, with hints of jasmine peeking out in the drydown. It has a cologne-like quality and is a carefree and breezy, sunny and smiley scent. This is a perfect perfume for summer, especially if I go on holiday to the Med.

Chaos Theory CCCXIX (319?) From a swap with Cricketshay. In the imp: pepper. Yup, lots of pepper-probably black pepper. I think there's something floral as well, and some dragon's blood (the oil is red) Wet on skin: still very peppery. There's a hint of floral, which might be rose. Dry on skin: mmm, this is nice! This is a spicy floral, flower petals and dragon's blood resin covered with ground pepper. An unusual combination, but it seems to work. I'm not sure what kind of flower is in this, it could be rose. I think I smell the dragon's blood here too, which, sometimes on my skin, takes on a clear 'floral' like smell. After a while: the floral note gets stronger, and I have a feeling it could be jasmine or honeysuckle, maybe mixed with rose-it's now less of a 'red' floral and more of a white light floral scent. Still very peppery as well. After two hours-yup, it's jasmine alright! Which is no bad thing since I love it…and the pepper makes it more interesting. Verdict: another fascinating scent of chaos. This one is hot and spicy, with the instantly recognisable scent of ground peppercorns. It's mingled with dragon's blood and a floral note, and the drydown after a few hours is a lightly peppered jasmine. A wonderful scent, soft florals contrasting with spiky, hot pepper. If something similar was added to the BPAL catalogue, I'd probably buy more. Chaos Theory CCLXXX (280?) From a swap with Cricketshay. In the imp: I think there's camomile in here. But there's also a note that reminds me of…toilet cleaner. Wet on skin: there are two parts to this scent-a fairly pleasant scent that reminds me of soap (probably Pears or Dove) and an unpleasant, sharp not that reminds me of cleaning products. Dry on skin: I think the soap note is lily of the valley and/or camomile, maybe jasmine, I can now smell it has become more floral, and more pleasant, it's a soft, powdery white floral. But that sharp 'toilet cleaner' note remains! I really don't like this. I hope it improves. After a while: this reminds me, unfortunately, of those soaps you get in public toilets. There's a sweet floral, like a blossom scent with white powdery florals, but there's that chemical scent that really disagrees with me. It's more bearable, but it's still not me. After a few hours, it finally becomes lovely. A soft, sweet floral with a hint of something fruity which I think is pear. It could also be lotus, which I love. Verdict: this CT did not agree with me at all, I'm afraid. There's a soapy soft floral that attempts to redeem this scent, but there's also a note that is harsh and almost chemical smelling that reminds me of bathroom or toilet cleaner. I really don't like this, I'm afraid, and my skin is really amping the cleaning product smell. The drydown, however, is lovely, but I can't handle this scent for an hour before it changes to that nice drydown. Hopefully someone else will find this better, so I'm swapping it. (Last reviewed by Digital_Hypoxia.)

Hermes In the imp: lavender, possibly cinnamon and clove or ginger. It reminds me of something from Lush-maybe Dreamtime. Wet on skin: still lavender and spices, warm spices that may be cinnamon and clove. This is a very deep, herbal-spicy scent. Dry on skin: mmm, spice! I love the warm spicy scent this has, backed up by lavender, and possibly other herbs. This is a lovely scent…it reminds me slightly of Paris, but with warmer, less sweet spices. After a while: cinnamon! This is just like Three Witches, but with added lavender. I love the dry cinnamon bark in this, it's almost festive smelling. This eventually becomes pure cinnamon and clove, the exact same drydown as TW! Verdict: as a budding writer currently suffering from terrible writer's block, I'm hoping this blend kick starts my muse into action. Whatever the effects of this, I love the scent. it's lavender with a wonderful warm spicy blend of cinnamon and clove. Think the spices of Three Witches but with lavender added, or a drier, less sweet version of Paris. I love this scent, and hopefully it's magical effects will take hold. I want a bottle!

