fairnymph

OLISBOS As for old flames and lovers-they're none left. And since Milesians went against us, I've not seen a decent eight-fingered dildo. Yes, it's just leather, but it helps us out. The ancient Greeks sure weren't shy about taking care of business. The port city of Miletus was once famed throughout the Mediterranean as a source of excellent stone, wood, and padded leather dildos. This scent is the celebration of an age-old pastime: polished wood, well-loved leather, and olive oil. Old leather (!!!!!), aka Dead Man's Hand style leather, some sort of delicious fruity-tart-citrusy note, and a deep wood note - oak, or mahogany, or maybe a sandalwood, or a mixture? Definitely smells polished. But instead of olive oil, I'm getting some sort of delicious fruit. Not that I'm complaining! Ohhhhh myyy godddddd I missed you so, old delicious worn leather. *rolls around like a cat with catnip* Still that delicious citrusy note, though it's somewhat smothered by the leather which is first and foremost - I think it's got to be sweet orange. Yes. This is like Dead Man's Hand layered over Gaiman's Orange with an extra jolt of fresh squeezed OJ. Which may sound strange but it is DELICIOUS. The wood is much lighter on my skin, and sort of musky, so I'm guessing it's either sandalwood or oak, as those are the nicest, sexiest woods on my skin. Still no olive oil, unless it's super fruity oiive oil! Not much morphing here - maybe a little fading of the OJ, but otherwise not much. This has fantastic throw (much like Dead Man's Hand) and I'm really surprised by how faint (and thus unidentifiable) the wood is. I'm leaning towards white sandalwood because it's so light and because this has a musky sort of feel to me, as white sandalwood often does. I completely took a random chance on this bottle and it was a brilliant risk. I am huffing my arm here! Yeah, this is really not a morpher. After a couple hours it's Dead Man's Hand with hints of orange juice and musky sandalwood. All which I adore so it's pretty much a slightly feminized, even more delicious DMH. I am over the moon! Great throw, but it does fade fairly quickly. I have now tried 6 Lupers, and all but one have been fabulous.

Snake oil with a softer chocolate note than in the release version; overall much lighter and less rich/dark/heavy than the released version, maybe bc not aged? I am unsure, but definitely a softer & lighter blend in potency and feel. Not so heavy on the red musk as the released Snake Pit scents.

Dark fruit, almost definitely pomegranate but possibly dark wine or black plum (or some combination these), with maybe a little date or fig as well - surprisingly fruity, overall, but with dark purple fruit reigning. It seems to have the same soft incense and warm, slightly powdery, golden amber base as v3. Good throw and longevity. A deeper and more sensual blend than v3 with the fruit strongly taking the forefront, as opposed to v3 which has the sweet floral and incense/amber base about equal, whereas this is definitely fruit-forward with a much lighter base relatively. I think both versions work conceptually, and I like the floral(s) in v3 and the fruit in v11, but I'm not liking the amber & incense both share as a base, alas. I'm sad bc Hatshepsut is my favourite historical person of all time.

Deep golden, almost light amber coloured oil. Sweet, like baked goods - I can already smell the odd powdery mustiness that they often dry down to on my skin - spicy (in an almost savoury, perhaps curry-ish way), and some dusty-dry wood. Similar, but with the odd addition of something sour, vinegary, a little bit like pickles? I'm pretty sure there is pimento in this, which often goes sour on my skin and smells spicy, pickley& savoury-vegetal-foody all at once. The sweetness reminds me of funnel cakes, a definite pastry note, with a caramel aspect too - this reminds me a fair bit of Red Lantern, actually. It's a brown sugary note too, possibly the one from Sugar Skull. The wood adds dryness and warmth and grounds this otherwise rather chaotic blend, but it's overwhelmed right now. I'm guessing something like red sandalwood, but there could also be multiple woods.There could also be a bit of cocoa here, bc the note combination is so strange it disorients my nose. Slow to dry, but as it does a pleasantly fruity, maybe citrusy note emerges - a berry of sorts, perhaps? Maybe black currant or red currant, or both? I get a bit of an Eat Me feel with this blend overall. The pimento, or pimento-like note (I wouldn't BET it was pimento but it was what it most reminded me of freshly on my skin) is much lighter, less overwhelming and less sour. I am almost positive there is another savoury note, a culinary spice - cumin, to be precise. That I might bet on. It's a weird mix with the sweet caky caramel thing and the fruitiness and the pimento. Cumin is just always weird - and unpleasant - to me in perfume. It reminds me a bit of Miaiphonos bc of the Cumin and overall a bit of Khrysopelex too - certainly a masculine blend. I wish I could pick out more of the seemingly pleasant woods, but they're just smothered. The final drydown is surprisingly well-blended for having so many strange notes you wouldn't think would mesh. Pleasingly, the woods amp up quite strongly in the end and perhaps they are what anchor and round out the blend so much. Definitely some red sandalwood, the same note from Morocco, smooth, warm and creamy without any harsh dryness and maybe a wood that's a little darker and more intense, mahagony perhaps? The odd sour/pickle note still nags away, but it's fainter, as is the curryish cumin. The mustiness I expected from the pastry that was so suggested in the bottle is barely apparent on actual drydown, and the currant(s) note(s) and something like a bit of mandarin, some sweet orange citrus, are holding well. In the end this is creamy warm woods and brown sugar-caramel pastry with tart berries and a bit of citrus, marred by a sour, pimento-pickle like note and a soft cumin. Moderate throw and good to great longevity; unisex. Not for me, but an interesting experience!

