No, seriously. Go look at their website. Sheesh.

http://www.lush.co.uk/products/Breath_of_God_Perfume_Ltd_Ed-_Large__2928.aspx

Beyond Paradise(s) – Didn’t like them before The Guide. I sniffed them again. Still didn’t like them. Worse yet, with ‘masterful portrait of a gorgeously fresh, fictional, ideal tropical flower’ in mind, they reminded me of those robotic dogs that were supposed to be pet replacements. Creepy.

Joy – Luxurious blossoms. This sounds strange but the drydown resembles my perspiration. It was a cold and wet day when I tried it, and I was underdressed so it definitely wasn’t me. I would like to try it again but a spastic twist of my wrist sacrificed the rest of my sample to the closet door. So I’m currently joyless.

Sorry.

Tea Rose – LT nailed this one. This is the only fragrance I bought without sniffing. Found it at Filenes Basement. It was cheap enough to get drunk on. Smells like a bouquet of roses, red petals, green stems, a few crushed leaves, and maybe dethorned. Excellent mileage, too much yellow dye and difficult cap. I like it.

Songes – Pretty, whimsical, on the melodramatic side, and generally, harmless. Very comfortable scent to wear but not something I will buy.

Apres l’Ondee – I love the smell of almonds but I can’t smell this perfume unless my nose is touching my arm where I spritzed it. Smells nice when I can smell it.

L’Heure Bleue – It is complex, strange and beautiful. I don’t see how this perfume can seem edible. The top and middle notes remind of Salon Pas medicated plasters, in a good way. Although I like this fragrance, I don’t want to smell like I’d sprained my back.

Bvlgari Black – Love this one. The burnt rubber bothered me a little but it blended very well with the smoke after a while. It’s so interesting that I didn’t get tired of it throughout the day.

31 Rue Cambon – Love this one too. Classic elegance.

On the whole, The Guide, for me, isn’t any worse or better than the blogs as a reference. I’m not a perfumista, I just like variety, and is therefore collecting fragrances to wear. I can’t appreciate the abstract, neither can I appreciate something I can’t smell. The authors probably tried most of the fragrances on skin but I doubt they lived alone with any one for a whole day.