fairnymph

In the bottle: Light amber coloured oil. Sweet and musky! Rose, for sure, and amber and musk..and really strongly, CANDLES, like a waxy scent of delicious beeswax. A bit of slightly spicy incense.

 

Wet: Pretty faint; mostly rose and beeswax. Less complex and much weaker than sniffed. If I strain I get a bit of amber and smoke.

 

Dry: More and more smoke and incense, and the amber is going a bit powdery. Carnation coming out, both spicy and a bit creamy. Still quite sweet.

 

Summary: Final drydown is mostly smoke and incense and a bit of sweet beeswax, with lighter rose, carnation, and amber - oh, and loads of musk. Poor throw & decent longevity.

 

In the bottle: Green, zesty, fruity! Lots of kiwi (smells a lot like sour apple), and maybe some grassy type green notes. It's spicy/zingy, but not in a way that makes me think of wasabi.

 

Wet: Mmmm, kiwi! To me, the zingy scent seems to be the kiwi as well, not wasabi. It's sweet, but not overly. Plenty of tartness to keep it fresh. I think there's some dandelion as well as grass.

 

Dry: More floral as it dries. There's a smoothness that suggests aloe to me. There's a sharp, musky scent that MUST be green musk (and I get the 51 likeness, also a likeness to Serpents).

 

Later: The florals have a soapy tinge that I fear. Maybe the actual culprit is grey amber, which goes predictably perfumey-floral and soapy on me? Kiwi greatly faded. Also, one of the greens is spearmint!

 

Summary: Zesty, sweet-tart kiwi, light spearmint, slightly sharp green musk, a bit of grass and dandelion and a dash of slightly perfumey-soapy grey amber. Unisex. Good throw & longevity.

In the bottle: Clean and tangy; aquatic and metallic. Rather masculine. Maybe a hint of something sweetly herbal.

 

Wet: The same. A touch cologney - some white florals. But mostly this is a very bright, clean, fresh aquatic with that hint of shiny metal - chrome, as in Torture Queen - note.

 

Dry: Maybe something citrusy - lime peel, or bergamot? I don't get any amber in this, if there's any, possibly white amber. I'm getting a breezy, airy ozone feel now, too. Definitely leans towards floral on my skin.

 

Summary: Clean white flowers, ozone, silvertone metal and, after a few hours, slightly dusty/dry wood - cedar? rosewood? Great throw & lasting power. Unisex.

In the bottle: A bit medicinally mentholic, almost minty, with a hint of something evergreen, and the zing of ozone. It's a bit sharp and aquatic, definitely masculine.

 

Wet[: Less sharp, but still very cool and quite mentholic. No longer medicinal, though. More green, herbal. Still loads of ozone. A little sweet - wintergreen? And maybe spruce.

 

Dry: Most of the ozone is gone, and this has sweetened considerably. I'm definitely thinking spruce. I'm getting a bit of earthiness, maybe a moss.

 

Later: Vaguely floral...reminds me a bit of Night-Gaunt, white florals. And I think the sweetness is maybe pear? And something slightly, but not unpleasantly, bitter. It's more watery, though still quite airy.

 

Summary: Woodsy spruce, clean white florals, and wintergreen with wisps of ozone, moss, sweet pear, and something slightly bitter-sharp. Unisex, aquatic. Decent throw, fades fast.

 

In the bottle: Rich yellow oil. Buttery frosting, cake, loads of juicy blackberry fruit, and a hint of cocoa. It's rich enough to be boozy, but I don't get a bourbon note really.

 

Wet: A little less sweet/buttery/foody, though still very fruity. More cocoa, almost chocolately. I get blackberry leaf, an herbal sort of note, as well as the fruit. A strong vanilla note.

 

Dry: More perfumey as it dries, almost floral - less and less foody. The blackberry is intense and just like real, ripe fruit, stems, and leaves all crushed.

 

Later: The vanilla note holds - though it never goes fake and cloying and never amps wildly, and that light cocoa too, but the buttery/cakey notes dissipate nearly entirely.

 

Summary: The bourbon, slightly boozy vanilla enhances the centre-stage blackberry fruit/leaf note here so beautifully. Because this is ALL about the blackberry. Beneath, the dusting of bitter-earthy cocoa grounds this blend. Fabulous throw, fades noticeably.

