Vega

Sniffed: A rich and vibrant blend of resins, woods and herbs. On skin: Cleric is the most complex RPG scent I've smelled so far, in that I can actually pick out individual notes (whereas the other blends present themselves as simple, unified accords). Deep incense, dry but bold woods, austere herbs, and a hint of a floral note (from rose amber and rosewood/palisander) all mix together into a beautiful whole. When wet, Cleric is glowing and resonant, and I can smell individual notes. Some of the radiance is lost with drydown, but it remains deep and full-bodied; over time the notes blend better and start presenting more as a coherent accord. Cleric ends up soft, simple and skin-hugging like the RPGs. It's like the herb-touched baby sibling of Penitence, Midnight Mass and Philosopher in Meditation. Colour impression is a deep red-brown. Verdict: Not only do I love resins, woods and herbs, the cleric class most fits me IRL, and I tend to gravitate to that class in RPGs too. So I'm ecstatic that the Lab has created a scent that smells as good as the class!

Sniffed: A pale, cozy, gentle musk. Smooth and sheer, I can already tell that it would be a great skin scent. On skin: Neutral embodies gentle and discreet -- quite fitting for its name. This is a lovely gentle musk, all rounded without any sharp edges, more smooth than fuzzy, but still cozy and soft and musky-"matte". This musk is lightly sweet with a breath of zesty sparkle; I suspect that it is a mix of white and blue musks, perhaps with a touch of ozone, citrus and florals (I'm reminded of jasmine in particular). Neutral is definitely discreet and inoffensive: it does nothing to draw attention to itself. But I can see how it would blend nicely with the other RPG scents. Colour impression is a pale blue-white. Verdict: Like the other RPGs, Neutral is very simple, and beautiful in its simplicity. If worn alone, it would only be suitable for a private event, such as curling up alone with a book in the evening. Otherwise, it's too discreet and soft for any other occasions -- I suppose that's what being neutral is all about! I appreciate its simple beauty, but it's not for me.

Sniffed: Intense sandalwood mixed with a complex bouquet of other notes. I think I'm smelling musk and oud, amongst other things. On skin: Ah, the scent now blooms and smoothens. The dry, sharp sandalwood I smelled on the imp wand tones down and forms a discreetly woody backdrop, and the other notes are blending together over it. I smell musk, tea and beeswax; I don't recognize oud, but I think I can make out how it is contributing. Like the other RPG blends, all the notes in Half-Elf blend very well to create a non-morphing, unified scent impression. In this case it's a herbal-resin, gentle, resin-sweet, a bit dry but rounded, with hints of depth and richness lying underneath. Half-Elf definitely has the best of both heritages: the contemplative, somewhat inscrutable resinous depth of an Elf, and the warm, approachable earthiness of a Human. Colour impression is mahogany-brown with rich red overtones. Verdict: Although Half-Elf isn't dramatic and complex enough for me to keep, it is lovely in its simplicity, and a solidly good blend in the RPG line.

Sniffed: A huge blast of lush, effervescent grapefruit! On skin: This scent is intensely green. Juicy, dewy grapefruit is dominant, but it's dried out by fuzzy green musk (the same note is in 51 too), and embellished by the unique green scents of cypress and swamp moss. Honey is thankfully non-existent. The Two-Tailed Sogg is full-bodied but dry and soft, a bouncy, exuberant blend that just stops short of being saccharine or artificial. It's quite similar to 51, albeit it's dry where 51 is lush and dewy-wet. evokes the olfactory feeling I get just after sinking my teeth into an exceptionally juicy and sweet melon. Colour impression is vivid emerald green touched with blue. Verdict: What a pleasing, happy scent! It's a bit excessively sweet, and definitely not "my kind" of scent, but I appreciate The Two-Tailed Sogg's exuberance and cheeriness that is certainly one-of-a-kind.

Sniffed: A rooty, earthy resinous-herbal scent. I'm reminded somewhat of Nefertiti. On skin: When wet, The Mandrake Charm is initially dry and somewhat astringent. This edge softens with drydown, and the scent becomes distinctly herbal with an earthy flavour (as opposed to a leafy kind of herbal). I'm not familiar with the mandrake scent, but this does smell like a root! I also smell olibanum, hyssop, basil and a touch of lemongrass, all blending well to make a single, distinct scent. The herbal edge continues to become gentler over time; overall, this blend smells austere, cool, with a calm and quiet presence. It has a distinctly feminine flair, despite being strongly rooty and earthy. It's similar to Tzadikim Nistarim and Nefertiti; The Mandrake Charm could be a less sweet, cooler version of Nefertiti. Colour impression is brass, or a very cool golden colour. Verdict: Quite a distinctive scent, pleasant to smell, but is not quite my type of perfume to wear.

