LyndaM

There isn't much to say about Regan that hasn't already been said, it's exactly as described, orchid and vanilla and marvelous. I love it, it's just perfect for a soothing bedtime scent, or when I just want something light and beautiful to wear. I enjoy wearing vanilla that isn't too foody, and this fits the bill perfectly. I just got my imp today, and it made my top ten (out of 40 or so BPAL imps tested). It is pretty light, I really slathered to get it to the level I wanted it. I'll need to get a 10ml, I think I'd use up a 5ml too fast. I just wish it lasted longer! It was gone without a trace in about three and a half hours. All the more reason to slather, and slather often, I suppose. Edit: This lasts longer than I first supected. I put it on before bed, and I could still smell it pretty clearly in the morning. It made my pillow smell heavenly. I think I overwhelmed my nose with it yesterday and couldn't smell it for awhile. A definite favorite. Update: Almost 100 BPAL scents tested now, and Regan remains in my top 5. There are only a few scents I truly need (as opposed to just wanting and coveting like crazy), and Regan is one of them.

First impression: Warm and yummy, all wine and dragon's blood and a hint of leather. Very sweet and spicy. I seem to be detecting cinnamon. Wet on my skin: Cinnamon Dragon's blood. As it dried down, I caught hints of berry, but the leather seemed to go missing. I got a burning sensation on my skin where I slathered, I might need to dilute this one to wear it as perfume. Dry: the leather note is back, but it's mostly spiced dragon's blood. I wish I could get some of the woods, and bring the berry back! I put a few drops in my oil burner, and it was amazing that way, I actually like it better as a room scent. Each note is more apparent, and it unfolds in a more pleasant way, when my skin isn't mucking it up. I ended up using the whole imp in my burner last night. The front of the house smelled heavenly, and it was still lingering this morning. I like it, but I don't think it will be a bottle. I will keep an imp around to scent my space occasionally.

I SO love Persephone, from the very first sniff. I can see now why so many people rave about it. I got this as a free imp with a swap, and it was a lovely surprise. In the imp, it was all sweet juicy rose. I can't really detect the pomegranate per se, but the rose smells so extra juicy and good, I know the pom is there adding something wonderful. My skin amps rose to the nth degree, which is a good thing, since I love it. Wet on my skin, more of the same, a dozen roses, dripping with juice and sweet goodness. During drydown, it lost just a bit of the sweetness, and became more of a pure rose. Dry, it is one of the best, if not THE best, rose perfumes I have ever smelled. It never becomes soapy or powdery, it stays beautiful. It really gives me a lift; I could wear this anywhere, anytime and feel great about myself. I feel gorgeous wearing this. If I were another person, I would want to kiss me. It lasted well; I'm a slatherer, and it was a bit heady wet. After drydown, it wafted nicely and lasted at least 4 or 5 hours (a long time for me, my skin soaking up scent = desert sand absorbing water). I'm thrilled with it. This might be my rose Holy Grail, depending on how my test of Whip goes. Also depending on whether or not Rose Red is re-released for Yule. Definitely a bottle, it will probably be my first 10 ml bottle order.

Right out of the imp, I loved Bloodlust. It was all cinnamon and dragon's blood, and it worked well for me. Wet on my skin and throughout drydown, the cinnamon died a quick death, and something else came out to play. Maybe patchouli? Vetiver? I still really liked the Dragon's blood note, but the patchouli/vetiver thing? Not so much. Dry, the patchouli/vetiver thing was almost gone, leaving a very nice dark musk that smells glorious on my husband. But I'm bothered by the dominant notes wet on my skin and during drydown, so this won't be a bottle purchase for me.

I was really psyched about Cordelia, and prepared to love it. Apart from the Shakespearian connotations, Cordelia is a character in one of Margaret Atwoods' books (Cat's Eye), that has haunted me since I read it as an impressionable teen. Alas, Cordelia and I were not meant to be. In the imp and wet, the lemon was all I could smell, and it was like a spike through the sinuses. It was a sweet lemon, like a lemon drop candy, but still had that 'furniture polish' tinge that all lemon morphs into on my skin. Dry, it was lovely, and I really enjoyed the wisteria. It's not often I can pick up that note, so it was especially nice. But I just can't deal with the lemony beginnings, so off to a more appreciative home it goes.

All I could really smell of Moscow, whether in the imp, wet, or drying down, was amber incense of headache inducing strength. The florals were mustering an attempt to make their presence known, but the amber just drowned them all out on me. I'm disappointed and a bit perturbed; this was my first BPAL with amber in it that I know of, and I'm really hoping that all amber scents don't do this on me. Not for me, at all. Edited for crapola spelling.

