fairnymph

Clean and fresh, with a bit of pleasant sharpness to it - like the initial alcohol blast from aftershave. There's a bit of almost synthetic hair gel - like a silicone based hair product - actually quite a bit, enough to remind me of a hair salon or barber shop. The soap has an herbal tinge, but smells classically white and opaque - think Ivory soap. That may sound generic, but this blend is not at all - it's compelling. The aquatic is definitely a fresh note, and this really smells like the bathroom right after someone's showered. Powerfully evocative. I detected a slight sweetness in the bottle which amps instantly on my skin, and has almost a resinous quality, like benzoin. I get more resiny notes too, like - maybe some balsam to explain the green/herbal note, but there is a fresher green true herb here that has a faint mintiness to it - I strongly suspect basil. It is a bit soapier and powdery on my skin, verging on too much for my tastes, but not TOO much yet - and the amped sweetness, greenery, and resinous balance the soapiness very well. The alcoholic aspect of the aftershave has vanished, leaving a rather musky cologne - I'm getting skin musk, a lighter touch of white musk, and I think some of the herbs I noted earlier are part of this cologne's 'fougere'. The hair gel note holds, but it's the faintest relative to the other notes, though far from indistinct. This is much more complex on my skin but less evocative bc of all the herbal and resinous notes and their very strong, rather dominating presence. This has some CRAZY throw - though I did accidentally slather quite a bit more than usual - but um, as with many men who wear cheap cologne - use this one sparingly, please! (Not that I am comparing this to those atrocities.) The hair gel has amped back up, or rather the greenery has faded to reveal it - I'm not sure. Sweeter and more honeyed such that I am fairly sure about the benzoin. I also get the same lavender note from TKO - not sure how I missed it before! - and with the sweetness of the benzoin, there is a passing resemblance to that blend, although this is of course, soapier, and much more unisex to masculine. The aquatic note is unfortunately turning soapy on me as aquatics sometimes do on me, and it's a distinct soapiness, not the actual Ivory-soap note, and much less pleasant, in fact definitely unpleasant. This is also making my face itch when I sniff my wrist and my rosacea flare, so I would not be able to wear this scent personally regardless of how I end up finally liking it. Right now I'm kind of 'meh'. One evolution I do like is the emergence of an 'airy' feel, could be ozone or something else - but it reminds me of flying and returns a bit of the conceptual feel. The final drydown is quite lovely - it's interesting how this scent changes on me, from lovely in the bottle, good on my skin wet, not so great on my skin dry, then pretty darn good on my skin in the later dry stages. The herbal/lavender soapiness fades to a tolerable level and the Ivory -like soap that I really like holds. The benzoin turns a bit darker, a deeper, even more resinous, sort of aged honey that's so thick it won't drip but must be dug into like soft wax. The basil-mintiness holds in quite a lovely way and the evocative 'freshly showered' scent returns. I also get a deep, sort of dull ambery/musky note - but not in a bad way, rather fascinating and unique. I love how this scent has both clean and light aspects yet a lot of subtly sweet honeyed resinous depth to scaffold the lighter tones and balance the scent. Yet I only get these layers if I sniff closely with effort - otherwise, it's a very well-blended and seamless blend in addition to being wonderfully balanced and unique. There is not scent in BPAL I have tested to which I can compare this. Great throw and longevity! Unisex to masculine; too masculine for me, and that musk or amber note isn't quite my style, but once again - a beautifully crafted scent.

VETIVER the dark gritty STOMPITY sort - didn't skin test though - reminds me of Gore-Shock very faintly but mostly Djinn and Brimstone. As I suspected and conceptually very accurate but I'm a bit scared about skin testing this one... I shall update this review as I properly test all the new releases over the next 7-10 days, just an FYI.

HELLO! juniper and gin! But not in a bad way. I suspect the juniper to dominate as it typically does on my skin in gin blends, but I only sniffed this. Still, it's pretty nice in the bottle. It's not scarily bullying juniper. I shall update this review as I properly test all the new releases over the next 7-10 days, just an FYI.

Dark and harsh in bottle, but such a smooth sexy, gourmand (think chocolate, vanilla, balsamic overtones) tobacco on drydown, that I immediately grabbed a bottle for myself. Like EmpressPixie, I found that this blend became more and more lovely over time. Same tobacco note as from aged Black Lace, very similar in feel and tone to both that and Storyville, though more subtly sweet and much less heavy and rich. Less boozy than I anticipated - I think the cognac here is more gourmand/creamy/sweet than sharp or alcoholic.. I find this to be pretty much a Tobacco Absolute SN with some super sexy deep musk - not red or black, but with a dark, exotic feel - like Indian or Egyptian musk, I'm quite sure, and possibly a dash of skin musk, too. This is one of ONLY TWO 'dark' scents that I find bottleworthy - the other is Penumbra. I shall update this review as I properly test all the new releases over the next 7-10 days, just an FYI.

Sweet and creamy with a tang of root beer - somewhat like a vanilla ice cream and root beer float, but with some extra vanilla syrup and cream soda in the mix too, and whipped cream on top. Decadent, but not cloyingly so. Lighter, fizzier - lots of carbonation and much more root beer/sarsparilla, with a slightly syrupy and medicinal edge. I get the same vanilla note from XCLD13, Antique and Black Lace - the rich, creamy, potent one with a slightly floral and powdery undertone. The amping of the sarsparilla makes this less sweet, and it's also less creamy on my skin - instead, the vanilla cream has turned to vanilla powder, and it makes me want to sneeze a little. It's not even dry and it's morphing within seconds. I do get another cream note, a subtle and purer type as in Schlafende, but it's heavily doused by the other, much stronger notes. This is a POWERFUL scent on my skin with tremendous throw. It is even fizzier than it was before, with plenty of that intense, powdery vanilla and still slightly sharp root beer note. Now it's more like - cream soda with root beer syrup added, and then a whole ton of vanilla added. I can still pick out the soft cream, so it's holding, but still very faintly. The intensity and powderinesss of this scent are really not working for me, and while it's not typically foody, nor is it all that sweet, it's too rich for me and has definitely become cloying. Eek. This has developed a plastic tinge (I think it's coming from the sarsparilla, that has sharpened over tie) as well as that musty drydown I get from a lot of baked goods/foody scents and the vanilla powder has intensified even further. This stuff makes my nose and face itch, even sniffing from several inches away. I can see how this would be popular, and it's divine in the bottle, but on my skin it goes horribly wrong in about an hour. Strong throw and decent longevity, though it's faded a bit, thankfully. Note: I do get some exotic dry depth that could be teak, as I initially suspected - it does remind me of Glowing Vulva in the bottle. But on my skin, the VANILLA POWDER OF DOOM just overwhelms everything else so rapidly. Not for me.

