alyelle

Imp: Dewy grass. Wet: Long grass and vanilla leaves. This might have gone through some bottle shock at first, because my initial sniff test gave me a colossal headache but this time round things were absolutely fine. Dry: Vanilla-strewn grass, potent but very short lived! Barely reached 4 hours. Stars: ★★★½

Freebie from a friend. In the bottle: Amber and musk, perhaps a hint of olive. I don't recognise the names of the last three notes, and google is not much help ("libanon" obviously turns up nothing but references to a country of similar name, though there was a hit for a cedar? "Myrron" gets me nowhere, I'm assuming it's myrrh.) Wet: Very amber more than anything else, and a whiter profile of musk, which is a shame as I love blue. A neroli-like floral, resin (I was right about myrrh...) and the scent of Athenian olive trees. Dry: I've tried it twice now, and twice I've stalled as to what I actually think. It's mostly musk, with a strong backbone of amber and a cloak of incense. Average lifespan of 6-8 hours, medium throw. A baffling experience. Stars: ★★★★

In the imp: Honey mead, candied oranges, the barest sliver of currant and milk, like the crumbs collecting in the bottom of a fruit cake mixing bowl. Wet: Goats milk and musk, chunky segments of orange, plump spiced currants, and a drizzle of honey. Dry: Honeyed milk and currant bread. This lasts forever, it was still going strong at 10 hours, and has a hefty throw. It's also delicious. Stars: ★★★★½

In the imp: Weed and tobacco, dirty tonka, chocolatey bourbon Wet: The. bourbon turns sweet and vanilla-drenched, and the overall effect is not nearly as pungent as the imp suggests it will be. Over the food notes is a layer of bonfire smoke and new age store patchouli. Dry: A deep and earthy bourbon with an almost cliche patchouli; this smells like every rainbow-hatted, hackey-sack-bearing hippy I ever hung out with. A glorious reminder of the years I spent as a teenager, ensconced in spiritual bookstores and crystal counters. Short lived, sadly, and with a strangely mild throw. Stars: ★★★½

In the imp: Patchouli, the weird and horrible poop note that everyone has mentioned above me, oakmoss and lavender. Wet: Above all else, the dirty poop oudh - not unlike the note I get from Follow Me Boy, which I could never get past, though I suspect this one might be bearable with age. There's a hint of sweetness but it's all but drowned out by this nasty nonsense. Dry: FINALLY. Patchouli, spiced earth, spongy moss and a wee bit of lavender - green, brown, and a dusky lilac grey. The first five minutes had me very worried, but the drydown gave me hope, and after it settled, it remained a delightful sweet-and-spicy blend. Very long-lived on me, and surprisingly mild once the opening notes die away. That oudh is something else though 😕 I will have to ensure I don't put this on as I'm running out the door, I couldn't bear to inflict the early stages on anyone else. Stars: ★★★★

I have multiple Hexennacht's; this is for the 2019 version. In the imp: Fir, sweet sandalwood, and the dusty pine-needle floor, topped with grass and amber Wet: Very amber in the base, covered in lush summer pines, a full moon and a clear night sky. Maybe just a hint of vetiver. Dry: Soft and sweet vanilla pine. 8 hour lifespan, medium throw; an overall nice pine blend. Stars: ★★★★

In the imp: Lavender, honey, and dew-covered herbs. Wet: Aquatic notes, backed by strong lavender, white sage, a weird hit of fennel, and maybe a touch of parsley? Dry: Quite lovely; there's barely any honey, but the lavender is sweet and lush, tempered by the gentleness of sage and a combination of herbs that smells more than anything like blue eucalypts. Would absolutely invest in a bottle. Shorter-than-average lifespan of 6-8hrs, mild throw. Stars: ★★★★★

In the imp: Strong on the leather, which is indeed very smokey, with hardly any vanilla at all. Definitely not what I was expecting. Wet: Slightly greasy bushfire smoke, easing off to a whiff of floral and a base of leather. There's something familiar about this; it makes me think of a Tori Amos album and scenes from a film I can't quite recall. Dry: Eventually this morphed into a beautiful soft floral, with overtones of leather-bound books and crackling fires. It is such a punch in the face at the beginning though - prepare for some effort in getting acquainted with Liz. Average lifespan of around 8 hrs, medium throw once the initial blast of application wears off. Stars: ★★★★

In the imp: Squashed figs and cherry pie filling. Wet: Pulpy green fig innards sticky with milk, dark black chery syrup. Dry: A sweet, close-to-the-skin cherry, foodie but not overly so, and vanilla-tinged fig juices. Shorter lived, at around 6 hours, with a mild throw that strengthens slightly in the drydown. Stars: ★★★½

