Vega

Sniffed: Light, inorganic opium infused with gentle rose. On skin: If I didn't look at the notes list, I would've thought that Clermont contained leather. Is opium tar this flat, inorganic note? I'm not sure, it does smell like leather... Regardless, Clermont is sweet inorganicity -- sheer, black tar infused with light, pale, pink rose. Rather simple and flat. Verdict: I was quite disappointed to discover that Clermont's opium tar smells very much like black leather, a notes which tends to go inorganic and flatten out the entire scent. I was lucky enough to get Vamp.Goth, and it smells similar yet so much better. Clermont won't be staying.

Sniffed: Lily, with rose. Where are the resins? On skin: Hymn begins in bright, high lily. Rose asserts itself briefly while wet on my skin, but vanishes upon drydown and never returns. The resins now appear: I don't detect any familiar frankincense and myrrh, so the labdanum and olibanum may be dominating here. I wonder if olibanum smells a little mossy, because that's what I'm getting here... Anyway, Hymn winds up a slightly dissonant mix of shrill lily mellowed by light resins, with nary a sign of rose. Verdict: Alas, Hymn doesn't really work out for me, I was hoping to smell more resins and rose. I can identify the potential contrast between soaring florals and pious, hallowed resins that would be characteristic of a hymn (other Sin & Salvation blends such as Penitence and Rose Cross display similar note contrasts), but the notes never quite harmonize well and end up slightly discordant. How unfortunate!

Sniffed: A luminous, pale scent, somewhat floral, but with a sweetness that's neither foody, fruity or floral. I think it's the ambergris... On skin: A fascinating scent! There are pale, light, clear florals here: I don't recognize them, so this must be magnolia and water violet. There a peculiar sweetness that is not fruity, foody or floral. So I think it's a resin-sweetness from the ambergris, and maybe the unfamiliar florals are contributing. White musk is extremely discreet, not as fuzzy as in other blends, and sandalwood is undiscernable. Moonshine and Mist really does resemble its name: it's both clear and light (moonshine) and fuzzy and full (mist), without any edges, sharpness or richness. Indeed, it actually seems to glow, like a luminescent moonstone, and is also reminiscent of the Moon haloed through a foggy sky. Colour impression is that glowing, bluish-white moonstone colour. Verdict: What a mysterious, otherworldly, evocative, and distinct blend! I love how it really does resemble moonshine and mist, and I haven't smelled anything quite like it yet. An excellent scent to grace the general catalogue.

Sniffed: A blend of myrrh and deep, solemn woods, and a certain floral note that must be carnation. On skin: The scent really blooms on my skin. Fragrant myrrh is the central note, deepened by discreet woods and made clear a distinctive floral note that must be the sweet carnation. I think I smell whiffs of vanilla musk and amber, softening and brightening respectively. Inez is a lovely resin-floral blend, full-bodied, clear and calm. She has a gentle yet enigmatic presence, quite reminiscent of Gypsy Queen and Three Brides. Verdict: A very pretty resin floral, a solid like but not exceptional. Those who love (and miss) Gypsy Queen may want to try Inez, she's similar both in scent and feel.

Sniffed: A warm, cozy blend of furry musk, cool chocolate and mint, and juniper berry. The latter note faintly reminds me of Black Forest and Golden Priapus. On skin: WILF is initially a mix of furry dark musk, smoky champaca and massoia bark, but the chocolate peppermint emerges upon drydown. O.M.G. A mint note that is cool and yummy, that actually behaves on my skin and does not stomp the other notes into oblivion!!!! O.M.G. This alone would make WILF a winner, because mint seems to ruin all blends it's present in... but oh, this chocolate peppermint smells absolutely DIVINE, it makes me want to devour my arm! WILF ends up a complex, scrumptious mix of cozy musk, deep woods and resins, evergreen-sweet juniper berry, vanilla and this fabulous chocolate peppermint. Warm, snuggly, yummy, and more than the sum of its components. Colour impression is, indeed, chocolate brown (with a hint of red) and minty green, side by side. Verdict: Yummmmmmmmmm, now this is indeed WILF! I can smell the close resemblance to Snake Charmer, but this is a bit sweeter, lighter, and oh so much better. WILF is a firm Top Five blend, absolutely hoard-worthy. I will need multiple bottles, and if the Lab re-uses this delicious chocolate peppermint in another blend, I will snap that up post-haste. It is the trump note that makes WILF what it is. In fact, I have to find an ice cream brand out there that has this exact flavour! Yummy!

