yeahbutnobut

The Sluggard In the imp: lavender and monoi! This has the same gardenia as Tiki Queen! Wet on skin: fruity gardenia with a resinous-herbal touch. Dry on skin: this is really nice. There’s a lavender note here that’s herbal and a bit dirty, in a pleasant way. Under it I smell rich gardenia, very monoi-like, a tropical bloom filling the air with scent. It has a fruitiness enhanced by juicy sweet pear. And then there’s frankincense, which in here is stunning and a lot deeper than the one in, say, Christine. The combination of frankincense and gardenia reminds me of Ecstasy of St Theresa. And then another comparison comes to mind-Lune Noire. The pear, floral and resin blend here reminds me of LN, and I love that. After a while: the lavender fades, leaving that glorious monoi tiare scent behind, gilded with frankincense and labdanum resins and with that gorgeous fruity pear making it sweeter. I don’t know what thistle smells like, so I don’t think I can smell it. it now reminds me less of Lune Noire and more of Tiki Queen with added resin. The drydown is a sublime sweet gardenia which reminds me of vanilla and jasmine (good jasmine, that is) with a resinous backdrop and also a dry, brittle, hay like scent which may be thistle. But I can’t get over how wonderful the tiare-like gardenia note in here is. Verdict: this is surprisingly beautiful! I was expecting this to be a dirty-earthy herbal resin scent with a smidge of floral and fruit, but the gardenia just glows here. and it’s the best kind of gardenia, the monoi tiare variety which smells like holidays in Tahiti and grass skirts and flowery garlands and paradise and all that. This sluggard seems to be lazing about on exotic islands, taking long holidays chilling out in tropical climes, it seems. The resin makes this even more beautiful and this actually smells like what I wished I could have got from Marae-gardenia and incense. This also happens to be a great replacement for when I run out of Lune Noire, the frankincense and floral blend with pear is similar, though a little headier. An unexpected hit from the new MTPs! Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? yup. I’ll use up the imp and maybe get a bottle. If you like this, try: Lune Noire, Tiki Queen, Marae, Ecstasy of St Theresa, Christine

Tabella In the bottle: fig and resins! Mmm! Wet on skin: lots of fig, and it’s quite a sharp fig…I also smell ginger, herbs and resins. Dry on skin: oh, this is gorgeous. It smells like beautiful resins and warm herbs surrounding a heart of fig. the fig is a bit sharp, but very pleasant. I can smell the golden and wonderful resin notes, bright frankincense and sweet benzoin. I smell sharp notes of ginger and bergamot, a bit of sage, a hint of smoky tobacco flower, and soft olive blossom with it’s slightly fruity-oily-floral scent. everything works together really well. After a while: this gets better! The fig then goes all mushy (but still has a hint of something sharp about it) and even a little musky, reminds me of the musky fig in Aeronwen. Only this time it’s got herbs and lovely resins. These seem to add a golden, glimmering scent to the fig. I smell more of the olive blossom too, I love that note, and it seems to enhance the soft, almost creamy scent of the fig. The drydown of this scent is a delightful scent of soft musky-powdery fig backed up with olive blossom. It’s really beautiful. The frankincense adds the perfect touch of incense to it all, I think some of the smokiness also comes from the tobacco flower. Verdict: as this has aged it has become a gorgeous sophisticated bergamot perfume with undertones of resin and fig. the ginger, olive blossom, fig and bergamot make this snappy and fresh, quite sharp (I myself would rather it was a tiny bit sweeter) but with a feel to it that’s very mature and classy, refined. Something about it also reminds me of the Roman-themed scents like Angeronalia and Ides of March. And underneath it are the resins. The frankincense is really lovely here, and the tobacco adds smokiness and makes it a little more incense-y but not overwhelmingly smoky like tobacco can usually be. The drydown is a lovely fig gilded with bright olive blossom and frankincense. Really lovely. It would be even nicer though if the fig were sweeter and maybe of the mushy brown-red-purple variety (not the green type I get here) but this is certainly a keeper. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? yup, the bottle. If you like this, try: Sagittarius, Aeronwen, Intrigue, Luperci, Banded Sea Snake, Ides of March

Pisces 08 In the bottle: a deep, mysterious moss with opium and spice. Wet on skin: now the opium really comes out, with a slightly citrusy spice. Dry on skin: whoa, this is quite something. It’s a haze of narcotic notes dominated by the opium, an otherworldly and dreamy incense. I think I also smell the hemp, which doesn’t smell like weed but certainly reminds me of khus. I think grains of paradise are spicy, and this does have a spicy scent to it. the passion flower and wisteria make this a little bit floral, whilst the moss adds a green, moist and slightly powdery scent. This is a fascinating scent. it reminds me of Kanishta with the jasmine replaced by wisteria. It’s a purple scent (I keep thinking ‘purple haze’ when I smell this, lol). After a while: I think I seem to be getting on better with wisteria notes. First Aquarius smells lovely on me, and now the wisteria here also smells really nice, not wilted. It’s become stronger, the soft flowery scent rising out of the opium mist. I also smell a bit of the moss too. Oddly, it smells a tiny bit salty or aquatic, reminiscent of the sea now? I don’t know why, but it’s fitting for Pisces. I also smell something musky and fuzzy here, and it’s a little bit sweeter too. The opium smoke clears away and the scent becomes a lovely floral-mossy scent with a touch of ethereal incense lingering, and a seaweed-like scent. Something about the scent evokes not the smell of fish (thank goodness) but the appearance of fish, slippery scales flashing in the waters of a clear blue sea. This scent makes me think of mermaids. Verdict: this is a strange, fascinating scent…a little mysterious and evocative of swirling shades of purple and blue and green. I gave this two test runs-the review above describes the scent when fresh, but I tried it again, aged a year and a bit, and it has changed a little-it has a fresher scent to it, almost like an aquatic note has fully materialised in the scent, which is fitting. The seaweed note and sea moss scent I got is also stronger which seems to fit with the whole theme, and I also get a coolness which is almost minty, and almost like anise. it also reminds me very much of Roux Ga Roux, the same mossy wisteria scent, but this is a little cooler and saltier in feel. It’s a very fitting scent for its sign, swirling and mysterious and dreamy, but also hard to grasp, at times it is hard to figure out exactly what I smell-is it moss, or florals, or spicy smoke? an intriguing fragrance! Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? a little-I preferred it when fresh, but it’s still one of the nicer watery-themed scents. If you like this, try: Opium Poppy, Darkness, Roux Ga Roux, Shanghai Tunnel