Bastet's Laughter In the imp: sweet bubblegum-no doubt lotus, as this is a sacred Egyptian flower. There's also a bittersweet fruit smell like citrus peel. I have no candles to put this on, so I shall try it on the skin. Wet on skin: mmmm, yummy! This is a lovely, sweet fruity blend. There's a scent of candied orange or lemon peel, or pink grapefruit, in this, as well as the sweet floral scent of what I think is lotus. Dry on skin: this is lovely! I think there may be apricot or peach in this, but there's also a deeper sweetness here with a slight bittersweet twinge-but this is no bad thing, it makes the scent more interesting. It smells just like candied fruit peel-I don't like the taste of it, but I love the scent! This is a sunny, warm scent, so gorgeous. I think I can smell a tiny bit of lotus there too. After a while: there's now a scent in here that reminds me of the lovely smoky scent of a blown out candle. I'm pretty sure there's apricot here as well-spiced apricot jam. And still the scent of candied citrus peel, and a hint of candy floss on top. It's so sweet, you can't help but smile. Verdict: I love this Egyptian themed scent!!! It smells fruity, sugared and sunny. It has a playful, youthful and mischievous feel to it. It smells like candied fruits with apricots and a bit of lotus. This blend is full of optimism and makes me want to connect with my feline side. I wish I could obtain a bottle. I may try this on candles and see what happens...

Al Azif In the imp: sweet, dark, spicy incense. I swear I even smell a little bit of dark rum or whisky! Wet on skin: this is a really dark resinous blend with a twist of booze and some dry spices and woods. Dry on skin: dark, sweet, sticky resins. There's possibly some really dark amber in this, and some myrrh-dark myrrh probably. There are also some dry woody or spice notes in this. And there's a booze note-not sure what kind of booze, but it reminds me of Miskatonic's Irish cream note, or perhaps of dark rum. It's a very sweet scent-there may be some treacle in here as well, a really dark sugar scent, slightly maple-syrupy. After a while: this is complex, there are many resin scents in this, but they blend together into one, sweet mass of resin and I can't pick them out, that's how well blended this is. There's now a lighter, and, dare I say it, slightly floral top note in this. There's also a sweetness, which is much like bourbon vanilla-or maybe even bourbon liquor. After an hour or so, I can smell a little bit of patchouli, with a molasses like topping. Verdict: this is a really interesting scent-it's complex, unusual, and very dark. It's incense-y and resinous, but of very sticky, dark, treacle like resins, as opposed to dry, smoky resins. Very sweet and viscous smelling. It has a little hint of strong booze, possibly rum or whisky. And there's a spicy note in there, or perhaps some woods. It's very intriguing and does fit the description well (even though I've never read Lovecraft), but I'm not sure if it's my favourite incense scent, but I do enjoy the fragrance.

The Lion In the imp: mmm, spicy amber! Cinnamon! Yum! Wet on skin: wow, this is lovely! Amber! And there's wonderful spice note with cinnamon. Dry on skin: this is lovely! This is an amazing spicy amber scent. It's a really 'clear' and translucent scent, brings to mind the image of crystalline amber resin. It reminds me of a drink of sorts-root beer or ginger beer, perhaps? Or iced tea with spice? Possibly the latter. I know there's cinnamon here, and there's possibly some other spices and herbs as well. After a while: It sweetens up really nicely-and develops a more 'liquid' aspect, like the scent of a really delicious spiced ice tea drink on a warm summer's day. Yup, I agree with other reviewers that it smells of tea-but that's no bad thing-it's making me want iced chai tea (does that stuff exist? If not, then why not?) It's warm, but has a refreshing aspect too, a certain clarity, a translucence, glowing and bright. I'm wondering if there's a bit of musk here too? Verdict: this is a warm and luscious amber scent, accented by spice. It's clear, liquid or crystalline amber, sweet and warm with a spicy twist. Truly lovely. I love the cinnamon in this, it is so nice with the amber, it reminds me of the cinnamon-amber combination in Sin that I love. This is a gorgeous scent that makes me wanna roar with pleasure! Rwarr!