Sniffed: Warm pumpkin, faintly touched with vanilla and light wood. On skin: The dominant notes in The Changeling are soft, gentle pumpkin scent, and creamy vanilla. It's warm, rounded and gently foody... but with a touch of weirdness. I think it's mainly from the linen note, which has a tendency to become a bit artificially sweet on my skin. The light wood is probably also contrasting with what would otherwise be a straight foody blend. The Changeling is a cozy, soft scent befitting a child, but with the slightest tinge of spookiness that work with the Salon image theme. Verdict: The Changeling is a lovely, soft blend that perfectly balances pumpkin and vanilla, and is also slightly offbeat and fascinating. Even though I'm glad to smell it, I don't see myself wearing it much.

(Sorry again for the lateness!) The wood in Aziraphale also smells light and dry and gentle, as opposed to heavy or intense or thick. I also strongly associate colours with smells, and the colour I get from smelling Aziraphale is a very light brown, almost like old ivory. I guess that's what I mean by "pale wood"! I'd also suggest looking at the review threads for the blends you're interested in, to get a good range of impressions!

Hygeia (Salon LE 2011) smacks of feminine empowerment. It has a big presence, but feels aloof and proud and distant, instead of maidenly or sensual. I'd associate it with priestess or goddess. After all, Hygeia is a Greek goddess.

Vespillo from the VILF series is heavy on clove and patchouli, and definitely not sweet. A gorgeous, earthy scent.

No one's mentioned Nonae Caprotina yet... boy, is this FIG and MILK galore. If you don't mind the milk, I'd say it even trumps Carnal's fig.

My 'classy formal black-tie' scent is Transeo. It's high-brow but a little edgy, a bit traditional but still distinctly BPAL. Others I'd also reach for are Countess Willie, Pomegranate IV, Snake Oil and Baghdad, depending on the exact occasion.

It could just be me, but The Seekim (Pickman Gallery 2011) was very sinister. I actually felt chaos and disturbance in my mind when I skin-tested it. If entropy had a scent, it would smell like this. Other blends that evoked chaos and destructiveness were Misericordia and Vampire Tears, although they weren't as spooky as the Seekim.

Touched Twice was melancholy and sorrow in a bottle. A dark yet gentle, enfolding musky-floral blend. It captures its namesake scene from The Last Unicorn perfectly... IMHO, it's THE most evocative BPAL blend I've smelled, so far. Other blends that I thought were wistful are The Forest Reverie, Dove's Heart and Love-in-Idleness.

I'm probably a bit late, but I hope this still helps! Of your list, I've only tried Ochosi, Aziraphale, and Lear. They are completely unlike each other. Ochosi smells evergreen (from the spruce); Aziraphale is extremely dry, pale wood; Lear is woody but also strongly herbal (from the sage and bay). Keep in mind that each wood note has its own distinct scent, and other notes in the blend also contribute to the whole scent. So even though all those blends are "woody", I'd say that they'll all smell very different from each other. *looks through notes lists* I haven't tried the others, but these are my thoughts on them... Tristran will be pretty complex, since it has many different notes. Mandrake is probably going to be earthy and "rooty". The Norns' Farmhouse may be very green and less woody. Bony Moon is probably going to major on sandalwood and cedar. Hope this is helpful. ETA: A-ha, dug up some old threads for recs if you're looking for especially woody scents.

BPAL's "stone" note smells inorganic to me. Then that begs the question of what "inorganic" smells like. All I know is that it's a cold, hard... er, inorganic... smell. It's also a very specific scent that doesn't resemble any other notes in the BPAL repertoire -- it's not ozone, smoke/vetiver, metallic, dirt/earth, leather, or watery-aquatic. I don't think it smells exactly like wet stone or pavement (though I really can't remember; my scent memory is quite poor), but all BPAL blends that have "stone" in the notes list have this particular smell. So, by deduction, I must be smelling the stone note. Some stony BPAL blends are: Black Opal, The Isles of Demons, Kumari Kandam, Niflheim, The Phoenix in Summer, Visiting the Temple of Auspicious Fortune. I'm actually quite fascinated by this note, it's quite one-of-a-kind. I'm also amazed by Beth's artistry, how she has created scents that give an impression of stoniness!

