theshapeshifter

I think I'll end up echoing the general praise chorus, but here goes... In the imp: Very tropical - flowery and fruity intertwined. Initial application: The INSTANT it touches my skin it bursts into this big juicy fruity scent. I get the pear, plum and fig first. After about 15 minutes: The other fruits are coming in, and I'm starting to get a hint of the florals, but not in an overpowering way at all. I don't consciously smell the woody elements, but I can kind of sense them, providing a depth and grounding to the blend. Interestingly, for all the fruit I get at this stage, hubby sniffed me and got "incense". Drydown: As others have said, I think The Hanging Gardens is one of Beth's great triumphs. It keeps evolving and morphing, just as though you're walking slowly through a garden laden with fruit trees, and flowers growing across wooden trellises in the background. It's definitely a night scent, like a still, calm evening. Beautiful. BEAUTIFUL. *adds to eventual 5ml purchase list... which keeps getting longer!*

In the imp: Sweet nighttime florals. Initial application: The night-blooming jasmine takes over - which is not necessarily a bad thing, given that I adore it. After half an hour: The other elements are starting to make themselves felt now. The musk is definitely coming into play, giving it a feeling of warmth, and I can detect a little rose weaving its way in, along with just the barest hint of the incense. I don't really know what moonflower smells like, so not sure if I'm getting any of that at this point. So far, this truly does seem like an Egyptian-night kind of scent... not that I've been to Egypt, but there's an impression of night falling on a warm, sun-baked place. If this does anything different in the continuing drydown, I'll come back and edit later.

In the bottle: Definitely a DRY dirt. Initial application: Just like the description suggests, a dry dusty earth with a trace of dried moss. I get a tiny waft of something like pine, too, though. Hubby picked up on it as well, and said I smelled like the earth under a pine tree. Drydown: On skin, it fades away all-too-quickly, although I get a brief phase of something like cold coffee. Just a tiny whiff of it. However, in my hair it stays lovely and true to this slightly evergreeny dry earth. I'll definitely keep it and enjoy it, but I think (on first try, at least) that this is more of a "like" than a "love".

My first Mad Tea Party scent, and a generous gift from the Lab. In the imp: Hmm, not sure this will be for me. VERY floral. Initial application: There's a fruity/candyish smell that takes me a couple of minutes and many sniffs to place, but then I realize - bubblegum! It's not too promising (for my taste, at least) at this point; I'm getting bubblegum, and some kind of strong, almost-alcohol smell like old-fashioned aerosol hairspray. After 45 minutes: It IS like the Queen of Hearts... trying to be friendly with me one minute, then "off with her head!" the next. I'm getting hints of the cherry now, and wafts of a floral I like, that's reminding me of something in The Living Flame... but then it gets overpowered by a different flower, that's more old-fashioned-perfumey and not so much my thing. I'm not sure which is which, though, since I'm not too expert at picking out specific flowers. Edited to add: As the day wore on, the bits of the scent I didn't like died off, and the elements I liked hung around, so I wound up enjoying the Queen of Hearts more than I thought I would. I still think it'll go to swaps, though, since I simply have so many other scents that work better on me, and the Queen deserves a better home.

Having put Leanan Sidhe on for the first time this morning, I must weigh in on this thread! I've also tried and liked Szepasszony and Tempest, but Leanan Sidhe - on me, at least - is pure springtime joy in a bottle!

I've only had this on for about 45 minutes, but I wanted to record my thoughts so far - so I'll come back and edit if need be. In the imp: Fresh aquatic floral. Initial application: It packed a quick punch of that almost-dryer-sheet-but-much-nicer bright fresh note that I also got from Tempest and Szepasszony, but I like it even better here. Very green and clear, and all I can think of is "spring in a bottle". After 45 minutes: It's calmed slightly, and I can start to pick out elements of water, white floral and crushed herbs. I haven't been to Ireland (yet!), but it's certainly evoking mornings on trips to Scotland, when we'd be hiking and the sun would break through and burn off the low-hanging mists. Wearing this, while listening to Idlewild's "In Remote Pt. 1/Scottish Fiction", is almost a religious experience. If Leanan Sidhe stays this lovely as the day goes on, a 5 ml is going in my next order.