Mmmm, soft heathery goodness. In the imp and wet, heather was the only note I could detect. During drydown, I caught a little tang of the blackberry, and then the two notes seemed to blend together well until fade out. On me this is very pleasant, gentle and light, and fades away after about 2 hours. This seems to be a summery scent; I think it would make a very nice body lotion for that season. I like it, but there are so many others that I love more. I probably won't buy a bottle; at least until I've sampled many more scents, but I'll try to keep an imp around.

I realize the fruity note in Carnal is supposed to be fig and not apricot, however: Carnal's fragrance is identical to the apricot tea cakes my mildly crazy great-aunt used to make when I was a small child. She was a bit of an eccentric; she always had at least 12 cats at any given time, and when I came over she would always give me these little cakes with apricot filling and a nice layer of cat hair on top. I loved Auntie and her cakes, didn't notice the cat hair, and didn't understand why my mother would always quietly (and uselessly) discourage me from eating them. Auntie passed away when I was 10. Carnal took me back 25 years in an instant, to the huge oak table in her big sunny kitchen, eating apricot/cat hair baked goods. My mother was here today when my Carnal imp came in the mail, and we talked and laughed all afternoon about the memories it brought of one terrific lady. This is a must have bottle; I will wear it in remembrance of my wonderful great-aunt Eva, and her boisterous laughter. If Beth comes up with a scent reminiscent of Auntie's Christmas spice cake with cream cheese/cat hair frosting, I'll be first in line!

A paean to true holiness, spiritual purity, and sacred enlightenment. Based on an incense blend sacred to the Virgin Mary: perfect rose absolute and Palestinian Lily of the Valley with olibanum, labdanum, frankincense and myrrh. I was surprised by the strength of the floral notes in Hymn. I expected the incense to drown out all else, as it usually does to my nose. I don't often seek out scents with incensey notes; but I really enjoy frankincense and myrhh at Christmas/Yule time. I'd hoped Hymn would be a nice one to use in the oil burner this winter, but it was more floral than I would have liked for that purpose. In the imp and wet, it was all super strong rose and lily. They are both beautiful notes that I usually love, but really really strong together here, and I was flirting with a headache right out of the gate. I normally slather BPAL florals on all exposed skin, but I knew at first sniff that my usual ways wouldn't be prudent with Hymn. I couldn't really smell the incense at all at that point, so the head-achey vibe was from the great strength of the florals alone. Those of you who like this one and use it as perfume probably appreciate it's terrific staying power! Me? Not so much. I applied sparingly to my wrist, and by late drydown I did like it. The incense came out about an hour after application, and it was pleasant but very understated. It is just too strong when wet for me to use it as perfume, and the frankincense and myrhh were too light for what I'd had in mind. I'll use up the imp in my oil burner, but I won't be ordering a bottle. Edited for goofy spelling errors.

I had expected not to like Black Phoenix at all, as people had mentioned possibly detecting frankincense, patchouli and heavy musk in reviews, and I don't get along with any of the above. But somehow, this works pretty well on me. The only notes I can really pick out are the sweet almond/cherry note when it's wet, and maybe cedar on extreme drydown. In between, have no idea what I'm smelling, but me likey. It makes me think of my grandfather, an amazing and intelligent man. It doesn't smell like anything he ever wore, it just brings him to mind. I think this will be great on my husband (if I can get him to let it dry beyond the cherry beginnings). If it smells as scrumptious on hubby as I suspect it will; it will definitely be a bottle for him. And I'll sneak some for me occasionally, too. Edit: Tried it on hubby, and it was wonderful. A yummy sexy musk note was readily apparent on him after the cherry wet stage. It smelled nothing like it did on me, luckily it was even better.

How is it possible that there is an actual dirt note present in Zombi? Literally the smell of turned earth. The earth note was all I could smell in the imp, and I was fascinated but reluctant to put it on. Wet, the dirt stayed front and center, and was eventually joined by a hint of dead, dry rose petals. The rose was very faint and didn't stay with me at all, it was just little whiffs in between huge wafts of dirt. Dry, the rose was a more noticeable presence, but the earth note is almost overwhelming and just isn't me. It lasted almost forever, after washing I can still smell a bit of dirt on my wrists. Zombi is definitely just as described. It brings to mind new graves with the funeral flowers just begining to decay. It didn't work for me at all, but I can see where others might love it.

I've quickly become a BPAL rose fanatic, and I was happy to try Kurukulla. This is delicious, absolutely bursting from the imp at first sniff, and I loved it. Sweeeet. Juuuuicy. Almost intoxicating. Lotus was a new note for me, and I wondered where it had been all my life. I opened up the imp, and started a new dance; loosely titled "Kurukulla is my new best friend". Then it reached dry down. Unfortunately, at that point I really couldn't smell the rose anymore, it became almost pure lotus. I like it very much, but I wish the rose lasted a bit (well, a lot) longer. I could probably amp up the rose note by layering Kurukulla with London, but I'll wait to buy a bottle until I've tested the remaining rose scents on my wish list.

