fairnymph

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.

Light yellow oil. Surprisingly sweet in a way I can't pinpoint, powdery-floral, and a little sour. I think there is the same rose note from The Empress and The Miller's Daughter - one I dislike. Not all that woody and I wouldn't have known there was wool in this.

 

Surprisingly rich, and I think that element and the sweetness must come from the teak - reminds me of the teak note in Glowing Vulva. I do now a get bit of a 'lineny' note but it honestly does smell sort of like worsted wool, like thick, slightly rough, a little dank fabric. Still a hint of sour rose and powdery rosewood.

 

Not much morphing, perhaps a little amping of the rose and rosewood, while the teak fades and the wooly note holds. It's not bad, but smells 'old ladyish' to me.

 

This really just becomes more and more feminine, more and more elderly and almost 'frail' feeling. Definitely more powdery. I get the sense of sorting through a grandmother's old clothing in the attic, with remnants of her scent and her rose talcum powder wafting through the air. Interesting, but not something I would ever wear. Moderate throw and good longevity.

Floral - in that rotten floral way I've been getting in many of the recent LE blends, a few of the Lupers included, and here I'm guessing narcissus is the culprit. Narcissus is never a note I like - usually it's sharp and harsh, but I prefer that to this heady, sour rotten note. The oude is very green and adds to the overall sour feel, I think. I don't know what duosmon is, but the only thing I could find from googling claimed it was either dill, anise, or cumin. I do get something a bit pickly, so it could be there is some dill here. Sadly, I'm not getting any vanilla. I am definitely getting some of the dusty opoponax (i.e. myrrh), however. This is an odd, jumbled blend that's I guess sort of masculine (appropriately), but not at all beautiful. I'm scared to skin test it.

Better - I get some of the vanilla now, which I do think is 'gently blushing' - it's a light sort, almost floral like vanilla orchid, with a delicate sweetness. The narcissus is still rotting flowers, but the oude has smoothed out into a pleasantly green and woody note that's fresh but also adds depth. The mystery note now smells a little anise like, and for some reason this blend DOES remind me of Pink Mood (even though it feels utterly different), so I think that yes, anise is the duosmon here. The myrrh is still here, but no stronger, thank god - this is fresher and more balanced on my skin.

Apparently narcissus now smells like lilac on my skin. This is the same foul note from Penis Admiration and is likewise dominating all the other notes on my skin - although a bit of that strange anisey note comes through too, and it's just as revolting. The myrrh has amped a little, particularly its dark, bitter aspect. The oude is overwhelmed, sadly. I can pick out more vanilla now, but as in Pink Mood, it seems to combine with the anisey note in a cloying and unpleasant manner - sickly sweet and anisey/spicy.

This is going a bit soapy, and the overwhelming rotten-floral narcissus over cloying rich vanilla-anise (honestly, the vanilla is more like tonka here to my nose, or a fake vanillin note) darkened by bitter, dusty myrrh is making me feel nauseated, and the fresh, smooth green oude wood is not nearly enough to make this bearable. Masculine, definitely. Strong throw and longevity.
If you like Penis Admiration and Pink Mood, give it a go, but personally I'm headed to the sink.

Orangey-amber oil. Harsh and sharp - plasticky-style De Sade leather jumps out most of all, followed closely by high-proof booze. I don't really get the patchouli, but I do get a creamy, green-fresh warmth from the cardamom - lightly and distantly.

 

LEATHER whoa, and booze still strong too, but I get more of the cardamom, which actually has a spicy edge now. The patchouli is so smooth that it's more like a warm earthy background - definitely the subtle type, not a dirty or rooty or hippiesh type, but a refined note

 

The leather continues to utterly dominate and it's really that De-Sade chemical-plastic-powder type that I abhor. Very strong throw, and it's so unpleasant to me that I might have to wash this off. Even with my nose to my arm I can barely detect the other notes because leather's got such a tight reign on this blend.

 

This makes me feel ill, much like De Sade, to it which honestly, on the drydown at least, is nearly identical. I'm not sure how a woman would pull this off, as I find it extremely masculine although also simply just revolting. Intense throw & very long-lived on me.

 

Root beer coloured oil. Sweet, spicy, fresh, exotic, woody, musky, a little salty...incredibly complex! Overwhelmingly so. Ambergris, balsam, the woods, red musk, tobacco and lime stand out for me. The latter two remind me vaguely of Mr. Nancy. Other than it being heavy on the red musk (which I detest), I quite like it.

