venusinfurs

This starts out as a sweet, heady floral on me. It does feel a bit "on edge" until the floral sharpness goes away, but I guess that's evocative of "desire" It then dries down to a pretty vanilla scent, think Snake Oil but instead of the hint of spice you get a hint of flowers. Very pretty.

Definitely a blend I thought I'd love, but ended up not agreeing with me. I LOVE BPAL's musks (red, white, black, skin, whatever!) so I thought I'd like this too, based on reviews. In imp: Light and musky, pleasant fragrance with a slight sourness. Wet on skin: Something bitter and medicinal. I can't really stand the smell. Dry on skin: Starts to smell strongly of..burnt caramel? Not a good burnt caramel, either...like "I left caramel in a pan and now it's black." Must be the myrrh? It's a shame, because I can smell something lovely in the background (probably the other notes!) I guess off to the swaps with this one!

Hmmm...I've never been so confused by a scent. Yes, confused. In the imp: Musky floral perfume. Not really feeling it. I wanted to smell musky honey and patchouli! Wet on skin: This morphs into something sweet, nutty, boozy, musky. After a few minutes the florals (I think tuberose) come out and make it slightly soapy. Dry on skin: The soapy smell goes away, and now I smell a well rounded blend of musk, honey, patchouli, and a hint of the florals. It smells a bit powdery and the booze and nuts have gone away. I like how different this is, and the fact that it's well blended and smells like a "perfume" instead of incense or food or flowers. It's lighter than I expected. I will probably use my imp, and then decide if I want a bigger bottle.

In the imp: Sweet floral. I can't really pick out any single notes. Maybe carnation? Wet on skin: Very floral, almost soapy! I can detect a hint of something I like a lot in the background, but that soapy floral persisted for an hour or so. Dry on skin: It kept the soapy floral with a background of sweetness for about an hour, then that faded away to a lovely tea with milk and honey smell. It actually smells like how I wanted O to smell, but was a fail on me due to the amber. I wish I didn't have to endure the soapy floral for an hour to get to this! The floral wasn't bad, very clean smelling, and I usually love BPAL rose, but the dry smell is so gorgeous. I will test this imp a bit more and see if I like it enough for a 5 mL.

In case anyone is interested, I tried Fae recently and it smells very similar to J'adore by Dior on me

I was a tad bit disappointed by this scent. I wanted it so badly to smell "thoroughly corrupted," but that's not really the vibe I got from it! In bottle: I smell patchouli and cinnamon. Not so much amber or sandalwood. I'm scared because amber = powder on me. Wet on skin: Cinnamon. That's all. Strong cinnamon with some sweetness. Just getting one note makes it kind of boring. Dry on skin: Sweet, powdery cinnamon. It reminds me a bit of cinnamon gum. Not really the effect I was going for. I don't know where the sandalwood is in this blend, because I don't smell it. I think black patchouli goes sweet on me, and amber definitely goes powdery. It's not a bad smell, but I don't think I'll be using it much. I did hear cinnamon seems to appeal to men, so maybe I'll give it a try with the bf and see what he thinks. It's not that I can't stand it, it's just kind of boring and blah to me compared to other blends I've tried. I will give it another shot, and if it still doesn't work, then off to the swaps!

I usually like darker, spicy scents, but I wanted to find something for spring/summer, so I got an imp of this off of the sale board for $1. In the bottle: A little fruity, but there's something green and floral in there, too. Wet on skin: The peach scent that everyone talks about comes out, but it soon is subdued into a very "fresh" scent. Dry on skin: Absolutely gorgeous. A hint peachy and sweet but also fresh with a hint of floral as well. It reminds me of J'adore by Dior, which was one of the only floral/fresh perfumes I've ever liked. It's a tad sweet and fruity, but has enough complexity to not be one of those bubblegum fruity scents. It's actually perfect, and I was very surprised how much I like it on myself. I even want a bigger bottle now!

I have almost used my entire imp's ear of Snake Oil. I knew I would like it, but I didn't want to because it was so popular, but I can't help myself In the bottle: This does not smell like I was expecting it to in the bottle. Very spicy, but as other reviewers have said, not foody, more incense spicy. Wet on skin: Wow spices! Then comes the vanilla, which is kind of a warm and smoky vanilla rather than a foody vanilla on me. Dry on skin: I love it! So complex, yet soft and smoky and sweet and lovely all at once. I really don't find this an in your face sexy scent, which is what I was expecting. I can wear this during the day, no problem (unlike something like Vixen or Smut, which pretty much will make you blush just wearing them). It kind of smells like someone blew out a vanilla incense candle. It lasts a very long time, too. Definitely want a big bottle.