In the imp: Exactly what it says on the tin: spicy star anise, moss, and the subtle tannin of matcha. Wet: Strong on the moss, which is very sweet and rich (yet another moss that reminds me of Eve, which is hands down the best moss-driven perfume I've ever purchased, anywhere). A slightly sweet, slightly powdery note from the tea, and soft spices overlaying the whole blend. Dry: Comforting and warm, sweet and sophisticated - it reminds me of my late grandmother, and feels very appropriate to have worn it on her birthday. Average lifespan (8hrs) and medium tending strong throw. Stars: ★★★★★

It has been a long, long time since I bought a blind bottle, but as this is named for one of my favourite poems, I rather felt I had to. In the bottle: Musk, wet red cherries, and a creamy skin note - similar to what I get from O on first application. Wet: Very herbaceous and woodsy, and surprisingly light? Like - my skin has literally just swallowed it whole. Dry: Litte hints of plum emerge after the initial drydown, which I am most grateful for, since that's the main note I bought this for. Sitting alongside it are aethery notes of spring: crisp, clear honeysuckle, soft cherry blossoms, and a fragrant breeze. Strong throw, and despite its initial faintness, it actually lasts forever. Definitely a winner on me and everything I was hoping for. Stars: ★★★★★

In the imp: Lavender and salt crystals. Wet: Heavy on the lavender, herbal with overtones of salty ozone. Dry: A soporific, slightly powdery, lavender, backed by a spine of sea salt and wind. Lifespan of 6-8 hours, medium throw; I love it because I'm a sucker for all things lavender, and would have stocked up on bottles if I didn't already have a lifetime supply of TKO. Will definitely look for it in destash sales. Stars: ★★★★★

In the imp: Snow, ozone, and a thin layer of slushy wet ground. Wet: Bright green shoots peeking through softly powdered snowdrifts, and a carpet of pine needles. Dry: I literally threw this all over the table when I went to do my second wear test, which was unfortunate to say the least, but it did give me a lasting impression. Very soft snow notes, more pine lingering than I'd have expected, and hardly any grass by the end. Short-lived at 5-6 hours with an overall mild throw (for which I'm sure the people who had to share my dining table were grateful...) Stars: ★★★½

In the imp: I hate trying to review anything without listed notes anyway, since there's always that marginal chance it will include cinnamon, but I'm beginning to hate it more because there's always something I know and can't place. This is the bubblegum smell of lotus, the slick ozone of gasoline flower, one of the super white florals that doesn't turn to powder on me (which is a short list but do you think I can pick which of them?), almond, and quite possibly vanilla. Wet: Sugared vanilla, I'm almost sure of that, alongside almond (and very happily, no welts on my skin, so definitely no cinnamon!) Dry: A warm, incredibly comforting scent, with a strong amber floral profile. I still can't pick the floral; my closest contenders are plumeria or stephanotis. Average lifespan with medium throw, lovely for a rainy day. Stars: ★★★★

In the imp: Pine and bark with the nutty note from Black Bear Moon; a very similar structure overall. Wet: Hazelnut and grass, layered heavily over the wood scents to the point that they're almost entirely obscured. Dry: More nutty than woody, with a tempered sweetness from the grasses. A mild throw, for all the amping that the hazelnut does, with a slightly shorter than average lifepan (around 6-8 hours). Stars: ★★★½

In the imp: Moss, pine, and cedar. Wet: Balsam and amber starting to emerge, capped with my favourite moss note from Eve, soft white cedar, and cypress. Dry: Beautifully woodsy, with gentle currents of moss and pine running throughout. Eight or so hours lifespan, with a medium throw. I love this one. Stars: ★★★★★

Freebie with my latest order In the imp: Violet and a dash of tonka. Wet: Oops - accidentally slathered this all over myself. Old English violets, dusty tonka, a slightly grainy note - possibly from the incense? I'm not sure what would give this note but I don't hate it - and a slightly spiced whiff of clove. Dry: Not as intense as the violet from Le Serpent Qui Danse, but very similar, with a gentle added warmth that I really like. Le Serpent has been one of my go to's since I first tried BPAL; this is a serious contender as a replacement or alternative. Longish lived (reached 8 hours and had to shower, but I expect it would have gone at least a couple of hours longer), with a medium throw. Stars: ★★★★½

A freebie with my latest order. In the imp: Smoke and brimstone, the tiniest hint of a sweet bright floral with aquatic tones - almost like a eucalypt blossom or river mint. I see some reviewers have mentioned lemon, which fills me with dread, but here goes. Wet: ... fkn lemon pledge. Gasoline flower, not eucalypt, burned love letters, and lemon pledge. Dry: Strong lemongrass for a short time, and then, mercifully, nothing. I never had to wash this off so it's a small step up from most lemon scents, but not at all what I was expecting/hoping for after sniffing the imp. On me, quite short lived and just a hint shy of the strong throw I got from Whitechapel, but a similar overall effect. Stars: ★½ (I hate lemon unequivocally, but the initial scent was intriguing, I wish it stayed that way)

