PurringPulsar

Has anyone international received Liliths  yet? I made a couple of orders around the time of their release but still haven’t received any shipping notices. I’m guessing the move is impacting things and my orders might be combined but I’m just curious if I’m the only one still waiting for my Lil order...

Morphine

In the bottle: a thin opium smoke scent.

On skin: this is pretty. Opium is dominant, unsurprisingly, but it’s not a heavy black opium scent, not floral but smoky. It makes me think of a thin, hazy curl of smoke, like a veil. Ghostly and ethereal, ‘skeletal haze’ is pretty much an accurate description. The orris and sandalwood add a dry, almost dusty or powdery scent. I can’t smell the plum or the tuberose yet but this is very pretty and has a vintage feel to it. It reminds me of When Nothing Was, that same haze of opium, but less dark. It also reminds me of the opium from Red Lantern, but without the caramel note that amps on my skin.

Over time I still don’t smell the plum or the tuberose, but the opium has become a little smokier (but never overwhelming) and the musk seems to come out more. The crystalline musk is a soft white musk to me, and a gorgeous one. Slightly sweetish and close to the skin, it supports the opium beautifully. The scent speaks of faded yet timeless glamour and mystery. Really glad I bought this on a whim, normally these notes don’t grab me, but I’m really interested in Berlin Cabaret and the Weimar Republic (the scent is inspired by Anita Berber) so I had to try it and I’m so glad I have a bottle.

I am so chuffed to have a bottle of this. And it's a cobalt bottle!

In the bottle: BLUEBERRY.

On the skin: BLUEBERRY. Sweet sweet blueberries. Like the kind found in muffins, or a blueberry jam, or really, really ripe to bursting point berries. Glorious blueberries with an extra sweetness but not sickly so. There's vanilla in here to boost the sweetness, it smells a bit like the vanilla-blackcurrant combo of Eat Me, but without the cake note. This smells like it could be the filling in a cake though. It's foody, I don't really get musk or non-gourmand notes, but the sweet undertone might also contain tonka or maybe an amber of some kind, along with vanilla.  If you hate blueberry you won't like this at all. I myself am firmly in the love camp when it comes to blueberry, and this is the perfect showcase of this fruity note.

In the decant: bubblegum and smoke/metal.

On the skin: at first, the bubblegum pops (pun intended) out immediately. It’s the same ‘urban bubblegum’ scent from Pop! in that it smells like strawberry bubblegum but with a scent underneath that evokes the city, a kind of metallic ozoney scent. but then it changes. Soon, the smoke from the gunpowder comes out and I swear I smell the sharp blades of swords clashing, and then some notes of cologne come out, like the perfumes of the past. Lilith the Explorer? More like Lilith the Time Lord!

The perfumey backdrop gets stronger, I don’t smell powder as such but it does smell like a masculine cologne, with a gritty undertone. Not as much bubblegum now. The drydown is cologne. (I don’t really get the snuff, unless the cologne smell has a tobacco note of sorts?)

Verdict: imagine if Doctor Who had smell-o-vision. This is would be an episode set in revolutionary France, in scent form. There are the smells of history exploding to life. Muskets and cannons fill the air of Paris with thick smoke, blades clash, sparks fly and the perfumes of soldiers and aristocrats collide. And over it all, the playful note of bubblegum, almost like the scent of the Doctor, whimsically anachronistic. This really is time travel in scent.

Bottle? I think so, because it’s such a unique and unusual scent, the kind of evocative ‘story in perfume’ that Beth excels at.

In the bottle: spicy chocolate biscuits!

On the skin: HOLY MOLY this takes me back to the Marche de Noel in Strasbourg. It’s because of the biscuity note. Other than the lebkuchen (I don't smell much gingerbread for the moment), I’m not familiar with the other sweet treats listed in here but on my skin it reminds me of ‘bredeles d’Alsace’. They are the Christmas biscuits of Alsace and they come in nutty, cinnamon-y, chocolate and gingerbread-y varieties. I remember trying them out in Strasbourg, many of the stalls giving out samples, and this reminds me of that experience! It’s floury, a bit buttery (but not overwhelmingly so!), sugary and nutty and chocolaty and spicy. There’s also an oaty/cereal-like note that reminds me of Full Moon Flakes, but in here the chocolate is stronger and the oat scent is less dusty.

Then the scent changes again…and it smells like fried doughnuts! I smell icing sugar on top of something hot and sweetly greasy. Now it reminds me of Salzburg. I had some doughnut-like fried pastry things there, maybe that’s the mutzenmandel? They were fluffier and lighter than the usual fried doughnuts. In there, the smell isn’t overwhelmingly greasy, the powdered sugar seems to dominate (there’s some cinnamon sprinkled in there as well), along with a cup of dark hot chocolate. I don’t get much of the lebkuchen (gingerbread) but what I do smell is yummy enough.

Verdict: like a winter version of Midway. This is a scented trip to some of my favourite Christmas markets in Europe. There’s one thing missing from this…gluhwein. A mulled wine note will really make it smell like a festive market. I might try layering this with Gluhwein or another wine-centred scent, and a gingerbread scent, and maybe a snow scent, for the full Weihnachtsmarkt experience.