Frimp from the lab. I would have never ordered this in a million years, as it just didn't sound appealing to me. I'm not really into fruity or tropical scents, unless they have coconut or musk in them. I was pleasantly surprised though! In bottle: fruity, very much pineapple-y. That's pretty much all I smell. It's light though, nothing too sweet or cloying. Wet on skin: The fruit is starting to fade away and the rum comes out. Woah, holy rum! That only lasts a few seconds, though. It turns into a warm pineapple, with something weird in it. Could be the raspberry? Dry on skin: Yum! A very warm, boozy pineapple with a splash of berry. I would only ever wear this in the summer, but it does smell really good! I thought it would smell like lipgloss or bubblegum, but the rum works well on my skin and makes it smell more "perfumey." This would be excellent to mix with lotion for the summer! I like it and will use my imp. I doubt I will get a big bottle, because I'd really only wear this on a hot summer day or to the beach, and it doesn't seem to last too long. If you like pineapple, definitely pick this up!

This was a frimp from the lab, and also my first mad tea party scent! In the imp: Sweet, hard cider. I didn't read the description first, so I had no idea this had flowers in it from the first sniff. Wet on skin: Carnations and cider are having a fight. It's boozy and spicy and floral all at the same time. I'm usually not a big fan of florals, but this kind of works. Dry on skin: I keep getting hints of the wine now. It smells really good! The floral scents have faded, and the spiced wine scent takes over. It's nice. I will probably use up my imp. This is a sophisticated scent, as other reviewers have said. If you're a fan of cider, wine, or carnations, you should definitely give this a try. The wine note is one of the best I've smelled!

In the bottle: Cherry Cough Syrup. YUCK. Wet on skin: It's actually nice wet. Cherry, fruity, and spicy. It smells a bit like a fruit incense. Dry on skin: Powdery incense. I don't get any good vanilla or strawberry from this like I had planned. I might give it another chance, but it's looking like a disappointment. I don't think amber agrees with me, though--O goes to straight powder, so that may be the culprit here, too.

This was my second unsniffed 5 mL purchase (my first being Samhain), and I definitely haven't gone wrong yet! In the bottle: Jagermeister and sugar. Wet on skin: Wow, this scent really morphs. It almost made me blush, and I can't figure out why! It may be because it's so musky. It's a light, pretty musk though. The sweetness is starting to come out. Yum. Dry on skin: Hello, booze. The Jager scent has subsided into a sweet, light musk with some dark red wine to give it dimension. I don't get any of the bad latex reactions that other reviewers talked about, but this is the 2011 version. After about 10 minutes, something earthy is starting to come out. It's making it smell even better. Could be a dark musk? I'm not sure, but it's making the scent even sexier, somehow. I love it! Definitely my new date night scent. ETA: After a few hours, this smelled like pretty perfume, grape lollipops, and....sex. I still like it, and it got me lots of unexpected attention at the grocery store!

When I first smelled this in the bottle, I was ready to throw it back in the cabinet and trade it away. It's got THROW. I smelled a floral (must be the orange blossom) with extremely strong patchouli. Wet on my skin, it got a little better. The throw was still there, but the ginger and the orange blossom are coming out in full force. Dry on my skin, this is perfectly balanced ginger, orange blossom, and patchouli. It sweetens a bit to tone down the initial strong throw. It really is vampy as hell. It reminds me of something, but I can't quiet put my finger on what it is. Wait, a love spell candle I got at a store in Salem! I would definitely wear this on special occasions only, though. It's too much for every day or even just going out on the weekend. It reminds me a bit of Coco by Chanel, as a reference point.

I'm still looking for one similar to Juicy Couture too...or maybe even Kat Von D's saint. I like that sweet caramel smell every once in awhile. Ralph Lauren Hot is one of my favorite perfumes, and I still haven't found anything similar. Top Notes Mandarin, Almond Blossom, Cinnamon Middle Notes Mocha Cream, Orchid, Honeysuckle, Jasmine, Fresh Milk, Fig Notes Base Notes Maple, Vanilla, Amber, Musk , Sandalwood I tried Persephone for the first time yesterday, and it honestly smells almost identical to YSL's Parisienne on me. Luckily, it's much cheaper and doesn't have any of the yucky alcohol smell! It's great for spring. I'm glad I tried it.

