yeahbutnobut

Three Witches In the imp: omg…cinnamon!!! This smells beautifully festive and warm, like mulled wine spices. Wet on skin: cinnamon and cloves! The cinnamon becomes a drier woodier scent, but has the aroma of cinnamon sticks. The cloves are also there and the pepper warms it up. This will be fantastic for Xmas. Dry on skin: yup, still cinnamon, cloves and pepper. This is a lovely warm spice blend, like a pomander without the orange, like the spices you add to mulled wine. I adore cinnamon, and this smells like a dry cinnamon bark smell, but with a nice sweetness. The cloves add their delicious sweet-spicy touch and the pepper makes the scent really warm. After a while: the cinnamon sweetens, it's almost like pot pourri but not artificial. This is like those cinnamon sticks my mum has, or like the cinnamon note in Lush's Christmas stuff. This is so yummy. Verdict: I wish this wasn't discontinued, because this is one of the most gorgeous spice blends ever. This is cinnamon, cloves and pepper at their best. It's sweet, it's warm, it's delicious. It puts happy thoughts of Christmas in my head, and would be fantastic for winter. An instant favourite.

Lustration In the imp: lemons! But this is like the soft centre of lemon Lockets-a powerful medicinal punch. It's got a hint of green/pine. I think there's a mix of lemongrass and citronella as well as lemon oil, and some herbals-eucalyptus maybe? Wet on skin: omg, this smells like lemon peel. Real lemon peel that's been squeezed and the oils come out. I think there's pine, menthol or eucalyptus there too! Dry on skin: this dries very fast, and smells like freshly squeezed citrus peels-not just lemon, I'm sure there's orange and grapefruit and tangerine (yes, clementines, that smell that always reminds me of Christmas, is in here-but this blend smells like summer!!!) but it's mainly lemon. There's also a green note, there…it smells medicinal but also very fresh and juicy. After a while: this gets even more juicy…I'm so amazed at how this smells like real citrus fruits, orange juice, lemon rind…this isn't lemon cleansing fluid. This is real lemon juice and rind! Verdict: this is the most citrussy BPAL I've smelled. It smells like squashed lemons, oranges, grapefruits, satsumas, citrus peels and juices, freshly squeezed orange and lemon juice. It also has a medicinal aspect, like the soft centre of lemon Lockets, with that hint of pine and menthol. This is a very nice blend, impressive in it's realistic fruitiness…not really perfume, but impressive none the less.

Snake Oil In the imp: whoa. This is dark, sweet, sumptuous, mysterious. Vanilla with a mix of exotic spices. The oil itself is the most viscous of the BPALs I've tried so far. Wet on skin: interesting…it smells almost boozy even though I know there's no alcohol in this. I'm not sure what the spices in there are, but I think there's patchouli, sandalwood, maybe musk? Oh, and vanilla, of course. Dry on skin: this smells sexy! Those exotic spices are really sensual and seductive-smelling. There's a bit of bite to this blend, but it's a sweet, spicy, perhaps resinous blend. The vanilla adds a lovely sweetness to it though. I wish I knew what was in this, it's such an entrancing smell! There's something musky in this, very sexy smelling… After a while: mmm, sexy vanilla. Now it's vanilla with a hint of something else which I think is musk, it's a deep, sensual smell. But as time passes, the vanilla gets stronger and sweeter...I just hope it doesn't go too sweet! Verdict: I can see why this is so popular! This is a really gorgeous blend…vanilla adds a lovely, almost edible sweetness…but then the other ingredients, the mysterious spices, add a sensual, sexy, even quite dark aspect to this. This is a sinuous, sumptuous, exotic blend. Sweet, with musky and spicy/sandalwood-y/patchouli aspects. Really intriguing and brimming with mystery and depth.