Sensual, sibilant, sexual and hypnotic: Arabian musk and exotic spices slinking through Egyptian amber, enticing vanilla, and a serpentine blend of black plum, labdanum, ambrette, benzoin and black coconut. Reviewing the original Carnaval Noir blend. Sniffed: Warm incense/musk/spices with a layer of fluffy coconut. On skin: Snake Charmer is a gorgeous, dark incense-musk-spice blend. Warm Arabian musk (which must be similar to red musk) forms the rich, dark base, over which the other notes blend and combine. I can pick out bright spices, discreet vanilla, fluffy-sweet coconut, dry amber, and a syrupy, dark yet glowing note that must be from ambrette and/or plum. However, it the is definitely more than the sum of its individual notes: overall a dark, smooth, complex scent, sensuous, mysterious and enticing. Snake Charmer falls somewhere between Snake Oil (spiced vanilla and musk) and Mme. Moriarty (lighter plum and red musk), but nothing is quite like it. WILF gets the closest: it is a more "fun and snuggly" Snake Charmer with chocolate and peppermint, without glowing ambrette. Even so, Snake Charmer stands on its own. Verdict: I like deep, incense-musk-spice blends, so Snake Charmer is a firm keepsake. If I hadn't found WILF (which I'm completely head-over-heels in love with) this would be hoard-worthy -- but I'm keeping my decant for the days when I don't want to wear a snuggly werewolf!

Sniffed: Pomegranate's deep juiciness darkened by delicious cocoa and mellow tobacco, touched with the barest spice and red musk. On skin: This is one of those amazing blends that's more than the sum of its components. Red, juicy pomegranate is definitely present, as a glowing, clear-yet-deep accent to warm, gritty, nutty tobacco and cocoa. These three notes form the heart of the scent, whilst the others add colour, depth and complexity. I can occasionally smell a touch of bright alcoholism from the cognac, a bite of anise and thyme, and discreet red musk deep in the background. The scent opens up more over time, simultaneously becoming deeper and clearer. A delicious, cozy, warmly glowing blend, and surprisingly old-fashioned to my nose. For some reason, it puts me in mind of a white-haired scholar sitting in front of a fireplace, wearing a dark smoking jacket and smoking a pipe whilst reading a tome. Colour impression is a mix of deep red, brown and black with a warm golden glow. Verdict: I tried all five Pomegranate Grove blends, and Pomegranate IV is the runaway winner! What a gorgeous showcase of the pomegranate note -- this is the blend that turned me onto pomegranate, as well as cocoa. Definitely worth a bottle!

Sniffed: Sweet and fluffy-sugary, slightly fruity. Must be the coconut and vanilla/tonka! On skin: Coconut combines with tonka, vanilla tea and musk to create a light, fluffy-sweet base. What I can only identify as "pale florals" (lilac, maybe hyssop?) emerge with drydown, adding a gentle, floral clarity over the hazy, sweet/musky backdrop. I can't smell any tobacco, but I think it must be contributing to the whole. Ashlultum is light, rounded and soft without any edges -- cozy and comforting, but still cheerful and sassy! Colour impression is pastel pink darkened to black and brown at the edges... I've a feeling the Carnaval artwork is influencing this, though. Verdict: Quite a pretty blend, I haven't smelled anything quite like this. Ashlultum is a solid like, but misses out on being love, and I think she will be overlooked in favour of my other loves.

Sniffed: Sweet, resinous, with a slight tangy verve. Reminiscent of Midnight Mass and Three Brides. On skin: Gypsy Queen is a gentle incense blend (I'm quite certain myrrh is here), made soft and a bit hazy from musk, but with a certain clarity that I suspect must be from bergamot and the flowers, which are all too well-blended for me to identify individually. A blend that stays close to the skin, sweet and rounded, hazy but clear and deep at the same time. It gradually grows deeper in the incense, coloured through by the florals which remain in supporting position. Gypsy Queen is rich and voluptuous, but not overtly sexual. I'm minded of a veiled woman, wholly feminine, commanding a strong but quiet presence, alluring and captivating and mystic with secrets. I think it's a darker, more incense-heavy version of Three Brides (a lighter, similar-but-distinct musky-floral), or a more floral version of the pure-incense Midnight Mass. Colour impression is the richest of amber. Verdict: What a beautiful scent that so befits the Gypsy Queen! While this is a sold like, it just misses out on being a favourite. Sadly, I just don't see myself reaching for this much.

