Fishwomon

I just got a decant of The Lurid Library in the mail today, and I have my face pressed to my wrist. I think this may fit the bill of incensey but not churchy. It smells like the page of an old book that's soaked up the smell of incense. It's delicious, definitely more occult book store than high church.

I loved Grass. To me it smelled like a freshly-mowed lawn. I've never found anything, here or elsewhere, remotely like it.

I just dug out an imp of 2005 Sugar Skull because, you know, it's that time of year. I don't think it's changed much as it's aged. On me this is caramelizing sugar, slightly burnt sugar - in a good way. Very, very sweet. Sugar overload. Not what I want to smell like, personally, but it would be delish if you love the foodie smells.

Almond in the imp and when very wet on the skin. The bay and cloves emerge quickly and hang around a long time. This is a classic men's cologne, but it doesn't have the sharp note of so many commercial colognes. And yes, it does smell like an autumn/Christmas candle - it's bay leaf, after all.

Almondy, green, with the slightest hints of mint and lemon. It gives me a bit of a headache.

I wonder what it is in this blend that doesn't work on me. It sounds like it would be right up my alley - amber and musk, yum. But... I don't get almond or cherry at all in this, which is fine by me. The word that comes to mind is brassy - this is a brassy scent. Sharp. A bit bitter. I can see how it would be warm and dry on some, but on me, it's fancy department store sophisticated-lady perfume, and hence not to my taste.

Unfortunately, I get nothing but grapey wine - no leather at all - and then she fades away. Not for me.

No review but Andrabell's (the first one in this thread) is needed, to be sure. She captures Dorian perfectly. But, in the interest of science... Actually, the first time I smelled Dorian, I didn't particularly care for it. It smelled like baby powder on me. Meh. Then I let the imp sit around for a year and tried it again. I don't know if this is an aging issue (the oils, not me) or a matter of my tastes changing, but when I tried Dorian again a couple of months ago, I fell in deep, fast love. I don't really smell any tea, and I definitely don't get lemon. I get vanilla and musk, but while that could be powdery or girlish, it's not. It's transcendent. It smells like skin and sex. Not sophisticated and slightly dangerous sex, but passionate, fresh, enthusiastic, flushed-skin-and-bright-eyes sex. A must have.

Malediction is one of those imps I never paid much attention to - I don't even know where I got the imp - but one day I decided to try it, and I fell in love. Yes, you have to like fine patchouli and vetiver; this scent is a perfectly balanced blend of the two. It's dark and dirty. I feel devious when I wear it, and sexy. My lover loves it, and he doesn't usually like patchouli. My friend's husband loves patchouli, but my friend won't wear it, so he's grateful when I wear Malediction. In general, I find that men loooove it. A delicious, earthy fall and winter scent. Wear with black leather.

I love the initial, wet, sharp almond-cherry note of Hecate. But it fades to almost nothing on my skin...then blooms with grown-up-lady myrrh and musk: a dusky, purple smell. This oil could be for you if you like a sophisticated, mature scent, more like perfume than essential oil.

Sweet and pleasant, a mellow Dragon's Blood scent. The oil is a lovely red color in the bottle. The scent isn't spectacular on me, but it's nice.

Alas, on me Black Opal is sweet vanilla baby powder. I'm glad it works for so many, though; I know my imp will go to a good home.

This isn't an oil I would've chosen for myself, but I acquired an imp from somewhere, and I'm pleasantly surprised. In its initial (wet) stages on me, Florence is a lovely, unusual floral - if this is iris, then I quite like iris! It's light, pretty, interesting, and not at all a cliched floral. Alas, in the drydown, I get lots of berries, and berries are always too sweet on me. But if you like berries - even if you're wary of florals generally - do give this a try.

I get honey-ed, spicy cinnamon from Baghdad. The amber blooms a bit in the drydown, but the honey and cinnamon last on me. This would be warm and spicy on the right person, but on me it smells too much of cinnamon gum.

I don't know how to review O. It's perfection. It's warm, intimate, glowing skin. It's the oil that bring me compliments when I'm hugged. The amber, vanilla, and honey are beautifully balanced. It's not sweet like the taste of honey, but it evokes the color and texture of honey. It stays close to the skin but lasts and lasts. It's the first BPAL oil I've ever promptly ordered a 10 ml. of and then tracked down imps so I can keep myself in O until the bottle arrives. I don't know why it took me so long to try O, but it's really a jewel in Beth's crown. O can do no wrong.