Kali In the imp: a luscious floral blend with a slight boozy kick. Wet on skin: there's a huge explosion of scents-light delicate blooms underscored by tobacco and dark chocolate. What a mixture! It's light and feminine-floral, yet has a dark side to it. Dry on skin: I can smell those luscious blooms again, there's a slightly 'off' note there but it isn't too bad yet, just a bit distracting…and yes, I can smell the tobacco, but it's not making me smell like a smoker, yet. There's so much in this blend, I can't pick out individual notes mainly because there are so many, and they are all mingling in quite a big clash as opposed to a perfect blend. I suppose this is appropriate concerning the goddess this blend is named for! After a while: that off note goes after five minutes, thankfully, leaving a gorgeous floral smell, so exotic and full bodied, a womanly scent. But there's still that sharp kick from the wine and tobacco, but its not as noticeable now. I now really this flowery scent, so exotic and heady-it reminds me of jasmine, but I can also smell lotus and rose there too-and maybe hibiscus. This is growing on me-I love this floral note I'm getting, it's the fragrance of beautiful Indian blooms scenting the evening air! it's also slightly fruity as well... Verdict: this is a chaotic blend of feminine flowers, exotic and perfume-like, but with an undertone of dark, clashing notes like tobacco and wine…it's womanly and luscious, and yet has a dark side to it. it's not a gentle fluffy flowery blend, this is powerful stuff! At first I thought it smelt a bit weird, but it does improve nicely as time passes, the flowers become even more heady and lovely until it gets to the point when it becomes truly gorgeous. But the first stage was a bit funny, there was an 'off' note that was a bit weird. But five minutes afterwards-amazing tropical floral explosion of WOW!!! however, I do prefer other BPAL florals to this, but none the less, it's still amazing.

Mars In the imp: cloves! That's what I mainly smell here, cloves. Also something floral (?) and something that smells like incense, reminiscent of a new age store. I love the red colour of this oil! That means only one thing-dragon's blood. Wet on skin: omg, this smells like Lush's Chai!!! It's almost identical in colour and smell to Chai, only this one's spicier. I can smell cloves in this, maybe some ginger, and possibly cinnamon (but not sweet cinnamon-this smells more like the cinnamon leaf essential oil I have rather than ground cinnamon spice) and a clear 'red' resinous note that's undoubtedly dragon's blood. I swear there's a floral there too… Dry on skin: now it smells a bit like Lush's Skinny Dip! Yup, that's right. The smell is spicy, warm, but not overpowering or 'hot'. I'm pretty sure there's a floral, or a herbal note there but that could be the dragon's blood. After a while: the clove/cinnamon note intensifies…it's not a sweet, pleasant spice note, but a darker, brooding note that puts in my mind the image of a the embers of a fire, warm yet darkened and muted, with a hint of dust. But there's a sweet herbal-floral there that adds an interesting twist, along with the clear note of dragon's blood. And I think there may be sandalwood there too. In fact, I swear there's an earthiness there to all the fire of the spice and dragon's blood, but then again, I do have Mars in Taurus-could this blend really be reacting to my astrological make-up??? After a few hours, I get pure dragon's blood on my skin. It reminds me of the smell of those new age shops I love to shop at... Verdict: as an Aries, Mars is my ruling planet, and I really like this oil. There's a warm, dark spiciness with a clear note of dragon's blood and a floral I can't identify, but what I like about it most is that it reminds me of Lush's Skinny Dip and Chai, but with a more pronounced clove note. This is a lovely, spicy-herbal blend with dragon's blood, it's a warming blend-fiery but approachable-there's also a grounding scent in this blend. It also has a bit of kick, and has a masculine aura about it-it would smell great on a guy! but I love it too, and I find that it actually calms down the fiery, impulsive Aries side of me!!

O In the imp: honey. Pure and simple-this is sweet and honey-like. Possibly amber too, but this is sweet. Wet on skin: yup, it's honey. It's quite a tart honey smell, but that’s no bad thing, it smells almost like beeswax or honeycomb. Dry on skin: this reminds me of the honey note in Lush's old honey products, like Honey Waffle and Flying Saucers. It's nice, but it's a really 'close to the skin' smell. I was hoping the amber and vanilla would come through but it's predominantly honey on me. After a while: hello? Is that vanilla I smell? I think there's a hint of vanilla that comes through after about 5-10 minutes. Can't really smell the amber yet, it's well blended with the other notes…the honey gets even more pronounced though, it's the main note in this blend. After about half an hour, it's mainly honey with perhaps a bit of amber. After an hour or two, it's a wonderful yummy honey with...is that amber? I think it could be as it reminds me of my egyptian amber SN slightly, but mingled with honey. Verdict: this is yummy! This is a sweet, delicious honey note which is distinctive and slightly tart/beeswaxy but not strong or overwhelming. The vanilla adds a nice touch and sweetens it even more. This blend smells lickable! The only problem is that it's very subtle, almost too subtle…but I suppose that's the point-this is something that should be smelt close to the skin. And it's scent improves after an hour when it becomes sexy sweet honey-amber!