 

Tarter, sharper (and greener, though not from notes I can pinpoint), woodier. Less sweet and heavy and thankfully less red musk. Maybe a little drier, the red sandalwood making itself known. The lime is holding! I'm getting a bit of leather, and it's a NICE leather, not a powdery-plasticky-slick kind, but actually warm. The tobacco is gorgeous, and overall this is really a wonderfully fitting and totally sexy masculine scent, so far.

 

Eeep. The other notes have faded or red musk has amped - either way it's way heavier on the red musk now. Also, coconut has made an unpleasant appearance, and the grass/palm notes have become unpleasantly bitter. Lime is mostly gone, but the ambergris, leather and tobacco are holding nicely. Still, not enough to save this blend for me.

 

Strong throw and great longevity. Definitely masculine and I have trouble imagining a woman pulling this off.

Deep amber oil, almost orangey. Sweet, warm, and a touchy spicy and floral. I can smell all the notes, but the berries hit first and most strongly.

 

Almost candy-sweet or jammy from the berries - I get raspberry first and foremost, with a little strawberry and maybe a bit of blackberry? Sort of like 'fruits of the forest' jam but heavy on the rasberry. More iris now, a little powdery but not heavily so. The amber remains light and more warm than powdery. I get a bit of clove now, slowly emerging.

 

Sweet berries and powdery iris & amber with a touch of light (and actually rather pleasant) clove. One of the simpler BPAL blends, it strikes me as something an older woman would wear - 'old lady'. A fake cherry note has joined the fruits, and the raspberry has gone sickly sweet and plasticky on me.

 

Soft powder lightly sweetened with berries after several hours. It's not horrible in the final drydown, but not at all my sort of thing. Low throw and decent longevity.

Light and faint in the imp - cologney. White amber, classic white florals, clean sandalwood. Extremely pleasant, but hard to tell when it's so, so faint.

 

Dry, woody, resiny. Heavy. A little powdery and a little sweet. Surprisingly unisex. I can pick out all the notes, but the woods and resins are dominating, not the florals. The vanilla, white amber and champaca make this possibly worthwhile.

 

ORRIS ORRIS DOOM. Oh how I hate you. I turn my back for 5 minutes and you are beating me with talcum powder, you evil whore. Um, I'm really not sure what else is going on, and I may have to run to the sink. Orris simply overwhelms me. It also goes a little sickly sweet.

 

Really intensely strong throw and lasting power, as usual with terrible orris blends. Ughhh. It's like a rotting old lady smoked some incense, spilled cheap fake vanilla perfume and talcum powder on herself, and then decided to smother me.

 

2009 version

 

Light yellow oil. Sweet and foody! I get something almost buttery, like caramel-rum, and lots of a Sugar Skull-like brown sugar note. A little bit of heavy musk in the distance and a hint of spice, too.

 

Much more boozy, like rum and cognac, reminding me a lot more of the 2005 version now. Still extremely sweet, rich, and foody. I think maybe I'm confusing spice with smoke, but I swear there is a touch of cinnamon here, and maybe some light vetiver. More musk, and more complex overall on my skin.

 

Much more vetiver & musk - almost a little soapy/cologney. Still brown sugary sweet but the overall foody effect has faded along with most of the booze. This is also going a bit bitter, like dried oak leaves - I get the autumn night/woodsmoke feel MUCH more now, and more strongly in this version than the original, which was much more musky/sweet on drydown. Still that hint of spice.

 

I also swear there is some leather in here, the nasty plastic chemical kind a la De Sade, maybe to convey the 'thuggish'ness? It also makes what started out as such a foody/sweet and thus in my mind not very masculine scent MUCH more unisex, leaning eventually towards masculine a bit.

 

Deep amber oil. Complex, but sweet, ripe, autumnal fruits hit first - the apple, grapes/wine and berries. Next I get bit of sage and ivy, a little harsh and sharp but pleasantly so, cutting the heavy fruits. The 'mum and sunflower stand out strongly, and I get faint hints of grain and smoke and woods.

 

Sweet! Very grapey/winey/berryish especially. More sunflower, more sage and ivy - sharper, greener and drier now, and the wood undertone is stronger too. I'm not really getting any pumpkin, clematis, or lily. The mum is holding nicely, adding a certain smoothness that rounds out this very complex blend.

 

More woodsmoke, more wood, more nutty-grainy amaranth. It's a warmer, deeper, richer scent now, though still quite herbal with sage and 'mum holding very strongly. I get a bit of bite from narcissus that I dislike, but it's tempered by everything else.

 

Settles down into softly smoky, slightly fruit-sweet (in a dark, way) woods, grains and herbs with a strong dry sunflower note and a bit of harsh finish upon close sniffing. Fades greatly from initial application, and has only decent throw. Not so great longevity overall, either.

