mgrazulis

A very Mediterranean green floral. The grounding is in the cypress and myrtle, crisp fragrant greenery, and in the thyme and herbs. A bit of basil in there, perhaps. The florals are underneath and very blended. I detect gladiola, but it is not the bright florist shop version--this is muted and subdued by the herbs. The scent does seem to cast a brownish green haze. It is earthly, yet meditative... a reminder to those left behind that the departed was once of this world and is now silent, as should those who would slander the departed also be silenced. A fragrant tribute to the last day of the Saturnalia. I don't believe I have ever breathed in anything similar to this. The throw is strong at first but does get a creamy, gentle texture after a few hours. I can see myself wearing this often.

Emily Dickinson's poems have fascinated me since early youth. Death, loneliness and isolation are indeed themes of winter. The setting winter sun reflected as cold light before death... When this hit the skin, the cleansing aroma of hyssop cools the air. There is a sharp cleansing green to the violet leaf that is lifted by the frankincense and bright sandalwood. It does seem like cooled breath. Here the hyssop rings a bit like Absinthe until much later when the amber and delicate smoke impart a lingering warm sweetness across the cool notes. In its finality, this a fascinating and evocative herbally resin. Only in the end, is sweetness and warmth experienced. Bravo, Beth!!

Light florals and a touch of sandalwood and incense..but nothing definite. After a while, a bit of vetiver, but overall, I'm not getting much at all. It is very ethereal.

OMG!! I'm wearing dragon's blood and I like it!!! This is a first! I've tried many oils with dragon's blood and quickly washed them off. Most are far too cherry and artificial on me. French Love is a cozy, skin scent with a spicy cinnamon myrrh and a floral that has a soft jasmine note...this pink-red oil is cuddly sexy!! I am awestruck...

This was a frimp from a dear friend. Akuma was her first BPAL. I was thrilled to get it and anxious to try it. I love neroli...but just as many reviewers, I get nothing but fruity Pez. I'm will no doubt pass this along to someone else to try. Just one that doesn't agree with me.

In the imp, this is bright lemongrass, cedarwood and a light touch of patchouli. Wet on the skin, it's all lemongrass...and that's where it ends on my skin. This was a new frimp from the lab...off to the imp box she goes for another try much later!!!

A beautiful and simple balance of dark red earthy rose and juicy pomegranate. The rose is musky with tangy pomegranate juice. When first applied I feared the rose would turn sugary and dominate. The rose is sweetly forward at first, but as it dries the tarted sharpness of the pomegranate weights the sweet beneath the surface. A wonderful succulent combo befitting a goddess. Next, I want to try her layered with Pluto...

I'm not surprised that I love this one...moonflower and night blooming florals wear well on me. The florals are softened by the dark, velvety in texture and gentled by herbal greenery. For a brief while, the moonflower is distinct, but quickly blended with the other florals and greens...none are overly sweet. I am reminded of Long Night Moon minus the mints...haunting and utterly bewitching.

A scent doesn't get much simpler than this one. At least for me...this is the rose for the ingenue, a pristine white rose with a layer of fresh cream. Girly, delicate and innocent, teeming with possibilities. Beautiful in simplicity, Katrina has moderate throw. I appreciate it for its straightforwardness. I don't see this as a fragrance that suits my personality and taste for a white rose. I prefer the resins with my white. A decant of this will suffice.

In the imp: metallic sage and ozone Wet: metal sweetens with a honeyed herbal edge, the balsamic incense soft. Drydown: Very beautiful! It starts up a bit masculine, but once it hits skin, it becomes sweet with honeyed metallic zing that wanders about. I detect a bit of apple blossom wafting through the incense. Verdict: How unique! I would never have picked a metallic note for myself. Thanks to the labbie for including this one! I will definitely try this again in my locket to see how it reacts to the metal notes...very cool in atmosphere.

Aeronwen!!! Gorgeous figgy with lots of musky amber and resin!!!

Very different than Drink Me!! Although both are very gourmand and bakery scents... In the imp: cake batter and buttercream icing Wet on the skin: vanilla and berries Drydown: pound cake with a backdrop of vanilla. Somewhere in there, I get some sandalwood. Sweet and delicous!

Gourmand foodiness! Let me see if I can pick out some of what I am getting here... In the imp: butterscotchy vanilla and toffee Wet on skin: warm vanilla and cherries Dry: what a little changeling this scent is!!! As it dries I get a buttery piecrust and french toast. A distinct bakery aroma and darn if I don't get some hazelnut coffee too! Much later: mostly butter and bakery

In the imp: grapefruit rind, gingered tea Wet: Zounds! strong sharp citrus sparkle and enter the apple blossoms... Dry: The ginger continues to spice it up....aside from the nose-tickle from the apple blossoms, this is grapefruit tea heaven for a half hour or so...lively with a slight bitterness in the drydown. After a while, I am left with fiery apple blossoms. I do believe I've been bitten! Most of the tea is way beneath a spring surge of gingered apple blossoms.

