fairnymph

Spicy, autumnal (melange of spices, like pumpkin or apple pie spice mix, and well balanced) pumpkin, but not nearly as sweet as I expected. Foody, but not in a traditional baked goods way; it reminded me of Pumpkin King quite a bit, but was softer, foodier and noticeably sweeter. Candied, but not sugary - not a spun sugar/candy floss note as I was expecting, and I'm not sure where the 'blue' came from as I didn't get a blue smell or vibe from this scent. This is quite unique, so yet another reason it reminded me of Pumpkin King, and like PK, this was a more true, cooked pumpkin custard/pie sort of note, not the standard BUTTER/tonka which pumpkin normally registers as to my nose. I think many people would be very happy if this were to be released similar or identical to this version. While it's not my personal type of scent for a variety of reasons, this one seems perfected for what it is (much like Lamia v3 and Jingo-Kogo in that sense - in terms of popular protos - not that this actually resembled either of those blends in terms of the actual notes themselves).

THRIAMBUS A tribute to club life, a modern day hymn to Dionysus: shiraz, clove cigarettes, tobacco, spilled absinthe, latex, vinyl, and artificial fog. Wine, wine, wine - but not grapey, not at all - true Shiraz, Australian-style to a T - with a whole bunch of intensely clove-y, cigarette-tobacco and some rubber. Yes, rubber. It truly smells like what I imagine a Goth club would, but an upscale one with a bound wine list and clientele wearing $800 outfits. Also, I LOVE the greek lettering on the label! A wonderful Dionysian throwback.

Sniffed: Golden oil. Heady florals. Wisteria (?), some obvious familiar floral I can't place, ylang ylang, gardenia. But complex with a lot of depth below; there are a lot of other familiar, heavy/intense florals I can't pick out. Sophisticated, womanly.

Smoky, sweet, maybe a dark fruit; reminded me a bit of Hellion, and some other blend even more so - it's definitely strongly familiar and I'll have to sniff around to figure it out. Possibly Mme Moriarty?

Pleasantly light, soft blend of florals and possibly greenery - a botanical/outdoorsy, classic, inoffensive type of scent. I'm really excited that we might be getting a Byron scent at some point! Skin test reveals: LILAC and a sweet floral that has a fruity tone, such as freesia or hyacinth over fresh cut grass and a little sandalwood. Later I feel like a bit violet comes out and this goes a touch powdery, as well as growing increasingly sweet in a vanilla-ish way -maybe vanilla musk, or honey musk? Creamy and sweet and rather innocent in feel. A light, classic, softly feminine scent that's very well balanced.

In Neil’s own words it is: “Earth and Moss and Heather and Islands...” Sniffed: Sweet, dark soil with a bit of herbal mintiness, earthy oakmoss, and a hint of clean aquatic. Very slightly sweet and even less very faintly salty, almost brackish. Evocative and gender neutral. Wet: Saltier, instantly more aquatic with a slightly, pleasantly soapy tinge; greener and lighter in feel. The soil note fades rapidly while the oakmoss holds. The herbal minty note which is what I suspect is hyssop. The aquatic note reminds me very strongly of the one in Sturgeon Moon - in between fresh and salt water, with aspects of both - the clear, spring-like freshness of a mountain stream mixed with the brackish salty-plantiness of a marsh. Dry: I find this scent very, very deeply evocative and conceptually it's a wondrous work of art. It is a scent that is both primal and outdoorsy - not woody or woodsy, more like a rocky plain with rich soil and loam and moss. I get some fresh greenery, clear and bright - luminous - that I am sure is heather, and further adds to the strong imagery and transportive aspect of this scent. It is a fascinating scent - I cannot stop sniffing it - it draws me, in a way that feels like it is truly otherworldly. Later: There is an assortment of greenery in this blend, and something here is turning slightly but not unpleasantly bitter (ahh! it's dandelion); it adds a paradoxically both brght & dark edge here, an ominous feel. The soil scent still lingers and while I generally dislike soil or dirt in perfume for my personal wear, somehow this is working on me. My skin seems to be amping the greenery, moss and especially aquatic tones, as well as the 'wet rock' note (think Sarah, Julia Stone) and the 'gravel dust' note (from the Traveller) - both stony notes I adore that are always clearly present on my skin. I must eat, but I'll be back to conclude and comment on the late drydown.