Light yellow oil. Surprisingly sweet, almost foody! Lots of rum (not bay rum but FOODY rum), a bit of bourbon, and overall quite, quite boozy. Maybe part of that is the 'sleazy cologne'. Cause this definitely smells sort of cheap and tawdry and tacky. Tobacco and a sort of dustiness underneath the booze.

 

Still very sweet, but less harshly boozy, and less overwhelmingly cologney. Overall a lot smoother and more pleasant. Much more tobacco, a really rich, toasted, almost chocolatey, verging on foody sort of note - it reminds me greatly CBIHP's 'Rich Tobacco' accord. A bit drier, in a slightly powdery floral way, maybe some orris? And I do finally get a bit of actually bay rum, an amount which balances the other notes nicely.

 

More powdery, almost in a black-leather, De Sade-like way. Lots of orris. Most of the booze has gone but this is still mildly sweet. The tobacco is holding, but overshadowing by the nasty powder.

Powdery, chemically, leathery sleazy cologne. Strong throw and longevity. Absolutely masculine and totally fitting (frankly it's both creepy and foul), but definitely not something I would wear.

 

 

Amber-coloured oil. Deep, dark, a touch spicy. A little smoky. Definitely getting the tobacco and opium foremost, with balsam and elemi (a little sour) just behind. The ginger and rosewood are not distinct.

 

Sweeter, fresher, lighter. Much more elemi, balsam and ginger. The tobacco is less smoky and more astringent. I have no idea where the sweetness is coming from - it's almost sugary or syrupy! Still some hazy opium, but more distant now. The ginger note is juicy, fresh, and absolutely stunning.

 

Becoming more sour and more bitter; the elemi is amping, and so is the balsam, and these two are not interacting well. It's sour-sharp-piney, like an evil sort of cleaning product, with now a powdery (rosewood appeared, I see) note, over a smoky, sickly-sweet opium base (definitely the source of bitterness also). I can still smell the lovely ginger and tobacco but they can't make up for the other unpleasantness.

 

It really seems that I cannot wear elemi - it's a dealbreaker note, I fear.

Golden oil/. Iris and sandalwood really jump out, a rather traditional perfumey blend that feels very white and little dry. Definitely floral with potential for soap/powder. I also get some herbal sharpness in the distance along with a hint of darker things.

 

Darker and sharper. Much more olibanum and now the myrrh, quite bitter, a little musty. Very warm feeling, appropriately arid, from the red sandalwood. The iris is still bright, very in-you-face feminine and classic in feel. Too heady for me, but it's not turning on my skin like iris often does. I get a certain grassiness now from the mysterious herbs that's quite pleasant.

 

Deeper,headier, overall more powerful. Throw is insane and has really amped up. Still very white, almost too white - blindingly - in feel; uber-feminine, and quite classic in feel but with that dry warmth and resin base. No longer grassy - I don't detect any herbal/green notes anymore. The myrrh has softened, lost its bitter edge, and is just dark, dusty faint incense.

 

Huh...the herbs sort of come back and the iris fades a bit so that to me this is mostly warm perfumey SANDALWOOD over a light incense/resin base. It becomes very subtle, very much a skin-like scent, almost musky even, and actually pretty unisex on final drydown. Also, that initial blast of throw has faded greatly and shockingly.

 

Evolves nicely, but still not my sort of scent.

Deep golden oil. Warm - definitely that amber, and a sense of desert heat - as well as softly sweet and lightly spicy. The patchouli is a little dusty, appropriately, but light and earthy and not at all a hippy-ish/rooty/dirty type of patchouli. The hyssop adds an interesting minty sort of cooling herbal contrast to the other notes.

 

Sweeter, and distinctly MUSKY (black musk, I'd bet my life on it). The amber here is just lovely - not too strong, not powdery or perfumey, just warm and golden and sunny. I'm sure it's the same note from L'Estate. The hyssop is softer, less minty and no longer mentholic - it kind of reminds me of hops now, a slightly sour-bitter note that keeps the warmth, musk, and spices and in check. I do get the spices a tad more on my skin, but not by much. They're subtle and well-behaved. I get maybe cardamom and cassia, and I'd swear there is some red sandalwood here. This sort of reminds me of unisex Morocco, actually!

 

Sweeter and sweeter, I am definitely getting that benzoin/embalming base from Anubis and it's very nice. The spices remain light and really just give this a warm, exotic feel - it's just like in Morocco - they are there, but they are soft not remotely hot/burning or in your face. Refined, smoothed. The hyssop has amped up a little but I'm still liking it and it works with the notes here in a way that makes it almost seem like a different note from other scents I've tested that share it. I get more of a woody/dry base now which I'm sure is the red sandalwood and blends really well with the musk. Overall, like Morocco, this is a seamless blend. Like something with perfect, lightly oiled golden skin. - you want to stroke it and sink into it.