Season of the Inundation In the imp: gorgeous soft sweetish floral soil. Wet on skin: oh, this is sweet! But so nice too…it smells like sweet rich earth. Dry on skin: now I can smell spices and resins mingling into this scent, but the overall scent is of rich fertile soil with a sweetness to it that is almost like a nectar. Is that melilot? I don’t know what it smells like but the scent is imbued with a delicate nectary floral, soft and pretty. And the soil note is awesome-it reminds me of other earth notes but I think this one is a little muddier? It also has that slight hint of river to it, slightly reedy, a little wet. It’s not a rained on soil scent. The cedar is also strong here, it smells like a strong deep wood. The spikenard, myrrh and hyssop add a dry spicy scent. I can’t really smell a snow note, but I wasn’t really expecting to smell one in here. After a while: something in here smells like aniseed? Not sure what it is, maybe the hyssop? I like it…but I also love how the scent has developed. The wet muddy scent isn’t as strong but it still lingers a little, but the overall scent is more of a spicy sweet incense (myrrh and spikenard and something almost like saffron) with drier soil, along with lots of cedar. This cedar is really lovely because it smells really dark and old, aged perhaps, and it brings up a vivid image: ancient cedar boats travelling on the Nile. Like the sun boat of Khufu, but loads of them, and these are party boats cruising the flooding river in celebration, some of them burning incense as an offering. There’s a joyful yet meditative feel to the scent. And then this eventually settles into what must be the nicest cedar incense scent ever…warm deep aged cedar with a soft haze of incense and a spicy scent, slightly dry and very golden, which seems very evocative of Egypt to me…a little desert-y, a little bit spice-market. And then the earthiness returns, this time in the form of spikenard, and something that may be patchouli. At this point, it reminds me of Mr Jaquel, but without the amber. It’s the same hyssop and spice and ‘scent of antiquity’ vibe. Verdict: this is a fantastic representation of Wep Renpet in scent. It is celebratory, and reverent, and full of life and fertility. It starts off as the rich wet Nile silt covering offerings of flowers and sweet resin, and a woodsy scent of cedar and balsam wood. Something about this scent almost reminds me of Diwali, it has a similar festive-yet-sacred feel, only this time relocated from India to Egypt, and with the sweet fruit and florals replaced with rich earth and resins. The drydown is possible the best cedar scent from BPAL, aged cedar of a pharaoh’s boat anointed with spices and sacred oils, sailing down the Nile as the sun blazes down, between the desert and river. It is stunning, beautiful, evocative, and perfect. I knew Beth wouldn’t let me down with her interpretation of the Nile inundation festival…in fact she surpassed my expectations. I can’t wait to see what other Egyptian festivals get scent-ified! Emoticon rating: :love!: Is it a keeper? yes-I will stockpile this one! If you like this, try: Nefertiti, Penny Dreadful, Mr Jacquel, Magus, Diwali

Festival of Anuket In the imp: fresh, effervescent, almost fruity water. Wet on skin: a spray of cool refreshing water…I can almost hear the splash. Dry on skin: goodness me, could this be an aquatic scent that actually works on me? This might well be! This smells like a cool spray of refreshing sweet water. No soap, none of that ozone-y crackle, and no salt. Just a bright spritz of pure water. Or a scent that evokes fresh water, as it not only smells aquatic, but I can smell what may be a fruit element-not sure what fruit but it’s almost like citrus, but almost like melon or cucumber as well. There’s probably also a floral note here, maybe waterlily, or a citrus blossom? I can’t really smell the gold yet, but the scent brings up vivid images of blue sky, bright sunshine reflecting and shining through off droplets and fountains of pure, drinkable water. And the joy of such a gift of water on a hot day. After a while: the initial watery scent does tone down but the bright, fresh scent remains, and by now it becomes a little bit more of a traditional clean scent, almost linen, but stopping short of smelling like soap/washing powder. There’s a tiny bit of something pleasantly metallic, in a Metal Phoenix/Robotic Scarab way, which I really like. I also smell a possible musk, a white or blue musk, as well as more of that fruity/floral scent that reminds me of Robotic Scarab, I think this may be part of the gold note? there’s a little sweetness, maybe white amber? The scent turns into a very pleasant clean sweet fresh scent, very much like Dirty, but a lot nicer than Dirty. Verdict: at long last, an aquatic that works on me! It seems that this a rare find, a water scent that doesn’t turn to washing powder o’ doom on me. I found my miracle sea scent with Aeaea, but this is my miracle freshwater scent. It’s not just the scent, but also the images this scent evokes. The scent brings to mind the gift of cooling, sweet, pure water in a hot climate or a desert…like an oasis, this is the scent of water as a blessing. And it feels so joyous and festive, and I get the image of dancing water, fountains and waterfalls, and of sunlight glistening on dancing drops of clear water, playful and inviting and carefree. The scent smells of clean and clear water but there are also hints of bright clean musks, subtle fruits and floral notes and just a hint of gold. It’s perfect for summer, so refreshing as a scent and a concept. Not to mention that this is perfect in this oppresive muggy heat currently plaguing London…I think I will stock up on this one. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? of course! If you like this, try: Sturgeon Moon, Sea of Glass, Water Phoenix, Dirty, Sundew, Torture Queen, Metal Phoenix

