yeahbutnobut

I remember a thread talking about a special manner in which to roll the oils, and that it was the best way? Not sure how that would work for the cocoa-heavy oils, or for some of the citrus-amber scents like Khrysee and Lilith vs the Giant Crab which have separation in the oils, or the bath oils. Yeah, I've always been doubtful of 'travel shock', and when some talk of their oils as if they have feelings and didn't like being jostled about in the mail and so will smell jumbled and bad once they've arrived. I think the oils are a lot tougher than we think. I don't think they suffer from the jetlag we get. I do, however, think that the temperature outside may affect the scent temporarily. Like if I've just got the oil through the mail and it's a very cold day, and the bottles are very cold-there isn't much of a smell. Once they get to room temperature, they smell stronger-that's logical, warmer temperature does aid diffusion. Similarly in hot weather the oil may smell a bit different because the bottle is warmer than room temperature. However I don't think, unless the bottle's been stored in direct sunlight (now that is very detrimental to perfume) or put in the oven or the microwave, that a little bit of hot weather will damage your BPAL too much, after all your skin is warm and that heat makes the perfume morph in interesting ways. I could be talking rubbish here but those are my thoughts.

I was thinking that...I'm also sceptical about the 'not shaking' idea. But maybe it quickens oxidisation because by shaking, you're introducing more air into the scent? Shameless wrist-smasher here too!

When the Winter Chrysanthemums Go In the imp: the BPAL snow note. This reminds me of the Darkling Thrush. Wet on skin: snow, snow, snow, a bit of amber and floral? Dry on skin: this is actually very pretty. I get snowy amber, very similar to Ded Moroz, actually. It’s also a little bit like the Darkling Thrush. The chrysanthemums are very subtle here. Nowhere near as strong as the ‘mums in Flowering Chrysanthemums. So encased in snow, it seems that their smell is subdued. The snow note is a cool, crisp and sugared icy sweetness, and it seems to be full of white amber, maybe with a dash of golden amber for the sunlight note. It’s quite different from the snow notes in most other BPALs, it’s a lot more like Ded Moroz, ambery and shimmering, a little minty. After a while: sadly, this fades very fast on me. My skin eats it, or it seems to melt away, like frost touched by morning sun. There are hints of white amber and a little of the snow note, but this doesn’t stick around for long, even the floral notes here disappear. Within a couple of hours it is hard to smell anything at all. Verdict: beautiful yet ephemeral, this is a very delicate, gentle scent which is one of the nicest chrysanthemum scents I’ve tried. This floral note can be tricky and either too sour or with a green scent I can find grating, but here it is really nice. This has a sweet minty snow like the one in Snow Flakes; with a warm yet pale amber that is less like golden amber and more like the white amber in Ded Moroz. This is one of the prettiest winter scents. I just wish it stuck around for longer on me-the fact that it faded so fast means I didn’t keep it; I have other snow scents that stay longer on my skin. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? so lovely but so short lived! If you like this, try: Ded Moroz, Darkling Thrush, Snow Flakes, Flowering Chrysanthemums, Cloister Graveyard in the Snow

In the imp: no red peppers, but I do smell something floral. Wet on skin: hmm, that’s interesting, I smell green salad peppers here, as well as camellia. Dry on skin: a greenish, grassy note, salad peppers (what an intriguing note!) and a floral note that I’m sure is camellia. Indeed, the whole scent has a feel of salad about it; I swear there’s lettuce or some other green leafy wet note to it as well. The peppers smell more like green peppers than red ones, it’s lacking the sweetness I get from red peppers (and I eat loads of those). Not at all spicy peppers, these are mild juicy salad peppers. The camellia is a little too strong, and I can’t really smell the maple leaves or the frosty branches, and nor can I smell the musky notes. In fact, the strongest note I smell here is, sadly, soap. The whole thing seems to be turning straight to soapy salad on me. After a while: soap, soap and more soap. Where are my peppers? Where are my delicate snows and maple leaves? Where’s the musk? I think the snowy branches have turned bad as well. It’s just turning to a soapy and nondescript mess on me. Not even the musks come up to save the day. Verdict: the best thing about this scent for me is the red pepper note. Though not like red peppers per se, this smells like green salad peppers, unripe red peppers, sweet and juicy and wet. This whole scent has a fresh salad thing going on, but there are also floral and airy and frosty notes in the mix. But sadly this all turns to soap and bitter greenery, the floral notes also don’t work out. It’s a shame because this had a lot of potential and sounded so intriguing! Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Nope. If you like this, try: Green Party, Planting Moon, Snow Maiden, Vinland, Shivering Boy