 

Drier, darker in feel and more strongly resiny over time, making it less like Morocco than it was in the earlier stages, and also, this is sweeter than Morocco, almost sugary, without being a foody type of scent at all. I find Morocco creamier, softer, and closer to foody. I definitely consider this the masculine counterpart to Morocco, though both scents are relatively unisex.

 

Sweet, warm, musky spices over amber and woodsy resin.The latter note only appears distinctly to me in the final drydown - balsam perhaps? There could be frankincense in here too, contributing to a sense of darkness/smokiness. A lot more manly in the end though ultimately still probably unisex. Good throw and fantastic longevity - in fact, it amps over time!

 

Manly, drier Morocco, if I had to sum it up briefly. Nicely done, though not my sort of thing,

 

Deep golden/light amber oil. Deep. Woodsy, smoky, musky. The fir needle is definitely 'woodsy/evergreen' but not like any other evergreen note I've smelled in BPAL. I get a bit of chemically/cologney leather and the musk is light. The cedar is well behaved - interesting and pleasant and not too strong or smoky. A little bit of perfumey sweetness from the amber.

 

More distinctly woodsy; I get a slightly refined lumberjack feel. This is a sexy man who spends a lot of time in the forest. Muskier, and sharper from the leather. Smokier. Overall stronger, though I find this almost a touch sour (in a nice way, pleaseantly astringent), and it's definitely less sweet/ambery. The elements here work together beautifully and while this scent has potency, it's not overwhelming and it's both simple and yet not at all simplistic - it has that high-quality, well-blended, luxe feel.

 

Drier, smokier - that smoked cedar has amped and is taking the fore, though it's not overwhelming. The leather, which to me smells like De Sade-style, has amped as well and I'm not totally crazy about that. It's definitely a sharper, almost sour scent now - it's not that hazy, comforting manliness, now it's like a little bit of nastiness has come out - I'm seeing the dark side of Doc C.

 

Smoky musk and woods with a dangerous of edge of leather. I think this would be stunning on a man, and this is absolutely a manly scent. It smells nice on me, but I couldn't 'wear' it. Low throw and it fades quite a bit, but then holds nicely after the initial fading.

 

A pleasantly sexy surprise!

Nutty, sweet, fruity. The nutty-grainy notes lend a sort of richness that makes this quite foody. It smells like overripe fruits, stewed or baked, not fresh/juicy/crisp notes. I wish it were tarter. I do get a little apple blossom which lightens the scent in a lovely manner. I also get a lot of booziness, like a thick cherry liqueur. I get hazelnut note, which smells almost chocolatey.

 

Still really really boozy, very sharply so, with a very strong top note of hazelnut liqueur. I totally see the 'nail polish remover' thing. I can pick out a bit of (cooked) apple and a tiny bit of jammy blackberry (agree that it's the same note from BJ&S), but really this strikes me as more cherry than any other fruit or berry. I can't really detect the mulberry or pomegranate. Still some apple blossom, faintly soapy now.

 

Boozy hazelnut calming down a bit, but apple blossom has gone more soapy. I get a little mulberry and pomegranate now which add a nicely tart edge, but honestly the fruit is very muted in this, and utterly overshadowed. It's a very faint backdrop. This had really strong throw at first, but has faded a lot since in a relatively short time.

 

The hazelnut/cherry thing is making me nauseated. That's what I get from a distant, but when I shove my nose to my wrist I do get the other fruits/notes and it's much nicer, but still not that great. This actually still has good throw, and while it continues to fade over time the longevity is decent.

 

Not at all what I'd hoped for.

Dark resiny floral. It really does feel black, and quite heavy and nocturnal. Feminine, but only barely. There's also strong woody and spicy notes that could work on a man, I'd imagine.

 

Wow, sweeter, much more benzoin and fruitier, too, from the currant. Also more floral and a touch soapy. A lot lighter in feel though it's still a very dark scent. Much more gardenia and lily and orchid. Heady. The ambergris adds a nice sort of oily muskiness and the mosses are earthier now. But the resins and spice and wood - much less apparent.

 

Sweeter and headier, but less soapy - the florals are still intense but much more pleasant. This feels very mature, like something a slightly older woman would wear to a black tie evening event. It definitely sweetens (the currant/benzoin works really well, it's berry-currant not the cat-urine type) and deepens over time, and all the notes meld together quite well. It's a nice, with powerful throw and longevity, but not my style.

 

Smells very much like Beaver Moon 05 to me, also a little like Closet. Definitely getting the cake and the frosting - very foody, sweet, and creamy but not overwhelming or cloying.