… Luxuriant amber, warm Egyptian musk, fierce saffron and soft myrrh, almond, cardamom and golden lotus. Bastet is best described by me as "luxurious." In the bottle, this smells like sweet almonds, musk, and incense. I really don't get where others are getting cherries. It could be because maraschino cherries are flavored with almond, so maybe that's where they are recognizing the smell. Wet on my skin, this is sweet almond but the saffron and musk are coming out strongly. It's turning quite spicy and lovely. Dry on my skin, the saffron subsides and a sweet spicy muskiness is left. I can't stop sniffing my wrists! This one's a keeper. Maybe even big bottle worthy. It's actually a versatile scent- I can see myself wearing this out at night, to work, or to just relax. It's warm and sexy and spicy and powerful all at once. It's actually what I was expecting "O" to smell like!

I really wanted to love this, because I like honey and vanilla. It isn't bad at all, but it just wasn't completely what I wanted something called "O" to be In the bottle, it's quite sweet smelling. I can smell honey and vanilla with some warmness/perfumey-ness in the background. Wet on my skin, it smells divine. Like vanilla sugar and honey with a faint amber background. Dry on my skin, the amber amps up, and it smells like amber with a touch of vanilla. The honey seems to fade away completely. It's a "nice" scent, but I don't think it's particularly sexy or unique on me. I woke up in the morning, and it smelled faintly of amber and baby powder, which wasn't bad, but not my favorite, either. This wasn't one of those "OMG I NEED TO SCRUB THIS OFF NOW" scents or anything, but it just didn't do it for me. I think I will use up the imp bottle, but I won't be buying a big bottle of it.

This is an interesting scent. It's very different from your average fruity scent or floral. I got it as a frimp and was happy with the bonus! In bottle: Boozy orange. Smells like Gran Marnier. Wet on skin: Orange candy and spiced fig. Yum! Dry on skin: The orange has faded away and the spiced fig remains. I love the smell of fig, so I'm happy with it. I'm not really sure if I would wear this frequently as a perfume, but it would make an excellent room scent, especially during the fall or the holidays! Edit: This scent made me hungry! Literally stomach growling, ravenously hungry. I'd definitely use this as a room scent during a dinner party

I was pleasantly surprised by this scent! I knew it was really popular, but rose is not usually my thing. In bottle: Sweet rose. This smells similar to YSL's Parisienne, which is one of the few regular perfumes I like. I believe it is a sweet berry rose perfume, so that makes sense. Wet on skin: Still sweet rose, but softer. Very pretty. Dry on skin: This has a lot of throw on me, but in a good way. I can see where the guy-attracting comments come from. This is a flirty scent! Very sweet and fruity, but the roses make it a bit more sophisticated than your average sweet and fruity scent. I ended up loving this. It's definitely big bottle worthy, and that's coming from a fan of spicy oriental scents!

I was excited when I got this as a frimp, but I really ended up not liking it at all. It must have violet in it, because it smells exactly how Sybaris did on me -- bad. In bottle: Very green and floral. I'm not really getting any sweetness from it, but it smells nice so far. Wet on skin: Very strong greens. Almost smells like grass or hay, with lily in the background. Something smells odd about it, like mushrooms or earth or...chemicals? I can't decide. Dry on skin: Starting to get a little tart. Violet always dries down to a yucky rotten hay smell on me, and that's what this did. I was left with soapy rotten hay. Yuck. I can see this working on someone else, but definitely not me. I think I'll pass it along with my next swap

I don't think anyone's mentioned Lilith yet. I got a frimp from a very generous person with an order from the swap board, and I surprisingly loved the wine note. It's a dark scent, but I really like the booziness. I like Blood Countess as well, but it is a more "fruity" wine note than Lilith, which doesn't agree with me quite as well.

