Vega

In imp: Brown and woody. I'm not detecting individual notes, but then again I'm not familiar with many of them. On skin: My scent memory ends here -- I don't recognize any individual notes at all. But The Scales seems well-blended, with all the notes working together to create a full-bodied scent. Overall, this is very brown, woody, resinous, rather masculine; and feels bleak, lugubrious and strangely calm. It has body and depth and a solid presence, but somehow remains low-key and doesn't assert itself. If a scent could be "stern" or "aloof", The Scales would be it. Colour impression is a light woody brown. Verdict: The Scales is an intriguing scent that I keep coming back to, because it smells quite different from everything else I've tried. Even so, it's a bit too masculine and "stern", and I don't see myself wearing it often.

In imp: I tend to use Lightning as my reference ozone scent, and Archangel Winter is Lightning with extra sweetness. It must be the Lab's snow note! This is the first snow blend I've smelled. On skin: Slushy, wet ozone with a certain sugary sweetness -- flowers, maybe? It's cooler than Lightning, but much sweeter. Over time the ozone recedes and something sugary and creamy takes precedence. Archangel Winter and Sea of Glass are almost identical, but Archangel Winter is more slushy and the sweetness more assertive. Although I do get a slushy-snow vibe, there's no coldness at all. Not fond. Verdict: I was expecting to love this -- I mean, "Crystalline, glassy ice whipped by a snowstorm"! Sadly, it was way too sweet for me, without any coldness or my beloved ozone. Doesn't fit with the imagery of the Archangel Winter either... Sigh. So continues my hunt for more beautiful ozone scents...

In imp: At first it seemed almost identical to Lightning (my favourite ozone blend), but then a light sweetness comes through. Possibly white flowers? On skin: Ozone with slight touches of water and flowers; airy, light, clean, maybe with a hint of citrus zest. It is very similar to Archangel Winter, which was more slushy, intense and just this side of too sweet. Sea of Glass, however, is just perfect in its floral sweetness, but would make a fair substitute for Archangel Winter. Over time the ozone fades away and leaves white flowers behind. A little perfumy, but pleasant and understated. Verdict: Sea of Glass is a lovely, simple, clean scent that distantly evokes its imagery. But between Lightning and Parsifal I have ozone covered. For swaps.

In imp: Fruity! Definitely mandarin, perhaps mango too. On skin: Sweet juicy fruit. This is mainly a mandarin-mango show. There's no trace of white musk and sandalwood, though they may be doing something behind the scenes. Kuang Shi feels light, buoyant, happy and uplifting -- a lovely scent, though not quite what I was expecting for a Chinese zombie! Verdict: A simple, one-note fruity blend for me, which is a little disappointing since I was hoping to find at least some musk and sandalwood. It's still nice to wear, so I may hang on to my imp.

In imp: Light spices and woods, gently sweet. On skin: Light, dry, warm and gently sweet, with a bit of powder. All the notes are working together to make a well-blended and rounded scent, and nothing dominates. (At least, not that I can tell!) I think the powder/dustiness is from amber, the dryness from sandalwood, the glowing warmth and depth from musk, and everything else adds a spicy, sweet fragrance. Definitely evokes an exotic desert city of spices and sand. Colour impression is a warm peach-gold-amber-rose, like a rosy desert sunset. Verdict: Amazing. (Yep, in bold letters.) An absolutely gorgeous spicy/incense/exotic blend, one of my top five and a signature scent. I'm so glad this is in the GC, and I foresee a bottle purchase eventually.

A frimp from the Lab, thank you! In imp: Foody with a heavy, fermented note – probably from the kvass? On skin: Foody blends make me physically sick, and this is extreme gourmand. Heavy, spicy and warmly golden, and so sweet it's sickening. Strong throw. Verdict: Straight to swaps, for the gourmand lovers. I wasn't expecting to like this anyway, but I have to try every scent that passes through my hands.