 

One of 2 foody-in-the-bottle scents that I can wear (the other is Eat Me).

 

 

I don't get much heliotrope, but that slushy snow note (with pine, a bit L'Inverno-esque), light juniper, and a much stronger butter-cookie-foody note than I expected. Not much cinnamon, but definitely some buttery-tonka. Lingers quite strongly. Alas, not into foody room sprays.

Surprisingly earthy - LOADS of delicious oakmoss. Frakincense and myrrh are just a light incense, not strong or heavy at all. Quite a bit of honey-resiny styrax. The clove is a soft, woody, balancing note - not spicy or sharp or cloying as it is in perfume on me. Still too 'headshoppy' for my tastes.

Warm, masculine, wintry. Definitely dry-woody cedar, that smells sort of like woodfire (coal dust?), and a very rich vanilla-resin, almost sticky. Not much twigs, and lightly earthy patchouli. The leather & stout add a fresh/clean feel that keeps this light. This is what a gentleman's house smells like over the holidays.

In the bottle: Light yellow oil. Ozone, metal, cologne. Zingy, aquatic, clean, masculine. Very slightly sweet.

 

Wet: Sharper, dryer. Sandalwood or cedar, maybe? Also a hint of some warm spice. Still lightly sweet and a lot like aftershave, or men's deodorant. White amber?

 

Dry: This stuff doesn't dry. It's been...30 minutes? At least? More spicy, in a foody way....nutmeg, I think. Less ozone, but still a lot of iron-metal. Possibly some birch wood.

 

Later: In the bottle it reminded me a lot of Torture Queen, but less floral, more masculine. With the warm spice/wood - albeit as an underlying note - this is more unique. Definitely some musk.

 

Summary: Torture Queen with nutmeg and birch, essentially. It's nice, but I prefer TQ. The warmth of the woody/spicy notes doesn't really jive that well with the cold/metal/aftershave elements. Decent throw, great holding power.

In the bottle: Light yellow oil. Sandalwood, vanilla, mandarin/tangerine, light florals. Delicate, airy.

 

Wet: Same. Very soft, lightly sweet. It's not foody, and it's not really sweet - it's more sweet the way that really good musks can be sweet. There's an almost fluffy sugar note that makes me think of marshmallows. Almost foody - maybe vanilla flower?

 

Dry: Very slow to dry. Sweetens a little with time, and becomes noticeably more creamy. I'd almost say there is a cream note, but I think it's just the musk, florals, and sandalwood that impart a creamy feel. At this stage I'm reminded a lot of Vasakasajja. The sandalwood gives it warmth but is all fragrant in a clean/traditional perfumey way.

 

Later: It's becoming quite musky, but in a very feminine way - I agree with the vanilla musk ID. Most of the mandarin has worn off. Definitely some rice flower - getting a Tanamo-no-ae vibe. Some light amber wouldn't surprise me, but this does not go at all powdery or dusty on me. Sooooo musky on drydown. But, the vanilla (which is very light, and very creamy) - like vanilla ice cream, but not cold - so maybe vanilla custard? But not quite that foody.

 

Summary: Soft but rich florals (rice flower, maybe orchid), sweet, creamy vanilla, fragrant sandalwood and loads of gorgeous musk. Really strong throw and longevity (like, 2 days!) but still delicate in feel somehow.

 

I overhauled my reviews because I have worn this a few times since and compared it to other scents. I initially liked it but didn't think it was my thing, and then further testing (and wearing it to bed, which was heavenly soothing and blissful) made me realise I absolutely adore this. It is a classic vanilla/sandalwood/musk scent that is clean, feminine, and delightfully wafty. I don't have any scents that remotely fill this niche, as I don't like either Glowing Vulva (which is sweet/cloying/strongly teaky) or Underpants (also sweet/cloying, as well as overly foody and a little sharp from the saffron), and I don't really see the comparisons much. This is not like any other BPAL scent I've tried, and I agree with schackj that it can't possibly be unreleased because it needs work, because it is utter perfection as is (though, it would be even better if the orange citrus note held - but I've yet to find any orange citrus note that holds in BPAL).

