VioletChaos

in the imp: yup, that's an aqua, alright. wet on skin: more of the same. dry down: there Is a "green" note in here, as others have mentioned. not briny, either, like siting in a boat out at sea, eating cucumbers. that's what it's like. in all: if seawater and cukes are a combo that makes you swoon, stock up on this one

... Thick black currant with the darkest, deepest myrrh, a drop of bitter mimosa and the slightest touch of mandrake dust. in the imp: the myrrh and the mimosa are strong from the outset- so much so that it almost smells like a doctor's office! wet on skin: it's myrrh all the way at this point. dry down: straight myrrh. in all: medium throw and the resinous quality one would expect from myrrh. if you're a fan, invest in a bottle, just to age for later.

in the imp: a really rich and heady wood, like sandalwood, mixed with a tree that grew frankincense, if such a tree existed. wet on skin: more of the same, thankfully. dry down: this is magnificent. that is all you need to know. in all: for those days when i need both strength and protection and feel it's essential to cover up in my longest cotton skirts and soft head wraps, that is the type of day that this scent commands. one of those days when people step out of the way in deference of Supreme Crone Power. oh, YES. :wub:

One of the Biblical Cities on the Plain, destroyed by God with fire and brimstone because of its people’s pride, prosperous ease, deceit, hedonism and indolence, and their callous, uncharitable hearts. A gritty, sordid and languid scent: ripe fig, date and currant with black herbs. in the imp: mostly the herbs, with a fine hint of currant. very "dark" smelling so far. wet on skin:same, with a little fig wafting in and out. dry down: back to the "dark" herbs. in all: certainly a "noir" sort of oil, the type you wear when you plan to walk on the foggy moors brooding all day and then go home to drink sherry and spill it down your lace gown. THAT kind of scent.

in the bottle: yeah, there's certainly something in here that close to Candy Phoenix, at least in the bottle. i used to have the yule 2007 pomegranate scent and it didnt smell like this, this is more sugary-sweet. wet on skin:like drinking wine while eating candy dry down: this is all blood wine and fruit on me. in all: a great mix, because i love all those notes. this is more of a "desert" wine than, say, Gluwhein, so those of you who sometimes find BPAL wine notes too "grapey" probably should skip this. but if you're a BPAL wine lover the way i am, this is a total keeper.

in the bottle: definitely getting that fig in a big way. it's not like Eden, but the note is easy to pick out. i'm also getting a bit of the berry and just a dash of the cognac. wet on skin: more of the same, but with leather creeping in to the mix. if the leather stays where it is and doesnt start to dominate, this could be my new favorite scent. dry down: the leather is salty, rich. the berry is sweet and ripe, much like the berry note in Bloody Mary. the fig is still present, but more in the background. and the cognac is adding the right amount of class. in all: a sexy thing for anyone of any gender to wear, this is a scent of seduction, talking dirty and fooling around in the back of a classy movie theater. total win. :heart:

in the bottle: a "wet" floral, with a bit of spice. i assume this aqua note will evaporate, since there's nothing close to it listed in the notes. wet on skin: much the same dry down: i think it's the skin musk note i was reading as aquatic earlier. in fact, it's pretty much the only note i'm getting- no beeswax, no vanilla flower, just the skin musk. in all: i agree with samarablackcat: if you were hoping for something along the lines of Glowing Vulva, this is not it. as a close to the skin white musk, there's potential. but it's a scent i feel needs to age before i'll really know what it's all about. ETA:a while after writing this review, the musk npote went from being close to the skin to amping incredibly- so the throw is a morpher. i only put on a tiny drop, so beware- this is NOT an oil to slather, or you'll be sorry!

clove, tonka and a bit of the red musk battle it out both in the bottle and on my skin. as with it's sister, White Rose, this Red stays pretty true from bottle to skin through drydown. as i said in it's sister's review, the real magic comes in the transformation that happens when these two oils are combined on the skin. something beautiful and fairly unexpected occurs at that point, and for that, i wouldn't trade either bottle for the world. :wub:

i cant say i'm getting much in the way of anything other than sweet cream and rose with this oil. i, too am curious to see how this will age. it reminds me strongly of Hope, but not quite as sugary. the *real* magic comes in layering this scent with Red Rose- after a few short moments it becomes absolutely heavelny- more than worth it to get this set. :wub2:

in the imp: vetiver. wet on skin: same, with a slight edge of cactus. the combination smells like a doctor's office, for som reason. antiseptic and coffee, perhaps? dry down: all doctor's office, all the time. in all: except for the cactus, i've had success with all the other notes. maybe this one is a dealbreaker, because this scent sure doesnt like me.

in the imp: yup. that's leather and rose alright! strangely, it reminds me of London (the actual city). something about the quality of the scent, it's like being near Hyde Park. strange. wet on skin: the rose comes into the lead a little bit. dry down: all rose- the leather has vanished! in all: usually leather notes stay rather tenacious on me, so it's a surprise to find one disappear. the rose in this is deep, dark and lush. so, if you like rose, check this out-you may find a new love in your life.

in the imp: pure gentleman's lavender. wet on skin: same, but with a strange dollop of tonka added in. dry down: the lavender has toned down considerably and the tonka and amber have taken over. in all: a fine gender-neutral scent for a chilly late afternoon.

in the imp:straight violet wet on skin: same. dry down: same! in all: i get no other notes from this, which suits me fine, as violet is my favorite floral. i was hoping to see what a dark amber would be like with such a bracing flower note, but i'll be content with this being what it is.

in the imp: red apple. wet on skin: fake red apple, like a glade room spray. dry down: same, only stronger. much stronger. in all: the apple in Snow Glass Apples was beautiful, true and real. this, on the other hand, is more the apple of a cheap candle in a drug store. i'm sad.