Reviewing the original 13th Anniversary version. Sniffed: The sweet sugar of Antique Lace, but darkened. On skin: I thought the pure fluffy-sugar-sweetness of Antique Lace was quite boring. So I was ecstatic that Black Lace is Antique Lace taken to a whole 'notha level -- to a fantastic level, in fact! The simple, sweet powdery sugar is darkened and smoothened by the other notes, which, while contributing a distinct rich scent, are all a bit too blended and obscured for me to distinguish, though I think I can identify the incense and tobacco. The sugar remains the dominant note, a sweet haze through which the deeper notes are faintly distinguishable. Black Lace is a languorous, blurry scent, rounded without edges; it is overall warm, dark and cozy, sweet in both a sugary and non-sugary way. I'm not even sure what colour impression I'm getting -- perhaps a curious blend of sheer, delicate dark-red-and-black lace seen through a smoky-blue haze? Verdict: "Languorously decadent" is my short description of Black Lace! After the disappointment of Antique Lace, I'm so glad to find a sugary blend that I like. Black Lace is the perfect mix of sweet light sugar and dark depth. Seems that I do gravitate to the darker blends, after all.

Sniffed: Red musk, laced liberally with spices. On skin: Rich, sensual red musk forms the base; spices float above, adding a sharp, bright flavour to the full-bodied but light musk. The spices are a little biting and bright at first, but over time they smoothen out into the musk and the scent rounds out even more. Scherezade is a dry, spiced blend, exotic and sensuous, elegant in simplicity. And probably the purest red musk blend I've smelled so far. She reminds me of Mama-ji, which is similarly red-spicy but not as dry, and sweeter from the florals. Colour impression is the red-pink-brown of a desert landscape in the sunset, or in other words, the romance of Arabian Nights. Verdict: What a beautiful, balanced, womanly and evocative blend; definitely a GC classic. I adore red musk and already have some more complex blends, but I love Scherezade's simplicity. Perhaps she will come home in bottle form on day.

Lavender smacks me in the face when I first slather on the oil, but the other notes emerge as the scent dries. Psyche is a womanly blend of herbaceous lavender, gentle rose and heady jasmine, upon a backdrop of fuzzy white musk and a breath of deep incense. The scent flattens out over time, and ends up a generic light floral. Pretty, but I find pure florals rather boring, and Psyche is no different.

A floral-incense blend, very dark, thick, almost syrupy. Perhaps there's a hint of spectral brightness in the florals? if so, it's very fleeting. Medea is in the same family as Hades and On Darkness, and is just too dark and thick for my liking.

Red sandalwood, vanilla, rosewood, osmanthus, and white peach. Sniffed: Light florals and woods. I think it's the combination of sandalwood, rosewood and osmanthus. On skin: Rosewood (yep, smells like rose-infused wood) emerges first, followed rapidly by the other notes, and everything mixes together during drydown. Belle Vinu is a pretty combination of calm, light sandalwood and rosewood, the dry citrus-like osmanthus, and touches of bright juicy peach and sweet vanilla. Unfortunately the woods and osmanthus dominate after the scent dries, and it ends up quite dry and woody. I'm reminded of Libertine, a similar floral-light woods blend. Verdict: Belle Vinu is a pretty scent, but it isn't all that distinctive. I'm rather disappointed that I didn't get more peach and vanilla to balance the woods. For swaps.

Sniffed: A dark, full, slightly gritty mix of red musk, patchouli, champaca and woods. On skin: This is gooooorgeous! One of the blends where I can smell virtually all the notes: sensual red musk, darkly glowing patchouli, smoky champaca, spicy massoia bark (a note that I'm growing to love), and the clear, bright florals. I can also smell how they blend and contribute to the greater whole, becoming a complex scent that's darkened yet clear, full-bodied, glowing and smooth, but slightly smoky and gritty. The Arbor has a bold presence, but is not blatant. It resembles War -- both contain red musk and patchouli -- but War is brighter and a bit sweetened by its florals, whilst The Arbor is definitely darker and smokier. Colour impression is a deep, blackish red; I'm reminded of dark, living blood throbbing through arteries. Verdict: The Arbor is one of my favourite red musks, and in my Top Ten permanent collection. I love every part of it: the depth, the dark clarity, the pulsing glow, and the gritty smoke. The scent absolutely fits the Sappho poem: it is a more "cerebral" Lupercalia blend, capturing the emotional force and fury of infatuated love, rather than mere animal lust. The instant hit out of Lupercalia 2011!

