Phaedra

Beth has been studying perfumery for ohhhh...I think 30 years now? Please correct me if I'm wrong, I read this from somewhere and it was so fascinating that I had to repeat it. She's the sommelier of perfume in my opinion because damn, you don't study something so specific as perfumery unless you absolutely love it. That's a lot of the appeal for me. That is what 'traditional' to me implies. Self-made, uniquely-mentored, and everything she does comes out of her love for her work. You don't put all that work into developing a series of scents for 3 years (and counting), days writing up descriptions, putting yourself out there in the community if you don't 'love' it.

 

Beth is one person and the fact that all these scents come from one person - well, it make it that much more special. No one can beat BPAL and I just can't seem to stop myself from becoming fascinated with every update that comes. I look in despair at my credit card bill each time there's an update but hell, I still happily pay it.

 

FYI- I think Beth started her training when she was a teenager. She's 35 now so I don't think she started when she was 5 So it's probably more like 20 years experience which is still a pretty long time. Also don't forget that Brian creates some of the scents too

Wet this is buttery pumpkin with a hint of spices. When first on this is pumpkin and spices mixed with something fresh and almost fruity- like a less sweet version of classic pumpkin pie. After about a half hour, the myrrh develops and softens the blend. After a couple of hours, the pumpkin and spices have faded leaving a very sexy musk and myrrh blend. On the dry down this is a sexy close to the skin musk.

 

 

Wet this is pumpkin and herbal tomato. It's almost like a gentleman's cologne. When first on this is fresh, crisp tomato leaf mixed with buttery pumpkin, like an autumn garden. After a couple of hours this has really softened. The tomato has really faded and leaving a lightly sweet pumpkin. It doesn't change much more after that. This is nice but I was hoping for a stronger tomato note.

Wet this is strong pumpkin with a hint of sweetness. When first on this is pumpkin, spice and rose. There's an almost berry like note too, very sweet. After a couple hours this has mellowed out and is a nice blend of rose, sandalwood and pumpkin. On the dry down this is a lovely soft rose. A must try for any rose lover!

Wet this is strong buttery pumpkin with a hint of sweetness. When first on this is pumpkin and honey with a hint of spice in the background. After a few hours, this is a nice blend of softly sweet honey and pumpkin. This doesn't change much more on me. It's nice but not amazing. It's a good one to try if you like honey though.

Wet this is a masculine cologne blend- sweet, woody and earthy. When first on this is sharp, dry woods and a sort of sour note (almost like a band aid??). It could be a citrus note I think. After a few minutes an earthy note develops- this must be the patchouli. After about an hour, a mossy rose note develops. It's really softened and mellowed. On the dry down this is a creamy, earthy blend with hints of rose and moss. It still has quite a bit of throw and I get wafts of the men's cologne notes. Nice but a little too masculine for me.

Wet this is sweet aquatic notes. When first on this is the same, a light and sweet aquatic blend and a bit creamy in the background too. After a couple hours, there's a nice floral note developing. After several hours this is a soft and creamy blend with a strong overlying aquatic note. On the dry down this is a very soft aquatic blend. I really like this one! Aquatics don't always work on me but this one is soft and creamy in the middle and ending stages and works really well on me. This also has a fresh and clean quality which makes it nice to wear in warm weather.

Wet this is dirt and sweet spices. When first on this is a soft dirt note mixed with myrrh and spikenard (which I think is similar to cloves). After a couple hours this is mainly a blend of myrrh and spikenard. It's very soft and warm. There's a touch of creaminess in the background. Maybe this is the snow note? This is a very calming and comforting scent. This doesn't change much more on me but I really love it! It's got a sort of regal or sacred feel to it but is very wearable. I'm so happy for this Nile series and can't wait to see what the next installment will bring!

Wet this is sweet and fruity, honey and pomegranate. This feels happy, bright and red. When first on this is sour milk and fruit, kind of icky like the newer Milk Moon. The sourness fades very quickly and it starts to smell like grain. There's some spice in the background too- cinnamon maybe. The spices fade after a couple of hours and this is mainly a slightly sour milk and fruit blend. On the dry down this is a mix of softly sweet fruit and an almost cooked or burnt milk note. I'm glad I was able to get this and help with the food drive. It's just a little too sour for my body chemistry so I'm passing this along to a friend.

Wow, the Warrior Queens have gorgeous labels! It's almost enough by itself to make me wish I had ordered a set instead of a few decants.

 

Me too! Do we know who the artist is?

Wet this is green, wet and mossy with a strong earth or dirt note and hints of ocean salt air. When first on this is much softer moss with a floral note. Maybe lily and rose. After about a half hour this is a sweet rose mixed with green moss and hints of saltwater and dirt. After a couple hours this has softened quite nicely. It's very feminine and pretty. On the dry down this is a soft mix of roses by the sea with a warm earthy note in the background. I am so grateful that I was lucky enough to get this prototype. This is a beautiful embodiment of Aphrodite and I hope it gets added to the catalog soon. Thank you Beth!

