donnatron

A frimp from the lovely GirlinDenial Imp: Corn syrup over a bowl of fruit and a touch of what smells like gentlemen's cologne. As is common with the lunacies, my nose can't really distinguish different notes. Just deliciousness. Wet: The cologne smells really explodes--I think this is the blue musk. The sugar amps up and the whole scent is just like "O HAI GUYS!" There's a nice berry quality. Dry: Sweet, candied blue musk floating gently over currants and strawberries with a touch of sweetened violet and rose. This is GORGEOUS. Throw: Ample. Overall: Man, oh man. This is a beautiful, beautiful scent. It is quite strong and "dress up" to me, but if I see a bottle, it will be mine. Oh yes, it will be mine indeed.

Like coldandsleepy said, it's really about finding one that you love and the rest will follow But we're always here to suggest. My partner love-love-love-loooooves Snake Oil and Kabuki. I think it's the red musk, because he's favourable to Black Phoenix and Blood Moon as well. The only ones he's ever been repelled from were ones that loudly disagreed with my skin (Satyr, Pulcinella and Teresina, etc...) and Embalming Fluid because I told him the name and he works in the funeral industry, so he just found it too gross. But because I've still got one paper left and would do anything to not have to finish it. Here's a list: Innocent, coquettish: Alice, Lolita, Kyoto Sultry, mature, independent: Venice, Mata Hari, Kabuki Sex kitten: Snake Oil, Blood Rose, Vixen Take me now: Wanda, Kali, Dragon's Hide Of course, this is from my own experience with the oils (not, like, life experience, but scent experience).

Imp: From the ephemeral Jenesis. Sweet lavender. I can catch a hint of the lotus and it is so sweet that I wonder if I can substitute this for my beloved (and depleated) Twilight. Wet: Lavender! Heady, thick, heavy lavender. It's a sharp, gentlemanly lavender. It smells nice, but not as relaxing as I thought it would. One of the few lavender scents that doesn't have my eyelids immediately drooping and visions of sugarplums dancing in my head. Dry: I forgot I was wearing this, to be honest. Not because I stopped smelling it, but just because I got distracted and then a few hours passed. Then I leaned over to pick up an errant book from beside my heat vent and this intoxicating spicy... pink scent wafted up. I sniffed again and it was gone. I sniffed my wrist and I smelled Midnight Kiss. I was incredibly confused. Then I remembered that I had applied Paris to the top of my hand hours ago. This is a gorgeous scent. The lotus is sweet and borderline bubblegummy, but it's also reminiscent of... fairy resin or some other cutesy name I could give a sweet, gummy, "pink" smell. The lavender is more grounding than dominating. Overall it's just a really well blended and beautiful scent. Throw: Best if stuck in front of a heat vent, apparently. Overall: I was nervous to try this because I'm not really taken with Lotus and I don't have nice memories of Paris. But it's a beautiful, feminine, intriguing scent and it lives up to the Paris mystique. A possible new love.

I didn't have any Sudha Segara on hand and wound up using Lurid because I find the lavender/berry combo soothing and grounding as well. It worked--I walked away with an A. I'm going to take most of the credit, but I would certainly say that smelling fabulous helped that along.

Accidental discovery of the day: Al-Shairan + Tavern of Hell = A pretty decent olfactory rendition of an unlit clove cigarette. Of course, accounting for skin shemistry differences, YMMV.

Imp: I have a decant of this courtesy of GirlinDenial and this oil is the most absolutely beautiful golden colour. It looks like dry prairie grass. The scent of the oil is dominantly amber with a touch of something animalistic and a grassy dried herb scent. Wet: The amber warms and this becomes almost candy sweet. Dry: Mmm... It's very well blended and I can't really pick out all the different scents but it smells golden. Like driving through the prairies on a hot summer day and pulling over to the side of the road to stretch your legs and just standing there feeling the sun stream onto your face. It's amazingly evocative. Throw: Minimal. This imp is not destined for a long life. Overall: How lovely. It's such a sweet, warm, evocative scent. Really a great example of the lab's creativity and faithfulness to inspiration.

