fairnymph

Pale gold oil. SOIL, wet soil and the new spring greenery. Reminds me greatly of Planting Moon, with more soil and minus the florals, but very similar greenery and nearly identical in vibe. I don't like soil so I can't do this personally, but this is more what I was hoping PM would be like. There's a fresh, cool, outdoorsy wetness to this. Very evocative.

Deep golden oil. Dusty De Sade-style leather, cedar, a dry sandalwood note, musk and that dusty tumbleweeds note from Sacrifice. Reminds me a LOT of Sacrifice, actually, but with a more sour musk note and a sharper, stronger leather note. If this were a proto for Sacrifice or any sort of cowboy-ish scent, I wouldn't be the least bit surprised. Masculine, for sure! This is another one I need to skin test to analyse further.

Extremely pale yellow oil. Red cherry hard candy - like cherry jolly ranchers or lifesavers, exactly! Sweet and candyish and just exactly like cherry CANDY, with maybe a little watermelon jolly rancher thrown in there, too. Reminds me vaguely of Candy Phoenix but is more intensely fruity and juicy, less of the 'dusted sugar' thing, more just fruity hard candy, and simpler mix of fruits - just the cherry with a touch of watermelon. The roommate says 'cherry blow pops' which I also agree with, and gets the watermelon undertone, too. On his skin (I didn't test it as I don't care for red cherry), a lemon hard candy note came out in addition to those two fruits. Great throw and good longevity!

 

I'm being redundant because there isn't much to say. This is a simple scent, but an incredibly realistic and evocative one that doesn't morph on the skin, as far as I can tell.

Light yellow oil. Peanut butter and JELLY (lots and lots of jelly). Sightly boozy jelly, a mixture of grape and berries - not just pure grape. It's not grape candy, either. It's definitely mixed dark fruit jelly. The peanut butter note is not like any peanut note I've smelled before in BPAL. This literally smells like a peanut butter and jelly dessert of some type - very yummy, so much I want to eat this! And I am NOT a foody. I don't know if I'd wear this, but it certainly requires further testing.

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.

Light yellow oil. CARROTS! Cooked carrots, lavender, and clary sage. Reminds me of horses and farms. Definitely the most carroty scent ever. The roommate says this smells like 'wild ginger' (which means sadly nothing to me). Further testing required!

Extremely pale yellow oil, nearly colourless. Spicy greenery - think Host of the Air/Garden Path with Chickens/Green Party. Slightly soapy herbs and flowers, GRASS (a little bitter), and a touch of fizzy citrus - like lemon dishwashing soap, that same note from Independent and Delousing Powder. Fresh, springlike. For florals I'm guessing bluebell and phlox amongst others, although this is not heavily floral.

Deep reddish-brown, cola-coloured oil. Red musk, black plum, snake oil, brandy. Not all that boozy. Reminds me a lot of Mme Moriarty with extra Snake Oil, and it also reminds me of a Snake Pit blend, or Hellion, although this isn't smoky. It's more of fruity thing, over a slightly boozy Snake Oil base. Not at ALL like the released GG. Personally, I don't like either...though I like the black plum note in this.

Goldenrod coloured oil. Citrus, herbs, dry woods. A little boozy.

 

Sweet orange and cypress make up the citrusy/herbal aspects. Something smoky comes out, maybe a little vetiver too as this is a bit cologney, definitely masculine. A little tobacco, perhaps a cigar note? I also get some De Sade style sharp leather. I think teak is one of the woods, as well as sandalwood.

 

This is getting very sweet and heavy and amping like crazy on my skin. I get a whopping dose of black musk (how appropriate) and maybe some tonka or benzoin, and the vetiver and cigar notes really amp. I agree with others who suggest the booze is whiskey - it has that sour-sharp element. Reminds me a bit of John Barleycorn.

 

Drydown is too-sweet, the black musk and tonka and teak are just overwhelming, and then the sharp leather, stale cigar, and vetiver don't help at all. However, I am really glad I don't like this scent! Very strong throw and longevity.

Colourless oil. Soapy powder. Ivory soap, in fact, and bajillions of orrisy violets. Maybe a touch of white rose? Floral-powder-soap, and this is not even on my skin! INTENSE.

 

I immensely prefer the released version. I had hopes this would be at least somewhat similar...but nope.

Rich amber-orange coloured oil. VIOLETS! Soft, clean, and only faintly powdery. Slightly sweet. Delicate, girlish, Victorian. A faint of whisper of white (I think) rose in the distance. It reminds me of the Violet Ray's drydown (though not at all the earlier stages), minus the mint. I also get light touches of white sandalwood and a soft musk (maybe vanilla musk) from this. I am alas, not a fan of violets, but this seem to be one of the nicer ones I've come across.

