zee

I'll use a cocktail stick/toothpick when I'm testing out a new bottle, but when I know a bottle is staying with me I'll tip it upside down (with the lid on, of course!) and run my little finger around the inside of the lid before dabbing it on. I consider that slathering, but I can see I'm not quite the slatherer I thought I was!

Could it be Midwinter's Eve 07? Maybe the H is actually an M? Hmm, I think you could be right! I didn't even consider that it might not be an H, and sniffing it it certainly smells like sugared plums. Thank you, I think my mystery may be solved.

I don't think this instance could be classed as a mis-labeling, but this seems to be the most appropriate place to ask. I've been looking through the untested imps I've received, and one is simply labelled as 'HWE 07'. I have no idea what the full name might be and flicking through my spreadsheet hasn't resulted in anything. Any ideas??

I was very eager to try this scent, as I went on a family holiday to Tintagel a few years back and enjoyed it immensely. And yes, sniffing my wrist brought back memories of strolling around the castle, climbing over the cliffs, having sunday dinner in the back room of a rustic little pub, and being enchanted by model dragons at the back of dusty gift shops. It smells like mulled wine, like herbs and spices, and just like what I'd expect a medieval banqueting hall to smell like. I only have to close my eyes and I'm there, watching jesters perform tricks, topping up my goblet, and watching a rather large roasted boar being placed in the middle of the table. But that's the problem. Do I want to smell like that? I'm twenty years old, not two thousand, and a thoroughly modern girl. I drink vodka instead of mulled wine, I would be totally embarrassed to have someone fight for my honour and I'm way more at home in a pair of jeans than an elaborate beaded gown. I don't want to feel like I'm re-enacting something from the past when I go out shopping, I don't want to feel like I'm a walking history lesson. 'The Sword in the Stone' is my favourite Disney film but this scent still isn't 'me', so into the swap pile it went. This was a few weeks ago. But recently, I gave it another shot. I initially dismissed Tintagel as a room scent because I thought it would be overpowering, and seeing as my room is covered with posters, clothes, lecture notes and miscellaneous objects (I haven't seen the floor in weeks), it didn't seem like 'medieval banqueting hall' was what I was going for. But wanting to get rid of the swimming costume drying on the radiator smell, I dropped some Tintagel into my oil burner before realising which oil it was. But I decided to go with it. A couple of minutes later, my room smelled amazing. I smiled every time I sniffed and even felt a tad more inspired and motivated than usual. My housemates, walking past my open door, would stop and inhale before carrying on with their business. Now my imp is empty and I'll definitely be getting another. This is an amazing and evocative scent, three cheers to Beth for encapsulating the feeling of a legend into a bottle, and making my bedroom smell absolutely gorgeous!

After sniffing this in the imp I happily slathered it all over, not checking the notes as I wasn't in front of my laptop. And WOW. Hello new favourite! It definitely does what it says on the tin, I felt totally sexy. No cherries for me, I got plenty of cocoa with musk and a berry wine note. A definite contender for a bottle, if I can track one down. And it provoked a pretty great reaction from my boyfriend, too!

Ohhhhhhh I love it Having seen the pic and read the reviews, I'm so glad I bought a bottle!

I'd love to see a pic of Agape!

As soon as I read about this little lady, I had to have her. And just as I suspected, Dionysia made sweet plummy love to my skin. I was infatuated from the moment I got my first whiff. So often these days I have a one-night stand with a scent only to never call them after. But I can tell we're going to be together for a long time, me and her.

I wasn't expecting to like this one as much as I did. It's certainly strong stuff in the bottle and wet, but in a good way. I was worried that the frankincense would overwhelm the other notes as I'm not big on incense scents, but through the drydown and for hours it hung close to the skin, blending with the other notes and generally making itself useful. A couple of hours later, the scent becomes much sweeter. This stage is also very enjoyable; it's as if our swashbuckling heroine has slipped into a little black dress and gone on a date, while remaining badass, of course. In the space of a day, this scent has crept into my favourites. It definitely evokes images of female pirates, and having had this in my oil burner for an hour or so, my room smells like a pirate ship. It's yummy and sexy. I love it.

This was a total surprise to me - I threw on some oil from my imp just before leaving in the morning without looking up the notes or the reviews. It was an iffy start, I was getting florals and wasn't keen, but when dry it became a deep and creamy plum. I couldn't stop sniffing my wrists all day and nine hours later, it's still lingering near to my skin, and still undeniably lovely. This is a definite keeper and a wonderful surprise, and I'm probably going to be slathering this all over my wrists, neck and hair.

In the bottle: Fresh mint. Wet: Mint, a hint of lemongrass, and some darker herbs beneath that certainly remind me of witches stirring things in cauldrons with black cats rubbing against their legs. Interesting start! Dry: Soap Unfortunately I'd left the house before it dried and therefore couldn't wash it off immediately, and an hour after applying the mint started to amp again, but close to the skin the scent was definitely still soap. One of my friends sniffed my wrist and said she smelled talcum powder, too. Glad I only have an imp of this, I'll probably just dump the whole thing in the bathwater.

This smells exactly like it says on the tin, and remains the same on the skin. Not very strong but lasted for hours on me, and my boyfriend loved it. I couldn't help sniffing my wrist all day, I'll definitely be getting a bottle of this in my next order! ETA: I recently wore this on a night out with the boy, and when I saw pomegranate martinis on the cocktail menu, I had to have one! The drink and my wrist smelled practically the same and now all I want to do is mix some up myself, slather myself in Swank and have a girly night in. Yum!

In the bottle it smelled overwhelmingly masculine, and I wasn't fond at all. I've never carried off masculine scents, and as I predicted, it didn't work well on my skin. What a disappointment. However, on a whim, I put a couple of drops on my pillow just before bed. I'm so glad I did! It smelled like a forest just after a rainfall, with a touch of lemon. Very relaxing, and I'm very glad I didn't just stick this on the shelf in despair. I'm considering seeking out a bottle, or at least an oil burner for the remainder of my decant.

Just bumping this thread to see if anyone had any more smell alikes for Beyond Paradise! It's been my scent for five years now and as a newbie here I'd love to find similar BPAL scents so I can start experimenting to find my favourite notes. I've noted down all the suggestions above and will look into them.

This is fantastic! Will certainly stop me buying repeats as I try to work my way through as many imps as possible.