Julia Stone In the imp: crisp wet lettuce, cucumber and a white flower of some kind. Wet on skin: a sweet blossom with wet cucumber or melon. Dry on skin: so this is supposed to smell like rotting cloth? That’s not at all what it smells like-and that’s what makes this so lovely. The only thing that reminds me of cloth is a scent of laundered cotton, this smells like a very pleasant laundry detergent-a little too clean and soapy, but very pleasant. But no mould! What I do smell are things like lettuce, cucumber, sweet spring blossoms (linden?) and something that could be lily of the valley. I smell cotton blossom too. After a while: this turns into a white floral. A pure white floral with slightly waxy petals, dappled with dew, a hint of green. Not soapy, and not as cloth-like as I expected. Other than what could be a bit of moss, there is nothing at all mouldy here-this smells fresh, and almost innocent, a very pure white flower, like some kind of lily. Verdict: not what the description implies. This is cleaner, prettier and more pleasant than what the rotting cloth notes suggest. There’s certainly a hint of linen or cotton to it, and maybe some moss for the mould and mildew, but the overwhelming scent I get is delicate white flowers, green watery notes like cucumber and leaves with dew. To me it’s more of a ghostly scent than a vampiric one. The floral notes gradually turn to soap, which means this is not a keeper, but it’s a lot nicer than I expected. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Not really. If you like this, try: Wensleydale, Rapunzel, Dirty, The Ghost, Faeu Boulanger

East African patchouli, bay, tobacco, golden amber, blackened sandalwood, orange peel, lemon verbena, clove, and a touch of lime. Black Death In the imp: citrus and tobacco. Very heavy and dry smoky tobacco with an almost vetiver-y scent. Wet on skin: lime, orange, clove and sweet tobacco. A drier take on Mr Nancy. Dry on skin: this is quite nice. A bit too tobacco-y for my tastes, but for now it’s nicely balanced. I love the citrus, clove and bay mix here. The lime sparkles, and the verbena doesn’t go crazy, it plays very nicely with the orange and lime. The bay is pleasantly herbal without smelling very savoury on me. The clove adds a dark spicy depth. The amber is gorgeous as ever, adding warmth and sweetness and a golden gleam. But the main notes, other than citrus, are tobacco and sandalwood. The sandalwood is really lovely, very dry sandalwood that has a hint of incense and smoke to it but doesn’t smell charred. The tobacco is very strong but this may just be the type of tobacco I agree with-a dry, crisp kind as opposed to an ashy, heavily smoky kind. After a while: the bay then turns a tiny bit savoury and there are moments when this smells a bit like curry (what the?) and the citrus notes fade, and then the scent goes faint. But I’m pleasantly surprised, the tobacco is not turning to ashtrays on me like it can do, not devouring the other notes, I still smell loads of spicy sandalwood. The patchouli is subtle but adds a darker undertone. Verdict: neither black nor deathly on me (though it does smell smoky and deep at times), this is actually really nice! It’s a crisp, smart scent that is unisex and sophisticated yet complex and full of layers-brilliant citrus notes that are nice and strong (though they do fade at drydown), a gorgeous amber and sandalwood middle, a bit of spice and a very agreeable dry tobacco leaf note and patchouli. The scent becomes a little savoury at the end thanks to the bay, and the sweetness of the amber isn’t strong enough to counter that, and I preferred the just applied stage when the citrus was strongest, but overall this is good. I probably won’t keep it because there are other scents I prefer but this is a lot nicer than Mr Nancy to me (the sugar note in there got too caramelised). Out of the Black scents, this one is the one I like most-Lace was too smoky, Heart was too sweet, but this strikes a good balance. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? I have a small sniffie on the way which I will keep. If you like this, try: Mr Nancy, Lilith and the Jarocho, Knucklebones, Velvet Tiger

Those are wonderful labels! I myself love the way the green details on the chocolate labels seem to be glowing! I'm also curious about Womb Furie though!

