puck_nc

Origin: Frimp from the Lab Initial Thoughts: I like some tea scents, although the best success I've had so far with them has been Dorian on my husband In the Bottle: Very light, very airy and springlike, very green. Wet: The teas come out to play. Still a very, very light scent with no throw. Drydown: The peony comes out and sweetens everything. Verdict: It's a very nice, light and pretty scent, perfect for spring, but I'm not in love with it.

Origin - straight from the Lab Initial Thoughts - I bought a half-imp from a certain person who I later discovered to be a professional reseller. But the scent itself was gorgeous; I'm a bit sorry that Beth tinkered with it when she brought it back for this year's Blue Moon, and decided against it when it was first available. Second time around, I had the funds and bit. In the Bottle: Dew-drenched and cool florals. Aquatic but not overpoweringly so. Wet: Strongly floral with just a hint of the aquatics. Recognizable notes wink at me from the mix: a bit of juniper here, cucumber there, woodsy note over there. Drydown: The sweet of the florals fades somewhat, leaving a silvery-cool combination of aquatic, woods, and floral that meshes very well. It captures the Blue Moon concept beautifully. To me this is more complex than the original Blue Moon, with more layers and depth...as if one is walking through a moonlit forest rather than a moonlit manicured garden. Verdict: Keeper. I'm glad I caved and snagged a bottle.

Origin - finally, my own bottle from the Lab Initial Thoughts - When the Carousel first debuted, I was torn between Bilquis and Mama-Ji. I finally chose Bilquis, which was too cherry-fruity for me, and tried in vain to swap for weeks after getting to try Mama-Ji at a meet & sniff. Since very few incense-y blends work on me, I was rabid for more of this. In the Bottle: dark, rich floral base just dripping with incense and spices. Wet: A wave of rich, layered incense, laden with sweet and spicy notes. Drydown: Uh oh. This is not the decadently spicy floral I remember from the M&S. At the moment what I'm getting is harsh and dry, dusty incense on a back shelf in a dingy store. I'm getting almost no floral at the moment...this is not the scent that kept me raising my hand to sniff again and again... dare I hope that it's the wrong time of the month? Verdict: Well, I'll try again in a week or two. I'll also put it in my scent locket and see how that goes. And I'll be glad that a little more money went to the CBLDF.

Origin: Straight from the Lab Initial Thoughts: There just aren't enough oils with daffodil in them. In the Bottle: A blast of sweet and heady flowers, warm and inviting. Wet: Ooh, a lovely crowd of floral goodness...still warm, after spring has taken a firm hold. I can tell the honey is in there, but it's blending well with the flowers. Drydown: Not much morph in this one for me. The flowers are so thoroughly blended that I can't pick one out over another. This is sweeter than Flower Moon or Beltane, less fruity that the Hanging Gardens, richer that Euphrosyne and Eos. Me likey. Verdict: Keeper!

Origin: Straight from the Lab Initial Thoughts: I am hit-or-miss with mint scents. Tulzscha was all right, Lick It remains in my top 5, Lick It Again was not the same and Snowblind was a let-down of plastic. But I was also attracted to the giant Japanese monster idea. In the Bottle: My first impression is of all things, mint chocolate chips! I think the vanilla is translating into ice cream and my mind is supplying the missing chips. Wet: At first it's very dessert-like, then the mint comes blasting out, sweet and sharp. The vanilla makes it markedly different from Lick It, which is more sugary-sweet. And definitely warmer...I am not getting even a hint of the chilled skin that Lick It provides. It skirts the edge of minty chewing gum. Drydown: The mint grows less powerful but is still the dominant note for me. It's still quite sharp, and not as pleasing...as if the vanilla has taken a back seat. I'm not quite sure if I like it like this. ETA: Oddly enough, this slowly chills on my skin in a reverse of Lick It. Verdict: More testing. I literally can't make up my mind on this one.

Origin: Straight from the Lab Initial Thoughts: I enjoy my little decant of the first Pink Moon, and I've been having some success with sugared florals thanks to Possets. I love carnations, so I have high hopes for this one. In the Bottle: A very fluffily pink fragrance. Sugary carnations and a floral that I assume is the phlox. Wet: Something unpleasantly sharp and green leaps out at me, but quickly fades back and lets the florals bloom. Drydown: I get the florals with sugar around the edges, but there's a musky quality to it all that cuts out the spring-like quality it had in the bottle. Verdict: I'm going to give it one more try before I give up, but at the moment I think this should go to someone who can wear it better than I.

Origin: Frimp from the Lab Initial Thoughts: Apple blossom and rose are good, honey is hit-or-miss, and ylang ylang is often not nice to me. In the Bottle: Rose and honey. A very feminine scent. Wet: Well hello, ylang ylang. Are you going to let anyone else come out to play? Drydown: Why, yes you are. How nice of you. Honey shot with floral hints, all fresh and very spring-like. I feel like I'm in a sunny work garden during a lull in the work to capture all the earth's bounty. Verdict: A nice surprise. I can see myself using the imp and maybe even getting a bottle in the future.