Backup: oh yeah.

In the bottle: incense-think a cross between resins and incense ashes.

On the skin: this is so pretty. I was expecting something a bit like the old Salon scent, Cloister Graveyard in the Snow, but this is a little different. Less snow, more incense. The first thing it reminds me of is Under the Mosquito Netting from the Shungas. It’s incense with something that reminds me of lemon. Though in here it smells a bit more like pine or even a snow note? It is subtle, a ‘breeze’ as the description states. The incense is dominant here, a soft smoke wafting from a church. I smell sandalwood or some kind of wood, as well as frankincense, but it’s not RESINS, rather it’s more like the wisps of smoke left behind after a service. In fact, it smells almost a bit more like Eastern incense (more like fragrant wood). Not nag champa per se, but something that burns in a stick rather than a censer. It also reminds me of the incense note used in Mystical Aphorisms of the Fortune Cookie, but without the cookie.

Over time this smells like hazy incense and…candle smoke! Yes! That’s what I get here, the scent of votives that have just burnt out. I love that smell, combined with incense it gives a very meditative fragrance. The cool icy note has toned down, so it’s like being inside the church rather than out in the cold. Then it switches back to a lightly frosty scent mingled with candle smoke and incense. It still has that lovely lemon-like note that adds something almost golden to the scent.

Verdict: like the Barrials, I too went to that graveyard in Salzburg as it was snowing. It was haunting, everything was quiet save the soft crunch of snow underfoot…and then the bells rang. This is a gorgeous scent picture of a beautiful, peaceful experience. It makes me feel calm just smelling it.

Backup: definitely.

In the bottle: heady gluhwein. I know it’s meant to be kyphi but it has a spiced mulled wine scent that fits with the whole Euro-Christmas theme of the series!

On the skin: fizzy? I know ‘lime spar’ is mineral lime, not fruity, but I swear I smell lime fruit here. It smells very effervescent. In fact it has a similar overtone to the Bears of Berlin scent. Maybe it’s the labdanum? At times it smells like white wine and then juniper and a scent that’s almost metallic, which I guess is the iron oxide or the copper. Underneath it, the scent of warm spiced red wine and aged resins-the myrrh is strongest. I get a sense of past and present, ancient Egypt meets modern Germany. Desert spices and embalming resins with overtones of metal and bright city lights and a steaming cup of mulled wine.  The beautiful queen has awoken after thousands of years in a strange new era, a strange new town.

Gradually the resin and spice comes to the fore. The myrrh and cinnamon are dominant, but then the labdanum really makes itself known. The fizzy metallic note from before has toned down a lot and now it’s all about the spicy myrrh with sticky sweet labdanum.

Verdict: this is gorgeous. I wasn’t sure what to think of the metal-mineral fizz at the beginning but then the myrrh and wine and spices turned this into a thing of beauty.

Backup? Most likely. I bet this will age like a dream.



At The Krampuslauf

In the bottle: fruity snow with grape juice.

On the skin: this is very snowy! The snow note in here is like the one in Snow Bunny or Snow Angel, a sweet, slushy note with pine and berry accents to it. the berry-like nature of the scent is enhanced by the children’s gluhwein, which is a kind of red grape juice on my skin. Sweeter and less heady than the usual BPAL red wine, this is a kind of fruit punch scent with a little bit of what could be citrus peel? But the snowy note dominates. I don’t smell leather, but compared to Ted’s Krampuslauf scent, this is much more fruity and heavier on the ‘BPAL Snow’ accord whereas Ted’s is more frosted lavender Dorian with a hint of leather. Gradually the red fruity note morphs from grape into something almost like maraschino cherry on me, before it ends up smelling a bit like the port note from past Yules, maybe the Port Jelly scent from the Miskatonic collection. The snow note has turned into a crisp icy juniper now. It’s interesting but I smell something in here that reminds me of plastic, like the plastic of a Krampus mask perhaps? Normally I’m not keen on it but it works here.

Verdict: this is a fun, playful Yule scent! I was kind of hoping for more of the leather to add depth and darkness, but the snow and fruitiness go nicely together.

Backup? I’ll keep this bottle, but I prefer the Post’s Salzburg Krampuslauf scent. I might experiment with layering the two…



In the bottle: yummy milk chocolate!

On the skin: ohhh! This is the perfect milk chocolate and amber. It’s like Gelt, but with a paler, cooler amber note. The white amber has a more perfumey smell (it’s the amber from 51), less vanilla-like than the golden Gelt amber, but it blends really nicely with that milk chocolate, which smells creamy and smooth like a Galaxy bar. It’s not icy like the Chocolate Slush smell, I don’t smell any obvious snow or frost notes here other than the slightly chilly amber note. The amber is almost skin musk-like to me, weirdly warm and cool at once. It almost reminds me of Bastet’s Amber by NAVA, but a bit stronger and more upfront on my skin. Chocolate and amber are in equilibrium for a while.

Over time it becomes a crystal shard of amber dusted with chocolate. Not too sweet. There’s a dry quality to the amber, in the way that white wine is dry (but it doesn’t smell like white wine.) Then the chocolate and amber seem to take it in turns as to which one is strongest.

