JuliskaMarie

In the bottle: A wild honeysuckle bush in a grassy field! Wet on skin: Slightly warmer, but about the same as in the bottle Dry on skin: A little dustier & muskier, but similar to how it smelled wet. After a few hours: Very subtle & slightly beeswaxy, but the honeysuckle note is still there if you’re looking for it. A sweet & subtle perfume. Verdict: Not the most exciting BPAL I own, BUT very pretty & sweet, without being particularly foodie. It’s quite subtle not long after it dries down, so it’s good for when I don’t want anything too dramatic, but still want something unusual!

In the imp: Aquatic (& slightly citrusy) floral with a little bit of ginger Wet on skin: Citrusy-gingery aquatic floral Dry on skin: The ginger is doing that lovely thing BPAL’s ginger note tends to do & now it’s a ginger with white/aquatic floral notes swimming around it. Unusual, but pretty! After a few hours: A very faded/subtle version of how it smelled dry. Verdict: A bit more confusing than what I normally go for, but pretty & very wearable!

In the imp: Exactly as described- very herbal & fresh! Wet on skin: Exactly the same as in the imp Dry on skin: A little softer/more muted & slightly more “perfumey”, if that makes sense? The ginger & fig are coming to the forefront & doing those yummy things that BPALs ginger & fig always do on my skin, but with a nice surrounding herbal scent. After a few hours: A faded gingery-fig with a subtle hint of herbs. Weird, but nice! Verdict: Not quite what I was expecting, but a very nice scent that I can see myself getting a fair bit of use out of!

In the imp: As described - bright, tart & sweet. Wet on skin: The tartness of the berries has toned WAY down (though there is a berry-ish hint to it) & there's a tiny hint of beeswaxy-honey, but mostly this is just a REALLY pretty floral! Real life poppies don't smell anywhere near this nice! Dry on skin: The beeswaxy-honey note has strengthened & the berries are more noticeable now, but it's still really pretty &... kinda spicy? It's amping a bit more than I was expecting, but it's not too potent. After several hours: About the same as dry, except the beeswaxy-honey note has strengthened a little more, but it hasn't taken over. Verdict: I really like this one. It's not as thrilling as some of my other BPALs, but I can see myself getting a fair bit of wear out of this one.

In the imp: Oh wow, this is a spicy, woody rose, with a little bit of citrus & almond! It smells amazing! The rose is holding this all together & that tends to disappear on my skin, so I'm a bit nervous about how this will go! Wet on skin: No rose. Neroli, orange peel & almond with a little bit of spice. Completely different to in the imp, but not bad! Dry on skin: Clove, nutmeg, neroli & orange peel. In that order. It's not a *bad* smell, it's just... Not something I'd really want to wear as a perfume. After a few hours: Oooh, this is much nicer now - like a softer version of what it was like wet. Verdict: This is nice, but I can't really see myself wearing it without a scent locket.

Crocus with snowdrop and three lilies In the imp: Exactly as described - so pretty! Wet on skin: More... sparkly? I guess? I’m not sure how to describe this! Dry on skin: Musky & floraly & a little bit sparkly. Very pretty, light & delicate! After a few hours: Barely even there! Verdict: Very pretty & subtle - a good “everyday” type perfume

In the bottle: SO MUCH SWEET FOOD! I can’t even really pick out all the individual notes, there’s too many of them! I want to drink this! Wet on skin: Different sweet foods are taking over & this is amping hard, but SO YUMMY! Dry on skin: Slightly different sweet foods in charge, but still super yummy! After several hours: Fainter (though still surprisingly strong!) & ever so slightly soapy, but still delicious! Verdict: I. LOVE. THIS!

In the imp: Oooh, this is warm & fruity, with a hint of floral & rich frankincense & myrrh base to it. Interesting & pretty! Wet on skin: Very different! Much colder & less floral, the frankincense & myrrh have melted into the musk & are *just* barely there, adding a hint of dusty spice to the fruit. Dry on skin: This is not an especially strong scent. Dusty, warm resin & musk with a small hint of fruity-floral. Very pretty & quite subtle without being dull. (2:43pm) After a few hours: Very similar to dry. Sweet, fruity, resiny musk. There's a tiny hint of floral if you're looking for it, but not much. Still almost the same strength as when dry too. Verdict: This is a very pretty & warm scent. Interesting, while still being subtle. Seems to be quite long-lasting as well!

In the bottle: As described - I can pick out the individual notes if I’m looking for them, but mostly it just smells like fairy magic! So pretty! Wet on skin: Very different, but still pretty! The notes are all swirling around & rapidly switching dominance here, so it’s hard to tell how it’s going to go. SO much throw! Dry on skin: It’s much calmer now & very sweet. Still hard to describe & more honey-ish, but it definitely smells like a fairy wine! After a few hours: About the same as dry, only a little more faded. Verdict: Very unusual, but SO pretty! Sparkly & fairy-like!

