Brianne

In the bottle: Patchouli and something sweet On me: This comes off very spicey on me, but of course - I love that. At first, it's all cinnamon and patchouli, but the cinnamon comes off as very natural - like actual fresh cinnamon. THen something vaguely sweet and only mildly fruity comes into it, and I think it must be the plum, because it doesn't come off as mandarin at all. The tonka really warms this up even more too and I love it in combonation with the cinnamon. I don't ever smell the mandarin, but this is just fine the way it is. Final note: This is really nice, it's very spicey and warm and I have to say - the first day I wore this, I went out with my Mom to have dinner. She complimented me about 10 times on this scent it made such an impression on her hehe.

In the bottle: Sugary strawberries On me: I got this for the strawberry + vanilla factor, and though I was hoping for something more like FRESH strawberries and this wasn't like that at all - it didn't disappoint. It's a wonderful blend, a fun and wonderful scent. It's sugar and soft strawberries, it smells like cotton candy! The honey doesn't come out to play very much on my skin and the vanilla isn't very strong either. But this isn't too candyish either, it's actually just a great blend. Final note: If you're a fan of the Pink Sugar scent at all, you want to track down a bottle of this, because it's VERY similar in vibe but I personally like Pink Phoenix more. It's fun and flirty and wonderful!

In the bottle: Smells like incense On me: Wet, it smelled a lot like frankincense to me, because it had that sweet resiny thing going on. But, then it quickly morphed into a very lovely and strong amber. Once it's dry that musk is a great partner to the amber. This is a little sweet, and very golden. It IS going a little powdery on me though, which is the usual for amber. Final note: Very pretty and nice! I think I'll keep the imp but probably won't buy a bottle since amber gets a little too powdery on me. Sweet and surprising though!

In the bottle: Arg! It smells like my arch-nemesis, Lily! On me: Lily isn't listed in this blend, but I swear there is lily there. Either that, or wisteria goes soapy and white on me too. Because I'm getting major soapage here. Okay I smell a little lilac now, but for the most part this is still soapy. Final note: This smells just like every lily blend out there on me, which is to say - it smells soapy and is giving me a headache ><;

In the bottle: I know gardenia isn't listed but that's what it smells like. Must be the magnolia, I can't really identify that floral so it's possible. On me: Oh how I wish I was getting that creamy sexy spicey floral everyone else seems to be getting. But, I'm not. It's just really floral to me. There is some spice in the background on me, but it's just overwhelmed by the floral smell. And it's not a bad floral, but - hey, it's a floral. And florals aren't really my bag. Final note: No creaminess, no musk, nothing but floral on me. Heady, sweet floral.

In the bottle: Medicinal and slightly pine-y without actually smelling like pine On me: This is interesting. There's something about it that comes off as medicinal and Vick Vapo Rub-like on me but in a pleasant way. It's kind of minty. I don't smell berries at all, just a fresh herbally green with a touch of spice and a little mint like kick. It's a little juniper like actually. Maybe juniper + eucalyptus. Very clean smelling. Final note: Definitely keeping the imp, it's really unique and fresh. I actually think I'm going to have to get a bottle of this. And I'd also like to note that I think this would smell great on a man OR a woman. ETA: Since reviewing this, Yew-Trees has quickly become one of my favorites. In my top 10. Not only will I definitely be getting a bottle, but I cannot stop sniffing myself!! I should add that there is some faint sweetness behind the clean and refreshing smell. It doesn't come off as berries to me, but that could be what it is. It just adds a slight delicate sweetness to it. I ADORE it.

In the bottle: Refreshing, fresh, clean On me: This is pretty straight up on me. Dragon's Blood is always a soft floral like smell on my skin, without actually being *too* floral. It smells very similar to lilac on me I think. And this is Dragon's Blood + a touch of saltiness. It's just a soft touch of it too, so that this comes off as fresh ocean air on my skin. Very breezey and pretty. It's got a floral vibe, but floral is not the first thing I think when I smell it. I just think of a cool, fresh breeze next to the ocean. Final note: Very lovely and soft, a keeper.

In the bottle: It's got that floral + burnt sugar vibe going on that I associate with violets On me: Someone must have been on a violet kick because this is like the 4th or 5th frimp in my last order that had violets in it hehe! I feel like I'm getting to try all the violet scents at once. At first, this is straight up violets. As violets tend to overpower other notes, I wasn't really surprised by that. But as it dries, it becomes more green and white in my mind. It's violets, but violets surrounded by greenery and white floral bushes. I do not know how to identify delphinium or wisteria, so it could be either of those accounting for the "white" floral smell. It is VERY floral. Final note: Not for me, this is very VERY floral.