I love roses, and I love Bram Stoker, so Lucy's Kiss was just destined to work out for me. Another VERY nice rose blend. I've seen this written many times in other review threads, and it's true: Beth does have a way with roses. Nearly every rose scent I've tried so far has made it to the bottle list. The first sniff from the imp is all gentle rose, and I already know I'm going to love it. I can faintly smell the spices behind the rose, but can't begin to identify them. I slathered; my wrists, behind the ears, cleavage and elbow creases. Wet, I realize that I do love it, and it was a good decision to slather, since on me this is very gentle and soft. Dry, it stays almost exactly the same, pure gentle rose with a tinge of something else. It does lighten quite a bit over time, and would need reapplication to remain at the level I like my perfume to be. After about four hours, it was very faint, and I finally understood what people mean by 'soapy'. I seem to like soapy, though, as it was still a very pleasant scent to me. It made my bottle list, I can see myself wearing this during the day, shopping or going about my daily routine. Probably not dramatic enough for me to wear at night, but a solid 'anytime' day fragrance. EDIT: I wear this all the time, I've used up three imps in 6 weeks and have 2 bottles on the way. It is indeed my perfect daytime rose scent. I wear it on days I'm out and about running errands, and it gives me a lift and makes me feel good. I ordered roller bottles for the specific purpose of carrying Lucy's Kiss in my purse.

Venerable Victorian Tea Rose… twisted, blackened and emboldened with wickedness. On me, London is a perfect pure rose, but slightly powdery on the dry down. I don't get any spices at all, but that's just fine with me. I've begun layering it under other scents (most notably Maiden) to amp up faint or missing rose notes, and it works like a charm. Definitely a must have bottle for me; as I think a little touch of rose improves almost any floral. I'm jealous of those whose chemistry amps up rose, I can never get enough!

I didn't like Seraglio at all the first time I tried it; it smelled of pure almond oil, and I didn't give it a chance to fully dry down. After my shower this morning, I sorted through my imps for something to keep the dreary, rainy day from affecting my mood. I chose Seraglio, and this time let it fully dry down. It was past the almond oil within a few moments, and I wondered what I could have been thinking when I decided I didn't like it. Mmmm...delicious and spicy, like dark candied orange peel and cloves, and the barest whiff of sandalwood holding it all together. Warm and exotic. I felt like I had put an aura of gentle heat and spicy sweet goodness around me like a blanket. I really like this. It's going on the eventual bottle list, to be purchased after I buy my must-have favorites. I can see this one growing on me more and more this fall, it was a great mood lifter and brought instant warmth.

Vinland morphed over and over again on my skin; when I finally thought it MUST remain static, it still had notes hidden up its' sleeve. This is the most complicated and multi-dimensional BPAL I have tried so far. I got cinnamon and other spices, light woods, unidentifiable florals*, dark fruit, you name it. Luckily I liked every stage of the scent, and sniffing my wrist became a game: what note will I pick up this time? I do intend to wear Vinland as an occasional perfume in the autumn; but I want a bottle for use as room scent. I put a few drops in with soy wax in my new oil burner, and my entire house smelled delicious and fresh within half an hour. Unique and very pleasant. *I had no idea it was rose until I read the description

My husband loves Perversion on me, and I also got a compliment on it (a rather fresh one, at that!) from an elderly gentleman bagging my groceries yesterday. It's my one and only BPAL compliment so far from a stranger; I plan to wear Perversion next time I go out with my friends to test the sex-aay on the non-geriatric, non-spouse male population. I also second BlueStar's suggestion of Morocco. Yummy exotic goodness.

Midway smells exactly like Main Street, USA, in DisneyWorld to me. We were just there in June, I wish I'd had it to wear then. It's the first thing I thought of when I sniffed my imp. It's LE, but I think there are imps floating around. If you don't have/can't find any, let me know and I'll share a bit of my imp.

Drat! I loved the beautiful rose and sandalwood wafting from the imp and when wet, but Wanton dried down on my skin into pure, Ye Olde Head Shoppe style incense. Unfortunately, this is not at all me. I need to accept that patchouli just does NOT work on me, but I can't resist the lab's descriptions...so I keep trying.

Mmmmm! I love this one. It's hard for me to describe, as I'm having trouble picking out the individual notes. It reminds me of visiting the St. Louis botanical gardens in springtime, with the sun shining, and butterflies flitting here and there. Wet, drying down, and completely dry, the scent stayed the same on me. I loved it from the first sniff. I can't really pick out the carnation, which is a bit unusual as my skin REALLY amplified it in Maiden and Alice. The notes blend perfectly. This would be a great daytime perfume for a picnic, or just out running around. It's another BPAL floral that would be appropriate to wear just about anywhere and be unlikely to offend anyone (like Ophelia). I don't think I would choose Desdemona to go clubbing or turn up the sexy, though; it's just too fresh and innocent. It is a bit powerful wet, but I'm a shameless slatherer.