Light yellow oil. Very much a feminine floral blend, but not too overpowering - more delicate, feminine, soft - with a powdery edge and a bit of soapiness. Mildly sweet. A surprisingly light blend overall - the lily of the valley and muguet are not being bullies (yet), and I don't get the typical sourness of the elemi. Much stronger; the florals, all of them it seems, amp instantly and powerfully on my skin, as florals typically do. I get more of the hyacinth - a favourite floral note of mine, which has a nice fruity overtone and a bright Spring-like feel. The hydrangea is not a note I've smelled in perfume that I recall, but I know it from the actual flower, and it's very realistic, a green-white, fresh note that's more planty - sort of like dewy new green leaves. This note overlaps a bit with the grassines of the calamus, but it's sweeter than regular grass - a lot like sweet grass, a lovely note. I swear I get a bit of daffodil in here, too - such a SPRING feel this blend - odd considering the name. While the LotV and the muguet are stronger and headier, with more powder and soap, they are still tolerable considering I often find them utterly unberable. I still get no sign of elemi, to my relief! This gets sweeter and more powdery over time, with the LotV and muguet amping, but the hyancinth too. Hydrangea and calamus remain reasonably strong and distinct, though - this is a surprisingly well-balanced blend without any bullying going on. It also goes MUSKY/OAKMOSSY - like a sort of earthy musk? It smells like oakmoss and vanilla musk got mixed in here, which is a definitely lovely addition. This has a very pale green, or rather leaf-green tinged WHITE sort of feel, innocent. It's almost a little milky, too - that could be the elemi coming out, being a bit sour and mixing with the powder - but it's not that unpleasant of an effect - not at all like the typical BPAL notes, but yes, there is a milk note, like fresh milk from pastured cows that have grazed on bright green meadows. The hyacinth note is definitely the same one from Egle, and this has a very classic, traditional 'white feminine floral' feel to it over that oakmoss and musk base (or it's almost my period which is when everything dries down to oakmoss/musk). It's light and pretty, and remains fresh and slightly sweet, a little grassy, a bit milky, and powdery but not overly so. There's an odd bitter soapiness at the end that I don't like, though. The usual suspects are very well behaved here and I'm surprised by how pleasant this blend is in the final drydown. It's not something I'd wear, but I thought I'd be running to the sink! Good throw and longevity. Meh, I guess?

Lansium is citrusy asian fruit, FYI. The most promising smelling of the con bunch. Fresh, herbal, woodsy, bright - with definite osmanthus, sake, sweet grass, dry exotic cedar (as in Carp Steamer), honeyed benzoin and a citrusy note like a more tart and bitter white grapefruit - below an herbal layer that's stronger, made up of lavender and juniper primarily and a little mint, too. All accounted for. It's a bit of a jumble but quite pleasant. Much more of that citrusy fruit, very bright and tart, and a lot more sweet white mint - this is even fresher on my skin. The sweetgrass is brighter too, grassier, more vibrant, and the lavender and juniper berry are softer and have receded a little. The sake is quite strong as it usually is on my skin, and this blend is reminding me of Manners Among Men and Women and Lantern Ghost - same note. The osmanthus here reminds me a lot of chrysanthemum, it's a similar sort of floral note that's slightly herbal, very unisex, a little tea-like with piney and citrusy overtones. The lavender note is the same as in TKO, and combined with the now-sweeter benzoin, I get a bit of resemblance to that blend - unfortunately for me. The cedarwood, definitely the same note from Carp Steamer, like there adds a dry, exotic warmth and richness that contrasts clearly with the bright, cool, fresh notes - but as there, it works here. This is not the pencil shavings of doom cedar note. Melding, softening, evolving very nicely! It has faded a little, so this might be a slatherer especially since the throw isn't strong even at first, but the citrusy fruit is holding very well, and it along with the mint, juniper, sake and amped but not morphed cedar are the major players in this blend. Sake is a note that's a bit astringent and sharply alcoholic at first but after a little while softens into a fresh, crisp, vaguely musky and aquatic sort of cologne note. The osmanthus has amped almost to the level of the aforementioned notes, and it's a little sharp, but still within pleasant limits, and reminds me a lot of the note in Itaso - yet another blend this scent reminds me of. Sweet grass holds well, again, also quite strongly and just behind osmanthus.The lavender has faded further, which is good, and the benzoin holds - a sweet honeyed note that's quite deep and definitely resinous, but rather subtle and definitely a background note here. This is a unisex blend that leans heavily towards masculine, and I do wish it were a bit more feminine. The final drydown after a few hours is surprisingly woody, woodsy, and resinous on me. The juniper and cedar (which does just go TOO dry and warm without the other fresh notes remaining to balance it - still, it's a nice cedar note and I usually abhor cedar) dominate in the end, and not too far below is a blend of sake, benzoin, and now much drier and more hay-like sweetgrass, and then faintly in the distance are the grapefruity lansium, lavender, mint and osmanthus. In short, the unisex to feminine notes faded greatly and the masculine ones amped or held, so this turns much to masculine and dry and woodsy for my tastes - still, a very nice blend, well-crafted, and by far the nicest of the Sakura-con exclusives IMO. Great throw and longevity, too. I'm really sad none of these work on me, but I'll save my Shirafuji for future menfolk.

