Vega

Sniffed: Earth and ozone with a sharp tinge of mint. On skin: A fascinating dichotomy of deep, earthy frankincense mixed with sharp, thin mint, which dries out what would otherwise be humid ozone. I get the impression that dirt and pine are also in this blend, although the musk/frankincense and ozone/mint may be tricking my nose into imagining those. This is simultaneously deep and shadowed, and sharp and thin and airy, "hollow" in feel. The blend really befits the image: Cloister Graveyard does feel like the cold and stillness of deep winter blanketing a dreaming, contemplative graveyard. There is no snow falling, just frozen snow on the ground and brittle bone-dry frost limning everything. Still with the sleep of death, and bitterly cold with the chill of death. I was scratching my head trying to pinpoint what was so familiar about Cloister Graveyard... then I realized it reminds me of Kumari Kandam!! (The blend I thought was utterly unique! and it seems I'm not the only reviewer to notice this.) Even so, Cloister Graveyard is more thin and sharp and shadowed -- a pale imitation of the rich depth and complexity of Kumari Kandam. Verdict: I can't help but compare Cloister Graveyard to Kumari Kandam, and the latter is a favourite and so much better, so this blend may fall by the wayside. Despite the similarities, Cloister Graveyard is still different, and lovely, and definitely fits its Salon theme. I really admire Beth's scent artistry, to make a perfume that really resembles the painting! I'm glad I got to enjoy this.

The crisp, clean scent of green tea touched with lemon verbena and honeysuckle. Sniffed: Green tea and lemony verbena. Quite similar to Ehecatl. On skin: A straightforward, no-beating-about-the-bush scent. Clear, transparent green tea, touched with lemon verbena, and a breath of sweet floral that must be honeysuckle (it is the weakest note). A light, refreshing, transparent scent, and quite vanishing too. Shanghai really resembles Ehecatl -- both have green tea and a citrus note. But Shanghai is more pure and simple, while Ehecatl is "adulterated" with other notes and a bit more full-bodied and interesting. It also distantly resembles Holiday Moon, albeit less interesting. Colour impression is a clear, liquid yellow-green. Verdict: Shanghai is a very pure green-tea blend, but since I already get my tea fix from Holiday Moon, I don't see any reason to keep it.

Sniffed: Green and watery, a bit juicy. On skin: Holiday Moon is cool, watery and lushly green, with that simultaneous slightly astringent and slightly sweet flavour typical of tea. The sweet, verdant, non-fruity juiciness must be coming from the bamboo pulp; I'm still not sure how oude/agarwood smells. This is deep (deep like a still, clear lake), full and refreshing; an introspective and calming blend. It gets lighter over time, but manages to stay watery, full and juicy even as it fades. It really evokes a serene open-air tea-house surrounded by bamboo groves and a peacefully flowing stream, beneath a lightly overcast sky. Colour impression is deep, saturated, translucent green tea. The poem in the description is one of the more famous examples of Chinese poetry; it's much more beautiful in Chinese than translated, IMHO! While the blend doesn't quite evoke the poem to me, it still perfectly captures the idyllic and contemplative nature of Chinese poetry in general. Verdict: Holiday Moon is a sleeper hit: the more I try it, the more I love it. I've tested it with Ehecatl and Shanghai, and while those two are similar green-tea blends, they can't beat the lush purity of Holiday Moon that strikes that perfect balance between green, aquatic and delicately juicy-sweet. I love the blend and the whole concept behind it. I think it may be worth a bottle, certainly more than the half-imp I have now.

Sniffed: Lime "adulterated" with other notes: flowers? musk? On skin: Ehecatl begins with a blast of lime touched with matcha, but this tones down over time and the other notes begin to emerge. While this is predominantly a lime-and-green tea blend, the hot-floral hibiscus and slightly furry musk morph in and out, giving it body, substance and depth. It's extremely similar to Shanghai, but while Shanghai is straight-up tea, Ehecatl is like Shanghai with more body and complexity. It straddles the border between being a simple green blend, and being something a bit more interesting. Always it is cool, peaceful, gentle and slightly airy (although not enough to evoke the Serpent of Winds). Colour impression is a light translucent leaf-green, mixed with a drop of furry, opaque white. Verdict: I like the green tea note, so this gets a thumbs-up. But my preferred green-tea blend is Holiday Moon, and Ehecatl, while interesting and full of character, just isn't interesting enough to top that. Close, and definitely lovely, but no cigar.