This rose blend is really wonderful. I'm usually not big on frankincense, but here it just seems to add a rich, spicy layer behind the rose. In the imp, I could really smell the frankincense, with a lighter rose note. Wet, the rose came out very strong, and the frankincense moved into the backround. The two scents went together very well. It reminded me of going to church with my grandmother when I was a child; her wearing her tea rose perfume mingled with the lingering scent of Holy days. The rose was really strong for about an hour, then calmed back into a blend again. Dry, the roses faded a bit, but it was very nice while it lasted. The scent faded away after about 4 hours, but it was still lovely when I sniffed my wrist. I'll definitely keep the imp, but I'll hold off on a bottle until I've tried more of Beth's other rose scents.

Czernobog...this one didn't work for me at all. I was almost afraid to put it on my skin, but I gave it a try. It was just too dark and heavy for my nose, I couldn't pick out a single note until extreme drydown. Then, all I could smell was a very heavy black musk with an undertone of patchouli, and...something else. Something unpleasant. Czernobog is the only BPAL scent I have tried within which I couldn't find a single thing to appreciate, it was all done in by the mysterious evil note. Edit: I'm still trying to puzzle out what didn't work here. I've found that every BPAL musk, including the dark musk, works well on me, so that can't be the culprit. I gave the imp to another newbie, and it had a similar effect on her. This must just be one of those blends; either it works on you or it doesn't. Edit II - Two Years Later: Either Czernobog has changed, or I have changed. I suspect the latter. I got a frimp of Czernobog in my last order. Now it just smells darkly masculine and musky, with a lasting pine note. I cannot imagine what horrified me so the first time around. Still not my thing, but not at all unpleasant.

Wet, Ophelia had a slightly sour note that many roses have on me. That evaporated after about 5 min, then I loved it. It was gorgeous during drydown, and when fully dry it was lovely. A watery soft floral. It smelled pink and white to me, rather than blue as some have mentioned. I think this is the kind of scent you could wear almost anywhere and not offend (if you yourself like it, that is!). Lovely scent. It works very well on my 14 year old daughter, especially. It goes on a bit strong at first, but has good waft and staying power. ETA: How can the flowers possibly smell so fresh? It's as if the folks at the lab picked fresh flowers and forced their very essence into the imp. This doesn't smell like any floral perfume I've ever tried before; it's just pure flowers. I'm beyond impressed with Ophelia.

Based on the description, I would not have ordered even an imp of Perversion. Someone had a partial imp for sale, so I got it out of curiosity. And am I ever glad! In the imp, it smelled slightly boozy and sweetish with a warm vanilla scent. Smooooth. Wet on my skin, it smells of warm vanilla coconut-rum. At this point I can't pick up any tobacco, and I'm not familiar with tonka (I understand this may be part of the 'vanilla' scent I'm getting). If tonka is the secret to this scent, every BPAL scent that includes it is now a must try. A couple of minutes into drydown, I get a slight chemical perfumey waft, but it's gone as quickly as it came. Dry, I seem to pick up all the notes, the coconut and rum, the chardonnay, the tobacco and leather, everything. So rich and smooth. And it's so perfectly balanced and blended into an ideal cold weather scent for me; on my skin it is warm and delicious without being too masculine. Sweet, but not overly so. It also has good waft and lasts for hours. Perversion has convinced me that I should try each and every one of Beth's scents that I get the chance to try; I never would have thought this one was for me. This scent is sooo sexy. I'll be buying a bottle, possibly a 10ml. I can see myself wearing this daily in the autum and winter, and using it in the bath. Did I mention it's warm? I especially recommend it to those who might be scared off by the description; to me, Perversion epitomizes the difference between BPAL and commercial synthetic perfumes.

This was one of the first six BPALS I tried, and I love it. Probably my favorite out of the group, which was comprised of mostly foody/sweet scents. Wet, it smelled almost entirely of milky black tea to me, which was very very nice. During drydown, I began picking up wafts of the linen and ginger, and a most pleasing little touch of lemony goodness here and there. I never really smelled any pepper, but maybe it's contributing to the very mild spice note in this scent. Completely dry, it's milky soft tea with a little touch of lemon and spice every now and again. On my ever growing big bottle list! I'm glad BPAL is relatively inexpensive, or I'd be in the poorhouse already. I'm used to paying the big bucks for chemical-y perfume that doesn't smell as nice or go as far as BPAL; I'm in heaven since I discovered it. White Rabbit is da shizznit, and I need more. Edited to add: Something very odd. I wore this to bed two night in a row, and had terrible nightmares both nights. Might be coincidence, but weird. I rarely have bad dreams.