arabella

First Impression: Sweet, rotting flowers. Dries down to: The rose quickly steps out, throws a lasso around the dragon blood and reins it in - then the two of them begin to do the two-step, each taking turns leading the other in a perfectly executed dance. It settles down to a warm, comforting yet voluptuous scent that will be lovely in the winter. Additional Comments: I don't actually pick up the wine note, but it must be what keeps both the dragon's blood and rose under control. Lasted: Most of the day, which is very unusual for me. Rating: 3.5 out of 5

First Impression: Sugar glaze - the kind you get on hard candy apples. Dries down to: The florals start to assert themselves and become more prominent. The mental image I get is of a garden that's been coated in a honey crackle glaze and the flowers are now breaking through the glaze as they bloom. Additional Comments: I can't really detect the strawberry, which is just as well, as I found it to be overwhelming in Bon Vivant. I'm also not having a problem with the honey like I often do. I love the complexity of this blend but would probably not wear it out. It will be wonderful as a room scent and to wear on days I'm staying at home. Lasted: Unfortunately, it's short-lived on me - about an hour. Rating: 3 out of 5 (would have been higher if it lasted longer)

First impression: Intriguing - I can't pick out any particular notes, but the overall blend is very elegant. Dries down to: I keep getting a mental image of a crystal perfume bottle sitting on a vanity with the stopper left out and laying beside it when the owner rushed off so as not to miss the opening curtain at the theater. Additional comments: Another perfectly balanced blend. I'm familiar with and really like most of the notes, but couldn't pinpoint any of them - which, especially, surprises me in the case of the LotV, vanilla and mandarin. This would be a perfect oil for special occasions on summer evenings; it makes me feel elegant and pretty. It's one I would wear for others to smell on me not for me to keep "sniffing" on myself. Lasted: Quite well on me - I put it on at night and could still faintly smell it the next morning. Rating: 3 out of 5

First impression: Love at first sniff - not too sweet, not too flowery and definitely commands your attention. I think there's iris or a similar bulb flower in this. The dragon's blood is very well-controlled - I can't really pick it up at all. Dries down to: A light and lovely everyday scent. This would be more of a "staple" (every day) scent, as opposed to a "wow" (special occasion) scent for me. Additional comments: I'm surprised to see there's both lily-of-the-valley and lilac in this blend. I can usually identify them immediately. I think the bitterness of the galbanum controls all the other notes, makes them "play nice together" and prevents any of them from being "screamingly" obvious. Lasted: Several hours. Rating: 4 out of 5

First Impression: Clean & crisp, a bit tart, with a hint of watery, spicy floral. It reminds me of a men's cologne but I've no idea which one. Dries down to: A nice, pleasant blend with no distinguishable notes. Additional Comments: I never would have guessed that this contained carnation, plum and musk as I couldn't detect any specific notes. They do blend together beautifully, but, unfortunately, the result is too light and fleeting on me. Would be lovely on a young woman, though - or, for that matter, a young man. Lasted: Less than an hour. Rating: 2 out of 5

First Impression: A myriad of flowers - very pretty. Dries down to: A softer version of the same. I can't pick out any particular floral note, they're all blended so seamlessly. This is how bridal bouquets at outdoor weddings should smell - a concentration of all the floral scents in the surrounding air. Additional Comments: I'm going to try layering this oil with Milk Moon, as suggested by other reviewers - I think that will work brilliantly and hopefully, it will last much longer on me. Lasted: About an hour. Rating: 3 out of 5 (would have been higher if it lasted longer).

First Impression: Sweetened, condensed milk simmering on the stove. Dries down to: A lighter version of the same. Additional Comments: This is a very comforting scent to me. It reminds me of homemade dulce de leche - the kind you make by boiling a can of sweetened, condensed milk. I'm surprised by how much I like this one since honey and I don't normally get along, but I can't really tell it's there other than by the sweetness. I don't pick up the mint or coconut that a lot of people mentioned, but maybe they're what's tempering the honey for me. I wouldn't wear this as a fragrance but will definitely use it as a comfort scent. Lasted: 4-5 hours Rating: 4 out of 5