Well, I hate or just don't care for most of the notes in this blend, just a disclaimer - the exceptions being that sometimes I enjoy certain vetiver, oude, and black currant notes - but the first and last are more often bad than good. In the bottle, this smells dark, dark, and DARK with lots of gritty, sooty, filthy grimy vetiver a la Brimstone and Djinn. Egads. I get some dry slightly sharp and warm woods below it, that I'd not be able to pick out blind, a sour, cat-uriney sort of currant note, some very dark and earthy but slightly foody-sweet black coconut, some sweet fake butter (hello tonka)...wow, this is even WORSE than I expected! Yeah, the temple is definitely ruined. It's been totally burnt to a smoky, burnt woody crisp and then wild cats have urinated all over it, while some poisonous vines are sinuously infiltrating. I get a harsh barky-woody note that reminds me of palm, and that with the ashy - god, so ashy, like licking a 10-year-old ashtray - gritty and malevolent vetiver reminds of Moai a little. The extremely buttery tonka is amped a little, cloying and fake and foul and totally at odds with this blend in every regard. I get more red sandalwood, distinct now, and warm, exotic, a little musky - and the oude, thought still a bit sharp, is smoother and adds a bit of much-needed bright green. The coconut has amped greatly, and as in Tiki King, it's not really foody - it's creamy, it's rich and dark and heavy and tropical - but it's not really foody, and the sweetness I thought I got earlier was definitely the tonka. It's hard for me to imagine anyone willfully wearing this blend, but especially a woman - if this blend has a sex, it's totally masculine. This stuff has REALLY STRONG THROW. My skin also appears to be amping it. I was scared to skin test this, and rightly so. This is a fearsome blend! Unfortunately, the overwhelming and foul vetiver along with the light (every other note in this blend is 'light' relative to the vetiver) fake buttery-sweet tonka and weird palm note and harsh black coconut - I really dislike coconut in perfume, of any type, but especially this masculine note - well, I can't do this. It's been 15 minutes or so, this blend is still not dry and still amping, and I'm washing it off. A masculine blend for evil, evil men. :ack:

Sweet, dark, woodsy, a little spicy, and INTENSELY musky - the sandalwood here is responsible, I think and it's very strong. It's almost too musky, like men's athletic BO - very intense, like I said. Or it smells a little like a used jock strap - eek. I definitely can pick out the tobacco (both a bit gourmand and bit smokily dark), the exotic woods and gums, some quite piney and a bit sharply woodsy-green dark balsam - and light, delicate but still definitely distinct white honey. The pepper is the usual black pepper note - stale and dusty and makes me want to sneeze. Even stronger, muskier, darker, more woodsy and spicy. A very potent scent. The musky-jock strappy sandalwood continues to dominate, with balsam fighting for dominance in a tight second place. I never though I'd find a sandalwood that was TOO musky but either I was wrong or there is another note that's giving the strong BO odour here. I get more of the bark and gums, which to me smell very resinous and almost medicinal - again, potent. The tobacco absolute is sweeter and richer and more lovely, and the honey is stronger, brighter - a really lovely shining note amidst everything else. The black pepper is still strongly dusty, biting, harsh and yucky. This is much stronger, sharper, and more masculine than I anticipated, and the black pepper is as distinct and unpleasant as I feared - but I didn't expect the sandalwood to turn on me like this. This has evolved and blended into something much nicer, though still not my style. The eau de jock strap has dissipated leaving a still intensely musky, but much more rounded, smoother and slightly drier sandalwood note that I now quite like. It and the balsam, which has also softened into a dark green piney resin note - very much like dark deep woods, but not fake pine at all - are now in a tie for first place, but not as dominating as they were earlier. The black pepper holds throughout, stale, dry, dusty and spicy and perhaps the most unpleasant note in this blend, The amping of the almost chocolatey-foody rich tobacco note has helped smooth everything out, especially the bark and gum that were quite sharp and dry earlier - they're still not notes I like, but they are more subdued though still distinct. The white honey, still lovely, has faded a bit but it to helps to ameliorate this blend. Overall, far too masculine for me which is unpleasant for hours before it settles into something tolerable. Spicy, dark, resinous, intensely musky, woodsy and woody with a dry edge and glints of sweet honey and tobacco. Strong throw and even stronger longevity. This was, after Giant Squid, the one I had the most hope for...and it is also a major FAIL for me. Sadness!

Sweet-tart and fruity. I get a lot of fresh, sour-tangy slightly candyish green APPLE, a bit of tea and salty sea spray, a lot of almost peppery spiciness and fresh kick in the background - definitely the juniper and galangal clearly - as well as a sense of depth, but I can't pick any of the other listed notes out. It smells nothing like I imagined. I don't get any lantana (i.e. lemon verbena). Instantly spicier and darker - tobacco and frankincense emerge hugely, and the juniper berry and galangal amp. There are other spices here, too - clove and maybe cinnamon? Complex but a bit jumbled at this point. I get the sweetly heavy tonka and something I think is the cannabis blossom, because it reminds of hemp's earthy greeness, in lighter, sweeter form. I do get a bit of almost-aquatic, juicy-wet aloe, and the teas are a little stronger. I don't think the apple has faded so much as been overwhelmed, although it smells more red now, like a Red Delicious specifically. More salty sea spray, to my delight, though overall this is far too spicy and dark for my tastes. Spicier and spicier on my skin - definitely sweet clove and cinnamon, the latter going a bit candyish a la Red Hots. The tobacco has both gourmand and smoky qualities and is a strong but very subtle and well-blended presence; it seems to merge with the frankincense, which is more smoky and woody than sweet and sticky, but definitely dark and incensey. I think the herbal-earthiness of the cannabis blossom is mixing with these two, as well - I can't pick it out very well. The tonka I wouldn't pick out blind, but there's a definite sweetness to this blend beyond the apple that must be due in part to it. The juniper berry and teas hold, but the galangal has turned a bit spicy-dry, sort of like the ginger note in Shub, while much of the aloe and virtually all of the sea spray have dissipated. Spicy (galangal, clove, cinnamon), crisp apple over sweet, smoky, woody incense with earthy and juniper-woodsy overtones. Nothing at all like I expected and much too dark, spicy, and incensey for me. I'm impressed by how well the apple note holds - perhaps more strongly than any other apple blend I've tried. This reminds me of a much more complex, darker and incensey Ho Ho Ho and it should be quite popular, but it's not something I'd ever wear. Moderate throw (definite slathering required) and rather poor longevity. Lying notes! Nasty incense and spices!

