UltraViolet

This is nicer than I expected. I love Ra The Rising Sun and didn't think the other stations of the sun would hold a candle to that but Khephra is also very nice.

5 minutes

As mentioned above it smells vaguely like cinnamon on the top, nothing like Hamadryad though. Underneath I definitely smell a warming blend of amber and perhaps frankinsense. It has a sweet note and there may be a floral in the background as well but I can't place it. It's like Ra-The Rising son but a bit spicier and less "bright" but both of them are very calming.

20 minutes

It does get mildly powdery (which I love) the longer it stays on.

Thusfar it's got good staying power, there isn't a lot of "throw" to this which is too bad as I feel others would benefit from smelling this.

It's decidedly feminine to me and also it's not "too" anything in my opinion.

I'd say it's a light-medium scent.

Update: I am definitely getting herbal note now that is nice with this. It's very light but it's there.

Wet

It's pushing my nose away yet mercilessly alluring at the same time.

Peppery, perhaps something like eucalyptus. There's a citrus note coming up now and another note that smells woody, almost chocolatey.

I agree it's somewhat medicinal smelling at first.

10 minutes

This is not your mothers patchouli. It's bolder but rounder too. The scent seems to be warming and mellowing. It's more citrussy and spicy now. The spice is either cinnamon or maybe frankincense.

30 minutes

It's got great staying power.

The previous qualities are still there but not as bright. There's definitely something warm now in this like amber. Also there's a powdery note now which is good, this saves this blend from being a strictly meditational or healing blend. The amber quality and the powdery quality remind me of SaintGermain or even Ra-the rising sun.

This is a great representation of the root chakra energy; earthy, bold, energized, sensual and dark red in imagery.

I'd say Fae, Alice, Lucy's Kiss, Bewitched

Red Moon

Wet

Oh my. I smell orange amber and heliotrope primarily, the dragon’s blood herbs and flowers fall underneath.

It’s close to the ever perfect “Seraglio” with that wonderful spiced orange smell but it’s a little brighter.

5 minutes

The herbs and flowers are now coming to the forefront and the orange amber and heliotrope are in the back.

20 minutes

All the ingredients are blended nicely together so that nothing sticks out. Just orange, sweet floral and herbs.

Very Nice. It's sexy and scrummy at the same time. If this was for regular sale I’d buy a 10ml if I could.

Laudanum

This is different and nice. Smells a little like maple syrup with the almost mintiness of the sassafras on the top notes, with the black poppy and myrrh backing it all up quietly. For you color people this is a caramel and muddy brown mix.

5 minutes

it isn’t as bright now but the same lineup is still there.

20 minutes

It hasn’t changed much, I smell the anise like sassafras, and the nutmeg and myrhh make less of a maple syrup smell now, but still yummy.

I would use up my imp but I don’t think I would order more.

Szepasszony

This is a watery blend such as Sea of Glass and Water of Notre Dame.

It brings bright and ice blue white imagery. The white flowers are the undercurrent and a powerful one (for an undernote).

It’s fresh smelling and almost citrussy, as it is a touch sour. It’s watery which is usually calming but again underneath is a fierceness that isn’t allowed to come to the surface which keeps this lively.

This is another nice aquatic scent. I like it better than Lightning, Tempest, Water of Notre Dame, but not as much as the more serene and pretty, “Sea of Glass”. The two are close to each other in the aquatuc blends.

I may or may not use up my imp but I won’t buy more. I like Sea of Glass better.

Wet

The top notes are nice, I like the almost rosey floral on top but unfortunately it's combined with what I call a toilet bowl cleaner quality underneath.

5 minutes

Toilet bowl cleaner smell is lessening and the floral or whatever that is smells nicer. Less cloying and it's showing me the reason for it's name now. The Civet smells like leather, and there's a strong sexual perfume.

20 minutes

Unfortunately this smells like someone's grandmother who's looking for a hot night on the town.

Hope fully I'll find one and give this imp to her.

Bordello

Wet

Mmm. This smells like rasberry candy or something like it.

5 minutes

Oh my, It’s close to “Swank” but doesn’t have that slightly bitter middle note nor the creamy lipstick scent that I smell in “Swank”. It’s less red berry then Swank and more purple berryish if that makes sense.

15 minutes

Someone (Lz) said it smells like “Nerds” candy, the purple and pink ones together. It does indeed, but a little sexier underneath.

I don’t smell the wine in there at all.