In the bottle: Wow. VERY powerful rosemary and bay, it smells like an herb cabinet On me: Hmmm... this is an odd blend to me. Nothing really particularly stands out and I don't find it offensive, but I don't really like it either. I definitely couldn't see this on a woman to be honest, it's got a very masculine vibe going on. But it smells more like an herb cabinet to me than a cologne. It's all bay and rosemary on my skin with a tiny bit of zing from lemon and a bit of pine to make this all the more in-your-face green. Final note: It's very pungent, but I think clean smelling in it's own way. I could see this really working for some people, but it's not for me. ETA: It's been on me for a good 45 minutes and I kept whiffing the air thinking, "Why do I keep smelling cloves?" and I sniffed where Nero was and sure enough, it smells like cloves. Well, cloves mixed in with bay and rosemary.

In the bottle: Powerfully heavy honeysuckle On me: Imagine that you have a honeysuckle incense. That's what this is. It smells like sweet honeysuckle, but it also smells like incense. It's rather sweet, but it's right in between being floral or incensey, and I really like that. That's about all I can say about Anathema - it's honeysuckle incense. Final note: I wouldn't buy a bottle, but I can see myself wearing this on occasions where I'd want a more "womanly perfume" thing going on. So, I will definitely keep the imp

The God of Sexual Desire, Longing and Yearning; an attendant of Eros and Aphrodite. A passion-rousing blend of juniper, sandalwood, rosewood, red musk, orchid, bergamot and lilac. In the bottle: Ooh! Sweetened bergamot, lovely! On me: Right away, I liked this. Finally, a BPAL blend in which I can SMELL lilac!! *rejoices* Lilac isn't the prominent note however. I swear this smells just like cherry pipe tobacco. I know tobacco isn't listed, but that's what it smells like! Even my Mom sniffed it and said, "That makes me think of when my Dad would smoke cherry pipe tobacco". Underneath that warmth though and the sweet red musk, is a lovely, bright and slightly sweet floral. It's all bergamot and lilac and it makes for a really unusual partner to the tobacco and musk scents I'm getting. It's lovely! Final note: This is lovely and unusual, and a definite keeper!

In the bottle: A very heady booze and... peanut butter lol On me: The peanut smell is there... however I don't find that it makes this blend actually smell like peanut butter. It's more like something sweet and nutty in the background, and I rather like it. It does not come off as foody in the least. The musk is very prominent, it's very warm and comforting. The patchouli adds an earthy gritty touch to this and the cognac is heady. It's really very interesting, and a rather hard blend to describe I think. It's very bold, but comforting and sensual too. The honey is just a slight sweet touch to this, but otherwise this doesn't come off as foody. Final note: This is really nice. It's not *quite* what I expected, but I'm not disappointed either. I think I may have to get a bottle. It's complex I think, and rather appealing.

In the bottle: Definitely violet, but a softer violet On me: I am surprised, but I like this one. I don't like violet and I don't like gardenia because both are usually overpowering and far too heady and floral for my tastes. Both also have a habit of killing every other note in a scent on my skin. So trying this was a matter of principal. I *had* to try it to say I had done so. I didn't really expect it to end up nice. I actually expected a splitting headache from strong florals. But, as it turns out - this is actually very soft and pretty. I don't detect the gardenia at all, it's just not showing up on me for some unusual reason. And the violet is actually in check. It's not too heady or strong or sickening, as violet often is to me. Instead, it's powdery and soft and feminine and that vanilla is what saves the scent for me. It makes me slightly sweet and grounded and it's not so much "FLORAL!" as it is "slightly floral sweet scent". Final note: I don't think I'd end up buying a bottle but I will keep my imp. And me keeping an imp that smells like violet is really something else lol.

In the bottle: A bright fig On me: This is a lovely, bright and sparkling version of fig. It's not quite as earthy as fig normally comes across, because that mandarin really adds a bit of juiciness and brightness to the blend. The mandarin is much stronger in the wet stage than it is in the drydown, but it does stick around. But fig is definitely the star of this scent. Final note: This is very pleasant and I think fig lovers would enjoy it. If you don't like fig - I don't think the mandarin is going to change that for you But it's a nice scent all in all. I will keep an imp but it's not really enough for me to buy a bottle of it.