 

RE-REVIEW, with skin test:

 

Softly sweet violets and a little orris with maybe some other florals and an herbal edge? A soft, slightly candied and powdery scent. Delicate, feminine.

 

Sharper, sour, and much stronger and different on my skin. Some narcissus or mimosa - a sharp, plasticky floral, violet leaf as well as petal and root (orris), a slightly rotten floral note that I suspect is iris, and something spicy - some type of carnation note, I think, maybe the 'red' carnation note from Ysabel?

 

Increasingly powdery, definitely the sort of orris I can't handle. But I think there is something else here giving powder - could be the evil wisteria. And I'm getting a weird sort of minty/mentholic note. Also, I think there is some cinnamon (possibly the source of sweetness) in here, and I'm pretty sure about the red carnation note. There's a bit of soapiness...hmm! I think there is dragon's blood in this! Yes, definitely, that's the weird sweetness and plastic, since DB is fake cherry & lilac cheap air freshener.

 

Eeek. This has gone to dragon's blood scented nappies (diapers) with loads of orris-heavy floral powder, iris or possibly a jasmine, a sharply clove-ish spicy-plasticky red carnation note, and possibly a dash of cinnamon - this becomes more and more revolting and jumbled over time; all the notes clash in the worst way. It smelled fine in the bottle, but egads, it hates my skin! The throw is pretty strong, too - and it WON'T WASH OFF.

 

:ack:

 

NOTE: I mistakenly typed out the name of this scent. It's btmeN not btmeM as I originally thought. Apologies for any confusion - there is no BTMEM in existence, so any imps I've sent out with BTMEM are in fact this scent, BTMEN.

The 2007 version is one of my favourites, a very lush, appropriately regal, full and velvety rose scent that's true, potent, undiluted and unmarred rose in the bottle and on my skin. Tremendous throw and longevity. I wear it for fancy events - the symphony, fine dining, museums. It feels expensive and classy to me, and it's like a rose essential oil - very pure, no leaves, no thorns, no fruitiness, no soap or powder - just fresh rose petals.

 

The 2005 version is a drier type of rose - it's the same rose note from 2007, but the roses are no longer fresh - they're dried roses, crumbling a bit. I thought this might be age, but I tried it in 2007 and now that I've had my 2007 bottle for 2 years, I can tell it's not age, because that one is still fresh.

 

The 2009 version is not quite like either. Again, it's the same note, and in the bottle is smells just as good as 2007, but on my skin it goes quickly soapy - something rose doesn't usually do on me. It's not a very nice soap, either, but rather chemical, almost plastic - and it makes me very sad! Thank god I have two bottles of the one year that works for me.

Pale yellow oil. Junipery GIN - very boozy & sharp, with other greenery. Cypress, galangal, ginger - this is a bit spicy-fresh, too. Intensely green, refreshing, and masculine. I also get the same leather note from Sacrifice.

 

I put a little on my roommate, and the ginger really bloomed on his skin, becoming quite spicy. A sweetness which evaded me in the bottle emerged strongly, too, probably tonka and/or benzoin - a rich, deep sort of sweetness. The cypress and gin are really beautiful evergreen notes, not overwhelming, very woodsy and realistic, not the 'fake pine' I get often in BPAL.

 

This is not really like any other BPAL blend I've smelled, but it vaguely reminds me of Hellhound on My Trail, without the smokiness of the tobacco and brimstone. Instead this has the leather and ginger for depth, and juniper-gin takes the places of bay rum. They're similarly structured, share some notes and both evoke the same sort of intensely manly but paradoxically still outdoorsy and lightly fresh feel. My roommate is insanely picky, but he really likes this, and I like it on him!

Pale gold oil. Chocolate, carnation, and rose? Reminds of Kali, but spicier from the carnation. This one requires further testing, because I love Kali.

Colourless oil. Roast chicken with lots of gravy - exactly! My roommate swears it's leftover roast chicken & mayo sandwiches. I don't get the mayo, but I do get the creaminess which I read as gravy. Not bad, this is the first savoury BPAL that's ever made me hungry.

 

 

Colourless oil. Dark, French roast coffee beans (not brewed coffee, not the lab's coffee bean or coffee note, but actual BEANS ground up) and roast meat, possibly roast cow of some cut. Odd! I had the most trouble with this one - figuring it out - and my roommate doesn't get meat but gets chocolate, which I didn't get at all.