Verdict: I think this might be my favourite chocolate-amber because the white amber note tempers the chocolate’s sweetness and makes it a sophisticated gourmand, rather than a purely foody scent. If you like Gelt or Chad, you must try this.

Backup: Very likely.



In the bottle: buttered rum with a bit of honey.

On the skin: is there cider in here? I smell something reminiscent of a crisp fizzy apple. But it’s predominantly the buttered rum, which isn’t as strong and cloying as Kill Devil or Grog were on me. This rum is sweet and caramelised, a dark spiced rum with golden honey on top. The whole thing reminds me of a mix of hot mead, mulled cider and rum punch, like what you’d have at a European Christmas market. The clove isn’t blatant, but its warm spiciness seems to enhance the scent’s festive feel. The weirdly cider-like note then tones down and the rum and honey melt into each other really nicely. The labdanum is there, that syrupy resinous base grounding the sweeter notes, and I think there’s a hint of tonka (in here, it has an almost woody smell) and furry musk too.

Over time I smell more of the musk, it’s similar to the musk in Black Bear Moon, but without the berries. It definitely smells furry though, a bit like the brown fuzzy musk in the Little Brown Cat. The labdanum’s sticky sweet scent seems to enhance the treacle-like undertone of the rum. The tonka’s a bit more prominent as well.

Verdict: a winner! This is a cosy fuzzy scent that is perfect for the winter months. It’s also one of the few caramelised/rum-based scents that I can pull off.

Backup? Maybe. But I think I prefer Berliner Dom Antics as my favourite Berlin-themed scent of the collection (that I've tried so far).

Does anyone know of a scent called DENN DIE TODTEN REITEN SCHNELL?

It's the name of one of the new claw polishes. As all the others are named after scents, is this one also based on a scent or is it just a stand-alone polish? I do not recall a scent-general or limited-with that name. Is this an unreleased/future scent?

In the bottle: kyphi! A fruity, wine-y kyphi scent with lots of cassia and a bit of anise.
On skin: glorious spicy kyphi. This smells less like Cairo’s lemongrassy-rosy take on kyphi, not as wine-y or ashen as Philosopher in Meditation, it’s more like the kyphi note from the Oak and Kyphi atmosphere spray, or the Chthonic Kyphi incense from TAL. It’s spicy, resinous and complex. Cinnamon/cassia is the most obvious note, but it’s also full of myrrh, frankincense, red wine and honeyed raisins, there’s also a hint of fuzzy sage to it as well. The anise isn’t there any more. I absolutely love the resinous spicy scent this has. It reminds me a bit of Haloa but without the foody notes. It also reminds me of Egg Moon’s cinnamon frankincense.
After a while: it doesn’t change too much but I think the honey and wine aspects of the kyphi become more obvious. The resins deepen further, the cassia becomes warmer. The myrrh is wonderful in here, it reminds me of the myrrh in Priala, especially with the cinnamon, but not as smoky. Something about it reminds me of a couple of last year’s phoenix scents.
Verdict: probably the best kyphi scent by BPAL so far. If you are a kyphi lover, you must get this. It’s brimming with spice and resin and honeyed wine, all in balance. Yule is a perfect time for this scent to be on sale, there’s something almost festive to it because of the combination of red wine and cinnamon, frankincense and myrrh, at times it reminds me of mulled wine in a church during a Christmas service, but it’s got that undertone of mystery and darkness hinting at more ancient, occult origins for this particular incense blend. The great thing is that it’s cinnamony but doesn’t burn my skin. I’m glad I took a chance on this as it’s perfect, I think it will age amazingly.
Is it a keeper? for sure. Maybe a backup?
If you like this, try: Egg Moon, Pliny’s Phoenix, Tacitus’s Phoenix, Priala the Human Phoenix, Oak Leaves and Kyphi atmosphere spray, Saturnian Phoenix, Philosopher in Meditation, Haloa, Cairo, Saint Foutin de Varailles, Valentine of Rome

Sweet Alyssum

In the imp: a sweet, endearing floral. Very springy!

Wet on skin: now it’s a bit greener and also a bit soapy (in a pleasant way).

Dry on skin: a sweet, slightly greenish, slightly honeyed, bubbly floral. It has a kind of ‘soap suds’ or ‘children’s bubble bath’ that I quite like. It has a similar sweetness to some other floral scents like heliotrope or hellebore, but it’s a bit more of a nectar scent, it could get too sweet for me. I am sure this is one of the flowers in Chaste Moon (both versions). There is something underneath it all that could turn to plastic or bitterness, but I hope that doesn’t happen. I must say this is very accurate, it smells like real alyssum!

After a while: this unfortunately develops a slightly bitter plastic with a slightly cloying sweetness. The bitterness underneath reminds me of a similar reaction I got with Evening Stock, but not as intense. I much prefer this to Evening Stock. It still manages to stay quite alyssum-y despite the hints of plastic. This would be much nicer if it wasn’t on my skin! Though with a few more wears it does improve a little, smelling more like the warm and pleasantly soapy smell from before.