Golden oil. Sweet, fresh and bright - ozone, for sure, something sort of fruity, and only a hint of smoky incense. Much lighter and softer than expected, with only a faint hint of wormwood and no apparent opium. Not much different, and still very light - a slatherer for sure, and I had to reapply heavily immediately. The fruity note almost strikes me as some sort of sweet citrus, quite possibly grapefruit. I get a bit of soapiness, and more greenness from the still-light wormwood. The smoky vibe is stronger, but it's more a feeling of smokiness than there actually being a strong smoke presence scent-wise, which I really like as a someone who doesn't like smoke in perfume. It has a very hazy vibe, but still fresh and ozoney - really, exactly like stormclouds! Getting soapier, though not yet unpleasantly, and some anise character from the wormwood is emerging distinctly for the first time, but faintly. I get a mintiness too which may be part of the wormood or a separate note - it reminds me of hyssop a little, quite herbal. I think there may be some of the same 'wild plum' note from Mme Moriarty and the Witch Queen, with its slightly, pleasantly sour tartness and truly wild fruitiness - but it is soft and muddled note here - the grapefruit, which I'm pretty sure about now, is much more distinct and overall stronger. This is definitely morphing as a scent, but in a subtle and unpredictable manner. Mintier and mintier, and not in a way that wormwood has ever been on me, so there's definitely a different herb responsible - it's slightly sweet and mild but with some qualities beyond pure mintiness, so my money's on hyssop still. Soapier as well, pushing at the edges of my tolerance. A lot of the ozone has faded and overall this never-strong smell has faded a lot - I have to really sniff closely to be able to pick out much of anything. The smoke, incense, and opium remain a faintly pleasant, vague haze - this may be the only incense blend I've ever liked, though I do think this is going too soapy for me and it's also so very weak overall. Faintly minty & wormwoody herbal-green, tartly fruity, soapy fresh ozone and incense-smoke tinged haze. Lovely, unique, unisex - but woefully light. But very evocative, conceptually spot on and quite lovely. If it were stronger I think I'd need a bottle, but it's such a faint oil that fades quickly that I don't think it's worth it, alas. Maybe my imp is old and a fresh bottle would be stronger?

Rich medium reddish brown oil. Strong, sharp, and manly with dark wood, a fair bit of herbal sharpness (the patchouli leaf?), a definite cologne feel, that chemically slick De Sade style harsh leather note. The musk, oakmoss and lemon rind are difficult to pick out, in that order increasingly so. I think the musk may be red? I don't get an sweetness here at all, no distinct vanilla, and no distinct lilac. More leather and more musk, which is definitely at least partially red musk - this is very chemical, mentholic, and harsh - even more so than in the imp. The mahogany note is the next strongest note, deep and rich and much more polished on my skin, less rough as it was in the imp. The cologne has gone slightly but not unpleasantly soapy and the lilac is distinct but not the heady overwhelming sort - this lilac/cologne thing reminds me of His Station and Four Aces. Still strongly, drily, and rather harshly herbal - I'm positive there is sage in this, in addition to the patchouli leaf. This is now sweeter; I think there's black musk here, the vanilla has emerged a bit and is quite nice - it reminds me a bit of the note in Ü, a sort of raw and primal, very natural smelling vanilla note. but faint on me at this point The subtly earthy oakmoss softens this blend a bit, though not enough, and the lemon rind which I'm not sure I ever really smelled is nowhere to be found. Softening and melding a bit, thankfully, but the leather remains unpleasantly harsh and dominating, with an amped red musk right behind it. But the mahogany, though strong and very much a potent manly, woody note - is really nice, very evocative, flashing wealth and luxury and darkly decorated bachelor pads to mind. I like the lilac/cologne soapy cleanness and the vanilla bean note that is amping on my skin, although I sort of don't like the combo of its sweetness with the nasty leather note. I do also think a bit of black musk is contributing some heavier sweetness, as well. Oakmoss remains faint but lovely. The softening of the patchouli leaf and sage most explain why this scent is now more tolerably settled and rounded, I think - together with the sharp leather and mentholic red muks, their herbal dryness was unbearable. Sharp, manly leather that never loses its harshness deepened by even more manly polished wood, dry sage,harshly herbal patchouli and medicinal red musk, with much fainter sweet black musk, clean & lightly flora cologne, and raw vanilla floating in the distance as a ghostly separate layer. Like oil and vinegar, those two layers are, and the blend never fully coalesces. I never got the lemon rind or anything citrusy, and the light oakmoss faded away completely after just an hour or two. Strong throw but this fades surprisingly fast - decent to poor longevity for such an initially potent scent, especially. Definitely masculine in my book. The leather in this is a dealbreaker this leather note nearly always is, and the dry herbs and red musk don't help, but it dries down to a scent that is at least bearable, but not something I'd ever wear or find appealing on a man I wanted to fuck. I'm partly disappointed and mildly revolted but mostly don't really care all that much. Meh. Definite dislike but not hatred.

Light golden oil. Sweet, sharp, fruity and spicy - complex! Definitely the plastic, candyish, very artificial strawberry note typical of most BPAL barring a few recent releases, unpleasantly sharp and astringent orange blossom, some sweet-tart hibiscus - these are the only distinct notes in the imp, but I can tell there's more going on and there's a definite spicy edge. Strawberry dominating, a little more realistic and pleasant, more of a rounded note with some juiciness, and just behind it orange blossom - also more pleasant, softer and more orangey-fruity, but still sharp in that unique way. Definitely much nicer within seconds on my skin. The hibiscus is also still a major player but hasn't morphed - it remains fresh, tart and bright and almost juicy and fruity - it adds a tropical, pink feel to this already coral-pink vibed blend. The poppy definitely strikes me as dark, it's now distinct with a sharp spicy and slightly bitter bite, and the carnation is the faintest note but also now distinct, quite stemmy, green-white and only lightly spicy, more of a velvety textural addition than anything else. Not a lot of morphing after it dries initially, other than that the strawberry continues to be nicer and the orange blossom more pleasant and gentler and fruity, while the hibiscus holds nicely and is the most beautiful part of this blend for me. The poppy is going a little powdery on me - actually, that HAS morphed substantially and rapidly - from sharp spice to spicy dust, almost like old black pepper with barely any kick left. The carnation has smoothed out a bit, it's still faint but perhaps a bit more apparent, even more velvety, but more white, less green and stemmy, with no real spice to it - it's a lovely carnation note, I just wish there were more of it! The final drydown is quite nice - the orange blossom eventually loses all its sharpness and morphs into a lovely light sweet orange fruity note that's almost as strong as the star of the blend, the only lightly candyish-fake strawberry - a spike of bright, fresh fruity-tart hibiscus keeps it fresh, though it sadly has faded a lot over time. I can't pick out the poppy anymore though there is still a faintly peppery dustiness in the distance, and the carnation has held, woefully faintly but persistently, and maintains a feeling of white velvet with an almost creamy edge. A surprising lovely fruity blend with a bit of complexity around the edges. Definitely feminine, with lower throw and poor but not dismal longevity. Much better than expected but not for me.