The Queen of Hearts Lily of the Valley, Calla Lily, stephanotis and a drop of cherry. In the imp: almond? That could be the cherry though. There's also some heady florals underneath the cherry scent. Wet on skin: the almond/cherry vanishes, and leaves a soft white floral scent-lilies. Dry on skin: lily of the valley! I love that scent…my mum has a patch of lilies of the valley in the garden and they always smell so nice. There's a little bit of tartness and moistness in this scent, which makes the lily seem more 'real'. The lily in here reminds me of Kostnice-it's that same raindrop covered bloom scent. After a while: the blend is sweetening now, with a note that could be the stephanotis. I've smelt this flower for real, it has a soft, sweet scent, delicate and slightly powdery-like a muted, tempered down jasmine. I think I can smell it here now. Verdict: this is a very nice, heady, feminine blend of white lilies. Soft and powdery, slightly moist and full bloomed, this is almost pure lily on me at first. It's very pure and fresh, like a real blooming lily, with the lily of the valley note flitting through. Then the stephanotis comes out from hiding, and adds a nice, delicate touch to the fragrance. It's a gorgeous floral scent, not sure if it's a favourite though, but it's another uber-feminine floral that I enjoyed trying out. I might keep the imp.

Peace In the imp: mmm! Lavender, and possibly violet and lime. It actually smells like an organic natural shampoo I use!!! Wet on skin: lavender! This is a really nice, fuzzy and cosy smell, very herbal, and very soothing. Very 'aromatherapy-like'. Dry on skin: holy shit! This smells EXACTLY like Lush's Waving Not Drowning! (And also Playdoze, and Sleepy Head.) I love that calming, sleepy lavender scent in that bath ballistic, and this perfume is almost identical! I'm wondering if there's the ylang-ylang, fennel and cardamom that the Lush scent contains! This is lovely! After a while: now a more violet-y scent rises up from the WND smell, adding a light, delicate, powdery sweetness to the blend. I think there may be a spice of some kind (cardamom?) because the scent has a very warm feel. Verdict: I love Peace-why? Because it's the perfect compliment to the Lush sleepy blends-WND, Playdoze and Sleepy Head. It smells identical to them, on me anyway. This is a wonderful, soothing, unwinding blend of lavender and warm herbal notes, possibly some violet too. I'm wondering if it has the other ingredients of WND as well. This is perfect to go to sleep with, especially after a long bath. Please Beth, release the Peace!!! Edit: just when I thought I was loving this, after a few hours it goes a bit burnt on me. There's a weird smell that reminds me of charcoal. What a shame...it was so nice before!

The unreleased blend, Peace, smells EXACTLY like Waving not Drowning. Yup.

Netzach In the imp: rose! I love rose!!! This seems similar to the Empress. Wet on skin: oh wow, another gorgeous rose scent. This is lovely! It reminds me of the Empress meets Lucy's Kiss. Dry on skin: I love rose. This is a lovely, warm, soft rose, heady and deep. There might be something slightly spicy, dry or woody in this, or maybe orris, or sandalwood. There's definitely something enhancing the rose note. It reminds me of Black Cat, or Lucy's Kiss. After a while: it pretty much stays the same-a powdery, heady rose, sweet but with a dry undertone. It's quite nice. Verdict: I can't get enough of these rose scents! This is another one of these. Very similar to Lucy's Kiss, this is a mature, refined rose scent, quite dry, nostalgic, like an old fashioned Victorian rose smell. It's a gorgeous fragrance, but I'm not sure if it's a favourite yet…I have many rose blends I prefer to this, so I probably won't get a bottle, but I might keep the imp.

Sin In the imp: a really dark, deep scent, almost like darkened red musk, but I think it's patchouli and sandalwood. Wet on skin: oh, now the cinnamon starts to come through! the sandalwood and patchouli are nice and dark in here, the amber adds a touch of sweetness. Dry on skin: cinnamon!!! I love cinnamon, and in here, it's mixed with patchouli and sandalwood and a nice background of amber, which is such an interesting combination! This is a rich, deep, exotic scent, it reminds me of this perfume I smelt somewhere when I went on holiday some time ago, a really nice, warm, exotic perfume. And there's something here that reminds me so much of red musk, or cherries. After a while: this was what I wanted Snake Oil to be like, had the vanilla not amped up and blotted out all the other notes. This is such a slinky, sensual scent…and I love the spicy bite it has. Verdict: this is surprisingly nice! This is a rich, exotic, dark, sensual blend of patchouli and sandalwood (and I'm pretty sure there's musk here) and amber, with a wonderful touch of spicy cinnamon. The notes in here are blended so well, and there's something about this scent that reminds me of another perfume I smelt somewhere before. This is a sexy, naughty blend and it makes me want to do bad things…I love it.