Set In the imp: dragon’s blood? This is worrying. I smell dragon’s blood, not red musk. Wet on skin: dragon’s blood, and lots of it. this does not bode well. it smells a little lilac-y. Dry on skin: I smell other things now, which are promising. I smell incense, a crumbly dry incense ash with hints of redness and spice scent, reminiscent of Great Cry in Egypt. I smell sand here, and arid desert air, a la Ozymandias. There really is a sand note here, dry and gritty and hot. This lacks the slight sweetness and amber I get from Ozy and Great Cry though. I don’t smell vetiver here, at least, not now. but the predominant note here is undoubtably DRAGON’S BLOOD. I agree that Set should smell red, but I was hoping it wasn’t this particular red note. And already the DB is voraciously gobbling up the other notes and turning to red lilac chemical soap on my skin. After a while: and now it turns sour? Even DB doesn’t do that to me. Maybe there is another floral note in here which is not faring well with my skin? it still smells predominantly of dragon’s blood. I think there’s red musk, but it’s less of the sweet fruity kind and more like a dry ‘blood musk’ to me. This feels a little chaotic on my skin, and uncomfortable. It reminds me of Wrath and Mars. The incense notes are fading, but I still smell the sand, it smells abrasive now…it brings to mind a sandstorm at sunset. Fiery red sky and hot blowing sand gusting in my face, almost suffocating, and drying too, the god of chaos manifesting, exercising his power. I love the image this evokes-very fitting for this god-but could do without the DB, which smells soapy at times. Though thankfully this dries down to that hot sand with incense ash scent, it still smells a little sour for my likings. Verdict: I was really eager to try the Set scent ever since I heard about it, but this prototype isn’t doing it for me. Why? Two words: dragon’s blood. I’m surprised that no one seems to have mentioned this…to me the lilac or wisteria mentioned in other reviews is none other than dragon’s blood, that red, strange, tricky resin which my skin, sadly, amps to crazy levels. So I never get anything remotely like red musk scents I love like Scherezade, Spellbound etc, though at times this does remind me of a couple of the Egypt blends, but overall it smells very similar to the Contract of Theophilus of Adana at the beginning, that dry dragon’s bloody incense scent. having said that, there really is a proper desert feel to this scent, hot and harsh, arid and scorched, a little bit tempestuous like a sandstorm…with overtones of spice and incense ash. It’s appropriate for Set, but it doesn’t seem to work on my skin. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? maybe a decant…but it’s too dragon’s bloody for me. I hope the released version of Set is more of the red musk affair the other reviews mention!

Ysabel Bath Oil In bottle: CARNATION! Think Lush Potion carnation. On skin: and now here comes the frankincense! This is magnificent. And then the benzoin kicks in, and this is the sweet benzoin, and it merges so beautifully with the frankincense and adds a stunning sweet resin aspect to the incense scent here. This is a much bolder, spicier carnation than usual from BPAL, and it absolutely kicks ass. It’s one of those red, frilly ‘flamenco skirt’ carnations, the ones with the really clove-y scent, fiery little flowers, and I love that scent. And yes, there is a passing resemblance to Lush Potion, but this has loads of incense too, which makes this different, and I am a compulsive resin-head so that makes me very happy. Frankincense and carnation are a dynamite combination, especially with a little bit of sweetness from the balsam and benzoin. As this dries down the carnation calms a little and develops a gorgeous and slightly creamy undertone and I smell what could be the Peru balsam, an almost vanilla-ish background. At one point, funnily enough, there is a scent to this that reminds me of the wonderful spicy sweet floral fragrance I remember smelling when I visited the gardens of Alhambra…which is where Ysabel changed the course of history! It brings back memories of my visit to Granada anyway. The scent does fade a little fast (which I notice with a few bath oil scents, which doesn’t surprise me because they are less concentrated than perfume oils) but the subtle spiced frankincense/carnation that lingers is so lovely. I am certainly keeping the bottle I have of this, I think this is wonderful as a perfume or as a layering scent (can’t wait to smell this with Pink Moon, and of course Ysabel perfume), it’s too beautiful to waste on a bath! (btw the backup bottle I have of this smells completely different-it’s more incensey, and there’s something to it that reminds me more of rose than carnation. It's nice but I prefer the carnationy version!)