ECHO Fam'd far and near for knowing things to come, From him th' enquiring nations sought their doom; The fair Liriope his answers try'd, And first th' unerring prophet justify'd. This nymph the God Cephisus had abus'd, With all his winding waters circumfus'd, And on the Nereid got a lovely boy, Whom the soft maids ev'n then beheld with joy. The tender dame, sollicitous to know Whether her child should reach old age or no, Consults the sage Tiresias, who replies, "If e'er he knows himself he surely dies." Long liv'd the dubious mother in suspence, 'Till time unriddled all the prophet's sense. Narcissus now his sixteenth year began, Just turn'd of boy, and on the verge of man; Many a friend the blooming youth caress'd, Many a love-sick maid her flame confess'd: Such was his pride, in vain the friend caress'd, The love-sick maid in vain her flame confess'd. Once, in the woods, as he pursu'd the chace, The babbling Echo had descry'd his face; She, who in others' words her silence breaks, Nor speaks her self but when another speaks. Echo was then a maid, of speech bereft, Of wonted speech; for tho' her voice was left, Juno a curse did on her tongue impose, To sport with ev'ry sentence in the close. Full often when the Goddess might have caught Jove and her rivals in the very fault, This nymph with subtle stories would delay Her coming, 'till the lovers slip'd away. The Goddess found out the deceit in time, And then she cry'd, "That tongue, for this thy crime, Which could so many subtle tales produce, Shall be hereafter but of little use." Hence 'tis she prattles in a fainter tone, With mimick sounds, and accents not her own. This love-sick virgin, over-joy'd to find The boy alone, still follow'd him behind: When glowing warmly at her near approach, As sulphur blazes at the taper's touch, She long'd her hidden passion to reveal, And tell her pains, but had not words to tell: She can't begin, but waits for the rebound, To catch his voice, and to return the sound. The nymph, when nothing could Narcissus move, Still dash'd with blushes for her slighted love, Liv'd in the shady covert of the woods, In solitary caves and dark abodes; Where pining wander'd the rejected fair, 'Till harrass'd out, and worn away with care, The sounding skeleton, of blood bereft, Besides her bones and voice had nothing left. Her bones are petrify'd, her voice is found In vaults, where still it doubles ev'ry sound. A scent shrouded behind a veil: vanilla orchid, amyris, white sandalwood, grey amber, and tuberose. Sweet - creamy and also a little almost fruity, with bright vanilla, smooth and musky sandalwood, a lovely light, fresh, and springlike tuberose note. Apparently amyris is some sort of resinous balsam/sandalwood. I get quite a bit of sandalwood in this scent, and not the dry sort, but as said, the creamy, rich, sexy and musky sort. There's a slight soapy/cologne note that is probably the grey amber. Lighter on my skin, and very well-blended - I find it instantly more difficult to pick out notes. It's still quite sweet, perhaps even a little sweeter - the vanilla orchid is lightly floral but really almost syrupy in terms of the vanilla, and the tuberose has a sweet fruitiness to it like the note (probably the same) from the La Primavera - this is not the sharp, soapy type that Beth usually uses, thank god! I think there may be an unlisted fruit as well because this is just a tad more fruity than either of those florals can explain. The sandalwoods are so gloriously musky and golden and warm and deep, and the grey amber remains as in the bottle. Oh, this is blossoming so very beautifully! It's becoming sweeter and more fruity, to the point that I am CONVINCED there's actual fruit here - white nectarine, I think - juicy, sweet, but a little tart too. The blend of vanilla orchid and tuberose is both sweet and light fragrant - this is not what I'd call a floral blend, at all, but it has that delicate feminine feel that soft, unassuming florals lend to a blend. The sandalwoods too grow more incredible on my skin, unique to my nose, richer than nearly any I've smelled. Deeply musky in a sweet, definitively feminine way. The feel of this blend - sweet, almost syrupy, musky, fruity and sexily feminine - reminds me a lot of Autumn Moon, but this is less sweet, lighter, brighter, and more musky. But it is quite sweet, and as said, has a syrupy tone that is almost like honey - it's not the same note as in AM, but I do think there is honey here - white honey, light and bright but still with a syrupy edge. The fruit is so similar, too, but I'm pretty sure that the fruit here is white nectarine, and comparing this to Croquet, I feel even more certain. What most amazes me about this blend, though, is how intensely creamy it feels - it must be these amazing sandalwoods, because it is a very musky creaminess. Delicate, blossom-like, bright and joyful feminine florals with juicy, dripping, ripe white nectarine over intensely musky, creamy, vanilla-sweet sandalwoods. Sweetly fruity - almost sticky - and so, so creamy. This is the ultimate fruit-infused vanilla-sandalwood blend with a dash of lovely florals that couldn't possibly offend event he most die-hard floral hater. The grey amber is nowhere to be found, if it was ever even there to begin with. Great throw and longevity, too. Stunning and something I will hoard. I must say...it is ironic something so lovely could be the echo of something so dreadful (see my Narkissos review). ETA: This is the only blend other than La Primavera with a wearable tuberose - one that smells like the actual flower and doesn't amp into a rampaging soapy mess on my skin.