First Impression: This is familiar - it's a men's cologne but I can't quite pin it down. No, wait, I know what it is, it's Irish Spring soap. Dries down to: Very quickly fades to a mild, non-descript soapy scent, with an green/earthy undertone. Additional comments: I'm really surprised at the description. I don't get lavender or carnation - I'm not sure what "mossy" smells like but it must be providing the green/earthy undertone I get. Amber is the one constant note in most of the scents I love but I don't get that "scentgasm" feeling from St. Germain, that I usually get when amber is present, at all. This one really confuses me. Lasted: Very faintly, for about 3 hours. Rating: 2 out of 5

First Impression: Soapy roses. Dried down to: Soapier roses. Additional Comments: I never got the pomegranate - only the rose. It wound up smelling exactly the same as #20 Love Oil does on my skin. I've come to realize that, although I love rose, because it amps up so much on my skin and overpowers all "weaker" notes, it only works well for me in certain blends where the rose is tamed down somewhat. Lasted: About 3 hours. Rating: 2 out of 5

First Impression: An aquatic, citrussy, airy, creamy floral. It's absolutely gorgeous. Dries down to: I can't pin down any specific notes - one minute I think papaya, then ozone, then water, then hibiscus, then mandarin - but the mental image I get is of being about 2/3 of the way up an extinct volcanic mountain on a tropical island with the scents, of the flowers and fruits growing down below, drifting up and mingling with the fresher breezes and mists that are drifting down from higher up. Yet, somehow, all these scents mixing together aren't creating a "muddy" blend but an everchanging kaleidoscope of scents. Additional Comments: After reading the description, I should have guessed that amber was hiding in here somewhere. It seems to be my "holy grail" note. If this lasts reasonably long, a larger bottle will be necessary. Lasted: Barely an hour (which will keep it from getting a "5" rating) - how disappointing. Rating: 4 out of 5

First Impression: Wood and sparkling apple cider. Dries down to: A nice, light apple scent, without being really "fruity". I can't really pick up any other notes. Apple isn't high on my list of favourite scents, but to my surprise, I really do like this one. It would be nice to wear during Indian summer. Lasted: About 3 hours. Rating: 4 out of 5

First impression: There must be amber in this one because I really like it and I've learned that most scents I like have amber in them. There's something else in here to but it's not floral or aquatic or green or fruity - can't quite tell what it is. It reminds me of my mother's vanity, when I was little, with the light powdery scent wafting in the air around it after she'd gone out for the evening. Dries down to: More of the same. Additional Comments: Description lists just amber and musk. This is really simple and truly hauntingly lovely. Very evocative of its name. Lasted: Overnight, but was very light by morning. Rating: 4 out of 5

First Impression: Hyacinth - then, gardenia and jasmine, perhaps, - with something green underneath it all. Dries down to: A floral blend with something dry and green under it. The image I get is of a garden wall made of rock with moss and flowers growing out of the crevices. After about 1/2 an hour, I get a faint hint of the rose and the other notes have blended with it into a light and lovely floral scent showcasing the rose softly. Additional comments: Boy, did I ever get this one wrong. What I thought was hyacinth was actually the apple blossom. I think it's the honey that's skewing everything for me. I don't usually like honey, but it seems to work in this blend, toning down the florals without becoming sweet at all. I noticed a lot of people either got or expected to get apple out it - I got the apple blossom but never any apple (the fruit) - and, since apple isn't in the description, this confused me. Lasted: About 1-1/2 hours. Rating: 2 out of 5

In ancient India it was believed that a specific combination of flower petals, when strewn across a couple’s bed, would amplify desire and sexual pleasure. This blend is a blend of the same floral essences, refined into a gloriously sinful perfume blend. Frangipani, with rose, tuberose, and jasmine. First impression: Strong hit of something I don't like - I'm guessing jasmine or musk. Dries down to: More of the same. I couldn't pick up anything else at all for the first couple of hours, before I fell asleep. When I woke up the next morning, I could very faintly smell a touch of rose on my wrist. Additional Comments: I see there's jasmine in this one - that must be what's putting me off. For some reason, jasmine seems to come out very musky on me. I'll have to stop blaming musk because it's actually jasmine that seems to be in most of the scents I don't like. Lasted: Overnight. Rating: 1 out of 5

First Impression: Not quite as bad as I thought it would be - almost, but not quite. Just a quick peek into hell, rather than a prolonged stay. Dries down to: Scorched rocks with a sour undernote of baboon armpit and private parts. I don't mind smoke but I really don't like whatever it is that smells "sour". Additional Comments: This is the first BPAL oil I've washed off. I guess I could have coped with it, but saw no reason to; especially, once I started coughing. Lasted: Until I washed it off 1/2 an hour later. Rating: 1 out of 5

