thewondersmith

Imp: Cognac and thick incense. :/ I hope I don't get lynched for saying this, but it smells awfully commercial and generic, like department store perfume. Bah, damn me and my inelegant nostrils. Wet: Woah, incense! Very, very smokey and a little acrid- and there's the tobacco. Blurgh. I'm not getting any vanilla or cream, or even cotton. I do get... dried flowers? I think? A very odd smell, and I don't think it's really for me. Sorta gives me the same vibe as Gypsy Queen. Dry: Cream, but not sweet at ALL. Rather "thick" smelling, which is absolutely bewildering to my nose. There's still heavy smoke lingering in the background, and a hell of a lot of musk too. This really isn't for me. A shame, but at least I won't have to spend insane amounts trying to track more down!

In the imp: Thick vanilla and sugar, with an undercurrent of ginger. Wet: ... Odd. Breadier (? that's the only way I can describe it) than in the imp. Coconut and ginger with what I suppose is cassia. Nice! It smells like it should tickle the nose, or burn my skin, but it doesn't. I think I detect chocolate. Dry: There's the same chocolate note from Candy Butcher in here. It's sort of like the Candy Butcher's raunchier, louder cousin, but with spice and swagger instead of subtlety and smoothness. I think layering the two would be incredible.

In the imp: highly reminiscent of the Dragon's Blood single note. No leather or smoke at all. Wet: There's something oddly lemony about this scent. Still very much dragon's blood and I can't detect anything else at this stage. Dry: After a while, this does get a little acrid. I can smell leather if I really strain, but it's mostly just Dragon's blood and smoke, which is nice, but not spectacular on me. I've had better luck with the other dragon scents. Ah well! I'll keep it for the name, I think

Ahhh, so glad I decided to test this baby twice! The first time I tried it out, it was so gross. Like, Gluttony gross. Scrub my arms with steel wool gross. It was all yeasty and boozy (which I would've loved, if it weren't for the fact that it was awful two dollar beer) and sugar, and just WRONG. I was kicking myself, because I thought I'd love it, and I swapped something quite dear to me in exchange for a bottle (I know, I know, never again.) SO glad it worked on me the second time. I figured I might give the bottle a little roll before hand and mmm, wonderful. Honey and wine and cake. Delicious, spice and sugary cake. Wonderful. So, so pleased it's cooperating. It's not my very favourite, but it'd be a wonderful day to day scent when I need to give my other babies a break.

Mmm... not really what I had expected from Crumpet Rebellion. In the imp, it's a blast of berries in sugar syrup and not much else. I think I can detect a little butter, but I'm not sure. Wet, it's super sweet berries and I think a little pear. The dry down is fast and the scent stays the same throughout it. It's nice, but I prefer my berries tart, like Baneberry. Not particularly strong, and the throw is dismal. I guess I can be glad I didn't fall head over heels with this baby, because what're the chances of me scoring more? Ahh well, into the swap pile.

Okay, I have two bottles of the Candy Butcher- and though they're both seriously gorgeous, there is a marked difference in the way they smell. The first bottle I bought was pretty much a dark chocolate single note. I was kind of surprised, because I was expecting cream to come stomping all over my nose like it usually does, but nope! Nothing but gooey, wonderful dark chocolate. I love it to bits but I can't handle wearing it all the time as it's just so darn rich. It stays exactly the same on me as it does in the bottle, and it lasts for HOURS. The second bottle I bought is creamy, and much more of what I'd been expecting the Candy Butcher to smell like originally. In the bottle, the chocolate is a lot fainter than my first bottle, but creamier and easier on the nose and stomach. On me, it goes a little plasticky, which is a bummer (but hey, at least it doesn't morph to straight-up blue cheese on me like the entirety of Box of Chocolates did :grumble: ). Wet, the chocolate is nowhere to be seen. Alas. What's left is an oddly floral, sugary cream. I think I detect citrus? It's nice enough, but I really do prefer my original bottle. Maybe layering the two will have better results.

I'm just sort of kicking myself for having held out trying this baby, but I knew, I KNEW that once I tried some, I'd never be satisfied with just a little decant. CURSES. Gula is seriously everything I could ask for in a bath oil. Warm, chocolatey and rich, with lashings of caramel and cream. I don't get a lot of currant, but I do get this lovely waft of shredded coconut. It leaves my skin amazingly soft, and I'm actually sort of glad we don't have a bath, because it smells so damn good and to tip it into water would seem like a CRIME. Gula is amazing layered with Boomslang and El Dia de Reyes, and it lasts all day too. Delicious. I definitely need a whole bottle. Damn high shipping to Australia

In the imp: Interesting! Buttery rum, coconut, mint and chocolate. I think I can detect some coffee, but I'm rather glad it's faint, because I have the tendency to amp coffee like mad. Wet: Uh. Hm. Not entirely sure what to make of this. Coconut, rum and mint. The rum keeps sort of... well, I suppose the only way to describe it is it keeps punching me in the nose. Not all that pleasant a sensation. A little disappointed there's so little chocolate and coffee. Dry: Bah, I smell like an alcoholic slathered in suntan lotion, smoking menthol cigarettes. Not for me.