Creamy vanilla & sexy, musky mysore sandalwood (but not red or dark - definitely ivory-toned sandalwood): very similar to Jingo-Kogo but without any citrus and with a richer & stronger vanilla note. It also has great longevity and good throw, much like how J-K is on me. A personal favourite, perhaps the best from the event for my own wear.

Extremely similar to Amaterasu v2, but with a drier sandalwood note and a light leather note (reminiscent of the note in Clockwork Couture Female, so the De Sade/Spanked type leather note, but much softer and more subdued here than it is typically on my skin), a bit less sweet/vanilla, and less musk, but I also really amp leather so this may be more like A. v2 on another person with different skin chemistry.

Sweet, rich strawberry, almost jammy, a little cloying with something dark in the distance, maybe some musk, or black amber. Overall, just a lot darker than I expected, not at all like either released version in any significant way (other than that all have a strawberry note, but in each the strawberry note is different). This does have very good longevity, and it barely morphs at all on my skin from the bottle scent.

Light yellow oil. Peanut butter and JELLY (lots and lots of jelly). Sightly boozy jelly, a mixture of grape and berries - not just pure grape. It's not grape candy, either. It's definitely mixed dark fruit jelly. The peanut butter note is not like any peanut note I've smelled before in BPAL. This literally smells like a peanut butter and jelly dessert of some type - very yummy, so much I want to eat this! And I am NOT a foody. I don't know if I'd wear this, but it certainly requires further testing.

LAVENDER, similar to TKO but a softer scent, just lighter in feel and potency overall - and not remotely like the released version, not at ALL that I could tell in any way from sniffing the bottle. I seriously though it had gotten confused...so I wonder if the bottles I bought will vary from the tester. EDIT! : So, the above notes were from what I smelled in the test bottle. Now that I've smelled the actual bottles I received, they smel quitedifferent from that tester, as follows. The Morocco proto is noticeably but not dramatically different in scent but similar in feel to the released version, and has a lot of complexity - it seems more complex, or maybe less well-blended, than the GC. The tester bottle was minty lavender, but all the actual bottles I got are spices and warm amber and exotic woods and have only a mild bit of the TKO lavender note - and others observed this discrepancy as well so I think it was a mislabeled tester bottle. I haven't skin tested , but in the bottle it's like Morocco with a bit of Lamia v3 (same cardamom note) and a teensy bit of Glowing Vulva thrown in (maybe some teak?), a quite significantly present TKO-lavender note, and then a lot of L'Estate-like amber (golden?) with a fair bit of powdery edge to it. It is a strong scent, like the GC, but perhaps even more potent. It isn't quite as creamy or as sweet as the GC (though it does have some of those aspects), but that could be due to the stronger spice, lavender and amber notes, and again, I have yet to test on my skin.

Sniffed: Pale gold oil. Very different from released O or v5! The amber note smells different, much lighter, softer - reminds me of the note in L'Estate - actually this blend has lots in common with that scent - I think it also has sunflower, that slightly dry, warm floral note. Also some soft floral note that reminds me of Pink Moon 2005 - I think it's that same carnation. Light honey and even lighter vanilla. A little creamier. Much less sweet and much more delicate than the other Os. Wet: Spicier! Carnation for sure, and yep, it's that same note from Pink Moon 2005. The honey is similar too, it's there but it's not prominent as in PM. The sunflower is a tiny bit dusty, but mostly just sort of golden-warm. There is a hint of that cloying plastic aspect that I hate about the other Os, but it's very faint. I think it might be a saffron or a vanilla note that's responsible for that aspect, I've concluded. Also unlike the other Os this has low throw & sticks close to the skin. The honey/carnation combo reminds me a bit of Maiden v2. Dry: Carnation amping and becoming spicier! I think that it's the same note in both PM & M v2 and here. It smells really pink to me; it's bright and girly, a little sassy, but not that sort of intense, clove-y sharp spiciness that some carnations are. It's also velvety in feel without being at all dusty. Carnation rules, with honey & sunflower just below, then more distantly vanilla (very creamy and soft, not too rich, definitely different from the other Os), and lastly very faint whispers of amber and that sharp plastic note. These last notes stick so close to my skin and are so light that I think I can handle them. Later: This feels like a warm golden afternoon in late Summer, but with a bit of bright pink girliness thrown in. Relaxed but not boring, there's that quiet spark of carnation that keeps this from being totally languid, perks it up somehow, but in a way that absolutely works. Very feminine and youthful but mature, not naive. Sweet, but only lightly. Very balanced and seamlessly blended. The honey/carnation combo reminds me so strongly of Pink Moon & Maiden v2; the balance of notes is more similar to PM, but that has other, more prominent that thus differentiate it more. Summary: Nearly carnation SN from a distance! It amps up and holds strongly, giving this scent far better throw on drydown than in the earlier stages. It's softly sweetened by the very true, light, and not at al cloying/syrupy honey note, and ever so slightly powdery from that hazy warm golden amber and almost-dusty sunflower. These are distant, faint notes though. The sharp plastic note fades away virtually completely after about 2 hours. A simpler cross between Maiden v2 & L'Estate, without the other floral notes of either. Shockingly lovely. Good throw and decent longevity. I'm not sure that this is 'me', and I already have Maiden v2 which I adore and doesn't have the briefly annoying wet stage - and also has better throw and longevity and is less 'dry'. But I expect this to be one of the most popular of the new protos.