Copper In the imp: GINGER! No one has mentioned ginger yet? But this smells just like ginger beer! Wet on skin: fizzy and lemony ginger ale! Dry on skin: ginger ale. This smells like a perfect summer drink-fizzy, tingly and spicy Jamaican ginger ale, with its contradictory blend of hot spice in a cool drink, topped up with tangy yet sweet lemonade. The ginger that the ale is made from is the real deal-proper roots, maybe a bit of dry ginger powder too but mainly fresh roots. And the lemonade note is very strongly lemony, which I love. I don’t smell metal here. Just ginger beer and lemonade-the best picnic drink. After a while: still ginger beer. The lemonade has faded a little but the ginger is still as strong as ever. It reminds me of lemony Shub, but lighter and more effervescent. A bit like a blend of white and red gingers with something sweet underneath. I also think I can detect some pepper now. Maybe pink pepper? This is fizzy spice. Still no metal as such but it does evoke the colour and sheen of copper. Verdict: this to me is the perfect ginger beer scent. it smells like chilling out in the garden on a summer’s day with a glass full of cold ginger beer, which despite being ice cool, has a hot flavour to it from the spice. And this ginger beer is topped up with lemonade. I love both the ginger and lemon notes in here. the ginger smells like real roots, the lemon smells like real lemons, and the scent overall is tingly and effervescent, and a little sweet as well. the scent loses that lemon note over time to become a purer tangy ginger scent with maybe some other spices. but overall, it is ginger beer and lemonade, simple as that. and I love it. I’m not sure if this is the perfect ‘copper’ scent, but I would love something like this to be released one day. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? definitely. I love ginger beer!

Kinnabari In the bottle: minerals and crushed metal and clay. Very intriguing. Wet on skin: this smell reminds me of paints for some reason…and clay too. Dry on skin: for some reason I just had a flashback of art class at school when smelling this…it smells of paints and clays and a hint of glue. Not the harsh, chemical, solvent paints and glues, but the softer scents of the kinds of paints and glues that you probably won’t get you high (not that I’ve ever done that, but you know what I mean). I also smell chalk here, and indeed, I smell the desert soil and dust mentioned in previous reviews. There’s a sharp note ringing through it that smells metallic, but also vaguely fruity/floral, as well as a little bit of sweetness. But overall, it smells of red dry dusty minerals. After a while: this scent makes me want to get arty! It really smells like pastels and chalks and paints and clay. It’s uncanny how mineral it smells, and it still smells ochre-y and chalky and red. But it also sweetens a bit. After a few hours, I smell something warm and dry but a little less unusual than the minerals, more familiar…I think it may be sandalwood. Or maybe musk, or both? But I think it is a wood. Verdict: one of the most unusual BPALs ever. Every time I think Beth has surpassed herself with odd notes (metal, blood, unusual fruits and veg etc), I always get taken aback by even more new, surprising, imaginative perfume notes she concocts…like the mineral scent this has. It smells dusty and red and clay-ish, a little like paint or art clay or pastels at times, it also smells very geological. This brings to mind shades of ochre and red. This brings to mind images of Ayers Rock/Uluru, the colours of flaming sunset in the Australian outback. Or maybe even images of the surface of Mars. This is uncannily mineral, unsettlingly so…how does she do it? This scent is incredibly unique, there’s nothing like it either in BPAL or in the whole scentiverse. I’m still working out whether I like it as a perfume, but as a conceptual scent, it’s fantastic! Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? just a decant-I can’t really wear this as perfume but this scent is so different and a little nostalgic so I want to keep a bit.

In the imp: pine, snow, and smoke…vetiver even? Wet on skin: fresh evergreens covered with snow, a bit like Frau Holle but darker. Dry on skin: interesting. This smells like an earthier, less airy version of Frau Holle. I smell the snow (more ozone-y than usual, very clean and almost soapy) and some pine or fir glazed with ice, I think I can smell musk too, and I do smell flowers. I smell violet, and some fresher, more delicate blooms. I don’t know what most of these flowers smell like but they are not loud flowers, these are quiet and cool. Under it all, a deep dark earthy undertone, which to me has nuances of vetiver, maybe some woods or patchouli too. After a while: this actually smells a little bit similar to Crimson Christmas now, only a little less soapy/ozoney and with less smoke. the snow note is fresh and strong and smells a lot more pine-like, a bit slushy too. the flowers are discreet but I think they are enhancing the pure snowy scent. there is a little bit of smoke though, a hint of vetiver and smouldering wood. Like a fire burning to keep the cold away…like that scent of smoke that is often wafting through chilly winter air. Verdict: out of the two winter goddesses of Yule 08, this is the darker, smokier one. The snow note is not as strong but it seems to be more of the ozone-y sleet note from Black Ice, though the flowers may be making it more of a fresher and sharper scent. and those flowers are very pretty, not soapy or bitter at all. But above all, it is a smoky, shadowy scent with a feel of winter bonfires to it. there’s probably a hint of vetiver in here, but it’s not obnoxious. I like it but I think I prefer Frau Holle, this one is a little too ozone-y and vetivery for me, perhaps. (I never got the chocolate that has been mentioned previously.) Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? Not really. If you like this, try: Frau Holle, Crimson Christmas, Black Ice, Snow Maiden, Old Moon

I love how colourful the labels are this time round-the deliciously garish shades of the garden ornaments and the fiery orange with black of Labores, and the vivid ancient designs of Feast of the Greatly Revered Ones and Season of Inundation are wonderful!