Verdict: my friend recently got some alyssum to plant in her garden, and I couldn’t resist the chance to smell it…and I have to say, this note is spot on! It smells just like the sweet, honeyed, candied but also earthy/green smell of real alyssum. The word that comes to mind is ‘frothy’, because it reminds me both of an almost effervescent mass of tiny alyssum blooms bursting from the cracks of garden paving, and also because it reminds me of bubble bath! It’s a very pretty and complex single note but my skin does some strange things to it, making it a bit too soapy and sweet. I have a feeling this would be even nicer as part of a blend rather than on its own. As this smells much nicer before I apply this to my skin, I think I would love this in a room spray or even a candle!

Is it a keeper? on its own with nothing added, probably not, having said that, it is growing on me…I’d love to see more blends with alyssum in it.

If you like this, try: Fairy Hordes Attacking a Bat spray, Chaste Moon (both), other floral single notes such as Devil’s Trumpet and Evening Stock

Lunar Eclipse (April 2013)

In the imp: pale, cool, musky iris with something sharp and perfumey.

Wet on skin: herbal notes reminiscent of camomile and hay, iris and blue musk.

Dry on skin: this is very pretty! This has a similar ‘chilled pale musk and iris’ note to Yaksh and the Cold Hour of Dawn, but the white tea makes it even sharper. This tea note can be quite piercing, and it is quite strident in here. I think the blackcurrant also adds a tart fruity scent. The yarrow and mugwort have a kind of ‘herbal tea’ smell in here, they remind me of camomile and sage. The white musk is more like blue musk to me; it has that airy freshness to it. It is pretty but I hope that the amber and patchouli make an appearance.

After a while: nooo, my skin is eating this up! I hoped the darker, deeper notes would show up, but it seems not. The scent seems to be disappearing, it’s like a faint iris and white tea perfume now, with a bit of blackcurrant.

Eventually it becomes a bit amber-y but it’s still dominated by that white tea, which is quite astringent, too sharp for my tastes. The scent overall is still too faint. Where’s the patchouli?

Verdict: I tried this a few times because I really wanted to like it, I collect the eclipse scents, but as far as throw/scent strength goes it’s the weakest of the eclipse blends. I suppose this fits the event itself, which was the subtlest of eclipses, the umbra just about touched the moon. But the scent is too faint for me to appreciate it; I’m surprised by how little patchouli and amber I get here. I really like the blue musk and iris combination, but the white tea note used in here seems to be similar to the one in Half Elf, which was a really sour white tea. It’s not as sour here as it was in Half Elf but it’s still too piercing and insistent. I think the currant is sharper than usual, I hoped for dark sweet fruitiness but it’s more like tangy redcurrant than blackcurrant. A shame, I hoped this would be a nice ‘lighter’ take on the eclipse scents, but it didn’t work out.

Is it a keeper? no. I’ll stick to the original Lunar Eclipse, Penumbra and Senelion for now.

If you like this, try: Blue Moon (any), Black Moon 2011, The Phoenix at Midnight, Yaksh, The Cold Hour of Dawn

Mayan Chocolate with Annatto Seed, Anaheim Pepper, Cinnamon and Vanilla Bean

In the imp: rich spicy chocolate fudge with a hint of fresh green chilli pepper.

Wet on skin: a dusty, almost grainy note comes out-I’m guessing that’s annatto? It’s still very chocolatey though.

Dry on skin: interesting. It makes me think of chocolate bread (not pain au chocolat, this isn’t buttery) or even a kind of chocolate flour, or dry cocoa mix. The annatto seed is an unusual note-grainy and dusty but not unpleasant. The chocolate is gorgeous-rich and almost fudgy and reminiscent of cake, full of cinnamon and pepper, with the sweetness of vanilla rounding it off. I’ll have to see how the annatto plays out because this has potential to be really amazing.

After a while: it still smells grainy but now smells more like a kind of raw chocolate or freshly ground cocoa beans with a lovely vanilla and cinnamon undertone, and a warm peppery note that reminds me of those chilli flavoured chocolates. This gets warmer, drier and sweeter over time.

Eventually this turns into a glorious spiced brownie! I want to gnaw on my wrist…it has a similar vibe to Boomslang actually. It doesn’t smell like Snake Oil but it has a spicy vanilla and chocolate combination that is reminiscent of Boomslang (as well as the fact that both scents turn to brownies on me).

Verdict: I’m glad I went straight for a bottle of this one. I wasn’t sure about the floury, dusty, almost earthy scent of the annatto at first but it eventually grew on me and the scent developed very nicely on my skin from a dry spicy cocoa mix to something fabulously gourmand and comforting at the end. I love the richness of the chocolate note in here, no doubt given a boost by the vanilla, and the spice notes well balanced-the cinnamon is just perfect here-and they give the chocolate a warm, exotic feel. I have the urge to make ‘Mayan Brownies’ inspired by this scent!

Is it a keeper? Definitely!