Blackberry, white gardenia, burnt mandarin rind, Indian musk, khus, and white musk. Dark, intense, a little smoky, masculine. Not what I was expecting! This is all about the musk and the khus (vetiver), though it's a nice light vetiver, not gritty or overwhelming. I definitely get the burnt mandarin rind, though it's light, and a bit of a 'cologne' feel which is probably due to the white musk. Some very light, fresh, and not at all sharp or sour gardenia. It makes me think on the whole of expensive financier's cologne, maybe one who does a lot of business in Japan. No blackberry. Wayyyyyy more mandarin, mandarin galore! As well as some definite lime. Lots of tart, juicy, delicious citrus. Only a lingering hint of smoke. The musk is immediately more apparent, and I also get some sort of a tea note - black or green, it's both herbal and a little citrusy. I get the very faintest hint of unripe blackberries, the kind that make your mouth pucker, that are still hard. And the gardenia remains light, and while bright is not at all piercing but well-behaved. It's sort of a masculine Tis the Voice of the Lobster, but with way more citrus and must less jammy-sweet fruit, and more...suave refinement. Hmmmm. I suspect a sake note in here as well as the tea, because this reminds me a fair bit of The Lantern Ghost of Oiwa, except much more delicious. And definitely black tea. I am getting both more of the vetiver and the white musk, so this is going quite manly, but everything's well balanced, no one note is dominating. Other than the fruit - the lime and mandarin and unripe tart blackberries continue to just blast on my skin - amazing! My skin NEVER holds citrus! Btw, if it's not obvious, this is not a blackberry note I've ever smelled before, and I don't know I'd even peg it as blackberry if I hadn't read the notes. The musk does remind me of Black Lace's, in that it's sexy, sophisticated, and incredibly smooth. It has depth but also subtlety. Some of the citrus/fruit - well, the tarter, juicier aspects - is burning off, but a lovely bittersweet mandarin peel note remains, and the sake has burned off, leaving the mandarin peel, some light cologne-y vetiver, very faint unripe blackberries, and amped black tea (same note from Lantern Ghost, Severin, Famine etc to my nose), over that subtle, masculine Indian musk. I'm surprised because I usually amp musk but this musk, while definitely present, stays close to my skin. The white musk is brighter and more like cologne, and blends with the vetiver note to my nose. Strongly brewed black tea, fainty smoky mandarin rind (and yes, eventually the peel turns to rind, a dried peel note), smooth Indian musk and clean, bright but light white musk-vetiver man-cologne with a whisper of tart, unripe blackberries. I'm not sure I can pull this off - and I like many a manly scent - but I put this in the James Bond category of uber sexy manfume. But more cerebral, much more sly. Another fabulous winner amongst this year's Shunga! Vetiver, blackberry, and white musk fearers - fear not. This blend WORKS and is, like all I've tested in the line so far except for Pink Mood, incredibly well-balanced, seamlessly blended, and complex. Brava, Beth!

On New Year's Day each thought a loneliness as winter dusk descends Desolation at the last moment in the gloaming on New Year's Day: winter snow with lavender, benzoin, lychee, white resins, and a cluster of melancholy, lachrymose lunar herbs and florals. WC review: Wet and early dry stages were slightly sweet, bright exotic lychee and strongly herbal lavender, albeit a very BLUE feeling one (a more herbal and pungent version of the same note in Yvaine), which possibly felt more herbal because of the mentholic eucalyptus. The lychee note is very true, natural, and DELICIOUS. Uniquely faceted just like actual lychee fruit. The white resins and some high pitched florals were also very present initially and for a few hours into drydown. I found these both a bit harsh and they reminded me of the sort of sharp hairsprayish notes in L'Inverno and more mildly in Snow, Glass, Apples. Sadly, this aspect of the blend made the scent one I will not be buying. I do not like pine and pine does not like me, and there was NO pine in this. Also no mint. The snow was that odd indescribable slushy note combined with the eucalyptus for a cold aura. The snow/eucalyptus and sweet, musky (?) benzoin came out a bit more with time as the lavender softened a bit. Yes, I realize musk is not listed but I amp musk and I got some musk from this. After a few hours, this settled into a BENZOIN and musk with a very heavily resiny backdrop. Faint wisps of lavender and lychee very close to the skin. I SLATHERED this and it did fade noticeably, though the benzoin and musk amped.

