fairnymph

Cranberry, thyme, teakwood, mint, cedar, tobacco flower, and red currant. Fresh! Tart red fruits and bright green herbs, with some warm exotic depths. It's absolutely unlike anything else in BPAL and I want to keep sniffing it addictively. The red currant, thyme, mint and cranberry all pop out, roughly in that order but all strongly and yet in harmony. Then comes the tobacco flower, which adds a feminine floral richness - without overpowering, and the teak and lastly and mostly faintly cedar linger warmly below. A fascinating and delicious mishmash. This is sooooo delicious, so refreshing and bright. I'm getting some geranium here, and some sake, and the mint is most definitely spearmint. I get cranberry more strongly than I've ever gotten it in a bpal, in fact on my skin it's almost as strong as the juicy-tart red currant. The sake acts as salt does to food - it brightens and enhances these almost-sparkling notes. The tobacco flower, despite being a heady, rather intense floral in general, stays below these fresh red & green top notes, and the woods too remain distant, though they still add warmth, continuing that interesting juxtaposition of the fresh/bright and warm/dry. Cedar and teak are notes that scare me, but they are behaving beautifully as supporting cast here. There is a very faint cologney soapiness, possibly from the mint (I'm reminded vaguely of Usher), but it's not too soapy - just clean, and another aspect of this very complex and intriguing blend. I am so amazed by how well those bright top notes are holding - they are so persistent, and so utterly addictive - I haven't glued my nose to my wrist like this in ages. Invigorating. The woods have decided to emerge more while the tobacco flower amps a little, and the top notes are losing a bit of their dominance, though they are by no means faint. It's more that the scent is gaining depth and power; oomph. Recall again that I am not generally a fan of either teak or cedar, but they work SO well here - warm, exotic, almost spicy - they add tremendous sophistication to what would otherwise be delicious, but ephemeral and rather simplistic.The mint has faded more than the other top notes, and thyme has held on the best, while both tart red fruits have faded only slightly. Several hours later most of the fruits wear off leaving bright green herbs and rich feminine tobacco flower over warm exotic woods. This scent just blends into itself more and more seamlessly over time; it's totally unique, sort of paradoxical, and yet so incredibly well-blended and wonderfully complex. I love that it's both 'fresh' and sophisticated - scent categories that I find rarely overlap for me. A smashing success far beyond my expectations! Also, great throw and longevity.

Ambergris accord, water lily, freesia, sea spray, molluscan seashell accord, and driftwood. Very light and fresh - almost foamy sea water, a fresh blue-green-white floral note that I assume is the water lily (it's almost aquatic, very clean and cool), and a little bit of fruity-fresh freesia. This has a much lighter and greener feel than I expected. It's cool, gentle, tranquil. I don't get wood, but this has a faint cologne aspect. Still extremely light on my skin - it's just a very demure sort of scent - and what must be water lily really shines. It's a bit brighter and headier, 'whiter' in feel, but still cool and aquatic with an almost cucumbery, grassy aspect. This scent on the whole reminds me a bit of Anais Anais (which I love), but more delicate and innocent. It's only very barely oceanic - it's definitely aquatic, but it's only lightly salty - this isn't ocean water, it's ocean MIST. A bit of ambergris comes out on my skin, adding some musky depth, and a little more freesia, which is very lightly soapy-clean (in a good way) - still no driftwood. Slow to dry, but becoming more floral and definitively feminine as it does so. I *know* this water lily note from somewhere...I think the Black Swan? The grassy note has amped; this is greener, stemmier, and almost a little spicy, while still being cucumbery-fresh. The freesia has gone a bit more soapy, but still within tolerable limits. While I'm not sure what seashell accord is meant to smell like, there IS a sort of chalky, crushed-stone note that reminds me of the note in Julia Stone, or in Sarah (both scents I love), a sort of smooth stony whiteness. And this still smells a little cologney. This remains subdued, and while for a brief period there's a bit of turbulence as notes emerge and submerge, everything settles down quickly into a beautiful harmonious blend. The almost-troublesome soapiness dissipates as does the nearly-sharp greenness of the water lily, while the smooth white stony note amps, and the ambergris softens into a gentle but rather sexy musk. This is not a scary BAM ambergris note - it's a backup player, not a diva as it was in say, Lilith vs the Giant Crab. If there's wood here, it never emerges on my skin distinctly. My only qualm with this scent - which is more beautiful than I'd hoped, so it's a very minor qualm - is that it's only so very faintly salty. I'd love a really BRISKLY salty scent without a lot of overpowering notes, and I've yet to find such a scent in BPAL. As I said earlier, this is sea mist, not ocean water. It's not a strongly aquatic scent by any means. I'd describe it more as clean, soft, green-white feminine floral and smooth polished stone with a bit of salty musk. Sutble and lovely, but with good throw and excellent longevity. Another winner!