Sniffed: Wet and plantlike? On skin: Odd! Ü smells very organic, a bit 'green'. Quite familiar, but I can't place my finger on it, and can't link it to another BPAL blend. Wet, old leaves? Green stems? Damp leather? I wonder if the mystery balsams and the raw vanilla are responsible for this, since I can't distinguish any familiar leather or vanilla notes. (After reading some reviews, it turns out that I'm right in my guesses. Glad I'm not alone in smelling the raw greenness!) Ü warms and deepens over time, becomes more grounded, but the scent remains the same: wet, damp, organic matter. Verdict: Weird. This is not what I expected it to be. But I guess I was expecting certain leather and vanilla notes, and they clearly aren't present. Ü isn't too unpleasant, but definitely not something I'd reach for.

Sniffed: Light, clean and airy, with a faint incense sweetness. The airy note is like nothing I've smelled, and since I've never smelled parchment, that must be it. On skin: The parchment note is quite vague: it is faintly papery, but almost imperceptible. The faded incense and candle wax add a light, pleasing sweetness, but apart from that, this is a clean, faded and almost "empty" scent. It does evoke books -- but brand new books. Nothing old, ancient or mystical about them. The incense notes strengthen and warm over time, but not enough to lift the blend out of blandness. I can barely smell it most times. Philologus also resembles a simpler, diluted version of Mr. Ibis. Colour impression is the ivory-white of new, high-quality archival paper. Verdict: This is a clean, airy, light blend with a touch of delicious sweetness. But I like more substantial scents, and Philologus is virtually negligible. This vampire is certainly bookish, but unassuming and colourless... and ultimately uninteresting. (And I like the bookish types! Ah well.) Mr. Ibis is turning out to be a better parchment blend, so I've no reason to hang on to Philologus.

Sniffed: Mostly warm, thick and cozy incense/parchment, with a vanilla-like creaminess and a smidgin of leather. On skin: Well-blended and complex. I can't pick out individual notes in Dee, but they all cooperate to produce an evocative scent. The warm, deep leather brings to mind a worn, leatherbound, parchment-folio filled with esoteric but benevolent secrets. The cozy, "close" creaminess (now I know this is tonka) feels like a cluttered, slightly stuffy (not oppressively so) alchemical laboratory. A rounded, full-bodied scent, in no way thin or dry or sharp. Colour impressions are various shades of reddish-browns, but I can't shake the imagery of a leatherbound folio. Verdict: Very cozy, snuggly and deliciously sweet: I like it very much! I don't think I'll get a bottle, but my imp of Dee is here to stay.

Sniffed: A high, pungent floral -- must be the ylang ylang -- laced with neroli. On skin: Hot, piercing, pungent ylang ylang that can only be described as "smelly": it really is quite overwhelming. Neroli adds an orangey flavour to the smelliness; can't really find the sandalwood. Overall, Lorelei is high-pitched ylang ylang darkened and glowing with neroli. The smelly floral eventually softens into something gentler and creamy-sweet -- now it's actually pleasant. But I really can't abide the beginning. Verdict: Not pleasant. Truly, this is a screaming siren of a scent. I was hoping to get more sandalwood here, but instead discover that I may have to avoid ylang ylang in future.

It was mighty hard to rank these, but here is the lineup so far. 01. WILF 02. Parsifal 03. Liz 04. Mme. Moriarty, Misfortune Teller 05. Pomegranate IV 06. Banshee Beat 07. Green Tree Viper 08. Snake Oil 09. Water of Notre Dame 10. The Arbor 11. Countess Willie 12. Transeo 13. Kumari Kandam 14. Haloes 15. The Ecstacy of St. Theresa 16. Othello 17. Baghdad 18. Valentine of Rome 2008 19. The Harp of Cnoc I'Chosgair ---- 20. Corazon 21. Monster Bait: Tokyo Stomp

Sniffed: Ozone sweetened with flowers. On skin: Lightning is my standard for pure, unadulterated ozone, and Parsifal is Lightning accented by white floral notes. The ozone makes a deliciously humid, wet and watery base, and the flowers all mingle wonderfully to make it sweet and slightly creamy, with a bit of tang from the petitgrain. Over time the "humidity" of the ozone slowly recedes, leaving behind gentle, wet flowers. There's nothing high-pitched or soapy or "perfumy" here, just water-laced, airy, creamy floral. Colour impression: Ozone blends tend to be colourless and transparent, but Parsifal just has this touch of creamy, ivory whiteness to it. Verdict: Perfection. Ozone is my favourite note, and words can't describe just how beautiful this is. Lightning used to be my favourite ozone blend, but has now been firmly relegated to second place. Parsifal is, hands down, the best of all the ozone blends, and one which I can really call my signature scent. I'm so glad I got to buy a bottle from a retailer, and it may actually be worth hoarding!

