Originally reviewed: Jan 09 06
In the Imp: Almonds or cherries.
On Wet: Almonds or cherries - supersized!
Drydown: Woo-woo! Sweet, soapy, spicy, vaguely peppery - a complex and potentially addictive scent. It actually reminds me of how Thrills Gum used to taste (peppery/soapy/violet gum - little purple Chicklet-y guys that lived in a small yellow box). Great staying power, too. I slathered this on before bed last night, and woke up to spicy candy wrists this morning.
Overall: Another winner, another addition to the Big Bottle Wishlist. A 5/5 in this grrl's book.
In the imp: Sweet, sweet pear, and some kind of glaringly bright, almost chemical floral.
On wet: Icky sweet pea (which, for whatever reason, hates me), and something that reminds me of my beloved Sleepy Moon! Unexpected and interesting!
Drydown: There's something powdery in here - it's doing the same itchy-dusty thing to my nose that most orchid scents do. Aside from that...this is a really hard scent for me to pin down! I'm still getting the sickly sweet pea (if a flower could go "off" the way food does, that would be how I'd describe my nose's interpretation of that note), and I think the lilies and honeysuckle have banded together with it to form this gang of icky, overwhelming floral-ness. Can't tell if the heliotrope has jumped into the mix - my nose is being pummeled and robbed as I speak...er, type. I can tell you what I'm *not* smelling, though - white musk and pear! The two notes I was *hoping* to get a good dose of. Ain't that always the way?
Overall: Another "not a good scent for me" blend. The florals are too sharp, too cloying, and none of them seem to like me very much. I was kinda hoping for the lilies, pear, and musk to dominate, but that simply was not to be. I'm not particularly surprised, though - sweet pea is one of my absolute ick notes, and honeysuckle isn't far behind, so I had reservations from the get-go - but the white musk fan in me had to at least give this scent a shot. Which I now have. 2/5
Originally reviewed: Dec. 17 05
In the Imp: A faintly fruity smell - like dirty or dusty fruit. I'm wondering if I really want to wear this.
Wet: Starts out kind of sharp, reminding me of how Medicine Show begins, but without the greenish/herbal tinge MS has. Perversion's got more of a "brownish" feel to it, and again I find myself thinking it smells a little like dirty fruit - possibly cherries.
Drydown: Oooh... Less than a minute later, it's TOTALLY morphed. That strange swampy fruit smell has completely dissipated, and now it's become this softly sweet, almost powdery whisper against my skin. The rum, tobacco, and vanilla (tonka?) are the predominant scents I'm getting at this point, all gently swirling together like some decadent brand of butterscotch ripple ice cream. So YUM!
Verdict: I'm so glad I decided to take the plunge and try this fragrance, despite my initial trepidation. The results I got definitely prove you can't judge a scent by imp-sniffing alone. I will definitely be wearing this again.
Overall Rating: 4 happy noses out of 5.
In the imp: A fresh, sweet scent - there's an almost dry sharpness to it that reminds me of the white sandalwood in Kuang Shi.
On wet: Mmm...a soft, sweet, unassuming citrus cream.
Drydown: Wow, has this ever gone perfumey! It's reminiscent of a scent I used to wear in high school, but I can't recall which one - Volupte? Tresor? I'm still getting whiffs of fresh orange cream underneath that intense headiness, though.
Overall: Quite a nice blend, even though it's completely different from what I expected. Not something I'll wear very often, but I'll definitely be hanging on to my decant. 3.5/5
In the imp: Sharp, almost bitter perfume - the kind you'd expect little old church ladies to wear.
On wet: It's sweetened up slightly - I can smell the lilies and the lightest brush of rose...but there's still a sour/bitter edge running underneath.
Drydown: Wow, this is *definitely* not my cup of tea - it reminds me of scented garbage bags. There's this weird burnt-plasticky scent clinging to my skin, and a layer of sharp, generic floral perfume sitting on top of it - the overall result is so sharp, it's almost acrid.
Overall: Traditional, intensely floral blends don't seem to work very well for me, and this one is, unfortunately, no exception. It started out unpleasant, and didn't morph much beyond a cloying floral sheet pulled over hot erasers. Aside from that tiny glimpse of roses and lilies in the wet stage, I wasn't able to pick out distinct flowers at any point. Not a good scent for my chemistry. 2/5
In the imp: An almost watery, sweet-tart freshness.