 

Deeper and more complex - I get the Dorian and Snake Oil now, though lightly, and something a little piney and smoky - maybe the Doc Constantine? It's very different and much more sophisticated on my skin, though still very sweet, still foody, and quite heavy in feel. On my skin the Dorian is the strongest of the backdrops, then DC, then SO. This is good because I dislike SO.

 

Fading very very rapidly and I accidentally overslathered this one. I have to nearly shove my nose into my arm to get much of anything at all. Less sweet and foody, and more resiny. I'm getting that strong vanilla note distinct to Snake Oil and a bit of that red musk/resin feel from same, but lightly. Dorian sugared vanilla tea is still going strong.

 

Eeek. The cake note in this is going a bit musty/plastic on me, although the good news is that I can smell the cream cheese frosting more now - I think it's amped by the vanillas & sweetness from the SO and Dorian. Definitely the best & most specific 'cream cheese frosting' blend I've smelled. If only the cake note were more present.

 

Snake Oil slowly, insiduously amping over time - this is almost not even foody anymore, and seems to be constantly morphing on my skin.

 

Yeah...not my cup of tea.

Very pale greenish yellow oil. Wow, interesting - strong orange blossom, much fruitier and less sharp and soapy than usual, lots of tropical coconut milk (especially in combo with the fruitiness), a little sweet-tart skin musk and musky ambergris, a fair bit of heady ylang ylang, with bright, surprisingly strong, cologney white amber.

 

Lighter and smoother and just - less heavy, sharp, intense, jumbled. The orange blossom is still lovely, but the coconut milk has settled down a bit as has the ylang ylang, though I still find both notes 'too much' for me. The skin musk and white amber here are gorgeous; bright, feminine, clean - and the amount of ambergris here is just right - it adds an almost oceanic touch and a bit of depth and sexiness but it's subtle.

 

This scent continues to coalesce - it's also fading quite a bit from its initial immense throw in the imp - the notes are balancing each other nicely. The coconut note has lightened to the soft, sweetly creamy note from Mme Lilith, Fortune Teller which is the nicest coconut note in BPAL, IMO. The orange blossom is delicate and a perfect balance of orange fruit and fragrant blossom - so different from the typical orange blossom note. Ambergris, musk and amber have all merged into beautiful skin scent - it's bright and sexy and soft and feminine. The ylang ylang has either blended its way into something nice, or disappeared entirely.

 

The vibe here - soft, pink, lightly sweet and creamy and definitely tropical - totally reminds me of Mme Lilith. The coconut fades to a faint creaminess that's almost wearable (and this from a die-hard coconut hater - in perfume, that is). The orange blossom is now mostly a tart and juicy fruit with a little delicate blossom, and the creamy-musky base is so incredibly well-blended I can no longer pick it apart - it's just a smooth, sexy, youthful and feminine skin scent. A young woman who's just come into her own sexuality and is strolling on a warm, breezy evening somewhere in the Caribbean with a bit of sea breeze in the air.

 

What a very pleasant surprise. I may have to break my coconut rule and get a bottle of this! Shungas, you are SO very good to me.

Very pale yellow oil. Rich, heavy, cloying cocoa buttery, creamy white chocolate with a teensy bit of candied, jammy strawberry. No apparent white pepper.

 

Much more fruit, and a little fresher - like ripe strawberries mushed together with sugary preserves. I get a little bit of white pepper kick, very light and very pleasant. White pepper seems to work on me - it doesn't register as pepper or spice, I group it more with ginger as a 'fresh' note that brightens blends. The white chocolate is less dominating and much more bearable, less cloying and buttery.

 

Crazy strong throw - to the point of interfering with stuff I'm testing on my other arm. The white pepper has amped up to the point where I can identify it clearly as such - but I still like it! Strawberry jam and cheap, artificially flavoured white chocolate are battling for dominance. The lab's white chocolate always goes gross on my skin, but this year it seems to be a bit improved - it's only a little bit fake, and there is some pleasant creaminess to it. Mostly I think it's just not something I'd want to smell like, ever.

 

I just scratched half the perfume off the testing spot. I think that happened with the other WC blend from this year, too. Apparently my skin doesn't like WC? Sniffing what remains, it appears that also as with the other WC blend, the fruit one the battle against WC. So this is mostly a lovely jammy strawberry note - a note which is unique in BPAL - it's not the 'fake' strawberry that goes plastic from older blends (like Strawberry Moon 05), or the fresh, 'wild' and juicy strawberry note of recent blends (like Strawberry Moon 09) - it's delicious strawberry JAM with a bit of puree blended in.