Origin: Imp straight from the Lab. Initial Thoughts: I've been slowly getting into more apple scents since the slew of Halloweenies last fall. I liked oleander in the one scent I tried with it (Hell's Belle), have been hit-or-miss with opium, and have no knowledge of hemlock. In the Bottle: Very strongly apple, with hints of the oleander. I feel like I'm sniffing an apple I just plucked from the tree, in a little sunny grove. Wet: Now I get the "poisoned" part. It's still apple, but there's a dark and sour tinge to it, warning me that this might not be a good thing to eat. I can smell the danger in it. Drydown: Wow, this one fades pretty fast on me, leaving just the faintest trace of apple floral. Verdict: Interesting in how it so perfectly captures the concept, but not something I'd wear.

Origin: Imp straight from the Lab Initial Thoughts: I will almost always try a rose scent once, even though some can turn into an icky green-stem note on my skin. In the Bottle: Very foody; I'm getting an overwhelming impression of pastry and bakery. Wet: A darkly fruity, sweet rose, with baking spices in the background. Drydown: The bakery takes over, with lots of sugar and spice going on and very little rose. Verdict: It might be worth keeping the imp. I can't tell if my nose is stopping up because of the scent or because I was outside hanging up the clothes to dry.

Origin: partial imp received in a swap Initial Thoughts: I lean toward floral rather than fruity, but since SNs are so hard to find I wanted to experience it. In the Bottle: An amazingly fresh, juicy peach! Wet: Um, wow. What's the opposite of amping? My skin hasn't sucked up the oil by far, but I'm getting almost no scent off my skin. Just the faintest hint of peach. Drydown: Huh, of all things I'm getting a peach-tinged skin musk. And I have to concentrate to get the peach. Verdict: Well, it's gorgeous in the bottle and disappears on me.

Origin: imp received in a swap Initial Thoughts: I love cinnamon in foods and cinnamon-scented items like candles, so I was really glad to have a chance to try the BPAL SN. In the Bottle: It smells more like a spice cupboard than pure cinnamon, with a sour tinge coming from somewhere, clove-like but not clove. Wet: The sourness amps up momentarily, but begins to fade when the cinnamon rises. Drydown: A cinnamon stick with a little bite of pepper. Definitely the spice version, rather than the "hot" version. Verdict: This is a lovely scent to experience, but I don't think I would wear this alone. I can see layering it with other scents to add or enhance the spice of it.

Origin: Frimp from the Lab Initial Thoughts: Between the blood musk, the black leather and the incense, I would definitely not buy this for myself. In the Bottle: Oddly sweet and fruity, but with hints of a rotten core. Wet: A very sweetish musk. It reminds me of an incense that an old friend used to burn in her house Drydown: This one doesn't morph much on me. It remains an incense with sweet fruity touches. Verdict: Not something I would wear.

Origin: Frimp from the Lab Initial Thoughts: I have never had a BPAL patchouli behave on me, and the only apricot blend I've tried didn't work on me (Mad Hatter or March Hare or one of the Tea Party blends). In the Bottle: Wow, a very twisted fruit. It fits the name very well. Wet: For once I can pick out the distinct notes. It's patchouli and apricot side by side. Drydown: It moves to an earthy green patchouli, very dank and musty. Verdict: Pass.

Origin: Frimp from the Lab Initial Thoughts: Between the patchouli and the dark musk, I really don't expect this one to work on me. In the Bottle: Ooh, that's kind of nice! Cool and foresty, with something sweet to it. Wet: Very woodsy; I can also pick out the patchouli. Drydown: Alas, the dark musk creeps in and slowly takes over. Verdict: I hate it when I'm right. It smells so nice in the bottle.

Origin: Frimp from the Lab Initial Thoughts: When I first combed through the general catalog as a newbie, I paused at the mention of rose but moved on at the mention of musk and frankincense. But since then I have learned that some musks work on me...the frankincense will be the culprit if it doesn't work. In the Bottle: The lavender and orchid leap out at me. Wet: A blast of lavender and then frankincense. Drydown: The lavender remains a sharp note, with the musk and frankincense fighting below. I can't detect any rose at all. Verdict: My instincts were right. This one isn't for me.

Origin: Frimp from the Lab Initial Thoughts: *eyes leather warily* In the Bottle: Leather and sour wine. Definitely a masculine vibe. Wet: Very smoky leather and airy grass. I feel like I've stepped into a Marlboro cigarette ad. Drydown: Smoke and leather. Verdict: Not a bad scent, but not something I want to wear for myself.

Origin: decant from eviltemptressdq's circle Initial Thoughts: I'm always willing to try a rose scent. And I have no idea if the Kashmir musk will be a pale musk that works on me or a dark musk that doesn't. In the Bottle: A softly creamy musk. Very warm and inviting. Wet: Musk with floral swirling through it, but not the screaming MUSK!!! of doom that I have gotten in the past. Drydown: It is a true meld for me...I can tell that it's lightly musky, sweetly creamy and daintily floral, but no one note dominates. Verdict: I think I like this. Must play with the imp some more.