In the bottle: violet, wisteria and lily, musk. Wet on the skin: wow, lilacs and moonflower with more violet and wisteria. Drydown: a soothing deep moonflower and lilac note over a quiet sandalwood base. There is no cacaphony of floral scents to overpower. This is a strongly unified scent. Almost sorrowful and melancholic. Never powdery or soapy on me. Verdict: Another stellar blend. I wore this to bed last night and was totally comforted by its grace and beauty. The florals are all soft--more like the memory of flowers that lie close to the skin.The traces left over this morning linger with moonflower.

In the imp: mulled wine, cinnamon and dragon's blood Wet on skin: juniper, bayberry--this is wonderful!! Drydown: Lovely hints of leather and more wind. Beautifully blended here! Joyful medieval feasting. The evergreens, cinnamon and wine forms a beautiful bouquet of warm scent. Later: *shrugs* The dragon's blood has now overpowered the scent. This has happened in other scents with this note and yet, in other scents, it has worked. The wet and intial drydown were wonderful. I'll be passing this along to someone to try out.

Sniffing from the imp, I get a dose of herbally eucalyptus. A very nice wake-up. When wet on the skin, a cool blast of citrus and pine. As it dries, the green settles. I step into a sparkling green forest with sun peeking through green boughs. Fresh and clean! This was a fresh imp from the lab. An uncomplicated scent that I'll be holding on to!

A lovely frimp from the lab...Sounds masculine, but I am intrigued with the classical references in the notes and must try this! In the imp: musky sage, basil and frankincense Wet: stays true but the sage and frankincense are warm. Nice! Dry: This is so much more dignified and patrician than I expected. The leather note is gently worn, the herbs sweet and green. The ambergris adds just a little hint of wildness. I love the way this smells on me and would wear this. It would be so amazing on DH if I could convince him to try it!

A frimp from the lab. Swoon-worthy!!! Wispy evergreen, dark and mysterious, sweetened by berries. It's sharp in the imp. Aromatic when wet on the skin with a sweet aloe note. This reminds me a bit Aeaea's juniper berry note. The wood note is solemn and stately. After a while, it's dusted with a magical sugary vanilla. A magical druid scent...Possibly my favorite BPAL wood scent!

Fresh imp from the lab...Eden is gorgeous! Earthy fig doused in toasted almond and honeyed milk. It does go through a fabulous creamy stage, but alas, in the drydown the sandalwood goes powdery on me! Back to the imp box Eden goes to age!

In the imp: lots of fresh grass, mossy herbs and ginger Wet: the green tea note blooms, softening the grass Dry: The fig is out with the ginger and tea, the grass is way underneath mellowed by an herbally cool note. This is so fresh and light! As it dries further, the ginger and green tea linger, the moss shifts back and forth. Subtle and light...wonderful for any day when you fancy a clean refreshing scent. It does remind me of an herbalist shop, where the aroma of drying herbs permeates the atomosphere.

A frimp from the lab... In the imp: Lilacs, dewy ferns Wet on skin: sugar, absinthe, rose Drydown: The rose and absinthe take on telltale underbite of currant, the lavender and lilacs closeby with the dewy greenery. Freshly herbal and springlike. The ferns and lilacs take me on a bicycle ride in the French countryside. Fabulous cool green overlay. Pontarlier is quite pretty and not as herbally sharp as Absinthe. Once it is dry, it stays true green/floral with a bit of wildness. A keeper for the lilac note alone...

A freebie from the BPAL lab... In the vial: jasmine and possibly dragon's blood, hard to say. Wet: I can detect another floral, perhaps black orchid...just not sure what it is, as well as an exotic herbal note. None of the notes here are overpowering, nothing decidedly masculine or feminine. Dry: Hmmm, is that bezoin? Something balsamic...This is by far the best part!! Delicately sweet and floral, just a hint of resin. Not what I expected at all. It does have that oily quality like the Voodoo blends I have tried, but the subltety here is unexpected. Stays close to the skin. Comforting and undaunted...like an alpha wolf protecting the pack. I like Wolf's Heart. I can't attest to the effectiveness of the notes, but I am impressed with the scent. The imp stays here.

This one went through many changes from application to drydown!!! In the imp: green tea, bubblegum and tonka Wet on skin: neroli, sweet grapefruit and jasmine Dry: At first, fang-decayingly sweet! In your face honeysuckle and wisteria forge ahead of the citrus, tonka. Ultra sweet candied florals here and the throw is all my room. Strong stuff-applied only on left wrist! Much later: Thank goodness this has mellowed. Now, I am rewarded for the wait with a subdued gingery jasmine that is gorgeous and slightly salty--there are the vampire tears! Verdict: Quite the rollercoaster ride...but the ultimate outcome was worth the wait. Strangely evocative. This imp is a treasure!

Lightning-charged ozone, steel, myrrh, mugwort, colophony, ajowan, and leather. Sniffing from the imp, metalllic ozone. Wet on the skin--damp, funkified and sweaty leather. When it dries, the ozone gets very harsh, and a resinous thyme aroma that resembles body odor kicks in. Nope!! Not for me!!!