In imp: A bright, sweet, juicy note that I'm recognizing as berries. On skin: The scent really opens up now. It's initially all juicy, full berries, but in the drydown the other notes come into play. Over time, the spices temper the berries so they're not so intensely sweet, and the amber makes everything drier. (Not sure how iris smells.) Ultimately this is a complex blend of rich berries and spices, over a dry amber base. I'm reminded of Bordello: both are warm, juicy and full, and have a similar berry/currant note. But Florence is more complex and balanced -- just perfect. Colour impression: A mix of red, gold, burgundy, maroon, royal purple. Verdict: Lush, cosmopolitan, elegant, complex, refined; definitely evokes a Renaissance vibe. Florence is a keeper - my perfect berry blend.

In imp: Very fruity and juicy-sweet, almost liqueur-ish. Bright and uplifting. On skin: This is yummy! Bordello balances between bright red juiciness and a slight fermentative sharpness that must come from the wine and amaretto (a kind of almond liqueur). It feels wet, swelling and full, definitely evocative of juicy berries. The alcoholic sharpness tones down over time, leaving behind a yummy fruity sweetness. But make no mistake: this is a forward, assertive and bold sweetness that borders on smelling artificial. I find Florence has a similar berry/currant note, albeit more refined and tempered. Colour impression is the burgundy of red wine grapes. Verdict: Close, but no cigar. Bordello is the outgoing, sassy, perky cousin of the more refined, restrained Florence. Both are lovely berry scents, but I think I prefer the latter!

In imp: A high florally scent over a dark swelling depth. Very rich, bold, decadent. On skin: The high floral note goes away and the scent darkens significantly. It's now heavy in an august way, "close" almost stifling in its fullness, even syrupy. Hades utterly fits the description of a "sacred, chthonic blend"; you can't get more majestically gloomy than this. Colour impression is a very dark ultramarine that's almost black. Verdict: A scent fitting for the Lord of the Underworld, perhaps incense for his black, sepulchral palace. But it's much too heavy and gloomy for me. It's a wonderful blend though, I may keep it for sniffing and scent comparisons.

In imp: Woah, this is my first "commercial" BPAL encounter. Perfumy, high flowers, but also deep and full-bodied. On skin: Some investigation revealed that the "commercial perfume" note is jasmine. (Currently my only other BPAL scent with jasmine is Zorya, and it has this note too.) Moscow smells like a conventional perfume all the way through. I don't recognize the other floral notes, but jasmine seems to be dominating here; and I can barely detect the amber and musk, except that they're giving the high flowers a full depth. Overall Moscow is very rich, high, heady, powerful, bold florals – and quite overwhelming. Verdict: Moscow is a bold, imperious, haughty, and regal old dame. And she's way too floral and "commercial" for me. I may have to avoid jasmine in the future.

Disclaimer: My nose is completely untrained and I've an abysmal scent memory, so my impressions are just impressions. I try to wear a scent several times before making a review. In imp: Spicy and heady, definitely Eastern incense and spices. Bright, high, golden-yellow. On skin: Colour impression is a bright, sunflower yellow. Incense and spice over a woody base; high, almost powdery. Quite cloying, heady, and sweet in a spicy/incense way. Softens and dials down over time, but remains much the same. I can recognize the sandalwood lurking somewhere deep, but the bright powdery sweetness obscures it; not sure which notes are responsible for this. A yellow-bright and joyful scent. Verdict: Ambivalent. Kathmandu is definitely in character, but I'm not sure if I want to wear it such a incense/spice-sweet blend. It'll probably go to swaps.

In imp: Very cinnamon. I get hints of herbal-green and wood and other spices, but it's hard to tell. On skin: Cinnamon takes centre stage and doesn't go away; I can't detect anything behind it. Perhaps there is something sweet, deeper, tempering it – incense? woods? My nose isn't savvy enough to detect anything but for all the cinnamon. Verdict: I was hoping Silk Road would be more complex, but sadly this is one-note cinnamon without any nuance. Not a fan. For swaps.