Milk Moon In the imp: yoghurt??? Yup, that's what this smells like. Sweetened yoghurt. Even more so than Chaste Moon's fruity vanilla 'Petit Filous' scent, which had loads of other lovely notes, but this is true yoghurt, with a hint of honey-but it's warm yoghurt which isn't very nice... Wet on skin: yup, it's yoghurt. Or marscapone cheese. It's slightly sour, in a milky sort of way, but I think it improves. I prefer cold milk though-to me this smells like warm milk/yoghurt with something sweet added. And I think I can smell mint? How unusual… Dry on skin: mint! This smells a bit like 'mint milkshake' now (is there such a thing?) the milky note is very strong in this, but I don't really like the way it smells like warm milk that's been left in the sun and has started going sour. I like my milkshakes and yoghurts served chilled and fresh, the same goes with the smell. There's a sweet note that wants to come out, but the sour note blocks it. After a while: yup, it's still the same, warm sour milk. There's a hint of honey there, but I really don't like the sour milk smell. And I love yoghurt with honey, but I don't want to smell of it… Verdict: after reading the description I was hoping this would smell like the lovely Dana O'Shee, which also has milk and honey and smells awesome. Unfortunately, this smells more like warm yoghurt (which is not nice), or sour milk, with mint and honey-I was hoping the honey would come through, but the sour milk note stops it. This has the strongest 'dairy product' smell I have experienced in BPAL, and I usually love creamy sweet smells, but this just smelt slightly rancid. Milk Moon, I wanted to love you, I was hoping this oil would be my BPAL bitty…but my skin wouldn't let that be

Mabon In the imp: blackberries, apples and wine-fruity and sweet with tartness. This is a lovely beginning of autumn, September smell. Wet on skin: still the same, but I think I can smell ivy coming out. This is similar to Harvest Moon but without the notes that smelt a bit icky, but it is very similar-I swear I can smell grain, as well as apples and blackberries. Dry on skin: cider! Sweet apple cider and hints of blackberry and ivy flitting through here and there. this is a warm smell that makes me think of September sunsets, the golden warmth of evening. It's laid back, quite soothing and comforting. It puts pleasant images of early autumn in England (when it's not raining!) in my head. After a while: there's a tart apple note and a hint of wheat, the scent's slightly boozy, but pleasant none the less. After 15 minutes, it smells like apple juice! It's a deeper richer scent than simply apple juice though-it's like apple juice on a golden autumn afternoon, with a bit of ivy. After about half an hour, the booze goes back into the apple and it becomes cider again. The blackberry's returned, the ivy adds a deep green, possibly with sage-and, ooh, is that bark I smell? This gives off such nice vibes… After an hour or two, the smell is similar to that of Harvest Moon, but more pleasant. I can smell ivy, wine/cider and something that reminds me of ripened wheat. Verdict: this is a scent that really conjures up the lovely atmosphere of the autumn equinox-it's that time before the leaves have turned, and there's a wonderful pleasant warmth in the air, the harvest is being gathered. This is like a pleasant September evening in the English countryside by a golden wheat field, sipping on traditionally made cider and eating apples and blackberries whilst the sun sets-you can smell all that here. September's one of my favourite months and this delicious and complex blend really captures the scents of the early autumn, I much prefer it to Harvest Moon, and if it's sold again this year, I'm getting a bottle. On a side note, I'm intrigued to find out what the Osirian aspect of Mabon is. I know a lot about Osiris but I have never seen a connection with his festivals or mythology and the autumn equinox…

Egyptian Amber In the imp, this smells gorgeous-not heavy, but definitely a lovely rich sweet amber, similar to an amber perfume I have, and similar to one of the notes in Brisingamen. Wet on skin, it smells pretty much the same, a beautiful rich amber. It's soft, sweet and gentle, but mysterious, golden and slightly smoky. Dry on skin-yup, this is the dry down of Brisingamen I loved-I'm sure this is also in Queen of Sheba. This is beautiful rich exotic amber. I love this and it has many many layering possibilities. It's not heavy or overpowering like the other amber perfume I have, this is a sensual close to the skin scent. I love this-but I do wish it were a bit stronger, because it's so beautiful, and I love the way it 'glows' on my skin. edit: this gets better and better. I am addicted to this beautiful mysterious smell, it's so seductive, rich and mystical. If it wasn't discon'd, I'd buy big bottles of this!