Sniffed: Rich golden/pale amber oil. Slightly sharp, bright florals. Maybe something a little grassy? Fresh, spring-like sorts of florals, but quite complex - there is one floral note that stands out that I recognise but can't quite place. A little soapy, mostly in a clean way that's rather nice. Wet: Grassier, soapier. I find this vaguely cologne-y - less overtly feminine than the other AFs. Definitely a mix of herbal/green notes in here - one is slightly minty, I believe hyssop, and then I get something a little spicy, maybe nasturtium? It's also heavier, more floral, so that this is sort of like a white/heavy/classic floral mixed with Garden Path with Chickens. I get a gardenia note, but a once again, a different one from the lower-numbered AFs - each seems to have a unique gardenia note. This is also a little citrusy but in a green way - maybe bergamot? Dry: This has settled down and integrated quite nicely. The gardenia has amped up a bit, but doesn't overpower the other notes, though it does dominate. Once again I get lily of the valley, orchid and I think now some sort of lily. It's a lot heavier and more floral dry - the green/fresh/spicy notes have faded though I still detect traces of them. Summary: There's a sweetness here that reminds me of tonka, and a lunar sort of feel - I'm thinking Lune Noir. I also get a little thyme and maybe some honey, so this reminds me more distantly of Honey Moon a bit, too. All the new AFs seem to have a similar base of gardenia/orchid, but this one is definitely the least unpleasant of them, IMO. Sadly, it's still too heavy-handed on the florals. Strong throw and longevity.

Another one I really wanted to love based on name alone - I adore metal both in perfume and as tactile sustance and abstract concept. I did skin test this one, and got barely ripe, slightly green, sweet-tart NECTARINE with some chrome (maybe - honestly, it could be my imagine as this is on my skin a very smooth scent with that edge I get from metallic notes), maybe the soft leather from U (or it could be that same raw vanilla note as well as a little grassy balsam that reminds me of U) and some sort of creamy, very likely vanilla musk emerged strongly on the dry down, some skin musk, too; reminds me of cross between Ebisu, U, and Fae. This needs a bit of slathering, and doesn't have much throw, but it does hold quite well. I really loved this and wanted a lot of it AND was asked by many to pick it up - so, OF COURSE, this was one of the most popular scents of the night and sold out very quickly. Wahhhh! I need more!

THISBE Diaphanous sandalwood, pink rose, lotus root, lemon orpur, and iris stained by mulberry juice. I tested this at WCWC, and was totally overblown by its loveliness. It has that sandalwood note my skin seems to adore, that's sweet and feminine, and that Echo has. The rose is soft and lush and very well behaved, not leaping to the fore as usual and the mulberry juice is a gorgeous almost plummy, wildberry juicy fruitiness. I don't get the iris or lotus, amazingly! So this turns into creamy vanilla sandalwood with soft girly, fresh rose and juicy berry - but it's a very seamless scent that is unified as a whole in the bottle and on my skin.

ALANA PATEL Plutonian's one true love, newswoman Alana Patel broke his heart--and, in doing so, helped set in motion the series of events that forever turned the hero into a villain. Faded perfume, cigarette smoke, and gin. Only sniffed, but I got generic cologne and stale cigarettes, just unimpressive overall in the bottle. The gin is gin, surprisingly LIGHT instead of the typical JUNIPER IN YOUR FACE that gin so often is. This could be a real morpher on my skin, though, and I look forward to testing it further bc the notes are in theory pretty perfect. I shall update this review as I properly test all the new releases over the next 7-10 days, just an FYI.

Chocolate and nutty grain(s), like amaranth or barley as in Dana O Shee; a creamy, sweet, foody scent with good complexity.