30 minutes

The wine has seemed to make itself known now but lightly. I do smell the Amaretto sweetness and the black currant and plum are just heavy enough together to save this from being wimpy. It's lasting ability is better than average.

I would definitely buy a 5ml of this.

At first sniff on my skin there seemed to be a lemony brightness with a rose scent in there somewhere but the rose disappeared after 2-5 minutes. There's definitely an off smell in there, I think xoe was spot on when she said it smells like "Bad Breath". It's too bad that that yukky note is there because there's a lemony scent that is powdery and warm like lemon chiffon and it's nice but unfortunately not nice enough to mask the other smell.

Wet

Ooh, this is nice.

I can't believe how much imagery some scents provoke.

Sea of Glass makes me feel a pure, crystalline like, aqua blue water. Still yet slightly shimmering.

5 minutes

All around the scent is water and right smack dab in the middle of all this watery floral scent is what seems like a pinpoint of light something citrussy and herby, piercing and bright.

15 minutes

This scent has not changed much while being on me for the first time which is refreshing.

30 minutes

I agree with Red_Hot_Mama when she says it's "clear and fresh".

I've tried a few aquatuc scents: Tempest, Hymn, Water of Notre Dame, Storm and this is by far the best aquatic blend I've tried to date.

I would defintely buy this again, it's the epitome of aquatic.

Wow this smells entirely of purple which is what Saint-Germain is all about. I've admired St. Germain very much and I've never found any single note or blend that really represents what he means to me without just being a bunch of lavender. This is it.

It is close to a "commercial" mens cologne but way better. This is indeed one of the nicest lavender scents I've ever smelled and I have many many lavender products including alot of BPAL lavender scents.

For those Lush users this smells quite similar to "Ickle Baby Baff".

It's got the touch of carnation fresh sweetness with the biting lavender and softer moss scent and amber is working it's subtle soft warming magic in the background.

I would definitely buy more of this scent.

I've tried:

Black Rose

Blood Rose

Silentium Amoris

Psyche

Persephone

The Empress

And The Empress is by far the truest, purest rose scent of those. I haven't tried Rose Red (yet).

Wet

Bright yet warm and golden. I've no idea what is in this blend but my nose seems to smell citrus primarily and then what seems like amber, maybe heliotrope and an undertone of a powdery nature, and a bright floral note too.

5 minutes

Turning less sweet and more bitter with an almost lime primary note and the sweet golden amber type note underneath now.

15 minutes

Strong floral primarily with citrus and warm slightly powdery honey'd notes underneath. Unlike some blends the scent of Ra is getting better the longer it stays on my skin.

30 minutes

It's not lingering as much as I'd like but It's uncanny how Beth has turned the ingredients into something that exactly represents the sun; bright yet golden, powerful yet comforting. It is a masculine "yang" energy that emits from this scent but not so masculine as to feel too agressive. There's that beautiful little powdery warm golden note in the background that keeps this comforting.

If I had the opportunity I would actually buy another 5ml if I ran out.

Wet

Lovely, wow. I get a strong but nice citrus scent that must be grapes and a spicy floral that is just pure gorgeousness. It reminded me a little of "Hamadryad" or even "The Caterpillar" because of a perceived bright greenish note but it's more fruity and more floral than those.

5 minutes

Wine and nice tobacco with a smokey note in the background

the brightness of the citrus is gone now and replaced by more muted notes.

15 minutes

Alot more of a eucalyptus scent has come out now with the tabaco and the greenish spicy floral in the background.

30 minutes

This smells similar to "Samhain" now but a touch sweeter because of the sweet tobaco smell. It's nice.

Edited to add: Well I spoke to soon, it changed once again to more of the original scent but not as "wow'. It's now brighter and more floral with wine and a little more better with a slight eucalyptus smell.

I wish I could've captured the first 2 minutes and frozen it because it would've been right up there with the great BPAL scents but alas my skin turned it into something that is good but not great.

Samhain 2004

In the bottle: It smells more foody in the bottle, like candy apples.

On Application: Buttery at first, then turns into more of an crisper Autumn scent after about 10 seconds.

On Dry Down: smells like apple cider with a distant small of leaves and trees.

The epitome of Autumn.

Samhain 2005

In the bottle

A vaguely fruity spicy blend.

On

damp woods, fir needle, and black patchouli with the gentlest touches of warm pumpkin, clove, nutmeg, allspice, sweet red apple and mullein

Ooh this blends with my skin chemistry in a good way! While I think the patchouli is almost civet-y I also smell lovely spices like allspice, and I smell the sweet red apple too.