Mi-Go Brain Canister In the imp: yummy fruit juice! This smells like tropical fruit juice, it's so summery! Wet on skin: still tropical fruity, but I think the jasmine's coming through. This is the scent of summer. Dry on skin: this is gorgeous. I can smell kiwi, mango and pineapple (and coconut??? I swear there's coconut here too) and also some sweet white florals. This reminds me of a beautiful paradise island. This smell is just so wonderful, light florals and sweet fruits. I hope the spices come through. After a while: can't make out the tea or spices yet, but the florals have strengthened, and the white musk is making itself known. And the fruits are still lovely, they blend nicely with the florals. After an hour or so, the scent is now a soft, sweet blend of white musk, jasmine and mango. It's lovely. Verdict: who could have thought brains smelt so good! This is the perfect summery scent-fruity, floral, juicy, bouncy and light, it's like summer on a tropical island, a cocktail of exotic fruits and exotic white flowers. I love it!!!

Miskatonic University In the imp: Irish coffee! Coffee and Baileys! YUM! Wet on skin: still that delicious coffee, Irish cream, whisky smell! I do smell like someone has spilt Baileys and latte on me, but I don't mind, it smells awesome! Dry on skin: the old books smell is coming through now…the coffee, cream and whisky are still there, but there's a dusty, dry smell that reminds me of aged pages of dusty tomes…now I smell like a librarian! It's interesting…not really a perfume I'd wear but I'm amazed at how this smells just like what it describes, so realistic! After a while: the throw is incredible. I put my arm down away from my nose and I can still smell coffee, the smell wafts everywhere like no other BPAL I've tried!! There's a hint of wood here too, dark polished wood with old books and strong coffee. After about two hours, the coffee still stays , but gets darker and there's more of a hint of varnished wood now, and dusty book pages. Verdict: I'm a student so a scent named after a university appealed to me…and I am impressed at how realistic this smells. If there was a smell that encapsulated the phrase 'wake up and smell the coffee', this is it. It's coffee overload, and much more. At first it’s a shot of pure Irish coffee, almost drinkable…but as it dried, the dusty books smell comes through and the sweet coffee smell strengthens. I know it sounds weird but that smell of dusty books and spilt coffee and Irish cream is surprisingly nice…so compelling to sniff! I probably won't wear this as an everyday perfume, but this is an impressive scent, capturing an old library, and one of the most unconventional BPALs I've tried. What an amazing olfactory experience. I'm sure this would make a fantastic room fragrance. Now I'm a bit bummed that I never got any other SiA scents (the only reason being that I know nothing about Lovecraft), as they are the most unique scents that are like no conventional perfumes out there!

Shub Niggurath In the imp: YUM!!! Gingersnaps! With something creamy and buttery and sugary-the smell of ginger biscuit dough! Nothing dark or evil yet, it smells delicious! Wet on skin: whoa, the ginger now becomes more hot, spicy, and fiery, it has a piercing quality. But it still retains a dough-like quality. Yup, these are gingersnaps from hell! Dry on skin: now it's like raw cut ginger when the smell hits you in a piercing shock when you chop ginger. There's a sweet creamy-buttery-sugary biscuit dough undercurrent that tries it's best to soften this, but the ginger is screaming on my skin! It's like a fire in my nose…but that's no bad thing! After a while: the ginger is still biting my nose, but tones down a bit. Now the sweet gingersnap dough smell returns-not as evil as before, but sweeter and with a hint of some other spices-possibly cardamom and maybe even some cinnamon or cloves. But the scent does have dark undertones. I think I can make out some herbs, not sure what though. There's also something lemony there. But that doesn't stop it from smelling yummy. After an hour or so, the ginger overload has calmed down considerably, and some dark herbs/spices come through. There's even a smell that reminds me of damp soil, which is unusual, but strangely pleasant. Verdict: I can understand why this has been described as 'evil gingersnaps' because this exactly what I get on my skin! There's a lovely sweet delicious biscuit dough smell, but then there's the ginger. Piercing, loud, fiery and vicious ginger. Like a little ginger demon biting my nostrils every time I sniff this. But I love it so much. It is very intense though, hot and with a lot of punch, but the smell of gingersnaps from hell is too enticing to resist! Now I want to make gingersnaps that taste just like how this smells.

