Balame

Kitsune-Tsuki are malevolent Japanese spirits, akin to western werebeasts: women are possessed by the spirits of foxes, who compel them to perform acts of wickedness and mischief. Asian plum, orchid, daffodil, jasmine and white musk. In the Imp: Plum and jasmine. Smells like a great tea. Wet: Very juicy scent. The sweet plum is complimented by the white florals and and musk, and the jasmine gives it additional "roundness". Not overpowering, instead fresh, and vibrant. Dry: This has an understated elegance to it. It is definitely playful due to the plum, but the florals also give it a maturity and sexiness as well. I love how juicy this stays. Overall: A very nice scent, both light and complex. To me, someone who would wear this often is sweet, intelligent, and also very fun/pleasure-seeking.

In the Imp: Very rich, dark, nice, realistic plum. Think I used enough adjectives there? Wet: Mm, sweet plum but not sickly or cloying. Just a real, ripe plum. That's what I'm talking about! I had no idea carnations could be considered "spicy", but yeah, they're there. They sort of remind of cinnamon, actually. Dry: The plum and carnation mix well and give a feeling that makes me think of plum pie. Sort of candle shop too. It's certainly not bad, but I liked it more when wet. Overall: All I can say is that I adored that initial, true plum note. If it was just that I would've bought a bottle of this. Unfortunately, I'm not big on spices (er, I guess in this case flowers) that end up making things smell like a candle.

In the Imp: I don't feel very excited about the neroli in this, so I hope the other notes will cover it up for the most part. Thankfully it's very pleasant from the imp - all juicy ylang ylang and a little bit of the patchouli. Wet: Can we just have a moment of silence right now? I do believe this is the FIRST time I have not been savagely attacked by neroli in a BPAL scent. WOO! This is quite good, in fact. There's a sexy little interplay between the sweetness of ylang ylang and the oleander, with the patchouli making it just slightly foresty. Dry: Still sweet yet light florals, with only a tiny bit of neroli's bite. The patchouli has faded. Very interesting. I really don't get the actual "Tisiphone" element of this, because it's quite agreeable and not at all violent. Overall: I think this would be great as a summer scent. I honestly don't have any complaints about it other than it's not really "me", but I'd be happy to smell it on someone else. Very fresh and light, still sweet with a bit of complexity. And once again, huge points for being the first time I could ever, ever stand neroli.

In the Imp: This sounds like quite the interesting combo. To start I get a very sharp and herbal mix of both notes right out of the imp. Wet: This is a mint. Straight up candycane, but intensified to the extreme. Dry: Very medicinal now, not candy-like as before. Metallic. I don't think I've ever smelled pennyroyal before, so for sure it's the main culprit. It's completely overwhelmed the lavender, in fact. This very much works for its namesake, because I can easily take myself to a torture chamber filled with metal instruments. Kind of creepy! If you want to make people uncomfortable this would do the trick. Overall: Metal and an icky sort of oral medicine. Like cough syrup but just the chemicals, not the sweetness. It's not pleasant by itself, but I wouldn't shy away from other oils with pennyroyal in them, now that I know what it smells like. I actually think something that sweetens it a bit, or at least lends something darker to tone it down, would make it more tolerable and fun.

In the Imp: A very green (as opposed to heavy/smoky) vetiver, and not quite as dry as usual. Wet: The vetiver in this is far lighter than I'm used to, and delicately sweetened by the myrrh. It's just barely smoky, like a whiff of smoke in the outdoors versus in a closed up room. I quite like it. My usual vetiver from Kroenen is far darker and more "rawr" than this, so it's fun to see its range. Dry: Aah, I glanced up at zmulls' post and he's right. I kept thinking something was familiar about this, and Sloth is very much Czernobog without the musk. I actually like the intricacy of scents that combine a bit of a range with vetiver, so this would be for someone who wants a gentle introduction to the note. Overall: It's nice since I'm a vetiver fan, but already having other oils that satisfy the need, I think I'll pass this on to someone who would enjoy it more often.

In the Imp: Very sweet banana rum. Wet: Plastic, sweet, artificial bananas. Dry: No change, it's just very "banana candy" and overwhelming. Overall: Sad to say there aren't a lot of winners from the Luau Lounge. Like the rest I've tried, this is very fake fruit and unpleasant. Rum notes from BPAL are definitely better with darker notes.