Sniffed: Root beer coloured oil. Red musk and something else sweet, and some sort of non-obtrusive floral. And some very creamy coconut base. Wet: Coconut, but a black coconut, like Tiki King. This reminds of Shango! Tropical fruits and coconut and red musk, but this is spicier - in a sort of resin/incense way - maybe nutmeg, or allspice? It's not clove or cinnamon, but it's definitely spicy and almost peppery, though I don't get a peppery note. Dry: Oh, I know this spicy note. It's mace! I don't get a banana note, but I get loads of red musk, black coconut, that peppery mace and maybe some other tropical fruits and a light, sweet floral like plumeria. I hate red musk, so I am not a fan. Strong throw and longevity.

SLight, creamy & toasted coconut (seems like multiple coconut notes here perhepas) and ripe fruits (fig quite strongly, the syrupy sweet type from Carnal) with some refreshing white musk and a hint of soft, super creamy white sandalwood. I just went and checked the released version notes, I've never tested nor known the notes for Eden, and yeah...so I guess it's pretty similar to the GC! Actually, I didn't really peg anything herbal, but I do smell a hint of dry greenery that could be the fig leaf note of the GC or something similar. The major difference here is I don't really get almond and if so, it's definitely not the benzaldehydey/almond extract type at all, but very smooth and subtle - and it could be here, because this is such an incredibly CREAMY scent. The fig amps on my skin, really juicy, overripe dripping fruit - too me, this fig note doesn't smell like figs, but reminds me more of white peach or white grapes - but I know it's fig as per BPAL, bc it is exactly that same note from Carnal. It has that unmistakably almost tart, bright edge. I get a bit more of the herbal edge, which reminds me of soft sage crossed with a slightly sharp, brighter grape leaf, so I definitely think this could be fig leaf as in the GC. The sandalwood has amped and is more distinct; less creamy and merged with the creamy notes, and more dry and woody and warm. In fact, now I suspect there are a few sandalwoods - the white type that goes rather dry and sometimes almost too dry/cedary dusty or powdery (but it doesn't here - it's only a dry edge that's kept well in check by the other notes), the red type from Morocco, and the beautifully sexy, musky, creamy and vanilla Mysore type from Echo. The coconut notes are fascinating - I get a toasted, sweet, creamy and foody coconut note that is new to me and I also get the more exotic, darker black coconut note from Tiki King. This reminds me further of that scent bc I'm getting a light citrusy note that I'm positive is lemon blossom - which is great bc it serves to brighten the whole blend beautifully and keep the other notes from being too sweet, woody, or herbal as applicable. Complex & multifaceted but in way where all the notes can be picked out, but complement each other, balance each other, without clashing in the least. This is settling and coalescing steadily over time once dry on my skin, with the fig, though still just barely strongest, fading to a more well-behaved level that allows the other notes to shine through more. Especially the lemon blossom, which has amped into a soft, airy, fresh and almost juicy note that's simply lovely - nothing like lemon peel or verbena, though a tiny bit like lemon candy with the creamy sweetness of this scent - but I'd hesitate to call this blend foody in any way. It's sweet and fruity and has edible aspects, but it's definitely perfume, not something I would categorize as a classic foody - similar to Peversion in that way which also has edible notes but the overall effect is polished and elegant and definitely not something that makes one hungry! The white musk has amped as musks usually do as they dry on me, and its fresh brightness seems to merge/overlap with the lemon blossom in a very symbiotic manner. The sandalwoods are holding, but merging back again into one 'sandalwood' that I can't easily pick apart, as it seemed in the bottle initially, with more of sweet, creamy and musky aspects apparent than the dry, woody, or wram ones.. Now I think I do get the almond milk, but very faintly, much more creamy that nutty or almondy, oddly rich but delicate in a lovely way, and I don't like almond but I like this! It's also possible that I'm getting a grain note, as those smell quite nutty and creamy on me, and I get a total 'honeyed grains and milk' aka Dana O'Shee feel. I totally forgot to mention the honey, but that's bc it's WHITE honey, which is much more subtle, delicate note than regular honey, less syrupy sweet, less golden and rich. This morphs gradually over time so that the final drydown has a lot more of that creamy, rich, luxurious & musky sandalwood but then the other sandalwoods have become distinct again, so the dry wood edge and exotic warmth have returned more strongly, too (basically all the wood has amped).Almost as strong is the coconut, which is now pure toasted white coconut flakes, creamy and sweet and I swear, white- chocolatel-y in a totally realistic way, so a definite cocoa butter note in concert with the coconut. This combination strongly evokes expensive white chocolate coconut truffles with an eye-rolling, incredibly creamy coconut & cocoa butter soft center that melts into your mouth and GLOWS, while the aromatic, slightly dry in contrast, perfectly toasted coconut flakes swirl with the white chocolate shell into that heart of sweet gourmand ivory. Meanwhile, a slightly nutty, creamy note - barley or amaranth - some sweet, light grain that's honeyed and milky (full-fat & creamy, nothing sour or thin or watery about this aspect at all) takes a definite 3rd place behind the aformentioned. The fig has softened into an almost candied note, like fig syrup or glacé fig, and is a subtle background note unique at this point from any other fig note I've smelled, though it reminds me a little of Henri Bendel's Wild Fig - it has that exotic depth, which the herbal note from before accentuates beautifully, because now it seems to be cinnamon leaf that's dry, earthy, softly herbal and lends a faint dusting of sweet cinnamon that's powder-soft and rounds out this well-blended, exotic and extremely creamy scent comprised of softly foody, spicy fig & swet coconut, rich cooca butter, and musky, sandalwood. A drop-dead sexy scent, but subtly so - one that's sophisticated & exotic but also soft, sweet, and utterly feminine. The woman - and it's definitely a WOMAN - who wears this is surrounded by a delicate ivory aura with a golden haze that glows warmly and beckons seductively yet effortlessly. Not a sent I am woman enough to pull off, but another incredible masterpiece from Beth. I am very much impressed! An intriguing evolution, with this blend's only drawbacks being its rather poor throw that fades further to a faintly rich scent which then lingers moderately.