In imp: Uh-oh, I smell something cloyingly sweet and decaying. Similar to what I found in Anubis, except Mictecacihuatl has a bit of a cold, herbal edge. On skin: Yike, this is decay-in-an-imp. Something in common between Anubis and Mictecacihuatl (possibly storax, balsam, copal, or a combo of those) is creating this smell of wet putrefaction. Mictecacihuatl is somewhat different -- the "decay" is a bit lighter, and underneath it I can detect something medicinal and herbal. But I didn't stick around to find out what: this had to be washed off. Verdict: Like Anubis, Mictecacihuatl is the goddess of death and the underworld; like him, she smells of decay and is unwearable. Whatever the common note is, I have to avoid it at all costs. (UPDATE: The culprit turned out to be honey, which is now one of my death notes.)

Disclaimer: My nose is completely untrained and I've an abysmal scent memory, so my impressions are just impressions. A frimp from the Lab, thank you! In imp: Warm, perhaps spicy, a "high", maybe perfumy feel. There's a sharp bite in here too. On skin: Wet, the high perfumy aspect is initially strong, but goes away as the oil dries. Overall, this is spicy, heady, warmly red and musky; I gather this is dragon's blood. There's a touch of sweetness (perhaps from the musks) that tempers the sharpness. Over time, Dragon's Musk ends up being warm and spicy-musky, but I can't distinguish the dragon's blood from the musks yet. It's also unusually long-lasting and has a significant throw, ie. I can smell it at arms' length. (Which is unusual because my skin tends to swallow up perfume oils.) It doesn't morph, but does have body and depth, and definitely evokes power and passion. Verdict: Dragon's Musk is a bold, incisive, intense scent tempered by a pleasant musky sweetness. I quite like it, though I don't see it becoming an everyday scent. This is my first Ars Draconis scent; if this is dragon's blood, I definitely want to try more!

In imp: Whoa, not pleasant. Clinical, herbal...? I couldn't quite place it, until a friend said "decay". Indeed it's a decaying smell. On skin: Ugh, bad bad BAD! This is entirely sickly, cloyingly sweet and wetly decaying. Makes me sick to the stomach and want to retch. I tried Anubis a few times hoping it would change, but ended up washing it off pronto. Verdict: Well, the jackal-headed god smells like death and decay alright, and he'll be swapped. This same putrefying odour (yes, odour ) was in Mictecacihuatl - it may be copal, storax or balsam, or any combination of those. (UPDATE: The culprit is actually honey.) I'll be steering clear of these notes from now on!

In imp: Is this leather? Intriguing, kind of inorganic. Can't quite place it, so I guess this must be the Lab's leather note! On skin: About the same as in imp. The rose seems to peek out now and again (I still haven't learnt it well though), but for the most part I can't tell the leather from the rose, or quite associate this scent to anything else. (But my olfactory memory is rather dismal anyway, I've forgotten how leather jackets -- and roses -- smell.) Rather artificial. Ends up being flat and "one-note" compared to other blends I've tried -- it is a simple scent after all. Verdict: Not too interesting, and I'm not sure if I like the leather note. Will have to try more leathery blends, but Whip won't be staying.

In imp: Rich, full and gently sweet, with hints of flowers and greenness. On skin: Initially a bit sharply floral, but this goes away quickly as it dries. Pleasantly sweet, almost fruity; Very round, rich and full-bodied. My nose is not trained, but it seems the sweet deep florals are hovering over a more sombre, solemn base -- possibly from the juniper/cypress/cajeput -- with myrrh holding everything together. It's deep and weighty, but not heavy or too dark. (Unlike On Darkness and Hades, which are much darker and I can't wear them.) Like most BPAL oils on my skin, this has very little throw. Colour impression: burgundy or dark purple, more red than blue. Verdict: Oh, Wings of Azrael is lovely. A blend that's sombre and deep, yet full and fragrant. Our Archangel of Death is not violent or brutal; he is grave and sorrowful and genteel. One of my favourite scents, I'll definitely have at least an imp of this around.