I love the flamingo!

I am dying to see what the labels for the new Egyptian scents look like! (And the garden ornament scents too!)

Oh my gosh they are GORGEOUS!! Those look like the sort of thing I want on trading cards/postcards, like CD! Are the bath oil labels the same?

Mutant Hot-Rodders from Hell High In the imp: vetiver! And leather, and lime, and metallic cologne. Wet on skin: vetiver smoke-I’m assuming that’s the hellfire? And I smell the leather jackets. Dry on skin: I am amping the hell (ha!) out of the ‘studs’ note, as this has turned very ozone-metallic and masculine on me. The lime is less like fresh juice and more like lime cologne, tangy and leaning towards the sporty-perfume genre. I smell a little bit of leather, but it’s the hellfire that I really smell. It’s a dry, hot vetiver smoke scent, smouldering wood and heavy, gritty vetiver. Interestingly, I seem to smell black pepper as well…and something worryingly close to barbecue smoke. It’s a dark, sinister scent with that flash of zingy boyish cologne over the top. After a while: this smells more and more like Agnes Nutter now. Not as smoky, but the vetiver and metal notes dominate the scent. This seems more like a clean zingy metal than a rusty one though, and it still has that sporty deodorant scent to it, but with heavy and clingy vetiver underneath. Verdict: I knew from the notes that this wouldn’t be so good one me, I was right. Too metallic, too leathery, and with a little too much vetiver for me to handle. The leather is the glossy black and slightly rubbery variety that doesn’t do so well on me. The lime is nice but a little too cologne-y in here. But the two notes that dominated were the metal and vetiver/hellfire. I thought that metal studs would be quite discreet but in here the metal note amps to crazy levels, turning them into generic men’s perfume, for the first hour of wear. And then the scent dries down to heavy, oppressive vetiver. So not really my thing at all. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? no. If you like this, try: Agnes Nutter, Grand Inquisitor’s Heretic’s Fork, Brimstone

The Wild Hunt In the imp: oooh, a sexy, slightly masculine, woodsy musk. Wet on skin: this is gorgeous. It’s slightly resinous now, a bit spicy too. Dry on skin: this is lovely! It’s a spicy, deep, woodsy and very musky scent. This is a very sexy manly musk but it doesn’t feel too masculine for me to pull it off. It’s almost like, and yet very different to, the furry/animal musks in other wildlife/hunt themed scents, this one is a little more rugged and yet also rather sophisticated-there’s something almost like expensive perfume to this musk. There’s a wood base too, as well as spices and sappy resins. And a smokiness pervades the whole scent. After a while: interesting. I suspected an animalistic undertone to the musk, and now this shows up a lot more. It’s borderline civet, but it’s not a pungent civet-it’s less Black Annis and more like Allegory or Morella. Subtly feral. And of course it fits the name of the scent! The woods have becomes spicier and smoother-I can’t say what woods are in here, but they are very rich and almost exotic, and yet also quite outdoorsy. The scent now has something fresh to it, and I begin to smell hints of moss. Verdict: this is a gorgeous masculine scent to me, sexy and suave and rugged all at once. As far as musks and forest/hunt/animalistic/furry scents go, this is really unique, there’s nothing else like it in BPAL. The musk is deep and wild, a little more civet-y than the usual masculine musk, but not in an unpleasant way. And it’s backed up with woods and spices and maybe some smoke or resins. But I’m not sure I like it on me…maybe it’s a little too animalistic and manly for me? I am very glad I got to try it though. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? I like it but I swapped it off so other people could share the love of this very rare scent!

The Deserted Village In the imp: this reminds me of something…Jacob’s Ladder maybe? It’s golden ambergris and bergamot/neroli. Wet on skin: sharp neroli and bergamot with currant and a resinous-earthy background. Dry on skin: I like this a lot. It reminds me of elements of Anactoria, Luperci and the Masque. It’s now very currant-y, and this is a tart crisp currant, not so much a sweet musky one. I think the citrus notes give it an edge. Underneath it is the ambergris, golden and slightly perfumey, then there are the powdery notes of oakmoss and orris, and underneath, the grounded notes of patchouli and either musk or labdanum. This is earthy yet glittery and very layered. Quite fascinating and very appealing. After a while: this turns a bit weird after a while. I was expecting the ambergris, labdanum, musk and currant to do something wonderful like they did in Melainis, but instead this goes a little sour and flat? There’s a strange metallic scent to it like worn coins, the scent of money and the lining of an old purse. The currant, which I thought could do no wrong, has gone sour in here, and it’s not doing the sweet rich musky-resinous thing I was expecting. It’s as though the glitter has faded. The scent becomes dirty and one dimensional on me and then fades very fast. Verdict: this one started out with so much potential, but sadly went flat and dull on me. I loved the just dry stage when it was a wonderful earthy and golden mix of currant, neroli, patchouli, moss, musk and ambergris. It was complex and intriguing and resinous and dark, intriguing and with a lot of layers. But as the scent developed, it lost its sparkle. I don’t know what went wrong but the scent went from that stunning earthy-golden-fruity scent into a muddled and muddy mess, and I felt a little let down by that. a bit sour, without the complexity from before, I found it to be rather lacklustre. Though it does seem to fit the theme quite nicely, I just wish it had retained the glorious scent of the first stage. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? no. If you like this, try: Man with Phallus Head, Greed, Luperci, Anactoria, The Masque