Cool sweet mint, like the minty snow note in Ded Moroz and When the Winter Chrysanthemums Go, pretty much exactly that note except in those blends, the spearmint:peppermint ratio is about 50:50 and here it is more like 70:30, so a lot more spearmint. As a result, it's sweeter, gentler, and also less cool, not as icy, bc it has less of that peppermint mentholic aspect. And, unlike those two Yules, this scent is like 90% 'cool snowy spearmint-forward minty blend' - i.e., it's just snow, but there is a faint creamy backdrop of something else beyond the mints. WHOA, minty blast (sinus clearing!) with the peppermint peeking out a bit more but still definitely in second place, and spearmint still ruling, but now I am getting other mints I think too...chocolate mint, lemon mint, and maybe ginger mint? And definitely some catnip. This feels much more green now, and I almost positive there's thyme and and maybe some geranium Very herbal, almost medicinal, but very pleasant. It reminds me of a snowy Panacea, most significantly Bitch & Ugh minus the citrus/fruit. That subtle creaminess persists and is more distinct though still light - and I can't place it - though I really don't think it's coconut or almond, maybe something like vanilla musk? This reminds me a lot of something very familiar. And I get a faint fresh watery note that I really think is cucumber. Definitely some cucumber; I get more of a darker green, slightly bitter, extremely realistic cucumber peel now in addition to the pulp, which has an almost honeydew melony fruity sweetness that's highly refreshing. The mints have faed a bit, and are the mentholic blast was definite short lived, but the spearmint & peppermint notes have change such that the ratio is more 60:40 now. I like a brand of body products called Deep Steep, and one of their fragrance chocies for body washes and creams and such is 'Honeydew Spearmint' - it's a scent I absolutely adore - and this is almost identical! So there must be a bit of honeydew melon in here, too. This scent reminds me of Tulzcha quite a bit - very, very similar feel - fresh, light, minty, but softly sweet and overall a rather gentle scent with some depth and a surprisngly complex, COMPLETE, 'polished' feel - nothing is missing here. As for the creaminess - it's taken a sugary, almost candied turn on my skin (like in Velvet Unicorn, but it's much lighter & less rich here), and I still stand by the musk presence, so it's like sugared cream poured over vanilla musk. The vanilla musk and the cool, light, polished and absolutely pleasnt feel (as in no one could dislike this) remind me of The Girl - not very much in actual scent, but in vibe & evocative imagery, which is very appropriate for Snow White! The late drydown is quite different, surprising - we're talking like several hours later - an evergreen woodsy note of some type has emerged, it's slightly pine but it's not pine or the most common snow that is harshly piney - I think it might be spruce, bc it has a a dark green-blue feel, quite a bit of depth with a dark edge scent-wise , though there's just a hint of this evergreen note so it doesn't drag down the scent, just adds an interesting facet. There's a very little touch of juniper berry, evoking gin faintly. I also get some Birch, the same slightly sparkling sweet, birch-beer like note from Talvikuu and The Girl - this is also clearly responsible for some of the creaminess, though after several hours much of the creaminess dissipates. Actually, this reminds me very much of The Girl overall now scentwise, because a whole lot of musk(s) have emerged, including pale, crystalline and probably that vanilla one, and the same star jasmine note has appeared, too. I think I smell the white amber, too, which added some creamy brightness earlier but now has gone slightly powdery, and davana could be responsible for the pink-feeling creamy sugar-candy aspect, though the melon still provides sweetness too - much like the candied melon note in Earth Rat. I just sniffed my bottle of The Girl (a scent that doesn't morph from the bottle on my skin so strikingly like this scent), and the resemblance is uncanny. The mints have faded but remain and do make this scent distinctly unique, the melon is virtually gone, and the cucumber is very faint, mostly peel. The thyme note could be immortelle - they're similar types of herbal notes, subtle now. Good throw, and fantastic longevity other than the morphing; as a scent overall, this remains strong, even amps over time on my skin a bit then holds firmly. Basically, Snow White v2 is The Girl minus the slightly cloying ylang ylang, plus a spearmint-driven version of the blended minty snow note, cucumber peel and a little pulp, candied honeydew melon, stronger, more complex, and vanilllic musks, maybe a hint of short-lived geranium as well as possibly some other herbs, especially other mints and then more faintly in the later drydown, a little bit of spruce. It's scent that is absolutely gorgeous at every stage but that morphs quite a bit scentwise, but never loses its essential feel of creamy, elegant, cool, pale musky femininity. In the end, it becomes very difficult to dissect the scent bc of how beautifully and seamlessly all the notes blend into a perfect, shimmering, cool, sweet musky skin-scent that's like a diamond or time frozen - impenetrable and utterly spellbinding in its gleaming brilliance. Absolutely stunning.