Deep golden oil with a slightly murky tinge to it. Lots and lots of benzaldehyde/almond extract ALMOND - a little foody and rich and it reminds me strongly of marzipan, but I don't get a much butter, thankfully - or that much sweetness. I get a hint of slightly smoky and musty dark myrrh faintly below , and a bit of musk, which I think might be black musk and therefore contributing much of the heavy sweetness - though as said, this is much less sweet and foody than the notes suggested. Same, although a bit lighter overall on my skin - very much almondy marzipan, with maybe a tiny hint of buttery tonka now, but only very faintly and I could be imagining it - I'd never pick it out blind. Something...piney? Or citrusy? Or herbal? Yeah, totally weird, but I'm betting on some verbena, cause whatever it it is it reminds me of some type of cleaning product, and Pledge is my best guess, but it's light and overwhelmed by the almond so I can't be sure. The myrrh remains faint but is a tad more present, and rather ashy, like a stale ashtray. A bit more more musk, which I'm still thinking is most likely black musk, but again, like all the other secondary notes this is overwhelmed and indistinct due to the dominating almond. Slow to dry, but changing significantly quite quickly nonetheless, with the almond fading, the verbena amping and the tonka too becoming more clear - sweet, buttery and cloying - really revolting combined with the verbena. The more strongly present ashy myrrh - by far the most ashy and smoky myrrh I've ever smelled in a BPAL blend - doesn't help, nor does the almost-foody, heavy and sweet black musk which is just too much on top of (or below, rather!) everything else, even though it's not a dominating note, being perhaps just a touch stronger than the myrrh. This reminds me of another blend but I can't place it. The almond is turning more nutty and buttery as the benzaldehyde burns off rather quickly, and the throw of the blend is much lighter overall, too. The myrrh and musk are amping turning this blend into something quite different and much darker and heavier, increasingly more cloying. There may be two musk notes here, the strong sweet foody black musk but also something more exotic and sexy and actually nice, maybe Indian musk bc I get a vague association with Black Lace? I also get a slightly soapy herbal note I know but can't place, in addition to the verbena (which could be lemon balm/melissa, actually - it's nicer, much softer and less Pledgey than verbena nearly always is). This blend merges into something quite seamless surprisingly quickly, though I can still pick out notes with minimal effort. Unfortunately it has just as quickly become a heavy, cloying and mildly nauseating blend - nutty almond that has truly turned buttery due to heavy tonka, light verbena (or possibly melissa) with a Pledgey edge, another soapy herb, and some intense, sweet and rich musk - one is nice, one is black and I don't like black musk generally overlaid with ashy myrrh. The soapy incensey musk thing reminds me a lot of fresh Black Lace, esp the recent version, mixed with tonka, verbena, and almond and some extra stale cigarette ash. Blech! Fortunately lower throw and it washes of readily.

Dark golden/light amber oil. Onycha, FYI, appears to be most likely a resin note according to wikipedia. Dark woods and resin, beneath a strong top layer of sharp rotting, heady florals (the narcissus which smells like that all the time to me lately, but stephanotis is another floral I find rather sharp and rotten smelling). A little bit of sickly sweetness and the ambergris is the heavy sort, musky too. More floral, much more 'white floral' - I guess the stephanotis, but I suspect other florals too, something more piercing and traditional like gardenia - but still some sharp and rotten narcissus, though I'm actually GLAD to have the sharp white florals overpowering the nasty narcissus. This is also a lot 'fresher', more green and bright - partly from the florals, partly from the cypress which is less sharply woodsy and instead clean and refreshing now - that lovely evergreen with a citrus overtone. Overall this is less resiny and dark though there is still clearly depth, but the resins and ambergris seem to have nearly instantly blended and merged into a rather seamless base that's difficult to dissect. There's a bit of smoke, but not any more sweetness. A bit slow to dry, with the florals amping heavily as it does. Definitely some gardenia, the sour, pungent sort that z_z describes as being like 'wet wool' (and I do sort of see that, though it's not what immediately springs to mind personally). It has taken over the blend as gardenia so often does, but the stephanotis (which has turned into quite a nice, fresh, green-white unisex floral) and the rotting, chemically sharp narcissus are just behind. The cypress I can still pick out fairly well and then the now-muskier, lighter and more pleasant ambergris - with the resins even softer and fainter - possibly I wouldn't even pick them out at all blind, at this point. This has really turned into an overwhelmingly floral blend, especially with the ninja gardenia action, which I did not expect. This blend is both making me nauseated and giving me a headache (as some gardenias can), so it's off to the sink. Strong, bullying, sharp and sour gardenia just barely dominate rotten and sharp, plasticky narcissus, over a bit of poor, brutalized lovely bright but light stephanotis and clean woodsy cypress, with faint resins far in the distance that add a suggestion of darkness and do sweeten (cloyingly) over time, but never really become distinct let alone significant players in this blend, which if it weren't dreadful, I'd call unisex-to-feminine. VERY strong throw, and of course, impossible to remove.

Deep slightly brownish and maybe even olive-greenish golden oil. Intense, heavy, with a sour tinge from the rose - strikes me as the rose from the Empress and the Miller's Daughter and a lot of the older DC'ed blends - but stronger here than in any of those scents, barring maybe the Empress. The frankincense is similarly strong, a bit sickly sweet and heavily cloying and overall this blend is so pungent in the imp that I literally jerked my head back reflexively. Even more sour and no less pungent overall. There is also a vegetal note, almost spicy, that reminds me of pimento here - I would not be surprised if it WERE actually an unlisted note in this blend. The frankincense is one of the smokiest types I've encountere, also very dark, woody and sweet - though not as sweet as some types, in combination with the other attributes I find its sweetness here particularly repulsive - I never like frankincense, but this one of the worst if not the worst I've encountered. I also get something that reminds me of the clove & fir combo in Red Rose - for some reason these blend strike me as quite similar, more so as this dries. Not a morpher, although this does seem to mesh more overtime, it's still a very repulsive scent to me. Pungent, sour rose and, almost rotting, darkly, sickly-sweet and smoky woody frakincense - it's the worst sort of rose combined with the worst sort of incense and it is utter fail, though true from imp through all it stages. True FAIL. Strong throw, but fortunately it does fade a bit. Egads. This blend really drives home for me just how much I abhor frankincense.