Sniffed: Light dry oakwood, softened by chamomile. On skin: Dry and austere oakwood, sweetened with light, clear chamomile and maybe fig leaf. The oak recedes over time, and the scent gets clearer and lighter. It's calm, gentle and clean; a simple scent (as befits an RPG scent), unisex tending towards masculine. Colour impression is ivory white with a blue sheen. Verdict: Pretty in its clean simplicity. I've yet to layer Lawful with the other RPGs, but I already like it by itself.

Sniffed: Hmm... I smell fuzzy, pale musk, plus something off-putting that resembles unwashed body or hair. Is it the musk or white honey? On skin: Oh dear. I primarily smell cozy, gentle musk, with this unpleasant odour of unwashed skin lurking underneath. It may be white honey (honey always ends up smelling rancid on my skin) or, more likely, something in the "celestial musk". Apart from this malodorous note, which morphs in and out but never really goes away, Good is sweet, creamy, soft and gentle, a decidedly white-coloured scent. Indeed, my scent impression is a creamy white. Verdict: Good would've been a good scent, if not for that unpleasant dirty musk odour. That would probably be mitigated when layered with the other RPGs, but as it is, not good at all. I'm glad that some other reviewers observe the same off quality... at least it's not only me!

Sniffed: Pure chocolate -- creamy, nutty, and yummy! On skin: What can I say? Bliss is 100% milk chocolate, dry yet creamy, sweetened a little with sugar -- totally edible! It makes a great layering note: I've layered it with Dark Chocolate, Lime and Chocolate Mint to make a chocolate mint scent to great effect. Verdict: Bliss smells just like real milk chocolate! I'd love to eat chocolate that smells like this! While it's not a perfume I'd wear by itself, it is a great layering note when you want to add a choc jolt to another blend. Now if BPAL would make the same equivalent in dark chocolate, I'd be over the moon...

Testing the 2009 version. Sniffed: A mash-up of cocoa, coffee, and spice. On skin: Coffee and cocoa are the dominant notes in El Dia de los Reyes, and they take turns in the spotlight. On a previous skin test, it was cocoa mixed with spices; today's skin test is primarily coffee laced with cocoa. Light spices and sweet sugar add embellishments. This blend is warm, gentle, cozy, a bit dry and nutty/powdery -- a simple scent, but perfectly embodying its namesake. Colour impression is, well, the rich pale brown of freshly made hot chocolate! Verdict: Now this is a hot cocoa that I would LOVE to drink! El Dia de los Reyes is delicious and welcoming, a gorgeous rendition of a foody cocoa, but even though I want to drink this, it's not something I'd wear as a perfume.

Sniffed: Sugary vanilla is immediately distinctive, but it also has a smooth, lemony quality... On skin: That lemony-green quality must be from the tea, which turns out to be the dominant note in Tattered Lace. This blend is smooth and watery in a tea fashion, light, gentle and demure. I've tried Antique, Black and Red Laces too, all of which have the distinctive sugary vanilla note, so I'm sorry to say that the vanilla in Tattered Lace is extremely subdued to the point of being non-existent. Neither can I identify any of the other notes. The blend does deepen over time, and heavier notes such as frankincense and opium/poppy begin to show their heads. But overall, it is a vague scent without strong character. Colour impression is the pale, yellow-green of delicate green tea. Verdict: Well, this was disappointing. I was hoping to have a distinctive Lace variation here, but wasn't expecting a complete departure from the theme! Pass.

Sniffed: Clove jumps out at me; otherwise, a complex resinous-musky scent. On skin: Mircalla is a base of smooth resins and cozy red musk, with a distinct (vampiric) clove bite showing through. It is well-blended, gentle and full-bodied... and oh, so faint! A tantalizingly complex scent, but the throw is simply too weak for me to identify specific notes beyond the prominent clove, and the scent ends up fading very quickly. Mircalla resembles Vespillo -- both have a similar clove -- but the former is very vague, while the latter is bolder and more assertive. Colour impression is dark reddish brown with a glowing orange ember at its heart. Verdict: I haven't read the story behind the blend, but based on the description, Mircalla definitely fits her description. "Languid fire" indeed: a pretty scent, but ultimately forgettable.