If you like this, try: Boomslang, 13 (April 2007), Lump of Coal, Dia de los Reyes, Feast of the Greatly Revered Ones

In the imp: definitely reminiscent of Snake Oil/Charmer, but it also reminds me of WILF and Smut and the other sweet and darkly sexy musk scents.
Wet on skin: this sweetens and starts to develop hints of black musk.
Dry on skin: this is very similar to the first incarnation of Siberian Musk I tried, except there’s something a bit sweet here, almost like it has a tonka or vanilla component. Like that, it seems like the perfect balance of red and black musk (though I think the previous SM was more like red and dark musk, which is less sweet than black musk). I find this much more intense and syrupy than Snake Oil and the black musk aspect of this musk smells a bit like sweet cologne (in a nice way) with a touch of something resinous. It reminds me of the black musk in Minotaur. I am also reminded of Luna Negra, in that there’s an almost fruity feel to this. It’s a very rich, heady musk but I fear it will turn to powder or manly cologne (though that doesn’t happen with Old Demons or Smut).
After a while: the lovely fruity/dark berry scent from before has gone, and it doesn’t turn powdery, but it does smell much more animalistic, more like an untamed dark musk than a sleek black musk or spicy red musk. Not pungently animalistic like civet, but in that feral way that’s found in some of the heavy musk scents or some of the furry, mammal themed scents-though I wouldn’t call this scent ‘cuddly’. I am sure that this is the main musk in Satyr.
Verdict: I think this is slightly stronger and sweeter than the original Siberian musk, but that could be down to aging? They do smell very similar in that ‘blend of red and black musk’ way. Even though I love heavy musky scents similar to this and these blends I feel are the kind Beth really excels at, as a single note I think that this particular musk is a bit too intense? I think it works better in a blend, but without other notes it becomes too much, and there’s a slight cologney/perfumey aspect I’m not sure I’m keen on, as well as a heavily animalistic backdrop which is very sexual and heady but a bit overwhelming too. I think I prefer red musk anyway, which tends to have spicy, fruity or incense-like aspects in addition to being intensely musky.
Is it a keeper? I like it but I prefer this note in blends. It’s too intense on its own, I’d rather it was tamed by other notes.
If you like this, try: Old Demons of the First Class, Smut, Satyr, Snake Oil, Luna Negra, Enraged Orangutan Musk, WILF

Haitian Vetiver

In the vial: the darkest scent ever. Smoky, gritty, sombre, intense, the thickest and heaviest of vetiver notes. The oil itself is gritty and dark.

Wet on skin: still vetiver, now it’s even smokier.

Dry on skin: this may be the vetiver I tend to call ‘evil’ in reviews, but on it’s own it is very multifaceted. The scent is darkly earthy and ashen with nuances of tar, bonfire, charred grasses, and even something vaguely boozy like aged whisky. Or maybe Guinness. This is not the ‘green’ vetiver with its hint of citrus, nor is it the ‘chocolate’ vetiver, there’s no sweetness in here. It’s also a world away from the sandalwood and incense-tinged ‘khus’ note. This vetiver is almost savoury-there’s even something to it that reminds me a bit of Marmite, of all things.

After a while: there is a moment when it turns unnervingly meaty-almost like beef stock or Bovril (beef extract), which is not something I want to smell like! It also develops metallic undertones, as well as smelling like ashes and burning. I am sure this vetiver is used in Malediction, Brimstone and Saturnalia.

Verdict: this is a little bit like ‘getting to know my note nemesis’, but I’m glad I tried this-it’s a fascinating note. If it were a colour it would be so black that light cannot escape it. If it were a sound it would be that of an erupting volcano, the distant thunder of an approaching storm, the rumble of an earthquake-something primal or even apocalyptic. It seems sinister yet oddly grounding, gloomy and full of forboding with its heavy smoke and ash and brimstone notes, but also rich and organic with almost stout-y or even meaty aspects, but it lacks the chocolate nuances I get from some of the heavy vetivers (I think the Bourbon vetiver may be the sweet one?) Needless to say it’s not something I’d wear much but again I’m in awe at the complexity of these single notes.

Is it a keeper? No-it’s not my favourite note, but testing it was an interesting adventure for my nose…

If you like this, try: Brimstone, Malediction, Saturnalia, Sloth, Love’s Torments, Nephilim, Samhainophobia

Solar Phoenix

In the imp: a mix of sweet golden fruit, camomile tea and savoury bay.

Wet on skin: very reminiscent of some other sun-themed scents like Labores Solis and Helios, but more herbal and with added pineapple.

Dry on skin: I love this! It’s warm, balmy, fruity and golden. The pineapple is there but it is subtle-adding a sweet undertone without smelling like a pina colada. The camomile is a very soothing scent here, and it reminds me a bit of sun-warmed hay. The bay isn’t as heavy as in Delphi, but it adds a hint of pleasant herbiness. There’s a gorgeous rose note-reminiscent of white rose, but smoother and softer. The frankincense is that wonderful, golden variety from Helios, it smells almost like it’s been infused with saffron. Not much cinnamon or heliotrope yet. This has a feel to it that reminds me of a lazy sunny afternoon.

After a while: the bay note slinks away into the background leaving a lovely, shimmering, almost fuzzy scent of rose and camomile tea with sweet, juicy pineapple, and a fantastic spiced frankincense note. It reminds me of Pallas Athene by now, probably because of the frankincense and cinnamon.