In imp: Sharp, clean lemon. Can't smell anything beyond this. On skin: Slightly sharp, white and pale. Mostly a freshly-squeezed lemon with a hint of dryness; I can't detect any other notes. The lemon burns off and becomes gentler, but still obscures everything else. There may be are other things going on underneath, and my nose is definitely not trained enough to pick them out. But really, lemon dominates everything. Verdict: I was hoping to smell (and enjoy) the tea, aloe and white musk, but alas, Embalming Fluid was purely a lemon-fest. What a pity. It also made me realize that lemon tends to dominate any blend it's in, and my nose can't smell anything besides it, both in imp and on skin. Double pity. At least I know to avoid lemon! To swaps.

A frimp from perclexed that came with my eBay purchase; then the Lab sent me another frimp with my order. Thanks ^^ In imp: Smoky, a bit medicinal. Reminds me a lot of a eucalyptus oil-based medicinal rub from my childhood. On skin: This is all vetiver, with the ozone/aquatic/rain nowhere to be found. Smoky, astringent, dry, with a slight charcoal feeling. It's so smoky and astringent that it smells almost clean. The scent gradually burns off over time, and after a few hours the vetiver is settled enough to actually be pleasant. But it's not worth enduring the initial burn-off. Verdict: Although the vetiver becomes pleasant after a few hours, Hurricane is not anything to be wearing, especially since there's no trace of ozone/rain in it. I'm starting to realize I can only handle vetiver in small quantities or more complex blends. To swaps.

I've been doing a lot of one-vs-other comparisons to train my nose to detect notes, here are my discoveries. Maybe this will help someone! Lightning vs. Archangel Winter vs. Sea of Glass vs. Thunderbird Lightning is my point of reference, I think it's the purest ozone of these. Sea of Glass is almost identical to Lightning, except with a lighter, sweeter, floral touch. Lightning felt more brooding and water-laden than SoG. Archangel Winter is a slushy, cloyingly sweet Lightning, definitely more "snowy". I've read that SoG and AW are very similar, but I thought they were quite different. Thunderbird is like Lightning with a forest/evergreen overlay. Penitence vs. Cathedral Virtually identical. Penitence is a bit sweeter and warmer (I'm guessing this is from myrrh) and fuller, while Cathedral is "blacker", drier, a tad more bitter, and definitely more austere than Penitence. Selkie vs. Long Night Moon They were quite similar to my nose - both watery, grassy/meadow-like, and slightly floral. Selkie is more brooding and green, LNM was a bit more floral-sweet and lighter. (Selkie is also a dead ringer to the Blooddrop scent Pegasus, though they have very different notes.) Black Forest vs. The Jersey Devil Black Forest is piney green but juicy/berry sweet. The pine in Jersey Devil is lighter, and I can smell faint tomato and maybe blackberry - it has a more leafy vibe. JD is lighter and "cleaner" than BF, which is a bit heavy but not dirty. BF becomes sweeter over time, while JD gets lighter. BF is definitely a darker green than JD. Dole of the King's Daughter vs. Last Rose of Summer Both are almost identical, but with subtle differences. DKK is wetter, LRS is drier. DKK is greener, LRS is a bit browner/earthier. DKK is "higher", LRS is a "lower" scent. Mama-ji vs. Baghdad Closely related - rich, spicy-flowery scents. Mama-ji is full and rounded and deeper/richer, while Baghdad is lighter, dry/dusty with a rose touch. Colour impression is the same hue of red/gold/pink, but Baghdad is of a lighter shade. They're closely related, but sufficiently different to justify keeping both. Moon of Small Spirits vs. The Snow Storm Again, very similar to my nose even though they have very different notes! Snow Storm is thinner, drier and more evergreen/less sweet than Moon of SS.

