VioletChaos

in the imp: magnolia, spice. mmmmm wet on skin: the spice receded a bit, and the magnolia is coming forward, and mixing with another spicy floral- carnation. dry down: the spice comes back. it's doesn't smell like a single note, but like an assortment of christmastime spices- ginger, nutmeg, a tiny bit of cinnamon, plus the carnation and the magnolia in the background. in all: a lovely, musky floral, it's one for a 'crossover' audience- those that like deep smoky fragrances as well as those that like florals will take to this one.

in the bottle: cherry candy all the way. someone said pixy stix, and i must agree. wet on skin: still with the cherry candy, but now it's more of a luden's cough drop sort. which i have fond childhood memories of. dry down: cherry, cherry and cherry some more. the dragon's blood is here, but in a more candy-like form than i'm used to! over all: sweet, mild and fruity, this is something i'd be apt to wear fro just daily running-errands time, and honestly, the world needs some of those.

i acquired a beautifully aged bottle of this not long ago, but i was saving a dark chilly night for trying it out... in the bottle: gorgeous spicy notes, though not necessarily cinnamon, combine with something more sexy- dragon's blood, perhaps? wet on skin: the cinnamon starts to show itself, but not in an over powering x-mas potpourri kinf of way, more of a subtle spicy way. it's really, really good. dry down: all spicy and a hint of dragon's blood. as usual, something extremely complex. over all: one to wear on those long winter nights in the passionate arms of your loved one!

in the bottle: cypress resin and wet earth- WOW! wet on skin: more of the same, really. the earthiness is still there coming on strong, but now there's a hint of sea weed underneith. dry down: the resin has remained. there's a masculine sort of woodsy-ness to this. in all: i like it, but not for me. excepting on the darkest of autumnal evenings. otherwise i'm more inclined to pass it or have my boyfriend wear it.

in the bottle: something lightly fruity, like pears, with an after note of roasted nuts. wet on skin: the nuttiness comes more to the surface and the fruit takes a pleasant back seat. dry down: both disappear completely and i'm left with a smell of funeral flowers- it must be the iris and a very, very soft undercurrent of cognac and cream. over all: it's funny, because i havent picked this up for a while and when i first tried it out a ways back, i recall not liking it in the slightest. but now that i've tried it out again, i'm really, really glad i didn't do anything rash, like trade it away! a beautiful floral, and i do NOT care for many florals!

in the imp: a sickly sweet cherry, followed closely by something poisonous, like insect repellent. wet on skin:better now, it's very close to a cherry incense i remember from a hippy-laden childhood. dry down: the cherry disappears like magic and is replaced with a gentle fruit floral, like Strangler fig, but more juicy and berry-like. the final verdict: a perfectly lovely mix of fruit and floral, but not unique enough for me to keep. ADDED Jan. 19: in the imp: faint caramel and strawberry bubblegum. wet on skin: the bubblegum aspect disappears leaving behind something akin to strawberry syrup. fairly yum. dry down: the strawberry mixes with a very faint floral to produce something similar to strawberry suck-on candy. in all: not bad for those that are partial to candy-foodie type smells. for me, it's not quite what i want to smell like, so... ...off to the swaps!

in the imp: sweet, fruity in a juicy way. like watermelon or honeydew in the height of summer. yummm wet on skin: still juicy, but more fleshy fruit now, like peaches or strawberries. in other words, still yummmm. dry down: a beautiful floral is emerging- what is it? like honey suckle and something else succulent: maybe water lily or a touch of ylang ylang. later: a lovely combination of fruit and floral. not cloying. i'm not big on the floral, as people who read my reviews know, but this one is really really lovely. something to keep and cherish for long summer days and longer summer nights.