Sniffed: Sweet, foresty greenness with a touch of ozone humidity. On skin: Soft, fresh evergreens with the slightest of piney edges. Ozone is lurking in the background, darkening the forest and adding humidity and depth. This is primarily mild forest greenery with a wet, humid touch; Thunderbird heralds an imminent thunderstorm: it's in the distance, but swiftly approaching. It's more light and indistinct than I'd hoped, and I would've liked more ozone, but I think it's more appropriate like this. Verdict: A lovely, evocative melding of soft evergreen and wet ozone notes. I was afraid that I'd fall in love with this rare blend, but it's too light on the ozone to be a favourite. (That would have to go to Parsifal and Lightning.) Even so, I'm an ozone-lover and very glad to have this half-imp of Thunderbird to treasure!

Sniffed: Lightly creamy/milky, with a lush green, herbal tinge. Kinda reminds me of The Sea Foams Milk. On skin: A fascinating blend of green wood and light, smooth shea milk. This is one of the few blends that really morphs on me. (Most blends smell the same in imp as on skin, and don't change much over time.) According to my notes, some days Ochosi is sharp evergreen softened with hints of milk, other days the shea dominates the wood and herbs. Most of the "greenness" comes from the spruce, which is a light evergreen that's not as intense as pine or fir. The herbs are very discreet; they mix very nicely with the sprucewood if they're there at all. The shea is soft, creamy and airy. Overall, this is a light, gentle, milk-sweet and refreshingly evergreen blend. Verdict: Mmm, I do like shea milk! Time to hunt down more shea blends. Unfortunately, Ochosi is a pretty scent but ultimately quite forgettable.

Sniffed: Ooohh, this is very dark and intense. Woody, dry and gritty, with a touch of sweetness. On skin: Interfector is all black, heavy woods made nutty and gritty with tobacco. I can't pick out frankincense for all the dark woodiness; not sure what bunn is, but it must be laying on that deep sweetness. Overall, this is a thick, aggressive, fiercely dark blend without any subtlety or warmth (or sharpness, for that matter), and it remains much the same after drydown. Verdict: Mixed feelings. There's something attractive about the the woods-and-tobacco combination in Interfector. But the blend really matches its namesake: it's truly unfriendly, unsubtle and overwhelming. I think this would be really attractive on a man, but it's way too intense and bluntly masculine for me to enjoy wearing it. Pity. Even so, I admire how Beth has captured the character of the Interfector in scent. I've been quite impressed at how well the Vampire blends fit their namesakes, and this one is no different!

Sniffed: Black, burnt, stifling, pungent, a bit dirty, definitely entropic and destroyed. On skin: I've never smelled anything like this, it actually feels "burnt" and wrecked. I'm not familiar with most of the notes, but I'm guessing the castoreum is mostly responsible for the heavy, pungent, musky base note. Misericordia is initially intensely musky-dirty, but gradually tames over time. A full-bodied blend, smooth, syrupy and rich, with something juicy and berry-like wafting in and out. Although it becomes gentler with time, it retains a bleak, black, maddened feel. Verdict: I'm impressed by how the Vampire blends really evoke their respective vampires. Misericordia fits its description to a tee: it really does feel depressed, destroyed, crazed, and hopeless. This expressiveness is partly why I don't like this blend. I'm glad I got to smell Beth's artistry, but Misericordia won't be staying.

Sniffed: Hmm, there's a lot going on in here. A bit sweet, a bit woody, a bit rich and smooth, a bit clean. On skin: There's a LOT going on in this blend. It's at times sweet, spicy, juicy, fruity, woody, and vanilla-creamy -- all playing upon a backdrop of leather. Now I'm not particularly fond of BPAL's leather: not only is it too inorganic for me, it also tends to flatten out whatever complexity a blend has. The leather in VILF does just that, which is most tragic. The scent really tries to bloom, but it never really opens up; all the other notes morph in and out to tantalize my nose, but they never really make their "voices" heard over the white noise of leather. Overall, VILF is faint and indistinct and mostly leather -- there's too much going on, so nothing really stands out. Verdict: Decidedly underwhelming. VILF strikes me as being a bit of this, a bit of that, and ultimately not much to speak of. But I place the blame squarely on the leather note, which completely dominated and drowned out the rest of the notes. Very disappointed! I could smell tantalizing complexity and beauty, but that was ultimately unrealized. A hare-brained idea: I wonder if this blend, with its many and varied notes, is meant to smell different to everyone depending on what their skin chemistry prefers?? Let skin chemistry determine the nature of this VILF! very clever! If this is the case... my VILF is tame and boring. Man, what a letdown. Too much leather on this vampire, yo. Sorry, I'm dumping him! ETA: Testing this in April '11, 7 months after this review... Aging VILF has amplified the leather note to unpleasant levels. Now it's purely new black leather, and I can't smell any other notes at all. Definitely can't wear this.