Origin: decant from eviltemptressdq's circle Initial Thoughts: Blue lilac? Yes! Stargazer lily? Yes! Cedar? Yes! Frankincense? Cross my fingers and hope... In the Bottle: Chilly and cedar-y. Wet: Cedar and nothing but cedar to start. I would have expected this behavior from the incense... Drydown: Definitely a chilly scent. But It's all frankincense and cedar; I get almost none of the floral notes that I so wanted. Verdict: I think this one needs to find a better home.

Origin: decant from eviltemptressdq's circle Initial Thoughts: For once it was the description that drew me in more than the actual notes. I haven't had much experience with orchid or champaca, and the few scents I've tried with tonka bean didn't work on me. But I have had good experiences with skin musk and vanilla. In the Bottle: Um, ok. That's not promising. My initial impression is flowers planted in a bed of catshit... Wet: Hm. I don't know if it's the orchid or the champaca, but I'm getting the same nail-polish-remover scent that someone mentioned a few reviews ago. Drydown: It eventually settles down into a fruity floral with a background of the skin musk. Verdict: I can see where the scent fits the description, but I don't think I like this one well enough to keep.

Origin: decant from eviltemptressdq's circle Initial Thoughts: I haven't been bitten by the Snake Oil bug. The one time I tried it on I was underwhelmed, although I have no idea how old that particular oil was. But I enjoy mint and thought I would give this one a try. (Since then I have had the chance to sniff the entire Snake Pit, and I suspect that Coral Snake is more my thing and found Anaconda to be heavenly-sweet.) In the Bottle: Sweet, almost honeyed mint. I immediately wonder if this would smell good on my husband--it's got a masculine feel to it. Wet: A well-blended minty musk. The mint is sharp, but not too sharp, muted just enough by the Snake Oil base. (Husband sniffs my wrist: "That's nice.") Drydown: The mint wins out, with the Snake Oil providing just a touch of sweetness below. But it's not the Lick It sweet...it's darker, more syrupy or honeyed. I definitely want to see what this does on my husband. Verdict: Absolutely keeping the imp. There may be a bottle down the road.

Origin: decant from eviltemptressdq's circle Initial Thoughts: I love carnation and lavender, vanilla and sometimes jasmine, and white musk is a musk that works pretty well on me. I'm not sure about the rose otto and amber is hit or miss. In the Bottle: I think I can smell the amber and lavender and some unclear notes. But something is giving it an edge that makes me think of detergent. Wet: I get mostly lavender, with a warm hint that could be the musk or amber or both. I can't find any of the other florals at the moment. Drydown: Meh. It's pretty much settled into lavender and maybe a touch of the carnation. Verdict: I could see myself using the imp, especially at bedtime, but I don't feel the call to get a bottle.

Origin: decant included in a purchase from eviltemptressdq Initial Thoughts: I thought I'd tried this one, but I think I was confusing it with Litha. In the Bottle: Very warm and sunny, nicely floral and sweet. Wet: Hmm...between the musk and the amber, I'm getting the old tsunami of those notes at the expense of the others. Drydown: Okay, the musk backs off a bit and I get wafts of honey and citrus that are all mellow and warm. Verdict: I'm glad I got this!

Origin: decant from eviltemptressdq's circle Initial Thoughts: I have grown into a careful relationship with rose, which has always been one of my favorite scents. Rose that is melded with several other notes often smells divine on me. Rose that is front and center can take the hint of green stem and run with it to the point that I get 100% cooked collard greens instead. So warily, I take a step toward Hope... In the Bottle: Strongly rose, complete with green stem and very little sweet. Uh oh... Wet: Ugh...sugar-coated collard greens... Drydown: Um, yeah. No morphing to this one. No rose, all stem. Verdict: Alas, the sisters are not for me.

Simplicity and innocence, gleefully despoiled! Sugared violet. Origin: decant from eviltemptressdq's circle Initial Thoughts: the BPAL violet and I normally do not get along. Violet turns to a nasty acrid smell on me unless it's well buried by many, many other notes (see: Bearded Lady, Purple Phoenix). But in experimenting with other companies, I found violets that did work on my skin. So, it's just a decant...let's see. In the Bottle: As advertised. Very sweet sugary violets. Wet: Very strongly sugar with just an undertone of floral. Drydown: The violet starts to show up...and of all things, I am getting rubber! Pencil-eraser rubber! And then it starts to go plastic on me. Verdict: Well, I suppose it's a step up from the nasty acridness that is my normal violet experience...still passing this one on.

Origin: Decant from eviltemptressdp's circle Initial Thoughts: I enjoy carnations, and there just don't seem to be enough scents with carnation. In the Bottle: Sharp, tangy floral. I mostly get the orange blossom and carnation. Wet: Yow! Very, very orange! Then I get some florals and a hint of sweet. Drydown: For a few moments it's a very tangy floral, but then the iris and orange blossom overwhelm the rest. Plus something is poking at my allergies and my nose is stuffing up somewhat. Verdict: This comes close to an excellent summer scent for me, except for the iris and the stuffy nose. Pass.