Sophia In the imp: lavender and soft florals. Lovely. Wet on skin: mmm, I can smell the lavender here, plus something slightly spicy. There are also some lovely sweet florals, like rose and jasmine, coming through. Dry on skin: oh wow. This is a beautiful, soothing blend of flowers warmed up nicely by a lovely spice note. The lavender doesn't overpower here; it's nicely balanced and well mixed with the other flowers. It has a mature air to it, dignified and mysterious, it fits the image of a goddess of infinite wisdom. After a while: whoa, I feel soothed, even quite sleepy. This lavender is pretty powerful even though it's not a prominent note now, I think this will be a nice bedtime scent. And the jasmine in this is lovely, so sweet and light, dancing on the top of the scent with the spices (and what lovely spices-is there cinnamon here?), with the lavender and a bit of musk at the bottom, and a nice crisp rose note in between. After 45 minutes, now the lavender's faded, and the rose and jasmine are there-and they smell sublime, almost luminous. Verdict: this is truly magnificent. This is a soft, yet potent floral scent with a very nice lavender note, with rose and jasmine, and some soft spices. This scent has a very calming, gentle feel to it, and yet it feels profound and mysterious. This will be lovely to wear to sleep, thanks to the lavender, but the other flowers make this even more interesting. This scent is very feminine, yet with a grown up and wise feel to it. The florals are well balanced and they all work together to create a soothing, magnificent scent.

Velvet In the imp: mmmmmm! Chocolate brownies!!! Reminds me of 13 but this is more like milk chocolate. Wet on skin: the chocolate note is still there, but now I think I can smell the sandalwood, a rich, deep sandalwood. Dry on skin: oh, this is sublime! The sandalwood is rich and full here, sweetened nicely by the vanilla, cocoa and myrrh. This is yummy. It's also quite subtle, close to the skin, and indulgent. After a while: the vanilla is really strong in this. It has a tendency to overpower the other notes, but in here it works nicely, and is balanced out by the sandalwood. Verdict: this is the ultimate comfort scent. This is a really indulgent and delicious scent. the only problem is that the vanilla in this gets amped up a lot on my skin, but here, the sandalwood grounds it nicely. The cocoa and myrrh deepen the scent. It's very sweet and smooth, like good quality chocolate. I'm not sure if I'll get a bottle, but I'm definitely keeping the imp.

Shill In the imp: oh my word. BUTTER. And popcorn. But mainly butter. I'm worried now. Wet on skin: salty butter! It smells too savoury and foody as perfume-I love salty melted butter on my food, but not as a fragrance! Dry on skin: oh dear, the salted butter note is amped up to the max on me. I was hoping for popcorn, but I can't really smell it under all the butter. After a while: the popcorn starts to come through, but I'm afraid it's still too buttery for me. Verdict: I'm afraid to say this is way too salty and buttery for me. I was hoping for a more popcorn-like scent, but the salted butter just overtakes the scent. Now, I love butter as food, but not as perfume or room fragrance. But I am impressed at the way this perfume smells so real. Like I've spilt salted butter on my arm! I do eventually smell the popcorn, but I would have preferred a perfume scented with sweet, toffee-flavoured popcorn than salty buttered popcorn. Oh well, off to swaps.