POE A melancholy, manic gentleman’s cologne: incense and tobacco, opium tar, juniper berry, bourbon vanilla, patchouli, bergamot, and mossy leather. Sniffed: Light amber coloured oil. Cologney in a traditional, clean masculine way, but with a distinct smokiness (definitely the tobacco, and a touch of incense/tar), along with an almost creamy sweetness. The juniper is lovely in this, almost like Spruce, not the typical juniper note. I do get the earthiness of the light patchouli. Wet: Softer/fainter on my skin - this is a much gentler scent than I expected, not effeminate but certainly not forceful. It's a little sweeter and a little smokier, but not much different from in the imp. Maybe a touch soapy, though in a clean, bearable manner. I get the bergamot a bit more clearly, which is rare in BPAL - it's a lovely, fresh, almost juicy-fruity note here. The leather note, which I can now get with straining, is not De Sade, but neither is it Dead Man's Hand...it's the note from Sacrifice! Yes, really. Dry: Wow, this has really morphed in an absolutely gorgeous way. I get a deep, not dirty, clean but sexy and unisex-to-masculine cologney musk note that I find quite arousing (literally). The vanilla has amped in a beautiful way and merges with the bergamot (which is holding!) to provide a creamy-tart-sweet almost foody effect, a bergamot creamsicle. That soapiness is gone, and the leather and tobacco are now prominent but nowhere near dominating; this is very well-blended and balanced scent. Later: I don't typically like incense or opium notes and the faint smokiness from those puts me off slightly, but every other aspect of this blend is really delicious, and those notes I dislike are quite light and bearable. The leather is a tad powdery/chemically for my taste but not intolerably and I attribute most of it to my personal skin chemistry. The juniper has faded a little (which almost never happens!) and as I noted is really wonderful and unique, a sort of trace-of-forest on the air scent. Summary: While I like this on me, this is something I would certainly prefer on a man and I bet in that case the smoky notes would be sexy and yummy. On me it basically dries down to a slightly cologney, sweet muskiness, but I think there would be more complexity and in the long term states on a man. It has lower throw but fabulous longevity and is both classic and yet quite unique, unlike other colognes that I have smelled or other scents in the BPAL catalogue. I am definitely hanging on to my imp.

Deep reddish-brown, cola-coloured oil. Red musk, black plum, snake oil, brandy. Not all that boozy. Reminds me a lot of Mme Moriarty with extra Snake Oil, and it also reminds me of a Snake Pit blend, or Hellion, although this isn't smoky. It's more of fruity thing, over a slightly boozy Snake Oil base. Not at ALL like the released GG. Personally, I don't like either...though I like the black plum note in this.

Nice, don't recall & didn't take specific notes, a little nicer than v7 I think - fresh, cologney, unisex from the best I can recall. Skin test reveals: LEATHER, not too dissimilar from the one in Sacrifice or Dee, with some woods, a little spice (including some coriander or cumin), and some definite herbs including some culinary ones - maybe some basil or oregano? But it doesn't smell foody, it's more like a manly dude who's been gardening and running around in the forest.

LAIR OF NEFARIOUS MISDEEDS ATMOSPHERE SPRAY A twisted, smoky, power-mad scent that inspires cackling, gleeful wickedness and unchecked depravity. Sinuous black incense, ambergris, polished leather, oakmoss, guiac, and Siamese benzoin. Surprisingly sexy; dark, complex and compelling with smoky sweetness. The notes don't appeal and this is not at all 'my' sort of scent but I instantly realized its objective beauty and masterfulness as a scent. How strange - considering my strong interest in light, effervescent, fresh scents - that this scent would be so much more lovely than the Citadel.

CITADEL OF AWESOME ATMOSPHERE SPRAY Sugary sweet and squeaky clean! The perfect background scent for those who kick ass for the good of mankind! Crystalline musks, spun sugar, ginger lily, neroli, violet feuilles, and white amber. Disappointingly faint and generic, just blah; I couldn't pick out the lovely notes listed beyond a vague sweetness. MEH. I am sad, but will try retesting when my sinuses are less clogged and my olfactory senses improved. But at this point I am deeply disappointed considering that every single note in this blend sounds fantastic and ARE fantastic historically, on my skin at least.

Roast chicken and dark, rich, salty gravy. A very savoury-foody scent.