In the bottle: Mmmm soft, sweet, fluffed honey On me: Usually, Amber goes a bit powdery and wierd on me and honey doesn't always work out for me either. But somehow - the two combined with vanilla, just turns out great. It's soft and romantic and lightly sweet. It's really lovely and has a very comforting feel to it. I say this is the cashmere of scent lol. You just want to bury yourself in it! Final note: Delicious, and not too sweet. The light quality and airiness really help keep this grounded, and it's very sensual but comforting. Love it!

In the bottle: A very airy floral On me: Normally, I dislike rose and lily. Neither of them work on me and both of them together would usually floral me out. But, despite that, I find this to be a very lovely blend. It's very light and airy, a little watery even. And though I can't indentify more notes other than rose, lily, and honeysuckle - it all works together well to create a very pretty floral. The honeysuckle adds just enough sweetness to help temper that rose and lily. And surprisingly enough, the lily doesn't go very soapy on me. Final note: I actually put this on today in hopes that it would serve it's intended purpose, aside from smelling nice. My fiance and I had a rather big fight and I was hoping this blend my help persuade him to apologize with an air of love . It didn't work lol. But, it did smell very pretty. I wouldn't wear this because of the whole floral thing and me not getting along - but I may keep this in hopes of using it again for it's Voodoo blend purpose.

In the bottle: I had a very specific initial thought when I first smelled Magdalene in the vial. It was something like, "Oh God, Oh God please make it stop!". It's like very dirty gym socks. On me: Thankfully, the smell I got from the vial does not represent this as a scent for the most part. I have to admit though, I just don't dig this scent at all. It's got a really wierd thing going on that I can't pinpoint. It's incensey and perfumey and yet strongly floral too. I don't know that I can identify the smell of orchid by itself. But if that's what I'm smelling, I don't like it. It's a floral smell but it's piercing and stringent. The rose is in there too, and it's softer and generally more pleasant, but it's not doing much to keep that other astringent smell at bay. Final note: Eh. I don't like this. The rose in this is soft and pleasant, but I don't like that orchid smell and the overall vibe of this scent.

In the bottle: A pungent, astringint rose smell On me: I'll be perfectly honest. I don't like rose scents and they don't like me. The only reason I even decided to try this is because I cannot resist trying every BPAL blend I can get my hands on, regardless of what's in it. I am surprised about this blend for the reason that it's not TOO overwhelming, which I really thought it would be. And it has a soft vibe to it, rather than a harsh rose one. Usually rose gives me headaches, but so far I haven't gotten one from this blend. It's also got a great green note to it, and it offers a nice little contrast to the soft roses. Final note: For a rose blend, I rather like this one. THat isn't to say I'd actually wear this, because the fact still remains that roses aren't "me" and I generally don't care for them. But even as someone who doesn't like rose scented items, I can say this is a nice blend.

In the bottle: Very heady patchouli On me: I'll admit, I was pretty scared by this one at first. When it went on it was such a heady patchouli that it was having a boozey effect on me and making me light headed. Luckily, it was only a few minutes before it hit a much more subtle and pleasant stage This is a pretty straight up scent - you're getting exactly what it says you're getting. The patchouli is much softer in this than in a lot of other BPAL blends with patchouli that I've tried. I would say it's a lot like the patchouli in Blood Kiss. The orange blossom offers this a wonderfully sweet and fluid touch to this scent - it's softly powdery but delicious. The ginger offers just a tiny little kick to this, it's not in-your-face ginger, but it's definitely there. This is REALLY sexy. Final note: A super sexy blend that I would call the kin of Blood Kiss. It has that same vibe, and I think I'll probably need to get a bottle of this!

In the bottle: Violets, what else? On me: Guess what? Yup, you guessed it. Violets! Hehe this scent is extremely straight forward. It's violets. It's a powerful, heady, slightly wet violet with the tiniest twinge of vetiver. Final note: I wish I liked violets, but alas, I do not. However, I will say that for a violet scent, this is one of the nicer ones and it does come off as being something a very confident girl would wear to get the attention of some crush. It just sort of has a romantic vibe about it.