In the imp: I first tried this years ago, and remember that at the time, I didn't much care for it. That imp (from 2009) is still somewhere in my deep stash, and I'm now curious to see how it compares to a newly made batch. This one is straight up musk, pure and indomitable. Wet: More musk, but with a nicely amping sandalwood that I appreciate. Like Neutral, this has a vaguely aquatic note, which I think is simply what skin musk does on me (worth noting that blends with "pale musk" or "white musk" as a listed note don't behave this way, and from memory, neither does "red musk"). Dry: This dries off into a very pretty musk, much nicer than Neutral (its closest scent counterpart, in my mind) and with more depth. The sandalwood gives a grounded profile, and I suspect is what stops this from triggering a headache when I wear it. Pretty standard life of 6-8 hours, with medium throw. Stars: ★★★★

In the imp: Cherries, cream, and star anise. Very sweet and just a wee bit sickly. Wet: Spiced cherry, thankfully more blossom than candy. Dry: A gorgeous floral cherry, remarkably light and never too sweet. Medium lifespan (6-8 hours) with a mild throw. Stars: ★★★★

In the imp: Something very menthol, but not exactly menthol; it might be wintergreen. Ash, bay (or bay leaf, perhaps), and sage are the only other single notes I can identify. Wet: I don't love applying oils with no notes listed, in case cinnamon or cinnabark somehow worked its way in - I can't always smell them, and I hate finding out via the surprise welts that appear all over my skin. Still, here goes: oak, laurel, probably bay tree rather than bay leaf, ash, sage, mint or river-mint, and possibly eucalypt. Dry: For all of those 27 notes mentioned in the description, none of them stand out over the others. This is a gorgeously blended herbal with a soft base of woods, perfect for stormy weather; it feels like being tucked away inside a dim apothecary's as it pours outside, working your way through cracked leather textbooks as you sip chamomile tea. Long lived, at around the 10 hour mark, with a medium to mild throw. I'd considered half a star less, but I'm still thinking about it a full week later, so I think it's earned all five. Stars: ★★★★★

I managed to purchase this twice without intending to - once in 2014, once in 2021. This is for the new 2021 imp. In the imp: Moss and oak, and something that makes me think very strongly of Eve - possibly heather. Wet: Musk and moss, earthiness from the heather, warmth from the hawthorn. Dry: Very short-lived (6 hours tops!) and with a mild throw, but beautifully crafted. It never stopped reminding me of Eve; it would make a good substitute for when that inevitably runs out/for anyone who couldn't get hold of it. Stars: ★★★★½

In the imp: A beautiful, slightly aquatic scent that reminds me of something from my childhood - either a candy, or some candy-scented stationery, I think. Wet: Minimal application, for which I'm grateful, since this amped A LOT. It's strangely aquatic and floral, and a wee bit headache-inducing. Similar in some ways to a Chloe perfume that one of my coworkers wears. Dry: Sticks close to the skin after it dries down, but is still very noticeable given how much I am this. The synthetic musks that proliferate the commercial market are clearly emulating this musk - which is not my favourite musk, I have to say, others have behaved better. I'll keep this for now to see how it ages and whether I can layer it successfully, but I'm going to have to use something a) overpowering or b) that I amp equally with this. (Or c) both...) Short-lived compared to others, thank goodness, and overall, a miss on me. Stars: ★★½

I have two imps of Katharina, one very new and one from ca. 2015. This review is for the fresh one. In the imp: White musk and the faintest hint of sharp apricot, a blink-and-you'll-miss-it note. Wet: Quite sickly orange blossom with a backbone of apricot, and a musk that tends powdery. I've seen a few reviewers mention the sickly smell in connection to the apricot; I get it more commonly from orange blossom. I had a very similar experience with Hunger, and at this point, I'm not convinced orange blossom is a note my skin likes very much. Dry: A lovely, sweet apricot musk that is worth persevering through the sick stage for. Fairly long lived at around 10 hours wear time today, with a medium throw (stronger as it dries down than the final product) Stars: ★★★½

In the imp: Oak and chamomile, with a hint of fig. Wet: Oak-soaked chamomile flowers, crispy dried tea leaves and sun-bleached fig leaves. Dry: Soft chamomile and sweet rhubarb. Very short-lived, barely grazing the 5 hour mark, with an overall mild throw. Stars: ★★★★★