In the Imp: Oh wow, this kind of reminds me of Fairy Wine. I don't know if dandelion is in this, but it's the same summery, sweet, and fresh green smell. Wet: Whatever herbs are in this are definitely shared with Fairy Wine to some extent. Soft lemon and rosemary, I think, and something in this is a bit creamy. Like an orange creampop, amusingly enough, but not artificial. There's something just barely sharp and sweet in here, sort of like baby wipes, but thankfully it doesn't quite get to that level. It's light and pleasantly "cute", if you believe a scent can smell that way. Sort of "little girl" to me. Dry: Ha, I was waiting for this to dry and had my hand supporting my head, and I kept thinking, "What IS that smell, do I have remnants of Fairy Wine on from last night?" But no, it's the Osun! Pretty crazy. That slightly off-putting baby wipe scent is completely gone and it's no longer childish at all, but a creamy, fresh, and honey-based wonder. Overall: Awesome analog to Fairy Wine, but since I have the real deal I might move this along. Don't know though, the warm honey combined in the herbs with this is pretty amazing.

In the Imp: Definitely floral, but I only get a bit of rose and more of the vague heaviness of musk. Wet: Kind of a granny's rose perfume, unfortunately. It's on the heady and cloying side, with just a bit of the rose's freshness peeking out of a swathe of dark smog. Dry: I'm really bummed I never got any amber from this. Just a weighed down rose, so much that it loses its appeal to me in this. Overall: Not so great. Baby powder and mustiness with dead roses.

In the Imp: Jesus not the almonds. Sometimes I wonder why I test things even when I know they're going to scar me. Wet: ALMONDS. Dry, spicy, alcohol cherry almonds in their full force. Totally overpowering. Dry: I am just barely hanging on here, almonds are a note of death on me. Uhm. It's dry almonds and almonds. Overall: Sorry, just far too painful to do much of an in-depth review on this one. I didn't feel there was much going on in the additional spices department, though that could just be because I was too busy cringing at the incredibly powerful almonds. If you do like them, however, the great news is that you'll probably love this scent!

In the Imp: Roses. Wet: This is literally like rose water to me. The rose is there but it's wet and watered down. The cinnamon is just vaguely there in the background. Dry: Where the rose was extremely wet at first, it's now the exact opposite. Like dried roses in baby powder! What on earth is going on? Where cinnamon notes usually amp on the drydown I'm not getting it at all here. Overall: I kid you not, dry roses, alcohol, and baby powder. Extremely strange and definitely not for me.

In the Imp: Very candy-ish pineapple. Wet: This reminds me almost exactly of a Life Savers pineapple candy. Sugary and sweet. Dry: Doesn't really change much, thought it softens up a bit. Overall: Yeah. Obviously I don't have much to say about this one. The whole Atomic Luau line has been a tad disappointing to me because I was excited to try them since I love fruit, but all the fruit notes smell very artificial and overly sweet to me.

In the Imp: Hades has always been one of my favorite Greek gods. I'm not very familiar with onycha or opoponax, but they seem like they'll be pleasant incense-y notes. On first sniff I smell a very light cypress. Wet: That's very pleasant. The florals are gentle, perfect for someone (like me) who can't take a huge bouquet. They add just the right amount of sweetness amidst a green background, herbal and foresty but softly so. There are hints of something that actually reminds me of mint, so it must simply be how the notes are interacting. Dry: This sweetens as it dries. I'm left with mainly the stephanotis and a whirl of the darker incenses. It reminds a bit of Sheol - the overall feel of a white floral amidst incense. It's not quite as good to me (not as smoky as Sheol), but still nice. Overall: Gentler than I expected. I think I would've liked this more if the cypress hung around to balance out the sweeter florals, but it never gets heady or too strong.

In the Imp: I've liked djinni for a long time. So why must all the oils relating to them have super "burn your nose off" spicy notes? YES, I get the fire reference, but surely BPAL can be a bit more creative than going the traditional route. Maybe I'm judging before I actually smell this, but we'll see. At first sniff I get clove, though thankfully it's not super overpowering and caustic yet. Wet: Eeh. I smell lots of cinnamon for sure, with that familiar "tingly" feeling it inspires. Not much else. Dry: The sole saving grace in this scent, for me, would've been smelling more of the peach's sweetness, but it never got all that complex. Still a single note. That being said, it wasn't as harshly spicy as I thought it would be, so it wins points for not being overkill. Overall: Not a memorable scent in my book. A fairly gentle cinnamon candle that's reminiscent of Xmas. Certainly does not make me think "djinni ruler".

In the Imp: Chocolate... it always seems to take over in the imp regardless of whatever notes are present. Let's see what happens! Wet: Amazingly, it really does smell like kelp. Wet, soggy plants. With chocolate. Wow. There's something a little bit drying in here which helps to balance things out, possibly sandalwood or patchouli, but it's only barely noticeable. I also know that kelp doesn't sound like it would be very pleasant, but it's more like if seaweed floated up onto the beach and had been drying for a while (but still damp). Sort of a richly dark, green scent. Not icky. Dry: Very soothing now, this is actually quite nice. The plants make this more mature than if it were only the chocolate alone, giving the scent a slightly smokey feel, but then the chocolate swoops in to calm it down with a pleasing, indulgent sweetness. It's not as "holy crap seaweed" as when you first put it on, almost feeling like an aquatic musk - that's new. Overall: I like this a lot. Amazingly, it's a very rich, romantic scent. I think most other people would be crazy for this as well, if they could get over the initial "what the heck does kelpy chocolate smell like" concern. I wish I had noticed this when it first went up. *edit* Addition for a re-test and a longer drydown update - there is AMBER in this. Gorgeous, beautiful, rounded amber. No wonder it turned all sensual - amber, cocoa, and rich planty smells? Beautiful.