Significantly different from released version, but very similar in feel; very foody, a richer cakeyness, more liked aged Eat Me, not as brightly fruity as released version. Primarily simple, rich cake without much if any buttery tone.

Spicy, autumnal (melange of spices, like pumpkin or apple pie spice mix, and well balanced) pumpkin, but not nearly as sweet as I expected. Foody, but not in a traditional baked goods way; it reminded me of Pumpkin King quite a bit, but was softer, foodier and noticeably sweeter. Candied, but not sugary - not a spun sugar/candy floss note as I was expecting, and I'm not sure where the 'blue' came from as I didn't get a blue smell or vibe from this scent. This is quite unique, so yet another reason it reminded me of Pumpkin King, and like PK, this was a more true, cooked pumpkin custard/pie sort of note, not the standard BUTTER/tonka which pumpkin normally registers as to my nose. I think many people would be very happy if this were to be released similar or identical to this version. While it's not my personal type of scent for a variety of reasons, this one seems perfected for what it is (much like Lamia v3 and Jingo-Kogo in that sense - in terms of popular protos - not that this actually resembled either of those blends in terms of the actual notes themselves).

THRIAMBUS A tribute to club life, a modern day hymn to Dionysus: shiraz, clove cigarettes, tobacco, spilled absinthe, latex, vinyl, and artificial fog. Wine, wine, wine - but not grapey, not at all - true Shiraz, Australian-style to a T - with a whole bunch of intensely clove-y, cigarette-tobacco and some rubber. Yes, rubber. It truly smells like what I imagine a Goth club would, but an upscale one with a bound wine list and clientele wearing $800 outfits. Also, I LOVE the greek lettering on the label! A wonderful Dionysian throwback.

Sniffed: Golden oil. Heady florals. Wisteria (?), some obvious familiar floral I can't place, ylang ylang, gardenia. But complex with a lot of depth below; there are a lot of other familiar, heavy/intense florals I can't pick out. Sophisticated, womanly.

Smoky, sweet, maybe a dark fruit; reminded me a bit of Hellion, and some other blend even more so - it's definitely strongly familiar and I'll have to sniff around to figure it out. Possibly Mme Moriarty?

Snake oil with a softer chocolate note than in the release version; overall much lighter and less rich/dark/heavy than the released version, maybe bc not aged? I am unsure, but definitely a softer & lighter blend in potency and feel. Not so heavy on the red musk as the released Snake Pit scents.

Pleasantly light, soft blend of florals and possibly greenery - a botanical/outdoorsy, classic, inoffensive type of scent. I'm really excited that we might be getting a Byron scent at some point! Skin test reveals: LILAC and a sweet floral that has a fruity tone, such as freesia or hyacinth over fresh cut grass and a little sandalwood. Later I feel like a bit violet comes out and this goes a touch powdery, as well as growing increasingly sweet in a vanilla-ish way -maybe vanilla musk, or honey musk? Creamy and sweet and rather innocent in feel. A light, classic, softly feminine scent that's very well balanced.