In the bottle: Incensey and heavy On me: This is very much an incense scent on me, from start to finish. The sandalwood and frankincense come out rather heavy on me but not in the way I'd like - it smells very much like a general "incense" scent. I don't get the lemon peel at all, but I do get a little bit of lavender, which is quite a bit sweeter smelling in this than it is usually. Final note: Fans of incense scents might like this, but it's really not for me - I think I might have cared for it more if the lemon peel was stronger and added a balance to the heavy sweetness of frankincense - but it doesn't, and so I won't be keeping this.

In the bottle: Ugh something VERY pungent - one of the herbs I imagine On me: Wow, in the early stages it's very much a tobacco scent on my skin but has this positively *beautiful* mandarin and tea note!! I mean, honestly it's GORGEOUS. I am praying that this scent does not morph into something else. Well it's been long enough now for me to safely say, this is is a gorgeous scent and I love it to pieces. Despite the notes of musk, tobacco, and cocoa - this is a rather refreshing, bouyant scent. That mandarin, tea and tonka work together like freaking magic. It is a slight citrus tang to it, an airy sweetness of tea, and a warmth of tonka. The other notes all seem to work together as a slightly spiced, dry, herbal background which really just supports the mandarin, tonka, and tea in my opinion. Final note: I love love love love this. I will be BUYING A BOTTLE OF THIS on the lunar update. Definitely. This is one of my favorites now!!!

In the bottle: A warm, almost sickly sweet smell that I cannot put my finger on On me: Hmmm. On one hand, this is a warm, slightly sweet scent once it's reached it drydown stage. It's a lovely and apparent vanilla base. The leather adds a sort of smokey, sexy appeal to that vanilla, but vanilla is still in charge. On the other hand - there is something behind that vanilla that is going wierd and artificial on me. It's like the smell of a cheap conditioner, not quite plastic-y but definitely artificial. I am hoping that note, whatever it is - goes away. I am pleased to say that the cedar is staying the hell away from me. Usually it does all kinds of terrible things to me, but I don't even detect it here. Or... maybe the cedar is the one creating that really funky note that I can't identify. I honestly wouldn't be surprised. Final note: I wish I liked this. The vanilla had me hopeful, but there is some note in this that just smells funky to me. I think I'm going to keep my imp and hope that it turns out differently next time I wear it, but right now I'm going to have to say that something in this ruins it for me. I am going to blame the cedar *frowns at cedar*

In the bottle: Sharp, ozoney and cologney On me: When I first put this on, I got a really strong "cologne" vibe from it. My initial thought was "Oh no, I can't wear this". The lavender, the lime and yuzu were coming through loud and clear and the vetiver was dry and dusty. It was overall too sharp and masculine. HOWEVER - it totally changed! 15 minutes in, and this is a whole different scent. I do not get masculine from this (I get very gender neutral from this scent), I don't get those sharp cologne vibes, and I'm not getting vetiver anymore. What I AM getting is a lovely sandalwood and patchouli combo, which is dry and warm and tempered by a slight sweetness (the bourbon I believe), on a powdery background of VERY faint lavender and ever-so-slight citrus. The sandalwood and patchouli are definitely prominent on me. And those that fear the "l" word - lavender. I feel you. But if you like sandalwood and patchouli - TRY THIS ANYWAYS! Final note: I find this to be a rather warm, comforting scent - despite the name lol. It's quite a change to go from me thinking I would put it in my swap pile, to me thinking I might need a bottle. And I am definitely thinking that

In the bottle: This is a pale green, bouyant scent with a slight citrus tang to it On me: Wow this is LOVELY. It's very herbally fresh and a light floral at the same time. It's like standing in someone's herb garden after a light rain - all those smells wafting up to you with the cool rain smell. There is a slight citrus smell to this as well which offers up a slight fruity sweetness, but a slight bitterness too - like the rind of a grapefruit. It's very subtle though. I would call Arachne the sister of The Apothecary. Both are similar in vibe and both have a lovely herbal quality to them. However, Arachne is more feminine and sophiscated I think. After about 15 minutes, this becomes a very classy, high society perfume. It seems like something that a wealthy woman would wear - it's soft, feminine, but classic. It is something that is clean and slightly floral but could be worn in or out of work instances. Final note: I like this a lot more than I expected to. It's a really interesting, and very pretty blend. It's not TOO floral, which is what keeps me from not liking it. I don't think that it's the type of scent I'd wear often, but I will definitely use my imp and I could definitely see floral lovers adoring this!