Verdict: this is a wonderful solar scent-resinous, herbal and a tiny bit floral-reminds me of Helios, Ahathoor, Labores Solis and Sol Niger (prototype), but it’s different to the fruity/sweet/amber-y sun scents lik Ra and Sol Invictus. It’s a scent that captures the laid back, happy aspects of the sun…the scent of warm dried grasses and herbs, freshly bloomed roses and notes that remind me of holidays in far away warmer climes, be it by the Mediterranean (the bay laurel) or somewhere closer to the equator (the pineapple). Perfect for those dreary days when I feel like I need a bit of instant sunshine.

Is it a keeper? Yup-I can’t wait to get my bottle!

If you like this, try: Sachs, Against Idleness and Mischief, Helios, Labores Solis, Pallas Athene, Ahathoor

Cheshire Moon 2013

In the imp: grapefruit, lemon…and SNOW? Yes, this appears to have the snow note-the one from Blue/Yellow Snowballs. It also reminds me a bit of fizzy lime.

Wet on skin: much tangier and less sweet than the original. It still smells snowy.

Dry on skin: this is very heavy on the citrus, with the zesty, juicy grapefruit taking the lead. It smells like fresh grapefruit juice, not too bitter but it is tart. Lemongrass is also more obvious but isn’t shrieking its head off like it can do-this is more like the gentle lemongrass from Skytyping with Chemtrails. The lemon balm also adds to the citrus feel. It feels very effervescent, a bit like lemonade or 7up. I can’t smell much cherry blossom or guava and I was hoping to smell papaya but I can’t detect that either. The most surprising thing about this scent is that it has a snow/ice/winter air note, a bit like Whirling Wind Moon, but with fruit instead of flowers. Something about that snowy backdrop seems to turn to ozone on me and it’s also a bit soapy. Maybe that’s the lunar herbs?

After a while: the snow/ozone/floral backdrop gets really soapy and perfume-y. The lemongrass is also sharper than before, and the grapefruit now has a bitter peel scent to it. I’m not so keen on this by this point. I much preferred the sweet pinkness of the original. I was hoping to get papaya and guava here but there’s nothing that reminds me of that in here.

Verdict: if the original CM is a scent reminiscent of spring, this is most definitely a winter scent-which I suppose would fit as this scent was released in January. Very different to the original, which was all about the cherry blossom and guava, a fluffy, fun pink scent with very slight accents of citrus. This is the other way round-it has a yellowish-white-silver feel, cold and airy with frosted citrus and only subtle hints of sweeter fruit and cherry blossoms. I was a bit surprised as to how ‘snowy’ this scent is, reminiscent of some of the Yule scents, and it’s the ozone-scented snow note that I’m not so keen on. The citrus notes are also a bit too overwhelming, turning to cologne at times. I loved the original so I’m a bit let down by this version-maybe if I got more of the papaya and guava I would have preferred it.

Is it a keeper? no, I’ll stick with the first release.

If you like this, try: Cheshire Moon (original), Aizen Myoo, Schrodinger’s Cat, Skytyping with Chemtrails, Yellow Snowballs, Whirling Wind Moon, Night Gaunt

Pumpkin II 2012

In the imp: this reminds me of L’Autunno bath oil meets Pumpkin Latte. Sweet patchouli and mossy wood with pumpkin and coffee.

Wet on skin: very reminiscent of the more autumnal patchouli scents, but with a buttery pumpkin backdrop.

Dry on skin: this is very much like the autumnal ‘forest floor with a foody sweetness’ patchouli in Tricksy and L’Autunno bath oils, and also reminds me of Falling Leaf Moon. But the scent this reminds me of most of all is Arcana’s Leaves Falling Like Rain! It lacks the spices, and it is a bit more pumpkin-y, but there is a similarity in that coffee and earth and decaying vegetation smell. It suits today’s weather (foggy, damp, grey, mild) perfectly. The teak adds a rich woody undertone, and the tonka sweetens everything up.

After a while: now the cypress comes out, and it has that wonderful sappy/resinous scent to it, gives the whole scent a touch of evergreen, warmer than pine or juniper. The patchouli-tonka-teak (which is similar in feel to Antikythera Mechanism) scent is still going strong but the pumpkin latte smell isn’t as obvious now. The patchouli and wood get stronger and it eventually becomes a kind of warm teak with earthy patchouli underneath, and a waft of something that reminds me of incense.

Verdict: this is a perfect scent for one of those grey autumn days when the fallen leaves are wet and squishy underfoot, it combines the smell of pumpkin latte (not spiced) with that classic October/November forest scent-damp woods, patchouli evoking the forest soil, a mix of deciduous and evergreen trees. It smells dark and humid and mysterious, but the teak and tonka smooth out and sweeten the scent, making it feel cosy. I may well get more of this.

Is it a keeper? it’s potentially bottleworthy, and I’m keeping the tester.

If you like this, try: Halloween at Miskatonic University, Falling Leaf Moon, Pumpkin Latte, L’Autunno, Tricksy bath oil, Samhain, Elegy IX The Autumnal

The Book

In the vial: a slightly cologney but definitely bookish scent, reminiscent of Philologus and India Ink.