On wet: Clean and vaguely lemongrass-y.
Drydown: Fresh, clean, and faintly citrus. There's a green edge happening, too - something almost minty or grassy. Very pretty.
Overall: Not a fan of the bamboo element (I did detect a VERY brief, polluting whiff of it during the wet stage), but this is such a fresh, clean fragrance otherwise, that I can hardly complain. I almost wish I'd sprung for a full bottle rather than a decant - this would be lovely addition to unscented bath products! 3.5/5
In the imp: Strong and soapy - like good shampoo. Definitely picking up on the jasmine.
On wet: Sweet soap, jasmine, the sharpness of the ozone.
Drydown: Reminds me of a very traditional, department store perfume - though I tend to get that impression from most jasmine-heavy, shampoo-esque scents. The jasmine totally dominates on me, but I think I'm picking up on a higher-pitched sweetness, could be the moonflower. Moss and benzoin don't typically play nice on my skin, and the longer I have this on, it becomes apparent that this trend is going to continue. The benzoin is the more obvious of the two, and it almost *always* smells like burned/sour amber to my nose - not good. My two favourite notes in the blend - the iris and white musk - haven't appeared at all.
Overall: FYI, this imp is over two years old. When I first tried it, it smelled a lot lighter, a lot fresher, and the white musk was very prominent on the drydown - that's the only reason why I kept it, actually - I'm a white musk fiend! With the new round of discontinueds on its way, I figured I'd better give this one another go. With the absence of musk, and the heaviness of the jasmine, I'm glad I did - if only to rediscover that this scent isn't for me. It *is* a very high-end, classy kind of fragrance, though - something I could see wearing to a fancy dinner or the theatre. A 2.5/5 on my skin, though.
In the imp: Sharp, almost bitter sandalwood, and the lilac air freshener scent that is dragon's blood to my nose.
On wet: Sharp and bitter is duking it out with woody, almost peanutty sweetness. Ah, and here comes the detested DB...
Drydown: The sandalwood's totally taken over (yay!), and I smell divine! I'm getting the sweet, pink-gold sandalwood that's present in Tushnamatay, another that's dry and woody, and another that's almost spicy - although I suppose the dragon's blood could be contributing to either of those effects. DB's only ever made me smell like a bathroom spray, so I can honestly say that I'm absolutely clueless as to what it might be doing at this point, lol!
Overall: I fully expected the dragon's blood to kill this blend for me (because it hates me with a fiery passion), but thanks to my beloved sandalwood, I smell fan-freakin'-tastic - something I *never* thought possible where DB was concerned. I am positively delighted at finding my first wearable dragon's blood scent. 4.5/5
Originally reviewed: July 01 06
In the imp: Extra lemony lemon!
On wet: Sharp lemon, a sliver of what I'm thinking is grapefruit, and the barest whisper of white musk lurking underneath.
Drydown: The musk has risen up to form a partnership with those incredibly bright, yet slightly tamer citrus notes. It's become a sweeter, faintly powdery scent, reminiscent of those hard lemon drops you'd get in a tin, all dusted with icing sugar. Very straightforward, but also very yummy.
Overall: I'm a huge white musk fan, so this blend was destined to please. It's uncomplicated, fresh, and lasted for *hours*! Especially gorgeous in this disgustingly humid weather. A strong 4/5.
CDLXVII - 467
In the bottle: Light caramel, possibly some kind of wood, a fruit - maybe apple - underneath.
On wet: Caramel-dipped fruits! (Plum? Apple?)
Drydown: PLUM! Lightly glazed with the most delectable caramel-tinged syrup. There's still a hint of incense/wood underneath, some musk (red?) - maybe even the tiniest smidge of patchouli. I smell incredible right now, and I can't *wait* to see how this scent ages!
Overall: I'm not a foody person *at all*, so I was a little scared when I opened this (extremely full!) bottle, and got a whiff of caramel. Thankfully, it's not only the lightest caramel I've ever smelled, but the plum/musk/woods are strong enough to keep this blend firmly out of the foody category. An amazingly warm, sweet, *sexy* scent - another winner!