Sniffed: Soil, dragon's blood, and crushed new green leaves. Dewy, almost aquatic. Quite light and sweet and almost melony or cucumbery. Wet: Much the same, still surprisingly light/airy/green/misty. The soil note is a little more like crushed rock mixed with soil and rain - very outdoorsy and evocative. There's also a dry woody note (maybe a sandalwood or cedar) that seems almost plasticky - slick. I do think it is a type of light cedar. It reminds me of Bony Moon's cedar note and overall this scent has a similar feel. Dry: CEDAR definitely in control now, amping as it nearly always does on my skin. Still those other aspects, but in the background - though the dragon's blood is a strong second place, and is its typical fruity-floral-soapy thing. This is unfortunately making my face itch, so I'm off to the sink. But drydown for me is DB + cedar, faint honeydew melon and soil with a 'mist' note. Definitely unique & unisex. Lower throw but good longevity.

UPDATE - a skin test reveals quite a difference! In the bottle: VERY similar to released Dead Man's Hand, with that 'worn leather' note from Olisbos, Quincy, The Traveller, etc - not much else to say, add it was just so similar to DMH, which is a very simple but lovely scent. On my skin: a dry, dusty note like old stone and stale incense emerges on my skin (pretty much like the latest Dark Del released Midnight Bell layered lightly over DMH), along with something dry and spicy, pepper - I'm almost positive it's a black pepper note, in fact. I also get something maybe like....pimento, or black musk? There's definitely a lot more going on here than the single note leathery goodness of released DMH. As a result this is NOT working for me at all. I love the leather, but the other notes are just too sharp and masculine. I might appreciate it on a man, the way I do Brom Bones which is the only other blend with this leather note I don't like to personally wear - but this is not something I will wear, alas. Another update - after a few hours, this dries down to a lightly peppery-spicy DMH that's no longer so sharp or dusty or dark, though still not as nice as the released DMH is on my skin. But, it's not bad, and the wafts I get now are more pleasant than not. Great longevity, but not quite as strong throw as released DMH, though it is still strong.

Sniffed: Extremely pale yellow oil. Milky/creamy (not sour milk) vanilla tea with a very intense, strongly-brewed tea note - definitely black tea. Doesn't have that sugar note, way more tea than released Dorian and a stronger vanilla note. Wet: TEA! This is by far the strongest black tea note and scent in BPAL ever - like true tea, it has those slight piney and citrusy nuances - it's complex, both fresh and rich, light and deep. I still get the vanilla, but most of the creaminess has vanished. I also get an almost sort of soapy note - maybe it's just the freshness of the tea? It's not BAD, it does impart a nice cleanness. Dry: The tea is mellowing, losing its sharpness, and the vanilla is amping. Now I get a bit of musk coming out, and a bit of that very slightly dry white sandalwood. Nearly identical vanilla-musk-sandalwood base as Jingo-Kogo, in fact! It also reminds me a bit of Antique Lace's faded flowers & vanilla. Later: Creamier now, as if the cream has returned, though I think it's just a facet of the vanilla and the tea note softening. The musks, too, are almost creamy. And there are definitely multiple musks. Still that faint sort of floral-vanilla note from AL as well. My skin is being a bit weird on later drydown due to menstrual stuff, so I need to retest this as I got such a delicious J-L like musky drydown before, but then this was too near other scents on my arm second time around. But so far, this is my favourite of all the new protos I've tested so far, which is about half.

Deep golden oil. JASMINE and orris/violet. Lots and lots of jasmine.

Sniffed: Light yellow oil. Very boozy butterscotch (like butterscotch extract) and cocoa, like Swiss Miss cocoa mix, not like cocoa powder. Reminds me a bit of the cocoa note in Gelt. Wet: Cocoa all the way, virtually all the butterscotch is just GONE instantly upon hitting my skin. This is Gelt minus the amber -and like Gelt it goes sort of musty and oddly rancid-nutty very quickly on my skin. This is not the sort of cocoa note I can wear. Dry: Turns nutty (hazelnut) as both Gelt and Bliss do and a little rancid; fake nasty artificial cocoa powder. And very powdery it is. Good throw and evilly long longevity. It won't wash off, of course.