In the imp: Pine, mint (menthol? Something eucalyptusy), leather, grass. Delicious. Wet: Exactly the same as in the imp, and stays that way for around forty minutes. Dry: Tobacco, grass… very, very faint leather. Like sprawling out in the sun on the grass, next to a big butch guy who’s letting you use his leather jacket as a pillow. Really quite nice. Very masculine on me, and would be just incredible on a guy. Average throw, short to average longevity. YUM.

Urgh, this is such a disappointment for me. Pink Kitty initially smells glorious- creamy strawberry, bursts of booze, everything I usually adore in a scent. It turns on me though and morphs into this nauseating metallic smell- sort of like the inside of a car in peak summer heat. Really, really not for me. This bottle's off to the swaps, methinks.

The lab's cookie scents rarely work on me, so Mr. Nancy was such a delightful surprise It really -does- smell like buttery, shortcrust cookies with lime icing. I don't get much tobacco, but it's such a lovely scent that I don't mind. Really, really delicious, and fantastic for colder days.

Pretty much a dead ringer for Arcana's Caffeinated Death on me, which is a RELIEF, because I've got a whole bottle of stuff. On, this is delicious whiskey-spiked gourmet coffee and not much else. I don't get any chocolate, except for maybe the smallest hint of cocoa during the dry down. Wonderful.

In the imp: Smells... well, it smells like chocolate! It's almost exactly the same as Bliss, but with a slightly tart note to it. Like chocolate covered cranberries. Nice, but not really the OMGBROWNIES smell I was expecting. Wet: Not much difference. It smells like an exceptionally buttery version of Bliss- very much like layering... say, Cockaigne, or Shill over Bliss or El Dia de Reyes. I like it, but I'm not getting much brownie from it. Dry: Still no real change, though I will say it's definitely got a "gooey" sort of feel to it. Average throw, average wear length. I'm a little disappointed that it wasn't brownie heaven on me, but hey, I'm sure someone else will appreciate it! Into the swap pile it goes. EDITED BECAUSE OMG HOW WRONG WAS I Okay, so apparently there seems to be two separate batches of LoC. One is the weird doughy, fruity blend I'd tested before, and the OTHER is this amazing, fudgey glorious melt in your mouth chocolate scent that I absolutely ADORE. HOLY GRAIL RIGHT HERE, PEOPLE.

Bottle: Lavender. Very herbal. Hrm. Wet: Lavender, lemon. Smells like dishwashing liquid so far. Persevere, self, persevere. Five minutes later: Boom, it suddenly turns sweet. Oh boy, this is delicious. Musky vanilla and tea, with a lovely buttery note underneath everything. It's like being served breakfast in bed by a pretty and exceptionally smug Victorian dandy after a night of debauchery. Dry: Velvety vanilla, sugared tea with lemon candies on the side. I am SO pleased I ordered a bottle of this untested. I can really see why this is such a favourite.

In the imp: Well... apricot! Wet: Ooh, nice! Very fruity, very sweet- almost licoricey. I think I can detect some coconut there in the background. Very nice. Almost a dead ringer for those candied dried apricot pieces you can buy. Dry: Pretty much the same! Less sweet but more syrupy. Damn, this is making me hungry. Summary: A keeper! Damn my nose for falling in love with a discontinued.

In the imp: Cough syrup. Cloying "cake" note ala Beaver'versary and very, very strong berries. Hm. Not too promising. On my skin: WOAH, hellooo blackberries! Mm. This is absolutely scrumptious. It's syrupy and cakey and sweet but not cloying. Great for colder days. One of the only scents where butter hasn't turned into blue cheese or rancid plastic on me. Dry: Oh man, this is so damn gorgeous. Red velvet cake and smooth icing, smothered in boozy blackberries and topped off with a delicious dollop of cream. I knew it was a bad idea hunting down decants. I need to treasure mine very very carefully, because hey, what's the chance of me scoring anymore? Ahh, better to have loved, I suppose

Oh man, this is so good. I have no idea how I lasted this long without seeking out an imp, but unf. <3 Okay, in the imp, it's pretty much a honey SN. Which I'm NOT complaining about. Wet: Warm, delicious honey, with the amber softening up the edges a little. This is one hell of a sexy scent. It's sweet and foody, but not cloying. I'm really, really loving BPAL's honey note. Dry: Honey with the slightest bite to it (like wild honey), and a gorgeous powdery haze from the amber. Oh, I think this definitely needs to be a bottle purchase. Though I don't exactly get the, ahem, afterglow scent that others are talking about, I DO think that this is one of the sexiest scents I've ever tried. In a scent locket, this is even MORE scrumptious- the amber is deep and rich and glorious, and the honey is a dead ringer for the real thing. I could bathe in this stuff quite happily, and it does get rather a lot of attention from the boy

Bottle (ages about three months): Medicinal. Patchouli, pomegranate, something sharp and nose-tickling. Wet: Pomegranate, sweetness in the background (probably the plum). Quite nice, though the patchouli is a little too heavy for my taste. Dry: Smokey vanilla and patchouli. The musk is giving this a dirty, gritty edge. Very reminiscent of Snake Oil on me. Hmm. Not too sure if I like this lovely lady. I really like the pomegranate mixed with the vanilla, and I wish the musk and patchouli would back off so those notes could come to the fore. As it is, I don’t really think this is for me. I’ll keep an imp, just to see how it ages, but the bottle’s going off into the swap/sell pile.