Sniffed: A red rose touched with sweet pomegranate. On skin: Persephone is exactly as she's described: a full-bodied red rose at the heart, surrounded by pomegranate's bright, light juiciness. A clear and sweet fruity-floral scent, deepening with drydown. Persephone is quiet, steadfast but self-assured womanliness, a paragon of femininity without being excessively blushing or bold. She seems like a more grown-up version of Lucy's Kiss, which has the same red rose. Colour impression is shades of rosy-red: pinkish at the centre, darker and more intense at the edges. Verdict: A lovely, balanced showcase of rose and pomegranate, solid GC goodness. I do like Persephone, but her scent is a bit too simple and as a result I don't think I'd wear her much.

Sniffed: A mix of the sugar in Antique Lace et al., and the weird artificial sweetness of Boo. On skin: Velvet Unicorn is nothing but spun sugar and generic, tooth-aching sweetness. There's a hint of something weirdly artificial underneath; Boo was similarly wrong, so one or more of the Lab's candy notes clearly don't sit well with me. Verdict: I can't wear most foody-sweet BPAL, so I never expected to like Velvet Unicorn. (Just reviewing it because I was frimped a tester.)

Sniffed: Juicy dark cherries with a hint of booziness. On skin: I'm initially assaulted by cherries and the blackcurrant (cassis): juicy, rich, syrupy (almost artificially so!), and very, very black. If I remember right, the same cherry note is in Kabuki, but much milder. Quick on the heels of the berries comes the cardamom, giving them a hard spicy kick. I can't smell any patchouli, but it may be contributing to the rich, darkly glowing base; verbena is completely missing. Unfortunately the spices gradually dominate The Phantom Calliope, until it ends up purely cardamom with a faint memory of cherries. Colour impression is the red-black of dark cherries, dusted with reddish brown. Verdict: Nothing ghostly about The Phantom Calliope! I neither like the intense black cherry beginning, nor the spicy ending. Decidedly not for me.

When I first tested The School, shortly after I got my decant from a circle, it was purely woody. Saddening to just get the school-house and none of Scrooge's daydreams! So I stashed my decant away for several months to age. About 8 months later, the blend has undergone a tremendous transformation, and exactly as described in the Christmas Carol scent description, which I reported in this thread, and below... Sniffed: Initially light, pale woods, but with something else lurking underneath. A bit of sweet aquatic, a bit of green forest? On skin: WOW, The School has changed dramatically with age. I still smell hints of wood, but now a blue-green, sweet aquatic blooms during the wet stage! Sadly, it burns off rapidly with drydown, but lurking beneath the dominant light, pale and dry wood notes is a mélange of something more interesting and tantalizing. I get a light blue aquatic, a whiff of spices, and maybe a hint of evergreenery peeking through the bland woods. These other notes morph in and out over the woods, tantalizing the nose. Indeed, this is imagination at play, conjuring ephemeral visions amidst the wooden school-house. Colour impression is a vivid splash of cyan fading rapidly into light plywood brown. Verdict: While The School remains largely wood-dominant, I'm so glad that it's aged into something beyond a one-note blend. Something magic happened, just like its description! I can't believe it, how does the Lab achieve something like this?! This is worth keeping and aging, perhaps the other notes will strengthen over time!

Sniffed: A musky-floral, light and watery, and melancholy in feel. On skin: First thing that comes to mind when I put this Moon on my skin: it is salty. Salty because, well, it's not sweet like most pure-floral scents tend to be. It is initially watery, then dries into a light and subdued scent (as most pure-florals are on my skin). The sandalwood must be adding a light dry-woody touch, and the saltiness may be coming from ylang ylang and lily. Over time the saltiness fades away, and now I can detect the barest trace of sugary-sweetness, possibly from beeswax and/or vanilla. Apart from these, I can't really distinguish the other notes, as Kindly Moon is almost vanishing on my skin. It ends up a gentle white-floral, still with a salty, slightly pungent feel. Verdict: I was generously frimped a tester and am glad to try Kindly Moon, but I don't particularly like it. Not a keeper.