Sniffed: Cold, green mint grounded upon a rich but discreet base of Snake Oil. On skin: Mint doesn't play well on my skin, so I'm amazed and very delighted that the mints in Green Tree Viper are the best I've ever smelled: fresh, green and sparkling, yet playing well with the other notes. The best mints I've ever smelled! Weaving through the mints is a flash of bergamot zest, and perhaps the gentlest whisper of green tea. Snake Oil isn't contributing any scent per se, but it forms a deep, almost imperceptible base to ground the lighter notes. Over time, the bergamot and green tea show themselves more, and everything becomes so beautifully fragrant, fresh and lightly sweet. Colour impression is sparkling emerald green amidst black-brown soil. This combination of Snake Oil and mints bears some resemblance to the Lab's chocolate peppermint note (as smelled in WILF and How Doth the Little Crocodile), and I've found myself comparing Green Tree Viper to those blends. Nevertheless, it has its own distinct character. Although I would've liked to smell more SO, I am also thankful that Green Tree Viper isn't at all like its parent blend -- if it were, I probably wouldn't like it so much! (After all, what can top the gorgeous SO!) Verdict: After a long hunt through BPAL's mint blends, many of which were utter disasters, I have finally found my perfect mint blend in Green Tree Viper. At last, mint that smells true and fragrant, and cooperates well with the other notes! Perfection. I see a bottle coming my way at some stage.

Sniffed: A mash-up of mint, chocolate and vanilla! On skin: Mint dominates, but it's adulterated by vanilla, which is itself laced heavily with chocolate. This is a tense equilibrium of cold crisp mint, sweet cocoa, and creamy vanilla. It's not a harmonious scent -- the mint clashes somewhat with chocolate vanilla, and does threaten to overwhelm them -- but somehow it works, and mint is held back from morphing into MINTzilla and stomping over the other notes. Tokyo Stomp is a bold study in contrasts: it is simultaneously cold and warm, sharp and creamy, unfriendly and cozy. Just a bit clashing, like Monster meeting City, I guess. I don't get a colour impression as much as a direct association with mint-and-choc-chip ice cream. Verdict: Fascinating! Although it's not my favourite choc peppermint blend (that will have to go to WILF), Tokyo Stomp is the purest version I've found, and I think it'll work well for layering. And I'm stoked that it doesn't turn into the MINTzilla! (Kind of ironic, given its name, but yes.) At last, I'm discovering mint blends that I can wear!

Sniffed: Mint and chocolate, grounded in a rich darkness that is almost juicy. On skin: I came here for the chocolate peppermint, and How Doth the Little Crocodile doesn't disappoint. The choclate and mint are well-mixed together and initially prominent. Then other notes emerge with drydown, and now the cedar, oakmoss and pistachio are adding their distinct notes to the choc peppermint. I can't find vanilla: it must be very well-blended, if it's there at all. Now all the notes are blending into a new, distinct scent that's a bit chocolatey, a bit minty, and woody-mossy. It is cozy, enfolding, and rounded. Tokyo Stomp has a similar choc peppermint, but it's purer and sharper, whereas How Doth the Little Crocodile is made blunted and full-bodied from the other notes. Colour impression is dark green bleeding into rich red-brown. Verdict: Fascinating, lovely, a tad odd, as befits a Wonderland blend. I'm crazy about the Lab's chocolate peppermint note, and How Doth the Little Crocodile is a lovely woody-mossy variation. Sadly, I already have favourite choc peppermint blends in Tokyo Stomp and WILF, so this just misses out on being a keeper.

Sniffed: Black and inorganic. I recognize cocoa, pepper, and most of all, ash. On skin: While I can smell the bittersweet dark cocoa forming a deep base, and perhaps a bit of hay, pepper and patchouli adding nuance and variety, the blend is completely dominated by inorganic, gritty incense ash. BPAL's dust/stone accord has a very inorganic vibe, and the one in The Seekim is similar to the stone note in The Isles of Demons, Phoenix in Summer, and Visiting the Temple of Auspicious Fortune. But this is the most heavy stone accord I've encountered in a BPAL blend, to the point of being oppressive and off-putting. In fact, The Seekim smells downright spooky, and actually makes me feel nervous and very uncomfortable. Time doesn't help; it only gets more ashy and eventually drowns out all the other notes. Colour impression is a chaotic scribble of black lines. Verdict: There are (thankfully only) a tiny handful of BPAL blends that don't just smell unpleasant, but actually evoke psychic disorder and intense oppressiveness in my mind. The Seekim is one of them. I won't be trying this again.