Mata Hari In the imp: dry roast coffee! And also a flowery background, rose and jasmine. Wet on skin: roasted coffee beans and flowers. It's an unusual combination, but not bad. Dry on skin: I can smell the jasmine, rose, and sweet ripe fig. Still a hint of coffee, but this fades, and reveals a lovely blend of sweet flowers. There's something woody and dark, possibly the mahogany. I think the vanilla adds sweetness to the scent. Something about this reminds me of the florals in Kali. After a while: this is very heady indeed! It's also incredibly sweet. There's a hint of darkness provided by the mahogany and coffee as well-I don't know, but this seems a little bit distracting. I never thought I'd say this, but I think here, the florals are a bit too sweet. Maybe it's the vanilla misbehaving on me…it can be temperamental! Or maybe that's the tonka? Verdict: this is an unusual and intriguing blend. I love the floral blend in this, it's rich, heady and very feminine, and sweetened by vanilla and ripe fig. However, I'm not sure what to make of the coffee in this-it seems to clash slightly with the florals. But this does fade over time, to reveal a sweet flowery scent that is exotic and full-on. It's a lovely rich blend, but I'm not sure if it's a favourite yet. Maybe if it didn't have dry coffee and the vanilla was kept in check, I would love this more.

Honey Moon In the imp: warm, soft, fuzzy honey with a hint of green. Wet on skin: sweet honey with a nice sweet floral note coming through. The thyme adds an interesting herbal touch. And the gardenia in here is of the nice variety-it doesn't go funky on my skin! Dry on skin: mmmm! Now the floral notes really come through. There's jasmine there, and another white floral which could be white ginger but I'm not sure. There's probably gardenia in the mix as well. It's lovely though-very tropical smelling. And the flowers are drizzled with a coating of soft honey. This is beautiful. After a while: now another honey note comes through. This is the honey note from O, or from Honey SN. I can see what the description means by different honeys. I can smell about two or three varieties here. It now smells truly delicious, very sweet, and the florals are still there. It smells like liquid sunshine. Verdict: I am truly impressed by both June Lunacies. This one is wonderful. It's got a sublime blend of honeys, so warm and liquid, with delightful sweet florals and a nice twist of thyme. The honey note in here reminds me of an elderflower-honey cordial, and it's warm and sun kissed. This is a perfect honey scent for summer, and it's ever so feminine. I am so pleased I have a bottle, because this is lovely.

Baghdad In the imp: oh, gorgeous! The scent of middle eastern incenses and spice. Wet on skin: mmm, this is lovely! It's a gorgeous blend that smells woody and resinous, but also tangy thanks to the mandarin and bergamot. I can also smell the rose and amber pushing through, and nutmeg and saffron warming it up nicely. This is really reminiscent of the Middle East, of a bazaar selling all sorts of wonderful smelling spices and perfumes. Dry on skin: wow, the sandalwood now comes into play, adding a nice, exotic woody touch to the blend. this mixes nicely with the rose, and this reminds me of Seraglio. The amber adds a nice sweetness, and there's a little bit of musk there. This is wonderful! Exotic, mesmerising, mysterious. After a while: I can't stop sniffing my wrist! It's now predominantly rose and sandalwood with a bit of amber, with a hint of citrus and saffron. There is an overall sense of warmth, and a sense of dryness, slightly dusty and powdery, which isn't a bad thing-it's like the scent of a marketplace in the desert. I'm also getting that 'antique wooden chest' scent, the sandalwood in here smells antique, ancient even, like an old chest holding fragrant treasures. Verdict: I adore BPAL's Middle Eastern inspired blends, and this one was love at first sniff. Think Seraglio meets Morocco with a bit of amber added for good measure. It's truly magnificent-a warm, rich, exotic mix of many different notes so expertly blended they work fantastically well as one. I think I'm going to need a bigger bottle, because this is just amazing.

Strawberry Moon In the bottle: yummy! Smells like real strawberries and cream. And I mean real strawberries, because it's not all sweet-it has a fruity tang. Wet on skin: still strawberries, but now an even tangier note comes through-it's probably green tea-and I can smell the sage, which is surprisingly nice with the strawberries. Dry on skin: this is a really nice scent. Fresh, tangy-sweet strawberries with green sage and tea. This reminds me of the times when I used to go strawberry picking-you can smell the strawberries and the greenery. After a while: the scent sweetens once more-it now has a syrup like quality-it's like the strawberry syrup that remains after eating a bowl of strawberries with sugar. The greenery is still there. I can picture myself sitting in the park, having a picnic and eating strawberries, or strawberry jam on scones. I'm wondering if it's the lotus that's giving that sweet scent as well? The drydown is almost identical to that of Pink Moon's-sweet sugary syrupy strawberries. Verdict: this is a lovely, delicious strawberry scent. Whilst Pink Moon was sweet strawberries drizzled with syrup and sprinkled with sugar, this is the scent of freshly picked strawberries. It has the sweetness and the tartness of a true strawberry, with added green tea and sage to give a feeling of the greenery and the leaves of the strawberry plant and the grass, bathed in warm sunshine. Then the scent sweetens again and it's like strawberries and cream, dusted with sugar, eaten at a picnic on a sunny June day. This brings back memories of strawberry picking and then making sorbets and jam with my mum…it's truly wonderful.