Light golden oil.Sweet and creamy, a rich ivory sort of feel that's kept from being too rich by the brightness of the rose and the fresh, citrusy-piney tea note. I get a surprising amount of lovely vanilla, a bit of darker honeyed benzoin, surprisingly LITTLE creamy-sweet white coconut, softly white and only very faintly powdery orris. The rose note is there and doesn't smell like typical white rose to me (which is often sour and or soapy), but gentle and girly, and fortunately I get no frankincense at all! Not much different, but the tea note amps and makes this blend seem less sweet overall and much fresher and lighter, which I enjoy. A little more rose, but still very soft and light and youthful - not a rose to overpower by any means. Sniffing more closely I get a bit more depth and heavier sweetness from the benzoin but it seems to meld with sweet, pure and creamy vanilla. The orris is a touch stronger but still behaving and not turning powdery on me - in fact, I LIKE the very subtle powdery edge it has. I really cannot pick out any coconut, and I have to struggle to pick out the frankincense, which isn't really distinct as such, but there is bit of darkness here with a smoky-sweet edge which must be due to it. I am very pleasantly surprised by this blend for many reasons! Wow, my skin seriously ate this up. It does not appear to have morphed much, other than the orris amping and turning a tad more powdery - still pleasantly - the sweetness, rose & tea fading a bit and still not coconut or frankincense to be found, thank god - there is depth, but it is in no way something I would blindly attribute to frankincense or any dark resin. It's a pretty 'medium' weight scent, with the resins providing some depth, the tea and rose some brightness, and the sweet and creamy aspects round it all out and keeping it firmly middling. I am just testing Roses, Pearls and Diamonds on the other arm, which has a very similar note profile and they do smell very similar - but this is sweeter, less rosy, gentler and fainter and more a matte white feel. The tea presence, lack of musk and the faintness of the rose are what makes this scent noticeably distinct from RPD, though they are clearly still sisters. Gradually, the orris seems to amp into the strongest and most distinct note, though it never goes truly powdery. I think I am beginning to rather LIKE orris! *shock* This has become a very well-blended and seamless scent, like its sister RPD, and so no other notes pop out overtly. But if I hunt for them, I can find a bit of of soft white rose, truly like baby buds and a unique rose note to my nose - really lovely, but woefully faint. More strongly I can pick out the vanilla tea, which has merged into a whole note, as opposed to the initial vanilla + tea. The tea has only a faint whisper of its initial crispness, and is a smoother, rounder note now that blends beautifully with the delicately sweet and creamy vanilla, backed up by a bit of faintly honeyed, softly sweet benzoin depth. Really sniffing hard I get a tiny, tiny bit of coconut but not enough to bother me, and still no frankincense. This is unique from any other blend I own, and I think I need a bottle. Low throw and rather fast to fade - definitely a slatherer. Totally shocking how wonderful this turned out to be. I am utterly amazed! Yet again - why one should try EVERY blend.

Pale yellow oil. Sweet, warm, and spicy. It's almost foody, the way that it's sweet. Cinnamon strongest, then clove, a very sweet sort, and a kick of light white pepper in a more distant third place, strength-wise. Cinnamon red hots! Not that overpowering (yet), but definitely exactly what this 90% smells like, candy note and all. But I do get a bit of now-sharp, sweet intense clove behind - it can't really compete with the cinnamon red hots, but it's still a strong note in its own right. The white pepper is more of a fresh slightly dusty brightness than a distinct note. This is overall much more pleasant than expected. However, it is making my skin burn and itch. :\ Dustier, I think the white pepper is actually amping, something it has never done before, so maybe this is a different note from the one in Tulzcha and the other blends I've tested? Also, I think there may be a smidgen of black pepper in this. The clove is a little stronger, definitely the sharp, bullying and unpleasant type that my skin amps crazily, but it's still overwhelmed substantially by the cinnamon red hots. The skin sensation has settle into a constant moderate itchy-burn. This has finally completely dried, into 80% cinnamon red hots, 15% sharp, strong clove, and 5% pepper (likely a combo of both white and black). The clove is barely distinct without effort, and the last two note certainly aren't distinct with ANY amount of effort. Good to great throw, but I am off to the sink due to the burning - and since it doesn't wash off easily, I'd guess this would last a long time. As expected, not remotely appealing.

Colourless clear oil. Sweet, fruity and lush red rose without any sharpness - like the red rose note in Rose Red 2005, and also a bit like tea rose - a very luxurious and elegant rose that's rich and round without being overwhelming, or having any hint of soap, powder or sourness. I do get some orris, truly pearlescent in feel - slightly-almost creamy but more shimmery - and the coconut is white and very faint, subtly sweet and barely apparent, mild and mostly just adds to the white, creamy effect - same note from Mme Lilith, Fortune Teller. There is a general feminine musky brightness that to me seems to include white musk and skin musk, and maybe more. Rosier, but not by much - still well balanced as a scent overall without rose dominating, but the rose does blossom as most florals and especially roses do on my skin - it is more overtly floral and the other nuances in the bottle are fainter on my skin, although a definite fruity, fresh tart-sweet edge remains distinct. The coconut is much more distinct and gives this an almost tropical feel, as well as making the blend more creamy and white in feel - but not really sweeter - it is still not a very foody, sweet or rich coconut note, thankfully - since I'm not a fan of coconut in perfume. The orris is a touch stronger and also more floral, but otherwise unchanged - being a note I often have issues with (POWDER DOOM!), I am very pleased with its behaviour here. More musky, sexier - but the musks are even more blended on my skin and more difficult to dissect, though I still think white and skin musks are present. Much sexier, but still simply elegant, feminine, and expensive in vibe - wonderfully accurate conceptually! Not much morphing, just more blending and melding - and this scent is very well-balanced and quite unified even in the bottle. But its well-rounded, seamless nature is perhaps one of its finest and most obvious attributes. Surprisingly, after a little while dry on my skin the rose FADES - and I'd say it's now on par with the orris, which has amped a little but remains the same in quality - only vaguely powdery, more slightly creamy, soft, feminine and indeed pearlescent - it really does evoke pearls for me, quite strongly. The coconut which amped so abruptly and significantly on my skin while wet has faded back into its barely-noticeable state, as it was in the bottle, or perhaps fainted - I really think it's more of an invisible base note to contribute creamy, slightly sweet, rounded whiteness rather than a note that is meant to be distinct. Sadly, the musks have faded a little, and become so integrated into the scent that I don't find them as obviously sexy as they were earlier. I like this scent best in the wet stage except for the strong coconut, although I admire the seamlessness of its later stages - I just prefer stronger rose and musk notes, although in the much later drydown the white musk makes a strong comeback. and actually dominates the blend in an unfortunate bullying manner, the way it did in Thoos. In the earlier stages this is on the fringe of the one the scent categories I go for, but the later dry stages are sadly & intolerably WHITE MUSK SN - I think it's a beautiful scent, but my skin chemistry just doesn't play nicely with the white musk here . A lusher, rosier, stronger, shimmery and intensely musky sister to White Rose. Decent throw that fades a bit at first then holds well. Absolutely feminine, and definitely upscale. Skin, I hate you sometimes!