In the imp: Mint...coconut...and an almost bitter lime scent.
On wet: The mint and lime are doing a funky tango on a dance floor made of coconut!
Drydown: Those initial three notes are still what I'm smelling, though the coconut's become a bolder presence, working with the equally smooth mint to tame that brash splurt of limey goodness.
Overall: The combination of notes works incredibly well in this blend - especially once the drydown mellows them out a bit. And you wanna talk about morphing ability? When the coconut and mint take center stage, it's as if I've dipped my arm into a vat of some deliciously creamy confection - a minute later, it's the fresh green zing of minty limes assaulting my nostrils, forcing eyes gone dreamy to open, focus, and remain alert - a minute after that, I've been transported to a sugar-white beach, where coconut-lime cocktails are delivered to my chaise by sun-browned, half-nekkid serving men who regard me with warm eyes and eager-to-please smiles...
::pauses to daydream about such a place for a few moments...::
::reluctantly returns to reality to complete her review::
In a nutshell, I absolutely *adore* each of the three main notes on their own, so it's no surprise that I'm loving 'em mixed all together. A delighted 4.5/5.
Originally reviewed: April 19 06
In the imp: Sweet, soft, buttery coconut.
On Wet: Same as above, though with the addition of a refreshing, aquatic undertone that cuts through the creamy sweetness.
Drydown: Over an hour later, I'm still getting delicious whiffs of gorgeous, milky, sun-warmed coconut. If I close my eyes, I'm back in Mexico - reclining by the pool under an umbrella, slathered in suntan lotion and downing pina coladas, soaking up all that steamy heat and inhaling the scent of the ocean...aaahhhh....
Overall: Obatala stirred up vivid memories of childhood summers and amazing times spent abroad. With the exception of Sleepy Moon (which reminds me of how summer evenings used to smell when I was a kid), this is the only BPAL blend to hit me with such an intense wave of nostalgia/remembrance/"being there". In short: Pure love. Destined to become my signature summer scent, and a definite 10ml purchase. A well-deserved 5/5.
Originally reviewed: July 01 06
In the imp: Faint lavender, something herbal.
On wet: A jumble of notes swirl up - currants and grapefruit in the foreground, herbs and musk underneath.
Drydown: Mmm... Soft, sweet, candyliciousness. I seriously smell edible. It's like the currants and grapefruit have merged into some kind of pink Super Fruit, all glowing and gorgeous and glazed with sugar. The lavender, chamomile, and musk are bundled together just underneath - like a softly fragrant, herbal serving platter for all that yummy fruit.
Overall: Lovely and light, sweet without being overpowering, a beautiful, interesting skin scent, and yet another addition to my bottle wishlist. A strong 4.5/5
In the imp: A damp basement full of beets and wet herbals.
On wet: Wet, mineral-y, a touch of something sweet, and a dry grass/vaguely spicy note. So very complex!
Drydown: The dampness has faded, the beets have been shipped to market, and the spicy, honeyed herbals have risen up. Mmm...wow, so much better. *huff-sniff-snort* Mmm! I'm also picking up on the slightest hint of warm fruit! Delicious!
Overall: This is utterly fantastic on the drydown. I wasn't expecting much from this after the initial sniffy test (beets!!!), but WOW, does it ever morph into something glorious. I already have the shirt (the design blew me away), and now I might just have to hunt down a bottle. Such a pleasant surprise, and an easy 4/5.
In the imp: Mmm...smells like buttered rum lifesavers!
On wet: Lightly buttered rum. Coconut. A dry, almost herbal bitterness that I'm thinking is the tobacco. Strangely enough, I'm also getting a hint of something...minty? Weird - and yummy!
Drydown: The caramel-esque rum and sugary coconut are both deliciously straightforward. I'm not getting tobacco (or that phantom mint note) any more, but I'm sure it's helping cut the sweetness and ground the other two components.
Overall: Edible! Drink Me and Obatala's love child. Definitely a warm weather party scent - also perfect for those cold days when all you can think about is escaping the snow by jetting off to the Caribbean. Elegba is that 'one sniff and you're there' scent. 4/5
Originally reviewed: Dec 26 05
In the Imp: I smell something light and green, something fresh.