Sniffed: Spicy, slightly woody, resiny. Smoky, a little astringent - tobacco? Frankincense for sure, and some sort of sweeter resin, maybe some benzoin. Very much INCENSE. Wet: Even smokier, heavier and darker incense. A little earthy/dirty - maybe a patchouli note? Strong frankinsence and a sweet, rich delicious tobacco note. There is also something a little citrusy-piney which I'm almost positive is balsam - very strong and lovely. This reminds me of a cross between No. 93 Engine & Minotaur. Definitely some black musk, and I do think there are some other citrusy notes like elemi or litsea cubea. This is both bright/fresh and dark/intense. Dry: Increasingly peppery - a black pepper note, I'm pretty sure, and there's the dark, bitter dustiness of myrrh (though it's light), and definitely a strong honeyed benzoin based. I'm pretty sure the citrus is litsea, and not elemi. The benzoin is really amping and it blends with the litsea beautifully. This is also getting more smoky - I think there's something beyond the noted resins and tobacco, and actual smoke note of some sort. It's almost waxy, like the candle smoke note in Gypsy Queen. Summary: Smoky resins, black pepper and BALSAM over a lightly citrusy, earth incense base. The first three notes really dominates here, making it a very masculine scent IMO. More like Minotaur than No. 93 Engine in the final drydown, though it's definitely a mix of both. Great throw and good longevity.

In Neil’s own words it is: “Earth and Moss and Heather and Islands...” Sniffed: Sweet, dark soil with a bit of herbal mintiness, earthy oakmoss, and a hint of clean aquatic. Very slightly sweet and even less very faintly salty, almost brackish. Evocative and gender neutral. Wet: Saltier, instantly more aquatic with a slightly, pleasantly soapy tinge; greener and lighter in feel. The soil note fades rapidly while the oakmoss holds. The herbal minty note which is what I suspect is hyssop. The aquatic note reminds me very strongly of the one in Sturgeon Moon - in between fresh and salt water, with aspects of both - the clear, spring-like freshness of a mountain stream mixed with the brackish salty-plantiness of a marsh. Dry: I find this scent very, very deeply evocative and conceptually it's a wondrous work of art. It is a scent that is both primal and outdoorsy - not woody or woodsy, more like a rocky plain with rich soil and loam and moss. I get some fresh greenery, clear and bright - luminous - that I am sure is heather, and further adds to the strong imagery and transportive aspect of this scent. It is a fascinating scent - I cannot stop sniffing it - it draws me, in a way that feels like it is truly otherworldly. Later: There is an assortment of greenery in this blend, and something here is turning slightly but not unpleasantly bitter (ahh! it's dandelion); it adds a paradoxically both brght & dark edge here, an ominous feel. The soil scent still lingers and while I generally dislike soil or dirt in perfume for my personal wear, somehow this is working on me. My skin seems to be amping the greenery, moss and especially aquatic tones, as well as the 'wet rock' note (think Sarah, Julia Stone) and the 'gravel dust' note (from the Traveller) - both stony notes I adore that are always clearly present on my skin. I must eat, but I'll be back to conclude and comment on the late drydown.

Sniffed: Rich golden/pale amber oil. Slightly sharp, bright florals. Maybe something a little grassy? Fresh, spring-like sorts of florals, but quite complex - there is one floral note that stands out that I recognise but can't quite place. A little soapy, mostly in a clean way that's rather nice. Wet: Grassier, soapier. I find this vaguely cologne-y - less overtly feminine than the other AFs. Definitely a mix of herbal/green notes in here - one is slightly minty, I believe hyssop, and then I get something a little spicy, maybe nasturtium? It's also heavier, more floral, so that this is sort of like a white/heavy/classic floral mixed with Garden Path with Chickens. I get a gardenia note, but a once again, a different one from the lower-numbered AFs - each seems to have a unique gardenia note. This is also a little citrusy but in a green way - maybe bergamot? Dry: This has settled down and integrated quite nicely. The gardenia has amped up a bit, but doesn't overpower the other notes, though it does dominate. Once again I get lily of the valley, orchid and I think now some sort of lily. It's a lot heavier and more floral dry - the green/fresh/spicy notes have faded though I still detect traces of them. Summary: There's a sweetness here that reminds me of tonka, and a lunar sort of feel - I'm thinking Lune Noir. I also get a little thyme and maybe some honey, so this reminds me more distantly of Honey Moon a bit, too. All the new AFs seem to have a similar base of gardenia/orchid, but this one is definitely the least unpleasant of them, IMO. Sadly, it's still too heavy-handed on the florals. Strong throw and longevity.