Velvet Cthuhlu In the imp: soapy green wasabi, with a resinous-smoky undertone. Wet on skin: wasabi is turning to green washing up liquid, but I smell resins, cedar and tea. Dry on skin: lemongrass? I now get a strong, piercing scent of lemongrass from this scent. as well as lots of wasabi, which has a soapy scent that I am not at all keen on. It’s a shame, because I do like the other notes. The green cedar has a scent of young wood, green wood that’s just been cut, green and sappy. The teas are green too, a tart crisp tea scent. I don’t smell much obvious frankincense and myrrh but I do smell hints of them, warm incense smoke with sage, under the fresh watery greens. The vetiver note is surprisingly absent, but the coriander is lovely, a blend of coriander seed and leaves. It reminds me vaguely of Silk Road, not as spicy but with a similar fresh green scent. But I am surprised at the sharp lemon verbena scent I get here, and not pleased about the soapy wasabi. After a while: soap soap soap! The evil wasabi has eaten all the other notes-no more frankincense and myrrh, no more spices and herbs. Maybe a bit of tea, but the scent that lingers is that of washing up liquid, aka wasabi gone bad. Verdict: this has confirmed that even a little wasabi can turn a blend to fail on me-pure and utter fail. Even the vetiver didn’t get a say in which note would amp, wasabi dominated and exterminated all the other notes in the scent with its EVIL GREEN SOAP OF DOOM scent. And there were some stunning notes in here-frankincense, myrrh, sage, coriander, smoky teas…but I didn’t get any of them thanks to that wasabi note. It was even more aggressive in here than in Nostrum Remedium or That, despite the heavier notes. I’ll have to pass this one on. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? no way! If you like this, try: Nostrum Remedium, Sri Lanka, Silk Road, That!

Lady Lilith In the bottle: tea and mandarin. Surprisingly tangy. Wet on skin: mandarin, tea and white musk, with a hint of poppy. Dry on skin: very pretty, lighter and fresher than I expected. This is white tea with mandarin, it smells a little bit like the white tea and orange blossom scent from Tweedledee. This one has added white musk and a bit of poppy as well, and also a touch of fresh crisp rose. I can’t smell the deeper sweeter notes yet like the red musk, vanillas and opoponax, but this is very nice for now. After a while: the mandarin note in here is gorgeous! Most BPALs with this note don’t really smell like mandarin to me, or the mandarin fades fast. This one smells like that smell that lingers on the fingers after peeling a tangerine, or like tangerine juice. It’s wonderfully citrus-y. Playful and cheerful, a youthful scent. This citrus is enhanced by the white tea and rose (which also reminds me of Maiden). There’s a slight hint of smoke from the opium note but it isn’t heavy at all. The vanilla and red musk are incredibly subtle here…though as the scent develops, I smell more of the red musk. Trying this again a few months later and the scent is even nicer-stronger vanilla, stronger musk, and a definite Dorian-y vibe coming through. Verdict: this scent has really grown on me-all it took was a bit of aging. First up, this one has one of the most wonderful mandarin notes ever. For once, it is the dominant top note in the scent, bright and orange-y, joyful and zingy. Underneath it are endearing musks with rosebuds and vanilla and a drop of tea. But the mandarin really shows off with its sweet orange/tangerine peel scent. In fact something reminds me fleetingly of that ever-so-elusive rare scent, Orange, which makes me very happy as I love that scent but it is impossible to find. And the drydown (which, when I first tried this, thought was too faint and light) is utterly delightful, a little like Dorian, but with a lighter tea note and added rose and mandarin, though the combination of vanilla and white musk make this such a cosy and approachable scent. I don’t get much of the deeper notes, but I don’t mind-I see myself wearing this a lot in summer. And I’m so impressed by how long the mandarin here lasts. I’m so glad I gave Lady Lilith a chance-she’s stunning. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? of course! If you like this, try: Tweedledee, Maiden, Monna Vanna, Victoria, Dorian

Fearful Pleasure In the imp: autumnal cider and fizzy apples. Wet on skin: the apple note goes a little sharp on me, but there’s a nice spicy sweetness underneath. Dry on skin: mmm, this is quite nice! It’s cider, very very apple-y. My skin tends to dislike apple notes so this may not be so good but I like it for now. The apple note is a bit crisp, not the baked apple scent I prefer, but there’s a wonderful mulled smell to it all, spicy warm cider with hints of orange and a lovely sweet woodsy scent underneath. I also smell a hint of beer, but it’s really pleasant, it adds character. I don’t smell much smoke, for now this is all about the cider and spices. This has a lovely ‘cosy autumnal’ feel. After a while: this gets even lovelier as it dries down! The sharpness fades away and is replaced by a gorgeous sweetness. It’s almost like vanilla, actually. I still smell very little of the smoke, but I don’t mind because the cider note is, for once, doing wonderful things on me. It smells like sweet spicy baked apples now, warm and inviting. The wood notes ground the apple very nicely. This may be the apple scent I’ve been hoping for…one that works on me and smells deliciously autumnal and spicy. Verdict: this scent is cider perfection! This is the kind of apple scent I’ve been longing for. Up to now, many apple scents didn’t work on me and I thought this would go the same way. But this is wonderful. It starts off as sharp spicy cider and is borderline sour at times, but then after a few minutes it mellows into something stunning. Sweet warm baked apples topped with spice, mulled cider, warm autumnal smoke and sexy sweetness and a strong woodsy base. No apples gone bad, no plastic apple or over-sharp apple notes here, just perfect spiced apple. It’s a lot nicer than Autunno was on me. Even the boozes in here, the beer and sassafras (which usually turns medicinal on me) are pleasant. I think this is one of the nicest autumn apple spice scents out there. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? definitely. If you like this, try: Apple of Sodom, L’Autunno, Harvest Moon 05 and 06, Samhain, Hesperides, Verdandi

