VioletChaos

in the imp: a light citrus aftershave. wet on skin: yup. same. dry down: yeah. aftershave. in all: a daily scent for the menfolk- clean, innocuous. not bad, but nothing spectacular, either. :shrug:

in the imp: heavy Smut-like musk, and juniper. wet on skin: the pine enters the equation, which is balancing it out a bit, actually. dry down: a soft musk emerges, sweetened by the pine. in all: a late autumnal scent, i would wear this one pumpkin picking- with my sweetie, NOT my little sister.

in the imp: sugared lime! wet on skin: some lavender is coming into the equation. dry down: heavy on that sugary lime, with just a hint of the lavender. i get no other notes from this in all: i was saddened not to get any of the other notes, especially the peppermint chocolate. however, i really, really like the sugared lime in this blend. i could see mixing this with 21 and having a really yummy mojito!

in the imp: lemony green tea wet on skin: same. dry down: same. in all: a light green tea scent, medium throw. good for late spring and summer days when the air is dense and heavy. i would use this to enable some people- many commercial perfumes of the higher end use green tea as a prominent note.

in the imp: patchouli, ylang ylang and vetiver: rather true to it's description. wet on skin: those three are all still present, though the vetiver and patchouli seem to be duking it out for top dog...er, note dry down: patchouli wins! in all: this patchouli-heavy blend is good for those that like this essence. there is a touch of sweetness to temper it, making it wearable for lots of daily use and something i'd personally wear in all seasons.

in the imp: sweet smoky leather. nice! wet on skin: the sweetness gets a bit stronger. it's not cloying, though. dry down: the sweetness had abated. yep, this is pure tanned leather. in all: a single note of leather, really, there is no other note in here to detract. personally, i would layer this with oils that i like but find a bit too cloying that eed tempering, like certain florals or even really sweet foodies. on it's own? just for you SM types!

in the imp: strong neroli. wet on skin: yep- neroli dry down: i'm getting a touch of citrus, not bergamot, more like kumquat. the neroli has settled, become more like orange blossom- less concentrated. in all: a light floral, good for hot days and despite the name, little ones could certainly wear this oil. sweet and innocent

in the bottle: fresh, juicy green apples wet on skin: the yummy apples are still heavy in here, but there's a softer scent in the background- sweeter, definitely snow. it's like eating a crisp apple while sniffing Snow White. dry down: the apple fades and i'm left with a pale ozone. normally i don't like the ozone blends, but this is light enough that it works. in all: glad that i got a bottle for sure, but i'm definitely swapping the back up!

2006 version in the bottle: yummy buttery pumpkin, alright. wet on skin: sweet and yummy, like pumkin cake. not pie, there's definitely a "baked goods" quality about it at this stage. dry down: yup. pumpkin cake. but a bit less sweet. i know- pumpkin bread! in all: i don't get even a hint of anything else. certainly no ivy. perhaps some of those "wood" elements are toning down the sweetness, making it more 'bread-y' less 'pie-y'. but either way, this is a TOTAL keeper for sure.

in the imp: men's cologne. wet on skin: more of the same. dry down: a bit of lime is moving away from the mix. overall, however, this is something i could get at any drug store. in all: i've smelled some of the Labs cologne mixes before, and some of them are wonderful. this one is really mainstream, though. maybe to enable to new guy? that's about all

in the imp: fruity and sweet. reminds me japanese fruit gum! wet on skin: yup. hello kitty strawberry bubble gum dry down: something else has entered the mix. something more subtle that is toning down the fruit-candy aspect. it's not floral, exactly. it's like alcohol. like a fruity alcohol beverage. in all: not exactly my thing, but i could see a whole lotta people getting into this.

in the imp: sweet tobacco, sweet flowers. reminds me just a bit of Black Lace- must be the tobacco. wet on skin: uh oh. it's getting veeeeery soapy on me. dry down:the soapy quality mostly is gone, leaving a definite combination of Black Lace and island florals. in all: on a different person i could see this being THE perfect GC sub for Black Lace. but not for me. also, i don't know if it's related or just coincidence, but i had a total sneezing fit in the moments between sniffing it from the vial and putting it on my skin.

in the bottle: a hot, sweet yummy drink on a cold, blustery day wet on skin: cinnamon, clove, and creamy vanilla. a fantastic mix. i get only tiny hints of the pine sap. it's not "christmas-y" at all. :whew: dry down: this smells to me like horchata, the mexican cold rice and cinnamon drink! in all: i can see this being one to hoard. it's only a matter of time before BPALers everywhere start demanding multiple bottles!