It took me a little while to make up my mind about this one. In the imp: Berry sweetness. Initial application: Oh dear. The heather jumped up and got in my face, hovering on the edge of turning into either strong soap or air-freshener spray. Meanwhile, the blackberry was slightly medicinal, like a throat lozenge. I was afraid Glasgow might break my heart. After about 20 minutes, it started to settle down, but was still a bit soapy-floral for my taste. However... as the day wore on, the heather mellowed and the berry got juicier. A slightly misty/rainy note came in as well to complete the picture. I'm not sure this reminds me of Glasgow, per se, but it certainly does say 'Britain' to me. I'm still not 100% sure if it'll be a big-bottle contender, but I've definitely wound up enjoying it today. Looking forward to a second test.

A generous lagniappe, and I'm so glad I got to try it! I probably would've tried it eventually on my own, but sooner is better than later. In the imp: Woodsy patchouli... the 'red' is obviously not quite as thick and heavy as the black kind. Initial application: Zingy! I can see exactly what the earlier reviews meant in talking about an "evil orange". Exactly like that, in the best sense of the word. Juicy, almost candy orange, underlaid by dark wafting incense. After about an hour and a half: The orange is turning more to orange-blossom now, and I can see what people mean about the scent of baby aspirin. It's really compelling - I can't stop sniffing myself! There's a depth and almost woodyness to it, but then this effervescent orangey powder. It's sexy and happy at the same time, like getting tickled while wearing your naughtiest lingerie. As always, I'll reserve final decision till a second try, but Ravenous has just jumped WAY up my potential-big-bottle list.

This gave me a weird smell when I first applied... something like the 'sex' smell, except not really sexy... more old and funky. I was worried. However, after a minute or two, that disappeared and it warmed up into a lovely honey/vanilla/actually-sexy-sex scent. Definitely a hit! It's actually quite similar to Dragon's Milk on me... I'll have to test them back-to-back and decide which suits me better.

This was a lovely gift from the Lab, and to be honest I didn't think I'd like it... when I first received my order and sniffed the imp, I didn't smell anything. I guess my nose was over-taxed by smelling too many different things! When I reopened the imp yesterday, it still didn't smell very strong at all - just the barest whiff of ginger - so combined with the clearness of the oil, I guess I had a preconceived notion that it would be really fleeting. However... Initial application: Literally the second it touched my skin, it blossomed out into this lovely, bright, incredibly fresh ginger. Not gingerbread ginger; this is fresh ginger being grated. After half an hour: As it settles in, the milky element starts coming out, almost like a milky ginger tea. Over the day: The milk note only lasted an hour or so, after which it warmed up into fresh, slightly sugared ginger. It lasted far longer than I expected, going strong through the whole workday. This is a really invigorating, fresh, energetic kind of scent, and I like it far more than I'd expected!

A generous freebie from the Lab, that I never would've ordered on my own. Shows what I know! In the imp: Sweet and sexy. Can't quite place any notes. Wet on skin: Really smoky, with a layer of floral and something burnt-sugary underneath. Drydown: I'm still having trouble picking out specific notes - probably because I'd forgotten what was in the description, but it's spicy, sultry and smoky, with this sweetness that's kind of dark. Sort of Mae West meets Siouxsie. I love it - and I got a lot of compliments on it tonight!

Hmm. This went on smelling very earthy, almost patchouli, but quickly morphed into a simple, soft wood scent. I didn't get any of the florals or anything else, just dry wood... and my skin ate it up quite quickly. Alas, not destined to become a favourite.

