AnnetteL

I haven't finished a 5ml bottle yet either - but I get about 10 wearing out of an imp, maybe a couple more for stronger scents, so a 5ml worn constantly would probably last me for 6-8 weeks. However, as you can see by the earlier replies different people use wildly different amounts of oil! If you wanted to get an accurate time for yourself it's probably easiest to see how long it takes you to use up an imp, then multiply that by 5. I guess you won't have time for that if you're thinking about Yule LE perchases though... personally, I just bought as many of them as I could afford

This is fiendishly floral on me, too - interestingly I *don't* get the soapy note that I do with a lot of jasmine-based scents, so it fares better than many other florals, but it's still not something I'd really want to wear. Another imp off to the "nice, but not my thing" swap list.

*nod* I agree, after the first hour or so (which come through as a quick blast of incence, then a floral) this is definitely heavy on the sandalwood. Unfortunately it ends up very much like Ave Maria Gratia Plena on me - i.e. slightly, unsettlingly unpleasant. I think I may be having the same reaction you describe, it is slightly curry-ish.

I really like dragon's blood, so that part of this scent is no problem. The "salty aquatic notes" however... they smell like my kitchen does the morning after I've cooked salmon for dinner. I made my boyfriend sniff and he agrees, the opening is sort of fishy. That does fade into a more generic aquatic note after a few minutes, but I don't want to smell like fish for *any* length of time. I'll stick with my other dragon's blood blends, I think.

Wet, Psyche gives me a big blast of rose, but as soon as it dries the other notes (frankincense and lavendar) make their prescence felt and it becomes quite spicy and peppery. There is then a slow drift down into a more traditional perfumey-rose scent as the lavendar fades and the musk comes through. Nice, but a little too traditional for me. I wouldn't say I'm against rose, but it has to be used in an interesting way for me to enjoy it.

Machu Picchu starts as I expected - golden fruits, with a damp woody base - but I quickly get a light menthol-type scent coming through. I suspect it might be the amber, though it must be either a special kind, or working in conjunction with another note, because amber doesn't usually do that on me. Either that or whatever blend the Lab uses to give the impression of "breezes". This note overrides the other parts of the scent for a little while, then calms down and blends into the whole, lending a slightly sharp, almost smoky quality. At first I thought this was strange, but it quickly grew on me. The first day I wore it I ended up re-applying as soon as I got home from work so I could enjoy it at full strength a second time. It's quite complex and hard to pin down to any specific category - it does remind me a little of Old Kathmandu, because they share the note mentioned above, but isn't really similar otherwise. Unusual, but VERY moreish, definitely in my top 10. [edit to fix wonky formatting]

I don't know why I insist on trying all these fruity-sweet fragrances, because they rarely work out for me. Bon Vivant opens with a sparkly champagne note, but it turns into strawberry bubblegum after less than half an hour and there is no further development. Maybe it would be nice as a bubble bath or something similar, but it's SO syrupy-sweet and just doesn't have the interest factor I'm looking for in perfume.

Okay, it seems I had a completely different reaction to this than everyone else I put Glitter on and at first it was pretty much how I expected: bubbly, and a little fruity - though I wouldn't have said specifically pear, it's more generic-fruit on me. Then all the way to work I kept catching whiffs of incense. I didn't think they could possible be me (wine + heliotrope + lotus + pear doesn't really equal incense), until I got to my office, sniffed at my arms, and discovered those notes had, somehow, combined themselves into a light yet unmistakeable incense smell. After eight hours or so I finally got to smell the heliotrope, peeking out a little from behind the faded incense. Not at all what I expected, but very pleasant (nice to have an incense scent that isn't too heavy or smoky). I'm enjoying my imp and might consider a larger bottle when it's gone. [edit for typo]