 

Thank you so much for giving me the opportunity to try this, Tigrrrlily!

Sniffed in imp: Sweet, smoky, dark incense. Slightly bitter, slightly soapy.

In the bottle: Rich golden oil. Surprisingly dark and floral. Not much of the plum, and not what I'd call sweet. The lilac is strong, and the herbs tending towards dark and forceful. It's a bit sharp/slick.

 

Wet: LILAC; by far, the strongest lilac BPAL scent I've smelled. It's heady and a bit much, as lilac can be, but more natural than usual. A bit more leather, making this rather masculine. Some thyme? The plum juice is more a suggestion of sweetness, more like blossom than fruit.

 

Dry: Bah, the lilac is going a bit soapy. And why, lilac, must you be such a bully? The only blessing is that the scent on the whole fades rapidly. There's a weird moldy (?) note, like moldy bread.

 

Later: Some of the sweetness is coming out, finally, though it's still not that sticky, juicy plum note, but more delicate, like wild plum. There's also a spicy note that I'd swear is carnation. The leather seems to have 'aged' at bit.

 

Summary: Much of the lilac fades with time, so that it becomes quite pleasant and bearable. The plum amps up into something dark and sexy, and the leather is well-worn and comforting. Love the spicy carnation. But the mold kills it. Decent throw.

 

Reminds me greatly of Bathsheba, and a little of The Blood Countess

 

 

Sniffed in imp: Orangey-amber oil. Sharp and artificial, and VERY strong on the dragon's blood. A bunch of somewhat bitter greenery - the vines? No salty notes. Maybe some vetiver? It makes me cringe to sniff it.

 

I'm pretty devastated that none of the scents from my all-time favourite fairy tale worked. At all. *cries*

Sniffed in imp: Pale yellow oil. Sharp, herbal, almost medicinal. Vegetal. The parsley is quite strong in particular. There's a faint foul rotting smell that vaguely reminds me of a toilet, and some mentholic greenery.

In the bottle: Very pale yellow oil. Sweet, gentle flowers and herbs. It does have a nocturnal feel, or more accurately, a liminal, dusky feel. Lovely ivy and moonflower.

 

Wet: Instantly soapy on my skin, thought bearably - damn moonflower and honeysuckle! Much more floral, less herbal. A tad spicy from the flox, and a bit powdery from the amber, musk, and honeysuckle.

 

Dry: This is reminding me a lot of Garden Path with Chickens, though it's not quite as spicy and it's more 'perfumey'. The florals have calmed down a bit, and all sweetness is gone.

 

Later: Spiciness gone, and a bit of the sweetness has returned, along with some velvety depth from the orchid. This reminds me of a more grown-up Blue Moon 07 at this stage. Soothing, feminine.

 

Summary: A well-blended bouquet of soft flowers with a lightly soapy/powdery edge, a sort of dusty feel from the amber and musk, as well as a cool, green, herbal vibe. It's clean but not really 'fresh'. Good throw & decent longevity.

 

 

In the bottle: Light yellow oil. Sweet-tart fruit and herbs. Red current, lemon, and lime stand out. Fresh and bright.

 

Wet: Similar, but with a slight soapy edge that makes this pleasantly clean. And that green musk, which is always a touch sharp on me, but here is buffered by the red currant and sweetness of the lime.

 

Dry: Not much morphing. This is oddly perfumey, in that 'traditional' way - I say oddly bc the notes wouldn't suggest that - but it's a pleasant trait, here. Citrus has gone a bit bitter, but nicely.

 

Later: I'm going to guess that thyme and a very light mint are amongst the 'serpentine green herbs'; they're light notes, but they add a fresh, cool feel.

 

Summary: This is VERY much like 51, but not quite as 'biting'; it's fruitier from the red currant and more musky which I'm guessing is due to the snakeskin (dark/black musk). Great throw, unisex to feminine, sexy.

 

I love 51 and I love this. Note: I don't read reviews pre-testing, so I'm glad to see my feeling it's like 51 is shared by others.

In the bottle: Darkish golden-chartreuse colour. Sharp, sweet, herbal - and a little acidic. The herbal cologne, sourness, tobacco and 'sweaty man' smell come through.