Bright golden-yellow oil. Floral, herbal, resiny. A little soapy, a little sweet - a bit of brightness from the heliotrope (which is also a little sour) and velvety spice from the carnation. Complex and unisex to feminine, with all the listed notes apparent. Deeper, darker, more herbal and even more complex. A lot more of the angelica root, frankincense and chamomile, with the heliotrope still as strong and bright but sour as it was in the bottle. A little rooty, and sweeter, from the combined effects of the angelica and the frankincense, which is definitely the sweet, slightly smoky but still a dark and resiny type. A bit powdery and overall fairly sharp and jumbled and not really pleasant. This has faded a lot, and I slathered fairly heavily - it's slightly powder, rooty, and herbal with a touch of floral soap. The heliotrope has softened into a more rounded, glowing note and lost its sour tinge, and the white carnation remains distinct, but more velvety than spicy with a bit of a green edge. The frankincense, chamomile and especially angelica have amped the most are the strongest notes in the dry stage, with heliotrope and carnation not dominated, but definitely in a close second place. This has a very white feel, a bit shining - I suppose that's conceptually accurate, a feeling of purity which is something I associate strongly with truth. I don't dislike this blend - well, I almost do in the early stages when it's sour and a bit chaotic - but this blend has nothing I really like, either, and doesn't fit the sort of feel that I go for in perfumes, or wow me in any particular way - it's not generic, I just find it uninteresting and personally unappealing, but I think it fits the concept well, and in the end it coalesces into a well-balanced blend that's unisex to feminine. Slightly powdery and floral, but mostly slightly sharply herbal and rooty, as well as 'white' feeling with lots of velvety texture and a bit of golden heliotrope glow. Moderate throw, and good longevity after the initial fading.

Pale yellow oil. Very foody; sweet, rich, creamy buttery - almost painfully cloying and heavy in its foodiness. I can't pick out bread or tea, just LOTS of buttery tonka, some cream, and lots white granulated sugar. Much more complex on my skin, with less overwhelming butteriness. I get the tea now, which is almost minty? Also with a citrusy/lemon overtone - I think this is Earl Grey tea bc I get a bit of bergamot.t It definitely has an herbal aspect to it, and some tannic astringency - I wouldn't call this a weak tea note. It recalls the tea note in Manhattan, Men Ringing Bells, Severin, Famine, White Rabbit...it's not a tea note that I enjoy, alas - it has a chemical harshness to it. It's like overbrewed poor quality tea extractvand sort of artificial - the vanillin of tea absolutes. :X Although, at least it's prevent the tonka from dominating completely! I do love the purity of the white sugar, and the soft cream note - also very pure and white, almost 'clean' - reminds me of the note in Schlafende Baigneuse. This oil dries rapidly on my skin, and appears to be causing my skin to itch and burn, but maybe because it's irritated from trying an oil in that same spot a day or so ago, even though it didn't cause any redness or seem to have a permanent effect once I washed the offending oil off. I have yet to get any bread from this. Still lots of tea, amping on me as it did in those other blends I mentioned, and just really sharp and chemical and in combination with the cloying buttery tonka, ugh. For some reason this tea note reminds me of De Sade style leather, or more likely I associate it with that note because it's combined with it in Severin and Manhattan...and with the tonka here, for some reason this blend reminds me of CC: Female - that heavy tonka/leather combo. An the black tea and tonka combo reminds me a lot of Men Ringing Bells - that is perhaps the most similar blend, though this is sweeter and much less green. In short, I love the soft, pure, feminine and very realistic white sugar and cream notes, but they are very faint and totally overwhelmed by butter tonka and sharp, lemony-minty harsh and toilet-cleanerish black tea. The bread is nowhere to be found at any stage. This has very strong throw at first but despite reapplying and slathering both applications, my skin eats this blend up rapidly. The burning and itching persisted till I washed it off, then it was gone along with most of the scent.

Light golden oil. Super foody, buttery, rich, sweet & cloying TONKA, followed by jammy black currant and faint whisper of roses. This makes Eat Me look not foody at all, that's how buttery and tonka-heavy this scent is! Much better; lighter overall (it was scary potent in the imp) and more balanced; a lot more rose especially on my skin, but more blackcurrant, too. The tonka has morphed from straight TONKA-BUTTER to a more complex foody note that approaches actual pastry, this is sweeter on my skin, but in a more realistically foody way, as opposed to the fake over-the-top smell in the imp. Still far too foody and rich for my tastes. Thanks to my skin's predictable tendency to amp florals generally and rose particularly, this is becoming nicer and nicer over time. The roses really do smell slightly crushed to me, somewhere between fresh, lush, almost fruity red roses and dried, crumbled almost powdery roses from a saved bouquet - very evocative. The tonka has amazing, receded or been pushed to third place in this blend, and as noted earlier has morphed into a much more pleasant sugared-pastry type of note rather than the initial FAKE BUTTER & SUGAR SYRUP SN. The black currant is somewhere between wild, brambly berries on the bush and jam, so altogether this scent really does have a feel of tarts stolen hastily in a garden somewhere. Not much morphing after a few hours; this settles solidly into lush red roses with a crumbly edge over wild black currant jam filled buttery, sugary pastry. It's definitely foody, but with enough rose to cut the richness, such that ends up being a very well balanced scent on my skin in the final drydown. Still too foody to for me, but conceptually perfect and well-crafted. Excellent throw and longevity, too.