i'm much more picky about my florals than i am about resins. they don't always agree with me or my body chemistry, but i'm always willing to try anything from BPAL so here we go... in the imp: straight sharp-edged rose. this is not the sugary-creamy rose like Hope, this is stronger, more commanding. wet on skin: the rose mellows a bit. no trace of anything else. dry down: rose, rose and only rose. final analysis: there are those people that love all things rose, and for them, i'd say this is an excellent addition. for me, it's not quite spectacular enough to keep. off to the swaps!

there is love in my heart for Strangler Fig... in the imp: woodsy, earthy. like rich soil, but sweeter. wet on skin: the earthiness gets even richer, and is joined by a fruity element, but not foodie. dry down: lovely, soft, complex. like sandlewood and fresh tilled earth and sun-ripened figs in the early fall. in all: beautiful and evocative of playing in a sun-dappled garden.

this is the Resurrected version. in the bottle: LOADS of coconut. that's all i can smell, and I WANT MORE! wet on skin: coconut still strong but a sugary goodness is coming through. not like Sugar Skull, more like a sugar-creme. STILL want more. dry down: a beautiful vanilla emerges, very much like the aforementioned funnel cake, that's what it reminds me of. foodie, but not in a yucky way. final analysis: delicious and somehow exotic, this is one for regular use Or a night out on the town. LOVE!

in the bottle: all cocoa, all the time wet on skin: a chocolate-almondy thing, very reminicient of Tell Tale Heart. dry down: a fruity undercurrent makes it's appearance, and i agree that it's more cranberry than cherry. later: a gorgeous balance between fruit and cocoa without being foodie. a total keeper!

in the bottle: smells very much like a men's cologne, as has been said. a sharp edge of ozone. wet on skin: the ozone dominates to the point where i can't pick out any other notes. dry down: more of the same. i'm actually a bit shocked, because i'm used to dramatic changes happening from bottle to dry down, but this was not forthcoming. later: the final analysis is that on me it smells JUST like the seaweed-loofa soap i used to get from The Body Shop. it smell like water, but not melter snow to me, like sea water, all salty like. i don't *mind* it, but it's not something i'll personally wear all that often, if at all.

in the bottle: a strong combo of eucalyptus and geranium wet on skin: more of the same, but the geranium seems a bit stronger dry down: a change of the main notes into something very, very similar to chamomile. later: all chamomile. very soothing, but not making me sleepy. a nice winter reprieve!

in the bottle: an odd combination of something nutty (the tonka?) and very citrus, more grapefruit than anything else. the notes are at odds, but not unpleasantly so. wet on skin: the citrus continues but the nuttiness has faded a bit. like eating hazelnuts and drinking loads of lemonaide at the same time. dry down: a gentle lemon, like lemon drop candies has taken over. the roast nut is there, but it's more like an afterthought, something that only registers after the scent has left my nose. all in all, pretty interesting, but something i'd probably like more in high summer than the dead of winter.

in the bottle: all chocolate. rich, yummy cocoa and nothing more. wet on skin: an almond note comes out strong and mingles with the cocoa making something totally foodie and delicious. dry down: the more complex undercurrents show up. i detect the vetiver quite a bit and it mingles in a surprising floral way with the chocolate quality later: something more complex, sexy. the food aspect is gone and what remains is something sweet without being cloying; sensuous but soft. this is one of my favorites.

i intentionally waited to try this one, because of it's following and all the hub bub. that said, i'm starting to see what all the excitement is about! in the bottle: straight up bourbon vanilla. more or less what i pour into my french toast batter. wet on skin: the vanilla gets...thicker. less foodie, but more swoony, if that makes sense. dry down: what i imagine walking through the markets of madagascar would be like: sweet, spicy vanilla, with a strong under current of indian cooking spice. mmmm! a while later: strong, sexy, potent. this is one to wear out to the clubs, for sure!