 

Wet: An almost metallic tang - the blood? - and a whole ton of herbal-sweet cologne. Really lovely, rich, manly tobacco and some sexy musk, too. Reminds me a bit of Galvanic Goggles.

 

Dry: Still quite sharp and tangy, but also oddly spicy (carnation?). There's a strong cologne vibe, but the herbalness of Jekyll is faint. A slightly plastic note...

 

Summary: Sharp, sour, and bit of animalic as Jekyll's musky cumin note and the sweat emerge - maybe civet here, too? Dark and masculine, with loads of tobacco and musk. Good throw & longevity.

 

I can see the resemblance to John Barleycorn, too. Like others, I do prefer this to Dr. Henry Jekyll.

In the bottle: Light yellow oil. Dry, sparkling, boozy champagne, astringent, pleasantly bitter tobacco, and a fruity, almost pink sweetness. Pink champagne, maybe?

 

Wet: Strong! And very alcoholic. Quite 'perfumey'/cologney in a traditional way. The pink sweetness is more distant. Tobacco is both more planty, and more smoky/acrid. Incredible degree of *sparkle*

 

Dry: Very strongly cigars, now. Not just tobacco, as in many perfumes, but SMOKING tobacco, cigarettes, cigars. Much more bitter/stale too, in the way that cigs are.

 

Later: The fruity, pink, sweet note is long gone. Some more depth has emerged - maybe a woo/earth note, or some musk, but this has a masculine weight to it that C&R utterly lacks.

 

Summary: Smoky, acrid, slightly stale cigars, dry, very sparkly-boozy champagne, all over a distant but deep, earthy base, possibly a moss of some type. It's a bit too sharp/strong for me and definitely masculine. Powerful throw & longevity.

In the bottle: Pale yellow oil with a light greenish tint. Very fresh, bright, green herbs. Almost sharp. Refreshing, outdoorsy. Mint, basil, cumin, and juniper dominate.

 

Wet: Sharper and sweeter, warmer, less refreshing. The cumin especially is stronger. The traditional cologne base is more apparent. Something quite spicy is emerging.

 

Dry: The cumin has settled into a deeper, musky note, but also smells a little bit like manure, or leather. A sort of horsey, barnyard smell. Still very sweet and herbal.

 

Summary: Fresh, herbal greenery over musky, funky, earthy cumin - reminds me of Thierry Mugler's Atelier Grimal - with light sweetness. Good throw. Masculine.

 

 

Sniffed in imp: Light yellow oil. Cedar, sandalwood, and sweet herbs. Very dry. Quite mild, luminous, almost aquatic.

 

Wet: Crisper, sweeter. Almost citrusy. Definitely some light florals - this is a lot more feminine on my skin. The sandalwood is very clean and fresh.

 

Dry: Sweeter and sweeter, though it's not sugary. More like a floral sweetness. The cedar in this is extremely well behaved and does not amp. There is a creaminess here is that same coconut from Black Pearl. Not too sweet or foody.

 

Later: Also reminded a bit of Brown Jenkins. There's a soft powdery aspect that really makes me think iris or violet in this. There's definitely a soft floral. And I think I get a teensy bit of verbena.

 

Summary: Clean, creamy, slightly powdery and dry woody-floral with strong sandalwood in the drydown. Unisex. Very white and elegant/refined in feel. Dismal throw.

Sniffed: Wood, kerosene, and oil. It's very solvent-y, but in a pleasant sort of cologney way. I get that 'motor oil' sort of metallic feel, which I was hoping for. It is a little dusty, but not overly.

 

Wet: Sharper, more metallic, tangier. Still very woody. Also, there's something sweet now, possibly a wood note> This almost feels aquatic, cucumbery-wet and cool, too. I get a 'wet stone' smell.

 

Dry: Okay...oddly spicy? Peppery? Also, sweeter and sweeter. Still very woody, a little more dry and dusty now - cedar, I think? But a really well behaved cedar. It's a little soapy, but in a nice way.

 

Later: I really get a fuckton of cucumber. I think the spicy note is white pepper, and some zingy ozone, too. I get some white sandalwood now, too. Almost a salty aquatic drydown - I agree with the 'steam punk Jolly Roger' assessment.