Sniffed: Dark berries with touches of spice and sticky honey sweetness. A hint of fizz, perhaps? On skin: The Tincture is initially light, but darkens and becomes stronger over time. Fizzy, zesty berry sweetness, with a slightly green and spicy touch that must be from the poppy flowers. Honey tends to be sickeningly sweet to my nose, but it's playing subdued and discreet here, adding a rich, smooth sweetness and grounding the other notes. It does stray into nauseatingly-sweet territory now and again, however. A light, dark-berry blend, actually feels a little effervescent. I've also tried Nostrum Remedium, and it has a similar uplifting fizziness as Slippery Poppy Tincture. Nice to smell a common theme in these two Pharmacopoeia blends! Verdict: Intriguing and uplifting, and a really evocative addition to the Pharmacopoeia. But I don't see myself wearing the Tincture often, and the honey, while well-behaved here, is a dealbreaker. For swaps.

Sniffed: Bright, golden citrus. A touch of breezy coolness? On skin: The blood orange and citrus notes dominate here: this is golden, radiant, and light. Summer must just be pondering over her last will and testament, because she's clearly not going anywhere at this stage. A shining -- and thankfully not overbearing -- citrus, with a touch of fresh greenness. The citrus gradually burns away and the scent softens, becoming graceful and a different kind of sweet; the other notes must be playing into this, but I can't tell them apart. Colour impression is a bright orange with a faint tinge of leaf-green. I'm reminded somewhat of Aizen-Myoo and Death on a Pale Horse: these three are all radiant and rounded citrus with minimal grounding, though they all smell somewhat different of course. Verdict: Quite befitting the name: the radiant orange summer gradually gives way to a dusky, early autumn sweetness. But I can't help but feel that I'm not getting everything that Summer's Last Will and Testament promises to be. It's a lovely scent, but not spectacular.

Sniffed: Oh no! It's sickly sweet, nauseating decay! This won't end well... On skin: Alright, the decaying sweetness backs off a little bit -- only a little bit, but enough for the other notes to emerge. Jezebel is heady, decadent, and very rich, with a musky tone. Definitely overbearing and forceful. Honey forms the thick and sweet base; sandalwood makes it dry; the slight citrus feel must be from the orange blossom. I can't smell the roses, but they must be adding to the fragrance. Jezebel actually has promise: the other notes occasionally morph in over the sickly sweetness, and make it quite lovely. But honey is always lurking underneath, and ultimately overcomes the other notes. It was through testing Jezebel that I realized that HONEY is the culprit note causing that nauseating, decaying scent. O, The Witch's Repast, Mictecacihuatl and Anubis (even though it's not listed) also have honey in common, and all have the same sick odour (yes, odour) that made them completely unwearable for me. Sad to say, Jezebel is no different. Verdict: This would've been a promising blend if the honey didn't spoil the other notes. What a pity that I can't wear some BPAL honeys, but I'm glad I discovered the culprit note. Will have to swap Jezebel, and avoid honey in the future.

Sniffed: Eeek, it burns, it burns! (Not physically.) Cigarette smoke is what comes to mind -- it doesn't smell exactly that, mind you, but I really can't think of any other association. On skin: Nothing but merrily burning wood and choking smoke; this must be vetiver in all its glory. Santa Muerte has a very charred, bitter, astringent smell, with nothing sweet or pleasant tempering it. The vetiver burns off after a few hours, and what's left is vaguely floral and gentle. Now it's better, but I can't endure the initial phase. Verdict: Sad to say, Santa Muerte is nothing but burning entropy to me, nothing pleasant about this scent. Swapping.

Sniffed: Odd, never smelled anything like it -- but I don't recognize most of the notes. It does have a metallic, inorganic flavour. A bit creamy. On skin: Sweet, but not in a floral or fruity way that I know of -- maybe resinous? Has a smooth, thick, creamy flavour; a "close" and thick scent, but not really cloying. It gets a bit sweeter over time, but otherwise doesn't change much. I'm really at a loss as to describe it. It does faintly evoke the liquid solidity of metal. Verdict: All I can say is: Unusual. Not unpleasant, but I didn't really like this kind of sweetness. The Alchemical Phoenixes I've tried have been strange and distinctive in a not-so-appealing way, and Silver Phoenix is no different. Ah well.