Deep golden oil. Orchids galore! With an appropriately dark and murky base distantly below. Surprisingly complex - a blend of orchid(s) and other florals. Somewhat green-fresh-sappy. A little spicy like nasturtium or phlox. Definitely some of the same orchid notes from Blue Moon 07 and Lune Noir. The base seems to be light soil or maybe vetiver, as this is faintly cologney.

SWEET LIFE A luxurious blend of gardenia, pikaki, ylang ylang, and Casablanca lily. Bright, somewhat sweet, intense florals. Gardenia front and center, dazzling white, with heady ylang ylang and a lovely clean lily note just below, while sweet pikaki brings up the rear. Hmm. Not as bad as I'd feared, but the gardenia is intense, and the ylang ylang (a note I detest) is definitely noticeable. But the pikaki and lily are lovely - in fact, the latter is the loveliest lily note I've ever smelled. GARDENIA- quite intense, and it has that slightly...sour/off aspect that a certain gardenia note does on me. I can handle some gardenias, but this is not amongst them, I don't think. The pikaki (also amped) has a smoothness that takes it down a wee notch, though - takes the edge off. The ylang-ylang is magically much fainter on my skin, barely detectable in fact. Or maybe gardenia has killed it. The lily is about the same, but can't really compete with gardenia and I have to search for it. Still absolutely stunning - it reminds me of linden, or else there is linden in here as well - sweet and bright and yet soft and fresh. The lily is amping, and it has both citrusy and green qualities - it's so feminine and fresh and girly and innocent and mmmm I love it! It can't beat gardenia, but it can make itself known, at least. The ylang-ylang has also amped up a bit, unfortunately, and it's either merged with the gardenia or else my brain has grouped it that way - the two heady, too-much florals. But yeah, this is still GARDENIA. The pikaki has faded a little, so this is a bit less sweet. Huh. This is not so bad - the gardenia is still the sour kind (that z_z would call 'wet wool'), and ylang ylang is still heady, but the lily manages to shine amidst it all. It's not the least bit soapy, but it's gone a tiny touch powdery, in a very nice way. Most it's fresh and pure and girly, and it goes nicely with the smooth sweetness of the pikaki. The top two florals are dealbreakers for me, but I would LOVE to see more blends with this lily note. Great throw, but fades a bit over time.

NOT at all like the proto at Will Call that I recall, from when I tested it about a month ago; exotic/tropical fruit, nectarine or peach, maybe some vanilla, juicy ripe citrus, green musk, skin and ozone - although I didn't pick up the ozone at first, because this is a well-blended scent and ozone in fruity blends often registers as just a sort of general fruity 'zestiness' to me. This was not a sharp blend at, but bright, fresh, fruity and just the sort of thing I'd reach for on a hot summer's day to feel refreshed. I love how this is such a complex scent with so many different aspects that work beautifully in conjunction with each other. It also reminds of a lot of favourite scents of mine but it is unique bc of its complexity and bc I don't know of any other scent that blends such a variety of sweet, juicy fruits, that soft creamy vanilla, fresh musks and zesty ozone - altogether, all harmoniously! Another personal favourite from this event, as well as a scent I definitely feel is polished and totally ready for release, upon which it would be instantly purchased by many. It sold out very rapidly if I recall. Re-test on skin at home, as it possible the above was a review of Tiki Princess - there was some confusion about what perfumes I put where at the Trunk Show: Honeydew melon, spearmint, mango, pineapple (and likely other tropical fruits), papaya, the general 'crushed sugary hard candies' sort of scent I get from Candy Phoenix in the bottle, with some tart red berry like red currant or cranberry - this is really well balanced, it's sweet but also tart, candyish but also juicy, very bright and fresh with that spearmint note keeping it from being too much of a one-dimensional 'sugary fruits' scent. There's another herbal or green note, too, that's grounding this - grass, balsam, bergamot, tea? Something along those lines. I get a little bit of rosacea flare which could mean grass, or the presence of sweet floral like plumeria. There's a definite tropical-asiatic feel, so possibly some chrysanthemum and/or magnolia. This is a complex scent with a lot going on! Still adore this!