Erato In the imp: floral…pink, soft florals. Rose softened by possibly the other flowers in the blend. Wet on skin: rose and sweet peas. Maybe some ylang ylang. This is a soft, floral, feminine scent. Dry on skin: the rose gets stronger…oh, lovely roses! There's another soft powdery smell underneath it that reminds me of a perfume I've smelt before. This is quite a nice blend, I think. I think it's the ylang ylang I can smell with a hint of myrrh added a deep warm resinous sweetness. After a while: there's something in this blend that reminds me of geranium, even though that is not listed as an ingredient…which is nice because I love the smell of geranium! I think the myrrh's coming through-it adds a unique depth to the florals, but isn't heavy. But it's more prominent and makes this blend more interesting than just generic floral perfume. the myrrh gets stronger and stronger, it's a gorgeous smell, it doesn't take over the florals though. Verdict: another lovely feminine and soft blend, so floral, but that's not a problem for me…the rose is evident in this but it's softened and warmed by other flowers and myrrh. It's soft, almost powdery (no bad thing) and it makes me think of sun kissed petals, flowers scenting the summer air. As the myrrh strengthens, it gets deeper, richer and more sophisticated. It's a laid back floral that would be lovely for spring and summer. It's also a grown up, mature scent. I have other floral BPAL blends which I prefer to this, but I think this one is quite nice.

Aunt Caroline's Money Draw In the imp: cinnamon!!!! This smells like a festive orange-spice blend. Wet on skin: it's cinnamon or clove, but there's also something salty there, which is strange. Makes me think of my mum's spice filled cooking. Dry on skin: now the cinnamon comes to the fore, oh, beautiful spicy heaven. There's a sweet note there too, like a sweet wood, maybe sandalwood, and possibly some clove. But this is mulled wine spice, but also smells like a spice market too, because I can detect savoury spices too, like turmeric or ginger? There's something slightly curry-ish about this blend, but I love that. There's a hint of orange there that blends with the cinnamon to make that festive smell that makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside. After a while: oh, the cinnamon is simply glowing on my skin! This makes me feel like a true Spice Girl lol. This is dry, warm, comforting and delicious. Verdict: this is the ultimate spice blend. This is like walking into a spice market, there's cinnamon here, and loads of other spices, both sweet and savoury. This smells like the spices used in Christmas dinner meets the spices from a delicious curry. It's foody, it's comforting, it's warm…but will it make me rich? Well, I'm going to dab a bit on a lottery ticket to see if this stuff works! Edit: it seems this stuff does work! I did win a small prize on the lottery-only 10 quid, I know, but it goes to show there's magic in that there oil!

Blood Pearl In the imp: interesting. it's got a sweet, iris like smell which is also dry, and there's coconut there too. Wet on skin: there's a lovely sweet iris-coconut smell, similar to Black Pearl, but without the hazelnut. It's quite nice, actually. Dry on skin: the dry iris/orris smell becomes smooth and powdery (no bad thing) and there's a hint of coconut there. I can't smell the musk yet, but there's a hint of cherry-ish red resin that is probably dragon's blood. But there's a smell there that's quite dusty. After a while: I'm not sure if it's the orris or musk that's causing this but there's a soft powdery smell now, and it's so sweet and comforting, I think that's the coconut. Mmm. After a few hours...hello musk! Oh, I love this musk, it's sexy. Verdict: this is like a drier, more powdery variant of Black Pearl. This is really nice, it's a soft, slightly dusty, light iris-like scent with a sweet coconutty smell, with a hint of dragon's blood. It's a lovely smell, but I prefer the cool, lush delicate musky sweetness of Black Pearl. But I love the musky drydown after a few hours...

