Lathany

Entering the advent season, I'm going to be trying my usual entry-a-day approach.

It's a lovely clear day outside and all is well (so far) inside. I have coffee and chocolates and a weekend to look forward to. Admittedly a hectic weekend what with the duo's party and all, but there should be time for me to have a rest around the edges. I've managed to restrain myself from putting up the decorations at home, but Rachael was somewhat bemused when I enthused over Victoria station putting up their tree on the way into work on Thursday. Having seen the Waterloo tree as well (I think both went up during the day on the duo's birthday) it seems that blue and silver are the colours this year.

It's 3 working weeks to Xmas. That's 15 working days. That's 13 days in the office (although one is the Xmas meal) and 2 days working from home. Not that I'm counting or anything.

Having got to the end of my BPAL reviews, the scents scoring 9 or higher were:

• Media - Nice. Incense and... um... myrrh perhaps? I'm not sure I can sniff any black currant and I simply wouldn't know if the rest of that long list from the site were there.
• Saint-Germain - A little sweet still, but now there's a more herbal edge to it with a slight undertone of alcohol. Not sure I can pick up the lavender, but the mosses are there. After an hour I can now pick up the lavender. Also I think the scent in the background must be amber (oil of amber, I assume, not the stone!) Yes - I like this one. The main complaint I have is my usual one - it's somewhat on the faint side.
• Mania - There's still a touch of bubble gum, but otherwise it's surprisingly nice. Um, maybe that smell is musk (I'm not good at identifying smells)? Having now read about the grapefruit I'll tentatively say that there could be a touch of it. After an hour I've decided that actually, I like this. The bubblegum bit has gone completely. It's not as good as Desire for lasting, but it's not bad. I'll just have to hold my nose every time I open that bottle.
• The High Priestess - I like the smells in this and I can't name them. Maybe it's that whole pine/mince pie/Xmas thing that the other reviews all mention?
• The Empress - I reckon slightly wood, slightly floral and incensey. This lasts and it's really growing on me. Everyone else is screaming roses, so I guess this must be them!
• The Devil - It's very like Desire, with possible a touch of chocolate.
• The Tower - Lovely - incense and cinnamon.
• The Moon - bateleur says patchouli, and I agree. However the reviews suggest that it's jasmine. Either way, I love it.
• Ace of Pentacles - Lovely - patchouli I think. That other smell must be the pine that everyone else is talking about.

( Two more tarot reviews (only three to go) )

---

¹ Note: I tend to put BPAL on before I hunt reviews.

( Three more tarot reviews )

---

¹ Note: I tend to put BPAL on before I hunt reviews.

The Tarot series is, sadly, discontinued and therefore is not described on the BPAL site.

The Lovers

A review¹ I found reads: "I am new to trying the Tarot blends and I find the notes to be somewhat herbal and unfamiliar to my nose in this particular blend. I know it has cinnamon in it and an herbal note (no idea what it is). The cinnamon is most noticeable on the initial application, but fades into the background of the herbal smell on the dry down. This wore very light on me and I touched up often, as I tend to love cinnamon. This is somewhat reminscent of Harlot...slightly. I'll be very interested to see the contents of this when the notes are added to the site. I also loved this one. I do think the Tarots take a little time for your nose to adjust, as is the case with the voodoo blends for me. I ended up really liking The Lovers."

Another one says: "A very nice floral. Perhaps ylang ylang? Maybe some neroli? There is an herby scent peeping out now. Maybe some woodiness as well calming the floral down. Altogether nice!"

The reviews for this one are interesting as the reviewers have completely differing views on what's in this one (all the reviews I mean, not just the ones copied here)!

In the bottle: Sweet, slightly floral, rather faint.

On the skin: More of the same. I'm not sure what the floral part is, I may have to read the site reviews to figure it out. It's not something I easily recognise (which, admittedly, could mean it's anything!). Having looked at the reviews, they aren't terribly helpful but most people reckon there's some cinnamon in there (apart from me and a few others).

An hour later: It's OK and distinctive, but I don't like it quite enough to count it as a keeper.

---

¹ Note: I tend to put BPAL on before I hunt reviews.

( Two more tarot reviews )

---

¹ Note: I tend to put BPAL on before I hunt reviews.

( Three tarot reviews )

---

¹ Note: I tend to put BPAL on before I hunt reviews.

From the site (Tarot): Sadly, this is discontinued and therefore is not described on the site.

However a discussion format post reads: "A green scent, slightly fruity with a touch of grounding earth. It strikes me as very feminine and very complex – I’ll be very interested to see what it does on my skin, and whether the lion ever shows up."

Another one says: "I can't smell the flowers that other people have mentioned, but for some reason my chemistry is bringing out what reminds me of vanilla. A bit strong at first, but tones down nicely."

In the bottle: I would have said citrus and orchid.

On the skin: Yes, more citrus and more orchid. bateleur and Bea are united in describing it as floral. Ryan said "it smells... good"!

An hour later: It's going more floral. I like it. Although it's not quite distinctive enough that I'd hang onto it.

From the site (A picnic in Arkham): "The sunken city of the Great God Cthulhu. A hellishly dark aquatic scent, evocative of fathomless oceanic deeps, the mysteries of madness buried under crushing black waters, and the brooding eternal evil that lies beneath the waves."

In the bottle: Smells of spice and orchid.

On the skin: Not bad. It's something of a fruit and spice combination. The fruit is vaguely citrus and the spice isn't cinnamon, but it's something like that with a sharp smell. However, bateleur rates it as air freshener (could this be the aquatics?) and he thinks it's rather on the faint side.

An hour later: Not much different. It's in the range where I won't immediately eject it, but it's not a favourite.

From the site (Illyria): "Huckleberry and red currant with the incisive bite of neroli."

In the bottle: Smells of... sweets. Including bubblegum - it reminds me of Mania.

On the skin: Still smells of sweets. The nasty artificial, e-numbers galore kind. It's sickly and not at all nice. I so hope this gets better, after all Mania did.

An hour later: It didn't. I've no idea what huckleberry smells of, but if this is even close then I don't want to know more. Plus there's definitely essence of chewing gum still in there. This one mostly gets points for the name - I like Shakespeare.

From the site (Bewitching Brews): "'A man who knows everything and who never dies.' Said to have lived for centuries, the Comte de Saint-Germain is truly a man of legend and mystery. He was an aristocrat, master alchemist, adventurer, magician, artist, and seer with a lust for exquisite jewels, and was reputed to have attained knowledge of the Elixer of Life. His knowledge was so vast and all-encompassing that his claim to have lived hundreds of years - he allegedly knew Jesus and was present at the Council of Nicea - was widely accepted as true. He is a Hermetic Magician's hero for the ages, and his scent is an elegant, timeless, truly refined cologne, bold yet classic: gilded amber, hypnotic lavender, brash carnation and deep mosses."

In the bottle: Smells sweet. There's more to it than that, but 'sweet' is the only description I can come up with right now.

On the skin: A little sweet still, but now there's a more herbal edge to it with a slight undertone of alcohol. Not sure I can pick up the lavender, but the mosses are there.

An hour later: I can now pick up the lavender. Also I think the scent in the background must be amber (oil of amber, I assume, not the stone!) Yes - I like this one. The main complaint I have is my usual one - it's somewhat on the faint side.

Edited to add: Upgraded to a 9 (and maybe again to a 9.5) as it's getting better approaching the end of the second hour.