The Blood Garden In the bottle: there’s that same pungent note from Mort de Cesar, only this time with more wine. Wet on skin: mmm, now I smell something almost like saffron, as well as more of the blood note. Dry on skin: this is actually really nice! The dominant note is the wine grape, sweet and red, followed by the blood, which is that lovely blood accord with it’s nuances of red fruit, red musk, spices and a bit of iron. There’s a hint of pungent spice, almost savoury, like cumin. Maybe it’s the ginger. I also smell currants and the blackberry here is not turning to cat pee. I don’t smell leather, oak or ivy yet. This reminds me of the clove wine from Madrid meets the currant wine from Lady Macbeth with a dash of blood. After a while: now this reminds me of Crypt Queen, only without the floral notes and the strong patchouli. This scent really shows off the blood accord and it’s complexity, all it’s facets. The blood smells drier now, and a bit earthy. The scent is crimson-toned and the grape has now become a dark red wine, the currant is tart yet also dry, I now smell what could be the oak and the blackberry underneath. The clove is smoky and accentuates the slightly metallic spice of the blood note. There’s something here almost like saffron, or the spices from Scherezade. Verdict: this is a really intriguing one. It works surprisingly well on me, despite containing blackberry and leather notes, I hardly smell them in here. I’m not crazy about the start, when it smells pungent and a little funky, but after five minutes this turns really lovely-a deep bloody wine with a smattering of metal, with warm exotic spices, deep fruit notes and something almost musky. It’s a little bit like Crypt Queen but with hints of Madrid and Mort de Cesar, and the blood accord is strong, but quite pleasant. Not an everyday scent, but certainly one to keep the bottle of. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? yes. If you like this, try: The Chapel, Mort de Cesar, Madrid, Lady Macbeth, Blood, Chilling Cellar

Motley In the bottle: unsettlingly medicinal fruit. Wet on skin: sweet currant wine and porcini mushrooms? This one is odd! Dry on skin: it’s not really medicinal, but it’s very strange! I do get a slight resemblance to Masabakes, which I wasn’t crazy about, and I get a slight to resemblance to Prospero, which I also didn’t really like. This is made even weirder by that mushroom note! It’s not the earthy soily scent I expected, but something that reminds me of the mushroom stock used in mushroom risotto! Sort of like porcini and Portobello mushrooms maybe? I also get rhubarb, a sharp red fruity note. Unfortunately there’s also a strange burnt wood scent that I don’t really like-I think it’s the myrrh. Normally I love myrrh but there are exceptions when this note doesn’t really work out…maybe the champaca is working against me? After a while: this does seem to settle into something a little more coherent. At first I couldn’t make sense of this. But now it’s become a more defined smoky deep fruit scent, with the currant and rhubarb notes, and the myrrh has calmed, but I think the champaca and mushroom just aren’t working at all. The champaca has a weird plastic smell to it, a strange plastic-floral, and the mushroom still reminds me of the risotto/vegetable stock smell-which I love to eat, but not as perfume! Indeed at times I even get fruity Marmite (wtf??) from this scent! Very strange! Verdict: this is one of the weirdest BPALs ever! The notes are unusual and it smells very bizarre on me. though unfortunately in this instance, it’s not a good thing. I was hoping for an earthier thing with the mushroom, but instead I get a very savoury mushroom scent, like vegetable stock or something, very salty and pungent, not at all pleasant. Sadly the myrrh-usually one of my Notes of Win-didn’t work in here, turning to burnt wood. The champaca turned sharp and acrid as well, and I’m not sure if the rhubarb also turned on my skin? But this scent was a bit messy on me. It really is a motley assortment of notes, but sadly not one that my skin could handle. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? no…for quirkiness that works, I’ll stick with Marotte. If you like this, try: Masabakes, Prospero, Urd