Coffee!; creamy, foody, sweet COFFEE, like a milky espresso drink with flavoured syrup. I think this will be quite a popular one.

Sniffed: Pale gold oil. Less intensely appley than v2. Here I get some apple blossom and I think some cherry blossom. There's still a strong juicy fresh apple note, but some soft spring blossoms too, and an airy/misty/faintly aquatic note in the distance. Reminds me a bit of Nowhere in Particular. Wet: Tarter, crisper, more of that sour green candy apple note - same as when PA v2 touches my skin. I would say the blend of apple notes is the same, and this is verrrrrry APPLES on my skin, with the blossoms in the distance. Definitely a light, slightly soapy note from the blossom, but it's quite nice. And I stand by both apple blossom (definitely) and cherry blossom (almost definitely). Also maybe a hint of greenery? This is more complex than v2. Dry: The apples have faded quite a bit and most of the apple that remains is that baked apple scent, not fresh fruit. The blossom remain, and that note that was nagging me in the wet stage might be an herb or a type of wood - or maybe even a very light vetiver note, as this is going a bit soapy. That would also explain the sort of airy/aquatic feel I got earlier, as well. I also get something like, oh god, dragon's blood, or the way that DB dries down on me. Eeeek. Summary: This dries down to almost nothing on me after a few hours - faint baked apple, slightly cologney vetiver, and the teensiest hint of dragon's blood air freshener-ish drydown. But the baked apple note is in command, so this is wearable. I definitely prefer v2, but both these protos are way better than the released IMO. Low throw, poor longevity.

Sniffed: Colourless oil. O with extra honey and extra vanilla, and much less amber. I definitely recognise it as O, but it's like a Chaos Theory O blend - the proportions are different. Also, the vanilla note smells like it might be different, though the amber and honey notes are the same. Sweet, syrupy. Reminds me of Thaleia, too - so I'm pretty sure there is tonka in this. Wet: Sweeter and so, so heavy - more of that perfumey/floral amber note that's in released O emerges, quickly. It's going to powder within seconds, sickly sweet baby powder with that plastic edge. Just like O. Still, this definitely has extra vanilla, honey, and that almost-buttery, super-rich tonka. The honey is a really lovely true note, but is overwhelmed. I also get a sort of boozy, mentholic note that reminds me GREATLY of Love's Philosophy - it's that same vanilla note or saffron (and like with LP, I don't get it in the bottle but only on my skin does it turn that way). Dry: This has faded a lot - it initially had crazy strong throw - which is good, since O amps on me. That boozy note is almost slightly minty (kinda like how people got wintergreen in some bottles of LP, but it's not quite wintergreen), oddly cool & clashing with the warm amber. The latter has gone powdery but not POWDER DOOM as in O, and the honey has dried down beautifully. Actually this drydown reminds me a LOT of Mead Moon. The minty booze/honey combo is similar to them mead note. The vanilla & tonka are still creamy but less sweet and heavy than earlier. Summary: Oddly minty, slightly plastic, honeyed amber and super creamy vanilla and tonka. Soft and only lightly powdery on drydown, this is very much a 'skin scent'. Strong throw that fades to moderate throw and holds there for ages. Much nicer than released O, IMO, but still not my thing at all. But its evolution surprised me and I only very briefly had that plasticky powder strongly enough to be truly bothersome.

Sweet, tropical, slightly heady but well-behaved floral (plumeria? champaca? ) & soft incense with warm, golden amber that goes a tad powdery on drydown, but effectively evokes the dusty desert sand. Quite unique, both bright, feminine, fresh and smoky-warm-sensual but in a way that works really well. It is a subtle scent with moderate throw but good longevity.

