VioletChaos

in the imp: strong, heady and pungent. i can't discern any notes, but i feel a little light-headed, and yes, a surge of power just from a sniff. wet on skin: there's an earthy note in there, not exactly vetiver or patchouli, but a rootiness that both of them encapsulate. with this is a dark chocolate note. not sweet or foodie, but like raw cacao. it's really pretty amazing. dry down:pretty much the same-rooty, earthy, a tad sensual and chocolate-y. in all: a powerful scent. as i approach 40, i feel that i am only now becoming a woman strong enough to wear an oil like this. i have a feeling that, like ladies ourselves, this oil will only become more powerful with age.

in the imp: uh oh. fabric softener. wet on skin: fabric softener with ozone-drenched aquatic notes dry down: more of the same in all: oh Cthulhu! why have you forsaken meeeeeeeee????????

in the imp: a mix of floral and 'green' smells, but nothing that stands out separately. wet on skin: the lilac comes forward substantially, the 'green' scent a soft back note. dry down: the lilac becomes stronger, more cloying, the other notes all but disappear. in all: i need my floral notes to be subtle, or mixed with something non-floral. i find this blend too sharp and too sweet for my tastes. but someone who loves lilac as a note will likely fall in love with this blend.

in the imp: more floral than anything else. a very sweet, thick floral. wet on skin: very cloying, very floral. i'm not getting much in the way of honey, strangely enough. hmmm... dry down: ah! THERE'S the honey! and lots of it! whoo hoo! i am getting little hints of floral, they comes and go, mostly something a bit ginger-y (might be the carnation) and something sweet, like gardenia. it's really lovely. in all: ok, who's gonna swap me a bottle of this?!?!?

(this decant was not marked with a year) in the imp: sweet, boozy musk. normally i like all these things, but this, i'm not so sure about... wet on skin: the booze is amping- it's very cloying, reminds me of cough syrup. uh oh dry down: ok. the cloying bit has faded. *whew*! now the booze and musk seem to be fighting it out. in all: the musky/boozy thing made me think it might turn out to be something similar to Smut, but even though the listed notes are similar, they smell entirely different from each other. Devil's Night is raw, hard edged: like a night playing chicken on your motorcycle, drunk on cheap malt liquor. Smut, on the other hand, is all about being sexy, sultry and full of lust. i guess i'm old fashioned, because i'll take lust over daring any day of the year!

in the imp: cinnamon! and something a bit...medicinal lurking. hmmm wet on skin: more cinnamon and i'm getting some cassia now, which is making for a nice, spicy mix dry down: the two continue to intermix, mellowing out with a dab of honey, but not really morphing. in all: although i had other expectations of this (only a small trace of honey, absolutely NO ginger) it's still a sultry, spicy mix and those who like such things will be in love with this. ETA: after having Bengal on me for an extended time, it has sweetened and mellowed further, the honey has bloomed and i am finding this to be a very sultry, close-to-the-skin sort of fragrance- and i *love* it!

in the imp: butter, cake and currants. wet on skin: this smells a LOT like Crumpet Rebellion-sugar, incense and cake- but with a rose undertone. unexpected, but nice dry down: the cake aspect fades into the back ground, the rose comes up and the sugar stays the same. in all: like a cross between Hope and Crumpet Rebellion- rose, currant, incense and sugar with a cake bit behind it all. unusual, but it works!

in the bottle: spicy. i get a ginger note, maybe some cinnamon, cumin. but it's not foody at all. wet on skin: cypress is coming out now. i hope it doesn't stay. i'm not much for cypress. dry down: interesting. the cypress has, in fact remained, but the other elements, notably cloves, vanilla and ginger, have taken the edge off, made it better. it's complex, darkly sweet and sexy as hell. in all: oh YEAH!

in the bottle: like maple syrup and mahogany wood. sweet, resinous, woody. wet on skin: the wood comes out a bit more. i'm discovering that i generally love all BPAL formulas that contain mahogany. it's not bitter the way sandalwood can be, and it's not light or sharp like cedarwood. it's just earthy, good. dry down: the blue musk finally makes it's appearance. it's not what i expected as far as musks go- it's sharper, cleaner. but it adds a lovely balance to the wood and the sugar cane. in all: there is something so unusual about this blend. i can honestly say it's like nothing i've encountered before. i can't compare it to *anything* else. it simply must be experienced first hand. i'm glad i bought two bottles!

in the bottle: like some sort of lemon cream cheese cake. yeah! wet on skin: now sweet tarts have been added to the cake. dry down: the cream has faded a bit, leaving behind a lovely lemony cake/candy smell. sweet, but not cloying. in all: *thrilled* i got a bottle in time, and equally thrilled the lemongrass didn't turn soapy on me, as often happens. this is wonderful- i'm sure to get lots of wear in the coming warm months, and would certainly wear this for goddess worshipping as well!

in the bottle: light, floral. the shampoo comparison is on the money at this point. wet on skin: lovely! a mix of cherry blossom and something else i can't name. it has a more 'perfumey' note than i'm used to with BPAL oils. dry down: reminds me a LOT of one of the only mainstream perfumes i like, Aqua di Parma. in all: something for warm spring days and a dinner with relatives. i'm glad i have a bottle, it really is quite nice, though i don't think i'll be wearing it every day or anything.