NOT the same as the proto at the Will Calls or that people won in contests and has been reviewed in the unreleased review forum; much less smoky vetiver, and a lot more sweet, foody cinnamon, but I'll do a side-by-side comparison test when I get a moment with the imp of the contest-version & update this post. I'll be curious to see which version Beth ends up releasing eventually!

Cranberry, thyme, teakwood, mint, cedar, tobacco flower, and red currant. Fresh! Tart red fruits and bright green herbs, with some warm exotic depths. It's absolutely unlike anything else in BPAL and I want to keep sniffing it addictively. The red currant, thyme, mint and cranberry all pop out, roughly in that order but all strongly and yet in harmony. Then comes the tobacco flower, which adds a feminine floral richness - without overpowering, and the teak and lastly and mostly faintly cedar linger warmly below. A fascinating and delicious mishmash. This is sooooo delicious, so refreshing and bright. I'm getting some geranium here, and some sake, and the mint is most definitely spearmint. I get cranberry more strongly than I've ever gotten it in a bpal, in fact on my skin it's almost as strong as the juicy-tart red currant. The sake acts as salt does to food - it brightens and enhances these almost-sparkling notes. The tobacco flower, despite being a heady, rather intense floral in general, stays below these fresh red & green top notes, and the woods too remain distant, though they still add warmth, continuing that interesting juxtaposition of the fresh/bright and warm/dry. Cedar and teak are notes that scare me, but they are behaving beautifully as supporting cast here. There is a very faint cologney soapiness, possibly from the mint (I'm reminded vaguely of Usher), but it's not too soapy - just clean, and another aspect of this very complex and intriguing blend. I am so amazed by how well those bright top notes are holding - they are so persistent, and so utterly addictive - I haven't glued my nose to my wrist like this in ages. Invigorating. The woods have decided to emerge more while the tobacco flower amps a little, and the top notes are losing a bit of their dominance, though they are by no means faint. It's more that the scent is gaining depth and power; oomph. Recall again that I am not generally a fan of either teak or cedar, but they work SO well here - warm, exotic, almost spicy - they add tremendous sophistication to what would otherwise be delicious, but ephemeral and rather simplistic.The mint has faded more than the other top notes, and thyme has held on the best, while both tart red fruits have faded only slightly. Several hours later most of the fruits wear off leaving bright green herbs and rich feminine tobacco flower over warm exotic woods. This scent just blends into itself more and more seamlessly over time; it's totally unique, sort of paradoxical, and yet so incredibly well-blended and wonderfully complex. I love that it's both 'fresh' and sophisticated - scent categories that I find rarely overlap for me. A smashing success far beyond my expectations! Also, great throw and longevity.

Ambergris accord, water lily, freesia, sea spray, molluscan seashell accord, and driftwood. Very light and fresh - almost foamy sea water, a fresh blue-green-white floral note that I assume is the water lily (it's almost aquatic, very clean and cool), and a little bit of fruity-fresh freesia. This has a much lighter and greener feel than I expected. It's cool, gentle, tranquil. I don't get wood, but this has a faint cologne aspect. Still extremely light on my skin - it's just a very demure sort of scent - and what must be water lily really shines. It's a bit brighter and headier, 'whiter' in feel, but still cool and aquatic with an almost cucumbery, grassy aspect. This scent on the whole reminds me a bit of Anais Anais (which I love), but more delicate and innocent. It's only very barely oceanic - it's definitely aquatic, but it's only lightly salty - this isn't ocean water, it's ocean MIST. A bit of ambergris comes out on my skin, adding some musky depth, and a little more freesia, which is very lightly soapy-clean (in a good way) - still no driftwood. Slow to dry, but becoming more floral and definitively feminine as it does so. I *know* this water lily note from somewhere...I think the Black Swan? The grassy note has amped; this is greener, stemmier, and almost a little spicy, while still being cucumbery-fresh. The freesia has gone a bit more soapy, but still within tolerable limits. While I'm not sure what seashell accord is meant to smell like, there IS a sort of chalky, crushed-stone note that reminds me of the note in Julia Stone, or in Sarah (both scents I love), a sort of smooth stony whiteness. And this still smells a little cologney. This remains subdued, and while for a brief period there's a bit of turbulence as notes emerge and submerge, everything settles down quickly into a beautiful harmonious blend. The almost-troublesome soapiness dissipates as does the nearly-sharp greenness of the water lily, while the smooth white stony note amps, and the ambergris softens into a gentle but rather sexy musk. This is not a scary BAM ambergris note - it's a backup player, not a diva as it was in say, Lilith vs the Giant Crab. If there's wood here, it never emerges on my skin distinctly. My only qualm with this scent - which is more beautiful than I'd hoped, so it's a very minor qualm - is that it's only so very faintly salty. I'd love a really BRISKLY salty scent without a lot of overpowering notes, and I've yet to find such a scent in BPAL. As I said earlier, this is sea mist, not ocean water. It's not a strongly aquatic scent by any means. I'd describe it more as clean, soft, green-white feminine floral and smooth polished stone with a bit of salty musk. Sutble and lovely, but with good throw and excellent longevity. Another winner!