Ocean water, hyacinth petals, star jasmine, and fir. In the imp: As described - aquatic & floral with a little bit of fir tree. Wet on skin: Ocean is the dominant note by far with a hint of the florals & tree, but it's morphing rapidly. Dry on skin: Mostly the florals, with a little bit of fir & a hint of ocean water - subtle, but really pretty! After a few hours: Much more faded & blended together. Hard to pick out any individual notes at this point. Still nice though. Verdict: This is kind of a weird one, but nice & a lot more wearable than I thought it was going to be!

In the imp: Exactly as described Wet on skin: Same as in the imp, except there’s also something green Dry on skin: The green note is much more prominent now, but it’s still very breezy & lineny. I love this! After several hours: Very faint breezy linen Verdict: This perfume is SO pretty, while also being fairly subtle. I feel like I’ll get a lot of use out of this!

In the imp: As described. The grain-scent is stronger than expected, but still nice. Wet on skin: Like a cinnamon roll without the cinnamon. Almost like a finger bun, but not quite as sugary-sweet. Dry on skin: Somewhere between wet & in the imp. It’s blended nicely now & this is quite nice. Pretty subtle too. After a few hours: VERY faded & subtle, but otherwise the same as newly dry. Verdict: This is very subtle, but very pretty! A good everyday-type perfume when you want something food-y but subtle.

In the imp: Exactly as described! Wow! How do they do this? Wet on skin: A bit richer & slightly more solid, but otherwise exactly the same as in the imp. Dry on skin: A little musky & slightly less wet (a little more like wet skin next to the ocean instead of *in* the ocean), but otherwise pretty much the same. After a few hours: Much more musky & dry now, like the eerie ocean has completely dried on my skin instead of being in it (so basically, what happened to the notes when it dried continued to happen to them). Verdict: Wet & dry on skin (& in the imp) I LOVE this, but it's not quite as nice a few hours later. It's not bad at all, it's just not quite as amazing as it starts off. I'll definitely be getting a fair bit of use out of it though!

In the imp: Exactly as described - herbal, minty, citrusy & bright! The lavender is quite potent at first whiff, so I hope it doesn't overpower everything on my skin as lavender is quite hit & miss for me. Wet on skin: Lavender with a few other herbs in the background. It's not going bad yet, so that's something! Dry on skin: Surprisingly soft (though I did apply this sparingly), the lavender is blending nicely with the other herbs & there's just a hint of lime. It smells rather like a really fancy soap, even though it's not soapy - just has a similar combination of notes to some artisan soaps I've smelled. After a few hours: Very soft & subtle - lime is the main note now, sweetened by the herbs. Verdict: I was expecting this to be very different to what it was! It's a lot more delicate & subtle than I was expecting, but I quite like it!

In the imp: WOW TARTS! There's maybe the teensiest bit of roses in the background if you're looking for it, but this is basically just sweet, blackcurrant tarts! Yum! Wet on skin: Same as in the imp only the pastry smells slightly sharp (some other pastry scents do this on my skin too too)! I love this! Dry on skin: It's softened a lot & the roses are slightly more noticeable. Absolutely gorgeous! After a few hours: About the same as dry, maybe a little more faded. Verdict: I'm going to need a bottle of this! I absolutely love it!

In the bottle: Ooh, this is cool - incensey & mysterious without being too overpowering! Wet on skin: The incense disappeared really quickly, this is a clear floral (the calla lily & tuberose), with a soft red musk in the background & a little bit of plum. Very different to in the bottle, but very pretty! Dry on skin: Softer & more blended now. The incense is back, but it's subtle. The red musk, plum & incense are the main notes now with everything else blending nicely into the background. After a few hours: Even more soft & blended than before. It's hard to describe, but so very pretty! Verdict: Oh man I love this! I was worried that it might be a bit too intense on me, but it's lovely & very wearable! It definitely suits the character too!

In the imp: Like a magical, fairytale beer! I'm not a fan of real beer, but this is so enticing! Wet on skin: Sweeter & much more floral than in the imp. It still has the feel of a fairytale beer, though! Dry on skin: Even sweeter & more floral still! There's a hint of fairytale beer, but it's very subtle. This is much more wearable than I expected it to be. After a few hours: About the same as dry, only more faded. Verdict: I was expecting this to be something I'd only wear very rarely, but I was so curious about it that I had to try it anyway. This is actually something I will probably wear a lot! It's interesting without being too weird to wear regularly & pretty without being even a little generic!

In the imp: Daphne flowers & beeswax drenched in honey. Very sweet. Wet on skin: Daphne flowers! SO pretty! There's a slight beeswax-honey undertone, but this is mostly just fresh Daphne flowers! Dry on skin: Somewhere in between what it smelled like wet & what it smelled like in the imp. Not quite as pretty as wet on skin, but still a lovely scent. After a few hours: Same as dry only more faded. Verdict: I'll definitely get a fair bit of use from this one! It's so pretty!