In the imp: Sweet, juicy strawberry. Initial application: The champagne note comes out really strongly, which is interesting. I'm surprised how much it IS specifically champagne. After about 20 minutes: There's an odd note coming out that I can't quite put my finger on. Something sweet and flat, almost coconut but not quite. Since I REALLY don't like coconut, this is disappointing for me. After an hour: It's less strong now, but alas, a mix of strawberry and pina colada. Not for me, but I'm sure others would adore it. Curious to try more strawberry blends, though!

Wow, definitely sharp, cold wind, and then something like a sharp lemon candy. It went on really fresh and lovely... the only thing was, it didn't last very long, even in my hair. I want to love it, but I wish it stuck around more.

In the imp: Fresh! Hard to put my finger on it, but aggressively fresh. Initial application: Floral and dark and fresh, like the wind ahead of a thunderstorm, blowing over white flowers. My first thought was that this is the 'fresh' scent that laundry companies try but don't quite manage to fake for fabric softener and detergent. Drydown: The floral recedes into the background, making way for a pure, clean, dark aquatic/ozone scent. It gives me the impression of lying in bed on freshly-laundered, cool white sheets with all the windows open to a raging thunderstorm. Definitely a keeper! The boy, with his less-attuned nose, sniffed me and said "Soap!", but he liked it a lot too.

In the imp: Plummy dark floral. Initial application: STRONGLY floral for literally about 90 seconds, then calms down. After 10 minutes: Deep velvety blooms, a bit of juicy plum in the background. After an hour: This is surprisingly soft on me, but lovely. Beth is totally winning me over to floral scents, much to my great surprise! The incense is coming out more over time, but it's not a predominantly 'incensey' scent - as others have said, it just seems to give it a little more depth. Sweet, but not-too-sweet, purple darkness. I can't stop sniffing myself!

In the imp: Fruity, with a hint of earth. On my skin: REALLY, REALLY earthy, with just a whisper of fruit. I adore patchouli, and this patchouli is no exception, but I was hoping for more of the apricot. And oddly, although patchouli is usually quite lasting on me, my skin seemed to swallow this up in a relatively short time. Not my favourite.

I. Am. In. Love. In the imp: Smoky-sweet. On my skin: This one didn't change too much from initial application to drydown. The dragon's blood has that same lovely cherry-sweet-warm effect on my skin that it does in Dragon's Milk, and the smoke and leather balance wonderfully with in. I put it on around 5 pm and smelled great all evening, even through a crowded, sweaty concert. DEFINITE 5 ml purchase coming up.

In the imp: Minty and dark. Initial application: Wow, definitely more than a 'hint' of mint! Great scent for applying first thing on a sleepy morning; it was instantly invigorating. After a few minutes: The mint's definitely in the foreground, but now I'm getting the evergreen smell in there a little, and there's a definite watery quality. I can see where this is going with the 'undertow' concept. After about an hour: Wow. There's still a bit of mint-tea-ness to it, but it's really blending well on the drydown, into something deep and green and undeniably watery. It's either a rainy wind through an Alpine forest, or standing in wet trampled greenery by the ocean. Very atmospheric. This was a generous lagniappe from the Lab, and I probably wouldn't have chosen a mint scent on my own, but I'm loving this so far! It's decidedly different from the warm, heady scents I often go for, but perfect when I need a change.

In the imp: Ominous pine, if that makes sense. There's definitely a darkness to it. Initial application: Evergreens, but with something mysteriously sweet - not quite mint, not quite lime candy, not quite berry. After about an hour: Definitely getting that nighttime-forest vibe. It's really well blended, so the individual notes are hard to pick out, but there's the evergreen, the dampness, and this mysterious sweetness that's turning slightly more floral, as though you know there are night-blooming flowers SOMEWHERE in this forest, but you can't see them. People have mentioned a very slow evolution, so I may edit this once I see how it behaves over the day, but so far... I agree with the other posters who've said that this is a perfect spring/summer kind of evergreen forest scent, not too oppressive to wear in hot weather.

