Kimocean

I'm with GRR on this one. I skin tested it at Will-Call and love, love, loved it! I was so sad to have to wash it off in the shower the next morning (and yes it was definitely still there so it's got good staying power.)

On my skin the spice was a little more prominent with the ginger and the pink pepper taking the lead. I sometimes amp citrus into something unpleasant but the blood orange seemed to behave itself. I'll admit that bergamot is one of my all time favorite notes and this is a beautiful use of it. The florals danced around the outside of this scent, smooth and sexy around the hot hot center.

My prediction is that this is going to be a HUGE hit and make many people's top ten lists. I know I'm going to need multiple bottles of it and I don't do multiple bottles of almost anything.

Yes, it is that good.

ETA: I just came back to this review to make sure I gave Pepper all it's due. I wear this scent more than any other. I love it in my lockets and on my skin. It's spicy, sexy, feminine but not too girly. It's one of the few roses I can wear and actually reminds me of Gypsy Queen in it's ability to be floral without going all old lady/powdery. This scent hits all my good spots--gorgeous citrus, sassy spices, the sweet vanilla underneath and the elegance of a great floral. It worries me that this scent hasn't gotten more love. I hope it never goes away. I don't want to buy multiple back-up bottles because my experience with fruity scents is that they don't necessarily age well but here's hoping I never have to worry about not getting another bottle!

This is a very long lasting blend on me and it goes through multiple stages.

At the beginning, widdershins has it right, this starts out as Sweettarts in Hawaii. I'm amazed that this doesn't have more fruit in the description because it seems very fruity to me at first.

As it dries initially I get a sharp scent that I can't quite identify and lots of tuberose. I still smell fruit, maybe it's the red hibiscus.

After twelve hours of wear the queen is still very much present. She's softened up a bit though and the coconut and ylang ylang are gently wafting around. The tuberose is definitely still present and the hibiscus has moved to the background.

I'm not sure how I feel about this one. The sharpness I'm getting doesn't quite seem right on me.

When I first put this on this morning I got a wash of smokey smell that quickly went away. I guess it was from the incense but it was unexpected. Once Marae was dry the orchid came out to play and reminded me a little bit of one of my all time favorites Vassakassajja. The gardenia isn't too strong on me and I get just a hint of soft vanilla coconut that makes this seem very tropical. Overall I'm very pleased with this scent and I'm certain I will be wearing it quite a bit this summer.

I'll third Cheshire Moon. It is the springiest fruit I've found and it's got great lasting power on me. I'd also recommend The Spell of Amorous Love (Red currant, plum flowers, sake, green tea, and cherry blossom) which is a subtle fruity floral but has the green tea to cut through the sweet/floral notes.

Good luck!

Initially this is lemon cake batter on me but like the cat that is it's namesake it is quick to change and leave only it's smile hanging in the air. That smile is made up of a gorgeous soft fruity floral with just that hint of lunar mystery that so many of the lunacies have. It's sweet without being cloying or too young, citrusy without being too sharp and just enigmatic enough to leave you wanting more. This has quickly become a daytime spring favorite for me, I'm reaching for it when I want to smell like that crazy Cheshire cat grin-- Happy with a twist.

I've hesitated to review this one because I can't quite get a handle on it. I've had a decant of '05 for quite a while now and just didn't find myself wearing it but when it came round again I thought I should have another decant so I picked one up of '07. I've worn it several times now and each time I waffle over whether I like it. It's soft and lovely with a definite wisp of snow that seems to blow through. The throw is moderate and the stayin power is amazing...so what's not to like? I keep getting a hint of "new doll" scent from this on my skin. It's not all the time, but something about it goes a touch powdery/plasticky. I want to like this and I can completely see it's potential so I keep trying it, keep giving her a chance to shine as she ages or as my skin chemistry mellows but I can't quite get past the sweet plastic powder doll head smell and that's not what I want to smell like.

I really, really, really want this one to work on me, but I'm afraid my hope may be in vain I should know better because scents like O and others with amber and honey turn absolutely nasty on me and this seems to be following that pattern. It starts off absolutely gorgeous on me. The musk is perfect, the currant adds a hint of sharpness that really works against the sweetness of the amber and honey but then...about two hours into wearing, the daemondrops and the amber/honey start amping up like someone poured bottles of them over my head. They get sickly sweet and so so strong. It's such a strange reaction but seems to always happen with my skin. It's practically nauseating and makes me VERY, VERY sad and jealous of all of you who can pull off honey and amber and smell so dang sexy!