Light amber coloured oil. Mostly sweet, fruity, juicy grape - it's a little FAKE GRAPE CANDY, but only a little. I get some earthy and herbal hints in the background, but nothing distinct, and no civet. Overall, though there is a wildness and an outdoorsy feel to this blend. Much more complex, instantly. The juniper in particular jumps out, evergreeny and a little sharp, intensely woodsy and earthy, too - I always fine juniper to be the earthiest evergreen note. I get the oakmoss clearly now too, which is a lightly musk, lovely soft earthy note, too. And the sage, which truly IS sweet - perhaps the first sweet sage note I've ever smelled in a BPAL blend - but it's also a little dry and a little harshly sharp, adding a definite masculine edge. The grape has only a hint of candy left, though it's still strongly present - it's more like wild grapes, with vines and seeds and leaves and fruit all crushed and wafting into the air as a complex whole. I don't get the 'cat pee' thing from civet, but I do get a bit of 'wild musk' that reminds me most strongly of black musk, and a bit less strongly of the musk in Devil's Night - raw, primal, masculine and sweet. Hmm, this goes sort of powdery on me, the way a lot of the older blends do - sort like there's an amber in here, but I'm betting it's black musk or black amber - it could also be the dryness of sage turning on my skin. The juniper in this fades rapidly to a very subdued background note, most unusual, and the grape has amped up and turned sweeter and more candyish again. While this is still a strange assortment of notes, it's coalescing more now into something relatively unified. It reminds me strongly of a blend I can't quite place - maybe Dephi? It also reminds me vaguely of Lady Macbeth, the Harvest Moon blend, Hunter Moon 2004 and Horreur Sympathique. Final dry down is slighly powdery and candyish; sweet grape with a fair bit of dark, sweet musk (not at all unpleasant as some apparently find civet to bet) with light earthy and woodsy accents and a bit of dry herbal shaprness from the sage. It starts out kind of unisex, turns masculine for a while, and ends up feminine. Good throw but poor longevity - it fades quite rapidly on my skin. Meh.

I guess my skin chemistry plays differently...but more likely, it's just fairnymph the weirdo who loves the light, fresh scents most BPALers find mediocre, boring, or worse. Fine, more for me, then! This is surprisingly sweet, in a very light, delicate, and feminine way - the sweetness seems almost honeyed, like the nectar from flowers - or honeysuckle without the powderiness, or linden - I'm guessing that's the angel's trumpet at work. There's a bit of grassiness from the balsam and some smooth green-white fresh oude wood, really musky, deliciously earthy oakmoss. The white tea note is fantastic and seems be the brighter, slightly citrusy and piney, like real freshly picked tea leaves note that I recognise from the Fox-Woman and Embalming Fluid. It's still smooth, but it doesn't have that plasticky slickness that of the white tea note in Baobhan Sith, Manhattan, etc. The olibanum (i.e. frankincense) is really light and I don't think I'd pick it out blind - this doesn't have an incensey or resinous feel, but I'm sure the note contributes to the depth of the blend and its sweetness. Speaking of which...this is becomings sweeter and sweeter on me! I think there MUST be some vanilla in here, bc it's definitely sweet (but not candyish, or cloying in the least) - it could be vanilla orchid, or vanilla musk - something delicate, very clean, white, and pure but still vanilla-sweet. Also a little sugary, like vanilla sugar used for baking europe. I think there is sugar cane in here, the same note from Itaso, sweet and almost aquatic in its refreshing, green-white but still lightly sugar way. The sandalwood here is absolutely stunning - Beth has been sourcing some fabulous versions as of late - and this is definitely one of the sandalwood notes that's in Echo. Sweet, rich, very creamy and very musky and fabulously sexy. This scent is honestly unlike anything in the catalogue - there are shared notes I can pick out, but the overall feel and smell is incredibly unique, and I love how this starts out nice but builds and builds on my skin over time into a gorgeous masterpiece. It's sweet, delicate flowers - the violet's very light and pure, with only the tiniest hint of powder that I can only pick out bc I know it's violet and I'm sniffing, hard - with subtle grassy greenery and smooth, fresh but gentle oude, musky oakmoss & intensely creamy, musky sandalwood which round out the blend, along with some form of vanilla & juicy sugar cane as the icing on the cake. The violet, oude, balsam, white tea and oakmoss make this feel cologney, while the other notes are sweetly sexy girliness - so it's a really lovely contrast and balance. It amps to have great throw and longevity, too! Multiple bottleworthy. This is a scent I could wear at a business meeting, out on a date at an elegant restaurant, relaxing at home, working in the garden, grocery shopping, playing with my friends' kids...it's an utterly inoffensive scent that I imagine nearly anyone would enjoy and be drawn to - it has no sharp edges or excesses in any regard. It's perfectly balanced.

I tested this blind on a whim when I received this as a lab frimp - thanks, lab! It's very clean and fresh, a little cologney, almost aquatic with a faint but pleasant soapiness and a bit of mintiness no doubt due to the hyssop. But there is also a light bit of herbal sweetness that I suspect is due to basil, which for some reason smells - a bit citrusy, the lab's note at least = other perfumiere's basil, I don't know. It's not the sort of 'herbal' blend I imagined at all, and it doesn't smell particularly herbal in the bottle or on my skin. This doesn't feel purple at all on my skin, but a pale green-white, or like old glass that has that greenish tint, perhaps a piece found on the beach that's been worn to a matte finish but still has some translucence. It's more like Squirting Cucumber than any other scent in the catalogue, and similar in feel, but this one is a bit more towards masculine, even though I'm quite enjoying it on my skin. Actually, there's some white, slightly heady but still Springlike floral - a really nice one that's a bit creamy, possibly my beloved daffodil bc I get a bit of a Kitsune-Tsuki association. It has rather suddenly emerged and quickly amps on my skin, making it firmly unisex, and actually much more towards feminine on my skin when dry. There could be a little crocus in here too, maybe purple crocus to be true to the note description. It's faintly herbal, cologney, aquatic & floral all at once and has that bright citrusy-basil kick , making it something unique enough to be bottleworthy. I'm glad I had the urge to test this so I can order a bottle (or two!) before the price hike! Overall, this is one of those blends that could almost pass for traditional classic perfume, but has just a little twist that makes it that much better - the beauty of BPAL. It's much like Amsterdam, Squirting Cucumber, Prague, Danube and blends of that ilk. It also amps to have great throw and longevity! A surprise winner and another reason why one should always test every blend even if the notes don't sound appealing - bc very often, the notes have little or no relevance to the resulting smell.