Sniffed: Light, cheerful, sugary sweetness. On skin: Overall, Hungry Ghost Moon is a light but complex sugary-sweet scent. I don't recognize a lot of the notes, and those I do know are too well-blended to distinguish individually. This Moon is a bit sweet, a bit dry, a bit woody, very lightly foody, and with the characteristic gentle calmness of BPAL's Asian-themed blends. Peacocks, La Vague and Rozpustnica smelled similar to my nose -- all fruity-musky-sugary, and all too subdued to hold my interest -- but Hungry Ghost Moon is more complex and quite lively in comparison! Over time it becomes drier and a little bit smoky, the sugar emerges more, and I can now pick out ginger (from the slightly spicy kick) and white musk, although the scent remains quite blended. Colour impression is a translucent, pale grassy-green. Verdict: While I like Hungry Ghost Moon much more than other blends in the same scent family, it's still a bit too light and subdued for me, and I don't see myself wearing it much.

Peony, plum blossom, water reeds and soft Asian woods. Sniffed: A watery, light, slightly sugar-sweet floral. Peony and plum blossom? On skin: This Moon begins as a watery, pale, sweet floral. The floral notes are quite distinctive but I don't recognize them (not that I'm good at identifying notes), so it must be gentle peony, mixed with a bit of plummy verve. The water recedes after drydown to be replaced by the water reeds and the gentlest of light woods. Now the scent is a mix of pale, sweet floral and light green-woody. It has the same woody-reedy quality as Holiday Moon, so they may have notes in common. Peony Moon is a simple blend, and remains much the same over time. A pretty, delicate, airy feminine scent. Colour impression is pale pink-white upon a backdrop of woody brown -- just like the flowers. Verdict: Pure watery florals are pretty but mostly boring. Peony Moon is in the same family, but the combination of plum blossom, peony, reeds and woods place it one notch above the other florals in interest and distinctiveness. I really like it, but am torn because it's quite a light blend; given my oil-drinking skin chemistry, I doubt I'll wear it much!

Sniffed: Red musk overlaid with gentle sweetness of plum and vanilla. On skin: Oh, Madame Moriarty is everything she's cracked up to be: sweet, heady and wholly feminine, light and heady without being overtly sexual. Red musk and plum are the predominant notes; the pomegranate, vanilla and patchouli stay in supporting role and contribute to the body and sweetness. I won't be surprised if there are additional, unlisted incense and/or spice notes. This is a scent in its own league: over time the notes continue to blend together until they become more than their sum total: sweetly feminine yet untouchable, mystic and alluring, beckoning one towards occultic secrets, simultaneously light and dark, airy and heady. Madame Moriarty is unique, no other blend quite smells like her. Kaidan and Countess Willie come close though: both have a similar plum and musk/incense notes. Colour impression is dark fuchsia. Verdict: Yup, I'm definitely in the Madame Moriarty fanclub. There's nothing quite like her -- indeed, Beth is absolutely one-of-a-kind! A firm favourite, and bottle-worthy for sure!

Sniffed: Dark, rich and fruity, plum being the most prominent. On skin: A heady, berry-fruity-musky blend! I can smell the plum, amaretto and red musk all blending to create this voluptuously sweet, almost syrupy blend, with a slight ginger bite. Full-bodied, direct, with a large scent presence, certainly not shy or discreet. When I first tried Countess Willie I immediately thought of Bordello -- both have the same plum and amaretto notes. However, Bordello is boozy and bawdy and relatively simple, while Countess Willie is the madam of this bordello but refined and classy, with an additional layer of complexity from the musk and ginger. The scent doesn't morph much (which is perfect, I don't want this beautiful berry-sweetness to change!), and remains much the same over time. Colour impression is plum-purple touched with red, so dark it's almost black. Kaidan and Mme. Moriarty have the same plum, but are lighter scents. Verdict: One of my favourite blends! For a long time I couldn't decide between Bordello or Florence for my favourite berry blend -- but now Countess Willie has trumped both of them. She has become one of my permanent collection and is definitely bottle-worthy.

My perfect BPAL winter forest? The Snow Storm, hands down. It's a fresh, pure evergreen forest buried in virgin snow, but warmed by a cool morning sun. Yule (only tested the 2010 version) is that same forest, but in the absolute depth of winter night, locked in frigid ice and frost. Yule has a more herbal touch than Snow Storm, maybe that's why it's colder and drier. The Carpathian Mountains is also a beautiful alpine forest, it gives me an impression of being high-altitude and cold, but not necessarily wintry.