I purchased this after reading the BPAL/Lush similarity thread - I adore Lush's Skinny Dip shower gel, but the scent doesn't last much past towelling off, and this was reputed to be similar. When wet on my skin it is mostly violet, but as soon as it starts to dry down the violet begins to step back and a mix of sweet, spicy, vanilla (i.e. tonka) notes come in. I can definitely pick out the clove, yum! On me the violet continues to fade steadily, so that after 4 or 5 hours it is almost gone completely leaving just a soft, slightly powdery, slightly cakey scent. The first couple of hours of wear have a touch too much violet for my tastes. (It's sort of "old-lady-ish" for a while.) On my first application I thought it would be fantastic blended with a single note of tonka or vanilla, just to dilute the potency of the violet a little, but after a few hours I realised that would make the violet drop away even faster, and while I would like it to stay discreet it's the violet that makes this interesting, rather than just another gourmand vanilla-ish scent. Despite the shifting balance of notes, I do greatly enjoy this, and it's deliciously similar to the Lush. (Minus the white chocolate, but the other notes make a similar combination.) I suspect that frequent, light reapplication might be the secret to maintaining the optimum level of violet - when I make this into a perfume spray (as I am doing with all my BPAL) I will dilute it well so it can be refreshed throughout the day without getting too pungent Minor qualms, but overall a winner.

Wet, this is PATCHOULI. Then it turns into PATCHOULI + bathroom cleaner. Then PATCHOULI + coffee. Then back to PATCHOULI + bathroom cleaner. Then PATCHOULI + pine. In case you couldn't tell, it is really, really, heavily patchouli-ish on me. This is a note that I don't mind a small amount of in a blend, but can't take in quantity, so Obeah is not for me. It's also too sharp and masculine for my tastes.

A crisp, pale, almost translucent rose dusted by moonflower and midnight dew. This is a clean mix of rose and moonflower on me, I don't pick up "dew" as a specific note but the flowers are crisp and wet so I guess that's it there. This is not one of those heady, powdery rose scents, it is fresh and slightly sweet. I can appreciate this but it's not really my thing - just not a floral fan. I'd highly recommend it to those who like other light florals, though, as I think it's a well-crafted blend.

While I definitely think of Mata Hari as a rose scent, as the rose is very identifiable, the other ingredients here combine on my skin into a slightly coffee-tinged honey-ish note that is just as prominent, and I would really classify this as a gourmand fragrance that happens to have a floral component. I am not 100% sure about it, sometimes I think the coffee doesn't really mesh with the other notes and it has almost a slightly stale quality. I'll use up my imp but probably won't get a bottle.

I bought this because someone compared it to Fresh Sugar EDP, which I really like but doesn't last long enough. At first I was disappointed because it wasn't all that similar - but then I realised Zephyr is *better*! On me, it's a soft lemon / vanilla / musk combination that's slighty sweet and slightly tangy. I don't smell the florals or sandalwood distinctly, though they're probably hiding in the background, rounding out the scent. It's gentle and comforting, but wears well. (Hooray! Eight hours so far and it's a little faded but still definitely present.) Actually, this reminds me of a lemony, less powdery Alice. Definitely a keeper!

Yeah - this is a men's deodoranty mix of menthol, citrus and rainy notes on me. I also get a sense of bathroom cleaning products from it. It's quite bitter and tangy. Not my thing (too fresh/clean and also too masculine).

Berries are the dominant note here, with the carnation lending spiciness, and a musky base. It's very similar to a scented oil I used to wear in my early teens called Mulled Berries. It starts out nice but unfortunately, as with all the berry scents I've tried, my skin chemistry makes it get sweeter and sweeter over time and it just ends up being too much.

At first a sharp hit of peppermint, of course, then as it fades other notes come into play - I think it is lemon, lavendar and lotus that are coming through on me. It's brisk and clean, and reminds me of a minty Cheshire Cat. I never would have ordered a scent with mint in it myself (this was a free imp), and I expected not to like this at all, but it's surprisingly nice. Not "me" enough to buy more of, but it might entice me not to automatically skip over mint in future.

Mabon was a bit of a disappointment for me, so I am SO HAPPY that this works On first application it's sweet, almost honeyish (that'll be the dragon's blood), but the drydown turns into a lovely mixture of subtle woods with a bloom of roses, and some other notes I'm not familiar with. It's lighter in mood and more flowery than I expected. I'm not usually a huge floral fan, but this is so well blended that I'm not bothered by those components at all - in fact, I'm really enjoying the roses here. A masterful creation, IMO.