Luckily I get a little more wear time than many here seem to since I am absolutely in LOVE with this one. On me this actually lasts quite well in fact though the last phase of it which appears after 5 or 6 hours is very gentle and sweet. Earlier this is a fruity floral with just a hint of tea and sake on me. I too initially thought it was grapefruit but once it settled down I realized it wasn't as sharp as grapefruit usually is on my skin. Overall it is very pretty and feminine and seems like a perfect spring/summer scent. I swear I detect a hint of skin musk in this one too though there's no musk in the notes. This sweet muskyness is what hangs around at the end after the fruit has faded. I wore this one yesterday and still had a gentle hint of it wafting around me this morning which was very, very nice.

Lovely lilies and cherries. This scent has been in my regular rotation lately. It strikes me as lively and feminine with a strong cheerful quality. This is the scent of a woman who knows who she is and isn't afraid to assert her power. She's strong and feminine and NOBODY crosses her.

As it dries both the lily of the valley and the cherry stick around on my skin. It lasts about 4 hours before I need to reapply but it smells so good that I just want to keep adding it all day!

This blend is so complex that I've had trouble nailing down any of the notes. They seem to shift in and out of prominence: pepper, piney wood, amber, sugary honey, some kind of rich spicy floral...carnation maybe? In my locket, the pine and pepper seem to take the lead while on my skin this softens tremendously and the spicy floral sweetness comes out to play with the pepper while the pine takes a seat in the very back of the room. This blend is gorgeous and seems perfect for the holidays to me. I don't often like piney scents but this one just hints at evergreens and as such this Queen has earned my devotion.

This is a lovely blend on me with a delicate jasmine and a soft hint of wood. The floral nature of it does have a a clean fresh feel that could be soapy but it's not that super soapy scent that can come from some things on my skin. Overall it feels like an innocent clean scent. Not me, but very pretty on the right person!

Rapture is a gorgeous strong jasmine with a hint of musk and a touch of rose on my skin. It is heady and gorgeous in a classic perfume kind of way. For me this is a "dress up" scent. One which makes me feel mature and beautiful. I imagine the sillage from this scent staying behind in my wake though I don't think it's actually that strong. It did not go powdery on me at all which is unusual with jasmine scents and I didn't get that soap scent either. Definitely a keeper for me.

I picked up a bottle of this at Dark Delicacies today and put it on imediately. I love anything Beth creates with orchid and this is no exception. When this is wet it is super earthy. Dark, deep earth with a hint of pine wood. Then the glorious orchid blooms. It's a quiet orchid as most orchids are; their heady scent sliding slowly around you, whispering sweet sensual things in your ears, refusing to be ignored but not because it's loud or tawdry. This orchid is pushing up through the dirt, carrying the scent of the wooden box beneath. This is a dark scent as fits the name and inspiration.

I initially decided against buying this scent based on the description. I thought it had too many white florals and would be too much "old lady perfume" for me. Boy was I wrong. Luckily I tried it on at will-call and found out that I am so in love with this scent. When I first apply it I get a strong gardenia and a blast of orchid that reminds me of Vasakasajja (Beth's orchid is one of my favorite notes). As it dries the sandlewood becomes more evident giving this scent a rich base that somehow reminds me of smooth wood--like a banister that has seen thousands of hands rub over it until it is smooth and soft. There's no wood smell, but just this strong smooth feel that I adore. The orchid dances around the edges and the other florals all blend together to hint at a lush evening garden. I swear I also smell a touch of skin musk in this though it's not mentioned in the description or the other reviews. It's very light but along with the sandlewood it seems to ground the scent a bit and keep it from being heady. Overall this scent has a gentle sophistication with a warmth and sexiness that I don't usually associate with white florals. It's going on my top ten and will get lots of wear. I wish I'd bought a few more bottles!

When I first open this bottle it smells very much like Pumpkin Queen to me, but on my skin it's softer and more citrusy. I get the buttery pumpkin scent first and then the spices and vanilla-ish scent come out to play. As it dries down the lovely citrus notes come out and it gets absolutely gorgeous.

I really like this and my only complaint is that it doesn't stick around long enough for me. The wear is about 3 hours before I need to reaply.

Perfect for Halloween.