Wet: The fresh foliage smell intensifies, immediately evoking images of new spring leaves dripping with cool rainwater. Equally dewy rosebuds sprout from my wrist seconds later - but phew! Are they ever *strong*!
Drydown: This scent settles down both quickly and dutifully, coming together with just enough rose, just enough green, just enough misty freshness to impress even a non-rose fan like myself.
Sniff.
Sniff...sniff.
SNIFFFFFFF!
Uh...did I say impress? I meant astound - amaze - make my eyes go all sparkly with surprised delight. This is what the center of a living, rain-spattered rosebush smells like. Seriously. I'm a florist, I would know.
Overall: I was convinced this would smell like a granny perfume at best - a granny bathroom at worst - and likely wouldn't have even tried it had I not stumbled across a half imp's worth in the swaps section. I'm VERY glad I thought to toss it into the mix, and that it proved to be such a stunner. Extremely bottle-worthy.
Originally reviewed: Dec. 16 05
I'm getting nothing but pure wintergreen - like Wintermint Lifesavers. No cinnamon, no fruits, maybe a hint of woodsiness on the drydown, nothing but pure, light, pale green mint.
I actually quite like wintermint, but I was hoping for the spicy fruity fragrance all those previous reviewers raved about. Maybe I'll try for a new imp in my next order...
In the imp: Sweet candy, lemon, and coconut - yum!
On wet: Lime and coconut, a titch of floral goodness - mostly the iris, which I love.
Drydown: The lemongrass has emerged. It's very distinct from the lime (which is still very present), and they're both sitting on top of the iris and coconut. There's something dusty or powdery hanging around, too - I'm thinking it's one of the florals I'm not very familiar with (snowdrop, wisteria), possibly the amber, which doesn't tend to like me. I don't normally care for even the slightess bit of dust/powder, but it doesn't seem to last very long, and all the other notes are pleasantly distracting.
Overall: Definitely a wild - but lovely - scent! It's bright and warm, sweet and sharp, saved from being too fruity or foody because of the florals, and not too floral thanks to the coconut and citrus! A gorgeous summer or party blend, suitable for a wide range of ages, too. I feel like I'm wearing a rainbow on my wrist! 4.5/5
edit: Needed to upgrade my overall score from 3.5 to 4.5 - I haven't been able to stop sniffing myself all day! I smell freaking *awesome* - like lemon-lime, sweet-tart, glittery coconut musk. LOVE!
In the imp: Sweet, sweet flowers.
On wet: HOLY Florals! Like I've just tromped through a wet garden at night - a garden FULL of uber heady blooms. Nothing 'purple' to speak of - this is more a damp, greenish scent so far. It's somewhat overwhelming, but not wholly unpleasant.
Drydown: Jasmine. Maybe moonflower. There's a high-pitched sweetness - candy-like, almost - that usually means violets to my nose. I think I've located the plum peeking out from between the flowers - it's that same deep, more-crimson-than-purple sweet-tartness I got from Frumious Bandersnatch and Bathsheba. The light lick of incense underneath everything is almost nonexistent, but it's there when I inhale and concentrate, nicely grounding all those rioting flowers and swirly plum fumes.
Overall: Perfumey. Sweet. Rich. Heady. Definitely an evening/cold weather scent (for me, anyway). Floral-heavy blends are definitely not my bag, baby, but this one, thanks to the plum and incense, has quite a bit more depth than a typical, straight-up floral. There's a tempering warmth that adds both interest and a somewhat addictive quality - I keep huffing my wrist to seek it out! Not a fragrance I can see myself wearing, but a very classy, elegant composition, to say the least. 3/5
Originally reviewed: July 23 06
In the imp: Dry, herbal, vaguely sweet and woody.
On wet: If there's cinnamon in this blend - like so many before me have mentioned smelling - then it's very well hidden. All I'm getting is something sweet and resinous.
Drydown: Still a very sweet, yet somewhat dusty and subdued wood-sap type of scent. I think I'm picking up on cedar and myrrh...and if frankincense is what's driving that incensey undernote, then I may have to reconsider my completely random anti-frank policy (he kinda scares me...).