Cripes, this is VERY strong! I put on just a tiny smear and it's still bordering on too much. (And it doesn't fade down for me, as other reviewers have mentioned.) It is thick and dark, heavily spiced and medicinal. The nutmeg is most prominent while it's wet, but it gives way to the other notes as time goes on. I am not familiar with the scents of sassafras or black poppy, but the overall effect here is sharp and almost herbal... if herbal is dark green, this is dark brown. I was hoping for root beer notes, but there's nothing like that on me It's too masculine for my tastes, but I think it would be nice on a man. Not bad, just not right for me.

At first this is strong grapefruit - sour, not sweet. After a few minutes it starts to allow the other notes through, and they form a very fresh, clean undertone. Sort of like soap, without the soapiness - by which I mean it has a hint of cleaning product zest, but not the murky hand-soap note that lots of florals turn into on me. It gets sweeter as it wears, but it keeps the twang - almost like fizzy grapefruit sherbet. Very cheerful, and extremely appropriate for the Cheshire Cat! I like it a lot, but there's something holding me back from really *loving* it. I'm not yet decided on whether to buy a full bottle or not - it really depends on how I go with some of the other citrus blends, which I haven't tried many of. If there's one of those I like more I will get that instead.

This starts off as an almost peanutty scent when wet (comparable to L'Artisan Bois Farine, if anyone is familiar with that), then the cedar starts coming through. I begin to get glimpses of sweet raspberry after half an hour or so, but it stays predominantly woody. I don't really know what olive leaf smells like (next time I come across an olive tree I'll crush one up!) but I'm guessing it's the slightly herby note I'm sensing in this. It's interesting, but the cedar is just... well... it smells like pencil shavings! If only it were a different wood it would be delicious, I love everything else about this scent. *sigh* I'm going to give it a few more wearings, to see if it grows on me, but I'm not hopeful.

I couldn't put this on. In fact, I had to seal up the vial in a little plastic bag in case it let a fume out near my other imps. This is the first blend I've tried with civet and my fears were realised 100%. I could go on and describe it, but I will leave it at saying that I can see why this one got discontinued.

This is very nice! It's halfway between O and Dragon's Milk on me (the amber from O and the dragon's blood resin from Dragon's Milk), but I like it better than either of those. It's a little less sweet than them, and really blends into my skin. It's what I would smell like naturally, if I naturally smelled great Warm and golden and welcoming, not "perfumey" at all. I'm extremely tempted to buy a bottle of it, but I want to try Le Petit Mort first just to make sure I'm getting my favourite scent from this family...

I was really looking forward to this - and I wasn't disappointed! The sweet, fruity notes (I'm getting cherry as well as the plum and blackberry listed) are most dominant on me, but the base notes, which come through as smoky woods, pull it down into a darker, more powerful scent than the other fruit blends I've tried. It gradually gets sweeter on my skin as the hours go by, but never as far as the candy-sweet stage. I'm sensing hints of green and florals in here, too - it's very complex and there's a lot more going on than I have the nose to describe! I am really enjoying it, I often feel apprehensive about buying LEs but I'm very glad I took a chance on this one.

This starts off as a really mixed blend on me, by which I mean I can't pick out any notes or even a category for the scent, but it quickly turns into a slightly spiced pumpkin - not sweet pumpkin, like Jack, but deeper and greener. I really can't find most of the described notes in here, they must blend together in an unusual (or unexpected to my nose) way. I'm definitely not smelling apple, blackberry or wine! I wish I was It's not unpleasant, but I'm really not connecting with it, so I'll be swapping it away. I can't decide which notes are turning me off - maybe the sage, or hops? I'm pretty sure I like everything else in there...

The predominant notes on me are ylang-ylang and honey - a very sweet floral blend. I can also smell the rose, and rose is a note that often disappears on my skin, so I imagine it might be ultra-rose on other people. I have to admit that I'm not really into florals, so for me Eve is pleasant but not interesting.