Spicy roses/carnations, sweet dark juicy cherries, rich gorgeous fig and a soft breath of honey blend beautifully together here. (Honey and I have a tumultuos relationship. Often we don't get along, but this honey is rocking my world with her soft gentle smoothness). Oh how I love this scent. It's unlike anything else I've smelled and very different from my usual selections from BPAL but for some reason it totally works for me. Maybe it's because balance is one of my life quests...I'm always seeking it and trying to understand it.

This has great throw on me for about 6 hours and then BAM it's completely gone.

I don't have a whole lot to add to the previous reviews except to confirm what a gorgeous red this is. No hint of the orangey quality you sometimes find in reds but a lovely dark red with a hint of blue and the texture is smooth and silky and so far no chips for me (of course this is only one day but in my line of work getting through a day without chips is a small miracle).

~Kim

I tried this on at will-call and really fell in love. I've been looking for a great orchid scent and this just might be it. It's a gorgeous orchid with just a touch of sweet softness. It reminds me of Vassakassajja and that is a VERY good thing!

Definitely going to need a bottle of this one...especially when my Vassakassajja runs out.

Dark, sexy, smokey, sultry and utterly, utterly me. I am in love. This does remind me of Schwarzer Mond on my skin but a smidgen sweeter. I definitely get a hint of cola smell sometimes from the opponax/bisabol myrrh but I love how it swirls and sparkles with the deep deep musk and the rich heavy myrrh. Ohhhh yeah, this blend is a perfect fall/winter scent for me. The throw is gorgeous and as it has aged it has only gotten better. I'm SOOOOO glad I got a bottle of this!

On my skin this is strong, slightly plastic violets. I don't get any of the spices and it smells very different from Skinny Dip Buttercream to me. As it dries I get a hint of something sharper and almost sour.

Overall this one isn't great on my skin.

Frimp from the lab of Seraglio:

Wet this hits me over the head with almond but luckily it quickly fades on my skin as I am not an almond scent fan. The next wave which is also very strong is orange oil. To me it's the scent that I smell when I first break into an orange peel, strong, sharp and unmistakable. As this calms a little bit there's a hint of spice behind it, but I still get mostly orange oil. The combination makes me think of orange spice tea which has never been a favorite of mine. My skin tends to amp anything citrussy and this follows the pattern with the orange dominating throughout the drydown. It's too sharp and orangey for me

Frimp from the lab, Ophelia: I was doubtful of this one. I like rose scents but both lotus and stargazer lily often turn me off. On my skin, this is wet white roses and is very pretty. The lotus adds a hint of sweetness but doesn't do the evil bubblegum thing that it does in some other blends for me. The rose is true though damp, like white roses just brought out of the refrigerator at a florist on a hot day with beads of condensation on them. Overall I like it though I'm not sure how often I'll wear it.

Just had to note how perfect this quote was for Ophelia!

Beautiful from a distance, but only up close do you realize that this scent is pretty dead in the water.

When I first put this Bloody Mary on I was afraid...very afraid. Not of the possibility that it would attract the ghost in the mirror, but of the dreaded cough syrup smell that I associate with almost anything cherry. I hated the awful cherry robitussin that my mother made me take as a child and anything that reminds me of it turns me off immediately. So when this was wet I got that icky, sticky scent and I almost washed her off. But luckily I stuck it out and as soon as she dried down I was so happy that I did. The cherry is still there, but it is real cherry along with a hint of strawberry and sweet powdered sugar. It reminds me of when my grandmother used to serve us sliced up strawberries with powdered sugar over them to pull out the juice. Yummy! The scent continues to mellow but stays present for the entire day. I'm a little bit sad I didn't get a bottle of this one!

I've been so excited about getting this bottle after sniffing it at will call last month. It's not exactly as I remember it, but it's still really gorgeous. I got a lot more wood from my bottle than I got at will-call. At will call it was all brown sugar and patchoulli for me but now I've got the dry raw wood and even the hint of apricot mixing with it all.

I like this one a lot on me and I think I would like it on a guy too. It's a really neutral scent to me.

Mmmm...Queen Mab, why have I not reviewed you. You are a favorite imp and yet I haven't managed to get a bottle of you...all those limited editions come and go, send me desperately wanting a bottle but you stay here, calm, cool, collected and just waiting for me to return to your succulent summer beauty. I reach out and drip you onto my wrists, my neck, my chest and a waft of dark orchid hits me. So sensuous and rich smelling then a hint of rose, of fruit and a soft smooth jasmine flirting with my nose, you get gentler as you dry, your haughty glamour softening into pure feminine contentment, the notes gently blending and playing together on my skin.