In imp: Aquatic with a tangy, sharp, not-too-pleasant odour. On skin: Tangy and sharp; very wet, like a stagnant pool full of water plants. In fact, it smells quite like flowers -- or something -- rotting/decaying in water. Maybe the cypress and oak are contributing too; I can't pick out anything but for the decaying smell. I've a feeling the "dry leaves" note just doesn't agree with me. Verdict: Yike, this is completely unwearable. Don't like it at all! Off to swaps!

... A chilly, tempestuous whirlwind of clear, airy notes, slashing rain, and a thin undercurrent of white flowers. Disclaimer: My nose is completely untrained and I've an abysmal scent memory, so my impressions are just impressions. I try to wear a scent several times before making a review. I first sniffed and tried a friend's imp of Szepasszony, and at the time thought it was a lovely, cold, airy aquatic. So I ordered a fresh imp from the Lab, expecting to love it. In imp: Sharp and tangy/salty, slightly aquatic. A bold, intense feel. On skin: Oh wow, my memory was clearly an illusion. Whatever aquatic there is is overshadowed completely by a peppery, tangy, sour scent that's almost hot in its boldness; I don't get any ozone or water at all. It feels vengeful, bitter, cruel. I'm not sure what's evoking this, possibly the floral and rain notes. It's an angry kind of scent. I don't smell much beyond this peppery tang, and like all BPAL I've tried it doesn't morph much. It's not pleasant at all. Verdict: I'm chagrined that my first memory of Szepasszony was so good, but the reality so different. This experience was quite devastating, so alas, my imp goes to swaps.

I'm a newbie to perfumes in general, and my sense of smell is rather abysmal... (I've been known to stand in a garden full of roses and say "hey, something smells nice!" that's how dismal I am! ) I know BPAL is renowned for its complex blends -- which I'm loving so far! -- but I wonder, can I train my nose to tell florals from incenses from woods, and which floral is which for example? Not counting those rare single notes, what are BPAL's simpler scents that are "single-note dominant"? I've looked through the recs forum, but I'm wondering if this could be a useful thread to collect BPAL's simple scents. Thanks

Imp direct from the Lab! In imp: Pine-green with a dark, sweet undertone. On skin: Dries down into something simultaneously pine-green and darkly sweet. A fresh, pine-green forest layered over a full-bodied, dark and deep sweetness that seemed almost berry-juicy. The green pine gradually burns off over time, leaving a musky sweetness. A deep, close and very dark forest; while I can imagine how the sweetness and pine can conjure a stifling and forbidding vibe, I actually find it warm and cozy. Verdict: I definitely get a deep, black forest in this scent. Black Forest is deeper than The Jersey Devil, and more musky than Nocnitsa. I like it and will hang on to the imp, but will be searching for something more pine and less musky-sweet.

A gift from the lovely Emera, the very first BPAL scent I tried -- and the rest is history. In imp: A clean, tangy, watery scent. My first encounter with the scent I now know as ozone. On skin: The same - clean, wet, tangy, humid, maybe a tad citrusy. Very simple, pure unadulterated ozone, bold and almost incisive in its simplicity. Quite light, but my skin seems to soak up any oil I wear and throw barely any scent, so this is normal for me. A friend could smell flowers in it, but I can't. (My scent memory is abysmal, however!) Verdict: I adore Lightning; it got me enamoured with ozone. I never get any dryer sheets/powder/detergent -- it's beautifully wet, humid, and absolutely distinctive. I got a chance to compare Lightning with some other ozonic BPAL: Archangel Winter is sweeter, more slushy with a definite snowy feel; Sea of Glass is virtually identical, maybe a bit gentler, more floral, less humid and intense; Thunderbird has a fresh pine/forest touch. But Lightning is still the quintessential ozone, and I think I'll always have at least an imp of it around. Love it!