Semiramis Bath Oil In bottle: mmm, blood orange, a hint of cherry and pomegranate. On skin: wow, this is stunning! Beautiful rich red fruit with a sexy musk undertone and a touch of deep myrrh. I can smell all the fruit here-the tangy and full-bodied blood orange, the crisp pomegranate, the sweeter cherry which in here smells like cherries, not almonds. It smells like that wonderful cherry note in the March 09 version of 13. Uniting the fruits is that awesome red musk. I love red musk with fruit, so this combination is fantastic-lots of fruit boosted and sexed up by a rich red musk that is slightly sweet and creamy. I can smell a tiny bit of myrrh, just enough resin to add a little touch of incense. The drydown is more of a blood orange and red musk blend, which is delicious. The bittersweet and gutsy red orange scent is stunning in here and it blends so well with the musk, which still has hints of pomegranate to it. It reminds me of the Haunted Palace, but without the sweetness of amber and vanilla. This is much more of a fruit scent. The scent moves between musk and orange but then becomes a balanced blend of the orange and musk with just hints of myrrh and pom at the back. This is a little fainter than the perfume, but I bet it’ll smell devastatingly sexy as a body oil to wear all over. I love this so much and I don’t want to waste it on the bath so I’ll use this as perfume and body oil!

Tomoe Gozen Bath Oil In bottle: hyper-acidic red currant and honey. Not gentle and sweet like fairy Wine. On skin: holy crap this is too sharp for me…I don’t know if I’ve become over-sensitive to these sorts of scents, but this is so sour it is making my nose wrinkle up! I got a similar reaction with the TG perfume, and this may be even sharper. This is not Fairy Wine’s mellow, sublime and sweet currant-honey scent. This is a currant that is sharp, strong and takes no prisoners. Punchy and powerful, quite fitting for a kick-ass warrior queen. And the honey here-nope, not sweet. This is a sharp honey. However this does sweeten quite nicely, the currant develops the delightful sweet scent I got in Fairy Wine, and the honey mellows as well. It’s a lovely drydown but it’s not worth waiting through that sour scent I get at the beginning. I haven’t tried this in the bath-maybe it would have been gentler? But I swapped it off because I found it too tart for my likings.

Lilith and the Jarocho In the imp: jasmine and verbena, with a bit of lime. Wet on skin: very citrus-with the lime and verbena dominating. Dry on skin: oh, the lime is stunning in here! It’s not often that this note dominates but when it does, it is fantastic-sparkling, bright and lively. The verbena with its lemony scent definitely boosts it, but it’s undeniably lime. I also smell a hint of salty clear booze, the margarita note. Maybe a hint of tamarind? The jasmine is there but it’s not too loud, and for now, not turning bad. I think I smell cedar and moss? The scent is both zingy and yet also sultry, like a summer’s evening. After a while: not sure if I like this as much now? The lime has faded and the scent has lost its zing a little. I think I can smell the jasmine starting to turn. I also smell a kind of juniper-y note, a bit like the kind of clear booze that tends to take over on my skin? Some other florals I can’t identify. I can’t detect any of the sweeter notes-the vanilla, the Snake Oil, the Dorian. Just a slightly bitter verbena and jasmine with juniper. Having said that, it’s not unpleasant, and still has potential. But sadly this seems to turn into a wilted jasmine and juniper type scent that I am not crazy about, plus that odd oily-soapy drydown I get from verbena. Verdict: this had a lot of death notes in it but I got it hoping the Snake Oil, Dorian, and more pleasant notes would show up, because I adore the sentiment behind this scent. As a child, music always fascinated me and, at least according to my mum, sometimes moved me to tears, and I’ve never grown out of this. So a scent related to a child’s love of music and her mother’s joy in seeing this love of music really got to me. But sadly, the jasmine, verbena and margarita notes mean that this scent doesn’t work on me, despite a dazzling lime stage at the beginning. So, not for me. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Not really. If you like this, try: Phantasm, Perfumed Garden, BiggerCritters, Gold Phoenix