Light golden-brown oil. LAVENDER with much lighter lemon verbena, sage, and maybe rosemary? Roommate says 'reminds me of Whole Foods bath and body section'. It reminds ME of a cross between Temple of Dreams and TKO, though not creamy or sweet. Definitely an herbal blend that could be a Panacea scent and has a strong (but pleasant) lavender base.

Another one I really wanted to love based on name alone - I adore metal both in perfume and as tactile sustance and abstract concept. I did skin test this one, and got barely ripe, slightly green, sweet-tart NECTARINE with some chrome (maybe - honestly, it could be my imagine as this is on my skin a very smooth scent with that edge I get from metallic notes), maybe the soft leather from U (or it could be that same raw vanilla note as well as a little grassy balsam that reminds me of U) and some sort of creamy, very likely vanilla musk emerged strongly on the dry down, some skin musk, too; reminds me of cross between Ebisu, U, and Fae. This needs a bit of slathering, and doesn't have much throw, but it does hold quite well. I really loved this and wanted a lot of it AND was asked by many to pick it up - so, OF COURSE, this was one of the most popular scents of the night and sold out very quickly. Wahhhh! I need more!

THISBE Diaphanous sandalwood, pink rose, lotus root, lemon orpur, and iris stained by mulberry juice. I tested this at WCWC, and was totally overblown by its loveliness. It has that sandalwood note my skin seems to adore, that's sweet and feminine, and that Echo has. The rose is soft and lush and very well behaved, not leaping to the fore as usual and the mulberry juice is a gorgeous almost plummy, wildberry juicy fruitiness. I don't get the iris or lotus, amazingly! So this turns into creamy vanilla sandalwood with soft girly, fresh rose and juicy berry - but it's a very seamless scent that is unified as a whole in the bottle and on my skin.

Based on reviews elsewhere (WC threads, I believe), I was expecting something light, bright and full of bulb florals (daffodil and such) - and I was so very much looking forward to it! But when I tested this at WCWC....DIRT SN. I am not a fan of smelling like soil or dirt. I hope and pray that it was contaminated and when I get the decant I swapped for recently I'll compare.

ALANA PATEL Plutonian's one true love, newswoman Alana Patel broke his heart--and, in doing so, helped set in motion the series of events that forever turned the hero into a villain. Faded perfume, cigarette smoke, and gin. Only sniffed, but I got generic cologne and stale cigarettes, just unimpressive overall in the bottle. The gin is gin, surprisingly LIGHT instead of the typical JUNIPER IN YOUR FACE that gin so often is. This could be a real morpher on my skin, though, and I look forward to testing it further bc the notes are in theory pretty perfect. I shall update this review as I properly test all the new releases over the next 7-10 days, just an FYI.

Chocolate and nutty grain(s), like amaranth or barley as in Dana O Shee; a creamy, sweet, foody scent with good complexity.

Sniffed: Soil, dragon's blood, and crushed new green leaves. Dewy, almost aquatic. Quite light and sweet and almost melony or cucumbery. Wet: Much the same, still surprisingly light/airy/green/misty. The soil note is a little more like crushed rock mixed with soil and rain - very outdoorsy and evocative. There's also a dry woody note (maybe a sandalwood or cedar) that seems almost plasticky - slick. I do think it is a type of light cedar. It reminds me of Bony Moon's cedar note and overall this scent has a similar feel. Dry: CEDAR definitely in control now, amping as it nearly always does on my skin. Still those other aspects, but in the background - though the dragon's blood is a strong second place, and is its typical fruity-floral-soapy thing. This is unfortunately making my face itch, so I'm off to the sink. But drydown for me is DB + cedar, faint honeydew melon and soil with a 'mist' note. Definitely unique & unisex. Lower throw but good longevity.