Wet on skin: resinous leather and ink, pages and dust, a dash of pleasant perfume…

Dry on skin: this is gorgeous! The predominant scent here is of ink, specifically the same India ink as the single note, with those wonderful resin and sooty/peppery tones to it, but this one has a stronger paper note to it, which reminds me of other bookish scents like Buggre Alle This and Lurid Library. The paper here is wonderfully aged and yellowed, and I’m actually surprised-other reviewers are saying this is leather heavy, but I think this a lot less leathery than the other book scents, this is much more about the smell of the pages rather than the cover. There’s a wonderful incense smoke scent too.

After a while: it smells just like old paper now! Just like a book with a crinkled, worn cover, yellow dog-eared pages falling out…the kind of book that has been read, re-read, read again and loved. A much purer paper smell with printed ink-whereas before it was more like ink that had been written on the page by hand with a fountain pen, now it smells more like the second hand books I’m familiar with. It now also has that old library smell that I love, a tiny hint of bookshelf, a coating of dust.

Verdict: it’s a darker version of Aziraphale, or a younger Dee. It seems as though the pages of this book have been absorbing incense smoke through the centuries, but it doesn’t smell like a Bible in a church-it smells like something a little more magical, more occult, the sort of book that is full of spells or incantations to summon spirits, though the incense does fade to leave a more straightforward ‘old book’ scent. If you missed out the chance to try India Ink SN or have trouble finding any to test, this is the closest in the GC to that scent. That particular ink note seems to be used in there, along with a wonderfully authentic paper note. Of all the book/library scents, I think this one is the most accurate.

Is it a keeper? definitely, and I need to get a bottle one of these days!

If you like this, try: Dee, The Buggre Alle This Bible, Aziraphale, Lurid Library, Philologus, India Ink SN, U (Mutter Museum)

Third Charm

In the imp: yes, this is a Snake-ish musk scent with honey. It reminds me of Womb Furie, but a bit muskier.

Wet on skin: the musk develops an odd ‘peanut’ smell, not so sure about that-I think that could be the cedar or the patchouli (sometimes those notes are oddly nutty on me).

Dry on skin: this could go either way…the musk is incredible, rich and heady and sweet, darkened by patchouli, with a honey note that smells more like beeswax or honey incense. I love the way those notes interact, it reminds me of the Infernal Lover but much better because the honey is more obvious. But the champaca, along with that weird peanut smell and something vaguely herbal (the hemlock?) seem to want to turn this scent against me. There is a hint of something almost ‘dragon’s bloody’.

After a while: thankfully it’s the red musk and honey that seem to win, and I’m glad because champaca tends to do bad things on my skin, but not here. For now the musk and honey, and a bit of patchouli, are the dominant notes, and they smell wonderful. The nutty scent seems to be less obvious now.

Typical, just as I say that it’s not nutty, the peanut butter scent comes back. Drat. And it was so promising before! It then keeps swinging between nutty and musky.

Verdict: I love the red musk here. Love love love it. Combined with the honey, it makes this scent a sibling of Womb Furie or the Infernal Lover, but it’s even richer and sexier-a honey dusted musky incense rather than the purer red musk of IL or the Snake Oil vanilla of WF. But there’s something off about it-weird notes of peanut butter (I’m guessing a weird reaction with the cedar or patchouli), hemlock and champaca seem to get in the way at times, spoiling the glorious honeyed red musk. It’s a bit disappointing but I’ll give it another shot, because I want it to work on me!

Is it a keeper? maybe-I certainly need to retest it!

If you like this, try: Womb Furie, Infernal Lover, Bien Loin D’Ici, Sed Non Satiata, Lust

Smoky Moon 2012

In the imp: incense, like an incense stick but more sophisticated than your average joss stick. It reminds me of one of the Egyptian scents, maybe Great Cry in Egypt, but smokier and more patchouli-ed.

Wet on skin: spicier and woodier now, with elements of saffron, opium and sandalwood (I know, not listed notes) and a bit of grapefruit and elemi.

Dry on skin: smoky and shadowy but also golden and shimmering. The amber, elemi and grapefruit (which is very subtle) are probably the reason for the sparkling accents in the smoke, but I swear I smell saffron even though it’s not listed. The champaca is the same one from Panther Moon, the type that smells like really good quality nag champa, except this isn’t as dark and musky as PM. The patchouli is very incense-y, almost like opium smoke, and quite different to the earthy patchouli I’m used to in BPAL. The orris makes this a much lighter patchouli/incense scent than usual, and the woods add a dry feel to it all. The only downside is that it’s quite faint, like the scent that lingers after incense has been burned rather than the actual burning of incense.

After a while: fizzy incense! It’s a combination of ashes (enhanced by orris’s powdery grey scent) and smoke with an effervescent undertone that is probably grapefruit, maybe combined with davana. It’s still a surprisingly light patchouli-nag champa-wood-spice incense blend, mysterious and haunting, but I was expecting it to be a tad stronger. The smokiness is really intriguing though, it bears a resemblance to light tobacco and opium but is very different too, it’s more like gently smouldering fragrant woods, or like very good quality incense sticks. The amber is surprisingly absent now, I was hoping for it to add a bit of sweetness.