In the imp: strawberry sweets soaked in gin. Wet on skin: strawberries and gin. Dry on skin: thr gin amps completely! This smells predominantly like strong sharp gin on me, with a hint of candied sweetness. It’s a shame because I actually really like the strawberry here! For once it’s not turning to sugared acid on me, it smells sweet and sugared but I smell more of the rock candy, and I am reminded of Treat 1. The only difference is all that booze. The gin is a little too strong for me. I think I smell a bit of grenadine too-which is fruity and blends better with the candy notes. After a while: this wavers between smelling of gorgeous sweet strawberry liqueur and hard gin. I love the strawberry stage-I don’t know what’s keeping the strawberry under control, maybe the cream or the grenadine? But something is making sure this smells like strawberry, and stops it from turning sickly or sharp. And the sugar is perfect-it reminds me of the sugar in Xanthe. But then the gin comes in and interrupts this sweet strawberry scent. It reminds me of how the gin spoiled Blue Fire for me. Verdict: this is Treat 1-the adult version. Imagine Bon Vivant with the champagne replaced by hard booze. Or maybe Blue Fire with the blueberry replaced by strawberry. It is strawberry gin, pure and simple, with a shot of sugar. The strawberry note is actually really nice in here, it doesn’t screw up on my skin, despite being the candied variety. It smells like my ideal strawberry note. But the gin is so strong, so intrusive, and it amps on my skin, blotting out the strawberry. So sadly this is not a hit for me, despite the cuteness of the pink kitty art! Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? maybe the decant. If you like this, try: Blue Fire, Bon Vivant, Floating Brain, Sticky Pillowcase, Velvet Unicorn, White Chocolate Strawberry

The new Phoenix labels are incredible! I'd love it if someone could post photos of them here (I could try, but I'm not sure my camera would take good pics of them.)

Mircalla In the imp: like Marianne-the same musk and patchouli combo, a hint of floral, plus spice. Wet on skin: oh, now the frankincense and clove really come out! Dry on skin: mmm, this is good. A dry, crumbly blend of red musk and patchouli with a slight nag champa and powdery floral (orchid?) thing to it is the dominant scent here, and it does remind me of Marianne. But there are other things here that make this different. I smell something almost like thyme here, or maybe sage, which I’m sure is the herb note. I also smell a hint of frankincense, and a lot of bitter clove, which is smoky and gorgeous. It reminds me of Red Rose’s clove note. I can’t smell the sweeter notes of tonka and vanilla yet, but this smells smouldering, crimson and sexy, a warm and passionate yet very dark scent. After a while: hmm, not so sure about this now. After a promising start, this has become, sadly, a little meh? It’s not wowing me. Where are the sweet notes? Where’s the frankincense hiding? I smell lots of clove but I think the musk, patch and orchid-especially the orchid-have gone up quite dramatically. The result is an oddly flat, dry and powdery dark incense. It’s nice, but at times it’s identical to Marianne, which I love, but this seems to have a floral note that I am not as keen on. Verdict: I have no idea where this went wrong. It starts off nicely but then becomes very meh. On paper almost all the notes (save the orchid) would have meant this scent would have been a roaring success on me-musk, resins, spices! But I think the orchid may have turned this scent against me. Or maybe the patchouli, clove and red musk blend here was of a particular combination that didn’t work-it’s rare, but it happened previously with the Grindhouse, and this smells very similar. The red musk has an odd nag champa thing to it, the floral note is too strong, and I can’t smell the delicious resin or vanilla. The clove is nice for a while but then the odd flowery dry and flat incense takes over and this just smells a little unremarkable on me. Not a keeper, I’m afraid. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? regrettably, no. If you like this, try: Marianne, Grindhouse, Semiramis, Red Rose, High Priest Not to Be Described

Alien Invasion In the imp: turns out that space fruit and tentacle goo smells like grapefruit. Wet on skin: bitter grapefruit. I now think there’s yuzu in here too. Dry on skin: this is the grapefruitiest BPAL ever! Probably my holy grail for grapefruit, as it smells strongly of this citrus fruit, tart and zingy, bitter without being unpleasant, and juicy. I think its scent is enhanced by the turbo-charged grapefruit scent that is yuzu, as well as something that may be bergamot. Whatever is in here, I can be sure that the space fruit is citrus, though I think there may be some starfruit too, which would be fitting. As for the residual goo? I can’t smell anything gooey but I do smell a soft sweetness, a touch of crisp white tea, something a little floral that could be neroli, as well as some white amber and green musk similar to 51. After a while: the grapefruit gradually mellows and the scent turns even lovelier! It smells very similar to 51 at this point, that same citrus-fruity-white amber and musk with a tiny hint of ozone that actually works, a tiny bit of sweet metal as well. It smells luminescent and bright, a soft yet zingy perfumed white amber and musk scent with that hint of yuzu lingering. Verdict: I’m not usually a fan of yuzu, and I smell it here, but I adore this! It’s like 51 on steroids. Forget speculations and conspiracies about maybe being aliens in the area, this is a full on, flying saucer hovering overhead, pulling you up with an anti-gravity beam, and before you even think of calling Mulder and Scully they’re sticking probes in every orifice! And who could have thought it could smell so good! Turns out the alien fruit smells very similar to earth’s grapefruit and various other citruses. Indeed I’m sure this is the most grapefruity BPAL I’ve come across. But this is more than citrus, as there seems to be a grounding yet ethereal, luminous base of clean green musk, neroli/orange blossom and white amber, maybe some davana, very similar to Pollution and 51. This ensures that, unlike most citrus scents, the scent lasts for ages on me. I think this is one of my favourite grapefruit scents and one of my favourite of the DD Blockbusters series. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Definitely. If you like this, try: 51, Pollution, Night Gaunt, Aizen Myoo, Schrodinger’s Cat