Wrath In the imp: dragon's blood and nothing else. I'm becoming quite used to this scent-a clear, resinous, and slightly sweet scent. And it gives the oil a fantastic red colour! Wet on skin: still dragon's blood, but there's a dry cinnamon scent coming through. it's a dusty cinnamon. This reminds me a bit of Serpent's Kiss, but isn't as unpleasant as that scent was for me. It's beginning to sting my skin a bit… Dry on skin: dragon's blood, and dry dusty cinnamon and a touch of pepper and clove. It doesn't sting as much now, which is a good thing. It's quite nice, actually-the blood and spice mix quite nicely. After a while: the cinnamon becomes more pronounced now, it's like dry cinnamon bark. Now it reminds me a bit of Three Witches, but without the warm cosiness that other scent has. This spice is fierce. I think I can smell pepper as well. Verdict: this is a very red, and quite hot, fiery, unremitting spice scent, not a cosy, warm spice scent. The dragon's blood adds a clear, red quality to this scent and adds a touch of sweetness, but the cinnamon in here is not a comforting foody scent, it's a dry, dusty scent, like a desert wind. The other spices add more of a heated quality to this scent. It reminds me of Serpents Kiss and Mars mixed together. It's not my favourite spice blend, or dragon's blood blend, but it's quite an interesting experience all the same. But I prefer Mars as my spicy dragon's blood scent.

Eden In the imp: very very green, with a hint of honeyed sweetness hiding in the undergrowth. Wet on skin: still green, that must be the fig leaves. It's a very fresh, almost citrus like green. Quite astringent, but there's a sweetness there, hiding behind all the green. Dry on skin: the astringent greenness fades slowly, it's like walking through a thick mass of tropical plants into a clearing and then…honey. Nutty honey. Yum. I can smell what must be the almond milk (it's not overtly almondy at all, but it is creamy) and a hint of toasted coconut, sweetened by honey. This is like a paradise garden filled with exotic plants and fig trees (I can smell the green fig leaves here, as well as the fruit). It brings beautiful images to mind of such a garden. After a while: the fig note remains, yet it mellows out and mingles nicely with the gorgeous honey note-and it's one of the loveliest honey scents, mixed with soft almond milk and coconut. I think I can smell the sandalwood underneath it all. This wonderful creamy honeyed coconut-almond-sandalwood note gets better and better as time passes. There's something so comforting about it. After an hour or so, the drydown is delicious! It smells like milk and honey! It smells like a honey and almond milk shower gel I once used, but I think I can make out sandalwood as well. Verdict: I love the way many Wanderlust scents are like olfactory journeys. This is another one. This is like walking through a lush, green garden, first through a thick mass of green leaves, and out into a clearing where the sunlight illuminates the true glory of the garden. I can smell figs (not just fruit, but the leaves too) and then I smell the honey, almond milk and coconut, a delicious combination. There's a tangy green aspect to the scent, and a sweet, nutty, smooth undertone. It's a fascinating and mesmerising scent that is addictive to sniff. I would have preferred it if the green/fig leaf scent was a bit more toned down, but this does tone down to reveal the truly lovely honeyed nuts and sandalwood. I love this scent.