CXXVII Wet this is heavy incense mixed with a yellow floral and maybe some amber too. When first on this is the same incense mixed with amber and hints of a floral note. I think this might have tonka bean in it too. It's similar to Antikythera Mechanism. After a couple hours this is a lovely warm amber mixed with incense. Very sexy. On the dry down this is a soft, close to the skin amber and incense blend. Beautiful!!

DXXM: Wet this is Snake Oil and red musk, a bit sweet. When first on there's a weird almost plastic note and maybe cedar mixed with the Snake Oil and red musk. Luckily the plastic note fades pretty quickly. This really doesn't change much more on me. This is like regular Snake Oil but with a little extra oomph. I'm really interested to see how this ages and if the extra notes will develop more.

Wet this is strawberry, rose and a hint of sharpness. When first on this is very faint overall and is a mix of strawberry and frankincense. After a few seconds a rose note develops. After a couple hours this is a soft rose and strawberry blend. This doesn't really change much more on me. I really like this but wish it was longer lasting and stronger.

Wet this is fresh dirt, tomato leaves and a sweet fruit or vegetable note. When first on this is tomato vines, dirt and vegetables- like a summer garden. After several hours this has really softened. The dirt is very faint and this is mainly a tomato and vegetable blend. It's quite pretty actually. On the dry down this is a soft herbal blend. I really love this moon! It's different than others I've tried before. I'm glad I got a bottle of this one. I also love the matching tee shirt

Wet this is a very sweet honey floral with something sharp or soapy in the background. When first on this is sweet gardenia- strong and heady with a lot of throw. After a couple hours this has softened and is a lovely creamy honey mixed with gardenia. On the dry down this is a lovely, close to the skin honey scent. Beautiful!

Wet this is very sweet musk and sugar, a bit sharp too. When first on this is sweet vanilla, musk and cream with that hint of sharpness. After a few mintues it softens and a honey undertone develops. This doesn't change much more on me. This is a really pretty and sexy sugar, honey and musk blend. Very nice but I prefer Glowing Vulva to this one.

Wet this is green, soapy and tart- almost like lemon- with a hint of heat that must be the wasabi. The tartness starts to fade quickly. After a couple hours this is a fresh, clean, creamy, green scent. It makes me think of aloe. On the dry down this is a soft, creamy, green scent. I love this! It's a great springtime scent because it's so fresh and green. A great scent to try if you're looking for something different for spring.

Wet this is honey and musk, lightly sweet, mixed with ambergris. When first on this is sandalwood and ambergris with a touch of honey. This is a rich, full bodied blend. After a couple hours I can smell the tonka too. This is warm and creamy. On the dry down this is a soft musk, ambergris and honey blend. This is similar to Dream of the Fisherman's Wife but is darker and heavier. Very nice! I think I'm really starting to love ambergris

Wet this is sweet and spicy, cloves and musk. When first on this is bitter tobacco, sweet cloves and earthy patchouli. It goes on strong but starts to soften in a few seconds. After a couple of hours, this is a lovely blend of tobacco and patchouli. It's dark and warm. It doesn't change much more on me. I really like this blend! It's deep, dark and sexy. It reminds me a bit of Minotaur. Very nice.

Wet this is sweet fruit and red wine with something bitter and sharp mixed in. When first on this is plum and wine, sweet and heady. This feels like a dark purple or burgundy. It has a similar feel to Purple Phoenix. This doesn't change much more on me. It's very long lasting. On the dry down this is a nice soft plum. It has an almost regal feel to it. This is a must try for lovers of Purple Phoenix.

Wet this is light musk and a creamy floral blend. When first on this is clean white musk and amber, light and fresh smelling. After a couple hours, the creamy coconut develops. A little while later, there's a hint of earthy oakmoss. In some ways this is similar in feel to Katrina Van Tassel. It's not as sweet but has the same creamy quality. On the dry down, this is a soft, creamy, amber and musk blend. It's very feminine and pretty. If it was a color, it would be a pale pink edged in brown.

Wet this is deep, dark rose and warm amber. When first on this is a softer rose and amber with some sweetness mixed in. The sweetness fades within seconds. After a couple hours there's a soft myrrh mixing with the rose and amber. After several hours, the warmth of frankincense develops too. On the dry down this is a soft rose and amber blend. Amber, rose, myrrh and frankincense are all favorite notes of mine and that's why I love this so much! I'm so glad I have a bottle!

Wet this is a mix of tropical fruit and something warm and creamy like almond in the background. When first on it's much lighter but is the same fruity mix. After a couple of minutes it smells like baby aspirin- a soft, powdery orange. After a couple hours this is a fruity, powdery blend. There's some earthiness in the background too. On the dry down this is a nice warm, sweet apple. This is a nice fruity blend. I'll have to try it a few more times and decide if I want to keep it. I really like the dry down stage but am not sure about the fruitiness in the beginning stages. I am still so happy that Beth made such a thoughtful blend for us!

Wet this is light citrus with a hint of wood in the background (probably the oud). There's a sharp bite to this. When first on there's a burst of lemon with a creamy note in the background. The lemon starts to soften within seconds. After a few hours this is a soft, warm floral. The lemon has really died down leaving a hint of sweetness. On the dry down, this is a soft, sweet amber with a hint of oud. This is really nice- it starts out crisp but ends soft and warm. I wish the oud was stronger though.