Citrinitas In the imp: citrus! I can’t say what citrus but it reminds me a little bit of the Olive Branch. Wet on skin: very citrus-y, lots of bergamot and mandarin. Dry on skin: this is gorgeous. Simply put, this is the Olive Branch, BPAL style. Yup, I am not kidding, this smells very similar. Olive Branch is one of my favourite Lush scents so it’s wonderful to smell something like it in BPAL. It is bergamot, orange blossom, mandarin and white musk, bright and vivid and sparkling. Granted, this doesn’t smell identical to OB, I have to say. The citrus in here is sharper and fizzier, for starters. There’s a scent to it that reminds me of cologne, and this could turn funny on me, but for now it is behaving. There’s also a hint of something seltzer-y as well. After a while: this has morphed dramatically, and not in a good way I’m afraid. I don’t smell anything remotely like Olive Branch now. I still smell bergamot, and maybe some lemon verbena, but I also smell a plastic-y floral scent and a strange chalky sugary smell. There’s something a little herbal. Whatever this smells like, it isn’t sitting right on me. There is some guava, it seems, which I do like but it is soft. But this just seems to have gone wrong on me. Verdict: this was so promising at the start-I thought I’d found the BPAL version of Olive Branch. A similar blend of fresh citrus/orange blossom with a grounding base of smooth white musk. it smelt fantastic, lively and cheerful citrus blossom and musk with an underlying fizz. But sadly, then it goes bad. It turns to a strange floral-citrus plastic and odd powdery base, and not a nice powder, it’s almost like plaster or cardboard, with a bitter flower note. Whilst it’s a shame this didn’t work out, I’m rather glad it didn’t because I don’t need to hunt down more of this HTF scent. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? sadly not.

Splatter Comedy In the imp: this sh*t is bananas, B-A-N-A-N-A-S! This is a fun synthetic banana flavouring, not a real one. Wet on skin: now I smell caramel, custard and pie crust. But also a scent of burnt rubber and metal. Dry on skin: oh my, the chainsaws are roaring here! The scent of burnt rubber and metal and smoke and grease. I can still smell banana cream pie here, without a doubt, but this fun, sweet, foody scent is aggressively cut through with mechanical notes of metal and grease. It reminds me of the metallic and burnt scent of Mechanical Phoenix but it smells even more authentic here. So much so that it smells like someone is eating a banana pie in a garage! But there is something sinister to the mechanical scent, it smells burnt and harsh and contrasts wildly with the light hearted scent of the banana custard. And despite this, it’s still such an unusual juxtaposition of notes, the combination makes me chuckle. After a while: still that smoky greasy dirty scent of rusty chainsaws and burnt rubber, the garage/mechanic’s workshop scent, with a much creamier and sweeter pie scent. The banana is still there but it is quieter now, I actually smell more of a vanilla custard and caramelised sugar with buttery crust scent here. It still contrasts with the burnt mechanical scent, which smells much too genuine for me to pull off-it really smells like a garage, it is uncanny! It’s a shame, as I like the pie scent! Verdict: this is a really weird scent but I find it really hilarious! it smells just like it says it does-of banana cream pie and chainsaws. It smells strongly of banana marshmallows and pie, but then the chainsaw notes of greased metal slice through it harshly, and before long it smells like burnt rubber, mechanical grease and dirty metal. But with banana pie. Only BPAL could pull that off. It’s not often a scent makes me giggle purely because of it’s scent, but this does, the combination of banana pie and metal is so odd and so wacky, it doesn’t take itself seriously. I cannot wear the scent as it really smells of burning rubber and garage, but I love the novelty factor here. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Not really but it was great fun trying it! If you like this, try: Banana Peel in a Graveyard, Mechanical Phoenix, Phoenix Steamworks, Shango, The Blockhead