Ophelia In the imp: lotus and rose, a clear, moist floral. Wet on skin: this is a lovely, crisp floral scent-mainly lotus and rose, but with something else-that could be the lily or the ivy. Dry on skin: oh, this is gorgeous! I love lotus and rose, and this blend has them both. The lotus smells sweet and smooth and the rose is crisp and full, I think there's a moist, watery greenness here which could be the water ivy. I can't really smell the lily, but this is lovely all the same. After a while: there's a nice tangy aspect to this fragrance, it makes the scent quite fresh and light. I also like the way that the lotus and rose are nicely balanced in this scent. I think I can just about make out the lily, but it's very much a background note. Verdict: this is another gorgeous floral scent which I love. It has two of my favourite notes in it-lotus and rose-but I think the lily and ivy add a nice and interesting touch to the scent. it smells crisp and soft, very feminine, quite sweet and fresh. This is a beautiful light flowery scent that makes me feel all girly inside. Another one to add to my collection of rose and lotus favourites.

13 In the imp: holy shit. YUM YUM YUM!!!! This smells just like good quality white chocolate with hazelnut pieces in it. It smells edible! Wet on skin: still yummy white nutty chocolate, but now the tangerine/mandarin comes through! it smells like Terry's White Chocolate Orange with added nuts! There's also a hint of tea there. Dry on skin: now the tea note is very prominent, seemingly taking over, but it's not bad here. It doesn't clash too much with the white chocolate and tangerine, which is still there, but sharpens up the scent and stops it smelling too cloying, and smells almost lemony. After a while: the tea-tangerine note is on top, with the creamy white chocolate underneath, and now, I can smell…honey? There's something in here that reminds me of honey. The overall scent is an interesting mix of sweet and tangy. This smells a lot more settled now, the tea note isn't taking over like before. After about half an hour, the sweetness returns! It now smells a bit like Dana O'Shee and Snow White! It's white chocolate but now with creamy sweet honey, and maybe some vanilla? It's so cosy and lickable... Verdict: this is one of the most delicious scents I've ever tried. In the bottle it smelt yummy. Wet on the skin, it smells yummy. Dry on the skin, the tea note comes up and adds another, less sweet, dimension to the scent, but it doesn't ruin the truly delicious white chocolate with nuts and tangerine. But personally, I would have preferred it if the tea wasn't too prominent, because I love this scent in the bottle, makes me go all Homer Simpson like (mmm, white chocolate brownies…*drool*) however, the tea adds a fresh tartness that prevents this scent from smelling cloying or sickly sweet. But this tea stage doesn't last too long, and eventually the scent becomes a more white chocolatey version of Snow White or Dana O'Shee! I'm very glad I bought a bottle, because this is truly yummy. Even if I don't fancy wearing it on my skin, I'll just sniff the bottle every time I have a chocolate craving. And another thing-Beth, please make more white chocolate scents!!!

Zorya In the imp: wtf? Coca Cola??? Yup, that's right. This smells like Coke! Wet on skin: still slightly Coke like, but now I think I am getting more of the oriental spices and the sweet florals. It's quite nice, and has a fresh, fizzy quality (but that could be because of the Coke associations!) Dry on skin: oh yes, that's more like it. Now it smells like the spicy-incense smell of a shop in my neighbourhood that sells treasures and trinkets from the Middle East and Far East, like carpets, jewellery, and so on. That's the oriental spice smell alright. There's also a sweet, light scent that must be from the flowers. This scent has a sparkling, effervescent aspect with a mysterious, darker background. I can certainly smell the jasmine and possibly the iris here, and I think the sweeter floral may be cereus, as apparently that smells a bit like vanilla, but I'm unsure of that. After a while: still dark spices and light fizzy florals, but now I think I can also smell the musk, which is similar to the one in Nuit which gave that scent a 'night air' quality. The more I smell this, the more I like it. Zorya is Nuit's older, darker sister. Verdict: I was highly anticipating this scent, because I love scents which have astronomical associations. Imagine my surprise to find that in the imp it smelt like Coke! This isn't to bad, as I like the smell of Coke, but it's not what I expect from a perfume! But when it dries on the skin, it changes and takes on a more appropriate personality. It has a dark, mysterious side thanks to the oriental spices, but with a light, sparkling, effervescent scent from the florals. It fits the name of 'Midnight Star' well. I'm unsure if I'll get a bottle, but I'm keeping the imp, because this is a lovely addition to my collection of nocturnal, starry scents.