Verdict: the best way I can describe this is ‘glittering smoke’. It’s like a waft of spicy patchouli-dominated incense smoke with something golden and sparkly about it. It’s different to the last Smoky Moon which was silvery, more floral, and with a tobacco note which overwhelmed everything, but the smoke here is not overpowering, it’s like thin streams of smoke from incense sticks in a temple gently scenting the space, along with the smell of the ashes of that incense. It’s a meditative scent, and one of the brighter incense blends. It is different to the usual resin-heavy incenses I gravitate towards, this is much drier, almost dusty, spicy and woody, more about the smoke itself than what produces the smoke. I like it but I’m not sure whether to keep the bottle, I tend to prefer the richer, headier resin incenses with a lot of throw, and this one is very much a ‘close to the skin’ scent.

Is it a keeper? not sure whether to keep the decant-I think the champaca is getting a bit too strong for my tastes as it ages.

If you like this, try: Paramatan, Hippie Ghost, Epomophorus Monstrosus, Kathmandu, Tushamatay, Panther Moon, Evil, Romanti Goth, Thousands of Lights

Mouse Circus

In the vial: salted peanuts and popcorn with a sweet undertone…it smells like peanut brittle!

Wet on skin: salty peanuts and a bit more vanilla.

Dry on skin: this does smell like treats from the fair or circus-caramelised peanuts, popcorn, candyfloss and other sweets…the peanut note seems to fade a little, and the popcorn becomes more prominent. This isn’t buttery popcorn like Shill (thankfully-I found the buttery note in there overwhelming) but it’s definitely salty! The candyfloss/spun sugar notes are gorgeous-a bit sweeter and pinker than Midway, and lacking the ‘deep fried sweet treats’ note in that scent. The vanilla is similar though. The wood seems to ground the scent.

After a while: the peanut and popcorn fade away to leave behind the loveliest scent of vanilla and spun sugar with a bit of sandalwood at the base. The best part? It smells almost identical to Underpants on me! I think the sugar is a bit whiter/pinker than the golden Underpants sugar, but the vanilla-wood combination is almost identical. It also reminds me of the 13 from October 2006. There’s a tiny bit of nutty richness, like the caramelised nuts in CD023, but the full-on peanut scent is gone. I think it smells more like pecans (like Copulating Mice, strangely enough!) than peanuts by now.

Verdict: this is such a fun scent! It fits that particular scene in the story perfectly. I smell pleasantly salted popcorn and nuts and candyfloss, and also a less gourmand furry vanilla-wood base that strengthens and remains once the candyfloss and popcorn are consumed. The scent is almost midway (heh!) between Midway and Monster Bait Underpants, with a bit more nuttiness thrown in. One to add to the bottle list!

Is it a keeper? definitely the decant. Will probably get bottle once I finish the decant.

If you like this, try: Midway, Monster Bait Underpants, 13 (Oct 06 version), CD023, The Snack Hut, Silver Haired Bat, Elephantine Colossus

Mischief

In the imp: intensely caramelised/treacly pumpkin-like Candied Pumpkin or the Honey Pumpkin Stout bath oil.

Wet on skin: interesting. The pumpkin note in here smells RAW! No really-it’s a raw, juicy pumpkin, sweetish and pulpy. I also smell treacle and papery soap.

Dry on skin: a strange but not unpleasant smell. I don’t smell raw eggs, though maybe the caramel note might be a kind of custard/crème brulee, some kind of eggy dessert. I don’t smell maple leaves but I do smell maple syrup. The main note is pumpkin. It smells just like carving a pumpkin-I can smell the fibres, seeds and juice, it smells raw and wet and gourd-like. It’s a vegetal smell and despite the hints of sweetness, it’s not at all like pumpkin pie, buttery pumpkin etc, it’s the first BPAL I’ve smelt with this kind of pumpkin. Other than that I can also smell tissue paper-the kind that has its own floral fragrance-and soap. The clean and papery notes contrast with the foody notes.

After a while: this then ends up like the Honey Pumpkin Stout, but cleaner, less smoky, but there’s some serious maple syrup in here. I was hoping for more of an autumn leaf smell but it’s sweet and sticky syrup. The pumpkin has faded into the eggy dessert backdrop (so now it smells like pumpkin custard) and it still has that clean, slightly cotton-y paper smell.

Verdict: it smells, like I expected, like the Trick scents from a previous Inquisition mixed together (Pumpkin Smash, TP’d Trees etc). It’s a bizarre and slightly cacophonous mix, but it’s not unpleasant. The highlight of the scent is the amazingly accurate raw pumpkin note. But I’m not keen on the heavy maple syrup/caramel and soapy/floral toilet paper scent. It’s a fascinating scent though, totally unlike anything else I’ve smelt before!

Is it a keeper? no.

If you like this, try: TP’d Trees, Egged Mailbox, Pumpkin Smash, Honey Pumpkin Stout, Candied Pumpkin