Oceans of Love and Millions of Kisses In bottle: sharper orange blossom than Khrysee, but this has a lovely tea-like thing to it. On skin: the honey note is really interesting here! Different to the sharp, acidic honey I got from Tomoe Gozen and disliked, this is sharp (though that’s more of an orange blossom sharpness, a citrus tang) but the scent is a lot gentler, and has a kind of beeswax or honeycomb thing to it-actually, I think it’s more like beeswax because this isn’t a sticky sweet honey. It’s a dry, almost crumbly honey scent, and yet it reminds me of a herbal tea of some kind…I know camomile isn’t listed but this gives me the impression of a warm, sunny, mellow tisane made with orange blossom, camomile and honey, with maybe a hint of tea as well. It’s golden and makes me think of the honeyed light at the end of a summer’s day, the golden tone of evening sunlight. It’s a very soothing scent. It’s beautiful enough to wear all over as a body oil and a lovely scent to wear layered with other scents like Khrysee or anything with notes like honey, amber, camomile, hay, orange blossom…this has so much potential. A simple yet beautifully effective golden scent.

Sunbird In the imp: spicy frankincense, myrrh and smoke-this smells incredible! Wet on skin: oh my goodness…now I smell musk and herbs and vanilla and saffron! Dry on skin: wow, this is stunning! Spices, resins, heat, fire, smoke, sweetness, herbs, musk and the evocation of the ancient past and faraway places. Interestingly it’s also quite familiar. I smell something fruity that reminds me of apple! Like sweet apple tea, with exotic ‘bazaar’ spices and herbs. But then I smell it again and I smell rich red musk spiced with saffron and deep sweet myrrh and frankincense with cinnamon and sandalwood, and a waft of sacred kyphi from the ancient temples of Heliopolis, and a hot breath of desert wind across sun scorched stone. And then it smells like warm pine forests and scrubby and pungent herbs, Mediterranean landscapes in the August heat, hints of dry grasses and hay and sap and smoke. This scent takes me to so many places at once. I have no idea why I get apple from here but it’s an apple note that actually works on me! After a while: the scent then loses that intensely spicy scent and the apple note, and seems to mellow. The whirling and heated complexity calms down and the scent becomes more languid and mellow, like the golden light of evening. The musks and resins become stronger but I also start to smell what could be camomile now, as well as a sweeter scent which I’m guessing is a blend of vanilla, saffron, amber and heliotrope. I say heliotrope because it reminds me of the likes of Sportive Sun, Labores Solis, Red Moon etc. but this has more spice, musk and incense to it. I also think there may be carnation here, but I am pretty sure that the dominant note I get is camomile…now it reminds me of another kind of tea, camomile tea, but with sun-warmed skin and passionate red musk and wafts of spicy smoke and ancient ceremonial incense. This then settles into a gorgeous mix of red musk, saffron and camomile! (btw I never got any vetiver whatsoever from this.) Verdict: this is a scent that truly blew my mind-a wonderful, masterful blend evoking the sun in all it’s glory and aspects-as supreme deity, as giver of warmth, light, happiness and also bringer of torrid heat and fire. This evokes holy resins and deserts, like a pyre of smouldering spices and resins, hot dry sunlight, Egyptian incense, Middle Eastern bazaars, cosy cooking herbs, summer holidays, and sexy exotic musk all at once. It also brings to mind the heat and the hustle and bustle of spice markets and shops selling curiosities and exotic knick-knacks as well as herbal remedies. It makes me think of places I have been and places I have dreamed about. This heated firestorm of scent is fevered and exciting and takes my mind on multiple journeys and brings to mind many moods and images. This is my favourite of the phoenix-themed scents that Beth has ever made. I bet aging is going to make this even more incredible. I am glad I have three bottles! Emoticon rating: :love!: Is it a keeper? yes. This scent is spectacular. If you like this, try: Priala, Ra, Ahathoor, Great Cry in Egypt, Scherezade, Labores Solis, Fire Phoenix