Imp: Vetivert FTW. Wet: VETIVERT! SUPER CRAZY STRONG INTENSE VETIVERT! On me, vetivert smells sort of like freshly turned earth so it's not unpleasant--it's just very strong. Dry: The vetivert is still dominant, with a whisper of leather and jasmine in the back. It's really super, super strong. The longest I let it interact with my chemistry, the less pronounced the vetivert gets and more of the leather and florals peak through. I can smell the barest hint of cinnamon. Throw: Intense. Overall: It's an interesting scent and I can see myself wearing it when I want to project a veneer of control and power. I think it would also layer nicely with some of my other blends. It's actually a lot more gender neutral than I was anticipating. Not necessarily a huge hit with me, but a nice surprise.

Imp: Men's cologne, tobacco and whiskey. Wet: It sweetens up into a gorgeous floral touched with a honey or molasses sweetness. I can't really distinguish a lot of the notes from one another. Dry: Lovely. There is a warm woodsiness to it (the whiskey?) and the florals have blended to created this intense, warm sweet scent. The ambergris bouquet really grounds the scent overall and the ylang ylang perfectly blends into the overarching sweetness of this scent. It smells like sitting by a fire by yourself in a log cabin. Beautiful. Throw: Good. Overall: I wasn't sure what to expect with this one--I tried it mainly because it had a ton of notes and the name tickled my fancy. It's really beautiful--I'd definitely considering getting a bottle now and aging it up for the fall months.

Imp: Pepto Bismal. Seriously--it's got that weird mineral/creamy/minty smell of Pepto Bismal. Crazy. Wet: Not pleasant. The cologne and musk are really duking it out and the pennyroyal gets exceedingly strong. Props to the lab for the pennyroyal scent, though. Due to some errant gardening on my part, our backyard is awash with the stuff in summer and it smells exactly like standing in the garden in the morning. Dry: The musk calms down and the base becomes almost creamy. There's still a bite to the whole scent, but it's very definitely in three layers--the creamy undertone, the soft cologne aspect, and then a minty-lavender top note. It's quite masculine; Ernest Hemingway would wear this. Throw: Enough. Overall: I'm intrigued. This is a great blend for the Mad Hatter and I have to say that it's quite different from what I was expecting. I think it will layer nicely with some sweeter scents and I'm sure I'll go through the imp easily. I just thought of how nice this will be in the bath--definitely the surprise hit of my latest imp acquisitions.

I have an oral defense of a paper tomorrow and am now spiralling into a panic about it--so I've somehow determined that my scent tomorrow will make or break me. I was going to wear Schrodinger's Cat as the paper is on the Schrodinger equation, but I find the oil too bouncy and cutesy for the situation. I make my own High John the Conqueror, but the store I purchase the root from moved locations and I have run out in the mean time. I was thinking Magus because it has a certain gravitas and has High John in it, but it smells very... ritualistic on me. Any suggestions?

Imp: Chocolate tinged with tobacco, florals and the weensiest hint of wine. Wet: NEIN! NEIN! The honey goes haywire (as it did in Jezebel) and the whole thing goes sour. I get very frowny, as I was hinging so much potential on Kali. Dry: Thankfully she pulls through. The tobacco deepens and runs through the whole scent, the chocolate provides a sort of dusty base and the florals intermingle. The honey and the wine settle down and the whole thing sweetens into this absolutely charming, provocative scent. Very sexy, very evening, and somewhere between just enough and too much. Throw: Great. Overall: Oh Kali, how could I doubt you? Yes, the initial drydown isn't the greatest, but the end result is so worth it that you could make me smell like dog vomit until the drydown and I'd still slather it on. This is a gorgeous, gorgeous scent--think Blood Kiss without the iffiness of vetiver.

Imp: Musk and lavender. Heavy on the lavender. Wet: The orchid goes a bit sour as it figures out my skin. The rose is a whisper and the lavender and musk dominate, while the frankincense makes itself known but doesn't go overboard. Dry: This is really pretty. It smells... very French and very expensive. I'd wear this to job interviews or to situations where I have to assert myself as a stylish, in control woman. This is a lot more domineering than I would have thought, but it's absolutely gorgeous. Throw: Pretty good. Overall: I've always hedged on Psyche. Would I like her? If I didn't would it break my heart? I'm glad I took the plunge. This is beautiful and I will put it to good use.

Imp: Frankincense and rose. No surprises. Wet: A sweet, strong rose hardly tempered by the frankincense. Me likey. Dry: The rose continues to linger and the frankincense becomes the dominant scent. Very dry and sacred smelling. I really, really like it. It just smells clean and pure and very holy and... sacred. It's an every day sacred, if that makes sense. Throw: Good. Overall: I love it. It smells very purifying and uplifting and just seems perfectly designed for when I need a spiritual boost.