I'm relieved to read through this and see that I'm not the only one who gets through an imp in 3-6 uses! I'd posted to the LJ comm recently, in which I mentioned that a "tested once" imp for me would be at or just below the label in terms of fullness, and a lot of people's reaction seemed to be something like: :icon_eek: I'm only just starting to receive my first 5 mls, so it'll be interesting to see how long they last. I love feeling free to slather, though!

In the imp: Earthy and mossy, with a hint of floral. Initial application: Whoa, where'd all these flowers come from? After 15 minutes: Wow, like some others, I'm getting predominantly a VERY heady, thick jasmine. The earth is under there somewhere. Drydown: Yep, still a very heavy, earthy jasmine, almost like a fog. A little goes a long way with this! I'd hoped for more of the earthy/incensey notes with Crossroads. I do love jasmine, mind you, so I'll certainly at least use up the imp and enjoy it. However, I have to say that this is not the scent I should be wearing today, when I'm battling a moderate hangover... it's a little overwhelming. I think I'm going to wash it off and give it a fairer trial on a more clear-headed day.

I threw Swank on while running out the door to a concert last night, so I didn't get a chance to pay as much attention to the scent as I'd normally do on a first try, but... In the imp: Fruity-sweet, like a hard candy. Initial application: Pomegranate! Juicy and tart, almost syrupy. After 15 minutes: The 'alcohol' component starts to kick in, and every so often it seems to go a bit astringent/cleaning fluid on me. Hmm. It'll just be a waft here and there, and then go back to the tangy pomegranate loveliness. Drydown: Continues much the same... every so often there's this little hint of lemon Pledge/cleaning fluid, but otherwise a perfect embodiment of a pomegranate martini. I'm hoping the cleaning fluid thing might have just been down to the fact that I REALLY slathered this on... I was rushing and my hands were fumbling - it's actually a miracle I didn't dump the whole imp on! It's definitely promising, so we'll see what a more sparing application does.

A generous lagniappe from the lab. In the imp: On first sniff, it smelled VERY masculine to me - so much so that I nearly just put it aside for my husband rather than try it on myself. Hubby sniffed it (before either of us had seen a scent description) and said "Oooh, mossy". Initial application: Definitely a "men's-cologne" smell, but not as strong as it initially seemed. Hard to pick out individual notes when it's wet. Drydown: It's not too masculine for me after all; I'd say this is very unisex. I'm getting fresh lavender, and something that I though was a very mellow patchouli until I re-read the description... I'm thinking it's the amber and moss working together. Definitely something earthy-incensey. I like this a lot, and would definitely wear it again. Next up: trying it on the boy. If he likes it too (he hasn't tried any BPALs yet), then I definitely foresee a 5 ml at some point.

In the imp: Like walking past the 'Mrs Field's Cookies' counter in the mall - heavy, buttery and oh-so-sweet. Just sniffing the imp made me thirsty! Initial application: Yep, just like the cookie store. Butter and brown sugar predominate, and underneath there are random whiffs of nuts, chocolate, caramel and a hint of spice - like someone's baking a few different batches of cookies at once. After an hour: Exactly the same! Gluttony has a really strong 'throw' so far... I can smell it in a cloud around me, rather than specifically sticking to my wrists/cleavage/hair. This really does embody the sin... it's so thick and sweet that I almost couldn't eat my breakfast, because I felt 'full' already! I'll be interested to see how it lasts over the course of the day. So far, it seems like a winner, although I think this is definitely a scent I'd wear more often in fall/winter than in spring, and in hot summer weather it might be just too much, given that it makes me thirsty. This is definitely NOT for the faint of heart, though - I love foody/heady scents, the stronger the better, and this would even be too strong for me if I hadn't applied quite sparingly.