Pale golden oil. Spicy greenery with spring florals . GRASSY. Phlox/nasturtium, daisy and something light and almost aquatic - clover and/or heather, I think. Reminds me a lot of The Host of the Air & Garden Path with Chickens. Almost identical to HotA except not berry note; less sweet and fruity. But both have a hint of herbal bitterness. Very green and springlike, fresh and outdoorsy. I look forward to testing this one further!

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.

Deep reddish-brown/cola coloured oil. Red musk and spice (possibly carnation?), plumeria and a hint of coconut. Reminds me a lot of B.B3 and Shango, but this has less coconut than those and more spice. This also reminds me a lot of Snake Oil and the Snake Pit scents. More vanilla here, and those SO resins. Should be a popular one, but not my thing at all.

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.

Sniffed: Pale gold oil. Less intensely appley than v2. Here I get some apple blossom and I think some cherry blossom. There's still a strong juicy fresh apple note, but some soft spring blossoms too, and an airy/misty/faintly aquatic note in the distance. Reminds me a bit of Nowhere in Particular.

 

Wet: Tarter, crisper, more of that sour green candy apple note - same as when PA v2 touches my skin. I would say the blend of apple notes is the same, and this is verrrrrry APPLES on my skin, with the blossoms in the distance. Definitely a light, slightly soapy note from the blossom, but it's quite nice. And I stand by both apple blossom (definitely) and cherry blossom (almost definitely). Also maybe a hint of greenery? This is more complex than v2.

 

Dry: The apples have faded quite a bit and most of the apple that remains is that baked apple scent, not fresh fruit. The blossom remain, and that note that was nagging me in the wet stage might be an herb or a type of wood - or maybe even a very light vetiver note, as this is going a bit soapy. That would also explain the sort of airy/aquatic feel I got earlier, as well. I also get something like, oh god, dragon's blood, or the way that DB dries down on me. Eeeek.

 

Summary: This dries down to almost nothing on me after a few hours - faint baked apple, slightly cologney vetiver, and the teensiest hint of dragon's blood air freshener-ish drydown. But the baked apple note is in command, so this is wearable. I definitely prefer v2, but both these protos are way better than the released IMO. Low throw, poor longevity.

Sniffed: Golden oil. Crisp, juicy, sweet-tart apple - a little like sour apple candy. This is straight up apple in the bottle - nothing else.

 

Wet: SO strong! The strongest, crispest apple note from the lab ever. I get more of the green apple sort of sourness - but I get red apple sweetness, too. It's like sour green apple candy, granny smith apples, pink lady & honeycrisp apples altogether. I almost get a hint of...soap? underneath all the appley goodness, but otherwise this is just APPLES.

 

Dry: The apples have baked themselves! Oh why oh why does apple do this on my skin? Fresh apple notes so often turn to baked apple or applesauce. It's sour apple candy (lightly) and baked apples now. A bit sweeter, less tart and crisp. I get little bit of a sweet note - honey? Yes, I think it's honey, though it's very light, like clover honey.

 

Summary: The final drydown reminds me of a honeyed version of Sugar-Slathered Candy Apple. It's light candy apple (that sour apple note holds, amazingly) with a sort of honey-caramel note on top that amps as the apple fades. It also reminds me of baked apples that have caramelised sugar on them, or maybe caramelised honey - it's a foody drydown, but light - not too sweet or rich, and I really like it. This one I shall be keeping! Moderate throw, decent longevity.

 

Very few apple notes hold me for more than an hour, so this is impressive. Definitely my favourite apple scent of all time.

Sniffed: Pale gold oil. Very different from released O or v5! The amber note smells different, much lighter, softer - reminds me of the note in L'Estate - actually this blend has lots in common with that scent - I think it also has sunflower, that slightly dry, warm floral note. Also some soft floral note that reminds me of Pink Moon 2005 - I think it's that same carnation. Light honey and even lighter vanilla. A little creamier. Much less sweet and much more delicate than the other Os.

 

Wet: Spicier! Carnation for sure, and yep, it's that same note from Pink Moon 2005. The honey is similar too, it's there but it's not prominent as in PM. The sunflower is a tiny bit dusty, but mostly just sort of golden-warm. There is a hint of that cloying plastic aspect that I hate about the other Os, but it's very faint. I think it might be a saffron or a vanilla note that's responsible for that aspect, I've concluded. Also unlike the other Os this has low throw & sticks close to the skin. The honey/carnation combo reminds me a bit of Maiden v2.