i'm pretty picky about my rose, and once i was thoroughly smitten with Faith, i felt resigned to not like Hope, but i do! in the bottle: like i said in the Faith review, the two smell exactly the same in the bottle, just as it should be with conjoined twins. wet on my skin: the rose comes out hard and fast with the sugar seeming a bit cloying. i don't dislike it, but it's a bit granny-esque for me. dry down: it all changes, the rose and sugar mingling together more an hour later: the sugar has mellowed to cream and the rose becomes round, not grandma and not overly floral either, just...rose-cream. yummy- i will DEFinately wear this one lots!

i'm a violet fan. the sort that eats violet gums and candies and people nearby ask if i've eaten soap. so no surprise that i fell instantly in love with Faith... in the bottle, i found Faith and Hope indistiguishable: lovely sugar on both counts. i thought that was brilliant, what with the whole conjoined twins thing. wet on my skin: Faith's particular presence starts to make itself known: the sugar starts to mellow and the violet comes out sharp. dry down: the sugar becomes more creamy, the violet becomes more candy-like, less floral an hour later: exactly like candied violets. delicious, soft, sweet. the sugar has become a vanilla creme and the violet isn't floral so much as food like. love!!!

in the bottle: sweet, and strongly of vetiver, with a cinnamon under note wet on skin: the spicy cinnamon comes out in front, with the earthy vetiver a close second dry down: the dragon's blood fruitiness becomes obvious, with the earth and spice taking a well-mixed secondary quality. overall, this is rich and a bit sweet, but a mite too overwhelming for the likes of me. those that like strong spicy notes will likely love this.

The embodiment of Victorian funereal elegance. A delicate sugar-spun vanilla cream cotton, stained by tobacco and incense smoke, Indian musk, and drops of cognac. this one easilly makes it into my top five! in the bottle: funeral flowers emit strongly, that scent of lilies and carnations near a big open casket, with an under current of that cognac coming through. wet on skin: delicious! the vanilla comes through, and the floral eases off. the cognac stays the same, giving the impression of being comforted by a caring uncle who's grieving the same loss. dry down: it gets more complex and more beautiful. deep, sweet notes of vanilla, a resinous sweet note, like rum cake, the cognac and tobacco adding something more adult to the mix, taking it away from being foodie and making it something mysterious and sexy. LOVE!

boy, do i dislike this one in the bottle: like hair conditioner. the kind my older sister would've been into in the '70's that came in a big green bottle. wet on skin: it gets worse. strong and floral, not unlike air freshener. dry on skin: it's tenacious, aquatic in a cloying way, with a freesia that's too-sweet flowery and burns my throat. meh.

oooohhhhh boy is this a goodie! in the bottle: sweet, dark smoky and resinous. i pick out frankincense, amber, myrrh. wet: it's all about the amber dry down: amber still strong, the frankincense making a come back. later: resinous without being over powering. like spending a day in church, reading old texts and coming out a changed person.

in the bottle: clean, fresh, light, reminds me strongly of green freshly-mown grass wet on skin: a bit more like laundry detergent- clean, but more in a cologne way as opposed to a nature way. dry down, sometime later: the cologne aspect has evaporated, and leaves behind a light linens smell. not much for it, i don't really like light floral-y scents myself, but i could see this making someone else quite happy.

i have already promised this one to my boyfriend and now i'm sorry i did! in the bottle: lovely! the aquatic element in there, but not overpowering. i smell cucumber, sea grass and a bit of orange citrus under it all. in the dry down: the honey sukcle is there and the cucumber comes out more strongly. an hour later: more subtle mixing now, a return of the watery element and a tinge of ozone with an afterthought of honey. i swoon from it all! i might have to steal this back from boyfriend afterall...

In the bottle: like cherry cobbler, hot, plus cream. there is a tiny undertone of plum, but it's very faint. wet on my skin: a strong cinnamon of the candle shop variety emerges, as many have said. i get sad at the disappearance of the cherry. an hour later: like a musky fruit incense my dad burned in the house in the '70's. also reminds me of what we called 'head shops' at the time, a sort of mix of sweet hippy incenses and oils. in all, not my favorite, but a decent winter time oil that i'll wear again.