GemmaCat

In the imp: sweet, with a little citrus? No wait. . . *sniffsniff* Not citrus but something green, like freshly cut flower-stems. On my skin, initial: more of that freshly cut stem smell; very green and fresh. Drydown: Ahh, now I'm getting the rose; they're dusky and sweet, and the hazel gives this a woody undertone. Overall this is very feminine and very pretty, but the rose/wood combination just isn't for me.

In the imp: woodpulp. On my skin, initial: woah! This is now really strong 'light' wood (like pine), with a little spice. Drydown: the wood note gets even stronger. Not for me, I'm afraid.

In the imp: light, fresh citrus. On my skin, initial: Mmm! Lovely lime (I think this is actually mandarin, but it smells like freshly squeezed limes to me!) and a little sweetness. Maybe the opium? Drydown: pure lime still, with really impressive staying power. I LOVE this scent! So fresh and eye-opening. A bottle will probably have to be ordered very soon.

In the imp: fresh and aquatic at first sniff, but as I sniff more I get this sense of darkness, like a seaside breeze hinting at a storm. On my skin, initial: wow! This is so unusual. It smells *exactly* like the seaside just after a big storm; salty, aquatic, even a hint of seaweed. It also has a slight aftershave quality which makes it more wearable. Drydown: much the same, though a little citrus starts to peek out like the sun through stormclouds. At first I put this aside into my "maybe" pile to try again later. Today I've been horribly depressed, and during a really bad moment I figured that slathering on some BPAL might help me feel better. I chose this scent, and it instantly transported me back to last year when I lived in Santa Barbara, and when I would walk barefoot along the coast; the sea lapping at my ankles, all foamy after a storm, and the wind threatening to blow me over as it dried the tears from my face. I instantly felt better, and because of this powerful associate with a much cherished memory, this is one of my all-time favourite scents.

In the imp: sweet, almost woodsy with a hint of cherry. On my skin, initial: a heady note of something I can't place, with a really pretty, deep sweetness. Drydown: Much the same, but even sweeter. This is a really unusual scent. I can't place any individual notes and just get a generic sweetness, so I'm still undecided on this one.

In the imp: a sweet, unusual smell that I can't place. On my skin, initial: still sweet, a hint of something floral, and a green undertone like freshly cut saplings. Drydown: sweet and fresh. Really quite beautiful. I still can't place any of the individual notes, though!

In the imp: sharp fruit and heady florals. On my skin, initial: Ahh, now I get the peach and it's very bright, but there's something musky lurking in the background. Drydown: the peach is completely drowned out by heady florals. I'm not a floral fan, so this isn't for me, alas.

In the imp: fruity and rich, with an almost medicinal undertone. On my skin, initial: heady, resinous, deep and throbbing scent. Drydown: much the same, but it fades relatively quickly. I had a hard time placing the individual notes in this one, so I've ordered an imp of Dragon's blood itself for assistance. Overall, this is a beautiful scent. A possible future bottle.

Fall under the spell of our Green Fairy! An intoxicating blend containing wormwood essence, light mints, cardamom, anise, hyssop, and the barest hint of lemon. In the imp: Mint and lemon! On my skin, initial: bright, sharp lemon and soft mints. This is so fresh and uplifting! Drydown: this is getting more minty, and less citrus, and there's a strange note I can't place beneath it all that is very pretty. I LOVE this scent! I need a bottle now.

In the imp: almonds and vanilla, with a hint of vetiver. On my skin, initial: the almond and vanilla grows richer with a pine note undertone, giving this a fresh feeling. Drydown: ahh, now I get LOTS of lime, a little pine, and a hint of something spicy. This is complex and fresh, but I'm undecided. I need to test it more.

In the imp: Ooo, gorgeous orange-grapefruit scent! On my skin, initial: complex orange-spice note. Perhaps the red patchouli? Whatever it is, it's fresh and sexy at the same time. Drydown: an almost powdery orange scent, with that lovely warmth from the patchouli. This is *definitely* a keeper, though I need to wear it more before I decide whether I need a bottle or not.

In the imp: potent, woody-musk. On my skin, initial: a spicy-warm wood note. Drydown: lots of ginger, and that wood again. Surprisingly nice considering I'm not a huge fan of wood notes, but not really for me.

In the imp: fresh mint, like when I brush against my mum's mint plant and a waft of the scent hits my nose. On my skin, initial: eucalyptus; really, really strong eucalyptus (is that even in this scent, though?!), and lovely fresh mint. This is clearing out my sinuses, and removing the cobwebs in my brain! Drydown: pretty much the same, but the mint morphs into sweet spearmint, as opposed to pure peppermint. I'm keeping this one for when I have a cold.