 

I am shocked by how much I like the final drydown - it's strawberry jam with a touch of sweetened cream and some strawberry coulis - basically, a 'strawberries & cream' scent, which can never be wrong - and I don't own anything like this scent, and I really love this particular strawberry note. The white pepper keeps it fresh and interesting but blends indistinctly after a few hours. The throw is strong at first but my skin seems to eat this up. Still, I think a bottle or two is in order.

 

This was the scent I most looked forward to from the update based on the notes. In the bottle i smell soapy-clean, almost aquatic greenery with ozone and yes, 'night air' - I don't know how Beth does these things! There's some definite sweetness, a little grassiness, some herbalness...it's a bit soapier and more herbal than the previous March green scents (Passionate Shepherd, Host of Air).

 

Sweeter - and definitely berryish, but a unique fruit note to my nose, something between cranberry and ligonberry - and also a bit soapy. Still very herbal in a slightly dry-sharp & medicinal way - like sage, thyme or oregano freshly crushed, not that I get any of those specifically. I'm assuming that's the butterwort and thistle, with which I am not familiar. The meadowgrass is sweeter and milder, but also soapier - verging now on too soapy - than 'regular' grass. The marigold is the note I can pick out most clearly, and it adds a certain distinctive brightness and a slight spiciness, as well as a velvety, tactile aspect.

 

The has come together much more as a blend, with the berry note, marigold, and night air (which reminds me very much of the note in Nowhere in Particular) in the fore over still soapy but less strongly so base of mixed greenery. It's outdoorsy and rustic and yet has a luminous - I suppose that's the air and ozone - quality - less green than I'd expected though it's still green. But it's not really 'wowing me' - I guess I wish it were a little fresher and grassier? I'll keep my partial bottle, but I think it will suffice. Good throw and great longevity.

Sweet, spicy, warm, woody with a bit of tangy brightness from the tagetes. The tiare (i.e. gardenia) is surprisingly light - still bright and white - but more lush than overpowering. The amber strikes me as the 'perfumey' sort, and the sandalwood is strong and dry, a bit sawdusty. Combined with the vanilla, the latter two elements remind me a bit of Ü.

 

Sweeter and smoother - much more amber and vanilla (a rich, bourbon vanilla bean extract type), and the dry, hot edge of the cardamom has become richly warm and exotic. The tagetes is lighter, and its sourness clashes oddly with the other notes on my skin - even though it's usually a note I love, right now it's not meshing. The sandalwood is warmer and muskier and less drily woody. The gardenia amps, as most florals do on my skin, and it's a little TOO bright, but just barely - it's by no means dominating. I'd say this blend is pretty well balanced, but not yet cohesive.

 

This is a powerful one, throw-wise - I keep geting heady wafts of it. The gardenia (very white and very bright, but still behaving), amber (heavy and rich but not at all powdery), tagetes (tangy and velvety) and cardamom (spicy and sexy in a gourmand way) have all amped up quite a bit, while the sandalwood has smoothed out, become more musky, and lost its dry sawdust edge. Likewise, the vanilla, while no stronger - is better - it's not just sweet, in fact it's a little less sweet - but it's deeper and more complex a note, with a boozy edge. This blend has finally come together, and beautifully so. It reminds me of a more complex (more herbal, more floral) less sweet and less vanillic Lamia. Intense throw and fanastic longevity, too.

 

Not at all my style, but one I predict will be very popular.

 

ETA: I layered Lamia with Dreadful Lies, and got something VERY similar. I knew there was another blend Harp reminded me of! And DL is definitely it, much more so than Lamia. It's 80% DL and 15% Lamia with 5% Other.

Light and fresh, herbal-green and a little juicy-fruity but with a deep sharpness, maybe some leather, or a certain herb or resin? This is a bit of a contradictory and jumbled scent.

 

Warmer, drier - dusty, in fact - with almost no trace of that fruity sweetness from the bottle. Very much dry, dark herbs and incense. Definitely some myrrh, and maybe a little frankincense - and I get whatever that incense note is from Black Lace, that goes soapy on my skin when unaged. Actually, this scent's base on the whole reminds me remarkably of BL - some of the vanilla and tobacco notes, but faint here.

 

Going sweeter, that Black Lace base is amping, but there's still quite a bit of other incense as noted earlier. I no longer get any greeness or fruity notes at all. Now leather - it's possible. A light be of slick, powdery-sharp De Sade style? But I usually amp leather and if there's leather here, it's not amping. It could be a dry wood instead...there's definite woodiness here, but it blends with the incensey base.