Now the fir needle is coming into play and this adds a smell that is SO good.

I don't smell any pumpkin nor clove on my skin.

30 minutes

It dries down so lovely. It's more foody when dry on me, but not definitively so. It's warm, fruity and mildly sweet..and very addictive.

Throw:

average

Scent category:

spicy/foody/green/incensey

Summary

It smells very very similar to Samhain 2004. I've got them side by side and really, I can't tell the difference, maybe the fir needle and patchouli are more present but that's about all the difference is on my skin. They do dry down differently on me, 2005 is nicer, rounder, sweeter and even more apple-y, spicy and Autumn like.

I still like Pumpkin Patch 1 as my primary Autumn scent but this would be my 2nd choice.

Purchase again?

Yes.

1-5 rating (5 being best)

4

Stepford Wife. *snort*

I'm wearing Samhain during the day and Jack at night.

Or maybe the other way around.

I'm thinkin' "The Empress" smells the closest (so far) of all the rose scents that I've tried thus far. I've tried about 10 of them. The Empress is in the Tarot oils area.

It has that same fresh Rose Absolute smell and also the musky sensual quality of the sandalwood. Yummy.

Oh my goodness Rainbow I had no idea. I love Amandopondo and I have Dilerium but haven't tried it yet.

I also echo Jazzie Cazzie's combo of 13 Rabbits and Bliss. Yum.

I apologize if I missed it here aready but I like Hamadryad with Flower tub quite a bit.

There similar with they're woodsy, green and spiciness.

This is stronger than I thought.

I smell butter, like "Jack" but not as strong.

I can definitely smell wine too and I'm also surprised at how floral it smells.

It's a combination of floral and foody. It's along the same lines as Jack but again, not as strongly foody.

The dry down was better as it wasn't so headache inducing but the necessary smell of the wine was diminished.

This just explodes with vileness at about the 10 second mark. Oh lordy. I don't think so..

Calliope

Wet

At first when wet, it's absolutely delightful and alive with citrus. The orange and bergamot are primary.

Drydown

Boy does this fade fast. This is only 1 minute later folks. Now the Thyme is present and the almond.

Dry

I smell thyme with a tad of lemon verbena.

I don't know why this faded so fast, I was elated when I first put it on and wondered if this might be my new favorite. Perhaps my body chemistry is a little off. I'll try again to see if it stays longer.

Jack II

The new Jack is definitely for the foody types. It smells like butter initially. Everytime I open my imp I get a whiff of purified butter. It's also got a caramel smell, and of course pumpkin.

It smells like freshly made caramel corn mixed with roasted pumpkin seeds.

It lasts a good amount of time and when it dries on my arm I get more of a spicy pumpkin smell,

Quite fabulous.

Goona Goona smells to me like a mix of Water of Notre Dame (or Hymn) and a single note white floral. The floral is stronger than I though it would be.

It is peaceful but in a different way than Tushnamutay. Is says gender neutral but I get a very feminine quality to this one.

It is very peaceful, but more "airy" then the lightly "earthy" Tushnamutay.

I loved Vice as soon as the scent hit my nose. There's not guessing with this one, there wasn't any "hmm, is that clove?" Sweet chocolate cherries is what it smells like. For some reason it's not sickening to me like some ultra sweet ones can, it's yummy.

It doesn't last too long, but it's not one of the shortest lasting ones either somewhere in the middle.

It dries down to more of a marizipan smell on my arm.

I always recommend this one (and Bliss) to folks looking for a foody scent, more so than Dana O' Shee in fact.

This is sooo nice smelling. It's right up there with Swank for me as a top ten BPAL fragrance. One thing that comes across to me is that all the ingredients in this one blend so well. Cinnamon and clove mixed with woodsy and green . They mix really well so when you first try it you don't notice the clove, you just notice a spicy woodsy scent. It isn't until you sniff it a few more times when the notes seperate.

It's also a little sweet smelling. I think it is along the same lines as Lush's Flowertub bubble bar. It doesn't smell exactly like it but you can tell that Elizabeth had the same thought with Hamadryad as Lush had with Flowertub or Gavarnie.

This is a very aquatic scent. I agree with the writer above who says that it wafts and wafts. It is soft yet strong at the same time. It's almost too something.

It does seem to turn inro a dishsoap smell after awhile.

I think I like Hymn better. It's a similar scent but it's not as strong.

I won't be buying it and I probably won't finish my imp.