Hexennacht In the imp: sweet and foresty…like fir trees and incense. It's very warm. Wet on skin: dark warm firs and something sweet, like incense with smoke. The great thing is that the smoke isn't going icky on my skin! This is like a campfire in a forest. Wow. Dry on skin: the firs become fresher and greener. This isn't a Christmas tree smell though, this is warm, smoky, mysterious. This is like a night time forest with a magical ceremony, a witches' dance, the smoke of the fires, the sweet sticky incense…it's awesome! After a while: I'm surprised as to how nicely the smoke note behaves-it smells like a faint breeze of smoke, not like my skin's on fire! There's a sweet woody-resin smell like tree sap, and there's that soft, sensual, almost baby-oil type smell that could be the skin scent. As time passes, there's a sweet resinous note that gets stronger and stronger, with a hint of smoke lingering on the surface. This is an unusual and interesting blend. About 45 mins-1 hour later, the sweet smell remains but now goes back to dark tree sap, with pine needles and smoke. It's like a ritual bonfire with incense and sacred herbs added, giving the smoke a magical quality. It's strong, but so pleasant. After a few hours, it changes to deep musk, and a few hours after that comes the baby oil reminiscent scent that I got in LPM. Verdict: this pleasantly surprised me. This is a fascinating blend of deep dark forest notes, sweet incense, smoke and warmed skin…it's sweet, it's smoky, it's mysterious, it's magical. I'm not sure if I'd wear this as perfume, but it's a wonderful nose-trip that BPAL can do so well. Amazing.

Ides of March In the imp: an interesting mix of sweet, green, herbal, light floral, and citrus smells. Wet on skin: it's unusual, quite herbal with a hint of green. There's a note there that I'm not very keen on though that for some reason makes me think of salad, I hope it clears… Dry on skin: much better. It's still herbal and green, with citrus. This is very fresh and moist, perfect for spring, and is developing a clean sweetness and a hint of floral. I think I can smell the rosemary, bergamot and lemon, and it's possibly iris or narcissus causing the light clean floral on top. There's also a sweetness which could be from amber. After a while: the lemony tartness is still there but now there's a soft floral on my skin. It reminds me of a perfume I've smelt elsewhere-it's quite nice. It does smell like men's cologne, but the floral notes soften this out a bit and stop it from smelling blatantly 'manly' and more unisex. After a few hours it reminds me of my godmother's perfume. It's very floral, surprisingly, and has changed from masculine at the start, to unisex, and now to feminine. Verdict: this is quite nice, a clean, fresh spring scent. There's a herbal scent to it, sharpened by citrus, but with a hint of delicate floral and a sweet undertone. It's complex, yet quite clean, not messy or complicated in it's scent. It's quite lovely, but not really me, I do like it though.

Tiger Lily In the imp: ohhh, lovely lily with a touch of sweetness. Honeyed lilies indeed! Wet on skin: still sweet lilies, freshly bloomed and fragrant. This is gorgeous. Dry on skin: the lily note becomes more pronounced and, excuse the cheesy pun, 'blooms' on my skin. There's always that golden sweet honey note giving this a nice aspect, gives an image of lilies illuminated by afternoon sunlight. The honey note then becomes more pronounced and mingles so nicely with the lily. After a while: this doesn't change much at all-it's just that wonderful honeyed lily all along. Lovely. Verdict: this is a beautiful sweet lily blend. it's fresh blooming lilies with a swirl of golden honey. It's simple, and so effective. I have a feeling this blend will be wonderful as room fragrance too. it's not soapy on me at all, and the honey just enhances the lily scent and adds another, sweet and comforting dimension to this scent. Fantastic.