In the imp: florals and fruits. On my skin, initial: Uh oh, my enemy has come a'calling; Jasmine! Drydown: a really overwhelming perfumey floral. Curse you jasmine!

In the imp: I can't really place these notes. Citrus? *sniffsniff* Sharp florals? On my skin, initial: Very herbal. I think that's the thyme taking over. Drydown: exactly the same. Not what I was expecting and definitely not for me, but at least I now know that thyme gets amped up by my skin and is to be avoided.

In the imp: very faint sweetness but that's about it. Strangely I'm not really picking up anything for this one. On my skin, initial: ok, now I'm getting something; it's really tangy and kind of herbal. Maybe the heliotrope? Drydown: the faintest hint of peach so that the whole scent grows sweeter, but that herbal note still pervades. Overall this isn't as fruity as I'd hoped for, and not really me.

This was a big disappointment for me, and I curse my skin chemistry! I bought it because of all the lovely "this smells like apples!" reviews, but it didn't work out. Bad skin! In the imp: woah! something really sharp smelling is assaulting my nostrils. On my skin, initial: A really strong soapy smell that is quite unpleasant. I have no idea what this is, but it's yucky. Drydown: the same yucky note gets sweeter and warmer. Not for me, alas, but at least other people have good luck with it.

Simply cool, the essence of Lounge: the scent of a crisp pomegranate martini. In the imp: a faint smell of cranberries. On my skin, initial: tart, biting berries, and more perfumey than most fruit scents I've tried. There's a faint scent of soap, too. Drydown: all soap. Very nice soap, but still soap all the same. Overall, not for me. Even before it turned soapy, the really tart scent of cranberries didn't seem to work on my skin.

In the imp: sweet cherry-cranberry cordial, with a hint of booze. Actually, this smells a lot like a virgin Shirley Temple. On my skin, initial: really fresh and pretty, with a tangy fruit-booze scent. Drydown: much the same, but a little softer and less tart, as if the fruit is ripening slightly. Overall, this is very pretty, very fresh, and the booze makes it sparkly and eye-opening. I want to test this again, though, before I decide whether I need a bottle or not.

In the imp: crowded tea scents, with a little spice and something almost citrusy, like green tea with lemon. On my skin, initial: A spicy-tea note comes to the fore. This has that weird scent like with Bengal; both pretty and off-putting to me at once. Drydown: this softens over time, changing to sweet, faint tea. Overall this is very nice, and a great representation of the silk road route, but it's not tea-smelling enough for me.

In the imp: orange so pure it makes my mouth water! On my skin: Oooo, apricots and a hint of orange. And maybe.. . .yes, some gardenia. Drydown: very sparkly, like apricot wine or lemonade, with that amazingly realistic orange scent lurking in the background to keep this fresh and eye-opening. Overall: Like a lot of fruit scents on me, it fades quite quickly, but it's so beautiful that a bottle is more than likely to sneak its way into my next order.

The essence of ambition, covetousness and manipulation: sweet Bordeaux wine, blood red currant, thyme and wild berries. In the imp: Mmm, slightly tart cherries with something sparkly underneath. On my skin: the berry scent rushes up but quickly mellows out into a complex, rich fruit-wine. Drydown: redcurrent goodness with a hint of booze. Overall: really lovely and complex. It's not a light, bubbly cherry like some of Beth's other cherry scents. This is all grown-up and sophisticated. Another one I need to try again, for sure.

In the imp: Ooo, this is a weird smell. Spicy, sweet, with almonds, and something I can't place; macaroons? On my skin: coconut, cinnamon, and heady ginger. Drydown: even more ginger, with a VERY warm and creamy undertone. Overall: this is an entirely unique, unsual, spicy, hot scent. Very beautiful, but not for me.

A dizzying eddy of four teas brushed with light herbs and a breath of peony. In the imp: fresh, green, with a hint of very light florals. On my skin: green tea with citrus Drydown: this fades very fast but otherwise it doesn't seem to change much, though I'd say the tea note deepens over time. Overall: too light overall for me, but very very pretty and fresh.

In the imp: Oof, cherries! On my skin: hot almonds, faint cherry note, and an unusual spicy smell Drydown: sweet and spicy, soft amber with undertone of plain soap (not unpleasant, though). Overall: it's very nice and REALLY warm, but I'm not sure it's for me. I'll probably test it a few more times before I decide.