Algaea is a dead ringer for Fee on me. Lush, ripe peaches and summer holidays. Mmm.

In the imp: Sweet sugary peach syrup. Wet: Still sugary syrup, with a hint of musk. The peach is lush and ripe and gorgeous, and the myrtle dances around the edges to give it a lovely green note. Dry: The myrtle has faded and the peach has turned from a sugary, almost-boozy syrup into a proper ripe, fuzzy, luscious fruit, just ready to be picked. I'm completely blind to amber, so I can't comment on that, but this is still an absolutely delicious, mouth watering, mood-lifting scent. I'm so pleased to have had the chance to try it, after my disaster with Marquis de Meurtil.

In the imp: Hmm. Interesting. Lemon, butter, cream. I'm not a fan of lemon-based cakes or sweets (well, eating them, at least) but this is actually quite delicious! It's making my mouth water. Wet: Oooh, this is nice. Buttery lemon spongecake covered with whipped cream and stewed pears. I'm really glad the lilies are so subdued in this- though I adore BPAL lilies, I was more intrigued by the other notes, and the florals here just give it a lovely feminine edge. I'm really really liking this so far. Dry down: Hm, this doesn't morph much. I don't really mind that though. I'm thoroughly enjoying the fluffy buttery lemon spongecake scent wafting from my wrists, and the pepper is starting to make an appearance too. I can't really smell the ginger, which is a shame, but the pepper adds enough zing to this scent to make it interesting. Throw is okay. I'm really glad I ordered a bottle- I don't think these two imps are going to last me long enough

In the bottle- Pineapple, strawberry, orange, lime, passionfruit, pomegranate, apple, guava, lime peel. My mouth is absolutely watering. On me, it’s sugar-dusted strawberries and raspberries, with orange, apple and guava sitting happily in the background. The pineapple note doesn’t really stick around, which is a shame because I love the lab’s pineapple notes, but it’s still absolutely gorgeous just the same. As it softens, the plum and peach come out, and there’s a syrupy sweetness drizzled over everything that makes me want to sit out in the sun and nap. I get flashes of cantaloupe but it doesn’t take over (the first time any melon note has done that! Phew!), and the orange morphs into a delicious, sweet mandarin/tangerine combo. The citrus is still there, but it’s smoother and less tart. Fades to a sugary raspberry wine and plum scent. Very much like a milder, more sophisticated Bordello, or Wanda. The throw is fantastic- I’ve got the bottle on the other side of the room and I can still smell the glorious pineappley guava goodness. I’m so pleased I managed to score two bottles of this- I had a feeling I’d love it, and I found it near impossible to find.

Oh, gross. Strawberry cough syrup this makes me so SAD, because good strawberry scents are so hard to come by, and I thought maybe Sticky Pillowcase might be the exception, but my damn skin just turns it to COUGH SYRUP. Boozy, nausea-inducing cough syrup.

The first couple of times I tried Bengal, it came off smelling very medicinal, so I wasn't all that impressed. However, since I adore cinnamon, and don't own any really cinnamony scents, I decided to keep a hold of my imp to see if maybe a little aging'd help. After about a month of aging, I'm testing it again: In the imp: ... hmm. Still has that dry, medicinal vibe going on. Fingers crossed aging will do the trick. Wet: Syrupy honey, spicy cinnamon and cloves (and I mean SPICY- this is like the real stuff) and the slightest tingle of pepper. Sweeter than I was expecting, but not artificially so. Dry: I can sort of see where people get the cinnamon gum scent from, though for me, it's more like that odd, almost numbing aftertaste you get after chewing on a bit of cinnamon bark. It's quite lovely though, and in the throw, I can smell cloves and pepper wafting about. The honey is less apparent, but keeps this from being too overwhelming. I'm really glad I decided to hold onto this, I think this'd be great for autumn.

Okay, so initially, I wasn't too sure about Agape, despite lusting after a bottle for a while. I was expecting more guava and maybe more sweet pea, but mostly I just got apple and florals. The apple was really nice, though. Very green, clean and crisp- more like biting into a fresh apple, rather than apple blossom or juice. I'm not a huge fan of florals, but didn't really mind the carnation in this. It tickles the back of my nose a little, which is pretty nice. After a while, the vanilla starts to show itself, turning this into a rather delicious, creamy apple-carnation-vanilla blend. I can't really smell the sweet pea, except for maybe the slight powdery, soapy note lingering around the edges. Still can't smell the guava though, but ah well. There's still this lovely fresh greeness to it, and I think it'd be absolutely lovely for warmer days.