Nonae Caprotina In the imp: fig and yogurt. Yup, this smells like yogurt to me, which is sour but not yucky sour milk. Wet on skin: rich fruity yogurt with fig. Not bad! Dry on skin: figs and milkiness. The goat’s milk is interesting. Yes it is a little sour, but not in the way that it makes me recoil. This is a sourness that reminds me of yogurt. It is a little richer than the usual milk note and the more I smell it, I swear I start to get the slightest hint of mild cheese. Not strong cheesy stinky cheese, but more of a soft creamy white goat’s cheese scent. However this still reminds me of yogurt, and there’s a lot of fig in here. The fig also smells very sharp, a little sweet, but this is a tangy fig note. No myrrh yet. This reminds me strongly of Milk Moon 07 as well. After a while: the fig becomes stronger, the scent loses the initial creamy scent and becomes a sharp sour fig. It still smells quite pleasant but the fig is a little too sharp for me, I was hoping for a softer fig note. It still reminds me of MM07, without the honey and pomegranate notes, this is more straightforward. Verdict: this isn’t too bad. It is a little too milky/dairy for my tastes but it’s not as rancid as I feared. It smells a little bit like a fig yogurt. The fig isn’t a deep brown fig but a greenish one that is tangy and tart, a bit leafy. It does remind me of fresh figs though, drenched in goat’s milk yogurt. The myrrh on the other hand is nowhere to be seen (smelt?) which is a shame…it then turns a little sharper at the end and the scent also doesn’t last very long on me. I prefer creamy scents that aren’t too ‘dairy’ (with Milk Moon 07 being an exception) and sweeter fig scents so this isn’t a keeper. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Nope. If you like this, try: Milk Moon 07, Carnal, The Sea Foams Milk, Obatala

Boot Hill Spray Recently I’ve had an odd craving for leather scents and this satisfies it perfectly. This smells like a brand new pair of knee-high boots, kinky boots, sexy boots, one of these days these boots are gonna walk all over you! It smells like rich sensual black leather. A lot more like the leather in something like C Auguste Dupin than De Sade. Whereas Saloon 10 was too heavy on the thick, sticky tobacco and booze notes, this is a much nicer, purer leather scent to me. It’s incredibly realistic; in fact it reminds me of the smell of the leather shops in Florence…sophisticated yet raw leather. However sometimes I smell a little bit of the ‘hill’ as well as the ‘boot’ in this scent, a little bit of grassiness and earthiness under the leather. I think there’s a little patchouli as well? I’m really tempted to spray my shoes with this scent so they always smell like new shoes! I really hope that this scent, or something similarly leathery, becomes available some day!

Sheela Na Gig I can't see a topic for this, so I thought I'd start one...I was gifted with a tiny sample of this from a very, very generous and wonderful forumite! And as I am a nitpicky spreadsheeter, I actually have the notes list for this scent! A sensual hazelnut vanilla with ylang ylang, angelica, knotted clover, and pearly everlasting. In the imp: I can smell the hazelnut…and a floral note, maybe the everlasting? Wet on skin: now it goes really grainy, like a wheat note, or barley? Dry on skin: this is really nice! It’s a nutty, grainy sweet vanilla boosted by soft floral notes. There’s a grainy scent to it that reminds me of Dana O’Shee. The vanilla is really gorgeous, and the hazelnut doesn’t have that overly foody quality, it smells here like unroasted hazelnuts, or hazelnuts that have just been de-shelled. The ylang-ylang is a lot softer here than usual as well. I think I smell the clover here, making that grassy hay-like scent, not sure what pearly everlasting smells like. After a while: this mellows so nicely. At one point it smelt oddly like dry pasta, but that stage has gone now. It’s still dry and grainy but also has that wildflower and windswept grasses thing going on, all underscored by that sexy warm vanilla and hazelnut blend. It adds richness whilst the flowers and clover make this a bit outdoorsy. Over time the nutty vanilla becomes the dominant note and it has serious throw! It becomes a sensual vanilla with hazelnut and a hint of sweet grass. Verdict: this is a really gorgeous unique vanilla, and I feel so privileged to have tried it! it’s a lovely blend of warm decadent vanilla with a soft grainy-hay dryness and enchanting hints of wildflowers, boosted by the richness of hazelnut and the heady ylang. This actually has a similar feel to other Irish/Celtic scents like Singing Moon and Dana O’Shee, and Leanan Sidhe to a lesser extent. Something about the blend of floral and grassy notes here that reminds me of that. Except this is also very different because of that delightful vanilla-nut combo. It gets sweeter and warmer at drydown, and even though I only got a tiny amount to test, it doesn’t matter because even a small amount has tons of throw! It’s very different to other BPAL vanillas and is yet another excellent non-gourmand use of this note by Beth. I know that I’d love to see this scent, or something like it, become widely available to us all one day! I'd love to get more of this! Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? I think so! Though I also feel tempted to pass it on so I can share the love and spread this beautiful scent around the BPALverse!