Velvet Tiki In the imp: oh, this is wonderful tropical coconut, pineapple, and monoi. Wet on skin: sweet vanilla, coconut milk and flesh, frangipani, pineapple, and ‘beach skin’. Dry on skin: this is gorgeous! It reminds me of the best of last year’s Tiki blends all mixed. I smell lots of pineapple, but it’s a really nice pineapple, not too sweet or pina colada, but not too sharp either. I also smell tangy passion fruit. I also smell a crisp fresh floral which I think is the hibiscus. The frangipani is lovely, a soft sweet yet heady floral which is the primary note here, and I can also smell the coconut, which doesn’t go too dry, but smells like coconut milk or coconut oil. And the vanilla notes are lovely, a blend of floral vanilla and sweeter sugary vanilla, and there’s something here that reminds me of sun warmed beach skin. It doesn’t have the monoi that characterised Tiki Queen-instead it has a fantastic frangipani. After a while: the scent dries down to a really interesting tropical floral-fruity skin scent. It almost reminds me of sun lotion, but not the really coconutty cliché sun lotions, but something a little more sophisticated, because of the addition of the other flowers and fruit. None of the floral notes are turning on me-not even the orchids. The pineapple/passionfruit are a little sharper at times but I quite like the slightly powdery yet lotion-y skin scent I get under it all, and the sweetness from the vanilla. The drydown is a gorgeous skin scent of frangipani with a hint of coconut and vanilla and pineapple. The frangipani note in here is just stunning. Verdict: I think I’ve found my two perfect tropical scents-Tiki Queen and Velvet Tiki. Whilst the Queen highlighted the beauty of monoi, this scent really highlights the glorious frangipani. This golden and heady floral note is the dominant scent here, but all the other notes complement it beautifully-the pineapple and passionfruit’s tangy fruit accents are just perfect, the coconut smells sexy and oily, the orchids and hibiscus stay discreet, the vanilla boosts the sweetness. This is one of those ‘summer holiday in a bottle’ scents, it doesn’t matter if it’s pouring with rain and it's freezing cold, I wear this and I’m whisked off to an island paradise-it’s fantastic. (I wore this when watching the stunning BBC documentary South Pacific, it went really well with the wonderful imagery in the programme and was the closest thing to actually being there…) Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? oh yeah. If you like this, try: Tiki Queen, Tiki King, Upa Upa, Black Pearl, Ashlutum, Hi’iaka

Marotte In the bottle: juicy pear with an odd mineral note! Wet on skin: pear is strongest, but I also smell the metal-mineral scent, and some moss and musk. Dry on skin: this is a really interesting scent! The pyrite note is a strange one but it’s kind of what I expected it to smell like, in that the scent evokes the visual of glittery fool’s gold. It’s halfway between metallic (iron and gold) and mineral, but pleasant too. It reminds me of the metal in the Steampunks. The pear is dominant, and it smells fresh, juicy, and genuine-no fake pear scent at all. Far from the wrist I smell more amber (mmm) but close up, I smell pear. I also wonder if the metal note may be from ‘bronze musk’? I do smell a musk note that is slightly sweet, oily and shimmering, and brown-the best way I can describe it is that it reminds me of sun warmed-and tanning-skin (though this does not smell like coconut sun lotion at all, it does remind me of some kind of lotion). I also smell a dusting of moss and a hint of mahogany as well. After a while: the scent then dries to a really pleasant and unique scent of copper (the only way I can describe this-it’s metallic but not iron, it’s brownish too) with a bit of pear, moss and a little bit of amber. It’s very nice-and incredibly unique. And very balanced too-all the notes play really well together in this scent. Verdict: this quirky little scent is an unusual blend of notes that works extremely well! It looks odd on paper but on the skin, it all blends very nicely to make a gorgeous scent which is a bit fruity, a bit sweet, a bit musky, a bit woody, a bit amber-y and with a cheeky mineral hint to it. It’s very different to anything else I’ve smelt and yet the metallic brightness, the fruity sweetness, the warm musk and amber, almost seem familiar at times. I’d say this was closest to the Steamworks scents but even so it’s very different and unusual as a perfume…and yet it doesn’t smell too strange to make me think ‘what the?’, it smells fresh and light enough to wear any time. I really love it. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? yes! If you like this, try: Phoenix Steamworks, Aelopile, Titania

Velvet Nudie In the bottle: perfumey lemony-floral skin musk. Like a lighter version of Giant Vulva. Wet on skin: perfumey and tangy skin musk. Dry on skin: surprisingly lemony? I wonder where that’s coming from? This is also very perfumey. It reminds me of Giant Vulva but without the depth of the copal and beeswax. It’s got the same skin musk, though right now I can’t really smell the sugar cane. This does however smell very pretty. It’s the smell of clean skin that’s just been showered with a lemon or orange blossom soap. At times I smell powder too. It does smell very faint though, clinging close to the skin instead of wafting. After a while: this is not as strongly lemony but it does still have that hint of lemon blossom I love. however, at this point, it also has something soapy or soap-powdery that I’m not crazy about. where’s the sugar cane? I don’t smell much sweetness to this scent really. It’s quite a tart clean skin scent. and the musk is very pretty-and indeed, it has a velvet quality! But I’m not really keen on the hints of soap. I wish this were a little sweeter, or had a little more defined citrus, and then I’d like it. And my skin eats it up. all that’s left is a faint skin scent, like skin washed with something lemon scented. Pretty, but too quiet for me. Verdict: I was a tad disappointed with the Nudie. She’s very pretty, I must say, but a little too clean and perfumey for me? I was expecting more of a white musk and, most of all, a sweeter sugar note. The musk is unusually lemony, almost soapy but not quite. I quite like the lemony intro, it’s like lemon blossom or lemon leaf, very pretty and springy, and fresh. The scent then turns a little soapy at drydown and becomes really faint, like the softest clean skin scent. it does really smell like showered skin, but I was hoping for less soapiness with the musk-and most of all, more sugar cane. I really wanted this to be a little sweeter and juicier, but I think my skin picked up the ‘flowering’ bit of the sugar cane more than the ‘sugar’. I think I’ll stick with Giant Vulva for skin musk. Emoticon rating: Is it a keeper? I like it, but not enough to keep. If you like this, try: Giant Vulva, Ebisu Making Love, Harikata, Itaso Kansei