First Impression: Very faint, slightly watery floral. Dries down to: A very faint floral. I think there's lilac in there, and a touch of cedar, but I'm not sure. There's also some underlying note that I don't like - musk, perhaps. Additional Comments: After reading the description, I wonder if this imp, which I got in a swap, is old and faded in strength. Based on the ingredients, I should have at least liked it and, perhaps I would have, if only I could smell it. The underlying note I didn't like must have been the Chinese musk and that doesn't surprise me. Musk and I usually agree to disagree. Lasted: Several barely discernible hours. Rating: 1 out of 5

First Impression: Dry, yet juicy - like lime squeezed on dry straw. I love this one. Dries down to: The same, but a bit softer. I never thought musk worked on me but in this combination, it's perfect. And, this is yet another example of how well amber works on me - who knew?. Lasted: Very well, a good 5-6 hours. Rating: 4 out of 5

First Impression: A dish of strawberries drizzled with honey sitting out on an al fresco breakfast table. Dries down to: The champagne becomes more prominent and blends in with the strawberries. Unfortunately, it now smells like a glass of champagne with strawberries perched on the rim that's been allowed to sit out and go flat, while the strawberries softened and got mushy. Lasted: 3 hours. Rating: 2 out of 5

First Impression: Gasoline soaked flowers. The mental image I get is of flowers/weeds, which grew up through the cracks of the pavement in an unmaintained city parking lot and were dripped on by the gas leaking from a dilapidated, abandoned car, drying in the hot, summer sun minutes after the heap is towed away. Dries down to: An oily, creamy, non-descript scent which turns very faintly "rose-y" after a while. Additional Comments: After reading the description, I can't believe there's no musk or civet or something in this. I get such an "oily" feel from it. I'm not that familiar with narcissus but I don't remember hating it and I can barely detect the rose; it only came out after about 15 minutes and never really asserted itself. Lasted: Too long Rating: 1 out of 5

First impression: Pumpkin bread. Dries down to: A richer version of the same - the spices make themselves known quite assertively. But, if there's any peach in there, it's disguising itself as pumpkin. This is definitely pumpkin pie for adults. I had some pumpkin schnapps over the last holiday season that my brother brought home from Germany and that is exactly what Jack smells like. I'm really glad it's not sweet. This would also be a really nice home fragrance for the fall. Lasted: Quite a few hours - which is really rare for me. Rating: 4 out of 5

First impression: I just get a light resin-y incense smell - patchouli, I think. Dries down to: A very faint floral undertone (the orange blossom?) and something else that gives it interest (the ginger). The patchouli has faded. Additional comments: Although I love patchouli, this isn't one of my faves. But, it does last some time on me, which is a big point in its favour, and it gets better as the notes blend together.. Lasted: Over 5 hours Rating: 2 out of 5

First impression: Smells a bit "funky" to me - kinda like sour feet - but that passes fairly quickly. Dries down to: Sour chocolate and cherries, as opposed to chocolate and sour cherries. Maybe, it's the orange blossom getting in the way. Finally, the "sour" goes away and leaves lovely chocolate with a cherry glaze. Lasted: 3-4 hours Rating: 3 out of 5

First impression: Initially, I think I detect lilac and geranium but after that I can't pick out any individual notes, it's so skillfully blended. Dries down to: A gorgeous floral blend. Lasted: About 4 hours, although it was very faint after the first hour. Rating: 4 out of 5

First impression: I can't pick out any individual notes at all but the blend is a gorgeous herby floral, that's not at all "perfume-y"; it's more of a wildflower blend with a juicy heart and a slight dusting of sweetness. Really, really nice but doesn't last long at all. Dries down to: The same. Lasted: 1/2 an hour Rating: 3 out of 5 (I would normally rate it lower because it doesn't last at all, but I really like this one a lot.)

First impression: I couldn't isolate any specific note - just a rich creaminess. Dries down to: A quiet, subtle scent, but alas, fleeting - it barely lasted an hour. Additional Comment: This was the scent that made me realize that amber must be the note that gives the scents I like their richness and that amber is my scent friend. Lasted: Not even an hour. Rating: 2 out of 5 (because it lasts such a short time on me)