In the Imp: I've never reviewed Dorian!? This must be the day for finding out I haven't written for older scents. Suffice to say, I adore this. I've used it for years and my poor imp is on its last legs, so I may finally have to order a bottle soon. It's popular for a reason. It's the gentlest lemon vanilla tea in the imp. Wet: Then it blossoms on your skin. Super delicate, creamy lemon tea. Exactly. It's really quite heavenly. This is both proper and intriguing, like a sweet intelligent librarian you want to sex up and you find out he/she is a demon in the bed. BUT, he/she is still utterly devoted and enamoured with you. The perfect blend of careless seduction and simple, true affection. Dry: This stays light and fresh with the bonus of seductive, gentle vanilla. Great for sunny days when you don't want something heavy, but still want to be utterly irresistible. Overall: What can I say, I'm an addict just like the majority of other members! Dorian should be a required review for everyone, it's that good.

In the Imp: Aw, Shango. I tried him quite a while ago and just enjoyed him too much for immediate review. Smells like a pineapple smoothie in the imp. Wet:: A full burst of tropical fruits at first, one of those wonderfully mixed ones where you can pick out all the individual notes by themselves. The apple, banana, coconut, and pineapple are all readily apparent. Dry: The drydown is where you start getting the "kick" of the chili. It smokes things up just a tad and gives this more pizzazz than if it were just a sweet fruit salad, though it's still brilliantly fresh. Overall: I love fruit, and Shango is literally like bathing in a fruit smoothie. Honestly though, he's just at the edge of being too sweet for me because of all the delicious scents together combined with the sugarcane, so I will probably pass him on at some point. But I will continue to appreciate him before I get another circular swap together.

In the Imp: Hazelnuts, for real. Rich with a bit of a pleasant bite. Wet: ROSE! And such a true one, like a rose that's wet after a spring rain in a garden. Really lovely. I've found a lot of other rose notes in BPAL to be too weighed down by other florals or "darkened" by herbal notes, but this is a very welcome change. Dry: I was beginning to think the only rose I would like was the unusual, sort of musky rose from Othello (though that was mixed with too many icky sweet notes), but this rocks it. I'm not even a fan of florals regularly, but I just love how real this smells. And yes, there are hints of woodiness that make this feel like an old forest church with a bouquet of fresh roses in it. Fantastic. Overall: I really want to layer this with something warmly sweet, like tonka, because it lost a lot of the nutty hazel on drydown. It's still vaguely creamy, but I wouldn't complain if it was even milkier. Either way I'm eager to explore the possibilities because the rose is just bloody awesome. A win!

In the Imp: I can't believe I haven't reviewed this, I've had it for a while. Ah well, sad to say that I had a lot of high hopes regarding this one both because of the buzz and the fact I like all of the involved notes in and of themselves, but together this just didn't work out. In the imp it's all honey and sugar. Wet: I first get a big waft of sweet vanilla that lingers for around five minutes. Then... Dry: The goopy honey shows up. The "sugar" note, believe it or not, is actually the amber in this. And therein lies the problem. As a whole, O feels "fake" to me. It smells a little plasticky, more like a shortcake then fully indulging in the rich, true scent of any of the amazing notes alone. The honey is milky and subdued, not rounded, decadent, and wild. The vanilla is not a powerful vanilla extract, but as if it's been weighed down by too much sugar and flour. And the amber is the saddest version of itself, not royal and powerful, but like some sort of cheap knock off. Obviously other people don't see it like this, and I'm sure Beth uses plenty of great ingredients, but how it actually turned out was a massive disappointment. Overall: A popular one that's just Play-Doh on me. Don't like it at all.

In the Imp: "Wispy" is definitely right for this. Like the scent of white petals floating on the breeze - and the "breeze" is actually what I'm smelling more of right now, very clean and refreshing. Wet: So pretty! I feel like a very delicate lemon is in this, but I guess it's just the sweet herbs. A sort of lightly green scent, what you'd imagine a faerie circle surrounded by dainty little flowers to smell like. I feel like this is a tad too lighthearted for when I think of unicorns. Gentle and elegant, sure, but not cutesy as this is. At the moment I feel this is more like a playful little sprite. Dry: Yep, hasn't really morphed much, so I stand by my original thoughts. This is definitely innocent, light, and delicately sweet. It's nice, but more cheery than what I'd imagine a more ethereal unicorn to be like. It smells vaguely of a craft store, and I do mean that in a pleasant way. Overall: A nice simple scent. Florals that aren't overwhelming or cloying for once, mixed with a few delicate green notes.