 

This is a scent that's clearly BPAL - it has that general BPAL vibe & smell - but is not quite like anything else I've tested. The drydown is dark herbs & dry wood over dark incense; myrrh, smoky-sweet frankincense and loads of that Black Lace incense, with some of its vanilla and tobacco - these latter two do amp and sweetened considerably over time on my skin. I think there is some benzoin here as well. This is a serious, complex, and sophisticated scent - very theme appropriate, but not personally appropriate at all. Low throw but great longevity.

 

Black Lace romps in a dark and dangerous forest.

 

ETA: I tested this blind, without knowledge of the notes. With this knowledge, I can definitely pick out the sandalwood (a dry sort), iris (faintly powdery), and nicotiana (a big part of the Black Lace vibe). I don't know what life everlasting smells like, and other than a general 'dark green' feel, I cannot pick out the juniper - it's not GIN HELLO I'M GINNY GINNY JUNIPER as it so often is.

 

ETA2: After several hours and a failed attempt to wash this off (great longevity!), an intense sandalwood-musky vanilla with fainter soft feminine white florals remains on my skin - in fact, it reminds of Jingo-Kogo. I may need to buy a bottle for myself to slather, then shower lightly so I can smell like this amazing late drydown! Definitely the same fantastic sandalwood note from J-K.

Rich, old leather - Dead Man's Hand style, not De Sade style as the description suggests, with a little sweet, almost fruity pipe tobacco, ground stone, and a suggestion of dark, sweet resins very faintly in the background.

 

Rich, glorious leather still firmly in command, but the herbs have come out suddenly and strongly, adding a dry, masculine edge - these smell like dried herbs with medicinal qualities. Sweeter overall, with more distinct pipe tobacco - a little cherry-ish and reminscent of Hearth 2005 - still lots of stone dust, but I get some other sort of powder too - I think it's the chemical sort of leather, the leather note I DON'T like - that's here, too. Not happy.

 

This has crazy strong throw, the old leather note in particular. I'm being (happily) smothered by fresh suede! There is still a medicinal sharpness if I sniff more closely, with almost an anise-like tang, but not quite that...maybe sassafras? It's mentholic and sharp-sweet and really not my thing. I get a bit of the soil note now, but I have to search for it so dirt-fearers - this is worth a shot, bc there's barely any dirt. I wish I could pick out more herbs - all I can say is that they are dark and dry. Maybe some sage? It does remind me a bit of Western Diamondback, but that could just be the shared leather note.

 

Not a morpher really - the briefly present herbal notes dissipate entirely. This dries down to rich old leather with a hint of sweetness from the pipe tobacco (which definitely verges towards 'gourmand' as tobacco can) and stony dust, but mostly it's rich old leather. Nearly identical to Dead Man's Hand, with similarly FANTASTIC, intense throw and longevity. I love it and will be getting several bottles. THANK YOU Beth for all the blends lately with this leather note!

 

Soft, sweet, light, green. Planty, a little dewy - like rain on new green leaves. Some stemminess too, and a floral that's velvety and light spicy - I'm guessing white carnation, and some slightly sweet, delicate florals - maybe linden? I don't get any cream or it's incredibly faint. This is radically different from Chaste Moon 2005 which was a very foody, cloying honey and buttery cream blend, and I couldn't be more pleasantly surprised!

 

Stronger overall - I don't have to sniff with so much effort - and more florals bloom instantly on my skin, including a fantastic, creamy rich and bright daffodil note - almost definitely the same one from Kitsune-Tsuki, a blend I adore. It immediately assumes command, but I get other florals, too. Definitely a little linden, the sweetness here is the same delicate, slightly citrus & floral sweetness that I get from the Unicorn. The hint of spice is fainter, and I'm doubting carnation's presence now - if it's here, it's very faint, and more stems than blossoms. The stemmy note has a pleasantly bitter edge and is likely dandelion.

 

This is slow to dry, but not slow to explode with incredible complexity that belies the brief note information provided. It's true there are milky blossoms - also bright blossoms and sweet blossoms - lots of blossoms overall. However, I do now fear that I'm getting a bit of gardenia - it's not the sour type, or the headache-inducing one - I think it's the same note from T'is the Voice of the Lobster. Right now it's dueling with daffodil for first place. Meanwhile something in here has gone a little bit soapy, still tolerably, and thank there's no powder. The dandelion note has amped a bit, but it's rather overwhelmed still by the florals.

 

I whipped out some oils for comparison. It reminds me the most of The Unicorn, so there's definitely some linden, but The Unicorn is sweeter and CM is more herbal/green. In addition to a light gardenia (definitely smells like the one in Lobster!), I get some magnolia when comparing to Yvaine - and the blends are similar too since Yvaine as well has that herbal edge and a very similar feel. And I do think there are shared notes with Egle - the hyacinth which contributes sweetness, and the same fir note which is gives the greenery - the fir here serves a similar role to the lavender in Yvaine - a grounding herbal counterpart to the bright white floral(s). Oddly, Kitsune is the least similar - probably because it's so much more intense and sweet, and CM is faint and only barely sweet at all - but I still think this has daffodil.