in the imp: ozone, bay rum wet on skin: the dirt is coming out now, and something...sweet, that i can't identify. dry down: dirt, smoke, ozone and funeral flowers. yup, just like the name. in all: although not for me, this is interesting and my BF just bought a whole bottle of it, and i know he's gonna love it, so that's good!

in the imp: yup- candy wet on skin: candy, but softer, not so harsh or bubble-gummy as in the vial. dry down: a subtle, muted form of candy, sugar-powder and something mildly fruity- it's like the happy childhood i never had! in all: this is sweet, innocent and lovely. i want to eat it (yes, i AM a foodie!) but it *is* also giving me a sense of gentleness to my spirit that i've been lacking as of late. this is really, really wonderful. :D

in the imp: citrus, and- yes, bananas. wet on skin: the banana becomes more pronounced, but it's soft, too, like the real fruit, not like circus peanuts. dry down: the banana is still there, but i also catch some floral- perhaps lilac- making it's way into the mix. in all: the point of magicked oils is for their purpose first, scent second. i haven't worn this oil long enough to know if it's going to bring me a rush of good luck (though that *would* be nice!) but it's sweet enough that i'd certainly be willing to give it more time to do it's thing. in short- it's strange and lovely!

in the imp: cedarwood, strongly. hmmm. wet on skin: yep. cedarwood. it reminds me of smelling freshly sharpened pencils in grade school. dry down: more cedar. nothing but, not even a hint. in all: not a fan of cedar, so off to the trade pile with this one!

in the imp: almond and coconut. yummy! wet on skin: the almond becomes more rounded...it reminds me of marzipan and almond cookies. dry down: the fig is there, but only in the farthest back ground. the coconut has gotten *much* stronger and the effect is nothing less than totally delicious! in all: oh yes, i will need a big ole bottle of this!

in the imp: spicy yumminess! wet on skin: i get cinnamon and dragon's blood and something that reminds me very much of yuletide revels. dry down: more of the same, only slightly more subtle. in all: this is GREAT. a very winter time scent, one to wear to masquerades and costume balls, bonfires and lunar gatherings.

in the imp: ozone, smoke and heavy aquatic notes. this is my version of a nightmare. wet on skin: the water note becomes more prominent. much more. dry down: ozone wins! but there is a bit of a dirt scent in the back ground. interesting. in all: well, i'm glad i tried it, because i like to try all things BPAL at least once. it's not for me, but i know some steampunk folks that would be ALL over this!

in the bottle: sweet but sombre. wet on skin: this is really dark. a dark, thick musk to be precise. dry down: a rich musk, this is a great wintertime scent, for the darkest of solstice nights. in all: really dark, really rich without being cloying. a good one to have if you're moody or live in a colder climate.

in the imp: a lovely jasmine, and an undernote of something i can't define. very nice. wet on skin: more jasmine, and some lilac showing itself. wow, is this floral! dry down: a heavy jasmine/lilac combo. in all: this reminds me a LOT of both a solid hippie perfume my mom let me wear as a toddler (i tried to eat it!) and also of a suntan lotion i wore as a teenager. too loaded with associations for me, but i suggest this to anyone who loves a complex and heavy floral.

in the imp: sweet, and very green. like being in a summer garden after a rain. No ozone. wet on skin: i can smell the tea, and a trace of lemon. it's very soft, very gentle. dry down: it's reverted to a very green smelling mix, and i can no longer pick out separate notes. in all: although not for me personally, i can see those who love soft green 'garden' type scents would *adore* this.

in the imp: spicy, strong, and somehow reminding me of christmas :shrug: wet on skin: there's something that is reminding me of black pepper, which i normally can't stand, but which works well in this blend. there's also some sweet wood notes surfacing, and a strong under note of amber. dry down: the amber comes more to the forefront, but this is still a heady, strong mix. in all: i don't usually give gender to scents here at BPAL, but i have to say, this one is totally masculine. not to say i wouldn't wear it, mind you but i sorta want to experience it on some huge, burly dude covered in tattoos about to get on his 'cycle. mrow!

in the imp: i don't know how to explain this, except to say that it smells like grapefruit jellybeans! wet on skin: a slightly creamy quality enters the mix, and there's the slightest spicy undertone that must be the currant. dry down: the currant makes a much stronger appearance, balancing the grapefruit nicely. in all: this smells very much- VERY much- like the Lemon Merangue doll i had as a child back in the 80's. this is a good kid scent, and also for those looking for a soft but sweet food-and-floral combo.

in the imp: veeeery lime-y! wet on skin: lime and lilac coming through. i would've never guessed these two would smell good together, but they really do- it's very summer time to me. dry down: the lilac comes out a bit more, becomes more balanced with the lime. i get no other notes from this. in all: a very gender-neutral scent, this is one to wear on the hottest of summer nights to give a reprieve from the heat. lovely, fresh, very light.

in the imp: all peach. it reminds me of the fruity oils i used to get from The Body Shop about 18 years ago when they had a perfume bar testing area wet on skin: still all peach. however, it's light enough that it actually doesn't come across as all that foody. it's really pleasant. dry down: the peach stays. in all: this may be one of the only times that a BPAL oil has stayed true from the bottle to dry down on me. what you get in the bottle is what it stays, which is nice for those that are inclines to just sniff from the bottle. i'm not big on peach, personally, but if you are, *run* to buy this one- you will have no regrets!