in the bottle: blueberries and fresh sweetgrass. which is AH-maze-ing. wet on skin: oh yeah, full force blueberry. fresh, ripe, and just picked in the sunshine. wow. dry down: the sweetgrass has returned. but the blueberry is still goin' strong! in all: this has GOT to be the most perfect summer scent of all time. like eating a pint of blueberries while lying in hay in a barn in late july. i love this, i love this, i love this! :D

in the bottle: straight up acai berry. which i ADORE. wet on skin: same *keeps fingers crossed* dry down: oh YEAH. in addition to the tart and delicious acai comes a hint of the mum sniffing around. i find the two, although not what i would think of as normal bedmates, interact in a lovely way. in all: yes, i am *very* glad to have picked up a bottle before the Carnivale leaves town!

in the bottle: oh YEAH. THIS is the cardamom i've been waiting for all my life! wet on skin: cardamom, tea, and a hint of that black pepper (which i had feared, but is actually quite perfect in this Chai-like blend!) dry down: lovely, lovely tea. like Chai mixed with a nut milk. not almond or hazel, but something. in all: simply fantastic. the tea scent i've always hoped for, and never found. :D

in the bottle: dark and resinous, but with the juicy pommegranite peeking in wet on skin: the juiciness of the pomm becomes more prominent, with the dark notes blending in behind. dry down: it has stayed consistent, thankfully! in all: a dark, brooding scent, i imagine i'll be getting plenty of use out of this oil as the days grow shorter and colder and i become more prone to wander hill and dale in long cloaks relentlessly.

in the imp: the blending of notes in here is phenomenal, seamless. it reminds me of Glowing Vulva, in that cream-meets-wood capacity. wet on skin: the woods and resins start to dominate at this point. dry down: a lovely mix of woods and roots has emerged. i don't get *any* of the florals mentioned, but the notes that DO pop are earthy and sweet. in all: sadly, it's turned powdery on me but for someone without my cursed skin chemistry, several bottles would be in order!

in the imp: patchouli and orange. wet on skin: same. dry down: a slight spicy note is in here, it must be the carnation. mostly though, it's the patchouli and orange, which is a good combination. in all: a good scent for fall, winter and the early parts of spring, i'd wear this whenever i felt like i needed a little more sun to warm me.

in the imp: strong, sweet, powerful. reminds me of hemp hair oil, good for dreading. wet on skin: same, but with a slight touch of citrus around the edges. dry down: same. in all: a powerful oil for use in magicks of all kinds, this High John has the double bonus of being powerful *and* smelling divine. must have!

in the imp: strawberry flavored bubblegum. wet on skin: same! dry down: yup. berry candy/gum. in all: a great "child-like" scent, good if you need to get in touch with your playful side- or to use on the little imp in your life!

in the imp: lavender and a touch of rose. wet on skin: the rose has totally vanished. i'm getting a sweet floral undernote, something that is tempering the lavender but i can't place it. dry down: the lavender is soft, more subtle now, and that other floral element is still present, mixing beautifully. in all: a light floral, perfect for hot summer days and garden tea parties.

in the imp: pineapple and banana. wet on skin: a hint of the apple is coming through, for sure. not turning Yankee Candle on me, either. dry down: a fruity mix. i sadly don't get the chili note, which i was hoping for, to give this oil some bite. i don't detect it, though. in all: a great fruity mix, and if i run out of Fruit Moon, i'll certainly get me bottle of this. for now, i leave it on the back burner.

The World Ash. Nine woods, nine leaves, and three herbs each for Ratatosk and Vidofnir, with three final herbs to placate Nidhogg. in the imp: wintergreen, burnt ash, and green herbs. lovely. wet on skin: same. dry down: the wintergreen has faded back quite a bit, leaving a peculiar perfume-y scent that attracts and repels me at the same time. attracts with it's herb notes, repels in that it reminds me of old lady perfume. in all: on someone else's skin, i could see this complex blend being fabulous. on me? not so much. :shrug:

in the imp: almond and vetiver wet on skin: the vetiver is becoming stronger now. dry down: the vanilla sweetens the bitter edge of the vetiver. the almond has all but disappeared. i get bare hints of the myrrh, but nothing more than fleeting. in all: a nice earthy scent, good for a later summer or early autumn day when the sun is high and the leaves are crunchy.