Sniffed: Green and dark, but with an "alcoholic" brightness. On skin: Lots going on here, all very fragrant. I detect deep, glowing patchouli and hint of greenness, possibly from cypress. But Nemesis is quite well-blended and I can't quite pick out the other notes. The brightness tones down over time, and the scent ends up mellow and dark. Nemesis is bold and strong, but dark and smooth. I don't get a clear colour impression, but this feels dark red/maroon. Verdict: Still uncertain about Nemesis. It's a lovely dark, rich blend, but it's not really standing out, and I have a hard time remembering how it smells (but my scent memory isn't so great anyway). Will have to keep testing, and will edit this post if I discover anything new.

Sniffed: Tart, sharp citrus. That must be the yuzu. On skin: I recognize about half the notes in Death on a Pale Horse, and I don't smell any of them -- except what I perceive to be yuzu, which is tangy, dry, "scythe-sharp" and unfriendly (but not unpleasant). That's all. Perhaps the unfamiliar notes are contributing, maybe there's a hint of an earthier note grounding the citrus, and echoes of woods and flowers over a longer time... but only by a stretch of the imagination. Indeed, all I can associate with this blend is a wet, green branch that was freshly broken. (!!) Colour impression is a watery, light yellow-green. Verdict: The scent description promises great complexity and depth, but on me, Death on a Pale Horse is remarkably simple and out-of-character. The yuzu isn't all that pleasant either; for that, I'd pick Aizen-Myoo. I'm quite disappointed, and will be sending my imp to swaps.

Sniffed: Fresh green herbs with hints of minty coolness and lavender! On skin: Greenery, greenery everywhere! Pulsing, shimmering, fresh green herbs. Or dewy, freshly cut grass. (I'm struggling to recall exactly how this smells like... alas, no luck.) There's a faint undercurrent of lavender, and mint lends a coolness to the scent. The mint eventually burns off, and lime now comes forward, adding a slight juicy-sweet tang to the green herbs. It remains much the same from now on, just getting fainter. Colour impression is a sparkling emerald green with shimmering golden highlights. Verdict: Wow! What a fresh, uplifting, herbal blend. I'd never thought that perfume could smell so much like real herbs/grass/greenery, but Envy matches its description to a tee. Amazing! One of those "I'm glad I got to try it" blends, but I don't really want to smell like grass and herbs all the time.

Sniffed: Minty lemon. Hmm, smells like cough drops... On skin: Bess is initially lemon and mint, two notes that tend to dominate the blends they're in (at least to my nose). I'm really getting a herbal-cough-drop scent here. Thankfully, mint disappears pretty soon, and now the other fruity notes -- orange flower and grape -- are starting to emerge and mix with the lemon. Bess becomes a very light, airy, ethereal, fruity-herbal blend with a lemon overtone, and remains that way. Neither rosemary nor any roses make any appearance. Colour impression is pale lemon-yellow with swirls of light orange and maroon. (Yup, orange, grape and lemon!) Verdict: Not impressive. Bess is a light, pretty fruity-herbal blend, but sadly it also has this cough-drops vibe that I don't really want in a perfume. While I'm glad that lemon and mint are playing nice with the other notes, the absence of rose is quite disappointing. I find Manhattan a similar light herbal-floral blend, and more interesting besides. I don't think I'll miss Bess.

Sniffed: Sugary vanilla upon a leather backdrop. On skin: Sweet, sugary vanilla comes to the fore, but gets darker and deeper upon drydown as the smoke and leather gradually emerge. The smoke note here is really good: it's a rich, slightly gritty tobacco, and thankfully not the burnt charcoal/astringency of vetiver. I find BPAL's leather note too synthetic, and leather-dominant blends (like Whip) tend to be rather flat -- but the leather in Liz is well-blended and forms a discreet backdrop to the vanilla and smoke. Liz ends up a rich, full, dark tobacco-vanilla with a touch of smooth leather and gritty smokiness. Definitely a feminine scent, but subdued and darkened enough not to be too girly. Verdict: Very, very pretty. Liz is the latest of BPAL's vanilla blends that I've fallen in love with. She's not too smoky, not too sugar-sweet, not too leathery -- she's just perfect. I was generously frimped a tester through swaps, but I definitely need a full decant, possibly a bottle!