Benzoin, cassis bud, patchouli, rose otto, and petitgrain. in the imp: unfortunately, my immediate impression of this is a dirty ashtray. let's hope it gets better. wet on skin: nope. the same, but with a dying, wilted rose near the dirty ashtray. dry down: same. in all: pretty horrendous. i don't know what went wrong, as there are no "deal breakers" listed in the notes. but the combination on me is simply dreadful.

in the imp: red musk and sexy, sexy saffron! wet on skin: same. mmmmmmm dry down: the musk is so red it emits an under note that's almost a dark rose. overlayed with this are an array of spices that remind me of being in Little India-rich, flavorful cumin, coriander and cardamom in equal measure, with a heavy ration of beautiful saffron sitting right on top. in all: i can't BELIEVE i've gone so long without this oil in my life. if you havent done so already, this is the one to buy a bottle of- NOW. ADDED 1/14/10: in the bottle: a bit of saffron, LOTS of champa, the red musk of Smut behind it all. good start! wet on skin: those three notes all still present, but switching order slightly, with the saffron taking the back seat. dry down: still mostly champa. in all: i have a feeling that this might dramatically improve with age, ala Snake Oil, so i'm going to see what happens. there's a lot of promise here, as champa is a great incense note. i just want more than what essentially seems like a single note at present. but Red Musk, i'm totally rooting for you!

in the imp: lots of almond, and a slight breath of patchouli. wet on skin: pretty much the same, thought i detect an undernote of black cherry bark. dry down: the above, only now there's a hint of spice thrown in for good measure. in all: not necessarily an oil i would wear just for the scent, it's certainly not terrible, either. i will keep my imp and do some spell work with it. hopefully, it will bring some funds into my very meager bank account!

in the imp: sweet caramel, and a hint of tobacco. wet on skin: a little mint is coming through, just a hair-just enough to temper the SWEET of the caramel. i don't get anything else at this stage. dry down: the mint has actually gained momentum, which i wasn't expecting. but it's at odds, not in harmony, with the caramel. in all: a strange cross of a Mint Julip and "Pinched With Four Aces". it doesnt meld, though, and that's it's downfall.

in the imp: sweet green fruit candy. wet on skin: same, with a bit of distinct mango. but only a bit. dry down: the fruit has faded and i'm left with something that smells like a sort-of sweet soap, like a body wash or a nice mid-level shampoo. in all: with so many BPAL scents that are gorgeous and riveting and complex, this one can be skipped over.

in the imp: sweet light amber and something slightly powdery that i cant identify. wet on skin: the amber lightens more and a slight whiff of vetiver comes in, but very faint. dry down: sadly, a note o refer to as "wet cardboard" has entered the mix. this note is also present in several of the Tarot oils and a few others. i think it's a spice note gone wrong. in all: a bland, vaguely sweet scent. powdery, inoffensive. not particularly interesting. off to swap.

in the imp: a green, fresh floral. wet on skin: same, with a hint of ylang ylang in the mix. dry down: yup. that's honeyed lilies alright! in all: although a little too sweet for me, this is a really lovely blend of honey and lilies. if you like both of those notes, you will adore this blend, i promise.

in the imp: sweet candy-like floral. wet on skin: i'm getting the candy-like quality i usually associate with gardenia, but i think it might be the pear. it's juicy, but more floral than it was in, say, the Perilous Parlor. dry down: i get hints of CatHouse in here, but whereas that scent took florals and made them sext in a Southern Belle kind of way, this is not sexy to me in the slightest. in all: not offensive, but the sort of thing my kindly widowed 1st grade teacher would have worn. *shrugs*

in the imp: i don't know how to say this, except to say it's like sniffing Dragon's Blood in the summertime- the sweetness of DB and the warm round scent of a summer night. it's lovely. wet on skin: much the same. i get what people are saying about picking up a "dragon's tears" note happening, but it's not really an aqua- which is good, because i mostly dont like those. dry down: the same as in the vial. in all: i don't get the "magically potent" thing that i usually get from oils belonging to The Conjure Bag, but i definitely get a bit o' friskiness about me and it's a light, sweet, almost fae scent- i could see wearing this on summer date nights for sure!

in the imp: this reads as more citrus than floral to me, at least in the vial. like a lemon pie. yummy, but not a lily per se. wet on skin: ok, now it's morphing. still not lily exactly, but a more *fruity* pie, like currant, maybe. dry down: a spiced, fake carnation. in all: i didn't have any particular expectations for this scent, so i'm not terribly disappointed. but it seems to miss the mark of what it's supposed to be, at least with *my* skin chemistry...

in the imp: black cherry and lavender. wet on skin: i don't know WHAT that note is, but it's the same one in Pruno that smelled like Mister Clean to me- floor cleaner and cherries. dry down: more of the same- but with less cherry. in all: all these notes work on me individually, so it must have something to do with the combination. whatever it is, this is a TOTAL pass for me.