Imp: Oh dear... it smells like the mystery jungle juice liquor we used to consume at high school bush parties--when you would pour a bit of everything in your parents liquor cabinet into a bottle and hope they wouldn't notice. Wet: Wow. This is a 180 turn around. Wet, this turns into a murky leather with soft, grapey wine notes and the slightest breath of flowers. Dry: Take me, Wanda. Take me. The leather is the dominant note, with just the barest hint of wine and rose with a soft hint of violet. While it is a really sexy, seductive scent, it's a lot more daytime-friendly than I thought it would be. Definite cold-as-steel executive with perfect hair and posh stiletto pumps. Throw: Intense on the dry down, and then moderate once dry. Overall: I try to not be too vulgar in my reviews on the forums, but there is only one way to describe this perfume: Fuckin' A, man. Fuckin' A.

Imp: Soft, velvety chocolate-citrus. Soft smoked vanilla. This imp is of indeterminate age (I'd pin it at over 6 months, under a year) but it smells like the more gloriously aged scent I've ever had the fortune to stumble across. Wet: Sweetens immediately into a sweet chocolately tobacco with a faint hint of orange peel. Still GLORIOUS. Dry: I have no idea why I never bothered to try this before. It's a sweet, almost gooey, but still perfumy and adult scent. Sweet and smokey and so absolutely wonderful. Throw: Very good. Overall: An instant classic favourite. And kind of fun to freak others out with when they ask what you're wearing.

Imp: A gift shop on Salt Spring Island. Sort of incense/patchouli/general idealized hippie scent. Wet: WHOOSH! ROSE! SANDALWOOD! PATCHOULI! They all amp, and they all amp fast. But they amp nicely. This is a really gorgeous blend once it hits the skin. I don't know what palmarosa smells like, but it sure is shy. Dry: This rapidly became one of my favourites. It's a soft patchouli-sandalwood spiciness, with a touch of sweet rose and an almost powdery saltiness that just adds the perfect hint of flushed, alluring skin. It's classic in an exotic way; it makes me think of spice markets and desert sun. Throw: Brilliant. Overall: I was wearing this the other day when one of my friends turned around and said "It smells like LUSH in here." He then assured me it smelled good, but I understand where he's coming from. It's a pretty complex scent and if you're not prepared for it, it kind of slaps you around. But it's very gorgeous, and with judicious application it definitely screams femininity to me.

Imp: Pure, high grade bergamot oil. Wet: A strong, caffeinated rush of Earl Grey tea. I'm drinking coffee right now and feel a little like I really missed the boat on the optimal way to test this scent. Dry: Light, but very intriguing. I get a soft leather--reminiscent of saddle leather and chaps--with a heady breath of bergamot over top of it. It's a really modern, no-bullshit sort of scent. I can see wearing this to client meetings or somewhere when I want to give a subtle, but firm sense that you do not mess with me (ironically, considering the inspiration). Throw: Light, but longlasting. Overall: I am surprised how much I wound up liking this. Big bottle ahoy? Probably not, but I'll be happy to amass a few more imps in my BPAL travels.

Imp: Rosemary and orange dominate with a touch of grape sweetness and rose in the background. Wet: This goes almost candy sweet in the initial phases. It actually reminds me of a sort of laid-back Blood Countess. The rose sweetens the orange and the grape goes juicy-sweet. The rosemary is not as present as I anticipated it being, but it adds a subtle hint of freshness. Dry: This is a really soft, sweet, somewhere between fruity-and-floral blend. For some reason it reminds me of standing in the Rijksmuseum staring at the Night Watch. It's very classic and soft, and the notes blend together very elegantly. The roses and orange and now the dominant note, with the rest of the notes weaving in sweetly. Throw: Enough. Overall: It's a gorgeous scent. It's such a lush, rich, classical scent that it's completely unusual by modern standards. It should definitely be a standard in an starter imp pack.

Something with citurs or mint is supposed to keep you focused. Schrodinger's Cat contains both, but that blend really depends on your skin chemistry (as well it would). I find Ultraviolet very calming and orienting, the same with Cathode. Chesire Cat has the double benefit of calming chamomile and focusing grapefruit (I believe grapefruit is recommended as a study scent for students). Best of luck with your exam, and hopefully third time's a charm!