Hanging Gardens In the imp: gorgeous mix of fruit and florals, with a hint of something green or woody. Wet on skin: there's a clear floral, but also a harsh woody note there that's sort of scaring me…it's a sharp, grating note, hot and uncomfortable! What a shame…there's something underneath that's nice but that smell scares me. Dry on skin: that sharp note is still there; it gets greener though, and there's a sweet smell underneath that will hopefully redeem this. And after a minute, it's softened out into a green note that for some reason makes me think of the trunk of a palm tree? Maybe it's the dry, rough aspect this note has. And there's a soft floral there, it's an exotic scent-gardenia, perhaps. This is a very hot, dry scent, and yet it seems like a garden with palm trees and exotic blooms. It's quite fitting for a garden in a desert country. I'm hoping the fruity notes come out, because now, it's really just dry woods and gardenia. Which is quite nice…I wish the smell was a bit stronger. After a while: oooh, the fruits are coming out! Under the dry woods, a sweet moist smell of fruit starts to surface. I'm not sure what fruit, but there's a fruit there, with the gardenia. I think there could be fig or plum there, it's a sweet fruit. Now the scent becomes more lush. There's a nice mixture of woody, green, floral and fruity now. I think some of the fruits are dry fruits, like dates and dried figs. I can't distinguish notes, but it brings to mind a sun drenched, exotic oasis like garden in a great palace. There's a dry bite to this, which really makes me, think of the desert, but the sweet fruits and flowers redeem the fragrance. And there's a contrast to the dry scent-the fruity note is moist, almost aquatic. It's a very gentle, close to the skin scent though. And the throw improves dramatically. After about half an hour, the smell develops a tartness, probably the fruits. I just hope it doesn't turn too sharp. I'm amazed at the sheer number of scents simultaneously showing up now. The tart stage doesn't last...after about an hour the smell becomes truly gorgeous. There's a juicy, fresh fruity scent that i love...not sure what fruit, but it's lovely! Verdict: this is so fascinating…an extraordinary and unusual blend of scents that put strong mental images in my head…picture a beautiful garden oasis in a burning hot desert land…that's what the smell reminds me of. There's a rough note that seemed almost off putting at first, but this then mellowed, and this scent reminds me of dry palm woods, dried fruits and fierce desert sun. But then there's a cool, moist blend of lush florals, ripe fruit and greenery with a hint of aquatic. It's such an interesting and intriguing blend, full of complexity, it takes your nose on a journey, and does befit the image of the hanging gardens. I'm not sure if I'll buy a bottle, as this is not your usual perfume, but as an olfactory journey to ancient Babylon, this can't be beat. How does Beth do it? It's awe-inspiring. I bet this will be even better as a room fragrance. Now I'm hoping more of the Seven Wonders get BPALed.

Kurukulla In the imp: holy moly, sugared roses, rose and lotus overload! Those are two of my favourite florals, so I'll love this! Wet on skin: yup, this is gorgeous. Crisp, sophisticated rose coupled with sweet, delicate lotus. What a combination! Dry on skin: still simply rose and lotus. The rose here is surprisingly tart, like dried rose petals, gives this an interesting bite, whilst the lotus smoothes it out and adds sweetness. After a while: the rose becomes smoother and lovelier. The lotus is there in the background, but now it's the rose that takes centre stage. This rose is bold and ain't afraid to show it! But lotus adds a gorgeous, smooth sweet undertone that is just sublime. I think the lotus does strengthen with time and mingles nicely with the rose, enhancing it, similar to how the frankincense enhanced Rose Cross. Verdict: this is an uncomplicated blend, but simplicity is good…it's a combination of two of my favourite notes-rose and lotus. Both complement and contrast each other. The rose is tart, crisp and dry but with a ladylike feel to it. The lotus is smooth, sweet and sugary, delicate and innocent. The rose tempers out the sweetness of the lotus, the lotus does the same to the tartness of the rose. I really love these notes individually, and fusing them together works well and makes me smell like a goddess. I love BPAL rose and lotus blends, as you can imagine, this one is another favourite for me.

Harvest Moon In the imp: it's sweet, like berries or sweet wine, but there's also something that smells a bit like wheat, but also a hint of cheese? Smells like what my mum eats-those French meals of bread, cheese and wine. But the cheese is more like sweaty feet! Oh well, never judge a BPAL by it's imp! Wet on skin: still a bit cheesy (ick!) but there's also a leafy smell here, like vine leaves, and wheat, and something sweet and fruity. Luckily that cheese smell fades away, thank goodness. Dry on skin: oh, this gets better. Now there's a full leafy, herbal smell, like vines or maybe ivy, possibly sage. I can smell grains, sweet wine and possibly pumpkin, there's apple there, fresh green apple, and berries. I can't really smell the flowers mentioned, possibly because they are not heady, highly scented florals. This is such an interesting, unusual smell, it's just like the scent of a country harvest fair. After a while: I'm quite amazed at how this blend morphs. I suppose it's typical of lunar blends, but that's why they are so fascinating. About 10 minutes after application, the scent is predominantly pumpkin and apple, with berry wine, and that smell that reminds me of ripened wheat. About 20 mins later: the ivy and sage return again, adding the deep green note back to the scent. About 30 mins later: the wine and berries are predominant, with still a bit of ivy. This blend swings back and forth over waves of complex notes. About 40 minutes later: wine and pumpkin, with grains. About an hour or so, wine, berries and grains, apple and maybe just a floral hint. Verdict: This is a unique blend which seems to epitomise the fruitful start of autumn. I love those pleasantly warm, calm and gentle days of September, this is what this scent seems to encapsulate. I'm not sure if I love it though-there was a sort of cheesy note that really put me off at first but that fades fast. It's one of the most unusual blends I've tried, so different from the rest. The notes in this are so complex and so fascinating. I'm not getting florals or 'commercial perfume' like some others noted. I'm still unsure as to whether it's a 'me' blend, but I think I'm enjoying it's warm, early autumn vibe. And I cannot help but be fascinated and intrigued at the way it changes scent all the time. Quite an experience!