UPDATE - a skin test reveals quite a difference! In the bottle: VERY similar to released Dead Man's Hand, with that 'worn leather' note from Olisbos, Quincy, The Traveller, etc - not much else to say, add it was just so similar to DMH, which is a very simple but lovely scent. On my skin: a dry, dusty note like old stone and stale incense emerges on my skin (pretty much like the latest Dark Del released Midnight Bell layered lightly over DMH), along with something dry and spicy, pepper - I'm almost positive it's a black pepper note, in fact. I also get something maybe like....pimento, or black musk? There's definitely a lot more going on here than the single note leathery goodness of released DMH. As a result this is NOT working for me at all. I love the leather, but the other notes are just too sharp and masculine. I might appreciate it on a man, the way I do Brom Bones which is the only other blend with this leather note I don't like to personally wear - but this is not something I will wear, alas. Another update - after a few hours, this dries down to a lightly peppery-spicy DMH that's no longer so sharp or dusty or dark, though still not as nice as the released DMH is on my skin. But, it's not bad, and the wafts I get now are more pleasant than not. Great longevity, but not quite as strong throw as released DMH, though it is still strong.

VETIVER VETIVER VETIVER! The dark overwhelming in-your-face, stompity sort.

Sniffed: Extremely pale yellow oil. Milky/creamy (not sour milk) vanilla tea with a very intense, strongly-brewed tea note - definitely black tea. Doesn't have that sugar note, way more tea than released Dorian and a stronger vanilla note. Wet: TEA! This is by far the strongest black tea note and scent in BPAL ever - like true tea, it has those slight piney and citrusy nuances - it's complex, both fresh and rich, light and deep. I still get the vanilla, but most of the creaminess has vanished. I also get an almost sort of soapy note - maybe it's just the freshness of the tea? It's not BAD, it does impart a nice cleanness. Dry: The tea is mellowing, losing its sharpness, and the vanilla is amping. Now I get a bit of musk coming out, and a bit of that very slightly dry white sandalwood. Nearly identical vanilla-musk-sandalwood base as Jingo-Kogo, in fact! It also reminds me a bit of Antique Lace's faded flowers & vanilla. Later: Creamier now, as if the cream has returned, though I think it's just a facet of the vanilla and the tea note softening. The musks, too, are almost creamy. And there are definitely multiple musks. Still that faint sort of floral-vanilla note from AL as well. My skin is being a bit weird on later drydown due to menstrual stuff, so I need to retest this as I got such a delicious J-L like musky drydown before, but then this was too near other scents on my arm second time around. But so far, this is my favourite of all the new protos I've tested so far, which is about half.

Deep golden oil. JASMINE and orris/violet. Lots and lots of jasmine.

Sniffed: Light yellow oil. Very boozy butterscotch (like butterscotch extract) and cocoa, like Swiss Miss cocoa mix, not like cocoa powder. Reminds me a bit of the cocoa note in Gelt. Wet: Cocoa all the way, virtually all the butterscotch is just GONE instantly upon hitting my skin. This is Gelt minus the amber -and like Gelt it goes sort of musty and oddly rancid-nutty very quickly on my skin. This is not the sort of cocoa note I can wear. Dry: Turns nutty (hazelnut) as both Gelt and Bliss do and a little rancid; fake nasty artificial cocoa powder. And very powdery it is. Good throw and evilly long longevity. It won't wash off, of course.

Deep golden oil. Orchids galore! With an appropriately dark and murky base distantly below. Surprisingly complex - a blend of orchid(s) and other florals. Somewhat green-fresh-sappy. A little spicy like nasturtium or phlox. Definitely some of the same orchid notes from Blue Moon 07 and Lune Noir. The base seems to be light soil or maybe vetiver, as this is faintly cologney.