 

Dry: Carnation amping and becoming spicier! I think that it's the same note in both PM & M v2 and here. It smells really pink to me; it's bright and girly, a little sassy, but not that sort of intense, clove-y sharp spiciness that some carnations are. It's also velvety in feel without being at all dusty. Carnation rules, with honey & sunflower just below, then more distantly vanilla (very creamy and soft, not too rich, definitely different from the other Os), and lastly very faint whispers of amber and that sharp plastic note. These last notes stick so close to my skin and are so light that I think I can handle them.

 

Later: This feels like a warm golden afternoon in late Summer, but with a bit of bright pink girliness thrown in. Relaxed but not boring, there's that quiet spark of carnation that keeps this from being totally languid, perks it up somehow, but in a way that absolutely works. Very feminine and youthful but mature, not naive. Sweet, but only lightly. Very balanced and seamlessly blended. The honey/carnation combo reminds me so strongly of Pink Moon & Maiden v2; the balance of notes is more similar to PM, but that has other, more prominent that thus differentiate it more.

 

Summary: Nearly carnation SN from a distance! It amps up and holds strongly, giving this scent far better throw on drydown than in the earlier stages. It's softly sweetened by the very true, light, and not at al cloying/syrupy honey note, and ever so slightly powdery from that hazy warm golden amber and almost-dusty sunflower. These are distant, faint notes though. The sharp plastic note fades away virtually completely after about 2 hours. A simpler cross between Maiden v2 & L'Estate, without the other floral notes of either. Shockingly lovely. Good throw and decent longevity.

 

I'm not sure that this is 'me', and I already have Maiden v2 which I adore and doesn't have the briefly annoying wet stage - and also has better throw and longevity and is less 'dry'. But I expect this to be one of the most popular of the new protos.

 

 

Sniffed: Colourless oil. O with extra honey and extra vanilla, and much less amber. I definitely recognise it as O, but it's like a Chaos Theory O blend - the proportions are different. Also, the vanilla note smells like it might be different, though the amber and honey notes are the same. Sweet, syrupy. Reminds me of Thaleia, too - so I'm pretty sure there is tonka in this.

 

Wet: Sweeter and so, so heavy - more of that perfumey/floral amber note that's in released O emerges, quickly. It's going to powder within seconds, sickly sweet baby powder with that plastic edge. Just like O. Still, this definitely has extra vanilla, honey, and that almost-buttery, super-rich tonka. The honey is a really lovely true note, but is overwhelmed. I also get a sort of boozy, mentholic note that reminds me GREATLY of Love's Philosophy - it's that same vanilla note or saffron (and like with LP, I don't get it in the bottle but only on my skin does it turn that way).

 

Dry: This has faded a lot - it initially had crazy strong throw - which is good, since O amps on me. That boozy note is almost slightly minty (kinda like how people got wintergreen in some bottles of LP, but it's not quite wintergreen), oddly cool & clashing with the warm amber. The latter has gone powdery but not POWDER DOOM as in O, and the honey has dried down beautifully. Actually this drydown reminds me a LOT of Mead Moon. The minty booze/honey combo is similar to them mead note. The vanilla & tonka are still creamy but less sweet and heavy than earlier.

 

Summary: Oddly minty, slightly plastic, honeyed amber and super creamy vanilla and tonka. Soft and only lightly powdery on drydown, this is very much a 'skin scent'. Strong throw that fades to moderate throw and holds there for ages. Much nicer than released O, IMO, but still not my thing at all. But its evolution surprised me and I only very briefly had that plasticky powder strongly enough to be truly bothersome.

Sniffed: Lemon yellow oil. Fizzy ginger ale, sprite, and a bit of dishwashing detergent. Reminds me of a cross between ginger ale and Independent (or Independent's drydown on me). Very fizzy! The ginger note is light, though, and this is not a very sugary/foody scent.

 

Wet: Instantly soapy on my skin. Dishwashing liquid, almost like the bubbles or foam - frothy. Still faint ginger and lemon-lime soda, and still fizzy - but all of that's overwhelmed by the soapiness. It's a nicer soapiness that most - I sort of like Dishwashing Liquid soapy - but it's not what I want in perfume. :\

 

Dry: The soap has faded, hallelujah! It's still soapy, but less dominatingly so - I can smell the other notes more than I could before, and the lemon-lime is HOLDING on my skin which citrus almost never does. The ginger has faded a teensy bit, and I have to search for it - this is more Sprite than Ginger Ale now.

 

I love the scent in the bottle; I'll need to retest it more thoroughly.