Cathode In the imp: cool, minty and mossy, but with an interesting depth that reminds me of something but I can't put my finger on it-could this be the ambergris? Wet on skin: this is a cool, chilly scent, like cold salty water…there's mint and moss there, but there's this deep, strange note that is a bit salty. Interesting. Dry on skin: the mint comes up again, bright but cold. There's also a fresh 'sea breeze' sort of scent which is very interesting. It's ozone, it's marine, it's almost electric. There's an element to it that reminds me of a perfume I've smelt before, but with mint. This is a very fresh, clean scent, quite clearing for the mind. I think this will be the perfect blend to revise physics with, thanks to the name associations. After a while: the mint fades but still remains in the background and something like a cross between moss, sea air, ozone and cologne but with an unusual, almost leathery depth comes through. I'm pretty sure this is the ambergris, it's got a smell I'm sure I've smelt before, on someone else or in some perfume shop. The mint which remains though, adds a bright touch, lightens the scent. Verdict: this was a very interesting experience. It's a very unusual perfume scent, but it works. It's minty, it's cold, it's clean and bright. It also has this deep undertone and a slightly ozonic scent, almost marine. It's got a strange energy to it, a cool, gently charged aura of scent on my skin. It also reminds me of something I've smelt before. It's a very intriguing, fascinating scent, and I'm addicted. I think it would be great for summer because it also has this aquatic vibe going on. I really like it, and it really appeals with the scientist in me.

I say 'Briz-ing-arm-en', that could be very wrong though.

Binah In the imp: deep incense, resinous with a hint of spice-cloves? I'm sure there's myrrh there too. Wet on skin: there's a smooth, sweet note, like amber and myrrh, but there's also a sharp, astringent green note there, but it's not too clashing yet… Dry on skin: this reminds me of Black Lotus, but without the lotus and with the sharp wood/green/smoke note toned down, so it's adds a bit of kick without being dissonant. This could be sandalwood? This is very incensy, very sweet, deep, mysterious. there's a slight hint of warmth, maybe some spice there. It reminds me not just of new age shops, but also of a middle eastern/Egyptian market stall selling all sorts of wonderful incenses, it's so exotic. After a while: the sweetness of this blend develops and warms, this becomes an enchanting sweet myrrh-amber with a warm ambience-there's possibly some carnation here too, a spicy sweet scent. It's got an almost sacred feel, like this scent would be wafted through some ancient temple. It makes me feel almost meditative. I'm not getting heavy florals like others are, just resin, spice and maybe a hint of floral but it's so well blended and all the notes merge into one. After about an hour, there's two aspects to the scent-one a light spicy and perhaps floral sweetness dancing on top of an undertone of dark, mysterious scent which I am pretty sure is myrrh. It's really nice. Verdict: this is such an intriguing blend, it's sweet, and mysterious, and almost sacred. Like an offering of burning incense. It's an exotic blend of resins and maybe woods or spices. At first I was scared it would clash with my skin, but it sweetened out to become a lovely sweet resin blend, heady and deep, but very nice. This would be a nice scent to wear at night, it feels calming and meditative. It's my first sephiroth blend too. I don't know if I'll get a bottle but this little imp I have is a keeper.

I've heard one person at an Egyptian lecture on mythology pronounce it 'New-it'. I've heard that's an occult spelling for Nut. I prefer it because it sounds less like a kind of food (no offence to the great sky goddess!!!) and is spelt the same way as the French word Nuit, which my mum calls it with the French pronounciation (she's French). It's not the only time BPAL have favoured a more occult/arcane spelling of an Egyptian deity's name for their oils, there's also Ahathoor...an alternative spelling for Hathor, which I have never seen used anywhere else.