 

Summary: I agree with others - this is resin-y without being incense-y (which I love!), in a way that evokes ballet rosin. And there is totally a 'steampunk aftershave thing' - both of these aspects being layered on top of a slightly spicy/zingy CUCUMBER. Good throw & longevity.

 

I wish I got some leather, but I still really like this. It's not what I expected at all but it's lovely and unique. :hearts:

 

In the bottle: Golden oil. Juicy, tart, fruity! Crisp apples and cranberries, lovely. But there's definitely a backdrop of cider, a baked-apple smell with light spices that provides warmth.

 

Wet: The apple is so strong - the strongest I've smelled in any BPAL scent. Sadly on my skin this is already going spicy - clove, in particular, and cinnamon, and dried ginger. I'm getting a bit of orange peel, too.

 

Dry: Most of the crisp notes have died; very little fresh apple, and essentially no cranberry remains. There's still the baked apple/cider note, though, to keep this fruity. MUCH warmer and spicier.

 

Later: Clove & cinnamon amping to fucking hell as always on my ski. I really like the ginger in this context, but I can't handle the other spices. I'm getting another woody scent in addition to the clove, maybe oak?

 

Summary: Final dry down is clove, cinnamon, baked apple, oak (or similar wood) and...oakmoss. Strange! Great throw & longevity. Ends up being quite unisex.

In the bottle: Light lemon yellow oil. Citrus, herbs, menthol. Eucalyptus and lemon, and maybe something woody.

 

Wet: So lemony, in a really pleasant, juicy, lemonade-style way. The eucalyptus is much lighter on my skin, and quite nice.

 

Dry: I'm getting that Pez, slightly powdery-candy effect. Oh, and orange! It reminds me a fair bit of the note in Orange (Neil Gaiman).

 

Summary: All the greenness and lemon gone. Single note orange Pez candy, exactly! It's fun though, and bright/happy. Decent throw & lasting power.

 

 

In the bottle: Golden yellow oil. Lilac and grapefruit. Light, floral, airy.

 

Wet: Almost chemically harsh in how brightly floral LILAC it is. The grapefruit is quite juicy and sweet, and there might be another citrusy note here too. Lemon?

 

Dry: I love lilac in theory, but it just never seems as good in perfume as it does in real life. It's going soapy. The citruses are holding well, at least, to cut the floral.

 

Later: Well, this is the most well-behaved lilac scent I've tried. It never goes beyond that hint of soap, and it doesn't turn to powder. It's not overwhelming, either.

 

Summary: This is a pretty simple scent. White grapefruit zest and a whole fuckton of (bearably) heady LILAC. It's definitely the truest lilac BPAL scent, and it's very clean, airy, and doesn't morph. Decent throw & longevity.

 

I like the final drydown, but the early stage isn't so great, and I'm just not a fan of lilac in perfume it seems, despite it being my favourite actual flower. *sigh*

 

 

In the bottle: Deep yellow, almost brownish oil. Air, woods, and soil. It's sort of like a misty forest - very evocative. Something green-fresh and a little sharp, too. Definitely some oakmoss here which provides the earthy note without being *dirty*.

 

Wet: A little sweeter. The green note is almost citrusy...maybe geranium? And I think there's a bit of blue lavender, like the note from Yvaine. I don't know what the airy scent is, but I really like it; reminds me of the air note in Nowhere in Particular.

 

Dry: Very slow to dry, and very viscous. Not volatile at all which is probably why it's so low-throw right now. This reminds me a bit of a more ethereal The Piper at the Gates of dawn; some light patchouli and glowing, slightly sweet heliotrope.

 

Later: As I suspected in the earlier stages, there is some serious musk here when this finally (after 30 min?) dries. Reminds me a lot of the musk in Buck Moon & Robin Goodfellow; a really dark, intense, more masculine musk. Extremely sexy.

 

Summary: Oakmoss, patchouli, dark musk & heliotrope dominate, with lighter touches of geranium, oak, blue lavender and rushing air. It's a woodsy, natural, primal scent that's also very alive, wild and sexy, but still grounded. Good throw & great longevity.

 

I'd say this is really a masculine scent, but it works well on my skin even though I favour feminine scents. It's an incredible wrist-sniffer, and I can only imagine how amazing it would be on a man. A 2-bottle scent for sure.