Taphophobia In the imp: thick black amber swirled with dirt. Like Yorick with the amber/resin amped up. Wet on skin: I think this may be labdanum. It’s a particularly ambery version. And it still smells of soil. Dry on skin: sweet black resins and dark rotting earth. There’s a treacly scent to the resin, but not in a molasses way, but more like in the dark and smoky scent they have, and the viscous feel they have. I now smell myrrh/opoponax as well as black amber and labdanum. There’s also the earth from before, I smell soil and rotting moss and also some patchouli, maybe even some spikenard. This isn’t fresh rained-on soil, but the earth from deep underground. After a while: spices? I think there is galangal in here. That’s because it turns a little curry-like and autumnal, which I also get with the galangal scents. It reminds me of that slightly spicy scent that some autumn leaves get when they decay. However it still smells strongly of mushy dark loamy earth crammed with resinous labdanum/benzoin. After a few hours of wear, the shadowy patchouli and spikenard notes are strongest. There may also be a little bit of blood accord, as I get a touch of rusty metallic-ness to it. Verdict: this is an intriguing scent. It’s like soil mixed with resins, or a darker version of Yorick. I really like it-especially for the first hour, when the resins rule the scent. It smells like a wonderful sticky labdanum-amber with styrax/benzoin and spikenard, as well as moss and patchouli and other deep earth notes. It does turn a little spicier at drydown as a galangal note comes out, slightly reminiscent of rotting autumn leaves, and a hint of blood. It’s a lovely take on the burial-themed scents but I’m comparing it with one of the Putrefication prototypes which smells quite similar, and I think I prefer Putrefication-this one turns a little masculine at drydown and loses that amber scent from before. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? I like it but I swapped it off.

Baigneuse does mean bather in French. (baigner means to bathe, etc...)

I love red Mircalla! She reminds me of the beautiful Warrior Queen labels. And the Girl is gorgeous. Interesting that there are different labels for the vampires-is that just for Mircalla and the Girl, or are there other vamp/Halloween alternate labels out there?

Boadicea In the imp: I smell vetiver here, but I also smell vanilla and orange blossom. Wet on skin: vetiver fades into the background as feisty leather and sexy sweetness takes over. Dry on skin: mmm, this is gorgeous. This is smouldering and sweet and feminine and powerful all at once. Normally leather is a problem note on me but in here it is fantastic, it is a really kick-ass scent. The vanilla and neroli and amber blend together so beautifully to add a lighter, sweeter gentler scent contrasting the smoky leather that actually reminds me of Khrysee. I do not smell dragon’s blood, but I think I smell a tiny bit of fig and oak. And the vetiver works here too-the vetiver adds a nice smoky, slightly charred undertone to the scent, almost like a reminder of the cities she burned down. If the leather and vetiver stay as they are, this could be my new ‘power scent’. After a while: oh no, the leather is overtaking. For some time, the leather note seems to dominate the scent, and threatens to dominate all the other notes…it has already dominated the vetiver, whatever next? Thankfully the sweet vanilla still adds its gorgeous soft scent to it all, and I can smell hints of fig now, as well as the gorgeous Khrysee-ish neroli and amber combination. Eventually this settles on smelling like the most gorgeous amber-vanilla incense, with hints of patchouli, vetiver and fig at the background. This scent is really growing on me! Verdict: yup, I think I’ve found my power scent. At times I was unsure of the leather and vetiver but then the amber, orange blossom and vanilla come through, and it smells stunning. It’s like a more confident and powerful Khrysee-like Khrysee riding a chariot with spikes on its wheels, covered in woad, ready for battle. This scent rouses the Aries side in me. Fiery, impetuous, strong willed, this scent does not suffer fools gladly, does not take bullshit. And it makes me feel empowered. This is a scent I would wear whenever I feel like kicking ass, or burning down London (because believe me, much as I love my city, there are days when I feel like doing that!) or any time I really need a self-esteem booster. So I have my Queen scents for different purposes-Zenobia for whenever I want to feel mysterious and sultry, Semiramis for whenever I want to feel sexy, Ysabel for feeling sophisticated and mature, and Boadicea to stand my ground and show people who’s boss! Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? I have a bottle. If you like this, try: Khrysee, Aeronwen, Tintagel