 

I would agree the florals in here a white and have a bit of a creamy feel to them, but only vaguely (I actually fine Yvaine to be quite a creamy blend bc of its particular magnolia note, and the same applies here though the magnolia is much less distinct and strong), and I don't get actual cream or milk at any point on my skin. I also feel the crystalline vibe other reviewers noted, and some musks are emerging gradually as this dries - I get fresh, almost astringent skin musk almost definitely with maybe some white and/or vanilla musks.. I'm struggling to identify the note in here that provides the spicy/fresh kick. Carnation? White ginger? Phlox? I know it, but I can't place it. The greenery in this blend holds and sets it apart from those blends I compared it to as an utterly unique blend. The fir/evergreen note adds an almost snowy coolness to this, too.

 

Back to some bottle comparisons - the greenery here reminds me greatly of both Passionate Shepherd and Host of Air, and smelling my Dandelion SN confirms a strong dandelion presence. I'm also positive about clover and I think carnation remains a possibility. Comparing this to Pink Moon 2005 (which has a clear phlox note), I'm betting the 'kick' here is from phlox. So in the final drydown - this settles after 1-2 hours at most - daffodil, hyacinth, linden, phlox, magnolia and possibly a bit of white carnation and subtle gardenia, in descending order of dominance, glimmer softly over a base of fresh greenery including dandelion & fir, smoothed over by a shimmering blend of light musks, heavy on the skin musk but with a little white, too, for depth.

 

It is a little soapy, it's definitely floral and I'd like a bit more sweetness - but these are minor quibbles if even quibbles at all. I love the simple, clean and yet elegant quality - this is the first early stages of Spring in a bottle, and I don't have anything like it. I'll be needing two bottles of this one, and since I assumed it'd be like the earlier version I didn't order myself any!

Pale gold oil. This does not at all smell like what I thought it did. It must smell very different in blends or on my skin, or else it's just a different from what Beth generally uses these days. It's sour and soapy and not really very floral - it's floral, but faintly - and there's only a hint of the golden, glowing loveliness I've always associated with heliotrope. Shocking!

 

Less sour and more soapy and quite powdery on my skin, with still a sort of - tang, I guess - a brightness, if it were nicer, is what I'd call it. It smells rather ambery to me, but with some soapy & sour rose mixed in. It also reminds me strongly of the older lab blends and DC'ed oils - it SMELLS old, and it has that same general sour-soapy-floral-powdery quality that so many of those blends do. I do get some of the golden glowing quality but it's not any stronger on my skin; the other qualities are definitely smothering it a bit. I am sad.

 

Morphing. This is smoothing out, becoming less sour - though there is still a fair bit of soap and powder - and the golden quality is amping, finally! It has an almost...oiliness to it, but in a fantastic way - it reminds me of ambrette or olive oil and olive blossom notes -it's like being slicked up with high quality massage oil. This has also become much more complex - I can smell some stemmy greenery, a little bit of floral spiciness (somewhere between daisy and carnation), a lot more brightness overall. It actually smells floral now, but like a whole flower that's been smushed.

 

I'm getting a hint of sweetness now - slightly honeyed, but more resiny - I think it's a very faint benzoin note mixed with a gentle sweet musk - I'm betting on vanilla musk. However, it's hard to pick much of anything out at this point because while in blends heliotrope seems to have good longevity, this has faded noticeabley on my skin - perhaps due to its age? I do get more amber, and while the blend is still a bit unpleasantly soapy and powdery, the amber here is quite nice - a light, warm, golden type that boosts the hint of golden floral brightness.

 

This evolves well on my skin, becoming more lovely over time; it's amazing how this goes from unpleasantly sour to almost honeyed sweet over a few hours. Still, I'm not sure this works well as a SN on my skin, even though I always adore heliotrope in blends. In the final drydown, a lightly sweet, smooth and slick, golden-bright floral note eventually comes to dominate - there's only a bit of sour soap and musty powder in the background, tempered by some lovely, sweet vanilla musk and warm, rounded golden amber that doesn't go at all powdery on me. An impressive yet sneaky morpher with lower throw but good longevity.

 

The late drydown is great, and I'm very curious to see how it'd behaved layered with other blends, so I'm going to keep my bottle for now, but I'm not totally in love...yet. I rarely reach for blends which take hours to turn into something good on my skin.