Rumandkerosene - I know you said you disliked florals, but when you said "too polite" I thought of both Snooty Rose and Roses, Pearls, and Diamonds. Darlingdiva27 - When I read your description I immediately thought of Jazz Funeral and Hell's Belle (which is dark and sultry without any of the spicy vanilla that seems so common in those kinds of scents) Oliphaunt - Have you tried Samhain 2010? I absolutely love it...and I think it fits with you, especially the last sentence you wrote. It's a warm, comforting Autumn scent that has a bit of spookiness and mystery too. I even smelled some dry woodsy notes that might go with your other scent preferences. You all sound like you'd be fun to hang out with! I guess I'll do this for fun too I'm 26 and female. I have a chemistry degree and am a lawyer, but I work as a sort of manager/supervisor of a team of lawyers and others at a big company. I pretty much only listen to the heaviest of metal, and even as a business woman can't shake my heavy eyeliner addiction. I used to play piano/synth in a black metal band in college. I'm actually quite introverted, and I love baking. I ride motocross, but I hate being dirty. I'd pick fashion over function in a heartbeat. I'm also constantly sports training due to needing the strength and stamina to deal with my bike. I'm a Pisces, and fit the description pretty well - intuitive, dreamy, sensitive, but I'm also very logic driven. I hate cities and prefer the country, especially in the winter, and the colder and snowier the better. I love reading non-fiction - especially anything physics or science based - and classics. You might be able to tell by now that I'm more into science and less into religion. I don't like movies or tv for the most part, but I can get into a hilariously bad or frighteningly good horror movie every now and then. I'm sarcastic and pessimistic, but in a realistic way more than a debbie downer way. My favorite drink is a dirty vodka martini. As for physical characteristics, I've had my hair about every color I can think of, but now it's my natural blonde. I wear it long and wavy. I also have blue eyes and am kind of tall and slim but busty, although I don't know what that has to do with my personality. I've got to wear suits for work, but I always try to wear the most ridiculous shoes I can get away with. I tend to like dark, spicy scents with notes like vanilla, musk, amber, and leather. However, there's a part of me that likes wet, juicy, feminine sweet scents, and sweet candy scents. I also like some crisp scents, especially if they smell like a snow covered forest. I dislike a lot of florals (turn soapy and powdery on me), but there are a few sweet florals I adore. I'm extremely open minded about scent, and I don't like limiting myself to what I think I should like.

This was a freebie. Based on the reviews, I never would have tried it. But, it was nicer than I thought. In the bottle: smells like a standard floral...and vaguely familiar, like some kind of commercial soap or perfume I have smelled before. Wet on skin: smelled really green, like fresh picked flowers. i don't really like florals, but it is kind of nice. Dry: a little sweet, lots of floral, very soapy/powdery smelling. I thought I would hate this, but I really don't. It's feminine but not warm at all. It doesn't really fit my tastes or personality, so I don't know if I'd wear it, but it's very green and floral without being too girly or sweet. It does have a bit of a throw - a drop will do!

I didn't like this at first whiff. I'm not really sure if I like it on me, either. in the vial: lots of violet, slightly spicy, very rich-lady smelling. wet on skin: i liked it in this phase the most. violet with spice. dry on skin: ALL CLOVE. i think my body chemistry amps the clove or something, because that's all I can smell now. bye bye pretty, feminine violet. hello powdery smelling, sickly sweet clove gum. I guess I now know the clove note is really strong on me. This isn't gross smelling, but I will likely pass it on to someone else.

I surprisingly loved this. I bought Samhain 2010 off the sale board on a whim. In bottle - Straight patchouli. I was disappointed sniffing it in the bottle. Wet on my skin - It immediately came to life on my skin! I smelled some spices and some slightly dry woods, like leaves and sweet hay, and the patchouli died down dramatically. Dry on skin - Got sweeter and fruity - and smelled exactly like those spiced apple rings you can get around thanksgiving, mixed with a faint hint of the leaves/hay and patchouli. This is definitely a keeper!

I'm a natural blonde, but I hate sweet/fresh scents and go straight for the Perversion and Snake Oil spicy type scents. I even love Blood Countess, haha. I do get in weird "fresh" moods where I want to smell like mint, or snow and forest. I guess then I'd probably fit in the white witch from narnia sort of category I see brunettes as more the warm, foody scents. Black haired ladies as sort of rose and leather, like Whip (which I actually like!) Redheads I can see as either being spicy or fairy like, which are completely different types of scents, but I think either of them fit.