In the bottle: This smells incredible! Exactly what I would expect the breeze in Stormhold to smell like! Even if this goes bad on my skin, I won't regret buying this bottle unsniffed... I'll just pour it on everything I own! Wet on skin: Warmer than in the bottle, which is to be expected, but otherwise very similar. Basically the difference between the smell of the air by the sea & the smell of seawater drying on your skin at the beach - same scent over a different base. Dry on skin: It's gotten a little richer now & it's starting to amp a little - not enough to be strong, just enough that you can smell it without trying. This is HEAVENLY! If it stays like this, I think this is going to be one of my all-time favourites! After a few hours: It's faded & a little, for lack of a better word, creamier, but otherwise about the same as dry. Verdict: I LOVE this! It's amazing both in the bottle & on my skin! I'd like to try it in a scent locket someday because it's so delicate, but I think this is going to be one of my most used perfumes!

In the imp: Exactly as described! This is gorgeously summery & bright! The melon & grape notes are the dominant notes here. Wet on skin: Almost identical to how it smells in the imp at first, then after a few moments a really pretty aquatic note takes over. It's now a completely different scent to how it started out, but it's absolutely beautiful! Dry on skin: Sort of a mix between how it smelled straight after I applied it & a few seconds after applying it. It's nice though & my husband seems to really like it! After a few hours: There's a bit of a saltwater/sea overtone to it now & something that's almost soapy, but the base smell is the same as when newly dried. Verdict: This ends VERY differently to how it starts on me & does get a bit strange, but overall it's a nice, summery scent!

In the imp: This is very hazy & hypnotic! Just sniffing it makes me start yawning! Very pretty though! Wet on skin: I'm not familiar with all of those notes, but I can pick out the lilies & tuberose. Much more musky, smoky & 'drug' like (for lack of a better word). Not as pretty as in the imp, but not bad either. This definitely suits the description! (The smell keeps making me yawn - I'm glad that I'm testing this at night!) Dry on skin: This really smells like the description! It's prettier than when wet, but still not as nice as in the imp (smells older & muskier on me, while it smelled more light & airy in the imp). It's very strange, but I quite like it! After a few hours: Lighter & softer than when newly dry, but otherwise pretty similar. Verdict: This is a very lazy scent. I'm not sure when I'd want to wear this, but it is nice!

In the imp: The osmanthus seems to be the dominant note here, but I can still pick out all the others. Wet on skin: Sandalwood & vanilla have taken over (mostly sandalwood) now. The other notes are very faint in the background. Dry on skin: Peachy, vanilla sandalwood, with just a hint of rosewood! Gorgeous! After a few hours: Same as dry, only a little more faded. Warm & sweet. Verdict: This is really pretty! It lasts for ages without ever being overpowering, so it's a good 'everyday' type scent.

In the imp: Exactly as described - this is quite a complicated scent! Warm, woodsy & floral with a little bit of citrus & something almost spicy. Very intriguing - it'll be interesting to see how this goes on my skin! Wet on skin: Sandalwood, myrrh & mandarin are the dominant notes at first - very different to how it smelled in the imp! Much cooler (where's that warmth gone?) & the flowers are almost not even there! Dry on skin: Mandarin is the main note. How does my skin always do this? Tiniest hint of food note = me smelling mostly like that food note! I can pick out most of the other notes in the background (even rose, which disappears on my skin... But that may actually be the rosewood, which usually smells like rose on me), but this is mostly mandarin. I like mandarin though, so while it doesn't smell ANYTHING like I expected it to, it's still a nice scent. After a few hours: It's all blended together now. It's a pretty scent, but it's gone quite soapy on me (& it turned soapy fairly quickly), which is a shame. Verdict: It's nice, but I'm not sure I'll ever end up wearing this. It doesn't work very well with my skin - none of the notes are normally risky with my skin, so it must just be unlucky with this particular combination of notes.

In the imp: The sandalwood & frankincense stand out most to me, but I can pick out all the other notes too. Very woodsy, but still delicate & pretty. Wet on skin: About the same, but the florals are slightly stronger now. Dry on skin: More floral now -I can't really smell any rose, as is normal for my skin, but the wisteria & calla lily are there. The sandalwood & frankincense round it out nicely without overpowering it like I thought they might. This is really lovely. Definitely suits the name! After a few hours: Same as dry, but much more faded. Verdict: This is a really pretty & subtle perfume, though not especially exciting once it's faded.

In the imp: Exactly as described - this is somehow both warm & bright at the same time! Wet on skin: Mostly peach blossom, amber & vanilla! Potent, but pretty! Dry on skin: Same notes as wet, but far less intense. This is really pretty! After a few hours: About the same as newly dry, only more faded & with a touch more sandalwood. Verdict: I quite like this one! It's not as exciting as some other BPAL perfumes, but I'll definitely get some use out of this!