Imp: Heavy geranium. Geranium has the tendency to arbitrarily decide it doesn't like me, so let's see! Wet: Dude, geranium. So much 'tude. Dry: Still a lot of geranium. It smells like going to to the nursery to buy herbs and tomato plants (not that it smells like herbs and tomato plants, it just that that's what I personally buy when I go to the nursery). It's pleasant in a "Hey, smell all this geranium!" sort of way, but I'm not married to it. Throw: Okay. Overall: It's discontinued and the name makes me think of a STD. I'm mostly relieved that I can live without it.

Imp: Soft myrrh tempered by a familiar scent I realize is opium when I boot up the scent description. Wet: This is a very dark scent. It smells disorienting and the opium brings to mind my beloved Event Horizon. Dry: The narcissus goes almost soapy on my skin, but the whole scent holds it together to create this creeping, sweet, wonderful scent. It's mostly opium, but the myrrh happy to show up every now and again, and the narcissus will grace us with its presence at times. Throw: Strong. Overall: I popped this on because I depleted my Twilight imp and thought this had lavender. It is lovely anyway and while I'm not gunning for it to put me to sleep, it's a beautiful scent and I will definitely run through this imp in anticipation of receiving a bottle.

Imp: Wow, this is RED! I have stained hte label with it, and during its journeys, the lid has acquired a crazy red hue to it. This is one of the reddest oils I've noticed, and I am an avid DB collector. Another random side note before I continue on my review: My iTunes just decided to play Chad VanGaalen's "Red Blood" as I tested this. CREEPY/AWESOME! Smell: Dragon's blood with a tinge of amber. Lives up to its name. Wet: Whoo, DRAGON'S BLOOD! Super sweet, delicious dragon's blood. Cool and all, but... will this become delicious amber-y dragon's blood? Dry: YES! The amber warms up, lends a soft sweetness to the dragon's blood and this settles into a gorgeous, resinous scent. There's a touch of soap, but more a clean-skin scent than a rinse-it-off scent. Throw: If you want to know how delicious this is, you will have to invade my personal space. Overall: I tried this ages ago and my skin just ate it up. This time it is beautiful. I love this and may wear it excessively during the summer becuase it is sweet and sultry without overpowering. Delicious!

Imp: Dusty apricot. Wet: For a brief, shining moment this is ripe, juice-running-down-your-chin apricot. It's startlingly evocative and beautiful. Dry: But then it sort of meanders off course. The apricot goes dusty. Not in a necessarily bad way, it becomes more reminiscent of apricot skin or standing over a bin of apricots than the flesh of the fruit. The clove is sort of present, but for the most part this is a fruit scent. Throw: A few inches from the skin. Overall: It's a very pretty, soft and innocent scent. It reminds me of summer patio drinks with umbrellas in them. On my skin, it's fairly long lasting and very warm. I can't see a bottle in my future, but the imp will definitely make my acquaintence many times this summer.

Imp: Myrrh and almond. Musk rarely has much of a smell to my nose until it's touching skin. Wet: The sweetest, foodinest, most delicious marzipan-y almond I have encountered in the BPAL oeuvre. The musk starts to unfurl and lends a gorgeous depth to this. The myrrh acquires a familiar, comforting resinous quality. Dry: This is beyond gorgeous. It's sweet, subtly foody and retains a very classical perfume scent to it. It's playful without being frivolous. I was apprehensive about this scent, but I adore it. Throw: Pretty intense. Overall: I had a pretty long Greek mythology phase in that my Greek mythology phase never really ended. Hecate's always been one of my favourite deities to read up on, and I am a big fan of her triplicate artistic representations. I'm very glad that this scent wound up working out on me, and that it somehow manages to draw to mind a powerful, commanding goddess figure.

Imp: Sharp, clean lemon scent. Wet: This doesn't morph much from imp to wrists. Good thing, because tea has a tendency to get unruly on me. This is simply a fresh, clean smell. Dry: The white musk warms a bit lending a more sophisticated "perfume" air to it, but the scent is overall pretty true from imp to drydown. Really fresh and pretty, I could see wearing this throughout the stick summer months. Throw: Pretty good. I've got it on both wrists and swiped the wand over my clavicle and am in a bit of a scent cloud here. Overall: I was ambivalent about the notes in this, but I get such a kick out of the name. Happily it wound up smelling pretty delightful on my skin. With summer imminent on the horizon, I can see myself picking up a bottle of this to ease me through the hottest days.