Dark slightly reddish brown oil. Sweet, musk, and a little sharp - in a woody-green way. It reminds me of one of the Snakes. Definitely some red musk, and I think the sharp green note might be ho wood. But there is definite fruit here, too - maybe black plum? And some smoky, very dark and very smoky incense - maybe some vetiver, myrrh, frankincense, maybe some patchouli? There's a bit of a Mme Moriarity resemblance, too, but the strong green woody note makes this blend pretty unique. A little softer and more - rounded. Things are blending together. There's a tartness here that I think is from the plum - actually, I am almost positive this is the same wild plum note from the Witch Queen - it's much stronger and more distinct on my skin, juicy-tart-sweet and sort of exotic. The ho wood, or whatever it is, has softened noticeably - it's smoother and drier. I also get a hint of spice now that I think is - coriander? And that could be what I initially interpreted as ho wood. Dry, spicy-hot, but with a bright green, sour-sharp top note at first that burns off into something still bright, but no longer sharp. The dark smoke and incense are just as strong or stronger, and i'm not great at picking out such notes, but there is definitely a little gritty vetiver, some musty-dusty blackened myrrh, and I think some black/smoked sandalwood, too. And I'm still betting on some frankincense and patchouli, though the latter is pretty light and well behaved and has an herbal tone - it's like the patchouli leaf in very well AGED MM. This one dries rather slowly on my skin, as many of the red musk, incensey, and such type scents do. It really does remind me the most of the Witch Queen of all the scents I've sniffed because of that very unique wild plum note. The coriander has turned to dry, spicy-hot dust with no greenness remaining, and the dark, warm sandalwood note has amped up - it's pretty smooth and sexy, but too dark and warm for my tastes. The general 'vibe' of this blend and the slight floral tinge over a red musk base reminds me of Parker Lily, too. And I get a bit of Spawn of the She-Devil proto (have yet to try the released version) vibe. It's possible it's reminding me of one of the protos - NVPR4 - but without the smoky/dark/incensey base, and then it also reminds me a little of B.B3 but with way more complexity, darkness and depth and much less fruity-foodiness. This is going sour again. I don't know what's giving that effect, either. I think possibly there is a sharp floral, one of those 'sophisticated' types, that's doing it - narcissus, maybe? NO!!!!! It's neroli, definitely, without a doubt. And it's only going a little soapy, mostly it's just sour and quite a bit sharp here and has made a huge dominating emergence, though I can still smell everything below. To me, this is definitely a feminine blend, but one for ladies who like their blends, dark, rich, red musky and incense-heavy. It's very... femme fatale. The final drydown on me is a tie between narcissus and wild plum, over an extremely well blended and heady, dark combination of red musk, the incense noted above, dark sandalwood and vetiver with a spicy-dry kick of freshly ground coriander to liven things up. It's one of those blends that reminds me of a lot of other BPAL blends and is very 'clasically BPAL', yet at the same time, has enough unique facets to be very firmly its own blend, and not something one could substitute The Witch Queen or Mme Moriarty or a Snake Pit blend for. It has great throw and really fantastic longevity, too, and I expect it to be quite popular. But it's not for me.

Pale yellow oil. Lavender! Very strong, a bit sharply herbal/medicinal, but also slightly floral. Same, but somehow a bit sweeter and rounder, less pointedly sharp and medicinal, more floral, and almost...honeyed? It's quite a beautiful lavender note. Something distinctly citrusy has emerged - I believe it's sweet orange, because it's going to that Pez powdery candy thing that the lab's orange note does. A shame because the lavender and orange are balancing each other perfectly. I'm reminded of Panacea blends. Lavender fades more and more while sweet orange amps - sadly, it also goes more and more powdery. It's still the strongest orange note (that lasts more than 10 minutes) I've ever smelled in any BPAL blend. The throw is strong in the earlier stages and less so in the later dry ones, but still not too bad for a citrus scent, and longevity after initial lavender fading down is good.