Overall: This blend has totally surprised me - it's not like anything I'd normally wear, but I can't stop sniffing myself! It's warm and sweet and spicy (though if it's cinnamon, it's still too well-blended for me to distinguish it), and definitely lovely. Reminds me of La Petite Mort, Eclipse and, to a lesser degree, Black Phoenix. Maybe if they were layered together... Either way, a very yummy, skin-licious scent, and an easy 4/5.
Originally reviewed: Dec 27 05
In the Imp: Yup. Just like the reviews previous to mine have mentioned - smells like roses and dirt.
Wet: More roses and dirt, only stronger. I can feel my nose wrinkling - some other scent is swirling into the mix and taking precedence, something...metallic? Mineral-y? It's sharp and kinda yucky smelling - though strangely familiar - whatever it is.
Drydown: Roses. Faint dirt and/or moss. Something else I can't place. Something...stinky.
Overall: I'm too much of a zombie fan to let one test decide whether or not this blend will work on me. I'll give the imp another go in the near future, but will admit that I'm not exactly digging the smell currently wafting up from my wrists.
I likewise got this as a frimp from the lovely shelldoo!
In the imp: almost identical to my much beloved Bunny Musk - sweet, clean, and slightly powdery.
On Wet: Mmmm...so delicious - like I've dabbed my wrist with liquid candy. Again, incredibly similar to EBM (the same base, I think), but with an extra dash of powderiness. I'm not detecting anything overtly lemony, but there is a light citrus vibe going on.
Drydown: Still clean, sweet, and pleasantly powdery. There's a hint of that same light spice that I get from EBM. This lasts for ages, too, and the throw is perfect - just enough for me to catch a whiff every once and a while, reminding me of how fantastic I smell.
Overall: I'm a huge Bunny Musk fan, so I'm not surprised by how much I'm enjoying this scent. It's fresh and feminine, sweet and sunny - it's absolutely lovely. I think I prefer my gorgeous bunny blend more, but only by a...hare? (Hardy-Har-Har!!! ) An easy 4.5/5.
In the imp: Sweet, sweet apricot - almost fake fruity-sweet, like gum or candy.
On wet: Yummy! Deep, rich apricot - the blindingly ripe, perfectly fuzzy kind - with just a hint of musky perfume underneath.
Drydown: This is such a wonderful mix of musk and fruit. The apricot has melded with the plum (not getting any hint of the pom, but it could be in there, too), and the musk is sweet and heady and feminine. If there are any roses in here, they're well-blended, 'cause I can't smell 'em at all.
Overall: Really lovely scent - and versatile, too. The sweet n' fruity angle covers everyday wear or fun/casual events, while the perfume-y side makes it appropriate for work or an evening out. It's a *titch* too heady for me, personally, but I'll definitely be keeping - and using - my imp. 4/5
Originally reviewed: Aug 08 06
In the bottle: Apples! Gorgeous, golden apples!
On wet: Mmm...more apples!
Drydown: The apples are still there, providing this positively *gorgeous* yellow sweetness - a perfect counterpoint to the dry, slightly spicy undertone that's starting to emerge. It's almost a clean, woody/peppery scent that I'm starting to get now, if that makes any sense.
Overall: Pure Autumn-in-a-Bottle, y'all. I've got a touch of early October smeared on my wrists! This is like a daylight version of my beloved midnight-esque Samhain - THIS is what I'd hoped last year's HM would smell like on me, like I'm sitting in a hay field on the edge of a sun-warmed apple orchard, clear blue skies stretching out above my head, a clean, cool breeze stirring the rust-gold-scarlet leaves... Serious love and a hugely deserved 5/5. Well done, Beth!
In the imp: Wow - it really does smell like gingerale!
On wet: Ginger, woodiness, a touch of sweetness, and something else - something almost powdery underneath all the other notes.
Drydown: Boo...it's gone to pure soapy powder! Soap flakes with mixed with dusty plastic, at that - reminiscent of the icky drydown I get from orchid scents.
Overall: I've had this decant for almost two years now, hanging on in the hopes that it would age into something that liked me ('cause I rather liked it!), but, sadly, this has not happened. It's STILL not for me.