In the Imp: I can barely smell the thing, practically had to stuff it up my nose! I can make out lemon and that's about it. Wet: Wow, this is so clean, and still rather hard to pick up. You'd really have to slather this if you wanted any kind of throw whatsoever. The white tea is so fresh and pleasant. A pure, invigorating scent. Not getting a lot of warmth or spice from the ginger. Dry: Now the ginger has made its appearance. Sadly, I liked it a LOT more in the wet stages when it was just a refreshing cup of white tea. I feel like ginger's bite clashes too much with the pleasant simplicity of tea, but then, I guess "conflict" is supposed to be a part of this scent. Overall: This made me want to find a nice tea scent, but having been mixed with something spicy I'm just not feeling it. It's actually a bit aquatic, which is fun, but it feels both too homy and like it's "trying too hard" to be seductive.

… Corrupted black plum, smoky opium and crumbling dead roses covered by a deceptive veil of Hungarian lilac, white gardenia and wild berry. In the Imp: Just pulled this out of my "to test" section and got really nervous at first because of the "blood" part of things, but thank goodness this is just a title rather than a descriptor. No blood resins, whew! Smells candy-ish with notable lilac. Wet: Blegh, this is so sweet. Smells strongly of gardenias and lilacs in a candy shop. Not very complex, I'm only getting those two notes. Dry: It's smokier now, but still sickeningly sweet. The plum is coming out more but it feels like it got smeared in a pile of ashes. Ashy flowers and dripping plum. I do admit it's more interesting at this point, rather than only giving flower power. Overall: Very indulgent and rich in both its sweetness and bitterness. Pass for me, but it's certainly a scent for someone with a defined, voluptuous character.

Ladies, Mircalla, Countess Karnstein! Languid, melancholy fire: red musk, purple orchid, frankincense, smoky vanilla, Styrian herbs, peru balsam, tonka, Zanzibar clove, and patchouli. I don't even like red musk and that was tolerable on me, so for those that do it will be an absolute hit. It's richly sweet with a twinge of spiciness and the familiar warm haze of red musk. It's an '09 Halloweenie scent though (my gosh, I just realized I'm getting to be an old hand around here ) so may be difficult to track down.

Same here; my favorite BPAL and now overall perfume is Black Pearl, which is definitely more on the feminine side of things... but it's delicious, and hey, I still wear my dark scents too. Those are all nice picks, so I hope he ends up liking some. Dee isn't leathery at all to me, but it is incredible (mostly rosewood and creamy tonka - maybe he'll get lucky and amp the leather note instead). I also love Robotic Scarab but it was more on the brassy/metallic side of things, "brighter" than when I think of leather in general. Sounds like you have a handle on what he likes though, all the best!

In the Imp: Very yummy chocolate with the warm spice of ginger in the background. Wet: Woohoo, that chocolate is GOOD. Smells exactly like the real deal. The cardamom and ginger are there but not overwhelming at all, instead giving this a very soothing, spiced tea feel. It's not my thing, but I wouldn't mind at all smelling it on someone else with that kind of calmly welcoming personality. Dry: The spices come out more strongly now to contend with the chocolate, but they're nice and nothing is singeing my nostrils. The milky, creamy aspect is present and prevents the other notes from going sharp. Overall: Spot on smells like its name (save for the coconut being elusive to me). Really feels like chai tea mixed with chocolate. Very, very pleasant. It's one of those scents where I couldn't see anyone but someone kind-hearted wearing it, which I would say is a compliment.

In the Imp: Well isn't this an interesting sounding mix. It's certainly fiery at first, with the orange blossom and tobacco. Wet: I thought this was going to be overwhelmingly heavy and spicy, but it's not at all. It's actually refreshing. I like the ambergris and lavender working together to produce a gentle sweetness that isn't cloying, and the gardenia blossom giving this an on-and-off juiciness. Not getting any of the wood yet but it's still nice. Dry: For some reason boozy scents make me feel a little crazy, but in a good way! The whiskey comes out and grounds the other notes while still making this exciting and unique. It's very complex, and unlike some scents you can actually pick out all the notes but they still work well together. True to its name, I want to put this in an oil burner for an atmosphere scent rather than wearing it on me. It's not a "this suits my personality" scent, but I still like it. All sensual, but light, florals with whiskey. Overall: Very unexpected and nice. It does indeed feel expensive, but it's both playful and mature. The wood never arrived but the whiskey did well enough balancing the gentler notes. A very intriguing scent.